Yankee Vanguard Nears Vital German Superhighway
Weather
foreeaftt Cloudy tonight and
Wednesday with light rain
Wednesday mornlni and
how era Wednesday afternoon.
Little cnang In temperature.
Temp.
. Blfheft yesterday 52
Lowest this morning 32
precipitation past 24 hrs.( Jt$
T ARMY DRIVE
Medford
Tribune
EXPANDS RIM OF
E
United Pr Full Leased Wire
United Pru Full Lasd Wlr
Thirty ninth Year
MEDFORD, OREGON, TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 1945
NO. 298.
?
Now Within Striklna Dis
--T
tance of Military Road
Between Ruhr, Rhineland.
. ' , . : . ftfv
LARGE FORCE IN
SHOWER JDF FIRE
Planes From Saipan, Tinian
and Guam Join in 2.CO0
Ton Incendiary Attack.
Washington, March 13 (U.R)
Hundreds of Superfortresses
showered fiery destruction upon
a third great Japanese city to
day with an incendiary bomb at
tack on Osaka.
The Superfortresses attacked
"in very large force," the 20th
air force announced. That meant
that Osaka's war factories got
punishment comparable to that
handed to Tokyo and Nogaya,
both of which were hit by up
wards of 2,000 tons of fire
bombs.
B-29's from Saipan, Tinian
and Guam participated in the at
tack. In 'Large Fore
"Superfortresses from MaJ.
Gen. Curtis E. Lemay's 21st
bomber attack today (March 14
Japanese time) carried out, in
very large force, an Incendiary
attack upon strategic industrial
targets In Osaka, Japan," an an
nouncement said.
"The mission was similar In
form to the strike last Friday
against Tokyo and Sunday
against Nagoya, the 20th air
force announced at the war de
partment. B-29 aircraft partici
. pated from Saipan, Tinian and
Guam."
The attack was the second
against the important industrial
city of Osaka.
More than 300 B-29's hit Tok
yo and Nagoya, and about the
same number apparently went
after Osaka.
! Br United Prs
U. S. marines were closing the
bloody campaign for Iwo today
at Japan's front door while far
to the south in the Philippines
American troops were rapidly
expanding their beachhead on
Mindanao from newly-captured
Zamboanga.
Reconnaissance photographs
at the same time showed the
Japanese also suffered a severe
set-back in their homeland.
American Superfortresses were
revealed to have destroyed more
than 16V4 square miles in the
center of Tokyo and 285 city
blocks in Nagoya. The photo
graphs showed that 15 fires were
still burning in Nagoya eight
hours after the 2,000-ton incen
diary raid.
Iwo In Mop-Up Stag
S The 23-day battle of Iwo was
nearing a mop-up stage with the
marines of the fifth division
gradually crushing the last pock
et along the north coast. Less
than 1000 Japanese remained to
be wined out.
In the Philippines, veteran
American troops, who captured
the administrative city of zam
boanga, were fanning out rap
idly in southwest Mindanao
against only disorganized resist
ance. The swift drive already had
firmly established a beachhead
three miles long and nearly two
V miles wide. In addition to Zam
boanga city, the Americans also
captured four villages and two
valuable airdromes.
LT. "LOST" CHRISTMAS
Belmont, Mass. (U.R) Lt. John
T. Klrkness wrote, his wife how
he didn't spend Christmas. Kirk
ness explained he crossed the
international dateline in the Pa
cific about 20 minutes before
midnight Dec. 24, and when he
crossed the line, he lost a day,
making lt Dec. 26.
SIDE GLANCES
TRIBUNE REPORTERS
Isabelle Gault recalling French
grammer to aid the Tribune
staff.
Jane McCarty, collector ol
antique furniture, spuming the
offer of an old county seat item
Officer Walter Retaking giv
ing newshawks a tip on how to
find out what' going on in the
world.
East Coast Still
Possible Target
Aboard Flagship of Atlantic
Fleet, Marchv13 (U.R) Admiral
Jonas Ingram, commander of the
Atlantic fleet, said today that
the danger, of a V-bomb attack
on the east coast was no less
today than it was January 8
when he warned it was both
"possible and probable."
