Oni t-mlnut blast on sirens and whittles li the signs! for a blackout In Klamath Falls. Anothtr long bint, during a black March II High 48, Low 21 I . Precipitation aa ol March 12. 1142 " " Stream year to dato -... 13,42 Laat Yaar .. .1.10.00 Normal ........... 1.62 out, li a signal lor all-cleer. In precau tionary pirlodi, watch your itrtai llghti. ASSOCIATED PRESS HASTA-CASCADE WONDERLAND NEA FEATURES v.;v..:irj .v'-ll'V:VALLS, OREGON, FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 1943 PRICE FIVE C, Number 9749 hlAk li EL fa 111. lillll Ik Of! By FRANK JENKINS fUR Americans, who yesterday took Gafsa, roll on today to El Cuotar, 13 mlloi to tho south' cant, Your map will suggest to you thnt their purposo In to roll on if possible, to tho coast of the Mediterranean BEHIND ROM MEL,, thus cutting him off from Von Arnlm In tho north, at Tunli and Blzerlo. , ... - VE tried thnt oiico before and jk sot an fur as Muknussy dec Wninp), but Itominol wa too imart tor us and hit us when we weren't looking, . Wo now have a new Rcnernl In thnt area the colorful Put- ton. We'll see what he enn do gainst Rommel. IEEP your eyo on Tunisia. In tht : dispatches qf tho post day or so one seems to hear the rumbling of big event in tho making. TpHE weather, Incidentally, Is still bad, Our boys, pushing on from Gufsa to El Guclnr, waded to their waists In gullies running full , from the heavy roina, , JK Russia, the fighting today Is said to equal any that took place In tho Stalingrad cam 's palgn. ' The Russians are holding the line of tho Donets river, about IS miles east of Kharkov. Into the battle here tho Germans are throwing new air units, motor ized Infantry and tank detach menls. German Infantry crossed the Donets, but are said to have been thrown back by tho reds. Th Russians mined tho river Ice, and when German tanks un dertook to crow nine of them were destroyed when tho mines were exploded. German 'tanks attempting to cross nt another point ran Into thinning lco and two of them broke through, drowning their drivers. ;; The tanks thon turned back rrllE attacking Germans appear O- to bo widening their front, They report today tho recapture of Belgorod, SO miles north of Kharkov. "' It Is Just as well to remember that thcro Is mora hard fighting In Russia than Ifl all tho rest of tho world put together. From tho standpoint of men and weapons engaged, our opera' tlons in Tunisia are mere sklrnv Islics, 'i, AC ARTHUR today throws . against tho Jap concentre tlons north of Australia his farthest-flung air oporatlon of the war to dato. " His heavy bombers, aided by long range fighters pound tho fcnemy from Timor, northwest of Darwin, clear around to Now Britain, dropping 38 tons of bombs on Mndang (Now Guinea) Oalono, Tho dispatches nro still hazy about it, but heavier fighting Is going on In Burma. ' SPOKESMAN at Moc , Arthur's headquarters offers lomc Interesting comment today on recent reports placing Japan's wartlmo commercial shipping losses at 1,800,000 tons. ' Ho points out that in connec tion with these reports of enemy losses we must consider tho fact that tho Japs have captured or otherwise acquired from neutrals and non-bo! I igorcnts some 475, 000 tons of merchant shipping and havo probubly built somo 430,000 tons more. So their NET losses arc around 000,000 tons instead of 1,800,000. . 'T'HIS comment teaches us that wo must constantly discount tho favorable reports wo nro get ting from tho Pacific. Tho Jap O Isn't as near licked as tho doy-to-dny, run-oMho-mlll news we are getting seems to indicate, f"N the homo front (whoro tho '7: news Is never too encourag ing) Kaiser Is accused by tho war ', (Continued on Page Five) suits yield JO NEW NAZI Axis Claims Attack, Seizure of Red's Belgorod LONDON, March 12 (AP) Tho German high command in a communique . broadcast today by the Berlin radio and recorded by the Associated Press reported the capture oi Belgorod, SO miles northeast of Kharkov, and said further successful attacks had been made northwest of Kursk. By EDDY GILMORE MOSCOW, Morch IB (AP) Dlnputchcs from the front today said tho Germans had thrown now air units, motorized Infan try outfits and tank detach ments Into the battle for mat tery of the upper Doneti river IS miles cast of Kharkov, and that the tremendous pressure of the new forces in tho last' few