La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959, August 17, 1945, Image 1

Historic Oregon Newspapers

La Grande evening observer., August 17, 1945, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Text'- Weather Data for 24 hours to 7 a. m. Temperature: Maximum '. 93 v Minimum ......... 57 Forecast: Clear tonight, some what cooler over Interior Satur day. : .- . . . A Community Newspaper For Every Member of the Family r-nmnr?mit m4 Ceeeffti ESTABLISHED 1896 LA GRANDE, OREGON FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 17, 1945 FIVE CENTS Army Promises Aid to Every On$ of 5 Million Dismissed WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UP) War depart ment promised today every one of the 5,000,600 soldiers sched uled for demobilization with in the next year will receive a "helpful shove" in his reor ientation back to' civilian life. By the end 'of this year, Amer ican troops 'Will be pouring into 27 separation centers at the rate of 500,000 a month. There they will spend their last 48 hours in the army. Gets Help After the soldier is quartered, the next step is a call to turn in all non-essential equipment. Then he goes to 't h e clothing ware house where he gets two new complete uniforms. He also re ceives one pair of shoes and is told to keep all such personal items such as handkerchiefs, ties, i socks and toilet articles. t The soldier next reports to a i lecture where he learns details 3 of property" disposal, final allot ' ments, pay and transportation. Here, too, he is given Information on the problems of going back to civilian life.' Counsel Free Three films are shown him, one on the subject of discharge, one on life insurance and the last on the GI bill of rights. Individual counseling service ' " " the soldier's convenience are rep resentatives of the veterans ad ministration, civil service com mission, U. S. employment com mission, American Red Cross and selective service. Last Lap . After a physical examination, ; the soldier .-signs his separation papers and is on the last lap of his army career. He then has only lO aeveive Ilia mm Hai F1-1- his discharge emblems and rail road ticket - and attend a final separation ceremony. The soldier ' receives only $50 of his final-Jpay-in-ash..The re mainder by check, so there will be less inclination to "fritter it Sway." ' He may wear his uniform for 90 days after being discharged. ySecond Heavy Rain In We$ Causes INO more Damage ; ELGIN, Aug. 17 (Special) Heavy rains fell in this vicinity late yesterday and puddles of water were still standing in the streets and at the roadsides this morning, but the harvest of small grains was not interfered with. - No damage from a rather high wind was reported and there was no hail with the storm, observers here said. Dry period extending back to the first week in June had been ended Sunday when heavy rains fell for a few minutes. Hail fell north of Gordon creek, doing some' damage to pea fields and marking apples on the 200 acre holdings of the Lamb Fruit company. Eugene and Vern Dunham, El gin farmers, reported one tract of 25 to 30 acres of Alaskan peas C)was severly damaged, although the crop was partly covered by insurance. Crops on the Earl Moore farm, closely adjoining the Dunham property, also suffered some dam age, as did those on the Mattson farm in the Rockwell area. : Rain at this time is considered of no value, with the exception of benefit recovered by the for est and range lands. It is of no value to grain crops and results in some damage toe dible and seed peas, since it causes the pods to crack open. Meanwhile, recent rains have lessened the fire hazard on for est and range lands. More High Test Gas Soon For Motorists WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UP) The petroleum administration i for war today removed the re strition on the manufacture of high test gasoline for civilian mo torists. Meanwhile, the office of de fense transportation announced the 35-mile an hour speed limit for automobiles will be removed soon. Virtually all restrictive orders adminstered by the refining di vision of the petroleum adminis tration were removed. Deputy petroleum administrator Ralph K. Davies said telegrams had been dispatched to all re fineries ending many of the con trols as of Aug. 15. Other con trols will be continued for 30 day so the refineries can com plete certain contracts. GETTING THE BAD NEWS Photo above, first one ever re leased showing Japanese prisoners of war in a U. S. camp, shows the Nips looking over the bad news at camp McCoy, Wis. They are reported to have shown complete indifference because, like some 3800 of their fellows in camp McCoy, they had taken an oath to die rather than surrender. They did surrender, therefore are considered "dead" in their homeland. Rocket Which Seeks Its Own Target Will Join Atom Bomb WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UP) The atomic bomb moved over a little bit today to make room among