Medford mail tribune., April 15, 1945, Page 1, Image 1

A
1 IMP
M
n
Yankee Armored Wedge
Behind Germans Drives
For Russian Juncture
Paris, Sunday, April IS. (U.PJ A huge fleet of RAF bombers
blasted Berlin and its suburban defenses last night in support of
American 9th army troops approaching from the west, while the
American 1st and 3rd armies, quickly by-passing Leipzig, swung
out below the capital to within 80-odd miles of a junction with
the Russians, thus threatening the' bulk of the remnants of the
once all-powerful German army with entrapment.
An armored wedge of the 1st and 3rd, 75 miles wide, was being
pushed steadily across the supply and communication area behind
the German armies facing the Russians, threatening imminent dis
aster to the tottering nazl relch. When the wedge reaches the Rus
sian lines, the main German forces perhaps 1,000,000 men will
be cut off in a 25,000 square mile pocket, including Berlin and ex
tending to the Baltic. .
IN BERLIN SUBURBS
The Paris radio said American 9 th army men to the north al
ready were in Berlin's outskirts. The Luxembourg radio said they
were 13 miles away. The Germans themselves said they were only
21 miles away as of Friday. In London, newspapers expected their
triumphal entry into the rubbled capital to be announced at any
hour.
These developments came as the Germans admitted that power
ful red armies massed along the Oder only 30 miles east of Berlin,
had at last opened an offensive, as though bent on beating the
Americans to the supreme goal of the allies.
ELBE FORCED
The 8th army's 2nd "Hell on Wheels" armored division was bat
tering across the Berlin plains, still under a security blackout
clamped on its movements ever since it leaped the Elbe river at
Magdeburg on Thursday. A second 9th army armored task force
forced the Elbe at an undisclosed point yesterday and joined the
Berlin sweepstakes. German reports spoke vaguely of stiff opposi
tion and bitter fighting reports so vague they seemed to have
little substance.
Clearing the way for the onrushing Yanks, the RAF sent a giant
fleet of Lancaster four-motored bombers against both Berlin and
the garrison town and rail center of Potsdam, on the southwestern
edge of the city.
As the hour of victory in Europe neared, Gen. Dwight D. Eisen
hower returned to supreme headquarters Saturday after a tour of
the front during which he found all his allied troops eager to deliver
the final stroke to crush German militarism.
RED OFFENSIVE ...
London, Sunday, April 19.
that the red army had opened
the Oder and penetrated German
In the first phase of a general offensive aimed at reaching the cap!
tal before the Americans.
Far in the north, the Soviets opened an all-out assault on German
expendables on the Samland peninsula west of Koenigsberg 'and.
capturing 60 towns, carved down
sia to 120 square miles. The roadstead of the Germans' only escape
port, Pillau, and surrounding waters' were a graveyard of German
Shipping. . ..
RUHR BATTLE EBBS
Far behind the spearheads, the
as the 1st and 9th armies, taking
Ruhr total of 110,000, reached
cutting the pocket in two near Hagen. One report said those forces
had met, splitting the die-hard nazis.
Resistance In the Holland pocket weakened suddenly as Cana
dian 1st army troops captured or fought into four major German
anchor towns Arnhem, Deventer, Zwolle and Broningen and
reached within seven miles of the
estuary.
The plight of the nazls was emphasized by the fact that they
have now lost 31 of their first 60 cities, with a total population of
tome 8,000,000 to the eastern and western allies. The Americans
were threatening or fighting in six others Dresden, Leipzig, Mag'
deburg, Chemnitz, Halle and Dessau.
Prisoners were pouring into
almost impossible to take care of
847 alone on Friday believed to
ern front.
SURRENDER DEAL
London, April 14. (U.P.) Pri
vate advices from Lisbon said to
day that the Papal Nunciature
there recently received a confi
dential note that Adolf Hitler
had met with his high command
and decided to ask Pope Pius XII
to arrange details for the sur
render of Germany.
This dispatch said that Hitler
discussed German capitulation
with his generals and decided
in favor of it and In favor of re
questing the Pope's intervention
to arrange details. There was no
confirmation of this report.
WAR BULLETINS
On the Ouitklrit of Erfurt,
Germany. April 14 (U.R) Col.
Robert S. Allen, partner of
columniit Drew P e a r i o n,
taken prisoner by the Gtr
mans near Elitnacn? has been
liberated in Erfurt by soldiers
of the U. S. 80th infantry dl
ison. Allen, former co-author
of the column "Washington
Msrry-Go-Round," was cap
tured by Nasi troops when his
Jeep wit ambuihtd a half a
mile beyond American lines.
