The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, December 27, 1944, Page 1

v YAN THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NE WS ALL THE TIME” VOL. LXIV., NO. 9843 1944 MEMRER ASSOCIATED PRESS JUNEAU, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, PRICE TEN CENTS KS HURLBACK GERMANTANKATTACK - Superforts Hit Tokyo Today In Daylight Raid ‘Tiny Tels Aidin TARGETS HIT IN CAPITAL OF NIPPONS Fifth Mtack of War Made by Giant Planes Based on Saipan Island WASHINGTON, Dec. 27—Super- fortresses of the Twenty-First Bomber Command, flying from bases on Saipan Island, bombed Tokyo industrial targets in a day- light attack today, according an announcement Gen. “Hap” Arnold, Commanding | General of the Twentieth Air Force, said a communique will be issued when operational reports are received in Washington Brig. Gen. H. 'S. Hansell, Com- manding General of the Twenty- First This raid was the fifth of the war by B-29's on Tokyo. The last visit paid to Tokyo on De- cember 3 when a force described “substantial” hit the Japanese capital. TOKYO REPORT NEW YORK, Dec. 27—The Tokyo | radio said giant planes “dropped ! explosives and incendiaries at ran- dom, causing insignificant damage. The broadcast, recorded by the! Federal Communications Commis sion here, was unreadable in places but apparently the enemy claimed . some interceptors chalked up vic- now at the front have been fighting 1108, tories against the Superforts. The Japanese communique said about 50 Superforts were in the attacking force and claimed nine were downed, five probably downed and 27 others damaged. Japanese War Minister Suziyama interrupted his report to the Japa- nese Diet this afternoon and made the statement that®a Superfort YANKS BLAST CLARK FIELD IN BIG RAID to| from | ‘The Washington Merry-Go-Round | | By DREW PEARSON | (Lt. Col.” Robert S. Allen now on active service with the Army.) | WASHINGTON—Those close up Ilu the war picture are convinced {that aside from faulty intelligence, ‘lh(‘l‘(‘ was no one single military |error which brought on the swift |disastrous German break-through. Undoubtedly some intelligence of- |ficers will be disciplined or broken Ifor failing to evaluate the concen- ltration of German troops opposite 1(he First Army about a week be- {forehand. But there were other |factors contributing to the reverse, {none of which can be laid at the |doorstep of a single commander. Basically, they are factors which fonly Gen. Eisenhower and Gen. Marshall themselves could properly levaluate and act on | Here are some of the basic factors involved: 1—Gen the U. S. offensive which began November 8, and which continued | with battering-ram tactics until von Rundstedt turned the tide against us. Marshall, visiting the battle- |front in October, said that during /the winter the Germans could| ;mubihzu 100 new divisions, so it| was wise for us to clear them off the west bank of the Rhine before |winter closed in. inside, ition to doubt the wisdom of Gen.! |Marshall's decision. However, these| ‘bnn,ermg ram tactics cost men, also is to keep divisions on ‘the front line, bringing up fresh men only for replacements. Thus the divisions | 'steadily since the landing in Nor mandy last June—with, of course, a lot of men coming up as replace- | ments. GERMANS RESTED TROOPS 3—This is considered an excellent ' system and gets results. However, the Germans immediately took out | |their battle troops after Normandy raid was then in progress over the |and sent them to rest behind Lhei27 Nlp WAR city. \lines. The Nazi boys and old men > \we encountered in the Siegfried | Line made us think the German | |Army was shot to pieces, but wasn’'t. The experienced {troops, now refreshed after rest, —are taking the {against us. 4—The War Department itself was responsible for a lot of the ,favuxable news which gave the! |public a general feeling of over- | ,confidcnce One of the most im- portam indications was that some a long | offensive | Marshall himself ordered | {and 2—There was and is no disposi- | tire men out. The- American systaia | it | battle | FAIR VOTE BEING CAST INELECTION | Polls Will Remain Open Until 7 o'Clock This Evening MR KRLIKR: Diaper Services nessd rgre duarers . AND WE NEED At 3 o'clock this afterncon 601' votes had been cast in the special | First Division Territorial election | to fill a vacancy in the Senate of | the Alaska Legislature | At 3 o'clock 305 votes had been | cast in the First precinct at the, City Hall, 140 votes in the Second | Precinct at the PAA office and 156 |votes were in the box in the Third | {Precinct at the Juneau Dairies. ! In the First precinct voting had! been on the average up to 3 o'clock the other precincts reported | just gradual voting. ! In the city election on April 4] when there were two candidates for mayor and several candidates for the city council and School ‘Bour(l the First Precinct had cast | 336 votes at 3 o'clock, Second Pr(- cinct 137 and Third Precinct 148 | | votes. In the Primary on April 25, 353 | had voted in the First Precinet, 157 in the Second and 143 in the | Third. 1h tne "Territorial ~election ©h September 12 the vote at 3 o'clock in the First Precinct was 276, in the Second 123 and in the third These tots at the Betnany Day N cornered pants. (AP Wirephoto) RUSSIANS Candidates for the seat in the Senate in today's special election |is Allen Shattuck of Juneau, F. F.| [Daria. g 8. e W, Povek Soniol Assault Unis Slash The polls close at 7 o'clock to- | Some DIS'afl(e in C"y_ Escape Avenues Cut night. | Loata MOSCOW, Dec. 27 Red Army |shock troops charged upon flame- |seared Budapest today from the ‘snowy hills above the Danube. The German garrison burned military swrcs dynamited public utilities and ‘Iought back grimly with field ar- \ullon scattered throughout the cap-| 1Lnl | Half a dozen Soviet spearheads| | | were reported to be closing in on the i | western half of the encircled city.| Large Enemy ny Aircralt Car- | ermen rons of cmpe e i | rier, Cruiser and Car- comprise the defending garrison is ‘ | unknown here, but the Russian com- [mand said that the numbers are H PUSHINTO German Blow Is Nof Serious BRITISHNOW Protest fo War Production Board MR KRUG: Thanks for more underwery @il pajamas. & WHERE ATE OUR ! MR KRUG: Thanks for he fope .. but wce axe ouR BTIONS 7 ursery in New York City—with an assist by a press agent for the diaper industry—bared a situation that was leading to protests to the WPB for release of more material for three- ELAS BREAK Newsman Says TRUCE WITH l P | By WES GALLAGHER ! Asscciated Press War Correspondent WITH THE U. S. FORCES IN! BELGIUM, Dec, 24 (Delayed)—An error of the Allied Intelligence Sel ference Scheduled for blame for von Rundstedt's break-| through of the western front. It L.s“ BULLETIN—ATHENS, now apparent the Allied High Com-| imand Intelligence not only failed to| detect the buildup by von Rund- stedt and the weak spot in the front, ,but also under-estimated German military strength and ability up to the day of the breakthrough. ‘ The official opinion as given out by correspondents is that: One—the | Ardennes Forest 15 not an :ldvan-\ tageous spot in which to launch a| | winter offensi it is being used| a sort of re ctor by both Ger- mans and Americans; two—von| Rundstedt has practically no Dec. 21 late today declared the peace proposals of representatives of the Left Wing of the ELAS were not acceptable, and the confer- ence called by Churchill ended in a second meeting without agreement. 1t is said the terms of the ELAS, if accepted, would mean dissolution of the state. ATHENS, Dec. 21--The British |announced today ELAS artillery {had broken a truce conference by e~ Ifiring - yesterday upon a British use in the big of-| ‘Fire on Warshlp—New Con-j —Greek Populist Party members AIR FORCES HITNALZIS WEST FRONT Favorable W;ather Gives Rise to All-Out Air Attack LONDON, Dec, 27.