Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, March 22, 1945, Image 1

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Medford mail tribune., March 22, 1945, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextReds Break Through West of Oppeln; Trap 15,000 Germans ( Wo? U.S. 3RD K?i$nlaiirern tofcp V 9 AwtibrueekM Soorbrucckc I 0 10 20 iSi (Acmi Telephoto) BAAR MOP-UP U. 8. Third and Seventh Armies mop up disorganized German remnants In Saar-Palatinate while First Army east of Rhine slashes toward heart of Ruhr. VAST AIR ATTACK SEEN PRELUDE TO E First Army Already On Move Against Southern Flank of Ruhr Valley, Is Report Paris, March 22 (U.R) Thousands of Allied warplanes set the Ruhr and Dutch Rhine land aflame today with a great tactical bombardment that Ber lin said was the prelude to an Imminent full-scale drive across the Rhine. The U. S. First Army east of the Rhine already was on the move northward against the southern flank of the Ruhr val ley. The Americans shoved the northern wall of their bridge head up against the Sieg river, 10 miles south of the Ruhr, and expanaea ineir east Dante saueni to a width of 31 miles. Activities Veiled Simultaneously, a front dis patch revealed that a partial se curity blackout had been clamp ed on the American Ninth, Brit ish Second and Canadian First armies deployed along the west bank of the Rhine from Nijme gen southward almost to Co logne. The full striking power of the Allied Air Forces was being thrown into the attack on a scale not exceeded even in the Nor mandy bombardment that pre ceded the invasion of France last summer. Well over 2,000 American and British heavy bombers spear headed the assault, dumping a great weight of explosives on a chain of German military cmps, airfields and communications nntir 1n the Ruhr nnd alone ithe east bank of the Rhine far- 'ther south. Victory Drive Seen Simultaneously, the U. S. First and Ninth and the British Second tactical air forces normally about 4,000 planes struck all alone the front from the Swiss border to the North Sea, bombing and strafing GerT man trooD concentrations, gun positions, and road lines in the path of the poised Allied arm' ies. Jittery Berlin propagandists said the Allied armies of the west were expected to launcn their "victory drive" across the Rhine "at anv hour." They inai- cated the tremendous Allied air blows marked the opening phase of the eround assault. Field dispatches said a 6-mlle nail of artificial smoke blanketed the entire northern end of the battlefront southward from NiJ- megen. RritUh Deolov Behind the smoke screen Field i Marshal Sir Bernard L. Mont- l nnmAt-v wa Hpnlovine the mas sive armored and Infantry forces of his British Second, t-anaaian First, and American Ninth arm hnth sides a creed would be the decisive assault on the Rhine barrier. Preliminary reports from the Sooi-.Paiotinnta front said Third army troops alone had counted 350 German tanlcs, zuu Dig gum n r nnn mninr vehicles wreck ed by' the blistering ground and air offensive of the past ween. HALIFAX DELEGATE TO UNITED NATIONS MEET London, March 22 0J.R) Primp Minister Churchill an nounced In Commons today that Lord Halifax, British ambassa dor to Washington, will be a n-i-n.r nf the Rritish delega- , tion to the San Francisco con- forence. TV, nth M-fnnlnnl Rritish deleeate will be Foreign Secre tary Anthony Eden, Deputy rtinw Minister Clement R. Att lee. and Dominions Secretary COLOGNE an SJ Krcyinacli V : M Ttiw VcV ii..f..Tffn m V. 7: . Lord Cranborne, Medford United Pre Thirty ninth Y.ear E TO SUPPLYNIEAT Increase Up to 50 Cents a Hundred Pounds to Help Slaughterers Out of Hole Washington, March 22 U.R) The government today sought to alleviate the meat shortage by increasing the subsidy to cattle slaughterers. The increase will be up to SO cents a hundred pounds. The plan was announced by Price Administer Chester Bow les before the Senate Banking Committee. His disclosure came after he had spent two days be fore the committee defending his agency's meat price policies against heated criticism of pack ers and Republican senators. The critics said packers were going broke. Basis Explained The additional subsidy will be based on the amounts paid by slaughterers for live cattle, it will he comDUted on the basis of the amount paid by the indi vidual slaughterer in excess 01 the "floor" established for live cattle prices, and will reach the maximum of SO cents a nunarea weight when the slaughterer pays, ceiling top permissible prices for cattle. SDokesmen for meat slaugh terers and packers told the com mittee they are losing money under present OPA policies and regulations on handling of both beef and pork. Bowles said he thought the new subsidy "will put packers In a reasonably good position. Arthur L. Winn of the Na tional Independent Meat Pack ers' Association disputed mat