The Waterbury Democrat. [volume], April 24, 1945, Image 1

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ESTABLISHED 1881
VOL LXm, NO. »4
WATERBUIY, CONNECTICUT, TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 194S
FOURTEEN PAGES
PUCE 4 CERTS
NAZIS IN BERLIN DEATH STAND
Yanks 105 Miles From Hitler’s Hideout
Wounded Yank Receives Medal Of Honor
(NEA Telephoto)
MaJ. Gen. Willis H. Hale, Commanding General of AA F, Pacific Coast area, congratulates S-Sgt. H. E. Erwin,
Bessemer, Ala., after presenting him with Congressio nal Medal of Honor for picking up burning phos
phorous bomb over Tokyo and tossing it out of his B- 29. Members of crew whose lives he saved by his brave
act, look on at left.
Plenty Of Black Market
Meat Enters New England
E. Kiessling
Sued By Wife
For $50,000
Elmer C. Kiessling of Middlebury
* today was named defendant in a
$60,000 non-support action filed in
superior court by his wife, Emma
Kieesling of Middlebury.
Hie complaint states the defend
ant has refused to support his wife
and by his conduct “has endeavored
to force her from his domicile and
bring an action against him for
divorce so that he may be free to
re-marry.”
Mrs. Klessling states further that
her husband recently removed beds,
1 bedding and farm tools from their
home. He stated at that time, the
court writ states, that he would no
longer live with her, that he would
disconnect the telephone, electric
and gas from the property and "in
every way make it next to impos
sible for her to subsist.”
Mrs. Keissling points out her
i’ husband is treasurer of the Gen
eral Mfg. Co., and secretary oi
the American Fastener Co., and also
owns real estate and a well-stocked
farm in Middlebury and Woodbury.
His holdings are worth $50,000, she
states.
The court is asked to order tne
husband to contribute for the sup
port of his wife. An injunction
also is sought preventing him from
removing further articles of prop
erty from the plaintiff's domicile.
Red Juncture
' Likely Faked
By JOHN McDERMOTT
With U. S. First Army in Ger
many. April 24 — (U.P.) — Front
correspondents were unable to con
firm a junction with the Russians
on the American First Army sector
up to noon today, despite a Moscow
radio report that a link-up had been
made.
There was speculation either that
the broadcast was faked by the
Germans for their own purposes or
that the tactical situation changed
so as to delay the Russians or cause
a change In their plans for the
Junction.
A Russian voice broadcasting to
the First Army lines over a field
radio last night told the doughboys:
“Hold your positions. We are getting
closer. Don’t be impatient. We will
join you soon.”
Some field officers believed the
radio voice was that of a German
army operator. The speaker repeat
edly asked probing questions about
the location of the American for
ward positions and was insistent
that the Americans should hold
their lines.
That was viewed as a possible ruse
to keep the Americans bottled up
along the Mulde river while the
German troops caught between the
s Russians and the First Army pulled
out. . _
The corridor between the Rus
sians and the First Army last night
was still about 23 miles wide — the
distance between the Elbe and Mul
de rivers. There was no concrete
evidence early today that the Rus
sians were across the Elbe on this
front.
Many observers had believed the
junction would be made on the
- American Ninth Army front farther
north, where the Americans already
have a foothold across the Elba.
This view was based on the fact
(Continued on Page «
Boston, April 24—(UP)—A mem
ber of the special congressional
committee investigating food prob
lems said today that testimony in
dicates a "fantastically large”
amount of meat is going into the
blaclc market in New England.
Rep. Christian A. Herter, R.,
Mass., made his observation after
regional OPA meat ration officer
Frederick W. Lake testified at a
public hearing that 40,701,000 pounds
of federally and non-federaily in
spected meat were recorded in this
area during January and February
this year as compared with 23,795,
361 pounds in the corresponding
1944 period.
Noting the approximately 17,000,
000 pound increase, chairman Clin
ton P. Anderson, D.. N. M., remark
ed smilingly that "these New Eng
land states get along pretty well”
and "maybe we ought to divert a
little of this to New York.’’
