Medford mail tribune., March 06, 1945, Image 1

Cologne Captured; Third Army Races 25 Miles Through New Break
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Me
United Pn
Thirty ninth Year
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American Infantrymen of the 83rd Division advance through shell-torn streets of Neuss, Germany, Rhine river
city Just south of Cologne. Fast-ranging armored-columns of the Third Division have cleared most of the
Rhine bank between Cologne and Neuss except for a large- pocket of Nazis trapped against the river midway
between the cities. Signal Corps radlo-telephoto.
Survivors Of March Of Death To Receive
Elaborate Welcome On San Fran Arrival
San Francisco, March S (U.R)
A "large group" of army of
ficers and men liberated from
the Japanese prison camp at Ca
banatuan In the Philippines &
en route to San Francisco and
will be given the most elaborate
homecoming ever arranged for
returning servicemen on the
west coast.
Announcement that the men.
Including veterans of Bataan and
Corregidor and some survivors
of the infamous "march of
death," were en route home was
' made by Maj. Gen. C. H. Kells,
PRISON PENALTY
REMOVED FROM
MANPOWER BILL
Washington, March 8 U.R)
The senate today struck the
$10,000 fine and year in Jail
penalty clause out of its version
of the manpower bill. The vote
v was 44 to 35.
I The action was taken on mo
' tion of Sen. Harlan J. Bushfield
(R., S. D.).
The amendment struck out of
the bill a provision originally
offered by Sen. Warren B. Aus
tin (R., VO, to Impose a penalty
of $10,000 fine andor one year
in jail upon any employer vio
lating the terms of the bill.
The action was taken shortly
after Democratic Leader Alben
W. Barkley had appealed to the
senate to stop "fooling around"
on the manpower bill.
Tl
T
Medford's next tin drive will
begin Monday with children
from all Medford schools calling
on the city's housewives for tin
cans. The drive, sponsored by the
salvage committee, will last
through Friday, March 16. Citi
zens are urged to save all tin for
students who will call next
week.
Cans should be washed, labels
removed, ends removed and put
Inside and flattened.
DOWN 2 JAP PLANES
Washington, March 6 (U.R)
The crew of the merchant ship
Cape Constance shot down two
Japanese planes while under
going 53 days of attack by en
emy aircraft during the Leyte
invasion, it was announced to
day.
SIDE GLANCES
Br
TRIBUNE REPORTERS
Claud Hoover embarrassed to
find the gir he clapped on the
.back at a dance was a total
stranger.
Donna Sherwood thinking It
would be quite utterly thrilling
to find her name in this cele
brated column.
DFORD
Full Leased Wira
Shattered Ruins Line Road to
commanding general of the San
Francisco port of embarkation
Part of 510 Freed
They are part of the group of
510 prisoners liberated January
31 by Gen. Douglas MacArthur's
Rangers and Filipino guerillas
in a daring raid behind the Jap
anese lines on Luzon.
The transport carrying the
liberated men will be greeted
outside the Golden Gate by the
harbor boat Catalina, bearing a
75-foot sign painted In five-foot
letters!-!.-: ,
' "Welcome Home"
' Other harbor craft will escort
the transport into San Francisco
bay.
Twenty Wacs will go aboard
to distribute accumulated mes
sages and mail M the men. Two
army bands will play at the
pier, where relatives of the men
will be on hand to greet them.
Ambulatory Patients
.The liberated prisoners, who
spent three years under Japa
TO
Washington, March 6 (U.R)
The house voted,. 135 to 98, to
day to amend the nurse-draft bill
to provide for induction with
commissions.
The amendment also stipulates
that only nurses qualified for
commissioning shall be drafted.
Rep. Forest A. Harness (R., Ind.),
author of the amendment, said it
was a needed protection.
"If the war department in
tends to commission them after
induction, why not write it in
the act?" he asked. '
War department officials testi
fied before the house military
affairs committee that qualified
nurses would receive commis
sions upon induction. Volunteer
nurses receive second lieutenant
commissions in the army and
ensign rank in the navy.
Anti-Roatta Rally .
Fired On In Rome
Rome, March 8 (U.R) Mount
ed police charged a crowd dem
onstrating against the escape of
Gen. Mario Roatta in front of
the Quirinal palace today, kill
ing one and wounding a num
ber, after a bomb had been
thrown.
The demonstrators were part
of a crowd that had taken part
in an anti-Roatta rally in the
Colosseum, protesting against
the escape of the former army
chief of staff under Mussolini
Roatta had been held for trial
as one of fascism's leading war
criminals.
