The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, April 18, 1944, Page 1

»> " THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” VOL. XLI., NO. 9629. JUNEAU, ALASKA, TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1944 MEMBER ASSOCIATEDPRESS PRICL TEN GLIe PRICE TEN CENTS INVASION OF KURILES NOW INDICATED 2,000 U.S. Bombers Make Attack on Berlin FORTRESS OF HITLER IS HIT HEAVYBLOW Terrifc Aerial Battles Are| Reported — Many Targels Blasted LONDON, April 18.—About 2,000 American heavy bombers and fight- ers attacked Berlin and other ob- jectives in Hitler's continental fort- ress today, forcing German planes in terrific aerial battles. One strong formation bombed Berlin in the first daylight blow on the Reich Capital City since March 22, Today the Pritain based Fortress- | es and Liberators struck Germany in strength for the first time in five days. Separate Liberator forces lashed at anti-invasion targets in the Pas de Calais area, Northern France. “When the American bombers ap- proached the Berlin area their los- ses increased and many parachute landing were seen,” said a Berlin (Continued on Page 8ix) /The Washingion Merry - Go- Roun By DREW PEARSON @t. Col. Robert 8. Allen Jos, n active service with the Army.; ‘WASHINGTON—Those who have talked to Herbert Hoover lately, his skyseraper apartment near the top of the Waldorf-Astoria, New York City, say that he is absolutely confident of achieving his No. 2 life | ambition. His No. 1 life ambition obviously was to become President of the United States. With that behind him, his ambition ever since March 4, 1933, when he left office with the banks closing and the nation in economic turmoil, has been to: achieve a comeback. He has put out of his mind any thought that he personally might step back into the White House. But he is deter- mined that his men and his policies shall get back into power, and that he shall be the elder statesman to help manipulate them behind the Scenes. The men whom he long ago chose to help achieve this No. 2 ambition are Governor Tom Dewey of New York and Governor Earl Warren of California. Those who have talked with the ex-President say that as early as last September he had begun to work out plans' by which Dewey would be drafted at the Republican National Convention, #nd by which Governor Warren of California would be his running mate. ‘To that end, ‘Hoover began some time ago laying th egroundwork to keep the California delegation out of Willkie’s hands—no easy job in a state where Willkie has a very large following. But Hoover seems to have done it Also he has quietly corralled the leading backstage monetary figures of the Republican Party and lined them up solid for Dewey. One by one he has seen to it that leading Republicans who didn't know Dewey got a chance to know him, or were otherwise sold on Thim. It has been a meticulous, pains- taking process. But Hoover's friends say it is just about finished and that he is absolutely confident that shortly before the Chicago conven- tion the stage will be absolutely set with Dewey and Warren as good as in. Thus will come about the fulfill- ment of Herbert Hoover's 11-year-| old ambition, an ambition he has nursed ever since the tumultuous days when he left the White House in March, 1933, went to the Wal- dorf-Astoria and walted there for Roosevelt to call him in for con- sultation on how to revamp the country. Hoover was never called. And he has been waiting, watching, plan- —_— (Continued on Page Four) Churchill Discusses Agreements Concessions Necessary for Both Sides on Postwar Air Transport LONDON, Apru 18.—Prime Min- ister Winston Churchill, speaking in answer to several questions concern- ing current and recent conferences on postwar agreements, told the House of Commons that “the great body of work achieved by the League the postwar international setup. “I think if the League of Nations peace would have been successful,” he said, adding, “Preliminary exchanges of opinion on postwar questions are constantly taking place between var- ious members of the 34 United Na- pectation that any agreed statement on the subject will be made in the near future.” Asked about the recent British- American talks in London on post- war civil air transport, Churchill said the meetings were purely “in- formal and exploratory.” He added, “I'm glad to say & sufficient agreement was reached by both countries to support the hold- |ing of the conference in the ex- pectation that a final decision then can be reached with concessions made by both the United Kingdom and the United States.” ——————— = REPORT IS GIVEN ON - ALEUTIANS Magnuson g; Japs Made Mistake by Not Takin_g_@dak WASHINGTON, April 18.