Imperial Valley press., January 14, 1945, Image 1

About Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current

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L A. IIA V—No. 1 barley hay S3G ©> $29; No. 1 oat
hay, s3(i © $37; 11. S. No. 1 alfalfa ungraded, $29
©>s3l; 11. S. No. 2 alfalfa, green & leafy, $27
<B> $29; No. 2 $24 # $25.
WEATHER
Maximum Friday 77, minimum Saturday 41; 5 a.m.
Saturday 47, humidity 79; noon Saturday 72, hu
midity 40; 5 p.m. Friday 75, humidity 29.
VOL. IX, No. 3
Armored Battle
Rages in Belgium
Allied Columns Push Forward in
Ardennes Salient as Germans
Falter Under Sledge-Hammer Blows
PARIS, Jan. 13. (UP) —Fast-rolling Allied columns
fanned out through the western end of the Ardennes sal
ient against disintegrating Nazi opposition Saturday while
stronger German covering forces to the east fought Amer
ican armored divisions driving into their flanks from the
north and south.
A heayy morning mist hung over the battlefield early
Saturday but front reports .said the
skies were dealing and there was
some hope that Allied air forces
would be able to join in the battle
before noon.
NAZIS THROWN BACK
Far to 'the southeast in Alsace,
U. S. Seventh army troops rallied
to throw back a strong German
armored attack cn their Maginot
line .positions along the northern
edge of the Hagenau forest.
Ficlc dispatched indicated that
the Germans still were pulling back
In the Ardennes, giving ground rap
idly in the west and putting up a
skillful rear guard action east of
the Bastogne-Kouffalize-Liege high
way.
Hard fighting was in progress on
the northern and southern flanks
east cf that road and a &HAEF
communique acknowledged that the
Rambling
eporter
Double Duty—
“ These roads are the roughest
things I ever saw,” someone said
snappishly while traveling near El
Centro.
“Don’t say anything about these
roads,” ordered King Maljan. "The
only exercise I get is riding over
them.”
Here and There—
“l’ll go down and see Dr. Brooks
this afternoon," Mrs. Leta May
Bryan, superior court reporter, said
to herself one day this week. So she
went down town and began sitting
around with the others. Dr. C. S.
Brooks, it seemed, was out.
Meanwhile the machinery of the
law had struck a snag in the court
house. Dr. Brooks and some other
doctors were waiting around for an
insanity hearing to get going. Noth
ing could be done until a court re
porter was on hand. Court attaches
telephoned madly around town in
search of Leta May. Another re
porter was pressed into service.
“I didn’t plan to forget it,” Leta
May said after returning to the
(Continued on Page 6, Col. 4>
Hood River Jap-Americcms
Return Without Hindrance
HOOD RIVER, Ore., Jan.
13. (UP) —Despite efforts to
organize a citizens’ commit
tee to meet returning Jap
anese-Americans and dis
courage them from return
ing to the Hood River valley,
three Nisei Saturday were
back in the county without
so much as an eyebrow raised
against them.
The three former evacuees—Ray
Saot, Sat Noji and Min Asai—re
turning by train Friday without at
Farm Production
Seen in Peril
SACRAMENTO, Calif., .Jan. 13.
<UP)—California farm production
during 1945 will be critically affected
if there is a shift of current farm
workers to war plants or the armed
services, R. L. Adams, director of
the farm production council, report
ed to the state senate Saturday.
In a written statement, covering
farm production council activities
Six Pages
U. S. First and Third armies were
making only slight progress into
the center of the pocket. The stub
born enemy covering action seemed
likely to result in the successful
escape of the bulk cf Marshal Karl
von Rundsted't’s remaining divisions,
barring a sudden break in the
weather that would permit the
American anc British air forces to
go into action.
ADVANCE MILE
American First army troops in
the north advanced about a mile
toward the Bois de Wibrin south
east of Samree late Friday, reach
ing a point slightly more than six
miles northwest of Houffalize.
