Imperial Valley press., August 30, 1945, Image 1

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

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WEATHER
Maximum Wednesday 108. minimum
rhurs. 67; 5 a.m. Thurs. 71. humid
ity 64; noon Thurs. 100. humidity
14: 5 p.m. Wednesday 106. hum. 19.
BANK DEBITS
Wednesday 5.391.205.33
Last Year 5376.253.60
VOL. XLIII, No. 249
MacARTHUR OPENS YOKOHAMA QUARTERS
Kaiser Shipyard
At Portland
Swept by Flames
Six Newly Launched Vessels Burn With
Loss Estimated at $25,000,000;
One Worker Drowns, Another Missing
PORTLAND, Ore.. Aug. 30. (UP) —A major fire in the
ou'J itting dock:- <if the Kaiser Oregon shipyard in Portland
Thursday burned six newly completed ships, with damage
estimated in excess of $25,000,000.
A cabin painter drowned when he dived from a flaming
ship into the mooring basin. An asbestos operator is un
accounted- for.
Rambling
eporter
Now, Now. Mr. Mayor! —
As mayor of El Centro, P. L.
Moore is supposed to set an ex
ample tor fellow citizens on how
to be law-abiding and avoid trou
ble Moore not only sets this ex
ample himself but likes his family,
including the dog. to show others
h >u admirable is good behavior.
Wednesday night Mayor Moore
was driving down the street, lee-!
turin.. his dog to the effect that he
must ride in the >.ack seat and no’
in the front. In his enthusiasm.
Moore forgot he was driving and
gave his full attention to training
the dog.
The lecture was broken into with
a erash, the crash being between
the Moore car and that of Massey
Horton The latter’s car was
parked at the < urb in a most law
abiding manner.
Perhaps when Moore has trained
his dog on the proper way to be
have. he’ll turn his attention to his
car.
Time Moves On—
When Justice ot the Peace J. E.
Simpson holds a scheduled pre
liminary hearing on a car theft
charge Friday afternoon he will
have filed the last page in volume
57 nt criminal cases, totalling 18.-
960 since this county was estab
lished For the sake of those wi*»>
like their figures rough this is
nearly three cases every two days.
As the judge got ready to put
Volume 57 on the long book shelf
with the others he drew out thin
and worn little Volume 1, filled
wi’h its precise Spencerian script,
and reminisced over the days when
J F Tout was the first JP ; J. M.
Eshlcinan was district attorney,
and Phil Swing was his deputy.
First case recorded in the old vol
ume was in January. 1908. and fit
tingly Touch for those rough
pioneer days the prisoner was a
fugitive from jystice. The first ac
cused murderer. Clemente Ponce,
was held to answer in superior
court, on Mav 16 of the same year,
and then a long silence occurs
during the summer months when
it w:u either too hot for crime or
no one cared.
Many well known names appear
in the old volume and the 'barges
are much as they are today: theft
and burglary in varying degrees;
'Continued on Page 8. Col. 2'
Trials Demanded To Clear
Records of Pearl Harbor
By JOSEPH L. MYLER
WASHINGTON, Aug. 30.
(IT) -- The administration
a' long last has published
the unpalatable story of
Pearl Harbor, but many congres
sional critics insisted Thursday
that it still has not told all.
Some of them, including Chair
man Andrew J. May 'D >. Ken
tucky. of the house military affairs
commi'tee. demanded that the
drama be played out, to a conclu
sion in public court martial trials.
The army and navy proposed to
close the matter now without any
trials.
PLACING OF BLAME
The official story, as released by
President Truman in three sepa
rate and frequently conflicting
documents, placed varying degrees
of blame for this country’s first
and worst defeat in World War II
upon:
1. The army and navy command
ers on the scene.
2 The army and navy staff chiefs
and others in Washington.
3. The architects of the country's
IMPERIAL VALLEY PRESS
Complete World-Wide News from United Press Leased Wire Service, Entire NEA Features, with Valley News by ihe Largest Editorial Staff in Southeastern
California. The Only Local Daily Newpaper Serving El Centro, Calexico, Holtville, Imperial, Brawley, Seeley and Heber.
