Medford mail tribune., December 13, 1945, Page 1, Image 1

General Motors Seeks Court Ban on "Illegal" Picketing
Weather
FORECAST: Fair and continu
ed cold tonight and Friday.
Hlgheit Yesterday
Lowest this Morning
Fortieth Year
Figure in 'Bluebeard' Mystery
(Acme TeUphoto)
Adding further complications to the "Bluebeard" Btory of Alfred
Leonard Cllne and his part In the disappearance of at least seven elderly
women is Mrs. Marie Williams (left) who identified Cline as the man
who left San Francisco, Calif, with widow Mrs. Isabel Van Nat la
(right), who claimed they would be married. Authorities suspect Mrs.
Van Natta may be the "wife" who died Nov. 29 and was cremated In
Portland. Ore, at first believed to be Mrs. Delora Krebs Cline, wealthy
widow whom he married in Chicago. s year ago.
Bluebeard Suspect's Trail
Eyed by 'Law' of Two Cities
San Francisco, Dec. 13 (U.R)
San Francisco and Portland,
Ore., authorities conferred today
on the strange circumstances
surrounding the disappearance
of two elderly widows associated
with Alfred L. Cline. .
One of the women police
aren't sure which died and
was cremated last month in
Portland.
An investigation of the ashes
supported police contentions that
the dead woman was Mrs. Isa
belle Van Natta, 73, of San
Francisco, although Cline stead
fastly has maintained from his
GET 2 1-2 CENT
WAGE INCREASE
Portland, Ore., Dec. 13 (U.R)
A 2'4 cent an hour wage in
crease was granted International
Woodworkers of America, CIO,
lumbermen today at the con
clusion of a two-day conference
with lumber operators.
The settlement for the 2V4
cents an hour raise will be ef
fective as of Nov. 1 when an
earlier 1214 cent raise was won
by the IWA. The boost puts the
CIO on a parity with the AFL.
IWA workers will receive also
a five-day week with certain
exceptions, two weeks vacation
with pay and voluntary check
off of dues and assessments.
Closes 1944 Can
James E. Fadling, president of
the IWA, said the settlement
closes the 1944 case, which the
workers presented to the nation
al labor board.
Meanwhile a Washington state
supreme court decision uphold
ing AFL picketing of-CIO mills
was being hailed by AFL lum
ber strike leaders as a victory
against "illegal abridgement of
the right of free speech."
, In a five to three decision, the
court ruled that AFL lumber
workers had a legal right to
picket ClO-manned timber op
erations and remanded ClO-ob-tained
injunctions in Grays Har
bor and Pierce counties which
had halted the picketing.
RAILROADS SAY UNIONS
BLOCKING NEGOTIATIONS
Chicago, Dec. 13 ;u.R Rail
road representatives announced
today that they would seek gov
ernment mediation in negotia
tion of wage demands wrrich
they claimed were stalled by;
two of the 20 unions involved. I
The unions have asked ft.. in-
creases ranging up to 30 per
cent.
4 Spokesmen for the railroads
said the demands of the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers
and the Brotherhood of Railroad
Trainmen for "a half-hundred
rule changes" blocked the, ne
gotiations which have been in
progress for three weeks.
United Press
prison cell that she was his wife,
Mrs. Delora Krebs Cline, widow
of a wealthy Chicago manufac
turer. Cline, silvery-haired ex-convict,
is under investigation in
half a dozen cities across the
nation in connection with the
deaths and disappearance of
eight different persons, six of
them widows with sizeable in
comes. Cline technically is held on a
suspicion of forgery charge in
connection with the manipula
tion of the fortune of the former
Mrs. Krebs, whose husband left
her an estate totaling upwards of
$250,000, but authorities said
new charges probably would be
filed in Portland, where the
woman's death occurred.
"It's time to take the gloves
off this fellow and call him
what he is" District Attorney
Edmund Brown declared.
Brown termed Cline a "leap
frog" operator, who fell one
name behind in giving identities
to women he disposed of.
