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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (April 19, 1945)
Data for 24 hours to 7 a April 10: Temperature: Maximum 67 Minimum 37 Forecast: Partly cloudy tonight and Friday. ESTABLISHED 1896 Ernie Pyle First Night On Okinawa Spent In Foxhole Bv ERNIE PYLE OKINAWA (By navy radio) The company commander, Capt. Julian Dusenbury, said I could have my choice of two places to spend the first night with his company. One was with him in his com mand post. The command post v as a big, round Japanese gun emplacement, made of sandbags. The Japs had never occupied it, but they had stuck a log out of it, pointing toward the sea and making it look like a gun to aer ial reconnaisance. Captain Dusenbury and a couple of his officers had spread ponchos) on the ground inside the emplacement and had hung their telephone on a nearby tree and were ready for business. There was no roof on the emplacement. It was right on top of a hill and cold j and very windy. My other choice was with a . couple of enlisted men who had room for me in a little gypsy like hideout they'd made. It was a tiny, level place about j halfway down the hillside, away 1 from the sea. They d made a roof for it by tying ponchos to trees and had dug up some Jap anese straw mats out of a farm house to lay on the ground. I chose the second of these two places, partly because it was warmer, and also because I wanted to be with the men anyhow. My two "roommates" were Corp. Martin Clayton; jr., of Dal las, Tex., and Pfc. William Gross of Lansing, Mich. Clayton is nicknamed "Bird Dog'" and nobody ever calls him anything else. He is tall, thin and dark, almost Latin-looking. He sports a puny little mustache he's been trying to grow for weeks and he makes fun of it. Gross is simply called Gross. See PYLE . . . Page 2 President Names Braden as U. S. Envoy to Argentine WASHINGTON, April II) (UP) President Truman today nomi nated Spruille Bladen, ambassa dor to Cuba since 1041, to be the new U. S. ambassador to Argen tina. This, the first diplomatic nomi nation by the new chief execu tive, marked full-fledged re sumption of diplomatic relations i A f f VlUfl Pun with the Argentine republic. I l-1 Iti " 1VU1I The last U. S. ambassador to I lv Argentina was Norman Armour, i L; A; Collins general supenn- who was recalled lost year. Ar- 'ended of the Union Pacific ra.l-i-oour was recalled when this and 'd ln Poland, announced here lie other American republics yesterday that investigation suspended relations with the Ar- I f a wreck "n thc lmc at '" gentine because of its refusal for j Saturday showed it was due to i' long time to break cleanly with ! a car Betting out of control while 'he axis and cooperate fully in j b6 set out of a tram at Ka the United nations war effort, j mla. Argentina's diplomatic quaran- I He said the car ran wild down t'ne was lifted after the recent I grade for about five miles before Pan - American conference in , momentum caused it to leave the Mexico at which a formula was rails. He said no damage was Copied for the holdout country's , done to tracks or equipment ex return to the fold. cept the ear involved. Pyle Will Be Buried on Okinawa Beside Men of Whom He Wrote OKINAWA, April 1!) (UP) Ernie Pyle will be buried among the 'Jldicrs he immortalized. The beloved little war correspondent killed by a Japanese machine-gunner yesterday probably will be laid to rest in an army ceme tery here in the Ryukyus where he covered his last campaign. The soldiers he loved brought , " l.im back from the battlefield, City, tried to get in to take pie back to where thc noise of the tuies. He said every time any guns is distant and dull. They j body would try to enter the lifted his pint-sized frame from ' clearing where Ernie had been the ditch where he fell, victim of . killed, the gunner would open up. a Japanese machine-gun ambush. ' First, three tanks were sent in One of his hands still clutched j 1. 