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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 8, 1945)
0 ESTABLISHED 1896 Board Would Allow Year 'Round Water Sport Further suggestions for the development of a swimming pool in La Grande emanated from the regular meeting last night of the La Grande school board. Alter consideration of all sug gestions in regard to the swim ming pool, the board passed the following resolution, according to Fred Patton, , superintendent of the board: Be it resolved that it is the opinion of the La Grande board of education that: When the, first public spon sored swimming pool is con structed it should be construc ted on the high school grounds in La Grande; and that it should be a class A covered pool that can be used 12 months each year. It should be available to and a part of the compulsory physical edu cation work of the high school and hours arranged for the use . of the pool, for all citizens of the community evenings and week-ends and full time during summer. Further. . The board stands ready to cooperate with any responsible agency to assist in financing and maintaining such a service to the community if the pool is provided . on. a basis as herein . outlined. Truman to Make Report to Nation Thursday Night WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (UP) President Truman will report to the nation on the big three Ber lin conference at 7 p.m. Thursday (pwt). The White House said the address will be broadcast on all networks. Presidential Secretary Charles G. Ross said Truman will make a 30-minute address, in which he will go into greater detail about the historic Potsdam parley than was related in last week's offi cial communique on the meeting. Ross said the president will' "mention" the new atomic bomb. One of Truman's first appoint ments today his first day in the White House since his return from Europe was with Secre tary of War Henry L. Stimson. Ross said they discussed the fear some new bomb. The president's first press con ference following the Berlin meeting will be held early next week, probably Monday or Tues day, Ross said. "He felt he ought to report to the people as a whole first," the press secretary explained. Walter J. Green, 64, Stockman, Dies Walter John Green, 64-year-old farmer and stockman of Un ion, died at his home Tuesday of a heart attack. Funerl arrangements are pend ing until a son in the army is notified. Green was born Oct. 14, 1880 in Lamar, Mo., and had lived in L'nion for 31 years. Survivors include his wife, Hazel,, two children, Willa Kath ryn Johanson of Union, and Wen dell W. in the U. S. air corps, one brother, Will, and a sister, Mrs. E. H. Miles of Union, as well as other relatives. Postal Receipts Increase in July Postal receipts for July, 1945, have shown an increase over those of July, 1944, Postmaster Victor Ecklt-y announced today. Total receipts for last month were $5,552.62, compared with $5,482 35 for July of last year. Other figures are: money or ders paid, $27,791.85; money or ders issued, $31,659.48; postal savings on deposit in 942 ac counts, July 31, $856,890, com pared to $839,469 June 30. LA Favors "My God' GUAM, Aug. 8 (UP) Here are the eye-witness stories of the men who dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan: Col. Paul W. Tibbets, jr., 36, of Miami, pilot of the Superfortress Enola Gay. "We selected Hiroshima as the target when we made the land falL There ws no opposition. Conditions were clear and we dropped the bomb visually at 0:15 a. m. Only Three "Only Captain Parsons, bom bardier Major Thomas W. Fere bee of Mocksville, N. C, and my self knew what dropped. Others only knew it was a special mis sion. "We knew immediately we had to get the hell out of there and made a sharp turn in less than 30 seconds to get broad side to the target. 'Then it was hard to believe Gale Mills, 23, Cove Dies After 24 Hour Illness COVE, Aug. 8 (Special) Gale Mills, 23, veteran of World War 2, died at the home of his sister at Sunnyside, Wash., according to word received here early today. He had been ill less'than 24 hours and was thought to have had in fantile paralysis. A native of Cove, he attended high school here and then went to Whitman college at Walla Wal la. He had had a medical dis charge from the army. Since leaving the army he had been working for his brother-in-law, Lloyd Amundson at Sunnyside. His parents were notified early today GhIc was sick, and a few minutes later received another telegram saying he was partly paralyzed. In just a few minutes more they were called by tele phone and informed Gale had ex pired. 