The KiamathNi
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Associated Prss TalaroaU. NEA Talepho
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la aarTlca.
IN THE SHASTA-CASCADE WONDERLAND
Vol. 18. No. 154 Price Five ConU
KLAMATH FALLS. OREGON. SATURDAY, MAY 24, 1941
(Every Morning Except Monday))
In The
Day's
News
By FRANK JENKINS
fHE battle of Crete li itlll (at
noon Friday) In doubt.
Hopeful "Informed sources"
kin London and Cairo picture the
ludvantage on the Island at
lowly turning to the British
Irie. The German parachutiat
are reported to have been driven
out of ALL HUT ONE foothold.
NAVAL landing! of German
troopi and equipment are report
ed to have been prevented.
But itlll the nazl float down
from the aklei.
a
TF you're thinking ahead, In-
stead of merely looking at to
day, you'll watch with keenest
Interest the battle between the
German air force and the Brit
ish navy that 1 raging all around
Crete.
The Gcrmant assert that In
this struggle two British battle
ships, TEN cruisers and many
destroyers have been sunk or
damaged.
We can't, of course, believe
these German report unhesitat
ingly. We can only wait and
Pee.
But if they should happen to
be true, this will be a significant
moment In the history of war.
'T'llE British have pinned their
faith to the warship, a time
tried and IN THE FAST depend
able weapon. The Germans have
staked their hopes on the AIR
shlp. Around the relative merits of
the airship and tl.e warship a
mighty controversy has raged.
Jt has been so far a THEORETI
CAL controversy.
There arc signs (badly clouded
by censorship) that in the
historic waters of the eastern
Mediterranean it Is being put to
a practical test.
That Is the real reason why
the world la watching breathless
ly the battle of Crete.
. . . - a
SIDE Issue orfTlb'attle:
The London admlrality aays
OA
British submarines have tor
pedoed and sunk a 9,000-ton
troopship and a 7.000-ton tanker
attempting to reach axis forces
in Libya. It adds that an Italian
destroyer and a large ammunition-carrying
schooner were
probably sent to the bottom.
The Germans, you see. are try
ing to take advantage of the
battle around Crete to rush rein
forcements for the Libyan drive
on Alexandria.
A DMIRAL Darlan (now appar
ently the big man of France,
aid to be a British hater) says
in a statement issued in Vichy:
"Hitler has not asked France
for her fleet In CURRENT neg
otiations, and I WILL NEVER
HAND IT OVER."
. Take that for what It is worth
r If anything.
TF you want to know why Hit
ler Is battling so desperately
for the small Island of Crete,
go back 20-odd centuries Into
history.
- When Alexander started for
Egypt (where Hitler Is headed)
he had to hold up his world
conquering expedition for SEV
EN MONTHS while he besieged
and ultimately took by storm the
tiny city of Tyre (less than a
mile off the eastern Mediterran
ean shore.)
. Why?
. Tyre was a SEA-GOING city,
and he dared not leave a strong
naval power In his rear.
a
THAT Is Hitler's reason for an
A all-out attack on Crete. He
Is headed for Iraq and Egypt,
with Syria as a way point, and
he dares not leave strong Brit
ish naval bases In his rear.
If he takes Crete, Cyprus will
be next. After that, he will turn
his eyes (and his warplanes) to
Alexandria.
FLIERS KILLED
SALT LAKE CITY, May 23
fP) Two army filers, tenta
tively identified as Second
Lieut. Ralph M. Tidwell and
Pvt. Guy Richards, were killed
today when their training pinna
crashed in the foothills 0 miles
southwest of here.
Looking Backward
By The Associated Press
May 23, 1040 Strategic
French seaport of Boulogne
falls to Germans.
May 23, 1016 Col. Winston
Churchill demands that every
available soldier bo put on fight
ing line.
