La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959, July 14, 1945, Image 1

Historic Oregon Newspapers

La Grande evening observer., July 14, 1945, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextA Community Newspaper For Every Member of the Family iimuiiieiUHHiuimii ESTABLISHED 1896 LA GRANDE, OREGON SATURDAY EVENING, JULY II, 19-15 9 7 - ri .irm wit !w . u fj I I v; 1 .... Pis ' X T.'. 1 1 It f avLI If I I , f FAST THINKING SAVES CRACK TRAIN Split-second lhinking by Eugene Caudell, 11, and Bobby Rolen. 13, (right) of Prince George county, Md., was credited by Baltimore & Ohio railroad officials with saving the crack Ambassador from possible catas trophe. During afternoon storm, the boys saw lightning strike a giant tree, felling it across the tracks. Knowing the Ambassador was due to pass any minute, they ran to near-by house and noti fied local station, which bad train flagged down. Had message arrived 90 seconds later, the train might have crashed into the tree. Boys are shown sitting on part of tree. Yank Battleships Attack Japanese Home Islands Nine Steam Close To Honshu to Shell City By WILLIAM F. TYREE GUAM, July 14 (UP) Ameri ban cattlcships, attacking under cover of a 1,000-plane carrier strike on Japan's Jiorthcrn is lands, set the Honshu steel port ol Hamaishi aflame from end to end under a merciless two-hour bombardment today in history's big naval blow at the Japanese homeland. Led by three or more of the most modern and hardest-hilling dreadnaughts in the Pacific Heel, a flotilla of at least nine Amer ican warships steamed within tiun mlles'nf the .T.mnnesc' shores at noon today to unlimbcr their giant guns on Kamaishi, 275 miles north of Tokyo. many sneiis. j uncnanengea oy me ciusr.c Japanese fleet and air force, the surface raiders sent salvo after salvo of five, eight and 10-inch shells' crashing down into the ' city's sprawling steel mills and dock yards. i When they wheeled back lo sea 120 minutes later, the entire names, tr.o nuge namuism sieei mm was acmoiisnea anu me un joining coke ovens were burning furiously from the cannonadig. The hattle-hiinerv vank fleet apparently oroKC raaio snencc 10 fiash wod tf the successful bom bardment back to licet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz' headquarters cm Guam, in a blunt challenge. First reports from the seer.-.' in dicated the enemy had discreetly !i,nnv,.r! Ih ,. I, , 1 1 , , II was me navy s grclalesl ami ino:it spectacular strike at Japan since the war began and it shat tered forever the myth of impreg nability the Japanese had woven about their home islands. Still Going On Meanwhile, the're were signs Ihe fleet's massive carrier blow against northern Honshu and southern Hokkaido, almost 2!I0 miles north of Kamaishi, might Still be going on this afternoon, 12 hours afler the attack opened til dawn. ; First official reports identified only the big Hokkaido port ol .Hakodate among the American ; air targets. The city was left Jblazing furiously. '1; But Tokyo said the American Jiavy fliers ranged as much as ,800 miles north and northeast of Hakodate to pound the railway and coastal cities of Muroran, Obihiro and Kushiro. .The Japanese said Admiral William F. Halseys attacking third fleet was accompanied by oil tankers, suggesting it might continue ihe coastal assault for "two or three weeks." Tokyo also said a small num ber of Superfortresses partici pated in the carrier strike, al though the extreme north por tion of Honshu previously had been considencd beyond their ef fective range'. Fragmentary reports flashed . J',mu Hlscy's might third fleet off the Japanese coast said there was no initial opposition from eea or air. ' SJD A-1 2 PBpoftaft) SALEM, July 14 (UP) The navy V-12 training program at Willamette university will come to an end at the close of the cur rent semester in October, uni versity president Dr. G. Harbert Smith was informed. Big Two Arrive Names Not Revealed; All But Truman BERLIN, July 14 (UP) The first important personages for the Bin Three meeting arrived today at two secret areas a few miles from Berlin. . The greatest secrecy sur rounded the arrivals. The areas in which the personages ar rived could not be revealed or the names of those who came in. The mseiing was beiig sur rounded by the most compre hensive security precautions imaginable. (President Truman is on the high seas, which leaves only the head of the British govern ment and the head of the Rus sian government to be identi fied in the--Berlin dispatch. Guess who.) Sino-Russian Talks Dropped Bv HAROLD GUARD LONDON, July 14 (UP) Rus-so-Chmese conversations loday were suspended temporarily due to the imminent big three meet ings but indications increased P.usssia and China have mad? real