1 remove the body. But the hit green fatigue cap. They put ( fire was Vm hoi fur them. Then him on a litter, and crossed his planes tried to tov:ate the machine arms, and then carried him back ! gur nest. t to thc rar. j0 Thc dirt along thc ditch told It wasn't easy. The J;ip'iri"se j u,w desperately the gunner had machine-gunner seemed) jealous tried to kill both of them, of his prized victim. 'It was five lO'The bullets had (chewed out ' rr,urs after Ernie) was Killed be- I the earth a foot deep trying to fore anybody could get to his i pet the men in hiding," Roberts hody. (id. 0 Corp. AlcvMh&e Roberts, army Ernie always said he would get I'l.ologrnphrr from New Vol k Sec OKINAWA . . . Page 7 Reds Kyushu Raids Continued By Superforts By United Press Superfortresses raided Kyushu for the third straight day today, Tokyo said, and American j ground forces scored new gains in Okinawa and Ie in the Ryukyus and on newly-Invaded Mindanao in the Philippines. Enemy broadcasts said more than 100 B-20's bombed Kyushu, southernmost of Japan's home islands, while three other B-20's and 60 escorting Mustang fight ers attacked airfields in the Tokyo area. With Tokyo one-tenth destroy ed, foreign diplomats have evac uated the capital, the broadcasts admitted. The Kyushu raids presumably '."jere aimed at the six airfields from which Japanese suicide pi lots have been taking off to at tack the American fleet off Oki nawa, 330 miles south. Tokyo said the raid lasted two hours. Raid Tokyo Airfields Another broadcast said the I American raiders bombed and I strafed Tokyo airfields for half ' an hour. i" Mai'ines cleared three-fourths of Okinawa with a drive to the northern tip of the island. Oth er marines still were embattled on Motobu peninsula jutting from the northwest coast and army troops at the south cno See NEW GAINS . . . Page 7 La Grande Nurse In Army Service Betty Jane Grice of La Grande has received orders to active I duty with the army nurse corps and will report to Madigan gen eral hospital in Tacoma, Wash., soon for basic training. The Ninlli service command headquarters, Fort Douglas, Utah, announced she was recently com missioned a second lieutenant in the ANC, will be assigned to Hammond general hospital, Mo desto, Calif., upon completion of training. Miss Grice has been serving as health nurse at Eastern Oregon college. ;Car is Wrecked LA GRANDE, OREGON THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 19, 1913 Hit Mother With Most Children in Armed Forces Is Sought SALEM, Ore., April 1!) (UP) The "American war moth er" will be sought again this year the woman who has the largest number of children in the armed services. Gov. Earl Snell today an nounced Douglas Mullarky, private secretary to the gover nor, will have charge of the search for the "Oregon war mother." Nominations must be in Mullarky's hands by May 7. The winner last year was Mrs. Ella Garner, Oregon City, mother of eight service chil dren. Mrs. Joe Thomas, La Grande, also had eight in serv ice last year, but her nomina tion was received too late to be considered. President Truman Opposes Curb on Selective Service WASHINGTON, April 29 (UP) Senate Democratic Leader Al lien W. Barkley, Ky., said today that President Truman wants the selective service act extended without amendments. The president's attitude appar ently would apply, Barkley indi cated, to a pending amendment by Sen. Tom Stewart, D., Tenn., which would require at least six months pre-combat training for all inductees under 18. Speaking in thc senate, Stew art said. that., the country has leached that point in the war when we do not have to use these 18-year-olds without suffi cient training." Stewart said that "because of their tender years," 18-year-olds should be given as much season ing as possible. Sen. Burton K. Wheeler, D., Mont., said he had received let ters concerning youngsters sent into combat service with two weeks training some with none. It's a cruel, harsh thing." Sen. W. Lee O'Daniel, D Tex., asked