The Daily Alaska empire. [volume], June 02, 1944, Image 1

About The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964

Image provided by: Alaska State Library Historical Collections

                
THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE
“ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME"
sr
VOL. XLII., NO. 9668.
JUNEAU, ALASKA, FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 1944
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
PRICE TEN CENTS
Allies Are Slashing Escape Route for Nazis
MAIN ARTERY
IS CUT OFF BY
FIFTH ARMY
Yank Spearhead Battling
on Heights Bypasses
Encircled Velletri
BULLETIN—ALLIED HEAD
QUARTERS IN NAPLES, June
2. — The German wall before
Rome began to crumble late to
day as the Fifth Army captured
both Vellentria and Valmontone,
two of the biggest fortress cities
guarding the Eternal City. The
Fifth Army is firmly astride Via
Castilinia after cutting it near
Valmontone and cutting off
whatever German troops of nine
divisions that have been unable
to withdarw. Valmontone was
defended by Herman Goering’s
crack armored division.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS AT
NAPLES, June 2. — Fifth Army
troops have cut the Via Casilina,
sealing off the main German es
cape route, and have broken into
Velletri, already left two miles be
(Continued on Page Two)
The Washington
Merry-Go-Round
By DREW PEARSON
(Lt. Col. Robert S. Allen now on active
service with the Army.)
WASHINGTON — While dynamic,
popular Eric Johnston, President of
the U. S. Chamber of Commeroe,
has been wowing them in the East,
the folks back in his home state
of Washington aren’t too happy.
Republicans in Washington state
call Eric "ballot-shy.”
Reason is that he won’t come
back and run for the Senate seat
of retiring Senator Homer Bone,
soon to become a circuit judge.
Republicans think that the live
wire President of the U. S. Cham
ber might help to lift up the en
tire GOP ticket and give them a
chance to win. But he won’t come.
They attribute this to the almost
forgotten fact that Johnston did
run for the Senate in the Republi
can primaries in 1940 and was snow
ed under. He was beaten by Re
publican Steve Chadwick, former
American Legion Commander, who
got 137,000 votes against Eric’s 40,
000. Then, in the final election,
Chadwick was beaten by Democrat
Mon Wallgren, now in the Senate.
Democratic candidate for Bone’s
place will be go-getting young Rep
resentative Warren Magnuson of
Seattle, who will be hard to beat.
If Johnston should run against him
and lose, his national prestige might
go down the drain. Also, friends
urge that he is doing an A-l job
for the U. S. Chamber.
Senator Mon Wallgren, who now
will run for Governor, wants to
leave the Senate far the same rea
son many others have—namely, the
difficulty of living on a Senator’s
$10,000 when you have to keep a
home in two places, and when
everything else’ has gone up.
Wallgren, one of the best-liked
men in the Senate, runs a jewelry
store in Everett, Wash., but sel
dom gets home to take care of it.
He first jumped into prominence
when he won the three-cushion
billiard championship in Washing
ton.
HUEY P. LONG BRIDGE
American doughboys were com
ing up to the front in Italy. It
was tough going. An artillery bar
rage was hitting all around them
and no one was too happy.
Suddenly, according to Sergeant
A. A. Edgecombe of New Orleans,
the company came to a bridge con
structed a few hours before, by
U. S. engineers. On it was a fresh
ly painted sign. It read:
"Huey P. Long Bridge.”
There were a lot of Louisiana
boys in the company who knew of
bridges Huey built all over Louis
iana during his reign as Kingfish.
(Continued on Page Four)
NAZIS FAIL
IN PUSH ON
RUSS LINES
Reds Smash Counterat
tacks at Iasi with Great
Cost to Germans
LONDON, June 2. — Red Army
troops have smashed all German
attempts to crack the Russian lines
north of Iasi, Rumania, and even
counterattacked in some sectors, in
flicting heavy casualties on the en
emy, Moscow said in a broadcast
communique.
Telling about the fourth succes
sive day of battle, the bulletin said
that 800 Nazi soldiers were killed
and 17 tanks knocked out.
A Finnish communique reported
strong Russian attacks on the two
fronts facing Finland, on the Kar
elian Isthmus northwest of Lenin
grad, and between Lakes Ladoga
and Onega.
Moscow made no mention of these
actions, but told of a two-hour
skirmish southeast of Stanislawow
in old Poland at a cost to the Ger
mans of 100 dead, also a scouting
action northwest of Vitebsk in
White Russia.