OF TROOPERS
SPENDS NIGHT
1800 Men Stop Over
Here on Way South,
Dance at Armory
The third contingent of a 10
OOOtroop U. S. army movement
through Klamath Falls arrived
late yesterday afternoon under
threatening skies, and approxi
mately 1800 men In the convoy
of over 200 trucks barely had
time to make camp south of the
city before the clouds poured
forth burkctfuls of rain.
The huge convoy's arrival was
contrasted with those of the
first two serials en route to sum
mer maneuvers In California
from Fort Lewis, Wash., which
rolled over the sun-scorched
highway here from Bend. Only
a handful of soldiers were seen
on downtown streets before
darkness.
But the rain failed to dampen
the spirit of the city's hospital
ity. Instead of the announced
street dance, a dunce was held at
the Klamath Falls armory for
the men. While most of the men
were required to be back at their
camp by 10 p. m., many of the
officers thronged the streets and
taverns much later. Mayor
John Houston announced yes
terday that the street dance for
the visiting troops had proven so
successful they would be con
tinued Friday and Saturday
nights. Another street dance is
planned for tonight if weather
permits, he said. A program will
start at 7:30 p. m. and dancing
at 8 p. m.
Nazis Report
11(T;3Q0 Tons
Of Ships Sunk
BERLIN, May 23 W) Ger
man submarines have sent 1 10 -300
tons of British shipping to
the bottom of the Atlantic In
recent operations, the nazl high
command asserted today, but it
acknowledged that Germany's
ace U-boat commander, Guen
ther Prien has been given up
for lost with his ship.
Nine of the British ships were
picked out of one convoy bound
for England, the war bulletin
said, and accounted for 70,900
tons.
Among them, it listed three
of 8000, 10,000 and 13.000 tons
and a "heavily laden munitions
steamer of 7000 tons."
Another 18.000 tons of mer
chant shipping was said to have
been sunk by submarines in
lone attacks and, In waters west
of Africa, submarines sank
21,400 tons, the communique
said.
Prien sank the British battle
ship Royal Onk at Scapa Flow
October 14, 1939, when the war
was less than two months old,
and his feat In raiding a home
base of the British fleet won
praise even from the British for
its daring.
German reports havo ac
knowledged since April 30 that
he is missing, but the British
have refused to say whether
Prien is dead or captured.
British Sailors Report 6000
Germans Lost in Sea Battle
By RICHARD D. M'MILLAN
ALEXANDRIA. May 23 (UP)
Complete destruction of a Ger
man armada bound for Crete,
plunging an estimated 6000 nazi
soldiers to their deaths in the
sea, was reported tonight by
British sailors who participated
in the battle Wednesday night.
The sea was clogged with Ger
man corpses, they said.
The British cruisers and de
stroyers steamed Into the battle
zone shortly before midnight
Wednesday, bent on intercept
ing German forces speeding by
sea to the beleaguered island al
ready Invaded by German air
troops. '
Naval guns blasted an Italian
destroyer escorting the armada
out of the sea, sent a 1000-ton
nazl transport to the bottom
with Its 2000 troops, and meth
odically potted 40 Greek fishing
vessels carrying probably 100
men each.
"We turned everything from
pompom guns to six-lnchers and
DRAW BRIDGE
fl (CO rryfl
Miss Katharine Gayer. 69. was trapped on the north and of
the Fremont draw bridge in Seattle when the span began to rise.
She fell to within a few feet ol the grinding gears but the bridge
tender stopped his motor lust in time. Firemen are helping the
bewildered woman off the bridge. She was reported to have suf
fered a brain concussion.
14 MINERS DIE
II
17 Others Crawl Out
To Safety Most of
Bodies Recovered
BICKNELL, Ind.. May 23 (fPi
The bodies of 14 miners killed
by an explosion in the Pan
handle mine near were brought
to the surface today one by one.
Seventeen other men work
ing on the same level emerged
safely from the underground
workings by a circuitous 2i
mile route after the explosion
last night.
