The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, October 13, 1944, Page 1

THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” VOL. XLII., NO. 9780 —_— JUNEAU, ALASKA, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1944 MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS PRICE TEN CENTS = RED ARMY IS FIGHTING ON NAZI GROUND In Hungary, Vidorious Russians Racing Along Towards Austria | BULLETIN—LONDON, Oct. 13 —A German radio report. on the siege of Riga, the Latvian capital and chief port, indicated that Russian troops have broken into the eastern half of the city. A broadcast by Col. Von Hammer, German military com- mentator, stated that “the ldst remaining German position east of Daugava, even inside Riga, have been taken back to the western bank of the river.” Run- | ning north and south through | Riga to the Gulf of Riga, the | Daugava splits the city in two. BULLETIN — LONDON, Oct. 13. — Russian and Yugoslav forces have “penetrated” the walls of Belgrade, a special com- munique from Tito’s headquart- ers said tonight. The broadcast from the free Yugoslay radio also announced the capture of Ripanj, 12 miles south cf the capital, and Beli and Potok, the same distance southeast. The last Russian reports say that the Red Army is within nine miles of the city. MOSCOW, Oct. 13 Russian tanks and infantry stormed the centuries-old Junker lands in East Prussia, barely nine miles north- east of the important city of Tilsit | while in doomed Hungary the vic- torious Red Army raced to the Austrian frontier, 160 miles dis- tant. Hungary’s admission of defeat was expected hourly, Russian col- umns are converging on Budapest along the main rail lines and are approximately 60 miles east of the capital. All major commmunications | in Hungary and in Serbia are re- ported i Russian hands. — e —————— STINES ON TRIP Norman Stines, War Production Board Representative 4n Alaska, flew to Ketchikan yesterday on a business trip. The Washington Merry - Go- Round By DREW PEARSON (@Lt. Col,” Robert 8. Allen now on sctive service with the Army.) WASHINGTON — Perhaps never in American history had there been such a unique situation between two men once engaged in a bitter, cut-throat race for the White House as occurred between Franklin Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie. Ever since Pearl Harbor, Roose- velt and Willkie had been reason- ably good friends. They never quite trusted each other politically, yet they had profound respect for the other’s ideals and convictions. And plans were under way, just before Willkie was taken sick, for even closer collaboration between the two. It was a closely guarded White House secret, but one week before Roosevelt went to Quebec to confer with Churchill, he asked for Will- kie’s private telephone number in Indiana—Rushville 2346—and sent word that he would want to see him before Willkie went to Cali- fornia, where he was to try a case for the Gianninis. FDR had in mind asking Willkie to serve as his personal representative in Ger- many, in the event of an early armistice. Wwillkie, of course, was taken sick at Rushville and entered a New York hospital. He never went to California, and he never saw the President. Several times the two men were on the verge of personal rows, but they never quite came to the boil- ing point. They clung to a basic, though sometimes precarious, mu- tual esteem. | Associated Press NAZIS FIGHT DESPERATELY FOR AACHEN Germans Roll Up Fresh Re- serves-Big Tank Bat- fle Expected Soon BULLETIN — OUTSIDE AACHEN, Oct. 13—At 5:50 o’clock this afternoon, the German es- cape gap leading to the east was cut to half a mile, and this will be closed tonight. Fight In Streets LONDON, Oct. 13—American in- fantry fought from street to street in the northeastern factory district of bombed and burning Aachen to- day as the Germans rolled up a heavy force of armor in an effort to relieve the city which was Charlemange’s capital. The appear- ance of the fresh German armored division, shifted from the Arnhem sector in Holland, stirred expecta- tions of a major tank battle soon. Aachen is dissolving the weight of the American shells and bombs but there is no sign of a break. From 1,500 to 2,000 Nazi SS troops are fighting in the rubble and sewers. Heavy Counterattacks