The Daily Alaska empire. [volume], May 15, 1945, Image 1

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

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THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE
VOL. LXV., NO. 9962
“ALL THE HEWS ALL THE TIME”
JUNEAU, ALASKA, TUESDAY, MAY 15, 1945
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
PRICE TEN CENTS
Truman Discusses International Situation
PRESIDENT
GIVES OUT
STATEMENT
Expresses His View on
Many Subjects Includ
ing Domestic Affairs
WASHINGTON, May 15 — The
international situation *' took the
spotlight at President Truman’s
news conference today.
On international subjects, Mr.
Truman:
1— Said he hopes to meet soon
with Prime Minister Churchill and
Premier Stalin.
2— Announced he favmed repeal
of the Johnson Act placing re
strictions on private loans to coun
tries in default on World War I
obligations.
3— Declared that “ahgolute insur
ance against German and Japanese
rearmament” is the first considera
tion in working out reparations.
4— Said he and Gen. Dwight D.
Eisenhower were in agreement that
a free press should prevail in Ger
many “in a manner consistent with
military security”—a reversal of the
position taken last week by Elmer
Davis, Director of the Office of
War Information, who had an
nounced that information to the
Germans should be strictly con
trolled. ..
5— Said Associate Justice Robert
Jackson of the Supreme Court
would determine American policy
in the handling of the Nazi High
Command and other German war
leaders. Jackson is chief counsel of
(Continued on Page Five)
The Washington
Merry-Go-Round
By DREW PEARSON
(Lt. Col. Robert 8. Alien now on Active
eervicf witn tne Army.'
WASHINGTON—While the fami
lies and friends of G.I.'s in the
European Theatre are worrying
about who will come home and who
will go on to the Pacific. Gen.
Marshall is worrying about a simi
lar problem in regard to the of
ficers now in Europe. Marshall
explained this problem recently at
a secret meeting of the Senate
Military Affairs Committee.
The trouble is that too many
high-ranking officers who have
been in on the job of knocking
out Germany arc demanding that
they be sent to the Pacific. They
don't want to stop fighting. While
most of these men are officers of
the regular Army and of very high
rank, a number of reservists and
newly commissioned men are also
anxious to get to the Pacific. Of
ficers who have had behind-the
lines jobs in supply, communica
tions and other fields in Prance
are especially anxious to get combat
assignments against the Japs.
While Marshall Is tickled by
their attitude, it is adding to his
already huge headache regarding
re-deployment of forces in the
European Theatre.
The Chief of Staff told Senators
that a number of top-rank of
ficers have declared their willing
ness to accept reduction in rank in
order to go to the Pacific. He
named colorful “Blood and Guts”
Patton—now a four-star general—
as one of those who have been most
insistent about being reassigned to
combat work. Patton told Marshall
when they met in Europe several
weeks ago that he would be willing
to "lose a good deal of rank” if he
could only be kept in the war.
* * *
REPUBLICANS
MEET SECRETLY
AFL President Bill Green was the
speaker when the “78-79 Club”
(first and second term Republican
Congressmen) held its last meeting.
Green didn’t say anything of great
importance, but — good politician
that he is—he made an excellent
impression.
Only time the APL President
{Continued on rage Four)
INLAND ON OKINAWA—American fighting men plod inland on Okinawa island, while
in the background supplies are landed for the invasion forces.
BALETE PASS
FALLS;YANKS
WIN BATTLE
Seven Thousand Dead Japs
Counted in Narrow 75
Foot Defile, Luzon
By Fred Hampson
(Associated Press War Correspondent)
MANILA, May 15—Bloody Balete
Pass fell to Americans of the
Twenty-Fifth and' Thirty-Seventh
Divisions Sunday after weeks of
bitter fighting, Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur announced today. Dough
boys were fighting down the 80
mile mountain road leading to the
extensive Cagayan Valley of north
ern Luzon, a Japanese stronghold.
Yanks counted 7,000 enemy dead
in the narrow 75-foot defile be
tween towering mountains, Asso
ciated Press Correspondent James
Hutcheson reported from the field.
The toll is expected to mount to
20,000 when Japanese dead sealed
in the network of caves interlacing
the pass walls are counted.
"Sobering Losses”
The enemy exacted "sobering
losses" on our troops, Maj. Gen.
Charles L. Mullins, Jr., reported.
The Twenty-Fifth and Thirty
Seventh were driving toward Santa
Fe and juncture with the Thirty
Second Division, pushing along the
Villa Verde Trail from the west.
They were two miles apart.
East of Manila, the Forty-Third
Division, preparing for the final
assault, tightened its ring around
Japanese near Ipo Dam, which
supplies one-third of Manila's
water.
