Truman Asks Service Merger
i To Convince World That U. S.
Prepared For Atomic Bomb
Washington, Dec. 19 U.R) President Truman asked congress
today to merge the army and navy into a single department of
national defense to convince the world we "mean business" in
our determination to be prepared in this age of sudden, atomic
warfare.
Warning that any future war will erupt "more suddenly than
.(he last," with the United States very likely the first target, he
told the lawmakers that unification of the services was the most
effective preparedness insurance.
"I urge this as the best means of keeping the peace," he said
In a 6,000 word special message to the house and senate,
TRUMAN SIDES WITH ARMY IN CONTROVERSY
Mr. Truman's unequivocal recommendation for a merger was
a clear-cut victory for the war department, which had advocated
it, and a defeat for the navy, which had opposed it bitterly.
The president offered a seven-point program to carry out the
merger. He coupled it with an urgent plea that congress also ap-
prove his request for compulsory military training for 18-20 year
old youths. This is necessary, he said, to provide a reserve "upon
which we can draw if, unhappily, it should become necessary."
"A grave responsibility will rest upon the congress if it con
tinues to delay this most important and urgent measure," he said.
Legislation for universal training has been languishing in com
mittee since the president first proposed it October 23.
Mr. Truman's merger proposal, almost identical to the plan
advocated by the war department, raised the possibility of navy
resignations. Navy Secretary James V. Forrestal and his assistant,
H. Struve Hensel, who have been outspoken against a merger,
" now must cease opposition or clash openly with their commander-in-chief.
FORRESTAL OUTSPOKEN IN OPPOSING MERGER
Forrestal fired his latest anti-merger salvo only last night.
He made public a letter from former war production chief Donald
M. Nelson, who said unification would not be in the best interest
of all services.
Under the president's proposal, the new cabinet department
of national defense would be under a single civilian secretary.
Air powers for the first time would enjoy equal status with land
and sea forces, all three being under separate assistant secretaries.
The navy would keep its carrier and water-based aviation but not
land-based units. It would also retain the marine corps.
I Noting that congressional committees have held extensive
hearings on merger legislation, Mr. Truman said:
"Further studies of the general problem would serve no use
ful purpose. There is enough evidence now at hand to demonstrate
beyond question the need for a unified department."
PROGRAM ADVOCATED FOR CONGRESS ACTION
He therefore asked congress to adopt this program:
1. Creation of a single department of national defense "charged
with the full responsibility for armed national security" and con
sisting of the trmed and civilian forces now included in the war
and navy departments.
2. A civilian, nominated by the president as a .cabinet mem
ber, would head the new department as secretary of national de
fense. Under him would be a civilian undersecretary and several
civilian assistant secretaries.
3. There would be three branches of the new unified depart
ment land forces, naval forces and air forces, each under an
assistant secretary. This would result in creation of a separate
air force, although the navy would keep its separate carrier and
water-based air units.
4. The undersecretary and the assistant secretaries would be
available at all times for assignments by the president or the
secretary of national defense.
5. The president and the secretary should be given authority
to set up central coordinating and service organizations in the
rrmed services, principally in the scattered field of procurement.
- This would reduce costs of operation by eliminating duplication.
6. There would be a chief of staff for the overall department
with subordinate commanders for each of the component branches
army, navy and air.
7. The chief of staff and the commanders of the three coordi
nate branches would make up an advisory body to the president
and the secretary.
CHIEF OF STAFF POST WOULD BE ROTATED
As "an added precaution" against overemphasis of any one
branch of service, Mr. Truman recommended that the post of
chief of staff be rotated among the services at least every two
or three years. No one officer should serve as chief of staff for
more than a single term except in case of war emergencies, the
president said.
"Unification of the services must be looked upon as a long
term job," he said. "But in the comparative leisure of peacetime,
and utilizing the skill and experience of our staff and field com
manders who brought us victory, we should start at once to
achieve the most efficient instrument of national safety."