Northeast of the smoke-hidden city, the Germans mounted a heavy counterattack in the Bradenburg area. Fighting is also intensified at ‘Whurselen, where tips of the - Allied spearheads are crowding the twin escape hatch toward Cologne. Correspondent Don Whitehead reported surpris- ingly little resistance on the out- skirts of Aachen. Allies have improved their posi- appeared that Marshal Von Run- stedt is preparing a stiff defense in southwestern Holland. Factory District Captured The famous American infantry division has captured all of the suburban Schlachtof factory dis- trict in Aachens on the northeast- ern outskirts. German reinforce- ments included one of their finest tank divisions. Americans entered the city at 9:30 a. m. along a path blasted by artillery and mortar shells and gingerly crossed 16 rows of tracks. They started routing out dirty, hearded Germans holed up and fighting in close quarters, some- times with bayonets. v Berlin Accounts The Berlin radio gave conflicting accounts. One broadcast said that the American assault had slack- ened in Aachen. Another said the corridor had been widened to four miles and huge U. S. reinforce- ments had arrived at the front. Correspondents in Holland said that the Germans are strengthen- ing their forces near the Schelde Estuary. Planes spotted heavy German traffic moving west of Tilburg and north of Metz. Patton’s Third Army is fighting the Germans hand-to- hand in the streets of Meizieres Les on the southern end of Metz. The western front communique said that the American Seventh Army and the French First Army have “made substantial gains.” | JUNEAU GARDEN (LUB REELECTS OFFICERS Reelecting the present slate of officers, the Juneau Garden Club 'held its regular monthly meeting Mrs, Ernest Gruening. A vote of confidence in this year's officers was given, and Mrs. M. D. Williams will continue as President, Mrs. George Alexander as Vice- President, and Mrs. Hugh J. Wade as Secretary-Treasurer, Club members present also voted to continue meeting through the winter months, with the exception | of the month of Deceber. The next meeting will be held in the home of Mrs. Walter Sharpe. e NEW COOK EMPLOYED AT ! GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL Jeane Norway has arrived from the South and will be employed by the Alaska Indian Service as cook (Continued on Page Four) at the Government Hospital. yesterday afternoon in the home of 5 Grey Nuns ComingNorth, Kodiak Bound Will Assume Management of Griffin Memorial Hos- pital to Weslward SEATTLE, Oct. 13—Obviously ex- cited at “their great adventure,” five grey nuns from Philadelphia arrivéd in Seattle Thursday en- route to Kodiak where they will assume management of the Griffin | Memorial Hospital, Alaska Terri- tory institution. The Rev. Edgar Gallant ef the Mission at Skagway came here to accompany the Sisters north. They will travel by steamer to Juneau, then fly to Kodiak. ; JACK BURFORD IS VICE COMMODORE OF C. 6. AUXILIARY |Juneau Delegates Refurn| from Conference at Ketchikan Back from the first annual Alaska Coast Guard Auxiliary conference, held this week at Ketchikan, dele- | gates from Flotilla 2100, returned last night aboard a U. S. Coast| Guard vessel. | Called for the purpose of selecting | a 17th Auxiliary District Board for | 1945 and to establish a future district | policy, as well as to hold a general | tions in Holland, although signs | discussion on current and future ac- | Vancouver, B. C, are in town and !uvxues. the two-day conference | opened Monday morning with Lt. Comdr. Earl J. Watterworth, U. S. C. G. R, Auxiliary Director, pre- siding. An address of welcome was given by Capt. J. P. Murray, USCG, As- sistant District Coast Guard Officer. Reports on activities of the various | | divisions were given and peace-time | plans for continuation of the auxil- jary were discussed. A mixer and buffet supper at the Ketchikan bachelor officers’ quart- | ers honored district representatives attending the conference and as a finale the visitors were conducted on a tour of the Coast Guard in- stallations and facilities in that dis- { trict. Division officers for Southeast Alaska, appointed and approved by the Coast Guard, included Paul Adams of Ketchikan as Commodore and J. B. (Jack) Burford of Juneau as Vice