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\0I.-_?-------•___WILMINGTON, N. C., THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 1945 ESTABLISHED 1867
87,343 Japs In Okinawa Fighting;
Aussies Make r/|§w Landing On North Borneo;
World Security Conference To End Tuesday
Brunei Bay
Entrance In,
Allied Grip
guns cover landing
New Beachhead Establish
ed After Quick Shore
To-Shore Operations
MANILA, Thursday. June 21.—
(j)_In a shore to shore operation,
units of the Australian Ninth Divi
sion have landed at the northern
head of Brunei Bay, northwest Bor
neo. giving them control of both
sides of the entrance to thq water
way. General MacArthur announc
ed today.
The landing was preceded by an
artillery bombardment from La
buan Island, seized by the Aussies
early in their invasion of Borneo.
The island is five miles west of
the new beachhead.
"Our ground forces now control
the shores bordering both entranc
es into the bay,” the communique
Medium bombers supported the
ground operations.
Heavy bombers and fighters
made another of their daily strikes
in the Balikpapan area, where the
Tokyo radio says, without Allied
confirmation, that an Allied naval
force has been operating for sev
eral days.
The heavies dropped 15 tons of
explosives on Balikpapan, Mang
gar and nearby airfields.
There was no mention in the
communique of Allied ships shell
ing Balikpapan nor of mine sweep
ers operating in the bay, as To
kyo reported yesterday.
The Aussies who landed at Wes
ton on the eastern side of the bay
several days ago drove inland two
and a half miles without meeting
more than minor patrol contacts.
While they pushed inland, other
units of the veterans of African
desert warfare crossed the five
mile strait from Labuan to the
mainland and occupied Mempakui
village. This secured the north
entrance to Brunei Bay from any
possible Japanese attack mounted
from Jesselton, 60 miles to the
north.
Gen. Douglas MacArthur's Wed
nesday communique said the Aus
sies gained ground on both the
northern and southern fronts of
iCoiltinifpri nn Pa irp ~VinP' C nl fit
SEDATE OKEHS FUNDS
FOR OWE ACTIVITIES
WASHINGTON. June 20— IU.R) —
The Senate appropriations com
mittee, supporting President Tru
man's views, today reversed the
House on two controversial issues.
It voted to restore funds for the
Office of War Information’s Eu
ropean activities and, at least
temporarily, it rescued from ob
livion. the Fair Employment Prac
tices committee.
The committee, by 14-4 vote, au
thorized Sen. Dennis Chavez, D.,
M. to submit an amendment
«n the floor which would give;
rHPC S446.250 for fiscal 1946. Cha
fer said he was confident of get
t'Rg the two-thirds floor vote neces
,5r>' to approve the appropriation.
Unless the amendment is approv.
*d the FEPC will expire June 30
because the House refused any ap
Ptopriations whatever for the tem
Pwary agency.
The committee also voted to
Jive OWI S39.670.215 for its world
wide operations in the coming fis
bal year—an increase of $21,000,
VUlJ fit 4 L. _ rr »•
UUUOC U^UIC.
weatheT
MeteorologicFl data for the 24 hours
■? 7:30 p. m„ yesterday.
, tempebatuee
‘ JO a in. 73.0; 7:30 a. ra. 73; 1:30 p.
ni' ' :30 p. m. 76.
..... HUMIDITY
l,. :®1 rn. 91; 7:30 a.m. 89; 1:30 p. m.
1 “30 p. m. 89.
T precipitation
„ r,s] tor 24 hours ending 7:30 ending
“ W inches.
rota; since the first of the month
'■i10 inches.
TITDES for today
i> ~ro:i' the Tide Tables published by
^ Coast and Geodedtc Survey H)
"“mington _ 6:32 a.m. 1:30 a.m.
7:12. p.m. 1:45 p.m
•wsonboro Inlet _ 4:19 a.m. 10:38
5.02 p.m. 11:20 p.m.
