La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959, May 18, 1945, Image 1

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La Grande evening observer., May 18, 1945, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextClassified Ads SHOW YOU WHERE TO FIND IT! A Quick Wuy to Itench More People For Leas Money Phone COO A Community Newspaper For Every Member of the Family twtt SHSI9IL Uiitt Wtlhwt Ctfiti ESTABLISHED 1S96 LA GRANDE. OREGON ;V FRIDAY-EVENING, MAY 18, 194r FIVE CENTS XT' Ma AIRCRAFT CARRIER FRANKLIN HIT BY JA P .BOMBS Listing badly, the aircraft carrier U. S. S. Franklin is shown shortly after she was hit twice by the 500-pound missiles of a Jap dive bomb er as she stood GO miles off the Japanese coast on March 19. . Although she suf fared 1,000 casual ties and was re.it by explosions and wracked by tire, the crew took her across the Pacific and to the Brooklyn navy yard where she will be put in condition to fight again. Additional pictures on Page 6. U. S. Carrier Weathers War's Worst Blow, To Fight Again WASHINGTON. May 18 (UP) Big Ben has come back from the most terrible U. S. ship disaster in this war and will fight agai-i on borrowed time. Behind her in the bloody Pacific, where for IS hours she was a flaming funeral pyre for heroes, she counted more than 1.000 cas ualties as the price of her survival. It was lho heaviest price thus far paid by an American fighting ship in World War II. It was twice the cost of the entire battle of the Coral Sea. German Scientists - ri 1 A FacelriaiAs War Criminals LONDON, May 18 (UP) The United N-itions war crimes com mission was revealed today to be considering ' the indictment of leading German physicians and scientists for the deaths o thou sands of persons in nazi "human t ' guinea- pig'1 -experiments.'" Victims "of ruthless human vivisection and experimental in jections were slave workers and political prisoners seized in terri tories occupied by Germany, in vestigators for the commission said. ,' Two groups of investigators, one Czechoslovak and one Polish, were slated to leave London for the continent today at the invi tation of Gen. Dwight D. Eisen hower to investigate charges against the medical profession of. Germany. The disclosure came a the bag of accused German war criminals and nazi sympathizers grew steadily.- Latest to fall into the allied not were said to be Lt. Col. Otto Skorzeny master German spy, liberator of Benito Musso lini and wanted as a war criminal for reputed attempt to assassinate Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and other allied dealers, and Leni Rcifcnstahl, Gorman acterss and one-time close friend of Adolf Hitler. Baseball Results AMERICAN LEAGUE Boston 2 5 0 Chicago 0 4 2 Ferriss and Garbark; Hayes and Tresh. Washington at Detroit, post poned, rain. Philadelphia at Cleveland, post poned, rain. NATIONAL LEAGUE Pittsburgh at New York, post poned, rain and wet grounds. Cincinnati poncd, rain. at Boston, post- Former Nazi Labor Boss Prefers Death to Life Without Hitler SIXTH U. S. ARMY GROUP HQRS.. Germany, May 18 (UP) Dr. Robert Ley, former Ger man labor front leader, told his American captors today to shoot him because "life has no more meaning for me" without Hitler. "I knew that after Hitler there would be crtsos," said the one-time leader of the strength - through - joy move ment. "Life has no more mean ing for mo. You can do away with me. Shoot me right now. 1 ,ln't " Quietly defiant. Ley said: O "I myself shall always re main loyal to Hitler and the nazi party program." Ley once was a pot-bellied, bull - necked, hard - drinking, profane labor boss. Today there were neither strength Bin Ben is the U. S. S. Hank- lin, 27,000-lon Essex class carrier. An hour after dawn on March 19, as she stood CO miles off Japan, she was as proud and trim a war ship as ever rode the waves. She was a carrier division flagship poised to strike with other units of Vice Adm. Marc Mitscher's task force 58 at remnants of the Japanese fleet in the inland sea. Bombs. Gas Exnlode A few minutes later, because one 'Japanese dive-bomber got through, siie. wts a volcanic chads of bursting bombs, flaming gaso line and exploding rockets and gun ammunition. Two of the en emy'i 50'1-pound bomb? scored direct hits. By nightfall she counted her heroes high in lho hundreds, her dead at .141, her missing at 431, and her wounded at more than 300. Big Ben's story can be told now because she came back.. After steaming 12,000 miles under her own unquenchable power, Big Ben, unrecognizably seared- and battered and mangled, is home in a berth at the Brooklyn (N. Y.) navy yard. There she will be made whole again. The Japanese bomber, its ap proach undetected, caught the carrier at the moment of great est vulnerability when its planes were being launched, its gasoline lines were full and flowing, and See CARRIER . . . Page 6 Trieste Is Quiet Under Dual Guard TRIESTE, May IB