Commodore. Board members designated were M. J. Bucey, Division No. 1, Ket- chikan; Ernest Parsons, Division No. 2, Juneau; Earl Ohmer, Division No. 3, Petersburg, and the Rev. William A. Thomas of the newly organized Division No. 4 at Sitka. Delegates from Juneau were Jack Burford, Ernie Parsons and Bob Burns; from Sitka—Clarence Rands, William Beach and the Rev. W. A. Thomas; from Petersburg Ed Locken. Jack Burford, newly elected Vice Commodore and Commander of the local flotilla, announced today that he would call a meeting of the Jnneau Coast Guard Auxiliary early next week at which time a report on | the conference will be made. SLEEPING PILLS " CAUSED DEATH OF AIMEE MPHERSON OAKLAND, Oct. 13—The Coro- ner's Jury has returned the verdict that Aimee McPherson died on | September 27 from an overdose of “sleeping tablets.” The jury of 13, four of them women, deliberated only a short time. 2 Pathologist Dr. Mary Oldt told the jury that she died from the “shock of respiratory failure, due to an overdose of barbital com- pound, and a kidney ailment.” Coroner Frank Emerson, when ‘asked whether it could Have been accidental, replied: “It could. A person could get into such a state of forgetfulness that she might not remember how many she had taken of these pills” |tion is at hand.” |of your ports and airfields will harass his retreat.” — . LESKOS ARRIVE HERE } Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lesko, of Fairbanks, have arrived here and ATHENS 1S EVACUATED' BY NAZIS | BULLETIN — LONDON, Oct. 13—A Cairo dispatch says the Germans have quit Athens and declared it “an open city.” BULLETIN—ROME, Oct. 13— The radio broadcasts an “offi- cial announcement” that Athens has been evacuated by the Ger- mans and the Administration is in the hands of the Greek Pa- triots. LAND IN GREECE ROME, Oct. 13—Gen. Sir Henry Wilson, Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean, in a broad- cast tonight, said “a force under my command is about to land in Greece and the Kingdom’s liberas Unofficial reports tonight said the Greek flag is flying over | Athens and Acropolis. Broadcasts have been made of| Allied proclomations promising im- | mediate aid to the Greeks, adding, “We come now to sweep away all traces of the invaders, and by use are registered at the Baranof Hotel. | > - ARCHIE MILLER ARRIVES A recent arrival in town is Archie Miller of Minneapolis. He fs now! staying at the Gastineau. eee VANCOUVER MEN HERE i C. Walstrom and J. Williams, of guests at the Gastineau Hotel. ———.—— | TWO BOATS SELL E. E. Engstrom bought 1200 fish | from the Nellie B and 1000 fish from the Admiralty today. | e FAIRBANKS MEN ARRIVE Arrivals from Fairbanks are Peter Larkin, Bailey Pell, H. W.| Miller, and John Conilli. All are registered al the Baranof Hotel. LEE LUCAS HERE \ Sgt. Lee Lucas, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. 1. Lucas, is in Juneau on a 21-day furlough from the Aleu- tian Islands. e e [PUBLIC GREETS {had told him he was coming back | |to Alaska as a Salvation Army | NEW SALVATION ARMY LEADERS First American Officers Are | Welcomed at Recep- tion in Army Hall At a public reception last night | at 8 o'clock in the Salvation Army Hall, members of the Army con- gregation and Juneau citizens wel- | comed the first American officers to come to Alaska: Brig. and Mrs. C. C. Taylor and Adjutant and Mrs. Henry Lorenzen. The reception program started off with the guests singing “On- ward, Christian Soldiers.” Then, after a prayer by Chaplain E. Newbold, former Salvation Army Officer, Envoy Bacon read the Scriptures, W. A. Allen, chairman for the evening, was then introduced by Capt. G. Carruthers. The chairman introduced William Recketts, who, accompanied by Mrs. Calvin Hart- man, sang two hymns, “The Stranger of Galillee,” and “Christ of the Cr / Joan Lesher played two piano solos, following which Mrs. R. B. Lesher and Mrs. R. Treat sang,) accompanied by Mrs. Ronald Lister, | a duet, “Jesus Thou Art Every-| thing To Me.” | Greetings From Women Mrs. M. O. Johnson greeted the new officers in the name of the women of Juneau, saying that in | her long residence in Wrangell she had known many Salvation Army people and had grown to like and respect them. Following this welcome, William | Matheny played two trombone. solos, “Con Amore” and “The Secret.” Dr. J. O. Rude was the next speaker. He welcomed the four new officers to Juneau, saying he too had come rorth 16 years ago and like the Salvation Army people, had kept moving his headquarters still farther north. After a vocal solo by Mrs. Lister, the chairman called upon Brig.