1 Besides his sister, he leaves his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Mills; and two brothers, Gordon, now overseas, and Allen of Redmond. He is a member of the Episcopal church here. Army Still Plans For Invasion Or Occupation WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (UP) The U. S. army still plans to land on the shores of Japan either with occupational troops or with full scale invasion forces, depending on what the atomic bomb does to the Japanese will and power to go on fighting. For the army to plan any other way, high officials believed to day, would be to take unjusti fiable risks. For that reason, the war de partment has no intention des pite scattered congressional criti cism to cut the army below the 7,000,000 men and women which it has felt all along arc essential to conquest of Japan. Forty-eight hours after the his toric announcements proclaiming the dawn of the atomic age, offi cials felt soberly constrained to point out the new era has yjt to reach its zenith. The new bomb certainly should shorten the Jap anese war, they feel, but the only way it can end the conflict ab ruptly is for the Japanese them selves to decide to quit. This, some observers believetl, they will be given a second chinos to do before the full fury of at omic bomb assault is unleashed. Certainly the army is ready with plenty of the new bombs. Understandably, officials felt, many persons may have jumped to the conclusion the atomic bomb will make it possible for the army to cut its size drastical ly. But the war department, which does not and cannot af ford to believe in easy ways to victory, emphatically does not in tend to sit back now. , ; ' GRANDE, OREGON WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST Swimming Pool at Schoo Bomb Witnesses' Only what we saw, .' "Below us, rising rapidly, was a tremendous black cloud, nothing was visible where only minutes before the outline of the city with its streets and buildings and waterfront piers were clearly apparent. "It happened so fast we could n't see anything and could only ftel the heat from the flash and the concussion from the blast. Warning "There were a couple of'sharp slaps against the airplane. It felt like close bursts of flak. I yelled a warning to the crewmen, but we are all okay." Capt. William Parsons, U. S. N., of Santa Fe, N. M., one of the designers of the bomb, who went along as "weaponeer repairer" to see that the bomb worked: : "The bomb resting in the bomb bay looked like the final test one we exploded less than a month Atom Bomb Blast Kills 100,000 GUAM, Aug. 8 (UP) To kyo conceded today most of Hiroshima had been destroyed by a single American bomb blistered corpses "too numer- uua vj uuuiib . -"The Impact; of the bomb "Was so terrific practically all living things, human and animal, were literally seared to death by the tremendous heat and pressure," one Tokyo broadcast said. Mo Trace American reconnaissance pho tographs confirmed four and one tenth square miles 60 percent of the built-up area of Hiro shima had vanished almost with out trace. Unofficial American sources estimated Japanese dead and wounded might exceed 100, 000. Scores of smaller factories, of fice buildings and dwellings were known to have been levelled. Only a few skeletons of concrete buildings remained. Additional damage outside the totally-destroyed section still was being assessed. Radio Tokyo, breaking its si lence of more than 60 hours after the raid, said the "indescribable destructive power" of the bomb had crushed big buildings and small dwellings alike. Inhabitants were killed by blast, fire and crumbling build ings, Tokyo said. Most bodies were so badly battered it was impossible to distinguish between men and women. Strangely, the photo graphs showed no crater. However, To kyo had reported the bomb was dropped by parachute and ex ploded in the air. It was likely the entire force n the blast was directed horizontally. Few Escaped Although the built-up area of Hiroshima came to 6x9 square miles, the city as a whole totalled 12 square miles with a population of 318,000 an average of 26,500 persons per square mile. Few, if any, of the more than 100,000 persons in the totally devastated four square miles were believed to have escaped. The blast alone of the atomic bomb could kill persons within a four-mile range, and it was likely there were many casual tics outside the utterly-destroyed section. Major Bong, SUPERIOR, Wis., Aug. 8 (UP) The greatest air ace this coun try ever had come home today to stay. An army transport plane brought the body of Maj. Rich ard I. Bong in a flag-draped cas ket back to the shores of sky-blue Lake Superior where he roamed the woods as a boy. Bong, 24. be came the nation's top flying aco by shooting down 40 Jap planes. He was killed Monday in the crash of a Jet plane he was test ing in California. A silent crowd watched the big Crtt ago July 10 in a remote corner of the Alamogordo, N. M., bomb ing range. "I have a very personal inter est in the mission. We know when we started that success could only be measured in the first battle delivery on Japan. Shorten War "We knew it was worth a lot in terms of shortening the