Harry Bundy Named
Master of DeMolay
Kansas City. Mo., March 8
(U.R) Harry W. Buddy, Denver,
today was elected grand master
of the Grand Council, Order of
DeMolay, at its annual meeting
here, Frank S. Land, founder
and secretary-general of the or
der, announced
MEDFORD, OREGON,
Cologne
1M
nese misrule, are classified as
ambulatory patients. The extent
of the welcome for them will be
governed by their condition, but
the war department has in
structed the port of embarkation
and the city to "hit the bulls
eye" in giving the men "as warm
and sincere a welcome as possi
ble." it was revealed that some
next-of-kin of the Cabantuan in
ternees have been waiting in
San Francisco for more than
month, arriving a few days after
the announcement of the success
ful liberation.
TAX STUDY GROUP
Salem, Ore., March 8 (U.R)
Gov. Earl Snell's tax study
commission was finally author
ized today, when the House con
curred In a conference commit
tee report on the measure and
gave it final passage.
ine senate took similar ac
tion Saturday.
As finally passed the measure
calls for the commission to con
sist of 13 members, including
three members of the State Tax
Commission, two members of
each house including the speak
er and president, the state bud
get director and five members-
at-large. '
The governor asked for the
commission in his opening mes
sage to the legislature.
A bill to grant the commission
$25,000 to spend on the study
was introduced in the senate
Monday.
ONE-POUND BABY
New York, March 6 (U.R) A
one-pound 15-ounce baby girl
born Saturday night at Madison
Park hospital, Brooklyn, was do
ing well in her incubator today,
The child is the daughter of
S2c Theodore Morrell, stationed
at Mare Island, Calif., and Mrs.
Sidnee Morrell of Brooklyn.
Winnie Sprinkles Cigar Ash
On Westwall Dragon's Teeth
Juellch, Germany, March 3
(U.R) Prime Minister Churchill
paid his first wartime visit to
Germany today.'
He wanted to board a tank
and ride right up to the Rhine
at Duesseldorf, but his military
escort persuaded him not to do
it. -
With Canadian First Army
Germany. March 4 (U.R)
Prime Minister Churchill said
today during a tour of the
western front that "anyone
can see thai one good strong
heave all together will bring
the war in Europe to its end."
(London announced Church
Ill's visit to the western front to
day after his return. He con
ferred with Gen. Dwight D. Ei
senhower and other allied com
manders. London dispatches
said be was believed to hive dis
TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 19'
Reds TaJ 4
GRUDZIADZ FALLS
IN 2-WEEK SIEGE;
BOOTY
Latest Victory Scored As
Other Russians Reach
Baltic Lagoons At Oder
London, March 6 (U.R) So
viet assault forces today captur
ed the great Polish citadel of
Grudziadz on the Vistula river
after a siege of two weeks in
which 5,000 German prisoners
and rich stores of booty were
taken.
The Grudziadz victory far be
hind the battle lines was scored
as other Russian forces speared
to the network of Baltic lagoons
at the mouth of the Oder, by
Berlin account, and laid down a
shattering bombardment on Stet
tin.
Behind 'Battle Tide
Marshal Konstantln K. Rokos-
sovsky's second White Russian
army captured Grudziadz, on the
east bank of the Vistula 59 miles
south of Danzig and near the
southwestern tip of East Prussia
The tide of battle had swept
on. far north and west of Grud
ziaz while the die-hard German
garrison fought on without hope
of relief.
,' The .Nazis said Marshal Greg
ory KZhukov's right wing had
swung westward to the area of
Cammin, on the waters of the
Stettiner Haff into which the
Oder debouches. Cammin Is 36
miles north of Stettin and four
miles south of the Baltic proper.
Stettin Pounded
Berlin said Z h u k o v had
thrown two tank armies Into the
drive on Stettin and was pound
ing the big fort with artillery.
Berlin said Zhukov also had
concentrated five infantry arm
ies and two tank armies in the
Oder valley 30-odd miles eajt of
Berlin. The Germans predicted
that the frontal push against the
capital would begin as soon as
Zhukov's flanks are secured. '
EXPLOSION
CANADIAN VESSEL
Vancouver, B. C March 8
(U.R)-The 10,000-ton Park Steam
ships freighter, Greenhlll Park,
exploded in the harbor here to
day and a heavy loss of life was
feared.
Between 25 and 30 men were
believed to have been aboard the
vessel when four blasts in the
ammunition room blew the star
board side out and set It afire.