Mrs. Krebs-Cline. authorities
believe, actually died in Dallas,
Tex., in October, 1944, and was
cremated under the name of
Mrs. Alice W. Carpenter. What
happened to Mrs. Carpenter, if
Brown's theory holds, has not
been discovered.
"Snafu" Confined
To Special Cage
In County Bastile
"Snafu," the cursing parrot
Attorney Hugh Collins brought
back from Biak island in the
south Pacific, is still in the coun
ty jail, but in his own special
cage. At large in the bastile, he
became too much of a nuisance.
The parrot does not like the con
finement change and expresses
his displeasure with hair-raising
screeches and some full-fledged
profanity.
Dr. A. E. Merkel, county phy
sician, called at the Jail recent
ly to minister to an inmate and
on the way out stopped and gent
ly ruffled Snafu's feathers. He
was greeted with a volley of
Australian and American curs
ing which reddened the faces of
both the physician and Jailer
Tony Sorg.
Collins, a former army lieu
tenant, still receives offers by
mail from many sections, to buy
the parrot or provide it a home.
He refuses to part with his com
panion of many days in the
South Pacific.
Corn Loan Rates
Boosted 3 Cents
Washington, Dec. 13 'U P)
Government loan rates for the
1945 corn crop will average
$1.01 a bushel three cents
over last year's average of 98
cents a bushel.
The agriculture department
said the rates will range by
counties from 90 cents to SI. 13.
They are based on 90 per cent
of the parity price of corn.
Corn must grade number three
or better except for moisture
content or number four on test
weight only to be eligible for
loans.
Full Leased Wire
AN EASY TARGET
SAYSJAPANESE
Comdr. Hashimoto Witness
Against Capt. McVay
Hits Scored with 3 "Fish"
Washington, Dec. 13 (U.R)
Comdr. Iko Hashimoto told a
navy court today that his Japa
nese submarine scored at least
three direct torpedo hits on the
cruiser Indianapolis last July 30.
Hashimoto told the court
martial trial of Capt. Charles
McVay III, skipper of the In
dianapolis, that he first sighted
the cruiser 10,000 meters away
an hour before she finally sank
shortly after midnight.
Moon Shining
Hashimoto testified that a
bright moon was shining and
that he could see the cruiser
plainly. The navy has blamed
McVay for not pursuing a zig
zag course to make the ship a
more difficult target. Previous
testimony, however, has been
conflicting as to visibility at the
time of attack. .;
Through navy Interpreters,
Hashimoto recounted how his
submarine, the 1-58 surfaced
directly ahead of the Indianap
olis. He said he had no advance
knowledge of the ship's course.
Hashimoto said that after he
saw "a dark object" on the hori
zon, he ordered the submarine
to crash-dive immediately.
He then headed for the cruiser
at a speed of 3 knots. The tor
pedoes were fired, he said, when
the target was only 1500 meters
away.
Object To Jap
Counsel for McVay objected
to allowing Hashimoto to testi
fy. He said it was a "grotesque
proceeding."
After he had ordered the tor
pedoes fired, Hashimoto said, he
put up the submarine's periscope
and observed three torpedo hits
on the cruiser's bow. Imme
diately following the three hits,
he said he heard at least 10
additional explosions.
The court, before which Mc
Vay stands accused of ineffic
iency and negligence in connec
tion with the sinking, had over
ruled objections to Hashimoto
and had accepted him as a wit
ness after an examination to
determine his credibility.
OIE IN PALL
E
The Dalles, Ore., Dec. 13
(U.R) Army authorities from
Geiger Field, Spokane, Wash.,
were here today to supervise re
moval of the bodies of two air
men killed in the crash of their
twin-engined training plane.
The plane was found late yes
terday by Merle Smith, an east
ern Oregon rancher, 60 miles
southeast of here.
He found the two fliers
thrown clear of the wreckage,
apparently killed by the impact.
The plane was demolished by
fire.
Smith said he heard the plane
cit ing his ranch late Tuesday.
