The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, May 7, 1945, Page 1

THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE VOL. LXV., NO. 9955 'ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” JUNEAU, ALASKA, MONDAY, MAY 7, 1945 MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS e e — PRICE TEN CENTS GERMANY HAS SURRENDERED Doughboys See Sfrange Ending fo Strange War; Comes The Washingtion Merry - Go- Round By DREW PEARSCN (& Col. Robert . Allen now on active service witn the Army.’ SAN FRANCISCO—There is an| important parallel to be drawn be- tween San Francisco and Versailles. It may have repercussions that will effect the future peace of the world. At the Versailles Peace Confer- ence, Woodrow Wilson lost out to the other members of the “Big Four” on point after point. He had to compromise on Jugoslavia, on Italy, on various boundary ques- tions. Most of all, he had to sign a treaty of alliance with France and England in order to get his League of Nations accepted. The American public felt Wilson had ylelded too much. At that time sWe were just feeling our oats in- ternationally. We felt that the American Army had really won the war—though some of our Allies disagreed. The great .Middle West was convinced that if Europe didn't want .to play. ball with us, we could thumb our noses at Europe | and get along perfectly well on out - own. That view eventually was re- flected in the Senate's rejection of Wooedrow Wilson’s Treaty and another war became inevitable. Today, Soviet Russia occupies very much the same spot as the United States in '1919 and 1920. * The Soviet today has the greatest resgurces in the world. It is more selfssufficient than any other na- tion. It feels that its armies bore the. major burden of this war— though some of their Allies dis- agree. The leaders of Russia, es- pecially the Generals, are reported believing that the Soviet can get along on its own without the rest of the world, if the outside world doesn't want to play ball. In fact, the Russians today are the potentjal isolationists of 1919 and 1820. Meanwhile, their Woodrow Wilson of San Francisco—Foreign Minister Molotov—has been turned down on points. Some of his points have seemed poorly conceived and out of place and he has not always| handled himself diplomatically. But the effect of Russian public opin- jon is the main thing that counts, the effect which is registered on the potential isolationists of this new peace era, And that effect obviously must be bad. Just as the American public in 1919 saw their representa- tive rebuffed at Versailles, so the Russians see their man rebuffed at' San Francisco. They don't re-' meémber the Molotov victories, only the rebuffs. And that is why when the final history of this peace era' is |written, the vote against Molo- tov. op Argentina may be the straw_that broke the back of Rus-| sion world cooperation. Molotov onlly asked for four days to think | over the question of Argentine ad- U%bn. His pleas probably would hi ve. the support of two great| figures, one dead, one ill—Franklin @ Rogsevelt 'and Cordell Hull—both vigorously opposed to Fascist Ar-/ gentina. ‘Four days to consider the Ar- gentine question was not much to ask, and yet Secretary of State Stettinius missed the cue to make a gesture toward Russia. Molotov made his plea for a delay on Ar-| gentina in the best democratic tra- as Anfi-Climax By Don Whitehead (Associated Press War Correspondent) WITH THE U. S. FIRST ARMY | IN GERMANY, May 7—The an-| nouncement of complete victory over the Germans will come as an | | anti-climax to American Dough- Iboys who have seen the German Army disintegrate. | They are now asking themselves: “Where do we go from here?” It is a strange ending to a |strange war, an ending nobody jcould have quite visualized and iwithoul the dramatic conclusion most of us had pictured. Suddenly the war just melted away into ’nothmgness and the guns were! | still. The war came to an end for this [anny some weeks ago. That is why V-E Day will be little more than JAPAN MAY NOW FALL INTO LINE Nips May S;-Face-Saving Opportunity But If Not, Fight On fo Finish By Leif Erickson GUAM, May T7—The possibility |that Japan may see in Germany's surrender a face-saving opportunity }Grueningfiregn Book Answered in Part by | | Senator Norman R. (Doc) Walker {of Ketchikan has issued a short re- 'port to the people of Alaska con- cerning a previous report issued by‘ |Gov. Ernest Gruening as the battle {of the 1945 Territorial Legislature |continues a month after adjourn- imenL Says Senator Walker: | | “After four years of close political }assocmtion with Governor Gruening he pleases but—why the duplicity? “Men who are trusted in Alaska like the former Highway Engineer, William Hesse are accused by the Governor of falsehoods. He harbors a hatred of W. C. Arnold because Mr. Arnold is employed . by the Canned Salmon Industry. The Governor has no reason to hate Mr. Arnold and those who know Arnold {—during which time I have defended his every action and allowed myself