La Grande evening observer., April 30, 1945, Image 1

o
SOFD
:eac
Weather
Data (or 24 hours ending 7 a.
m.
Temperatures:
Maximum 76
Minimum 43
Precipitation 17
Forecast: Partly cloudy tonight
and Tuesday.
ESTABLISHEDT896
U. S.
Yank, Red
Union Is
Expanded
PARIS, April 30 (UP)
American seventh nrmy for
ces today captured Munich,
birthplace oi nazism, Ger
many's third city, and the
most formidable outpost of
the nazis "national redoubt"
in the Alps.
The biggest victory 'of the
Bavarian campaign was
scored as, the U. S. third army
freed 110,000 allied war pri
soners t- at least 11,000 of
them Americans at Moos
berg near Munich. Meanwhile,
farther north the American
ninth army joined forces with
the lied armv southwest of
.Heiiin. 5
Meanwhile American first
and ninth army trops linked
up with the Red army at two
new points on the Elbe river
below Berlin today, widening
to 50 miles the allied corridor
separating Germany's north
ern and' southern fronts.
Another and more important
fusion of the allied western and
castorn battle Jines appeared im
See RED . . . Page 5 -
Former La Grande Off icer..
Slain in Battle With Bandits
Sgt. Ted . Chambers, Ontario
member of the Oregon state po
lice, formerly of La Grande, and
William Ronald Duffey, 22, are
dsad and three other men are
under treatment for wounds as
the result of a gun battle yester
day near the Snake river cross
ing on highway 30.
Wounded are Richard O'Brien,
Ontario stato police officer, Chief
of Police Clarence Saunders of
Weiser, Idaho, and Kenneth
Eaitey, 22,
The gun fight was precipitated
when the officers attempted to
arrest Dutfey and Bailey, both of
Portland, who are alleged to have
been; caiight stealing gasoline
Saturday in Nampa, Ida.
Deputy Shciiff Al Wanter of
Washington county said he,
irnie
Pyl
Tribute to Friend
Paid in Pyle's
Final Column
Editor's note: This is Ernie
Pyle's last column. It is a beau
tiful tribute to Fred Painton,
war correspondent who died of
natural causes on Guam a few
weeks ago. Ernie was on Oki
nawa when he was informed of
Mr. Painton's death. Ernie
look time out from covering
the war to write this touching
story about his friend. Only a
few days later Ernie was kill
ed. We know he would have
wanted us to publish this arti
cle. o By EMIE PTLE
OKINAWA (By Navy Radio)
This is a column about Fred
Pinton, the war correspondent
who dropped dead on Guam a
short time ago. Q
J'rcd wrote war articles for
Reader's Digest and many other
magazines. He en gamb(vl his
futgrc once writing a piece for
the fQturday Evening Pmt about
r.e. Ci
Fred was oneJ of the little
'roup of real okltimers in the
Furopeawar. He was past 40
i.'nd an overseas veteran of the
lfast war. His son- grown and
in the army. Freu has seen a
great deal of war for a man his
He was just about to start
back to America when he died.
Sec TRIBUTE . . . Page 3
0
mm
7th Army Captures Munich
Clark
Fall of Berlin
To Soviet Army
Matter of Hours
City Totten
Under Blows of
Red Besiegers
LONDON, April 30 (UP)
Marshal Stalin announced to
night that the fourth Ukrain
ian army had captured Morav
ska Ostrava.
LONDON, April 30 (UP) Rus
sian tanks wore reported pouring
into the Tiergarten at the center
of an eight-squore-miie pocket of
resistance in Berlin today and to
the north other Soviet force
drove within 51 miloj of Rostock
Lierman ana Ku.'.s.nn sources
both agreed that tiia climax in
the battle oi Uer;;n is at hand.
Moscow dispatches said one more
concerted lunge by the Russian
siege forces would stamp out the
last nazi resistance ;n the dying
capital.
Marshal Stalin announced this
evening that Marshal Konstantin
See RUSSIANS . . Page 5
O'Brien, Saunders and Chambers
traced the men to a school and
were fired upon as they entered
the basement, where th-e two
fugitives hid in a coal bin. The
school, an abandoned structure
near Weiser junction.