He said he later heard it crash
and explode but was unable to
find the wreckage until late
Wednesday due to a heavy fog
and three inches of snow on the
ground.
The craft took off from Klam
ath Falls at 3:27 Tuesday and
was due in Pasco, Wash., two
hours later.
' First Lt. Chester W. Claflin.
23, of Worcester. Mass., was pilot
of the plane. His crewman was
Sgt. Ralph E. Balscr, 25, of Chi
cago. ,
POPE TO BROADCAST
Vatican City, Dec. 13 'U.R)
Pope Pius XII will broadcast a
Christmas Eve message to the
world at 11 a. m. (6 a. m. EST)
Dec. 24 on the occasion of his
reception of the Sacred College
of Cardinals, it was announced
today.
Victory Loan Driva
'T" Quota $525,000
"Z" Sain to Date
$442,626
Remainder to sell $82,374
MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER
FREAK ACCIDENT STYMIES
ATTEMPT TO DEFUSE BOMB
Croydon, Dec. 13 (U.R) A freak accident today Interrupted
the defusing of a monstrous 4,000-pound live bomb buried in the
center of a crowded Croydon residential district, and wardens
cleared the streets in fear of a possible explosion.
A crew of Royal Engineers hurriedly dragged two young
bomb experts out of the bomb crater late this afternoon when lt
was discovered that the bomb fuse had broken and wedged itself
down into a 3,000-pound mass of crystallized TNT.
Authorities sounded an immediate warning that the TNT
now in its most volatile state might explode at any instant and
level a wide area.
Police cars equipped with loud speakers drove through the
streets warning residents:
"You must leave this neighborhood. This area must be
cleared immediately. There is grave danger if you remain in your
homes."
Newspapermen and Royal Engineers clustered around the
40-foot bomb crater were ordered back to safety and emergency
squads descended into the pit to begin the hazardous job of cutting
the bomb and removing its deadly contents.
MARSHALL PUTS
T OF BLAME
Washington, Dec. 13 (U.R)
Gen. George C. Marshall con
cluded his testimony before the
Pearl Harbor Investigating com
mittee today with the declara
tion that the Hawaiian army
command should have been
ready for the Japanese on
slaught. Referring to a war warning
sent out over his signature on
Nov. 27, 1941, the former chief
of staff said bluntly:
"I am still in the position of
thinking that when you give a
command to a high officer vou
expect it to be executed."
History and the investigating
committee's records show that
the Hawaiian command, headed
by Lt. Gen. Walter C. Short,
was not properly alerted when
the Japanese struck on Dec 7
1941. ' '
In nearly seven days of test!
money, during which he was
questioned in rapid-fire manner
by nearly every member of the
10-man committee, Marshall said
that:
As chief of staff he carried
overall responsibility for the
high command's failure to rea
lize that Short's reply to the
Nov. 27 warning left an infer
ence that his command was not
completely alerted against pos
sible attack.
MANILA BAD AS CHICAGO
IN LOOTING, R0BEERIES
San Francisco, Dec. 13 (UR)
Armed bands, looting and rob
beries have made Manila the
Chicago of the cast, a radio cor
respondent said today.
Robert. Stewart, Mutual
Broadcasting company corres
pondent, said that both Ameri
can soldiers and Filipinos were
implicated in thefts of govern
ment and private properly. Hi
jacking gangs pry goods from
trucks and resell the cargo at
fantastic prices to black market
operators, Stewart said.
Gestapo Offered to 'Sell'
Million Jews For $2 Each
Nuernberg, Dec. 13 (U.R)
The nazi gestapo in 1944 offered
to "sell" 1,000,000 Hungarian
Jews for $2 each and said the
alternative was their extermina
tion in concentration camps, the
war crimes tribunal was told to
day. Dachau, Germany, Dec. 13
(U.R) Thirty-tix officials
and guards of th Dachau con
centration camp today ware
sentenced to death by hanging.
A United States military court
announced the sentences a day
after returning convictions
agaimt 40 persons.
Dr. Klaus Schilling, charged
with killing hundreds of in
mates in malaria experiments,
was among those sentenced to
be hanged.