war. When the bomb fell away, we began to put as much distance between us and the ball of fire which we knew was coming, as quickly as possible. "There was a terrific flash of , light even In the daytime. Vis ual shock was apparent from severe) miles. "That was the first indica tion I had that the bomb work ' ed. Each man said a 'My Godl' "What had been Hiroshima, was going up in a mountain of smoke. ' ' . Pink Silk Panties May be Nice . . . But Not as Substitute for Men's Shorts SJ. By FREDERICK'C. OTHMAN WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (UP) I don't care what the senator says, gents, waste no money on ladies' pink pants; they're no substitute for snorts. You can't keep the durn things up. They've got lace on 'em. I know what I am talking about. I walked into the lingerie de partment with eyes straight ahead while the ladies gawked, I bought a pair of pants, tea-rose color, for $6.95. I beat it at once to the men s suit department on the floor below and tried on my newti pants. In Trash Can Then I tossed 'cm in the trash can. Emergency or no, I do not recommend ladies' pants for men. I walked down F street and looked into the stores, but it took me the whole two weeks to build up my courage. I finally made it. "I want a pair of pants." I told the lady behind the counter. "What size does she wear?" the lady asked. I broke down and told her I was the fellow who needed the panls. She didn't think I'd like ladies' panls, but if I insisted . . . I did insist. She had some knit led pants, wjith elastic around the middle and the bottom of the legs, too, but none big enough for me. Maybe I would like a one piece garment, she said. No. Not Really What, I wondered, is the trick business at the top of it? "The built-in brassiere," the clerk said. "Very practical." But not, I pointed out, for me. She produced what she called a pair of dance pants, size large, and leached across the counter to see if same would stretch around my middle. She didn't have to wait long; I plunked down my $6.95 and got out of there with my new pants. I borrowed a dressing room in the men's suit department and tried 'em on and we won't go into what I saw in the mirror. RECEIVES HARRIMAN LONDON, Aug. 8 (UP) Mos cow radio said tonight General issimo Stalin received W. Avcrell Harriman, U. S. ambassador. Greatest U. S. transport glide onto the runway at the airport. There were mili tary dignitaries from Washington, young men who went to school with the war hero, and the plain folks from nearby Poplar when! Bong grew up on a farm. His Father There waa Carl T. Bong, th major's father, who taught him how to shoot a rifle. There was Mrs. Glen Bryco, the flier's grand mother, whose cookie jar he raided regularly before he went away to war. His brother Carl, 17, was wait 8, 1945 Comment "First I could see a mush room of boiling dust appar ently with some debris in it up to 20,000 feet. The boiling continued three or four min utes a I watched. "Then a white cloud plumed upwards from the center to some 40,000 feet. An angry dust cloud spread all around the city. "There were some fires on the fringes of the city, apparently burning as buildings crumbled and the gas mains broke. "I knew what the Japs were in for, but I felt no particular emo tion about it. "Last month in the New Mex ico desert, when we -set off a bomb suspended from a tower, it fused the sand for quite a radius because - it generated heat like something in the stellar regions. "The heat flash in New Mexico was felt for 20 minutes." Y Black Market In Babies Flourishes DENVER. Aug. 8 (UP) Juve nile Judge Philip B. Gilliam to day declared war against a "black market" in babies which he said is doing a wholesale business in illegitimate children, some bringing $1,000 or more." Gilliam reported illegal traf fic in unwanted babies is flour shing in the Denver area. The children he said, generally are born of unmarried girls and put up for auction to the highest ' bidder. Union Area Forms Fire Protection District Soon Rural fire protection district is now being formed in the Union area, County Judge C. K. Mc Cormick announced today. Petitions for the formation of the district were received last month, it was announced, and a hearing was scheduled for yes terday. Since no objections were received at the hearing, an order was set establishing the area. Five directors from the district, immediately surrounding It h e town of Union, will be chosen at an election Sept. 14. When fire protection districts are formed the people may pur chase their own equipment, or may contract with a city for pro tection. Ace, Comes ing at the iirprJrt, and so were two of his siaters, NelditndGer- aldine. His best friend, Marvin Peter son, who runs the hardware store at Poplar, was there, assisting the family with the funeral pluns. His mother remained at h c r farm home, loo overcome by the tragedy to come to the