Sergeant Chambers was killed
instantly, Officer O'Brien was
shot in the shoulder, and Chief
Saundeis in the arm. Saunders
was then captured by the ban
dits and used as protection when
the fugitives broke from th? cel
lar. Fierce gunplay continued as
the two ran through a nearby
field, using Saunders as a shield.
Kifle fire from officers finally
dropped Duffey,- later pronounced
dead, and woundod Bailey, who
was taken to a hospital.
Elgin Motorist
Seriously Hurt
Eldon Rush of Elgin suffered
a skull fracture Saturday after
noon when his automobile col
lided with a grain truck on the
Looking Glass road about eight
miles north of Elgin. His physi
cian said he was expected to re
cover. He is a patient at Grande
Ronde hospital.
Though few details of the acci
dent are available, state police
reported Rush's car apparently
side-swiped a truck loaded with
grain.
Lewis Bunnell of La Grande
suffered minor head injuries Sat
urday evening while working at
the round house.
5-Year Blackout
Lifted in Moscow
MOSCOW, April 30 (UP) Mos
cow's four-year blackout will be
lifted tonight.
The capital is biing decked
with red bunting, multi-colored
streamers and victory posters in
preparation for the May day cel
ebration, which rviy coincide
with the fall of Berlin.
The Kremlin's five-point stars
dominating Moscow's skyline
have been repainted. Bronze
church bells which tnve bon(5)l
cnt for years have been repaired
and will toll again on victory day.
COAL PACT APFfPOVED
WASHINGTON, Api(lt) 30 (UP)(fj,ill discuss veterans' affairs
Stabilization Director William
(H) Davis today approved the soft
coai wage conuaci. lie ai.su
authorized soft coal price in
creases expected to average
about 10 cents a ton for the in
dustry as a whole.
LA GRANDE,
Proclaims Victory in Italy
tv i.--JAl PVr- ?-rV rfa .-rt.z
Argentine, Labor
Issues Cause Rift
In Peace Parley
SAN FRANCISCO. April 30
(UP) The steering committee
of the United Nations Security
confercoce " VotBd " today to in
vite Argentina into its sessions
by a vote of 24 to 5. .
The steering committee also
approved invitations to the Uk
raine and While Russia,
The steering committee ac
tion must be approved by the
plenary session but this was re
garded as more fo;mality.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 30
(UP) Bids to Argentine, White
Pussia and the Ukraine to attend
the United Nations security con
ference were approved today by
the executive committee, it was
understood, but dispute over the
matter was so bitter that the en
tire question was referred back
to the steering committee.
The steering committee was
expected to take final action on
the matter at a meeting which
still was under way this after
noon. However, the steering commit
tee immediately was confronted
by another dispute, brought on
by a Russian proposal that the
world labor congress now in ses
sion at Oakland be accredited as
the official labor affiliate of the
new security organization and be
invited to send advisory dele
gates to the meeting.
The labor proposal was viewed
gingerly by the American dele
gates since the American federa
tion of labor is boycotting the
meeting due. to participation of
Soviet trade unionists.
Action of the executive com
wittec on Argentina, White Rus
sia and the Ukraine was not
unanimous, it was understood.
However, issuance of invitations
to each of the countries was ap
proved by a two-thirds vole.
Some of the delegates refrained
from voting.
The Russians, it was said, con
tinued to oppose bringing Argen
tina in, again raising the Polish
question.
Veterans' Aides to
Hear Reu. Bull
c
. Vernon Bull, La Grande mem
ber of the Oregog house of rep
resentatives, and Rev. Stanley
Hunt will be tweakers at the
meeting of the Union c&linty vet
erans' employment committee at
8 o'clock this evening in the city
kail. The meeting will be open
re the (aiblic.
H. G. Vol, new chairman of
the committee, announced Bull
which came before the last ses
sinn of e) legislature. Rev.
Hunt's subject was not an
nounced. Some veterans of the present
iffxr are expected to be present to
iXJ? some ot their experiences.
Unioi and Wallowa Couniti
OREGON MONDAY EVENING. APRIL ISO, 19-15
ir . - -. -.