to accept unconditional surrcnder] know of his loyalty, honesty and in- tegrity. Nor has the Governor any was one suggestion discussed by of- ficers and men of the U. S. armed forces here today. But, if the Japa- nese want to fight to a finish, they will get what they want. These expressions were heard as the final capitulation of Nazi Ger- many was greeted with quiet satis- faction at the Guam Headquarters a symbol to troops who had secn:Of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, | victory in the making for days. It/ from which the Pacific area isily or unknowingly, to be thoroughly mislead and de- ‘.oeivednl believe that it is now time }—and overdue—that I should public+ |ly break with the Governor in the |best interests of the Territory in !which I have lived for more than |thirty years, in which I have raised ;my family and in which my daughter ‘and my Fairbanks-born grandchild reside. | “Whether he has done it knowing- the Governor reasons to accuse every person who disagrees with him of being an im- postor or unpatriotic. “I am sure that he did so with- out design, yet, he did to my know- ledge, write to one stricken wife jand mother at least, condoling her on the death of her husband who had been shot down in action al- though it was never announced that he had been killed. He was only missing in action and later wrote took no official announcement for|being directed against the last sur-|has created a state of mind in the | hat he was alive and well. Such an them to realize it was all over. viving Axis partner. | Territory that is positively harmful. | error and indiscretion is unpardon- There is no enemy across No-| There was no immediate comment |Some of the minor irritations which | aple because such information com- Man’s Land to come forward with|from Nimitz or other top com- he has cause will be listed at |ing from the Governor would ap- upraised hands in final surrender., manders, but the rank and file, as this time, but the major ones will b | pear to come with authority and Across the ' Mulde River are the Russians. There is no desolate! battlefield and the Doughboys are not in foxholes. They sat in the warm sun cleaning their battle- worn gear and weapons. There will be no wild celebra- tions among the troops. These men have seen too much death and suffering. They have seen this Nazi world come apart at the seams and its miserable people straggling along the roads of defeat, marked more plainly with signs of a fallen na- tion than any proclamation ever could. | | | for Germany and wink at American | branch banks who did business with the Germans in Paris might| look over the record of Presidentj 'Sergio Osmena of the Philippines. | President Osmena feels so| strongly about anyone who co-| |operated with the enemy that he "has even thrown two of his sons, | Nicasio and Sergio, Jr., into Bilibid Jail to await trial as collaboration- ists. { Long before the Leyte landings last October, President Osmena had | | received reports from guerrilla | leaders that his two boys were col- | ‘lnboratmg with the enemy in Luzon. When Gen. MacArthur's forces landed on Luzon, Nicasio identified himself as the President’s son. Ni- | casio was lavish in his praise for | the returning U. S. forces, violently | denouncing the Japanese. Three days later President Os-| mena arrived in Manila, He 'ordered, among other suspects, that two of his sons, Nicasio and Sergio, Jr., be jailed. Nicasio feigned illness and military authorities re- | ,moved him to a private home under protective custody. His special privi- leges didn't last long. As soon as the report reached the President, | Nicasio went back to .prison. He | and his brother will be tried by jury with the rest of the accused collaborationists and punished ac- cordingly. Two other sons of the President, however, had distinguished them- (Continued on Page Four) (Pat Fleek Crowned | USO May Queen The biggest honer that can be be-| stowed by servicemen of the Juneau well as high staff officers, realized it will be months before major movements of troops and equipment {from Europe to the Pacific can be completed. When the conquest of Okinawa is ended, air bombing of Japan's mainland will be stepped up. Korea and Japanese positions in China also will be hammered in a tight- ening sea and air blockade, JAPAN UPSET San Francisco, May 7—Japan ap- peared increasingly upset over Germany’s collapse today, but Gen. Jiro Minami, totalitarian Party leader, declared, “There is nothing for us to think about but how to win this war.” TRUMAN T0 GIVEOUT STATEMENT PresidenI——Makes An-l nouncement Regarding | 3-Parfy Agreement WASHINGTON; May 7 — The White House matked time today on a momentarily ' expected victory in Europe proclamation—but ar- rangements were’ complete for President Truman to go on the air when it is issued. | Broadcasting equipment was| readied for use in the White House | diplomatic room, usual site of; Presidential radio addresses. President Trumap was conferring with aides in the executive offices