airport. She planned to attend the funeral in Superior this afternoon. The flier's wife, who accom panied the body from California, was the first off the plane. She was dry-cyed and held her head FIVE CENTS Badgley Expounds Atom Bomb Theory For Rotary Club Development of the atomic theory and the disintegration or annihilation of the atom was dis cussed by Prof. Ralph Badgley of Eastern Oregon college today noon during the regular meeting of La Grande Rotarians. Badgley traced the increasing knowledge of mankind from the conceptions of the' earliest Greeks who believed matter could be created if its smallest unit could be found. It was during experiment with this theory that physicists found energy could be released from the atom, with one gram of mat ter creating 25,000,000 kilowat hours of energy. The atom bomb undoubtedly resulted from de velopment of this discovery, he said. Guests were Lt. Howard Gra ham, USN, and First Lt. Richard Halley, former high school teacher. Dr. Logan Pruitt, minister of the First Methodist church was introduced as a new member. The annual picnic, in charge of W. C. Perkins, chairman of the committee, was set for Aug. 29. Dr. Robcn Maaske announced he and Rev. Clarence Kopp, sec rotary of the organization will tittcnd a Rotary meeting in Eu gene, Aug. 20 and 21. Chairman ofthe day waa.H. E. Dixon and Dr. Maaske presided. Two More Deaths In Forest Fire, Includes Soldier PORTLAND, Aug. 8 (UP) Two more deaths for a total of five were chalked up against western Oregon's month-old for est fires today. At Forest Grove, a soldier member of a crew fighting to save the city's watershed from encroaching flames was killed when a bulldozer he was driving plunged over a steep embank ment Tuesday afternoon. Ho at tempted ' to leap clear when rockslide began to tilt the heavy machine, but the bulldozer turn bled over the road edge after him, killing him outright. One Hurt In Umpowa national forest ir southwest Oregon, one of 10 para troopers jumping to control i lightning-caused fire was killed Tuesday and another was injured. This wus the only casualty since smokc-juinpcrs were first used in 1938. Earlier in the battle against the Tillamook fire on the Wilson river, a fire fighter was killed by a falling snug and two soldiers were killed in a traffic accident while being rushed to the fire front. Forest officials are optimistic today over the possibility of sav ing the Forest Grove and Ilills boro watersheds seriously threatened for the last few days. Thei largest force of men and equipment has been assigned to the district around the Stimson Lumber company in the Seine creek area where the fire is four miles from the camp and endang ering the Hillsboro water supply. Fighters have been unable to move equipment into the inacces sible Trask river watershed to combat flames heading toward the Siuslaw national forest. Home to Stay high. She stepped into a waiting car which took her to her parents home in Superior, where only a few months ago the hero was courting her. The day was warm and the sun beat down brightly on the air port where flags flew at half staff. Sixteen members of the Su perior poiit of the veterans of for eign wars formed a color guard as the casket was taken from the plane to an ambulance. Members of the family stood by silently. There were no tears. Hope Declaration to "Speed End of Fight" LONDON, Aug. 8 (UP) Foreign Commissar V. M. Molo-'. tov announced in Moscow tonight Russia has declared war" against Japan, effective tomorrow, in order to speed the end.; of the conflict in the far east. Molotov, in the war declaration statement broadcast by the v Moscow radio, revealed Japan had asked Russia to mediate for peace with the United States and Britain. ' ,i . Russia considered the Japanese rejection of the surrender-; or-die ultimatum announced at Potsdam on July 26 nullified' Japun's mediation proposal, Molotov said. V' Molotov called in Naotake Sato, Japanese ambassador to Moscow, and informed him of MOLOTOVi "Japanese rejec tion of ultimatum - nullified' mediation proposal." - Draft Board Says More Deferred Men Needed WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (UP) Selective service warned today a greater number of men between 18 and 30 previously deferred for essential work will have to be drafted , A report to the house military affairs committee said there was not a sufficient number of young men- becoming . 