congress today to stipulate that any boy under 20 drafted in to the armed forces should have at least a year's training before being sent into combat. O'Daniel introduced an amend ment to the selective service act which would ban combat duty beyond the continental boundar ies of the United States for all in ductees under 20 until after they had had 12 months training. Action Delayed in Old Murder Probe OAKLAND, Cal April 19 (UP) District Attorney Ralph E. Koyt today was awaiting a re: port from two Alameda county officials in Portland, Ore., before taking fui'ther steps in the case of William A. Wcllcsley, 41, ex ronvict held there for questioning- in the suitcase murder of Austin C. Barber. Wellcsley, a friend of Barber's who admitted being with the for mer oil company employe at thc time of his disappearance, in 1943, denied any knowledge of the crime. Barber's torso was found in Niles canyon, near Oak land, and his head and hands in a suitcase near Fort Bragg, Cal. Hitler Will lie Prisoner of War Unless He Resists WASHINGTON, April 1!) (UP) Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson said today that, if and when American troops find Adolf Hitler they will bring him as a prisoner of war unless he resists. Stimson was asked at his press conference whether American soldiers had been in doctrined on what to do if they found Hitler. C He said in riply (hat he won dered if the question did full justice to American troops, i " "You may be sure our troops will do their duty," he said. "Hitler will be made pri.toticr of yjr, like other nazi officials, if he: doesn't resist." Berlin Vanguard 9 Miles From City LONDON, April 19 (UP) Nazi broadcasts said today that Russian forces had scored a deep advance east of Berlin and thrust an armored spearhead across a road running- northeast of Strausberg, a town nine miles from the city limits oi the capital. A German military spokesmnn said Marshall Ivan S. Koncv's first Ukrainian army had pushed westward up to 25 miles beyond the Noisse river and had reached the Spree river on a 42-mile front between Cottbus and Bautzen, 68 miles from the American third army at Chemnitz. Moscow continued to give only vague hints of the great Soviet offensive on the broad front be fore Berlin drives in which gloomy nazi commentators ack nowledged steady Russian gains into the shrinking waistline of the unoccupied reich. By Gorman account the blopd iest fighting raged in the maze of defenses strung over the near approaches to Berlin. Outposts Are Taken Red army assault forces top pled the Berlin outposts of See low and Wrie7.en, 20 miles east and 23 northeast of the capital, the Germans admitted. After the fall of Wriczen, oner broadcast . said, the Russians moved "several kilometers" down the road to Strausberg. A later alarmed radio report said that after achieving a deeo breakin. a spearhead "thrust a few kilo meters" be yond ' the road into Strausberg. The Germans viewed the N( issc-Spree offensive 50 to 90 miles southeast of Bejlin as a preliminary to a Red army effort to encircle the capital from the south and link up with the Amer cans in the area of Drestlen, only 30 miles soulhwe-st of the Rus sian vanguard at Bautzen. Another new Russian offensive was under way west of the Aus trian junctjon town of St. Poel ten, on the south bank of the Danube 128 miles east of Adolf Hitler 's mountain fortress at Beichtcsgaden, enemy broadcasts said. Huge Fund for Navy Approved WASHINGTON, April 1!) (UP) The house passed and sent to the senate today a bill to give the navy $24,879,510,540 to finance its knockout blow against Japan. The bill for naval expenses and operations during the fiscal year beginning July 1 includes $23,400,502,133 in new cash, $1, ?!)D,008,413 in contract and au thorizations and $80,000,000 in re approprialions. The total is $0,903,500,155 less than was approved in the current year. Navy officers told the appro priations committee that the bulk of the funds are for the war against