The nazi offT was made by
Adolf Aichmann, gestapo officer
sent to Hungary as head of a
special "team" charged with de
porting all Jews in Hungary to
Germany.
An affidavit by Dr. Rezso
Kastner, Hungarian Zionist lead
er now in London, revealed tin?
nazi offer.
"Wc have accepted an obliga-
Mankind's Voice
Denies Hampering
Receiver's Work
Los Angeles, Dec. 13 (U.R)
Arthur L. Bell, the "voice" of
mankind united and head of
Christ Church of the Golden
Rule, delivers arguments today
to Superior Judge Henry M.
Wallis denying he interfered
with a receiver appointed to take
over the church's $3,500,000
assets.
Bell faces 36 charges of con
tempt of court arising from his
alleged interference.
Bell said ho failed to turn
over books to Receiver R. E.
Allen "because I felt if I did so
it would be deemed approval of
his action."
LA GRANDE GIRL IS
Jackson county's candidate In
the state Victory Queen contest.
Miss Nina Tuttlc, lost in the
final race to the LaGrande can
didate because of a lower per
centage of bond sales according
to a wire received this morning
from Walter Lcvcrette and Elno
Hcmmila of the county victory
queen committee. Judging took
place in Portland last night.
LaGrande had sold 105 per
cent of its bond quota, the wire
said, whereas Jackson county
had sold but 80 per cent. This
handicap was impossible to over
come, even if Miss Tuttle had
been Judged "most queenly," the
two men commented in the mes
sage. "Nina was lovely tonight," the
wire declared.
Miss Tuttle, entered in the
local race by the Medford Ro
tary club, made the trip to Port
land with her mother, Mrs. S.
M. Tuttle.
LEW DIAMOND DIES
Hot Springs, Ark., Dec. 13
(U.R) Lew Diamond, famed
"honest brakeman" of b o x I n g
circles, died today of a heart
attack in a Hot Springs hosiptal.
Diamond, 55, was stricken Sun
day in his hotel room and later
taken to the hospital.
tion toward the Hungarians that
not a single deported Jew will
return alive," Aichmann was
quoted as saying. But he added
that for $2,000,000 he would not
carry out the deportation.
Other documents disclosed
that at one typiral concentration
camp, that at Flosscnburg, 29,
000 persons died Including 13
American or British parachutists
captured trying to demolish i
bridges.
A captured gestapo order of
March, 1944, disclosed that the
nazi high command ordered all
escaped officer or non-commissioned
prisoners of war except
British or Americans turned
over to police for "step three."
"Step three" was a nazi
euphemism. It meant that the
prisoners were taken in irons to
Mauthausen concentration ramp
far What thiu online "aUtir.n
buul'i operation uunei.
The 21 defendants listened to
the report after report of bru
tality and atrocities in glum
silence. There was none of the
wisecracking, note-passing and
whispering which had marked
their conduct during earlier
phases of the trial.
Tribune
UniUd Pren Full
13, 1945
ARRIVE AT CAMP;
E
Men From Camp Polk, La.,
Camp Campbell, Ky., and
Camp Bowie, Texas
Camp White The re-occupation
of Camp White was under
way in earnest as elements of
the 656th Engineers' Topogra
phical battalion, 633rd engineers'
light equipment company and
the 1020th engineers' treadway
bridge company arrived here by
troop train last night.
Headquarters and headquar
ters' company of the 1154th en
gineers' combat group were due
to arrive some time today from
Camp Polk, La. A small advance
detachment of the 1154th has
been stationed hero since Mon
day. More Saturday
Due to arrive Saturday from
Camp Campbell, Ky., are ele
ments of the 53flth pontoon
bridge company. The 1250th en
gineers' combat group and
1413th engineers' maintenance
company, coming from Camp
Bowie, Tex., are also scheduled
to detrain here Saturday.