RUSSIANS AND AMERICANS MEET IN GERMANY Above is
the official hisloric meeting of American and Russian forces in
Torgau, Germa.iy, on the Elbe river after the Americans crosssd
in small boats. Maj. Gen. E. F. Reinhardt, third from left, com
mander of the 691h infantry division of the U. S. Fifty army,
chats with a general commanding a Russian division. Below is the
first actual meeting of American and Soviet soldiers. Lt. William
B. Robertson of Los Angeles greots LI. Alexandor Sylvashko of
the Russisa army. Robertson led the American palro! that made
the initial juncture with the Russians.
Lions Get Humorous Plea for
Fast Finish to Clothing Drive
Dressed only in barrels and
with appropriate war paint and
labels ""Windy" Bill Wilkins and
"Uncle" Al Thornburg gave the
Lions club members a touch of
hilarity and fun at the luncheon
meeting today. Interrupting A.
B. Olson, who was giving his re
port on the UNRRA old clothes
collection campaign, Wilkins and
Thornburg burst into the room
with a boisterous plea for a
whirlwind finish-line donation of
old clothes to put the local drive
over the top. The drive ending
tonight here has been quite suc
cessful. OUon, co-chairman of the
drive, reported that one iliipmonl
of 5,301) pounds of clothing has
Leon made, and that the balance
will be shipped soon.
The Aristocrats, 11-piece high
school dance band, entertained.
The banda.vas composed of Titus,
Wicgncr, Quinn, Nelson, Bfhnt'tl0!
Joidahl, Wstenskow, Huule, lal
ncy, Rogers, and Patty Jacobson,
vocalist. O
PrcsSynt Horace J. Nelson an
r(6j).ntec, the oppMntment of
Chief Kf) PitncP Clyde Lund to
th.Oclub's wifely committee, ;
nd
(g) M. Complori, to the education
committee; a(uj) called a board of
directors meeting for ify. m. Fri
day evonisi! at Hall's jypewritcr
service.
Letters m the Maverick club
were read announcing that the
members of the organization
would aid the Lions in erecting
sheet sign posts throughout the
city, and acknowledgements from
ether clubs and organizations
were read as a result of the
Lions club, Neighborhood club,
Rotary club and Soroplimist club
joint resolution for efforts to be
made for permanent peace at the
San Francisco conference.
Kay Williams, Pinky Wilson,
Roy Skeen, C. J. Shorh and Max
Turn were club guests lui
d:.y.
Hi
Sailor KHfcd, Two
SoldierH Wounded
Cane Enos Fisher of Summer
ville, navy s'umaa'-s.conri class,
is rcpmled dead in a casualty
list issued today. He previously
was reported missing in a moss
,Jje rreeivi.d by his mother, Mrs.
Johnoia Fisher of Summervill-.'
from the navv dcpartmiOjt in
January. O
r!Uo'e the namesOrf, Stif SiH'i
.Jesse H. Karri tt, son of Mrs. Ma
.Irilayes of WalllQhi us wounded
(Ti) the Eu,'(oj) an sector.
Among ii(0- iisjc, as wouno
ed in the 1-acific area is Pfc.
OliviW.. V.)ervort, the son of
VaniSVvoi t of Elgin,
In each case the next nf kin
v--.'ro notified prior to the; release
ol the casualty lists for publication.
FIVE CENTS
Germans
Power ls
Shattered
ltOMK,. April f!0 (UP) -Allied
victory lit Italy was an
nounced today by Gen. Mark
W. Clnrlt in a triumphant pro
clamation that 25 German
divisions had been "torn to
pieces" and no longer could
resist effectively the U. S.
fifth and British eighth
armies.
"The military power of
Germany in Italy lias practic
ally ceased," Clark stud. His
statement put the official seaj
on clearcut evidence that nazi
resistance in north Italy was
collapsing.
The allied commander in Italy
issued his victory announcement
us his fifth and eighth armies
were stampeding through north
Italy. The British captured Ven
ice. Jugoslavian forces were re
porlcd fighting in the streets of
Trieste toward which the Brit
ish eighth army was driving only
58 miles away. The Americans
took Alessandria in northwest
Italy and the British took Chi
aggi in the northeast on the
Adriatic sea.
