The Daily Alaska empire. [volume], December 06, 1944, Image 1

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

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THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE
“ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME”
VOL. LXIV., NO. 9826
JUNEAU, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1944
PRICE TEN CENTS
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
YANKS HIT PILLBOXES WITH BAYONETS
Britain Splits With U.S. Over Foreign Policy
EDEN MAKES
BIG CLAIM
OVER POLICY
Disputes America's Declar
ation to Keep "Hands
’ Off" on Affairs
LONDON, Dec. 6.—British For
eign Secretary Anthony Eden as
serted flatly today that Britain is
within her rights in trying to shape
' the governments of the liberated
countries and thereby split com
pletely with the American declara
tion of a "hands off” policy for
''Italy. •
» Eden stood by the British govern
ment's veto of the proposed appoint
ment of Carlo Sforza as Italian For
eign Minister.
American Secretary of State Ed
ward J. Stettinius, Jr., announced
yesterday the United States didn’t
oppose Sforza and felt the Italians
should be allowed to form their own
government without outside inter
ference.
Eden's statement, clearly signifi
cant in reshaping Europe, brought
divided sentiment from the House
of Commons. Cries of “no" met
the suggestion, made by Ivor
Thomas, Laborite, that Britain
"withdraw gracefully” and admit "a
blunder had been made,” just as
Stettinius had implied in his “no
interference” statement.
The statement is a far broader
■'declaration than the immediate is
sue of Count Sforza, so Eden appar
ently applied his words to the fu
ture of all liberated Europe. "I
must repeat to the House, I main
W>*r. the British Government has a
perfect right to express an opinion
to another government about a min
ister under conditions such as these,”
Eden said.
The British press commented
sharply on the American note. "It
was rude and meant to be so," said
the Manchester Guardian.
The Yorkshire Post said it smack
ed of self-righteousness. '
AIR MEET
AT CHICAGO
ENDS TODAY
CHICAGO, Dec. 6—The program
of international cooperation in pro
viding air transport services and
opening the way to freedom of the
skies for commercial aircraft re
ceived quick approval of the World
Aviation Conference representatives
from 54 nations.
m The meeting, which opened No
vember 1, ended today. The docu
ments that were accepted repre
sented the merging of views
brought out in the conference.
There ye re concessions on all sides,
however.
The British yielded hope of an
economically powerful world air
authority. The Canadians gave up
the plan for having such a body al
. locate air routes. The Australians
I and New Zealanders failed in their
world airline, owned and operated
by all the nations. The United
States did not get full freedom
of the skies it had asked for.
A highly-placed official called it
"a victory for everyone.”
EXECUTIVE BODY
CHICAGO, Dec. 6.—The World
Air Conference elected the United
States, United Kingdom, the Neth
0 erlands, Brazil, France, Mexico and
Belgium as a council to serve as the
executive body.
This interim organization will sup
ervise international air transport
pending ratification of a permanent
( treaty by the seven countries who
were named on the council because
they were chosen in the category of
nations of “chief importance” to air
...transport.
Y Ecuador’s monetary unit is the
sucre, valued at 7*4 cents.
The Washinglon
Merry-Go-Round
By DREW PEARSON
(Lt. Col. Robert S. Allen now on active
service with the Army.)
WASHINGTON — Political gloom
at the first Republican House of
Representatives caucus since elec
tions was not as thick as the
leaders expected.. Talking off the
record and really letting their hair
down, the lame-ducks among them
especially emphasized one signifi
cant thing—that the GOP should
not waste time cussing out the
Political Action Committee but
should match its activities by a
similar organization.
It was a completely closed-door
session, with newsmen barred, but
here are the highlights.
First part of the meeting was
monopolized by Congressman Ber
trand Gearhart of California in a
lengthy harangue on freezing
Social Security taxes. He demanded
a united GOP front against a tax
increase. Most of his brethren
agreed.
