La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959, May 19, 1945, Image 1

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La Grande evening observer., May 19, 1945, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Textm$k Jap War 5) ni A Community Newspaper i For Every Member of the Family ESTABLISHED 1896 Marines Halted in Okinawa 7th War Loan Bond Sales In Union County Amount To 15 Percent of Quota Closing of the first week of general activity in the 7lh war loan campaign found Union county with approximately 15 per cent of its over-all quota sold, and slightly less .than 17 per cent of the $711,000 allotment of V. bonds accounted for, and three weaks remaining in which the remainder must be sold to reach the campaign objective. W. C. Perkins, county war finance committee chairman; announced today that sales of E bonds to last night amounted to $121,785; series F, $-1,849, series G, $5,200, and series C notes, $0,000, or total sales oi Foochow Fall May Open Way For U. S. Invasion of China CHUNGKING, May 1!) (UP) Chinese troops have liberated the east coast port of Foochow, which the Japanese fear may be come an American invasion gate way to China. It was announced today the city, opposite Formosa and Oki nawa fell at 5 a. m. yesterday after a bitter week-long battle during which positions changed hands repeatedly. The final attack was launched Thursday jnorning,. a,, communi que said. Japanese remnants were said to be fleeing southeast toward the coastal town of Ma moi, pursued closely by the Chi nese. The American conquest of all but the southern tip of Okinawa, along with the neighboring Ke rama islands, already has given the allies a passage through Ja pan's Rkukyu island chain to the east China sea and Foochow. Any attempt to force the east China sea at this lime, however, would expose allied ships to at tacks by Japanese planes based on Formosa and occupied China. 'Local Budget Law' Decision Pends SALEM, Ore., May 10 (UP) Circuit Judge George R. Duncan of Marion county today had un der advisement arguments in 'he injunction suit brought to pre vent the inclusion of house bill 40:i, the "local budget law" of tha 1945 legislature, in the Ore gon session laws. At a hearing late yesterday. Wilbur Henderson, representing the Oregon Business and Tax Research Inc., of Portland ex plained how a conference com mittee report was left out of the bill as it was finally signed by the governor. The tax grotip claims that the ommision makes the law invalid, as it was signed in a form not intended by the legislature. Rex Kimmel, assistant attorney general, appeared for Secretary of State Robert S. Farrell, ir.. defendant in the suit, contended the bill was passed properly. Mystery Shrouds Identity of Germans Aboard Captured Sub PORTSMOUTH. N. H., May 13 (UP) The 1.600-ton nazi submarine U-234 reached this surrender port today and land ed 57 efficers and crewmen, three luftwaffc officers and a mysterious German civilian who had tried to escape to Ja pan. O Two Japanese, who had com mitted hara-kirD aboard the submarine reportedly had been buried it sea. The submarine surrendered 500 miles east of Newfoundland this week to U. S. naval forces. One of the three lifiUafle officers was identified as (Siji-jor-Gen. Ulrich Kessler, former German air forces commander in the Atlantic. The o'.her two were not identified but were believed of lesser rank. The civilian scowled as he came ashore. He was ladened .tu hi.ooi. wnne in sales of bonds other than those of series E seems somewhat small when compared with the quota of $223,000, cam paign leaders say they are not particularly concerned and feel confident they will be readily disposed of to corporations and other large invetors. Their chief concern is the high quota of E bonds, which must be sold to individuals, and major effort is being centered on this phase of the campaign. Inasmuch as the Union county committee has dispensl with house -1o -'house solicitation in connection with E bond sales, ef foits ai2 being made to reach everv employed person at places of employment. ' "' ' ' This phase of the campaign is l,pin r-nnHuetpH tiv a committee of the Lions' club, the members of which are A. H. Labee, chair man, Edgar Berglund. Ray Wm tns. B H. Worlev. C. R. Eber- hard and Wilmer Bacr. Meanwhile, reports from other parts of the state indicate Union county is lightly behind the state average, which yesterday was reported as approximately 20 per cent of the quota. From Salem comes a report that state employees have pur chased 48 per cent of their quota ef $450,000. Roy Mills, board of control