The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, April 12, 1944, Page 1

| ¥ VOL. XLL, NO. 9624. e e e e e e e GERMANS ARE IN RETREAT FROM CRIMEA JAPS BEING HELD BACK INASSAULT Tokyo Broadcast,However, Says General Assault on Imphal Imminent NEW DELHI, April 12. — Allied Forces, fighting hard to clear the Jap invaders from Imphal, Kohima| and the Dimapur Road, have de- veloped their operations to where the enemy pressure at Kohima has decreased, the Allied Headquarters said. The communique today declared there is no important change. Kohima guards the 35 mile road to Dimaur. On the American operated Ben- gal-Assam railroad, the Jap snipers | have already infiltrated along this route. A Tokyo broadcast by Domei de- clared a general assault on the Al- lied citadel of Imphal is imminent as Indo-Jap forces aer making fur- jous assaults on Allied positions some seven or eight miles north- east of the town. The Japs pre- e (Continued on Page Two) The Washington Merry - Go-Round By DREW PEARSON (Lt. Col, Robert 8. Allen now on active service with the Army.) WASHINGTON —Despite the manpower shortage and the daily drafting of thousands of fathers, it} remains a fact that the weekly av- erage of those receiving unemploy- ment benefits in the United States is around 100,000. The latest fi- gures available, for late February, showed 103,954 unemployed and re- ceiving benefits from Social Secur- ity. This figure is about double what: it was last November, when an av- erage of 56,354 were unemployed. But on the other hand, the Febru- ary figure of 103,954 is about one- half what the figure was at the! same time, ‘last yeat: In February, 1943, 208,644 were receiving unem- ployment compensation. i While only 100,000 men unemploy- ed is low, nevertheless advocates of a national service act feel that this is one illustration of the need of drafting labor. Furthermore, the figure of 100,000 unemployed actual- ly represents more unemployed than appears on the surface. Each State requires an initial waiting period of one to two weeks before unemploy- ment benefits can start, and one week of waiting for 100,000 men re- presents four million man-hours lost. Biggest question raised by these unemployment figures is why, when industry and the Government both are crying for men, the figure should be rising as against last No- veber. Only explanation offered by the Social Secyrity Board is cut- backs. In other words, certain war Karl A. Drager, ination for the position of Terri- torial Attorney General, last night charged that “Governor Gruening is conducting a campaign to obtain control of all of the branches of the Territorial government of Al- aska.” the Third Division and former lature, made the remark and others in a campaign speech last night over Station KINY. “For some three years, he said, “Gov. Gruening has voiced openly his complaints that the Territorial Legislature—or at least some mem- {bers thereof—continually refused to subject themselves to his dictates and control. Now he is campaigning for and against candidates, I am informed, and I know it is true that at a recent A. F. of L. labor con- ed one of .the delegates from the Third Division with the proposition that by all means Karl Drager and others should be defeated in the primary. Asks Question “Why all this special interest in my campaign?” Drager continued. “There can be-but one answer, and that is that he not only is cam- paigning ‘for and against various order to obtain control of that body, but he is also campaigning for and against various candidates for Territorial administrative of- fices in order that he may obtain control of that division of the Gov- ernment also. “Now just why Gov. Gruening de- as would place him in a role equiv- alent to that of a dictator instead of a governor is a matter which I leave for you to consider. of Anchorage,, candidate for the Democratic nom-|me to say that it is self-evident he | Drager, well-known attorney from | member of the Territorial Legis- | vention in Ketchikan he approach-' sires to be posessed of such powers | “Let it suffice at this time for |does so desire, otherwise why should |he, a Federal appointed officer, ;suck his nose into Territorial elec- tion affairs unless it be for the purpose that he desires the election of certain candidates who would thereby be under obligation to him? A Hurls Challenge “I have no personal quarrel with | Ernest Gruening as an individual, but when any individual, governor or not, willfully steps into a politi- cal battle, he thereby invites all that he gets. “I know, and you should know, that with an entire disregard for the