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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 1955)
MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE FIVE Mystery Man Freed by Soviets Identified; Nationality Unknown Tuesday. September 6, 1955 Ex-Prisoner Says Russians Insisted He Was American G Berlin (U.R) A mystery man released by the Soviets as an American said today his real name was Klobitz and that he only posed as an American be cause the Soviets insisted he was one. The mystery man, with pierc ing blue eyes and a small mus tache, was turned over to U. S. authorities yesterday under the name of Frederick M. Hopkins of New York City. Two Ameri can soldiers were released at the samectime. Hopkins told army authori ties todayhe was not American but an Army spokesman said he "tells conflicting stories and we cannot determine what his na tionality is." Told He Wat American He told Army interrogators: "The Soviets called me in, ad dressed me as Hopkins, said I was an American and that I would berreleased to the Americans. 1 toia mem 1 was not an American but they insisted I was." p American officers questioned nim for five hours yesterday. "He fooled the Soviets but he could not fool us," an American spokesma said. "We do not know who he is. All we know is that he is not an American. Perhaps he is a German. He is an enigma." American authorities said Hopkins, who speaks fluent English, German and "several other languages," insisted he was an American citizen and re fused to give them any help in determining his true identity. The two U.S. soldiers released were Pvt. Michael Feingersch, 36, also known as Murray Fields, of New York City, and Wilfred Cumish, 39, of Newburyport, Mass. Both Soldiers Tanned Both complained they needed medical attention although they were tanned and appeared in good health. An Army spokes man Said their cases would be investigated to determine whether they would be tried by court martini. Cumish disappeared from his intelligence unit in Vienna Match 24, 1948. Feingersch dis appeared from his constabulary unit in Nurnbeeg, West Ger many, June 2? 1948. They had been in Soviet prisons more than seven years. The Soviets' also released 24 other prisoners Monday. They included two Frenchmen, six Dutchmen, two Danes, two Swiss, eight Belgians and four Germans, three of whom posed as citizens of other nations. Matter of Fact b, Stewart Alaoy according to a Ashland Firm Low Bidder on Project E. G. Dodson, Ashland, was the apparent low bidder on con struction of a water intake con trol structure at Big Butte dam, according to Robert L. Lee, as sistant city water superintend ent. Dodson s bid of SZ.263 was $376.20 less than another bid received from Myron pCorcor- ran, Medford. The award will be made tomorrow, Lee said. The work, to be done on the north intake of Big Butte reser voir, is designed to fill to capa city bth lines going to Medford "even in the driest years," Lee said. The intake's construction was begun in 1951 but was de layed as Medford had no real need for the extra water, Lee added. Oci. 7 has been set as the completion date for the job Citv workmen tomorrow will replace an 8-inch steel pipe on the Table Rock rd. creek cross ing, Lee said. The pipe will be hung under the Table Rock bridge. 'THE WAR FOR NORTH AFRICA' Casablanca, Morocco At the Geneva conference, French Prime Minister Edgar Faure sought out President Eis enhower to talk to him about the night - marish problem faced by France here in North Africa. The President lis ened court eously for awhile, and French account, horrified the French Premier by asking a question: "But why don't you just free all your colonies?" Certainly this would be the simplest solution, and also the solution which springs most readily to the American mind. But unfortunately the problem of North Africa is not quite so simple as all that. It is complicated in two ways: For one thing, some 400, 000 Frenchmen live here in Mor occo, and there are some 2,000,- 000 in all French North Africa. France cannot simply abandon these people entirely, leaving them to the mercies of the North Africans masses which are by no means always tender, as the terrible massacre of Oued Zem has demonstrated. For another thing, a total withdrawal of French influence from North Africa would be an unmitigated disaster for France. The loss of the enormous French investments in North Africa would equally enfeeble French military power. It is fashionable here in Mor occo to say that the loss of North Africa would make France another Spain. This is nonsense, if only because the loss of North Africa would not destroy the fertility of the French soil. But it is certainly true that France would cease to have the shadow of a claim to the status of a great power, if the essential French influence in North Afri ca were destroyed. This is an aspect of the North African tragedy which Ameri cans would do well to ponder. It is- all very well to bait the French for their colonial pol icy, which, God knows, is far from brilliant, but it is also well to remember that the United States has a stake in what is happening here. INHERE, are, of course, the Am erican air bases here. As of this writing, the bases are a vi tal element in American air-atomic striking power. When the bases in Spain become fully op erational and even when the intercontinental B-52 bomber replaces the medium range B-47 the bases here will remain most useful. But they will no longer be essential. The" really essential American stake in the struggle here is not in North Africa at all, but in France and in Europe. One of the highest French officials here remarked the other day: "The war for North Africa has already begun." If he was right and he may be North Africa will siphon French power from the Continent until there is noth ing left but a great mushy va cuum. " The ' recent transfer of two French NATO divisions from Europe to North Africa was a portent of things to come. The real danger, in short, is a final crumbling away of French power in Europe. Americans like to think that French power is a myth anyway. But the stra tegy of the NATO alliance is squarely based on the existence of a reasonably strong France. If France is to become a mushy vacuum,. Western strategy will be knocked into a cocked hat. Theoretically, it should be en tirely possible to ' avoid "The War for North Africa" while safeguarding