The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, January 31, 1944, Page 1

THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” VOL. XLIL, NO. 5963. FURIOUS BATTLE NOW RAGES ON PACIFIC JUNEAU, ALASKA, MON DAY, JANUARY 31, 1944 MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS PRICE TEN CENTS Berlin, 3 Industrial Centers, Left in Flames RAF STRIKES NAZI CAPITAL FURIOUS BLOW American E(;nbers Set; Fire in Three Cities— 5 Leave Mass of Ruins LONDON, Jan. 31.—Hundreds of; big Royal Air Force bombers smash-| ed Berlin again last night. The; holocaust from fire and explosives; was the greatest from sustained| aerial offensives in history and left| the Nazi capital city and three other | great industrial cities aflame and| in heaps of rubble. | It was the third terrific blow mi four nights on Berlin. Mosquito bombers darted in after the heavy bombers and added to the spreading ruins. An ominous silence fell over the whole of Germany in the wake of the four days of night and day bombing, including the powerful American raids on Sunday on| Brunswick and Hannover and a record U. S. bomber blow on Frank- furt last Saturday. Communications between Sweden and Berlin were broken Sunday (Continued on Page Three) The Washingioni Merry - Go- Round By DREW PEARSON | (Major Robert 8. Allen on active duty.) | WASHINGTON—One of the tip- top ranking Democratic 1eaders‘ with whom the President really lets, his hair down had a private con- versation with “the Boss” last week which indicates who® FDR thinks will be the Republican candidate. “The man we've got to beat,” said the President, “is Dewey.” Then he went on to say that there was no use waiting until next May or June to begin going after Dewey. The time to begin was right now. The President always has been a believer in seeking out a political | | $297,648 ATH WARBOND | DRIVE; WATCH FUND GOING UP $320,809 i | $315,000 $302,667 $268,267 $191.161 $175,486 $165,343 $104,312 $ 15,000 NARROW GAP IN MARCH TO BOND QUOTA Girl Scouts Back Up Fine' Record for Series | E Sales | | With tonight and two more hooth | Naval SOME SOLDIERS. IN NORTH LIKE "FORGOTTEN MEN' Actress lnrgrrid Bergman Gives Interview After Alaska Tour HOLLYWOOD, Calif,, Jan. 31.— |1t is hard to imagine Ingrid Berg- {man following American around to make them speak to her, but the Swedish actress declares MAGNUSON VISITING ALEUTIANS CongressmghflSa,ys War| Front Has Certainly Moved West By NORMAN BELL Associated Press War (?nrrespundent‘tlml happened to her on her recent | AT AN ALEUTIAN BASE, Jan.|tour of Alaska. 31.—At a base here to obtain first-| She told a reporter that “some hand information to reimpress upon of the soldiers had not seen a wo- Washington the vital importance of jman for perhaps two years and the North Pacific area, Congress-!they were afraid to speak to us. man Warren G. Magnuson, of the|They just stared and were so shy. House Naval Affairs Committee, ob- |Finally I got the men to talk to served yesterday “The war has me and they stammered and said certainly moved west up here.” “we don't know how to talk to a On his last trip, a year ago, Kiska | woman any more.” and Attu were still in the hands of | She said some of the soldiers in the Japanese. | Alaska felt like ‘“‘forgotten men.” Magnuson only went as far as, She was overjoyed by her trip, Umnak and commented on con- however, as were other members of struction of the western preparation for carrying the war to|thing possible to bring enjoyment the enemy's homeland, 'to the soldiers, who were extremely Magnuson said one of the prob-|polite and a “fine bunch.” i SRR e SAVED FROM will be the disposition of the big| bases built to stop the Jap invasion ! threat, now left for to the rear of | the war front. Congressman Magnuson was greeted by Admiral Jack Fletcher, Capt. Allen Price, commanding operating bases, and other ranking officers. - He “was accom- panied by Rear Admiral F. E. M. | soldiers bases in|the tour, and said they did every-: DEMOS END FAIRBANKS . (ONVENTION But Tortured Downedi DEPORTATION ;Sharpe and Monagle from . First Division Named as , National Delegates |OF ALL JA PS """" | | FAIRBANKS, Jan. 31.