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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 10, 1945)
rr.- Weather Data for 24 hours to 7 a.m. Temperature: ( Maximum 94 Minimum S3 . Forecast: Partly cloudy tonight and Saturday. Scattered thun der showers east portion Saturday. ESTABLISHED 1896 Russians 110 Miles into Manchuria Japanese Defenses "Meager LONDON, Aug. 10 (UP) The Red banner armies of the far east tonight were report ed deep within Manchuria, rolling up an advance of near ly 110 miles and capturing the vital northwest Man churia rail center of Hailar in less than 48 hours combat. The rapidity of the Soviet ad vance across northwest Man churia suggested the Japanese are putting up meager opposi tion. Japanese radio reported So viet troops had invaded Korea and the southern half of Sakhal in island in a broadening offen sive. Cross River Soviet communique reported the Red army had driven straight down the Chinese eastern rail road from the border town of Manchouli to Hailar, nearly 110 miles. Other troops crossed the Amur river boundary at another point end captured two towns in an ad vance of nearly 10 miles. In the Lake Dalai or region advances up to 13 miles were registered and south qJL.Khabpr.QVsk, two towns - on the south bank of the Amur and one on the west bank of the Ussuri were seized in advances up to nearly 15 miles. Fighting northwest from Valid vostok the Red army captured the towns of Pogranichnay, Tung ning and Tangchagou, just across the maritime provinces frontier. South and southwest of Khaba rovsk tho towns of Lopei, Tuns- kiang and Lahasutu were cap tured. Japanese Imperial headquar ters reported these developments in its communique broadcast by the Tokyo radio: 1- Red army forces crossed into Korea near the Korean bor der town of K e i k o, 80 miles southwest of Vladivostok and 16 miles inland, yesterday afternoon. Invade Karafuto 2. Soviet troops on Sakhalin invaded Karafuto, Japanese-owned suthern-half of the island. The southern tip of Karafuto lies only 30 miles north of the Japanese home island of Hakkaido. 3. A Red army column yester day afternoon crossed into north ern Manchuria near Chihco, 500 miles north of the Japanese head quarters city of Harbin. 4 Another Soviet column thrust into Manchuria from outer Mongolia 250 miles southeast of Manchouli. 5 A Japanese convoy east of northern Korea shot down 14 of 80 Red air force planes. Rescue Crews Try To Get Bodies Out Of Shattered Car MICHIGAN, ti. D., Aug. 10 (UP) Rescue crews with acet ylene torches cut through the tangled and twisted steel wreck age of a' railroad coach today in an effort to remove the bodies of an estimated 40 servicemen kill ed in the crash of two sections of the Empire Builder, crack mes senger train. The bodies were enmeshed in the buckled steel plates of an observation car and the locomo tive of the train's second section which smashed into the car, tele scoped and then exploded. Ten persons were known to have been injured seriously. Scores of others were bruised, cut and shaken. Some were burned. The accident occurred about 7:30 p. m. (CWT) last night when the first section of the train stop ped about a half mile from the small Michigan depot because of a "hot box" on the locomotive. Before flares could be put out to warn the second section, it plowed into the rear coach, acom bination Pullman-observation car. It split the coach down the mid dle. The engine's boiler ejrploded on impact and searing steam scalded those already dying. Surrender of Japs Not Signal For Mass Releases WASHINGTON, Aug. 10 (UP) The surrender of Japan would not be a signal for mass release of men from the army and navv. Nor would it mean an immediate end of redeployment of forces to the Pacific. A selective service spokesman pointed out today under the draft law registrants are taken into service for the duration of the present war and six months after the "dale of termination of hos tilities." The "termination of hostilities' does not mean when the shooting stops. That date is defined by law as the date proclaimed by the pres, ident, or the date specified in a concurrent resolution of congress, whichever is earlier." A house military affairs com mittee spokesman noted Pres ident Truman has not yet pro claimed the end of hostilities in the European war. He said it was possible the surrender of Japan might not bring a prompt proc lamation of the end of hostilities in the Pacific. Truman Reveals Agreements At Potsdam Talks By ROBERT I. MANNING WASHINGTON, Aug. 10 (UP) President Truman left bruised and battered Japan with the grim promise today of more atgmic bombs and more military sur prises. The