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

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

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Newspaper Page Textn ' r S3 IT 111 Family Q ESTABLISHED 189C End Is Near for Japs on Okinawa No Escape By Enemy Is Possible GUAM, Juno, 19 (UP) A milling mob of panic stricken Okinnwan civilians and disor ganized Japanese troops, herded by victory - bound American forces, converged today in a small death pocket within sight of the 100-foot southern cliffs overlooking the East China sea. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz an nounced complete conquest of Okinawa was "imminent." Front dispatches said Japanese soldiers, in groups as large as a battalion, abandoned their fox holes and fled southward toward the dead end shoreline where they have been invited by Maj. Gen. John R. Hodge to commit suicide. Agencing the death in action of their commander, Lt. Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr., 10th army troops swept on to new positions ranging from one-half to a mile and a half frcm the southern tip of Okinawa. Witnesses reported enemy troops joined civilian refugees in their steadily - diminishing trap and "milled crazily." They had the choice of digging in and re sisting to the death during the American mop-up; committting suicide individually, or in groups; surrendering; 'op. letting. 4 he m selves be killed in last-minute charges. Elements of five U. S. divisions poured out a fierce, concentrated blast of fire power against hold out enemy troops. Innocent victims of the battle's climax wore countless poverty striken, homeless Okinawans who had been misled by Japanese propaganda that Americans mis treat captives. . Between 2,000 and 3,000 Jap anese (troops remained ,of Un original garrison of 05,000. Leopold Refuses To Abdicate as King of Belgians SALZBURG, Auslrlia, June 19 (UP) King Leopold of the Bel gians today rejected clamorous demands that he abdicate and announced that he was reassum ing his full constitutional pre rogatives. "There is no question of his majesty adbdicating," said a statement authorized by Leopold and issued to the allied press by one of his aides Capt. Gatien Viscount Du Pare. The king has decided to return to Belgium and again take over the throne after five years in German hands and a few weeks as a guest of the American army since his liberation by the 106th cavaliy group of the 15th corps, U. S. seventh army. The announcement of Leopold's decision came three days after the Belgian government of Pre mier Achille von Acker resigned in protest against his return. (Brussels reported that social ist members of the Belgian cham ber adopted a resolution today reiterating the party's belief that Leopold should abdicate as the only means of averting "serious trouble.") "The king having decided ti; return to this country, the gov ernment has resigned," Leopold V statement said. "From this mo ment the king has reassumed ef fectively his full constitutional prerogatives." . Japanese Evacuate Island of Hainan NANKING, South China, June 1!) (UP) Japanese troops ha,-c begun to evacuate thj strategic island of Hainan off the coa.4' of )ndo-China in what, may become a general withdrawal, reliable sources said today. Enemy troop movements fcist week indicated that garrison forces from Hainan have been shifted to Kwangchowan. former French-lca.ced territory on the Luichow peninsula, directly north o' Hainan. Gen. Buckner Killed County Hits 70 Percent of Bond Quota War bond sales in Union county today passed 70 pel cent of the 7th war loan quota county well up among the of $964,000 and placed the leaders m the state. W. C. Perkins, county war fin ance committee chairman, an nounced sales to the close of business yesterday aggregated $1)83,360.50, of-which $516,800 rep resents E Bonds, and $76,876 sales to individuals of other than E bonds. He announced the daily aver age sales necessary to meet the quota before July 1 today stands at $8,349.44. : A cut rent report from the stale war finance committee in Port land shows Union county stands ninth among the counties of the stale in point of sales of E bonds, 14th in sales of other than E bonds to individuals, and 13th in sales to corporations.. . ..-.