dignity which the Office of Governor demands, he is exerting influences and pressures to elect a | ticket of candidates of his selection. “I challenge him to disprove of | this statement. “As far as my candidacy is con- |cerned, I do not desire any assist- | ance from Governor Gruening,” | Drager stated, “I do not desire any | support of my candidacy from him directly or indirectly, in any man- ner, style or fashion, and for the very simple reason that I do not desire to come down to Juneau to fuke over e duties™ ol “HOorEy iGeneml under handicap, handicap of being under obligation to any {candidates for legislative offices in! official, Governor or otherwise. “I wish to enter upon my duties as Attorney General, if I am elect- ed, unhampered by handicap of any obligations except to the people of Alaska who elected me, and the Democratic Party which supported me as a candidate.” Drager prefaced his remarks with an explanation of the duties of the office and the qualifications needed | to fulfil these duties. He is a resident of Alaska of 24 years standing. ITALIAN KING T0 STEP OUT Prince Umberlb Succeeds to Throne when Allied Troops E_nifr Rome NAPLES, April 12—Tired, bereft Emperor King Vittorio Emanuelle III, proclaimed today he will turn over the power of the throne to his six foot son, Umberto 39, Prince of Piedmont on the day the Allied troops enter Rome. The monarch, 74 years old, de- clared he has appointed his son “Lieutenant General of the Realm” and will retire entirely from public affairs, His decision he said is “final and irrevocable.” plants are closing because of over- production of tanks, trucks, gun- powder. And it takes time for work- ers to shift from one job to an- other. ENEMY ALIEN Paul Scheffer, controversial edl- tor of the Berliner Tageblatt, long out on parole in the United States, recently has been locked up by the Justice Department. Pressure to re- lease him is being brought inside the Government, and a hearing will take place soon. Schetfer, an enemy alien, was in- terned with other Germans at the start of the war, then was released under parole to a vice president of the Chase National Bank, which later was indicted on the charge of permitting its funds to be used for trading with the enemy. Scheffer had been a newspaper Thus Vittorio Emanuele, whose 43 year reign is the longest since Queen Victoria's of Britain, yielded provisionally and under pressure to Italian Liberal leaders, who refused to form a democratic jgovernment in Italy while he remained on the throne. The King said: “The day shall come when our deep wounds shall be healed and we shall take once more our place asfree people among free nations.” The announcement came the_ day aiter representatives of the Allied governments closed a two-day con- ference in the Southern Italian town where the King is in his villa. The fact that the King's state- ment so closely followed the Allied representatives’ conference suggest- ed the King took action on Allied approval. man in the United States for many (Continued on Page Four) The King's action was foresha- dowed just & week ago by Umberto, who from the beginning has oppos- ed PFascism and disclosed Mussolini was never regarded as a perman- ent thing. “The King is old and ready to retire,” Umberto told the Associat- ed Press last week. DESTROYERS IN ATTACKS NEAR RABAUL Japs in Full Retreat fo New Stand—-Casualfies Re- port Is Made ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC, April 12—Gen. Douglas MacArthur an- nounces American casualties in the campaign for Great Britain Island totaled 1,500 as against an esti- |mated enemy killed or wounded of 10,000. This report followed the an- nouncement the Japs are in full retreat to Rabaul for the last stand on the Island where the Americans control the bulk of the territory. ‘The communique reports destroy- ers moved past the ground front to shell Hansa Bay and Madang areas without drawing any return fire either from land, sea or air. More than 200 American planes continued to pound weakened Ra- baul. . ADAMS ON BUSINESS TII'P TO WESTWARD Horace O. Adams, Agent for the Alaska Steamship Company here, leaves today for the Westward on a short business trip. He expects to return within the next two weeks. - et RETURNS HOME Mrs. S. J. MacKinnon returned to Juneau today after a trip to Seattle ' “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” JUNEAU, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 1944 MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS - Roosevelt Meets Churchill, South Sea, Says Berl!n LONDON, April 12.