Japanese have felt only part of the crushng fate in store for them if they choose to fight on, the chief executive declared last night. Truman vowed the atomic bomb will continue to be turned on the enemy until the minute of surrender, and he warned Jap anese civilians to vacate war in dustrial centers and "save them selves from destruction." The president, at the same time, said he was fully aware the horrible potentialities of the new weapon posed a threat to all man kind. Therefore, he said, the United States, Canada and Britain, who hold the secret, will keep it from the world apparently even from the Russians "until means have been found to control the bomb so as to protect ourselves and the rest of the world from the danger of total destruction." Wheat Crop to Reach Record WASHINGTON Aug. 10 (UP) The department of agricul ture said today prospects for the 1945 corn crop have im proved during the past month. The department also reported wheat is expected to reach an all-time peak of 1,146.283,000 bushels. Crn last year reached a rec ord high of 3. 228,36 l.OOObushels. The average annual yield from 1934 through 1943 was 2.433, 060.000 bushels. July wheat forecasts indicated 1,128.690,000 bushels. The annual average from 1934 through 1943 was 789.080,000 bushels. Churches of Town Plan For Services Because many of the ministers of La Grande are out of town, the Ministerial association was not able to plan any joint action. In any event, the individual churches of the city will have services. First Christian church commit tee was mif ing lodiy to plan a meeting, amd Rev. Logan Pruitt, pastor of First Methodist, said his church will haw services at 8 p.m. on V-J day. CHIEF SIGNS CHARTER President Truman formally ratifies the United States membership in united nations world security organization by affixing his signature to the ratification, as Sec retary of State James Byrnes (right) looks on. j Merchants Prepare to Observe V-J Day with Parade,Wance With" nnnnnnf pmpnl nf rtn elusion of current hostilities e x p e ct e d momentarily, La Grande merchants committee yesterday afternoon planricd for V-J day. It was decided that all places of business will close imme diately upon receipt of the news, if it comes before 8 a.m., with a parade held at 1 o'clock that day, and a street dunce at 0 p.m. In trie event the news should come any time after 8 a.m., all stores will immediately close, except grocery stores which will remain open until 11 a.m., and the parade and dance will Original U. S. Land Patent Filed Here t . s Contains Title to Hindman Homestead Recently there was filed in the office of the county clerk of Union county for recording an ancient United Slates patent or government deed, by which the government conveyed to William B. Hindman 160 acres of land in Sections 21 and 28, Township 1 North of Range 40 E. W. M., lo cated on the North Fork of Clark's creek in the Elk Flat country east of Elgin. The patent was signed by President Rutherford B. Hayes and dated March 20, 1877, a few days after Hayes suc ceeded to the office of president following the Tilden-Hayes pres idential contest. Because govern ment patents are necessary in or der to show good title in the sale of land, most government patents to Union county, land have been recorded for many years. Because this land has never been sold or mortgaged is the probable reason the patent had never been heretofore recorded. The land passed to Luther B. Hindman in 1027 by inheritance, and was in turn inherited by the children of Luther B. Hindman on his death in October, 1M-). when he was crushed by an over turning tractor. William B. Hindman was a pi oneer freighter and schoolteacher. Born in 1846 in Mount i-rnon, la., he crossed the plains by wag on to Baker in 1864, and then engaged in freighting between Umatilla landing and the mines in eastern Oregon and 13 o i s e basin. He taught school at Sum merville and other Grande Ror.de locations until 1871, when he fil ed on the homestead, which In tended in the summer, and con tinued to engage in teaching and freighting in the winter. Home steaders were then required to live live years on the homestead before making final proof. Historically the William li Hindman homestead and paten'. mniniiiiinmrniiuii , VaJaa LA GRANDE, OREGON FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 10, "iferi " 1 hn hplrt nn thp fnltnuincf rinv Ed Ford presided at the meeting. La Grande junior chamber of commerce will be in charge of the street dance; Sam Hill and Harley Smith will be in charge of the parade; Fred J. Patton will make ar rangement fur music for the parade; Ray Snider will be in charge of the VFW