Enlisted men and officers of
the 526th engineers' panel bridge
company, now en route from
Shelby, Miss., are expected to
pull into Camp White some time
next month. It Is understood that
the units are arriving here at
partial strength and will add ne
cessary replacement after they
are established at Camp White.
The personnel is made up of
seasoned troops with two or
three years of service, many of
them veterans of overseas com
bat. U.S. LOAN AFTER
HEATED DEBATE
London, Dec. 13 (U.R) The
house of commons ratified by a
vote of 345 to 88 tonight, with
the conservatives abstaining, the
terms of the $4,400.0C0,000 loan
from the United States.
The ratification of the loan
terms came after hours of heat
ed debate, in which Winston
Churchill castigated the labor
government as bungling the ne
gotiations and Foreign Secretary
Ernest Bevln lashed back with
a charge that the conservatives
could have done no better.
After Churchill had denounc
ed labor methods In dealing with
the United States, lievin came
back with an angry demand:
"Is it the conservatives' claim
that they would have got better
terms?"
Churchill replied above the
uproar in the house:
"I certainly am of the opinion
we could have got better terms."
"That is a libel on the admin
istration of the United States,"
Bcvin shouted. "We have not
been dealing with New York
bankers. Wc have been dealing
with the elected representatives
of America."
Almost incoherent with rage,
Bevin muttered:
"The egoism of It . . .The ac
tual boastfulness of my right
honorable friend (Churchill). . .
The horrible assumption that the
American government would go
on its knees to him because there
was a labor government in be
ing." Heidelberg, Dec. 13 'U.R)
Gen. George S. Patton had a
comfortable day today, and nis
condition was reported officially
to be "progressing satisfac
torily," Indicating new gains in
his battle against a broken neck
and partial paralysis.
A bulletin from the military
hospital in Heidelberg as of 4
p. rn. said:
"General Patton had a com
fortable day, condition progress
ing satisfactorily."
Leaied Wire
NO. 225.
Honored by Zonta
i7
Mii Vera Humphrey, chair
man of the Junior Red Cross
for Jackson county, was recent
ly presented the first annual
award of Medford Zonta club
for outstanding volunteer ser
vice to the community. Miss
Humphrey hat served at junior
Red Crott chairman since 1940.
L
FOR UNO CENTER
London, Dee. 13 (U.R) Brit
ish Delegate Philip Noel-Baker
topped off the debate on choice
of a permanent United Nations
headquarters today with a fer
vent and at times sarcastic ap
peal to build the new league "In
the Inevitable center of the
world" Europa.
Noel-Bnker spoke for almost
an hour at a meeting of the UNO
preparatory commission's site
committee. He reviewed much
of the sordid as well as favorable
history of Europe's past and urg
ed the delegates not to locate
the organization In the United
States.
More Invitations
Earlier, the commission secre
tariat announced lt had received
32 more Invitations and sugges
tions for the UNO headquarters
site, Including one that it be lo
cated on a ship "anywhere on
the high seas.
The secretariat was searching
its files to find out who suggest
ed the ship.
The site committee meets a
half hour early this afternoonj
lor me insi ouy oi ,c..ciui uv
bate. It will devote tomorrow to
arguments on how to vote.
Optimists were hopeful of a
first ballot Saturday but others,
doubtful that voting procedure
could be agreed on by them, did
not expect balloting until early
next week.
TICE ACQUITTED
IN 19 MINUTES
After deliberating 19 minutes,
a Jury of 12 men yesterday aft
ernoon returned a verdict of not
guilty in the case of Ralph Will
iam Tice, Chlloquin Indian, tried
here In Federal court for the
slaying of William Mecum, an
other Indian. Tice, 34 years old,
had testified that he shot Mecum
in self-defense. Judge James
Alger Fee heard the case.
This morning Judge Fee was
on the bench briefly, signing
papers for Medford attorneys in
connection with a number of
civil suits, and then adjourned
court until April 23, 1945.
A few of the court officials
have already returned to Port
land while others are remaining
in Medford to complete routine
business.