Simme 5:01: Sunset 7:26, Moonrise
■D'IP iluonset 2:17a,
NAZI-DAMNING |
Ciano Diary Smuggled
From Italy By Forlorn
Wife, Aided By Priest
BERNE—It can now be disclosed how the*diary of Count
Ciano, with its sensational revelations of Axis diplomacy, was
saved by Ciano’s wife from failing into Nazi hands.
For six months her lips have been sealed; sealed by dis
cretion for this little neutral country, encircled by powerful
Nazi armies. Sealed, too, because of many Gestapo agents
in Switzerland.
The Gestapo tried at all costs to get the Ciano diary and
its compromising revelations. The Nazis offered 100,000,000
gold lire, payable in Switzerland, for it. They even tried to
barter the life of Ciano against his precious documents, but
thp Hiarv ocoonaJ
Everyone In Italy connected with the Ciano diary was
tortured, killed or had to flee. Edda Ciano risked her life and
put the final touch to her already bad reputation. Finally at
dawn of Jan. 11, 1914, Ciano himself fell victim to Nazi wrath.
Twenty hours before his death, a strange scene occurred
at the Swiss frontier village of Novazzano, in Tessin. Aided
by a priest, a shabbily dressed black-veiled old woman with
immense haggard eyes, had entered Switzerland stating her
life had been threatened by the neo-Fascists. She readily ad
mitted her identity—Edda Ciano—a “mother” of the Axis
and the most noted woman of modern Italian history.
On hearing her identity, the gay Tessin lads goggled. For
the famous countess was old and disheveled, obviously preg
nant.
Edda Ciano was not pregnant. Strapped under her dress
were five commonplace notebooks—The Ciano diary—once
held in the right drawer of the magnificient desk of the foreign
minister in Rome’s Chigi palace.
As he was about to die Count
Galeazzo Ciano wrote a bitter
charge that Germany deliberately
provoked war in Europe in 1939
and dragged Italy to disaster.
Nineteen days before Ciano was
shot to death for high treason, he
wrote a final 10-page entry in his
diary. It is an amazing document
Italy’s fateful alliance with Ger
many was born in a moment of
rage on Mussolini’s part, Ciano
wrote. He recounted Nazi Foreign
Minister Von Ribbentrop’s casual
assertion that the Germans wanted
war. and told of a cynical bet ol
an Italian painting against a col
lection of antique arr.is that Grea*
Brita n and France would remai 1
neutral.
The Germans treated the Italians
as “slaves, not partners,” Ciano
wrote, who were informed only of
the Nazi attack on the Soviet Union
half an hour after the borders had
hoon hrnccpH
Ciano was waiting from Cell 27 of
the Verona jail on December 23,
1945. The special tribunal before
which he was tried did n#t meet
until January 3, 1944. but Ciano
said that judgement already had
been passed by his father-in-law.
Mussolini, whom he accused of
“shameful cowardice,’’ in his re
lations with the Germans. Ciano.
and four others were executed Jan
uary 11.
The revealing closing entry in
Ciano's own handwriting ar.d bear
ing his signature follows:
“Tf these no'es of mine see light
one day, it will be because I took
the precaution of putting them in
safety before the Germans by base
treachery had made me a prisoner.
“It was not my intention, while
I was composing these hasty notes
to release them tor publication as
they are. Rather it was my aim
to fix events, details, facts which
could have been useful to me in
the future.
"If the Lord bad granted me a
quiet old age, what excellent ma
terial for an autobiography! The
notes are not, therefore, part of
a book, but the raw material from
which a book could have been com
posed.
“Perhaps the teal merit of these
diaries is to be found in this skel
eton form and in the absolute lack
of the superfluous. Events are pho
tographed without retouching, and
the impressions reported are the
first ones, the most genuine, with-'
out influence of criticism or the
wisdom of future years. I was ac
customed to jot down the salient
happenings day by day, hour by
hour. Perhaps at time repetitions
or contradictions may be found,
just as very often life repeats and
contradicts itself.