UP) Both allied and Yugoslav troops in Tri este are trying to avoid incidents, pending final decision on who is to occupy the port. An estimated 1,000 Yugoslav troops still patrolled the streets today, but more mature soldiers have replaced those who origin ally entered the city. Many of the young Yugoslavs blamed for irresponsible shootings which might have started serious inci dents are gone. There have not been any kick backs yet from the seizure of loot from troops under Marshal Tito's command by American for ces in the Foritzia area. nor joy left in him as he lan guished in a 15th corps pri soner of war cage. He ap peared to weigh no more than 150 pounds, and he was cold sober. However he was a nazi to the Inst. You cannot kill off RO.COtl. 000 Germans," he said, "W,p nazisHeill continue. You don't know wno most of them are." He pointed through a winodw to Austrian flags flying in Salz burg's streets. ""M&i'.y.of those flying them are the rst .fan atic nazis." Ley calmly denied that forerW workers in Germany wcrev.iaves. He said they all had worked voluntarly. and that he had followed orders to feed everybody alike who worked, Germans or foreigners. 'Buddy Poppies' to Be Sold by VFW To Aid Veterans . Plans for observing May 25 and 2G as "Buddy Poppy" sales days by the auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars were announced today by Mrs. L. R. Edwards, in connection with opening of head quarters on Adams avenue in the building bearing the numerals "5001" on the window. Mrs. Frederick Gehring will be the headquarters assistant. The "Buddy" poppy has been adopted by the VFW as the sym bol of the organization's assist ance to disabled veterans and the children in the VFW home. . The post and auxiliary have accepted a quota of 4,000 poppies to be sold locally during the two day period. The proceeds will go in their entirety to the various phases of the organization's work for and ttrilt, tintnrnno nnH thnir fnmillf, pinclufling maintenance of the na tional homo for children; hospit alization and entertainment, fu neral expenses, individual relief for service men and numerous other purposes. Local Nurses to Join Army Corps Four La Grande nurses have applied for entrance into the army nurse corps, it was report ed by First Lt. Carolyn Halti wanger and Lt. Willirm H. Braun, who were hpre to recruit nurses. They are 'Lois Rasmussen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Rasmussen, 1914 First street, who is employed at Grande Rondo hospital; Dorothy Ferney of Dur kee, who has currently been em ployed as Dr. F. L. Ralston's office-nurse; Mildred Hebncr of Elgin, employed at Grande Ronde hospital, and Carol Bernice Mil ler of 707 Fourth street who will lake her state board examina tions next week. They plan to enter July 1. Additional applications will be accepted at the local Red Cross headquarters or may be made in writing to Army Recruiting Sta tion, 614 S. W. 11th avenue, Port land. Last Rites Held For Church Leader SALT LAKE CITY, May 18 (UP) The body of Hcber J. Grant, 88-ycar-old president of the Latter Day Saints church, was laid to rest today in the city cemetery in the rolling foothills of the Wasatch mountains. Thousands of his followers crowded their way into the mar ble-walled lobby of the church administration building last night for a last look at the venerable leader who directed the church's activities for 26 years. Grant, first native of Utah to assume the church presidency, died at his home here Monday night. Curb Sought On Surplus Disposal WASHINGTON, May 18 (UP) Legislation to require congres sional review of the surplus prop erty board's plans to dispose of large navy installations and equipment w!a approved unanim ously (Jjiday by the ftouse naval anairs commmcc. The bill offered by the commit tee would require congressional actios before battleships and othermajor combat craft are dis posed of. It also would require the surplus property board to give congress 60-day notice t v fore gettinu rid of other large naval facilities, . . Red lilt Arrill Small Nations Get ' More Power In Security Plans : Assembly Given Voice in World: i . Relations Talks SAN FRANCISCO, May IB (UP) A United Nations confer) ence committee today unani mously upproved, 42 to 0, thr principle of giving tho igoncnu assembly of the proposed world organization power "try. discuss and make recommendations" on any matters affecting Interna) tionul relations, subject to cer tain speci'ic exceptions. The committee vote was anoth cr victory for the small nations which have been striving to make the general assembly on which oil nations will have an equal voice something more than a debating society. The specific exceptions "will modify the broad principle. One of them probably will embody the proposal of the big five that the assembly should be preclud ed from making recommandar tions on a dispute in which the security council Is exercising its