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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1945)
ST- Tribune 1 PRIORITIES ORDER PLACEDJNEFFEGT 50 Per Cent of Scarce Con struction Material Must Go to Low Cost Dwellings United ! ? Jl Leased Wire United Press Full Leased Wlr Fortieth Year MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1945. NO. 232. H met W 3 Washington, Dec. 21 (U.PJ The government today ordered into effect Jan. 15 a program of priorities that will ieserve 50 per cent of scarce construction material for low and moderate cost housing and will give hous ing preference to veterans. Civilian Production Adminis trator John D. Small announced r a list of 10 scarce housing ma terials. Under the program only veterans who wish to build houses for themselves, or build ers who agree to sell or rent the houses to veterans, would be eligible for priorities to obtain these materials. Sell Under $10,000 Each house built under this plan must sell for not more than . $10,000, including land and im provements, or must rent for not more than $80 a month. Builders will receive priori ties for the following materials: Common and face brick, clay sewer pipe, structural tile, gyp sum board, gypsum lath, cast iron pipe and fittings, cast iron radiation, bath tubs, lumber and millwork. The 52 field offices of the I Federal Housing administration ; will Issue priorities to builders willing to set a $10,000 ceiling price on new construction or an S80 ceiling on rental construc tion. The builder must give veter ans preference in buying or rent ing during the period of con struction and for 30 days after completion. To June 30, 1948 ' Small said that under this pro gram priorities for materials will be granted frnm .Tan 1 5 .m. til June 30, 1946, when the sec ond war powers as amended ex pires. Small said he hoped the act would be extended by con gress next year so that this priorities regulation could re main in effect throughout 1946. Small also pointed out the program does not mean the gov ernment will guarantee materi als to a builder. OPA will do spot checking to find out wheth . cr more priorities have been is- sued than materials are avail able to fill them. He said, how ever, that about 50 per cent of the supplies of the 10 critical items will be set aside for this program. . Anyone who buys a house built under the program must sell at the ceiling price estab lished under the regulation. No sale or re-rent can be above that approved by FHA. Millions Need Homes Small said he expected 40 per cent of the 400,000 homes to be built next year will be started before July 1. He estimated that between 2, 000,000 and 3,000,000 veterans and their families will need housing in 1946, so that the pro gram will only partially fill the need. " Small SalH that tt mlnkf U necessary to set quotas geogra phically to assure all parti of the country a supply of new homes. He also emphasized that "if an undue proportion of applica tions are for construction right at the ceiling," OPA may set up quotas to assure a proper amount of conduction below $10,000. "FHA will not approve appli cations for homes costing $4,000 which a builder plans to sell for $10,000," he said. E y Lt. Col. Harlan Bosworth, who during 27 months duty In f Europe was decorated by the American, British and Nether lands' governments, has return ed home and is now on terminal leave from the army engineer corps. Col. Bosworth holds the Netherlands "Order of the Orange-Nassau," the "Order of the British Empire" and the United States "Legion of Merit." Col. Bosworth, whose duties with the engineer corps were concerned with utilities, aided the Netherlands' government in rc-cFtabli.hmcnt of the nation's utilities and with rebuilding of dikes. After the first of the year Col. Bosworth. formerly an employe of the California-Oregon Power company here will re turn to his duties as manager of t the firm at Klamath Falls. During Bosworth's absence his wife and four children Ime resided at 23 North Orange street in Medford. The family will move to Klamath Falls at the end of the current sciiool term. mm PERILED TROOP CARRIERS BEING TOWED IN PACIFIC San Francisco, Dec. 21 (U.R) The 7,000-ton army motorship U; S. S. Imperial, carrying 700 service personnel to the main land, flashed a call for assist ance off the storm-swept north ern California coast today and was taken in tow in a 50-mile gale by a coast guard cutter.- Another ship which had been in distress was being towed to port. The landing craft LST 224, on a routine ammunition-dumping assignment from Port Chi cago, Cal., was in danger of foundering for several hours during the night when her ramp door jammed during the rescue of two crewmen who had been SANTA CLAUS 10 ARRIVE HERE BY Santa Claus will arrive in Medford Saturday evening on the train and all kiddies of the district are invited to be at the depot at 6:55 p. m. to meet him. Junior Chamber of Commerce committee members announced this morning that all arrange ments had been . completed at the North Pole for Santa's visit here At tho train in meet the lolly old .man will be the. Accordion Band aneV drum and bugle corps. Santa will be taken to the park in a police motorcycle and there will be met by the high school band. After community singing oi . carois, Santa will distribute gifts of onri,r onH nuts to children. The party at the park will probably be over about e:3u p. m. since Santa Claus is very Dusy aim must hurry back to the North Pole. Today kiddies may talk to c.nti hv Hialine 9156. 