—Heavy bomb- ers from Britain spearheaded an- other assault against the Germans of the Western Front offensive. Favorable weather over the con- tinent permitted Allied planes in Belgium, Holland and France to join their attacks The German radio reported for- mations of heavy bombers north over Austria, indicating that Fort- resses and Liberators of the U. 8 Fifteenth Air Force were striking from Ttaly at Nazi war industries| behind the battle lines. Fortresses and Liberators of the U. S. Eighth Air Force attacked rail yards at Coblenz and rail bridges north of the city. RAF heavies bombed German troop and tank concentrations north of St. Vith terday was borne by the U. S, Ninth Air Force and the British Second Tactical Air Force, both based on the continent. American 1fignters uua bombers flew 1400 sorties and the RAF 700, | They destroyed mbre than 1,000 Ger- man motor vehicles, including 146 armored cars and tanks and 71 Nazi planes. Allied lo ene bomber. Surrounded Troops Gef Ammunifion | One Hundred Tons of Sup- plies Parachuted from Air Transports s were 30 fighters and BULLETIN—LONDON, Dec. 27 —The Brussels radio said tonight relief columns have reached the Much of the front line assault yes-| U. 5. FORCES STRIKE BACK, NAZI FRONT Fierce Fight@iakes Place Around Celles-Enemy Makes Thrusts IN THE STAVELOT SECTOR, BELGIUM, 2 p. m, Dec. 27—By Associated Press War Corres- pondent WES GALLAGHER — During the past 24 hours, von Rundstedt has suffered his firsi serious set-back since the Ger- man offensive began 11 days ago. Infuriated Doughboys and tank- men have driven deep into the salient of the German bulge in one sector and with weather | clearing, Allied Air Forces are | whittling away at Nazi tanks and | transports. Von Rundstedt is ap- y parently trying to turn the Am- erican line to the westward but huge losses have convinced him | the line is firmly held. } | BULLETIN—BERLIN, Dec, 27— The German radio tomight says the battle in Belgium is now “more and more one of attri- | tion,” and “our ememy is trying to exert pressure on both sides of ‘our lies to" muke theta col- lapse.” The broadcast also claims “major tank battles are break- ing out but no enemy gains are reported anywhere.” PARIS, Dec. 27. — United States itroops in Christmas Day counter- wuLthkb, slammed back the German {armor that had, reached Celles, only kmur miles from the Meuse River, |and 50 miles from Brussels. Supreme Headquarters said by | Christmas night American forces | were hurled in the path of the Ger- man bid for the Meuse, the strongly- |held town of Celles, which is only eight miles from the northern bule® lot France. They were also rep {to have blunted the sccond arn spearhead thrust 50 miles inte gium. This was undisclosed in the ! munique which said simply “a ’cn«-my tanks and troop ca | thrust forward from the dire ! lof Celles,” four miles from Diary {the Meuse. “These were eny: by our forces and driven back; |tanks being knocked out.” 800000 German troops were killed | |or taken prisoners during the clean- up of France, making a sizeable| serve troops for | fensive; three—the rman soldier is i 11-Mile Plunge The 11-mile Sunday plunge ci ©r forward two columns of the American garrison at Bastogue, |warship. As a result, offensive air i | stion was begun again cut off fore more than one week. | The Br 1 o —— .| The report says the first break- | foth o e e The British informed the ELAS | morale of the extremely low | 1arge. go Ships Sunk | WASHINGTON, Dec. 27.—A large| Christmas Day Blow on Soviet assault units and tanks plus| G Manila Made by American Fighters MacARTHUR'S HEAD- | QUARTERS IN THE PHILIP-| PINES, Dec. 27—Heavy bombers, escorted by fighters hit Clark Field at Manila Christmas Day (Manila time) with 44 tons of bombs in a sustained aerial offensive to knock| out Japanese air bases at Luzon Island. The attack was announced in| MacArthur's communique and fol-| lowed the Christmas Day an-| nouncement that the Leyte Island campaign had been completed with | the capture of the west coast port of Palompon. J American fighters in the Manila raid downed 39 to 50 Japanese | interceptors over Clark Field for a two-day 72 total. | As the mop-up of shattered en- emy units on Leyte continued, 899! more Japanese dead were counted‘ and 14 more prisoners taken, bring- | GEN. ing the enemy casualty total to| 114,120, - ,———— GILROY HERE U. R. Gilroy is in town and is; registered at the Baranof Hotel‘ from San Francisco. D - C()MPLETES LEAVE Ensign Arnold Swanson, son of Mrs. E. O. Jacobson, who has been spending his leave in Juneau, has, departed for Seattle to report for jury but shall be weighed by the! follows: duty, J | sion - Ukranian | Thus {reasons to believe that a large slice hole in the Nazi Army. Of these, however, about 400,000 were Rus- labor battalions. | the American public had of the German Army was deci- mated. 