He issued his warning In a
message to the United Press In
response to an inquiry noting
that the 60-day danger period
which he forecast in his first
warning expired March 8.
TULE LAKE CAMP
RUN BY JAPS IS
LATE DISCLOSURE
Washington, March 13 (U.R) '
Japanese internees at Tule Lake,
Calif., segregation camp virtual
ly controlled the center late last
year and had created "quite a
serious situation," according to
Attorney General Francis 'Bid
die. Biddle disclosed the situation
in recent testimony before a
house appropriations subcom
mittee. Transcripts were releas
ed today.
"The Japs were practically
running'the camp, from the point
of view of expressing their loy
alty, they were marching, they
were bowing to the emperor,
they had bugle -calls, they had
all of the performances," Biddle
said. "It was just a little Jap
anese center."
He said Jack Burling, depart
ment of justice representative
discovered the situation when he
was sent out to administer the
law providing for expatriation
of Americans who specified their
prime loyalties were to another
land. . ,
"He found out who the lead
ers were and he picked off the
first 80 expatriates and called
them out and put them in some
of our internment camps, which
at once broke up that situation,"
Biddle said.
He told the committee the
matter had not been reported or
made public.
"We have not emphasized lt,"
he said, "because we are trying
to get it smoothly worked out."
Jutland Tank Traps
Are Dug By Germans
B7 United Press
The Swedish radio said today
that German troops in Denmark
had started digging tank traps
near Aarhus on the east coast of
Jutland.
The broadcast, reported by
the FCC, also said that a "ring"
of German fortifications, begun
last fall near Haderslev, south of
Aarhus, were "now ready." It
reported a detachment of armor
ed cars had arrived at Haderslev,
Washington, March 13 (U.R)
President Roosevelt today
endorsed the Luce-Celler bill to
permit the immigration and
naturalization of East Indians as
"important and desirable" to
"help win the war and to estab
lish a secure peace."
Jap Brass Hats Leave Luxurious
Bombproof Shelters On Iwo Jima
By SSgt. Alvin M. Joseph, Jr.
Marine Corps Combat
Correspondent
Distributed by United Press
Iwo Jima (Delayed) Some of
the most luxurious living of this
war is going on, ironically
enough, amid the horror and
desolation of battle-torn Iwo.
A few lucky members of the
21st marine regiment discovered
intact a series of ornately-furnished
bombproof shelters
which had evidently housed
high-ranking officers of the Jap
anese garrison.
The bombproofs Into which
the marines promptly moved
were so well protected by oon
trete and rock casements that
they had scarcely been scarred
by naval and aerial bombard
ments preceding marine land
JUNE 22 ELECTION
IT
Two Cent Cigaret Tax and
Five-Mill Levy on Prop
erty Favorably Reported.
Salem, Ore., March 13 4U.R)
Two appropriation bills totalling
$515,000 and a bill providing
for city and county planning
commissions were due for final
action in the Oregon house of
representative today, while lit
tle major legislation was sched
uled in the senate.
Attention centered on two tax
proposals which will go on the
ballot June 22, at a special elec
tion, when it is authorized. The
measures, a two-cent cigarette
tax and a five-mill levy on prop
erty, were reported out of the
joint senate assessment and taxa
tion and ways and means com
mittees with "do pass" recom
mendations. Only Two Questions
The joint committees also ap
proved the bill authorizing the
election, but with the stipula
tion that only the two measures
be considered.
. Still another bill approved
provided for $8,000,000 for
school support, instead of $5,
000,000 for two years.
The two tax -measures are for
schools and for the state system
of . higher . . . education buildlrtg
program. -
The house yesterday passed
46 to 11 senate joint memorial
2, which petitions congress to
establish a system of military
training for young men.
... Election Chang '
The senate passed a bllj (S. B.
325) changing the manner of
electing state legislators In
Multnomah county to a position
basis, under which candidates
would file for a position instead
of the present system of choos
ing the five high men for senator
and 13 for representative.