18' years of age each month to meet quotas. Older Men Rep. John J. Sparkmanl D., Ala., who received the report for the committee, said it also may mean . an additional number of men above 30 years of ago will have to be drafted. The report did not specify what occupational groups will be in line for induction. But it said the 18 to 30 year deferred group in cludes 65,000 members of the mcrchunt marine, as w c 1 1 as "larger numbers of men working in coal mines, railroads, ship re pair yn,rds and other csesntial war activities. Farmors "With the exception of special deferments for coal mines, rail roads, and ship repuir yards, the selective service system has no alternative but to select for in duction the least essential of the limited number of men now re muining occupationally deferred," said the report. It listed in this group 449,457 who have been deferred to indus try and 483,872 who have been deferred to agriculture, most of whom have not had induction ex amimitions. The 18 to 30 group also includes 1,000,000 men who have been rejected after taking examinations. No Radioactivity Left in Jap City WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (UP) Dr. J. R. Oppenheimer, director of the $2,000,00,000 research project which produced the at omic bomb, said today there was no reason to believe the bomb ex plosion over Hiroshima left any "appreciable radioactivity on the ground." Ur. Oppenlheimer's Jslulemcnjl was issued by the war depart ment in denial of a newspaper story under the signature of Dr. Harold Jucnbson, physicist, which said the atomic bomb would leave killing radioactivity in its wake for 70 years. The war department said flatly there was "no basis for Dr. Jacob son's speculations with respect to radioactivity" in the opinion of qualified experts. Bulletin NEW YORK, Aug. 8 (UP) Dr. Harold Jacobson, who helpod in atomic research at Columbia university, collapsed in-his office today w&on mili tary countor-esponage agents told him he could be imprison ed for a signed newspaper ar ticle on -the after-effects of atomic bombing. w Russia's decision, ,': Simultaneously the Soviet en voy in Tokyo was transmitting, to the Japanese government the same statement. Satisfied Later Molotov received the ambassadors from the United. States, Great Britain and China and told them of te Soviet Un-; ion's momentous decision. They., expressed satisfaction with the declaration, the Moscow radio said. Molotov said the allies ap proached the. Soviet government . with a proposal to enter the war in order to shorten it, reduce the extent of casualties, and contrib ute to speedy peace. Accepts "True to its obligation as 'an' ally, the Soviet government ac- cepted the proposal of the allies and has joined in the declaration' of the allied powers of July 26," Molotov said. He added Russia regarded her own entry as a means of hasten ing peace, sparing) tyhe allied peoples of further sacrifices, and enabling the Japanese people to. evade the dangers of destruction Germany suffered. -. Vst Force Russia presumably now will throw against Japan the vast mil itary organization it has built up opposite Manchuria and Korea. This organization has been rein forced since Russia whipped Nazi. Germany in the eastern front. ; . ; Her armies on the Manchurian border arc known to be large and are believed to be a match for the. .enemy's sizeable, and wejl equlpp'ocT forces there. ' Thus the United States will be able to concentrate its powers on the Japanese homeland without worrying about liquidating en emy forces on the upper Asiatic mainland. Bear Brunt It has been speculated the Unit ed States would bear the brunt of the air war against Japan, and possibly the invasion, while Rus sia neutralizes and presses for ward on the enemy's flank. ' The Soviet air force is not be lieved to be geared for long-rango bombing assaults upon the Jap anese home islands, but it may be expected to attack installations in Manchuria and perhaps Korea. Corey Terminates 12 Year Service -With Guard William -Corey, first sergeant, is in La Grande to make his home after receiving an honorable dis charge from the army with 118 points. Corey, who left La Grande in September, 1940, with the nation al guard and served in the south Pacific with the 41st division for 32 months, terminated a total of more than 12 years service with the nutional guard when he re ceived his discharge. He was entitled to wear the Asiatic-Pacific ribbon with three bronze battle stars, combat in fantry badge, and a bronze arrow head for amphibious landings, as well as the American Defense and pre-Pearl Harbor ribbon. After his return to the United Slates, Corey transferred from the Infantry to the air corps. . , Corey, who attended the La Grande schools, graduating from the high school in 1933, has a wife and one child. Jaycees to Sponsor Paper Drive Show La Grande junior chamber of commerce will sponsor a paper drive matinee tor school children Wednesday, Aug. 15. J. Donald Meyers, owner of the local the aters, has contributed the use of the Granada theater for the af ternoon. The picture will be Walt Disney's "Three Caballeros," and will start at 1:30 p. m. Admission will be one large bundle of pa per, well tied. Weather " Data for 24 hours to 7 a. m. "' Temperature: Maximum 78 Minimum Sl Forecast: Partly cloudy tonight and Thursday with widely scat tered evening showers. "