portents of the future for the Superfort bomber, a rocket that seeks,, out its target, and bomb guided' by television. Existence of these hitherto sec ret weapons was revealed by Gen, Henry H. Arnold, chief of the army air forces. He also dis closed that he plans to relinguish command of the air forces at a Thousands of Ship Workers to Leave PORTLAND, Aug. 17 (UP) Thousands of shipyard workers will be let out of the three mari time shipyards of the Portland Vancouver area within a few days. In addition, the navy is re portedly making a cutback or re vamping its ship repair program in this port. Some 8,000 or 9,000 persons will be discharged within the next few days from the Oregon Shipbuilding corporation which has been employing about 25,000 persons. The remaining 14,000 or 15,000 workers will finish the ships there. Practically all forces will be reduced except outfitting which will need a few extra workers. All work has been completed at the Oregon platcshop, assembly, boiler erection, shell erection and vocational school. Superforts Flew 100 Million Miles GUAM, Aug. 17 (UP) Amer ican Superfortresses flew more than 100,000,000 miles and drop ped 169,421 tons of bombs in raids on Japan from India and the Marianas, Gen. Carl A. Spaatz announced today. The commander of the Pacific strategic air forces said the B-2!)s reduced Japan's aircraft produc tion 60 percent by destroying or severely damaging 23 major Jap anese aircraft factories. Steel production capacity was cut 15 percent by the severe dam aging of two major sl:l plants. Japan's major oil-refining apac ity was destroyed, Spaatz said. De Gaulle Lessens Petain's Sentence PARIS, Aug. 17 (UP) Gen. Charles De Gaulle commuted the death sentence of Marshal Henri Philippo Potain to life imprisonment today. A ministry of justice state ment said De Gaulle's action was taken on the recommenda tion of the French high court of justice which on Wednesday found Pelain guilty of treason able collaboration with the Germans and sentenced him to death. Petaln was stripped of his honors al a marshal of France and his property confiscated under the sentence. time "not too far off." Arnold said new weapons al ready in existence, in addition to the atomic bomb, make it ab solutely essential this country "continue intensive scientific re search."" He disclosed these new wea-' pons: 1. A super-super bomber with a range two and a half to three times greater than the B-29 Su perfortress. He said it could cov er all Asia, the Pacific, and the Atlantic from present" U. S. bases. Thus far it is nameless. Automatic 2. A rocket drawn automati cally to its target by the pres ence of heat, light, or metal in the target area. 3. Bombs guided by television apparatus operated by a man in a plane 15 miles away. Listing the bases he said the United Slates should keep, Ar nold said air warfare of the fu ture would be so terrible war should never again be permitted to happen. "If the other fellows know what we have," he said, "they will think twice." CIO Opens Drive For Pay Increases WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UP) The congress of industrial or ganizations today opened labor's drive to obtain pay boosts under the government's newly liberal ized wage policy. CIO President Philip Murray disclosed all CIO unions will ask employers for collective bargain ing conferences to negotiate high- or wages in ine iigm oi unions have a clause in ther con tract permitting reopening the question of wages if the national policy changes. Racketeers Hunted PORTLAND, Aug. 17 (UP) It's against the law in Portland to discharge fire-crackers within the city limits, but that isn't the problem bothering Portland po lice. Right now police are on Hie hunt for certain enterprising Chinese merchants who have been selling children small bags of 50-one-inch crackers for $2 a package. Truman, Congress Clash on WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UP) Congressional sources predict ed today President Truman and congress will have their first ma jor clash over continued draft ing of men for the army. Truman has ordered continued i induction of 50,000 men a month. ; compared with the recent rate of ! f-0,000. Senate and house military affairs committee leaders have expressed a desire to stop induc tions immediately, but the pres Farms Provide Quck Jobs forj War Workers PORTLAND, Aug. 17 (UP) Oregon farms offer an immedi ate opening for thousands of workers who have completed their jobs in war plants, J. R. Beck, state farm labor supervi sor in the Oregon state college extension service, said today. . He estimates at least 9,000 more farm workers than are now in sight will be needed to harvest crops in Oregon during the next two months. Hop harvest will take about 40,000 pickers, and there is a pros pective shortage of about 5,000 in. the Willamette valley. Picking will be in full swng by next week and will continue until late Sep tember. . 