FOUR ISLANDS
HELD BY JAPS
GET BOMBING
WASHINGTON, June 2.—Guam,
Wake, Truk and Ponape Islands,
now in Japanese hands, have been
bombed by United States planes.
The Navy Department reports the
attack on Guam was made by Army
planes on May 28, the assault on
Truk atoll on May 30 which caused
fires visible 150 miles away.
The Army planes also made an
attack on Wake Island.May 30 and
enemy positions in the Marshalls
were also given a severe strafing
the same day by Navy and Marine
planes.
FAIRBANKS FLIER
GETS TWO MEDALS
SOMEWHERE IN NEW GUINEA,
June 2.—A double reward for hero
ism and meritorious flying achieve
ments in this theatre of war have
been conferred on First Lt. Richard
H. Osborne, Box 595, Fairbanks, Al
aska.
The awards, the Distinguished
Flying Cross and the Air Medal,
were announced by Lt. Gen. George
Kenney, Commander of the Allied
Air Forces in the South Pacific.
The Flying Cross was awarded for
participating in the rescue of a
fighter pilot near Arawe, New Brit
ain, last December, and the Air
Medal for meritorious achievement
while participating in sustained op
erational flight missions .in the fall
of 1943.
Aleuts Safely Back
On Pribilof Islands
WASHINGTON, June 2.—Secre
tary of Interior" Harold L. Ickes an
nounces the successful return to the
Pribilofs of 400 Aleuts evacuated to
the Juneau, Alaska, area nearly two
years ago because of Japanese ac
tivities.
British Aircraft
Hit German Convoy
LONDON, June 2.—Carrier borne
aircraft of the British fleet last
night attacked and damaged a
strongly escorted German convoy of j
three supply ships off Stadtlandet,
west coast qf Norway.
NEW GAINS MADE
IN BATTLE FOR
N. BURMA BASE
SOUTHEAST ASIA HEADQUAR
TERS AT KANDY, Ceylon, June 2.
—Chinese and American troops, at
tacking Myitkyina simultaneously
from three sides, scored fresh gains
in their drive to reduce the Jap
base in north Burma, an Allied
communique said.
The bulletin said the Allied forc
es are still meeting opposition, but
are inflicting heavy casualties on
the enemy.
ONE GOP PLATFORM
PLANK IS ASSURED
WASHINGTON, June 2. — Agree
ing with Secretary of State Cordell
Hull that foreign policy discussions
with other nations be nonpartisan,
Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg, Re
publican of Michigan, predicted the
Republican platform will parallel
the party’s Mackinac Island de
claration for "responsible participa
tion” of this country in postwar
cooperation to preserve peace.
Senator Vandenberg said the GOP
Advisory Council Committee, of
which he was chairman, recom
mended unanimously to the con
vention’s committee that a plank
similar to the Mackinac declaration
be adopted, but brought down to
date.
Chief Executive
Gives Warning to
Take Life Easier
WASHINGTON, June 2. — Mrs.
Roosevelt said the President's doc
tors want him to keep the gains
in his health he made recently.
One of the recommendations, she
told a conference with newsmen, is
the President should not work “till
all hours of the night and he must
not make every meal a working
time.”
LT. COL LAY ,JR.
SHOT DOWN IN
RAID ON EUROPE
LIBERATOR BASE IN BRITAIN,
June 2.—Lt. Col. Bernie E. Lay Jr.,
who wrote the movie "I Wanted
Wings,” was downed while leading
a Liberator group in a recent raid
on Europe, it is revealed.
Fellow fliers said they saw his
parachute open when his plane was
flak riddled but believed he had a
good chance of escaping.
.Lay came to England among the
first American fliers.
PRODUCTION OF
PLANES IN U. S.
EXCEEDS ENEMY
WASHINGTON, June 2. — War
plane production in the United
States is estimated' by the Govern
ment to now be 4 to 1 ahead of
Germany and 7 to 1 ahead of Ja
pan.
The War Production Board shows
this country has turned out 171,257
planes since Pearl Harbor and will
make 100,000 this year alone.
The British Empire and the Unit
ed States together have built about
300.000 planes since England's en
try into the war.
Germany and Japan together are
believed to have produced about
150.000 planes.
WAR DEPT. FILM WILL BE
SHOWN TUESDAY NIGHT
A special War Department film,
submitted by the War Manpower
Commission to the Federal Em
ployees organization, will be shown
at the Elks Hall Tuesday evening.
