Evening star. [volume], August 09, 1945, Image 1

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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An Associated Press Newspaper
93d YEAR. No. 36,986. Mkone NA. 5000.
WASHINGTON, D. C., THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 1945—THIRTY-SIX PAGES. ★★★
City Bern* Dellrery. Dally and Sunday a: /■'ITjivrmc!
90e a Month.. When 6 Sunday*. SI.00 5 OHiJN 1 fe
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*
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Japanese Report Sharp Fighting;
Nagasaki Is Hit in New U. S. Blow
Vast Pincers Suggested as
Russians Cross Border at
Points on 300-Mile Front
BULLETIN.
CHUNGKING (/P). — American Air Forces have
been hammering Japanese routes of withdrawal north
ward for a month with foreknowledge of the Russian
entry into the war and have “seriously interfered”
with the enemy’s movements toward the Russian
front, Lt. Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer said today.
(Map on Page A-2.)
3y the Associated Press.
Red Army troops slashed across the eastern and west
ern frontiers of Manchuria early today, shortly after the
Russian declaration of war against Japan became effec
tive, and sharp fighting now is in progress in all invaded
areas, the Tokyo radio announced.
A broadcast Domei dispatch said Russian forces had
battered across the eastern frontier of Manchuria at “sev
eral points” along a 300-mile line extending southward
from Hutou to Hunchun. Hutou, just across the Soviet
Manchurian border, is 350 miles east of Harbin, key in
dustrial and communications center. Hunchun is about
240 miles southeast of Harbin, regarded as a prime Rus
sian objective.
The attack from the west, Tokyo said, was launched In the
vicinity of Lupin (Manchouli), in the northwestern elbow of the
winding Manchurian border, about 500 air miles northwest of
Harbin.
Strike Across East and West Frontiers.
A Japanese imperial headquarters communique said the Rus
ian attack across the eastern and western frontiers began shortly
fter midnight. This suggested a vast pincers movement against
he crack Kwantung Army, pride of Emperor Hirohito’s forces,
2lieved massed in Manchuria.
The headquarters communique asserted that “part of the
'oviet Army opened attacks after crossing the eastern and west
.n Manchukuo-Soviet borders while simultaneously small num
;ers of aircraft of the Soviet Air Force made separate raids on
arts of Northern Manchukuo (Manchuria) and Northern Chosen
i Korea).
“Both the Japanese and Man-'
chuokuoan Armies in these areas
counterattacked for self-defense and
now are engaged in fighting with the
ooviet Army.”
Domei said the targets of the
Soviet planes included Harbin and
Kirin, capital of Kirin Province.
270 miles southwest of Vladivostok;
Rashtn, a Japanese naval base in
Korea, and Genzan (Wonsan) a
port on the eastern coast of Korea
Other points also were attacked by
the Russian planes, the dispatch
said.
State Council Meeting Called.
The enemy bulletin declared pup
pet Manchurian troops had joined
the Japanese in counterattacks.
Tokyo said the Manchurian pup
Jap Agency Warning
Of 'Special' News
Fails to Materialize
Mr the Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 9 —
Domei, Japanese news agency,
today transmitted a wireless
message to its bureaus through
out the Orient instructing them
to “watch for an important
announcement in subsequent
transmissions.”
It added that a special trans
mission would be made at 9:30
p.m., Tokyo time (8:30 am.,
EWT), or later. No subject
was hinted in the warning,
issued at 3 pm., Tokyo time.
Later Domei sent another
message telling bureaus to
"stand by for possible emer
gency transmissions during 6
p m, 9:30 pm. and 11:30 pm.
transmissions for the three days
of August 9, 10 and 11.” It
still did not indicate the specific
reason.
NEW YORK, Aug. 9 (IP).—
Mutual Broadcasting System
said today a Japanese radio
announcement for which listen
ers had been ordered to stand
by Was merely a formal an
nouncement that Russia and
Japan were at war.
pet government this morning pro
claimed a defense decree for the
entire nation "against the Soviet
Army’s pnJawful invasion.”
