E0RECAST \ 4 ^ 4 ^ ^ Served By Leased Wires ,s:;= litlmttijtnn Unrmttn star :-mz _ ■■ -* State and National News rOL^;~~'S^' 10-_____WILMINGTON, N. C., WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1945. ' FINAL EDITION " American Offensive Plunges To Erft River; Soviets Smash 44 Miles Through Pomerania; Marines Gain Slightly Against Foe On I wo New Red Push Sets Trap For PanzigForces 100 German Communities Captured In Russian Baltic Sweep LONDON. Feb. 27.— (
he Baltic and Germans were hurling in temm ffSerVes in desPerate at Danzi1 T’ kcep open llle route to was f \ . 6 Ge,'maos said Zhukov cure u-j? l°ward Stettin to se froniai'1 j .fiank f°r an ultimate Glr dnve on Berlin, the s;T’an broadcasters said that sides theWLjvVhite Russians- be" had k, i 8 ,ance m Pomerania, Grud7iaa Pri, irito tbe fortress of Polish r Z' bebind the lines in the °f Dar7;°md0r and 56 mRes south was in Iff and that street fighting St uu progress. BresP u°rn figbting continued for Plan frrit another surrounded Ger Army W’.°nthe First Ukraine That ‘ ln fiesta, nev auari?y’ under Marshal Ko rn.;,- t-°.had mossed the Neisse GermarVsfiASfVeral points> the fense later claimed the de’ sians, had rePusled the Rus said H;f'nan miUtary spokesman that "no fighting where excent ”8 t00k place” any* front B °n the Pomeranian Churchill Says Allies Ready For Nazis ’Fall Commons Promised That Germany Will Be Rendered Impotent to Wage War for ‘Generations’; Poland Gains Land LONDON, Feb. 27.— (.UP) — Prime Minister Churchill told a cheering House of Commons today that Allied plans were complete and ready for the collapse or sur render of Germany, and he prom ised that that country would be rendered impotent to wage w'ar “for generations to come.” He named rich areas of eastern Germany which will be given to Poland and asserted that after the Crimea Conference the Big Three were more closely united than ev er before in both political and mil itary spheres. “Let Germany recognize that it is futile to hope for divisions among the Allies and that nothing can avert her utter defeat,” the Prime Minister daid. “Further re sistance will only be the cause of needless suffering. “The Allies are resolved that Germany shall be totally disarm ed, that Nazism and militarism in Germany shall be destroyed, that war criminals will all be tried justly and quickly punished and that all German industries capable of military production shall be eliminated or controlled and that Germany shall make compensa tion in kind to the utmost of her ability for the damage done to Al lied nations. . . there will be a place one day for the Germans in the community of nations, but on ly when all traces of Nazism and militarism have been effectively and finally extirpated. On the gen eral plan there is complete agree ment.” Churchill defended with the ut most vigor the settlement of the Polish question agreed upon at the Crimea Conference. “In supporting the Russian claim for the Curzon Line. I re pudiate and repulse any sugges tion that we are making a ques tionable compromise or yielding to force or fear, and I assert with the utmost conviction the broad justice of the policy upon which for the first time all the three great Allies have now taken their stand,” he said. ‘Moreover, the three powers have now agreed that Poland (Continued on Page Three; Col. 1) Cherry Backs Principles Of Medical Care Program RALEIGH, Feb. 27.—(.Pi—Governor Cherry went personally before the Legislature today and supported the general principles of the hos pital and medical care bill, but reminded that teachers had a priority -*on any surplus. Too, he said, many GEN. WATSON, AIDE TO FDR, IS DEAD White House Secretary Stricken After Crimea Conference AT SEA WITH PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, Feb. 20—(Correct) —(UR)—Maj. Gen. Edwin M. Wat con, military aide and secretary to President Roosevelt, died at sea today aboard an American cruiser bearing the Presidential party home from the Crimea Conference. Watson, 61, became ill just as the President and his staff were leaving Russia by ait' to rejoin the cruiser in 1he Mediterranean. He died early today of a cerebral hemorrhage. The general, who had been on the President's stall since 1933, was one of the Chief Executive s closest friends. His sudden death greatly saddened Mr. Roosevelt. ° “I shall miss him almost more than I can express,” the President said. "There was never a cloud between us in all these years. He helped me greatly.” It was expected that Watson would be buried in Arlington Na tional cemetery. Aboard ship, Watson was given every oossible medical attention under the direction of Vice Adm. Ross T. McIntyre, surgeon general of the Navy and Mr. Roosevelt s _rthvsirian. The President said in a state ment that Watson “fortunately, suffered little, if at all.’ “He deserves every tribute that can be given, both as a close friend and as an officer of the United States Army. “He had been on almost every previous trip with me during the last 12 years and, though he had been ill for a short period about a year ago, it was his sense of duty and determination to see the war through that made him insist on taking this trip with me.’’ Watson was ill briefly during the Tehran Conference in 1943. Shortly afterward, because of his physical condition, he went on the Army retired list in order as he explained to friends at the time, not to retard the promotion of men behind him in seniority. Watson's principal White House task was supervising the Pres dent’s appointments. As appoint ment secretary for the past five years, he arranged Mr. Roosevelt’s entire White House schedule. In the dual role of aide and secretary, he accompanied the President on (Continued on Page Three; Col. 2) of the incorporated proposals “must be postponed until some fu ture date.” Pursuing his oft-voiced advocacy of conservative spending and a bal anced budget, the Governor said that “we cannot safely and se curely build and expand our State services on a war-time prosperi ty.” The bill, introduced last night after weeks of discussion outside the Legislative chambers, would appropriate $100,000 for expenses of the North Carolina Medical Care Commission: $1,000,000, if available after payment of the contingency emergency salary to teachers and low-salaried State employes, for assistance of local hospitals car ing for indigent patients: and $50, 000 for loans to medical students who agree to practice in rural areas for a! least four years. Trus tees of the University of North Ca rolina would be empowered to ex pand the universities two-year (Continued on Page Two; Col. 4) Yanks Finish Conquest Of Verde Island Mt. Mataba Captured As U. S. Clears Japs From Manila Area MANILA, Wednesday, Feb. 28— l/P)—Twenty-fourth Division Yanks have completed the destruction of the Japanese garrison on little Ver de Island, invaded Sunday, Gen. Douglas MacArthur reported to day The island, between Luzon and Mindoro, is astride the short est supply route from the United States to Manila. Fourteenth corps troops clear ing the Japanese from the Manila watershed east of the liberated capotal captured Mt. Mataba, east of the town of San Miguel. They also secured the south and west slopes of Mt. Pacawuan. South of there, the First Cavalry Division pressed its attack 'on Antipolo, just north of Laguna de Bay, in the face of heavy mortar, artillery and machinegun fire. This opposition reflected reports of gath ering enemy power in the sector. Mopping up of Japanese rem nants continued in the hills flank ing the central Luzon plain and on blasted Corregidor fortress at the mouth of Manila Bay. Borneo was pounded with 100 tons of bombs concentrated on air dromes and port facilities. Many hits on the target areas were re ported, and smoke covered the area. Formosa took a 60-ton bombing. Fires were started in barracks areas. Three coastal ships were damaged in the nearby Pescadores Islands. Two American planes were lost. Heavy damage resulted from a destructive bombing of Camranh Bay on the Fench Indo-China coast. Fighters escorting the attacking Liberators shot down two enemy interceptors and wiped out three on the ground. The Melbourne radio reported, meanwhile, that Australian troops now hold a 150-mile area south of the Genga river on the west coast of Bougainville in the Solomons, and “complete occupation of Bou gainville's west coast is in sight.” Known Japanese casualties on Bougainville since the Americans left w'ere reported at 1,200. Democracy was reborn in the Far East Tuesday as Gen. Doug las MacArthur solemly and tear fully reestablished the Philippine commonwealth government while his forces of liberation expanded their hold on vital territory with in the archipelago. j Ten miles east of Manila, on the Wawa - Antipolo battle line, the (Continued on Page Three; Col. 3) Taft Seeks To Block Cat In Newspaper Employment WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.