and George Tiss of the American Legion. All business houses are ask ed tu put out their flags imme diately upon receipt of the news of victory. A union church service was suggested, but will be left en tirely to the Ministerial associa tion tn decide. have significance in that the Hindman homestead filing was the first one made east of Elgin, and it is family legend that the reason he moved to the Elk flat country was to harvest hay grow ing naturally on a large meadow on Clark's creek. Large Farm Another historical fact of in terest is that the flat, or low land of that valley, was so named be cause a large herd of elk ranged there throughout one summer in the early 70s, and left only when driven out by the storms of a very severe winter. The Hindman homestead is now included in the large farm ing operations of the Hindman family, conducted by Luther Hindman's widow, Mrs. Irma Hindman, and his son, Billy Hind man. Richard McDaniel Injured as Horse Rolls Over Him Richard McDaniel, 15-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Lawton E. McDaniel of Wallowa, was in jured Wednesday during the noon hour when his horse rolled over him at a camp above Lapover. It was not entire! y clear whether the lad had fallen from the horse or been thrown or if the horse fell at the same time. He sustained a badly bruised leg and; concussion, but is rating easily at the camp and his mother said it was expected that he would be brought to Wallowa to day. Doctor Sharff and hit father, ol Enterprise, were called, arriv ing at the camp about 6 o'clock that evening to care for the boy. Young McDaniel had been help ing Ray Shaeffcr in conducting camping trips in the mountains. fflfflSNillM!ffllllll!! Wtlltwt CeeafJei Attacks On Japan Continue . GUAM, Aug. 10 (UP) More than 1,200 allied carrier planes struck Japanese mili tary targets on northern Hon shu today for the second straight day in support of the Red army s Manchurian of fensive. While the carrier planes swarmed over the Honshu tar gets blasting at centers from which the Japanese supply its Kwangtung forces opposing the Russians, 70 Superfortresses drop ped demolition bombs on the sprawling Tokyo arsenal area. Continue Attack The Superfortress raid on To kyo followed a pre-dawn Super fortress assault in which 1)0 B- 20s dropped demolition bombs on the Nippon oil refinery company at Amagasaki in the Osaka area. Radio Tokyo indicated the ear lier planes still were continuing their bombing and strafing at tlacks against the Japanese mili tary installations on Honshu. Thc Japanese broadcast said following the carrier planes' morning strike against the Kanto district, which includes the great er Tokyo-Yokohama area, about 35 allied aircraft raided airfields and mililary installations at 1 p. m. (Tokyo time) in the Chiba district, east of Tokyo. Ask Emperor The Japanese government formally protested to the United Stales through Switzerland on use of the atmic bomb against Hiroshima, radio Tokyo said. The broadcast failed to mention the Nagasaki attack. Leaflets dropped called on the Japanese people to "petition the emperor to end the war." On Okinawa, two army Mus tang pilots told how they watch ed the blast of the atomic bomb en Nagasaki. Even from that distance, Lt. CI. Edward F. Rhoddy of Cleve land and Maj. Howard Tuman of Venice, Calif., said they saw a huge ball of yellow and orange fire shoot 8,000 feet in to the sky. Steer Clear (Robert Shaplen, Newsweek correspondent broadcasting over NBC, said a Liberator bomber on which he was flying approached within 10 miles of the city.) ( It was like looking over the rim of a volcano in the process of erupting, even though it was 12 hours after that bomb had been dropped," Shaplen said. (The pall of smoke and flames was visible 100 miles away, Shap len said. All night long, pilots radioed in reports of the smoke as far as 200 miles from the city. American planes have been or dered to steer clear of Nagasaki.) Soil Conservation Talks Discussed At Wallowa Proposals to establish soil con servation districts in Walowa county will be discussed at pub lic hearings to be held today and tomorrow at Enterprise, Wallowa and Flora. Petitions signed by 31 landown ers have been filed with the state soil conservation committee ;it Corvallis pursuant to the provi sions of the statute authorizing the formation of soil conservation districts. The proposed district will em brace all of Wallowa county, but the determination of the boun daries of the district will be de cided upon at the hearings, and the determination of whether the soil conservation district shall be established will be made at a sub sequent election in which every land owner is entitled to one vote. NO FATALITIES SAI.EM, Aug. 10 (UP) There were no fatal men fisted among the J16 accidents fir-ported to the state industrial accident commis sion for the week ending Aug. 