9157 or 9158 between 9 a. m. and 9 p. m. and 9 a. m. to o p. m. Saturday. The telephone ar also made by JayCee members. It is feared Santa Clajs may be suffering from a cold since one youngster reported after his call that "Santa's voice sounds different from last' year." FACT FINDERS GET NTO PAY ABILITY Washington, Dec. 21 (U.tt The administration today gave government fact-finding panels extensive authority to inquire into a company's ability to pay when recommending a wage boost for settlement of an in dustrial dispute. The authority was granted in a directive to the oil industry fact-finding board for the office of reconversion, the office of price administration and the labor department. The prin ciples laid down will apply to other fact-finding boards. The only limitation imposed wa that a" panel "ought not to recommend a wage increase which it believes will require the employer after six months to obtain price relief." Price Hike Okeh Needed Under present government policy, employers may increase wages by any amount u un-.v not seek office of price adminis tration approval to raise prices. I The are permitted, however, to; make such application if. after, a six months' trial, they find that such wage boosts have fore- ed them into unprofitable oper ations. The directive gave the panels, no power to subpena books or j to enforce their recommenda-j tions. It was grafted for the i panel hearing the dispute overj a demand by the oil workers ; union (CIO) for a 30 per cent wage rate increase from 10: major oil rcfinir.g companies. I washed overboard. Neither the Imperial nor the LST 224 were believed in im mediate danger. The coast guard cutter Shawnee, from Eureka, Cal., secured lines to the Imperial after a two-hour struggle with heavy winds blow ing down from Cape Mendocino. Tr3ops aboard th-2 Imperial were headed for discharge at Fort Lewis, Wash. The door of the LST 224 was repaired and the vessel was be ing taken into San Francisco by a coast guard tug. The attack transport 236 was standing by in event further assistance was necessary. MIS TRIAL IN DAMAGE SUIT A mis-trial In the $5000 dam age suit of Billy Skeetcrs against Fred Svinth was order ed yesterday by Circuit Judge H. K. Hanna, upon motion of the defense, when it was brought out that during a recess a statement regaiding the case had been made by one of the plaintiffs in the presence of one of the Jurors. Before the recess Judge Han na cautioned all concerned against making statements while mingling in the hall. It developed the husband of the plaintiff, also a party to the suit, said to the defendant, Svinth: "I'm not mad at you. I'm su ing the insurance company." A juror was nearby. Attorney John Gearin of Portland, representing Svinth. heard the remark. When court re-convened he filed a motion for a mis-trial and it was grant ed. Judge Hanna re-set the trial of the action for opening day of court In February. The court will be in Josephine county most of January. The suit is based on an auto accident on the Crater Lake Highway near Prospect ' last summer In which a truck driv en by an employee of Svinth and an auto driven by the plaintiff collided. Husband of the plaintiff is also party to the suit seeking payment for dam age to and loss of use of the auto. Today Is Shortest . And Marks Advent Of Official Winter In spite of the fact that valley thermometers fell to 16 degrees several days ago, winter hasn't started yet. Scientifically and officially, winter sets in at B p. m. tonight when the sun reaches a certain spot. This makes Dec. 21 the short-: est day of the year and from i now on the days lengthen. The sun rose today at 7:38 a. m. and sets at 4:43 p. m., making the day but nine hours and seven minutes long according to weath er bureau officials. Forecast locally Is for slightly cooler tonight with showers to morrow. Woodshed, Garage Damaged by Fire Considerable damage by fire at about 6:45 o'clock last night was caused a woodshed, garage and sedan at the residence of Mrs. Eudora Smith, 516 West Jackson street, city firtmen, who extinguished the fire, reported today. Windshield, headlights and interior of a Ford sedan belonging to Mrs. Smith, were damaged by the flames of un known origin. Earlier last evening firemen extinguished a flue fire at the home of John J. Walter, 36 Chestnut street. No damage was reported. San Onofre, Cal., Dec. 21 U.PJ Two persons were killed and 16 injured when a Santa Fe Trailways bus skidded off the highway over a three-foot embankment a mile and a half south of here today. GIVEN JAPANESE FOR FUTURE RULE MacArthur Spokesman Says Lack of Qualified Leaders Will Be Country's Trouble Tokyo, Dec. 21 (U.R) Princi pal directives for Japan's future government already have teen handed down, and