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Starting Today
ESTABLISHED 1S96
LA GRANDE, OREGON. THURSDAY EVKN1XG, AUGUST 30, 1945
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73
HERO OF BATAJ.N ARRIVES AT CHUNGKING OWI radio
photo from Chungking shows Li. Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright.
center, and Erig. Gen. L. C. Beebe. left, being greeted at a Chung
king airport after liberation from Japanese hands.
Boyinglon Survives Torture and
Beatings of Japanese Prison
By FRANK H. BARTHOLOMEW
ABOARD MERCY SHIP
REEVES OFF OMORI PRISON
CAMP, TOKYO.. BAY Aug. 30
(UP) Surviving 20 months of
secret imprisonment and torture
with a baseball Ijat, Maj. Gre
gory (Pappy) Boyington, 32-year-old
ace from Okanogan, Wash.,
was rescued by an expedition
commanded by Commodore
Roger Simpson, he told me today.
Boviniiton was reported dead
when he was shot down over
rtaoaui in inn. no naa to Jap
anese planes and a congressional
medal of honor to his credit.
His mother, Mrs. Grace Hallen
beck, of Okanogan, never gave
up hope. She frequently express
ed to newspapermen her belief
her son would return.
Many Wounds
v Boyington said he was shot
down Jan. 3, 1944. He had 22
mm. wounds on his head, neck,
arms and ear and his ankle was
Union Democrats
Endorse Hess For
District Attorney
Endorsement of Henry L. Hess
as U. S. district attorney for Or
egon was unanimously voted .it
a special meeting of the county
democratic central committee in
the Sacaiawea hotel.
Members from almost every
precinct in me county were pres
ent iui inc mitMiig. caneu u.
Henry Akin, state chairman of the
democratic party. The committee
was ieorganized, with officers be
ing elected to fill the vacancy left
by the death of Chairman Lyle B.
Kiddle this spring. New officers
are: W. E. Wilkins, chairman;
Martin Fitzgerald, vice-chairman:
Mrs. Nora Shorb, secretary.
Telegham
'. After the committee reorgani
zation, the chairman was instruct
ed to send a telegram to Thomas
C. Clark, attorney general, advis
ing him of the endorsement.
Telegram to Richard R. Nacy,
vice-chairman of the democratic
committee, recommended Hess
for the post earlier this month,
and was sent by Lew Wallace,
national committeeman.
Run For Governor
Hess ran for governor in 1938,
defeating Governor Martin in the
primaries and losing to Charles
Sprague in the fall. He had pre
viously served five sessions in
the state senate for Union and
Wallowa counties. Since 1921 he
has been practicing law here, and
was in partnership with R. J.
Green until the latter was elect
ed circuit judge in 1938.
A veteran of the World War,
he saw action in France, and had
been practicing law at North
Powilcr before the war. Burn at
Rcxbum, Ida., he moved to Ore
gon when a youth and attended
high school at Union. He is a
graduate of the University of
Oregon law school.
broken. The main gas tank of
his Corsair blew up.
"Finally I located the rubber
boat from my' plane and inflated
it," he went , on. "After a few
hours, a Japanese submarine sur
faced nearby and took me aboard
off Cape St. George and trans
ported me to Rabaul."
"At Rabaul, I was blindfolded
and handcuffed and my medical
co.uipmciu was taken away. I
was questioned the whole night.
I had no medical treatment for
10 days during which time my
festering wounds smclled so foul
I wondered how the Jap ques
tioners could stand the stench.
"On the nth Gay, another in
ternee was permitted to apply
hot water bandages.
In March, 1944, I was trans
ported to a secret navy camp for
ouestioning. It was in the coun
try village of Ofuna, Japan. Here
I was given the baseball bat
treatment.
Slugged 300 Times
"I was slugged in the jaw ap
proximately 300 times. Similar
beatings killed other prisoners.
