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■ J \ ' - FORECAST 4 ^ ^ iftlf * ^ - Served By Leaded Wire* ~ ee^ umtttgfom iUonrnm mwc w^z ___ State and National New* VOLTriZ-NO. 136. , WILMINGTON, N. c., FRIDAY, APRIL 6^1945 ---ESTABLISHED 1867* Moscow Denounces Red-Jap Neutrality Pact; British Drive Vo Within 39 Miles Of Bremen Third Pushes Across Hills Of Thuringia Patton’* Army Lacks 63 Miles of Cutting Ger many In Half PARIS Friday, April 6—UP)—The Xj s. Ninth Army broke across the Weser river 157 miles west of Ber lin yesterday and the British Sec ond Army in-a 30-mile lunge swept up 39 miles south of the great shipbuilding city of Bremen as the enemy fled east along the north German plain. • Without losing a man, the Ninth Army crossed the Weser with troops and tanks south of Hame lin, 23 mites southwest of Hannover. Simultaneously, the U. S. Third Armv struck across Thuringia’s hills 130 miles southwest of Ber lin in a fanning push that lacked 63 miles of cutting the Reichin half. and the enemy was reported falling back south for the expected last stand in Bavaria’s mountain iasincisbt;^ The Canadian First Army shook loose an armored column on a 12 mile tear that ripped back into the German peninsula and into Uel sen. on the highway to Bremen and within 53 miles of an arm of the North Sea. This drive, sweeping northward parallel to the British armored push, increased the threat to two German armies, now in retreat to ward the Elbe river. Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery’s Canadian and Brit ish forces were battling north on a 100-mile front, and by capturing Stolzenau on the Weser river 39 miles from Bremen the British van guards had traveled 120 miles from the Rhine. Minden also was seized. One column on the west also was 40 miles from Bremen after fight ing up wi'hin less than three miles of Diephoitz. The bartle of Annihilation in the Ruhr basin rose in fury as both the U. S. First and Ninth Armies pressed the assualt on possibly 150.000 German troop, reported trapped there with Field Marshal Albert Kesselring, commander of all enemy armies on the Western Front. The Ninth Army was knocking in the root of the trap, advancing up to nine miles both east and west of pivotal Hamm, and was five miles from the Ruhr city of Dort mund. Ore robot bomb factory had been overiun. Pilots said the enemy was mas sing tanks and self-propelled guns on the east side of the pocket, ap parently to attempt a breakout. On the southern end of the front, the U. S. Seventh Army scored gains of 14 miles, battled into Kitzingen beyond the river Main, and severed the highway be tween toppling Wuerzburg and the Nazi shrine city of Nuernberg, ftnlv *5,1 wil np oViao/1 of aHvflDPPH American forces. The French First Army farther south fought nearly two miles south of the cantured city of Karlsruhe .and the Paris radio said one column now' was but 12 1-2 miles from the south Geirnan city of Stuttgart. Tne U. S. Third Army was strik ing across Thuringia’s hills and was closest to the capital. One tank column roared due eat to within 170 miles of a junction with the Russians and 66 miles from Plau on, while another was 63 miles from Czechoslovakia. The fall of Plauen also would out Germany in two. since it con trols the last good highways and railways leading into Bavaria, and Pilots said already considerable movement of enemy forces had been spurted moving southward •long that route. The Germans also were in flight toward the Elbe river—last river barrier 50 miles west of Berlin— •iter the U. S. Ninth Army wound PP a day of dazzling 28-mile gains by hurling troops and tanks across tne Weser river without a single casualty. The Second Armored and the 30th Infantry Divisions crossed south of Folklore's Pied Piper city ot Harreiin. 