The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, February 16, 1945, Page 1

HE DAILY AL ILL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” SKA EKMPIRE THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SERIAL RECORD G 1945 COPY. VOL. LXIV., NO. 9887 PRESS PRICE TEN CENTS MEMBER ASSOCIATED Armor Mass Bears Down 1 1 | | Smash Spree River De-| fenses — Two Armies Prepare for Assault LONDON, Feb. 16—The armored mass of Marshal Konev's Ukranian Army today bore down on Berlins Spree River defenses from the southeast, smashing toward Beeskow and Cottbus, 31 to miles from Berlin. Soviet war correspondents indi- cated the Neisse River defenses have been shattered after fierce battles in the areas of Forst and Guben, two towns on that river, which joins the Oder south of Frankfurt. The correspondents also told of columns of tanks and cavalry roll- ing through shattered villages within sight of the Spree, and in- dicated the main weight of Konev’s First Ukranian Army has turned in the “Berlin direction, after form- ing a firm link with Marshal Zhu- kov's First White Russian Army for the big assault on Berlin. Konev's southern wing, however, is reported across the Neisse River and within 37 miles of the upper Elbe River, which rises in Czecho-'? slovakia, near Prague, passes through Dresden and flows di- agonally across Germany to Ham- burg and the North Sea. Soviet armored columns are bear- ing down on Berlin, Moscow said, and are attacking on a 35-mile front between Beeskow and Cott- bus, flanking the Germans who held up Zhukov's attack on Frank- furt and Kustrin along the Oder. Beeskow is 31 miles southeast of Berlin and 18 miles south of Frank- furt, on the Oder. T IS SCHWAMM FLIES HERE A Petersburg Air Service plane, piloted by Tony Schwamm, chief pilot for the company, arrived in Juneau today from that city with Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Hilscher as passengers. On the southbound f%light the plane took the following passen- gers to Wrangell: Neill Grant, George Sumption and Harold Maki. D e The Washingion Merry - Go- Round By DREW PEARSON (Lt. Col. Robert S. Allen now on active service with the Army.) WASHINGTON — Gov. Dewey's | two-day visit to Washington was not exactly a howling success, but both he and GOP Chairman Brownell left convincéd they had made a step toward one long-range Republican objective—gissolution of the “unholy alliance” between Re- publicans and Southern Democrats. They have long wanted to replace it with a forthright Republican program of their own. Actually, GOP leaders in the Senate have always been agreeable to breaking up the coalition. However, House Minority Leader Joe Martin, rules lower chamber GOP'sters with an iron hand, has stubbornly opposed. He has long enjoyed licking the Administration through his Hydra-headed alliance with John Rankin of Mississippi, Cox of Georgia and Virginia’s wing- collared, beetle-browed Howard Smith. g During the two-day meeting, Dewey held long talks with the Republican leadership in both houses, strongly endorsed Brownell's idea that the GOP needs an inde- pendent legislative program of its own. Even Joe Martin, who has been known to threaten recalcitrant Republican representatives with de- feat in the next election if they bolt his leadership, at last seemed sympathetic. (Continued on Page Four) First J who | Gene | “GET 'EM ON RED FORCES OF KONEV IN BIG ADVANCE CANADIANS DRIVE INTO RUHRVALLEY Push Through Heavy Artil- | lery and Mortar Fire | to Make Gains PARIS, F 16.