'J. ewer 19-15 He'll either go or Senators Declare Jap Peace Offer 'Looks Good' WASHINGTON, Aug. 10 (UP) Chairman Elbert D. Thomas, D Utah, of the senate military af fairs committee said today the Japanese peace offer "looks all to the good to me." Thomas, one-time Mormon mis sionary to Japan, said the Japa nese condition that the emperor retain his throne "should encour age us in accepting the offer." "1 he emperor is the key to the constitutional government of Ja pan," Thomas said. "If he Is re tained, our problem of adminis tration in Japan will be much simplified." "We don't want to destroy the only constitutional form of gov ernment in Asia," he said. "We want to throw out the present government but we don't want to knock down their constitution." Sen. Warren G. Magnuson, D., Washington, disagreed with Thomas. 'Certainly there could be no greater obstacle to democratic government in Japan than reten tion of the emperor," he said. "Unless there is some good mil tary reason for accepting the res ervation, we can still win in a few days if we keep up warefare wilh unabated force. I think wo can get truly un conditional surrender that way." Sen. Harold H. Burton, R., O., said the Japanese offer "marks substantial progress in ending the war. "And for the emperor, the con ference at Berlin left the way open for some such offer. T h e Potsdam declaration reveals that even if he were allowed to con tinue, he would be deprived of all control over the policies of Japan which might continue it us an aggressive nation." Policeman 'Vafs' Porcupine Found Near Residence An errant porcupine at 906 G avenue called out city police at 10:30 a.m., according to the following report of Patrolman A. C. Meyers. "Called to 9 Of. G avenue, and captured 'porky' after a game of hide and seek in the back yard, whare flowers, toiti, thorns and other foliage wen to thick 'porky' had the td vantaga. "Bood hiro late a box with tha help of fat Pitxo.erB.ld. a hovel, ralct. and hoe, f?oekp didn't lock lifct he want a trial, arwi we weren't sorry to 'ragged' him out of towne on a one-way tickot." ' If - iM. Jkr , HIROHITO: stay. Ask Hirohito Safety; Big Four Conferring By United Press Japan offered today to surrender provided assurances can be made regarding the status of Emperor Hirohito. The al lies went into immediate consultation on the Tokyo proposal. The -Japanese said they accepted the Potsdam surrender ultimatum provided the sovereign prerogatives of Hirohito are maintained, , , . ; A White House announcement at 8:28 p.m. confirmed the tho offer had been made and added the United States, Brit ain, Russia and China are now conferring regarding it. White lloiwe Secretary Charles G. Ross said there will be no further White House statement on the Japanese offer today or tonight and Secretary of State James F. Byrnes re Unconditional Surrender of Japan Urged Opinion here concerning Jap an's proposal of peace appeared to be almost uniform in La Grande this morning when citi zens were quizzed on their views. Mrs. June McManus, business woman, when querried as to "What do you think of the war news today," answered, "It is the best news I've ever heard, but we must have unconditional surren der. It has to be that ultimatum because we have given too much and can't take chances on any slips. Regarding Hirohito, we can't dictate their religion, after all we are fighting for freedom, religious as. well- as any other, but on the other hnnd, how much power does ho have, and how much will he retain? He sanc tioned these acts and that auto matically makes him a war crim inal." Jack Peare, .local Jeweler aaidt "I wouldn't consider their offer, We have had one lesion at their hand didn't they have emissaries here seeking peace while their ships were enrouie to Pearl Harbor? They are whipped and they know 11. It is only natural, that lhey should attempt to make the best 'deal' possible. But as for Hirohito, he is worse than Hit ler, and should be prosecuted to the limits." Don Poarch, active member of the junior chamber of commerce, sated: "Having Hirohito at the head of the Japanese government would be a repetition of the thing we have just gone through. Force them to sign the Potsdam treaty with no reservation, dis cussion or negotiations. Looks like it will be over by the first of the week." "It looks like It will soon be a thing of the past, doesn't it? said Arch K. Parker, manager of tho La Grande branch of the First National