Medford mail tribune., March 20, 1945, Image 1

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Presenting the last concert of the 1945 eeriei for the Jackson
County Civic Music association, the American Ballad Singers will
appear at the high school auditorium here Thursday night. The
program, set for 8:15 p. m., will be made up entirely oi folk music
representing all sections of the nation.
Three Wives of Ding Dong Daddy
Tell Court of Bigamy Procession
San Francisco, March 20 (U.RX
Three of the dozen or" so wives
of Francis Van Wie, the 58-year-old
"Ding dong daddy of
the Carlines," today testified in
superior court that they married
the balding former street car
conductor during 1943 and 1944
in rapid succession, without
benefit of divorce.
A jury of nine men and three
T LET SKIES
IS REALLY HERE
Spring arrives this afternoon
at 4:58 Pacific war time. Re
gardless of grey skies and a slight
chill in the air, federal weather
men officially announce that is
the hour of spring's beginning.
Weatherman Robert Church
at the Medford bureau ex
plained this morning that March,
20 is the day of the vernal equi
nox, the day half-way between
the longest and shortest days of
' the year when the sun arrives
exactly over the equator and
when the day and night are of
equal length. When it moves a
fraction over, or more exactly,
when the earth moves a fraction,
the sun has started its trip north
ward and spring has started.
According to Church, March
here has been quite a normal
month, with temperatures slight
ly above normal for the past few
days. Precipitation is now slight
ly above normal for the season.
Forecast for tomorrow is partly
cloudy with showers. Resume of
weather conditions in other sec
tions of the country showed nor
mal conditions with the excep
tion of the midwest where abnor
mal weather has prevailed, the
warmest, in 73 years. -
WAGElUAlNTEE
STUDY jSOROERED
Washington, March 20 (U.R)
President Roosevelt disclosed to
day that he had ordered a study
of "guaranteed wage plans" and
the possibility of their future
development in American indus
try. The president said he had
been thinking about the advis
ibility of guaranteed wage plans
for 10 years and had now or
dered a full-dress study of these
plans by a special committee.
He made public a report from
the war labor board which said
"a euaranteed annual wage is
one of the main aspirations
American workers."
of
F. D. R. BACKS BYRNES
ON MIDNIGHT CURFEW
Washington, March 20 (U.R)
President Roosevelt today back
ed up Mobilization Director
James F. Byrnes' appeal for the
cation to abide by the midnight
curfew on entertainment.
He was asked at .lis news con
ference who he thought was
right Mayor F. H. LaGuardid
of New York, who extended the
curfew by one hour: or Byrnes,
who appealed for full compli
ance. Of course, Byrnes, the Presi
dent answered.
To a question as to whether
the administration Intended to
try to bring New York City
"back Into line," the President
shrugged his shoulder and
asked what he could do.
'. i
V,
women was finally seated in
Judge Herbert Kaufman's court
room to try the shy be-spectacled
Van Wie on three charges of
bigamy, ' brought Mien he ad
mitted -marriages to a dozen
women in a 40-year-divorceless
search for companionship.
Only a handful of spectators
were present when Prosecuting
Attorney Norman Elkington
called the three complaining
wives to the stand to establish
their marriages to the rotund
one-time lion tamer.
Van Wie, sitting placidly in
the court room, ignored the de
fiant glances thrown his way by
the trio of middle-aged wives.
The defendant, held medically
sane by three psychiatrists after
he pleaded not guilty and not
guilty by reason of Insanity,
may take the stand later today
in his own defense.
ROOSEVELT ASKS
Washington, March 20 U.R)
president Roosevelt asked con
gress today to appropriate $4,
480,000 for the preparation of
plans by the interior department
for development of the Missouri
river valley.
The president explained that
the estimate included funds
"only for the work preliminary
to actual construction of pro
jects and must be performed ir
respective of whether construc
tion of the projects in the basin
is accomplished by a valley au
thority or other agencies."
"In my Judgment," he said,
"the proposed work will. not in
terfere with the conduct of the
war."
ine president s request was
part of his long range program
to divide the country into seven
basic watersheds and have In
each an operating authority
along lines of the Tennessee val
ley authority.