On Mindanao, Japanese fiercely
resisted the Yank drive near Davao
City, between the Talomo and
Davao Rivers. Americans hurled
back six Banzai charges in company
strength Saturday and Sunday.
The Thirty-First Division liqui
dated a reinforced company of by
passed Japanese between Kibawe
and Maramag in north central
Mindanao. {Sixty miles up Sayre
Highway, near the north coast, the
Fortieth Division consolidated the
captured Del Monte air center.
Guerrilla forces seized Cagayan
Port, bringing the entire north
coast under American control.
The three divisions are fighting
to bisect Mindanao and break up
an estimated 50,000 Japanese troops.
HEINTZLEMAN OUT
B. Fiank Heintzleman, Regional
Forester for Alaska, flew south
from here today to spend two weeks
in the Pacific Northwest further
ing postwar plans for forest de
velopment. He will confer with in
terested persons in Seattle, Ta
coma and Portland
Truman Just "Captain
Harry of Dizzy D" to
Buddies of World War I
CONFERENCE
ISSUES PUT
TO KREMLIN
Delegates Keep Ears Tun
ed to Moscow on Zone
Detense, Trusteeship
By John M. Hightower
(Associated Press Diplomatic News Editor)
SAN FRANCISCO, May 15.—
Secretary of State Stettinius propos
ed today that drafting of an inter
national bill of rights based on the
four freedoms become the first task
of a new world organization of
United Nations.
At a news conference, the leader
of the American delegation declared
that the issue of human rights may
well be the most important raised
in the San Francisco conference.
Explaining that the Big Four
had agreed that the enumeration
of individual and collective human
rights could not be attempted at
this conference, Stettinius said a
"Commission on Human Rights” un
der a social and economic council
should draft a code which could be
accepted by member nations and
made "an integral part of their own
systems of law.”
SAN FRANCISCO, May 15—
United Nations officials looked to
Moscow today for word that may
hasten final agreement among the
"Big Five" powers on two of the
most critical issues thus far met in
charting a world security organiza
tion.
Russia, it developed, holds the key
to settlement of both the interna
tional trusteeship and the regional
defense system questions.
Up To Kremlin
Ambassador Andrei Gromyko,
who succeeded Foreign Commissar
Molotov as chief Russian delegate
to the United Nations Conference,
has referred proposals on both of
these to the Kremlin.
Officials hope that replies on
both of these will be received in a
day or so.
The United States and Britain
have ironed out virtually all of
their differences on both issues and
France and China were reported in
substantial agreement with them.
(CnntiWFit oil Page Thfen
By Jack Stinnett
WASHINGTON. May 15.—'"Buddy,
he may be President Truman of the
United States to you and millions of
others around the world, but to the
skinners and cannoneers of 'Dizzy
D,’ he still is and always will be
Captain Harry’.”
That’s Eddie Meisburger talking.
Eddie is known these days as a
newspaperman and chronicler <for
the Veterans of Foreign Wars mag
azine) of the exploits of "Captain
Harry” in World War I, but from
the survivors of Capt. Harry S.
Truman’s Battery D, 129th Field Ar
tillery 35th Division, he generally
gets the greeting: ”Hi-ya, Sarge.”
As in the case with mast nick
names, no one seems quite certain
where the outfit picked up the
“Dizzy D”. The battery was made
up mostly of boys recruited in the
Kansas City area immediatly after
the outbreak of the war. There
were some Schmidts, Higginbothams
and such in the battery, but accord
ing to Meisburger, they were most
ly Murphys, Caseys, Donnellys and
the likes.
Truman, a veteran of the Mexican
border campaign, already was an
officer in the 129th—a dark-haired,
bespecatled young man, with a high
water GI haircut. His wide mouth
and sparkling eyes could be firm, but
there always was a hint that they
would rather curl into a grin.
Capt. Truman took over on July
11, 1918, at Coetguedon, France. Ed
die remembers that it was a rainy
night and some of the boys who
had been whooping it up came
clomping in long after taps, stepped
on a few of their buddies and start
ed a miniature riot that sent four
of the "Dizzy D's” to the infirmary
for repairs and the officer of the
day after Capt. Truman.
The new captain looked over the
wreckage and, instead of storming,
said quietly: "Men, we have a lot of
work to do in a short time. You'll
need all the rest you can get. Now
get to bed. We’ll see about this in
the morning.”
From that night to this, he has
been “Captain Harry” to the men
of the "Ehzzy D”. The next day he
called his non-commissioned offi
cers together, explained that he had
enough to do with training the
battery and working over firing
problems and that it was up to
them to keep order by example,
muscle or both.