A half-hour after the blasts,
only five men had been removed
all seriously injured. The fate
of the other crew members
aboard at the time of the ex
plosions was not known,
cussed plans for the allied drive
across the Rhine and into the
heart of Germany.)
Churchill inspected the Sieg
fried fortifications near Aachen
and the Juellch citadel. He
sprinkled the dragon's teeth of
the westwall liberally with tne
ashes of his cigar.
Accompanying the prime min
ister were Marshal Sir Alan
Brooke, chief of the imperial
general staff; Marshal Sir Ber
nard L. Montgomery, command
er of the 21st army group; and
Lt. Gen. William H. Simpson,
chief of the U. S. 9th army.
Churchill' car rolled unher
alded through Aachen. Dozens
of German civilians Joined the
GI's In staring.
The Germans wera under
stood to have had neither Jeers
nor cheers for the visitor long
pictured by their fuehrer as a
bogey-man.
Tribune
United Pn
istula Citadel;
Prisoners Captured
Over-Charges By
Nation's Grocers
Boost Food Bill
Washington, March 8 (U.R)
The nation's grocery bill is $1,-
000,000,000 higher than it should
be because too many housewives
pay above-ceiling prices, accord
ing to FriceyAdministrator Ches
ter Bowles,
Despite efforts of the OPA,
Bowles said, 27 per cent of the
food stores still are over-charging
customers. On a national
average, he added, 12 per cent
of all food items in grocery
stores are being sold at illegal
prices.
Bowles discussed the problem
yesterday with representatives
of the grocery industry. It mark
ed the start of a new OPA drive
for better compliance with cell
ing prices. .
E
ALLIED ASSAULTS
By United Press
Japanese armies in the Philip
pines and Burma were crum
bling today before the weight of
American and Allied troops,
while on Iwo U. S. marines pre-
parea tor an aii-out assault on
the last enemy defenders.
Tna Biggest setback fori the
Japanese came on Luzon, where
American troops and Filipino
guerillas already had destroyed
six enemy divisions possibly
100,000 men and broke the
remaining four divisions Into
three scattered pockets.
on bloody Iwo, at the door
step to Tokyo, U. S. marines
were massing strength for an
all-out assault to split and annihi
late the last thousands of Jap
anese In the northern end of the
Island. ,
Iwo Deaths Increase '
Although the battlelines on
Iwo remained practically un
changed, casualties on both sides
Increased considerably. The
count of Japanese dead officially
reached 12,864, although it was
estimated that three-fourths of
the original garrison of 20,000
had been wiped out. American
dead for the first 13 days totaled
2.050.
In Burma, more than 30,000
Japanese were virtually trapped
at Mandalay when armored In
dian forces raced 85 miles across
Burma in 10 days and captured
Meiktila, 80 miles south of Man
dalay. All Roads Cut
The surprise thrust cut all
roads, rail lines, ind communi
cations south and southeast of
Mandalay, and left the Japanese
with only a secondary escape
route through the mountains to
the Indo-China border.
Single American Superfort
resses again raided Japan s main
home island of Honshu, includ
ing Tokyo, last night, according
to enemy broadcasts. The other
targets beside the capital were
Wakayama, the Osaka Kobe
area, Shimonosckl and the Na
goya region.
300 DELINQUENT IN
FILING TAX REPORT
Approximately 300 Jackson
county citizens failed to turn in
their personal tax report, on
March 1, as required, the county
assessor i office reported today,
There are close to 4,000 taxpay
ers in the county.
' The assessor's office Is prepar
ing a list of the delinquents and
when It Is completed they will be
notified by telephone or other
wise, to comply. Oregon law
provides a penalty of $10 per day
after expiration of the final date
for filing. The penalty is printed
In red ink on all blanks. They
were mailed to taxpayers short
ly after January 1.
SET FIRE TO HOME OF
RETURNING JAPANESE
San Jose, Calif., March 8
(U.R) A carload of men set tire
to the home of Joe Tajeda, re
turned Japanese Internee today
and fired several shots, one of
which narrowly misted Dim.
full Leased WU
NO. 292.
GRAPE PROMOTION
Proposed Legislation Would
Constitute Trade Barriers
for Other Products, Claim
Salem, Ore., March 6 The
contention that proposed legisla
tion to promote the wine indus
try would constitute trade bar
riers for other Oregon products
was studied today by the senate
alcoholic traffic committee.