In his message, the president took note of the opposition to
merger not only from Forrestal and Hensel but also from such
uniformed navy leaders as Adm. Ernest J. King, former chief of
' naval operations, Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, present operations
chief, Adm. William F. Halsey and others.
"I can assure the congress," the president said, "that once uni
fication has been determined upon as the policy of this nation,
there is no officer or civilian in any service who will not con
tribute his utmost to make the unification a success."
MILITARISM FEAR DECLARED WITHOUT BASIS
He also rejected arguments that creation of a single cabinet
post of national defense would place too much power in the hands
of one man and possibly lead to militarism.
"There is no basis for such fear," Mr. Truman said, "as long
as the traditional policy of the United States is followed that a
civilian, subject to the president, the congress and the will of the
people, be placed at the head of this department."
In a clear reference to rocket bombs and atomic weapons,
Mr. Truman said that "technological developments have made
the armed services much more dependent upon each other than
ever before."
"If there is ever going to be another global conflict, he said
"it is sure to take place simultaneously on land and sea and in
the air with weapons of ever greater speed and range. Our com
bat forces must work together in one team as they have never
hrpn renuirpd to work toeether in the past.
"We must assume, further that
more suddenly than the last, and that it would striKe directly at
the United States."
Therefore, he said, we must maintain in constant readiness
unified and effective strength to convince any future porzential
aggressor "that this nation, in its determination for a lasting
peace, means business."
PLAN PARALLELS LEGISLATION ALREADY OFFERED
Mr. Truman's merger plan closely paralleled legislation al
ready introduced by Sen. Lister Hill, D., Ala. Merger proponents
greeted the president's message warmly and said it more than
fulfilled their expectations.
Mr. Truman started out in his message by admitting that dur
ing the war just concluded, this nation paid a "high price" for
the lack of central direction and unified command in Washing
ton. The Joint chiefs of staff set up during the war, he said, was
a form of coordination and "better than no coordination at all,
but it was in no sense a unified command."
Warning that national security was being gravely "risked"
if present imperfections in the American defense organization
were not corrected "now," the president raid:
"However great was the need for coordination and unified
command in World War II, it is sure to be greater if there Is
any future aggression against world peace."
Mr. Truman hammered repeatedly at his underlying reason
for unification: To be prepared in event of another war.
i "Among the things that have encouraged aggression and the
spread of war in the past," he said, "have been the unwillingness
of the United States realistically to face this fact, and her refusal
to fortify her aims of peace before the forces of aggression could
gather its strength.
"The future peace of the world will depend in large part upon
whether or not the United State shows that it is really determin
ed to cocUuue ia i'.i xoig is i
another war would strike much
lender ajnucs nation;." I
Medford
United Prest
' Fortieth Year
U. S. Battleship Ston
E
E
SPRING OF 1941
Investigating Committee
Told Nazi Spies in U. S.
Tipped Off Axis Partner.
Washington, Pec. 19 U.R)
Japan learned from nazi spies in
the spring of 1941 that the
United States had broken some
of its codes, the Pearl Harbor
investigating committee was
told today.
Committee Counsel William
D. Mitchell introduced messages
exchanged between Berlin and
Tokyo which revealed that Ger
man espionage agents in this
country tipped Japan off about
U. S. code-breaking.
The intercepts were introduc
ed as Vice Adm. Theodore S.
Wilkinson, former chief of naval
intelligence, was recalled for
further questioning about events
leading up to the Japanese sneak
attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec.
7, 1941.
Nail Spies Effective
The first message, taken from
army files, was dated April 16.
1941. It was front, Tokyo to
Berlin and said JapaVsuspected
"that codes" were being read
"by foreign powers."
The next dispatch, from Ber
lin to Tokyo on May 3, was more
definitive. It advised the Japa
nese government that the nazis
were maintaining an effective
espionage system in the United
States which had "quite reliably
established" that this country
was reading diplomatic messages
from Washington to Tokyo.