Eight miles to the east, spear
heads of the U. S. 83rd infantry
and third armorec divisions ham
mered out gains of a half-mile cr
more on a two-mile front ilHow
Biliain and Langlir, both of which
were in American hands. German
covering units counter-attacked re
peatedly and in some strength, but
were repulsed with heavy losses in
(Continued on Page 6, Col. 5)
E. C. Soldier
Is Missing
In Europe War
Private First Class Tommy Slovak
of El Centro is missing in action in
Germany.
In an official war department
telegram erceived Friday night, his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Slovak
of 1426 Brighton avenue, were in
formed that he had been missing
since December 16.
The last letter received from the
soldier was written in England and
was dated November 26, 1944.
Private Slovak had been in the
army almost two years. He left the
United States for the European the
ater last October. Mr. and Mrs. Slo
vak received a telephone message
from his buddy’s mother in San
Diego that her boy also is missing.
Young Slovak attended school in
El Centro and na.-, many friends in
Imperial Valley.
His brother, Julius, is at Pearl
Harbor, serving with the navy as a
machinists mate first class.
tention from resicents reported to
be forming a “welcoming commit
tee” ito meet incoming trains bear
ing any evacuees. Sato, an orchard
owner, came from Cleveland, 0..
where he worked in a war plant
The other two were from undesig
nated destinations. They were the
first to return to this valley under
the recent order by the western
defense command permitting such
rehabilitation.
• Hcod river gained nationwide at
tention after the American Legion
post expunged from its war honor
roll the names of 16 Japanese-
from July 1, 1943, to December 31,
1944. Adams said 1945 farm labor re
quirements will parallel 1944 needs.
Last year a peak of 442,312 workers
was reached in September.
Seventy-six per cent of the work
ers were part of the “normal labor
supply,” he pointed out. The re
mainder of the labor force was made
up of Mexican-ngtlongls and volun
teers, he MM.
THE POST - PRESS
ALL THE NEWS FOR ALL THE IMPERIAL VALLEY
Only Paper in Imperial Valley Served by Complete United Press Fast Mews Wire, rull NEA, Inc., Features, with Valley Newt
by the Largest Editorial Staff in Southeastern California.
Death Summons
Well Known
Hardware Man
Willard B. <Sid> Swanberger, 43,
El Centro, wholesale manager of Im
perial Hardware company, died Fri
day night in El Centro hospital of
complications following an emer
gency appendectomy performed this
week.
He was stricken suddenly and his
surgeon discovered his appendix had
ruptured. He rallied after the oper
ation. Complications, however, set in
and were fatal.
The body will lie in state at the
Lemons mortuary in El Centro from
6 p. m. until 9 p. m. Sunday and
from 9 a. m. until noon Monday.
Funeral services will be in Santa
Ana next week.
His family and friends were
stunned when informed of his death
as they believed his strong constitu
tion would be able to withstand the
strain.
Swanberger came to Imperial Val
ley 30 years ago. He attended school
in El Centro and while in school
(Continued on Page 6. Col. 3>
U. S. Army Takes
Over Struck
Electric Plant
CLEVELAND, Jan. 13. (UP)—'The
army seized the Cleveland Illumi
nating company Saturday and or
dered striking maintenance workers
back on the job after lack of elec
trical power forced curtailment of
production in 40 war plants.
Colonel E. A. Lynn of the army
ordnance department, accompanied
by a staff of eight officers and car
rying a United States flag, entered
the CEl's downtown office early Sat
urday morning and took possession
of the struck facilities at 4:15 a. m.
Colonel Lynn called “on all em
ployes to return to work immediate
ly” in a statement issued shortly
after the announcement from Wash
ington that Fresident Roosevelt had
directed the war department to
take over. •
“Any employe who does not re
port at the beginning of his next
regular shift will be subject to im
mediate discharge,” the statement
declared, and warned that the name
of any employe deliberately absent
would be "immediately referred to
(Continued on Pg. 8, Col. 3)
WEATHER FORECAST
Fine weather over the week end
with little change in temperatures.