A pharmacist's mate observed
Fiist Lt. Bill Harris, the son of
Maj. Gen. Phil Harris, reading
about Russia's success in Europe.
"The Jap called all prisoners
into formation, then beat Harris
a half-hour with a baseball bat.
He knocked him down 20 times,
until Harris finally became un
conscious. The Jap kicked him
in the face, ribs and stomach
with heavy shoes."
Bovington said Harris recover
ed. On April 5, 1945. Boyington
was transferred to Omori. The
prisoners were required to bow
politely from the waist to guards
when they wished to use the toi
let and to thank the guard for
his courtesy.
Since most of the prisoners
were suffering from dysentery,
many could not conform to this
rigamarole, Boyington said.
They were then beaten.
The menu consisted of a kilo
of maiz? and rice mixed together.
An occasional treat was a fish
head or seaweed. Boyington's
normal weight of 175 pounds fell
off to 110 until he got a job as
n kitchen assistant. The marine
ace now weighs 160 pounds.
Boy Scouts Will
Urge Hole Digging
Boy Scout troops will be in
charge of encouraging home own
ers from Second to Birch streets
to dig holes for the new street
markers, it was announced to
day. Boy Scout Hoard
Of Review Put Off
The Boy Scout board of review,
which usually meets the firs!
Monday of every month, has been
postponed from Sept. 3 to Tues
day, Sept. 4, because of Labor
day.
MacArthur Takes Over in
Truman Savs 'All
Blame for
WASHINGTON, Aujrust 80
(UP) President Truman
said today he thinks the army
and navy Petirl Harbor re
ports showed the disaster re
sulted fundamentally from
"the policy which the country
itself pursued" in 1941 a
policy of non-preparedness.
The president expressed his
views at a press conference while
numerous congressmen were de
manding further investigations
and public courts martial of top
officers who drew part of the
blame.
Reads Reports
The president also sided again
with Secretary of War Henry L.
Stimson in defense of former
secretary of state Cordcll Hull.
The president said he had rend
the reports carefully and come
to this conclusion:
"The whole thing was the re
sult of the policy which the coun
try itself pursued. The country
was not ready for preparedness."
He went on to say every time
the late President Roosevelt tried
.to get a preparedness program
through congress, it was suited.
And every time Roosevelt in
statements tried to arouse the
country to the need of prepared
ness, he was "vilified," Truman
said.
No Trials ,
. And. thus, the president addqd,
his primary""thbught was the
country as a whole, more than
any individual was to blame.
He said he had no intention of
ordering courts martial for any
of the officers Involved, but he
had no objection to such courts
martial being held.
. (The army and navy have
stated they have no intention ol
ordering any trials.)
Can Speak
A reporter observed Maj. Gen.
Walter H. Short and Rear Adm.
Husband E. Kimmel, who up un
See TRUMAN . . . Page 7
Grant Bailey of
Hermiston Dies:
Had Lived Here
Grant Bailey, 77, of Hermiston
died in a Hermiston hospital
Monday, Aug. 27, following a
short illness.
He was born uly 5, 1868 in In
diana, was a former resident of
La Grande, moving to Hermiston
about 25 years ago, and was a
member of Cherry lodge No. 254,
A. F. ' A. M., Fargo, Okla.
Survivors include his wife, Ella,
of Hermiston, one son, W. G.
Bailey of La Grande, a daugh
ter, Mrs. Byron Brown of Port
land and other relatives.
Funeral services will bo held
at 2 p. m. Friday in the Christian
church in Hermiston, and grave
side services will be held at the
Masonic cemetery in La Grande
at 2 p. m., Saturday, Sept. 1, Rev.
Eugene Chamberlain, pastor of
First Christian church, wil lbc in
charge.