Lake said that the total of non
federally inspected meat in Janu
ary and February 1944 was 14,900,000
pounds, while this year the amount
jumped to 29,400,000 pound.’,.
Anderson then commented, “well
that indicates a possible black mar
ket source. After all, if 15,000,000 of
a 17,000,000-increase is in non-fed
erally-inspected plants and if
slaughterers must take a loss if they
conform to the OPA ceilings, the
question is why would anyone want
to increase a bad business?"
Lake said he thought the in
crease could be attributed largely
to the number cf new slaughtering
licenses issued> to retailers who
thereby eliminate the wholesaler in
their transactions.
Herter said that Lane’s testi
mony tended to differ from "all
the others who say that New Eng
land is faring worse than other re
gions in the meat situation.” He
noted the 40 per cent decrease in
shipped-in tonnage this year from
1944 but said the increase in local
slaughter seemed to compensate
(Continued on Page 4)
Retain To
Surrender
Bern, April 24—(UP) — Marshal
Henri Philippe Petain, chief of
state of the defunct Vichy govern
ment, fled into Switzerland from
Germany today preparatory to sur
rendering to French authorities.
A Swiss government announce
ment said Petain had been granted
permission to enter Switzerland on
his plea that he wished to return
to France to answer charges of
treason.
The 89-year-old marshal, hero of
World War 1, crossed the border
at St. Margrethen on Lake Con
stance at 6 a. m. in a nine-car ca
ravan after spending the night at
Bregenz. He went there from Sig
maringen, seat of his puppet gov
ernment.
Petain will wait in Switzerland
for instructions from Paris as to
the time and place of his surrend
er, the Swiss announcement said.
He is wanted for trial as a traitor
in surrendering France to Ger
many in 1940 and subsequently col
laborating with the Nazis. His trial
was to have been held in Absentia
next month, but the Swiss an
nouncement means that he will be
on hand for the opening.
An official communique said Pe
tain applied to the Swiss Federal
Council for permission for himself,
his wife and a small suite to cross
Switzerland to France “in order to
give himself up to the French court
(Continued on Page 4)
Court Help
Desired In
Bauby Case
Court Intervention was sought to
day as the result of a disagreement
on disposition, sale and manage
ment of the Bauby property on Ex
change Place and several other real
estate holdings of the Bauby family.
Sixteen defendants are named in
the property action filed in superior
court today by John W. Bauby of
Bloomington, Ind.; and Joseph P.
Bauby of Springfield, Mass. The
plaintiffs and the defendants are
all part owners of the valuable
premises.
One count of the complaint in
volves property listed as located on
Bank street at Exchange Place, on
the site of the former Hodson land.
The other count involves five par
cels of property, located at 4-6 Bank
street, Hamden avenue, 88 Wads
worth street, 94 Lexington avenue,
and Washington avenue.
Pointing out that there is dis
agreement on disposition of the
property, and that the property is
of such a nature that it cannot be
partloned, the plaintiffs state it
would be to the best interest of all
parties that the property be sold
and proceeds divided. The formal
request to the court, however, is for
a partitioning or sale.
The court writ points out that the
property involved is part of the
premises described by the probate
certificate of devise from the estate
of Joseph Bauby, dated July 21, 1937
and that it also is described in a
probate certificate of distribution
dated July 31, 1930.
The Exchange Place property, the
basis of the first count of the litiga
tion, is subject to a mortgage loan
of $19,000 made in 1904 and assign
ed in 1927 to the Waterbury Savings
Bank, it is pointed out.
Interest of the defendants in that
parcel of property is listed in the
writ as follows: Adele J. Bauby of
Waterbury, one-quarter of an undi
vided one-half interest; Margaret
Bauby Goetz, of Miami, Fla.; Rosie
(Continued on Page 2)
Yanks Build
Okinawa Base
By FRANK TREMAINE
Guam, April 24—(UP1—American
forces have captured three quar
ters of Okinawa and have begun
converting it into a key base for
the next stage of the American
march on Japan and the China
coast, Admiral Chester W. Nimltz
said today.