contention. . "As long as we would pay ine ceiling price we would get the EO cent subsidy and continue to lose money," he said. . Winn told the committee inai there was record came popu lation on the nation's ranges but that OPA price regulations were preventing their slaughter. mnvo ii mi ir it DUTo in rLUon TO BE Washington. March 22 U.B Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr., told a press conference today that he will soon announce a new plan of government action against in come tax evaders. He said he had been studying the tax evasion matter for some time. Mnreenthau would not specu late on how much tax evasion Is i-netine the eovernment. but he indicated the new plan woum be directed chiefly at "the boys who live In the plush" ratner than the small taxpayer, A federal fiscal official not in the treasury department esti mated that Income tax evaders Were costing the government from $3,000,000,000 to $5,000, 000,000 annually in lost revenue Morgenthau told his press con ference he hoped fewer loans would be made for the purchase of government securities during the Seventh War Joan drive, ne call;' such loans "free riding' loans. He explained that bonds pur chased with money obtained through loans generally were held only briefly, then sold on a rising market. One Good Jap In Prisoner's Book Memphis, Tenn., March 22. (U.R) Cpl. Willard Hall, of Port land, Ore., today said he met only one "good Jap during the 32 months he was a prisoner of the enemy in the Philippines. Hall said a Jap soldier named Big Stoop" brought him qui nine and food when b. had ma laria. "He saved my life," Hall said. "He didn't beat any of our men like the other Japs did." DIVERSION BAN FAVORED Sacramento, March 22 (U.R) The Senate Fish and Game Committee today recommended passage of a bill by Sen. Irwin T. Quinn, D., Eureka, to prohibit diverting the waters of the Trin ity or Klamath rivers into the Sacramento. -foil Leased Wire New Zealand Girls Like y Si 1 ;c.v . 4 I Dreams are beginning to come 6, 500-mile sea voyage to the United States to Join their Marine husbands at the Klamath Falls. Ore., Marine Base. The American Red Cross aided in the arrival of the girls in Klamath Falls only a few days after their ship docked at a Hievman, American Red Cross official; Gunnery Sergeant and Mrs. Gilbert Pritchardi Sergeant and Mrs. William David Thomas and their six-months old daughter. Janice; Captain and Mrs. W. R. Ourandi Quartermaster Sergeant and Mrs. Dale "Earl Stout; Private 1c and Mrs. James Jerome Havican, and Walter S. Bird. American Red Cross field director at the Klamath Falls Post. Dreams Come True Who Married Girls Klamath Falls, March 22 Dreams are beginning to come true for five marines whose New Zealand brides have just arrived in the United States UP BATTLE FOR 1AJ. New York, March 22. (U.R) New York's night entertainment spots rejoined the rest of the na tion today in observance of the federal midnight curfew as May or Fiorello LaGuardia prepared a radio post-mortem over his short-lived one-hour curfew ex tension. LaGuardia said he would ex plain why the curfew was un fair to New York, center of the nation's night life industry. LaGuardia said his address would be designed for those out side New York and would con tain little news for citizens of his own city. He scheduled the broadcast, however, before en tertainment leaders decided at a meeting last night to respect the midnight curfew set by War Mobilization Director James F. Byrnes rather than he 1 a. m. closing set by LaGifardia. The night club, theater, cafe and saloon owners did not de sert LaGuardia, however. They said they would ask for a hear ing In Washington on the wis dom of a midnight curfew for the city. FLYNNlLlTED WITH POPE PIUS Vatican City, March 22H1.K Edward J. Flynn, New York Democratic leader, revealed to day that his current mission for President Roosevelt would ex tend to France and Britain. Flynn went to Moscow after the Crimea conference. From there he came to Italy, and to day he had a private audience of an bour with Pope Pius. He received correspondents late today, but was evasive re garding his mission for the president. He said he was going to the Italian front Sunday for a short visit, and then would go to Paris to see Gen. Charles De Gaulle and finally to London to see Prime Minister Churchill Washington, March 22 (U.R) Marines fighting in the Pacific soon will have their own mobile operating rooms close to the front lines, the navy disclosed today. MON TO TRAVEL Olympia, Wash., March 22 (U.R) Gov. Mon C. Wallgren pre pared today to leave the execu tive desk for a ten-day trip to California. BANK CALL Washington, March 22 (U.R) The comptroller of the currency today issued a call for reports on the condition of all national banks as of March 20. MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, MARCI ?C true for five New Zealand girls California port. Shown above for 5 Marines in Antipodes from the beautiful' little country 'down under" to Join their hus bands at the Klamath Falls, Ore., marine barracks. Four of the girls are from Wellington, N. Z., or vicinity and met and married their Amer ican husbands while the 2nd marine division was stationed near that city after the Guadal canal campaign. The other was a resident of Aukland, and her husband was a member of a marine anti-aircraft unit there. They sailed from New Zealand aboard a converted luxury liner and made the 6,500 mile sea voyage under strict wartime reg ulation. Their - first- glimpse - of their husbands homeland came when their ship docked in San Pedro, Calif., harbor early in March. They came directly to Klam ath Fails from Los Angeles, but on such short notice unanimous ly agree that they "like this country very, very much." In crowded Klamath Falls. however, the young couples are already running into some knot ty problems in the way of do mesticity, particularly finding a place to live. Another difficulty arose when the girls' baggage failed to arrive on schedule and they had to live out of the suit cases they carried with them from New Zealand, supplement ed by a little shopping in town. Getting squared - away with the OPA and ration boards also occupied a large part of their first few days here, and the wives have expressed great sur prise over the many things they are able to buy here which-were scarce or almost non-existent at their homes.' Arrangements for the girls to join their husbands in Klamath Falls were made through the Red Cross. French Women Freed From Horror Camps by Russians By Sam Soukl United Press Staff Correspondent A Middle East Port, March 22 (U.R) Liberated French wom en, still haunted by the night mare of German concentration camps, are going home. Their memories are of the days when their German captors made them enter the cremator ium and hack out gold teeth they might discover in the mouths of the dead. They still shudder at the memory of the times when they were forced Into death cells to crush the skulls which the fires had not reduced to ashes. Freed by Russians Now they want revenge. They want to return to the foul camp at Birkenau and the nearby crematorium of Auschwitz and there point out their torturers These French women hav been rescued by the Russians who are advancing on Berlin. These women were rounded up in France during the occupa tion and taken to Birkenau on various charges ranging from defying German orders to sus picion of being In contact with the Free French. Ruthlessly, they were torn from their children, from their homes and herded into box cars and sent to Germany. They were ftripped, given coarse uniforms, Klamath who recently completed the are. (left to right Miss Frances (Official Marine Corps Photo.) HEALTH PROGRAM LLS ARE SPED Salem, Ore., March 22 (U.R) House bill 53 of the 1045 legislature, which provides for programs of health instruction and physical education in Ore gon schools, was signed into law by Gov. Earl Snell today. The new act will become ef fective next year. The governor also signed 11 of the appropriation bills which passed the legislature, Involving nearly $19,000,000. The bills (H. B.'s 422 through 433) provide money for per diem legislative, pay, state treasurer's office, humane society, flax and linen board, Oregon and nation al guard, administration of the public utilities law, capltol build ings and grounds, state depart ment, elections, tax commission, claims, hospitals and schools for the deaf and blind, and for the transportation of prisoners and the mentally deficient. Another bill authorizes ap pointment of county veterans service officers. PRE-TRIAL HEARING ON IN FEDERAL COURT Pre ' trial proceedings con tinued in federal court here to day with Judge James Alger Fee presiding. The action of Ruth Davis versus the Medford cor poration, suit to collect damages for the death of David A. Davis, opened and was recessed after a thort time to continue in the morning. Pre-trial in the case of C. P. Pruess, Grants Pass, against Fred C. Hetschel of California to collect attorney's fees has been continuing and was set for trial March 26. A panel of 51 jurors has been Instructed to report at 10 a. m., March 28. Enslaved by and then put to work. They slaved 12 hours a day, breaking stones, repairing roads and dig ging ditches. Thousands Perish Every day some weary women would drop. Nine hundred of the camp's 8,000 inmates died every month, but more came to re place them from Poland, Czecho slovakia, Belgium and France. After three months the Ger mans paraded all the women and stripped them for "selection." Two doctors examined every woman. All Judged to be too tired for further use and those with any signs of an infectious skin disease would be separated