“If the opportunity for expanding
these notes nad not been taken
away suddenly, I should have
wished from other documents and
personal recollections to amplify
the chronicle of certain days which
have had unique and dramatic in
fluence on the history of the world
“With greater detail, I should
have liked to hove fixed respon
sibility, both of men and govern
ments, but this unfortunately was
impossible, even though there
come to mind in these last hours
so many details I should not want
ignored by those who tomorrow
will analyze and essess the events
that have occuired
“The Italian trasedv had its be
ginning in August. 19-J9 On my own
initiative I want then 1o Salzburg
(Hitler’s headeiuarteis) and foun'
myself suddenly face io face with
the cold, cynical German dcle
mination to provoke conf'ict.
“The alliance HvUn the Ger
mans) had been signed in May. 1
had always opposed it, and had
contrived that pert > stent German
offers would be long delayed and
thus ineffective. There was no rea
son whatsoever, in my opinion, to
be bound life and death to the
destiny of Nazi Germany
“Instead, I had favored a policy
of collaboration, for in our geo
graphical situation we can and
must detest, but cannot ignore, 80.
000,000 Germans brutally brought
together in the heart of Europe
“The decision to cement the al
liance tvas taken suddenly by Mus
solini while I was in Milan with
Von Ribbentrop. Some American
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 1)
Hoover Offers 12-Point
Plan On Meat Shortage
WASHINGTON, June 20. —<JP>—
Herbert Hoover declared today
that meat' controls have broken
down and proposed a sweeping 12
point program to remedy shortages
in animal products.
In brief, the program includes an
“administrative revolution” in con
trol agencies; # concentration of
much authority under the Secretary
of Agriculture; a system of ceiling
and floor prices on meats, poultry,
eggs and dairy products designed
to increase productiion without sub
sidy payments, and self-policing by
representatives of livestock grow
ers, packers, commission men and
retailers.
The proposals of the former pres
ident and food administrator of
World War I were made in a letter
read to the House by Rep. Dink
ins (R-Ohio).
Hoover referred to “local fa
mines” of animal products in the
cities, and had this to say of black
markets:
“The existence of black mar
kets in meats and fats (except
milk) in every city of the country
is Sufficient evidence of a break
down in control of both distribu
tion and price.”
As a remedy he proposed “to
reconstruct the whole method of
organization and administration,”
as follows:
1. The Secretary of Agriculture
(Continued on-Page Three; Col. 5)
City Limits
Vote Talked
For Oct. 9
PROBLEM IS STUDIED
Council Requests City At
torney To Collect Data
On Subject
Following a suggestion that the
city limits extension election be
called for October 9 or thereabouts,
the City Council at its regular meet
ing yesterday morning authorized
City Attorney William B. Campbell
to continue his study of the ques
tion and report back at a later
date. Attorney Campbell submitted
the October 9th tentative date, and
motion to continue study of the
problem was made by Councilman
J. E. L. Wade.
a I ._ j ... i; .1 1U.
a ICVCIH --
cil, Mr. Campbell was authorized
to confer with Community Chest
officials in an effort to prevent
dates of the Cheat’s annual fund
campaign and the election conflict
ing. In his report to council, the
City Attorney pointed out that
collection of preliminary data must
be made and presented to council
before the election can be called.
He said he expected to have more
definite information next week.
Mr. Campbell said he had dis
cussed the matter with both E. L.
White, president of the Chest, and
George Stearns, executive secre
tary, and had been informed that
the Chest was planning its general
public campaign for October 15-24.
He reported that the belief had
been expressed by Chest officials
that it would be more helpful if
the city extension program could
be held sometime just prior to that
of the Chest drive.
In that case, he continued, the
preliminary surveys being made
by the offices of the city manager
and city engineer would have to
be completed and the material
placed before the council by the
first week of July. The legislative
act passed by the last General
Assembly enabling the council to
call the election requires a 90-days
advertising period from the time
of the call to the voting.
Unless the polling can be called
for the October date, he said, it
probably would have to be post
poned until early November.
City Manager A. C. Nichols ex
pressed the belief that the field
surveys would be completed in
time for the council to act early
next month.