“At the same time,” the dispatch
said, “the government called an
extraordinary meeting of the State
Council and took steps for giving
immediate full play to the nation’s
power, thereby putting in order the
government and people’s front for
repulsing the Red Army.”
Senior members of “Dai Nippon
Seijaki,” most influential political
party in Japan, held an emergency
meeting at the Diet building in
Tokyo to discuss countermeasures
“capable of meeting the sudden de
velopment in the war situation fol
(See RUSSIA, Page A-2.)
One additional man from
the District area has been re
ported killed in this tear. See
"On the Honor Roll,” Page A-6.
•
Russian Troops
Sing in Streets
On Hearing News
Crowds of Citizens ’
Pour From Homes
To Cheer Soldiers
By EDDY GILMORE,
Associated Press Stall Writer.
MOSCOW, Aug. 9.—Long col
umns of Red Army soldiers,
flushed with victory over Hitler
ite Germany, marched, singing,
through the streets of Moscow
early today after they had heard
that Russia had declared war at
last on its old enemy, Japan.
The Soviet people awaited the first
news of the fighting, but neither ra
dio nor press carried any war dis
patches from East Asia as yet.
Crowds of citizens poured from
their homes to cheer the marching
troops. But they were by no means
surprised that war in the Par East
had come. They had been prepared
for the news for some time.
in lact, people seemea to case it
as calmly as Soviet Foreign Com
missar Vyacheslav Molotov an
nounced it to newsmen last night.
The foreign commissar disclosed
the dramatic news in a casual, al
most nonchalant fashion at a press
conference in the brilliantly illumi
nated conference room at the Soviet
Foreign Office. Three and a half
hours before, at 5 p.m. (Moscow
time) he had summoned Japanese
Ambassador Naotake Satd> to the
Kremlin and handed him the de
claration, to be effective at mid
night, seven hours later.
Sato Remains at Embassy.
Sato was permitted to send his
last telegram to Tokyo with the an
nouncement. The Ambassador re
mained at the Japanese Embassy in
Moscow’s residential section last
night, with his staff gathered about
him. Japanese who were living in
Moscow began flocking to the em
bassy a short time after Sato re
ceived the news. Their return to
Japan will be subject to the ar
rangements for the return of the
Soviet staff from Tokyo.
(The Tokyo radio, in an Eng
lish-language broadcast to North
America, said no official message
had been received today—up to 2
P-m., Tokyo time, from Sato. The
broadcast came after other Tokyo
radio reports quoted .Moscow
broadcasts as saying Sato had
been informed of the declaration.
(Tokyo later quoted a Moscow
broadcast as saying Sato, the
embassy staff and Japanese press
correspondents were interned in
the Japanese Embassy.)
Proclaimed by Radio.
An hour and 30 minutes after
newsmen were told the news of the
war declaration last night, the So
viet radio proclaimed it from one
end of the vast Soviet Union to the
Other.
Mr. Molotov, asserting the decla
ration was a move to Join the Allies
(See MOSCOW, Page A-3.)
Halsey's Fleet
Resumes Aerial
Blasting of Japs
1,200 Carrier Craft
Hit North Honshu;
Opposition Slight
Ey the Associated Press.
GUAM, Aug. 9.—Admiral Wil
liam F. Halsey’s mighty 3d Fleet
attacked Japan anew today with
more than 1,200 carrier planes
and brushed aside enemy air op
position, the first encountered
since it started hounding the
Japanese homeland more than a
month ago.
A dispatch from Associated Press
Correspondent A1 Dopking, with the
fleet, said the armada's antiaircraft
guns thundered as the Japanese
planes appeared and that he saw
two shot down. No ship reported
damage.
Many Jap Planes Set Aflre.
