La Grande evening observer., March 29, 1945, Image 1

ummomi
1
1
o
o
ESTABLISHED 1896
U.S.
Invasion
Expected
By Japs
.. .GUAM, Friday, March 30
(UP)t Tokyo reported today
500 American carrier aircraft
including jet planes raided
Kyushu and Shikoku islands
of Japan proper yesterday
while a fleet of American
transports and warships con
verged "from all directions"
on invasion-threatened Okin
Mkawa island, 70-mile-lonir bas--H.ion
of the ltyukyus chain.
A groat American naval arm
ada of more than 100 vessels built
around ten battleships was re
ported shelling Okinawa again,
while swarms of planes from at
least ten carriers continued the
almost-constant aerial battering
of the air-and-navy base island,
enemy broadcasts indicated.
Tokyo claimed the alleged
American invasion of the Ker
ama islands south of Okinawa
had been partially crushed ahd
the beachhead troops cut off from
their offshore supply ships.
Sixty carrier planes, hitting the
south flank of Japan's long chain
of islands, struck at Formosa in
conjunctions with B-2!)s Thurs
day, Tokyo reported. Starting at
noon, according to. this uncon
firmed enemy version, planes
raided Takao, Tainan, Taichu and
Shinchiku. "' ' V
The enemy claimed that Amer
ican landing forces on Tokoshiko
island, west of Okinawa, have
lecn "completely wiped out" by
the Japanese garrison using
heavy artillery and mortars. Of
ficial American sources have
Sec INVASION . . . Page 7
Clothing Campaign
Planning Session
Is Postponed
iiiaeiiiuic peisipoue-im in in tin,
organizational meeting for the lo
cal participalion in the United I
national e-leilhim; camnuiun was
announced today bv A. Olson.
chairman of the Lions club com- I
iniltcu on preliminary arrange
ments. The meeting was origin
ally set for tonight in the city
hall, but was deferred because
of conflicting interests.
Olson announced the appoint
ment of Lynn H. Larson by the
Kolary club to serve as cn-chair-man
of the campaign.
He announced that Mrs. L. C.
Smith has donated the use of the
Smith building on Depot street
near Washington avenue for use
as a central receiving station, and
that arrangements are being made
for sub-stations in the churches
and schools.
Olson said plans also, arc be
ing made for pick-ups of bundles
of clothing from those who are
unable to deliver them. Calls for
pick-ups may be made to the
chamber of commerce (phone No.
It).
A housc-lo-housc collection of
contributions also is being planned.
Ration Point Values are Raised
On Pork, Fats;
, WASHINGTON, March 29 (UP) The office of price administra
tion today raise) point values of pork, lard, margarine, canned pea,
and canned asparagus for April. The changes" ;trc effective Sunday.
ti,, rvi A.-t ftr-Tn.,.l,r,r,(,,,rl. tirrnl i-.-ilion values of hci'if. veal.1 lamb.
butter, rcd; other I'odistamD futxls.. But Price AdmiJDIrator Chester
; P.j-l-lrc htT'itnrl (lint all mp;il nnintsinrjbablv wiU be raised sharply in
j w -
HTn, T.l..
NfSHyig the recent M- per fctn
cut in' civi(l)i meat supplies "for '
Ac second quarter c,' 345.
(,Wwles said the dec;(is6-vould
1CN.fcll "very little" iWing April.
Other Increases Loom
'Latdrpto the quarter in May
and JiiTrc63)icre . normally
snarper seasonal wcuntKin ".n1""!"1; J: ts
; .,,lim. I niurteS) (V) (OV
Wreasc w ill be felt I" a great
extent at that time ttfi)n in An, I
ril." dfSjvles said. Deceased suisUftteascd because ot a manptmir
nliSr; ....d., onnmnan. shortage in canneries. He said
ietMiy higher ration values.