Runaway Conchie
Didn't Like Camp
Boston, March 20 (U.R) Paul
Rosenthal of Lapine, Ore., charg
ed with being AWOL from an
Oregon conscientious objectors'
camp, told Federal Judge Ar
thur D. Healey today that he
did not desert but merely walk
ed out in protest against "bad
conditions at the camp."
Rosenthal, in court on a fugi
tive warrant, was released in
$1,000 bail for removal April 3.
Nazis Cancel Army Leaves;
Register Civilian Refugees
London, March 20 (U.R)
Germany today cancelled virtu
ally all army leave and ordered
the registration of civilian refu
gees in an attempt to restore or
der in the chaos-ridden Reich.
Both German and neutral re
ports indicated that the con
verging advances of American,
British, end Russian armies and
the increasing weight of allied
air raids were spreading confu
sion through Germany.
A Sofia dispatch said German
prisoners had reported that
Adolf Hitler, fearful of mass
surrenders, had ordered the ex
ecution of families of German
soldiers who gave up to the al
lies. The official German DNB
agency admitted that war work
er and civil servant had aban
MEDFORD, OREGON, TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1945
U. S. Forces Hur Jap Fleet
AIR PHOTOGRAPHS
EXPECTED TO GIVE
CLUE T01E0UTS
Recent Carrier Attacks Open
ing of Campaign; Inland
Sea- to Be Poor Refuge.
Washington, March 20 (U.R)
The campaign to hunt down and
destroy the Japanese fleet in its
hiding places has begun, an
official navy spokesman said to
day. He said It started with the re
cent powerful carrier-based air
attacks on enemy bases in Ja
pan's inland sea,
"The Inland sea," he told
newsmen, "is probably one of
the major hiding places of their
fleet and provides the best ref
uge. It won't be that for very
long.
"This Is the beginning' of a
campaign to hunt down their
ships wherever they are holed
up, and to get them."
The spokesman said "we have
some good pictures" of possible
hiding places, taken by B-29
Superfortresses.
By United Press
An American carrier fleet,
which pounded Japan for two
days, apparently broke off its
assault temporarily today.
The increasingly heavy aerial
blows on Japan together with
new American gains in the
Philippines brought further re
percussions in Tokyo. Enemy
broadcasts indicated growing
signs of widespread confusion
among Japanese officials. '
Radio Tokyo reported there
were no further attacks on Ja
pan since: the U. S. carrier fleet
launched 1,400 planes against
Kure, the enemy's biggest naval
base, and the great port of Kobe
yesterday.
Expand Beachhead
In the Philippines, American
invasion forces expanded their
beachhead on Panay, sixth larg
est of the Island group, to more
than 28 square miles and were
rapidly closing In on the capital
city of Ilouo.
Panay, a 4,811-square mile Is
land in the Visaya group, and
tiny Malanaui Island off south
ern Mindanao, were the 25th
and 26th islands invaded by
American forces in the Philip
pines.
American bombers again car
ried out extensive raids from
Borneo to Fo:":osa, hitting the
latter island fortress for the
sixth successive day.
In their homeland, the bomb-
quaking Japanese cancelled all
but one express train service to
aid evacuation of refugees and
abandoned restrictive regula
tions for feeding refugees from
burned-out cities.
In Burma, British troops cap
tured Mogok, site of the world's
largest ruby mines 65 miles
northeast of Mandalay. They
also were preparing to enter Fort
Dufferin, last Japanese holdout
in Mandalay.
DUKE STAR KILLED
Pittston, Pa., March 20 (U.R)
Marine Sgt. Roger Amerigo
member of the Duke university
Rose Bowl team of 1042, was
killed on Iwo Jima, his mother,
Mrs. Charles Nannu, of Pittston
township, was adviced today
Amerigo joined (he marine corps
while enrolled at Duke.
doned their Jobs to seek refuge
in central Germany from the ad
vancing allied armies.
German soldiers have "lost
touch" with their units or com
manding officers through "en
emy action," DNB added In a
remarkably frank broadcast ex
plaining a drastic new set of reg
ulations to control both soldiers
and civilians.
