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March 9 High S3, Low 27
Precipitation ol february 33. 1943
Btraam yr to data ..... 13.22
Laatyaar 9.92 Normal..... 6.31
l"i; AliVHlll'l AiiWHM AIMO
ASSOCIATED PRESS
IN THE SHASTA-CASCADE WONDERLAND
NEA FEATURES
PRICE FIVE CENTS
KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON, THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1943
Number 9736
'
i
YonksWiipe
US Troeius NearFakl
By FRANK JENKINS
'THERE'S heart-warming nows
today:
v. Twenty-two Jap ahlpa the 14
we'd already heard of, Joined
later by eight otlior arc SUNK
or SINKING.
Fifteen thousand Japanese
round troop, bound for tlio
battlefield of Now Guinea, aro
drowned or drowning In the BIS'
marck tea wiped out, Gcnernl
MacArthur's communique nay,
ALMOST TO A MAN. Add to
these several thousand Jap Boll
or who manned the ships of wor
nd the transport! and tho cargo
vessels that made up tho expedi
tion. i' Ninety thousond ton of preel
ou Jap (hipping are gono.
THIS smashing blow to our en
emy waa accomplished with
loia of only ONE allied bomber
nd THREE allied fighters.
Got tho picture:
' Tho bomber' crow probably
did not exceed eight mon. The
three fighter could not have
been manned by more than six
men two each, pilot and .a
gunner.
And torn of theee filer of
our who were ihot down may
bo nfe.
.
PARAPHRASING Churchill
slightly, never beforo In hla
tory waa ao much loss Inflicted
on an enemy with so LITTLE
loss to our side.
TF you h v a a boy In New
Guinea, pause here and reflect
gratefully how much his cnonccs
for life havo been enhanced In
tho next few week by tho hcro
ism and tho deadly effectiveness
of these air men of ours who are
mates of his.
THE Japs made the fatal ml
: Thoy'sent a force of SHIPS
among Islands against a SUPER-
OS
OR land-based air force dell
Oltoly superior In quality and
perhaps superior In quantity (wo
have no figures on tho number of
planes ENGAGED on both
sides.)
Their ships advanced under an
umbrella of planes, according to
the best modern practice
- Our air men toro Into tho Jap
piano umbrella. Fifty-flvo of
the enemy planes composing It
wcro shot out of tho air and
'many more damaged and put out
,bf commission.
., First the enemy air formations
Wcro broken, and then the
broken remnants wcro hunted
down, and destroyed.
V .
frHE ' Japs had land-based
planes, too at Lne but at
the same momont when our air
squadron wont out to sea to on-
Ogage tho oncoming Jap armada
OTHER squadrons attacked the
Jnp airfields, destroying enemy
planes on tho ground and shoot
ing down tlioso that managed to
get into tho air,
That shows - good LEADER
SHIP. .
- More good leadership Is shown
by the establishment of air fields
In ADVANCE In tho neighbor
hood of the critical spot whore
tho bnttlo was to coma Tho
nomy was out-gucsscd from tho
. start,
V That is what sound general
ship docs.
. r-i. '
THE closeness of theso fields to
tho scene of tho fight wns of
inestlmablo value. Our pluncs
could go forth to battle, drop
' their bombs, empty their guns
and return to tho field to RE-
LOAD and then go back and do
it all over again,
I Tho dispatches tell over and
Oover of WAVES of our planes
(caring Into tho Japs.
,,,.
AS to the Importnnco of the
Victory, Gonornl MacArthur's
communique (official commun
ique lean over backwards in tho
. i (Continued on Fago Two) I
778 Londoners
Die as Woman
Trips on Stairs
LONDON, March 4 (P) At
louAt 178 persons wcro killed
and 60 injured in an accident at
tho entrance of a London sub'
wuy sholtor during tho air raid
alert lost night, It was an
notinccd today.
I'coplo suffocated In n great
heap after a woman tripped on
tho stairs and following crowds
piled up, authorities said.
Tho ministry of homo security
Issued a statement which said
llicro was "no sign of panic be
foro tho accident" and no bombs
fell anywhero in tho district.
Tho text of tho statement:
"On Wednesday evening a se
rious accident took place near
(Continued on Pago Two)
TO
What Has Happened
To Nation's Meat
Supply?
WASHINGTON. March 4
The government plans to ration
moats, butter, margarine,
cheese, lard and other cooking
fat and oils under a single set
oi coupons in ration book No. 2.