Bowles said that while there
st
LA GRANUE,
Armada Hits Okinawa
Soviets Take Nazi
Perkins Proposal
May End Threat
Of Coal Strike
Secretary Acts
A 8 Miner 8 Vote
To Quit Pits
WASHINGTON. Mar. 2!) (UP)
Secretary of Labor Frances
Perkins said today that the unit
ed mine workers have accepted
hin' nrnnrvinl fnr n new snft pnnl
,.,n-hr,,. r,tt.n,.t Th nnn,--
....J,- ..
ators, she indicated, may give!
their answer later today. '
.. , , .
If the .operators also accept the
proposal details of which Miss
Perkins did not supply it would
end the threat of a nationwide
mine stoppage when the old con
tract expires at midnight Satur
day. All Miss Perkins would say
about her proposal was that its
terms would not violate the gov
ernment's wage stabilization pro
gram. Earlier she had said she
had suggested withdrawal of
some of the UMWs "cherished
demands."
She said the operators had
asked for an hour in which to
find out "which rates would ap
ply to which people and how the
selection of those people should
be made to give an increase."
She said this involved shift dif
ferentials and the operations in
strip mines, in fully mechanized
mines, and in hand loading mines.
Miss Perkins' announcement
came dramatically at a time
when UMW members were ready
to strike, if ordered to do so by
the union, after the Saturday
i deadline.
I Miss Perkins said UMW Prcsi-
dent John L. Lewis would recom
I mend her proposal to the UMW
wage policy committee. In the
I i l I .... A Kl..
past 11 lias iliwcia iuiiuwuu ui.-
recommendations.
The miners had voted fi to 1 in
a national labor relations poll lo
Mriko if necessary. The NLRB
reported outcome of the poll to
President Roosevelt, as required
under Hhe Smilh-Connaliy act,
this afternoon.
War Worker Home
Insurance Revived
WASHINGTON, Mar. 2!) (UP)
The federal housing adminis
tration today resumed its policy
of insuring loans on houses built
by private contractors for war
workers.
In lino with congressional ap
proval of an extension of its war
housing insurance powers until
July 1, 1040. FHA told its field
offices today lo go ahead and
insure.
Congress also added an extra
$1,000,000 lo FHA's insuring
fund for war housing. This, FHA
said, will permit construction of
nearly 22,000 additional urgently
needed dwelling units for war
workers.
Others Indicated
' - (
01 Vi?c,lr
cnoufdr to
"we will still haw
liruft all cssWWUuV
needs."
Other changes for the next ra
j))n period beginning Sunday
anri(5vicnding through April 20
are rc.'tion of pSjji)s on toma
? in ire, canned sweet cherries.
in ilMiranftrtl Dlums. and canned
Bowles explained that peas and
asparagus points had to be in-
present indications are that ci
vilians will have 34 per cent less
See OP A , . . I'ace I
S3
Union an4 Wallowa Countict
OKEUQN THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 29, 1915
La Grande Residents Will iayO
Aside Mundane Affairs to Join
i i
In Observance of Good Friday
Personal affair.) will be laid aside in La Grande tomorrow while
the city joins in observance of Good Friday at a union service to to
conducted in the First Baptist church under the auspices of the
La Grande Ministerial association.
Business houses will be closed Irom 12:45 to 2 p. m., the hours of
the service and the elementary and high schools will suspend
CIBSSOS all day
.
, ."" , ,
TI?L' first public service of Holy
wock will oe neio lonigm in me
s.,inn Armv (.itadel undcl.
ministerial association auspices.
A communion service will be con
ducted at 7:30 o'clock with pas
tors of the various churches par
ticipating. The service tomorrow will open
nt 12:45 o'clock with a brief
musical program by high school
musicians, and the religious pro
gram will begin at 1 p.m., with a
call to worship. The observance
will include scripture readings,
prayer, a short sermon and musi
cal selections.
Sunrise Service Planned
In addition to services in the
churches Sunday, the observance
of Easter will include sunrise
service in the First Presbyterian
church at 6 s.m. under the aus
pices of the Christian council of
Eastern Oregon college.
A community concert of Sac
See BUSINESS . . . Page 7
Wrecked Capital
Of Cebu Island
Taken by Yanks
MANILA, March 2!) (UP)
American troops captured Cebu's
burned and blasted capital city
and speared northward today in
a drive that may have overrun
the Lahug airdrome.