The whole subject of reappor
tionment and legislative district
ing would be taken up by an
interim committee under a reso
lution (S. J. R. 22) given "do
pass" approval by the senate
resolutions committee.
The senate gave final passage
to a house joint resolution (8)
memorializing congress to pass
the Tydings bill amending the
constitution to require the gov
ernment to operate under a bal
anced budget except in war
years or periods of emergency.
SKILLED MEXICANS NOT
TO MIGRATE TO STATES
Mexico City, March 13 (U.R)
The ministry for economy today
forbade skilled workers and
peasants with productive lands
to enroll as immigrant laborers
to work in the U. S.
Pers6ns able to work as
"braceros" were confined to
born Mexicans who . are unem
ployed, peddlers, civil servants,
small storekeepers; students dis
continuing studies for economic
reasons, servants or "poorly
paid" shop assistants, the min
istry stated.
ings. The Interiors were un
damaged. The occupants had
left everything intact as if they
had run away at the approach
of the marine assault troops.
The bombproofs are fitted out
like Japanese apartments with
panelled walls and sliding doors
made of fine wood. Shelves and
cupboards held food, magazines,
a phonograph and records, ta
bleware, and clothing. There
were soft cots, upholstered
chairs, writing tables and the
usual furniture of a home.
Running water and electric
lights made it difficult to be
lieve that just outside the bomb
proof was not civilization, but a
sandy stretch of volcanic ashes,
camouflaging pillboxes, bunk
ers, and a network of death
dealing weapons.
U: S: DELEGATE
WILL BE FREE. IS
Secretary Voices Promise at
Meeting of Delegation Be
fore S. F. Conference.
Washington, March 13 (U.R)
Secretary of State Edward R.
Stettinius, Jr., today promised
the U. S. delegation to the San
Francisco conference that they
would be free to pursue their
personal views and convictions.
He added that he was confi
dent that they would "work as
one team" in helping set up the
world security organization
the new League of Nations. -Hull
Absent
His statement was made at the
first meeting of the delegation
in Stettinius' office. All mem
bers were present except Cor
dell Hull, who is still convalesc
ing in the naval hospital.
The delegation conferred for an
hour and then visited President
Roosevelt at the White House.
E
ALLOTMENT FOR
POST-WAR PUNS
Washington, March 13 (U.R)
The senate today approved an
appropriation of $35,000,000 for
postwar planning by cities ana
states after beating down two at
tempts to make it more.
Sen. Robert M. 141 ronette
(Pros.. Wis.), proposed an amend
ment to the 1946 independent of
fices appropriations bill which
would have increased the figure
to $75,000,000. It was defeated
42 to 31.
La Follette then moved to
amend the figure to $50,000,000
and was defeated again, 36 to 29.
The senate then by voice vote
adopted the $35,000,000 total
proposed by Its appropriations
committee.
The fieure represents $5,000,-
000 outright grant approved by
the house and a senate addition
of $30,000,000 to be distributed
to states and municipalities on a
50-50 matching basis.
This and other issues nave
threatened to delay the $3,145,
134,842 independent offices bill.
Wallace Intrigued,
Wants To Be Flier
Washington, March 13. U.R)
Henry A Wallace has become
so fascinated by aviation in his
new role of commerce secre
tary that he intends "to learn
how to fly," he disclosed today.
Making his fifst appearance
before a congressional group
since he -became secretary of
commerce, Wallace invited mem
bers of a senate commerce sub
committee to join him in mas
tering the art of flight. He got
no immediate acceptances.
FROST OBSERVER DUE
HERE ON WEDNESDAY
Roy J. Rogers, federal frost
observer, is due to arrive here
tomorrow for his annual ' work
in the Rogue River valley. Test
ing of orchard thermometers
which have been coming Into
the county agent's office briskly
the past week, will claim his
first attention.
Assistant County Agent C. B.
Cordy reports pear tree develop
ment in the valley Is now slight
ly below normal due to cola
weather.