The city board authorized City
Attorney Campbell to file condem
nation suits in Columbus county
to acquire the land and premises
for the city of three Columbus
property-owners who, according to
the city attorney, have failed to
cooperate with the city in connec
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 2)
r . - . 1
Reds Accept
Australian
Compromise
TRUMAN TO SPEAK
World Charter Probably
Will Be Signed By
Delegates Monday
__!
By DOUGLAS B. CORNELL
SAN FRANCISCO, June *20.—(IP)
—Russian acceptance of an Aus
tralian compromise on what a 50
nation General assembly can talk
about enabled the United Nations
conference tonight finally and
formally to set next Tuesday for
completion of a world charter to
maintain peace.
Secretary of State Stettinius an
nounced after a steering commit
tee meeting that a speech by Presi
dent Truman late Tuesday after
noon will end this historic gather
ing, two months and a day after
it began its deliberations.
The charter of a new world or
ganization dedicated to peace
probably will be signed by all dele
gates of 50 United Nations Monday
afternoon and night. It will bring
into being, when enough govern,
ments ratify it, an international
league empowered to settle dis
putes peacefully or to use armed
might to prevnt war or aggression.
It will set up a new internation
al court of justice, and council for
cooperation in removing social
and economic stresses which have
fomented war in the past.
To a compact security council
of 11 members—all the tive big
world powers and six others—wih
be entrusted the primary repson
sibiiity for maintaining peace. A
conference commission considering
the council’s structure and duties
completed its task today.
All that remained was to put in
to charter language sections deal
ing with a general assembly to
serve as the “town meeting of the
world.”
(Continued on Page Nine; Col. 5)
GENERALWAGEBOOST
IS SOUGHT BY DAVIS
WASHINGTON, June 20— (A>) —
William H. Davis today proposed
a general wage minimum of 50
cenis hourly, with the pay floor
langing up to 65 cents in textiles
and other industries needing pro
duction incentives.
Davis, director of the Office of
Economic Stabilization, suggested
that the Federal Fair Labor Stan
dards Act, which now provides a
40-cent hourly minimum wage, be
amended to bring workers oack
into industries having manpower
problems and to provide a found
dation for a reconversion stabili
zation program.
Soviet Prosecutor Asks
Prison Term For Poles
LONDON, Thursday, June 21
—(JP)—Twelve of the 16 Polish
underground leaders accused of
subversive activities behind
Red army lines in Poland were
found guilty in Moscow early
today and sentenced to prison
terms ranging from ten years
to six months, the Moscow ra
dio said.
, Three were acquitted and the
trial of another, Anton Paldafc,
was postponed because he was
ill.
MOSCOW, June 20.— UP) —The
Soviet prosecutor asked for pris
on terms but not the death penalty
today in the “fifth column” trial
of 16 Polish underground leaders,
and asserted the Polish govern
ment in London bore “the main
guilt” for trying “to create a Pol
and in opposition to the Soviet
Union.”
Summing up Russia’s case, Maj.
Gen. Nikolai Afanaseev declared
“despite all their crimes, I think
the punishment should be limited
to imprisonment, especially in
these days of Soviet victory when
together with our Allies vye gained
our great triumph.”
The chief defendant, Maj.-Gen.
L. Bronislaw Okulicki, Polish home
army commander, staged and
completed his own defense, de
claring he had committed no
crimes, ^nd that “my one great
mistake, I know now, was my dis
trust of the Soviet Union.”
“That played a major role in
this business. We were not aware
of changes which have taken place
in Russia—that it is no threat to
Poland now-and we could not be
lieve that it was not a threat.”
Charged with subversive acts
behind Russian lines, Okulicki
said:
“I consider myself guilty of not
giving orders to hand over radios,
guns and ammunition to the Red
Army. I consider myself guilty for
forming the ‘NE’ (a politico-mili
tary organization), that I main
tained communications with Lon
don, and carried out propaganda
against the Soviet Union and Red
Army, but I am not guilty of carry
ing out terror, espionage, and acts
of diversion.”