Despite this and other mes
sages of similar import, evidence
before the committee indicates
that Japan never changed her
codes to an extent sufficient to
make them unbreakable by the
United States.
Gen. George C. Marshall, for
mer army chief of staff, testi
fied recently that the United
States continued to break Japa
nese codes throughout the war.
He said Information gleaned
from such interceptions made
possible some of the greatest
allied victories of the Pacific
war.
Speedup Eyed
Committee members were
weighing the possibility of
speeding up the hearings by
calline Lt. Gen. Walter C. Short
and Adm. Husband E. Kimmeli
to the stand Immediately after
the Christmas recess.
Short and Kimmel, army and
navy commanders at Pearl Har
bor when the Japanese blow
fell, have been accused of dere
liction of duty.
Chairman Alben W. Barkley,
D., Ky., planned to call an exe
cutive session late today to con
sider the future course of action.
ARMY POINT COT
ELIGIBLE DEC. 31
Washington, Dec. 19 0J.R)
The army today liberalized its
discharge provisions to make an
additional 600,000 men and
women eligible on Dec. 31 to re
turn to civilian life.
It lowered the point discharge
score from 55 to 50 points for
enlisted men and from 73 to 70
for male officers other than
those in the medical services.
At the same time, it reduced
the length of service requisite
to separation on Dec. 31 from
42 to 36 months for enlisted men
and from 48 to 45 months for
male officers not in medical de
partments. The army, also, for the first
time, made length of service a
criterion for discharge of Wac
personnel. Enlisted Wacs will
be discharged after 30 months
and Wac officers after 39
months of honorable service.
Wac officers and enlisted per
sonnel married to a discharged
World War II veteran may be
separated on application with
out other qualification. Other
married Wacs who enlisted be
fore May 12 are eligible for dis
charge on application. The dis
charge scores for Wacs remains
unchanged 32 points for en
listed Wacs and 37 points for officers.
Full Leased Wlr
BY NAVY COURT
Capt. McVay Should Have
Ordered Zig-Zag Course
Is Decision; Was Efficient
Washington, Dec. 19 (U.R)
Capt. Charles B. McVay III to
day was found guilty on a navy
charge that he was "negligent"
in failing to order the cruiser
Indianapolis to follow a zigzag
course before her sinking last
July 30.
The cruiser was sunk by a
Japanese submarine in the
Philippines sea with the ultimate
loss of 80 lives.
McVay was found Innocent on
a second navy charge that he
was guilty of "inefficiency" in
failing to order the crew to
abandon the ship promptly.
Adm. Wilder D. Baker, presi
dent of the court, said that the
specifications in the charge that
McVay had not issued "timely"
orders to abandon ship "was not
proved."
McVay, who testified in his
own behalf yesterday, said he
did not order the ship to pursue
a zig-zag course because he did
not believe it necessary in view
of cloudy weather conditions.
Washington, Dec. 19 U.R)
Winston Churchill, former prime
minister of Great Britain, will
come to this country lor. .a. vaca-.
tion late in January.
The White House said that
Churchill was acting on a rec
ommendation of his physician,
Lord Moran, that he have a com
plete rest and spend at least a
month in a warm climate.
He will go to Florida during
February to stay at the home of
Col. Frank Clarke of Quebec.
Churchill has accepted the in
vitation of Westminster College,
Fulton, Mo., to deliver an ad
dress on world affairs on next
March 5.
The White House said Presi
dent Truman had endorsed the
invitation and would introduce
Churchill to the college audi
ence. CHAMBER BALLOTING
ON BOARD DIRECTORS
Balloting on Jackson County
Chamber of Commerce directors
will take place during the next
several days, with ballots con
taining the names of 18 persons
nominated by the general mem
bership going into the mails to
day. Nine will be elected from
the list.