Mt. Emily 4-H Club
Group Will Exhibit
Mt.' Emily camp 4-H group,
led by Mrs. Ruth Hagey, met at
2 p.m. today to make final ar
rangements for exhibiting pro
jects at the county 4-H club fair
Sept. 19-20. Miss Doris McWhor
ter, Union county home demon
stration agent, was present to
answer the girls' questions con
cerning the fair. Cove 4-H clubs
are meeting at 7:30 p.m. today at
the home of Mrs. Dena Towle,
4-H club leader, also to make
arrangements for the fan.
Many Appeals for Housing Reach Chamber
With cancellation of the de
fense housing unit in Connur
dale addition, many request!,
even appeals, for any sort of liv
ing quarters have been stream
ing in at the office of the cham
ber of commerce.
Dozens of railroad men who
Disaster
Colonel Settles
For Ruined Hose
- i
SEATTLE, Aug. 30 (UP) Col.
Marshall R. Gray, commander of
Boeing army airfield, today set
tled with Queen Mother Helen of
Rumania for his part in the
American bombing of Brasov.
The settlement terms one pair
of nylon stockings.
Gray, who participated in the
15th AAF attacks on Brasov and
Polesti later had lunch with the
king and queen. The queen told
Gray she had been in Brasov
when the colonel's wing made its
raid, and had torn her silk stock
ings escaping.
Today Gray mailed the queen
one pair of nylons, size 10 VS, pro
vided by a Seattle department
store executive.
School Bus Will .
Begin Operations
Next Tuesday
La Grande schopl bus service
for the first few days of school
this year and the . schedule the
bus will follow have been an
nounced by Fred Patton,. super-.
rlntendent of schools. Changes in
the service will be made as war.
ranlpd.
The : bus will go from La
Grande on the Mt. Glen road, to
the Iowa school house. It will
than go north to the Butte, west
to the Jim Woodell place, north
to the Frank Greiner place, west
to the L. Webster place, turning
south there to the Herbert Speck
hart place. ;
Going east from there the bus
will go to the Sand Ridge road,
then go south to the Conley
warehouse and proceed south
west down the highway to the
Booth lane, then west through
Booth lane to the Mt. Glen road
and then into La Grande.
Pupils living along the road
will be picked up on the road on
the described route, starting Sept.
4. Lunchrooms will not be in
operation for some time. The bus
will return earlier than usual on
Tuesday, but lunches will still
be necessary, Patton declared.
Time schedule:
Mt. Glen school house 3
Hunter Lane 8:03
Iowa school house '. 8:05
Duncan McDonald Lane 8:03
Iiutte 8:10
Jim Woodell place 8:14
Griener place ., 8:17
L. Webster 8:18
Paul Knautz place 8:21
Herbert Speckhart place 8:23
Sand Ridge road corner 8:25
Conley Warehouse 8:29
Booth Lane i .8:31
Zurbrick place .8:34
Moss Chapel school house 8:30
60,000 Lumbermen
Plan to Strike
SEATTLE, Aug. 30 (UP) A
strike of more than 00,000 Pacific
northwest AFL lumber workers
was forecast by union leaders to
day as the local office of the na
tional labor relations board be
gan sorting 30,000 ballots from
the first of two scheduled strike
voles.
Its office jammed with sacks
of ballots received before the
deadline last midnight, the NLHB
said results of the balloting will
not be known until Sept. 0. Union
leaders, however, have warned
they planned to strike regardless
of the outcome.
expect to be living in this ana
for at least the next year be
cause of emergency work, afe
i-nable to bring thftir families to
town because of shortage o'
housing. Most of them had ex
pected to move into the housing
project when it was completed.
Fred Patton, superintendent of
40,000 Men
Land, Occupy
lokvo Plains
N '
By RALPH TEATSORTH
GENERAL Mac ARTHUR
HDQS, YOKOHAMA, Aug. 30
(UP) Gen. Douglas MacArthur
se up headquarters in Yokohama
today as the first 40,000 troops of
his occupation army raised the
stars and stripes over Japan's
largest naval base, two airfields
and a big slice of Tokyo plain.