Returned carrier pilots, who
started their atacks before dawn
against Northern Honshu, reported
many Japanese planes set aflre on
the ground, two ships sunk and at
least six others damaged.
The return of Admiral Halsey’s
massive fleet to waters off North
Honshu—the same sector where it
began its “Red July” scourge of the
enemy fleet, air force and coastal
industries—came as Admiral Cheater
W. Nimitz pledged Russia the as
sistance of the Navy.
Tne Tokyo radio reported tnat in
addition to the hegvy carrier plane
attacks, surface units of the 3d
Fleet were shelling the Northeast
ern Honshu steel city of Kamaishi,
which has a population of 43,000.
Tokyo Tells ef Attack.
The Japanese Dome! news agency
reported that about 300 American
bombers and fighters raided the
western section of Honshu Island
today for three hours before noon
(Japanese time).
Domei’s report said the raiders
struck at Hiroshima and Yama
guchi prefectures in Western Hon
shu after, the Super Fortress fire
bomb attack on Fukuyama.
“The attacks are now continuing,”
Admiral Nimitz said, suggesting the
same day-long type of raids which
last month destroyed or damaged
more than 1,000 enemy vessels and
more than 1,300 planes.
A1 Dopking, aboard a warship of
the fleet, said the flyers swarmed to
the attack elated by the news of the
devastating effect of America’s new
atomic bomb and of Russian entry
into the Pacific war. He said first
sweeps were sent over the Northern
Honshu cities of Koriyama, Masuda,
Matsushima, Niigata, Sendai and
Yabuki.
Enemy Taken by Surprise.
Mr. Dopking said such tactical
surprise was achieved that the fleet
raiders "may have caught the en
emy’s planes before they had time
to conceal them as they have in the
past by putting them in graveyards
and the back yards of homes.”
Yet the Navy called its shot only
yesterday, warning Japan boldly in
a broadcast that Admiral Halsey
was moving in again after having
dodged a typhoon.
Even as tne 3a Fleet steamea
contemptuously close to the Jap
anese coast to resume its poundings
of the homeland, only two Japanese
planes came near it," Mr. Dopking’s
dispatch said.
"Both these were shot down long
before they had a chance to get a
glimpse of this Navy powerhouse
and it is doubtful if its movements
were detected, although it probably
was the noisiest approach to enemy
shores in naval history.
“On the way to the launching
area, the fleet daily held antiaircraft
practice, firing thousands of rounds
at sleeve targets towed by one of
its own planes."
29 Airfields Are Targets.
Ten days after his carrier planes
swept the width of Southern Hon
shu from Tokyo to Maizuru, Ad
miral Halsey struck the north end
to clean up Japanese shipping, air
bases and other military targets.
North Honshu’s potential targets
Included more than 20 airfields, a
(Sec FLEET’ Pa8e A-3.)
Paramushiro Volcano
Reported Erupting
By the Associated Press.
ADAK, Aleutians, Aug. 9.—Long
dormant Chikura Dake volcano pn
Paramushiro in Japan’s Kurile
Islands was reported by Army and
Navy pilots yesterday to be erupting
20^00 feet in the air.
The mile-high peak is 3 miles
from Kakumbatsu airfield on Para
mushiro and within IS miles of two
other airfields, but the pilots did
not disclose whether lava was roll
ing down on any of the enemy in
stallations.
There are two other volcanoes on
the island, one of which is active.
► —...
More Than One of
New Missiles May
Have Been Used
BULLETIN.
GUAM (IP).—A task force of
80 Super Fortresses tonight
attacked the important avia
tion gasoline refinery and
tank storage farm at Amaga
saki, near Osaka, with near
ly 500. tons of demolition
bombs.
By the Associated Press.
GUAM, Aug. 9.—The world's
most destructive force — the
atomic bomb—was used for the
second time against Japan today,
striking the important Kyushu
Island city of Nagasaki with ob
served "good results.”
More than one bomb may have
been dropped in this second attack
and it might have been of a differ
ent size than the first one which
destroyed 60 per cent of Hiroshima.