hours had caused the Russian lino to yield slightly In the Chuguov sector. The nazls succeeded In throwing Infantrymen across the river in some sectors, but ultimately they were hurled back, while tanks attempting (Continued on Pago Two) . . . .' . ' .s. LOAD 1 SUB BASE Vegesack Raid Makes Many "Firsts" for Americans LONDON, March 19 (VP) United States bombers dropped their heaviest tonnago ot bombs to dale on Germany In yester day's raid on Vegesack, 15 miles northwest of Bremen, which also established a number of firsts" in "the 1043 American nir offensive from this theater against tho enemy's submarine warfare," It was announced to- dny, A report from the European theater of operations ot the United States army said pho tographs .showed tho daylight precision bombing was "particu larly effectivo" and that Ameri can "firsts established were: 1, Tho deepest penetration into Germany proper. 2. Tho largest forco of Ameri can bombers employed to date in tho attack on Germany. Largest Bag It sold that preliminary re ports of onomy fighter aircraft destroyed by Flying Fortresses and Liberators in a running fight that lasted for upwards of two hours "Indicate the larg est bag of the year," Official figures, it added, would not bo avnllnblo until (Continued on Pogo Two) STRENGTH Roosevelt Aims to Avoid Labor Draft WASHINGTON, March 19 lP) President Roosevelt told a press conference '.t.day he wanted to nvoid national service legislation Just as long as he possibly could. No decision has been reached on tho question of drafting of workors for war Industries, Mr. Roosevelt said, and ho added that It might bo unnecessary to hnvo It, or that eventually it would have to bo put into effect. Senator Austin (R-Vt.), co-au thor of tho Austln-Wadsworth bill for a national service act, was told of Mr, Roosevelt's re marks and he commented, "To mo, ho is assuming that it may bo necessary. Point of Difference "Thai's the whole point of dif ference whether it's necessary now or not," said Austin. "If wo wait until the crisis it may be too late. Also the lives of many Wins Film Contract y Athens. Greek l urn tetreu and daughter ot Myrts Gutos, Greek stage stir, whev escaped from ihelr native land before in waa- occupied by -the Germans, was signed by Columbia for a screen career. Her she ehows how she hopes to climb the stairway to fame la. Hollywood. Senate Finance Group Against Reducing Wages WASHINGTON, March 19 VP) Acting to rescind President Roosevelt's executive order llnv iting salaries to $25,000 after fed' end taxes, the - senate finance committee today approved . leg' islotlon which forbids the-feck eral government from ordering salaries or wages reduced for any particular work below-the highest level paid between Jan uary 1 and September 15, 1942, Tho order Is retroactive to Oc tober 2, 1942, dato of approval ot the prlco stabilization law un der which the president acted, The new stipulation was at tached as an amendment to a bill, also approved, increasing tho federal debt limit from $125, 000,000,000 to $210,000,000,000. Oregon Governor Signs Barber Bill SALEM, March 19 (P) Gov ernor EarlSnell today signed the "Barbers' Bill," senate bill 37, which permits barbers In any given county to establish min imum prices upon a vote of 70 per cent of the licensed barbers affected. Tho measure does not prohibit charging of prices high er than those established as a minimum scale, ' for War Work of our boys will bs lost while we're debating the type ot legis lation tho country wants." At Capitol Hill today, Captain Eddie Rlckenbackcr of flying fame in war and peace, told a senate , committee considering a civilian draf bill that he Is "cru sading to mako the public conscience-stricken,"' to arouse the people back home "to the point where they will work as our boys on the battlefields work." .Rickenbacker Speak Rlckenbackcr said the war "may go for years" unless a mighty increase of production speeds tha daj of. victory., : Mr. Roosevelt, asked why he wanted to avoid civilian service legislation, said he thought it would creato a lot more machin ery, mako things a lot mora com plicated in a lot ot ways, and cause people to complain of regi mentation, . ' m am, r kj ESS GIANT AERIAL SWEEP BATTERS MASSED 'JAPS South. Pacific Enemy Concentrations , , , Damaged . By MURLIN SPENCER ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN AUSTRALIA, March 19 VP) In the most wldepread aerial sweep . against Japanese concen tratlons ever launched in the southwest . Pacific area, Gen. Douglas MacArthur 'sent his bombers on damaging raids yes terday against more than a dozen points where the Japanese are building up concentrations, an allied communique said today, - Big allied bombers ranged from Timor to Salamaua, New Guinea, and Gasmata, New Brit ain, bitting everything they could find, but they concentrated on. tha Japanese strongpoint of Matting in JVew Guinea. . Separata Sweep iTJireo. separate sweeps were made at Madang between Finsch- hafen and Salomaua and more than 38 tons of bombs were pour ed on the Japanese stronghold, uie communique said. Long' range fighters ''thoroughly strafed the whole area," it add' ed. , They left the little village In ?Cpntnued or Page Two) Enemv Pressure Eases , - East of Mayu River NEW - DELHI, March 19 VP) Fighting flared up again yester day on the Mayu peninsula in western Burma where British army has been threatening Akyab, but east of the Mayu river "Japanese pressure has slackened, a British communique said today. 1 Sixteen miles north of Rathe- daung, in the region of Taung- mau, where the Japanese have dug themselves into hill posi tions, fighting continued, it was announced, but. there was no In dication of the scope of the bat tle. Rathedaung is about 25 miles northwest of Akyab. It was the Japanese pressure east of the . Mayu river which made it necessary for the British to readjust their positions and prevent isolation of. the units north, of Rathedaung. Presum ably this threat had diminished somewhat. . RAF Planes Hit The RAF continued to range over the battle area, attacking many targets, including Japanese headquarters in the Donbalk lector, the communique said. Raiding United States airmen ranged far and wide over Jap anese targets in Burma Wednes day and Thursday, the American army air communique reported, damaging bridges and railways and returning without the loss of a man or a plane. Heavy ' bombers damaged a bridge over the Pazundaung river six miles north of Rangoon and railway tracks to the north and the south. Returning from this raid, the American planes were engaged by enemy fighters in an hour's combat. One Zero was downed and a twin-engined fighter damaged. LaGuardia Seeks Job as Head of Conquered Land LONDON, March 19 (For eign diplomatic quarters said to day that Washington was seek ing British approval of Mayor F. H. La Guardla of New York as wartime civil administrator of occupied Italian territory in Africa. : ' - . There was. no comment from official. source. , .. Florae flabes IN WESTERN BURMA Allies Capture El Guetar BCabkyraJilJmU Today allied Headquarters In North- Africa, reported that the Americans had captured. El Guetar on the road from. Gafsa.to Gibes. Yesterday the Americans tinder Oeneral Patton seised Gafsa (1), central Tunisian lirbase. U. S. troops hav been mov ing In from Feriana, while the French were advancing from Metlaoul. The German radio said that In addition to the four division assault on the northern sector of the Mareth line. Gen eral Montgomery was sending strong reinforcements against the Nails' right flank (2). Broken lin indicates approximate battle front. .'.'.." : .. - . vonrt.rencu.on ro-Tr ar 4 Problems Viewed by Allies WASHINGTON. March 19 VP) President Roosevelt disclosed to day that perhaps half a dozen. United ' Nations , .conferences might be called to consider, vari ous phases of post-war problems. Plans are already underway for a conference on food, produc tion and distribution for all the populations of the world in the period following the close of the conflict. . , In addition, the chief execu tive told a press conference, probably there would be a meet ing on post-war relief. ' Meetings In Economies Beyond that, he- said, - there might bo two or three or- four other conferences, mainly In the fields of economics and finance. Meanwhile, a plea by Anthony Eden that the United States, Eng' land, Russia and China mould their war-time unity into the framework for a lasting peace encouraged congressional advo cates of collective , security .. to new efforts. . .. Mr. Roosevelt gave no indica tion as to when or where the conferences might be held, but