functions. "Big Five" Confer The committee action came as Secretary of Slate Edward R. Stettinius,, jr., conferred for an hour with the chairmen of the four conference commissions the major groups into which the conference is divided. It was undeifitoo ! that they discussed ways of expediting the work of the conference now that this com missions arc ready to begin con sideration of the decisions of their committees. The commissions are ready to begin public sessions at which decisions of their subordinate technical committees will be de bated and cleared for final con ference action. The first such meeting is scheduled for tomor Sce STETTINIUS . . . Page 5 Sudden Changes In Meat Prices Out WASHINGTON, May 18 (UP) War Mobilization Director Fred M. Vinson, is expected shortly to assure the public that there will be no change in meat ceil ing prices without six months ad vance notice, congressional sour ces said today. Such a move, they declared, would be intended to inspire con fidence all along the meat indus try line from the cattle range man through to the housewife. Vinson also is expected to an nounce a subsidy to cattle feed ers of 50 cents per hunelred weight, paid on the basis of the cattle's weight when sold by the feeder. . Band School Will Start Monday Opening of the La Grande high summer band school Monday for the third year was announced today by Leroy Darling, direc tor and supervisor. He announced the classes will he open for both beginners and advanced students of school age and will continue for six weeks. The beginners' class will be held at 1 p.m. and instruction for advanced students at 8 a.m. There is no tuition fee. Local. Prisoner of Germans Liberated Mr. and Mrs. George L. Lock wood have received word from their son, Cpl. Robert Lockwood. who was in a German prison camp for 19 months, that he has been liberated and is now in 11 -' hands of the British and United States troops. He said he well f.nd expects to be home soon. Corporal Lockwood, served through the African campaign and was &kerj prisoner in Italy. Weather fintaCr 24 hours to 7 a.m. Temperature: Maximum M Minimum 35 Precipitation .12 Forecast: Cloudy with show ers tonight and Saturday; pos sibility of frost toi.ight. imatum erv uuei Dog Pack That Killed Woman Put to Death MIAMI, FU.. May 18 (UP) A dog ptck which attacked and killed Mrs. - Doretta Micko Zinke wat wiped out by rifle fire today, at their own-r was held lor a preliminary hearing on manslaughter charges. ; Acting at the request of Joe Mum., owner Bnd breeder of the vicious pit bulldogs, sher iff ', deputies shot eight of the dogs at the quarantine kennels, then went . to Munn's shack where the rest of his more than 20 dogs were kept, - Officers said Munn called the dogs a "bad breed" and said they should all be killed. The pack attacked and mangled Mrs. Zlnke Wednesday night. Durham Stages Protest Against "Solitary" Cell Confined, in "solitary" in the county jail upon being captured following his escape from the jail Saturday .night, George W. Dur ham, escaped convict who faces a life term, staged a protest dem onstration Thursday night and yesterday morning by destroy ing part of his bedding ar.d cloth ing., . .:' .'.? Sheriff Jesse Brcshcars said he ignored. Durham's demonstration, and that tho prisoner later threat ened to commit suicide, but sub sequently rcstractcd that threat and said he , was sorry he had talked anU'uctecT as he did, the officer said. , ' When Durham was returned to the jail after his arrest Monday near Huntington, Brcshcars put him into a single cell on the opposito side of the jail from that from which he escaped and left nothing in the cell from which the prisoner might fashion a weapon or tool that might bo uspd in escaping. The sheriff said Durham of fered no explanation for destroy ing the bedding- and his own shirt. ':. ' , f ' ' Durham is due to be arraigned soon on it, grand jury indictment charging jiim with jail breaking, and his trial on an habitual crim inal charge !s scheduled to open June 4 before Circuit Judge R. J. Green. '. ' High School Band Officers Chosen Election of James Bennett as president of the La Grande high school band was announced to day' following the balloting in which he defeated Robert Wag ner and Don Jordahl. Other officers chosen to guide the affairs of the band for the next school years arc: Arlcne Gaither, vice president; Phyllis McLaughlin, secretary; Jackie D.o.r ington, treasurer; Joyce Schiro, librarian; Put Hat maker and Barbara Detrick, as sistant librarians;- Norman Pun ches and Fred Jarrard, council members; George Bohnenkamp, business manager, and Barbara Carroll, majorette leader. Two Are Held On Charge of Murder McMINNVILLE, Ore., May 18 (UP) Two men were tieiu on murder charges today after an autopsy indicated that 56-year-old Henry W. Blair died from a severe head blow instead of natural causes in Grande Ronde. The Yamhill sheriffs