-,..,. A. K. Parker, manager of the La Grande branch of (he 'First National Bank of Portland, today reiterated a previous suggestion that savings depositors withdraw funds from their accounts and invest them in the war bonds. As an added incentive to such depositors, he announced that funds withdrawn between now and June 30 for the purchase of war bonds will draw interest tluough the end of June, the nor mal interest payment date. "It is the desire of the bank to do everything in its poer to as sist Oregon in maintaining its leadership in war bond buying," lie said. "We hope our depositors who have idle money in savings accounts will put that money to work for their country by buying war bonds in the cm rent drive." Noted Sheepman is Claimed By Death PORTLAND, June 19 (UP) Mac Hoke, 54, of Pendleton, na. tionally known sheepman and member of the Oregon board of higher education, died today in Portland. He had been ill for several weeks. Hoke, 54, was president of Cun ningham Sheep company of Pen dleton, Mud Springs Ranches, Northwest Livestock Production Credit association and Oregon I arm Bureau. He was a former president of the Eastern Oregon Wheat Lea gue, the Oregon Wool Growers association and a member of the regional Agricultural Credit cor poration. He also was a pres ent member of the Oregon state board of agriculture. He was county agent in Wallowa county. Oregon from 1917-20, and was secretary of the Oregon Wool Growers association from 1919 25. Guardsmen Qualify On Rifle Range Seven members of the 1 La Grande compiny of the Orefyn state guard qualified as sharp ihootiTS and three as marksmen when 19 members of the cooi pany paid their first visit to the rifle range Suiuiay. 0 cCapt. J. C. Gregory, company com mander, wcomr-anitd toe, guardsmen to Pendleton for tS : I initial shoot, which was llld On the rarrtn- of the Pendleton ,go,n Mill). O a: o Dala.fvT 24 hours ? m. Temperature: Maximum 91 Minimum 50 Forecast: Scattered cloudiness tonight and Weekday. LA GRANDE. WHEN THE YANKS FINISHED WITH NAHA A "Grasshopper" marine observation plane flies low over the ruins of Naha, capital of Okinawa, which was virtually leveled when the Yanks finished with it. The large structure i.i the foreground, left of center in the picture, is the administration building. 1 '. ' -1 Millions Turn Out In New York to Welcome "Ike" "'NEW YORK, June 19 (UP) Naw York save. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower the welcome of a conquering hero today. It was the greatest welcome the city ever had staged. Four mil lion persons the greatest crowd in New York history lined the streets from La Guardia airport to the Battery, exploding with cheers of "Hooray fur Ike" as the general s cavalcade made its way ulong express highways and through skyscraper canyons. A snow storm of ticker tape and. torn newspapers gave lower Broadway a paper blizzard through which Eisenhower rode with a smile. The pleas of officials and warn ings to save the paper for the war effort went by the board when the nation's hero appeared. From the moment his plane touched down from Washington at 10:10 a. m. the cheers of grateful citi zens rang in Eisenhower's ears. But nowhere did the enthusi asm reach such heights as in lower Broadway, the traditional welcoming spot for New York's heroes. The thirty, 40 . and 50 story buildings were black with hu manity. When the general ap peared buckets of ticker tape and shredded newspapers gushed out, floating in long festoons in the gentle breeze and sifting down to the street. New York's welcome to Eisen hower was an all day affair.- Af ter lunching with La Guardia, he will go to a ball game Braves versus the Giants and tonight there will be a state dinner. To morrow the general is going to West Point where he will addrer:.; the cadets and the following day will fly back to his old home town of Abilene, Kans., for an other welcome. Voter Registration In State Declines SALEM, Ore.. June w'tUH) County registration figures compiled by Secretary ut State Robert S. Fanoll show there ere 42.5(H) fewer reginercd vot er in Oregon tmloy than then were last fall jilst prior to the general electitn. j Total registrations td;iy stand I t Wl.36. compared to 602,01:1 1 lar-t (all. I The lje()ubiican lists show a loss of 19,071 frbtJi 302,805 lost iau io zoj,(.h wot loaayy The Democrats lost 20,482 reg istered voters, their list drop ping from a total of 284.816 last fall to 204,334 today. Today's registration totals in clude 2C72 independents, 360 So cialists, 478 Prohibitionists, an.l 8952 listed as "all others." earf Walltwt Csfitl OREGON TUESDAY EVENING, JUNE 1!), 1945 Truman Asks Legislation to Make Speaker of House First In line to Become President WASHINGTON, June 19 (UP) President Truman today asked congress lo pass legislation making the speaker of ihe house first in line for the presidency in case of death or disqualifiaction of the president and vice president. The recommendation, made in a message lo congress, would change the 