Then Minority Leader Joe Martin
discussed the elections, conducting
a sort of seminar in which there
seemed to be general agreement
that Republican hopes had been too
high—that, with the war still on,
the natural desire not to change
Administrations had been under
rated. Martin pointed to the need
of a strong Congressional Republi
can organization, with a first-rate
staff functioning at all times. This
is a definite GOP plan.
| Two lame-ducks, Cal Johnson of
! Illinois and Bill Miller of Connec
I ticut, spoke of the factors which
| had led to their defeat. Johnson
| had expected defeat for some
j months, therefore did not blame
I the PAC. He said, however, that
PAC was highly important through
out the country, and urged that
Republicans not be ashamed to
learn from the Hillman organiza
tion.
“They are doing a model job of
education and propaganda," John
son said, "and we’ve got to be
realistic about it. We can’t do
better than follow their example.”
Miller of Connecticut admitted
freely that PAC had been the most
effective single organization against
him. He urged that the PAC
methocte be studied closely.
“They are doing something we’ve
got to do if we’re going to keep
our party alive," Miller said.
"They're getting to the people with
their story more effectively than
any other group."
BACK TO COMMON MAN
Reid Murray, reactionary Wis
consin farm bloc member, then
told his GOP colleagues: “The Re
publican party must get back to
the common man. We’re keeping
close to our farm populations, and
it's up to you people in the in
dustrial districts to keep close to
labor and be certain labor will go
along with you.”
Ben Jensen of Iowa chimed in
to say: “Instead of quarreling with
labor, we Republicans have got to
go out of our way to win labor
support. My district is agricultural,
and you city men could do a lot
worse than study the way we farm
people have worked to stay close
to our constituents.”
Only discordant note, so far as
PAC was concerned, was struck by
lame-duck “Ham” Pish, who ranted
about “Communist control” of the
PAC. He remanded that Clarence
Brown of Ohio explain what his
House Campaign Expendifures
Committee had done. about ex
posing Reds in the PAC.
Brown said the committee was
too busy to do very much on the
(Continued on Page Four)
CHAMBER TO ELECT
BOARD MEMBERS FOR
1945 ON THURSDAY
Board members for 1945 will be
elected at tomorrow's meeting of the
Chamber of Commerce in the Gold
Room of the Baranof Hotel, and a
discussion also will be held on a
proposed "Territorial Development
Plan” which was introduced for
I study at last week’s meeting.
BOND AUCTION
DONATIONS TO
BE PICKED UP
Army Truck to Make Calls
Thursday-Solicitors
Getting Results
The Juneau-Douglas Bond auc
tion, scheduled for next Sunday,
December 10, at the Elk's Hall, is
certainly off to a flying start, ac
cording to Irma Nowell, publicity
director for the event, and Bob
Martin, chairman.
With just about every organiza
tion in town at work on prepara
tions—including the Army Sub
port—there’s no holding it down.
For instance, an army truck has
enlisted its service to make the
rounds Thursday afternoon to pick
up the articles so generously do
nated by Juneau-Douglas business
firms and private citizen};. All
contributors are requested to have
their donations packed, labeled
with donor’s name and retail value
of item, ready for pickup some time
Thursday afternoon or Friday
morning.
Response has been so generous
and interest so high that this auc
tion promises to be one of the out
standing events of the year. Po
tential Christmas gifts of every
conceivable nature will be auc
tioned off to bond purchasers.
Any business firm, merchant or
individual not yet contacted by one
of the teams canvassing the area,
who has some item to donate, is
urged to get in touch with Jack
Fletcher or Bob Martin, Phone 800.
"The more the merrier! If neces
sary, we'll extend the time of the
auction (originally set for next
Sunday, 2 to 5 p. m.) until all
merchandise is auctioned off.
Anything can happen when a thing
like this gets rolling in Juneau,”
declared Mrs. Nowell.
Yesterday, the soliciting team of
Hebert and Darnell reported ar
ticles for the auction to the value
of $815.55. Today the soliciting
team of Lynn Forrest and Alva
Blackerby turned in the following
report of successful solicitations:
Fred Henning — Timely suit of
clothes, $50.
Sugar Bowl and Commercial
Liquor Store—1 case mixed liquor.
Juneau Medical and Surgical
Clinic—$25 cash.