| Taylor, who said that if anybody | worker when he was working, over | 30 years ago, on the Copper River | and Northwestern Railroad, he troducing Adjutant Lorenzen, he said he was glad to have him as| a co-worker because he had| watched his work in the Army for many years. Adj. Lorenzen said he was glad to be in Alaska and | felt it was a wonderful opportunity | MRS. CROSS RETURNS HOME | Mrs. Bess Cross, who has been visiting here for the past several! e ART EXHIBIT TO CLOSE ! The Ballard Hadman Art Exhibit ' which has been held for ‘the past| week at the Scottish Rite Temple will close tomorrow, the artist an- | | nounces. Doors will be open from |moon until 9 o'clock tomorrow eve- | ning, and all who have not attended | the show are wrged to do so. FDR 1o Investigate Pelrllli's Refusal WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 — Presi- dent Franklin D. Roosevelt said today he would like to do some- thing about the refusal of James Petrillo’s Musicians’ Union to make recordings for the two major broadcasting companies, and added he would look into the law first. |He told a news conference he was going into the matter in a few days. A week ago he wired James C. Petrillo and asked him to lift the ban. Petrillo declined to do so un- less RCA Victor and Columbia sign contracts with the union as, he |said, the others had done. e e 16 o 06 06 0 0 0 0 0 0 . WEATHER REPORT (U. 8. Weather Bureau) l ! ( I Temp., Thursday, October 12 In Juneau: Maximum, 58; minimum, 52. Rainfall, .66 inch. At Airport: Maximum, 60; minimum, 53. Rainfall, .58 inch. |Luichow from the east, have re- to carry on the work of the Sal-| vation Army. | Mrs. Lorenzen said she too was Mrs. Taylor, replying to the speeches of welcome, said she felt that God had called her to “this great land.” The program concluded with the audience singing “God Bless Am- erica.” Coffee and sandwiches were served to the guest: Adj. Lorenzen was stationed last| at Reno, Nevada. He has been an| officer in the Army for 13 years, all of his service being in the west. Lorenzen and his wife are the new divisional secretaries to Brig. and Mrs. Taylor. PARENT-TEACHER | MEETING TUESDAY| All parents and teachers in Juneau who are interested in the formation | next Tuesday evening at 8 o'clock in | | the grade school auditorium. At this | ter following completion of a three- time it will be decided whether or| not such an association is needed | and desirable. If so, there will be | an election of officers and a definite date set for future meetings. FREE CHINA AREA | REDU(ED BY .’ Apsfh’ov 60 miles southwest of Talla- |yith gasoline and oil were wrecked | \last ‘Tuesday at Balikpapan when |ablaze. CHUNGKING, Oct. 13—Pincer- like Jap columns, advancing on Kweilin from the north and on duced still free China, between Hongkong and Manchuria, to an area 60 miles wide, Major Gen. Chuen, Chinese military man, acknowledged. POST-WARPLANS " FORMULATED AT USES-WMC MEET {Warning AE?Sounded on Workers Being Too Choosey About Jobs i After working out a procedure to thandle returning war veterans and | conferring with local Federal and Territorial officials concerning pay- ment of readjustment allowances, | the joint conference of United States | Employment Service and War Man- power Commissions officials will end this afternoon. Representatives from all the USES offices in the Territory are attending | the meeting, the first of its kind | held in several years. ! In a two-day meeting with Unem- | ployment Compensation Commission | officials, the conferees outlined a plan of payment of allowances to returning veterans. The UCC is to act as agent for paying the claims. These claims, it was announced, are | similar to the unemployment com- | pensation claims for civilians. Under | the plan the USES will be the| claims-taking agency but a repre- | i sentative of the Veterans' Adminis- | tration, to be stationed in Alaska at a later date, will approve or dis- approve all claims, Under this plan, Arthur