This wns learned today from
informed authorities who with
held use of their name and it
coincided with the raising of
tho question of what has hap
pened to the nation's meat sim
ply In view of undented reports
mat civilians will get an aver
age of only about IK pounds
of mcnt weekly under rationing.
Each of tho meat, butter,
cheeso and fnt products is to bo
assigned point values, as in the
caso of canned and processed
fruits and vegetables.
The point will be inter
changeable. That is, a consumer
could uso all his points for the
purchase of any one of these
commodities or for any combina
tion. For example a consumer
could uso all his points for the
purchase of meats if ho did not
want or need buttor, cheeso and
cooking lots and oils. Or if ho
did not wont nicuts, he could
uso oil tho points for any of the
other products.
Rationing of these foods has
been scheduled to start April
(Continued on Page Two)
Gandhi's in Good
Spirits Today
NEW DELHI, March 4 UP)
Mohnndns K. Gandhi, who endod
a 21-dny hunger strlko yestordoy
at Poonn, spent a restful night
and awoke In good spirits this
morning, a government bulletin
announced today, , I
Boeing Plani Seethes as
W LB Awards AVic Raise
SEATTLE, March 4 (ff)
Union leaders said the great
Boeing plants seethed with dis
content today over tho war
labor board's wage, awnrd of a
4 Mi cents an hour pay increase
to tho lowest bracketed work
ers. They termed tho award In
adequate. As workers discussed tho sit
uation, plans went ahead for a
big public rally Sunday under
leadership of tho AFL Aero
nautical union at which atlon-
dnnco of 40,006 wns forecast
and various other lubor lead
ers, not connected with the Boo
ing union, Joined In criticizing
the WLB decision.
Tho Scattlo Times snld it had
learned tho union might appeal
to President Roosevelt for a re
vision of tho waga decision, At
a mass meeting a week ago to
day, tho union adopted n reso
lution asking Washington's con
gressional delegation to invite
ALLIES FALU
TUNISIAN LINE
Terrific RAF Raid Un
leashed on Ham
burg By CARL C. CRANMER
Associated Press War Editor
American troops were report
ed within three miles of Fold
pass today where they began
their recent 06-mile retreat, as
tho German concentrated their
striking forces on the northern
and southern sectors of Tunisia.
Near the sea In the north, an
allied communique announced,
allied forces fell back four miles
before the attack of Gen. Jurgen
von Arnim. Marshal Erwln
Rommel In the south was con
centrating at least a part of his
armor in tho Mareth line whence
ho struck out with small in
fantry forces against tho British
eighth army, the announcement
said. I
Two Red Offensive
The change of emphasis from
the central to tho southern .Tu
nisian fronts by the German
chieftain' "was 'further' Indicated
by field reports received at ti
lled headquarters that American
and British forces, retracing the
pnth of their recent defeat,, had
occupied Sidl Bouzld, only about
10 miles from Fald pass, with
out meoting opposition.
Two red army offensives
northwest and south of Moscow
gained momontum as the Rus
sians smashed southeastward
from the fallen fortress of Rzhey,
capturing 11 towns and villages,
(Continued on Pngo Two)
Lee Hing Has
Dog Worries
To Cope With
' Leo Hing, 600 Broad street,
gave eight dogs his bed while
he slept In a chair at his one
room residence, but the animals
were removed to the city pound
at noon Thursday while Lee
Hing drew a $5 fine and two
day in the city Jail for viola
tion of ordinance No. 902.
Leo Hlng's arrest was one of
tho first in violation of this or
dinance which sets forth, in
part, that not more than two
dog over the age of three
months could be kept in the
city limits. Eight dogs, and one
belonging to a neighbor, found
refuge at Lee Hlng's tiny house,
Police Judgo Harold Franoy
sentenced Leo Hing early this
afternoon and remembered hav-
ing removed 12 dogs from the
(Continued on Page Two)
tho president to intercede in the
dispute. ,
Harold Gibson, president of
tho union district lodge, left for
California to consult with other
aeronautical union heads for
clarification of tho board's direc
tive. Poto Ploll, union vice
president, was in charge of tho
off I co in his absence.
Ono union official, who de
clined tho uso of his name, said
that workers wcro '.'boiling mad,
and in all my labor oxporlenco
I've novcr soon anything like it."
Absenteeism at tho plant today
wns 8.7 per cent, slightly above
normal.
James A. Taylor, president of
tho Washington State Federa
tion of Labor, and Charles W.
Doyle, secretary of tho Central
Labor council, were among la
bor loaders denouncing tho
award as Inadequate-.