Flames raced from one ship to
another as they were tied at the
dock of the Willamette river ship
yard, one of the largest in the
world. The Victory ships and troop
transports had been launched and
needed only final outfitting before
going into service.
MANY WORKERS NEAR
Between 2500 and 3000 workers
were in the immediate area. Fire
men were driven from the outfit
ting dock by the terrific heat of the
flames, fed by fresh paint and other
inflammables.
The fire broke out as the grave
yard shift was leaving. It is believ
ed to have started when sparks
from a welder's outfit ignited oil
being piped into a generator on the
Bexar Victory", a completed ship.
The oil had dripped on some wood
and the fire spread rapidly.
The flames jumped to the USS
Glynn, a troopship moored near it.
and it W'as only seconds before the
Glynn was completely afire
SPREADS TO ALL CRAFT
Since there were three ships tied
to the dock and three more along
side them, the fire spread over all
the craft. Manager Albert Bauer
said the Victory ships cost about
$3.50< .090 each and the troopships
$4,000,000.
Yard fire apparatus answered the
first alarm, then two additional
alarms brought three fireboats and
ill available Portland units.
After an hour’s battle, firemen
had prevented the fire from spread
ing from the outfitting dock. Ef
forts were concentrated on keeping
the fire from the shipyards.
Other craft in the basin included
the Dottingham Victory, the Doth
am Victory and USS Dane, another
troopship.
North Portland was covered with
black smoke and the flames were
(Continued on Page 8. Col. 5i
Pilotless Super
Falls Into Ocean
MUROC FIELD. Cal.. Aug. 30
UP'—A flaming B-29 Superfort
ress crashed into the ocean 50 miles
with southeast of Coronado Island
after its 11-man crew jumped to
safety Wednesday. Muroc Field of
ficials said Thursday.
The crew bailed out near Lan
caster. Cal., when the No. 4 engine
caught fire.
Several crewmen suffered minor
injuries in the jump.
Army and navy fighter planes es-
CG.-ted the plane, which its pilot
had set on automatic control, out
m sea to make sure it would crash
harmlessly into the water.
pre-pearl Harbor diplomacy.
Specifically named as sharing
culpaoility for the defeat of De
cember 7. 1941. were then Secretary
of State Cordell Hull. Gen. George
C. Marshall, army chief of staff:
Adm. Harold R. Stark, then chief
of naval operations: Lt. Gen. Leon
ard . Gerow. then a major general
in charge of the war plans division
l of rhe war department general
staff: Maj. Gen. Walter C. Short.
Famed U. S. Flag
To Be Hoisted
WITH ADMINAL HALSEY IN
TOKYO BAY. Aug. 30. UP—The
battered American flag that flew
above Co.mmodor Matthew Perry's
frigate, Mississippi, when he op
ened the door to Japan 92 years
ago will be hoisted above the U.
S. S. Missouri Sunday when the
Eight Pages
While ptans were under way tor mass occupational landing's in Japan,
this flier. Lt. Col. Clay Tice, of Phoenix, Arizona, was forced to land
a week ago on the islanf Kyushu, part of the Jap homeland. He is
■•een beside his plane, named "Elsie” for his wife.
Executive Views
New Type Homes
At Minimum Cost
LOS ANGELES. Aug. 30. 'UP'
Marketing of a completely-furnish
ed house and lot at a cost of 33500
was promised Thursday by Bror
Dahlberg, president of the Celotex
Corporation.
"The greatest era of construction
in the history of the nation will
get under way within six months."
Dahlberg said.
"Our own war experience hints
W the possibilities. Several thou
sand comfortable, permanent four
and-one-half-room houses were
built with Celotex Cemesto units at
a cost of $2500 or less.
"This price did not include any
profit for the dealer, or the cost
of the land. But these houses were
only partially prefabricated and
were not manufactured by the as
sembly line process.”
Danlbcrg said assembly lines
would be able to produce house
sections as well as they did bomb
bers.
•■Reduction in costs thus effected
will make it possible io produce at
tractive and durable houses for
S2OOO to $3030.
The Celotex president said the
atomic bomb city of Oak Ridge,
Tenn., was an example.
"More than three thousand per
manent Cemesto homes, as well as
other buildings such as hospitals,
schools, stores and theaters were
built in a short time.
