The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, February 14, 1945, Page 1

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SERIAL RECORD PRG 1945 THE DAILY ALASKA IKMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME st il VOL. LXIV., NO. 9885 PRICE TEN CENTS JUNEAU, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 14, 1945 MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS = EW NAZI LINES CRASHED BY SOVIET End of Siegfrie RESISTANCE IS BROKEN 11-Way Traffic Center Be-| tween Rhine and Meuse Is Now Under Assault BULLETIN — LONDON, Feb. 14—With massed guns under clouds of planes, the Canadian First Army troops crushed six formidable counter-attacks and are advancing tonight beyond the breached Siegfried Line at the top of the Western Front. One column is within a mile QUTFIT INAVALBASE "/ ON MANILA BAY TAKEN Cavite, Including Planes, fured-Also Airfield By C. YATES McDANIEL (AP War Ccrrespondcnt) MANILA, Feb. 14.—The capture of Cavite Navaly Base and Nichols r also reported en- and one a mile and cne-half of heavily - fortified Gooch, and still another is near the major road center of Calcar. Sorely- wounded Germans, badly beaten infantry, tanks and paratroop- ers are apparently failing back to prepared positions between the Rhine and Meuse Rivers. PARIS, Feb. 14—The Canadian First” Army charged today behind | massed guns and flame throwers to wichin a mile-and-a-half of Goch, 11-way German traffic center be- tween the Rhine and the Meuse. The Canadian troops outflanked the city on the northeast by captur- ing Hasselt and Bedburg. | Canadians, Scot§ and Britons of | Crear’s army advanced two miles or so, leaving behind a 45-mile square embracing Rechswald after breaking the core of resistance offered by seven strongly armored German di- visions and virtually turning the end of the Siegfried Line. Canadian infantry closed up firm- ly to the line of the Oude River,“ Rhine tributary and main river| northeast of Kleve. They sent a strong raiding party from captured (Continued on Page Five) The Washington Merry - Go- Round By DREW PEARSON (Lt. Col. Robert S. Allen now on active service with the Army.) WASHINGTON—It has now heen nearly a year since this column | revealed how the U. S. Army had procrastinated before ordering the quick-release parachute for Ameri-| can aviators. which ' Gen. Newton, Longfellow of the Eighth Air Force| had requested six months previous. Although Army officials at fir: denied the need of the quick- release pagachute, they later re- versed themselves and have been supplying it to troops in the combat areas. However, the process of ful- filling Gen. Longfellow's request and also of manufaeturing the new harness has been so slow that most troops in non-combat areas are still using the triple-release para- chute harness. This is fastened with three buckles which an aviator must un- loose immediately he hits the ground and in some cases while still in the air, especially if he is about to land in the water or on rough terrain. Otherwise he may be | dragged to death. ! A tragic illustration of this oc- curred in the African desert near Cairo not long ago when six men died because of the triple-release parachute harness. Jumping from 2,500 feet, the men were cdught in a 50-mile-an- hour Sahara sandstorm which seized their parachutes before they could unfasten the three buckles. They were dragged as much as five miles across the desert. One of zhe} crew who lived reported: “I was floating and didn't know how far| 1 was from the ground. I tried to| undo my ’'chute but couldn’t. For-‘ tunately, I landed in a tree.” | . . ! HOUSE OF LORDS DEBATE While in London last month, scholarly Congressman George Out- land of California stopped in the House of Lords, spent a brief bus- man’s holiday studying parliamen-| tary procedure there. He entered! just as Lord Swinton, | Britain's commercial airline expert, was con- | (Continued on Page Four) |tmy casuelties now are more than ‘GS‘COU for the five weeks of the Lu- izon Island campaign, as compared |to American casualties of 9,683, in- cluding 2102 killed. Command Bay Shores. | | Base, | shore: { timg The Eleventh Airborne Division, | taking Cavite, seized ten enemy sea- | I planes and a battery of 3-inch guns intact | The First Cavalry Division units} aisc reached Manila Bay just below {the embattled downtown sector as they spearcd through the Pasay the Yanks now have the MENACING RIFLES, held by Pvt. Glen