further direc tives "most probably will be limited to those necessary to se cure full understanding and compliance with basic premises already set forth," a spokesman for General Douglas MacArthur said today. -The spokesman pointed out that lack of sufficient qualified leaders will be Japan's main ob stacle in establishing a sound, acceptable state. Need Leaders "Lack of leaders Is the main obstacle to the full impact of the occupation, he said. "Lib eral leaders and educators have never been allowed to grow or live in the nation. "War criminal suspects that have been placed in custody con stituted the directing genius that formerly guided, shaped and provided leadership to run the government their removal cleans out the top of the govern ment. We must now provide leadership to cultivate new lead ers to direct the education and guidance of suitable substitutes." Diorce uhintoism - Impetus has been given to the torm the new government snail take with the recent issuance of a directive outlawing state Shintoism, the spokesman added. The Japanese people and their leaders, he explained, must di gest organic changes in govern ment structure as ordered to make. them, effective in the framework of their new govern ment. The announcement came as Allied investigators continued search in the home island of Shikoku for violations of direc tives forbidding military train ing in schools. The investigation was touched off by discovery at Matsuyama of "large stores" of wooden training rifles, sabers, spears and bayonet stacked in elemen tary school houses. Propaganda books, maps and charts were also found in sixth-grade text books. In the yard of another school investigators found an ob stacle course and straw dum mies for bayonet practice. The equipment was destroyed. Dr. Kotaro Tanaka, chief. of the school bureau of the Minis try of Education, said that new Japanese textbooks will be com piled to comply with directives abolishing state Shintoism. It will be simpler, he said to make new textbooks than to remove widespread references to Japan as a divine country, and to her people as a superior race. Chil drcn will be taught to respect uieir emperor, not as a god, but as head of their country, he said. Camp White Listed As Training Spot Camp White, recently re activated with the arrival of more than 2000 engineer troops, w'll be retained permanently for training of between 2000 and 3000 men pending decision by congress of the size of 'the post war army. This information was furnished Senator Guy Cordon by the war department accord ing to a Washington dispatch to-1 day. The engineer troops have: been arriving for the past sev-j eral days, coming here from Texas. Mississippi and Kentucky! camps. Many of the men now! stationed at the camp arc vet-; crans of overseas service. FOR A MERRY CHRISTMAS i Santa Barbara, Calif.. Dec. 21: UR' Ten years' experimental; study was wasted today when I vandals, after a Christmas tree, stole into the botanical gardens here and cut down a priceless white fir. The tree, a six-foot-ten-inch specimen which botan ists had watched grow from a 25 inch slip planted in 1935, was chnpped down and carried away, authorities said. mum AFTER EULOGIES Both Houses Adjourn Until January 14; Regret Pass ing Great Military Leader Washington, Dec 21 (U.R) The 79th congress adjourned today until Jan. 14 after hear ing eulogies in both houses of the late Gen. George S. Pat ton, Jr, The house adjourned at 2:11 p. m. and the senate followed suit at 3:47 p. m. Members recalled that Patton contributed greatly to victory in four important theaters of that war North Africa, Medi terranean, French, and German. Rayburn Regrets Speaker Sam Rayburn ex pressed his "very deep regret at the passing of a very great soldier and a very great man." With tears in his eyes. Rep. John E. Rankin, D., Miss., said Patton "deserves to take a place among the greatest of them all." "He Is the heir of all eternity the hero of this and future generations," Rankin said. Rankin compared Patton to Stonewall Jackson, Gen. Na than W. Forrest, Napoleon, Han nibal and Caesar." E FOR UNO FADES London, Dec. 21 (U.R) San Francisco's chance of be coming permanent headquarters for the United Nations organlza tion faded today when the Bri tish delegation began mustering opposition to the selection of any American west coast city. Professor C. K. Webster, Bri tish delegate on the UNO preparatory commission, dial lenged San Francisco's candi dacy on the ground that it was too remote from Europe. "Chivalry and sound judg ment are dead in the world if, after the narrowness of the vote on Europe, tli UNO seat is put 2,000 miles farther from Eur ope," Webster told the commis sion, $25,000 In E Bonds Needed For Quota Purchase of an additional $25,000 in "E" victory loan bonds will bring Jackson county up to the quota set for the cur rent bond drive according to Henry Zachnrisen, chairman of the county war finance commit tee. Sales have now reached $500, 127 according to the latest figures released by the federal reserve bank, which is 95.3 per cent of the quota. Zachariscn stated today that the committee is now hopeful" that