—The Canadian First Army aimed toward the heart of the industrial Ruhr in a thrust |almost a mile deep into the lower | Rhine Valley in Northwest Ger- I many. Through storms of heavy artillery and mortar fire, thrown in ever- increasing floods, and enemy reserv- es, the Canadians held 20 miles of the south bank of the flooded Rhine, from the Nijmegen sector to opposite Emmerich, but they made no threats at crossing the wide waterway. They stormed and cap- |tured water-hemmed Huisberden, four miles east of Kleve and 19 from ithe Puhr gateway city of Wesel Scots, Britons and Welshmen, under General Crear’s command, linched toward the defense keystones {of Goeh and Calcar, in thé center of the bulging 20-mile-front. | A front dispatch said British Em- pire troops spread out south of Moyland, indicating an advance into that general area from Calcar. The Scots, swinging down the highway rom Kleve, moved to within 1000 ards of Moyland The American Third Army carved {out a half a mile in gains in the (Pruem sector, slowly reducing the German fortifications. H | The Seventh Army, in Northern Alsace also rested after straighten- \ing the local line. These operations FEESEEE AR STRIKES ALL GERMANS ARERESUMED NOW SUBJECT, OVER REICH MARTIAL LAW s and Rail Yards Are ‘Sweeping Decree Affects 1argels Today Every. Man, Women: ;| towoox res b o , and Child in Land- 'ain continued the record air offen- | ,sive against the Reich today. | They switched the attack back LONDON, Feb. 16—Almost all ¢, western Germany. Seven simul 'Germany has heen placed under taneous blows fell on oil refinery | martial law by a sweeping decree gnq rajlroad targets in six cities. |calling for military trial “of who- At the same time, U. S. Fifteenth ever tries to evade his duties to- Ajr Force bombers from Italy lward the communit; will be subject to the death pentlay Germany, where {in “the Reich’s defense areas that planes are based. jare threatened by the enemy.” | This order is one of the most | drastic decrees ever issued by the {o the Russian front, they were | Germans in an effort to bring every rocked by heavy loads of explo- man, woman and child into the sives from American bombers from struggle. It was issued, Berlin said, Britain. They attacked two Benzon !on Hitl orders with' the agree- plants at Dortmund and Gelsen- !ment of Himmle {kirchen, in the Ruhr; also two oil | e —7 |refineries at Dortmund and Salz- i bergen, and three large freight IN THIS AFTERNOON; 'Missing In Adtio Muriel Courtney, Alvora DeAsis,| Mrs. Annabelle Eylar has received }Mike Jacko, Joseph Kadas, James word from the War Department, Liva, Elmer Jacobson, Lee Dempsey, through the Alaskan Department, Charlie Paddock, Lt. D. A. Scheu.ig.[lhat her husband, William J. Eylar, | Harry Watson, Ralph Hammer. 122, is reported missing in action | —————— !since January 9, in France. Mrs. i HONEYMOON HERE (Eylm‘ lives here with her little | Pilot and Mrs. Ray Renshaw, of daughter. |Ketchikan, flew into Juneau early = Eylar was a well-known Juneau ithis afternoon to spend a few days young man and was in the Signal ;in the Capital City. Renshaw and Corps, U, S. Army, stationed here his wife, a recent bride, are stay- He was transferred to the infantry lmg at the Baranof. He is employed and went ovarseas shortly before in the First City by Ellis Airlines: Christmas, last year. A southbound steamer brought the following passengers to Juneau {early this afternoon: Alvin Tellef- scn, Laurence Rivard, Micky Ing-| iram, Earl Schroder, Luciano Cabi-; |gas, Mrs. Edna Land, Virgil Eubank, | |Josephine Dawson. ing Jap planes on the ground before the remains of a battered Japanese barrac of American warships and planes Name of MacArihur in Philippines Is Symbol OwayEpthy, frgedom - GIVES CASE (ities, 0l Refineries , _smashed at the Obertraubling air-| Civilians who show ‘“cowardice” drome at Reocensburg in southern jet - propelled After a night lull in the offen-| sive on 16 cities, from the Rhine | THE GROUND,” IS AIR CORPS CRY ; I \Drive from North Turns | campaigr t o a minimum by our own air atta had a chance to get inte the air. Photo above and the twisted wreckage of Nip planes by destroy- shows the caught in the fice (International) HORTHWEST AIRLINES Wanfs Rohie rto Manila from Middle West Via Alaska WASHINGTON, Feb. 16.