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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 16, 1945)
Weather FORECAST: Partly cloudy with rain thowert la valleyf and mow in mountains tonight and Saturday. Cooler tonight. Temp. Highest Yesterday ..50 Lowest this Morning ..37 Prec. to ft A. M. Usa The Mall Tribune Want Ad Way Quick Reiulti ' At Small Coit MEDFORD iRIBUNE United Prejj Full Leased Wire United Pres Full Leased Wire Fortieth Year ORD, OREGON, FRIDAY; NOVEMBER 16, 1945. NO. 203. SURPRISE WITNE0 BLAMES YAM AS HI. A VIACARTHUR ACTS TO HALT JAPAN'S BEND MAN KILLED BEAST OF BELSEN AND AIDES GUILTY PACIFIC SHIPPING NEAR CRISIS OVER r-A Fi Soviet Aided Chinese Reds In Occupying Northern Area Is Chungking Belief Chungking, Nov. 16 (U.R) Russo-Chinese relations today appeared to be approaching a "crisis over growing belief in government circles that Russia deliberately has aided Chinese communists to establish them elves in Manchuria. There were indications the Chinese communists already have established themselves so strongly in the north that the central government will be un able to dislodge them in Man churia. Say Treaty Violated Government circles believed tacit Soviet assistance to the Chinese communists violated at least the spirit if not the letter of the three-months-old Sino Russian treaty of friendship and alliance. Reports from the north in dicated that the central govern ment may be preparing to with draw 300 officials from Chang chun and abandon the Man churia capital to the commun ists. Chinese observers pointed out that the Russians first allowed communist forces to enter south ern Manchuria and entrench themselves along the frontier, thus making it impossible for rationalist troops to come in by land. The Russians then allowed the communists to occupy the Man churian seaports, preventing the landing of central government troops by ship. Air Use Blocked And now they have prevent ed Chungking from using air fields in Manchuria until- the communists could establish themselves in a position to shoot down or disarm any airborne forces which Gen. Chiang Kai shek might attempt to bring in. As a result of these develop ments, observers said they would not be surprised to see a change in relations between Chungking and Moscow. MARINES TO HIT AT Shanghai, Nov. 16 (U.R) Lt. Gen. A. C. Wedemeyer an nounced today he has authoriz ed U. S. marine commanders to take "appropriate action" in cluding air attacks, if necessary, to halt attacks upon U. S. mar ines which have been made from a small village between Tang shan and Chinwangtao. - The village is communist-held and has been a center for at tacks against coal trains guard ed by U. S. marines. . Wedemeyer said he had di rected his commanders to move against the village after taking precautions for the safety of civilians provided the attacks continue to endanger American lives. Wedemeyer said that Maj. Gen. Keller E. Rockey, com mander of the U. S. marine mis sion at Tientsin, reported that the coal trains had been under rifle fire from the town several times and that 300 yards of the track had been destroyed by land mines, injuring some Chinese wotkmen. haroldTloyd wins plagarism decision Hollywood. Nov. 16 (U.R) Universay Picture stole film sequences from silent movie star Harold Lloyd and used them in re-makes. Federal Judge Ben Harrison ruled today. "This is a deliberate case of plagarism," he said in announc ing his decision. Attorney Julian Abies, repre senting Universay, drew Harri son's anger with gestures and an "aggressive manner." The Judge warned him "You can't get away with that here." Victory Loan Drive "E" Quota $525,000 "E" Sales to Date $109,652 Remainder to sell $415,388 Manila,- Nov. 16 (U.R) Japan's former naval command er in the Philippines made a surprise courtroom appearance today to swear that Gen. Tomo yuki Yamashita's Japanese army command alone was responsible for the rape of Manila. The new witness, Vice Adm. Denshichi Okoochi, was brought from a prisoner of war camp to back up the presecution charge that the Japanese naval troops who committed many of the frightful Manila atrocities actu ally were under Yamashita's command. In a trembling voice, Okoochi testified that he turned over command of . the 20,000 naval of ficers and men in Manila to Yamashita on Jan. 6, 1945, more than a month before the city fell to the Americans. Yamashita twisted in amaze ment as the. bald, bespectled Japanese admiral took the wit TELLS. OF E Dachau, Nov. 16 (U.R) A former inmate of Dachau told a U.' S. military court today of nightmarish nazi experiments on human guinea pigs which caused hundreds of deaths in agony at the notorious concen tration camp. Josef Blaha, graduate of the Prague medical . school, who landed in Dachau in 1941 after two years of surveillance by the gestapo, testified at the trial of 40 nazis on charges of mur dering countless thousands of brutally mistreated inmates of the camp. Blaha's testimony was a grisly story of horror on a mass scale. He