69-year-old law under which Secretary of State Edward R. Stettinius, jr., would advance lo the presidency if President Tru man were lo die or leave office for some other reason. Delays Predicted Army Discharges On Point System WASHINGTON, June 19 (UP) Many service men eligible for discharge under the point sys tem cannot be released for an other year, the war department reported today. Maj. Gen. Stephen G. Henry, giving the house military affairs committee a report on the opera tion of the point system, said also that the army has no intention of lowering the 40-year age limit for automatic discharges. Henry said, however, that tak ing into consideration factors such as replacements and trans portation facilities, the program is running smoothly and that 100,000 will be released during June, and increasing numbers monthly thereafter. Men are being released to date on a score of 85 points, but a new "critical" score will be announc ed next month. Asked if there was a possibil ity that the new score would be as low as 70, Henry replied, "For the sake of good reasoning it won't drop to 70." Death Summons Valley Pioneer 'James II. Childers, 67, a na tive of Union county, who spent Ms entile life in eastern Oregon, died yesterday at his home m Cove after a long illness of a heart affliction. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Thomas Childers who Oime to this- section it& a wae,un train inithe 1860's. Their son wer. born in Summerville (November 5. IB, and spent his entire l'te as a farmer and stockman. SfJ is survive by his widow, ,yni L. Childers, a d;i(I):Mei', Mrs. Aldine (fir-ard of H and (yjo is, ARirvin Childers of Cove, and Avan B. Childers. a member of the United States army stationed in France. A half-sister, Florence Irwin, also survives. Funeral services will be con ducted at 2 p. m. Thursday, In Ihe SnodgrasK chapel. Burial will be in the Summi-rville cemetery. by Jap Shell The present statute, Mr Tru man told congress, gives him power "to nominate the person who would be my immediate successor in the event of my own death or inability to act." "I do not believe that in n de mocracy this power should rest with the chief executive," he said. Rayburn First in Line The change suggested by Mr. Truman would put Speaker Sam Rayburn, D., Tex., first in line for the presidency, with Sen. Kenneth Mc-Kcllar, D Tenn., president pro temore of the sen ale, second in line. The order of succession after that "might pass to members of the cabinet as now provided." The same would apply if there were neither a speaker or senate president qualified lo succeed." Mr. Truman said that "insofar as possible, the office of the pres ident should be filled by an elec tive officer. "There is no officer in our sys tem of government, besides the president and vice president," he added, "who has been elected by all the voters of the country." He said, however, that the speaker of the house is the offi cial in the federal government "whose selection next to that of the president and vice president can be most accurately said to stem from the people them selves." The speaker is elected to con gress by his own district and then is elected to be presiding officer of the house by the vole of all representatives. They, Mr. Truman's message pointed out, are representatives "of all: the. people of the country." Ffench Traitor Is Sentenced to Death o By United Press A broadcast dispatch of the French news agency said Mai eel Di, one of the most notorious of tli j French collaboijionists, was sentenced to death (ft) Paris today. Deal sent millions of French kers lo Germany. The re port of his sentencing was re corded by the FCC. Deat escaped to Geimany whi n France was liberated by the al lies and has not been heard from since. His death sentence was passed in absentia. FIVE CENTS Death Comes On Visit to 'Quiet' Front OKINAWA, June 19 (UP) Lt. Gen. Simon Holiviu-Bucknei-, jr., was buried with full military honors today only 20 miles from where the troops he commanded fought to final victory. Buckner, killed yesterday by a Japanese shell while he was up front, was laid to rest in the 7th infantry division cemetery. At 0 a.m. they lowered his body into the ground, alongside the other men who have died in this bloody campaign. A bugler sounded "taps" and the melan choly notes flouted across nearby Hagushi beach, where Buckner led his men ashore on Easter Sunday. Today those ir.on had victory at their fingertips. But Buckner, whose great wish was to walk "through the ashes of Tokyo," didn't live to se it. Their new commander is Maj. Gen. Roy S. G-siger of the murines, the man Buckner wanted