The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, March 25, 1944, Page 1

VOL. XLIL, NO. 9610. . HE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” JUNEAU, ALASKA, SATURDAY, MARCH 25, IQ44 MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS PRICE TEN CENT S RED ARMIES HAMMER AT BALKAN GATES Japs Thrusting into India on FIRST U.S. TROOPS LANDING ON LOS NEGROS RESISTANCE STIFFENING ONNIPPONS Setback Being Encountered | as Americans, Chinese Advance in Valley NEW DELHI, March 25.—Jap col- umns thrusting along three in-| vasion roads into India are meeting | increasingly stiff resistance and en-‘ countering setbacks, the Soulheast’ Asia headquarters communique an- | nounces, indicating the North Bur-| ma Americans and Chinese under | Brig. Gen. Frank Merrill, 39, have| slashed through Mogaung Valley | and have occupied Shaduzup, 45! miles northeast of Mogaung on the | Myitkyina-Mandalay railroad. The announcement also says| heavy bombers in the past two days have carried out the first low-level bombing and strafing attacks on| (Continued on Page Two) ‘ LSS PR The Washmgion‘ Merry - Go- Round By DREW PEARSON Col.” Robert S. Allen now on active service with the Army.) (wLt. | i | | WASHINGTON — The President | has had what Louie Howe used to describe as “the old Dutch up” | against General de Gaulle and the; Army’s plan for using him in thel liberation of France. For (wo, months the plan lay on the Presi dent’s desk while he delayed in act-| ing on it. In January, this column reported that General Eisenhower had com- pletely revamped any earlier ideas about de Gaulle, had found [‘hAL' he was overwhelmingly popular in- side France and that, when the second front invasion came, the Al-| lied armies would get more support inside France if it was known in| advance that they were cooperatmgw 100 percent with General de Gaulle. | Accordingly, a plan was worked | out whereby. immediate French‘ elections and other political mstwrs‘ would be under de Gaulle's Com-| mittee of National Liberation when | and if France was invaded. ! This political set-up was espec-| jally pushed by the Army, wmch' didn’t want General Eisenhower to! have to worry about political prob-| lems as he did in North Africa. The | British also agreed, and even Lhe‘ State Department, never enthusias-| tic about de Gaulle, concurred— | thanks largely to the go-getting salesmanship of Undersecretary Ed! Stettinius. Furthermore, Admiral| Leahy, former Ambassador to Vichy, who has always been unenthusias- tic about de Gaulle, said that he would interpose no objection. But when the plan got to the White House, it stuck. The Presi- dent kept it for two months. GRUDGE SINCE CASABLANCA The President has given no very clear explaination, but those who were at Casablanca think they know one of the answers. Ever since de| Gaulle stubbornly refused to get together there with General Giraud, the President has had personal thumbs down on the Free French leader. Roosevelt had proposed to‘ Churchill that de Gaulle be brought| to Casablanca, figuring that, in the end, his persuasive charm could bring the two Frenchmen together., i But de Gaulle remained obdur- ate. Roosevelt even had a hard time getting him to pose for a photo with Giraud. It was one of the few times .that the President! has not been able to melt a visitor. | In addition to which, de Gaulle, quotation of Alaska Juneau mine’ pation by the Nazis as a desperate stamp. despite his high principles, is one of | the most difficult Frenchmen any- one ever had to deal with. None|s of this has been forgotten at l.hc“ White House. ‘ So when the Army plan to co-| operate with de Gaulle got stymied on the President’s desk, Secretary| of War Stimsori and Acting Secre-| tary of State Stettinius came up to the White House. = Entering the, (Continued on Page Four) } HERE’S LATEST IN SPRING SWIM SUITS A TRIFLE EARLY and made of metal, of all things, is this new “spring" bathing suit, modeled by Miss Mary Welborne, a Chicago war work- er. Miss Welborne helps manufacture springs for bomb releases and radar equipment. Casimir Michalski, expert metal worker, is giving a final trimming—beg pardon mlmg—ol the suit. (Imemau'o,,.]) L Movemenl fo Draft Men Under 26 Given Speed Up Sign Now WASHINGTON, March hab started calling them up for im- FOR PARLEY WITHHULL | postponed