progress in clearing up many issues. An official eiiniiuulii(iie issued in Moscow said the conference will resume in the "neatest fu ture," presumably at the conclu sion of the big three session at Potsdam. Chinese Foreign Minister T. V. Swing was returning to Chung king where he will consult with Gen. Chiang Kai-shek on pro griss achieved in his series of talks with Gen. Josef Stalin and Foreign Commissar V. M. Molo lov. There was no hint as to wheth er Snong and Stalin had discussed tiie possibility of Russia's entry inlo the farcastern war but the official communique was couched in warm ianguage. The consul tations were the most extensive which have taken place between the Russians and Chincre in re cent years. The sessions were brought lo a close with a Kremlin banquet tendered by Stalin for Soong. Last Heavy Bomber Home From England BRADLEY FIELD, Conn., July 14 (UP) The last heavy bom ber to leave the United Kingdom under the AAF redeployment program has arrived at Bradley field, officials at the first ai; force base announced today. The plane, a B-24 named "El Fubar", arrived yclerday piloted by first Lt. Dean Gordon Wil liams. 24, son of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie A. Williams, San Burno, Calif. Williams, who lived in Omaha until he went into service in 194.1, flew 33 missions in the European theater of opeiations including 1 over Germany and one over Franco. Weather DatforiJ4 hours to 7 a. fot. Tetoprtuore) 0 Mximv il4jj f$nimusy if0 Precipitation ir$s ((flagon: Partly cloudy g)th scatteiQ thunder showers over D3JSt ' Cascades tonight. Clearing Sunday; somewhat cool er southQst portion Sunday. Tillamook Fires Out Of Hand PORTLAND, July 14 (UP) Ail lilioiH'l sokiejs from Port land army airbasc today were rushed to Tillamook county fires which flared beyond control late yesterday- on the Wilson and Sal monberry rivers. C. C. Scott, manager of the Oregon Fircst Fire association, said high winds sweeping from the coast carried flames over 600 additional acres in new scrub and underbrush. No green timber was reached. Roroule Buses Along the Wilson river, flames swept cast and up toward Coch ran, and state police reported the Wilson river highway east of Glenwood and west of Tillamook is closed because of the McNama bridge 20 miles from Tillamook has burned. Coast-going buses were re- outed through Hobo. Scott expected the Salmonber ly river fire to be under control today unless wind velocity in creases. However, because of :ugged terrain about Wilson river, he predicted no time when the fire will be reined. Lightning Fires Humidity in the area was 30 percent Friday not unusually low, but low enough to halt log ging operations, the weather bu reau reported. Today, the hum idity was expected to increase 10 to 20 percent, lessening fire hazards. Cooler weather is fore cast. .: In Oregon and Washington na tional forests,' the United States regional forest fire control office reported 02 lightning fires, but none of consequence. All were in eastern Oregon. Three are in Deschutes forest, one in Fre mont, 12 in Malheur, one in Mt. Hood, seven in Ochoco, three in Umatilla, 10 in Umpqua. one in Whitman and 20 in Willamette, with four along the Rogue river. SAWDUST NEAR MILL BREAKS INTO FLAMES The 30-acrc sawdust fire which has been smoldering for the past month near the Bowman-Hicks mill, burst inlo flame again yes terday, necessitating additional fire-control efforts by slate fores ters, L. M. Compton, district warden, anounced loday. The fire, the cause of which is not known, is now under con trol, but owing to the difficulty of putting out sawdust fires, has not yet been extinguished. The state forestry department lias occn "donating its services in controlling Ihe blaze, since j men- aciuai cJuuos lie in protect ing the forests. German Prisoner Of W ar Escapes SAN FRAN CISCO, July 14 (UP) George Gerst, German prisoner of war, escaped last night from camp Kohler, near Sacramento, the federal bureau of investigation announced today. The FBI said Gerst speaks fair ly good English and was wearing a prisoner of war uniform. He is 23, six feet tall, with brown hair and eyes and a pronounced adam's apple. He wears horned rimmed glasses. Hope For Legless, Armless Veteran Accident Victim Relates Experiences By RUTH RUDESILL MiNivr.Ar'UL.ls, July 14 (UP) worse condition than I ve ever Albert Wcnger would like to j been." sit down and have a talk with "Tell Hensel also that life Sgt. Frederic Hensel, the only I hasn't changed much since I got Americin soldier to lose his arms my new legs and arms, except and legs in this war. i thai I'd be jn the navy now if "I would like to tell him 1 i this hadn't happened." keep smiling," Wengrr said. Loaf Legs And