secretary, said five state departments have already reach ed their quotas. Chiang Backs Move For Unity CHUNGKING, May 19 (UP) The sixth Kuomintang congress, preparing for the inauguration of a constitutional government '!.i.r fall, has passed six resolutions, sponsored by Generalissimo Chi ang Kai Shek, in a new bid for national unity. One, recommending legislation to enable other poltical parties lo achieve legal status, was re tarded as the most important In view of the dispute between the Kuomintang and the communist party. The communist party, however, is not expected to show any in terest until the nature of condi tions for attaining legal status are made known in the projected law. Heretofore submission of communist armies to central gov ernment command has been one of the conditions which the com munist parly refused. with brief cases and' bags. Be hind him trailed a member of the submarine crew who car ried one of his bags. Apparently treated with def erence by the nazi seamen, he was a d irk, stout man about six feet tall. He wore a bat tered felt hat and a raincoat. He also carried a gas mask. Strict secrecy surrounded the activities. Reporters were forc ed to stay at a distance as theO ships company walked ashore. All were hustled into busses under the watchful eyes of aimed marine guards. They apparently were taken to the naval prison. Members of the crews of twoO destroyer -escorts who brought the submarine to port said the nazi crew was "most coopera tive" in -howing the U. S. sail ors how the- undersea raid"! was operated. ftttOl LA (JRANUE, MARINES BATTLE FOR NAHA CITY On a ridge iwo miles north of Naha City, Okinawa, ma rines battle strong enemy forces before the position was captured. Here amid shellbursts and rifle fire, the leathernecks prepare for the drive on -the town. Marine corps photo. Borneo, Philippine Gains Chalked Up By Allied Forces MANILA, May 19 (UP) Amer ican troops today seized two 'im portant objectives in the Philip pines -r- Ipo dam on Luzon and Valencia airfield-on Mindanao and Australian forces completed the conquest of oil-rich Tarakan island. American planes already were operating from the two airstrips at Valencia, flying in supplies and making close air support missions, while 31st division troops had pushed on northward to within 14 miles of Malaybalay. Malaybalay, capital of Budkin on province, is an important agr cullural center.' Troops of the 40th and - American divisions pushing from the north by-par,s-ed the stubborn enemy nests ol resistance in the Mangima river canyon to occupy Dalirig, one mile to the east. Only 32 airline miles or 40 miles along the Sayre highway now separates the two forces splitting Mindanao. Another major Japanese air base was doomed on Mindanao when 24th division troops drove to the edge of the Sasa field in the Davao city sector. The Americans now hold four of the six airfields around Davao. Yanks Occupy Big Area of Germany PARIS, May 19 (UP) Su preme he-idquaiters disclosed to day that I,t. Gen. Leonard T. Ge row's 15th U. S. army is occupy ing 14,000 square miles of Ger many, including the Saar basin, the Rhine valley, and the west ern half of the Ruhr. The present area of occupation is about eight times as large as that occupied by the American army after the first world war. The present boundaries of the American zone are not necessar ily permanent ones. Gerow's control covers the cities of Aach en. Cologne, Coblenz, Dusseldorf, and Trier. Baseball Results AMERICAN LEAGUE HUE Philadelphia 0 4 0 Cleveland 4 9 0 Chritopher, Gerkin and Hayes, Pruett; Reynolds and McDonell. Fiiit time: WashingJon 6 0 1 Detroit 2 8 3 WolfJ and Guerra; Trout, Houl teman, Orrell and Swift, Rich ards, o Boston 2 7 .1 Chicago 3 8 3 wnsun, wuuus, nyeii ann wai ters, Garbark; HunSfhrics-r, Pa pisn ,iiia ire-Mi. NATIONAL LEAGUE Pittsburgh at New York, both games postponed rain. St. Louis at Philadelphia, post poned, rain. Cincinnati at Boston postponed, rain. (eisi and Wallowa Counh'ti OREGON SATURDAY, EVENING, MAY 19, 19 45 Want a Big Steak, Lots of Gasoline? Then Go To Peru SPOKANE. Wash., May 19 (UP) In Peru, automobiles, gas and rubber are abundant. Gasoline sells for IS cent a gal lon and the highways are in splendid condition. ' There is plenty of beef and T-bone sleaks sell for 22 cents a pound. Yet. the illiteracy rate of the people runs as high as 93 per cent. So say?, Everett Graff, min ing engineer recently returned after spending 11 years in the South American country. West Benefits in Freight Rate Cut Ordered By ICC WASHINGTON, May 1!) (UP) The interstate commerce com mission today