Gastineau Barber Shop—1 quart
bottle Wildroot Cream Oil Form
ula.
Warfield Drug Store—Assortment
of articles, value $35.
Peerless Bakery — 5 two-pound
fruitcakes. ,
George Brothers—10 merchandise
coupon books, $5 each.
California Grocery—1 eighteen
pound turkey.
Femmer Transfer—Delivery one
to four loads oil.
Case Lot Grocery—2 cases mixed
fruits.
Sanitary Barber Shop—2 quart
bottles hair tonic.
Oberg Shoe Shop—1 boy’s wool
sweater: 1 suede leather jacket.
Winter & Pond—1 framed and
colored 12x20 “Lights of Juneau.”
Juneau Marble Works—1 book
end set, alabaster; 1 smoking set.
Star Bakery—10 to 2-poimd
fruit cakes.
Alstrom’s News Stand—1 men’s
dress hat.
Duncan’s Cleaning and Pressing
Shop—2 $5 credit slips, cleaning
and pressing.
Snow White Laundry—2 $5 credit
slips for laundry.
Edith Danielson—1 pre-war, new
girdle (size military secret).
LYNN BODDING IS
SCOUTING BIG SUM
Although the Girl Scout cam
paign in the Sixth War Loan
drive is ended, Lynn Bodding is
' keeping right on soliciting. She
| has turned in already one $1,000
bond and one for $500, in addition1
to many of smaller amounts.
RED FORCES
EDGE (LOSER
TO AUSTRIA
Now Only 40 Miles Away
from Ausfria-ln Final
Defense Zone
—
LONDON, Dec. 6—-Soviet tanks,
sweeping past Lake Balaton, today
plunged to within 40 miles of the
Austrian border, Moscow dispatches
said, while the Germans acknowl
edged the new threat to the Hun
garian capital of Budapest.
The Soviet sweep is curling
around the lower end of the great
Hungarian lake and is now beating
through the final defense zone
guarding the southeast door to
Germany.
The Berlin radio said the Rus
sians crossed to the west bank of
the Danube below Budapest from
30-mile long Csepel Island, estab
lishing a new bridgehead and
winning the town of Ercsi, 20 miles
south of the capital. Budapest is
under a large scale attack on both
sides. The German command de
clared fighting in Hungary is rising
in violence.
One Berlin broadcast said the
main Soviet blows had been thrown
in between the Danube and Lake
Balaton and the Soviets had gained
ground toward the north and
northwest. A German communique,
however, declared these thrusts
were largely halted as the race
toward Austria endangered the rear
communications with the large
Yugoslav city of Zagreb,
NEW CHARGE PLACED
AGAINST DOUYILLE
A charge of grand larceny was
yesterday dismissed against Prank
Douville and a charge of receiving
alleged stolen property lodged
against him.
Douville was arrested some time
ago for alleged theft of a rifle. He
has waived a preliminary hearing
and been bound over to the Grand
ury for action. Bond has been set
at $1,000.
WILLIAM O'BRIEN IS
CHARGED WITH FELONY
William O’Brien, who was ar
rested recently on a felony charge,
has waived preliminary hearing and
been bound over to the Grand
Jury.
O’Brien is alleged to have issued
a check for $60 without sufficient
funds to cover it. He is now in
Federal jail in default of $1,000
bond.
JAPANESE LOSE
4,000PLANES IN
LAST 3 MONTHS
(By Associated Press)
Japan has expended 4,000 war
planes in the last three months in
defending the Philippines and its
water approaches.
A tabulation of official reports
showed of these, 1153 were destroyed
by American aircraft in November,
571 were destroyed in aerial combat
and 582 on the ground. In addition
44 were probably destroyed.
It was the costliest month for the
enemy since October when 1199
planes were lost in the air over the
archipelago. Five hundred and twen
ty-three were lost on the ground.
September losses were 387 ; 627 lost
on the ground. American losses in
this period exceeded 200, the total
additional figures were not available
as the announcements were made in
general terms such as “losses light.”