Another DNB dispatch said
Adolf Hitler had received Reich
Youth Leader Arthur Axmann
and delegation of 20 Hitler
Youth members who had dis
tinguished themselves In fight
ing. "I am firmly convinced that
in this struggle we will emerge
victorious, particularly thank
to the German Youth and you
my boy," Hitler said.
Tide Too Low To
Float Greatest
Aircraft Carrier
Newport News, Va., March 20
(U.R) The world's greatest war
ship was christened here today,
but it won t be floated until a
balky tide gets around to play-,
ing the full role assigned to it
In the ceremony.
The ship Is the 45,000-ton
super -carrier Midway, from
whose decks one day will fly
a brand new kind of warplane
designed to give the enemy a
brand new kind of trouble.
Built in a drydock instead of
on the conventional ways, the
Midway was to have been float
ed at precisely 9:43 a. m. EWT
by the simple expedient of ad
mitting sea water into the dock.
The way it turned out, how
ever, the tide was four Inches
short.
Navy officials said they ex
pected the tide to make up the
missing four inches later today
or early tomorrow.
TO
OF LEGISLATURE
Salem, Ore., March 20 U.R)
The work of representative
government In Oregon will be
carried on by a number of legis
lative committees during the
next two years.
Perhaps the most Important is
the "interim legislature," the
Emergency Board, which in
cludes the heads of both houses,
chairmen of the two Ways and
Means Committees and three ap
pointees.
Other committees which will
continue work and investigation
on the. following problems were
appointed:
Reapportionment of the Sen
ate and House representation;
the state s tax structure; Inter
state cooperation; salaries of
public employes in the lower
brackets; statutory revision of
Oregon laws; motor vehicle tax-
atlon;; city and county planning
commissions; fishing resources;
Oregon penal institutions; coor
dination of state and federal laws
regarding veterans, and the es
tablishment of institutions for
the care of the underprivileged.
Another committee which will
wind up its work is the one ap
pointed to investigate the 1943
purchase of two Kentucky dis
tilleries by the liquor commis
sions of Oregon and Washington.
Hitler Father of
Two Girls, Waits
Son's Birth, Claim
London, March 20 (U.R) The
Stockholm newspaper Alton
bladet reported today that Adolf
Hitler and an unidentified bru
nette actress were the parents of
two girls.
The report was one of a series
of rumors from Stockholm about
the matrimonial status and In
tentions of Hitler.
He was said to be awaiting
the birth of a son before marry
ing the mother of his daughters,
one purportedly born last July
and the other a few years ago.
PLASTERER WALKOUT
ADDS TO CONFUSION
Hollywood, March 20 (U.R)
A walkout of 19 plasterers at
one studio and reported firing
of 40 employes who refused to
do work of strikers at another
studio today kept Hollywood's
8-day movie strike in confusion
Rival claims of the IATSE and
the AFL conference of studio
workers to represent 78 set dee
orators precipitated the strike
which today kept from 10,000
to 12,000 idle.
Wallace Taking
Flying Lessons
Washington, March 20 (U.R)
Secretary of Commerce Henry
A. Wallace said he would, and
he is.
Wallace told the Senate Com
merce committee last week that
he was so impressed by avia
tion' prospects that he intend
ed to become a pilot.
He took his first flying lesson
yesterday. He will take hi sec
ond at the National airport to
day. His teacher Is Paul E.
Young of the Civil Aeronautic
Administration.
Egypt and China have the
longest continuing history of any
aurviving nation.
Tribune
United Pn
REAP'
CA
M OE
HITE IS
Senator Guy Cordon Says
Camp Held Ready for Jap
War; Hospital To Be Used
A Washington press dispatch
today said the war department
told Senator Wayne Mcrse of
Oregon that the army hospital
at Camp White, near Medford,
is being held for redeployment
use. .
An army spokesman explain
ed in the dispatch the term "re
deployment" meant it probably
will be used for troops being
transferred from on assignment
to another.