Japan. Baseball Results NATIONAL LEAGUE First game: New York 000 000 040 4 8 1 Boston 001 000 Oil 3 7 0 Hansen, Brewer (8), Gee (II) and Lombardi; Barrett and Masi. St. Louis 000 530 000 B 12 0 Chicago 010 001 000 2 7 2 Brechcen and Cooper: Prim. Stewart (5), Camollas (C) and Livingston. HHR Sauer (Chi. 2), Hennessey (8). Thilad'phia 000 001 0001 'i 0 Brooklyn 003 000 OOx 3 5 I Sproul, Chelkovich () and Mancmo; Grogg and Sukefoith. AMERICAN LEAGUE Boston 010 000 101 3 7 2 New York 000 002 011 4 10 02 Droisewerd, R y b a (7) and ; Holm, Walters (); Dubi'l and Garbark. Outskirts Jl Ml ,S,Ui"" MMMANU j It 5. i .. MANNOVm MUINITIH . ..,.., I v - niut'incir nrrrf HALL! Koitfl ( 12. LiLLiJ SAXON VS H.ldhum FRANKFUHI Ma L'UKTTCMBERG " BAVARIa'-J r- .MUNICH f SQUEEZE ON BERLIN TIGHTENS As American and Russian forcen drove closer to Berlin today, the German high command said the battle between the' Rhine and Ruhr has endod. The Rus sian army ha: captured outposts til the nazi capital and was re ported to be only 14 miles away. Americans look Leipzig. Ad vances continued oi other sectors indicated in the map. Churchill Predicts Early Nazi Government Collapse LONDON, April II) (UP) Prime Minister Churchill indicated be lief today that the authority of the German government may disin tegrate within a few days. Churchill told the house of commons a three-power warning to Germany on war atrocities, signed by himself, Marshal Stalin and President Truman will be issued within a few days. ' : The warning will be addressed, Gen. Marshall Has "Lots of News" Hut He's Not Telling WASHINGTON, April I!) (UP) President Truman sum moned Gen. George C. Mar shall, army ehief-of-staff, to the White House for a 15-min-ute conference today. After the conference, which started at 11:30 a. m., EWT, Marshall smilingly told report ers that he had "lots and lots" of news. "But," he added with a grin, "1 can't give it to you." Marshall said he couldn't say pnything on the subject of the nearness or remoteness of V-K day. "But some day when this war is done,' he promised, "I can tell you a lot of things." Japan Feels Pinch Of Plane Materials j TOKYO, April 1!J (Ul'l 1 OKyo i radio indicated today that Japan I :s feeling the shortage of mater ials for warplanes. A broadcast paid that even wooden planes I.I U.. 1., .ill if nr.r.n. I,. WUU1U Ul. UUIIl- II m. t.-ltl, y i'i kcep the Kamikaze suicide corps in action. Karoso Hatta, director of the ! Mitsubishi heavy industries and executive for the deadly one- j way air armament" of the Japan the "deadly one- ese air force, was quoted as say ing that the assembly lines were working "full blast" to keep the Kamikaze pilots busy for some lime to come." Realty Is Sold by City Commission The La (iraiuic city cominis r.ion last niglif sold lots 0 an 10 in block 2, Riverside addition to Gerald L. and Alice Waile f'ir $1.00, and set $175.00 the price on lets 0, 7 and 8, block 4 in Ryncar son's addition. General receipts were $49!JS, and ge-neraUdisbursements. $L- 04.30. Waler receipts weie(i;- 211.35 and water disbursements amounted to $209.19. FIVE CENTS 3 POMERANIA LEIPZIG : HflHl!. - U'qn.li ... - V. ' CZECH0. 1 UHZ t he said, to the "German govern I ment or whatever authority ex- ists" at that time Indicating be lief that the crumbling nazi re gime may not be functioning as an entity by the time the joint statement is dispatched. At the same time Churchill ele cried speculation on the date of V-day which lie said will be fixed ! in consultation with the "three j or four" principal powers, having a mind to both military and po litical considerations. He implied that no agreement on a date has yet been reached. He revealed that a special par- j liamenlary delegation will leave Britain tomorrow to obtain eye witness evidence of nazi atroci ties. Churchill said the atrocity warning will be addressed not only to the men at the top but to the actual persons perpetrating the crimes and that it will make clear that no orders from super ior authorities will be any protec tion from punishment for their crimes. Hmje Meal Supply rf, ,.,,, J '5 -'' " ijOLhtl ft CHICAGO, April 19 (UP) l.ouis R. Uhrig, president of Na tional Frozen Food Locker asso- . . j ,,,1,,,, t,.,, .llin,(lvj mutely one wi ek s meat supply r l"u ""u"" ,s 1 .. .... ,, ,.,, ln . ', , , ' oiviouui meieeis in in'.