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 — The
House has passed and sent to the
President legislation'extending until
next June 7 the statute of limita
tions governihg the Pearl Harbor
w i aiuuuimu
SOMERVELL SAYS
WAR WITH JAPS
WILL BE COSTLY
Declares Secret Weapon
Being Produced
for Pacific
NEW YORK, Dec. 6 —Conquest of
ihe Japs will cost the United States
$71,000,000,000 a year "after Ger
many is defeated,’’ Lt. Gen. Somer
vell predicted. "The war against the
Japs alone will be the biggest war
this country or this world ever
■fought before the present war.”
’ As the Commanding General of
the Army Service Forces, Somervell
declared that 300,000 more war
workers will be needed at once on
critical programs as he appealed in
his “upsurge of production” speech
at the National Association of Man
ufacturers.
Secret weapons that are being pro
duced "must be ready in large quan
tities for the Pacific pushes,” the
speaker declared. They are devices
“not yet in use in Europe."
EAM PARTY
OFFICE IS
NOW SEIZED
British Soldiers Also Cap
ture Communist Party
Building in Greece
ATHENS, Dec. 6.—A British Sher
man tank and a platoon of British
soldiers today seized the headquar
ters of the left wing EAM party by
storm as fighting spread through a
large area of Athens.
The Communist Party building on
Constitution Square was also taken.
Parachute troopers forced the main
entrance with grenades. Eighteen
armed Communists were seized
there. Fighting with tanks and
machine guns broke out after
snipers of the ELAS militia of the
EAM National Liberation Front
fired on a truck-load of British
troops before dawn, killing one and
wounding another.
The Sherman tank was then sent
to batter down the door of trie EAM
headquarters. British troops charged
up the stairs scattering the EAM
defenders. Half a dozen bursts
were fired while they were clean
ing up the floor. One British soldier
was killed by a stray bullet while
searching the building.
The EAM refusal to disband its
militia brought’ on the crisis in
which Britain supported the shaken
government of Premier Papandreou.
The point at which the Athens
Piracus Road enters the capital was
the scene of continuous fighting.
UNION IS TO HANDLE
BOND BOOTH 3 NIGHTS
In cooperation with all the or
ganizations in Juneau participating
in the Sixth War Loan Drive, the
Hotel and Restaurant Employees’
Union, Local 871, will operate the
booth in the Gastineau Hotel in con
junction with all unions affiliated '
with the Alaska Federation of Labor, j
All union members are urged to
get out now and buy their bonds
from the Gastineau Hotel between!
7 and 10 o’clock tonight, Thursday 1
night and Friday night.
The booth will be operated by
Dorothy Plum, Betty Fitzgerald, Dol
ly Knudson and Mary Chapel.
On bonds purchased tonight, a
ticket to the premiere of "See Here,
Private Hargrove” at the Capitol
Theatre Thursday night will be,
given.
COASTAL AIRLINES ON
SKAGWAY TRIP TUESDAY
Alaska Coastal Airlines carried
the following passengers to Skag
way yesterday: E. W. Morris, Tom
Popovich, Dean Story, Frank Aus
mus, Ralph Mize and W. C. Loader.
ROADS NEAR
RAVENNA ARE
NOW CLEARED
Disorganized German Ele
ments Flee from En
tire District
ROME, Dec. 6.—British and Polish
troops smashed across the Lamone
River, southwest of Faenza, and es
tablished a bridgehead while other
Eighth Army units were cleaning
out isoluted enemy groups in cap
tured Ravenna with the aid of Ital
ian patriots.
Allied Headquarters said the cap
ture, Monday, of Ravenna, ancient
Ostrogoth capital and important
communication center, was followed
by a marked Eighth Army advance
westward, driving disorganized Ger
man elements back behind the lower
Lamone River. The entire Raven
na-Godo road was cleared and the
towns of San Michele, four miles
west of Ravenna, and Piangipane,
five miles west, were taken.
HALF WAY HARK
OF TERRITORIAL
QUOTA REACHED
Sales to date in the Sixth War
Loan Drive amount to more than
half of the total Territorial quota
to be raised, but with only ten days
left, workers will have to accomp
lish much to reach the goal.