Marked ballots are to be re
turned to the Chamber of Com
merce not later than Dec. 27 at
2:30 p. m. according to Frank
Hull, manager.
More Display Company Latest
Addition to City's Industry
Newest industry, for Medford
and Jackson county is the More
Display company, operated by
Cecil Ray More, who within the
past week moved his business
from Santa Cruz, Calif., to the
Rogue River Valley. More will
begin operations on a limited
scale tomorrow in the old dance
hall at Four Corners and Is now
negotiating for a site within the
city limits upon which to con
struct a permanent building.
When permanently establish
ed, More states he will probably
employ 18 or 20 persons on a
year-round business. The firm
supplies designs and material
for advertising displays for some
of the nation's largest firms. As
a basis for these More uses such
materials as lodgepole pine
boughs and cones, manzanita
branches, mullrn plants, grape
vine trunks, fir boughs, drift
wood and sea shells. These ar
ticles will be assembled, treated
and shipped from the Medford
plant. Orders being filled now
are for spring displays, More
said, and he is also now work
ing on plans for next year's
Christmas displays.
Among the firms which used
Morc's displays for the present
Chriitnias season wcr Is'ciman
JImTribune
MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1945
Big Three M
E&.tot-A 13.'A..Awft.-..
Envoys of the B1r Three nations (left to r!pht, ForolRii Minister Bcvln. Orcnt Britnin: Foreign Commissar
Molotov, U. S. S. Ft., and Secretary of Stnte Byrnes. United Stutes, stand for opening of current conference at
Spirldunovka Palace. Moscow. Russia.
Big Three Conference Gains
With Return of Josef Stalin
Moscow, Dec. 19 flJ.R)
The Big Three foreign ministers
conference gained momentum
today with the return of Gen
eralissimo Stalin to the Krem
lin. The talks were known to
be proceeding In an atmosphere
of cordiality and earnestness.
There was no mistaking the
zeal with which the conferees
were attacking their problems
so that the Big Three can attend
BRITON JEME
DIES ON GALLOWS
London, Dec. 19 (U.R) John
Amery, 33-year-old renegade son
of former India Secretary L. S.
Amery, was hanged in Wands
worth prison today for high
treason and confessed treachery
to King George VI.
Amery broadcast for Germany
during the war and tried to en
list British prisoners of war in
to a "free corps" to fight beside
the Germans against the Rus
sians. He died on the gallows of the
drab southwest London prison,
barely a mile from his wealthy
father's town house. He had
been estranged from his family
for several years, but they had
sought evidence to save him.
Amery pleaded guilty before
an astonished courtroom at the
Old Bailey on Nov. 28 and re
ceived an automatic death sen
tence in a trial lasting only eight
minutes.
Yoscmite Park derived Its
name from the Yoscmite tribe of
Indians, whose name meant
"grizzly bear."
& Marcus, Dallas, Tex.; Marshall
Field company of Chicago, Bul
locks, J. W. Robinson company
and the May company, Los An
geles, and Roos Brothers of the
Bay area.
Building Planned
Morc's permanent building
will be erected of pumice blocks
in U-shape, with two buildir.gs
80 by 28 feet and one building
50 by 28 feet.
More began business with his
father, L. R. More, Florida, who
pioneered in the display busi
ness, supplying firms with the
first preserved palm trees ever
used for display purposes. The
elder More still operates a Flor
ida branch, supplying tropical
material for firms throughout
the nation.
Advantages Her
Medford's climate, availabil
ity of natural materials, and ac
cess to air lines and express and
freight facilities influenced
Morc's decision to move his op
erations from Santa Cruz to the
Rogue River valley, he declares
The Mores purchased the resi
dence of Dr. and Mrs. Walt
Hoppc at 1806 East Main street
and arrived in the city lat week.
They have two children, twu and
five J cars of age.
a -Periled Off
ters Begin Moscow
MiiftoiY-ShihltjnllrfVii
the forthcoming meeting of the
United Nations assembly with
substantially unconflicting if not
identical views.