from the rest. Still naked, they were pushed Into large cells. They knew what their fat would be, and the living were deafened by the shrieks and moans of those about to die. With sunset they were led to the shower rooms and from there to the gas chamber. Then the smoke would start curling from the crematorium's chimneys. Year of Life The selection parade occurred every three months. Once a year the women who were forced to work in the gas chamber and the crematorium were them selves liquidated. The Frenchwomen on their Tribune United Press Full Leased Wire 945 FIFTH U. S. FLEET FOR NEO LOWS Tokyo Radio Broadcaster Admits Nation Is Facing Gravest Crisis in History By United Press The American 5th fleet today was reported approaching the Okinawa islands, 300 miles southwest of Japan where it heaped destruction in two days of attacks that evoked an ad mission from Tokyo that Japan was confronted with its gravest crisis in history. Tokyo radio issued the report that the fleet with its big force of aircraft carriers was heading toward the Okinawa islands. Pa cific fleet headquarters contin ued to screen the .fleet's activi ties with a security blackout. The island group is the site of an important naval base and sev eral airfields midway between Japan and Formosa. New Setback The Japanese were given an other setback in the Philippines American troops and Filipino guerillas crushed the last organ ized resistance on Panay with the capture of Iloilo, the capital American bombers In the Philippines stepped up their aerial offensive and destroyed or damaged 13 Japanese vessels. including five small warships. The attacks 'ranged from the eastern Philippines to the China coast. The war department at Wash ington announced that a sizable task' force of B-29 Superfort resses, flying from bases in In dia, raided the big Burmese port of Rangoon today. . BALLAff SINGERS APPEAR TONIGHT The American Ballad Singers are appearing in concert this evening at the high school audi torium at 8:15 Seth Bullis, presi dent of the Jackson County Civic Music association stated this morning. - Mr. Bullis said that due to the tact that originally the concert had been scheduled for Friday, March 23, many calls had been received about the date. It was stressed again that chil dren must either sit with their parents or adult companions or else take seats in the balcony, since large numbers of children In the first few rows of seats on the main floor have proven dis tracting to both artists and con cert goers. Hitlerites way back to France hope some day to return to Birkenau to point out their torturers. The Germans branded their prison numbers on their arms, and these Frenchwomen are proud as they show you the mark. They are going home, hoping to find children, sweethearts and parents they have not heard from all these terrible years. Elite Guards Stage Suicide Stand Against 90th Division at Mainz By Robert Richards United Press War Correspondent With U. S. Third Army In Ger many, March 22 (U.R) A fa nantical band of nazi elite guards is dying in the streets of Mainz today and killing Amer icans In a useless "honor" stand that apparently has been dictated by Adolf Hitler as an example to the rest of his wilt ing armies. Elsewhere on the 3d army front in Worms, Kaiserslautern, Bad Kreuznach and Alzey, the Germans quit almost without a f:ght. But in Mainz these hand picked suicide troops seem bent on going down to the last man NO. 306. Oregon Healthiest Spot In Nation Is Proved By Draft Washington, March 22 U.R Rep. Harris Ellsworth (R., Ore.) said today he was grate ful to selective service for proving that the Pacific coast "and particularly Oregon" is the healthiest place In the na tion. The percentage of men re jected for physical reasons In Oregon was the lowest of any state In the union, Ellsworth said. "Only 24.4 per cent of those examined in Oregon were re jected," he said. "This figure is far better than the national average which is 39.2, I am grateful to selective service for compiling this informa tion." Salem, Ore., March 22 (U.R) An eight-man .committee to make a statewide survey of the hospitals in Oregon, appointed in . conformity with House Bill 393 of the recent legislative ses sion, was named today by Gov. Earl Snell. The survey will be made In cooperation with the federal gov ernment which has authorized a survey of public and private hos pitals in all states, and has pro vided federal funds for the Job. It has been anticipated that fed eral funds, estimated at some $300,000,000, will be made avail able for the construction and rehabilitation of hospitals fol lowing completion of the sur vey, the governor's office said. The committee will work with and ' tor the State Board of Health. GUILTY OF BIGAMY San Francisco, March 23 (U.R! Francis Van Wie, the 08-year-old "Ding Dong Daddy" of the carllnes, was