Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, March 12, 1945, Image 1

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Medford mail tribune., March 12, 1945, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextNew Rhine Crossings Swell Yank Holdings; Russians Near Stettin By United Press Berlin reported today that the American first army had made new crossings of the Rhine at the northern end of its Remagen bridgehead and had thrown two infantry and two armored divisions Into the battle around 50,000 men. The Americans extended their salient about 400 yards farther Inland durlnp the night, gaining new heights from which German artillery had been raking the area. Allied headquarters reports, 24 hours behind developments, placed the size of the bridgehead at three miles deep and about nine long. German broadcasts indi cated it was considerably larger. REDS BREAK 8TET1IN DEFENSE On the eastern front, about 650 American heaw hornhm fmm Medford Tribune United Press Full Leased Wire United Press Full Luud Wire Thirty ninth Year MEDFORD, OREGON, MONDAY, MARCH 12, 1945. NO. 297. 51 BUS HITS SEDAN NEAR GOLD HILL VJ. M. McCune, Daughter and Grandson and Canada Couple Taken to Hospital Five persons suffered severe Injuries shortly before noon to day when a northbound Dollar Lines stage, driven by "Pat Patterson of Eugene, collided with a 1936 Ford sedan, believ ed to have been driven by J. M. McCune of Grants Pass on the Miller Gulch bridge north of Gold Hill. McCune, his daugh ter Mrs. E. E. Brandt, and her on, Kelvin, 5, of Grants Pass and Mr. and Mrs. William Sur ratt of Bentley, Alberta, Can ada, who were riding in the Mc J Cune auto, were taken to Jose 1 phine County hospital in Grants Pass in ambulances from Conger-Morris and Perl's funeral homes in Medford. According to George Davis, driver of the Perl -ambulance, Mrs. Brandt suffered a possible broken back and her father and son suffered severe lacerations. Mr. and Mrs. Surratt were suf fering mostly from shock, Davis said. The ambulance drivers said the Ford was practically demolished while considerable damage was done to the front of the stage. A report - from state police headquarters said a tire on the stage evidently blew out, caus ing the stage to cross the yellow line where it was struck by the McCune auto. None of 'the bus passengers were injured. TO FACE New York, March 12 (U.R) A union official wanted for em bezzling $4,000 of union funds surrendered to police today. He revealed that his three sons traveled from New York to Port land, Ore., to persuade him to re turn and face charges. Alois Kroner, 64, Woodslde, N. Y told police he disappeared last Oct. 6 after auditors found a shortage in accounts of Brew ers Union, local 1 (A. F. L;) Kroner had been secretary-treasurer of the union since 1937, Recently, his three sons re ceived a letter from him in fort land. Thev visited him there and talked him into giving himself up. He was held in $1,000 bail in felony court. London, March 12. (U.R) Well-informed sources said to day that Emperor Hirohito was expected to be named an axis war criminal because of Jap anese atrocities, including the execution of American fliers after Lt. Gen. James H. Doo little's 1942 raid on Tokio. These Informants predicted that a war criminal charge against the Japanese emperor would be formally approved by the United Nations war crimes commission in the near future. Deadlier Than Male w Slated In Ashland, A performance of the comedy drama," "Deadlier Than the Male" will be repeated in Ash land Wednesday at the Lithia theatre it was stated today. Medford's little theatre group staged the play here Friday night as a Red Cross benefit and the Ashland proceeds will also go to the Red Cross. The per formance Is scheduled for 8:15 p. m. ' CHURCH GROUPS ASK FAIR JOB PRACTICES Washington, March 12 (U.R) Witnesses representing church groups and racial tolerance or ganizations today urged the sen ate education and labor commit tee to approve a permanent fair employment practices commis sion with power to enforce the rulings. ' They opposed a bill by Sen. Robert A. Taft, (R., O.) which would establish a permanent FEPC but with only advisory powers. They said the FEPC should be given authority to enforce its rulings on Industry, - Ania - Dorfman, glamorous Russian-born pianist will appear in concert her tomorrow eve ning at the high school audi torium for the Jackson County Civic Music association. The concert is scheduled for 8:15 p. m. DESPERATE NAZIS MAY. PURGE THOSE ACCEPTING DEFEAT London, March 12 (U.R) Desperate new Nazi measures to avert Germany's defeat were ex pected today in the wake of fight talks by Adolf Hitler and Propaganda Minister Paul Joseph Goebbels. The speeches, broadcast by Berlin radio, pointed to a swift purge of German Defeatists and the further scrapping of the rules of war at the front, possi bly including the use of poison gas. - Hitler himself hinted at the new blood purge. In a proclama tion