Cebu city, second largest city
in the Philippines, fell to units
o( the American division which
advanced five miles in one day
and outflanked elaborate Japan
ese pillbox fortifications on the
capital's western approaches.
The city, once one of the most
beautiful in the archipelago, was
damaged nearly as badly as Ma
nila. Demolition fires started by
Ihe Japanese when Ihe Americans
landed Monday, practically wiped
out the business district and
many residential sections.
The port area was reportedly
found undamaged, however, and
the excellent harbor, second only
o Manila, will be able to accom
modate shipping and naval ves
sels almost immediately.
Gen. MacArthur's communi
que said enemy resistance in the
south and central sectors of Lu
zon had "definitely abated due
lo his great losses which can not
be replaced." Heavy fighting
continued in the northern sector,
however, particularly in the Ba
guio tector and around Balcle
pass to the southeast.
Allied Navy Units
Bombard Germans
In Northern Italy
i.. i
RCME, March 2!) (UP) Al
lied warships bombarded Oil
man positions for foiir-,days in
northern' Italy along ' ihe long
dormant Franco-Italian, .ffontier,
if 'Was disclosed today.
The naval attacks, coming dur
ing the continued lull W ground
fightingvaluog Italy's Po valley,
were cirr.ut l;F3ritish and
French desll-rycrs.
'Ic heaviest bombarumwit
wasvvntorcd on Poroto Mauriio,
arS(l) 10 miles east of Mentonc,
wKtcn is just inside France at the
Italian harder.
There have been virtually no
reports of any ground activity in
that sector since American troops
drove northward from the south
ern France invasion beaches an -J
joined with allied forces that
landed in Normandy.
Plans Are Begun
For Observance
Of Music Week
Plans for the local observance
of national music week, May 6 to
12, have been launched by the
Neighborhood club, with Mrs. A.
L. Richardson as chairman of the
committee on arrangements.
Tentative pians have been
made for four major programs,
the first to be in the First Meth
odist church at 4 p. m., May 0,
with Nephi Combs as chairman.
Choirs of the various local
churches and vocal and instru
mental selections of sacred music
by other musicians will comprise
the program.
The second program will be
presented May 8 at Eastern Ore
gon college under the direction
of Dr. Henry Ehlers.
Mrs. Richardson is arranging
a program for a "civic night"
program on May 10, in which lo
cal talent will be presented. The
place has not yet been selected.
The final major event will be
on the evening of May 11, in the,
high school and will feature Ihe
high school band under the di
rection or Leroy Darling.
Sponsored by many national
organizations, national music
week this year will have as its
Iheme "Foster American and
World Unity Through Music."
Combat Casualties
Of U. S. Increase
13,275 in Week
WASHINGTON, March 20 (UP)
U. S. combat casualties official
ly compiled here reached (J72.802
today, an increase of l.'t, 27!) in a
week.
The total included 780,04:1 army
and
end
02.810 navy, marine
coast guard figures:
corps,
Army
Killed 15:t,701
Wounded 478,000
Missing 80,355
Prisoners 60,228
Navy
35,750
42,302
10.500
4,207
Total
180,541
515,071
00,855
70,405
Totals 780,043 02,810 (172.802
Of the armv wounded, 243,508
have returned lo duly.
Stcietaiy of War Henry I
Slimson eslimaud at his news
conference today that more than
300.000 Japanese have been kill
i cd, wounded or taken prisoner
i in the campaign for recapture ol
j the Philippines.
This estimate includes un
; counted dead on land, losses at
j rfu on transport);, warships and
coastal craft, the seriously wound
and about 2.500 priMincrs.
j .Stimson did not give any over
all figures of U. S. casualties in
I thr- Philippines.- He saitlj how-
ver, that U. S. losses on the is
land of Panay so far are nine
killed jOnd 38 wounded as against
050 Japane se killed and 10 cap
tured. In the landing on Cebu, the
secretary said, only ,lWp Aifnvi
cans were killed and &w((ittj led,
while 88 ol iJoe enemy have been
killtd i.-j (0j captured.