today as news was flashed to the world from Reims of the uncondi- tional surrender of German arms. Newsmen surged into the White House in anticipation of an ex- pected V-E announcement. OWI Director Elmer Davis was among those at the White House. He told reporters: “When there is any official an- nouncement, it will come from in there.” (Indicating the President's| office). Subsequently, President Truman conferred at length with Under- secretary of Statg Joseph C. Grew | and Assistant Secretary of State dition. In open plenary session, in UySO goes this year to Pat Fleek,| William L. Clayton. the rough and tumble of American democratic debate. In the end, Ar- popular local girl. | Before a large crowd, tense with It was officially announced by the President that he has agreed gentina would have been ldm‘LQEd;anticipation, the announcement of with the London and Moscow Gov- anyway, but the delay would have her choice as the 1945 USO May helped Russian opinion at home. Queen was made Saturday night at This small point may turn out the Scottish Rite Temple. | one of the most important at the ! Kept a secret until the moment of | Conference. the announcement, the selection of | For, if the Russians find them- |Pat was hailed with enthusiasm. selves out-voted too frequently and| She was given a corsage and a too overwhelmingly, they may dolcrown of flowers by the Club Dir- what the U. S. Senate did to ector, Zack Gordon, who présented/ Woodrow Wilson. And a peace or- them on behalf of all servicemen. ganization without Russia, like a!° She then led the Queen’s Waltz, League of Nations without the dancing with John Tischer of Chica- | United States, would mean another |go, a member of the local Port Com- world war unquestionably. | pany. ok | Miss Fleek is a member of this ernments that he would make no announcement on the surrender of Germany “until a simultaneous an- nouncement can be made by the three governments.” “Until a simultaneous statement can be made,” he declared, “there is nothing I can or will say to you.” The President’s statement, re- ileased by Press.Secretary Jonathan Daniels, wa saddressed to the press and radio. 4 When Daniels was asked about British announcements that to. stressed upon before election next year. | “In 1944 the Governor wired Harry | McCain to file for ATiorney General and after the primary was over he supported Ralph Rivers. After the |special election in 1944 to fill the |office made vacant by the late Sena- tor, Arthur P. Walker, he told mem- bers of the Alaska Native Brother- Ihood that he voted for Frank Price gress of Industrial Organizations that he voted for Chuck Davis. These, as I have stated, are minor matters, but they indicate whole trend ot his thought. course, it is his right, just as it is the right of any citizen, to vote as Vi Day Observ Juneau RED FORCES MOPPING UP Seaplane Base in Balfic Is Taken - Other Armies and told the members of the Con-; NORTHPORTS | weight. | “The Governor has set class | agaist class and race against race !in his blind desire to have his own way regardless of the opinions and beliefs of others. I will prove this to you in good time if I live to see the coming year. “Either the Governor or I will be | event, while the Governor can de-| ’part from the Territory without | finaneial distress. He can leave in the | the same manner as he arrived, that | Of |is, at government expense. He came | lcantinuedr on l;age Two) ance in Be Held Tonight Tonight at 8 o'clock a city-wide| service in' observance of V-E Day {will be held in the 20th Century| | Theatre. All citizens are invited| to attend. The Territory will be represented by Gov. Ernest Gruening, the city of Juneau y Mayor Ernie Parsons, and the churches oi Juneau by the Rev. G. Herbert Hillerman, Presi- dent of the Ministerial Association. All the churches in Juneau will be | represented by having their minis- ters take part in the service. All ‘Gifl Scouts will meet tonight in uniform at 7:15 o'clock in front ! of the Federal Building. From there | the Scouts with their leaders, will go | | | 9 ed,” 5 advantage Prattaeon --",l&“”y e o ey, BOMBERS IN GREATRAIDS { Thirty-five filfl)s Are Sent Down-Okinawa Drive Keeps Moving On i By Leonard Milliman (Associated Press War Correspondent) | American bombers, reaching out| from the Philippines and Okinawa, | where s killed | 23,221 Japanese in 10 d have | sunk 35 more Nipponese ships und, |damaged 17 others, U. 8. “On-To- | | Tokyo” Commanders announced | \yesterday and today. 