Daytime temperatures around 75
degrees and night temperatures
above 32 degrees.
Americans serving with 4he armed
forces, bringing down upon the post
widespread criticism from minis
terial anc liberal groups.
On the day the first evacuees re
turned the post had advertisements
in papers restating the post’s op
position to itheir return.
Here is first picture of General MacArthur’s invasion fleet heading toward Jap held shores of Luzon Island on Lingayen Gulf. The 1000-
ship armadc—Boo of them transports—brought ashore unending strea ms of American troops, artillery, tanks, transports and munitions as
first wave assault troops secured beaches against feeble Japanese resistance. “Some loss and damage” was suffered by American ships
|>ilt they were considered infinitesimal in comparison tp sice of fleet, photo-radioed from New Guinea.
Panic
Hits
Nazis
Russians Push
East Prussia,
Czech Thrusts
LONDON, Jan. 13. (UP)
—Alarmed Nazi broadcasts
said Saturday that the Red
army had opened two more
major offensives in East
Prussia and Czechoslovakia
and that a “gigantic struggle
of decisive importance is rag
ing’’ on a 60-mile front be
tween the Baltic and the
Danube valley.
Berlin reported that one day after
blasting open the Pollih front the
Russians mounted full dress offens
ives apparently aimed at securing
the flanks of a Soviet push across
the frozen Polish plains on the
shortest route to Berlin.
GERMANS PANICKY
As usual in the first phase of new
operations, Moscow had not an
nounced the Nazi-reported attacks.
Bert the almost panicky tenor of
the German reports indicated
Strongly that Marshal Stalin had
hurled a massive array cf pentup
power at the Germans in a historic
winter offensive.
“There is no doubt that the Sov
iets now are staking everything on
one card,” Ernst von Hammer, Ber
lin military commentator said. "A
great testing cf forces with the
Soviets now is in progress on six
battlefields scattered frem East
Prussia to Budapest.
ON WIDE FRONTS
“They are firstly around the
Hungarian capital; seconcly be
:wcen Szekesfehervar and the Dan
ube bend, thirdly the penetration
area east of Kcmarno on the Dan
ube, foui inly the area cf the Hun
garian-Slovak border; fifthly the
Vistula bridgehead west of Bara
now, and sixthly the East Prussian
fighting zone.
“It must be assumed that the Sov
iets will still further enlarge the
scenes of the fighting."
Three Mothers
Face Charges
In Child Neglect
Charges of contributing to the de
linquency of minors were filed Fri
day against three servicemen’s wives,
two from Brawley and one from
Winterhaven.
May Ezell, 21, and Ruby Tudor,
24, were arraigned in Brawley jus
tice court on the charges against
them and Judge J. B. Miller set bail
at SIOOO each. In lieu of bail they
are held in the Imperial county jail
in El Centro. They have three chil
dren each. County Probation Officer
Mildred Standlee said Saturday, and
receive a monthly allotment of $l4O
each. The six children are at the
county juvenile home in Imperial.
A similar charge was filed against
Grace Fox, 24, of Winterhaven,
whose two children were taken from
her home Thursday night and are
being kept in the juvenile home
while their mother is in the county
jail in El Centro. The press of other
cases delayed Mrs. Standlee some
what, she said Saturday, in com
pleting the investigation in this
case.
First Photo of Invasion That Brings Yanks Back to Luzon
SUNDAY, JANUARY 14, 1945
Nimitz Carrier Planes
Strike Luzon Convoy
String of as many as 30 towns and cities fail to surging Yanks as
they sweep southeastward from Lingayen Gulf on Luzon. It is at
Agr.o river the Japs are expected to put up an effort to stay the
march to Manila.
Lawmakers Put
On High Speed
By LLOYD LAPIIAM
SACRAMENTO, Jan. 13.