held that the basic freight rate schedule bet-veen eastern, southern and western rate territories is "unreasonable." The commission ordered tempo rary adjustments effective Aug 30. The commission ordered a 10 per cent reduction in rales based on the present structure in and between southern and western territories and between the.se territories and the east. Such rates within eastern territory must be raised 10 per cent the order said. The ICC also increased the minimun) charpt; on Jess-lhan-carload shipments moving on these basic rates from 55 to 75 cents per hundred pounds. These changes, the ICC said, will greatly reduce rate differ ences between the three sections of the country and will bring to a minimum the inequality which now exists. Union Sergeant Is European Casualty Technical Sergeant Marvin M. Tarter of Union is named in a casualty list issued today among army wounded io the F.urnpe.in area p'ior to the cessation of hos tilities. Next of kin, who was previous ly notified of his injury, is given as Mrs. Ethel llord, box 45, Un ion. ERSKINE IN RENO ItKO, Nev., May 1!) (UP) John Lrskinc, 65-year-old author, began '(J): weeks residence here today. He indicated that he will seek a divorce from Pauline Ives Erskine. They were married in 1910. Weather Data for 24 hours to 7 a.m. Temperature: Maximum 60 Minimum 43 Precipitation 04 Forecast: Partly cloudy tonight ind Sunday, warmer Sunday. Break in Security Parley Stalemate Is In Prospect SAN FRANCISCO May 19 (UP) The possibility of an early "break" in the United Nations conference impasse oyer the re gional' arrangements issue was seen today when a late uftemoon session of the conference's big five was scheduled. It will be the first time the big five has met since Wednes day. A meeting was scheduled for Thursday but was cancelled because the Russian delegation had not yet received instructions from Moscow on what stand it should take on the compromise regional arrangements formula reached by the United Stales and Latin American countries after 10 days of negotiations. Calling of today's session was regarded as indicating that the Russians finally have received their instructions. Official sources said they knew of no other rea son for calling such a meeting at this time. The big five meeting was called soon after the conference had entered into a new stage of its task of drafting a world security organization's charter when it held its first open commission session. The meeting coincided with a new challenge-by the little na tions to the right of big powers to veto peaceful settlement of disputes in the proposed world organization. Bandit Denies He Killed Officer VALE, Ore., May 19 (UP) Kenneth Bailey, Klamath Falls, Ore., today pleaded innocent to charges of first degree murder and assault with intent to kill filed against him as outcome of a gun baltle near Weiser, Ida.. April 29 in which his desperado companion and an Oregon state police sergeant were killed. Circuit Judge M. A. Bigps net Bai.V-y's trial on the murder charge for June 18. Bailey is charged specifically with the shooting to death of Sgt. Tod Chambers, 45, of On taria. Bailey's companion, Wil liam R. Duffey, 22, also was kill ed in the fray. Transport Strike in Los Angeles Averted LOS ANGELES, May 19 (UP) A threatened strike of 3500 bus and trolley operators that would have paralyzed Los Angeles' tnmsport.rion system was avert ed today when union officials an nounced mtQibers had voted unanimously to accept the trans portation company's proposals. The plan accepted provides for a 5-cent increase in hourly rates plus retention of a special war time bonus. The union had ask ed for a flat 8-ccnt increase. The pay agreement must be approved by the regional war la bor board to become effective. ewer FIVE CENTS Drive Hills Are Key Point Of Battle GUAM, May 19 (UP) Japanese troops on southern Okinawa battled four Ameri can divisions almost lo u standstill today as the blood iest campaign of the Pacific war went into its !l)th day on a note of rising fury. .Murines and army troops were inside Naha, Shuri and Yonabaru, the three anchors ol tile Japanese line, but key hills dominating the cities were changing hanas ns many us four times in 24 hours in the swaying battle. Theie were some signs that the Japanese were cracking under the teriific American pleasure and ceaseless land, sea and air bom burdment. However, command ers coutiously reserved final judgment. The battle was far from over. Push Into Naha A front dispatch said marines of the sixth division had pene trated as much as 500 yards into Naha, ruined capital of Okinawa