consideration of older men in order |demand for vigorous young fight- [ers, | =} G arch 25. — A mass movement of men under 26 | for jobs in the battle lines has ‘apu‘ded the selective service which ‘medmte physical examinations and to meet the Army's Republlcans Try fo Pin| ‘While the drastic new draft reg- ‘ulalions are being put into opera- |tion, a dozen Government agencies \hmnr‘dly gathered data on man- pnuel needs for vital industries so STIFF FIGHT KEEPING UP ATCASSINO Parachutists Given Orders ~Tunnels Used for Nazi Reinforcements BY LYNN lll‘l\ ZERLING Associated Press War Correspondent ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN NAPLES, March 25.—Tough Ger- | man parachutists have been order- |ed by Lt. Gen. Richard Heindrich | Ito cling to Cassino at all costs and throw the Allies out if possible. The New Zealand troops are in| tight confines in the southern part of the town The Germans were able to get three more tanks into the lobby ut‘ the Continental Hotel Apparently reinforcing troops are | using secret tunnels, one of them | @ said to extend more than 1,000 yards | ‘P from the abbey atop of Monastery Hill to the vicinity of Castle Hill, which the Germans have been try- |ing desperately to take. The Germans are ringing the Al-' lied Anzio beachhead and stabbed | !tentatively into the Allied lines. Tanks and Allied heavy bombers attacked the rail yards at Rimim rand Ancona |, Medium bombers struck Port Leghorn and rail facilities at Or- | vieto, Sulmona and Fano. Eleven mediums failed to return - e, JOAN BERRY LOVE LETTER "Gl BILL OF READ, COURT RIGHTS" IS on Other Man Senate Unanimously Pass- ; es Measure for Bene- LOS ANGELES, March 25.—Joan | Berry stared at the floor and fin-| fl's 10 Velerans ally tears flowed down her pale!| I cheeks in the Federal Court, as the! . 5 jury heard a girlish love letter SANHINOTON, March 38 p § 4 " " Senate has unanimously passed the Which she wrote o Charlie Chaplin |y yee pijjion, five hundred million late in 1942, saying In part:: “Tigona, «Gy pill of rigt know that what I've done is past oy Jreasure ovides virtually forgiving. Thank you, Charles, for{eyery gyggested aid to veterans of PARTLY SCREENED by a rainstorm, as a reconnaissance in force turned Freight 6 Admiralty group, rush their objective as soon as Surcharges on Alaska dismounted First Cavalry troops, the first to land on Los Negros, in the their landing craft hits the beach. What was vst intended into a major invasion. After bitter fighting our troops gained control of the island. Mai. Gen. Inniss P, Swift is directing the campaign. Signal Corps radiophoto, (Inlcma::oual) WEWAKAND oing foBe RABAULIN Reduced About April 1 HEAVY RAID Yank Bombers Encounter No Aerial Opposition " -No Planes Lost | WASHINGTON, March 25— ‘ ska Delegate Anthony J. Dimond .mys the War Shipping Administra- lmn planned to reduce surcharges un nmphL to Alaska from the pres- lent 25 percent to 16 percent about April 1, | Early in the, war, shipping to the Territol considered dangerous and a surcharge of 50 percent went into effect but was later reduced to 25 percent to some parts of the | Territory and 20 percent to other sections. | The Delegate said that since the threat of attack on Alaska has been reduced, citizens urged the freight |surcharge be reduced or eliminated MEhE £ ¢ Again the Japanese failed to send nltogethox | 2 0725 S A R ‘up aerial opposition and the anti-| ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC, March 26—American bombers de- fied Japanese anti-aircraft fire and bad weather to carry an offensive to the enemy bases at Rabaul, New Britain, and Wewak, New Guinea, and on ohter scattered Bismarck Sea points Wednesday, Gen. Doug- las MacArthur reported today. laireraft fire failed to stop a single | bomber, It was the heaviest attack FIGHTERS OF yet aimed at the three airdromes of the enemy'’s tottering Rabaul base. The Solomon-based bomb- ers dropped a total of 160 tons of new centralized machinery recom- . Imending deferments of men under {26 can start rolling as soon as pos- | ‘aible HULL CALLS Down Administration Foreign Policy WASHINGTON, March 25.—Rep. Clare Booth Luce, Republican or Connecticut, emerged frem a con- ference with GOP Cengressmen anl Secretary of State Cordell Hull with the declaration that “silence is sl.