T. Beymer (left), Prairie Creek, Ind., and his buddies, cover a Nazi soldier as he is forc :d to remove the U. S. Army shoes and trousers he was wearing when captured. He was but one of many enemy troopers found in American uniform. The photo was taken near Geromont, Belgium, Signal Corps photo. (International) d Line Now Turn Entire Gun Battery Cap- | = | Airtield is announced today by Gen. | In the capture of Cavite Naval| of Manila Bay for the firat,. Died Prisor Camp Wherz Many Yanks |district from tlie direction of captur-| } led Neiléon Alr Field. ) . “Closing In” Operation i an e Ieve 0 ave | Gen. MacArthur reports the Thir- ty o ) | “closing, in” on the Japanesz holed Dlfld, Jap Prison (amp | district near the bay, just south of | Pasig River mouth. | Meanwhile, north of Manila, troops of the Sixth DiveTon secured the| abandonzd Baler Airfield on the east coast of Luzon. Extensive mopping up of enemy pockets in Central Luzon is also re- | ported. Seventh Infantry Division is up in the thick walled Intramoros PLANES AR NEEDED FOR 1 i‘ MANILA, Feb. 14—O0On New Year's | eve, in 1941, George H. Miller tele- phoned his wife at their Manila. apartment and said he would be un-| able to attend an informal party with her and told her good-bye “for a short time”. | “The “short time" stretched past | three years. Miller’s wife, Hope,, Corregidor Bombed | A counter-attack south of Baguio' has been turned back. Corregidor fortress has been kept ;Saddesl Job of War s This view of the barracks at Camp O’Donnell (top), on Luzen, after it was eaptured by American troops. A Filipino colenel who survived O’Donnell estimated 49,000 American and Filipino soldiers—half of the 80,000 who were imprisoned there after the infamous “Death March” of Bataan—had died of disease, mal- nutrition and misireatment. Filipino survivors wers released and Amcrican survivors were moved by the Japanese some time befere the American operation. Below is a view of the front part of the cemetery— labeied “Officers’ Loi"—at Camp O'Donnell as it appeared when cccupied by the Yanks. Individual graves are marked mostly with white-painted, unmarked crosses. These pictures were:made by Carl Mydans, Life photographer en assignment with the wartime still picture pool. Mydans was among those taken prisoner when the Philippines fell in 1942, and was later repatriated. (AP Wirephoto) DIPHTHERIA CASE FOUND ed By Allies RED TROOPS ENTER SORAU SAYS BERLIN Marshal Konev Beating Northward — Zhukov to Assault Berlin BULLETIN—LONDON, Feb. 14—Russian troops, streaking Northwest of Breslau toward the junction of the Red Armies before Berlin, have seized the river strongholds of Sprottau and Neusalz, Stalin announced *tonight. LONDON, Feb. 14. — Red Army troops have crashed through the Germans’ Queis River line less than 68 miles from Dresden, Moscow dis- patches state. Berlin declares Russian armored units to the north have broken into Sorau, junction city 83 miles south- east of Berlin and Marshgl Konev’s forces are hitting westward in a “sensational threat to split Germany under and south of Berlin,’ and approaching the upper Neisse River which runs about 50 miles from Dresden. The German High Command said Konev's armor is beating northward toward a junction with other Red Army men, especially along the Oder River east of Berlin, which forces | have broken into Sorau, elght miles northeast of Sagan, across the Bober River. Sorau is five miles inside of | Berlin’s Province of Brandenburg. The Swiss radio quoies German sources as saying Marshal Konev has already lunged to Sommerfeld, 13 miles northwest of Sorau and within 17 miles of the junction with Marshal Khukov's troops on the Oder. Berlin broadcasts said Konev is | “inevitably tearing gaps in our lines.” Berlin also declares Zhukov is massing “strong forces” on the | Frankfurt-Fuerstenberg front along | the Oder River far an assault on Berlin. The broadcast also says Konev's lower wing is only some 90 spent the interval in the Santo To-| | mas Internment Camp, trying to! get word to or from her husband. Miller, a leading mining engineer | in Alaska for 10 years, working at| the Dunkle property near Anchor- age, Alaska, moved to Manila in 1938, where he was employed by the | Commonwealth'’s Bureau of Mines ‘as an-inspector of gold, chrome, iren | |and coal mines. At the outset of the war, Mille ALASKA AID Pointed Talk Made by Air- line Spokesman in Seeking Route L2 under bomb sights and