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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 1946)
Truman Asks Public Support For Legislative Program to Halt Strike, Inflation Trend Washington, Jan. 4 (UP) Elements of labor, management and Congress stood charged by President Truman today with hindering reconversion and expos ing the nation to economic disasters. His chief complaint -was against Congress. His sharp words inevitably will invite a counter attack when the House and Senate end their vacation on Jan. 14. But he also objected to "misrepresentation of his policies by some spokesmen of both labor and man agement. APPEAL MADE TO PEOPLE FOR SUPPORT In that vein the president appealed to th people for emergency aupport in a broadcast last night. His speech was touched with the fireside chat strategy of the late Franklin D. Roosevelt There was a phrase in the manner of Woodrow Wilson when Mr. Truman pro tested the powers often wielded against him on Capitol Hill b a handful of men." Balked in Congress, he asked the people to .join in a great pressure group movement to bring Congress and all hands back into line. . , .,. Members of Congress reacted to the president's words with mingled resentment and predictions of greater cooperation. Their comment was divided largely along party lines Sen. Walter F. George. D.. Ga., believed the president will get hearty cooperation on all important issues. Rep. Frank b. Hook, D., Mich., said Mr. Truman's legislative program should be adopted but also called for more efficient operation by government departments. comment by republicans. Rep Robert W. Kean, R.. N. J., said the president's address indicated he was "misled and very bewildered." The speech, he said, will have no effect on Congress whatsoever." MORSE SEES "SAD CONFESSION" OF DEMO FAILURE Sen. Wavne L. Morse, R., Ore., said the address was a "sad confession of "the democratic majority in Congress under the pres. ident's leadership." He called for election of liberal republicans in this year's balloting. In his speech, Mr. Truman said the dangers of inflation or de flation confront us but that Congress has done little very little t0 "TtaeT running out," the president said, citing dangers of a collapse worse than that which hit this nation in 1920 after the victory of World War I. (Ii "What the American people want, he said, is action. Labor-management strife is the greatest hazard now before us Mr Truman warned in appealing again for establishment ot fact-finding machinery to settle disputes. He said that maintain ing stable price and rent conditions was essential to our national safety For 1946 he predicted a peak food output. Clothing pro duction, he said, would reach a satisfactory level during the year. But he raised the danger signals over housing. FIVE MILLION NEW HOUSES URGENTLY NEEDED Mr. Truman estimated that we urgently need 5,000,000 new homes, not including replacement of sub-standard dwellings. He promised that government would give private enterprise every encouragement and assistance in producing houses and produc ing them fast. He added: "Where private enterprise Is unable to provide the necessary housing, it becomes the responsibility of government to do so. But it primarily is a job for private enterprise to do." Predicting need for rent and price control "for many months to come," Mr. Truman urged Congress to extend the price control act as soon as possible. It expires next June -30.. He remarked that Congress extended the second war powers act only six months in response to his request for twelve. He asked for quick further extension to prevent break down in control, of conditions created by various materials shortages. The president renewed his overall domestic legislative re quests to which Congress has paid scant attention. There was im plied complaint against agriculture as well as other elements. id Mr Truman's speech. He cited General Motors Corp. for having refused to submit in a wage dispute to government fact finding. He again urged Congress to enact legislation which would coniDel General Motors and all employers to open their books. SEEKS NO CONFLICT WITH CONGRESS Mr. Truman almost named names in Congress.. He said.be sought no conflict with Congress. He knew many Congressmen sought the objectives he was seeking. But he protested the com mittee system which often permits a "handful of men" to prevent Congress Itself even from considering proposed legislation. He reminded the public that the Senate Education and Labor committee and the House Labor committee have failed to report to Congress emergency legislation to compel corporations to open their books in wage disputes and to impose on labor a 30-day cooling off period before strikes. He said he hoped vacationing Congressmen would talk to their constituents and, when they re turn, do something about strikes along the lines he suggested "in stead of merely talking about them." These same two committees, the president said' ,have blocked legislation