bank of Portland, when asked his views. "I think we should lake a 'stiff-necked' attitude, with no concessions mado, but any kind of deal our govornmeni makes with Japan will be satisfactory, lhey know how to handle lt." In seeking the attitude of a serviceman's wife, Mrs. Henriet ta Ircdu1- whose husband, Lt. (sg) Leonard Iredale is currently serving aboard an A PA craft, was contacted. Mrs. Iredale said, "I consider Hirohito a war criminal. Me was loo well educated to be ignorant of the existing facts, and ho should be tried before the war criminals' board the same as the rest." Mrs. Jess Rotenbaum, whose son Merrill, was lost whe.i the St. Lo wertt down, said. "It wouldn't hurt to leave Hirohito in as a church symbol, which ha apparently is to his people, and then eventually educate the masses away from thai at titude, if we only knew how ha would direct his power. He might be the means of influ-encl-if them, but he certainly should have no riha or aa cess to civil powers." Mrs. R. R. Ragsdalc, who has four sons in the navy, averred: "I think we should have dropped the first bomb in Tokyo." (June IJetrlrk, local business man, summed up the situation by saying, "Look out for Nippon." DBCfcABOJ WAR TODAY LONDON, Aug. 10 (UP) Radio Moscow announced today the Mongolian peoples republic has declared war on Japan. Reason Tells Some Details of Conference Held at Potsdam FIVE CENTS vealed by agreement any and all news about the surrender will come from Truman. ,-i., Peace Group ' From Chungking came a report the Japanese offer was made af ter Hirohito had created a 21 man "peace committee" of Im perial princes and members of the government which met today and agreed to submit the proposal. First indications were a satis factory arrangement for the em peror can be worked out, enabl ing the Japanese to surrender. The offer was transmitted to the allies through the Soviet Am bassador Jacob Malik who is still in Tokyo and through the Swed ish and Swiss legations in Tokyo. Same Note Stockholm reported the Jap anese note has arrived there and is being turned over immediately, to the British and Russians. The note through the Swiss was direc ted to the United States and China. It was understood the :texts of the-notts'are Identical. rru. c...in j u- uc ciwiaa I uuiu repuneu me Japanese note had been received there and promptly, turned over to the Americans and Chinese. The speed with which the Jap anese offer was being transmit ted indicated before nightfall President Truman, Prime Minis ter Attlec, Gen. Josef Stalin and Gen. Chiang Kai-shek will be able to exchange their views. Consults Byrnes The test of the Japanese offer was first made public by the To kyo radl and was reporded by the United Press in San Fran cisco. On the basis of this unofficial text Truman consulted with Sec retary of State James F. Byrnes and it was believed the Ameri can position may have been al leady formulated. As quickly as the four allies agree on their attitude toward the Japanese proposal,, a reply will be forwarded. If the allied answer satisfies the Japanese regarding the posi tion of their emperor, it was pre sumed arrangements quickly will be made for the formal surrender a procedure which is very com plicated due to the widespread dispersal of Japanese forces. Follow U. S. British opinion, it was under stood, was favorable toward ac ceptance of the Japanese pro posals. Howover, the British and It was presumed the Russians and Chinese, will be guided largely by the United States which has born the brunt of the more than three and a half years of conflict with Japan. In any event it was estimated it will require some time to work out a formal surrender possib ly as long as a week or 10 days provided the matter of the em peror is settled. Conditions The Potsdam declaration called for: 1. Unconditional surrender of oil Japanese armed forces, ac companied by adequate assur ances of good faith. 2. Occupation by allied forces of such portions of Japanese ter ritory as the allies regard as necessary for the fulfillment of their objectives. 3. Elimination "for all time of the authority and influence of those who have deceived and mis led the people of Japan." 4. Punishment of all war crim inals. 5. Elimination of Japan's war making capacity and elimination of all bars to establishment of a free, democratic regime in Japan. 8. Application of the terms of tho Cairo declaration, limiting Japanese sovereignty to the four islands , of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. 7. Stripping Japan of all her possessions in the Pacific and Asia won by aggression. Tho position of the emperor In Sec ASKS SAFETY . . . page 3 P I ! I