1 A Japanese breakthrough in cen- | tral China to within 35 miles of | {the U. S. air base at Chihkiang | |was the only blight on AlliedI Iground offensives as Washington reports said 6,000,000 Americans would be thrown against Japan' after V-E Day. | The U. S. Tenth Army resumed its general offensive on Okinawa | |after killing 8,000 Japanese: in last | | Friday’s counter-attack. But Yank | progress was shrouded in official | secrecy. ! | In the Philippines the Twenty- Fifth Division captured the last hill mass controlling the Balete |Pass entrance to fertile Cagayan Valley of northern Luzon in a four day battle. Australians captured the aire drome, two oil fields, major mili= | Borneo coast, in the newest Pacific | Yk ground for |offensive, and smashed to within three miles of Wewak on the north | central New Guinea coast. | British forces captured two more | towns in Burma as they began | ;moppmg up about 100,000 Nipponese | stranded in the territory, and har- ried, disorganized units fleeing to- | ward Thailand. | Chinese reported killing 3,000 | enemy soldiers in continuing battles | during which Chiang Kai-Shek’s men shattered the left wing of the thrust toward Chihkiang. Land-based bombers of Fleet Air Wing No. 2 joined Super-Fortresses in carrying the war to Japan. They have been raking shipping lanes up to the gates of Tokyo. Last Satur- day they sank two large oilers among a bag of 19 ships caught {n the straits between Japan and For- mosa—Japan's shortest shipping lane. B-29's followed up today with an- other raid on Kyushu aid bases of southern Japan. U. 8. Tenth Army casualties for the Okinawa campaign have risen to 14,823, including 2,337 killed, 11,432 wounded, 514 missing. Japa- nese losses mounted to 33,462 killed and 297 taken prisoner. This is an | increase of 12,193 enemy dead in | lin troops to attend the V-E Day | observance at the 20th Century Theatre. 2 Approach Prague By Eddy Gilmore (Associated Press War Correspondent) MOSCOW, May 7—Assault forces of Marshal Konstantin Rokossov- sky’s Second White Russian Army captyred the German island sea- plane base of Ruegen, 45 miles MAYOR'S PROCLAMATION Mayor Ernest Parsons has called | upon Juneau residents to observe | V-E Day with “sober rejoicing”—to | accept it as an occasion for renewing south of Sweden, yesterday, and |resolves to speed the prosecttion of hundreds of Germans brought out |all-out victory. His statement fol- | lows: of hiding in little Baltic ports around the island togay swelled | * “As Mayor of Juneau, I join with the number of prisoners to nearly | the leaders of our Nation in calling 7,000. | upon the residents of this City to All of Germany's Baltic shores accept the accomplished fact of were cleared, while Soviet forces in |riumph in Europe as another, per- Czechoslovakia smashed into the |haps the greatest, milestone turned outskirts of the Moravian war pro- |on the path to ultimate victory over duction center and railway junc- | all cur enemies. tion of Olmuetz (Olomouc), 128| “The sacrifices and accomplish- miles from Prague on the maln“"lmtl of our men in Europe have rail line. finally set our feet on the road that Gen. Andrei 1. Yeremenko's |leads to Tokyo, but it is still a long, Fourth Ukrainian Army, moving |@#fficult course that lies ahead, one into the approaches of Bohemia in | that demands that we do not turn the region of Hohenstadt, reached |@side at this time for undue cele- positions 115 miles east of Prague}b’flimh today, while silence still was main- “V-E Day is a day for. thanksgiv-| First, Second and Third Ukrainien |70iCing that many lives are to be Armies, north, east and south of |P4red by the long-sought ending the Czech capital. ©of Germany's futile defense. Re- that so much of our task has been radio said th: ussia; at Russian [OrCES| 0 oted; but each of us still has a under Marshal Ivan Konev had en- | tered Bohemia from Saxony at a| int |come to all our :;0 Pnp;::‘bly 60 to 65 miles north {Therefore: | “I ask the people of Juneau to war-torn world. tained over the activities of the ¢, for scrious reflection and re-) A German-controlled Prague | J0ice we should, and give thanks,| vital job yet to do before peace can | 10 days. In the last week in the Philip- pines, 11,028 Japanese were killed ! and 462 taken prisoners, bringing | enemy losses for the campaign to! |355,093. U. 8. total Philippines cas- | ualties are 37,842, including 1,714 in | the last week, of whom 391 were killed. | ———————— MR. AND MRS. HOOPES HERE . Mr. ana Mrs. Robert Hoopes {have returned to Alaska from a 4‘vacnuon trip to California and | |coast points Outside, and are en- | route to their home in Fairbanks. He was a Representative from the | Fourth Division in the 17th Terri- | torial Legislative session. They are guests at the Baranof Hotel during their stay in Juneau, and plan to return to Fairbanks Friday. — DR. HAYES RETURNS Dr. George Hayes, Executive Of- ficer, Territorial Department of Health, returned Sunday from the States where he has been attending the Annual Conference of State and Territorial Health Officers in | Washington, D. C.,, and attending to other matters concerning the |Health Department. e ‘DR. NORRIS BACK Dr. Edgar W. Norris, District | Medical Director of the United ACTION ; morrow will be observed as V-E 'year's graduating class of the Juneau| Bs FROM KETCHIKAN Mr. and Mrs, G. E. Williams, of Ketchikan, are guests at the Gas- |attack their tasks with re-doubled|States Public Health Service, re- ienergy . . . to pray and werk even turned Saturday from an annual | harder to the emd that the closing' conference of Surgeon General chapter in the history of this great State ‘and Territorial Health Offi-|. Those who talk about a soft peace High School, (Continued on Page Eight) tineau Hotel, | eonflict may soomer be written” cers in Washington, D. C, GREATEST WAR IN HISTORY IS ENDED; UNCONDITIONAL Doc Walker Bullefin SMASH JAPS| TERMS; STATEMENT SIGNED BULLETIN—WASHINGTON, May 7.