BOWLES SEEKS CEILING
ON PUBLIC AMUSEMENT
Washington, March 13 U.R)
Price Administrator Chester
Bowles today called for legisla
tion to permit OPA to put price
ceilings on tickets to movies,
ball games, concerts and other
amusements.
Public amusement Is an Im
portant cost-of-living Item In the
average family's budget, Bowles
told a press conference. Most
Important in this group, he said,
are motion pictures.
Long lines of armored half tracks wait to cross th railroad bridge at Remagen, Germany, which
was captured intact by 9th Armored Division, lit army troops. Just
had removed tons of TNT that had been planted in th bridge by
moved across to fan out in all directions from th ast bank. U. S.
German Suicide Airmen in
Efforts to Wreck Bridges
By John B. McDarmott
United Press War Correspondent
Remagen Bridgehead, Ger
many, March 13 (U.R) The
Germans are flying what the
Americans call "suicide mis
sions" against the 1st army
bridges across the Rhine in des
perate efforts to cut the life
lines to the Remagen bridge
head. Today it can be revealed that
In the last five days 135 Ger
man planes have made "suicide"
attacks on the bridges. Sixty
six were shot down. Fourteen
others disappeared in the clouds,
trailing comet-like tails of
smoke and flame.
" Luftwaff Dwindles
The 1st army men say ' the
German air force must be on its
last legs. That is tha only way
they can explain its failure to
STARS IN EFFORT
TO SETTLE STRIKE
Hollywood, March 13 (U.R)
Stars, directors and writers got
together today in hopes of set
tling a -paralyzing two-day strike
over 78 movie set designers.
Nearly every major studio was
shut down,
Bored with twiddling their
thumbs while the two A. F. L.
unions contesting jurisdiction
battled it out with the produc
ers and the war labor board, the
three groups formed a commit
tee to find some ground for set
tlement. Local 1421 of the painters'
union was dismiting jurisdiction
over the set designers with tne
International Alliance of The
atrical Stage Employes. An ap
peal from National War Labor
Board Chairman ueorge w. Tay
lor was flatly rejected.
Amateur Magician
Stood Up Again In
. Date With Darrow
Chicago, March 13 (U.R)
Claude D. Noble, Detroit busi
nessman and amateur magician
failed again today to keep a date
with the spirit of Clarence Dar
row.
In keeping with a pact made
with the great criminal attorney
and agnostic before his death
Noble went to a lagoon bridge in
Jackson park. There at the spot
where Darrow s ashes were scat
tered he intoned: -
"Clarence Darrow, I am here
In fulfilment of our pact. If you
can manifest yourself to me do
lt now." -
Then, with bowed and bare
head, Noble waited. There was
no answer. Noble recited the
Lord's prayer in a firm but low
tone and told the spectators:
"I have failed to contact the
spirit of Clarence Darrow but
I will be back next year to keep
my vow."
It was the seventh time that
Noble had tried and failed to
contact Darrow's spirit.
TWO FLIERS KILLED
Glenview, 111., March 13 (U.R)
Lt. ' Edward Cochran, Pratt,
Kan., a flight instructor, and an
aviation cadet were killed to
day when a training plane from
the naval training station here
crashed near Wheeling, HI. Lt
Cochran, former photographer
for the Kansas City Star, is sur
vived by his wife, Bcrle of
Witchlta, Kans., and his mother,
Mrs, A. A. Cochran.
go all out to destroy the railway
bridge over which the Yanks
crossed the Rhine last week.
Between 1 p. m. and 6 p. m.
yesterday, 35 German planes
Messerschmltt 109's and Focke
Wulf 190's made 350 attacks.
They tried hard to bomb and
shoot up the bridges.
(Front dispatches referring
to "bridges" over the Rhine at
the bridgehead tended to bear
out German reports that the
1st army had two pontoon
bridges across the Rhine to sup
plement the. captured Luden
dorff bridge.)
They had to fly through one
of the greatest concentrations
of antiaircraft fire in history.
Getting tangled up in it, even
wnen it is on your side, drives
home the idea of calling the
Germans suicide airmen.