A half dozen or more Japanese
towns were occupied by allied
air and seaborne forces in ten
hours.
'MacArthur established his
headquarters ill Yokohama's new
Grand hotel with other top
American officers. From the top
of the hotel MacArthur could
see Emperor Hiruhilo's palace in
the heart of Tokyo. Both Hiro
hito and the Japanese govern
ment now must take their orders
from MacArthur.
Take Islands
' South of Yokohama, Admiral
'Chester W. Nimitz and Admiral
William F. (Bull) Halsey of third
fleet fame went ashore at the
newly-occupied Yokosuka naval
base, formerly Japan's No. 1
navy yard. It already had sur
rendered formally. ,
American and British marines
and blue-jackets also raised the
American flag over three forti
fied islands guarding the ap
proaches to Yokosuka, .Cape Futt
SU seven miles across the en
trance to Tokyo bay from Yoko
suka. The air and sea-borne landings
on Japan were carried out under
a canopy of 2,000 warplanes and
the big guns of hundreds of war
ships. The troops landed with
full combat equipment, but not a
shot was fired.
, On Guard
From Atsugl, MacAHhur's
party set out for Yokohama in
n convoy of Japanese automobiles
and trucks. Japanese troops with
rifles and sidoarms stood every
100 yards or so with their backs
to the road.
' Paratroops on the 11th air
borne division, who will serve as
Mat-Arthur's bodyguards, piled
into the Japanese trucks without
commcint. Japanese officers
saluted promptly.
Yokohama itself is a burned-
out shell from American ait
raids. There is no resemblance
to the great port that once housed
nearly 1,000,000 Japanese and
handled a quarter of the Jap
anese Empire's trade.
Trains and trolley cars arc run
ning, but few automobiles are in
the streets.
Up to 40,000 troops had landed
by sea and air on the southern
approaches of Tokyo by night
fall. Others waited aboard ships
in Tokyo bay and at Okinawa
airfields.
Priesthood Leaves
For Annual Outing
Aronic priesthood of the Un
ion stake of the Church of Latter
Day Saints today left for Lang-
don lake for an overnight cam-
porcc. The outing Is under the
direction of O. C. Wylde. The
Union stake includes Baker, Un
ion, La Grande, Walla Walla and
Pendleton.
STREET LINES PAINTED
City streets in downtown La
Grande today were receiving
new stripes of yellow paint to
designate more clearly the park
ing spaces in the congested park
ing areas, A small automatic
machine with a heavy brush, and
pushed very much like a peram
bulator was used to make the
unswerving bright lines.
schools, also reported several
teachers will be arriving hern
within the next few 'days, with
no place to which to bring their
families.
The chamber has been listing
houses ii nd apartments and sleep
ing rooms which are available
fur renters and has been taking
FIRST IN JAPAN Col. John
H. Lackey jr., Norfolk, Va.,
commandor of ihe 317lh troop
carrier command, gets honor
for flying the first parly of
conquering American! into
Japan. He landed firaf trans
port on Atsugi airfield, 20 miles
from Tokyo.
Veteran Seniority
Supercedes Union,
Judge Declares
NEW YORK, Aug. 30 (UP)
Federal Judge Matthew T. Ab
ruzzo ruled today the selective
service act supersedes collective
bargaining' agreements in deter
mining job seniority rights of war
veterans. ;
He made his decision in a test
case brought by Abraham Fish
gold .former serviceman, against
the Sullivan Dry Dock and Re
pair corporation.
Answering arguments of the
company's counsel, he declared
"there is no ambiguity about the
act that took the veteran into the
army forces."
"This act now saves the veteran
his pension, his Insurance and his
social security, Abrozzo said. ,
"In my opinion, congress in
tended to give the veteran all the
rights he left when he was called
into service and the statute pass
ed by congress supersedes col
lective bargaining contracts."
Yanks Take Over
Great Jap Base
In 80 Minutes
By FRANK H. BARTHOLOMEW
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE.