With the U. S. Seventh
Army. Germeny, April 14.
(U.R MaJ. William C, Bullitt,
former American ambassador
to France, has been named
military governor of Bides
Eaden. caotured Thursday by
the French 1st army, it was
announced today. Bullitt, who
Is 53. joined the French army
as a major after being reject,
ed by the U. S. army because
of age.
(U.PJ Germany reported last night
attacks on a 35-mile front west of
lines only 26 miles from Berlin
the enemy holdings In East Prus-
battle of the Ruhr neared an end
another 19,904 prisoners for a
within two and a half miles of
North Sea near the Ems river
the rear areas so rapidly it was
them. The 1st army bagged 34,'
be a one-day record for the west
TOUR OF FRONTS
Distributed by United Press
Paris, April 14 (U.R) Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower returned
to supreme headquarters today
after an extended tour of the 1st
army corps' fronts in central
Germany.
Accompanied by Generals
Omar N. Bradley and Courtney
Hodges, Elsenhower yesterday
rode through thick dust clouds
over shell-pocked German roads
along the southern and eastern
fringe of the Ruhr pocket which
now is 25 miles wide and 40
miles deep. Latest reports dis
closed that Nazis have ordered
civilians in the area to put on
uniforms and fight with regular
troops.
DAY OFGRACE IS
Salem, Ore, April 14 (U.R)
A "day of g'rac ." for payment of
state income taxes was announc
ed today by tax commissioners.
Salem and Portland offices will
emain open Monday, and re
turns mailed and postmarked
before midnight Monday will be
accepted without penalty.
The added day Is granted be
cause payment deadline April
15 falls on Sunday.
THE WEATHER
Fair and clear Sunday with
little change In temperature
High 71, low 32 degrees, Satur
day.
Medford
United Press
Fortieth Year
VON PAPEN, NAZ
'BIG WIG' CAUGHT
Political Fixer for Hitler
Nabbed in Ruhr Flown
to Paris.
Washington, April 14 (U.R)
The War Department said to
night it had no information sub
stantiating the report that Franz
von Papen had been flown to
this country.
Paris, April 14 (U.R) Baron
Franz von Papen, former chan
cellor of Germany, was seized in
the Ruhr pocket by American
troops this week and is believed
to have been flown to the Unit
ed States.
"I wish this war were over,'
von Papen told his captors, one
of whom answered: "So do
eleven million other guys."
The shrewd political fixer for
Adolph Hitler in World War II
and saboteur extraordinary for
the Kaiser is World War I, was
taken by troops of the U. S. 17th
airborne division at the town of
Stockhausen along with his son
and son-in-law on Wednesday
London reported there was no
indication whether Papen was
on the Allied war criminal list.
The list being drawn by the
Allied War Crimes Commission
is shrouded In secrecy and
among all the Nazi criminals on
It only Adolph Hitler thus far
has been Identified by name.
The tall, monocled Papen, an
overbearing Prussian of - 66
years, was seized- in a small
hunting lodge in the hills near
Stockhausen, 30 miles southeast
of Hamm, by a first lieutenant
and seven glider infantrymen.
He was flown to Paris from a
small airfield 20 miles behind
the front lines. It is believed he
later was flown to the United
States, according to the custom
of special treatment of high
ranking generals and leading
civilian prisoners taken by al
lied forces.
The Americans first captured
his son, Franz, Jr., a captain in
the German army. His Ameri
can accent betrayed him he
was educated at Georgetown
University and the Yanks be
came suspicious and upon ques
tioning, learned his identity.
Papen was taken 0 days af
ter American 1st and 9th army
troops snapped shut the trap
around the Ruhr pocket by mak
ing a Junction along its eastern
edge.
Papen was the most prominent
Nazi official bagged to date by
the Allied armies. He was the
first Nazi "big wig" to fall Into
Allied hands since Rudolf Hess,
former No. 2 Nazi, parachuted
into Scotland shortly before
Germany attacked Russia in the
summer of 1941.
DEGAULLE HONORS
Paris, April 14 (U.R) A rag
ged parade of 20 pitifully-thin
women tottered or were carried
through the streets of Paris to
daythe first women political
prisoners freed from Ravens
bruck prison camp In Germany.