The film, entitled “War Depart
ment Reports," will be shown to the
public without charge.
SNIPERS ON
BIAK ISLAND
SLOW YANKS
75 More Japs Wiped Out
at Maffin Bay in
Patrol Action
ADVANCED ALLIED HEAD
QUARTERS IN NEW GUINEA,
June 2.—Reinforcements are being
poured into Biak Island to support
the hardpressed Yanks striving to
take the airdrome which is within
bombing range of the Philippines,
headquarters announced today.
Meanwhile advance units are still
being held up by enemy snipers
atop the ridges on the main Schou
ten Island off the coast of Dutch
New Guinea.
The report said that sniper fire
and mortar exchanges are the only
activity.
Two hundred miles down the
Dutch New Guinea coast to the
southeast American invac*rs at
Maffin Bay killed 75 more Nippon
ese in patrol actions to raise the
total of enemy casualties to 1,453. i
Bougainville in the north Solom
ons section sprang into offensive
action for the first time in months
when American amphibious forces
moved seven miles southeast of the
Toroklrra River In the ' Empress
Augusta Bay area.
On the British New Guinea main- 1
land, the Australians are slowly
moving northwest beyond Madang
and have peached Guru, 40 miles
southeast of Hansa Bay.
BIG FUTURE
FOR POSTWAR
AIR TRAFFIC!
__ i
i
(By Associated Press)
A writer in the Red Star, Soviet
Army journal, predicting a “century ,
of polar aviation” with communica
tions across the top of the world,
left the impression that collabora
tion between the United Nations
would lead to postwar cooperation
in international aerial transporta
tion.
The writer said: "Great progress
is going to be made in the exploits- j
tion of the northern routes. In this
connection Canada, Norway, and
Iceland will be of great importance.1
not to mention the significance of |
our northern districts where a great
role will be played by the Siberian
line whiclj connects Europe with the
Par East and the Pacific Coast.”
De Vaelra Wins Out
in Eire's Election
DUBLIN, June 2. — Eamon de
Valera won a clear-cut victory in
Eire's general election last Tuesday
and an incomplete count of returns
shows his Fianna Dail Party has 68
seats in the Dail, only three short
of a majority.
De Valera’s cabinet members re
tained their seats in the Dail.
The question of Eire’s neutrality ;
did not figure in the campaign.
BATISTA REGIME
LOSES IN CUBAN
NATL. ELECTION
HAVANA, June 2. — Dr. Ramon
Grau San Martin, University of Ha
vana professor, won the presidency j
of Cuba at yesterday’s election,
despite the opposition of four news
papers supporting the government
of President Batista.
Dr. Carlos Saladigas, former
Prime Minister and personal friend
of Batista, conceded his defeat and
congratulated San Martin.
JAPS AMASS
HUGE ARMY,
CHINA AREA
Other Preparations Under
Way by Invaders for
New Thrusts'
CHUNGKING, June 2.—The Japs
have amassed 280,000 troops In the
Hankow and Canton areas in a
smashing drive aimed not only at
the conquest of the entire Canton
Hankow Railway, but to prepare for
new blows elsewhere in China, MaJ,
Gen. Tseng, Army spokesman de
clared.
The forces comprise 210,000 in the
Hankow area and 70,000 in the Can
ton area, compared with a force of
only 40,000 hitherto employed, he
said, and added that the Japs are
massing troops on the Indo-China
Yunnan border, building a new mo
tor highway between Hanoi and the
frontier town of Laokay, 160 air
line miles northwest of Hanoi; and
are constructing a big air base near
the border.
Balance
Budget,Says
Gov. Bricker
Ohio's Chief Executive
Makes Demands
in Speech
HARRISBURG, Pa., June 2 —
Gov. John W. Bricker, of Ohio, call
ed for balanced Federal budget “at
the earliest possible date.”
In a prepared address before the
Council of Governers meeting here
he asserted, “The nation that builds
its house on the shifting sands of
deficient financing cannot be a
powerful influence in world affairs.”
Bricker added that the United
States must be strong to help solve
the problems of currency, credits,
air rights, markets, and interna
tional trade in the postwar period.
"So long as the world is inflicted
with discriminatory trade agree
ments, quotas, cartels, exchange
wars,. garter systems and the like,
there can be no assurance of en
during peace,” he asserted.
WLB ORDERS NOT
TO BE REVIEWED
WASHINGTON, June 2—The U.