The bills (S. B. 280-281) by a
group of southern Oregon legis
lators would impose a 5 cent
per gallon tax on wine manu
factured for sale In Oregon, use
the proceeds to promote horti
culture and viticulture in Ore
gon, and also give a preference
to Oregon wines.
Hood River Oppose
Paul Newkom, treasurer of
the Apple Growers association
of Hood River, said his industry
was opposed to trade barriers
"because how can you distribute
your own state's resources when
you bar the other fellow?,
S. in. Tuttle of Medford, a
cooperative pear official, said
his group feared the bills would
be trade barriers unless outsid
ers were placed on a parity with
Oregon, f wines. He said ..Hood
River and Medford were ' par
ticularly vulnerable to retalia
tion. Benefit Seen
Director of Agriculture E. L.
Peterson endorsed the promo
tional value of the bills and said
if agriculture can grow to re
place forestry in the long-range
future, the ;tate will benefit. He
said lt would be sound for reve
nues from the wine industry to
promote horticulture and viti
culture, but not vice versa.
Dr. Ernest Wiegand, head of
the food industries department
at Oregon .State college, describ
ed research work already per
formed at the college experi
ment station.
Senator Earl Newbry and oth
ers defended the bills as not be
ing trade barriers.
CLOTHING PLAN
Washington, March 6 (U.R)
Representatives of 13 consumer
groups declared today that the
government s clothing program
"will not get enough low-priced
clothing on the market."
Their statement was made as
the House Committee Investigat
ing Executive Agencies met to
look into the clothing plan, de
signed to reserve the bulk of
material available for civilians
for the manufacture of low-
priced garments.
. Recalling that they had orals
ed the program when It was first
announced Jan. 23. the 13 orean
izations said they "had been led
to expect far more than lt will
at best achieve."
Among groups signing the pro
test were the League of Women
Shoppers, National Women's
Trade Union League, AFL and
CIO Women's Auxiliaries, The
American Association of
verslty Women, and the
Burners' Union.
Uni-Con-
Chickenpox Tops
Disease Report
Topping the list of communi
cable diseases reported last week
to the county health officer were
six cases of chickenpox, four In
Phoenix and one each In Med
ford and Butte Falls. Next in
point of numbers was Influenza,
with three cases reported from
Butte Falls.
Also listed were two cases of
scarlet fever, one in Butte Falls
and one In Medford, one case of
measles In Ashland, one case of
pneumonia, Applegate, and one
of mumps in Ashland, One ca3e
of trench mouth was also re
ported from Ashland,
OREGON
Patton Armored Force
t
Pressing Toward East
Nearly Mile Per Hour
Paris, March 6. (U.R) American forces captured Cologne to
night and at the same time Lt. Gen. George S. Patton's 3rd army
broke through the German lines and drove eastward 2.5 miles
toward the Rhine.
Lt. Gen. Courtney H. Hodges' 1st army plunged an armored
spearhead clear through the heart of Cologne to the Rhine. Only
scattered handfuls of German defenders held 'out, and a dispatch
from 1st army headquarters announced the capture of Germany's
fourth greatest city.
LIKE RACE THROUGH FRANCE
As spectacular as the fall of Cologne was Patton's breakthrough
from the Kyll river line. His smash toward the Rhine recalled his
historic race through France last August.
Patton's armor was half way to the Coblenz stretch of the Rhine
after an advance of 25 miles in 30 hours. His leading column was
across the Ues river 20-odd miles
dispatch said lt was "pressing eastward."
Dispatches from Hodges' headquarters said the drive through
the heart of Cologne past the historic cathedral had cracked the
spine of German rear guard resistance in the city of 768,000.
Fighting still was going on around some isolated German ma
chine gun nests In Cologne. But
ing out toward Bonn to the southeast.
HOHENZOLLERN BRIDGE BLASTED
Air pictures showed the great Hohenzollern bridge over the
Rhine at Cologne, the last one In
as a result of recent bombings or
First army headquarters announced that Hodges' troops now
controlled all 18 miles of the Rhine west bank north of Cologne to
Neuss, across from Duesseldorf, except for the small village of'
Zona. ,'
Rhine Climax
(Aem TtUphoto)
American trooDS sweep Into Cologne
virtually unopposed, seize west end
of bridge near Duisburg, clamp a
hold on some 100 miles of the
Rhine's west bank. To south, the
(j. s. Third Army made further gains
east oi Trier. .
Strike Halts Work
At Gar Wood Plant
Detroit, March 8 (U.R) A
new strike by about 2,000 war
workers halted production by
Gar Wood Industries, Ind., to
day.