The carefully worded communique
said only that the second use of the
atomic bomb had occurred, leaving
to speculation all other details.
(The atomic bombing was fol
lowed with an attack by "about
100 B-29s" on Tokyo area tar
gets, Tokyo radio reported. The
bombers struck at Oji, Shima,
Ogikubo and Tamachi, described
as-industrial areas, and at Senju
at 4:50 pm. Japan time, the
broadcast added. It was the
fourth consecutive day—if the
report is confirmed—that the
Marianas-based B-29s have raid
ed Japan with fire and explo
sive bombs.)
The atomic bomb was dropped at
noon, Japanese time—about nine
hours after the Tokyo radio reported
Red Army troops had backed up
Russia’s declaration of war on Japan
by attacking enemy forces in Eastern
Manchukuo both by land and by
air, and while four other Japanese
cities sttft burned from round-the
clock B-29 incendiary and demoli
tion attacks.
Japs Teh of Devastation.
The Japanese had had time to
study the devastation wrought at
Hiroshima, where they reported
"practically every living thing” was
destroyed as 60 per cent of that
city of 343,000 was wrecked Monday.
The damage done to Hiroshima
was described by American photo
graphic officers as equivalent to
about what 150 Super Ports would
have accomplished with high explo
sive bombs.
This, however, was not intended
to indicate the maximum potential
of the new weapon.
Nagasaki, Western Kyushu sea
port and railroad terminal with an
estimated 255,000 population in its 12
square miles, was a far more im
portant military target.
Nagasaki More Vulnerable.
Oen. Carl Spaatz’s United States
Aimy Strategic Air Force headquar
ters said Nagasaki, with its houses
jampacked probably was even more
vulnerable to an atom bombing.
Hiroshima was one*of the best laid
out cities for defense against fire
raids, but its extensive firebreaks
and three streams flowing through
or near the city failed to save it.
Damage and death extended outside
the city limits—damage greater
than had been caused by 1,000 tons
of incendiary and demolition bombs
dropped on other Japanese cities.
Although the second atomic bomb
ing was carried out on the same day
Russia declared war, there was no
indications these two great blows
were planned to coincide.
The double blofc, coupled with re
newal of Admiral William F. Hal
sey’s 3d Fleet carrier raids and
stepped up B-29 attacks, could not
fail, however, to hit hard at Japa
nese morale.
Contained Important Plants.
Nagasaki will give observers an
other opportunity to study the new
bomb's effectiveness against a large
city. Nagasaki virtually was un
touched by American might, al
thought it was attacked nearly a
| year ago by China-based B-29s and
(See ATOM BOMB, Page A-4.)
I
The Cabinet Meets to Discuss Sending an Ambassador to Mars
President Holds Talk
With Top Advisers
On Atomic Bombs
Gen. Groves, Director
Of Secret Work, and
Scientists Present
(Picture on Page A-3.)
Er the Associated Press.
President Truman called in top
military, diplomatic and scien
tific advisers today to discuss the
atomic borrib whose terrific de
structive fleet twice has been
felt by Japan.
Secretary of War Stimson post
poned his regular weekly news con
ference until tomorrow to attend the
White House meeting. He took with
him Maj. Gen. Leslie Groves, who
supervised the secret work which
harnessed for war purposes the
atom’s terrific energy. Gen. Groves
was to have attended Mr. Stimson’s
news conference today.
Secretary of State Byrnes, who
sat beside Mr. Truman when the
President announced Russia’s dec
laration of war on Japan yesterday,
came across the street to join the
meeting.
Scientists Also present
Others present included scientists
who played a leading part in de
veloping the revolutionary weapon.
They were:
Dr. Vannevar Bush, director of
the Office of Scientific Research and
Development; Dr. James Conant,
president of Harvard University,
and George L. Harrison, one time
president of the New York Federal
Reserve Bank who also contributed
to the vast engineering work in
volved.