—Croil Hunter, president of Northwest Air- lines, said today e national pol- icy will make it imperative” that a commercial air route be established frcm the Middle West to Manila by way of Alaska. estifying in behalf of his com- pany’s application for such a route ates. \ata joint hearing on North Pacific In view of this, the little public-|cas Hunter said the Civil Aero- ized words of Brig. Gen. Carlos P.|nautics Board have to make the Romulo about what the Filipinos award to the best qualified carrier think of Gen. Douglas MacArthur|“regardless of any other considera- are enlightening. Romulo knows tion.” MacArthur almost as well as he| He contended no ot applicant knows his own people. He was with|could approach Northwest in exper- |him on Bataan and Corregidor, Helience in ' that area since it had |went back with him to Leyte. Sol-|flown 17,000,000 mfles between the dier, statesman, newspaper man.!United States and Alaska points un- Romulo now is resident commission-'der an Army contract and still flies er of Philippines here. As such two daily schedules between Anchor- he is the spokesman for his people age and Attu. the House of Representatives. Asserting that Anchorage “is, and always will be an important , he was not speaking for him- alone the other day, when, on base in Alaska through which to MacArthur's | serve the Orient,” Hunter added that few people knew the United States had established airports, ra- dio range stations, gas. stations, hangars, shops and weather ser- vices along the Aleutians, In supporting his claim on the importance of the inland route, us- ing 8t. Paul as a gateway, he said the distance from Chicago to Ma- niia is 1400 miles shorter than from the Central ific route flown by Pan American, and from | Chicago to Tokyo and Shanghai the to un-|route is 2500 miles shorter. The| | derstand how the Filipinos feel |direct St. Paul-Anchorage route is about MacArthur, For years, 450 miles shorter than by way of | since his father was military govern- | Seattle, he said, referring to pro- |or of the Philippines and granted posals of Pan American and United [the people the right to habeas cor- Air Lines to use only the Seattle! pus while maitial law still was in force in the islands, the name of MacArthur has been there a symbol of sympathy and freedom | After Douglas MacArthur had won | his medals in World War I, and risen to that military peak of chief | of staff of the United States Army, [he went back to the Philippines (o |do the thankless and often ridicul- {ed job of organizing a Philippin {army. | Romulo say “He with scoffers who spoke of thr [Philippine army as ‘MacArthur ! Boy Scouts,” and who laughed at the (Continued on Page Four) By JACK HINGTON, TINNETT F 16.-—~There¢ be for some Wi D, 5 now unrest, stark hunger, brutal banditry among the 18,000,000 inhabitants of the Philippines. For two and a half years the Filipinos have been under the thumb Japan. They have been sub- jected to propaganda. Some of their leaders have gone over to the other side. There have been times hen they must have felt that they d been deserted by the United time confusion and of | 8t (the occasion of Gen. . he said: cArthur is back lon Luzon. From Manila and back |to Manila again, that was his pledge of faith to 18,000,000 Filipinos, and he is keeping that rendezvous | “Whatever the rest of the world may have thought when Douglas!' MacArthur made that promise, ‘I will return,’ in Filipino minds there was no misunderstanding They 1kncw he would be back.” It isn't easy for us here Hunter said those two carriers! would have “abandoned operation | of this inside route to a foreign| flag carrier, sacrificing our nation’s; best interest to their individual am-| bitions.” i Hunter said operations within! Alaska should be reserved to Alaskan| carriers, e e GETS 30 DAYS | ¢ Carl D. Watkins was sentenced | to 30 days in jail this morning in City Magistrate's Court on a charge of drunk and disorderly conduct, had to meet gateway to Alaska. & AR FLEET BULLETIN—UNITED STATES PACIFIC FLEET HEADQUARTERS, GUAM, Saturday, Feb. 17.