Meanwhile, efforts to settle
labor dispute which has shut
down armament output at seven
Brlggs Mfg. Co. plants since
Thursday were unsuccessful.
The latest dispute In this
arsenal area was a protest by
members of - local 250, United
Auto Workers (CIO) ' union
against a change in shift hours,
MORE 0REG0NIANS ARE
FREED FROM JAPANESE
The names of three Oregon
residents were listed today by
the war department as being
among those recently liberated
from prison camps on the Philip
pine islands. They were Mrs.
Velma M. Hale, McMinnvllle.
Charles W. Woodln, Eugene, and
Thomas R. Worthen, Portland.
Subsidies Receive
Committee Okeh
Washington, March 8 (U.R)
The Senate Banking Committee
today approved a bill authoriz
ing $1,468,000,000 in subsidies
next year for butter, meat, rub
ber, petroleum and meals need
ed in the nation's war effort.
REFINERY EXPLODES
Long Beach, Cal., March 6
(U.R) Police reported that a high
octane gasoline unit at the Shell
OH company's Wilmington re
finery exploded early today. Of
ficers understood one man had
been injured tfy the blast, heard
throughout the Los Angeles har
bor area, and the fire that fol
lowed. ZEPHYR DERAILED
Omaha, Neb., March 6 (U.R)
The Chicago Burlington and
Qutncy streamliner, The Zephyr,
was derailed at South Omaha
early today. 'A spokesman for
the railroad said 11 cars left the
tracks, but that no one was injured-
pSTT 7 1
1 '. V-'
nethW ' i
3 J ;N
Muinehtn Glodbcch Jfl
J' fOUNi
Aachm yDifmnf - ' ,
. s. t4 -TV, y
13 fW
west of Coblenz, and a lata front
the main enemy forces were pull
this sector, sinking into the river
explosions.
Ford Plant Taken
The Ford motor plant a mile
north of Cologne was firmly in
American hands.
The Berlin radio admitted that
American tanks had penetrated
to the center of Cologne. The
announcement cleared the way
for breaking the news to the
German people that their fourth
largest city was lost.
The 3rd army breakthrough
In the Rhineland below Cologne
was announced only after Pat-
ton s speeding forces had push
ed from the Kyll river front east
of Pruem td the area of Schon-
bach, 27 miles west of Coblenz
at the confluence of he Rhine
and Mosel rivers.
Ma J. Gen. Hugh J. Gaffey's
famous 4th armored division set
the pace for the Patton dash to
ward the Rhine.
In the first hours of the push
the 3rd army captured an esti-
mated 1,000 prisoners, including
a German corps commander, as
well as at least a dozen German
tOWnS. '-:-,' --,.::-, ;. , .
Among the prisoners was a
German officer identified as
Maj. Gen. Graf Rothkirsch.
FHAlLlOSE
Washington, March 8 j(U.R) .
The Federal Housing Agency to
day opened bids on the produc
tion of 37,000 prefabricated
houses for Great Britain. It said
it will begin Immediately to con
sider awarding a contract
The award will depend not
only on the estimated cost sub
mitted by various bidders but
on their manpower, facilities and
geographical location. No an
nouncement of the award Is ex
pected for a week, FHA said.
Bids on plumbing for the)
dwellings were Invited sep
arately and will be opened
March 9.
The houses will be supplied to
relieve bombed-out British fam
ilies under an arrangement made
with Great Britain through the
Foreign Economic Administra
tion. The units are to provide
two bedrooms ,a living room,
kitchen and bath.
E
WELL UNDERWAY
Solicitation for the 1945 Red
Cross war fund drive is well un
derway, with workers In all
parts of the county canvassmg
their assigned territory, accord
ing to Ben E. Harder, county
drive chairman. He stated that
as yet the drive had not prog
ressed to a point where any
definite figures would be avail
able. This evening Mr. Harder Is to
speak at a meeting of the Junior
Chamber of Commerce on tha
various Red Cross v functions.
Members of the junior group are
aiding in the drive.
CPL. CECIL R. CLAFLIN
AMONG ACTION MISSING
Cpl. Cecil R. Claflln, gunner
on a bomber of the 12th army air
force, Italy, has been reported
missing in action on Feb. 13. ac
cording to information received
from the war department by his
parents Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Claf
lln, route 1.
Cpl. Claflln Is a graduate of
Phoenix high school with the
class of 1942 and before entering
the air force was employed as
an aircraft mechanic at Spokane,
Wash. -