(UP)i —The state legislature
was in recess Saturday after
an active opening week
which prompted predictions
that th'3 present bill-intro
duction period could be com
pleted iu two more weeks.
Accomplishments of the week in
cluded passage by the assembly of
a bill continuing the SSO a month
old age pension rate, and Jerrold
L. Seawell, senate president pro
temipore, estimated the legislature
could start its 30-day minimum con
stitutional recess by January 26.
MAJOR ISSUES
At least three major issues were
scheduled for presentation next
week. A bill containing details cf
Nazi Prisoner
Escapes Camp
SACRAMENTO, Jan. 13. (UP)
The FBI today announced that
Johann Chichawlas, 23, a German
war prisoner, escaped shortly before
midnight Friday night from Camp
Beale near Marysville, California.
No details of the escape were
given in an announcement by N. J.
L. Pieper, special agent in charge
of the San Francisco FBI office.
Chichawlas was described as being
five feet, nine inches tall, of dark
complexion and with brown hair and
eyes. He cannot speak English, the
FBI said.
A private in the German army,
Chichawlas was wearing brown or
blue denim shirt and trousers at the
time of his escape.
EL CENTRO, CALIF. PHONE 300
Governor Earl Warren’s compul
sory health insurance program was
expected to be introduced as were
bills including his recommendation
for maintenance of state taxes at
their present reduced rate.
In addition, the governor’s bien
nial budget estimates were slated
to be completed during the week.
A counter-proposal to the gover
nor’s 'tax program was on the as
sembly file in the form of bills
backed by 19 Democratic assembly
men. They would reduce the sales
tax rate from 2‘a to two per cent
and exempt restaurant meals from
sales taxations.
Warren has estimated that the
state can just squeeze by for the
next two years uncer present tax
rates. The new proposal, if adopted,
apparently would mean that other
state taxes would have to be raised.
The budget is expected ito call for
two-year expenses of about $600,-
000,000, the highest in the history
of the state. Revenues under pres
ent tax rates are estimated at about
$515,000,000 and* the present state
(Continued on Page 6, Coil. 3)
"Work or Fight" Program ,
Faces Stiff Opposition
WASHINGTON, Jan. 13.
(UP) —President Roosevelt’s
request for “work-or-fight”
legislation to force 4-Fs into
war work ran into tough ob
stacles Saturday, as the fol
lowing developments were
From Six to Twelve Transports
Destroyed Off Indo-China in
Crushing Blow, Including Airports
PEARL IIARP,OR, Jan. 13. (UP)—Carrier pl'anes of
the third fleet struck powerful new blows along a 250-mile
stretch of the French Indo-China coast Saturday after
wrecking 38 Japanese ships in the first phase of an assault
that apparently has smashed a major enemy attempt to
reinforce embattled Luzon.
Carrying the attack into its second day, hundreds of
dive-bombers, torpedo planes and fighters hammering at
shipping, airdromes and other enemy installations from
Saigon in the south to Quinhon in the north.
(A Tokyo broadcast heard in London said some 90
P>-29 Superfortresses also attacked Saigon Friday night,
but there was no confirmation from American sources that
land-based bombers had joined in the attack. The Tokyo
broadcast said 20 Superfortresses were shot down by Jap
anese fighters and ground defenses.)
Manila
Drive
Gains
GEN. MACARTHUR’S
HEADQUARTERS, Luzon,
Jan. 13. (UP) —Sixth army
forces have driven six miles
into the enemy’s fortified
fl'ank on the eastern shore of
Lingayen gulf under sup
porting fire of American
warships, widening the A
merican beachhead to at least
26 miles, a front dispatch
disclosed Saturday.
The thrust from San Fabian, for
mer northeastern anchor of the
beachhead, carried to the coastal
town of Rabon, four and a half
miles southwest of Rosario airfield,
13 miles from Baguio and 29 miles
south of San Fernando, the latter
the center of a strong Japanese
concentration.