In the field, Truman ate with his
men, slept in the mud with them
when there was time for sleep, stuck
to his observation post under fire
and tossed off such rapid fire cal
culations of accurate firing orders
(Coviinurit on Paqe Six)
NAGOYA IS
BLACKENED
BY ATTACK
Third Largest City of Japan
in Ruins-Smoke Rises
More than 3 Miles
GUAM, May 15—Newly scarred
stretches of Japan's third largest
City, burned and blackened by more
than a million jellied gasoline fire
bombs, testified today to the power
of yesterday's unprecedented raid
on Nagoya by 500 Superforts.
Huge columns of black smoke
with dense clouds prevented accur
ate observation of the full extent
of damage from the greatest of
the multiple blows rained on Japan
bv Army, Navy and Marine airmen.
Perfect Bombing
Returning pilots described it as
“perfect bombing." Two B-29’s were
shot down over the target, and a
third lost near Iwo Jima, but its
crew parachuted and was picked
up.
There is no American confirma
tion of Tokyo reports of raids on
southern Japanese airdromes by
500 carrier planes Sunday and 500
Monday. Admiral Chester W.Nimitz
did announce one major U. S.
*a;shlp in a fast carrier task force
was damaged by Japanese aerial
attacks.
Japanese propaganda dispatches
claimed persistent attacks were
pressed against two fast U. S.
carrier forces which shot the planes
over Kyushu, Shikoku and southern
Honshu Islands.
Jap Planes Shot Down
A total of 46 attacking Nipponese
planes were shot down Sunday
night and Monday morning as they
attacked the carrier force and fleet
units off Okinawa, where two light
U. S. Fleet units were damaged.
Eleven more enemy aircraft were
brought down by Marine Corsairs
sweeping across the China Sea.
B-29 spokesmen anticipated heavy
casualties from the Nagoya raid,
directed at a densely populated
nine-square-mile area in the nor
thern section of the city.
As the great parade of Super
forts loosed 3,500 tons of incendi
aries on the area, airmen said
“the entire city was covered by
smoke” with some columns rising
more than three miles.
MID-MAY STORM
LACES MIDWEST
< By Associated Tress)
Winter made a belated swing at
western states today, scattering
snow and cold rains and worrying
farmers with threats of crop
damaging frost.
Touched off by a mass of cold
air wafted down from Canada
east of the mountains, the mid
May storm spread into the plains
states. The Weather Bureau re
]>orted a “broad band of precipita
tion” stretching from Colorado and
Wyoming northeastward to the New
England States, with storms as far
south as Arkansas and northern
Kentucky.
Colorado seemed to be getting
the brunt of the post-season snow.
Six inches were reported at Ruxton
Park, on the slope of Pikes Peak,
and at Cripple Creek, high in the
Rockies.
Treaty Abrogation
Announced byJapan
MOSCOW, May 15—Foreign Com
missar Vyacheslav Molotov has re
turned from the United Nations
Conference in San Francisco. The
United States crew of Molotov’s
special plane immediately went
sight-seeing in the Russian capital.
DANIELS IN JUNEAU
G. J. Daniels, of San Pedro.
California, has arrived in Juneau
and is registered at the Baranof
Hotel.
Truman Receives First Poppy
BSG DRIVE
FOR SHURI
IS STARTED
Yonabaru Airfield on Oki
nawa Captured-Fight
ing in Northern Naha
By Leif Erickson
(Associated Pres* War Correspondent)
BULLETIN—OUAM. May 15.—
Some of the wildest fighting of the
whole Pacific War is taking place
on tlie eastern end and center of
the four-mile line on Okinawa.
American soldiers and Marines
I are battling to widen their wedge
■ into the enemy defenses guarding
the Shurl Portress in the center.
! It is touch and go with the Japs
: making repeated suicide counter
| attacks. Equally fierce fighting is
, taking place in the outskirts of the
; city of Naha where the Marines
! face the costly task of getting across
i Asato River.
The battle for the Chinese port
j of Foochow has taken a savage turn.
Instead of abandoning the city,
| as some thought the Japanese were
I doing, the enemy now Is putting up
| a terrific battle in the streets. TTie
Chungking High Command says
both sides are suffering heavy cas
ualties.
GUAM, May 15—American forces
: captured the strongly - defended
Yonabaru Airfield yesterday and
' squared away today for the final
drive on Okinawa's Inner Shuri
defense area.
Yonabaru and Conical Hill, chief
remaining Japanese observation
point, fell to Maj. Gen. Janies L.
Bradley's Ninety-Sixth Infantry Di
vision.
Two rifle companies which gained
its 480-foot summit late Sunday,
held tenaciously to their position
despite Japanese counter-attacks.
Yesterday, ttie 383rd Regiment of
the Ninety-Sixth Division completed
the hill's capture and paved the
way for the mlle-and-a-half gain
to Yonabaru, fourth airfield to fall
to the Americans in the Okinawa
campaign.