Hedges, War Manpower Commission head for Alaska explained, the USES will first try to place the veteran in a job equal, or nearly so, to his skill. Upon failing to do so they will take his, or her, claim for the allowance. Warning Sounded A warning was sounded by all representatives at the meet that no longer can the worker be too “choosey” is taking a job. The | boom-time wages are about at an end. As one example of this when Nan Holt of the Kodiak USES was | asked, “What are they doing in Ko- | diak now that they are not building | bases?”, she replied that most of the work was maintenance work. This work does not pay as high as con- struction although much of the work is similar in nature. It was agreed by all members that some workers were now unwilling to accept jobs at the peacetime labor scale. Most of the trained construc- tion workers, it was pointed out, however, are leaving the Territory when the jobs are completed; a small percentage of the total stay- jwould not have believed him. In-|n, y, alaska to wait for other jobs. No Compensation Arthur A. Hedges pointed out that with the abundance of work, work- ers who are hesitant about taking a job at lower pay may have a diffi- cult time collecting unemployment compensation. It was also announced that labor ceilings are still to be maintained in Anchorage and Fairbanks but in | days, has left to return to her home glad to be in Alaska, and in their |no other Alaskan towns. . on the Seward Peninsula. Upon'few months in Wrangell they hadi Those attending the meeting are: arrival there, she will resume con- grown eto love the people and was | Jack Carvel, Manager of the Juneau trol of her’mercantile enterprises.'sure she would like Juneauites also, | USES; Nan Holt of the Kodiak office, Milton Ward, Fairbanks USES; Ed Borgen, Manager of the | Ketchikan branch; William V. Mait- |1and of the Anchorage office; Fred- erick M. Tyvoll, WMC representative | from Cordova; and Arthur Hedges, WMC Alaska head. The conferees are to start the journey back to their respecuve{ stations tomorrow. | ——————— JUNEAU BOY IS | GRADUATED FROM | PILOTING SCHOOL CAMP GORDON JOHNSTON, Fla—Pvt. Don F. Hungerford of Juneau, Alaska, has graduated from | jof a Parent-Teacher organization |the Coastwise Piloting School of the | are requested to attend a meeting | Navigation Training Secfion at the | Army Service Forces Training Cen- 5 week course. ; Pvt. Hungerford will return to his outfit, Co. “B” Replacement Train- | ing Group, with a basic knowledge | of piloting used 4n the operation of | Army vessels. The Army Service Forces Training | Center, located on the Gulf of Mex- | hassee, is commanded by Brig. Gen. ‘William H. Holcombe who was with ! Lt. Gen. “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell on | the historic forced march from Bur- ma into India in the spring of| 1942. Before coming to Camp Gordon| Johnston, General spokes- | Service Forces in the China-Burma- ' India theatre. |Nimitz has announced 'HEAVY SMASHES HIT JAPS IN PACIF] | YANK CARRIER FORCE SINKS STRIKE LUZON Official Report Is Made on Attack Against Formosa on Wednesday BULLETIN—NEW YORK, Oct. 13—American warplanes renewed the attack on Formosa today, a Japanese Imperial communique reported in a broadcast from Tokyo and intercepted by the FCC here. ’ The broadcast said “enemy planes which made a 1,000 plane attack and raid struck again Fri- day morning (Jap time) and fighting still continued on both sides up to about noon.” By CHARLES H. McMURY | (A. P. Correspondent) PEARL HARBOR, Oct. 13—Adm.| that Adm. Marc Mitscher's powerful carrier force destroyed 221 Japanese planes, sank 16 ships and damaged 19 at| {Formosa in the fourth successive |blow at the enemy's inner defense |line. | The Japanese had said that 1,000 |U. 8. planes raided the Islnnd,‘ which blockades the Chinese coast, | ion Wednesday (U, S. time), 575; | miles south of Japan proper. | Adm. Nimitz announced the loss| of 22 U. S. planes, but no damage to surface ships. Once again Halsey's mighty Third Fleet failed to find Japanese war- |ships. | Nip Ships Sunk i Without identifying the harbors where Admiral Mitscher's carrier| i planes discovered the Jap smpplns.l Adm. Nimitz reported that nmong} the score of ships sunk were two| tlarge cargo, two medium