the really essen tial French interests here. The f Back School Favorite! guaranteed 5 fett Favorite of the student set high school or college that's TUF IDE. Over 1,000,000 satisfied users prove there's nothing else like it for ruggedness, roominess reliability and .value. Durable TUFIDE looks like" leather, feels like leather, outwears leather 5 to I ... yet costs far less. TUFIDE Ring Binders are uncon- ditionally guaranteed 5 years, cost only 5.UO! Yes, ONE DOLLAR A YEAR will see a student through school with a TUFIDE Case! See the complete selection of TUFIDE cases today. rs i v f i t Stewart Alsop most striking thing about the Moroccan Nationalist movement is the moderate and even conser vative nature of its leadership. Men like Bouabid, ben Barka and Belafrej have no lust for French blood. They are them selves products of French cul ture, and what they really want is recognition and author ity for the Moroccan middle class, which is itself largely a creation of the French. The fact that the Nationalist leaders were prepared enthus iastically to accept the propos als of the deposed French Resi dent General, Gilbert Grandval, is proof enough of their moder ation. For, as a practical mat ter, the Grandval plan fell very far short of real Moroccan in dependence, and in no way gen uinely threatened French inter ests here. THE moderation of the Nation alist movement here actually presents France with a great but fleeting opportunity. It is not difficult to imagine how the British would exploit such an opportunity. Every moderate Na tionalist leader would be loaded with medals and probably a title to boot. The Nationalists would also be given real power, not sham power. If the French ex ploited their opportunity in such a way, the Nationalists would certainly rely heavily on French capital, and French skill, as all the Nationalist leaders say free ly and repeatedly they must. Of course it is silly to imagine that the infinitely complex prob lems here could be solved by simply bestowing medals on the moderate Moroccan Nationalist leaders. Yet the problem is by no means insoluble far less than in Indochina, for example. Meanwhile, time is rapidly running out. Premier Faure may, to be sure, find a compromise that will fit, at least for a while. But here in Morocco, the auth ority of the moderate Nation alists is being more and more seriously threatened by the ex tremists and the terrorists. If Morocco plunges again into an other and greater bloodletting as it may, as soon as Sept. 12 the extremists on both sides are sure to take over. Then, "The War for North Africa" could fatally weaken the Western Al liance, and in the long run, it could be the prelude to a Communist Africa. Such are the stakes in the struggle here. ' (Copyright, 1955. New York Herald Tribune Inc.) TRIBUTE TO DOWNED FLYER This strik ing photo, just released by the Department of Defense, shows a Marine guard of honor fir ing a salute as officers and men of the USS Hornet pay tribute to a flyer lost at sea dur ing a landing accident. At the time the photo was taken (July, 1954) the Hornet was oper ating with the 1st Fleet in Far East waters. (U.S. Navy photo) Just Trying To Get Even With Women Drivers McPherson, Kan. vU.R) Here's She gunned the motor, one woman driver who didn't swerved adroitly and angled past Ellsworth Speaker At Roseburg Meet Congressman Harris Ellsworth will speak at a combined meet ing of three sections of Profes sional Engineers of Oregon to be i held at the Umpqua hotel in j Roseburg, Friday, Sept. 9, at' 6:30 p.m.. Attending will be members of the Mid-Willamette, Rogue Val ley and Southwestern sections of the group. Congressman Ellsworth will speak mainly on national high way legislation but is also ex pected to discuss any federal legislation affecting engineers and to answer questions on power legislation. He will be introduced by George Neuner, Roseburg attor ney. Lester Stinson, Medford member of PEO, today remind ed local members to make their reservations for the dinner with Tom Edwards, highway division office, Roseburg. It is expected 25 or 30 engineers from the Medford area will attend. OLD HOME WEEK Willimantic, Corm. '(U.R) When Marcel St Denis of Fall River, Mass., stopped to ask di rections of Policeman Edmund Haddad they realized they were Army buddies who hadn't seen each other since 1945. panic in a pinch. Idled at a railroad crossing, Mrs. Marvey Jantz' car was sud denly pushed onto the tracks while the red signal light flashed and guard arms were lowered. Another car driven by you guessed it a man, had bumped Mrs. Jantz machine into dan ger as the train approached. the signal arms to safety. The maneuver blew out two of her tires. The man driver? The sheriff got him for not decreasing speed. Michigan has 11,037 lakes which are 10 acres or larger in size. ACTRESS SEEKS JOB London (U.R) American actress Joan Diener, fired last week from her sexy harem role in the musical "Kismet," was to fly to Rome today to look for a ! new job. Before she left here, Miss Diener said she would dis cuss a film job with John Mather, head of Musical Corporation of America, who "has offered me the star role in a new musical film." Today the Navajo Indians numbers more than 70,000 com pared to 7,000 in 1867. HARDY EVERGREEN AZALEAS (in containers) v to Plant now LORNA Warm Flesh Pink MRS. MAXWELL Large Soft Rose Pink PURPLE SPLENDOR Large Double Fringed Purple . CAROLINE GABLE $1.50 Large Double Tyrian Red 12 for each 15.00 Garden Center Nursery (Formerly NEWHALL'S) Va Mile So. of Phoenix Pacific Hiway Christian Churches Hold Meeting Here Christian churches of south ern Oregon and northern Cali fornia held a fellowship confer ence at the Medford Central Church of Christ yesterday. Ellmore J, Gilstrap, minister of the local church, spoke at the morning session, chairmanned by O. Wendell Herhison, pastor of the Ashland church. Franklin Gage, evangelist for the north ern California association of Christian churches, spoke last night. Don Whitney, Central Point: Leo Horner, Klamath Falls, and Dewey Arnold, Tulelake, Calif., were ministers conducting a se ries of afternoon forums on church life. Adrie nne s take a long look As featured in Seventeen along these lines For an utterly new look Betty Rose creates our slimmer, trimmer Debby ' Rose coat in silken-soft sno-cap Zibeline. 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