another 150 tons of explosive fell on the island bastion in a quick follow up of more than 200 tons dropped during with 700 tons dropped on Bataan Peninsula. e e WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 — The future development of Alaska as an industrial and recreational area depends upon adequate air service between the United States and Al- aska Territory by Alaskan carriers, ‘Ommaney Bay became a captain in the Engmeers" | Corps. He was captured at Bataan | I S ' D 8 in he died there. | ! She was brought to Santo Tomas | Done by ACB; Big Force Works Around the Clock |the previous 48 hours, in company By JACK STINNETT WASEHINGTON, Feb. 14—Over in the old Munitions Building on Con- ctitution Avenue (headquarters of the War Department before it spread through the spacious halls of the Pentagon) is a rapidly ex- panding branch of the service that hi the saddest job in this war. Its the Army Casualty Brar In World War I, ACB had a r JIMAS GIVEN POUNDING BY the Civil Aeronautics Board Was!camp January 1, 1942, never to set | told by a spokesman for the Alaska | foot, outside since. | Airling Inc., in supporting the| wre Miller wants to go home o1 compan; application to fly routes yisit her folks. One brother, James | between Alaska and Seattle and johnson, is a Chicago. 1 mining man. The spokesman declared at the | e examincr'? hearing that “any routc‘ between 'Alaska and the States must be operated by Alaskan car-| riers interested’ in serving bothi large and small communities in| Alaska.” | The company’s in | charge of operations, Don H.| Goodman, of Anchorage, Alaska, ! said his company not only looks to increased travel in the postwar| era, between Seattle and Alaska, but there will be creation of new travel habits, therefore increased traffic between Chicago and Al- aska. The Alaska Airlines, Inc., is first of 11 to speak in behalf of applications to provide air service had moved his advance base to the between the United States and “forward area,” let it be known principal cities in Alaska, coastal today that the “forward area” base| and Ingerior. X was Guam. | T. N. Law, President of Alaska | B i . P-TA TONIGH or both routes to company would necessitate additional financ. “ Tonight is the big night for the Juneau Parent-Teacher Association ing from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 fo: new equipment and ground facili: ties. V box social, with surprise features, ship Company representative at square dances and songs. ! odiak, arrived in Juneau by The affair will be held in the plane yesterday. He is a guest at Grade School gym, starting at 8 the Baranof Hotel. o'clock. vice-president U. S. PACIFIC FLEET HEAD- QUARTERS ON GUAM, Feb. 14—/ The secret is out and the dateline tells the story of the United States Pacific Fleet Headquarters, which is now at Guam. | Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who announced several weeks ago he > — STEAMSHIP MAN HERE Walter Sipperell, Alaska Steam- and eventually taken to Cantubuan| Philippines prison camp. Mrs. Miller believes| widely-known luske Baby Flattop with Gallant, Record Against Japs Is Sunk WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 — The Ommaney Bay, one of the intrepid “paby flattops” which defied a Japanese battleship force to save the Leyte beachhead last October, has been sunk, it was officially announced today. This is the imposing record the hip held against the Japs: A heavy cruiser, a troop trans- port, sunk; four cruisers, four de- stroyers, damaged; three battle- ships, probably damaged; 16 planes downed and other planes destroyed: ground troops wiped out with bombs and ground installations smashed. The Navy announced she was sunk in enemy aqion in the Philip- pines area. The minesweeper Long was also lost. Number of casualties resulting from the two sinkings was undisclosed. The Ommaney Bay is the tenth U. 8. aircraft carrier sunk in this war. Launched at the Vancouver, Washington, Kaiser Shipyards in December, 1943, the carrier had a normal complement of 500 officers and men. e HERE FROM CORDOVA W. R. Granston, of Cordova, is a guest at the Baranof Hotel. LIBERATORS | ! { tively simple job. It issued cas- | ot valty lists which were published by Sixteenth C(fisecufive Raid Hawe on Iwo-Other Islands Are Hit U. S. PACIFIC FLEET HEAD- QUARTERS, FORWARD ' AREA, Feb. 14-Army Liberators dealt triphammer blows for the sixteenth z conses \{ n Iwo on A ;&L;;i‘;,“ eA :»;y“;u“l