—Repre- sentative Warren 'G. Magnuson, Democrat of Washington, told the House the Japs made a military mistake in seizing Kiska instead of Adak, and added: “Why the Japan- ese didn't establish themselves there is a military mystery. Possibly the best explanation is that for many years all our maps designated Kiska as a Naval Reserve and to keep out. “Therefore the very subtle way of Japanese thinking must have led them to Kiska instead of one of the ‘first potential bases in the Aleutians.” Magnuson made public his report to the House Naval Affairs Com- mittee on his recent inspection for the committee on the defenses of the Aleutians. He said the Army air field at Adak is unique in that a young engineer discovered the ‘hgoon and drained it, building & /dam across the narrow entrance. The Army now drains the water in or out. It is a fine hard-sur- faced field when the water is out. The Representative praised the work of the Army and Navy in con- structing defenses in the Aleutians, and said that since the removal of the Japs from Attu it will serve as a “postwar springboard for Ameri- can air routes to the entire Orient.” He said the Navy has an excel- lent air field there and hopes for a further development to permit the Army to share the use. He re- commended the Naval air base at Sitka be reduced in size, saying that officers of the Army and Navy believe it is much too large. He said the expenditure of money on the base was “excessive and extrava- gant.” Magnuson also recommended new projects be started at Kodiak, as- serting the war has “moved west- ward,” but said it will always be an ) of Nations” ought not to be lost in | tions, but I can't hold out the ex- | FIGHTING IN STREETS OF SEVASTOPOL Heavy Batfii—na Occurring in Fortified Region of Town BULLETIN — Lendon, April 18.—Balaklava, the famous fact story scene of the “Charge of the Light Brigade,” has been captured by the Red Army, the Moscow radio says tonight. Balaklava is seven miles from Sevastopol. MOSCOW, April 18. — Two big Russian armies are reported nearing had been properly backed up it |the juncture outskirts of Sevastopol |in a final cnslaught against the frenzied Axis garrison which bar- ricaded the streets after failing to effect a large scale evacuation of the burning city. ‘The Vichy radio quoting a Ger- man report, said that the “battle of Sevastopol has now commenced.” Very heavy fighting is occurring in the fortified region of the town the front dispatches said. General Yeremenkos' Maritime Army is moving downhill from the southeast after crackinz a 20,000 foot moun- tain position known as the Baidur The drive yesterday swept up the road junction 12 miles from Sevas- topol and 5 miles from Balaklava, |scene of the famed “Charge of the Light Brigade.” This force is mov- ing through dense minefields and are expected lo link up at any hour. Tolbukhins Fourth Army is al- ready filtering through Sevastopol’s barricade from the north the dis- patches said. important spot on the Aleutian air route. “At Kodiak there appeared to be much wasted Army personnel,” Mag- nuson said, and urged private air lines to continue to be used to furn- ish transportation from Seattle to Attu. He asked that means be found to furlough men stationed for many months in the Aleutians, but said that except for the lack of recrea- tion facilities, they are content and well cared-for. —————— Jumps fo His Death On Way fo North| KETCHIKAN, Alaska, April 18.— A verdict of suicide was returned in the death of O. G. Peterson, 35, whose address was given as 2111 B Street, Bellingham, who leaped from the Pacific American Fisheries can- nery tender Betty J during the noon hour last Saturday as the boat was off Cape Fairwell, Wright Sound, B. C. Peterson was reported to be in ill- health and despondent. He climbed on the guard rail, waved to the crew- men aboard the boat Empress, which the Betty J was towing, and jumped overboard. He was dead when his body was found and pulled aboard the Empress. STOCX QUOTATIONS NEW YORK, April 18. — Closing quotation of Alaska Juneau mine stock today is 5%, American Can 857%, Anaconda 25%, Beech. Aircraft 8%, Bethlehem Steel 57%, Curtiss Wfllht 5%, International Harvester 9%, Kennecott 30%, North Amer- Icnn Aviation 8!, New York Central 17%, Northern Pacific 14%, United States Steel 50%, Pound $4.04. Dow, Jones averages today are as follows: Industrials, 136.08; rails, 38.20; utilities, 22.47. e LJ . LJ . L] L . L L] WEATHER REPORT L . (U. S. Bureau) £l e Temp. Monday, April 17. e ® Maximum 48; Minimum 36 e e o o o o o o o0 - e Returning here from the States, !l;eu Schneider is'at the Gastineau otel. HOSPITAL VISITORS_—Pvt. Melvin Weaver, Hagers- town, Md., talks to Peggy Wells (left) and Shirley Veale after the girls took part in a Dallas Junior Chamber of Commerce show at Ashburn General Hospital, McKinney, Tex. Farmers Are Calling Their Shots; Demand Prof CENSORSHIP IS CLAMPED BY BRITISH & Nobody I.eaves Country, | Al Mail Scrufinized- No Invasion Tips LONDON, April 18. — Britain has banned trips outside of this country diplomats of all neutral and Allied nations except the United States, Russia and 'British and also made all communications subject to full censorship. ‘This action is the latest in a series | of steps taken to safeguard in- vasion information and is without precedent but the Foreign Office announced “military