$ Weather
I);i lor 2-1 hours ending at 7
emperalui cs:
Maximum
Minimum
Precipitation
Forecast: Clear
Friday.
50
31
.08
tonight and
K1VE CENTS
Hubs
Advances Are
Made In Twin
Berlin Drives
LONDON, March 20 (UP)
Marshal Slalin tonight announced
in an order of the day that the
Red army has completed the li
quidation of the Germans encir
cled southwest of Koenigsberg,
killing more than 80,000 and cap
luring 50,000 since March 18.
Austrian Frontier Reached
He also nnnourfcAd the Rod
army has reached the Austrian
frontier.
Stalin announced that the Red
army had captured the northwest
Hungaiian frontier center of
Szombathcly.
Russian troops also captured
Kapuvar, 44 miles southeast of
Vienna, and Koszcg, Austrian
border town 50 miles south of
Vienna.
The "free Austrian radio" said
that the Red army has swept in
to Austria at a point 40-odd miles
southeast of Vienna and liberat
ed several villages.
, "A further breakthrough in
'the direction of Vienna is immi
nent," the station, presumably
soviet-controlled, said. It appeal
ed, to Austrians lo desert the Ger
man army and Volkssturm (home
guard).
"The hour of liberation is
dawning," the broadcast pro
claimed. Radio Berlin, meantime, said
the Germans had evacuated their
pocket in the big bend of the
Oder river at Zehden, 31 miles
northeast of Berlin.
A nazi military commentator
reported that the Germans had
withdrawn to the eastern fringe
of Danzig and lo points south
cas of the town.
The Russians presumably ad
vanced southwest from Zehden
to the Oder itself, 28 miles from
Berlin's city limits. The Zehden
pocket was the last enemy toe
hold on the right bank of the
Oder between the eastern ap
proaches of Berlin and the Baltic.
Stimson Says War
May be Prolonged
By Die-Hard Nazis
WASHINGTON, Mar. 211 (Ul)
-Secretary of War Henry L.
Stimson said today the German
army on the Rhine is beaten be
yond hope of anything save un
conditional surrender or piece
meal collapse.
However, he said, Ihe nazii
may find som;: temporary line for
an inner core of resistance when
allied armies reach the end of
their supply lines,
"If (he allied armies are forced
lo fight from village lo village
lo the destruction of all Ger
many, Ihe German peope must
know al:,o that their present lead
ership and they who toloral'.' it
will bear the responsibility."
Stirnson lold a press conference.
Stimson said one reason why
the allied armies had little diffi
culty in crossing the Rhine was
the fact that tiorn D-day last
June 8 to March 23, allied forces
captured 'l,12li,S0.'i German prisoners--lit;
western Kuropo, ) This,
he said, was in addition to Ger
man troops killed andwounded.
(;K-:- : -:!- (.'j
flalioninff ofillabu
Shoes is Extended
.o, w
WASlffV.GTON, March 2 (tttV
Ihe office of price adrninisliayjbfMi
lion toVEi extended shoe ration
ing to include infants shoccic
0 to 4. Previously only iitints
shoes size 4'i; to 8 were rationed.
OI'A said the fact that the
as'
Her sizes were unrationed,
created an "overexpanded"
demand for them. Rationing, the
agimcy added, would lower the
demand and permit more facili
ties to be devoted to the more
essential larger sizes.
Separation of Ruhr from Central
Germany Looms; U.S. Vanguard
Is 125 Miles from Czech Border
PARIS, March 29 (UP) Allied armies started ri;pinir west and central Germany apart
today, racing; to sever the Ruhr from the central reich, driving; two-thrrds of the way to
the Czech frontier and pointing spearheads at Kassel and Hannover, 166 and 142 giiles
respectively from Berlin. 0
The whole of west central Germany was being chopped up by criss-crossing armored
columns rampaging at such speed thaj;, headquarters was unable to keep up with their
positions.
The British second and American ninth armies were racing eastward under cover of a
security blackout in a drive pointed toward Hannover. Ono report placed thenv already
past Muenster, some 227 miles west of Berlin.