Most of the bodies were burn
ed badly. Mothers, wives and
children who had waited stoic
ally since the explosion broke
into sobs as rescuers brought
out the bodies.
The dead:
Charles W. Happlngton, 47,
of Near Bicknell.
E. R. Cole, 48, of Vincennes.
James M. Smith, 65, of Near
Bicknell.
Virgil Sager, 30, Freeland
vllle. Richard Smith, 41; Dewey
Stinnett; Maurice Tabuiaux, 40;
Floyd Harper, 30; Charles Os
born, 30; Charles Wright, 38;
Wilbert Redmond, 24; Charles
B. May. SO; F. N. Vincent, Run
and Arthur Gourdouze, 44, all
of Brickncll.
Jack Ogilvle of Bicknell, In
charge of the mine rescue squad,
expressed belief gas or a mix
ture of gas and dust became
ignited in some manner. He
said part of the level was dam
aged badly, with timbers and
(Continued on Page Two)
other heavier stuff on them,"
said one man who took part in
the battle. "The night was filled
with the screams of terrified
Germans as they plunged into
the sea."
Throughout the inferno rip
ping the axis craft to match
wood the British warships re
ceived not so much as a scratch,
the informants said.
British naval officers said the
warships were forced to cleave
through masses of corpses as
they hunted out and destroyed
the last of the Invasion ships.
The captain of one of the
British cruisers related:
"It was mass execution.
"We arrived at the scene
shortly before midnight Wed
nesday, expecting the enemy to
try to land troops by sea to aid
those who already had reached
the Island by air.
"The first thing wa sighted
was a destroyer whose Identity
it was difficult to establish. But
(Continued on Page Two)
TRAPS WOMAN
Local Storm
Causes Minor
Forest Fires
A local storm which centered
over the Klamath basin late yes
terday afternoon started three
fires by lightning In the Parker
mountain area west of Klamath
Falls and put both of the in
coming high power lines out of
commission temporarily at Cop
co, 40 miles down the Klamath
river canyon.
Charles Ogle of the Forest
Protective association reported
that three spot fires were de
tected but were brought im
mediately under control. He
said the rain which followed the
lightning would reduce forest
fire hazards somewhat but he
feared that winds would prob
ably soon dry up the moisture.
California Oregon Power com
pany officials said the entire
local area was blacked out at
one time, but an emergency
power line was switched on. The
main line. No. 18, was still out
late last night and company men
had been unable to locate the
cause. Power at Bonanza and
Langell Valley was reported
down early in the evening. All
power failures were due to
lightning, the company reported
The electrical storm, with plenty
of rain following, saw an un
official thermometer drop from
about 85 degrees at 3 p. m. to
60 by 8 o'clock, bringing relief
from Thursday s scorching 87.
Nine Killed in
Riots at Bombay
BOMBAY. India. May 23 UP)
Nine persons were killed and 75
injured yesterday during religi
ous rioting between Hindus and
Moslems ponce reported after a
check-up today. Police fired into
the battling throngs.
A 7:30 p. m. to 6:30 a. m. cur
few was imposed.
HOT IN PORTLAND
PORTLAND. May 23 (UP)
Oregon basked in hot weather
today, with the temperature
mounting into the 90 s in some
sections. Portland's maximum
was 88 degrees for the second
consecutive day.
Sidelights on
Three of the men in Thurs
day's convoys ruefully describ
ed their experiences in attempt
ing to avoid military drill.
They were going to the Uni
versity of Idaho. ROTC drill
came three times a week, at 7
a. m. They joined the national
guard which drilled once a week.
"But it backfired," said one
of them. For the guardsmen
were soon called Into army ser
vice with daily drill.
"Feed us good? You betchal"
That's the way one of the corp
orals who comes from Boise,
Ida., expressed army grub when
questioned by visitors at camp.