—The Ter- { ritorial Democratic Convention clos- ed here Friday night after a com- parotively calm day. A platform was adopted incorporating the fol- lowing planks: Favoring legislation to make Al- aska state, but not favoring any of the several bills introduced in Con- gress Favoring legislation to allow Al- aska to elect its own governor. | Favoring nondiscrimination on ac- count of race, color or creed Favoring absentee voting for serv- EAmerican légi}dn Chief De- clares Assimilation Is Impossible BOSTON, Mass., Jan. 31.--Warren Atherton, National Commander of the American Legion, said in an 3 2 interview, he favored deportation of fcemen and also legislation for care all Jap subjects in the United States P viteans, | just as soon as possible. A plank condemning more land " s¢perton declared the American withdrawals in Alaska and asking yegion pelieves the Japs can never that the 20-mile strip along the Al- 'pe " ygqimilated and he declared: aska Highway be thown open after | “That belief has been proven after e ‘war. 8 50 years' trial.” Favoring the reducing of from, Agperton said it will be dangerous eight to one the number of workers to return to California 150,000 Japs an employer must employ to Pay 'who have been moved to relocation unemployment compensation, and camps, reducing the number of weeks work= | Athorton also criticized the with- ed to five from 20, and ’3"0""3‘}\01‘1\11; of news by government the transfer"of the Unemployment 5, co5 citing an instance in the Compensation Administration to the Japs Not Only Executed 1S ADVOCATED Whiting, Commander of the Ala: kan Sector Thirteenth Naval Dis- trict. —— e — SPAIN MAY GET TAKEN FOR RIDE: U. 5., Great Brifain fo Swat Franco for Continued Aid fo Axis BI6 DAMAGE First MMDS—hfiwarded fo { Capt. Blakefield for : Heroic Action SEATTLE, Jan. 31. — The first |Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal ever awarded on the 0 Pacific Northwest, has been given Capt. Robert E. Blakefield, | Seattle Master Mariner, credited by |the Army with saving a large part of an unnamed Alaska port from | destruction. The presentation disclosed that | Capt. Blakefield was the skipper, who on January 10, 1942, pulled a blazing ammunition ship from its |berth at an Alaskan pier and totved Department of Labor. A plank against vested interests monopoly in fishing Referendum Lost A motion by Alaska Linck to call for submitting the question of state- hood to a referendum was lost 46 to 28. Resolutions passed included: Favoring care of war veterans, favoring a Southeast Alaska ferry connection with Prince Rupert and other post-war planning, favoring an independent tax collection agency for Alaska. stating conscription of capital and labor is necessary to win the war. Another resolution condemned in- discriminate appointments by ap- pointing authorities in the Territory and slapped at past appointments made without party support Passed 45 to 32 was a resolution instructing delegates to the sinking of four or five Jap ships in an engagement in the Pacific and a few weeks later the public learned the American Navy suffered a similar loss in the same battle, e 30 ENEMY AIRCRAFT SENT DOWN Fierce Combaf Takes Place in Rabaul Area-Havoc Americans | nRaid on Tokyo NEW YORK, Jan. 31.- The Japs not only executed the Americans captured after Jimmy Doolittle's raid but also tortured at least six of them unmercifully beforehand, W. B. Powell, former editor of the China Weekly Review, said here. Powell was a prisoner in the nor torious Bridge House in Shanghai at the time, now in the Presbyterian Hospital here. Powell said: “In the next cell to jus, were six American boys. We | thought at first.they were marines | who had tried to escape from a con- centration camp but later we found lout they were aviators captured lafter the Doolittle raid. They were | | tortured unmercifully daily and their | agonizing cries could be heard for |hours. The Japs seemed to take delight in torturing them more than !civilians, that because, I suppose, they refused to divulge any military secrets. Later two or three of the | Americans were taken to Japan and there executed.” MORE ATROCITY STORIES WASHINGTON, Jan. 31. — The hope that relentless publicity may force Japan's war lords to cease to torture and murder helpless Amer- ican prisoners, tempered high quart- lers in the government by grave concern that