Aug. 30 (UP) Formal control
of one of Japan's greatest naval
bases passed into American
hands today when Rear Adm.
Michitara Tozuko, a fat - faced
little man with baggy eyes, hand
eel a plain, white envelope to
Rear Adm. Robert Carney, USN.
The transfer took place on the
side of a dock in the shadow of
Hear Adm. Oscar W. Badger's
llagship, the San Diego the
first invading ship to tie up at
this newest U. S. naval base.
The brief surrender formalities
were completed an hour and 20
minutes after the San Diego tied
up.
Tozuka received the surrender
document from one of three Jap
anese aides who looked ready to
burst into tears.
Badger, Carney and Marine
Gen. William Clement entered a
Packard and began a tour and
inventory of the navy yard.
The Japanesa offered the for
mer headquarters of the station
as U. S. naval headquarters, while
buildings of the Japanese naval
corps, artillery, engineering and
navigation school and the naval
airforce were offred for use by
garrison troops.
the names of those who wish
quarters in an attempt to find
adequate housing for essential
and highly important workers.
This appeal from the chamber
for those who have quarters,
even though they may see-in
small perhaps, to list them with
the chamber for clearance.
Japan
Point Values
On Meat Cut
For September
WASHING.TON, Aug. 30 (UP)
OPA today sloshed September
ration point values on meat,
cheese, butter and margarine. No
points will be needed for can
ned milk, the office of price ad
ministration announced.
From Sept. 2 t6 20,' inclusive,
the red point reductions on all
meats will .average 28 percent.
Points on cheeses will be cut in
halt. Butter will drop four points
and margarine will bo cut by two
so that both will have the same
ration value 12 pojnts.
Much Lets
Blue point rationing has stop'
ped. Now points will be cut on
the whole red point list except
for lard, cooking oils and other
shortening.
Beef steaks and roasts will be
from two to three points less a
pound. Hamburger values will be
cut in half to two points a pound,
Lamb and veal will drop one to
three points. Pork steaks, chops
and roasts will be down one and
two points. All bacon will be re
duced by two points, and spare
ribs will be cut three points.
Price: administrator Chester
Bowles said the reductions result
from "marked Improvement in
the last few weeks" In supply and
distribution.
...:',,,'.': Not tn. Sight
End of meat rationing is not
yet In sight, Bowles declared, al
though other sources have pre
dicted it would last only a couple
of months more,
He said the agriculture depart
ment estimates civilians will get
338,000,000 pounds of meat a
week during the September ra
tioning period compared with
280,420,000 pounds in August, an
increase of 20 Vt percent. There
will be more beef, veal, lamb
mutton and pork, he said.
Worker Injured
By Fall of Part
Of His Scaffold
William D. Brazce of Denver
is in Grande Ronde hospital re
covering from an accident at Mt.
Emily mill yesterday.
Brazce, with a contracting com
pany out of Denver which is
constructing a chimney at the
local mill, was building a scaffold
when the triangle at the top of
the scaffold gave way, fell and
struck him on the head. Brazce
was wearing a metal helmet at
the time, but the force of the fall
ing framework was great enough
to dent the helmet and lacerate
his scalp and the impact of the
blow loosened his front teeth.
Barring the development of
any complications the injured
man's condition is not deemed
serious and he should be able to
leave the hospital within a few
days, attendants said.
Bormann Believed
Still Uncaptured
LONDON, Aug. 30 (UP) A
Russian spokesman said today
Martin Bormann, Adolf Hitler's
deputy and second most power
ful man in Nazi Germany, is be
lieved still at large.
Maj. Gen. I. T. Nikitchcnko dis
closed the allies have dismissed
reports of Bormann's death as un
founded. Speculation over Bormann's
whereabouts was touched off by
his inclusion last night among the
24 German war criminals order
ed to trial at Nuernberg.