The problem of cooking for
LUMBER MILLS
TO BE FEWER,
SAYSEXPERT
10 of Basin's Firms
Won't Be Operating
In 10 Years, Claim
By BOB LEONARD
A prediction that 10 of the
Klamath area's 15 largest saw
mills would not be in operation
within 10 years startled over 60
tlmbermen, forestry agents, and
mill operators attending a spe
cial meeting of the Society of
American Foresters In the city
Friday.
The prognostication, by Lyle
Watts, northwest regional for
ester for the U. S. National for
est service, also foresaw a "dras
tic" reduction in the annual cut
of the Weyerhaeuser Timber
company, Klamath's biggest
mill.
Watts' address, highlight of
the afternoon session of a two-
day meeting on "Sustained For
est Production In the Klamath
Basin," came at the end of a full
program on which outstanding
state foresters and local men ap
peared.
Slump Foreseen
occasionally referring to a
predicted trend chart tacked be
fore the Willard hotel meeting.
Watts pointed out that the 1940
Klamath area cut of 700 million
board feet of Ponderosa pine is
expected to Jump another 25
million for the next three years
before beginning to drop. By
1945. Watts stated, Klamath pro
duction will slump to 525 mil
lion feet and fall off to 300 mil
lion by 1950. By 1955. he said,
it will reach 225 million.
The forester said there was at
present 17 billion feet of mer
chantable timber standing in the
Klamath production unit but
only 13 billion available if se
lective eutUnai - practices .-were
put intceffect. , .
Man Dependant
Watts further estimated there
were 6000 persons now directly
employed in the Klamath lumber
industry, each of whom has an
average of two dependents. Esti
mating one more person indirect
ly dependent on the industry for
livelihood, for each person di
rectly employed, the tall timber
expert said that the approxi
mately 30,000 residents of Klam
ath county make their living
from lumber. By 1960, he pre
dicted, that figure will fall to
8000 to 10,000 arid the present
$8,000,000 payroll will drop to
around $3,000,000.
According to Watts, his Friday
address marked the first publica
tion of the foregoing figures.
Methods Cited
The rangy forester suggested
the following 10 methods of
"softening up the inevitable re
cession:
1. Exert every effort to at
tract remanufacturing industries
such as furniture, toys, specialty
(Continued on Page Two)
J. J. Parker Dies
At Local Hospital
Friday Morning
John Jehu Parker, 72, for the
past 33 years a resident of Klam
ath Falls, died at Hillside hos
pital at 11 o'clock Friday morn
ing following a brief illness.
Mr. Parker came to Klamath
Falls in 1908 as agent for the
Wells Fargo Express company,
upon retirement several years
ago, Mr. Parker had served for
45 years with the company. He
was a native of Lafayette, Ind.,
born February 17, 1869. He is
survived by his wife, Marie
Parker, 803 Lincoln street, and
one sister, Kate E. Parker of
Santa Rosa, Calif. A complete
obituary will appear Saturday.
Remains are at the Earl Whit
lock Funeral home and services
will be announced later.
Army Visit
thousands of men always arouses
curiosity among the women visi
tors wno considered the men
mighty well fed when " they
learned of the average menu.
as you were", saluted one
of the boys at Thursday night's
street dance, when he passed
a group of his buddies with a
girl on his arm. The two then
started dancing while the others
looked on enviously.
After talking to at least a
dozen men camped on the Klam
ath river, townspeople felt the
site provided for the army was
satisfactory.
Gigantic Air-Sea
Battle Progresses.
Germany Drives at Crete
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CRETE
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libyaJ . "o,Ln
Three thousand more German troops were reported to have
landed at night on strategic Crete (1), as the Germans continued
their aerial offensive. ' British military men said Crete must be
held "at all costs"' because its capture would give the Germans
another base to attack the British fleet at Alexandria (2). fill la
iic Aegean sea gap to the Dodecanese islands and shield the
movement of axia troop from Italy to Africa. Aa attempt on
Cyprus (3), was foreseen.