to take over if anything happened to hiin. The general went to the front yesterday to watch the final stages of the battle he had pte dicted would be over in another four days. He was ut forward observation post of the eighth marine regiment. A murine combat photographer Staff Sgt. Martin Conn, West Long Beach, N. J. hud just tuken motion pictures of the gen eral and his puity. It had been a quiet morning hardly a Jap anese shot lirecl. Buckner, big and silver-haired, sat on a rock chatting. Then it happened. A Japanese shell came screaming in, and then another. The first bounced off a rock, splattering murderous splinters through the air. One of those a big one hit Buckner See GEN. BUCKNER . . . Page 5 Allies Gain New Ground in Borneo, Luzon Campaigns MANILA, June 19 (UP)--Aus-liiilian troops drove through the jungles of north Borneo today toward the great rubber center of Beaufort after a new, unopposed landing on the shores of Brunei Bay. The Austialiuns made their shore - lo - shore opt ration as American forces in northern Luzon continued their Cuguyun valley push unchecked by the Japanese. The new landing, in which Aim rican-manned buffaloes, am plbious tractors, cwiried tie Australians, was made at Wes ton, a small railhead on the east ern shore of Brunei Bay. Beau fort is 15 miles northeast of Wes ton. The buffalois moved upstream on Ihe Padas river, winch runs past Beaufort, ttutn lumbM ed ashore on the junglcd banks. Other troops worked 'hen way along the bomb-ruir.ed railroad from Weston lo Beaufort. Australian troops on the oppo sit shores of Biunei Buy took the oil refinery town of Tutong, but Mangrove swamps stopped them fiom advancing along the coast to the Seria and Miri oilfields. North Powder Man Wounded In Pacific Army casualty lists today carry the name of Pvt. Willium H. Bur nett of North Powder among thoiOwounded in the fighting in the Pacific area. His next of kin is given as his wife, Jeanne Burnett of Nor'h Powder, who was previously notified. Industrial Centers Not Previously Hit Showered GUAM, Wednesday, June 20 (UP) Three task forces of more than 4.10 (riant Superfortresses rained 3,000 tons of fire bombs on three new target cities on the Japanese homeland islands of Honshu and Kyushu today, raising to 20,5000 tons the weight of lxinibs heaped in Nippon in eight assaults thi month. The fleets each numbering more than 150 planes carry-' ing almost ten tons of bombs struck simultaneously at . 4 a.m. against the Honshu industrial centers of ToyohasKi and Shizuoku southwest of Tokyo, and Fukuoka on the. northwest coast of Kyusnu. The assault raised to 13 the number of Japanese cities bat tered and burned by the. Super forts In 25 great fire-bomb raids since March Bth raids which army Gen. Henry H. Arnold suid last week will utterly destroy japan's wur-making factories. Today's raiders, flying from llio gigantic airfields hero In the Marianas, struck at low level and presumably set ruging fires In the three dentoly-populuted war centers. The- three-pronged as sault put Muj. Gen. Curtis E. Lemay's bomber command with in striking distance of retling u new bomb tonnage for this month. The previous record was 24,000 tons in Muy. Shizuoka, city on the south coast of Honshu with a popula tion of 212,000, is about 95 miles southwest of Tokyo. It was struck by U Superforts on April '12 but today's was its first major attack. It was a big tea-producing center before the war but its factories since have been con verted to war purposes. Its in dustries include the! Sumitomo Light Metals company, railroad sh(ps, Iron, works, and power plants and is astiide a main railroad from Tokyo. Toybhushi, population 242,000 is 189 miles southwest of Tokyo on a main military road and is the site of armaments and explo sive factories. Its buildings are mostly of wooden construction good picking lor the B-29 incen diary bombs. Fukuoka, population 323,217, Is the capitul of the Kyushu mining and industrial prefecture of the same name. It is 4B0 miles southwest of Shizuoka" and fs the site of aircraft plants. Senate Supports Truman Stand on Reciprocal Tariff WASHINGTON, June 19 (UP) The senate gave President Tru man a major foreign policy vic tory by voting him authority to cut tariff rates SO per cent below Jan. 1 levies. The vote was 47 to 33. The vote came on a senate fin ance committee amendment to the bill to extend reciprocal trade agreement authority for three yurrs. The finance committee knock ed out the house-approved tariff cutting authority, The senate vole today overrode that decision Pussuge of the bill is expected tomorrow virtually unchanged from the house-approved