Even as he spoke, American B-29
Superfortresses were continuing '
their softening-up bombardment of ;
Japan proper. A fleet of 150 from
the Marianas hit the Hitachi air
craft factory at Tachikawa, 14 miles
west of Tokyo, for the first time. 1
Nimltz revealed that development
of Okinawa into a major American ;
base was under way at a press ;
conference on the island following
an inspection tour.
“The acquisition of Okinawa will
permit us to project our sea and 1
air power to the China coast aiid
Japanese homeland and will greatly
facilitate and speed up operations ,
in the fture,” he said.
operations here are goln^
along as planned and development
of the island already has started."
Nimltz arrived at Okinawa
(Continued on Ptge 4)
3-ARMY DRIVE
SENT AGAINST
NAZI RETREAT
BY BOYD D. LEWIS
Paris, April 24. — (UP) —
More than 2,000 American
and French tanks crashed
through the outer defenses
of Hitler’s Bavarian Redoubt
on a 200-mile front today in
a blazing three-army drive
that carried within 105
miles of the Fuehrer’s Alpine
hideout at Berchtesgaden.
Headquarters revealed that
one of the greatest armored
striking forces in military
history had been thrown
against the Bavarian retreat
where the hunted Nazi lead
ers were trying to gather
their remaining SS divisions
for the last battle of Europe.
The American Third and Seventh
and the French First Armies were
advancing flank to flank though the
outer Bavarian defenses on a bat
tle line extending from the Swiss
to the Czechoslovak borders, using
possibly 10 or more armored divi
sions to spearhead the assault.
Flying tank columns of the U. S.
Third Army were far out in front
of the Berchtesgaden drive, shred
ding through a 45-mile belt of Nazi
defenses just west of the Czech
frontier.
18 Mile Advance
Rolling up advances of 18 miles
and more in 24 hours, the Amer
icans drove four miles pdst the Ger
man road center of Cham on their
eastern flank to a point only 105
miles northwest of Berchtesgaden
and 53 miles from Austrian soil.
Some Third Army tank columns
were operating under a rigid secur
ity blackout that suggested they
might be considerably closer to Hit
ler's Bavarian retreat. Headquarters
spokesmen said the enemy’s com
munications had been so badly cut
pp that their commanders appar
ently were not sure just where the
Third Army spearheads were.
The Third Army’s right wing was
closing fast on the great Danubian
fortress of Regensburg, 62 miles
northeast of Munich.
The Third Army breakthrough
overshadowed big gains by the
American Seventh and French First
Armies farther to the southwest.
The Americans extended their Dil
lingen bridgehead over the Danube
(Continued on Page 4)
Giles Given
Harmon's Job
Washington. April 23—(UP)—Lt.
Gen. Barney M. Giles, deputy com
mander of the Army air forces and
chief of air staff, has been named
commanding general of army air
forces in the Pacific ocean areas,
the War Department ’announced to
day.
He will be succeeded in his air
force posts here by Lt. Gen. Ira
C. Baker, who has commanded the
Mediterranean Allied air force since
December, 1943.
Lt. Gen. John K. Cannon, who
has been commanding general of
the 12th Air force will succeed
Baker.
Giles replaces Lt. Gen. Millard P.
Harmon, who was reported missing
recently in an airplane flight in
Maj. Gen. W. H. Hale, deputy
commander in the Pacific under
Harmon, has been acting comman
der since Harmon was missing.
The new deputy commander and
chief of air staff. Baker, command
ed the U. S. Army Air forces in
the European theater before going
to the. Mediterranean. He made a
large contribution to the develop
ment of strategic daylight bombing
technique, and won the distinguish
ed service medal for his services in
the European theater from Decem
ber, 1942, to Jan. 7, 1944.
It’s Hard To Bum Money
Even With Money To Bum \
BY FREDERICK C. OTHMAN
Washington, April 24 — (UP) —
The subject today Is how to light
a clgaret (If you can find one) with
a $1,000 bill and get away with It.
none the poorer.
What I’ve got is one of those
now-lt-can-be-told yarns. The
government already has announced
that after Pearl Harbor, It called
In all the currency In Hawaii and
replaced it with special Hawaiian
Islands money. That was so. If the
Japanese did Invade, the cash
would be no g xl to ’em any place
else.