23 miles southwest 01 Hannover, and began pounding up the Hannover highway. The British Second Army aftei ; "a-mile advance likewise reach ed the Weser, and the two armies eid 48 miles of the west bank, .itn embattled Minden roughly ir m? center. There was every indication the remans had written off the Wesei (Ccn'inued 0n Page Nine; Col. 4) h - Definite Surrender Of Nazis Ruled Out Eisenhower Sees Long Guerrilla Warfare And Calls For Large Force Of Occupa tion To Complete Defeat WASHINGTON, April 5. —(iPj General Dwight D. Eisenhower, convinced that “a clean cut mili tary surrender” of Germany is not in the cards, foresees a bitter-end fight to wipe out bands of Nazi guerrillas. “A very large number of troops” will be needed to run down and destroy them, he wrote President Roosevelt in a letter released by the White House today. ‘‘We should be prepared,” he said, • mentioning moves already planned to prevent bands of Nazis from slipping away to the moun tains of southern Germany in a desperate determination to string out the agony of war. Thus, tp the supreme Allied commander, there is no prospect of massed legions of the foe laying down their arms, nor of sudden quiet along the Western Front like that of the armistice in 1918. His letter, dated March 31, said: “The further this campaign pro gresses, the more probable it ap pears that there will never be a clean cut military surrender of the forces on the Western Front. “Our experience to date is that when formations as small as a divi sion are disrupted, their frag ments continue to fight until sur rounded.” Force or the threat of force he said, will have to be applied parti cularly to Nazi paratroopers, pan zer men -and the swaggering storm troopers who Adolf Hitler has fond ly called his elite guard. What the cost in American and Allied lives will be in cleaning them all out, or how long it will take, Eisenhower did not attempt to estimate. (Continued on Page Nine; Col. J) WLB Warns John L. Lewis Of Federal Mine Seizure WASHINGTON, April 5—(iP)—The War abor Board tonight warned John . Lewis that unless work stoppages in approximately 200 bir tuminoua xoal mines , end, promptly “the government will have no alternative but to seize and operate the mines on strike.” WLB Chairman George W. Taylor addressed a telegram to Lewis as nresident of the United Mine Workers and John J. O’Leary, UMWA vice president, saying mine strikes are interfering with production of steel and other war materials. “The board calls upon the United Mine Workers of America at this critical stage of the war to take every step necessary to bring about the immediate termination of these work stoppages and the resumption of the production oi coal,” Dr.- Taylors telegram tc Lewis said. Taylor said that blast furnaces oi some steel mills have been forced to close and that others probably would close down within the next 24 hours unless full bituminous production is resumed. Soft coal operators and mins representatives have been bar gaining here, so far without sue cess, for a new contract to replace one that expired last Saturday Lewis agreed to. extend the con tract 30 days, but nevertheless wildcat strikes have been wide spread this week. This morning Secretary Ickes urged quick government seizure oi the mines to head off “a serious interruption in the production o: steel.” Ickes wanted such action today but there were indications that i' would be delayed at least unti later in the week Text of Chairman Taylor’s mes sage to Lewis and O’Leary fol lows: “Work stoppages in approxi mately 200 bituminous coal mines in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wes Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky have occurred de spite the extension of the contracts between the United Mine Workers of America and the national bituminous coal operators. G. P. JAMES, L 0FF1C1A . DIES Was Passenger Traffic Manager and Member Of Prominent Family George P. James, 67, Passenger Traffie manager of the Atlantic Coast Line railroad, died at his home, 220 North 15th street, at 5 p. m, yesterday. A member of a prominent Wil mington family, Mr. James was the son of the late John Christo pher and Sarah Cowan James. He made Wilmington his home during his early life and in 1905 he was transferred by the ACL to Wash ington, D. C. to reorganize the Passenger Traffic office at that city. After 35 years service in Wash ington, Mr. James returned to Wilmington as the head of the Passenger Traffic department. His entire career was spent in the service of the ACL and he had completed more than 51 years in its employ. He was a member of St. John’s Episcopal church, a member of the Masonic lodge and an honorary member of the Temple - Noyes Lodge No. 32 in Washington, and also was affiliated with several social, fraternal and business or ganizations in this City. He was an hereditary member of the North Carolina Society of the Cincinnati j (Continued *«n Page Two; Col. 1) Tide Water Gets Permit To Sell Bus Facilities The State