Jackson County Chamber of
Commerce officials, who have
been working with Senators
Morse and Guy Cordon and
Rep. Harris Ellsworth in an ef
fort to have Camp White reac
tivated, today received a mes
sage from Cordon on the mat
ter. Cordon said in the message
he can now advise Camp White
facilities are being held avail
able witnout other use because
of probability they will be
needed in connection with re
deployment of troops when war
emphasis shifts to the Pacific.
"While it is impossible to make
any definite prediction as to the
time element, I believe you
may reasonably anticipate re
activation of Camp White in the
not distant future," Cordon said.
Cordon's message said he is con
tinuing in close contact with
military authorities with a view
to securing full utilization of
Camp White at the earliest pos
sible, time.
MANDALAY TAKEN
BY BRITISH 11
London, March 20 (U.R)
Mandalay has been captured by
troops of the 14th British army
it was announced officially to
day by Southeast Asia command
headquarters after the fall of
Fort Dufferin.
British imperial troops knock
ed out the main Japanese center
of resistance Inside Mandalay
with the capture of Fort Duf
ferin by Indian troops of the
British 19th division.
Other British forces were rap-
idly cutting off the main Jap
anese escape routes on all sides
of Mandalay.
Ban On Aluminum
Would Keep Axis
From Making War
Washington, March 20 (U.R)
I. W. Wilson, vice-president of
the Aluminum Company of
America, said today that if Ger
many and Japan are forbidden
to produce aluminum after the
war, they will be unable to build
a new war machine.
"Many military authorities
believe," Wilson told the Sen
ate Small Business committee,
"that an effective method of
preventing Germany and Japan
from preparing for another war
is to forbid them to produce
aluminum. If they cannot pro
duce aluminum they are auto
matically prevented from se
cretly creating any substantial
air force or any industrial basis
for such an air force."
SAN FRANCISCANS GIVE
HEROES BIG WELCOME
San Francisco, March 20 (U.R)
Thousands of San Franciscans,
lining downtown street under
cloudy skies, today welcomed
the second major group of heroes
of Bataan and Corregidor to be
returned to the United States.
A motor cavalcade carried the
338 liberated men, outfitted In
new army clothing but still
gaunt from their three year of
captivity in the Philippines, to
the Civic Center.
STILL YOUNGEST
Atlanta, Ga , March 20 (U.R)
Gov. Ellis Arnall of Georgia
had a birthday today, but he's
still the youngest state chief
executive In the nation. Arnall
is observing hi 38th birthday.
Full Leeied Wire
NO. 304.
JUDGE FEE OPENS
PRE-TRIALS HERE
IN FEDERAL CASES
Pruess Claim vs. Hetschel,
Ball vs. Weyhaeuser Co.,
Davis vs. Medco Set.
Pre-trials of civil cases were
started in federal court here this
morning, before Judge James
Alger Fee and may continue
throughout the week. Upon com
pletion of these, cases designated
for Jury trial will be set.
This morning the pre-trial of
the case of C. P. Pruess, Grants
Pass, against Fred C. Hetschel
to collect attorney's fees, was
started and was expected to con
tinue throughout most of today.
Also scheduled for pre-trial are
the cases of Howard Ball versus
the Weyerhaeuser Timber com
pany, and that of Ruth Davis
versus the Medford corporation,
the first a suit to collect dam
ages for personal injuries and
the second a suit to collect dam
ages because of the death of
David A. Davis while in the em
ploy of the corporation.
Judge Fee was accompanied to
Medford from Portland by Ross
DeMott, deputy clerk; Al Price
and William Rlckard, bailiffs;
Cloyd Rauch, court reporter, and
Miss Esther Davis, secretary to
Judge Fee.
BLAME PLACED ON
CONFUSION OVER
PAPER SHORTAGE
Washington, March 20 (U.R)
Rep, Charles A. Wolverton (R
N. J.), today blamed government
agencies tor the house newsprint
subcommittee' "confusion" over
the U. S. paper situation.
"I have been a member of this
committee ever since its crea
tion," he said. "Yet the more I
sit here the more confused I be
come. The committee finds it
self in a maze of figures and in
terdepartmental technical i 1 1 e s
which are not understandable
to me as a member."
"Is there any overall govern
ment agency which passes on the
paper requirements of other
agencies?" he asked.