and western anchor of the enemy line. The first marine division fin ally won control of the northern slopes of sugar loaf hill northeast of Naha in bitter hand-to-hnnd fighting, but its crest was a no man's land. Hill Changes Hands Japanese still controlled the routhern slopes of the hill, hold ing up virtually the entire west ern flank to the Okinawa front. See FURIOUS . . . Page 7 Renwick Clark Is Chosen President Of Farm Bureau Renwick Clark was! elected president of the La GraAde local Farm Bureau at the firail meet ing of the spring season, held re cently in the IOOF hall. Frank Roole was elected vice president and Mrs. O. A. Kling hammer, secretary-treasurer. In stallation will be at the fall mcet ing September 20. Ninety-five members and guests attended the potluck dinner which preceded the business meeting. Dr. Margaret Ingle arranged the program. Dr. Henry Ehlers, of the music department of Eastern Oregon college, presented the college girls' choir in a group of vocal assistant professor of English spoke on light verse, reading ap propriate quotations. Mrs. Roy Skcen presented two humorous readings. School Days End, 1850 Youngsters Start Vacations School days were concluded yesterday for the summer vaca tion period and some 1,850 young sters of La Grande laid aside Iheir wrestling matches with the thrct-Hs and kindred subjects to put in their time lor the most part in enjoying themselves. For some of the older ones there will be summer classes of one kind or another, but as a rule studies of nil kinds have bcin set aside for appioximately 10 weeks. Classes will be resumed September 4. Classes will be concluded at Eastern Oregon college on June 1 and the college will reopen September 24. Meanwhile, a sum mer session will be held in two parts aggregating II weeks, dur ing which regular and sp eiel courses will Le provided. Woman. Kills Haby, A 1 1 em p I s Su icide BURLINGTON, VI., May III (UP) Mrs. Helen C. llinehey, 39, wife of the stale director of the federal housing authority, strangle! her baby daughter, at tempted to sftmglc her infant son and then tried to drown her self in a bathtub today, police announce I. Demolition Bombs Rain on Hamamatsu; Tokyo Also Attacked GUAM, May 19 (UP) More than 300 Superfortresses rocked the Japanese war production center of Hamamatsu,. (iO miles south of devastated Nagoya, with at least 2,100 tons: of bombs at the noon rush hour today.- ' -.. (Meanwhile radio Tokyo reported that n large force of-R-29s struck at Tokyo "and conducted blind, indiscriminate bombing: from above the clouds." Approximately 90 Supety forts took part in the raid, which caused "practically no damx age," Tokyo said.) The giant H-29's rained demolition bombs on the coastal; city for a half hour through overcast that prevented obser vation of results. Iwo-based fighters escorted the bombers, which attacked from medium altitude. . The raid was the third within six days by 300 or more B-29: against prime industiinl targets in Japun. ,'1'hu two previous raids on Monday and Thursday were against Nagoya, now one quarter destroyed. The first of the B-23s attacked Hamamatsu at 12:30 p.m. Jap anese time and for the next half hour bombs crashed on the city at the rate of 70 tons a miniiie. It was the biggest , raid yet on the city. Rail Shops Are Target Targets included plants turn ing out airplane propellers, im portant railway shops, and four airfields. Hainamatsu's pre-war population totalled 100,000. A Tokyo broadcast said 30 other B-2i)s sowed mines in Wak nsa Bay, on the north coast of Honshu, and 10 more dropiied mines in the Beppu channel on the inland sea. Much of Nagoya Burned Reconnaissance photographs re vealed that 5.9 square miles of Nagoya had keen burned out in the two raids this week. This brought the area destroyed since the start of B-29 raids on Nagoya to 11.3 square miles, 22 per cent of the whole city. The famed Nagoya castle and 33 specific industrial and mili tary targets, including the Mit subishi aircraft factoiies, were destroyed or damaged in the last two days. Of the total area, 3.1 square miles were burned out Monday and 2.8 square miles Thursday. This brought the total area de stroyed or damaged by Super fortiess fire raids on six Japanese cities to 59.58 square rtiiles. Navy search planes of fleet ail wing No. 1 sank a small freight er south of Korea and damaged two freighter-transports and an oiler in the same area yesterday. See SUPERFOKTS . . . Page 7 ODT Control of Eastern Railroad Is Held Unlawful CHICAGO, May 19 (UP) U. S. District Judge Walter J. La Buy ruled today that the office of de fense