Dahlberg said low cost housing
would create a need for 5,000.000
construction workmen for 10 years.
U. S. Subs Finish
With 69 Sinkings
WASHINGTON. Aug. 30. <UP'
U. S. submarines operating in Far
Eastern waters in the last three
months of the war sank 69 enemy
vessels, the navy announced Thurs
day.
These sinkings have not been
announced previously in any navy
communiques. They were com
piled from reports of submarines
after their return from Pacific ac
tion.
then commander of the army's
Hawaiian Department, and Rear
Adm. Husband E. Kimmel, then
commander-in-chief of the U. S.
Pacific Fleet.
FIRST TIME
It was the first time that any
soil from the mess of Pearl Harbor
had been rubbed officially on Hull.
Marshall, and Stark.
Secretary of W’ar Henrv I. Stim-
' Continued on Page 8. Col. 3)
Japanese surrender.
Lt. John K Bremyer of Mc-
Pherson. Kans., arrived at Tokyo
Bay with the flag after a record
breaking 104-hour flight from
Washington.
The flag, with 31 stars, has been
preserved in the Naval Academy
Museum at Annapolis.
EL CENTRO, CALIFORNIA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 1945
He Got There First
Officers Trail
Trio in Double
Holdup, Attack
Sheriff’s officers Thursday were
on the trail of three young Mexi
cans who reportedly robbed James
R Jenkins Wednesday afternoon
and then beat him up early in the
evening when he unwittingly ac
cepted a ride in the car driven by
the same Mexicans for whom he
was looking. He is in the county
hospital.
Jenkins told Deputy Sheriff A. T
Lyons that he wss»
from Salinas to Springfield. 111. and
stopped for a sleep at the Sandia
store north of Holtville, which Is
now closed. Two young Mexicans
in working clothes woke him,
threa'ened him with a piece of
pipe and robbed him of three dol
lars. Jenkins said.
After he reported the robbery to
Holtville police, and Lyons had
been called. Jenkins decided to look
for the Mexicans in Brawley. In
the dark he did not recognize the
occupants of the car which stopped
to give him a ride until he was in
udc the car. he said. They took
him back to the Sandia store build
ing. ordered him out of the car.
'lugged him in the back of the head
with the pipe and took his cigar
ettes and another dollar in change
while he was still unconscious, ac
cording to his report.
Holtville police took him to the
county hospital where the extent
of his injuries have not yet been
determined.
Yank Prisoners
Leave Japan
ABOARD THE EVACUATION
SHIP REEVES OFF YOKOHAMA
Aug. 30. (UPi —The following in
clude names of the first group of
prisoners evacuated from Japan
Thursday with assignment at time
of capture:
'AU men are enlisted unless oth
erwise noted, i
William Herbert Adams. 4th Ma
rines, Fullerton, Cal.
Second Lt. Albert Hall Andrews,
V)lth Bomb Group, Pasadena. Cal.
Warrant Officer Charles W. Au
det. ATS. Philippines, North Holly
wood. Cal.
Byron T. Bingham, Ft. Mills,
Corregidor, Tucson. Ariz.
Maj. Gregory Boyington, 2nd Ma
rine Airwing. Okanogan. Wash.
Arthur N. Buchanan, Ft. Mills
Station Hosp., Alhambra. Cal.
Arthur J. Calanchini, Wake Is
land. Bakersfield. Cal.
Clayton O. Decker, submarine.
San Francisco.
Courtney A. Forth. Civilian Army
Eng.. Corregidor. San Francisco.
Paul R. Sandoval. Med. Detach..
Bataan, Glendale. Ariz.
First Lt. Gordon H. Scott, 7th
Fighter Cmd., Iwo Jima, Mavwood,
Cal.
Harry Slater. Jr.. 39th Bomb
Group. Guam. Pasadena. Cal.
British Forces
Enter Hongkong
CHUNGKING. Aug. 30. <UPi
British naval units will enter Hong
kong harbor Thursday to take over
the British crown colony from Jap
anese occupation forces, Lt. Gen.
Albert C Wedemeyer announced.