Wenger knows. He lost ! Hensel, a patient at Perry pcrts of both his arms and lecslJor.es convalescent hospital, eight years ago, when he was 17. ' Battle Creek, Mich., is the fnt He's grit a job, he supports him- self, and he has a hit of fun. Vender hsts artificial arms and left;, fie can hunt, fish, play poll, drive" a rr and Cvitn do a KtlleD jitS8rbug,intf KM. i.Ml Pane) :J He lo his (VJnbs When (7) ThejO'Qre frozen whenh) was on his way hoe from a uance "Fo.Oj whikO, thought it wa:( mv ifSVt dance, but it wasn't." "I in not handicapped,' Wenger Mill? M PHI i IS MOST WELCOME SIGHT SINGE crowding the decks of the Queen welcoming boat. More Meat, Butter for Civilians Troops Marching Here Reminiscent Of Cadet Days The troops of soldiers march ing through La Grande yesterday were reminiscent of the days when the cadels trained in La Grande, the difference boing.thjM troops yesterday were only exci cising while their train stopped here, and that they counted in that inimitable manner of "hup, two, three, four," while more La Grandcrs remember the cadets marching down the hill in the early dawn singing "Rocky Is the Meanest Man in Town." It reminded local citizens of the times when newly arrived companies of cadets would go on shopping tours, a detachment marching down Adams avenue to draw up smartly before a busi ness firm, stand at attention a moment, di'band temporarily to make their purchases before falling in to march to the next store. Men yesterday, too, had the easy stride of seasoned fighting men, rather than the snappy, tense movement of the trainees eager lo please their sergeant and avoid his noisy disapproval in public. ''(Tt'VtZCT Orders Pooled in County Orders for 20 percent super phosphate fertilizer are now be ing pooled through the AAA ex tension service in Union county, R. W. Schaad, county agent, an nounced today. The AAA provides for a prac tice payemenl for the application of this fertilizer, which is . used especially for legume seed pro duction, pasture; crops, and tnirk crops. One 40-lon carload is expected lo arrive this month, and one in September. Orders should he placed at once in order thai Ihe material may be applied this fall. I said today. "Ive seen men in 1 quadruple amputee of the war Both leg above the knees and his (e)t arm alXive the elbow blown off when ho i'trppci on a land mine itr) Okinawa June 2. Arircyi cf't'.)ji tfea ko navo his ngiit) hanii) mt) it, too, (bad In be i WputaJe Wer.gdr works W the (Mlrpc-1 pons 7rtificiUJ LHfnb company 15c earns $65 a week. All of Ins .fi).ow employes havtJ lost at 1 l ast one limhc--, CD THEY LEFT Fifteen thousand Mary, give ihu nderous cheers to WASHINGTON, July II (UP) A little more meat, a little more butter and a few extra red points to buy them with soon are virtually as sured the American people to day. Two actions by the new sec retary of agriculture Clinton P. Anderson ure responsible. Yes terday he: 1. Announced a new cut In. the amount .of beef , and lamb .puck ers' are required to set aside for the armed forces. The set-aside for beef was cut from 30 to 25 percent, for lamb from 15 lo 10 percent. Better Plan 2. Formally authorised non fcderaly inspected slaughterers to kill animals fur lolvlpmcnt across slate lines. This order, ef fective July 16, is expected to provide fairer Distribution of what meat is available for civil ians, relieving some of the most acute shortages. Together the new moves are expected lo give civilians the full amount of meat provided in allocations for July, Augusl and September enough lo al low them to eal meat at an an nual rate of 115 pounds a person. More Butler As lo butler the prospect lip. poured last night it's ration cist might be cut from 24 lo 1(1 points a pound in August because ol surpluses in some areas and a drop in civilian purchajv's. Kugene W. Brokenbrougli, chief of the office of price ad ministration fats and oils branch, told the United Press that OI'A was studying a recommendation for an fight-point cut in bullet ration values. He refused to elaborate but other government quarters have reported a cut in prospect. SHAEF Goes Out Of Existence FRANKFURT, July 14 (!!!') SHAKF, the gieatest military coalition in history, went out of existence at midnight last night exactly 17 months afler it was organized lo defeat the wehr miicht. British and French staffs have now departed from i. G. Farben industrie buildings at Frankfurt and Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower has automatically ceased to be supreme commander and is now simply chief of the American occupation forces in Germany. Only a liquidation commission representing America, Britain, and France, remained to handle numerous complex problems in volving all three