On leaving the White House, the
conferees refused to discusfc their
session with the President.
Gen. Groves, acting as spokes
man, said:
“If I had been told to hold a press
conference I would have been glad
to hold one.”
Stimson Refuses to Comment.
Press Secretary Charles G. Ross
referred questions about the meet
ing to Secretary Stimson, but the
latter had no comment.
The advisers are all members of
the interim Committee which Mr.
Truman named to study the con
trol and further use of atomic energy
in war and peace, but Mr. Stimson,
who is the chairman, said it was
not a meeting of the committee.
He added that a “special call” had
brought the men to the White
House.
House Committee in Berlin
BERLIN, Aug. » (JP).—An 11-man
congressional committee headed by
Representative Wickersham, Demo
crat, of Oklahoma toured Berlin to
day.
5 Spies, Seeking*Atom Secrets
In U. S., Double-Crossed Nazis
By the Associated Press.
The FBI said today that five Ger
man spies sent to the United States
after 1939 to learn of atomic bomb
developments were persuaded to
double-cross the Nazis and work as
counterespionage agents.
"Several” of the spies Were inter
cepted in Europe and South America
en route to this country and were
made “double agents” before they
launched any espionage activities
for the Nads, an FBI spokesman
said. He would not disclose their
names.
As a result of American alertness,
the FBI said, no sabotage of any
kind was committed in an atomic
plant.
The German agents carried speci
fic instructions from the German
high command to get information
on the atomic bomb experimental
program, the spokesman said.
M
The Germans were especially in
terested in protective devices used
in atomic experiments, in the sources
of uranium and whether any ex
plosions had occurred in the atomic
plants, indicating, the spokesman
said, that the Germans were experi
encing difficulties in their atomic
bomb research.
One of the spies, who worked for
the FBI as a double agent for two
and-a-half years, transmitted fake
information an our atomic bomb
program to the Germans and in re
turn received inquiries from Berlin
which proved of value to the FBI.
The FBI studied 269,303 applicant
finger cards for the “Manhattan
District Project” and found that
31,223 had criminal records worth
investigating by the Army, the
spokesman said.
In addition, the FBI investigated
every person employed by the atomic
bomb development.
President Drops Work
To Meet Mrs. Truman
At Union Station
President Truman has plenty
to think about and he Is prob
ably the busiest man in the
world.
Nevertheless, this morning,
when Mrs. Truman arrived in
town from their Missouri home
(she came in on the regularly
scheduled 11:20 train from St.
Louis), the man who helped her
off the train, and escorted her
to the car was her husband.
War Crimes Tribunal
To Consist of Judges
From 4 Major Powers
Allies Issue Agreement
On Establishing Court
And Procedure at Trials
(Text of Agreement on Page A-ll.)
Et the Associated Presi.
LONDON, Aug. 9.—The Nazi
and Fascist leaders who plunged
Europe into history’s most hor
rible war will answer for their
crimes before an international
military tribunal composed of
judges from the United States,
Great Britain, Russia and
France.
This was assured last night by
announcement of an inter-Allied
agreement on establishment of the
court and the rules of law under
which the Axis leaders will be tried.
For the first time there has been
firmly established in international
law the principle that those who
plan aggressive wars — “crimes
against peace”—may be held per
sonally responsible.
The agreement, based largely on
a plan suggested by Supreme Court
Justice Robert H. Jackson, the
American representative, provides
for a military tribunal of four mem
bers before whom war criminals
will be tried. Presidency of the court
will rotate among judges of the
four powers composing it. Its head
quarters will be in Berlin.
Fair Trials Planned.
As a gesture of poetic justice, the
first trial will be held in Nuernberg
—the “shrine city” of the Nazis—
where Adolf Hitler, addressing
colossal Nazi assemblages, once
poured out torrents of venom against
the states which later were his
military victims.
