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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.