to the German army com memorating the 10th anniversary of conscription in Germany. He called upon all Germans to "do with dogged determination everything we can ... to bring about the turn of the tide.". Must Be Fanatical "We must be no less fanatical in annihilating all those who are trying to oppose this command," he said. "We are already wit nessing today in large areas of the east and in many parts of the west what our whole people might have to go through. , "It is quite clef tc everybody what we have tn do namely, to offer resistance and to hit our enemies until in the end they grow tired and break up. . , . There will be no . repetition of 1918. "Even if fate seems now to conspire against us, there can be no doubt that our fanaticism, steadfastness and determination will overcome all these setbacks as it has so often done in the past." AVIATIOfPACT SENT TO SENATE Washington, March 12 -j(U.R) President Roosevelt today sent to the Senate for ratification the International Civil Aviation con vention drafted at the Interna tional Aviation Conference in Chicago last year. There had been some doubt whether the convention would be handled as a treaty requiring ratification. The president acted in re sponse to requests by members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Thev contended that the State Department was going ahead with negotiations of air treaties without giving congress an opportunity to decide on an overall air policy. GENERAL AND GILM0RE TO MERGE INTERESTS Portland, Ore., March 12 U.R) Merger of the General Pe troleum Corp. and the Gilmore Oil Co., was announced here to day by Oregon managers of the west coast.. B. F. Ball, who became resi dent manager of the new firm, and C. W. Ellis, assistant man ager for the Oregon Division, an nounced that operations would continue under the management of General Petroleum and that road oil and asphalt operations would be conducted by. the Gil more organization. ROMANIA AIDED London, March 12 (U.R) Premier Josef Stalin acceded to day to 'a written request of the Romanian government and re turned Transylvania to that country, Radio Moscow announced. NIPPONS EXPECT EARLY INVASION OF L Reeling War Lords Admit Situation Very Serious Iwo Conquest Nears By United Press A mighty allied offensive left the Japanese reeling today and Tokyo's war lords - resigned themselves to an expected inva sion of their sacred soil. Nagoya, Japan's greatest air craft manufacturing center, was blazing from 2,000 tons of in cendiary bombs heaped on the city by 300 American Superfort resses; the complete conquest of Iwo appeared at hand; American troops invaded Mindanao in the Philippines and spe culation mounted over a possible inva sion of French Indo-China. Situation Serious The allied gains brought an admission from Tokyo that the war situation was "very serious" and that an invasion of Japan's home islands could be expected in the "very near future." Those warnings were issued by Pre mier Gen. Kuniaki Koiso before the Japanese diet. The B-29 raid on Nagoya, 160 miles from Tokyo, burned out five square miles of the city and the Japanese disclosed that some of the fires still were burning 16 hours after the attack. Other Superfortresses from' India also raided Singapore. On Iwo, weary U. S. marines were driving the last Japanese defenders into the sea along the north coast and an announce ment of the end of organized re sistance was expected momen tarily. The bloody battle for the tiny island at Japan's front doorstep entered its fourth week today., ; ; Mindanao. Success ..'.-- ' Veteran ' American invasion forces, which landed on Minda nao in the Philippines Saturday, captured four villages and two airfields and were nearing the heart of Zamboanga on the southwestern tip of the Island American reconnaissance planes already : were operating from Mindanao, . where the troops sealed the entire 800-mile long western side of the Philippines. Speculation mounted at Chungking that the allies may be planning a landing in French Indo-China as a result of Ad miral Lord Louis Mountbatten's four-day conference with Gen eralissimo Chiang Kai-Shek on military matters. REV. COLEMAN TO BE GUEST HERE TUESDAY The Rev. R. W. Coleman, for mer Dastor of the First Christian church here and now assistant program director of the army and navy commission of the x.m.u.a., will be in Medford to morrow for a brief visit with friends. The Rev. Coleman, now living in New York City, is mak lng a west coast tour for the commission. He left Medford in Mav of 1943. Friends of the pastor are In vited to a potluck dinner in Fel lowship hall of the church to morrow at 6:30 p.m., each family to Dring its own food and serv ice. FASCIST PLOT TOLD Rome. March 12 (U.R) Pniw today revealed the existence of an underground fascist party of 20,000 or more members In lib erated Italv who were nlannine a "second march on Rome" as soon as they became strong enough. WFA Promises Of Speculation Washington, March 