version. The test came on restoring a section which would permit tar iff duties to be cut 50 per cent below the present 'floor." The section was eliminated by the Semite finance committee. The original reciprocal trade act of 1934 authorized cuts 50 per cent below the record high rates of the Smool-Hawley tariff bill. President Leaves For Coast Visit WASHINGTON, June 19 (UP) President Truman left today on a non-stop flight to the Pacific coast the first time a president ever has made an airplane trip in this country. He is due to land about 4 pi in. at McChord field', Washington. Mr. Truman's first destination was Olympic, Wash., some 2,451) miles away. There he will be the guest of Gov. Mon Wallgreen, an old friend of senate days. After a few days' relaxation there, the president will go to San Francisco to address the closing session of the United Na tions conference. Shortly utter that he plans to visit his home town of Independence, Mo., and Kansas City. o Huge Nazi Loot Is Recovered By Yanks o PARIS, June 19 (UP) Troops of the U. S. Third army have found In Kegensburg bank vaults a nazi hoard of gold, silver, jew elry and securities valued ten tatively at more than $5,000,000, 000, it was announced today. O The treasuro was believed lo represent the main national wealth of Austria and of Bavaria, looted by the nuzis in a system atic cumpulgn. With Brother Testifies For Defense In Trial of Bowman " The state's case was complet-. ed In the trial of Albert Forrest Bowman on an Indictment charg ing the murder of his father at' Iheir North Powder ranch laiV April 22, and the1 defense pr' pared today to cull a large grout of character witnesses as the mulnstuy of the effort to clear the young man of the slaying charge. .- ' ' As the prosecution neared the conclusion of its testimony, the' court permitted introduction of a defense witness out of turn be cause of necessity for his return to duty with the armed forces. The witness was Lt. Eugene' Bowman, brother of the accused man and son of the victim, who is a naval instructor at Nptre Dame university. ' u Father's Threats Told He testified that his father drank a great deal and was at' times violent toward members of the family, threatening theni with bodily hurm. It was his testimony that his brother is peaceful and industri ous and bears a good reputation' in the community. He also said his brother consented to remaitV and fare for the farm while oth ers of ' the family were in th' service. " Ranch Hands Testify Final witnesses called by C. R. Eberhard, district attorney pro fern-; and ' Deputy Geoi-gv.-Coch-" ten, included Earl Stigaullde, James Tutt, Vess Dodson and Harry Van Wey, ranch hands, the latter of whom testified that he once saw young Bowman kick his father out of a blacksmith shop on the runch and another time saw the son on top of his father choking him. Annetta Johnson, court reporter, also was called to testify concerning ins taking of Bowman's statement in the office of tile district attorney. Dofense attorneys Honry Hess and S. H. Burleigh Indicated that Forest Ranger Kenworthy and others with whom young Bow mun has worked during periods when work at the ranch was not heavy will be culled as character witnesses. Polish General Admits Plans to Battle Russians - MOSCOW, June 19 (UP) Gen. Leopold Okulicki, commander of the Polish home army, testified today that he hud orders to fight anybody who infringed on the independence of Polund, includ ing the Red nrmy. Okulicki testified ut the trial before a Soviet military tribual of himself and 15 other Polish underground leaders accused of diversionist activity against the Hussions behind their own lines. He received orders from Lon don date Dec. 8, 1944 to fight any poachers on Polish independence. Pressed whether that also meant the Red army, he replied "yes." Okulicki, however, denied he had any knowledge of or directed terroristic activity. Tho Soviet prosecutor said an order calling for sucli operations had reached the underground, but Okulicki suid lie knew nothing of it. He uclded that the "invaders were t be liquidated in the future." Berry is Reelected To School Board Claude Berry, incumbent mem ber of the La Grande disjrict school board, yesterday was re. elected to the post for a five year term by an affirmative vote of 39. The vole was 27 at Central school and 12 at Greenwood. No opposition was given Berry on the ballot. U. S. TRAITOR NABBED ' LONDON, June 19 (UP) The army newspaper Stars and Stripes reported today that Ed ward Leo Delaney, American traitor who broadcast nazi pro paganda during the war, was captured In a Prague hotel May 20.