this might have the opposite effeet, = According to the Office of War Information there appears to be a disagreement over the wisdom of making public the Philippine atroc- ity story that wes jointly issued by the War and Navy departments| | after held a secret for many months | Whether the announcement 'sig- ‘naled a new policy in respect to atrocity stories remains uncertain | in the absence of any official com- mitment. Tt is considered certain, however, that other sickening inci- dents are still to be told, those suffering to death but from whom no spokesman has yet escaped to] this country | - NAZI DEFENSE IS BROKEN ON FIGHTING IS REPORTED AT ISLE GROUP Japanese Broadcast ‘Pow- erful Enemy Units’ Are Now Being Engaged NEW YORK, Jan. 31.—The Tokyo radio, in a broadcast, asserts “Jap- anese Army and Navy units inter- cepted powerful enemy units which have been attacking the Marshall group of islands on the morning of January 30 (Sunday) and fighting is now going on.” The broadeast was in the English language and the transmission was beamed to North America and re- corded by the United States For- eign Broadcast and Intelligence Service. Reference to the Japanese Army and Navy units apparently means the air arms”of both ser- vices. Another broadcast beamed from Ttaly said “strong enemy forces, at dawn, January 30, began an offen- <ive against the Marshalls, and Japanese armed forces in this sec- tor are now engaged in hard fight- ing against these forces." GREAT NAVAL ACTION PEARL HARBOR, Jan. 31—What may be the greatest Naval task force-in' history- hurled hundreds of tons- of explosives In the second consecutive day yesterday into the cringing Jap defenders of the in- vasion-threatened Marshalls, Ad- miral Chester W. Nimitz announces, and progress is reported. Surface forces, presumably battle- ships, cruisers and destroyers, moved within 10 and 20 miles of the heav- ily defended atolls to pound shore installations. Thousands of rounds of shells were unloosed by the task forces and also 100 tons of bombs. Kwajale was pounded, also Maloe- lap., Wotje and Rio atolls. The enemy forces presumably are huddled underground, in pill boxes or bomb shelters, similar to those on Tarawa. Other for¢es harassed Weto, northwest atoll. Aside from the brief communique, no details of the action are report- ed and a radio silence is enforced enemy WASHINGTON, Jan. 31.—Impli- it down the harbor where it ex- : : T ; enemy’s weak points well in |nights lefy for concentrated booth ploded, sending parts of the ship vance. Also, he was a bit worried'gajes only $4,156.75 in Series E cation the Allied nations may choke | (Continued on Page Two) ~a- - on Jap Fleet Dealt tional Convention to cast their in 1940 over the fact that he g0t ponds was needed to put the Gas-|off all oil shipments, unless Franco, such a late start campaigning, com- |tineay Channel over the top in mg{MUps helplrfg the Axis, and adopt| pared with the energetic licks wm‘\Fuunh War Loan Drive. Althoughiother drastic blow kie put in throughout the summer. Those whom the Democratic big-istands at $323.809, the quota of11_igh( of trends of the Spanish pol-| wig let in on this conversation con- 140000 in Series E bonds was not/icy. | sidered it the most significant re-; mark of all recent Democratic man- euvering. FOOD AND THE WAR Assistant President Jimmy Byrnes| called a meeting of the War Mo-{ bilization Committee the other day| to discuss the vital question of food for 1944. In preparation for the meeting, War Food Administra- tor Marvin Jones had his staff pre-| pare a lengthy report on food prices, farm labor, ‘mochinery and other phases of the farm problem. This report was distributed be-! fore the meeting so that membersI of the War Mobilization Commmeei would have time to study it, but it| soon became apparent that genial Judge Jones had not read carefully his own report—if at all. | ‘When he began to talk about the drastic need of farm machinery and the restrictions on its producuon.