The tribunal will have power to
inflict the death penalty and will
operate under rules designed to
give the accused a fair trial. Ap
peals are barred, and judgments of
the court are final. Time-consuming
technicalities often employed in
American courts will not be per
mitted under the simplified legal
procedure established in the
Charter.
Justice Jackson, in a statement ac
companying the 30-article Charter,
said the document represented
“mutual concessions” designed to
blend American standards of justice
and protection of the defendants
with the continental system “which
the Germans themselves haye em
ployed and understood.”
Primarily, a tri-pronged defini
tion of war crimes was established
as the basis, this specified “crimes
against the peace,” involving plan
ning and waging aggressive war
and violating international treaties;
war crimes which violate rules or
customs of war, and crimes against
humanity, which would include
atrocities and use of slave labor,
as wall as persecution oq political,
religious and racial grounds.
“If we can cultivate in the world
the idea that aggressive warmaking
is the way to the prisoner’s dock
(See WAR CRIMES, Page A-3.)
A
Truman Gives Krug
Five-Point Plan to
Speed Reconversion
WRB Chairman Is Told
To Lift Controls as Soon
As Need Is Ended
President Truman today told
WPB Chairman J. A. Krug that
wartime production controls
“should be lifted as sooa as they
are no longer needed" and laid
down a five-point plan to speed
reconversion of industry' to
peacetime production.
In a letter to Mr. Krug, the Presi
dent said WPB can and should "play
an important role in reconversion,”
and he asked Mr. Krug to take these
steps:
1. A vigorous drive to expand pro
duction of materials which are in
short supply “not only because of
military demands, but to meet qivil
ian demands as well.”
2. A limitation on the maufac
ture of products which would re
quire materials that are in short
supply.
3. A broad and effective control of
inventories “to avoid speculative
hoarding.” ,
4. Granting of priority assistance
“to break bottlenecks which may
impede the reconversion process.”
5. Allocation of scarce materials
for the production of low-priced
items "essential to the continued
success of the stabilization pro
gram.”
Krug, Bowie* in Conference.
Mr. Truman's letter was made
public shortly after he had con
ferred with Mr. Krug and OPA Ad
ministrator Chester Bowles, who
have been at odds over the problem
of pricing during the reconversion
period.
Mr. Bowles recently called on War
Mobilization and Reconversion Di
rector John W. Snyder to say
whether materials no longer needed
for the war are to be thrown on the
market or channeled into civilian
production in orderly fashion.
In concluding his letter to Mr.
Krug, the President expressed the
hope that "all the officials and staff
of your board, whose services are
needed, will stay on the job.”
He added that their work was not
done yet and “the people of the
United States expect them to be
good soldiers and remain in service
until the need has passed.”
No Reference to Clash.
While the Truman letter avoided
any direct reference to the inter
agency clash, it was evident that it
had been brought to his attention,
because he said at the outset of the
letter that he had consulted with
Director Snyder "regarding steps to
be taken by this Government to
speed reconversion.”
“Every opportunity must be given
to private business to exercise its
ingenuity and forcefulness in speed
ing the resumption of civilian pro
duction, subject to war needs,” Mr.
Truman said. "The Government has
a major responsibility to assist in
the achievement of an orderly tran
sition from war production to civil
ian production. This is essential to
the war production that continues
and to the development of a healthy
national economy.
"You and I have agreed that the
War Production Board can and
(See RECONVERSION, Page A-3.)
Late Bulletin
Fenwick Appears Winner
Charles H. Fenwick, Arling
ton, apparently had won the
Virginia Democratic nomin
ation for Lieutenant Gover
nor today. Returns from all
hut 21 of the State’s 1,715
precincts gave him 51,851
Totes to 50,539 for his closest
opponent, L Preston Collins.
Early story on page B-l.
Nation Awaits
Truman Report
On War Outlook
Broadcast Tonight
Expected to Center
On Pacific Situation
By J. A. FOX.