Yanks Enter Turin
At (lie western end of the fifth
aimy lino, the U. S. 442nd regi
ment, composed of Japanese
American troops, entered Turin,
which previously had been cap
Sec GliN. CLARK . . . Page 5
Observance of
Music Week Is
Set in La Grande
Participating In observance of
national music week, La Grande
groups will appear in five events
presented publicly under the
sponsorship of the Neighborhood
club.
With Mrs. A. L. Richardson as
chairman, the club's music week
committee includes Mrs. John M.
Miller, Mrs. A. K. Wright and
Mrs. L. C. Smith.
While the official dates for the
observance are May H to 12, in
clusive, the local programs will
stint May 4 with a concert at
Central school under the direc
tion of Larry Brunotlo. .
Other principal events of the
week include a united church
rrogrnm at 4 p. in,, Sunday in
the First Methodist church in
charge of Nephi Combs and un
der the direction of Henry Eh
lers. Final rehearsal for this
PI'''K',nl;.j,,J,Mit'',1. mt,,"'"'ls "1
J lliC "
Legion, Auxiliary
Will Have District
Conference Here
Larry Brunette, music instruc
tor al Central school, and a group
of his students will present the
musical program for the after
noon session of the district eon
feience of the American Legion
auxiliary commencing at 3 p. m.
Wrdmsday in the Saciijuwea
hotel.
Brunette will present vocal
solos, and thej student will give
group arrangements.
Tho afternoon session will be
brk.'f with reports and round
table djscussion on rehabilitation.
A dinner .has been planm (D for
7 p.m. in the Sti in Coffee slnipi
banquet rooiffjwith oie post, ami
principal sceakeis will be Penn
C Crum, stale commander of
'(tt$ legion, and GladysJlemons,
slate piident of the auxiliary.
A dance will be held iiO'1-'
Saeajawea hotel following the
(iinner.
Ethel Thomas is in()iarge of
i'lrangements for the auxiliary,
and nv-'mbcrs will be present
from Enterprise, Wallowa, Elgin,
Imbler and Union,
New Himmler Plea
Rumored; Churchill
Cabinet In Session
LONDON, April 30 (UP) The British cabinet late today,
re-examined the "peace" situation amid reports' that in
envoy was on the way to Stockholm with Heinrich Himmletfji
reaction to an allied reiteration of the unconditional surrerH
der policy. '
Prime Minister Churchill and his colleagues were closeted
in a regular meeting of the cabinet, and the authoritative
British' press association said the "peace position was fully
discussed." Military leaders attended the meeting as usual
Many responsible sources believe if a new nazi capitulai
tion offer were being foi-warded, it would be Himmlerfj
agreement to unconditional surrender since weekend &
velopmeiits evidently made it manifest that the allies were
interested m notmng less.
A Stockholm dispatch quoted
travelers from Copenhagen as
saying a German plenipotentiary
flew to Stockholm today for "im
portant negotiations." The travel
ers said Count Bcinadotle, the
purported go-between, still was
In Denmark, and the plenipoten
tiary expected to sley In Stock
holm until the count returned
there.
A PliIs dispatch Juld that with
the "capitulation of Germany ap
parently imminent,", the French
government is taking steps to es
tablish a claim that France be
one of a "big four" to which the
nazis must give up. .
Seek Big Three Approval
French Foreign Minister Georg
es Bidault was understood to
have been instructed to take up
the matter at San Francisco witii
Edward R. Slcttinius, Anthony
Eden and V. M. Molotov, the Big
Three foreign mini;i'ers.
Information reached French
government sources that Adolf
Hitler recently as nod the Ja
panese government '.or oermis-sio.-i
io fly to Jap in there to
continue the war against the
allies. Japan was caid to have
refused on grounds that such
action would embroil Tokyo
with Russia an eventuality
' See NEW PEACE . . . Page 5
Mussolini Begs for Life
As He Faces Firing Squad
MILAN, April 30 (UP) The broken body of Benito Mussolini
lay unclaimed beside his slain mistress in the Milan morgue today,
dishonored In death by the people he led to empire and ruin.