MaJ. A. L. Harris of the army
service forces, who was testify
ing, told Wolverton that the war
production board came closest
to being such an agency. It has
the power, he said, to refuse or
reduce the requests of the other
governmental agencies.
Wolverton assailed army con
tracts for using paper to "puff
themselves up ' to the public on
the Job they are doing in pro
duction.
"They are using high grade
glazed paper often in four col
ors while our newspapers are
faced with reduced allocations of
ordinary newsprint," he said.
i
RUBY CENTER TAKEN
Calcutta, March 20 (U.R),
Mogok, site of the world's largest
ruby mines 65 miles northeast o.
Mandalay. was captured yester
day by 36th Division British
troops, it was announced today.
0PA Alters Ceiling Method
In Clothing, Furniture Field
Washington, March 20 U.R)
The office of price administra
tion moved ahead today In it
program to cut living costs by
changing drastically the method
of fixing price ceilings In the
retail clothing and furniture
field.
Under the new OPA order,
some 300,000 retail store are
required to "freeze" their mark
up the difference between
what they pay for an article
and what they sell it for at
where they were yesterday in
each general class of goods.
Heretofore, retail celling prices
for furniture and clothing were
frozen at the highest price
charged by the seller in March,
1942.
Price Administrator Chester
Yanks Block Escape
Of Fleeing Germans;
Thousands Captured
Paris, March 20 (U.R) American ground and air forces block
ed the main German escape roads from the Saar-Palatinate pocket
today and closed In for the kill on the thousand of nazi fleeing
for the Rhine.
Between 40,000 and 50,000 of the 80,000 Germans originally
spotted in the triangle formed by the Saar, Moselle and Rhine
rivers were believed to have been
week-long American offensive.
KAISERSLAUTERN UNDER FIRE
The enemy's main escape road through Kaiserslautern. at the
center of the collapsing pocket,
artillery range of U. S. 3rd army
expected soon.
Headquarters of the American
that Yank fliers had sealed off the
ing out to the east and southeast
shafen and Karlsruhe.
Resistance on both flanks of the German pocket appeared to
have collapsed. Even the Siegfried line defense on the southern
rim of the Saar where the nazis had been fiehtins a delavinn
action were crumbling.
THOUSANDS IN PRISONER CAGES
Upwards of 30,000 captives already were Inside the 3rd army'
cages. The 7th army, where the
days, reported more than 4,000
oi ine ara army prisoners were bagged yesterday, Indicating
the extent of the enemy collapse on that sector.
Thousands more their number still uncounted were killed
by the converging armies and American aerial attacks.
SIX YEAR TERM
E
E
Woodrow Wilson Newburn,
33, convicted of statutory rape
involving a a 14-year-old girl,
was sentenced today by Circuit
Judge Herbert K. Hanna to an
indeterminate -term in state
prison, not to exceed six years
and six months. Newburn has
been confined in the county Jail
the past five months. The court
said the defendant would be
granted time off for this period.
District Attorney George
Neilson, in a review of the case,
asked that a sentence commen
surate with the crime be im
posed. Attorney O. H. Bengt
son declared the prisoner was
innocent and asked for leniency.
Jack Junior Collicut, granted
probation on a larceny in a ho
tel charge, was yesterday sen
tenced to a two-year prison sen
tence, as a parole violator. Col
licut was charged' with theft of
an auto from a local garage and
abandoning it when the gas was
exhausted. He was arrested at
Prlnevllle 10 days ago and re
turned here.
At the same time, James Fer
guson, charged with forgery in
the issuance of spurious paper
here amounting to $200 was
given prison term not to ex
ceed two years.
Eugene Dorrough, charged
with obtaining money under
false pretenses, was granted a
suspended sentence upon condi
tion he join the army and re
pay the bad checks. He Is eli
gible for the draft and due to
be called soon.
Income Tax Take
Exceeds Previous
Washington. March 20 (U.R)
The Treasury statement issued
today showed that income tax
revenue .'or the fiscal year to
March 17 was $1,703,890,595
more than the corresponding pe
riod last year.