found guilty on three count, of bigamy today by a jury of nine men and three women after 10 minutes of delib eration. The former Hon tamer and self-styled confidential Investi gator, who assertedly wooed and won 13 brides without benefit of divorce, seemed dazed as the verdict was read. He tried des perately to withhold tears. The little streetcar casanova will now be held for trial next Tuesday on his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. CONGRESS ASKED FOR WAR AGENCY FINANCE Washington, March 22 (U.R) President Roosevelt today asked Congress for $1,120,453 300 to finance activities of the governments IB civilian war agencies in the year beginning July 1. The total is $46,000,000 less than the sum allocated to the agencies for the current fiscal year. WOULD BAN DAMS Sacramento, March 22 (U.R) Construction of Table Moun tain dam on the Sacramento river, or any other large dam be low Redding, would be prohibit ed under a bill introduced in the assembly today by Sam L, Hei singer, D., Fresno. for the honor of the German army east of the Rhine. The city's military importance now Is practically nil, but the nazis are making the veteran 90th Infantry bleed for every house and street corner. Even German planes have Joined the nazi ground forces, bombing and strafing the attack ing Americans in an effort to delay the fall of Mainz. It appeared likely that Hitler or soma one else In the German high command pulled all the elite guard units west of the Rhine into Mainz with the Idea of making a heroic stand in the city as a "shot in the arm" for the Jittery German troops. TWO-WAY DRIVE CRACKS DEFENSE IN SOUTH sra Scores of Key Towns Fall to Konev Forces Left Wing Secured for Berlin Drive London, March "?2. (U.R) Moscow announced tonight that Marshal Ivan S. Konev's , first Ukranlan army had kill ed or captured 45,000 Ger mans In a new Silesiaa offen sive advancing 25 miles through more than 400 towns south and west -f Oppeln. The converging offensive killed more than 30,r j Ger man troops, a communique said. Marshtl r' -'in In an nouncing t'ie new offensive said Konev's army ca. ured 15.000. London, March 22. (U.R) Marshal Ivan S. Konev's army has broken through south and west of Oppeln in southern Si lesia, advancing 25 miles and trapping at least 15,000 Ger mans in a sweeping new offen sive that overran more than 400 German towns. Marshal Stalin announced to night that Konev's first Ukran lan army joined forces in a two way drive that toppled most of the defense strongholds in the southern end of Silesia. Wing Secured Neustadt, Cosel, Flakenberg. Suelz, Oberglogau, Krappitz, Steinau.'and scores of other key towns fell to Konev's forces se curing the extreme left wing of the Berlin front for the brewing push against the German capi tal, i A special order of the day by Stalin said the junction of Ko nev's two columns in drives south and west of Oppeln sur rounded and routed a formid able force of German troops. , Along with the 15,000 Ger mans, the Soviets captured 464 field guns and great quantities of other war materials. Washington, March 22 (U.RJ The new British 22,000-pound bombs now being dumped on Germany are so devastating that one of them, dropped experimen tally, obliterated a small granite island off the British coast, the) British Information Service re cealed today. When another one was drop ped experimentally in southern England, observers standing mile away saw chunks of earth weighing 10 tons each hurled into the air. And when a "dud," filled with ballast instead of explosives was dropped at a British experimen tal station, it buried itself so deeply in the soil that-it took 18 men working 12 hours a day, nine days to dig it out, BIS said. Draft Extension Given Approval Washington, March 22. (U.R) The houte military affairs committee today unanimously approved exten.-' n of the select ive service act for another year from May 15, the dc.to of ex piration. Committee members .!d the measure probably would go be fore the htuse before Sar.ter. WILLIAMS REJECTION IS 'FOREGONE CONCLUSION Washington, March 22 U.R) Sen. Robert M. La F o 11 e 1 1 a (Prog., Wis.) said today that sen ate rejection of Aubrey Williams' nomination to be rural electri fication administrator "is a fore gone conclusion." La Follette, a Williams sup porter, told the senate he re gretted .hat Williams "is going to be rejected upon what seems to me to be entirely flimsy evi dence." SIDE GLANCES By TRIBUNE REPORTERS Leroy Willlr.ms and Leslie Coleman returning em, t. hand ed from a clam digging expedi tion to the coast. I Little Bobby Emmens trying to get ahead of the calendar and venturing forth in barefoot state. AI Price and other federal court officials disappointed that southern Oregon weather is turning out to be the same -s their home city, Portland dur ing their semi-annuJ visit to jMedford, - ......