‘J‘ the settled policy of our State De- partment.” Mrs. Luce declined further com- ment on her reaction to the con-j ference, sought by the group wth the avowed effert to pin down the T 0 R E s I S T Administration’s policy on many for- \ oo g w s o 1 May Then Hope fo Regain’ Respedt of Free Rep. Okonski of Wisconsin, who | Nations joined the group as one of 24 first| — WASHINGTON, March 25.—Sec- | | | term Republicans seeking the par-/ ley, said he specifically wanted to know the attitude on the Polish-| Russian border dispute. He said, |“Well, we cleared the air a little,” |retary of State Cordell Hull called ! mn Hungary to offer “firm resist- {ence” but declined to elaborate. STOCK QUOTATIONS I\EW YORK, March 2»—Clusmq cupation stating that in that way| |the Hungarians may hope “to re- gain the respect and friendship of free nations.” Hull described Hungary’s occu- |stock today is 57, American Can move prompted by the German set-| ¢, Bethlehem Steel packs, and said Hungary is “the Curtiss Wright 5%, Tnterna- first of the Axis satellites to feel lmnal Harvester 70%, Kennecot! ihe Nazi whip." 31%, North American Aviation 8%,/ New York Central 20, Northern P: cific 16%, United States Steel 5: Pound $4.04. Dow, Jones averages at today's ® |short session are as follows: indus- © Temp. Friday, March 24 Itrials 139.19, rails 40.13, utilities ¢ Maximum 36; Minimum 22 2347, o o o - e . WEATHER REPORT (U. §. Bureau) to the German forces of oc-| | tension is off the St. Louis Cardin- e al's training camp by the signing e ® o © o o o eall the year. letting me know you are going ghe present war except adjusted back to New York to get marrried.” |compensation (bonus) payments. The missive highlighted the| The measure now goes to the |fourth day of the comedian’s trial|House. }on Mann Act charges, along vuth The hill lhe court ruling barring the defum' three billion doll in benefits, quesuonmg Miss Berry about an-iplus a flat $500000,000 authoriza- |other man, and of a trip purported- tion for construction of new hos- ’ly made from Mexico. pitals and facilitics; provides for Charlie shifted in his chair as Government-paid education from the attorney, Jerry Giesler, read one to four years, based on the |Joan’s letter aioud. At the conclu- | |length of service of men and wo- |sion, the red-haired young woman | {men, plus unemployment compen- |pleaded for a court recess and was |Sation of $15 a week maximum for |led sobbing from the witness stand. |52 Weeks; and loans up to $1000 for After the ruling barring Giesler’s |[Purchase of homes, farms or busi- |questions on the other man, Gies-|nes5€s. i . {ler announced he was through| , Ihe bill designates the Veterans orossexamining 'Miss /Berry. | Administration to administer all AIR MA". POSIAGE agency. e status as : " GOING UP TONIGHT COUNIESS FAINTS " WHEN SENTENCED, carries an estimated > Efective at midnight tumght air mail postage gces from 6 up cents an ounce. New rates are .Al,\n lin effect on money orders, parcel | post, registry, insurance and C.O.D.! If you do not have the new 3 {cent air mail stamp, use the old|CGYace Buchanan-Dince, {6-center and an additional 2 cent Called “Countess” and -four \Detroiters who pleaded guilty to |conspiracy to violate the wartime !espionage act, were sentenced to !prison tpday. She was ihe leader of a group of Government witnesses before the grand jury. She got-12 |years. ¢ ! Mrs. Theresa Behrens, American, Secretary of the Inter- national Center, YMCA, got twenty vears, DETROIT, Mich., March 25.—Miss sometimes MORT COOPER SIGNS | UP WITH CARDINALS | CAIRO, Illinois, March 25.—The e of big Mort Cooper who will pro- bably be available to the club for| tence was pronounced. ESPIONAGE CASE other | German- | explosives on these fields during 1th two-day assault ending Wed- nesday. Heavy destruction to gun positions and runways was reported. A five-hundred-ton cargo Ship was sunk in the raid which ham- ,mered Wewak and Kavieng, New Ireland, and other Allied bombers SHINNSTON, West Virginia, struck at installations at Hansa Bay March 25.