- chiiiiij now hold approximately 200,000,- 000 pounds of ir.-al. 1 his is about lour per cent of the na tion's annual supply. He said more than 80 per cent of the patrons of the nation's (1,000 locker plants are farmers. Approximately 75 per cent of the customers live in communities with less than 5,000 population, he maintained. OTED DOCTOH DIRS PORTLAND, Ore., April 19 I UP) Dp-. Charles J., iSmith. KO. rir.e of Oregon's best known phy 'sieians, former slate icnatqr and former mayor of Pendleton, died at his home Uri'o early todaP Death was Jprtyilcdtfo 'fy t Dr. Smith had 1 iOrog(8, r l '0 i Miooieuna 'r - OUMU Guben v AX . Gap Between USV? Russ Armies Shrinks; Nuernberg Fall Near PARIS, April 19 (UP) The central anchors of the Geiv man front Leipzig and Halle fell today to American ... attack and Nuernberg1, gateway to the naxi "national re doubt" in Bavaria, was cleared of German resistance except for a few areas. Loss of Leipzig and Halle virtually collapsed the waist it the dwindling nazi north and south corridor and was expected to leave the way open for a juncture with the Red army in the Dresden area. Russian forces were about 30 miles frorfl Dresden. The first army at Leipzig is about 60 miles west of Dresden while, the third army in the Chemnitz area is only" 38 miles southwest of Dresden. ' To the south the U. S. seventh army, battling to break into the germ, "national redoubt", cleared what was officially' described as "the greater part" of Nuernberg. Tho nazi shrine cny was sur rounded and thc seventh collec ted n largo bag of prisoners, in cluding three generals. The gen erals were Gottard von Witzen derff, commander of an nnti-air-ciaft division and chief of anti aircraft units in Bavaria and Paul Mahlmann and Otto Mntterstock, both found wounded in a hospit al. The U. S. third army probed forward deeper inlo Czechoslo vakia but made only limited gains. Duesseldorf Captured The great Ruhr pocket was de clared officially mopped up to. day with a prisoners' bag of 310, 930 with some yet to be counted. The cleanup of the Ruhr pocket put inlo ullied hands the great industrial city of Duesseldorf. It was the last of the big cities in the Ruhr to be captured. The ninth army encountered a See GERMAN . . . Page 7 Rev. M. A. Talney Named Moderator Of Church Session Rev. Mark A. Talney, La Grande, last night was elected to serve as moderator of the eighth annual Eastern Oregon Presby tery, which is meeting today and tomorrow in thc First Presby terian church, with the Presby terial and the Youth Presbytery. The Rev. Charles R. Ebel, Tu tuilla, presented the worship service at this morning's meeting of the Presbylerial society, using the fellowship of reconciliation us the theme of Ills addruss, and emphasizing that our nation, rat ing at the top ns a world power, will have more responsibilities than any other nation, and that we must be prepared to meet tnat challenge when the war ends. Mrs. Bernard Montgomery, vice-president of the Oregon sy nodical society, spoke on stew ardship, the highlight of her nd drei.s being that those who have plenty must share with -others who have little or none. At the ceding of the Presby tery held this morning, business mailers were discussed and re ports were presented by various committees. Miscellaneous busi ness was scheduled during the alternoon. At 0 o'clock this evening a dinner will be served to the en tire group by women of the lo Presbyterian church, The conference will continue through this evening und Friday looming. Lawyers Return from Court of A ppeals Attorneys Henry Hess and S. II. Burleigh have returned from Portland where