At first it was thought his ap
pearance on the mass indictment
might mean he already had been
captured by the allies.
Nikitchcnko said, however,
Bormann is not in soviet hands
nor, so far as hw knw, in the
custody of any of the allitd pow
ers. He pointed out, however, the
charter establishing the war
crimes tribunal permitted trials
in absentia.
The soviet spokesman declined
comment on why Bormann was
included on the indictment list
while Adolf Hitler was not. Hit
ler's body never has been found.
Losses to:
Beat 25
Millions
' PORTLAND, Augr. 80 (UP
Fire in. the outfitting docks
of the Kaiser . Oregon ship
yard in Portland today burn
ed six newly-completed ships,
with dumuge estimated in ex
cess of $25,000,000.
A cabin painter drowned,
when he dived from a flaming
ship into the mooring basin. Ard
asbestos operator Is unaccounted
for. Hundreds of workers dived
into the mooring basin to escap
.the flames and scores suffered
minor Injuries. : :
, The fire was still burning three
hours after the first outbreak.
The damage included loss of mil
lions of dollars of plant equip
ment, including the machine;
shop, sheet metal shop, marine
machinists shop, marine store,
shop, garage and all equipment
of the Buckler - Chapman com
pany, which outfits' for Kaiser
Great Heat . V';
Flames raced from one ship id
another as they were tied at the
dock of the Willamette river
shipyard, one of the largest in
the world. Tre Victory ships aiidf
troop transports had been laun-!
ched and needed only final out
fitting. .
Between 2,500 and 3,000 work
ers were in the immediate area,.
Firemen were driven from the
outfitting dock by the terriftc
heat of the flames, fed by fresh1
paint and other Inflammables. U
The flro is believed to have"
started when sparks from a weld
er's outfit ignited oil being piped
Into , a generator on the Bexar
' in-ill.:
Dock Caught
The flames jumped to the USS
Glynn, a troopship moored near
it, and lt was only seconds be
fore the Glynn was afire.
. Then the outfitting dock itself
caught fire and the flames swept
under the main deck, weakening
the piling underneath. Four IS
ton Whirley cranes wavered and
yard officials were fearful they
might topple' over.
Firemen prevented the fire
from spreading from the outfit
ting dock. Efforts were concen
trated on keeping the fire trom
the shipways. ,
i Lights Out
North Portland was covered
with black smoke and the flames
were visible over a wide area.
I'elephone and lighting equip
ment al) went out when the fire
slatted. ;
The yard one of the biggest
in the world is operated by
Henry F. Kaiser's Oregon ShlB
building corporation for the UJ.
maritime commission. End of the
war brought cancellation of most
outstanding contracts and the
yard was tapering off its activi
ties. It established all-time rec
ords for rapid construction ships.
British to Enter
Hong Kong Harbor "
CHUNGKING, Aug. 30 (UP)
British naval units will enter
Hong Kong harbor today to take
over the British crown colony
from Japanese occupation forces,
Lt. Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyir
announced.
Wedemeyer said the British
units were detached from Ad
miral Sir Bruce Fraser's Pacific
command to make the lightning
run to resume control of one of
Great Britain's most famous out
posts. .
Betty Courtney
Has Left WAVES
Mrs. Betty Courtney of La
Grande has received a discharge
from the WAVES and is here
awaiting the arrival of her hus
band, Lt. Burl Courtney who IS
expected to arrive next week for
a 15-day leave. . v
While in the WAVES Mrs.
Courtney was a Link trainer in
structor at Beeville, Texas. Lieut
enant Courtney, returned in
Murch from the south Pacific
where he served witk the 41st
infantry and is in charge of a
prisoner of war camp in New
Mexico.
i . if.
SINK 69 SHIPS
WASHINGTON, Aug. 30 (UP)
U. S. submarines operating in
far eastern waters inj,,the last
three months of the war sank fj9
enemy vessels, the navy announc
ed today.