Gen. Charles DeGaulle led
weeping and laughing throngs to
meet the heroic women, many of
whom were arrested for aiding
allied flyers. Lillies of the val
ley and lilacs fluttered through
the air and landed at the feet of
the women.
A guard of honor stood at at
tention as DeGaulle, his eyes
filled with tears, enbraced each
woman.
E
Hasting, England, Sunday.
April 15 (U.R) An explosion,
which was believed to be the
biggest on the British coast
throughout the' war, shook the
area around Halting early to
day. The cause was not known.
Full Leased Wire
Roosevelt's
f Aetna Telephotol
The hearse bearing the body of President Roosevelt reaches the little railroad station at Warm Springs. Oa
as hundreds ot residents ot the President's other home stand in silence and bare their heads as the cortege
passes. Troops from Ft. Bennlng that marched In the procession deploy in company from and present their
arms at the salute. Their Colors flew black streamers to siKMfy the mourning of the nation.
F
BRITISH PAPERS
London, Sunday, April 15
(U.R) The London Sunday Ex
press said today that "new be
hind .the scenes .developments'
had roached London which in
dicated the complete collapse of
Germany was at hand.
London, AprlTTJ! (U.R) Vic
tory in Europe was near tonight.
The British press believed the
news of an allied entry into Ber
lin and a junction with the Rus
sian armies would come at any
hour. It reported an air of "high
expectancy" In all government
offices.
Sunday morning newspaper
headlines were in the same vein.
'This is victory weekend," said
the Sunday Dispatch, with a sub
headline saying that "Berlin
calls in reinforcements." The
Sunday Times in a three-column
tophead said "Germans Unable
to Save Berlin." The Sunday Ob
server said "News of first-class
Importance reached ministers In
Downing street yesterday and
hleh officials who rarely are to
be found in their offices on Sat
urday were on duty all day."
The London News ol tne
World, quoting an American
broadcast, said that "entry into
Berlin Is Imminent."
The London Evening Standard
said that "we are on the eve oi
tidings of really sensational
events. News of the greatest im
portance Is expected hourly In
London. Some of these events
may even already have happen
ed, for published war news Is
behind the private dispatches
which reach Whitehall from the
generals In Germany.
"The expectation in L.onaun
today was that there will De
news of:
"One, entry of allied troops
Into Berlin, or, '
"Two, the capitulation oi me
German army.
Tho Fvening Standard aaaea
that there was "no confirmation"
that big events already had been
reported to the government and
were being withheld pending
still more Important intorma
tion. BULLETIN
Washington, Sunday, April 15
(U.R) Pennsylvania Central Air
lines officials said early today
that 17 passen;jers were, aboard
Blrmlngham-D juna pia
which has been missing since
yesterday afternoon on a flight
from Pittsburgh.
The officials, releasing a par
tial list of passengers, said tnat
five persons on the plane were
military personnel.
The airliner left puisourgn
shortly after 4:30 P. M. EWT and
was last reported over Browns
ville, Pa., at 4:55 P. M. It still
had not been h.ard from at mid
night, officials said, although a
wide-spread search has begun.
Names of passengers released
here Included no one from west
of the Mississippi.
MEDFORD, OREGON,
Funeral Train on Way to Capital
Sxii'f ' " " " i
IMPERIAL PALACE
Tokyo Arsenal Area Blazes
After. Super-Forts Raid-
Marines Gain.
Guam, April 14 (U.R) Fires
burned throughout a five-square-
mile "arsenal area" of Tokyo to
night, hours after hundreds of
American superfortresses, one of
the largest forces yet employed,
dropped bombs on the city, and
Tokyo broadcasts said Premier
Kantaro Suzuki had apologized
to the emperor for damage done
to imperial palace buildings.
( 20th air force communique
at Washington said that six
bombers were' missing from
"very large task force" which
attacked Tokyo. It said that at
tack was directed at a "conccn
trated Industrial area In the
center of Tokyo which Includes
the important Tokyo arsenal
complex," and that the attack
was successful. It made no men
tion of damage to the Japanese
imperial palace.)
Tokyo said in a communique
that buildings within the imper
ial palace; the adjoining Ornlya
palace, residence of the empress
dowager, and the Akasoka de
tached palace were set afire and
that the. main building and
sanctuary of the MeiJI Shrine,
one of the greatest Shinto shrines
in Japan, had been razed.
Guam, Sunday, April 15 (U.R)
U. S. Infantrymen ' on southern
Okinawa beat off another small
Japanese counter-attack Satur
day and marines in the north
pushed ahead against negligible
resistance to bring almost half
of 1 the important Island und'.T
American control.