"Basing Judgment on the in
creased cost of living, this boost
(Continued oiv Page Two) I
h 4 ' - , A 1 1 . 4ht ss 1 j ?; I . , , i
L. ' V '-' . ' . ; -e 't :h. 1. -.7,1 1 1 T m , ', ' ' ' i
Ed Ostendorf, right, local retired auto dealer, at last received
ippolntmtnt as director of tha OPA district offico. Mrs. Eleanor
OPA office. Is shown with tho director In th ah or picture.
.
YANKS LOSE FIVE
Flying Forts. Pull Off
Bef ore-Lunch Blow
At Rotterdam
By GLADWIN HILL
AT A U. S. BOMBER STA
TION IN ENGLAND, March. 4
(IP) O.j -S.FIylng Fortresses
fijom tlrti station; puUed1 a quick
before-lunch raid today on Rot
terdam, The Netherlands, bomb
ing dock and warehouses and
encountering only short : and
weak attacks from a handful of
German fighters.
"(A U, S.- communique said
Hamm, Germany, 140 miles east
of Rotterdam, also was attacked
and that five of the Fortresses
failed to return, but "Informa-
tlon available Indicates 14 enemy
aircraft were destroyed,- Pre
sumably all the five missing
craft had been assigned to the
Hamm raid.)
Boomerang Boy
The "Boomerang Boys," the
group based here, lived up to
their name by returning with'
out the loss of a single ship and
with negligible damage.
One German fighter fell vie
tim to a top-turret gun manned
by Sergt, Stanley Tucker, 32-
year -old former lumberjack
from Bandon, Ore., in a Fortress
(Continued on Pago Two)
75 Families
Homeless, 1 Dead
In L. A. Flood
LOS ANGELES, March 4 P)
Approximately 75 families were
made temporarily homeless, at
least one person was dead and
property damage was heavy in a
flood which struck Los Angeles'
east side and other parts of the
county early today.
Scores of families In the low-
lying eastern section of the city
were driven . to their rooftops
when four to six feet of water
poured through their homes,
sheriff's deputies reported.
They wore removed by depu
ties and volunteers in rowboats
with only one known casualty,
Ruth Corrola, six weeks old, slip
ped from her father's arms when
he was attempting to place her
on the roof, and was swirled
away by the current. Officers
recovered the body after diving
for half an hour.
Jap Plans for
Coming Campaigns
Badly Disrupted
WASHINGTON, March 4 0P)
Japanese plans "for the coming
campaigns in tho South Pacific"
have been disrupted by . the
smashing of their 22-shlp convoy
In the Bismarck sea by General
MacArthur's air forces, Under
secretary of War Robert P. Pat
terson said today.
Reviewing the past week of
the war, Patterson told his press
conference that continued good
news from all fronts was cli
maxed by the brilliant victory
thnt left all 22 enemv shlnfl sunk
or sinking and 55 enemy aircraft
shot down in a two-day battle.
Ed Ostendorf Gets the Job
Ed Ostendorf
Confirmed as
OPA Manager
PORTLAND, March 4 MP).
The Portlond office of war in
formation disclosed today ap
pointment of Edward Ostendorf
as Klamath Falls district man
ager of the office of price admin
istration. Ostendorf, a Klamath. Falls
automobile dealer, has been act
ing director since the district
was created on February 16'. ' 1
' Thaistrlct domprise's tho fol
lowing Oregon counties: Lake,
Klamath, . Douglas, Josephine,
Jackson, Coos,. Curry; plu two
California counties: Modoc,. Sis
kiyou. Word of the confirmation of
hi appointment was received by
Ed Ostendorf, director of the dis
trict OPA office, Thursday. Os
tendorf is already in harness, and
said that every , effort will be
made to give efficient service to
the people of this district in a
fair and Just administration of
the OPA program. ,
Ration Board
Appeals for
Volunteer Help
An appeal for volunteer help
was issued - from the war price
and rationing board office Thurs
day afternoon.
Percy Murray of the board
said the office is in "desperate
need" of assistance, and particu
larly wanted are people who can
work regularly for a while. Typ
ists are badly needed.
Murray said that the work has
piled up in the past few days,
particularly in connection with
fuel oil rationing and issuance
of B and C gas cards. Most of
the, volunteer nelp that put the
board over the, top during 'the
early rushes has gone to other
jobs.
"If we can't get help, people
will have to wait for the service
they need so badly," said Mur
ray. "This is war work and we
hope people will respond to this
plea."