Fighting At Naha
Meanwhile, Maj. pen. Lemuel
Shepherd Jr.’s Sixth Marine Divi
sion was fighting in northern Naha,
Okinawa’s capital city, which has
been leveled by weeks of Naval
gunfire and artillery. The Yanks
still have to cross the Asato River
to reach the main part of Naha.
Looking across the muddy Asato
Estuary, Commanding Officer Col.
Merlin P. Schneider, of the Twenty
Second Marine Regiment, said:
'‘We’ll take her, but the cost may
be high."
Tanks, Planes Used
Tanks and planes are being used
to supply American troops in the
lugged center where enemy ar
tillery and wild terrain are ham
pering truck lines to the bloody
front.
Since the first wave of Lt. Gen.
Simon Bolivar Buckner's Tenth
Army hit Okinawa’s beaches, April
1, Yanks have captured or de
stroyed 386 enemy guns of 70
millimeter calibre or larger.
One Jap Official
Says Japanese Are
Not All-out for War
j SAN FRANCISCO, May 15 — The
President of the Political Associa
tion of Great Japan has come up
with an explanation why the war is
: going against the Japs.
, The head of the political or
i ganization, Gen. Jiro Minami, comes
i right out and says that Japan's
! all-out might is actually not only
! far from being all-out but cannot
j even be considered fair.
Gen. Minami's statement was
broadcast by the Tokyo radio.
LAN'DRE ARRIVES
Roy Landre, of Anchorage. Iras
arrived in Juneau aird is a guest
at the Gastineau Hotel.
Five-year-old Margaret Ann Forde, daughter of a disabled ex-service
man, (left), pins the first Buddy Poppy of the 1945 Buddy Poppy Sale
on the lapel of President Harry S. Truman at the White House in
Wasiiington. Margaret Ann is from Eaton Rapids, Mieh. (AP Wire
photo)
I
Victories of
Red Army Are
Related Today
Millions on Enemy Troops
Killed or Captured
Man Hunt Continues
<B.v Associated Press)
Moscow announced today that
the Ited Army slew or captured
12.770.000 enemy troops in almost
four years of war on the Eastern
Front and had taken more than
1.230.000 prisoners since Germany's
unconditional surrender.
The announcement did not say
whether the Russians had captured
Field Marshal Ferdinand Schoernor
or Col. Gen. Otto Woehlef, com
manders of troops in Czechoslo
vakia and northern Austria, who
fought on after Germany's sur
render.
Yesterday's roundup of 170,000
Germans brought to 3,030,000 the
total killed or captured by the Red
Army since it launched its offensive
1 January 12, Moscow said.
British Security Police and in
I telligence officers are leading an
! intensive search for Gestapo Chiel
Heinrich Himmler in the Flens
burg area of Germany, a dispatch
from Flensburg said.
The unconditional surrender of
the German forces on the Channel
| Islands yielded to the Allies large
quantities of arms and equipment,
including 15-inch coastal batteries,
field pieces, anti-aircraft weapons
and several small vessels.
Pierre Laval to
Face Trial, France
PARIS. May 15—The Paris radio
•says that Pierre Laval will go back
to France within a few days on a
British warship to face trial as a
war criminal. The former Vichy
I Government Chief was interned
1 in Spain after his arrival aboard
a German plane.
REPORT ON
HORRORS OF
ATROCITIES
_
Nazis Perfected Organized
Crime Against Civiliza
tion and Humanity
* —
WASHINGTON, May }5 — A
Congressional Mission reported to
day its inspection of German con
centration camps forced the con
clusion the Nazis carried out a
“calculated and diabolical program
of planned torture and extermina
tion.”
The mission, composed of six
Senators and six Members of the
House of Representatives, flew to
Europe April 22 and spent most
ol a fortnight looking over the no
torious camps at Dachau, Buchen
wald and Nordhausen, Germany.
Organized Crime
In their report, the group termed
! the Nazi program of starvation,
torture and unhonored death for
slave laborers and political prison
! ers "no less than organized crime
1 against civilization and humanity.”
i '“Those who were responsible
should have meted out to them
swift, certain and adequate punish
1 ment,” the report advocated.
In view, however, of the exist
1 ence of the Allied War Crimes
Commission, the committee said it
did not believe any additional
1 agency need be created.
Shocking Story
] In general, it recounted the same
i shocking story of calculated misery
and degradation made lamiliar by
j scores of articles from the scene.
Treating in detail on the estab
i lishment at Bnchenwald, the law
I makers said:
"Pictures and descriptions of the
conditions at this camp cannot ade
: quately portray what we saw there,
and it is only when the stench of
| the camp is smelled that anyone
j can have a complete appreciation of
, the depths of degradation to which
i the German Nazi Government and
I those responsible for it . . . had
dropped in their treatment of those
tContinued on Page Six)