With Russian troops on the
march against Japan from both
east and west and the atomic
bomb campaign finding its sec
ond target in strategic Nagasaki,
official Washington today hoped
and expected that the backbone
of enemy resistanse in the Pacific
would be broken swiftly.
President Truman will report on
the war to the Nation at 10 o’clock
tonight in a 30-minute speech over
all radio networks.
When the speech first was
planned, it was expected to deal
chiefly with the Potsdam Confer
ence, where the agreement was
reached for Russia’s spectacular en
try into the war, flashed *to the
world yesterday afternoon. Now it
is believed that with the Big Three
once more united in war, the Pres
ident will deal at length with the
outlook in the Pacific.
OWI Opens Campaign.
Mr. Truman announced Russia’s
entry into the conflict at a hastily
called press conference at 3 p.m.
yesterday.
Coincidentally, in a new drive to
weaken Japanese morale, the OWI
opened an intensified 24-hour prop
aganda campaign, directed at tha
Japanese people over the heads of
their leaders.
“I hope that the people of Japan
will now realize that further resist
ance to the forces of the nations
now united in the enforcement of
law and justice will be futile,” Sec
retary of State Byrnes told a press
conference shortly after the Russian
announcement. “There is still time
—but little time—for the Japanese
to save themselves from the destruc
tion which threatens them.”
Peace Move Awaited.
The snowballing developments so
clearly spelling out the doom of
Japan caused Washington to wait
tensely for some peace move from
the enemy, or possibly word of in
ternal trouble which could lead to
revolution.
In the event Japan decides to
fight on, some authorities believe
the end of the war could be delayed
a year or so. At any rate, the con
viction is voiced on all sides that
the end will come months sooner
because of Soviet participation,
which was effected just three days
after America had loosed the first
atomic bomb against Japan.
Mr. Truman broke the news of
Russia s declaration yesterday si
multaneously with the Moscow ra
dio, but his words were the first to
reach the American people.
Russia Was Not Figured.
Newsmen summoned from all
parts of town by White House Press
Secretary Charles G. Ross were
told that the President would have
an announcement — but there was
nothing to indicate what its natura
would be, and Russia was not figur
ing in the guessing contest.
As the doors of the President's
office were opened, they found him
flanked by Secretary Byrnes, Ad
miral William D. Leahy, War Mo
bilization Director John W. Snyder
and members of the White House
staff.
“I have only a simple announce
ment to make,” the President said
quietly. “I can’t hold a regular press
conference today, but this an
nouncement is so important I
thought r would call you in. Russia
has just declared war on Japan.
That is all.”
Super Forts to Carry
15 Tons of Bombs
Ey the Associated Press.
OKINAWA, Aug. 9.—Okinawa
based Super Fortresses will be able
to carry a 15-ton bomb load on every
strike they make at Japan, Lt. Gen.
James Doolittle disclosed today in
welcoming the B-29s of his 8th Air
Force to their new home here.
The Marianas-based Super Fort
resses have been able to carry a top
load of 10 tons, but nearness to the
target and some technical changes
permit the Okinawa B-29s to in
crease their destructive load 50 per
cent.
Army Air Force officers said a
15-ton bomb load would set a new
record. The British Lancasters car
ried 11-ton “grand slam” bombs.
It was pointed out that Super
Forts from the Marianas needed
7,000 gallons of gasoline, which
weighs about 21 tons, for the round
trip of 3,200 miles to Tokyo. The
round trip between Okinawa and
Tokyo is about 1,900 miles, which
would require about eight tons less
of gasoline.
Cumberland Results
FIRST RACE—Purse, $800; 4-year-olds
end up; claiming; about 5 furlongs.
Styx (Edens) 4.40 S.10 2.7#
Rhyme Maker (Covalll) 3.60 -.00
Rose Aztecs (Challls) 5.40
, Tima 0:56.
Also ran—Famas Time, Pllates Punch,
Refreshment, Bonnie Ina.