Wehmeyer sa\t that the British
units were detached from Admiral
Sir Bruce Fraser's Pacific commant
to take the lightning run to re
assume control of one of Great
Britain's most famous outposts.
Stars and Stripes Raised
Over Jap Homeland As
40,000 U.S. Troops Land
Prisoner Tells
Of Jap Cruelty
By Frank H. Barli.olomcw
Representing the Combined
American Press
'Distributed by United Press'
ABOARD THE MERCY SHIP
REEVES OFF ‘OMORI PRISON
CAMP, TOKYO BAY. Aug. 30. 'UP'
Surviving 20 months of secret im
prisonment and torture with a base
ball bat. Maj. Gregory i Pappy i
B’oyington. 32-year-olc ace from
Okanogan. Wash., was rescued by
an expedition commanded by Com
modore Roger Simpson, he told me
Thursday.
Boyington was reported dead
when he was shot town over Ra
bpul in 1944. He had 28 Japanese
planes and a Congressional Medal
of Honor to his credit.
HAD 32 WOUNDS
Boyington said he wiw> shot down
during the merning of January 3.
1944. He had 22 mm wounds on
his head. neck, arms anc ear and
his ankle was broken. The main
gas tank on his Corrair blew up.
“I flipped my plane on its back
and unfatsened the safety belt,"
Loyingtbn said. “I dropped 190 feet
to the water and was stunned by
the impact."
Taking off his shoes and clothes,
he treated water Four Japanese
in Zekes strafed him until they ran
out of ammunition.
“Finally I located the rubber boat
from my plane and inflated it," he
went on. "After a few hours a
Japanese submarine surfaced near
bv and took me aboard off Cape
St. George and transported me to
Rabaul."
“At Rabaul. I was blindfolced
and handcuffed and my medical
equipment was taken away. I was
questioned the w’.t le night. I had
Monterey Presidio
Soldiers Want
Service in Japan
MONTEREY. Cal.. Aug. 10 'UP'
—Two thousand soldiers at the
Presidio of Monterey answered pro
tecting Pacific-bound troops Thurs
day by saying they wanted to go to
Japan but were unable to get a
"priority."
In letters to the San Francisco
Chronicle, which has received a
number of telegrams and letter.'
from members of the 86th and 95th
divisions objecting to transfer of
European combat troops to Pacific
occupation zones, the Monterey sol
diers. trained for service with the
Allied military government, said
they would insist ' something be
done" to get them to Japan.
The letters said '.he writers had
had training at considerable ex
pense to the American taxpayer and
had the technical skill to do the
job. One quoted letter said;
“In your discussion of the rede
ployment of European veterans to
the Pacific, it should be pointed
out that 2000 officers trained for
the military government of Japan
are sitting in Monterey doing ab
solutely nothing and unable to get
priority for shipment to the Pacific.
“Most of them have had no over
seas duty, but have been trained
over a/year for this job.
“Practically all of them speak
Japanese, know Japan intimately,
are experts in tome governmental
field, have had intensive combat
training, and want to go.
“What is the war department's
explanation of this fiasco?"
The Chronicle said it telephoned
Washington for an answer and re
ceived the following reply. It quot
ed a war department official as
saying that 903 AMG-trained army
officers have been stationed at
Monterey for periods ranging from
four months to a year and 400 al
ready have gone overseas. The re
maining 506 “will go." the news
paper quoted the official as saying.
(Continued on Page 8. col. 8(
U. S. FINLAND TO RESUME
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
WASHINGTON. Aug. 30. 'UP'—
The state department announced
Thursday that diplomatic relations
between the United States and Fin
land will be resumed at midnight
Fridav.
no medical treatment for 10 days
curing which time my festering,
wcunds smelled so foul I wondered
how the Jap questioners could stand
the stench.
On the 11th day, another in
ternee was permitted to apply hot
water bandages.
"I was held for two months in
Rabaul. I trekkec into town daily
from the camp in the outskirts for
continuous grilling. Twenty other
airmen were in the camp, but I was
a special prisener and had no war
prisoner privileges .