—Smoke rose 7,000 feet in the air from panic-stricken Japan from Tokyo to Yckohama as Navy carrier-based planes raided the Jap capital area, an eye and ear witness reports. The account discloses scores of enemy planes were caught on the ground. erlin NEWGAINS ONBATAAN ANNOUNCED Lt. (jg) David McMillan, of San Francisco, Navy chserver with the Twenty-first Bomber Command Super- forts, was over the targets for reconnais: re purposes. He said it was no hit-and-run raid but centinued for at least six hours. Smoke rose densely along the “flak alley rip from Tokyo to beyond Yokohama. Army Lt. John Garvin, pilot of a Superfort, said the raid was cne centinuous pounding and as he flew high on his return saw nothing but smoke, then flames through a break in the clouds. ' Tales on Jap Plans for Manila Defense MANILA, Feb. 16—Gen. Douglas MacArthur disclosed today that | Japan’s master plan to make Ma- nila the turning point of the Luzon 1, in Nippon's favor, is be- ing smashed under powerhous American drive. MacArthur’s forces are nearing victory in the scarred a | | | | | i | [ A radio silence was maintained during the raid and has not yet been raised. HELLCATS, |GREAT RAID DIVERS IN - IS MADE ON city and are fast overrunning near- Bataan Peninsula 3 communique reported BI 3 R I steady reduction - of the enemy pocket south of Manila, new gains on Bataan and withering air at- SR tacks on the fortress of Corregidor. % i gn Ao anmounced e wiure of o0 Warships Join Attack on Powerful Force of Pacific enemy document, which made clear, | { . 2 { Lot S . the General said, that the Japa-| TOKYO by B'ombmg and Hee' S'nkes ou' in nese had expected to hold Manila Liish 15 i with 20,000 troops, street and house | S»he"mg Opefa"ons Daw]‘] A"a(k fortifications { and thousands of "“I;i;)m'ulv concrete ‘sll'ungpmnl.sj U. 8, FACHES TLENE BRAR oI 5 PAch"CMFy b. 13HEAAdD- and - hundreds. of -heavy guns all QUARTERS, GUAM, Feb. 16—The QUARTERS, GUAM Feb. IEriet: were prepared for an attack from most powerful battleship: and. air- | S Ty R podics i & et ir i . iy s o m‘l,,;‘ Tor JEAXin {8 ~no closd’ s TOve than 1200 Helleats, Helldivers stallations in the Tokyo area in a Bping an Amersdan Hotorys & and Avenger planes today at Tokyo, surprise raid. : - while warships and Army planes | ;Ylllepnnmun;lem:nrt sulu‘theupo:- s erful Pacific Fleet force is attack- ‘.lhl'llctl and bombed islands to !he”"“ alfdromes, and other important WAY (lEARED south. | installations “in and around Tokyo.” More flattops than America eVer| oginjar planes led the attack, assembled, before in a single sea |y announcement safd, and added, |operaticn, are sending raiders ‘f‘:-'nhlx operation 'has been long Fo R WALLA(E‘“_'"!“’“?“" waves against Tokyo's) ,janned and the opportunity to ac- (airfields and military defenses. complish it fulfills deeply the | ‘'Thousands of anti-aircraft guns cherished desire of every officer |mounted on battleships, cruisers and man of the Pacific Fleet.” N 0 M I N A T ION jand destroyers, disgorged to protect | Long Trail Spanned the raiders from any enemy at-; The raid by the Navy thus span- tacks. ned the last leg of the 4,000-mile — Swarms of raiders smashed at|trail across the Pacific from Pearl i i in Tokyo and installations, sweeping|Harbor, where the war opened. New lengIahon IS Now 'n:down in strafing operation: | The size of the attacking air Hands of Pres|dem | The raid was the firsy such force is such to outnumber any- |smash of the war on Japan's capi-|thing Japan can muster hastily. Rooseve" tal city. | Authorities said leading Admir- Challenge To Nips ials indicated they will welcome a , ) v o1, | The huge and audacious opera- |chance to engage whatever air WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 The | {ions posed a challenge to Japan's Strength the enemy can muster House passed and sent to President fleet and strongly suggested nm,nr!unyunm, and they pointed to the Roosevelt legislation intended 10 Geyelopments to