28 Selectees
Leaving for
Army June 4
Twenty-eight selectees, two of
them transfers from other
boards, will leave Klamath
Falls on the night of June 4 for
Portland and Induction into the
fast-growing U. S. army. The
call will be the first in over a
month from, the Klamath
county. ' 'i : ,
County board 2 will furnish
15 men for the' quota, and City
board 1 will send 11.
Following is a list of board 1
men:
John Collier Laing, Klamath
Falls; Gordon Bernard Halvor-
son, Duluth, Minn.; Joseph Jer-
ald Wayman, North Platte, Neb.;
Thomas 'Oliver Livingston, 73
Pine street, Klamath Falls; Glen
Harl Templeton, 1824 Portland
street, Klamath Falls; Walter
Phillip Esterby, Seattle, Wash.;
William Leenorrah Parr, Klam
ath Falls; Lawrence Stevens,
Seattle, Wash.; Sebastian Getz,
Cottage Grove, Ore.; Robert
Hanna Porter, 445 Market
street, Klamath Falls: Keith La
Mur Argraves, 628 Oak street,
Klamath Falls; and Russell An
son Schaeffer and Richard Ger
o n i m o Treadaway, transfers
from other boards.
Men from board 2:
Maxey Eugene McMillen,
Scandia Hall, Klamath Falls;
James Thomas Phillips, 24411
Eberlein street, Klamath Falls;
Uriel Rayburn Lamar, Aurora,
111.; Walter L. Hawthorne, 4410
Cottage avenue, Klamath -Falls;
La Roy Elmer Holt, Modoc
Point; John Thomas Watts, Bly;
Luther Herman Rippy, Merrill;
Thurbert Arthur Johnson, Che
mult; Kenneth Day Edwards,
Klamath Auto camp, Klamath
Falls; George Glenn Lousig
nont, Birkenfeld, Ore.; Forrest
Verl Howell, Moroc Point; Jos
eph Robert Smykal. Prineville:
Richard Franklin Lehman, Mer
rill; rayette Stephenson, -Merrill;
Raymond Edward Puckett,
Algoma.
Lindy Asserts War Nearing
Without Consent of People
NEW YORK, May 23 (UP)
Charles A. Lindbergh asserted
tonight the American people
have been led toward war with
no more opportunity to vote on
the issue than Adolf Hitler gave
the German people when he led
them into war.
Addressing an America First
rally in Madison Square garden,
Lindbergh said that "we were
given Just about as much chance
to express our beliefs at the
election last fall as the Germans
would have been given if Hitler
had run against Goering."
Sen. Burton K. Wheeler, (D
Mont.), told the rally the United
States N safe from both military
and economic invasion,
"Free American industry is
superior to controlled nazl in
dustry," Wheeler said. "Free
American workers can produce
mora than nazl slaves, and I
know that American business
men are smarter than any nazi
competitor."
300
I MILES
0ILPPUHS
'DAMASCUSX: J
HAIFA
FRENCH FLEET
Admiral Won't Give
Up Ships to Hitler,
He Claims in Talk
VICHY, France. May 23 W
Vice Premier Admiral Jean
Darlan told the French people
today that Adolf Hitter hat fit
asked France for her fleet in
current negotiations and de
clared firmly: "I will never
hand it over."
Nor has hitler asked for col
onial concessions, said the vice
premier.,
'The chancellor did not ask
me to hand over our fleet to
him," Darlan asserted in a
broadcast. "Everyone knows
and the English better than any
one that I will never hand
it over.
"The chancellor did not ask
me for any colonial territory.
He did not ask me to declare
war on England.
"Why has he acted so?
"Germany began the war
alone and judges herself able
to end it alone against no matter
what coalition.
Choice Made
"On the result of negotiations
in course," Darlan asserted, "di
rectly depends the future of
France."
"It is necessary for her to
choose between life and death.
The marshal and government
have chosen life."
He emphasized that "in June,
1940, the victor could have re
fused us an armistice, beaten
us and wiped France off the
map of the world but he did
not do it."