sales the few remaining days of December would put the drive "over the top." Japanese People Said In No Danger of Starving For Year Tokyo, Dec. 21 (U.R) Col. Crawford F. Sams, chief of the public health and welfare sec tion of Allied supreme head quarters today accused the Japa nese government of falsely rep resenting the country's food situation in an attempt to get the United States to furnish food. He asserted that the Japdnc?c, are in no danger of starvation this winter. "The Japanese will have rela tively more food this winter , than the peoples of defeated ! European nations," Sams said, j He pointed out that Japanese: sources estimated their own food production will furnish 1,375 calories and 41 grams of pro teins dally for each person in Japan for the next calendar year Strikes in Brief By United Press A total of 431.000 U. S. work n were away from their jobi in labor disputes today, accord Ing to a United Press survey. The major highlight: Automotive The CIO auto workers' nationwide t r i k e against General Motors entered its second month as company and union officials met in Wash ington to decide whether to re sume collective bargaining. Transportation Government labor officials still awaited as surances from union and Grey hound bus officials that they would resume operations and allow a fact-finding board to study the wage issue which hat curtailed service in 18 north eastern states. Utilities CIO United Elec tric workers went ahead with plans to strike Jan. 3 at 21 Western Electric plants in north ern New Jersey and New York to back up wage demands. Lumber 30,000 AFL lum ber workers remained away from their jobs in Pacific north west pine mills, pressing for an industrywide $1.10 minimum hourly wage. NEW SNOW FALLS OVER CORN BELT AND LAKES AREA By United Pren New snows spread eastward across the corn belt and great lakes region today with the of ficial arrival of winter. Winter becomes official at 11:02 p. m. (CST), when the sun reaches a point 22V4 degrees south of the equator. H. S. Kenny, U. S. weather forecaster at Chicago, said the new snow moving into the mid1 west froi.i the Dakotas and Minnesota will continue its east' em course and reach the Atlan tic coast in 24 to 48 hours.- Midwest Cold Sub-zero temperatures con tinued throughout most of the midwest, with Pembina, N. D., reporting a low of 20 below. But it was warmer in Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri and southern Illinois. Local warm winds drove the mercury up 65 degrees at Chey enne, Wyo., from a low of 13 below Wednesday morning. The mercury stayed near or below zero In most of New Eng land today, but temperatures In the middle Atlantic states rang ed from 10 to 25 above. Tem peratures returned to normal today throughout most of the south and nlong the west coast. 7. E. Wade Injured When Hit by Car T. E. Wade, 712 West 12th street, was reported in fair con dition In Community hospital to day, where he was taken by a Conger-Morris ambulance yester day for treatment of Injuries sustained In a traffic mishap. Wade reportedly was struck by a car operated by F. O. Liv ingston, 513 King street, at about 5 o'clock yesterday, while crossing the King street and Oakdale avenue intersection. He said Allied figures Indicat ed that enough food is on hand to furnish "well over" 1,500 daily calories until April or M.iy. "Even In 1042, with Japan importing foods from her stolen empire, the per capita food al lowance was only 1,872 calorics, 49 grams of protein. The Ger man population will have to get along this winter on a per capita allowance of 1,550 calories," he said. He added that the Tood re quirements of Orientals is at least 20 per cent less than that for Occidentals. "The main problem In J.ipan Is poor distribution," Sums added. "We propose to sec that the Japanese correct this to as sure the 'little man' he go's his fair chare of available food. Otherwise, people with money will et it all." LUNG INFECTION IS AFTERMATH OF SHIP INJURY Turn for Worse Comes After Long Series of Optimistic Bulletins From Bedside. Heidelberg, Dec. 21 (U.R) Gen. George S. Patton, "Old Blood and Guts," died In the army hospital here today. Brig. Gen. John M. Willems, chief of staff of the Seventh army, announced that Patton died peacefully at 5:50 p. m. (11:50 a. m., EST). Patton will be burled In Europe as the result of a deci sion made tonight by his wife. Patton lost his fight against Injuries suffered Dec. 9 when his car collided with an army truck as ho was motoring to hunt pheasants not far from his headquarters. Partially Paralysed The tough and stormy army veteran suffered a broken neck In the accident and was partial ly paralyzed. But a little more than 48 hours after being rush ed to the hospital he was pro nounced "out of danger" unless unforeseen complications set in Those complications. In the form of a bronchinl infection suddenly developed Wednesday night. Yesterday and last night his condition rapidly worsened. Patton's death was fore shadowed by an afternoon medi cal bulletin from the Heidelberg army hospital disclosing that his heart had been affected by the strain, and that secretions