to increase minimum wages above levels now estab lished by law. The senate got Mr. Truman's praise for passing a satisfactory "full employment" bill. But he said the bill passed by the House "does not accomplish any of the purposes sought." Those conflicting bills now are in conference among representa tives of the House and Senate. PEOPLE MUST INSIST ON HOUSE ACTION "It is most Important," the president said, "that the conferees report a satisfactory bill immediately upon the reconvening of Congress." The Senate got a presidential cheer for the bill it passed to enable the federal government to supplement unemployment in surance benefits now provided variously by the states. "But the. house of representatives bill," the president con tinued, "is now locked up in the Ways and Means committee. It will remain locked up in that committee unless the people of the United States insist that it be reported out and passed." He bluntly charged that a "small handful of men" in the House Rules committee have prevented fair employment practices legislation from reaching the House floor. "And so it goes." he said, "with measure after measure now in the Congress. There are other problems: comprehensive scien tific research, universal (military) training, a health and medical care program, an adequate salary scale for federal employees, the presidential succession, river valley development and others. "I intend no blanket criticism of Congress. Devoted and far seeing men in both Senate and House have labored to make effec tive a program adequate to our needs. But if they are to succeed, they must be reinforced by you the people they represent." . Mr. Truman said he was not insisting on recommendations just as he made them. But he said the objectives of his recom mendations were essential to the nation's well being. If Congress does not like his methods, he urged that the legislators work out their own measures to attain the desired objectives. The president paid high tribute to Congress for "carrying out its responsibility in foreign affairs," recalling approval of the United Nations charter and other notable actions in that field. He promised to discuss foreign affairs more fully in his annual message on the state of the union to be delivered shortly after Con gress reconvenes, but the president deplored the domestic front record. LET YOUR CONGRESSMEN KNOW Washington, D. C, Jan. 4 President Truman it entirely right in his plea, voiced last night, for public pressure to bring about strike control and anti-inf iation legislation. Those who wish to uphold the president at this critical time should telegraph or airmail Senators Guy Cordon and Wayne Morse, and Representative Harris Eirsworth, Washington, D. C, setting forth their views on these two vital issues. R. W. Ruhl. MEDFjID United Pren Fortieth Year Capital's Hello Girls New Walkouts May 3 1 Iff tiff ill ' , v v , - ; -A..r"w. ': (Acm Telcphotot President Truman as he went on sir from White House to seek support II his fight to overcome congressional Indifference to his legislative program. Gen. Homma Ordered Death March Former Staff Officer Declares Manila, Jan. 4 (U.R) Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma was ac cused by one of his former staff officers today of ordering the Bataan "death march." Lt. Col. Michio Kitayama. who was in charge of communi- ACCOUNT JAB AT JEWISH HEGIRA London, Jan. 4 (U.R) The UNRRA today discharged Lt. Gen. Sir Frederick E. Morgan, its. chief of operations in Ger many, for saying Wednesday that organized Jewry was plot ting a mass migration from Europe to Palestine. A swift series of announce ments by the UNRRA revealed that Morgan had been given a "suggestion" that he resign. He refused. The suggestion was made a blunt demand, and his name was stricken from the list of UNRRA employes. No Change Possible Soon after the regional office of UNRRA issued a formal an nouncement that Morgan had been asked to resign, an official told the United Press: "The incident is closed from UNRRA's standpoint. Morgan has been deprived of authority and pay, and is without a job in the UNRRA. No statement he can make will alter the situa tion." DEIS SPLIT ON TRUMANJPEECH W.Tiinoiin .Tan 4 HI Pi Democrats split today in their reaction to President Truman's speech assailing congress for delaying his program of recon version legislation. Some ' democrats supported nroclrlont'. nrniram. OtheTS declared that fundamental blame rested with the White House particularly for not having taken sterner action to stop strikes. Republicans almost unanl- ..1., Hatlnrnri the situation showed the bankruptcy of demo cratic national and congressional leadersnip. tv. whit.. T-Tnnsp exnressed pleasure over public reaction to thi speech as reflbcted in tele grams to the president. The Voice's Estate Under Receivership Los Ancrles. Jan. 4 U.R' Paul W. SampsHl and L. A. Botcler, profnsjinnal receivers, and Stewart McKee, investment banker, today undertook admin istration of the $3,000,000 Christ ; Church of the Golden Rule ' estate of Arthur L. "The Voice" , Bell. j They were appointed receiv : ers by U. S. bankruptcy referee jUenno Frank. . Wire i3.r - LS-"1 F s cations and railroad transporta tion in Homma s 14th army group, testified before the U. S military commission trying Horn- ma for war crimes that his chief knew there was a shortage of transport3tion. He said Homma gave orders that American and Filipino prisoners of war be marched from Bataan to Camp O'Donnel Hundreds of the prisoners died along the way from illness and' starvation or as-the result of brutal treatment by their Japanese guards. Earlier Maj. Gen. Toshlmltsu Takatsu, who was in charge of prisoners of war, testified that survivors of the march died at the rate of 300 daily after reach ing Camp O'Donnel because of a lack of food and medicine. Kitayama, who followed Ta katsu to the stand, directly blamed Homma for the orders. Homma previously had disclaim ed any responsibility for the death march. FOUR IN FAMILY Reading, Pa., Jan. 4 (U.R) A woman and her husband and two sisters were found dead to day in the kitchen of their apart ment in what Berks County Coroner Dr. George J. Stark said was a "quadruple suicide." The dead were identified as Mrs. Margaret Yiengst, 35; her husband, Edwin, 38, and her two sisters, Elizabeth and Melva Greth, aged 34 and 33. All gas jets in the kitchen were found open. The bodies, all fully clad, lay in a perfect row, heads resting on cushions. Dr. Stark said a note left by Mrs. Yiengst Indicated the deaths were a quadruple suicide pact. Ex-Convice Tries Insanity Defense i Santa Cruz, Jan. 4 (U.R) Thomas Henry McMoniglc, 30 ' year-old ex-convict who today I pleaded not guilty and not guil ' ty by reason of insanity to the kidnap-slaying of Thora Cham i berlain, San Jose, Cal., bobby soxer, will be tried here on the murder charge on Jan. 30. FIND SAILOR'S BODY DANGLING IN 'CHUTE Seattle, Jan. 4 (U.R) The body of an unidentified sailor, still strapped in par-chute har ness, was discovered dangling from a tree near Cougar, Wash., last nipht as sprvire crews and civilian loccnrs snurred a re-! newrd search for possible sur vivors of a navy Ventura bomb er which crashed Nov. 29. coast-, guard headquarters said today, j The body of the sailor, one ofj four aboard the aircraft which i was wrecked more than a month i ago, was found one mile north! of House Rock, near Cougar, andi not far from the spot where search parties yesterday found; an rmnlv naradiutc fouled in I the trees. I Ful' J Ii 1 4. x V 1 MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 1946. OF PLANS Knox Report on Pearl Harbor Investigation Read Into Congress Probe Record. Washington, Jan. 4 (U R) The late Secretary of Navy Frank Knox found in his Pearl Harbor investigation in 1941 that Washington had "plain inti mation of some surprise move by Japan" before the attack on Hawaii, it was disclosed today. The Knox report to the late President Roosevelt was read in to the record of congress' Pearl Harbor investigation of Adm. Harold R. Stark, former chief of naval operations. Services Uniuiplcloui Knox reported that neither Adm. Husband E. Kimmcl nor Lt. Gen. Walter C. Short, navy and army commanders at Hawaii, expected the raid on Hawaii because of the supposed danger to any attacking Japan ese carrier force from "the pre ponderance of American naval power at Pearl Harbor." "Neither Short nor Klmmel hrd any knowledge of the plain intimation of some surprise move, made clear in Washington through the Interception of Jap anese messages." Knox reported. The report showed that Knox based his statement of Washing ton -knowledge, which Kimmel and Short did not have, on Inter ception of messages Instructing Japanese Ambassador Klchlsa buru Nomura to deliver the final Japanese nole to then Secretary of State Cordell Hull at 1 p. ni. on Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941. Humphrey Planning Dwelling Court at 536 Haven Street P. G. Humphrey, recently dis charged from the United States naval reserve after three years and five months of service, has returned to Medford to reside and is making plans for con struction of a dwelling court. Humphrey, who held the rank of lieutenant, states that the court will have three units and Is to be erected at S36 Haven street as soon as materials are avail able. Humphrey, employed by the California-Oregon Power com pany before the war, will return to the staff of that firm in the near future. His service with the navy included 18 months overseas duty, his last assign ment being on Corregldor. Mrs. Humphrey and their small son are remaining in South Pasadena, 'Calif., for the present. Editorial Comment OREGON JOURNAL If the president doesn't get the co operation he asks, we will have the doubtful satisfaction of knowing who is responsible. If he does, there will rise a tide of prosperity that will sustain his popularity. NEW YORK TIMES The president's talk does nothing to answer the more fundamental questions of policy raised