Mercury At 19,
Lowest of Year
Last night's minimum temper
ature of 19 and one-half degrees
was the season's lowest, accord
ing to weather bureau officials
However, thermometers at
ground level in different sections
of the valley probably register
ed even lower than that, it was
said. Lowest temperature record
ed last year was 21 degrees on
January 19.
Last night's low doesn't begin
to compare with the all-time min
Imum temperature registered in
the valley in 1919, the records
show, for on Dec. 13 of that year
the thtTmometcr fell to 10 de
Kiccs below zero-
thin 11 Hill1iililrl W'ln
RIGHT TO ENTER '
STRUCK PLANTS
Move Is First Court Mai
neuver Against Striker
Who Bar 50,000 Worker
Detroit. Dee. 13 (U.PJ Gen.
eral Motors corporation went
into court today in an attempt
to prevent "illegal picketing" of
its plants by striking members?
oi tne CIO united Automobile.
Workers union.
The eiant cornnratlnn. whlrh
has been strikebound for 2S
days, started the legal proceed
ings in common pleas court at
Cleveland. Counsel for RM an.
peared before Judge Frank Dalr
10 rue a petition to enjoin local
45 of the UAW against Interfer.
ing with the right of anyone to
enter the plant throueh th usa
of force or violence.
Local 45 represents worker
at the Fisher body plant No. 1
ai Cleveland.
50,000 Barred
The move was the first court
maneuver against the strikers;
whose picket lines have kept
nearly 50,000 non-striking offica
workers away from their Jobs.
A GM spokesman said similar
petitions might be filed against
the strikers at other plants in
the coast-to-coast system nf miln
factories.
The petition was filed as the
corporation's officers nrenarerf
to meet again this afternoon with
UAW officials to discuss the GM
charge that the picketing nt
many nlants was (HppaI hucmica
of the interference with persona
not on strike.
Meanwhile, new pressure
against price ccilincs on 104(1
cars was applied by the auto in.
austry which faces the UAW'a
general demand for a 30 pep
cent wage boost.
Ford Agrees
The Ford Motor Co., most In
dependent of the big auto manu
facturers sided with the rest of
the Industry yesterday when lt
rejected a United Automobile,
Workers (CIO) demand for a 30
per cent pay increase. .
Ford spokesmen told tha
union that even without an in
crease In prices, the company
stood td lose $35,000,000 next
year.
In congress yesterday, tha
house passed and sent to the sen
ate a bill which would maka
labor union subject to federal
"anti-racketeering" laws. Thia
was the first restrictive labor
legislation since the Smith-Cnn-nally
labor disputes act.
The measure, as passed by tha
house, would forbid anyone, in
cluding labor organizers, from;
interfering with interstate com.
merco by "robberv or Avinr.
tion."
THREE BOYS HELD
Three Juvenile boys of Med.
ford were jailed yesterday by
the sheriff under $500 bail each,
following their arrest by city
police on a charge of burglary
not in a dwelling.
The youths, police said, ad
mltted taking part in recent bur
glaries of the Southwest Oregon
Dairy Cooperative, Rogue Ani
mal hospital and Becks bakery.
In Medford; the Elks club, West
ern Auto store and a cafe In
Ashland, and the Phoenix Mer
cantile company of Phoenix.
They waived preliminary
hearing in justice court yester
day and arc being held for fur
ther'investigation. Sailor Walks
Off
Tunnel
Train
in
Washington, Dec. 13 (U.R)
Robert Lee Gray, 25-year-old
discharged sailor, accldently
walked off the last car of a mov
ing train today as lt pulled
through a tunnel.
Gray, who said the car be
came filled with smoke, had
bpen walking through coaches
looking for a seat. He was not
injured.
SIDE GLANCES
Br
TRIBUNE REPORTERS
Marjorie Hopkins maintaining
that anyone with a three-initial
name must be important.
Barbara Bouck and George
Maddox dutifully applauding
tho musical efforts of their re
spective spouses at a banquet.
Frank Farrcll cheerfully pay
Ing his Holland hotel "tip bill"
In full at the written suggestion
of Rawle Moora, -