"In March. 1944, I was trans
ported to a secret navy camp for
questioning. It was in the country ;
village of Ofuna. Japan. Here I
was given the baseball bat treat
ment, standing with my hands tied
while the guard slugged the back
of my legs and my backside as
hare as possible. The latter was sc
swollen I could see it over my
shoulder
SLUGGED 300 TIMES
“I was slugged in the jaw ap
proximately 300 times. Similar beat
ings killed other prisoners. Even
Jap civilians took part in admin
istering the beatings. The barber
who shaved our heads every two
months delighted in taking pokes
at us. ,
On April 5. 1945/, Boyington was
transferred to Omori where “polite
ness was the orc er of the day." The
prisoners were required to bow ev
ery morning to the emperor.
The menu consisted of a kilo of
maize and rice mixed together, a
mess which tasted like chalk. This
basic item was supplemented by
soybean soup which was mostly
water. An occasional treat was a
fish head or seaweed.
Invasion General,
MacArthur Meet
On Nipponese Soil
By WILLIAM B. DICKINSON
ATSUGI. Japan, Aug. 30. (UP'—
Gen. Douglas MacArthur stepped
from his C-54 transport plane, Ba
taan. onto the imperial soil of Ja
pan Thursday with the words:
■'Well, we got here, didn’t we?”
MacArthur was in high good hu
mor as he stepped from his plane
exactly on scheduled time at 1:58
p.m. <11:58 p.m. Wednesday. CWTi.
"The preliminary occupation is
going splendidly,” MacArthur said
"There is every indication that it
will continue without friction or
bloodshed.”
The supreme commander flew up
from Okinawa in bright sunshine
through a calm blue sky flecked
with white clouds.
(William Dunn. CBS correspond
ent, reported that MacArthur was
served dinner at his new head-
<Continued on Page 8. Col. 1>
E. C. Businessmen
Will Not Mark
V-J Day by Closing
El Centro businessmen will not
close their places of business Sat
urday. it was announced Thursday.
Final surrender terms will be signed
by Japan Sunday. Saturday here,
and if a holiday were to be ob
served it would be Saturday.
Business generally will be closed
Monday—Labor Day, it also was
announced.
Court Upholds Veterans'
Seniority Job Rights
NEW YORK, Aug. 30. Repair corporation of Brooklyn. "This act now saves the veteran
fTTpt Federal Tude’e Mat- The case involved interpretation his pension, his insurance and his
eh T AL ' h lal ’ k veterans’ seniority rights under social security," Abruzzo said,
tnew 1. Aoruzzo upheld job the Selective Service act. "In my opinion, congress intend-
seniority rights of veterans Answering arguments of the com- ed to give the veteran all the rights
Thursday in a decision granted in pany’s counsel, Abruzzo declared he left when he was called into ser
a test case brought by Abraham “there was no ambiguity about the vice and the statute passed by con-
Fishgold, a former serviceman, ■ act that took the veteran into the gress supersedes collective bargain
against the Sullivan Drydock and armed forces.” ing contracts."
(Five Cents Per Copy) PHONE 300, THE POST-PRESS
'This Looks Like the Payoff,' Supreme
Commander Says, as Yanks Move In;
Occupation Begins Without Incidents
GENERAL MacARTHUR HEADQUARTERS. YOKO
HAMA, JAPAN, August 30. (UP) —Gen. Douglas Mac-
Arthur set up headquarters in Yokohama Thursday as
the first 40,000 troops of his occupation army raised the
Stars and Stripes over Japan's largest naval bas l ?, two
airfields and a big slice of the Tokyo plain.
A half dozen or more Japanese towns, some within a
few miles of the southern outskirts of Tokyo, were occu
pied by Allied air and sea borne forces in their first few
hours ashore.
MacArthur, supreme occupation commander, established
his headquarters in Yokohama’s new Grand Hotel with
other top American officers less than an hour after land
ing at Atsugi airfield from Okinawa.
From top of the hotel MacArthur could.see Emperor
Hirohito's palace in the heart of Tokyo. Both Hirohito and
the Japanese government now must take their orders from
MacArthur.
South of Yokohama. Admiral
Chester W. Nimitz MacArthur's
partner in the conquest of Japan—
and Admiral William F. 'Bull' Hal
: sey of Third Fleet fame went
ashore at the newly-occupied Yok
osuka naval base, formerly Japan's
i No. 1 navy yard. It already had
i surrendered formally to Halsey’s
• deputies.