Eight Men Killed
In Bomber Crash
In New Mexico
ALAMOGORDO, N. M., March
4 (P) Eight men were killed
last night in the cra3h of an army
bomber a few miles north of the
Alamogordo air base, Lieut. W.
G. Zelt Jr., public relations offi
cer of the base, announced today.
Lieutenant Zelt said the plane
was on a routine training flight.
An army board is investigating
tho crash, he said.
The dead included Staff Sgt.
William A. Lonnevik, Valley,
Wash.
t News Index
City Briefs Pago 8
Comic and Story Page 10
Editorials Page 4
Farm News Pago 6
Markets Page 7
Midland Empire News ..Page 8
Pattern Page 10
Sport .j,...,. Pag 8
confirmation Thursday of his
Zinnery, personnel clerk of tho
; ;
PACIFIC VICTORY
S
Folks at Home Won't
Believe It, Smiles
Officer
By TOM YARBROUGH
SOMEWHERE IN NEW GUI
NEA, -March 3 (Delayed) -An
officer ; at fifth, air force .head
quarters looked up smiling to
night from a stack of reports on
the smashing allied victory over
a Japanese convoy in the Bis
marck Sea and said: "The folks
back home aren't going to be
lieve this when they see it in
the papers." ,
"It's incredible," he continued.
"We destroyed more ships than
tho total number of men we
lost."
. LUco s Radio ,
I listened to the radio conver
sation among the members of a
Flying Fortress formation over
the convoy for a half hour this
afternoon.
. Their voices came through a
loudspeaker in a tent beside a
muddy road and their comrades
at headquarters were crowded
around the loudspeaker as if
they were gathered around a
radio at world series time.
As , I walked into thev tent,
somebody grinned and said,
"You're Just in time for the
bombing."
Presently the loudspeaker
croaked: "Direct hit on that one
blew it right up If we're not
intercepted we'll make individ-
;. (Continued on Page Two)
British Subs
Destroy Seven
Enemy Vessels
LONDON, March 4 flP) Brit
ish submarines in the Mediter
ranean have destroyed seven en
emy vessels and' damaged nine
others, the admiralty announced
today.
- One of the submarines, it said,
surfaced in the Gulf of Genoa
near the Italian coast and fired
on a shipbuilding yard, report
ing that she "scored several hits
with high explosive shells on
two vessels on the stocks."
Three Per Cent Sales Tax
Issue May Go to People
By PAUL W. HARVEY. JR. ,
SALEM, March 4 W The
Oregon house tentatively ap
proved 33 to 26 today a bill to
refer a 3 per cent sales tax pro
posal to the people in November
1944, while the senate unan
imously adopted a house bill to
use up to $4,000,000 a year of
surplus income tax revenues to
reduce property taxes by 10 per
cent within school districts.
: The house vote was taken on
the house taxation and revenue
committee's 8 to 3 report recom
mending the bill. It is expected
the house will pass and send the
bill to the senate tomorrow.'
The people have defeated sales
tax bills four times between
1833 and 1938.
Speaker William M. . McAl-
r
J cap Tr oops
By The Associated Pre .
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN AUSTRALIA, March '4
An entire convoy of 22 Japanese ships, including 10
cruisers or destroyers, has been virtually annihilated iti
the Bismarck Sea and 15,000 Japanese warriors bound
for the battlefields of New Guinea have been wiped out
"almost to a man" by airmen of the southwest Pacific
command, an allied communique announced proudly today.
The amazing victory, the bulletin said, was achieved
at the cost of only three allied fighters and one bomber,
while 55 Japanese planes protecting the powerful armada
were shot out of the fight and many others damaged.
Thirty-three of the 55 were listed as certainly destroyed
and 22 as "probables." ,.
Jap Campaign Dislocated
In addition to the 15,000 ground troops killed or
drowned in the furious allied onslaught several thousand
Japanese naval personnel probably lost their lives, a
spokesman said.
The daring and persistent two-day aerial attack one
of the great plane-versus-ship battles of the war "com
pletely dislocated" the Japanese campaign, the commun
ique said. It obviously reduced the threat to Australia.
"We have achieved a victory of uch completeness
as to assume the proportions of a major disaster to the
enemy," the communique said, and General Douglas Mac-i
Arthur added that "merciful Providence must have guard-'
ed us in this great victory."
The enemy transports and warships represented an
estimated tonnage of 90,000 tons.
" Weather Hazard Extreme
"All are sunk or sinking," the communique said. "Hi
(the enemy's) air coverage of thi naval force has been
decimated and dispersed, 55 of his planes having been
shot out of combat and many others damaged. Hi ground
force, estimated at probably 15,000, destined to attack
in New Guinea, have been sunk or killed almost to a man."