Now come-> Stafford Austin,
manager of the Honolulu Planta
tion Co., to Ull what a nuisance
money can be when you’re trying
to get rid of it in large gobs. He
finally used about $70/100,000 to
boll down some sugar In his re
finery.
It may be that you used some of
this sugar on your corn-flakes this
d
morning. Austin says it tastes like
any other sugar, however, and not
to worry. He and the Treasury De
partment already have done that.
When the experts decided to call
in the regular money in Hawaii,
they issued dollars with the word
••Hawaii'’ printed on the backs.
The regular currency piled up in
small mountains in the back rooms
of all the banks.
•The treasury people decided it
was too costly to ship this money
back to the mainland,” Austin said.
‘They thought they’d better burn
It. They took it out to a cemetery
and stoked up the crematory, but
that money turned out to be almost
foreproof. It came in- tight pack
ages and they would char, but they
wouldn’t bum.
firemen nearly burned oat
the crematory, trying to bum
their money. Then they wondered
(Continued on Page d)
Big Three Hold FirstConference On Poland
(NEA Telephoto)
American, British and Soviet foreign officials meet in Washington for their first conference on the problem
of Poland’s representation at the San Francisco Confer ence. From left to right are Anthony Eden, British
Foreign Minister; Edward Stettinius, U. S. Secretary of State; V. U. Pavlov, assistant to V. M. Molotov; and
Russian Foreign Commissar Molotov.
Polish Question Alarms
Parley Before It Opens
Compromise
Over Poland
Speculated
By ROBERT J. MANNING
Washington, April 24—(UP)—The
big three’s diplomatic high com
mand moved' to San Francisco to
day amid speculation that a com
promise was shaping up in the dis
pute over Poland.
Secretary Anthony Eden and So
viet Foreign Commissar V. M. Mol
otov carried with them the drama
and perplexities of a hurried
eleventh-hour search for unity with
which to begin the United Nations
conference.
Three closely guarded meetings
of the Foreign Ministers and two
conferences between President Tru
man and Molotov failed to bring any
announcement of an agreement.
One by one, the big three states
men left early today for the West
Coast.
Parleys Cut Short
The dramatic parleys were cut
short late yesterday after Molotov’s
second visit in 24 hours with the
president when the Soviet diplomat
askecj for time to consult Moscow
on the deliberations that began with
his arrival late Sunday.
This fact, announced by the
White House, a few minutes after
Molotov left the president, aroused
speculation that a compromise had
been offered and needed Premier
Josef Stalin’s approval.
Observers who watched Stettinius
and Eden change gradually from ob
viously harassed individuals to
their normally jaunty selves during
yesterday’s fast-moving events con
sidered the transformation a hint
that progress was being made to
ward big three agreement on Polish
representation at San Francisco.
Russia has insisted that the So
viet-sponsored Warsaw regime be
invited to San Francisco. The
United States and Britain have so
far refused, insisting that the War
saw government must first be
broadened to Include other Polish
representatives along the lines
agreed upon last February at Yalta.
There has bene some suggestion
that Russia might be prepared to
grant concessions on other Issues
substantial enough to cause the
Americans and British to yield on
Poland for the sake of overall ac
cord.
In line with this view the Moscow
radio indicated last night that Rus
sia was still sticking to its conten
(Continued on Page 4)
By LYLE V. WILSON
San Francisco, April 24 — (U.P.)
—Tile United Nations conference on
international organization was jeop
ardized today before it began as the
American - British - Russian dispute
over Polish participation was trans
ferred here for adjustment.
The first plenary conference ses
sion is scheduled for 7:30 p. m.,
(EWT) tomorrow. With scarcely
more than 24 hours to go, the Big
Three found themselves in the em
barrassing position of being unable
to settle a misunderstanding which
they thought they had cleared up
last winter in the Crimea.