—A Ger- man radio station claims it has been broadcast from somewhere in Britain that Roosevelt has. gone to the Caribbean to meet i British Prime Minister Winsten | Churchill to make plans “re- garding operations in Europe during the coming weeks.” The report is without Allied | confirmation. DEWEY GETS ' MANY VOTES, PRIMARIES Stassen, MacArthur Are Runnersup-Fourth Term for Franklin Roosevelt (By Associated Press) Swiftly paced political events in New York. Illinois and Nebraska | pointed today more convincingly than ever toward Gov. Thomes E. | Dewey and President Roosevelt as | probable entrants in next Novem- | ber's Presidential race. Despite top heavy victories of Gen. {Déuglas MacArthur in the Illinois {primary and Lt. Comdr. Stassen in Nebraska, - Dewey remained firmly installed as'the pace setting favorite in the contest for the Republican nomination. So far, 153 pledges are claimed as delegates for Dewey out of 351 thus far chosen for the party’s conven- tion where 1059 votes will be cast. A fourth term endorsement by the New York State Democratic Com- | mittee demonstrated anew the par- ty’s demand that Roosevelt again | be a candidate. Roosevelt is assured {of the support of nearly all of the 96 New York delegates. | Fifty delegates were elected in yesterday’s Illinois primary for Roosevelt and 12 were chosen in Nebraska. The New York Democrats un- animously relected Jim Farley as| Chairman but he told friends he| opposes a fourth term but the na- tional committee leaders this result to_avoid. a_threatened split in the rapks there and Farley will be a convehtion delegate. Dewey is assured support of 92 to 93 New York delegates. His display of surprising strength in the Ne- braska preferential primary where his name was not on the ballot but was written in. i Leaders of the Stassen campaign have served notice he must be reck- oned as a contender. Gen. MacArthur also cannot be overlooked in the preconvention contest as he polled about 75 per | cent of the Republican vote cast in Illinois. U. 5. BOMBERS HIT VIENNA AREA TODAY 64 American Planes Failed fo:Return from Yes- Ierdal's Raids LONDON, April 500 United States heavy bombers flying from Italy attacked German aircraft factories in the Vienna area today while Britain based air fleets are sweeping toward Europe carrying into the fifth day the cur- rent campaign to cripple the Ger- man Air Force ahead of the inva- sion of Europe. Sixty-four American bombers and 16 escorting fighters failed to re- turn from . yesterday’s blows on plane factories at Oschersleben and where she visited with her husband, Commander MacKinnon, Bernsburg and industrial targets . (Continued on Page Six) NAVAL BILL SHOTTODAY INTO HOUSE Largest Appropriation Measure in History Pre- sented to Congress WASHINGTON, April 12. — The largest Naval appropriation bill in American history went to the House floor today. To help the world’s greatest fleet win the war on the seven seas the bill carried $32,647,000,000 for naval activities for the 12 months start- ing July 1. The figure, which if approved by Congress, will boost to approximate- ly $350,000,000,000 obligations voted for the total war effort since July 1, 1940. The program the new funds will finance contemplates the use of 6,623 self propelled vessels, 74,925 non-self propelled vessels, 19,000 naval planes, exclusive of training planes and 3,657,000 sailors, marines and coastguardsmen. Admiral King told the oppropria- tions committee "whatever the cost, we know the Japanese well enough to realize we cannot regard victory in the Pacific as anything short of destruction of the Japanese Bm- James Forrestal, Navy Under- secretary, told the committee that appropriations precludes major op- erations both in the Pacific and Atlantic. After urging that no cuts be made in the Navy funds “until the middle of this summer to see what Ithe next 90 days bring forth” For- restal added the major event he has in mind “will, I think, occur by the end of that period.” | Whether ne meant the coming in- | vasion in Western Europe he didn't state. IAPS ARE Federal Of | (EDITOR’S NOTE: This morn- ing we were approached by a Juneau man and fisherman with a story which was so shocking to us in its implications and content that we could hardly believe it. For this reason, we asked the person, who requested we withhold his name at this time, to make a sworn state- ment, which he did. The state- ment was signed and duly notar- ized and sworn to. We will have editorial comment on it tomor- row. The statement is as follows: ey bEING fiTSE duly sworn, on oath, deposes and says: “That he is a member of the Ne- gotiating Committee for the United Trollers of