The action was executed brilliantly under extreme
weather hazards and extended from the Vitiaz Straits, he-
tween the Bismarck archipelago and the New Guinea coast,
souin to nuon uun on which the Japanese bases of Lae
and Salamaua are situated. The convoy started from '
Rabaul, New Britain, and originally consisted of 14 ships.
Eight more vessels joined it yesterday shortly before the
final, concentrated allied attack.
. The. convoy was first attacked Tuesday. Yesterday,
when the last of the 22 ships was, turned. injko, a burning,
listing hulk, more than 100 ions of bombs had been drop
ped by the allied airmen, and as the communique said,
"The entire force was practically destroyed."
"- Enemy Air" Coverage "Weak -,
"Our air force in all " categories constantly attacked ,
throughout the day and ship after ship was again and
again hit with heavy bombs from low altitudes," the com- ;
munique related. " ' : '
"Enemy air coverage became-weaker and weaken hi force '
more scattered and dispersed;' and finally his remnant, isolatod
and bewildered, were gradually annihilated by our luceessiv air
formations as we sent them Into combat. -
"Our losses were light, one bomber and three fighter shot
down and a number of other damaged but returned to base.
"Our decisive success cannot fail to have the most important
results on the enemy's strategic and tactical plans.' His campaign '
for the time being at least is completely dislocated."
' Dramatle Report ',!.",':
While formation - after formation hammered the convoy yes
terday, attack units kept up a constant assault on the enemy
airdrome at Lae, dive bombing and strafing the field and engag
ing in combat with any Japanese fliers able to leave the ground.
Seven of these Japanese plane were shot out of the fight, bring-:
ing to 62 the number of enemy aircraft destroyed or probably
destroyed in the battle against the convoy and connected actions.
A Flying Fortress on reconnaissance over Huon gulf off Lae
last evening reported dramatically: 'Three cargo ships and two
destroyers, one large and one small, sighted burning from 6000
feet remaining as last vestige of
on fire, smoke rising 3000 feet. Large destroyer moving slowly,
oil slick pouring from stem. Small destroyer low in water; hole
seen on waterline, starboard side." . .
A message from another Fortress late yesterday said: .. .
"Many lifeboats and Japanese in water. Many dead and much
wreckage. Sighted cargo ship going under " -
Allied Squadron Prepared
A spokesman, discussing the battle, said "Our air losses were
so small because of the planes, the pilots and the breaks plus
thorough preparation."
- The convoy started out behind a thick weather front rolling
southward upon New Guinea, but it was sighted by air scouts
and allied squadrons were prepared. . . '
American and Australian pilots took off in some of the most
fearful storms seen in the New Guinea area since the war began,
crossed the treacherous mountains of New Guinea to find the
convoy and return safely. The weather lifted somewhat Wednes
day, permitting the final, concentrated assault in the Bismarck
sea.
Observation of some phases of the battle was so difficult that
detailed reports are still confused, but it was indicated that five
ships were sunk or badly damaged Tuesday and IS enemy planes
destroyed or probably destroyed. . ; .
lister took tho house floor to
lead the successful fight for tho
bill, asserting Oregon's property
and income taxes are too high,
and the sales tax is the only
means of reducing them.
' "There Is little merit in the
argument that the people won't
approve a sales tax because they
have defeated It four times al
ready." McAllister said. "The
people defeated the income tax
five times before they accepted
it." - .
McAllister charged that high
property taxes, which raise 76
per cent of all revenues raised
by the state and its subdivisons,
have driven industries to Wash
ington and California, and pre
vented new industries from lo
(Continued on Page Two)
22-ship convoy. All. cargo ships
Relatives of Men
In Service Want
Draft, Says Expert
WASHINGTON, March 4 UP)
Grenville Clark, New York' at--torney
working for a national
war service act, pictured the rel
atives of men in the armed serv
ices today as united In wanting
a draft law to put men and wom
en into war work.
; It is obvious, he told the sen
ate military committee, that
when 11,000,000 men and wom
en are in military service their
kin will represent an overwhelm
ing majority of the nation, all
agreed on the need of such a la
bor draft as projected In th
pending Austin-Wadsworth bill. :
Protesting that there is
"tremendous gap" between the
nation's "all-out war talk" and
actual effort, Clark declared that
America must be at least 60 per .
cent mobilized to win the war,
, ,.,.,.V,.