— (IP) — Senator Taft (R-Ohio) introduced an amendment to the manpower control bill today to prevent any sharp slash in the number of workers employed by newspapers. Taft proposed to modify the au thority of the War Manpower Com mission chairman to set employ ment ceilings by forbidding him to establish any which would re duce the number of employes of any regular daily, weekly of monthly publication or newsgather ing organization below the level prevailing in such establishments in any month of last year. The employment ceiling clause, together with a parallel provision giving the WMC chairman power to forbid employers to hire new workers, is the key section of the bill worked out byt'he Senate Mil itary Affairs Committee as a sub stitute for the work-or-jail meas ure approved by the house Febru ary 1. To back up the grant of power, the Senate bill provides stiff jail and fine penalties for employers who disregard the ceiling and hir ing destrictions, and for deferred farm workers who leave the farm without their draft board's permis sion. Senator Burton (R-Ohio) hardly had resumed discussion of the manpower bill after a three-hour delay occasioned by an insurance measure when Senator McKellar (D-Tenn) took issue with his pre ■ diction that ths Nation will face a war crisis in the next , three, four or five months. “I disagree with the Senator’s statement that we are approach ing a crisis in the war,” the Ten nesseean said. “In my mind we have passed the crisis. The rest of it is just mopping up.” McKeliar explained that was merely his own conclusion based on the trend of the fighting, and he conceded he might be in error. However, he added, citing Americans war production record: ‘‘I can’t see why we should dis card our own system which has operated so marvelously, ana take over another system which hasn’t worked so well in other coun tries.” Burton argued that passage of the bill would be a great spur to the soldiers’ morale “because it will show them we are putting our manpower to the best possible use.” Senator Chandler (D-Ky-, an op ponent of any manpower control legislation at this point, contend ed “the workers don’t want this bill, and the employers don’t want it either, especially with that pen alty clause.’’ Burton told his colleagues the House bill would affect only about one-third of the U. S. labor force, since it w'ould apply only to ci vilian men of 18 to 45, w'hile the Senate bill would take in all work ers regardless f sex or age. Japanese Resistance High Despite Losses Enemy Still Clings To 0 n e Tip Of Central Airfield; Yank Artillery Breaks Up Tank Led Counterattack During Night U. S. PACIFIC FLEET HEAD QUARTERS, GUAM, Wednesday, Feb. 28.— (f) —Two of the three Marine divisions battling side by side toward the high north part of Iwo gnawed out small gains Tuesday through thickly-studded Japanese defenses but enemy re sistance remains high and still in cludes tanks after nine days of ceaseless hammering. The Nipponese grimly clung to one tip of the central airfield af ter a week of flaming action con centrated on and around that two ruway fighter base. Adm. Chester Nimitz announced in a communique today that the Marines resumed a power-packed push from the south half of Iwo Tuesday morning after artillery broke up a tank-led counterattack Monday night. Enemy infiltra tion attempts were repulsed. The gains were registered in the center by Maj. Gen. Graves B. Erskine’s Third Division, which holds virtually all of the central airfield, and on the east shore by Maj. Gen. Clifton B. Cates’ Fourth Division. No mention was made of any gain on the west by Maj. Gen. Kel ler E. Rockey’s Fifth Division. The fiercely resisted advance 'was supported by Marine artil lery, carrier-based planes and warships of the Fifth Fleet. Mortar units blew up two Jap anese ammunition dumps to fur ther lessen the fighting power of a garrison which is receiving no reinforcements, no naval support and little support from the aTr. The Third Division has counted 800 enemy pillboxes in its zone of action, indicating the tough type of battle which must be waged. Land-based Army Liberators, (Continued on Page Two; Col. 5) 233 Jap Planes, 31 Ships Destroyed By Navy Fliers U. S. PACIFIC FLEET HEADQUARTERS, Guam, Feb. 27.—