office an nounced that Phillip John War ren, 2!), ond Vern Martin, are in rustody. Blair died Sunday and Dr. Jo seph Btcman, .state criminolo gist, announced after an autopsy that his death was caused by a blow on the side of the head. O : Senate Approves Federal Pf Boost WASHINGTON, May 18 (UP) The senate h;tjpassed unani mously o.id sent to the house the Downey bill to give all civil serv ice ciffIoyes 015 r' rtt raise in pay. (J QSen. Sheridan Downey, D Calif., sponsored the pay raise bill which he l,old the senate would coil $4C7,000,000 a year. to Japan Rumored Rages Doughboys Close In On Bastion of Japs on Mindanao Luzon Advances Are Slowed Down II y Heavy Rains MANILA, May, 18 (UP) American troops pn Mindanao to day closed in on Valencia and its important two-strip airfield after a surge of six miles along the Sayrc highway. A communique which gave the 31st division's position as uf Wednesday put the leading ele ments in the outskirts of Valen cia and only two miles from the airdrome. The ill si had slashed ahead six miles Wednesday and five miles the day before, and there were no indications their advance had slowed. Meet Stiff Resistance To the north, however, the 40th division met stiff resistance from Japanese artillery and mortar positions in the Manginn canyon. The 4l)th was working its way south through difficult, hilly country carpeted with 12-foot high grass. The two divisions ware 31 air line miles, or 45 miles along the winding Suyre highway, from a junction which would split Min danao lengthwise. On Luzon, seasonal rains con tinued to hamper American ad vances but the battle for Ipo dam nppearcd nearing a close. The 43rd division continued closing in on a Japanese force trapped in the dam area, northeast of Manila, and only a matter of hun dreds of yards separated Its north and south forces. Army Authorities Deny Plot to Kill Gen. Eisenhower PARIS, May 18 (UP) This French capital was turned into an armed camp for 10 lenso days last December when scores of German secret ugents wore re ported prowling through the city under orders to murder Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, allied counter - Intelligence headquar ters revealed today. Breaking their months -long silence em the reported assassina tion plot, which at pne time was accepted as true, even by high ranking allied staff officers, counter-intelligence spokesmen said the attack on Eisenhower never was actually attempted. They disclosed that guards were posted all over Paris during the abortive German offensive in the Ardennes last December af ter a captured nazi shoulder de clared that an elaborate scheme was afoot to kill Eisenhower. Drastic counter-measures were initiated and from 10 to 50 sus pects were picked up nightly. By Dec 30, the army announced it had rounded up more than 300 enemy agents, inctueling several women. The- infiltration virtually ceased by that time and the mur der plot, which ullit'd officers then believed was under way, was described as "elefinite'ly un-eie-r control." Counter - intelligence officers emphasized toeluy that Skorzeny ' had no part In a plot to kill Gen. Eisenhower because there was nei riot." Bandit To Face Murder Charge VALE, Ore., May 18 (UP) Kenneth Baile-y, Klamath Falls, Ore., is scheduled to appear be fore Circuit Judge M. A. Biggs here tomorrow to plead to a rhnrgp of first degree murder in the gun battle death of two men near Weiser, Ida., April 29. Olegon Slale Police SrI. Ted Chamber of Ontario, and form erly of La Grande, and Bailey's etiO.peraelo partner, William R. 1 Duffy, 22, were filled in the sun battle. Builey is charged with, Chamber s death. A grand jury charged bailey (b)th with fir:C degree murder and assault with intentto kit.) BEAUTY AID QUITSO SALEM, Ore., May IB (UP) Gov. Earl Snell today announced Ihe resignation of Gladys Innes, Portland, as executive secretary of the state board of cosmetic theiapy. The resignation is ef fective on Sept. 30. on Okinawa Soviet Threat to Join War v. On Nippon Reported As f Alternative to Surrender 1 j By United Pross " The often inaccurate rails radio today broadcast a ' report ittt'ributed to Ankara, which Halel Russia had ser ved an ultimatum on Japan, demanding surrender -on ;. allied terms. .; ,. The Paris IffoudvaHt, recorded by the United Press in ; New York, said: . . J "The Ankara radio reports that according to diplo ' malic circles in Kan Francisco the Soviets handed an ultimatum to Japan, declaiinir that should Japan not.: surrender to the allies at the hitter's conditions, the " .Soviets would he obligated to side with the allies." GUAM, May 18 (UP) A great artillery duel of unpre cedented fury in the Pacific war flared along the Okinawa bnttle line today as tenth army forces slugged their way, yard by yard, into tho three wrecked bastion towns of Nana, Sluii'i and Ynnnbaru. Tokyo reported without supporting allied evidence that a powerful American