he indicated that invitations al ready, have gone' to the United Nations for a food. parley. . Smaller Spots Viewed 1 He said he hoped it would not be held in Washington and that Soft Coo Mine Operators. Ask. For More Time NEW YORK, March-19 UP) Northern Appalachian soft coal mine operators urged today that negotiations for a contract for 450,000 miners to supplant one expiring March 31 be extended beyond that time, but the United Mine Workers declared the pro posal was "an attempt to pro long the negotiations under con ditions most profitable to . the operators.". In a statement released after 90-mlnute meeting of heads of the northern operators and the UMW, the .owners urged also that the present agreement be kept in effect until April 30. 'We point out again," the union declared In a statement re plying to the proposal, "that the mine workers of the country ara hungry. ' They are petitioning for relief, and they will deeply resent the absence of good faith and evasion of responsibilities In these negotiations on the part of the operators, and their con fidence will be Increasingly de stroyed - by the filibustering tactic . ... ..v.-kb;..;. he had four or five- other smaller. spots in mind in this country. Once- before, the president has expressed a view that a smaller place is more desirable for an important meeting, citing the success of his talks with Prime Minister Winston Churchill at Casablanca. -While a tentative date ' has been picked for the food discus- (Continued on Page Two) FORM'S IONS EYED BJfCDOESS General . Motors Asks Congress to Halt ! . Organization WASHINGTON, March 19 (IP) A broad measure to bar -war-contractors' administrative and su pervisory employes from labor organizations was placed before congress today in. the wake of a plea by General. Motors corpor ation for action to halt forma tion of foremen's unions. . The measure -was introduced late yesterday by Rep.' Smith (D-VaJ, chairman of a recently created special house committee on : administrative practices, shortly after receiving a protest from G. E. Wilson, General Mo tors 1 president, that -their crea tion would interfere with' war production. New Measure Smith's new measure, which was sent to the house military committee : for consideration, (Continued on Page Two) Sisemore to Aid In Folkes Trial District Attorney L. Orth Sisemore of Klamath county will assist Harlow Welnrlch, Linn county district attorney, in the trial of Robert Folkes on charges of tha murder of Mar tha Brlnson James, it ' was learned today. - The trial is scheduled to start at Albany on April 7. :' i Mrs. James, wife of a navy ensign, was slain while riding in berth lower 13 on a South ern Pacific train on January S3. Sisemore did considerable work in connection with the investi gation ot the murder when the train was held here for several hour -that afterndbn. Patton Jams Tanks Into Wedge In Crack Nazi Troops By ROGER GREENE : Associated Press War Editor . Allied headquarters announced today that American armored troops pushing toward the sea from newly recaptured Gafsa had seized the town of El Guetar after- a 12-mile advance, while other allied columns rolled across the Central Tunisian hills in a drive aimed at" cutting the 300-mile, axis coastal corridor. Led by dynamic Lieut.-Gen. George S. Patton, Jr., who once) challenged Field Marshal Erwin Rommel to single tank combat, the Americans were reported making rapid progress despite treacherous mine fields planted by the nazis. : HELD AS PLAN Income Tax Collection Measure Described;. "On Floor ' ..; - : By FRANCIS M. L MAY WASHINGTON, March 19 UP) The income tax collection, bill submitted to the house.' by the ways -' and means. : committee, which' makes: pay-as-you-go-' op tional for each taxpayer, wai described- on the floor today by- Bep. . Allen ,CR311.): as' -"a rich? man's bilL" .; r, ,,t .... ,. . ;"It provide no . abatement : er concessions on -taxes for-1942," hsaid. "It provides-that if a taxpayer desires to get on a cur rent basis- by-paying both 1942 and 1943 taxes during 1943 he is rewarded by being given a vary ing per cent discount depending upon the time of payment" - . Skip Entire Year - : - Allen contended the Ruml pay-as-you-go plan, : which would skip an entire tax year, would not be of principal benefit to the wealthy. - The committee - bill