told of ruthless experiments on living prisoners, of torture rivaling that in the middle ages, and of the "liquidation' of thousands of Russian inmates who were given the worst treat ment of all. Blaha said he saw the bodies of 6,000 to 8,000 Russians carted off to the crematorium. At one time, he said, 96 Soviet generals and colonels were marched to the crematorium, shot through the back of the neck, and their bodies burned. Attendants ex: traded their gold teeth before the bodies were thrown into the furnaces. T Issaquah, Wash., Nov. 16 (U.R) Blinded by swirling clouds, Seattle Aviatrix Mrs. Alice Donohue Wolpert, 25, was killed when she flew her small trainer plane into the wooded peak of a 2,300-foot mountain four miles from here, a 15-year-old farm boy back from the crash scene said today. Missing since yesterday on a 20-minute flight to the airport here from Kent, Wash., the pretty aviatrix was found dead in the plane's wreckage by ground parties after Search Pilot Al Lockwood sighted the wreckage, crumpled near an airline radio beacon on the mountain top. Grangers Told Should Include Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 16 (U.R) M i 1 1 o n S. Eisenhower, president of Kansas State col lege, today advocated before the national grange convention expansion of the parity concept to include all major groups in our modern economy. "American agriculture estab lished the parity idea." Eisen hower said, "which in effect says that farmers should get an income that allows them to buy at fair exchange the goods they need. The parity concept in agriculture has its greatest use fulness in the realm of public understanding and acceptance of a fair goal." Pointing out that agriculture and industry are interdepen ness stand and he glared angrily at his fellow-commander. "I notified Yamashita that I was turning over the command to him and was leaving the same day for Baguio," Okoochi said, obviously struggling to retain his composure under Yamashita's venemous stare. Mrs. Beatriz Sapinoso, another witness, said the Japanese dragged her husband off last Dec. 16 and apparently killed him. She said two Japanese officers tortured her in her home at Imus. 4 "They stripped me naked, forced me to the floor and burn ed my entire body with cigar ettes, including my vital pcrts. Then they placed an iron bar across my neck and stepped on the ends, at the same time beat ing me with a rubber hose. "When 1 fainted, they revived me with water and repeated the torture. They laughed." Strikes in Brief By United Press ' Strikes and shutdowns Idled more than 303,000 American workers today. The major dis putes: Transportation 25,000 driv ers and helpers began a walkout which stopped truck shipments on lines operating from Chicago through Minnesota. Korth and South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas and part of Wisconsin, A strike of 500 AFL teamsters in Denver crippled transcontinental motor freight service. Bus drivers' . strikes snarled transit in Staten Island, N. Y., and Tulsa, Okla. . Automotive United Auto mobile Workers (CIO) charged the major auto manufacturers with forcing a "costly and ter rible" strike throughout the in dustry, following a halt in wage negotiations with the General Motors Corp. Steel CIO steelworkers went ahead with plans for a nationwide strike vote before the end of the month in support of demands for a $2-a-day wage boost. Food A strike of machin ists and bakery wagon drivers held up milk and bread deliver ies In the San Francisco bay area) San Francisco grocery clerks prepared to walk out to morrow over demands for a $6 weekly pay raise. Lumber Prospects bright ened for settlement of an eight week work stoppage among AFL lumber workers, who left their jobs eight weeks ago in demands for an industry-wide $1.10 minimum hourly wage. Navy Radio Here Expands Power Enlargement of the naval radio station located near the local fair grounds from 400 watts to 5,000 watts, as was the original intent, Is being com pleted, according to word from the civil aeronautics adminis tration, received yesterday by Frank Rogers, city superinten dent. The station was constructed early in July. NAZI DOOMED London, Nov. yiS (U.R) Joseph Hoffman, Nazi com mandant of the infamous Mai danek prison camp in Poland, has been sentenced to death by the Polish people's court at Lub lin, radio Moscow reported last night. Parity Plan All Groups dent, Eisenhower told the grange it is to the interest of each to see that the other gets a fair return. "But who among us, as a citi zen whose judgment should be paramount, knows what is a fair return for labor, for capital, for management, transportation or professional service?" he askd. "We must expand the parity concept quickly so that we can know what fair returns are so that all groups can obtain economic justice. "We require at once a parity formula for American labor. That formula should be so con structed that labor receives its fair share of the national in come, no more, no less." Immediate Order Issued When Government Says Control System Futile Tokyo, Nov. 16 (U.R) The Japanese government said to day that a system of price con trol for foods was "in a state of complete collapse" and one official forecast widespread food riots for next spring in Japa nese cities not garrisoned by American troops, i Gen. Douglas MacArthur or dered into immediate operation a Japanese plan to combat the black market by abolishing present price controls on perish able foods, "almost all" of which the government admitted are being sold illegally. Mayor Tells Need New prices will be higher than present government ceil ings but well below the black market, the government said. The allied order followed by a few hours the arrival in Tokyo of Mayor K. Kanai of Suwa City, a mountain town of 40,000 popu lation in Nagano prefecture where many residents of Tokyo and Yokohama fled for safety from allied bombings during the war. Kanai said that some of the refugees already had died of starvation and that others had committed suicide rather than beg food after their funds had been exhausted. Legal moves toward democra tization of Japan's totalitarian political and economic structure were reported progressing. Hundreds of letters from Japa nese have been received ex pressing interest in a series of factual articles being prepared by SCAP on the war which will include accounts of Japanese atrocities, it was stated. navyWtain Washington, Nov. 1 6 (U.R) Vice Adm. Marc A. Mitscher, deputy chief of naval air oper ations, reported today that the naval air station of Astoria, Ore., was scheduled to be main tained at full operation "as far as I know." Fate of the station was In question more than two months ago during naval affairs com mittee hearings. At that time it was agreed that separate hear ings would be held on Astoria, but subsequently, on Oct. 17, the station appeared on a "tenta tive" list of navy surplus facilities. DeGaulle Denies Resigning Office Paris, Nov. 18 (U.R) Gen. Charles DeGaulle at 6 p. m. to night issued an official denial that he had yet resigned his of fice. DeGaulle issued a formal statement saying he has not yet sent any letter to the president of the assembly, Felix Gouin. and that no official communique has yet been issued by his office. Idaho-Maine Spuds Take Bite Test iAt ',' ' ,J 1 1 ' ' it " , , A J ;., ' , h ' " f' ' '' ' ijj (Arm 7 fltfthlrtol On potato, two potatoes net the bite test In age-old spud nuiwriorlty claim of Idaho and Maine as Gov. Horace A. Hildrcth of Maine (left) and Gov Charks O. Gnsaett. Idaho, put It up to Judges In potato contest h' ld In Senate re&Wurant, V,'t-in;rn. .'Klines were ladKi of Howe of Repre sentatives and agricultural expert - - Attempt to Pass Log Truck Kills One Hero Brother Seriously Injured George W. Mirich, the "one man army" of the Aleutians who won the distinguished service cross on Attu, was in jured seriously last night in an automobile accident that killed his brother, Michael W. Mirich, 27, of Bend.. State police said a car driven by the discharged war hero collided with a logging truck near the underpass at Ashland. Mirich suffered several face lacerations and other Injuries, but will recover. His brother was killed instantly. Michael Mirich had just returned from army service in the South Paci fic. George Mirich received his discharge early this year and took over a service station in Salem. He won his second high est American valor medal for a one-man attack on a Japa nese strong point on Attu is land, and later for leading a squad against a fortified hill on Chicago pass. He was wounded and received the purple heart. The fighting sergeant was with the 96th division and enlisted from Klamath Falls, Ore. His mother, Mrs. Mildred Mirich, lives in Bend. According to Deputy Coroner C. W. Litwiller the Mirich car was heading south on Highway 99 at about 45 miles an hour when the driver, George Mirich, attempted to pass a logging truck going the same direction. In driving too close to the truck, he failed to clear a pro truding log, which sheared off the top of the right side of the coupe, . crushing his brother's skull and killing him instantly. The injured driver was res cued from the wreckage by two passing motorists and rushed to the Ashland hospital. E. H. McNab, Route 2, box 43, Ashland, was also a witness to the accident. DEPORTING JAPS Portland, Ore., Nov. 16 4U.R) After his long confinement in Japanese prison camps, Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwrlght hasn't changed his mind about Japs. Any Japanese who renounced his American citizenship is no different from any other alien Jap who does not have citizen ship and "if the government wants to deport them, I'm In favor of It," the defendor of Corregidor declared upon his arrival in Portland today. While unfamiliar with a new legal move of Japanese to re gain the citizenship renounced. Wainwright was scornful of the maneuver. He was eager to be informed how 1,000 Japs in the Tule Lake relocation center, who voluntarily gave up