Alaska, Juneau Local No. 26, that he makes the following statement as true and correct, and of his own free will, in the interest |of preserving the American tradi- |tion of leaving the people free to cast their ballots in elections of | their own free will: “On or about Friday, April 7, 1044, |1 was called to the Office of the Governor of Alaska to discuss the fish prices in regard to some tele- grams to be sent to Washington, D. C, by the Governor, in order to get the, prices settled:on the 1944, fishing season. “1 found, after I had been in the | office only a few minutes, that Gov- ernor Gruening had not called me in to discuss the fishing question. We spent approximately the first hour-and-a-half at the Governor's request in going over coples of the House Journal of the Territorial | Legislature. The Governor kept re- ferring to me sections which he apparently thought would throw dis- {P. Sharpe, Territorial Commissioner | of the Department of Labor. “I state at this time that Mr. Sharpe has been the only one who | has been helping us trollers in try- ing to get a price set so we can go fishing and make & living. inot understand much of what the Fisherman Reveals How To Control Election credit on the character of Walter | 1 did | | Governor was trying to tell me about Sharpe. “Well, after that he called on the worded ! 12—More than| BYU.S. Bombers Strike Positions from Kuriles to Caro- line Islands WASHINGTON, April 12—Strik- ing throughout the Pacific, Amer- icain bombers blasted Jap positions from the North Pacific in the Ku- riles to the Caroline Islands in the south on Monday the Navy said. To the north, Liberator bombers flying out of the Aleutians, pound- ed Matsuwa and Kotan in the Ku- riles, Jap homeland chain. Each ‘island was hit once before in a series of assaults on the Kuriles, \which now total 25 aerial bombings and one bombardment by warships. Bombers struck at Matsuwa, only 1,060 miles noreast of Tokyo. Far to the south, other bombers battered again at the once strong Jap baseof Truk. One large explo- sion was observed and fires were started at Dublon, a town on one of the largest islands in the Truk atoll. On .Moen, another of Truk's many islands, bombs tore an enemy airstrip. STOCK QUOTATIONS NEW YORK, April 12. — Closing quotation of, Alaska Juneau mine stock today is 6, American Can 86%, | Anaconda 26, Bethlehem Steel 58, Curtiss Wright 5%, International Harvester 170%, Kennecott 31%, [ North American Aviation 8%, New | York Central 18%, Northern Pacific 15%, United States Steel 51%, Pound $4.04. Dow, Jones averages today are as follows: Industrials, 137.98; rails, 39.84; utilities, 22.99, BLASTED telephone Michael J. Haas who is, |T believe, Special Agent in Charge of Wages and Hours and the Publio | Contracts Division of the United | States Department of Labor. The ficials Try title is something like that. “Anyhow, Mr. Haas came into the Governor's Office and we talked more politics for approximately a half hour and I wasn't very inter- ested because I was worrying about the fishing thing. Then, the Gov- ernor asked me if I would go with Mr. Haas to Mr. Haas' office and talk with him. “But when we got into Mr. Haas' office, he did not talk to me at all about the fishing problem or how his office might be able to help settle the thing, but he also talked politics. “Mr. Haas put to me many ques- tions, all directed as, to how we trollers were going to vote in the coming Territorial primary election, and I told him that as far as T was concerned the Trollers Union would not go on record in favor of any candidate over any others in the election. “Then the Governor called Mr. Heas on the telephone and asked us to come back to the Governor's Office, which we did. I was still hoping that we could get to work on this fishing thing. “But in the Governor's Office, again, he started out by asking me if I had a sample ballot on my person, and I told him Idid not. it "'was alread, marked, and he showed it to me and he and Mr. Haas proceeded to attempt to convince me as to why the Trollers should vote for the candidates which were marked on the Governor's sample ballot. The names which he had marked were: “B. L. ‘Bob’ Bartlett for Delegate to Congress; “Ralph J. Rivers for Attorney General; “Frank A. Metcalf for Highway | Engineer; “Crystal Snow Jenne for Senator; “N. R. Walker for Senator; “Chris Hennings for the House; | “Joe Krause for the House; ! | A B. Cain for the House; “And some other names which I do not remember. I wasn't very| !interested at the time. | “At that time it became clear to ;me that I was wasting my time as a | representative of the Trollers Union who was supposed to be trying to get a price set for fish so we could go| fishing and make our lving, and I lleft the Governor's Office.” 