3. Court of Appeals of the District
>f Columbia today ruled that orders
)f the War Labor Board are not
•eviewable by the courts. Ruling on
m appeal brought by an employers
;roup of the Motor Freight Car
•iers, Incorporated, an association
comprised of carriers and individ
lals who represent about 300 truck
ng companies engaged in trans
iting freight in New England, the
hree Appeal Court Judges who
aeard the case, Miller, Edgerton,
md Arnold, held unanimously that
'it is clearly undisputed no statute
luthorlzes reviews of War Labor
Board’s Orders.”
SI. Louis Street Car
Strike Suddenly Ends
ST. LOUIS, June 2. — Striking
street car and bus operators of St.
Louis Public Service Company voted
by secret ballot, 633 to 99, to return
to work and end the transportation
tieup affecting an estimated 600,
J00 persons.
Employees hope to have fc . -
trolleys running in time a the
late afternoon rush. Coi r
was focused on the basic •time
pay clauses in the new itni t
which had been approved ,tie
War Labor Board last week.
SOLDIERS FROM
ALEUTIANS NOW
IN MISSISSIPPI
Majority of Troopers Have
Not Had Furlough for
Almost 3 Years
CAMP SHELBY, Miss,, June 2.—
Rugged soldiers of the 138th In
fantry Regiment, veterans of almost
two and one-half years in the Aleu
tians, builders of at least three air
bases, have arrived here.
At the time they were called into
the service the men were members
j of the Missouri National Guard and
most of the strength came from St.
i Louis.
The majority of the troops have
1 not had furloughs for almost three
I years a*nd are now being processed
j for 20-day furloughs due them,
I then they will return to foreign
| service.
STOCK QUOTATIONS
NEW YORK, June 2. — Closing
'quotation of Alaska Juneau mine
[stock today is 5%, American Can
89%, Anaconda 25%, Beech Air
craft 8%, Bethlehem Steel 58%,
Curtiss Wright 5, International
Harvester 74%, Kennecott 30%,
North American Aviation 7%, New
I York Central 18, Northern Pacific
16%, United States Steel 52%.
Dow, Jones averages today are
as "follows:' industrials 142:07, rails
40.19, utilities 23,12..
Shumushu Raided;
Fires Are Started
WASHINGTON, June 2. — Navy
Search planes, raiding Shumushu
in the Kuriles, started several large
fires near the airfield and despite
moderate antiaircraft fire returned
to base after the pre-dawn raid on
Wednesday, the third in as many
days.
25 REPAIRMEN ON
SHIP OVERCOME IN
UNVENTILATED HOLD
NEW YORK, June 2.—A gang of
25 men repairing a United Nation’s
freighter at a Brooklyn pier were
overcome today in an unventilated
hold. Those found unconscious were
taken up hatchways by rescuers and
10 were taken to hospitals.
Ammunition Tram
Explodes Causing
Lifting of Roofs
LONDON, June 2.—An ammuni- ,
tion train exploded at an East Ang
lia market town lifting roots of ad
jacent buildings and turning the
railroad station into a shambles. AI
station nearby caught fire.
The blast was felt 20 miles away.
OIL PIPELINE IN
NEAR EAST STILL
IN "IFFY" STAGE
WASHINGTON, June 2. — Presi- 1
dent Roosevelt said the question of i
the American-built oil pipeline in:
the Mediterranean area is in the
“ilty" stage, and added that no one
knows whether there will be a pipe
line. '
A reporter asked the President j
if his remark meant that the oil |
pipeline situation has gone back
ward, and he replied only by saying
that conferences between the United
States and Great Britain on the
Near Eastern oil situation are still i
going on.
HERE FROM PELICAN
Peter Canges of Pelican is in
town and a guest at the Gastincau
Hotel.
CHLORINE GAS
RAISES HAVOC
IN BROOKLYN
| Over One Thousand Per
sons Are Felled by
Escaping Fumes
NEW YORK, June 2—Escaping
chlorine gas yesterday felled more
than 1,000 persons at a busy Brook
lyn intersection and most of those
overcome were removed to hospitals,
several in a serious condition. About
300 were taken to hospitals.
The gas spread two blocks in ev- ]
ery direction and men, women and;
high school students began to cough j
and vomit, then stagger and fall
flat.
The scene resembled war pictures.
The gas, heavier than air, de
scended into the ventilators of the
subway, forcing scores of persons'
to flee to the streets and they too
toppled over.