fleet stunned out of the Marianas last Sunday or Monday, presumably for new forays against the Japanese empire. ' ; " l'Yont dispatches indicated U. S. ground forces now were battling inside Shuri and Yonnbaru, as well as in Naha, whefe marines of the aith division expanded a hard-won. bridge head across the Asuto river. The enemy had reported ear lier that American troops broke into Shuri, the Inland anchor of the Japanese defense line lying midway between Naha on the west coast and Yonabaru on the east. Advances Are Small Nowhere wore mu rtmericans making big advances. Fiercely l tMsting i'Jflpnn&tt, supported by tho heaviest concentrations of artillery ever assembled by the enemy in the Paeafic war, limit ed Yank gains to yards and feel. Front dispatches said marines deep inside Naha were cracking fanatic Japanese resistance there. But later reports said the leather necks in Naha were "pinned to many positions," and that only small amounts of equipment had crossed the Asato river at the edge of the city. Shells from big Japanese and See ARTILLERY . . . Page 5 Japanese In Burma Face Annihilation CACUTTA, May 18 (UP) Troops of the Indian filth divi sion are making "good progress" in clearing lust pockets of Jap anese resistance from the wesl banks of the Sittang river in lower Burma a communique said today. A general, withdrawal south toward Moulmein on the east siele ef the liver was indicated and Japanese troops in Pegu Yoinas, mountain area to the southwest, were encircled comple-tely. In the Toungoo area farther north, olhcr British forces made slight gains against stiff opposi tion on ll'.e road east to Mawohi. Union Soldier Is Missing in Europe Capt. Raymond F. Reuter of Union is listed by the army as missing in action in the Kuro.ean urea. The casualty repoit lists his next of kin as his fathe-r, Kuge-ne-F. Reuter of Union, who was no tified previously that Capt. Ren ter had been wounele-el in action. Frightened Germans Flee To Escape Red Occupation Forces WITH U.S. EIGHTH CORPS, Central Germany, May 18 (UP) Thousands of frightened (Tor mans crowded the highways in a mass exodus from the heart of Germany" today as Himoyj snrnd that Russians soon would occupy the Qrea. There was no official con firmation of the occupation rumors but civilians bi-e-n Creaming deiwn rjty highways in alarmingly increasing num bers for the .last seveial elays. Some were attempting to bring household possessions on makeshift carts und wagons. Others, mostly old men and women, carried only bare ne-c-tssitie's in knapsacks or wrap peel in table cloths. Mingled with the civilians : . . . rV . Jap Plane, Fuel re plants Neutralized By Superforts ' GUAM, May 18 (Ug) U Amer ican planes huve wrecked fpu.'Of Japan's biggest oil supply plants unij.;n hitherto . unknown aircraft usrembly works, it was aisclosea today.. , V& Tho 21st bomber command an nounced that 400 B-20's had "ren dered inoperative" the oil cen ters in attacks on southern Japan May 10. . '. ' . A "50 per cent knockout blow" against the new Kumumoto air craft assembly plant In north central Kyushu by carrier planes last Monday was revealed In a delayed dispatch from a task force off Japan. , '; Large Area Burns . Detailed results of the second American B-29 fire raid in three elays on Nagoya yesterday await' . ed reconnaissance photographs. Returning crewmen said rill southern Nngoya, including tHb giant Mitsubishi aircraft worlds and the dock area, was in flames when they left. Tho bomber command said that B-2'.ls which hit Oshima, a small island oft southwest Honshu,' dh May 10 destroyed all but five ot Ihe GS oil storage tanks there. Bomb damage at the Otake Oil refinery on southern Honshu covered the entire target area. The plunt wus listed as "out pf operation." -. ( "Extensive damage" also wai leported throughout the Tokuy limn naval fuel station, Japanls main naval fueling station, and the aeljoinig Tokuyama synthe-; lie fuel factory, principal source of fui I for Japanese army planes. Only or.e area immediately east of the target areas at To kuyama escaped damage, recon naissance revealed. A disutch from the flagship ot an American carrier task force off Japan said pilots who hit the Kumamoto assembly plant . re poiteel the factory no longer would be of use to the enemy. were hundreds of discharged, war-weary soldier hiking back home. Maj. R. M. Sherick, corps staff officer, of Poison, Mont., paid that so far no incidents or. tumble had bee-fl reported. Three pretty "German girls, mho said the-y had bctin bicyc ling three days from thej home west of Drcsi!, uwnitted they, were frightened of Russian oc cupation. The'y only shrugged their shoulders when Sgt. Felix Mcbmann of Central Moriches;' N. Y., assured them the Rus sians would not mistreat them.'' Three former wchrmacht sol eliers called the nazis "swine" when asked how they felt about the war. They curse Hitler and spat when they spoke his name. .