citizen ship and said they wanted to return to Japan, now had gone into Son Francisco federal court to regain their rights. Lueneburg, Germany, Nov. 16 (U.R) A British military tribunal today found Joseph Kramer, commandant of the Belsen con centration camp, guilty of war crimes. Kramer, known as the "Beast of Belsen," was the chief defend ant of the 45 on trial before the military tribunal. He was found guilty on both counts of the indictment brought against him of mass cruelty and killing of inmates of Belsen and also of inmates of the equully notorious Auschwitz camp. Sentence Tomorrow Sentence was expected to be Imposed upon him tomorrow. There was no doubt that it would be the death penalty. Dr. Fritz Klein, 58, Rumanian and graduate of the Budapest Medical school, also was found WITH 32 FIRES IN By Eldon Barrett United Press Staff Correspondent Salem, Ore., Nov. 16 U.R) Now that the shooting is over In the Oregon woods state and federal forest officials are tak ing inventory of damage caused by careless nlmrods during the month-long hunting season. Probably the greatest damage not including the loss of hu man life was the result of fire. Hunter's campfires, warming fires and cigarettes kept crews busy long after the regular fire season ended. 32 Fires Charged , A total of 32 fires were charg ed to hunters by state and as sociation units during the first two weeks of the hunting sea son. These 32 fires burned over a total of 40!) acres of forest and grassland and kept 54 state fire fighters and numerous hunters on the fire lines. The national forest took a severe beating from fires dur ing the hunting season. Some Individual hunter-caused fires in the national forests burned more than 1,000 acres of forest and brush land before they were controlled. Damage to future deer crops was done by careless and wan ton destruction 'of does and fawns. Cattle Shot Cattlemen complain that many of their herds were shot when mistaken for deer. Nimrods hunting In the pine forests of eastern Oregon report ed a serious lack of bucks as compared with previous years. But forest officials are wonder ing If it wasn't just a problem of a great increase in the size of the red hat brigade. Then there is the story at for estry headquarters here of now the assistant ranger in the Snow Mountain district of the Ochoco National Forest solved the prob lorn of evacuating hunters from a hazardous area without so much as a small argument. This unidentified ranger wait ed until most of the menfolk were out prowling for game. Then he casually dropped into camp still occupied by a few women and indisposed males and hinted that a serious fire was raging nearby and that be fore long hunters probably would be on the fire line. Re turning a little later he found the camp spot Inhabited only by a few squirrels and magpies. Discharge Point Score Cut To 55 For Men; 32 For Wacs Washington, Nov. 16 (U.R) The War department today low ered the discharge point score for male enlisted personnel from 60 to 55, effective Dec. 1. lt also announced other changes in the discharge system which will make an additional 783,000 servicemen and women eligible for return to civilian life. The discharge score for en listed WACS will be reduced on Dec. 1 from 34 lo 32 and for male officers from 75 to 73 points. WAC officers still will need 37 points for discharge. All enlisted men with three or more dependent children under 1 18 years, and all married WACS guilty on both charges. A huge crowd gathered at the courthouse to hear the verdicts. Spectators in the courtroom were searched for arms before being allowed to enter. Irma Grese, 22, blonde, pistol packing woman guard at Belsen, and Peter Weingartner, 30-ytar-old Yugoslav peasant and SS worker, also were found guilty on both counts. Hoessler Guilty Franz Hoessler, 39, Kramer's chief lieutenant at both Ausch witz and Belsen, was found guilty on the Auschwitz charge. Juana Bormann, known as the "Woman with the Hound" whteh she set on the prisoners, was found guilty on the Auschwitz count but not the Belsen charge. E. Ehlcrt was found guilty as regards Belsen and George Kraft was acquitted on both counts. Miss Nina Tuttle First Applicant In Queen Contest To Nina Tuttle, charm ing daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S. M. Tuttle of Valley View Drive, goes the honor of being first applicant In the Victory Queen contest, being sponsored by Med ford Post of the American Legion in the Interests of the Victory Loan drive. Miss Tuttle, a vivacious brunette with many friends In the valley, was selected by the Rotary Club whose membership has pledged whole-hearted support In their efforts to send their representative to Portland for the state finals. Applicants may secure application blanks at the Chamber of Commerce or at the Craterlan Theatre. EVICT OPA HEAD Los Angeles, Nov. 16 (U.R) Attorney Fred I. Rlchman today petitioned for permission to evict 377 tenants, including an OPA rent director from three apartment houses he said he can no longer