come. Ameriean record of 20 to 1 superi- clear the way for Henry Wallace t0| (There is no word from head- [Ority in aerial combat of carrier become Secretary of Commerce in a|quarters as to the purpose of the OPerations through the many at- trimmed-down Commerce —Depart-| aids, but it is easily understand-|tacks of January, which took in ment. |ably that they might have been in- | China and the French Indo-China The passage came with an over- tended to cover new amphibious|C0ast. Iming vote after the Democrats operations within the inner de-| Tokyo Confirms Raid had narrowly turned back a 204 t0 fense ring of Japan’s island out-| Tokyo confirmed the attack and 196 Republican effort to send the guards.) |said it began at 7:15 o'clock this Eenate-passed George Bill back 10| The Navy’s communique today Morning (Tokyo time), and re- the House Banking Committee. This gaid planes were “raiding in and |Ported two hours later that the would shelved the bill around Tokyo,” while warships 'aid was still continuing. 3 Wallace's opponents hoped the re- shelled Iwo Jima, in the Voleano| Still later, planes were fanning sult of this move would be out- group, and other enemy bases some Out in attacks southeast to the air right rejection of Wallace by forcing |75 miles from Tokyo. |bases on Boso Peninsula. the Senate to vote on his confirma- The communique added the “Screaming Hellcats with ma- tion not only as Commerce Secre-|Tokyo raid was long planned and ¢hine guns squirting death and de- tary but as head of the RFC. |fulfilled a cheyshed dream of Struction led the attack as the PRI 2o e e IRl U, 8. Navy officers and men | first American carrier planes swept &2 S over Tokyo and jarred the Japa- nese Capital City shortly after AlASKA" URGED | dawn into hysterical terror,” said | plANE o v E R !the Tokyo radio. FOR TERR"’ORIA[ l | Other Blows Struck | : Al Hopkins, Associated Press War | | Correspondent, says the Tokyo AIRI.INE ROUTE ! T 0 K Y o N I N E‘smnsh was followed by Superforts (striking a blow at Nagoya. — 1 2 | The raid on the Japanese Capital Woodley Dedares Only {City was made by aircraft of the = HOURS TOD Av Twenty-Fl;;st Blombler Command. It was possibly the largest force of Alaskan Opefa'OT !B-29's evér to strike Japan, sig- Ab'e '0 Meet Needs ualllr;z thn; izart of the carrier as- ,sault on Tokyo. e (By Associated Press Japan’s radios went silent shortly WASHINGTON, Feb. 16—Only an| American carrier planes attack- 'after 7 a. m. Alaskan” carrier can meet the|ing Tokyo kept coming over for| The overall fleet actions on needs of outlying points of the nine hours today, Japanese broad-|Tokyo followed shelling of the Territory for air se Arthur | casts stated tonight. | Bonins and Voleano groups under Woodley, owner and operator of the| The broadcasts predicted re-idirection of Adm. R. E. Spruance. Woodley Airways of Alaska, told newed attacks tomorrow, portend-| vice-Adm. Marc A. Mitscher, who the Civil Aeronautics Board here. (ing imminent invasion. |commanded the huge task force Seeking a francise for a Seattle-| The broadcast also says the Jima off Japan, was victor over the Alaskan route for nis air line, Wood- | Islands were heavily bombarded | Japanese fleet off the Marianas in ley urged the Board, in the event it|today by at least 30 U. S. warships. june, 1944, and in the Battle of declined to grant his request, to at| NO mention is made of the ex-|the Philippine Sea. least grant the connection to some|tent of damage done by the mass| .- Alaskan operator. “Only an Alas-|Surprise raid in any of today's| COUNCIL TO MEET kan can reach the remote regions|broadcasts. | The second City Council meeting that are destinations for traffic | Ragep s o oo | (of the month of February will be in the Territory,” he ddclared i PETERSON HERE {held tonight af 8 o'clock in the — B. H. Peterson, registered from|City Council Chambers. Rqutine Mexico has 22 ocean ports. Seattle, is a guest at the Baranof. business will be transacted. .