provides no tax abatement, but creates a system of discounts up to six per cent on 1943 taxes paid within ' (Continued on Page Two) ODT Promises Gas ' For All Trucking Uses in Farming WASHINGTON, March 19 (AP) Joseph B. Eastman, di rector of defense transportation, advised all - farmers to plan their 1943 crops "with the as surance that they- will be able to obtain enough gasoline for all necessary truck operations, local fuel' supplies permitting. He reviewed' the procedure by which farmers get gasoline for- farm- operation purposes, pointing out that county war boards make initial . ration al lotments Which, if sufficient, can be appealed to the ODT. I. FOR filCH MEN Plenty of Manpower Says Rickenbacker to Senate By JOHN K. WIGGINS WASHINGTON. March 19 (AP) - Declaring that many American industries still are operating on a "share-the-work depression" basis, ' Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker said today the nation has .more mannower than it needs "if properly util ized." Testifying before the senate military committee, inquiring into the Austin-Wadsworth bill to draft men and women civil ians into war production: jobs, the flying' ace of World war -I declared that. "It's not a case of manpower problems but of pro duction problems." Reads From Notes. Reading i from a page . of notes, Rickenbacker said that from many discussions with able production: men he is con vinced that about 8,500,000 men could be salvaged ' from present war industries by adop tion in all war plants ot the in centive or piece work plan. ' -Under -the -incentive plan as Gafsa fell- to U. S. troops Wednesday without the lose -of a single soldier. - , British Battle Von Arnlm In another Tunisia, an allied communique said, . Lleut.-Gen. KA. N. Anderson's British 1st army withdrew slightly in tha zig-zag struggle with Col.-Gen. Jurgen von Arnlm's axis fore es, falling back in the Tamera sector some 42 miles west of , Bizerte. , . , . , t ' Frontline dispatches a i d British 1st army troops with- . drew Wednesday night from Tamera to new positions, three miles to the southwest. The . German- high ' command said "an axis local offensive enter- ' prise is progressing faborably" ' in the northern sector; : Heavy rains and floods ham- ; pered operations on the cen- tral Tunisian, front, dispatches said. . .. .. . i - .i. . " -.-'Local Adjustments , '. In the south, the British Stir ' array, executed ."slight local ad justments" whose nature was not specified "with , little In-', terference by, the enemy" in the Mareth lin zone, i TNormal - patrol activity ha continued during the past 24 hours,-' the communique said. : In addition to the U. S. arm : oredl , thrust-- to El Guetar, 73 miles from the port of Gabes, ; other American force were re ported moving northeast along , .(Continued on rage two; Enemy launches Vigorous Attack In Chinese Area ' CmTNfSKTNO. March 19 (VP) A vigorous counter attack' cov-; ered by planes was launched by , reinforced Japanese forces yes terday in tee uupen area souin nf thm Vanstxe river, a Chinese high command communique an nounced today. -Tm reinforcement, the com- . munique said, poured across the river to Join enemy troops wnicn , had - been pushed back north ward about 30 miles after reach ing a point 60 miles south of the river in- an ; eight-column drive in' central China. -' Th rnmTnuntaue. did not SBT whether the Japanese had gain ed ground in tne counteraiiacK. It also announced fighting in Suiyuan, Shantung and Yunnan : provinces. opposed to tha 40-hour work week-end hourly pay rates, h said it would be "ultra conserv ative" to figure a 83 1-3 per, cent Increase in production. (The 'wage-hour law require payment of time and a half for work over 40 hours.) v , ' Save Men "That . would save about 5, 500,000 men and would give us the additional men needed for agriculture and for other war Industries," Rickenbacker added.. ..: 'The filer expressed a belief that former farm workers now In industry should be Instructed to "go back to the farms" or b drafted. 'They certainly should b in uniform," he added, "prior to those babies of 17 to 18. Their places in industry could be tak en by plenty of persons over 18 to .38 age group who are will ing and anxious to get into war work." Of course, he remarked, you can't win a war without regimen tation. )