46 JAP SHIPS SUNK
Forty-six Japanese freighters and
coastal vessels attempting to land
reinforcements and supplies at San
Fernando Thursday were intercept
ed by American naval units, Gen
eral Douglas MacArthurs commu
nique reported, and when the smoke
of furious shellfire cleared, all 46
had been sunk or damaged heavily.
(Radio Toi.yo said two American
convoys already have landed troops
and supplies on the Lingayen gulf
and a third of more than 100 trans
(Continued on Page 6, Col. 6)
reported:
1. The Congress of Industrial
Organizations said such a law would
be “thoroughly unworkable”: that
in fact no form of manpower draft
was needed but that manpower
problems should be worked out by
management and labor conferences
with the government.
2. Members of the house military
affairs committee, currently consid
ering the May work-or-fight bill,
began to wonder if such a law would
force, new war workers -,o join un
ions against their will.
3. And at the same time war pro
duction officials said the manpower
Arizona House
Okehs Treaty
PHOENIX, Ariz., Jan. 13. (UP)
The legislature, in recess Saturday,
will convene in joint session Monday
while Governor Sidney P. Osborn
delivers his biennial budget mes
sage, which reportedly will call for
sharply increased governmental ex
penditures.
It was understood several regular
budgetary items will be hiked by as
El Centro Business Barometer
BANK DEBITS
(Total Cash, Checks and Drafts Rent
Through The Two Ei Centro Banks!
Friday $1,170,087.15
Last Year $ 572,937.87
- By MAC JOHNSON
A Pacific fleet communique dis
closed that 25 ships, including six
and possibly 12 transports, a 5800-
ton Kaiiori class light kruiser and
several destroyers or destroyer es
corts, were sunk and 13 other ves
sels damaged heavily in the Initial
attacks Friday (Indo-China time).
Thirty-nine Japanese planes also
were destroyed.
NO DAMAGE TO U. S.
"At last reports, our Service forces
have suffered no damage and were
continuing their attacks,” Admiral
Chester W. Nimitz announced.
At least four Japanese convoys
were hit in Friday’s strikes and it
was theorized that some, if not all,
had embarked on an attempt to
move additional troops and supplies
to Luzon, about 100 c miles to the
east.
Early advices gave no clue wheth
er the convoys had been wiped out
completely, but it appeared certain
they had been forced to disperse.
Such ships as might have escaped
may be overhauled yet and blasted
to the bottom.
NO SURFACE BATTLE
Though no major Japanese fleet
units were engaged in the early
phase of the attack, the possibility
remained that the enemy might send
naval forces into action to counter
Admiral William F. Halsey's thrust
across the south China sea, which
in effect has cut the Japanese em
pire in two.
The toll of shipping off Indo-
China brought to 286 the number
of Japanese vessels sifnk or damag
ed by the third fleet since January
2 in its forays from the Ryukyus,
just south of Japan, to Saigon. The
over-all total included an addi
tional 110 ships revealec by Nimitz
last night to have been sunk or
damaged last Tuesday around For
mosa.
That brought the toll in the For
(Continued on Page 6, Col. 1)
crisis in industry would be greatly
eased anyway if the currently re
ported trend of 4-Fs into war work
continued.
The house committee lias been
holding hearings all week on a bill
introduced by Chairman Andrew
J. May (D.) Kentucky, to set up
special army units for men 18 to
45 who refuse to do essential war
work. Army, navy, manpower and
production officials have told the
committee of the need for leglsla
tion to force men into war work.
But the committee has not yet
hearc from labor, which is sched
uled to present its side of the case
I next week.
I much as 40 per cent and that the
| over-all budget for the next two
years, beginning July 1. will be 10 to
: 25 per cent above that of 1943-49.
The assembly quit for the week
end after the house, with only «M
dissenting vote, adopted a senate
approved measure calling on con
gress to ratify the U. S.-MexigO*
water treaty.
THE POST-PRESS