1,000 More A thousand more men and women can be used in picking and packing pears in the Rogue river valley. Harvest of Bartlett pears is under way this week and will continue through Oct. 15. In the Hoodriver district, har vesting of apples and pears will go on from Aug. 20 to Oct. 30. Five-hundred more pickers can be employed, and more labor is needed for the packing plants. The Willamette valley and the Umpqua valley, the two main western Oregon prune producing areas, can use about 1,000 more families flor picking between Sept. 10 and Oct. 5. Potato Harvest The big potato harvest in the Klamath basin will start in mid September and continue until about Oct. 25. About 500 more pickers can be employed. Around Redmond and Prineville, about 300 more adult workers are need ed. Beck cautions those who may want to go into the harvest that they should find out about hous ing before leaving for the areas. Farm laboro offices can supply this and other information. Legion Will Hold State Convention Sept.6,7,8 PORTLAND, Aug. 17 (UP) The Oregon state department of the American Legion will hold its first peacetime convention in five years in Portland Sept. 6, 7, and 8, state commander Penn C. Crum of Hood River announced today. Crum said the end of hostilities influenced the decision, as plans for a slate convention had ear lier been discarded. Four hundred thirty five dele gates, with district commanders, are eligible. Election of state officers will highlight the meet ing. At the same time plans for a membership drive, in coopera tion with the national depart ment; will Ijb instituted. The convention will entertain the na tional commander Sept. 6. De Gaulle to Visit Chicago, Canada PARIS, Aug. 17 (UP) A for eign office spokesman said today Gen. Charles de Gaulle probably will visit New York, Chicago, and Canada as well as Washing ton during his 10-day trip. The spokesman said de Gaulle and Truman probably will dis cuss the French occupation zone in Germany, which is in two parts without raiIroad or olhcr good communication. De Gnulle will take with him a file of fig ures showing the amount of re construction France already had undergone. Records of Pearl Harbor Probe Asked WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UP) Chairman David I. Walsh. D.. ; less than 85 points who are Ike Mass., of the senate naval affairs ! ly to become eligible fur discharge committee, today requested Sec ! later when the point system Is retary of the Navy James V. For- j liberalized. rrstal to file with the committee Whenever possible, it said, the all records of the navy's invsii- iarmy will remove those men from gation of the Pearl Harbor (lis- units which are destined for Pa- aster. ident told reporters yesterday )'' saw no reason why some of the young men who aren't doing any thing right now shouldn't relieve the men at the front so they can return. ' Will Continue He said the draft would be con tinued until replacement aie suf ficient to send veterans home from the occupation fronts. His added remark congress must docide how long the draft . k A je move on; macArrnur ProdsJ San Francisco Asks Navy to End Unbridled "Celebrations SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 17 (UP) The city has had nil the celebration it wanted. Hundreds of vigilant city police and shore patrolmen patroled San Francisco to pre vent further victory "celebra tions" when a temporary "off limits" order affecting 100, 000 naval personnel is lifted at noon today. They kept a weather eye on Market street, where thousands of drinking, looting and boister ous sailors surpassed even the RED JAP NEMESIS Leader of three armies of more than a " million men. Marshal A, M. Vasilevsky, above, who com manded Russian armies that conquered East Prussia, led the invasion of Jap-held areas on the Asia mainland. Western Steel Industry Still Only Blueprint WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UP) On surrender day plus thine, a peacetime western steel industry is still only a blueprnt. The urgency of translating the blueprint into action grows with each announcement of govcrn mct cutbacks. Withdrawal of army and navy contracts will cut the foundations from war-born western industry. A reliable source said the as-yet-unan-nounccd maritime commission action on ship contracts was best described as a "cut-off." Gov. Earl Warren of Califor nia said there arc stop-gaps in the form of state and federal pub lic works projects, but the big job must be done by private in dustry. The months-long negotiations between the reconstruction fi nance corporation and Henry J. Kaiser's representatives on his mortgaged Montana steel plant are continuing. An RFC spokes man said "talks" are still going on at both Kaiser and represen tatives of Colorado Fuel and lion company about the giant Geneva steel plant in Utah. Men Close to 85 Points Not To Go To Pacific Front WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UP) The war department said today the army will try not to send 'jo the