transportation was illegal ly in possession of the Toledo, Peoria an t Western railroad, a 2311-mile Ireight line. Judge La Buy ordered that the road be turned buck to its owners. The railroad has been operat ed by tin government since the late President Roosevelt ordered its seizure March 21, 1942, when management and labor could not settle a dispute. Judge La Buy said that the di rector of ODT had no legal right to resume possession of the rail road after the secretin y of war on Jan. 1(1, 1944, had ordered illie nation's r lil systems returned to their priv lie managements. The nation's railroads had been seized by the government Dec. 27, 1943, when a nationwide the lime the management of the strike had been threatened. At T. P. & W. had been transferred from the ODT to the war department. First Sight of New Jap Humdh Bomb' Startles Destroyer Crew GUAM, May 19 (UP) (By Navy Radio) "What is il?" cried crow members of an American destroyer when they saw a Japanese baka bomb hurtling toward them at an estimated speed of 4H8 miles an hour. Banly 50 yards away the ship's five-inch batteries scored a lucky hit on the human bomb yes there was a Japanese sui cide pilot in it and shattered fuselage, wings, and pilot. The first eyewitness descrip tion of a baka bomb attack was given by Lt. (Jg) Andrew Chan cellor, Pittsburgh, Pa., who was on the bridge at the time. He had seen German robot bombs when his ship was off Nor mandy, but he never saw any thing like this before. "Suddenly we saw a Jap betly (twin-engined bombers) i , Stalin Stand On z Arrested Poles ! Widens Ally Rift LONDON May 19 (UP) -Prei mier Stalin bluntly affirmed Russia's reiusal to negotiate with. 1(1 n nested Polish leaders today in u statement which London sources said widened the rift be)- twecn the Soviets and the welt? crn allies on the Polish issue, Stalin called for solution of the Polish problem und reconstruc tion of the Polish provisional government at Wursuw in strict accordance with the Crimean decisions. He ass-cited the arrests of the 1(1 Polish leaders among them men recommended by the 'Inited Stales and Britain for includlnf, in the coalition regime were, Mt "no way connected with the re construction" of the government - Neither,- he said, had the Rus sians ever invited the arrested men to discuss formation, of the new government. .. . ! The Poles, including Vice-Premier J. S. Hankowski of the Po lish exile government in London; were nrersted by the Red armj on charges of diverslonist activ ity behind the Russian lines., :1 Stalin's statoment was received with anxiety bordering on aston ishment in-AVhitoholl and Polish exile government headquarters. Tito Refuses To Give Up Hold On i Occupied Areas , ROME, May 19 (UP) Mar shal Sir Arnold Alexander an nounced today that he had beert unable to reach a friendly agree ment with Marshal Tito on Yugo slav claims to slices of Italy arjd Austria, and the allies now, are waiting to tee whether he will hack them up with force.' In u blunt statement baring for I he first time the full gravity of (he crisis brought on by Marshal Tito's territorial aspirations, the rllird supreme commander n tHe Mediterranean said: , "It is Marshal Tito's apparent intention to establish his claim's by force of arms and militaqr occupation. Action of this kirra would be all too reminiscent Bf Miller. Mussolini, and Japan. It is lo prevent such actions that we have been fighting this war" The disputed Italian territory i;: that around 'Priest and Gorizla and east of the Isonzo river, the part of Italy known as Venezla Guilia. The Austrian area is around Klagenfuit and Villach, the border strip abutting the nmthwestern corner of Yugo slavia. . (',- HESS' WIFE ARRESTED LONDON, May 19 (UP) The Exchange telegraph service ouotnl the Brussels radio today as saying that the wife of Ru dolph Hess has been arrested by French troops near Lake Con stance. -V approaching at 14 000 yards," said Chancellor. 'Something fell away like a belly tank. Then our men seeing this thing coming at us started scream ing, 'What the hell is it?' "It was a flying bomb, sil very and twin-tailed with stub by wings and a teardrop can epy for the suicide pilot. When the pilot cut loose his rocket hursts, the bomb headed dowii toward us at a fantastic speed,1 about 423 knots (488 miles an hour). , " "The gunner threw every thing we had at the bomb. The thing exploded 50 yards away as one of our five-lnchers caught it." i "' chancellor said he didn't think the next baka bomb would be quite so terrifying. , "The bomb's terrific speed is puzzling," he said, "but I think we can handle It."