It was Just 1 p. m. when I ob
served, as our jeeo reached' the
east bank of the Rhine, that the
trip "was easy enough." The
words were hardly out of ray
mouth when the whole world
seemed to cave in.
Antiaircraft guns, machine
guns, artillery everything cut
loose around us. We dived out
and hugged, the ground.
ah the rest of the afternoon
was an unbroken series of
scrambles for shelter to avoid
bombings, strafings, or shelling.
BURGTARTAKES
$141 AT YOUNGERS
A. thelf entering through an
alley window about 8:30 last
night burglarized the Younger
Appliance service company, 31
North Bartlett street, of $141.25.
according to a report to city po
nce.
An aney aoor window was
broken Just above the door knob
and the burglar was believed to
have entered from there, the
police report stated. A few
drawers In a file cabinet
been pulled open and a drawer
In a roll top desk had been
opened, the report said. A draw
er containing keys to a cash
register had been opened and
the money removed, the burglar
overlooking $12.50 In nickels
and dimes and considerable
stamps. Two blank checks were
also left behind, according to
the report.
Blood was found on the cash
register and on the alley door,
police said.
'Jan Valtin' Now
With 24th Division
With the 24th Infantry Divi
sion in the Philippines, March
13 (U.R) Pfe Richard J. Krebs,
who under the name of Jan
Valtin wrote "Out of the Night,1
has Joined the 24th "Victory'
division of the Philippines.
Infantryman Krebs Joined the
army as a volunteer In August
1943, and served with the 125th
Infantry regiment In Texas be
fore going overseas last year.
Dead Unnoticed On
Much-Used Bridge
Paris. March 13 (U.R) Traf
fic over the Ludondorff bridge
at Remagen has been so heavy
that the body of a dead German
has lain on the span since last
Wednesday when the 1st army
captured the structure, it was
disclosed at headquarters last
night.
The Americans have been so
busy moving across to the east
bank that no one had time to re
mov th body.
after American combat engineers
th Germans, armored vehicles
Signal Corps Radio-Tlphoto,
LESS FOR NAVY
Washington, March 13 (U.?J
President Roosevelt asked con
gress today for a 1946 fiscal
year budget of $23,719,153,050
for the navy. This is a reduction
of more than $4,000,000,000 from
the figure for this year.
' The president also submitted
a request for additional contract
authorizations of $3,088,012,624
for the navy. About half of this,
or $1,513,012,624, would be new
authorizations. The balance
would be continued from the
current fiscal year.
The request envisioned a navy
during fiscal 1946 composed of
approximately 3,389,000 men.
Marine corps strength was set
at 478,000 and the coast guard
strength at 173,165.
The request Indicated that the
U. S. high command envisions
full-scale naval operations In the
war for at least another 16
months. The 1946 fiscal year
ends on June 30, 1946.
Total appropriations for the
navy in the 1945 fiscal year were
about $28,500,000,000. In 1944
the total was about $23,000,000,-
000.
The White House said the
principal reductions were ap
proximately x $2,000,000,000 in
previous estimates of the cost of
the navy airplane program and
a drop of about $4,000,000,0000
in cash required for the ship
building program.
BUS SERVICE HEARING
SET FOR WEDNESDAY
A public hearing on the appli
cation of the Rogue Valley Tran
sit company to provide bus serv
ice to passengers between Med
ford and Ashland will be con
ducted by the Oregon Public
Utilities commissioner tomorrow
at the courthouse at 10 a. m.
The application, recently
amended, requests permission to
operate busses over an alternate
route, leaving U. S. highway 99
at a point approximately one-
half mile north of Jackson Hot
Springs, thence over old high
way 99 through Talent to the
junction of the old highway 99
and the present highway, serv
lng all intermediate points.
SS Riflemen Blast Bridge;
Turn Guns on Own Comrades
By Robert W. Richards
United Press War Correspondent
With U. S. 3rd army In Ger
many, March 13 (U.R) Rem
nants of a fleeing German con
voy were half way across a
Rhine bridge when nazl storm
troopers blasted the structure
Horses screamed and German
soldiers shouted in panic as they
were hurled into the air and fell
together into the swiftly flowing
river.