5—Germany's new Royal Tiger tank is superior to ours and we have known it. It is extremely difficult to knock out of commis- sion. However, was going to be over soon and that we could finish' up the job with the tanks already on hand—of which we had tremendous quanti-| (Continued on Page Four) BLOOD TEST 10 COUNT IN TRAIL OF PATERNITY LOS ANGELES, Dec. 27. — Joan i Berry's lawyer failed to block testi-| mony that blood tests are declared by doctors to have shown that Chap- lin is not the father of her fourteen {months’ old daughter. Judge Willis ruled that the testi- mony of the scientists who made the; tests was admissible to the trial in | Joan's paternity suit against the :comed.ian, but added that “the opin- ion of the doctors that the defend-| ant is not her father is nothing more than an opinion based on expert | knowledge. Under out jurisprudence this evidence is not binding to the jury.” we thought the war | x tommy gunners are believed to have, Japanese aircraft carrier, six ad-|g.cheq some distance into Budapest ditional enemy warships and 20| on the district cn the west bank {o'.her Nipponese vessels were sunk| e ty. penupe. by American subs reported the Navy.| mnoysands of German dead were| |Fe;i1?:w“b:;r§yg:§: 5 p:mlng in | TEPOrted to be lined along the roads !Far Eastern waters was anncunr(‘d\?L{ht?fmbaz:x]:gmg:d:;i:t{”‘:H.?:fl\z by Secretary James Forrestall pussian advance burned out. Ar- ships blasted included one convened1T,o:fldxfigfcfic:?:;v,;:f,(t,)wmm;ti Heay. eoulser & deptrbyer, tNo 05”’"}(1cued the fields, and endless col- : ca; 3 s American torpedoes and depth saxd A !’CS iy d p'xt(‘n bombs were two large transports,| 10 medium cargo transports, (wu1 | medium tankers. These sinkings bring to 1090 the |number of Japanese ships sunk,, | probably sunk or damaged since the | |war started. This number included |96 warships definitely sunk, 11 prob-| ably sunk and 16 damaged. | Forn_zstal said sinkings of Japan- :;it‘;s::elsz::naausgm t';:":’ 0;3:7;2-‘5. according to advices received from Washington, D. C. He my shipping destroyed by American | i1 : 4 Sl Lok, |{the National Capital three days be- Wi sy lro_re Christmas after a conference with President Roosevelt on that | . GOVERNOR WILL RETURN JAN, 5 Ernest Gruening is sched- Gov. {to be graduated from flying school NEW YORK, Dec. 27 — Closing jas a seccnd lieutenant in the Army quotation of Alaska Juneau mine!Air Forces, stock today is 6%, American Can| From Arizona, the Governor was| 190, Anaconda 27%, Beech Aircraft scheduled to fly *to California, 13’5, Bethlehem Steel 63', Curiiss where he was to meet Mrs. Gruen-| Wright 5%, International Harvester'ing, who wiH return with the Gov-! 79%, Kennecott 35%, North Ameri-|ernor next week can Aviation 10, New York Central | -oe - — 22'%, Northern Papific 21%, United | PARSON IN TOWN States Steel 58'%, Pound $4.04. | Dow, Jones averages today are as| Andrew Parson is in town and is| Industrials, 148.71; rails, |registered at the Gastineau Hotel 47.32: utilities, 25.70, from Anchorage, uled to return to Juneau January ! left | STOCK QUOTATIONS | icr “sicre B peten an High Com- | i mand aim of the fight is for defen- Ne truce was regarded null and |sive action before the Ruhr valley;|Vold- It had been agreed no ar- fivo—the German air Yorce is vir-,Ullery action or air action was to tually non-existent; sixth—the Ge ;m- taken by either side for three- mans’ shortage of and war ma- Guarters of an hour from 3 p. m. terials precludes uny large scale vx,‘\\’hlll' ELAS delegates were being fort., |taken to last night's conference, at 'which Prime Minister | I - | Churchill appealed to the | DORIS McEACHEAN 5 | factions to end: tho stife. ‘The conference was so tense that warring | Doris McEachran, .