The fallen duce died badly in tho sight of the partisan execu
tioners who killed him and his paramour, Clara Petacci, In their
hideout on Lake Como Saturday. "
And the people he ruled for two decades paid him their last
tribute by hanging his remains head down from the (afters o,'a
gasoline station in Milan's Lorelo square. '
There, for a night and day they ,
spat upon their fallen 'ader, shol
his body in the back i,r d kicked
his face into a to.i!.1. es, ;ulpy
mass.
Mob Batters Corpse
For hours after tho body of the
executed dictator was brought to
Milan with that of his mistress
and 10 other slain fascist lead
ers, Mussolini lay in tin; dirt in
the center of the square. Then the
mob tied wire about the ankles of
II Duce and Clara Pelacci and
suspended them upside down
from the roof of the gasoline sta
tion. Hysterical men .ind women
closed in screamim; nbout the
dangling
corpses and beat ami
kicked the dictator's face
His mistress' skirt was torn off
and piople spat upon both bodies.
Respite Comes Too Late
Ironically, it wai revealed by
the partisan prefect of Milan pro-
ivince that an order Maying Mu
I Kolinj'u fiyiipiil Inn iinnlim :i mnni
formal trial and forbidding the
execution of his mistress wus en
See MUSSOLINI . . Page 5
La Grande Pilot
Wounded in Pacific
Mrs. Guy Chapin of 1514 Mon
loe avenue has been notified by
I he navy department that her
son, Capt. William A. Canlrel,
of the marine corps, was wound
ed in action against the enemy
on March I!), 11145, in the Pa
cific area.
Captain Cantrel is a marine
lighter pilot attached to an air
craft carrier and is serving his
sicond tour overseas. He is a
wimer student of Eastern Ore
gon college. O
APyle Is Honored
A t London Service
LONDON, April 30 (UP)
Memorial services were held In
Fleet street's St. Dunstant'-in-the-wost
church at noon today for
Ernie Pyle, war correspondent
who was killed by Japanese
machine gun fire in the Pacific.
All American troops and news
papermen in London had been
invited.
mum s
BANK PRESIDENT F. fl,
Emery, president of the recently
organised Elgin State bank, to
day announced that the new
county financial institution wilt
open tomorrow. May 1,' as sched
uled. Emery is manager oi th
Pondosa Pine lumber company al
Elgin. Jesse Crum, Elgin attor
ney, Is vice president of lhf
bank and George H. Wahler of
Minnesota has been named cuH,
ier-manager,
Lee Childers Is '
Named Foreman of
New Grand .Jury ;
A county grand jury was InR
panelled by Circuit Judge J. H,
Green today and immediately
went into session with District
Attorney C. R. Ebcrhard, presume
ably to consider the ease of Al
bert Forrest Bowman, 28, of
North Powder, who is in custody
on a charge of slaying his father,
A. F. Bowman, veteran stockman
! of the North Powder district.
nm.-lnia ri.-.M ;,.,! i c(i tul
nature or tle" bllsineSS before the
inquisitors but Ebcrhard indl-
catcd last week that he would
tuke the Bowman case before
them. He previously filed an in
formation in the justice's court
accusing Bowman of the murder.
I i-.ee dinners oi cove was ap
pointed by Judge Green as fore
i man of the grand jury, the other
, members of which'are: Margarat
Swart, Lois Thompson and Lel
uaiiisuoin, an oi L.a urancie, iMa
linn Wells of Alicel, Pearl Con
i iid of Imbler and Hazel Shoes
maker.
U.S., Britain Balkli
At Austria Set-Up
WASHINGTON, April 30 (UP)
The United Stales today refu&
cd to recognize the so-called ne$
Austrian provisional government
ret up in Soviet-occupied Vienna.
LONDON, April 30 (UP)-
foreign office commentator said
today that Great Britain does not
recognize the new Soviet-aK
nounced Austrian government as
a "provisional government or (13
anything else."
The British statement came at
a time when the allies already
are at odds over the question of
the Moscow-sponsored Lublin
Polish government.
The foreign office commentator
said Russia had not informed BrU
lain of the new government "in B
sufficient time to permit d scuii
sions with our allies." '