chei:r:ra w. Not all of A(_:B‘s reporLj to next, Nimitz announces. |of kin s bad news. Often it is Besides the Volcano Islands, Chi- | their /1ot 40 RIS ; Ak chi Jima was plastered with bombs. S0%¢ previausly ‘reporéed; as Both Jimas are athwart the B-29 & Missing in action,” has returned to airline to Tokyo. his unit unharmed, or is a prisoner A raid was also made on Babel- | °f War thuap by Marine planes, the com- munique said, and one large build- ing was destroyed and another dauaged. Barfleti Introduces ‘ in post offices all over the land , ACB notifies each next of in scon as possible by telegram or letter. the casualty reports from the Battle of the Belgium Bulge began to roll in, ACB sent out more than 35,000 telegrams, 65,000 letters and ans- ed more than 7000 telephone ies, most of them long distance, | | | qu Less than a year ago ACB had a ,wcrking two eight hour shifts. Now | there are more than 2300 civilian | employees and 90 officers, working | around the clock seven days a week |in three eight hour shifts, N ." | ©Col. George F. Herbert is chief of the branch and his hours extend The business of reporting casual- WASHINGTON, Feb. l4—Alaska fies is complicated and every effort Delegate E. L. Bartlett has intro- is made all along the line to avoid duced a bill to give the Governor errors which will cause unnecessary of Alaska power to pardon or Yemit | grief back home. fines ;K SeMettures . for offenses . Here’s the outline: the basis of against the laws of the Territory.|ga) casulaty reports is the “morn- | Another bill the delegate has in- ing report” prepared by company {troduced is one authorizing the # o 1 Department of Interior to construct‘wmmandem' Tig the Tomfie b | complete check of compan; rson- and operate an Alaska hospital for| e o insane patients. s > (Continued on Pa_aé Fr cclumns in newspapers and posted | In one recent week after| ¥ of 900 civilians and 45 officers, | | miles from Prague, Czechoslovakian Capital City. — PRESIDENT MAY VISIT IN FRANCE Wil Also Inspect War | ' Damage in lfaly-Have Conference with Pope PARIS, Feb. 14.—Samuel Rosen- |man left by special plane today for | Italy where it is reliably reported ! he will confer with President Roose- velt. : Rosenman is a special advisor to the President. Roosevelt is expected to call on e |the Pope during his Italian travels Weatherman Brown hit it nearly— and inspect the war ruins there. in his forecast yesterday for today. He will return to various points he He said it would drop to zero, and Visited in Italy as a young man. it darn near did, 5 in Juneau and 2 It is also conceivable the President labove at the airport during the Will also come to France where ar- night. |rangements have been made to re- [ The cold wave hit with a sud- celve him not only by the French déhnness that caused many to wonder Government but also by Supreme who hit the banana belt a swat. But Headquarters. it was coming from the north and| It is entirely possible that if did, | Roosevelt comes to France one of During the night squalls, icy ones, | the war's :Hrw“m:“fl:&l! ’:‘fii also struck this section. ! come out during’ visit. Now Weatherman Brown says it involves certain instructions Roose- is going to drop to 4 above tonight Velt gave regarding civilian relief with highest of 10 tomorrow. | in France but which was never car- Yep, some waterpipes did not flow | ried out by the military. this morning. The temperature hit| m hem also. A v " Walter L. Martin, seaman, at- OLDROYD IN TOWN ) tached to the organization of the L Captain of the Port here, has been Director Lorin T. Oldroyd of the advanced to the rating of Ship's University of Alaska Extension Service Men’'s Barber 1l/c, U. S. Service and the Agricultural Ex- Ovast Guard. perimental station, is visiting in! His new rating is the first of 'Junenu, While here he is staying its kind in the 17th Naval District at the Baranof Hotel. Coast Guard Service. ATCORDOVA et | Children Not Allowed to| Attend Theatre or Com- mininty Gatherings CORDOVA, Alaska, Feb. 14 — Social life took almost a blank| outlook this week as Dr. Will H. Chase, Health Commissioner, posted notices children will not be allowed to attend the theatre or other community gatherings. | This notice was given after Ralph Stevens, recent arrival, turned up at the Cordova Com- munity Hospital with diphtheria. An unknown number of contacts brought fears of a possible epi-/ demic. !%(o R SRR Id-Bur-r-r- | | | |