| hostess during the past several ;months, left today for the south enroute to California, where she \will enter Stanford University m.), January 6. 'Revampmg Eledoral Celliege Now in Air; System fo Be Changed T popular USO arms at the door. First Shell Falls The British said the first shell (Continued on Puge Three) | By JACK STIN) (troversy over the method if elect-| WASHINGTON, Dec. 27Tt may |, {take some time, but our method of | | voting for president and vice xum-l jdent of the United States is Lomg‘ {to be changed. cutives is redlly almost as old as the Constitution. Our present method of actually getting a president in the White! |House by popular vote is a custom, The threat in Texas and several|, .. 1.0 pne Constitution pro- jother southern states 10 NAME | oy yhat the states, through their | |electors who would not vote for| the Roosevelt-Truman ticket, Ye-|gengia] electors allotted them in |gardless of whether their states | o o1 4 manner as they may direct. |voted Democratic, has mghhghwd the matter. But actually the con-' (Continued on Page Siz) ‘Winston | all delegates surrendered their side legislatures, shall name the presi-| | through the German lines was by a single U. S. Army vehicle followed by others. LONDON, Dec. 27—A hundred tons of supplies, mainly ammuni- tion, was parachuted to the Ameri- can troops cut off by the German ldrive in the Bastogne area. Twin-engined C-47 sky trains ‘rll:»w from Britain to France with [the cargoe: The doughboys withstood re- |peated Nazi tank attacks while waiting for relief columns, last of- ficially reported four and a half (miles away. A BBC broadcast from |London said the American columns were now only one and one-quarter | miles from cast said “numeroug German tanks {have been destroyed” in attempts to enter the town. | A lone C-47, piloted by Lt. Col. |Joel Crouch, sneaked over the Ger- DS, parachute troop pathfinder unit to guide other planes to the scene. (They radioed back they had landed | safely and one hour later troop-| carrier planes began dropping {bundles of alamuzition, food and, cans, | Crouch said German planes didn’'t molest him but he encoun-| itered heavy ground fire from the |German tank concentration. ——————————— HINDLERS RETURN i . S Mr. and Mrs. Fred Schindler ar- rived home on the North Sea after |a month's visit to Washington and |California, Bastogne. The broad-| Iman lines at dawn and dropped a, offensive, powered by two aud | {haps three armies, to Celles arid Ciney, six miles northwestward and nine from the Meuse. The gur- rounded Bastogne garrison of sev- eral thousand doughboys still held out in their epic stand. General lke | Eisenhower’s relieving counter as- sault from the south at last reports, was still four and a half miles from the ¢ity but the front of his attack has widened. Marshal von Rundstedt is-push- ing hard to the northwest toward the Antwerp supply route from his reinforced line along the Hotton- Marche road but “our positions have been maintained” said the Allied | communique covering actions two (days' old. Along the northern rim of the bulge the Germans captured Manhay, 10 miles southwest of | stavelot. } Bloody Fighting | Rundstedt kept bloody Bastogne, |near the middle of the bulge, under incessant day and night attack, {hurling in tanks, which the defend- |ers methodically knocked out as fast as they came up. | The closest point the relieving | force from the south came was Just | north of Chaumont, five miles below |ing only two nationally-named €X-|podicine to the surrounded Ameri- | Bastogne. | Seven miles southwest of Bastogne |the Americans pressed near Cobre- | ville. et HOME FROM SCHOOL Bemmice Mead, daughter of Mr. land Mrs. Douglas Mead, arrived in Juneau on the North Sea from Seattle, where she has been at- |.tenmng school for the past several ! 4 months. -