\ WPB's Donald Nelson quickly plek-: ed him up. Obviously, Nelson had read Jones' report and had some facts of his own to refute it. He pointed out that the orly thing| getting a higher prioriy than farm| machinery on the war production| schedule was the landing craft pro- gram, and that the President had| ordered landing barges placed ahead | of everything else. i “You weuldn't put farm machin- ery ahead of landing barges, would you?” asked Nelson. “Well, it won’t do 'em any good| to land if they haven't got food,” replied Jones. Under-Secretary of War Patter- son also tangled briskly with Jones, over farm deferments. Patterson| (Continued on Page Four) | |of Norway at one booth and the led in the total, Fourth War Loan the grand total for all bonds now! reached and it couldn’t be said that | the goal had been reached The Girl Scouts of America chalk-; ed up sales of almost $6,000 in Ser- ies E bonds and also sold $363 in stamps to help boost the present Series E total to $135843.25. Tonight the CIO and Federal Em- ployees’ Association will be selling bonds at the booths. Tomorrow night will find the Sons Serbian flag at the other. One of the biggest nights is ex- pected on the last evening of booth sales when the Chamber of Com-| merce goes to work along with the Douglas Firemen. The special campaign will close; Wednesday night, but all sales made through February 15 will be count- Drive officials report. 2,000 to 3,000 feet into the air. “Had the explosion occurred at the dock it would have completely wrecked the dock and caused serious damage to the town,” said the ci- tion. s, by the State Dep: is announced artment in the The State Department said the| pnxwd States has prohibited Span-| JJ ish tankers from loading oil for! Spain in reconsideration of u‘ade! and general relations between the two countries. Tt is learned the forceful step was taken a week ago and as yet the Spanish Government has made no move to comply with| American and British protests which | prompted the action. Grievances the State Department | has listed are as follows: 5 Failure to release interned Italian ships. Failure to stop the export of vital| war materials to Germany. | Failure to curb the activities of Nazi agents in Spanish territory. Apparent failure to withdraw all members of the Spanish blue di- vision from the Rwmsian front, and stop extension of credit to Germany By HOWARD FLIEGER WASHINGTON, Jan. 31. — The |average American must be con- stantly amazed at the wonderful adventures of that anonymous gent ! on his front page, the well-informed | “Swedish traveler.” Swedish Traveler” ~Is Mysterious Gent Buf Gives War News ballot for Roosevelt if he decl he is a candidate, but the Roo: enthusiasm present in 1940 was lac] 1 ADVANCED ‘ALLIED HEAD- kf QUARTERS IN NEW GUINEA, Jan 31—Army and Navy airmen ~ engaged in a fierce combat over the Rabaul area, downed 30 enemy aircraft and possibly 62 Friday, to |bring to 546 the number of planes destroyed for certain in the South- west Pacific thus far in January, and in addition to 171 enemy air- craft possibly destroyed. 4 ' (Continued on rcage Two) The Allied losses acknowledged for the same period is 97, giving our filers a 6 to 1 advantage. In Friday's sweeps over Rabaul, 130 to 70 interceptors were downed and 12 listed as probable. Twenty parked aircrafl were blasted on the ground, adding to the big bag of Jap planes, the largest ever*destroy- ed in a single attack. little more than three hours. ‘ American airmen have also hit Of course, it takes months to get enemy shipping, destroying four a visa, but once it is in hand the auxiliary warships, 24 merchantmen Swedish national is free to go on jand 157 barges and 15 small craft. | the first non-military plane out, if |Airmen have also ‘damaged four he can make it. | cruisers, nine destroyers, four aux- Lt {iliary warships, 30 merchantmen, Swedish newspapers still have cor- |79 barges and 11 small craft, CASSINO LINE Germans Flakepido but Americans, British Not Stopped e i s i 14 Nippon Ships Are ALLIED HEADQUARTERS XN‘ ALGIERS, Jan. 13.—American in-| fantry and tank teams, surprising| the Nazis, thrust across thé Rapido| River bottom, deliberately flooded| by the Germans to form a barrier,| 'and achieved a break-through of! the defenses north of Cassino. Torpedoed WASHINGTON, Jan. 31. — The Navy Department reports the sink= nig of 14 Jap ships, some of which may have heen endeavoring to re- inforce the enemy positions in the American fighters and bombers scored a record bag in Italy by} knocking down 63 German planes| in a series of flattening assaults on! four enemy air bases in northeastern Italy. 