Reds Break Through West of Oppeln; Trap 15,000 Germans
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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, - ......