by the present labor crisis. NEW YORK HERALD TRI BUNE The message is unlike ly to achieve the desired results because it docs not face up to the critical issues. I PM The heart of his radio talk was an appeal to "plain people" for help against con gressional obstruction. WASHINGTON EVENING STAR Basically Mr. Truman's, address last night was a confes sion of inability to control his own party in congress, especially with reference to the committees which he singled out by name for criticism and which have a majority of democrats. WASHINGTON POST Both congress and the president, we think, could profit by the plain Stage Sitdown Strike; Idle 2 Million More FOREST SERVICE REPAIR SHOP TO BE MOVED HERE Central Shop to Be Shifted From Grants Pass to For mer Army Ordnance Depot In the near future the Na tional Forest Service central re pair shop for this district will be moved from Grants Pass to Medford it was announced to day, the shop to operate in the building on the South Pacific highway recently used by the army ordnance department. A crew will begin operations in the shop as soon as transfer of the equipment from the army to the forest service is formally completed, according to officials of the Rogue River National Forest service. The building, owned by the service, was first used by the Civilian Conservation corps and was taken over by the army dur ing the recent war. Use by the army terminated Dec. 1. Two forest service employees, Clarence M. Tester, mechanic foreman, and James Seely, have moved from Grants Pass to Med ford and are now working In the Rogue River Forest Service shop on McAndrcws Road until the new shop is ready for use. It Is expected the crew will average about four mechanics and a clerk, with men being shifted to shop work from other forest service work during winter months when major repairs on heavy machinery are made. There are but four of the cen tral shops In Oregon, officials state, and in addition to the for est service repair work, the crews also handle repairj for other federal agencies, SOCE REGISTRY E Ashlnnl, Jan. 4 Southern Oregon College of Education counted an enrollment of 107 students, an Increase of more than 50 per cent over last fall, at end of a two-day registration period held earlier this week. Of the new registrants, 51 arc men and 56 are women while several more are expected to register In the next few daya. Dr. R. E. Stevenson, president of the college, stated that all students have been taken care of as far as housing accommo dations are concerned, but said much additional housing will be needed for the Influx of students yet expected for the current quarter and in forthcoming per iods. on Truman Plea lessons of their easy-going con duct since VJ day. SCRIPPS - HOWARD NEWS PAPERS We think . . . that the domestic objective which most deserves to be called "must" at this time is the cor rection of unwise administra tion policies which are so largely responsible for the menacing labor-management situation. NEW YORK SUN The country had a right to expect something much better and more explicit than President Truman gave in his broadcast last night. ' NEW YORK POST He has given us a Job to do. Let's get on with It, DENVER POST In appealing lo the people to tell their repre sentatives in congress what they want in the way of strike-prevention legislation. President Truman has invited a public spanking for himself . . . the peo ple arc fed up on strikes nd industrial bickering, and they want something much more potent and effective and definite than fact finding. The people know the facts already. And they are more interested in the right to work thau in any right to strike. Tribune United Press Full Masquerade Gives Boy Lowdown On What Girls Discuss Tampa,, Fla, Jan. 4 (U.R) A 17-ycar-old youth, who masquer aded three years as a woman without getting caught, burned his ladies' garments today and gave some first-hand advice on how "to find out about women." Sitting in county jail here, Bob Williams, alias Yvonne White, said he left his home in Miami three years ago, dressed as a woman, because his soft voice and feminine features "em barrassed" hint. "If you want to find out about women, just dress like one and start talking with a lot of wait resses," he said. "They really let tlicir nair down, i was amazed at first, but after a while I got tired of hearing about boys, love, money, and boys, so I'd just walk away." S DIRECTIVE 1RING FALL OF JAP CABINET Tokyo. Jan. 4 (U.R) Baron Kljuro Shldehara'i government may be driven from office by two directives of Gen. Douglas MacArthur ordering a political purge of all men and organiza tions guilty of promoting Japan ese aggression, informed Japan ese sources said today. At least three members of the Shidehara cabinet were mem bers of political organizations abolished by the brohdly word ed MacArthur decrees. They were) expected to quit the cab inet, forcing a major reorganl zatlon. Hits at Roots MacArthur struck deep Into the roots of Jnpanesc aggression with