American and British marines
and blue-jackets also raised the
American flag over three fortified
islands guarding the approaches' to
Yokosuka. Cape Futtsu. seven miles
across the entrance to Tokyo Bay
from Yokosuka, and the half-sunk
en hulk of the Japanese battleship
Nagato.
WELL GUARDED
The air and sea-borne landings
on Japan were carried out under
a canopy of 2000 warplanes and
the big guns of hundreds of war-_
ships in Tokyo Bay and adjoining
Sagami Bay.
The troops landed with full com
bat equipment, but not a shot was
fired by either side. Japanese of
ficers were polite and bowing.
Civilians were docile.
MacArthur's huge transport plane j
Bataan alighted on Atsugi Airfield
18 miles south of Hirohito's Palace,
at 1:58 p.m. (12:58 a m.. EWT'. He
told newsmen and G.l.'s. who clus
tered about the plane, that the sur
render plan was “going splendidly."
“There is every indication that
the occupation will continue with
out fraction or bloodshed." he said.
In the outlying theaters, fight ng
practically has ceased. In tnis
area. 300.000 Japanese troops have
been disarmed and demobilized.
COMES THE PAYOFF
“From Melbourne to Tokyo was
Suicide Pilots
Forced to Fly
By ERNEST HOBERECHT
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Aug
30. (UP)—Specially-trained Japan
ese suicide pilots were recruited for
the highly-advertised "special at
tack corps” from volunteers and
pilots who had no choice in the
matter, a Tokyo high school lan
guage instructor told me Thursday.
The instructor. Yagiu Naoyuki.
accompanied me on a tour of this
base in a car driven by a third
class Japanese petty officer
"Most of the volunteers were
younger pilots." Naoyuki said. "They
were given special discipline for
the suicide jobs along with pilots
from units arbitrarily chosen by
the high command."
As we rode around in a right-
DO YOU NOW-
That Imperial Valley leads
in raisin g thoroughbred
horses and that last year
the income from this in
dustry
Was 5110,000?
By RALPH TEATSORTH
; a long, hard road, but this looks
like the payoff."
Close behind MacArthur's plane
< came other big transports carrying
Geh. Carl A Spaatz. commander of
; the Strategic Air Forces; Lt. Gen.
; George C. Kenney, commander of
the Far East Air Forces, and other
top officers.
From Atsugi. MacArthur’s party
set out for Yokohama in a convoy
, of Japanese automobiles and trucks.
Japanese troops with rifles and
sidearms stood every 100 yards or
:so with their backs to their road
j on guard against any overt act by
1 their countrymen.
Paratroops of the 11th Air-borne
Division, who will serve as Mac-
Arthur's bodyguards, piled into the
Japanese trucks without comment.
Japanese officers saluted promptly
as the convoy passed, and Ameri-
■ can officers returned the salute.
Yokohama it.self was a burned
out shell from American air raids.
There was no resemblance to the
great port that once housed nearly
1.000.000 Japanese and handled a
■ quarter of the Japanese empire's
trade.
' 150 OFFICERS
Nearly 150 other officers also
were guests in the hotel.
Up to 40.000 troops had landed
I by sea and air on the southern ap
proaches of Tokyo by nightfall
Others waited aboard ships in To
kyo Bay and at Okinawa Airfields
to join in the occupation.
They were the vanguard of an
occupation army that ultimately is
expected to total at least 500,000
troops on the Japanese home is
lands. The next occupation force
is scheduled to land on the south-
'Continued on Page 8. Col. 4'
hand drive car and looked at the
installations, we discussed the Jap
anese who had been captured by
the Americans.
’ The people believe that captured
Japanese are disgraced if they come
home, but I feel sorry for tnem be
cause they put up a good fight,”
Naoyuki said. “Intellectuals, how
ever. do not feel this way and
would welcome home a Japanese
who was captured.”
Naoyuki said that towards the
end the Japanese were exhausted
and felt the war was going against
them. They knew they were defin
itely licked when the big Super
fortress raids started in May, he
added, and the atomic bomb was
the chief reason they quit.