U. S. First Army GHins 40 Miles O
The American first army drove 40 miles north from Giessen lo Hallenberg 21 miles
northwest of Marburg in a surprise race to cut off the eastern connections of the Ruhr
and to form a juncture witlt the 21st army group forces to the nortn! Q ,
The fourth armored division of Lt. Gen, George S. Potion's third army plunged ahead
31 miles on the road to Kassel and Berlin. It reached Lautorbach, 201 miles southwest of
Berlin, and 13 miles northwest of Fuldu. At this point it was nearing,the borders of
Tluiringia province. , -'
The third army cleared two-thirds of Franwl'tirl. Thu third army now holds 8,790
north sia &.SCHLKWIG Jmm m
"Ale-" mecklinWc
Zwtlle I L-iSXiHANNOVW j BIRLIN
Y5wc. Ho,.,,,,.,,.
'-"GERMANY
kOueitclderf S-KomcIT LEIPZIG
S o.:' Muhlhnuicn
Colojncd SSji9sn tisciwchi DRESDEN
) t 1 Jf Erfurt
ej R"9onG,-1!li' SAXONY
Xv8 IxWuoriburaiSv liBumBCra. 1
yTKorUruhc . Rcsjcmbut,
sirojboufg STUTTGART 1, ''y
1.11.L r WURTTEMBERG S BAVARIAN
FRANCE hi 1 E
ALLIES SWEEP THROUGH GERMANY Advances of Ameri
can forces on the westorn front are almost too fast for map makers
to koep uo with them. The abovo map gives the high points of
the current gains. While two U. S. armios convergod on the Hes
sian capital of Kassel, British plunged through defenee lines at
Muenster. The mayor of Mannheim is reported to have surrender
ed to tho Americans,
Gen. Eisenhower to Head
Army Government of Reich
WASHINGTON, March 21) (Ul) - The While House, disclosed
today that Gen. Dwight D. Kisenhower will be the top United
States representative on he four-power military government which
will run Germany. v
The disclosure came obliquely in an announcement that Maj
Gen. Lucius D. Clay, now assistant to Mobili.alion Director James
V. Byrnes, has been appointed deputy lo Kisenhower to handle
civil affairs in occupied Germany.
lt added that Clay will lake
over direction of civil affairs
there "when Gen. Iiis.' iiliower, as
supreme commander, assumes
control under the arrangement
agreed upun for the occupation
of Germany."
The big three announced after
their Yalta meeting that admin
istration and control of Germany
would be exercised by a commis
sion, Willi headquarters in li-.-r-lin,
comprising the supreme mili
tary commanders of Ihe Uniled
Stales, Urllain, and Russia. They
also agreed that Kranee would
be invited to participate, and she
is expected to do i. ).
Clay is attached to the army's
procure mcnt section. The White
House said President Roosevelt
believes he Is "particularly quali
fied" to handle the job of "de
veloping an organization for oe-
copied Clortnany and adminicle.'!'-
ing 11."
Kisenhower, Ihe While House
said, asked for . Clay's services
three weeks ag').
La tirandeirl Is
SpeecK'Wiri'nw r
liuth Barlow,
La i(ginde
high
scllooJJ student,
. ,
lexiay was aitj
junced as Ihe winne r of the rl in
let semi-finals of the' annual
natKnol oratorical--Vontest annn-
iej
forceJ-liy the Am-'.riean isoeion.
The i(S)ur-up was Karl McClel
lanel ol fioardman, Ore.'.
The subject of the orations was I
"The Constitution of the Uniled
States."
Miss Barlow will enter the
state final lo be held in Portland,
the winner of which will compel
in the- national contest.
Marine Who Placed
Stars and Stripes
On two is Killed
TALLAHASSEE, Fin., March
29 (UP) Platoon Sgt. Ernest
I. ThomuE, ir., 21, ol1 Tallahas
see, tho first men to plant tho
stars and stripes on Iwo Jima's
reeky Ml. Buribaehl, wai killod
five days later, his mother has
been inlormod by the marine
corps.
Thomas was killod on March
3, his Zlsl birthday.
