NOBTQ CAROLINA, ic==a KiTi Ur--M President Truman Will Personally Direct Mm New Weapon of Destruction Was Best Kept of All War Secrets Washington, Aug. 8. — President Truman, Wednesday, took over from the White House personal direction of the atomic bomb campaign he believes foreshadows early victory over Japan. The commander-in-chief voiced his victory hopes to newsmen accompanying him home from the Big Three meeting in Berlin. He termed the devastating weapon—which wiped out 60 per cent of its first target, a Japanese city the size of Memphis— "The mos^ powerful weapon for war and peace ever devised." Quoting scientists' assertions that the discovery may be the greatest "of any age for the benefit of the people," Mr Truman added that the atomic field "means a wonderful peacetime release of energy if its powers can be harnessed for commercial use." Devices To End War. Meanwhile, every device known to psychological warfare experts is being used to end the Pacific war without delay. — Radio broadcasts are pounding home to the Japanese people hour after hours the terrors of atomic destruction which confront them, and leaflets telling the same story have been prepared to be scattered over the islands. ~ Tl^ President himself will have opportunity in his radio report this week on the Potsdam Conference to renew Allied demands for the Japanese to give up now, before they force the destruction of mucii of their country. The immediate objective of the campaign appears to be to split the Japanese people from their warlord leaders and terrify them into revolution. Military and naval authorities are hoping for, but not planning on this. As a result preparations are going forward at top speed to invade the islands if that becomes necessary as a last resort. News Froat Guam. Word of the frightful new destruction readied . for the enemy came from Guam. There U. S. Army srategic air forces said the single atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima Monday wiped out 4.1 square miles of the city's total area of 6.9 square miles. Five major industrial targets were in the devastated sector, and "additional damage was shown outside the completely destroyed area," the Guam communique said. It was based on reconnaissance photographs. Earlier, Gen. Cart Spaatz, strategic airforce chief, told newsmen at the island base that more B-29s are prepared to carry forward the work begun at Hiroshima, a busy industrial city of 343,006. Spaatz also told of the leaflet drive to let the enemy people know exactly what is happening to them. Effect Calculated. One of the affects of the new explosive that has been carefully calls ted for its psychological effect on the Japan mb people is that its burst can- be sen and felt far beyond the range at its destruction. The brilliance of the flash carries more than J 100 miles, and the earth shock can be felt far beyond that. Thus while thousands of people may be killed by the force of the sxploaknv millions in crowded Japan will know ererytime one of thehenhs goes off." NEWS OF OUB BOYS IN SERVICE Reunioa In France Cpl. Allen Moore Harris and CpL Howard Harris, sons of Kn. Louise Harris, met ia Paris, August 1. This was the first time the two brothers had seen each other since December, 1942. They are both stationed ia France. New Address Pvt. A Hie J. Melton, 44169630, Company B, 202 Bn., 63rd Begun eat, Camp Blanding, Fla. Receives Purple Heart The Purple Heart' Medal for wounds received in action against the Germans has been presented to Private First Class Aaa Letchworth, Jr., of Farmville, at McQuiie General Hospital, Richmond, Va., where he is a patient. The medal was presented by Colonel P. E. Duggins, commanding officer of McGuire General Hospital, at ceremonies in Letchworth's honor at the army's, great medical installation in Richmond, Va. Letchworth, 26, was fighting with the infantry when he was wounded in Germany last March 24. His wife, Virginia, lives in FarmVUle. On Leave Capt James H. Darden, who is stationed at S pence Field, Moultrie, Qa., is at home on a 10 day leave. Capt. Darden has spent part of his leave at Morehead City. ' Returns To Kelly Field Pvt. Milton Eason, Jr.,.has returnad to Kelly Field, Texas, after a visit to hia parents, Mr. and Mrs. Milton Eason. His small son, Milton, III, ; ?tSoviet Russia declares war on Japan, effective yesterday. Photographic and other evidence .indicates two-thirds of Hiroshima wiped oat by atomic bomb, with deaths running into uncounted thousands. Carrier aircraft of the' U. S. Third Fleet and the supporting British aircraft force launch strong' aUacks on shipping and inner installations in northern Honshu. Some 400 Superforts bomb the steel city of Yawa^e, the ahemical oanjUr of Fukuyama, the Tokyo areanal and an aircraft plant outside Tokyo. Americana move slowly against enemy positions in the mountains. 