T
T
Portland, Ore., April 14. (U.R)
A walkout started by a few
employes of the American Can
company today at 1 p. m. spread
to about half the plant's work
ers, stopping production for a
time.
The walkout was said to have
resulted from a misunderstand
ing over taking time out to pay
tribute to the memory of the
late president, which John R
Spence, plant superintendent,
said had been decided agalnrt
because of war orders for cans
CIO President Philip Murray
had urged' all members of the
union to stay on the job, and
United Steel Workers' Repre
sentative James Menzlc said the
walkout was completely unauthorized.
SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 1945
:,f
LEAVETRAILOF
DEATH AND RUIN
By United Press
Three terrifying days of freak
ish weather conditions left a
ghastly pall of death, misery and
destruction in Oklahoma, Arkan
sas, Missouri and Texas Satur
day night.
The counted dead numbered
133, most of them victims of
hop-skipping tornadoes. Others
were flood victims.
Oklahoma suffered heaviest,
Even before It could obtain a
clear count of its tornado deaths
tentatively numbered at 05
Saturday night heavy rains and
floods hit the state touching off
a new series of life and property
losses.
A survey of the situation In
the four states showed:
Oklahoma, 102 dead 95 from
tornadoes, four from related ac
cidents, three from floods and
five missing; Arkansas, 24 dead
from tornadoes; Missouri, six
d-ad from tornadoes; and Texas,
one dead from a tornado.
Injured froi all causes In the
four-state area approached the
1,000 mark. '
It was impossible to derive a
clear cut estimate of the prop
erty damage. Eventually it
might be fixed as high y
$iu,uuu,uuu.
YUGOSLAVSTAKE
London, April 14 (U.R)
Yugoslav patriots, In a daring
land and sea assault, have seized
Rab Island In the Dalmatians,
Marshal Tito announced today.
Other units crushed the Ger
mans' Vaunter Srem front In
northeastern Yugoslavia and
captured Osljek, 25 miles from
the Hungarian border.
The communique, released by
the Yugoslav home service, said
the entire Nazi garrison in the
town of Rab had been wiped out
after bitter fighting. Much booty
was taken, it was reported.
E
BOLOGNA STARTS
Rome, April 1 4 (U.R) An
Allied drive on the big Italian
city of BolognL Is underway.
The Germans newt agency
DNB reported without confirma
tion that fifth army troops from
their entrenched positions abo'it
10 mites due south and south
west of Bologna had begun an
attack.
The fifth army units have
been entrenched in the positions
throughout the winter. DNB
gave no details of the attack.
Tribune
United Press
FINAL RITES FOR
Millions Pay Silent Tribute
To Late.. Executive
Services Brief.
Washington, April 14. (U.R)
Franklin D. Roosevelt, through
the lips of another, told the na
tion again today that "the only
thing we have to fear is fear
Itself."
The dead president's first mes
sage to the nation thus became
his last.
It was a message of great faith
In America, first voiced at Mr.
Roosevelt's first inaugural in the
depression days of 1933,
It was given utterance again
in his name at a 24-minute fu
neral service in the White House
on this showery April afternoon
In the presence of 200 persons
a handful of the millions who,
loved Franklin D. Roosevelt
the Rt Rev. Angus Dun, Episco
pal bishop of Washington, re
called the stirring example of
confidence set by the president
on that dark day 12 years ago.
Departing from the text of the
moving Episcopal service for the
dead, the bishop quoted: " 'The
only thing we have to fear Is fear
itself
Then, standing over the flag-
covered casket, In the gilt and
crystal room, the bishop added
"As those were his first words
to us. I am sure he would wish
them to be his last. He will go
forward In his faith In this, as
we also go forward."
The service started at 4 p. m,
EWT as millions of Americans
the world over, fighting men as
well as civilians, paid silent triD
ute to the leader and friend who
led them to the threshold of vic
tory in war and Deace.
They were the last rites for
Mr. Roosevelt In the capital, to
morrow at 10 a. m. EWT he will
be buried In a rose-bowered gar
den on his beloved Hudson river
estate at Hyde Park, N. Y.
Outside the White House, as
Bishop Dun spoke, a throng of
other mourners miueo. inrj
wrre a Dart of the vast crowd
estimated at between 300.000 and
500.000. that watched the mili
tary funeral procession pass
earlier from Union Station
the White House.
to
Clouds which loosed showers
on the crowd several minutes De
fore the funeral lifted at 4 p. m.
onH the nun shone through.