Seven Russian lawyers have been
assigned to the defense-.
<A Moscow broadcast heard in
London said the prosecution had
announced it would not ask a guilty
verdict for three defendants— S.
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 4)
f • ~
t_______.
Ike Gets The Key To Brooklyn
-—-1___
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower leans from his car to shake hands
with Harry B. Robbins (left), former American Legion post com
mander, who presents the general with a “key” to Brooklyn during
New York’s celebration in honor of the Allied Supreme Command
er’s return from Europe. (AP Wirephoto).
Claims Body Of Hitler
Burned In Chancellery
—"" —--;
CHERRYSOUGHT
TO HONOR. HERO
City Council Acts On
Home-Coming Plans For
Capt. Murray
First definite steps toward a real
home-coming celebration for Capt.
Charles P. Murray, Jr.. Wilming
ton's No. 1 war hero, were taken
by the city council yesterday morn
ing when tentative arrangements
were discussed and will probably
be enlarged upon at a special meet
ing of a Council group at 10 a. m.
today.
Included in the suggested large
scale activities in connection with
the celebration would be an invita
tion to Governor R. Gregg Cherry
to be present for the occasion.
Upon the suggestion of Mayor,W.
Ronald Lane, the city board, acting
as a committee of the whole, react
ed favorably to Councilman J.E.L.
Wade’s suggestion that stores be
asked to close in honor of the city’s
first Congressional Medal of Honor
Winner, and Councilman Garland
S. Currin's proposal that the Gov
ernor should be invited.
It was the opinion of the council
that "we ought not to undertake to
put on this celebration unless we
can do a man-sized job.”
The city manager revealed that
the commanding officer at Blue
thenthal Air Blse had offered his
cooperation and the services of a
special aerial group of 36 planes
to fly overhead during the cele
bration.
Following the regular Council
session, the group met to formulate
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 1)
By JACK FLEISCHER
United Press Staff orrespondent
With the 101st airborne division,
Berchtesgaden. Germany, June 20
—(U.R)—Adolf Hitler and his mis
tess-bride Eva Braun shot them
selves dead with pistols in the Ber
lin chanlcellery shelter April 30,
two days after they married, and
their limp, bleeding bodies were
carried to the garden where they
were soaked in gasoline and burn
ed. Hitler’s personal chauffer said
today.
Paul Joseph Goebbels. minister
of propaganda, and his wife killed
themselves on the evening of May
1 and their bodies were burned m
the chancellery, the chauffer said
Martin Bormann. chief of the Na
zi party chancellery, the man who
had become the power behind Hit
ler and the last big Nazi unaccount
ed for, was wounded and probably
killed trying to escape Berlin in a
tank, according to the informant.
The man who told the story is
Eric H. Kempke, 34, Hitler s per
sonal chauffer since 1936.
* (Kempke’s amazing story, which
(Continued on Page Nine; Col. 3)
TRADE LEGISLATION
PASSEDBY SENATE
WASHINGTON, June 20— (T) -
Smashing down a series of restric
tive amendments the Senate today
passed and sent to the V/hite
House legislation extending the re
cinrocal trade agreements law
three more years with added pow
er toi- the President to cut tanff
l’3t6S.
Already authorized under the old
law to cut import duties in half,
the President will be empowered
under the new legislation to reduce
them another 50 per cent below
the i ates prevailing on January 1,
1945.
Yanks Capture Ilagan
In Philippine Valley
MANILA, Thursday, June 21.—
(iP)—Meeting little or no opposition
from an estimated 30,000 Japanese
fleeing northward in the Cagayan
valley of the Philippines, troops of
the American 37th Division captur
ed Ilagan, an important river junc
tion, and its airstrip Tuesday, Gen.
Douglas MacArthur reported to
day.
The river-hopping Buckeye Divi
sion pressed northward in pursuit
as the Japanese fell back toward
Aparri port on Luzon’s northern
coast.
As the Cagayan corridor nar
rowed to little more than 100 miles.