were accumulating in his lungs. Long Optimistic The turn for the worst came after a long series of optimistic bulletins reporting steady Im provement in Pattons condi tion. After the Initial shock of the brokon neck, the tough soldier who led the U. S. Third army across western Europe In the victorious drive against Ger many rallied rapidly and began edging back from the shadow of death Into which he was cast by the collision of his automo bile and an army truck a week ago Sunday. Mrs. Patton left Washington tho night her husband was in jured and made a dangerous flight to Heidelberg, Her arrival bucked him up, and she pro fessed confidence he would pull through. Plans already had been an nounced to fly him back to the United States In a month or six weeks for treatment at an un specified hospital on the eastern seaboard. SILVER THAW HITS Portland, Ore., Dec. 21 uJ.R) State police announced today the Upper Columbia River high way east of Portland was closed because of ice and snow as the western part of the slate labored under a near silver thaw. Portland, was undergoing its second Icy session within a week with the city's wires, trees, and automobiles taking on sheets of ice. Weather Bureau spokesmen, however, had a hopeful outlook of rising temperatures later to day to counter the freeze. Most interurban buses were maintaining schedules, but those from Spokane, Yakima and oth er communities In eastern Wash ington were delayed because of ice on highways. Several schools were closed throughout the area due to the cold spell as principals reported unprecedented absences due to the flu. RATIONING AUTHORITY CONTINUED UNTIL JUNE Washington, Dec. 21U.R) Congress has given President Truman authority to continue emergency rationing until June 30. The senate passed a House approved bill late yesterday ex tending his war-time powers for six months. They were sched uled to expire Dec. St- 1 PATTON ESCAPED DEATH THRICE IN: (The writer of the following dispatch was assigned to the U. S. Third army during the last nine months of the European war a,nd was with Gen. Goorge S. Patton from Le Mans, France, to Pllsen. Ciecho-Slovoklo.) By Robert Richards United Press Staff Correspondent New York, Dec. 21 U.R) . Lots of people expected Georgia Patton to get killed. He even talked about it, himself, In the wild days when his Third army swept hell-bent across Europe. But no one thought it would happen like this. No one expected to see him killed in peacetime the vic tim of a traffic accident. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr., had at least three brushes with death, back In the times when, his Shermans and tank destroy ers were still hurling their shells and all good G. I.'s called Germans "Krauts." A German 380 millimeter railway gun Just missed hie headquarters at Nancy, France. Once it even hit the headquart ers, but Patton wasn't home, Dud Lands 'Near Another time a large shell landed within 10 feet of Patton'i parked jeep, but it was dud. "If it had gone off, I wouldn't be here," ne said. Then near Nuernberg, it the end of the war, a German fight er attacked Patton'g tiny liason plane. The skilled pilot managed to dive close to the ground and the fighter, unable to pull out, crashed In flames. At the height of the Ardennes bulge battle, It was rumored that picked German troops had si ecial orders to come after Patton. The general always patted hie pistol when he talked about pos sible capture. "They won't take me alive," he said, and he meant it. His eyes always lighted up while he talked, as If he might enjoy such a fight. "Officers should never let themselves be captured," he said. Men Liked Him I followed the Third army from the Le Mans area, in France, to Pilsen, In Czechoslo vakia, on V-E day. I saw the thirders' doughfeet close-up, day after day, and I think the vast majority of them liked Patton. And most were proud to be In his army. Why? I think It was because he had such tremendous vitality, and such complete self-confidence. And, despite his reckleje reputation. In battle he seldom wasted Mves. He took big chances only when he knew it was reasonably safe to take them. He thought that the Third army wns the best in the world, (Uid he made his men feel It. He once said, "why, Julius Caeser wouldn't have been but a one-star general In the Third army." ' lie always admired skilled and daring fighting. Speaking of one armored division lieutenant, he said: "He's a good man, and he'll get killed. All the good ones get killed." It was not always easy to tell whether Patton was Joking or serious. Good Actor He prefaced each press con ference with the remark, "all right, boys, don't quote me un less you want me to go home." He knew the full value of acting. Once some SHAEF cor respondents came down to inter view Patton at Nancy. At his normal press meetings he usual ly wore only one pistol, swung low in westtrn fashion. This time he came in loaded down with at least three. He proceeded to pull them out and elaborately laid them on a near by table. You could almost hear the SHAEF boys, saying: "Gee, just like we expected." - r & 1 1 ' Z, a. i Gen. George S. Patton