News Blacked Out
With a fourth session listed
today, the foreign secretaries
have spent more than eight
hours in intensive round table
discussions in the mnrblc-lincd
conference room of Spiridonov
ka palace. Not a word of their
progress or topics has been re
vealed. Secretary of State James F.
Byrnes nnd Foreign Minister
Ernest Bevin looked a bit worn
out when -they emerged from
the Tuesday afternoon session
with Molotov which lasted three
hours and 20 minutes. They had
Just .tackled the first concrete
problem.
The news blackout will be
continued, all parties having
agreed that they can seek a
more effective understanding
without a preliminary public
airing. During the London
council of foreign ministers in
October, it was recalled, the
Soviet press was highly critical
of foreign' news commentators,
whom it charged with helping
to complicate the Issues.
In Clot Touch
Byrnes and Bevin are In dally
touch with the White House and
Whitehall, cither by radio or
direct telephone. British air
couriers make daily flights to
London, weather permitting.
IS HOPE OE
London, Dec. 1!) 4J.R) Re
ports that atomic problems had
been relegated to a secondary
position at Moscow encouraged
United Nations delegates today
to note that Russian may have
agreed in principle to an Anglo
American plan for setting up a
UNO atomic commission.
The plan of the western allies
would establish an atomic com
mission at the January assembly
meeting of the UNO in London.
The atomic bomb problem would
be turned over to the security
council and its military staff
committee.
Military Control
They will have control over
all military matters, and are
allowed under the charter to
study and plan the regulation of
armaments. The security council
is the only body of the UNO
which wojld be able to fulfill
the Truman-Attlee suggestion
for outlawing the atomic bomb.
UNO delegates were divided
shiirply over whether the or
ganization in the future should
accept gifts of land, libraries,
money and the like from In
dividuals, private organizations
or governments.
Part of the opposition to gilts
stems from the United States
reputation for hospitality and
lavish gifts. Many delegates fear
the wealth of the United States
might add to the influence that
country will have by virtue of
having tile UNO permanent
headquarters.
United Press Full
Conference
( Armm Rnrfuhl clvnhoto)
Momentum
to Kremlin
Bevin has been keeping the
dominions envoys fully inform
ed, while the French nnd Chin
ese ambassadors enjoy free
access to both him and Byrnes.
Secretary of State James F.
Byrnes and Bevin were expected
to call upon Generalissimo Stal
in on or before Friday, his 66th
birthday. Stalin returned to his
desk In the Kremlin yesterday
after a Black sea vacation last
ing more than two months.
SEEK WlACT
ON NORTH FIR SI,
Request has been made that
the city sell four lots adjoining
the north end of the city equip
ment yards at Fir and Jackson
streets and that permission be
given to install spur tracks on
Evergreen street next to the
property. City Superintendent
Frank Rogers announced to the
council last night.
The matter has been refered
to the land appraisal committee
for investigation.
Lots 24 and 25, Emlgh divi
sion, on 12th street were voted
changed from a residential to a
light industrial zone in order
that a nursery can be built there.
The property is owned by J.
Vernon Marshall who plans to
establish three green houses. He
will .specialize in growing ca
mellias. Lot Sales Approved
Sale of the following lots was
approved:
Lots seven and eight, Block
three, West Walnut Addition to
Phyllss and Lois Simmons, price
$200;
Lot 11, Block two, Tultles
Third Addition to Richard I.
Simmons, price $100;
Lot four. Block three. West
Walnut Park to George W. Sim
mons, price $100;
Parts of Lot eight, Block three.
Medford Heights Addition and
of Lots three, eight and nine.
Imperial Addition to James
Chamberlain, price $350;
Lot seven, Block seven, Med
ford Heights Addition to Helen
M. Bullis. price $175;
Lot eight, Block seven, Med
ford Heights Addition to Seth
M. Bullis. price $175;
Lot 11, Block one, Kenwood
Addition, to Ralph McGonagle,
price $160;
Lots 17 and 18, Block six.