cargo and {12 small cargo ships. Those dam- aged included two large cargo, seven medium cargo and 10 small Icargo ships. Planes Downed Of the Jap planes destroyed, 124 | were shot out of the air and 97| were finished off on the ground. Formosa is one of the largest \islands in the Pacific, 240 miles north and south and ranging to 93 |miles wide. The strong defense would indi- cate Formosa has a 1,000 plane base. | The fact that few American air- :crcm. were downed is the strongest (Continued on Page Two) — ee—-— - WHAT, NO FLAG? , Nope, there is no flag flying over the grade school, and Superintend- ent A. B. Phillips has asked the | TASK FORCES 16 JAP SHIPS BIG ASSAULT Air Bases, Military Instal- lations, Maybe Manila Area, Bombed UNITED STATES PACIFIC FLEET HEADQUARTERS, PEARL HARBOR, Oct. 13—A large force of carrier-based planes struck Luzon, main island in the Philippines, on Tuesday afternoon,; blasgting air bases and military installations, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz an- nounced in a.communique. This is the third fleet action an- nounced in three days. The other two were attacks on Marcus and Ryukyus on Sunday and Monday, respectively, indicating the wide range of American warships in the Pacific. No details are given of the dam- age on Luzon on which Manila is located. ‘The communique said the planes making the strike were from the “Pacific task force of the Pacific Fleet.” This was the fifth such carrier strike on Luzon, two of which smashed the Manila .area. Another Isle Taken Admiral Nimitz in his communi- que also announced the American 81st Infantry has landed on the 12th island in the Palaus to come under American domination since September 15. The ' Americans went ashore Wednesday on Arimaskuku, four miles northwest of Peleliu and found it unoccupied. This is the third new landing in the southern Palaus in four days. Continuous Fleet Action Reference made in the com- munique on the Luzon raid re- garding smashing of air bases pos- sibly meant the Manila area, which was again the principal target in almost continuous fleet actions, and suggests a- stepping up of the of- fensive in the Pacific. The actions served to recall the assertion by Adm. William F. Hal- sey, Jr., that he would hit close to Japan, in vital spots, hard and often. R ITALY TO CHOOSE OWN GOYERNMENT |dent Roosevelt was quoted today as saying that the American Army entered Italy “not as conquerors but as liberators” and ‘- promised the TItalians will “be free to work WASHINGTON, Oct, 13 — Presi- Empire to tell why and thus sbop"uut their own destiny under a gov- people phoning to him or other- ernment of their own choosing.” wise asking him why the grade | school isn't patriotic. You see, that gentle little breeze experienced the other night, just' blew that big ball at the top of the staff containing the halyard wheel right down to Taku Harbor, or some place. Well, the staff has been lowered, a new ball and wheel is being annexed and soon Old Glory will be flapping. And there you are. “When the Allies defeat Ger- many the United Nations have de- termined that every possible meas- ure will be taken to aid the Italian people and directly give them the opportunity to help themselves,” he said last night in his radio address from the White House. He directed the meeting of the Italian American Labor Council in New York and the acceptance of the Council's Four Freedoms Award. Heavy Blow Is Struck af Jap's Borneo Base; Greal Destrudion Is Revealed ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, NEW | GUINEA, Oct. 13 — The mcmues;' supplying Japan's war machine ; 135 tons of bombs were dropped ! by Fighter-escorted Liberators. Thirty-six to 46 enemy planes were shot down trying to break the | Deputy Commander of the Army|vital Borneo base. 2 Cracking the supply plant has, totally and perhaps permxnemlyJ made inoperable the paraffin re- finery. Heavy explosions, resulted and fires sent smoke up. 20,000 feet. Storage tanks were also set Photographs conclusively verified the destruction. A strong force of Japanese fighters and Lightnings formed a close cover, but the bombers pushed Holcombe was heaviest blow of the war at the through intense flak to their tar- gets. Three bombers and one fighter of the attacking force were lost.