his two decrees, which will bar the militaristic factions from seeking office In the coming elections for the diet. The first decree abolished at least 27 political, ultra-national ist, militarist and secret organi zations. The second ordered the Japanese government to purge public offices and the govern ment service of men who have been active exponents of mill tarlsm and aggression. Officials listed for removal from office Include high mill tary personnel, influential mem bers of the Black Dragon society and other terroristic organiza. tions, and Influential members of the wartime totalitarian or ganization known as the Imper ial Rule Assistance Association, the Imperial Rule Assistance Po litical Society, the Political As sociation of Greater Japan, and their affiliates. A headquarters spokesman said the directives were based on the Big Three Potsdam confer ence communique of last July. The Potsdam document said, "There must be eliminated for all time the authority and Influ ence of those who have deceived and misled the people of Japan into embarking on world con quest." Land Resigns As Shipping Chairman Washington, Jan. 4 (U.R) ! President Truman today accept ! ed the resignation of Vice Adm.; Emory S. Land as chairman of the maritime commission andj administrator of the war ship-! ping administration. ! Land has been offered the! presidency of the Air Transport' association, of which former Rep. Robrt Ramspcck, D., Ga ls the new vice president. The resignation becomes ef fective Jan. 15. Two-Headed Baby Fails to Survive Birmingham, England, Jan. 4 (U R) The two-headed baby born to the English wife of an Ameri can soldier died last night. Hos pital attendants said the motn er - condition was satisfactory. Results of 'X-rays taken to de termine whether the infant had two stomachs as well as two heads and necks were nut dis closed. PETS POISONED Reno, Nev., Jan. 4 (U.R) An outbreak of dog and cat poison ing here was reported today by the Nevada Humane Society. Ltaitd Wire NO. 242. DISPUMGGED Phone Operators Refuse to Answer Calls for Hour to Protest Work Allocation. By United Press District of Columbia local and long distance telephone opera tors conducted a one-liaur sit down strike today against com pany supervisory tactics. The operators remained at their switchboards but refused to answer calls. The operators and the com pany said the sitdown was called because the operators felt their supervisors were doing certain work which operators should be doing. The walkout had no connec tion, both sides said, with the. walkout of 17,000 Western Elec tric Co. workers at plants in New York and New Jersey, al though the local telephone union has been asked to authorize a sympathy strike with Western Electric. 2,000,000 Mar Strlk Strikes and shutdowns Idled 376,000 American workers today and 2,000,000 more were threat ening to walk out within two weeks. Management labor negotia tions were stalemated In most major disputes, and Congress of Industrial Organizations leaders met In Washington to map strategy In their fight for higher wages In the steel, auto and electrical manufacturing Indus tries. Edgar L. Warren, chief of the U. S. conciliation service, told reporters that the government was relying on mediation and fact-finding panels to avert walkouts in the meat packing, steel, electrical appliance and shipbuilding industries. Two Alternatives Beyond that there were only two alternatives, he said to seize the plants under the presi dent's wartime powers or to let the strikes run their course. Meanwhile, top CIO leaden met with Union President Philip Murray to set up consolidated strategy in the CIO auto workers 45-day strike against General Motors and other strikes threat ened by the union over demands for higher pay. OVER CLIFF BY SS Nuernberg, Jan. 4 (U.R) A Mauthausen concentration camp guard told the war crimes tribu nal today that he saw eight pris oners hurl themselves over a 125-foot quarry cliff while SS men lashed them. The SS guards called this "playing paratrooper," he said. The witness was Alois Hoell ricgel, a 36-year-old Austrian barber. He said he watched from a guard tower In 1941 while two SS men herded the prisoners toward the cliff. "They beat the prisoners, and I saw that they Intended to throw them over the cliff," he said. "Because of the beatings the prisoners threw themselves off the cliff in desperation." Radio Highlights Washington, Jan. 4 (U.R) Sen. Robert A. Taft, R., Ohio, will broadcast a republican answer to President Truman's address of last night over NBC network from 7:45 to 8 p. m. PST, tonight from Cincinnati. Washington, Jan. 4 (U.R) Mrs. Harry S. Truman will par ticipate in a national broadcast (CBS) in behalf of the National Foundation for Infantile paraly sis from the White House Mon day at 12:15 p. m., PST. Mrs. Truman will introduce Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., son of the late president. Cornelia Otis Skinner and Elizabeth Tay lor, 13-year-old actress, also will take part.