March collections so far were
$160,196,194 over the corre
sponding period a year ago, ac
cording to the Treasury. The
current fiscal year began last
July 1.
A-15 Gas Coupons
n Use Thursday
Washington, March 20 (U.R)
A-15 gasoline ration coupons
will become valid Thursday, the
Office of Price Administration
announced today. A-14 coupons
will go out ot use after tomor
row. Each A-15 coupon will be
worth four gallons until June
21, leaving the present value ot
A coupons unchanged.
Bowie explained that the new
set-up was intended to pass along
to cqnsumers the lower prices
expected to take effect under the
government new low-cost cloth
ing program and under similar
low-cost furniture and house
furnishings programs now be
ing planned.
Bowie described the - new
system as "one of the most im
portant events in retail price
control since May, 1942, when
the general maximum price reg
ulation took effect."
Bowles explained that the or
der would require dealers "au
tomatically to reduce prices to
consumers" when their own
cost decline. This, he said
would come shortly after manu
facturers reduced their price to
the 1942-43 level.
killed or captured during the
was within almost point-blank:
tank columns, and its fall was
1st tactical air. force announced
secondary escape roads branch
from Kaiserslautern to Ludwig
prisoner count lagged by several
taken. Between 15,000 and 20,000
Near Junction
Lt. Gen. George S. Patton'a
3rd army tank columns wera
barely four miles northwest of
Kaiserslautern early today.
There they were only 20 mile
from a juncture with 7th army
troops advancing northward!
through the breached Siegfried
line fort near Pirmasens.
A second major German com
munlcatlons center at Neunkir
Chen, 27 miles southwest ot
Kaiserslautern, was only two
miles from Patton's vanguards
this morning. The third enemy
keystone at Mainz, on the Rhine)
45 miles northeast of Kaiser
slautern, also was imperiled by
a tank column that drove to
within seven miles of the city,
on the southwest.
. New Offensive
On the U. S. 1st army' Rema
gen bridgehead front east of the
Rhine, German dispatches said
the Americans started a new of
tensive along the northern peri
meter. The drive was aimed at
a break-through Into the open
country leading northward to
the Ruhr basin.
Field dispatches a 1. d the
bridgehead now measured 19V
miles wide along the river bank:
and extended inland as much as
eight miles.
At least 10 towns in the
bridgehead area were captured
overnight. Including Eudenbach,
2V4 miles east of the Rhine
Ruhr-Berlin superhighway. The
1st army seized a bis flehter-
plane strip near Eudenbach and
extended lt hold on the mill,
tary highway to mors than 7V4
miles..
IN BORDER AREA
OF SOUTH SILESIA
'London, March 20 (U.R)
The red army today captured
the fortres city ot Altdamm,
uburb of the great Baltic port
of Stettin, liquidating the last
German foothold on the east
bank of the lower Oder.
The fall of Altdamm firmly
secured the right wing of
Marshal Gregory K, Zhukov's
1st Whit Russian army and
set the stage for an assault on
Berlin.
London, March 20 (U.R)
Nazi military sources reported
today that two Russian drives
were converging in the Czecho
slovak border area of southern
Silesia and threatening to trap
the defenders of the upper Oder
valley south of Oppeln,
Berlin reports ot brisk fight,
ing in the highly Industrialized
southwestern corner of Silesia
Indicated that Marshal Ivan S.
Konev was trying to blast open
the approaches to the Moravian
gap, gateway to southern Ger
many. Flareup la Hungary
The renewed Silesian cam
paign coincided with a flareup
in Hungary, where other Russian
armies were grinding through
the German defenses west of
Budapest and around Lake Bala,
ton. The nazis acknowledged im
pressive soviet gain on the
route to Vienna.
Military observers noted that
the new activity on the south
wing of the eastern front closely
followed forecasts that fanatical
nazis would make their last tight
In the mountains ot southeastern
Germany. The possibility wa
seen .that Marshal Stalin now
was moving to block that even
tuality. On the left wing ot the Berlin
front, the Russians were report
ed to have wedged more than
half a mile Into the defenses oi
Altdamm, across the lower Oder
from Stettin,
REDS CONVERGING
4