12 (U.R) War Food Administrator Marvin Jones today promised a thorough Investigation of alleged Irregu larities In the operation of the commodity credit corporation. His pledge apparently was aimed at heading off a Republican-backed move to defer con sideration of a pending bill to Increase CCC borrowing author ity until an Inquiry has been completed. The house resumed consideration of the measure to day. Republican members have charged the croporation with mishandling food stocks and per mitting leaks of information Pershing Tanks, Mightiest Yet, Go Into Action Detroit, March"l2. U.R Ap proximately 250 T-26 General Pershing tanks America's mightiest and newest armored vehicles went into action on the western front last month, lt was disclosed here today. In a letter to President C. E. Wilson of General Motors Corp., whose Fisher body division is producing the 45-ton tank, Maj. Gen. L. H. Campbell said 'the heretofore secret weapon "has proved itself extremely effici ent" in combating the Nazi Royal Tiger tank. Campbell, chief of army ord nance, said American tank forces - recently indicated dis satisfaction with other U. S. tanks "are enthusiastic about all features of the new weapon." HIGH COURT BALKS SPEEDY REVIEW OF E Washington, March 12 (U.R) The supreme court today refused to make an Immediate review of a lower court decision hold ing that President Roosevelt was without authority to order army seizure of Montgomery Ward It Co. s plants and facilities. The action meant that the case will have to be heard in regular procedure by the circuit court of appeals, before being taken to the supreme court. The Justice department asked for immediate review by the supreme court, stressing the case s interest to the war effort. Montgomery Ward joined in the request for a quick review over the legality of the seizure. . The government argued that the lower court's ruling threat ened to impair its ability to han dle "future emergencies" row. lng out - of .work stoppages a Montgomery: Ward said that It felt that the decision handed down by Federal District Judge rnuip u suiiivan in Chicago in January was "clearly and In escapably correct." But, the firm added, the. army has re tained possession of Its property and there were indications that it might do so until the supreme court nas finally acted. Ask Probe of Loss Of Sub Crewman Washington, March 12. 4I.R) Rep. Walter K. Granger, D, Utah, today asked the house naval affairs committee to In vestigate the accidental death of a young sailor off the Atlantic coast. Granger told the house the sailor perished when the com- maimer oi me submarine on which he was stationed submerg ed while he was on deck. He did not identify the ill-fated sailor. HARVARD PROFESSOR IS COPYRIGHT REGISTRAR Washington, March 12. (U.R) Sam Bass Warner, former Harvard law school professor to day was named register of copy rights by Luther H. Evans, act ing librarian of congress. Warner, 55, is a native of Chi cago and taught in Oregon law school and Syracuse law school prior to 1937, when he became reporter for the Interstate com mission on crime. MacARTHUR HONORED Manila, March 12 (U.R) Gen. Douglas MacArthur today re ceived the Philippine common wealth's highest decoration the medal for valor for "extra ordinary courage and valor in the face of overwhelming odds." Investigation Aid Charge which netted speculators mil- Hons in profits. "We are going to the bottom of these charges, secure the facts," Jones wrote. "If any evi dence is found of criminality or improper conduct on the part of any officials or employers, 1 shall promptly remove them and shall ask that proceedings be in stituted to punish them if the facts Justify such action." He said WFA handled $5,000, 000 worth of food dally, much of it perishable, and dealt with 1,200 warehouses. He made no specific mention of the charge that speculators had profited through leaks from the CCC. E STOPS CAIP Hollywood Hit By f Worst. Strikes -r' Estimate 15,000 Hollywood, March 12 (U.R) One of the worst strikes to hit Movieland today kept many cameras from turning as nicket lines were thrown around picture studios in an AFL Jurisdictional dispute. Spokesmen for the Motion Picture Produccn. Association estimated 3,000 craftsmen de clined to go through the picket lines. Herbert Sorrell, president of the conference of studio work ers which called its nine unions and 8,000 members cut on strike, estimated 15,000, or about half the employes, failed to report for work. Pickets Set As early as 6 at m., picket lines were set up by the AFL Set Designers Local 1421, whose claim to represent the 78 set decorators in the Industry is being challenged by the AFL International Alliance of Thea trical State Employes, Local 44. Local 1421 is seeking to force the employers ti obey a War Labor Board arbitrator's decision that lt be recognized pending NLRB action to allow the Set Decorators to choose between lt and IATSE. Local 1421 claims most of the Decorators as