1 1 EHa;lflifil;lilers Won't Leave ~ ForFishing | | | | Will Remain Tied-up as Protest fo OPA's Ceil- ing Prices as Set SEATTLE, April 12—H. F. Lok- ken, Manager of the Fishing Vessel Owners Association, said his group and the Deep Sea Fishermen's Union, have reaffirmed their de- cision to keep their vessels tied up in protest against the Office of Price Administration’s ceiling price reduc- tion on halibut. The season opens next Saturday at midnight. —————— FROM GULL COVE Here from Gull Cove, Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Graham are guests at the Gastineau Hotel. ———————— FROM KETCHIKAN Barbara Hudsop, here from Ketchikan, is registered at the Bar- anof Hotel. ————— CAA MAN ARRIVES An arrival at the Baranof Hotel, Paul G. Millgr, with the CAA, is here from Anchorage . ——————— At the Hotel Juneau, R. Hadlund WALLACETO GOTOCHINA ON MISSION ! Polifical Speculation Al- | ready Starfed Affer Sud- | |- den Announcement ! WASHINGTON, April 12.—Vice- |President Henry A. Wallace an- nounced unexpectedly that he ex-| pects to make a trip to China late n the spring or early in the sum-| m:du said Wallace will go as of-| ficial representative of President Roosevelt. ballot -out | Sev THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE PRICE TEN CENTS Allies Decrease Enemy Pressure in India IDrager Says Governor Wants fo Be Didator, (onI_ro_IAII Offices et RED ARMY INADVANCE, TWO FRONTS Nazi Forces Admit Beating I--Russians Fight on ‘Tiraspol Streels LONDON, April 12. — The Ger- man communique broadcast from Berlin early today told of fresh re- treats in eastern and northern Crimea where the “German and Rumanian troops have disengaged themselves after hard fighting to- ward positions further south.” Some 250 miles northwest, the Russians said they have fought into the . streets of Tiraspol, Dniester river port and rail junction, while on the middle Dneister, the Ger- mans crashed through the Russian cordon around the remnants of the 15 trapped divisions at Skala. Drives In Crimea stroyed a large number of their retreat from Crimea yester- day. ‘Hard fighting continues on both fronts, the Berlin- broadeast claims with “violent enemy attacks” the Dniester estuary toward which the routed garrison from Odessa 1s being herded. Other major battles are in progress in Rumania, north- east of Iasi and around Kovel, old Poland, and southeast of Ostrov, —————— FIGHTINGIS STEPPED UP ATCASSINO ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN NAPLES, April 12.—The Germans launched a small ‘attack against stepped up the tempo by their ling and mortaring of Castle just behind the rubbled town, but the attack was thrown back. . Allied guns answered the barrage with sharp fire. Castle Hill overlooks almost all of Cassino. ‘There has been sharp exchange of firing as the Germans. tried re- peatedly to take the hill, which is now but a mass of rocks from months of shelling, first by the Allles and then by the Cermans. On the Anzlo beachhead a small enemy party attempted a minor thrust . three miles southwest of Carroceto but was thrown back. Other enemy parties tried to cross the Moletta River near the comst but these thrusts were repulsed. German guns continue to shell the rear of the beachhead. The brief announcement gave no, |detalls but started speculation on whether Wallace will be out of the country on July 19, the date of the National Democratic convention| and whether he js paving the way! for easing out of the way as Roose-| velt’s running mate or if the mpl 'will increase prestige. | —— e THREE FLY WESTWARD Leaving Juneau today via Pan American plane were Fern M. Le- ! Beau for Whitehorse and Robert S. ' McCombe and Steve Vukovich, both for Fairbanks. e ' From Skagway, Willard Squires, and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Severge Ralph Campbell and Ed Slavinski | ted for surgery to are here from Excursion Inlet, are at the Hotel Juncau. Twelve planes made what is de- scribed as an ineffectual raid on the port of Naples. Allled planes flew about 1,100 sorties yesterday blasting rail yards, hridges, supply dumps, rall stations end motor transports in & wide area in Italy. e LONDON, April 12—Staff. Sgt. Adelardio Rodriques, 23, son of the former President of Mexico, is miss- ing in action after the United States Eighth Afr Force raid on Aschersle- bevm, Germany. He is a radio erator and gunner on heavy ers. He entered the U. 8. Los Angeles. i Stuart Bjorklund has been H i pital. 2