pacific enlisted men with cific duty. Draft Expected in Month will operate, indicated some form of compromise may be in the air. Other congressional fcources pointed out that if congress abol ished the draft law, it would wipe out local draft boards which have an important rote in vete rans' reemployment. Big Slump Truman also may find himself at odds with congress on his forthcoming recommendations for peacetime military training, He I k A apanesetoMeeting most raucus binges of the city's gold-poke bonanza days. The 12th naval district per mitted liberty grants' to 50 per cent of petty officers and 25 per cent of non-rated men at stations within 100 miles. The order pro hibited personnel from having opened liquor bottles in public places and called upon all navy men to assist in preventing dis order. ' Another conference between city officials and representatives of tavern owners was scheduled for today to forestall further "celebrations" which have al ready taken a toll of 11 dead and 1,000 given emergency treatment. Administration and civic lead ers deplored public molcstution and rape of women and teen-age girls. They asked the navy to pre vent further outbreaks of "un bridled and unrestrained acts of a lot of undisciplined men in uniform the result of unrestrict ed liberty." , Reporters said young women were accosted and dragged into alleys and doorways and molest ed in public squares by both en listed and officer personnel of the navy at the height of the Wednesday night orgy. Work Continues On 4 No New Contracts To Although the national hous ing agency today had stopped award contracts for govern ment financed war housing and had seceded plans for disposi tion of such existing housing, it was not expected to affect the progress or work on t h c housing project here. The contracts are already awarded here and the project is within a couple of weeks of occupancy, or perhaps nearer Reorganization of State Department Foreshadowed WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UP) Appointment of Dean G. Ach es o n to be undersecretary of state indicated today a thorough reorganization of the U. S. for eign service. Secretary of Stale James F. Byrnes cast aside a custom when he selected the 52-year-old Ache son, not a career diplomat, to be his No. 1 assistant. Foreign service officers ca reer diplomats look upon the undorsecrctaryship as the top post for one of their ranks inasmuch as the secretary is a political ap pointee. Acheson is known to be lieve the foreign service needs some drastic reforms. Promotion of Acheson from as sistant secretary to undersecre tary to succeed Joseph C.Grew, resigned, is the first in a number of top-level changes Byrnes is expected to make. One of Byrnes' major object ives is to create some system whereby the various departments and government agencies involv ed in foreign affairs, will have closer and better liaison espe cially between the armed serv ices and the state department. Grew was U. S. ambassador to Japan for 10 years prior to Pearl Harbor. Since his repatriation, he had been the state department's expert on far eastern affairs. DRINKS REDUCED GUAM. Aug. 17 (UP) Sign of the times: The price of mix ed drinks in the Pacific fleet officers club was reduced from 20 to 10 cents effective today. told newsmen yesterday he would make such recommendations shortly after congress reconvenes but he warned against calling the program peacetime conscrip tion. Strong congressional sentiment for a peacetime training program existed before defeat of Germany. But it dwindled to some extent after the German surrender, and now, with the war ended, it is expected to take a big slump. All Restrictions On Sports Travel Removed by ODT WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UP) The office of defense transpor tation today removed all of its restrictions on sports. Effective immediately, the ageni ' cancelled: Tliis oan on transportation of race horses and show animals. Ths limitations on amounts of travel by baseball and football teams, and other professional and amateur sports groups. While the action swept all of ficial limitations on sporls travel, the ODT asked them to "take it eusy," pointihg out railroad pas senger facilities will continue to be jammed for several months. Lifting of restrictions elimi nated any doubts about the world series being played. ODT pointed out restrictions on travel had bee nestablished through voluntary cooperation between the agency and colleges, high schools and professional sport groups. The action is not an invitation to indulge in widespread travel. The ODT said if the railroad sit uation should change for the worse, "the whole situation might have to be revived again." The ban on auto racing was ended yesterday. Housing Project Be Let, However than that, since the work was expected to be complete by Sept. 1. The chamber of, com merce here does not expect a second application to be ac accpted. None of the orders affect