U. S. headquarters announced that
Filipino guerrillas were guard
ing any outlet to the north.
Maj. Gen. Robert S. Beightler’s
Buckeyes seized the Ilagan air
strip, a small secondary field ov
ergrown with brush and rank
grass as they crossed the 440-foot
wide Gagayan river aboard assault
boats and pressed forward seven
miles for a total gain of 10 miles
during the day. They killed 93
Japanese an^ captured 103, most
ly Formosans, as the advance con
tinued unimpeded.
Three other Yank divisions mop
ped up in the lower Cagayan val
ley where Japanese troops, re
treating westward, have taken
cover in the Caraballo mountains.
The American 6th Division, driv
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 5)
Nimitz Says
Campaign In
Final Stage
SMALL ARMS USED
Few Thousand Survivors
Reduced To Three Tight
Pockets '
GUAM, Thursady, June 21.—(/P)—
American Tenth Army troops,
eliminatingfanatically fighting
Japanese at the rate of 2,590 a
day, compressed the few thousand
survivors into three tight little
pockets on Okinawa yesterday.
Fleet Adm. Chester W. *Nimitz
announced today that 6,864 Japa
nese troops were killed and 885
captured on Sunday, Monday and
Tuesday—a total of 7,769 in only
three days fighting.
This was probably the highest
rate of Japanese slaughter for any
similar period in the central or
far western Pacific campaigns It
increased Japanese casualties for
80 days of Okinawa fighting to 87,•
343 killed and 2(565 prisoners.
■ Although still withholding any
announcement that bloody Okinawa
lias been secured, Nimitz said
remnants of the enemy were
broken into three pockets, the
largest of which was about 1,200
yarns in aiameier.
The closing phase of the battle
was weirdly quiet. Fighting was
at such close quarters that all
heavy artillery had been ordered,
to cease fire because of the danger
to American troops. But there still
was much stubborn small arms
and machine gun battling.
The largest remaining pocket of
enemy resistance surrounds Hill
81 north of Makabe.
The Seventh Infantry Division’s
184th Regiment, driving 1,600 yards
westward from the southeast coast,
joined elements of the First Marine
Division north of Komesu to close
off this central pocket from another
small pocket in the southeast
coastal sector around Hill 882
The third Japanese pocket, an
area about 1,000 yards square, was
in the Mabuni-Mura hills north of
Cape ARA, which is the southern
most point of Okinawa.
The First Marine Division’s Fifth
Regiment drove into Makabe town,
about 300 yards south of Hill 881,
where the Japanese were making
their stiffest stand.
Troops of the 96th Infantry Di
vision were closing on the central
pocket from the northeast. They
encountered stubborn resistance
from a series of steel-cored con
crete pillboxes.
On the south and southeast sides
of the central pocket, the Seventh.
Division’s 184th Regiment closed
(Continued on Page Nine; Col. 8)
GE AT FIRES SET
ON JAP HOMELAND
GUAM, June 20—UP)—Great fires
burned out of control for hours,
Radio Tokyo admitted today, in ■
two of the three secondary indus
trial cities of Japan given their
first fire treatment by Yank B
29's.
Shizuoka and Toyohashi, on Hon
shu, apparently were hardest hit
in the three-way mission which
cost two of the Superforts but
Fukuoka, on Kyushu, also burned
for two hours or more.
The 20th Air Force Command in
Washington reported results rang
ed from unobserved to excellent
and disclosed two of the planes
were missing. Air opposition was
described as weak and anti-air
craft fire medium and inaccurate.
CHINESE NEARING
LIUCHOW AIRFIELD
CHUNGKING, June 20—UP)—
The Chinese high command
claimed tonight that Chinese
troops had plowed within three
miles of Liuchow airfield, big
former American bomber base
in South China which was aban
doned to the Japanese by the
U. S. 14th Air Force seven
months ago.
Chinese headquarters ac
counts of the fighting made It
appear that Chinese reoecupa
tion of the airfield was immi
nent.