According to figures released to
day by the War Finance Commis
sion, Juneau-Douglas have raised
$40,931.25 of the $125,000 E bond
quota; $24,400 of the $50,000 total in
individuals other than E; and $134,
000 of the $160,000 quota in corpora
tions, a total of $205,331.25 of the
$335,000 total quota.
Total sales thus far turned in by
other Alaska cities are as follows:
Anchorage-Whittier, $195,212.75;
Fairbanks-College, $412,067.25; Ket
chikan, $193,121; Petersburg, $35,
943.75; Wrangell, $27,380; Kodiak,
$15,637.50; Nome, $12,281.25; Skag
way, $12,062; Haines, $2,932.25; Sew
ard, $54,288.50; Sitka, $35,579.50;
Cordova, $26,568.75; and Yakutat,
$1,143.75.
A $100,000 purchase of corporation
bonds by the Standard Oil Company
of California was allocated to An
chorage, Fairbanks, Ketchikan. Ju
neau, Seward, Petersburg, Kodiak,
Sitka, Cordova, Wrangell, Craig, and
Seldovia.
PIONEER ALASKAN
A. HILDRE DIES;
LENGTHY ILLNESS
Anton Hildre, 66, resident of Al
aska since 1901, died at 9 o'clock
this morning in St. Ann's Hospital,
after a long illness.
Hildre was born in 1878 at Aale
sund, Norway, and as a young man
sailed between the United States
and the Old Country on the four
masted windjammers of that day.!
He came to Alaska in 1901 as a
member of the crew that built the j
first cannery in Southeast Alaska,!
at Bcca de Quadra, for August
Bushmann’s father.
For the past 22 years, up until
a year and a half ago, he was a
crew member on the Juneau hali
but schooner Lou Helen, of which
his brother, the late Knute Hildre,
was skipper. He was a member of
the Deep Sea Fishermen's Union.
Hildre is survived by two neph
ews, Peter and Andrew, both resi
dents of Juneau.
The funeral is to be held Friday
afternoon at 2 o’clock from the
Charles W. Carter Mortuary.
DR. LINDQUIST HERE
Dr. Paul A. Lindquist, District
Health Commissioner at Anchorage,
Territorial Department of Health,
and Mrs Lindquist passed through
Juneau yesterday enroute South.
YANKS TURN
JAPS BACK
ON HIGHWAY
{ _
| Enemy Attempt to Escape
from Ormoc Frustrated
Nip Destroyer Sunk
GEN. DOUGLAS MacARTHUR'S
HEADQUARTERS IN THE PHIL
IPPINE ISLANDS, Dec. 6—Using
powerful bazookas, American troops
turned back a tank supported
Japanese attack Sunday night on
the road-block established on the
Ormoc Highway, a mile and a hall'
south of the Leyte River bridge
below Limon.
The futile attempt of the enemy i
to break out northward from the
restricted Ormoc area was an
nounced today by Gen. Douglas
Mac Arthur, along with the de
struction of a Japanese destroyer
and five small freighters by Leyte
based warplanes.
The- Til i rty - Second U. S. Infan
try Divisiort established the road
block soon after capturing Limon,
but withdrew from it to permit
shelling of the enemy's supply
route. The position has not been;
mentioned in the headquarters re
ports for several days, but appar
ently meantime was reestablished
in considerable greater strength. (
The destroyer was sunk by patrol
planes in the Luzon area and the j
freighters in Ormoc Bay, Sibuyan j
Sea and in Brunei Bay, Borneo,
where patrol planes also sank a
3,000 ton tanker.
SYNTHETIC !
OILPLANT !
BOMBED
Eight Hundred Bombers Hit
Important Objective
at Merseburg
LONDON, Dec. 6—Eight hundred
American heavy bombers, escorted
by 800 Mustang and Thunderbolt
fighters today attacked Germany's'
number one synthetic oil plant at
Merseburg and the railroad yards at
Beilefeid.
The 3,000-ton raid took place
under adverse weather conditions, 1
and the results were unobserved.