1 British Tommies and American Rangers, with tanks and tank de-! stroyer teams, fought a string of sharp actions along the perimeter | ~ at the Anzio bridgehead, and en- ‘which the Nazis “unquestionably| expect” and use in espionage and' sabotage in Spanish territory. BEISTLINE T0 ACT | AS MAYOR; LUCAS | CALLED TO WASH. Called to Washington, D. C., on official business, Mayor Harry I. Lucas is expected to leave today by plane. During his absence, Ralph H.| Beistline, senior member of the City | Gouncil, will be in the capacity of | Acting Mayor. His appointment | was made at a special Council meet- ing Saturday night. . KETCHIKAN ARRIVAL Arriving from Ketchikan, Mrs John Griffin is at the Gastineau. Harold Foss, chairman, urged all resicents to remember that the Ketchikan Coast Guard Glee Club will present a concert Thursday eve- ning in the Twentieth Century Theatre, free to the public, with bond holders especially invited to attend. e DOOLITTLE INLONDON LONDON, Jan. 31.—Major James Doolittle has arrived in England to take command of the Eighth United States Army Air Force. e BUY WAR BONDS Allied bombs rip up Berlin and— in a matter of hours—the Swedish | traveler is home from Germany, telling his Stockholm friends all about it. 4 With his motoring slowed to a walk and his train travel only o memory, the ex-American gadabout must marvel at the speed and ease with which the touring Swedes ap- pear to shuttle between Berlin and Stockholm. The “Swedish traveler” has become the most interviewed man in the bombings of Berlin. He seems a most unaccountable fellow unless you happen to ask the Swedish Legation about his comings and goings. There is an explana- tion. A legation spokesman explained that, although greatly restricted by the red tape of war, civilian travel still is possible between Berlin and Stockholm. The trip by air takes a respondents in Berlin. Although their copy is censored, they probably know the identity of fellow citizens who have made arrangements to leave Germany. It's a routine mat- | ter to ask the potential traveler to | call the office as soon as he gets home. The legation said Swedish news- | papers keep reporters regularly as- | signed to commercial airports to interview returning citizens the min- | ute they get home from the con- tinent. You can be sure the same | thing goes for American correspond- | ents stationed in Stockholm. | A Washingtonian who listened to | days of whiskey shortage testimony | before a Senate investigating com-“ mittee, made an over-night trip to, New York that probably left him (Continued on Page Two) | ers, - eee FINAL PRACTICE TONIGHT FOR WOMEN SINGERS The final practice for the women singers who will participate in the coming Coast Guard concert will be held tonight at 7:45 o'clock in the Lutheran Church. This is the last practice before the arrival of the Coast Guard sing- The women will have a com- bined practice with the visiting choral group Wednekday night and the concert is scheduledefor Thurs~ day, according to announcement. D MRS. MILLER AND SON HERE Here from Haines, Mrs. Edith Miller and son are guests at the Gastineau Hotel. !larged the grip on the strategic | wedge 19 or 20 miles below Rome. The Cyprmans evidently gained | |time to prepare lines of defenses| {through the Alban hills along thcl irallroad to Rome from Cisterna, 23’ miles southwest of the Eternal City, but the British and Americans | {are methodically blasting them uut.l | A Berlin broadcast said a strong| |British and American offensive | |started from the bridgehead. | ‘The Allies yesterday poured slxl linfantry divisions into the wedge along with armor guns. H - oo | DR. BOUERS BACK | After a month’s absence, during (which time he visited points in| Southeast Alaska, Dr. H. O. K.| | Bouers returned here over the week- | |end. Dr. Bouers is a physician with ' Jtlw Bureau of Indian Affairs, Marshalls now being battered by United States air and surface units. All went down after attacks by far- ranging submersibles, Just where the sinkings occurred Is not dis- closed. Two large transports and eight freighters are included in the sink- ings. TO GET THE FIGHTING MEN HOME SOONER b & I