Scholarships Are
Given to College
Acknowledgment of Ihe renew
i al of the all-tuition fr-.ihmMrV
! Kcistcw On.'gnn colli ge scholar-
"P Pioneer Flouring Mills by
1 re ei runaic was maeie loiiay. oy
Fre el Kiddle was maele toejay
President Ruben J. Maaskc of the
(l)ege. (g)
The scholarship, of S74 will be
awarded lo a hiitH pohool senior
hoping to enter Eastern Oregon
eolle, next fall.
JlWipl of an all-tuitiun 7jl
eshman seholarshio from Mr.
- AL - J . .. v. ., .. ' . .. . ..
riei iviis. r. n. uingamari or ah
eel,
also was announced by Maas-
ke
Howard anil Muxyni', soil and
daughter eif Mr. and Mrs. Ringa-i
man, are siueiems al me college.
ST
ILWAY MAN DIES
PORTLAND, Ore., March 2!)
(UP) George G. Wall, assistant
general manager for the Pacific
Fruit Express company, of Oma-
k.liil lurlnv. He wlia III.
square miles of German terri
tory. Mannheim, great Rkme in-.'
dustrlal.clly acress from Lud-r
wlgskafen, was reported te
have surrendered wltheut fight
as a result of telephone ar
rangement between the mayor
and the American seventh .
army. It was ike first big Gor
maa town to quit wltheut a
land,
Partial or total security black
outs cloaked allied operations. '.'
But Field Marshal Sir Bernard
Montgomery's British second and
American ninth armies were on
the loose in a fast castcrnward
sweep which radio Luxembourg
said had carried them beyond
Muenster.
Pincers Threaten Nails
The U. S. first army was de
veloping a pincers threat to the
wilting nazis.
One arm of the first army was
pointed for Kassel, 108 miles
southwest of Berlin.
A second was heading due
north, having, left Giessen before
See ALLIES . . . Page 7
PlarmmtCrvRke
'Important Speech'
LONDON, March 29 (UP) Tho
Evening Standard reported- from
Lisbon today that Adolf Hitler '
was expected to make an "im
portant speech" within' the next
few days. .
Th-a report was attributed lo
the paper's Lisbon correspondent
who quoted Argentine diplomatic
quarters as his source. He said
the speech would bo "unusual."
Hope for. Jap Pobco Movo
It added that the Germans had
t-jcn hoping up lo now that Jap
an would sue for peace first, thus
placing tho Wehrmacht in a posi
LONDON, March 21 (UP)
The German radio tonight
braadcart te the German people
not to believe sensational rum.
ors that allied tanks have by
pissod Nuernberg 128 miles
southwest of Borlin, and are
driving on I.eipiig, 74 miles
irorn the reich capital,
tion lo say they didn't lose the
war but were trl down by their
allies,
Tho report came; as Hitler's own
paper Ihe Voelkischer Beobach
ter, admitte'd that the next few
weeks will decide the war in
Europe.
"We yre facing the coining bat
tit) without illusions," the news
p a p e r, Volkischer Beobachler,
was quoted in a Zurich dispatch
as saying while allied armios
streamed across Western Ger
many and northwest Hungary.
See HITLKR . . . Page 7
38 New Diphtheria
Cases Reported
POKTLiiND, Ore., March 20
(UP) There have been 108 re
ported cases of diphtheria in Ore
gon since the first of the year,
with .')8 new cases last week, the
largest weekly figure since com
parlive'ffVcords were kept start
ing In Mm, the state board of
health reported today.
ThcJitalo total represents a gain
1,30 fipor cenl over the 1940-44
median for the period and again
afciee per cent over the Nj5-34
average.
The J08 cases in the state were
distribwed among the counties as
follows: Baker, 1; Clackamas, 70;
Douglas, 8: Jackson, D; Lane 1;
hMultnomah, 16, of which 10 were
portHm
Umatilla, 1; Union,
I ; and Washington, 1.
PRISONERS ARE MISSING,
MEDFORD, Ore., March 20
(UP) Two German prisoners of
war arc missing from Camp
White today.
They arc Herman GoebcS,
and Hitman Dirr, 21.
will y h&s mcnt during the