nations. Gen. Eisenhower awarded the legion of merit and brome star decorations to 140 British officen and 11 enlisted men. Deputy su preme commander air chief mar hal Sir Arthur Tedder recipro cated with British awards for IW Anient up officei-s, , o 0 WO TtmiSDtCTtON SALTfy, Juiy.,14 (UP) Persons, nerving ail sentences of 180 daft; do not come under tle) authority of the state board of parole, and probation, Attorney General ijeorge Neuncr ruled today, r, O f i i "(I 1 veterans of European war, Red Cross workers waving from Three Lectures Close Police, FBI School Three lecturers, Spcciul Agent K. D. Deaderick, Special Agent Max E. Taylor, and Frank Schiro, publisher of the Observer, yes IcJday concluclcdclasscs at .the last session of La Grande's five day FBI police school. Agent Deaderick opened the session, lecturing on the search ing of persons and places with an actual problem adapted to the La Grande police department. Agent Taylur concluded his series of lectures and demonstra tions of defense tactics, and Schiro discussed police-press co opclatinn in his lecture on public relations. A wide variety of subjects has been presented al the school dur ing the past week, including, be sides above, police courtesy, tele phone courtesy, Oregon laws of arrest, interviews, report writing, lingerprint and palm-print im pressions, testifying, and raids. Improvements in Courthouse Will Start Shortly Remodeling and improvement of the county courlhou: -' will he started as soon as specifications are reeeivid and bids are submit ted, it was announced today. The main improvement will lr the building of a larger fire-proof and burglar-pioof vault in the basement directly lit low the pres ent recorder's office. A new stairway will be built from the lnsl-floor vault to the basement vault, with the ..lairway being u.'.cd for stacks. . Cliangi s will also he made in the locations of ollices, it was an nouneul. A dooiway will be made between the county record er's office and the present county supc rint: tulcnt of schools' office, which will be converted into the county clerk's office. The county superintendent of schools will the n move to Ihe present location of the county clerk's office on the second, floor. Chennault Resigns Air Force Post CHUNGKING, July 14 (UP) Lt Gi n. Claire L. Chennault re. signed as commander of the U. S. 14th air force today and his res- iirriMmn usm !irrritili,rl V... t ;,.. Albert C. Wtdcmtyer, com mander of all American forevs in China. C'binnaull announced his decision to retire from the army hut did not specify any reason. The reason for I'hciinaiiJt'e ics ignation was officially dcx.'iilied b,y the 14th air force a "rtjtiro meiit." An official statement was indicated lo tic forthcfniinf. Fif-t'y-five year-old Tcxiu - born Chennault, has. had u stormy ca reer ever sir.e(jle first formed the world famous "Flying Timers" in thV summer KljMl. Union, Ladd Canyon Hot Lake Included i Preptii'ation imd circulation of a petition for the forma tion .of a soil conservation district in the Hot Lake, Ladd canyon, and Union district, was decided upon last night at a nieetinjr of farmers and soil conservation specialists at Truman Heads For Antwerp; To Fly From Brussels Watches Meeting Of American British Ships By MERR1MAN SMITH ABOARD USS AUGUSTA WITH PRESIDENT TRUMAN, July 14 (UP) President Truman headed up the misty English chunncl today. His ship was chaperoned by seven British warships leading the way toward Antwerp, where the president and .his staff will dock, enrouto to the big three mooting at Pots dam, Germany. From Antwerp the president and his advisers will take a three-hour motor trip to Brus sels, whero they will board a plane for the Potsdam parley. Rendeivous This veteran warship and the accompanying light cruiser Phil adelphia rendezvoused early to day with the British cruiser Birmingham and six destroyers, the flotilla detailed to escort the president's two-ship task force to Antwerp. The chief executive ate break fast at 7 a. m. so he could be on deck to watch the meeting of Americun and British warships. Out of Ihe early morning mists at the southern end of tho chan nel, the British vessels sidled up lo the Augusta and Philadelphia. The destroyers gracefully fanned cut ahead of the president's ship, then fell into line, three on each side of Ihe havy cruisor. Watcher ' The Birmingham ran down through the formation, passing close off the Augusta's port side. The British crew, which was at quarters, snapped lo salute and the Birmingham's band struck up "The Star Spangled Banner." The president, wearing his tweed cap and u fur-lined heuvy weather coal, watched the man euver from a 40-millimoter anti aircraft gun mount. He watched the destroyers through