PEACE PLAN
DISCUSSED,
CONFERENCE
_
WASHINGTON, June 2. — Secre- |
tary of State Cordell Hull extended
to the House his campaign for Con
gressional support of the postwar
peace agency by conferring with
four Democratic and three Repub- j
lican leaders on American partlcipa- ,
tion.
The group, headed by Speaker
Sam Rayburn of Texas, Included
Chairman Bloom. Foreign Affairs,
Committee; Majority Leader John
McCormack; Majority Whip Robert
Ratnspeck; and the Republicans
were Minority Leader Martin and
Representatives Eaton and Arends.
Pope Hopes Peace
In Rome's Hills
Will Soon Appear
LONDON, June 2.—The Pope, in
a speech to the College of Cardin
als, expressed hope that peace
would soon appear in Rome's hills
and over the whole world, and add
ed that demand for total victory
might prolong the war.
In an Italian language broadcast
the Pope called on the victors to!
give them hope, that their faith
might not be vanquished. He de
clared that “whoever dare lift a ]
hand against Rome will be guilty
of matricide."
INSTRUCTION OF
DELEGATES FOR
DEWEY REJECTED
INDIANAPOLIS, June 2.—Homer I
Capehart, Indianapolis industrialist,
has been named as United States
Senator - from Indiana at the Re
publican State Convention which
had previously rejected the proposal
that the State’s 29 delegates to the
national convention be instructed
for Gov. Thomas E. Dewey.
Australia Refuses
Chicago Publication
MELBOURNE, Australia, June 2.
—Customs Minister Keane announc
ed that the Australian government
has refused the Australian agent of
Col. Robert McCormick, owner of j
the Chicago Tribune, permission to
publish an edition of the Tribune
in Australia for the U. S. troops.
In Chicago, McCormick declared J
that this shows "Australia is under'
as extreme a dictatorship as Russia
and Germany."
AMERICANS
STAGE BIG
SINGLE HIT
Armadas from Britain and
Italy Sweep Out Bomb
ing Wide Sections
LONDON, June 2. — The United
States Air Force has made the
heaviest single blow yet against the
German West Wall installations on
the French coast, hurling upwards
of 750 Fortresses and Liberators and
several hundred fighters over the
Pas de Calais Department before
dawn today.
Allied fighters also struck over
many areas, airways in Scandinavia,
France, Hungary and Crete.
Royal Air Force bombers con
centrated on southwest French rail
yards especially at Saumur, 150
miles from Paris and along the
French coast.
Mediterranean forces attacked the
Hungarian rail yards 30 miles east
of Budapest and at Szolnok.
Mosquitos bombed targets in Den
mark.
The Berlin radio said an Allied
air attack damaged a convoy off
the west coast of Norway and Mid
dle East bombers attacked ports on
the big Greek island of Crete.
bombed five railway yards in Hun
gary and Transylvania today. Oood
results are reported from bombings
on Miskolc, Czolnok and Szeged in
eastern Hungary, and upon Cluj
Slmerian in the Transylvania
mountainous Rumanian Province
Germany ceded partially to Hun
gary in 1940.
The Mediterranean strike is in
direct tactical support to the Rus
sian armies massing on the Car
pathian slopes.
Owing to the short trip bombers
were able to carry heavy loads on
the attack on the French coast.
Channeling,
Male Labor
Is Planned
WASHINGTON, June 2.—Sweep
ing new controls over the nation's
Swindling supply of male workers
has been ordered by the War Man
power Commission, effective by
July 1, to provide virtually every
job seeking man in America and
who are required to apply to the
(J. S. Employment Service for as
signment to a war plant where he
is most needed regardless of where
■he war plant is located.
Employers, on the other hand, will
ae permitted to hire only those men
referred to them by the U. 8. Em
ployment Service.
“Successful conduct of the war
now requires the channeling of all
available male labor to those jobs,”
Paul V. McNutt declared in an
nouncing the new program.
It extends on a nation wide basis
as the War Manpower Commissions
voluntary program is already in ef
fect in about half a dozen areas
where there Is a critical labor short
age.
BAIL CANE
ON TONIGHT
This is ‘Major Hoffman Day” In.
sport circles and tonight's baseball
same is in his honor. The game is
scheduled to start at 6:30 o’clock
uid will be between the Dodgers
»nd Wildcats.
Mrs. Florence Lynagh left last
light for the south on a vacation
.rip of several weeks.