Efforts In Vain
Efforts to adjust the dispute in
preliminary Washington discussions
have failed. Delegates of other na
tions anxiously awaited the arrival
of the top diplomats of the big pow
ers. It generally was conceded that
the United States, Great Britain
and the Soviet Union must adjust
this dispute among themselves if
the United Nations conference is to
have the hoped-for opportunity to
write a post-war security charter.
Britains Foreign Secretary An
thony Eden and U. S. Secretary of
State Edward R. Stettinius, Jr.,
have been insisting that the Soviet
Union live up to the Crimea agree
ment that the Lublin government
"be reorganized on a broader Dem
ocratic basis with the inclusion of
Democratic leaders from Poland it
self and from Poles abroad.”
That was the essence of the
Crimea report on Poland and it was
signed by the late President Roose
velt. Prime Minister Winston
Churchill and Marshal Josef V.
Stalin.
Stettinius, Eden, Foreign Com
missar V. M. Molotov, of the Soviet
Union, and Foreign Minister T. V.
Soong, of China, were coming here
separately by air.
The Russians here are saying no,
thlng but they are the talk of tire
town. The mere fact that the 10th
floor of the St. Francis Hotel has
been taken over by the Russian
delegation has San Francisco
punchy with curiosity.
The accurate report that Russian
guards protected the Russian quar
ters added to the popular interest.
(Continued on Page 4)
Poles Set
To Comply
Moscow, April 24. — (UP) —
Leaders of the Polish Provisional
Government said today that they
were ready and anxious to comply
with the Big Three's recommenda
tion that a coalition regime be
formed in Poland.
At the same time, however. Presi
dent Boleslaw Beirut and Premier
Edward Osubka-Morawski said they j
could not include in sucn a govern- |
ment any members cf the rival exile ;
government in London who opposed
their internal and external policies.
Their statement at a press ccti
ference followed a Russian asser-:
tion that failure of the Poles to
form the recommended coalition
government should not bar the
present provisional regime from the
San Francisco conference.
The Soviet statement, issued by
the official Tass Agency, denied for
eign reports that the Crimean Con
ference had specified only a coali
tion government could be Invited
to San Francisco.
“At the Crimea Conference, this
question was not only not decided
upon, but was not discussed at all.”
Tass said.
The Crimean declaration, as Tass
said, did not mention Poland's qual
ification for attendance at the San
Francisco Conference. However,
both the United States and Britain
twtae have rejected Soviet demands
Hot the Provisional Government's
participation on grounds that only
a more representative government
should be invited.
%
Army To Drop
Enlisted Men,
42, Or Older
Washington, April 24.—(UP)—The
War Department announced today
that Army enlisted men 42 or older
may be discharged from the service
upon application.
Applications for discharge by such
men will be rejected only if they
are undergoing disciplinary action
or require further medical or sur
gical treatment, the War Depart
ment said.
Eligible soldiers overseas who ap
ply will be returned to the United
States for discharge at the earliest
practicable date.
The War Department estimated
approximately 50,000 soldiers • are
eligible to apply.
The new policy was announced
briefly as follows:
"The War Department announced
today that enlisted men 42 years of
age or over who voluntarily apply
will be discharged from the Army
unless the individual concerned is
undergoing disciplinary action or
unless further medical or surgical
treatment is required. Those sol
diers overseas who apply and are
eligible for a discharge will be re
turned to the United States for such
action at the earliest practicable
date.”
Tlie new policy does not apply to
officers, but there already is provi
sion for surplus officers to be dis
; charged.
Japs Split
On Mindanao
BY RICHARD G. HARRIS
Manila, April 24—(UP)—Amer
ican troops split Japanese forces
on Mindanao in two and raced to
ward tile principal city of Davao
today against only light opposi
tion.
As the Mindanao campaign near
ed its final phase, Gen. Douglas
MacArthur announced that 10,896
Japanese were killed and 353 cap
tured throughout the Philippines
in the last eight days.
Those figures brought the total
Japanese casualties in the Philip
pines to 334,465, compared to 34.
518 for the U. S. Sixth and Eighth
-Armies fighting in the Archipela
go. The American casualties con
sisted of 7,491 killed, 26,606 wound
ed and 421 missing, while a great
majority of the Japanese casualties
represented known dead.