The men who lived attempted
to swim toward the east bank
but SS riflemen, crouching in
shelters, coldly picked them off
one by one.
This story was told to offi
cers of the 4th armored division
by a captured German captain,
three luftwaffe pilots and 22
Ukrainians who had been mem
bers of the wehrmacht. Each
man talked Independently of the
other and all recited virtually
the same facts.
The convoy of at least 200
hone-drawn and motor vehicles
Paris. March 13 (U.R) U.
B. 1st army forces advanced
th Rmagn bridghad nai
ly two miles eastward today,
and Berlin said that la a nw
assault boat crossing of th
Rhine thr reached Koenigs
wlnttr, ihr miles northwest
of Honnel. '
First a r m r headquarter
aid th Americans pushed
within about two mile of th
Ruhr-Rhlneland superhighwar
through th Rhine valley cast
of th bridgehead, and had
thrown a pontoon bridge
across th Rhine near th cap
tured Ludendorff brldg.
A later nail broadcast told
of an amphibious push on
Konigtwlnir, on th aast
bank of th Hhln thre mil
downstream from th last re
ported American positions In
th bridgehead.
Paris, March 13 (U.F9 New
American attacks from tha
Remagen bridgehead gained up
to a mile today and brought Lt.
Gen. Courtney H. Hodges' van
guard within easy striking dis
tance of the vital military super-'
highway between the Ruhr and
upper Rhineland.
Allied broadcasts reported
that a U. S. 1st army onslaught
beginning early this morning had
shoved out the rim of the pocket
across the Rhine and lt now waa
six miles deep and 11 mile
wide.
Bitter Struggle
A broadcast nazl dispatch
from western front headquarter
said the battle of the Remagen
bridgehead was the "most em
bittered struggle of the entire)
western front." The U. S. 9ta
armored division attacked north
east of Honnef, riverside city
which had changed hands sev
eral times In the last 100 hours,
the enemy report said.
To the southwest, the 1st and
3rd armies virtually completed
the mopup of an estimated 23,
000 German troops trapped by
the junction of the two armies
on the Rhine last week.
Lt. Gen. George S. Patton'a
3rd army cleaned out all but
scattered remnants of German
unit north of the Mosel river,
and lined up solid on the rive
between Coblenz and Trier ex '
cept for a six-mile gap.
The Germans mounted two
small but well organized coun
terattacks against the eastern
rim of the bridgehead. One by
200 tank-led troops was stopped
cold. The other dented the 1st
army lines in the hills east et
Remagen, but the Americans re
gained the lost grounds
First army headquarters an
nounced that Hodges' forces in
'the south end of tha pocket over
the Rhine last night captured a
high hill overlooking Hoennln
gtn, five miles southeast of the
captured Ludendorf bridge, and
commanding a broad sweep of
the east bank of the river.
U. S. shock troops were fight,
lng In the streets of Hoenningen
and Honnef, at the opposite end
of the 10-mile wide foothold east
of the Rhine.
CONFERENCE SET
Carson City, Nev., March 13
(U.R) Date of the western gov
ernors' conference, scheduled to
be held in Reno, has been set
for April 20 and 21, Gov. E. P.
Carville announced today.
began withdrawing toward the
Kron Prlnz bridge, midway be
tween Andernach and Coblenz,
at 6 a. m., March 9.
Fourth division tanks and ar
tillery Intercepted lt only 200
yards from the bridge. Their fire
destroyed the lead vehicles and
threw the entire column into con
fusion. Several vehicles reached the
span and were half way across
when Germans on the east bank
set off prepared charges to de
molish the bridge. The prisoners
said at the time no Americana
were within crossing distance
and there waa no immediate ne
cessity for the destruction.
They charged that the reason
the SS blew the bridge quicker
than necessary was because Hie
force attempting to cross had
been ordered to hold west of the
Rhine.
"The SS saved their own skins
and then murdered our comrade
for attempting to do th same,"
one prisoner aaid.