binocu lars. Truman goes lo the Potsdam conference armed with evidence that the United Stales intends to cooperate In peaceful settlement of rutin,! disputes. British Attack Jap Installations LONDON, July H (UP) Jap anese radar installations in Ihe Nicobara islands lay in asl.es lo day and many ships caught in the haibors were damaged heavily by ships and carrier aircraft of the British F.asl Indies fleet which bombarded the islands. A special southeast Asia com mand communique said British warships and carrier-baied planes also hammered Japanese shore balleries, while the planes roared on to attack airfields in north west Sumatra. The British force, under com mand of Hour Admiral W. R. Pat terson, included the sixth mino sweeping flotilla, the aircraft carrurs 11Mb Ameer and Mil neror. and the destroyer IIMS i Roebuck. Planes attacking the islands were met by heavy anti-aircraft fire air-sea rescue wnlrub air craft were forced lo fly close inshore lo pick up pilots who had In i n shot down. Japanese mach ine gunnels failed to keep the rescuers away. Seed Certification Here Proceeding K. K. Jackinan, extension crops specialist from Oregon Stale col lege, was in La Grande lst night (.Misting (uuly Agent R. W- Schaail with seed certification tid crop indention work lust niglil. n Thf ppnixiiotc number of acres Expected (his year for cer(t) tlfication arc: ,n)la escuc. 155, illahec fescue, fJ2; creeping red fescue, 530, bent grasses, 80; al falfa, 50; and wheat, 25. llol Uike. The pctilion, it was announced, will be presented to the state hoard of soil conservation, which In turn will decide whether or not the district is desired, and will set a date for a hearing be fore final decision. ' -a Tho purpose of forming a soil conservation district in this area is to aid drainage and genera). land reclamation, including weed' control. Arthur King, extension special ist in soils from Oregon State college; Sam Sloan, supervisor of soil conservation work in Oro- aon: and Leo Anderson, of tho soil conservation service In Ore- gon, were present. , Also present wera members of the original committee, - which has been working for two yearn on tho project:' Gilbert Court- rtght, Charles Grandy, J. C. Bed dingfield, T. W, Bates, all. of touto 2, La Grande, and Royal Allen, Cove. ;.-. ' - . ' - Mitscher, McCain To Shore Duty; i Some Promoted Led Task Forces Against Japan -For Months Z WASHJNGTON, July 14 (UP) Commanders of the navy's two famed carrier task forces that took .tho. war. to Japan's home land are coming ashore. Secrotary of Navy James For rcstal announced today Vice Ad mirals Marc A. Mitscher and John S, McCain, who led the first and second fast carrier task for ces in tho Pacific, will be given new assignments. Deputy Chief , Mitscher will become deputy chief of naval operations for air. No new assignment for McCain was announced. Forrcstal dc-i dined to comment on report McCain would be named to a post In the veterans administra tion under Gen. Omar Bradley,' new veterans administrator. i The two forces under Mitschet and McCain have spearheaded the rapid progress of the Pacific war thousands of miles to the very shores of the Japanese homeland. Mitscher's force form erly was known as task fores 58, McCain is leading the force now raiding Japan. ' '. Moves Up i Rear Adin. Frederick C. Sher man will move up from com mand of a carrier division In the Pacific to take over Mitscher's place as commander of tho first carrier task force. Vice Adm. John H. Towers, now deputy commander in chief of the Pacific fleet, will take over McCain's second carrier task force. Final Phases ForrestiU announced the new force commanders in a list of 29 changes of duty for navy flag of ficers. He said the shifts are bo Ing made largely so officers witfi combat experience could come ashore lo plan and direct the final phases of the intensified sea war against Japan. w As deputy chief of naval opep alions for air, Mitscher relieves Vice Adm. Aubrey W. Fitch, who will become superintendent pf the U. S. naval academy. , Stockman Praises President Truman ',: PENDLETON, July 14 (UP) Rep. Lowell Stockman, republi can of the second Oregun district, vacationing in Pendleton with his wife for a couple of montVis before returning to Washington, said today he had "nothing but high praise for President Tru man." 'Z "The president is doing a won derful job and shows excellent Judgment In selecting men. Stockman said. "He shows gqod common sense and hus the homo spun Missouri philosophy which Ll learned long ago to appreciate, rnaving heurd it from my father a native of the Ozark state."., . Stockmnn also endorsed Sec rotary of Agriculture Clinton I Anderson, stating he had tho whole-hearted acclaim of both parties.