they represented Carl Locken in his suit against he Coincopia Gold Mines, Inc., which the defendants have taken to the circuit court of appeals. In the lower court, Locken was granted a judgment of $7,500 against the mining company, fol lowing the electrocution of his wife, Mrs. Carl Locken, at the Corneopia mines near Baker. Meat Shortage Probers Find Roasts and Steaks are Scarce WASHINGTON, April H) (UP) Senators who have been investigating .the nation's meat shortage for more than a month finally discovered today I hat thei r is a pretty alarm ing scarcity of roasts, steaks and even oxtails right here in Ihe capital. Every last one of Washing ton's slaughterhouses has clos ed up. Cuuli)i't gd merit. A local packer has givenOhis , employes a two Weeks' vaca tion. Can't get meat, q I'.-lfq Casey, Washington's 'largest independent meat deal- Li--i , litis ciuscu uj unci ,) I ye-ciis M:.. i ; rl-,... ....i in ousiiicsa. uaii b gut mum, cither, o O O What'.'O more, Mrs. Elmer M-l,..... I ,'l ..I.!.. I,. ,.t any for weeks and weeks. Mrs. Populace of Leipzig Glad To See Yanks WITH AMERICAN TROOPS IN LEIPZIG, April 19 (UP) The, war ended for Leipzig today and thc million or more German cK vilians jammed into this historic city seemed glad of it. , Tens of thousands of civilians turned out as if for a parade to vatch the American First army's triumphal entry. Many waved and shouted greetings to- the doughboys who had taken on ar)tl beaten thc toughest of Hitler's . supermen. Liberated Prloners Cheer ;' Mingled with the street crowds were hundreds of liberated American, British, Polish and Russian 'prisoners who yelled, cheered and wept with .joy at being liberated. , : " "It was like Paris, but the dif ference is they haven't any floWr ers or fruit here to throw at usi" said Pfc. Fred Olberg, Jr., Chi cago, ill. :'V. For the tired foot soldiers whp fought through the Leipzig flak barrage and then rooted out the nazi garrison street by street . there was little thrill in the fall'" of this once-great oil center. 'Hitler Delays Surrendei ' ."' Capt. Edward L, Farrell, 'jr:, Boston, Mass., said the Leipzig officials tried to surrender tho city yesterday but woro halted, by orders from Berlin to hold on at all costs. But the defense thrown up by thc garrison in thc final hours was little more than token. Onjtf thc toughest nazi fanatics tried to hold out. Others gave -rg without a fight. xr But even before the battle enB-' ed, German civilians had close up their shops and offices and swarmed out into, thc streets td see the American conquerors. They didn't show any animos ity. Most of them were openly glad the war was over for therrt,' Some residents stood on street corners with the liberated allie prisoners and tried to beg food from the passing troops. ' - Pfc James Maze, Richmortjf Ind., watched one group of Ger mans chocring tho American col- . umns and he stroked a cluster fit l-.and grenades tied about h-ls reck. iu "Funny thing," he said, "we fought like hell to get in here and now we find thc people glaoj to see us." ' 'it : Switzerland Closes ;;; German Frontier ZURICH, April I!) (UP) The Swiss federal council at Berno has decided to close completely the northern and eastern fron . tier, it was disclosed today. This would bar entrance of ro- -fugcos into Switzerland except by way of France and northwest ern Italy. r Thomas' husband, a democrntia senator from Oklahoma, Is head of the senate's food in vestigating committee. ;". Tho senators arc taking to-'1 elay off. But Thomas has ask-'' eel representatives of the' closed-down slaughterhouses," thc vacationing packing plant and the out-of-busincss meat' denier to come over tomorrow1 and tell just what happened." Thomas said ho believes the situation might lead "to tlrt, black market." ! . Sen. Burton K. Wheeler, D'.;" Mottt., is going to Pittsburgh Sunday night or Monday to ptua : in some groundwork for ai black-market expose the scna- tors hope to pull off there,, Tuesday. o o o