Siskiyou Heights Addition to
Edward W. Drennan, price S200:
Lot 17, Block one, Kenwood
Addition to O. D. Tucker, price
$150;
Lot seven, Block four. Mary
Place Addition to II. F. Girard,
price $:)00;
Lot four, Block two, Summit
Avenue Heights Addition to Earl
II. Johnson, price $275.
ELEVATOR BURNS
Kalispell, Mont., Dee. 19 (U.R)
A fire of undetermined origin
completely destroyed the Kalis
pell Mercantile company's grain
elevator and warehouse here
last night. Harry Keith, company
manager, climated damage be
tween $90,000 and $100,000.
Leased Wlr
NO. 230.
Azores
LISBON DISPATCH
SAYS WASHINGTON
BATTLINGJVAVES
Report Received as Cruiser,
Carrier Prepare to Dock
in England For Repair.
London. Dec. 19 U.R) .
An unofficial and unconfirmed
report from Lisbon today said
the American battleship Wash
ington was in danger off the
Azores, presumably from gales
sweeping wide reaches of tha
Atlantic.
A United Press dispatch from
Lisbon said the U. S. embassy
was checking with the Portu
guese navy department on tho
report circulating there that
the 35.000-ton Washington was
in danger.
The navy department said It
was unable either to confirm or
deny the report immediately.
No details were available, tha
Lisbon dispatch said.
Other Craft Damaged
Tho report of danger to tha
Washington came as tha Ameri
can cruiser Augusta and aircraft
carrier Wasp prepared to dock
in South England for rpnnira nf
storm damage that delayed tha
nomewara voyage of some 6,500
U. S. troops.
The Washington, which with,
the sister ship North Carolina
make up the Washington clasi
battleships, was completed in
Mnrch. 1942, at a cost of $76,
885,750. Her normal comple
ment Is about 2,000 men,
By United Press
A paralyzing blizzard bora
down on the New England
state today, Its tail flicking
across New York City, whlla
new heavy snows spread an
eight to 12-Inch blanket over
much of the eastern half of tha
country.
A special weather bureau
bulletin said that gale wind
bearing six Inches of snow
would sweep Into New England!
from the south during the day.
Northeast storm warnings flew
from Eastport, Me., to Rock
Island, R. I., for winds of 50 to
60 miles per hour, with 70-mila
gusts expected to knife across
the southern portion.
Entire Area Hit
The entire eastern seaboard
was hit, the precipitation taklnsj
the form of rain in the southern
coastal states.
The city's transportation de
partments fought to keep tha
lines operating. Surface trans
portation was reduced to half
speed.
In the face of the approaching!
blizzard, New Englanders wera
warned to leave their automo
biles at home. The snow brought
some relief from the frigid tem
peratures in most sections of tho
east, but the thermometer con
tinued to dip below zero in New
England. The low during tha
night was nine below zero at
Caribou, Me.
BLASTS LA JOLLA
La Jolla, Calif., Dec. 19 U.Ri
One thousand persons were left
homeless today by the flaming
explosion of a loaded navy am
munition truck within 100 yard!
of a crowded navy housing pro
ject. Rockets, depth charges anit
shells ripped through the Tor.
rey Pines and Camp Callai
housing centers, smashing every
window and leaving BO per cent
of the homes uninhabitable.
There were three blasts, sa
severe they rocked downtown)
San Diego, 14 miles away, but
no deaths resulted.
Civilian hospitals reported
nine injured but said only threa
were held for treatment late last
night. Sixteen marines at Camp
Matthews, flanking the highway,
were treated for cuts.
The civilian truck driver,
John Ayala of Fallbrook, was
not injured. He leaped out of tha
big truck when its gas tank exploded.