—The White House announced tonight President Truman will speak to the nation at 6 A. M., Pacific War Time tomorrow. Press Secretary Jonathan Daniels told the press confer- ence the President is expected to make announcement to the nation by radio “on basis of reports now received.” Asked if it would be a V-E Day address, Daniels replied “the statement speaks for itself.” LONDON, May 7.—The once mighty Wehrmacht which spread terror across Europe and the world sur- rendered unconditionally today to the United States, Britain, Soviet Russia and their Aliies. The German High Command surrendered at 2:41 A.. . at Gen. Eisenhower’s headquarters at Reims, that was 8:41 P. M. Sunday, Eastern War Time. The news was flashed to the world by the Associated Press at 5 A. M., Eastern War Time. Britain proclaimed tomorrow at V-E Day. Prime Minister Churchill is due to give an official statement to Parliament at 9 A. M., Eastern War Time tomorrow, and President Truman and Premier Stalin are expected to issue proclamations simultaneously. Sweden abandoned her neutrality and wildly cele- brated. 5 Canada proclaimed tomorrow a holiday. The bells of Rome’s St. Peter’s rang out. There were joyous cele- brations in South America and many other countries, tempered only by the realization that more war with Jupan lies ahead. e i No word came from Moscow, except Stalin’s nouncement tonight that long-besieged Breslau, German strongpoint in Silesia, had fallen to the Red Army and fighting continued at Prague. oy LONDON, May 7.—The Greatest War in History ended today with the unconditional surrender of Germany. The surrender of the Reich to the Western Allies and Russia was made at Gen. Eisenhower’s -headquarters at Reims, France, by Col. Gen. Gustaf Jodl, Chief of Staff for the German Army. d This was announced officially after German broadcasts told the German people that Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz had ordered the capitulation of all fighting forces, and called off the U-boat war. The Germans surrendered unconditionally to the Am- | ericans, British and Russians at 2:41 A, M. French time (8:41 . P. M., Eastern War Time) Sunday. The surrender took place at a little red schoolhouse used as a headquarters by General Eisenhower. The surrender was signed for the Supreme Allied Com- mand by Lieutenant General Walter Bedell Smith, Chief of | Staff for General Eisenhower. It was also signed by General Ivan Susloparoff for Rus- sia and by General Francois Sevez for France. General Eisenhower was not present at ti Germany’s unconditional surrender. However, immediately after German Generals Jodl and - Friedeburg had signed the surrender, they were received by, General Eisenhower. The Germans were asked—sternly—if they understood the surrender terms imposed on Germany and if they would he signifig of | be carried out by Germany. The German generals answered: “Yes.” Unconditional surrender of the beaten remnants of his legions first was announced by the Germans. The historic news began breaking with a Danish broad- cast that Norway had been surrendered unconditionally by its conquerors. Then the new German Foreign Minister, Ludwig Schwer- in von Krosigk, announced to the German people, shortly after 2 P. M. (8 A. M. Eastern War Time), that “after almost six years struggle we have succumbed.” Von Krosigk announced Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz had “ordered the unconditional surrender of all fighting German troops.” The world waited tensely. Then at 9:36 A. M., E. W. T., came the Associated Press flash from Reime, France, telling of the signing at Gen. Eisenhower’s headquarters of the un- conditional surrender at 2:41 A. M., French time (8:41 A. M., E. W. T.) Germany had given up to the Western Allies and to Russia. London went wild at the news. Crowds jammed Picca- dilly Circus. Smiling throngs poured out of subways and lined the streets. (Cheers went up in New York, too, down from skyscrapers.) A sour note came from the German-controlled radio at Prague. A broadcast monitored by the Czechoslovak Gov- ernment offices in London said the German Commander in Czechoslovakia did not recognize the surrender of Admiral Doenitz and would fight on until his forces “have secured free passage for German troops out of the country.” But the Prague radio earlier announced the capitulation” of Breslau, long besieged by Russian forces. 3 ¢ The BBC said telephone conversations were going on between London, Washington and Moscow in order to fix the exact hour of the V-E Day announcement by President Tru- man, Prime Minister Churchill and Premier Stalin. and papers showered