65 miles north of Raguio 011 northern SERVICE MEWS • CENTER • . Service Man visiting the Center daring Am week end were: Seymour Johnson field, Pvt. Walter J. WoHfc, Athol, Mm., Opt. Charles A. Ricciardi, Brooklyn, N. Y.. Sgt J. Ecoff, Oxnard, QOB., and Qpl. Say Kilrajc, Minnesota. Greenville Air Base, Pfc. Prank Berry, Philadelphia, Pa., and Cpl Charles E. Sholdee, Cleveland, Ohio, guests of Miss Tahitha M. DeVlaconti, Saturday and Tueeday nights. Cherry Point: Pfc. Dale B. LiarUn, Knightsville. Calif., guest of Mr. and Mrs. David May, Greene County, S/Sgt Dan M. Stanich, San Francisco, Calif., week end guest of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Davis. The n^nu consisted of roast beef, corn, beans, potato salad, tomato sandwiches, canned pears, ten and rolls. Mrs. M. T. Self donated $1.00; Mn. J. M. Christman, sugar; Mrs. A. B. Mean, Mm. B. A. Norman and, the Paean Gnwa Dairy, milk. Mrs. Bob Joyner prsnauad toe salted paeans. Miss Amie Nichola donated magazines. A letter received from J. E. Russell, M.M. 3/e, says his wife sent him a box recently and enclosed some Enterprises. He eagerly read every word, even all the advertisements. He has been away from home, he states, a little over a year and fears H will be another before he can return to his loved ones. He is anxious to come back but feels justified in going overseas when he thinks what would hAve happened to America if our Armed Forces had not gone over. He has the joy of knowing that his country will still be free when he does get to come. He says, "Do not let anyone tell you dehydrated potatoes and powdered eggs are good." He has eaten so much, Vienna saucage that he never wants to see another piece. He sends his best regards to all his friends here. Back-to-School Drive # K Washington, Aug. 7.—The government today launched a beck-to-school drive aimed at increasing high school enrollment by 260,000 -students this falL Sponsored by the Children's Bureau of the Labor Department and the Office of Education, the drive is a step toward restoring pre-war enrollment ai 7J60J000 boys and (iris. This dropped last year to around 6,000,000, due almost entirely to wartime Job opportunities. Local Warn en Urged To Help.Out Wartime Emergency Greenville, Aug. 7.—The Pitt County schools, which hare carried on so effectively daring- the war under numerous handicaps, need 81 teaefrri to fill all or the places. It has been suggested by community leaden that women who have married or retired from teaching volunteer to fill the vacancies and help to canrjr on the school work. Those willing to do this are requested to conuumicpts with school principals or with Dbn EL. Conley, county superintendent of edufitiftn, flrwuTillci W. H. Wooiaed, of Greenville, president of the GottM&y Bank and Triisti Company aad chairman of the cou»ty] Board of Education, while discusajnaj the teacher shortage today, said hei felt that it would be a very fine thjngU fpr women who have retired frt>m teaching after they married or for some other reason, to volunteer to teach this year. Civic club leaden and others expressed the same optoMost of fee primary facutttss h»v» been completed. The shortage of lynchers is In the upper grimijnr Rimmuu Follow Declaration of War With Action at Troop * and PIail«8 Moscow, Aug. S. — Soviet Russia declared war an JSfM affective at midnight tonight (6 p. m. EWT) and revealed she had b«ti asked to join the Pacific conflict by the Allies to ^pesd "universal peace." Foreign Commissar Vyacheslav Molotov disclosed Japan had aaked the Soviet Union to mediate in tho war in the Pacific, but said Tokyo's rejection of tha Potsdam ultimatum to sumnder made her proposals "lose all significance." Seven Hours Waning. Russia gave the Japanese seven hours warning ahexmsaat to strike. Molotov handed Rusna's declaration of war to J«panose Ambassador to Russia, Naotske Sato, at S p. a, Russian time. Three hours later, tha Moscow radio broadcast tha news to tha world, and at 8:30 p. m, Molo-tov called in correspondents. Molotov revealed that the Japanese request for mediation came from Emperor Hirohito "about midJuly." Molotov said Pisaidapt Truman, Winston Churchill, then prime ' minister, snd Clement AtUee, who succeeded Churohill, had been informed, and also their respective foreign secretaries. In a Jovial mood, he leaned across a birch table, lighted up a long Russian cigarette and mads 'his announcement. He was perfectly informal as ha asked permission to reed the text of the declaration. Russia went to war as her "loyal Allied duty" after she was asked to do so by the United States, Britain, and China and had rejected Tokyo's suggestions she mediate tha- war, Molotov said. Immediately Russia made her decision the ambassadors of the three *reat Allied countries warring with the Japanese were 'informed. They expressed "satisfactk^t" Molotov had summoned Japanese Envoy Sato to the Kremlin and read him the declaration of war, which Sato was to relay to Tokyo. The declaration said Russia would consider herself at,war August 9, tomorrow. Attacks Promptly. Mighty Russia, battle-toughened in victory over Germany, want to war Thursday against Axis Japan. j^nerica and her Allies applauded, and counted on the early doom of the enemy of the Pacific. Bonis declared war at the request of the United States, Britain, and China, as of 6 p. m., (EWT). That was midnight in Russia. President Truman announced the decision in mid-afternoon. Secretary of State Byrnes followed through with a declaration that titers is "still time—bat little time—for the Japanese to save themselves from the destruction which threatens them." Foreign. Commissar Molotov proclaimed in Moscow that Russia had been "time to her duty as an ally." Swift and sure was Washington's reaction that the 8ovtst decision to fight once more, along with the unwrapping of the terrible mm weapon of atomic bombing, signifies that Japan tame* long survive. For not only are Russian legions set to strike an the Asiatic mainland, but Russia's Siberian air bases are available for loosing ber bombs Dft tfes nearby Nipponese islands. Japan thus was all bat cut off bom the continent, from its rich supthe fftstnese from whichhave hoped to prphftT her : - WESE fc?\ ' gfc* to*we