afford to operate. Richman was the first to net among 1,700 landlords who yes terday announced they would withdraw their apartments from the rental market. Landlords admit the "rent strike" is de signed to force the OPA to re move rent restrictions. The attorney promised that servicemen could stay on rent free. Ho said he was losing money in the three apartments because of rent ceilings, high tax rates and Inability to use rent for Improvements because of lack of materials. Later, Rich- man said, he would enter poll tions to withdraw more apart ment houses. UNO HOME OFFERED London, Nov. 16 (U.R) New York City's mayor-elect William O'Dwycr has offered the 1,200 acre site of the 1039 world fair to the United Nations for Its future home, lt was disclosed today. His invitation was in the hands of the UNO secretariat along with three other late of fers from Atlantic City, N. J., Hyde Park, N. Y., and Denver, Colo. If you can't afford to buy Vic tory Loan Bonds outright have your employer deduct an amount each week until enough has accumulated to buy a Vic tory Bond and then keep on having that amount deducted. who entered the service prior to May 12 will be discharged unon application after Dec. 1. Previously, WACS had to be married to discharged service men to be eligible for separation from the service. Also eligible for discharge on application will be enlisted per sonnel with four years' service. Details of the new demobiliza tion schedule: Male enlisted personnel will be eligible for discharge If llu-y have (1) 55 points as computed on Sept. 2, 1945, or (2) four years of honorable military service, or (3) three or more children under 18 years of age dependent upon them. JAPAN ESEATTAC K Pearl Harbor Probe Shows American Navy Long Ex pecting Jap Aggressions Washington. Nov. 18 (U.R) The Pearl Harbor Investigation developed testimony today that the navy began convoying Paci fic shipping 13 days before the Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941. Rear Adm. T. B. Inglis, chief of naval intelligence, testified that Adm. Harold R. Stark, chief of naval operations at the time, ordered escort service for trans-Pacific shipping on Nov. 25, 1941. , Inglis said he did not know why the escort service was or dered. Messages Intercepted The committee, however, re leased intercepted Japanese espionage and diplomatic mes sages which indicated U. S. of ficials knew well before the convoy order went out that Japan was plotting new aggres sions. In a message to his govern ment on Nov. 10, 1941, Japanese Ambassador Nomura told of a conversation here with an uni dentified U. S. cabinet officer who said the American govern ment had received reliable re ports that Japan "will be on the move soon." "Our boss, the president, be lieves those reports and so doea the secretary of state," Nomura quoted the cabinet officer as saying. This same Informant, No mura's message said, told him that (in Nomura's words) "the United States cannot stop now because If Japan moves some thing will have to be done since lt Is a question of the United States saving its face." Inglis' testimony about the convoy order was brought out through questioning by Sen. Homer Ferguson, R., Mich., early in the second day of pub lic hearings in the congressional investigation into the Pearl Harbor disaster. MERRILL GUILTY ' JURY'S VERDICT Robert Ben Merrill, charged with assault with intent to rob, was found guilty Thursday eve ning by a circuit court jury, W. C. Blankenship, Medford, fore man. The Jury started delibera tions at 4:30 p. m., took time out for dinner and returned the ver dict at 7:55 p. m. Merrill, with four felony and eight misdemeanor convictions on his record, took the verdict calmly. Under Oregon law the penalty for his latest conviction is from five to 20 years. He is also under a year's sentence in the county jail on a plea of guilty to jail break last August. Sentence will be passed by Judge Herbert K. Hanna Saturday in the assault conviction. The trial started last Tuesday with District Attorney Georga W. Nellson representing thst state and Attorney George A. Codding the defense. DREAM BOY'S GIRL IS FREE10N BAIL Los Angeles, Nov. 16 (U.R) Sonny Wisccarver's latest mar ried girl friend was freed on bond today, charged with con tributing to the 16-year-old great lover's delinquency. Sonny himself remained in jail downstairs while the 25-year-old Mrs. Eleanor Deveny, mother of two, was arraigned and then freed after her brother posted S500 to ensure her appearance Nov. 27 She was demure in manner and dress when Judge A. A. Scott notified her of the charge. In contrast to her previous rap turious statements about the deep and enduring passion Sonny had lavished on her, she mur mured: "I've said too much already." 8LAYER REPRIEVED Sacramento, Calif., Nov. 16 (U.R) I.t. Gov. Frederick F. Houser late last night granted a reprieve to Jan. 25 to Marvin Llndley, convicted slayer of a 13-year-old girl, who was sched uled to die in San Quentin's gas chamber at 10 a. m. today. ft