Prp.lrfpnt Truman and Mrs.
Roosevelt were the chief mourn
ers. The woman who had been
flrt ladv for 12 years never gave
wav to her grief. When thp
bishop asked everyone to Join in
singing hymns for the service
"because they wcro favorites of
the president," her lips moved
almost imporcepiiDiy.
Funeral Delayed
The special train bearing the
president's body northward left
Union Station here at iu: p. m.
EWT. Aboard It were nearly
140 persons, the family. Mr. and
Mrs. Truman and their daughter,
Margaret, many of Mr. Roose
v.U' plnscst friends, and scores
of top government officials. Fala,
the president s scouie, maoe me
last trip home with his master.
The train's departure was de
Invpd nearly 45 minutes by diffi
culty with a coupling. It Is sched
uled to arrive at Hyfle rarit at
8:40 a. m. EWT tomorrow.
ORDEAL BRAVELY
Washington, April 14 OI.P.)
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt bore
the ordeal of her husband's last
ride to the White House like a
soldier.
Only once did she waver.
Her black limousine drew to
one side as the caisson stopped
before the White House portico.
She didn't wait for help but
opened the car door and stepped
out alone.
For a moment, her tall figure
seemed to crumple slightly but
he quickly gathered herself to
gether and waited for her son,
Brig. Gen. Elliott Roosevelt, and
her daughter, Mrs. Anna Boct
tiger, to join her, ' -
Full Leased Wire
NO. 20.
WPB Grants Priority for
$185,000 Project Call
for Bids in Few Weeks.
Award of priorities for con
struction of additional Medford
city water storage to cost ap
proximately $185,000, was mada
Friday in Portland by WPB,
according to Robert A. Duff,
superintendent of the Medford
Water Commission, who return
ed Saturday from the metropo
lis. The commission had hoped
to construct a ten million gallon
reservoir but tentative plans for
the maximum size project were)
changed to 8,200,000 gallons
when priorities could not ba
secured. The original plans had
also called for a concrete slab
cover for the reservoir but pri
ority for this feature was also
refused. Duff said the plans as
approved call for abutments and
other facilities which will maka
Installation of the cover easy
after the war.
The superintendent pointed
out that covering of reservoirs,
besides keeping out possible con
tamination also prevents algae,
a serious problem in water stor
age. On Capital Hill
It la the intention of the com
mission to build the reservoir
this spring Just east of the pres
ent south reservoir on Capital
Hill. Removal of approximately
17,000 cubic yards of rock and
5,000 yards of earth will ba
necessary, and 720 feet of 16
Inch and 870 feet of 24-lnch pipe
will be required.
Duff, while In Portland, con
ferred with John W. Cunning
ham and Associates, consulting;
engineers, and was informed
complete plans for the reservoir
could probably be made avail
able within two weeks. Upon re
ceipt of the plans, the water
superintendent sdid, he expected
the commission would formally
authorize construction and
would Issue a call for bids for
the work under general contract.
Money to cover the entire cost
of the project has been accumu
lated by the commission in a
construction fund. Much of tha
money came from supplying
Camp White with water.
Costs Lower Now
Superintendent Duff was par
ticularly enthused over the pros
pect of getting the work under
way at once as he said it was
generally believed that construc
tion rn.ti now are lower than
may be expected after the war
when a flood of long-needed pub
lic work gets under way.
Construction of the new reser
voir will help to lift the ever
present threat of water shortage
which would follow a possible
major break In the 30-mile-long
supply line from the Big Butta
springs at the foot of Mount Pit,
A break in the line at the peak
of summer consumption would
leave only a half day's supply,
under present limited conditions.
Duff pointed out.
Peak consumption for a single
day in 1044 was 8,500,000 gal
lons, exclusive of water furnish
ed the camp, and in 1943, tha
highest single day's consumption
was 9,500,000. The superinten
dent pointed out that with this
terrific drain on the mains, ad
ditional storage is seen impera
tive, especially In view of tha
Increased population.
SPECIAL HONORS
Moscow, April It (U.R)
Black bordered red flags flutter
ed from all official buildings to
day in accordance with an offic
ial Soviet decree ordering two
days of mourning for President
uoonevelt.
It was the first time In Soviet
history that black-bordered flags
have flown for foreign states
man. Hitherto such an act was
reserved for only the highest
national leaders, such as Lenin.