any persons already living in war housing, the agency announced. There had been no orders re ceived here to discontinue the building and it is assumed the project will be completed. Small Nations Will Oppose U. S. Stand On Plane Routes MONTREAL, Aug. 17 (UP) Small nations tightened their lines today to battle a United States' bid for a "fifth freedom" of the air which would permit airliners on international flights to pick up passengers at points along the route. The issue dominated the third day's session of the interim coun cil of the provisional intcrnation al civil aviation organization as the conference went into private consultations. Greece and Egypt figured prominently in the struggle but representatives of Latin Ameri can republics wutched closely because decisions taken hero may set the pattern. Australians Demand Bigger Peace Role CANBERRA, Australia, Aug. 17 (UP) Australian Prime Min ister Joseph B. Chifley demand ed today his country bo given a bigger role In' the Japanese sur render negotiations, proportion ate to its contribution to the Pa cific war. In a statement issued after a cabinet meeting, Chifley said his government believed Austrulia had not been given sufficient rec ognition by the United States in the dictation of armistice terms to Japan. Baseball Results AMERICAN Washington 3 9 0 Detroit 1 7 1 Haefner and Ferrell; Overmirc and Swift. Boston 8 15 0 Chicago 2 8 2 Clark and Stelncr; Humphries, Johnson(7) Touchstone (8) and Tresh, Castino (8). Philadelphia 4 9 2 Cleveland 6 10 1 Newsom, Marchildon (5), Bowles (7) and George, Harder, Gromcz (9) and Hafts. NATIONAL Pittsburgh 2 6 1 New York 3 10 0 Gables, Cuccurullo (8), and Sulkcld; Brewer and Kluttz, A . I Promise To Come Sunday MANILA!, Saturday, Aug. 18 (UP) The Japanese gov ernment, reacting quickly to u stern "hurry-up" order from Gen. - Douglas MacArthuiy broadcast word today its sur-' render envoy will fly to Ma- j nila tomorrow. p A brief, message flashed over:; the Tokyo radio and addressed directly to MacArthur's head quarters said the unidentified Japanese envoy has been select ed and- will leave Tokyo Sunday. "Further details will follow,"' the broadcast said. Selected It was heard in Manila only a, few hourB after MacArthur had warned the Japanese bluntly to stop stalling and send their sur-. render delegation to Manila "wthout further delay." "Our representative to Manila has been selected," Tokyo's re ply said. "Due to necessary in ternal procedures, he is schedul-r ed to leave Tokyo Aug. 19." .'.The supreme allied occupation commander, plainly irritated over Japanese bickering, bruskely an wered Tokyo's request for clari-" ficatlon of the duties of the Ma nila mission, Clear, Explicit "Your assumption signing of the surrender terms is not among' the tasks of the Japanese repre sentatives to Manila is correct," MacArthur informed Japanese general headquarters by radio. "The directive from this head quarters Is clear and explicit and Is to be complied with without further deloy." Other developments: 1. Japan formally asked Mac Arthur to halt the Russian offen sive in Manchuria on the grounds It was making Japanese compli ance with a cease-firing order difficult. Give It Back 2. Japan admitted Japanese planes attacked some 12 allied transports which approached ex tremely near the coast of t h e home island of Shikoku yester day, but pointed out the incident occurred four hours before Hiro hito had issued his cease-fire or der. 3. The official Japanese Domci news agency said Japan has made arrangements to return the oc cupied Portuguese half of Timor island northwest of Australia to Portugal. 4. Tokyo said vice admiral Takijiro Onishi, chief of the Jap anese naval general staff had committed suicide at his official residence yesterday. I 5. A new Japanese cabinet ' cabinet headed by Prince Naru- hiko Higashi-Kuni, a cousin of Hirohito, was sworn in at the imperial palace. Council Denies Mechanics Lease Mechanics at the airport peti tioned the ciy commission last night fori permission to lease the shop on the airport grounds, but the petition was refused for the reason that if La Grande were selected as an airport stop, the transaction might be interfered with, the city commission said. Application for public dances to be held from 12:01 a. m. to 3 a. m. on the morning of Labor day, Sept 3, and also on the evening of Sept 6, were received from Orella Holmes. The commission allowed the evening dance, but refused the early morning dance on the grounds it would be too disturbing. Resolution was passed to sell Lots 12 and 13, Bl. 21, Predmore's addition, Lo Grande city, to Charles H. and Eva E. Taylor for 250. A. A. Fidler was granted per mission lo build concrete walk on Jefferson street, sloping it from the building to the gutter, which will eliminate the curb. Price was set on Lot 10, Blk. 15, Grandy's second addition. La Grande city, at $100; and on Lot 11, Blk. 15, Grandy's second addi tion, La Grande city, at $75.