Now, Darlan said, "in May
1941, the victor has agreed to
negotiate with the French gov
ernment." The vice premier said he had
gone to Berchtesgaden to confer
with Adolf Hitler at the fueh
(Continued on Page Two)
Wheeler asserted it was
brazen effrontery" to talk of
fifth columnists with "a British
ambassador touring the United
States to arouse our people to
sacrifice their sons and their
treasure to save the British em
pire." Lindbergh urged Americans
to rely on their own-strength,
ability and courage "to preserve
this nation and to defeat anyone
who is rash enough to attack
us."
"We In America should have
no reason to fear,'.' he said.
"With adequate leadership we
can be the strongest and most
influential nation in the world.
No other country has such great
resources. None Is as easily de
fended. We lack only leadership
that places America first - a
leadership that does for 130,
000,000 people what Washing
ton did for us when we were
only 3,000,000 people a leader
ship that tells what it means and
means what it says."
l SYRIA
1
ORIA - JI
20,OOONAZIS
ESTIMATED ON
CRETE ISLAND
London Warns People
To Be Prepared for
Reports of Los'ses
(UP) German transport planes
carrying reinforcements and
munitions were reported early
today to be landing at the rate
ui one every rive minutes on
Crete. Off the ialanri nsarf wh.t
was called "the greatest aerial
navai cattle of all time. .
Britain's Mediterranean fleet
was believed to be parrying
successfully all axis attempts to
send reinforcements to the be
leaguered island by sea. .
London newspapers warned
the people to be prepared to
hear of lossea in Rriih
ships, though they said German
cuuma unaouDtecuy were exag
gerated. It was estimated that
20.000 nazi tronm hH Km,
landed by parachute and trans
port p lanes. Latest reports from
Cairo indicated that, at least up
to late Friday, the air-borne in
vasion was continuing on an un
diminished scale.
LandatMalemi
The German planes were be
lieved to be descending at Ma
lemi, airdrome 10 miles south
east of Canea. Cairo advices in
dicated It was the only airfield
still in nazi hands.
Many others probably were
fceihe Germans -revealed
their ability to land troop car
riers in restricted areas during
the Greek campaign.
Greek and British defense
forces were reported earlier to
have broken the nazi grip on
Candia, the island's largest city,
and the port of Retimo to the
west.
The estimate of 20,000 Ger
man troops landed- suggested
that the second air-borne di
vision was complete, and per
haps the vanguard of a third
had arrived.
Commentators pointed out
that the British fleet was oper
ating in confined waters while
constantly exposed to the full
fury of the German air force,
with only their own relatively
inadequate anti-aircraft guns to
defend themselves.
The navy guns were said to
have destroyed a number of
enemy bombers as well as troop
carriers.
Continuous Patrols
The main land fighting seem
ed to center at Malemi, where
strong bands of air-borne infan
try swept the area around the
air field with continuous patrols
so that troop carriers could
maintain steady service.
The British and Greek forces
were said to be fighting sav
(Continued on Page Two)
Soldier Burned as
Stove Explodes
In Army Truck
First major accident which has
occurred since the army started
flowing through here this week,
was reported early Friday morn
ing when Private Robert Pugh,
24. 148th field artillery, was se
riously burned about the body
when a gasoline stove exploded.
The accident occurred at 5:30
a. m. as the men were preparing
to break camp on the Klamath
river. The youth was given first
aid at camp and rushed to Klam
ath Valley hospital. He is the
son of Mrs. T. W. Gearhart, 1816
North Fourteenth street, Boise,
Idaho.
According to Pugh, he was
filling one of three gasoline
stoves in an army truck when
one of the other stoves exploded.
He was unable to explain the
accident.
News Index
Churches
City Briefs -
Comics and Story . ...
Courthouse Records ...
Editorials
High School News .....
Information
Market, Financial
Midland Empire News
Pattern ,
Sports ........ .
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