mem bers. Warner Brothers, reported that Its sole picture in production is not being shot today as genera tor men walked out. Universale cameras are not turning as only k third of its 2,000 employes re ported. At RKO, too, electricians had virtually shut down every thing. . . . CHEER HEROES - OF San Francisco, March 12 (U.R) Thousands of cheering San Franciscans lined Market street today while the 274 liber ated heroes of Cabanatuan rode up to the city hail in buses be hind a police escort. It was the beginning of the city's official welcome to the men who were freed Jan, 30 from the notorious Japanese pri son camp on Luzon. Mayor Rog er LaDham presented each offi cer and enlisted man with a gold laDel medallion after the invoca tion by Archbishop John J. Mlt- ty. . . The short ceremony was fol lowed by luncheon at the Palace hotel. -The men then were pro vided with free telephone calls home, movie and scenic tours through the cooperation of busi ness organizations and inmvia uals. Preceded by a dozen motor cycle patrolmen, the heroes were taken to the civic center in nea r,nn hn and station wagons, Hundreds of persons swarmed around them asking for auto graphs. Women and gins in tne crowd kissed them. Commando Kelly Late At Altar Phenlx City, Ala., March 12 (U.R) TSgt. Charles E. (Com mando) Kelly and Miss May Frances Bolsh from his home town of Pittsburgh were mar ried at the county courthouse here today after keeping a gen eral waiting for ZO minutes. Kellv arrived late, wearing a neatly pressed uniform bedecked with his many medals, Including the congressional medal of honor which was given him for his ex ploits In Italy a year ago today, Many Canadians Dodge War Duty Ottawa. March 12-(U.R) Twenty per cent of the Canadan trooDS under orders to proceed overseas 'a week ago are "miss ing," Defense Minister A. G. L, McNaughton said at a press con ference today. Originally the percentage of missing was Z4.Z, but in tne last week some 300 delinquents had been picked up, reducing the nercentase figure to 2U, mv Naughton said. SEEK FLOOD CONTROL Sacramento. March 12 U.R) A b!JI creating a flood control dlstr ct including all oi Hum boldt county was recommended for passage today by the senate water resources committee. TIRED LAWMAKERS SPEED UP EFFORT J CLEAR DESKS 453 Bills To Be Acted Upon Milk Control Still Pend ing In Senate Calendar Salem, Ore., March 12 (U.R) The last week of the 1945 Oregon legislative session start ed today, and weary members were working on stepped-up schedules to get through a mountain of work remaining and go home. The session was behind the pace set two years ago. A total of 307 bills had been passed by both houses, out of 760 Intro duced, leaving 453 still unfin ished. Many of them will never come up for final action, how ever, as the lawmakers concen trate on the important appro priation bills. Milk Control Walts Still pending is action on milk control legislation in the senate, a plan to create a state depart ment of health and enlarged funds for higher education. Some labor bills are due to die in committee unless reported out early in the week. Today Is the 64th day of the sesslqn, only two short of the record-breaking 66 day session of 1939, and there appeared only a slight hope that this year the lawmakers could , avoid breaking the record and con tinue working past Wednesday into the 67th day. Senate bill 62, which curbs the rights of people's utility dis tricts to acquire utility facilities outside of their own boundaries, passed the house 38 to 19 at the Saturday session, after the house tacked on two amend ments. The senate later in the day concurred in the amend ments and repassed the bill with only one dissenting vote. The measure now is in the gover nor's office for signature. A 15 to 13 tie vote in the sen ate Saturday defeated the "scrip" liquor sales plan, sub mitted by Sen. Earl Newbry, Medford. The bill would have permitted the liquor commission to- approve the pooling of liquor rations in private clubs for over-the-bar drinks. The house rjassed a nalr -nt bills to free couples who filed income taxes under the Oregon community property law from penalties, after the law was in validated by a supreme court decision last autumn. Eye 31st Seat The house todav had for rnn. slderation a proposed constitu tional amendment which would provide for a 31st senatn spat. ine upper house Dassed the measure, 16 to 13, Saturday. It also passed a comnanlon hill to give the extra seat to a new 26th district -comnosed nf Tin. scnutes. Crook. Jefferson, and Lake counties. Sen. Marshall Cornett of Klamath Falls, spon sored both measures. Thev would give his 17th district to Klamath county alone. The house bill authorizing a .! 