—Fourteen men who en- at Madang, on the New Guinea tered the recently opened Kather- coast. One hundred and sixty tons ine number 4 coal mine to fight a of bombs were dropped on Hansa |fire, are believed to have been kill- Bay, silencing the gun positions, ! ed by a terrific blast that shattered and large fires were started. part of the workings. ! The continuous air attacks Rescue work is at a standstill aged ventilator system. The fire broke out last night near _|the end of the 3000-foot slope and the entire crew of 75 men were or- dered to the surface. The terrific blast broke windows here and two miles away. s .- TWO FIRE ALARMS A brush fire on Court House Hill yesterday afternocon at 5:15 o'clock, | alarm 29, called out the Juneau Vol- unteer Fire Department. The blaze was quickly extinguished. Alarm 21, at 11:40 o'clock this forenoon was becuase of a chimney fire in the Indian Village. Dam- age was nominal I S anti-aircraft guns. PARLSR s R Gl Sl TWO OFFICIALS QUIT JOBS ON STAFF OF FDR WASHING I'ON MAI(.h 25.—Pre! ident Roosevelt announces the re- signations of Leo Crowley, Alien Property Custodian, and 'Lowell| Mellett, Presidential assistant. The President told |Crowley will continue to handle |the duties of ihe Foreign Economic |tion of Custodian but will do so. The President said Mellett gave| up his job to go back to uewspanm NICK BE AKRIVES Nick Bez, prominent cannery man in Southeast Alaska, arrived from Star. the Baranof Hotel while in Juneau, disgust. I [ | Three Roads SOVIETS IN CONTROL OF WIDE SECTOR German Forces Completely Dismembered - Rail- roads in Russ Hands LONDON, March 25. — The tri- umphant Red Armies are hammer- ing at the gates of the Balkans, have completely dismembered the German forces in southwestern Russia and gained.almost complete control of the eastern bank of the Dniester River along a 165-mile stretch from Zaleschiki in old Pol- and to Kamenska, Moscow dispat- ches reported. Znleschiki, 26 miles north of Czernowitz, is an important Ru- manian rail junction, controlling the lines into the Balkan states, and was captured after a spirited | 62-mile thrust below Tarnapol, an advance which carried the Russians to within 60 miles of the old Czechoslovakian border, and five miles from the former Rumanian province of Bucovina. A Moscow war bulletin said that 20,000 Germans were killed and 3500 captured in the four-day of- fensive of Marshal Zhukov's First Ukrainian Army, boosting to near- ly a quarter of a million the Nazi dead and captured in the Ukraine t'lmpalgn RAF ENGAGED INTERRIFIC SKY BATTLES Thousand BTifih Planes in Raid on Berlin Attack- ed by Nazi Fighters LONDON, March 25.—The major part of 1,000 Royal Air Force bomb-~ ers fought through one of their bit- terest night sky battles of the war to dump 2800 tons of bombs on Ber- lin in a final drive_to complete ob- literation of the German capital. Seventy three were shot down over Berlin and other targets by large forces of German night fight- ers. The German fighters started the attack on the RAF mighty armada as the formation crossed Helogland and the North Sea and fought the RAF all the way to the capital. 1 was the sixteenth major RAF raid there since November 18. American bombers have hit Berlin five times In daylight. The British Alr Ministry says Kiel was also hit last night “along with other targets in western Ger- many.” About 100 German bombers broke nhthmugh the London barrage | Wewak have resulted in great dam-|Jast ni . Workmen have restored the dam- age including the destruction of 44! erties, ght to blast business prop- dwellings and churches |with tons of incendaries. It was the longest night attack in a year. Eleven German bombers were shot down. 'SECOND LEGION OF | | | | l MERIT GIVEN FORMER JUNEAU C. 6. OFFICER Commander Miles H. Imlay, | USCG, has been awarded a second Legion of Merit, according to word received here. This now entitles newsmen |Commander Imlay to wear a gold (star on his first campaign ribbon. The first Legion of Merit was Administrafor and said he has not|€iven while he was in charge of a |selected a successor for the posi-|flotilla of 2¢ landing craft in the Mediterranean avea and the second award was for his work at Salerno. Commander Imlay, formerly sta- work on the Washington Evening tioned in Juneau aboard the Coast The President said he re- Guard Cutter Tallapoosa and also the south yesterday and is enroute greted Mellett’s departure and face- ¢n the Cutter Haida, Both women fainted when sen- }w his properties. He is a guest attlously said he has done this to his Britain, in charge of invasion train- is now in ing.