Five thousand planes hit Germany j'
yesterday, leaving blazing destruc- j
tion strewn all the way from Berlin 1
to the Rhine. Almost 1400 Britain- j1
based American bombers and fight-1 '•
ers bombed Berlin and Munster, I
knocking down 91 German planes! i
against a loss of 11 bombers and 12 .!
fighters. I
STOCK QUOTATIONS
NEW YORK, Dec. 6. — Closing'
quotation of Alaska Juneau mine
stock today is 5%, American Can 1
897n, Anaconda 27%, Beech Aircrait 1
13%, Bethlehem Steel 63%, Curtiss-;
Wright 6%, International Harvester
78%, Kennccott 35, North American
Aviation 9%, New York Central 20,'
Northern Pacific 18'i. U. S. Steel
58%.
Dow, Jones averages today are as
follows: industrials 148.77, rails '
44.31, utilities 25.39.
LIQUOR LICENSE APLICATIONS
The Office of the Clerk of Court
announces that all persons inter
ested in securing liquor licenses
for 1945 should get their applica
tions filed in plenty of time for
consideration by the City Council
at their meeting of December 15,
Those who fail in this respect may
find themselves in the position of
having to remain closed until the
Council’s next meeting, which is
on January 5.
BRIDGEHEAD
IS PUSHED
ACROSS SAAR
Patton's Troops Now Fight
ing Well Inside Sieg
fried Line
BULLETIN—PARIS, Dec. 6—
Americans of the Third Army
forced the Saar River in six
places today and won two-thirds
of the French border town of
Saareguemines. as artillery was
turned on Germans who are
withdrawing northward into the
Saarland.
Other assault trams beat down
the last six miles toward burning
Saarbrurken, the little Pittsburgh
of the rich coal and iron basin
and key to German defenses.
MaJ. Gen. Paul Baade's 35th
Infantry Division overran Saar
cguemines against light resist
ance. The Germans blew up all
five bridges across the Saar in
withdrawing into the third of
the town still held by the enemy.
PARIS, Dec. 6—The Third Army
;oday thrust a wide bridgehead
tcross the Saar toward the north
vest of invaded Saarlautern, en
tered Saareguemines and. shelled
the smoking factories of Saar
brucken over open gun-sights.
At Saarlautern, where the Ameri
:ans are mopping up the last fit
ful opposition, Gen. Patton's as
sault troops are well within the
Siegfried Line and are assaulting
its pillboxes, blockhouses, trenches
md tank obstacles with flame
throwers, cannon and bayonet.
Stream Spanned
The new Saar crossing was made
llong a two and one-half mile
stretch between Saarlautern and
Vferzig by the Nineteenth Division,
vhich spanned the stream in four
daces along the stretch. The or
glnal crossing was made inside
Saarlautern on an intact bridge.
South of that city, late yesterday,
he Thirty-Fifth Infantry Division
idvanced up to seven miles in
iaison with tanks that entered the
:dge of Saareguemines itself, a
najor coal producer.
Within Germany
Off to the right, Gen. Patton's
10-mile front is solidly within’ber
rnany. The Fourth Armored and
rwenty-Sixth Infantry Divisions
-oiled up three miles northward
:hrough Lorraine toward the Ger
nan Siegfried Line.
Comparative quiet prevailed again
)n the Roer River front within 23
niles of Cologne. The United States
i’irst Army completed the capture
>f Bergstein on the edge of the
-Turtgen Forest. The United States
«inth Army, to the north, reported
inly patrol activity. Action in the
irea between Julich and Linnich,
he outskirts of both, have been
cached. The British Second Army
tood firm along the Maas River
n Holland. The Canadians In the
Vrnheim -Nijmegen area were
dagued by flood waters from the
thine, loosed by German breaches
n the dikes. The United States
Seventh and the French First
Armies continued their methodical
‘limlnatlon of the last German
iolds in Alsace-Lorraine.
JADOFF WINS SUIT
A jury in the U. S. Coinmission
:r's Court yesterday returned a
verdict'in favor of Jack Jadoff in
he civil suit of Jadoff vs. Peter
Sekinoff.
14
fttuuppina Buys
till Christmas