The Japanese on Mindanao,
southernmost of the Philippine Is
lands. were cut in two when ele
ments of the 24th division speared
30 miles across country and seized
the road junction of Kabacan, se
vering the only land communica
tion be twee Davao and the north
ern part of the island.
The drive into Kabacan brought
those American trcc.ps just north I
of the U. S. forces which pushed
through I\jrt .•'Uut. Front reports
described the enemy opposition as
light as the two columns moved
within 50 miles of Davao.
American tactical bombers drop
ped another 372 tons of explosives•
on Japanese positions throughout
Luzon in the Northern Philippines
where U. S. troops made further]
(Continued on Page 4)
VATICAN RUMOR
Rome, April 24—(UP)—Informed |
sources .said today there was a
strong probability that the Vati-1
can, although not represented offi
cially at the San Francisco World ,
Security conference, would make an ,
effort to guide it toward Vatican 1
ideals of an international peace or
| ganlzation.
HALF OF CITY
NOW OCCUPIED
BY RED UNITS
BY ROBERT MOSEL
London, April 22. — (UP)
— The Red Army was re
ported today to have encir
cled the ruins of tottering
Berlin, and Nazi sources
hinted that the fanatical de
fenders were falling back fot
a death stand in the north
western quarters of the city.
The Soviet government
organ Izvestia said Berlin’s
hours were numbered. Two
Russian armies were chop
ping through street barri
cades in the heart of the cap
ital. Official reports lagging
far behind the blazing battle
said one-third to one-half of
Berlin had been captured.
Street fighting of “fantastic fury"
was reported by the Nazi-controlled
Oslo radio. It said the Soviet as
sault forces had taken a “great
number" of the stricken city's
blocks, and that the main weight of
the struggle now centered in the
northwestern section, which the
Nazis appeared to have chosen for
their last stand.
| A German hign command aamis
| sion that the Russians had reached
Brandenburg. 22 miles west of Ber
lin, indicated that they were run
ning rampant beyond the capital,
j It tended to support the encircle
ment report. A communique also
said Soviets had thrust as far as the
area south o fPotsdam and beyond
Koenigswusterhausen. at the south
eastern edge of the city.
Unqualified Report
As the battle of Berlin raged, the
first unqualified report of a his
toric junction between the Red array
and the United States army came
from Moscow. A United Press dis
patch said Marshal Ivan S. Konev's
First Ukranian army had joined
forces with the American First army
60 miles or so south of Berlin. It
added that Marshal Gregory K.
Zhukov’s First White Russian army
was speeding toward an imminent
junction with the U. S. Ninth army
at Stendal.
Stockholm and French advices re
ported the encirclement of Berlin
and the trapping of whatever mem
bers of the Nazi hierarchy remained
to witness the death throes of their
devastated capital. The Nazis said
yesterday that Adolf Hitler was di
recting the defense of Berlin, but
(Continued on Page 4)
Fifth Closes
On La Spezia
BY HERBERT KING
Rome, April 24. (UP)—The Ameri
can Fifth Army closed in on the
great naval base of La Spezia to
day on the heels of first-retreating
German forces In northern Italy.
Allied force headquarters report
ed the Americans were moving ir.
lor the kill at La Spezia, while
Italian radio reports said the city
was flanked from the east and
northeast and faced encirclement.
A securtiy blackout obscured exact
Fifth Army positions.
La Spezia. with a peace-time popu
lation of 89,000, has a large har
bor and was the Italian Navy's chief
base.
Meanwhile. Eighth Army units
fought a bitter battle in the out
skirts of Ferrara, where the Nazi*
were making a suicide stand to save
at least one Po river crossing for
their routed forces.
Today's communique reported
that the Fifth and Eighth armies
generally had closed to the Po
banks along a wide front, but a
stricter-than-ever security blackout
prevented the mention of specific
positions.
So far there were no reports of
crossings of the Po, last great river
harried in northen Italy.
Allied Air Forces pounded retreat
ing German columns day and night,
turning the northward flight into
a rout.
Authoritative sources said, Ger
man communications now apparent
ly are completely disrupted.”
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