1 t ij - cicuuun on June zz. ivto, passed tne senate Satur- day. A number of bills on which action has been completed will go before the people for vote then, and others may be passed before sine die adjournment. From irr ; Back from the hll of three years' Imprisonment In the Philippines, the first large group of tmirlran nritonrt libcraud from Cabantuan orison camo cram the rails of their transport as they enter Ban f tancisco harbor. They cheer wildly as Navy blimp soars above their transport. Britain went to the direct support of the red army in the Baltic area, where Soviet forces broke through the last outer defenses around Stettin, uther Russian troops driving wedge to the Baltic between Danzig and Gdynia were within nine miles of each city. Unofficial Moscow reports said a decisive Soviet break-through was expected soon on a 100-mile Oder-Neisse river line east of Berlin. The American planes which Joined in the Russian offensive were part of a force of 2,100 heavy bombers and fighters which also hit six railway centers controlling transport behind the western front. Berlin broadcasts intimated that Lt. Gen. Courtney H. Hodges was putting the bulk of his first army across the Rhine in an effort to break out of the Remagen bridgehead and roll northward to the Ruhr along the broad military highway which parallels the Rhine. The new American crossings, Berlin said, were made on each side of Rheinbreitbach, 3V4 miles north of Remagen. At least seven towns on the east bank of the Rhine, including Rheinbreit bach, were in American hands. An eighth was partly cleared and tho Germans admitted the Americans were fighting in two others on the southern flank of the salient. NAZIS CLAIM REINFORCEMENTS SENT German broadcasts spoke of powerful Nazi reinforcements attacking the bridgehead, but enemy was still fighting a delaying action and his reserves had not yet Joined the battle. - The most effective opposition was from German long range artillery In the hills and towering cliffs back of the Rhine. - Nazi dive bombers tried repeatedly to knock out the Remagen bridge without success. At least 23 of 47 attacking aircraft were shot down over the week-end. The first army's drive across the Rhine was accompanied by a rapid allied clean-up along its western bank. The Canadian first and American nlntn armies in me norm iinisnea tne iasi uerman salient north of the Mosel In the Wesel area. German broadcasts kpt Insisting that the British second army was preparing for a Rhino crossing between Wesel and Emmerich. PATTON ARMY Lt. Gen. GeorEe S. Patton's closed to within a mile of Coblenz from the north and southwest. Ml except a 15-mlle stretch of the Mosel's north bank between Coblenz and Trier was cleared. Patton's men were rapidly mopping up the remnants of an estimated 23,000 Germans pocketed in the Eifel mountains. Some were getting out through the gap faced certain death or capture. Washington, March 12 (U.R) Three government labor agen cies today Jointly rejected a pe tition by the Southern Coal Pro ducers Association to dismiss tne United Mine Workers' request for a strike ballot on March 28. The decision was made by the Labor Deoartment. The Na tional Labor Relations Board and the War Labor Board. The notification was mailed today to Edward R. Burke, president of the Southern Producers. A labor deoartment spokes man said the decision probably would have been the same even If all the producers had Joined Burke In requesting dismissal of the strike vote request filed Feb. 26 by UMW President John L. Lewis. He said Burke's petition was the first of its kind ever received under the Smith-Connally Anti strike Law. It contended that no valid dispute existed at the time Lewis filed the notice. IOOF's PLAN PARTY The members of Medford lodge No. 83, 1.O.O.F. will enter tain Olive Rebekah lodge No. 28 on the evening of March 13, at the I.O.O.F. hall. There will be a oroeram beginning at 8 o'clock All Odd Feljows and Rebekahs and their wives and husbands are urgently requested to at tend. Refreshments will be aerv- ed following the program. Hell Of Jap Prison front line reports indicated the NEARING COBLEZ American third army In the south over tne raosei, dui mosi oi wiem , Congress Asked To Repair Roads Near Camp Whit Congress has been requested to reimburse the state highway commission in. the. sum of $17, 700 for damage to roads near Camp . White caused by heavy hauling during the camp con struction, a special release from Washington states. According to County Engineer Paul Rynnlng, the roads involv ed were the Table Rock and Sams Valley roads, on which the malntalnance during con struction of the camp was espe cially heavy. Table Rock, ordl naraily a county road, was taken over as a state highway at that time and the Sams Valley road Is a secondary state highway. . Salem, Ore., March 12 (U.RJ The bill which will create a state department of veterans af fairs was signed Into law today by Gov. Earl Snell. The bill was one which the governor recommended in his opening message to the legisla ture. The bill carries with lt an $80, 000 appropriation, to set up the department and finance its func tioning until the next regular session, or a special session If that becomes necessary.