operatiops im- pending this present year” make it imperative. . Washington and Moscow were | consulted on the move and the order in effect immobolizes diplo- mats and their staffs, including air, military and naval atfaches within Britain’s shores and for the time| being none may go home. Diplomatic pouches, hitherto inviolate, will now be opened and all contents put through the censorship mill. Not even during the first World War was such action taken. A broadcast from Bern, recorded last night by CBS, quoted German | military circles as saying the “in- vasion will not be long delayed,” and the German transmission also suggested a leeway of possibly six more weeks. Spring Planting Is Held Off by Heavy Snow Fall McCOOK, Nebraska, April 18— Spring planting on farms has been interrupted by an unprecedented 19 inches of heavy wet snow. The snow | came down yesterday and continued far into the night. This morning stockmen expressed concern for safety of herds on the plains. ection of Crops By JACK STINNETT WASHINGTON, April 18.—Not all | the dislocations of this war make | the headlines but some of them are wstranger than fiction. Congressmen have been telling | | me for weeks that one of the most‘ urrent complaints they have had hasn’t had anything to do with the soldiers’ vote, taxes, strikes, The fathers’ draft, or any other of the| Hflghly controversial subjects before | the nation—but one that concerns| itself entirely with the shortage of! shotgun shells and small-bore am- | munition. | Just in case some service men are Illsfienmg in, let me to add that y!hse complaints aren’t coming | from hunters, seeking their own sel- fish pleasures, but from farmers who have one of the most legitimate squawks yet put forward. Predatory birds and animals are | taking over their crops and because | they can't get shotgun or small-bore rifle shells, there's nothing they can do about it but just sit back and hurl epithets, which are about as | effective as a gentle breeze when it| | comes to keeping pests out of the| pastures. ¢ Some, however have been doing! more than hurling epithets. They've been hurling letters to Congress and there's nothing that gets faster ac- Ition than a swamp of letters in the ! Congressional mail bags. Congress has been bombarding the War Pro- duction Board and the farmers will |be glad to know that something is going to be done about it immed- | lately. The Office of Clvnlian Require- ment in WPB has gone pretty ‘thomulhly into the matter and dis- covered something that may be sur- prising to city dwellers. The lack {of ammunition to protect livestock ‘and crops from predatory animals and pests was No. 1 on the farm shortage lists, even alead of farm machinery and labor, which have |always been considered more serious | hurdles tc getting in the crops than \nmmunmon That was enough for WPB. They went to work. Officials now re- port that civilian ammunition now rolling toward first-quarter 1944 quotas will total 120,000,000 shotgun shells, 20 million center-fire rifle cartridges and 200,000,000 .22 long rifle cartridges. Production is being stepped up S0 that those figures will be more than doubled by midsummer. It's still far short of normal consump- gl s VoS ol S i (Continued on Page T'o) Alaska Salmon SEATTLE, April 18—The Alaska Salmon Industry, Inc., representing 53 canneries, was ordered Monday night by the Regional War Labor Board to sign new union contracts by April 20. Chairman George Bernard Noble ‘wnmed the industry that unless contracts are signed by Thursday he would recommend to the Presi- dent that the United States take over the industry for operation of |the various plants. The directive also ordered the industry to write into the union Threafened; | Sign New Union Contracis Industry Ordered fo contracts several clauses previously opposed, including the seven per cent blanket raise, The industry is now paying a wage increase but on a war bonus basis and not as a basic wage boost. Henry Van Hevenberg, Manager of the Alaskan Salmon Industry, Inc., said he did not know what action to take but will possibly go to court. Noble asserted the canneries have exhausted their possibilities before }uw National War Labor Board. HOLLANDIA FUEL DUMPS SET AFLAME ’Heaviesl Rafi%n Jap Base with 200 Tons-Truk Pounded Again ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN ‘THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC, April 18—One of the heaviest bombing raids yet staged on Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, was made Sun- dumps, according to the MacArthur communique. The report did not mention the amount of explosives dumped, but it is expected that it was well over 200 tons. Other Allled airmen destroyed slx enemy coastal ships and damaged three off Timor, New Guinea and New Ireland. Liberators continued on Sunday, {of the atoll. ——————— [EXPLORATION OF ARCTIC OIL GETS RISE FROM GAVIN, WASHINGTON. April 18—Con-| |gress is ‘urged by Representative Leon H. Gavin, Republican of| Pennsylvania, ‘to oppose exploration {by the Navy Department of oil in Alaska and objecting to the $1,000,- 000 appropriation for the search for oil on the north coast of Alaska included in the House-approved thirty-two billion-dollar Navy ap- propriation bill. oil discovered could not be available for years and declaring Americans are interested in the oil problems that “exist here at home.” Gavin objects to the Navy's pro- posed use of Seabees for the ex- really wants to do something to help win the war then release the surplus Seabees they seem to have them employment at industry rates of pay and the Arctic venture can wait. The American ofl industry can take care of petroleum if the Government keeps out of the way and ends its several forms of inter- ference. The Navy's job is to run the Navy and not get into the oil Airman from Alaska LEMOORE AIR BASE, Calif., April 18.—Death of Lt. Adolph I. Rodgers, 31, of Unga, Alaska, in the crash of a military plane near Klamath Falls, Oregon, on Sunday, is announced. Rodgers was a flying instructor here. His mother, Mrs. Zinnia Fos- ter, resides at Bellevue, Wash., near Seattle. day, leaving great columns of amoke‘ rising from the Jap fuel supply| Saturday night’s raid on Truk by| causing fires and explosions in the |warehouse area on Dublon Island| Gavin said the project is not an; aid to the war effort because any | ploration, and sald if the “Navy| for the oil industry and gladly offer! Is Killed in Crash! ALLIES MAKE ADVANCES IN BURMA AREA Infilkating'-J;ps Attempt Possession of Rail Link of American Line r WA R v w | KANDY Ceylon, Aprfl !B—Allled forces carrying the fight to thé Jap invaders northeast of the plain of Imphal have scored advances and |are still “making satisfactory pro- gress,” the Allied communigque an- nounces. Presumably this. offensive is dis rected against one of the three ori- ginal strong ‘columns of Japs which invaded India last month, although the communique did not specifically |give the location of the fighting. On the southern sector of the |Imphal front Allied forces drove the Japs out of one position near the track to £ilchar but the enemy counter-attacked and fighting is still going on. Infiltrating Japs are striving for possession of the Bish- enpur-Silchar track and route con- necting the American operated Ben- gal-Assam railroad; the Allied life- line between Burma and China, That the Chindits are firmly astride the enemy’s supply arteries to Myitkyina is indicated in the official communique and that fight- ers and medium bombers have “bombed and strafed enemy posi- tions in the Kamalng. Wamlu and Mohnym areas.” | The areas are just ahead of Stil- !well's offensijye in north Burma [nnd the Chinese are barely one !mile from Warazup, 20 miles north ’o( Kamaing. -t KENAI YOUTH FREED FROM NAZI PRISON SEATTLE, April 17. — John C. Johansen, 18, who left his Kenali, {Alaska, home six years ago to visit in Norway, has been reunited with |his father here. In October, 1942, after the Ger- man invasion, the Gestapo took him to a prison camp, and he was fi- nally released after making a pledge not to take up arms against Germany. He is now heading back to Alaska to his mother and a baby sister whom he has never seen. United Trollers at KETCHIKAN, Alaska, Aj 18— The United Trollers of , CIO affiliated, voted to tieup pending an OPA decision on the request for higher ceiling prices. Other trollers are expected to continue fishing. Kelchikan in Tie-up = ATTACK ON JAP ISLANDS NEXT MOVE Secrefary F—Knox Makes Statement Regarding No. Paclquperahons WASHINGTON, April 18. — In- !vasion of a part of the Japanese Kurile Island chain, reaching from the enemy homeland, may be ex- |pected, sald Secretary of Navy Frank Knox today, when asked at a conferpnce with the reporters whether it is likely the United States will attempt to take the Kuriles. 3 “There is something sure but no- body knows when,” said Knox. The discussion was prompted by the increasing regularity of Ameri- can bombing ralds of the island chain, Among the bases struck fre- quently in bombing raids during the past five days has been Matsuwa, less than 500 miles from the main- {land of Japan, Other bases fre+ quently bombed are Chimusu, Para- mushiro, and Onekotan. bombings of enemy bases Carolines, including Truk and ape, big Japanese strongholds. s 'ARMY NEEDS GIVEN OUT BY STIMSON Must Call 736,000 More Men by End of Year- Answers Critics WASHINGTON, April 18—War Secretary Henry L. Stimson assert- ed that Army requigitions for men has been consistent with the job it had to do, replying to “implied criticism” of Selective Seryice un- certainties. Stimson asserted that the chang- ing requirements of the Army are such that a complicated estimate of needed manpower based on & single figure must stand up after mum of 750,000 men for the rest of the year to maintain a strength of 7,000,000. “Our first demand is that obtain for physical contact with enemy enough of the kind of we need to do the job. Final tory makes this demand on said Stimson. MUST HAVE LICENSE TAGS ON CAR OR ELSE