Utilities Commission yesterday issued an order au thorizing the Tidewater Power Co. to sell its transportation facilities to the Safety Transit Co., a new corporation, for $150,000, it was disclosed last night in an Associa ted Press dispatch from Raleigh. The City Council, meeting in a special session yesterday, agreed not to oppose the sale of the trans portation system to K. O. Self and others associated, in the newly or ganized company. A telegram ex pressing the City’s attitude was forwarded to the Utilities Commis sion at the request of the commis sion. Judge Fred C. Hunter, of the commission, pointed out that the new application proposes no changes in bus rates and sched t ules. He said that the commission would require an additional appli cation if such proposals were pro jected. However, none are con templated, it was learned. The purchase price covers the power company’s bus franchise in Wilmington, bus equipment and franchises in surburban areas, in cluding Wrightsville Beach. The Safety Transit Co. is to be incorporated by Self, former chief clerk of the Utilities Commission: Claude A. Jessup and S. A. Jessup, both of Charlottsville, Va., and C. F. Cassell of Wilmington. At the special session of the City Council yesterday, a reso lution was adopted which showed the Council was in complete ac* cordance with the sale. Reds Battle In Vienna’s City Limits Other Soviet Units Open Drive To Encircle Aus trian Capital LONDON, Friday, April 6.—UP) — Tank-led Russian shock troops battled to the southern city limits of Vienna yesterday while other Red Army veterans launched a drive to encircle the Austrian capital after slashing across two of its vital supply links with the war arsenals of Germany and Czechoslovakia. Assault forces broke across two rivers, a canal and a network of suburban railroads and highways constituting a highly-fortified de fense belt and captured the subur ban towns of Ober-Laa and Unter Laa, four and a half miles south east of famed St. Stephens church in mid-city, Moscow revealed. Simultaneously, other Soviet troops rolling up a German bulge in Czechoslovakia’s Carpathian mountains, c a p t u red industrial Zywiec in southwest Poland and battled closer to the ,Croatian pup pet capital of Zagrey in northern Yugoslavia. capturing 6,500 prisoner* In Yugoslavia, the Bussians jumped to 63,500 the number of enemy troops taken in that sector and in southwestern Hungary in the past five days, while in the far north Bed Army men hurled enemy rem nants back into Danzig bay in a clean-up of coastal territory north of captured Gydnia. While three Bussian armies sur ged forward along a blazing 350 mile front stretching across Yugo slavia, Austria, Slovakia and Po land, Berlin said that a giant Bed Army offensive on the Oder river before the Beich capital was ex pected “in the next few days.” Two mighty armies were in voilved in the battle for Vienna. Southeast of the city, they were believed to have linked after the capture of the Bratislava Gap fortress of Bruck, and together they extended a siege arc around the city to 83 miles.. The arms oi a developing pincer southwest and northeast of the city were 46 miles apart. South of Vienna, Marshal Feo dor I. Tolbukhin’s Third Ukrain ian Army battled to the city line in the face of violent Nazi artillery fire from the capital’s parks anc captured Ober-Laa and Unter-Laa adjacent to the municipal boundary in a three-mile gain. To take these points, Tolbuikhin’: troops broke across the Schwecha river, hurdled a highway and rail road defense line, crossed the Neustadter canal and another rail road, and then smashed over the Liesing river. Okinawa Push Has Cost 175 Yankee Lives Nimitz Reports Incredibly Low Casualties; Drive Advances GUAM, Friday, April 6.— cm _ Incredibly low American casual ties for the first four days of the Okinawa invasion were reported by the Navy today in announcing a sweeping advance on the north end of the Tenth Army line and increasing resistance in the south near the capital city of Naha. Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz said 175 U. S. soldiers and Marines had been killed and 798 wounded up to midnight Wednesay. This reflected the ilhtness of the op reflected the lightness of the op position he gave no figures for naval casualties. A fleet of 1,400 ships aided the momentous inva sion of the Ryukyu island only 325 miles south of Japan proper. No Japanese casualty figures were announced, although they are considerably higher. Marines az me norm scorea gains up to four and one-half miles along the narrow Ishikawa isthmus, still finding "ineffective'’ opposition, but 24th Corps infan trymen moving on Naha, a city of 66,000 population rain into in creasingly stiff resistance among fixed defensive positions. Their advance, previously mea sured in miles, was only about 3, 000 yards. It appeared possible that the first big action of the campaign was building up. Associated Press Correspondent Robbjn Coons told how the Ameri cans on the south end of the line could look ahead to rolling hills with sharp gullies and caves—ideal terrain for the Japanese type of defense. Sixty-five planes were destroyed out of Japanese ar fleets raiding American positions and shipping in the first five days, Nimitz re ported. Maj. Gen. Roy S. Geiger’s Third Marine Amphibious Crops sectyed the Ishikawa isthmus,, narrowest of the 65 mile-long island — an area which could have been de fended comparatively easity by the Japanese but was not. Maj. Gen. Andrew D. Bruce’s 77th Division, moving down the west coast upon the capital city of Naha and its nearby airdrome, advanced about 3,000 yards into areas which Admiral Nimitz de scribed as “organized for defense by the enemy.” “By nightfall,’’ Nimitz reported, “resistance to the advance was increasing.” The Yanks were closely support ed by naval gunfire and carrier aircraft. Capital Welcomes Soviet Denunciation Of Treaty BY JOHN M. HIGHTOWER WASHINGTON, April 5—UP)—Rus sia’s denunciation of her neutrality pact with Japan sent a wave of jubilation through this capital to day in the belief that it probably spells much swifter victory in the Pacific. On all sides, the action was in terpreted as a long step toward Russian participation in the war against the Japanese, who would thus be caught in a gigantic squeeze and go down to their doom at a greatly reduced cost in Allied lives. Some were inclined to restrain their elation, on the ground that only time will tell whether Russia actually intends to strike in the near future. But the general opin ion was that the diplomatic move was a forerunner to eventual hos tilities. Chairman Thomas (D-Utah) of the Senate Military Committee, saw the development as certainly meaning “the eventual entry of Russia into the war with Japan.” Senator Connally (D-Tex), for eign relations chairman, said “Jap an and Germany are in an em brace of death; they chose that course and the stars will bring both to their doom.” Senator Vandenberg '(R-Mich), foreign relations committeeman and a minority leader in that field said the Russian move is “undoubt edly a preview of vitally impor tant things to come.” Most House spokesman on for eign and military matters were out of town with that branch taking an informal holiday, but Rep. Eat on (R-NJ) ranking Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee, said the development “ought; to strengthen the peace movement throughout the world and hasten the end of this destructive war both in Europe and in Asia.” In response to inquiries, the State Department issued this comment: “The United States Government, of course, welcomes this develop ment.” If the diplomatic step proves to be a preluds to hostilities, the Pa cific enemy will be completely sur rounded by belligerent forces of overwhelming power. Her doom, already apparent to the rest of the world, may then become apparent to the Japanese people themselves. Perhaps it was anticipation of this situation as well as the steady American pounding to the south (Continued on Page Nine; Col. >) Macarthur Will Lead A rmy Against Japan CHESTER W. NIMITZ DOUGLAS MAC ARTHUR Nimitz Given Complete Command Of All Naval Forces In Pacific; Move Will Ex pedite Future Blows At Nippon WASHINGTON, April 5.— (/T>) — General Douglas MacArthur drew the assignment today to command all American Army forces in the final cleanup of Japan. The Joint Chiefs of Staff settled the much-discussed point by reas signing commands in the whole Pacific area, with MacArthur in charge on land and Admiral Ches ter W. Nimitz directing the United States drive at sea. The new assignments were dis closed even as Japan’reeled under the double blows of Russia’s de nunciation of a neutrality pact and the fall of the Japanese cab inet. It was the close approach of American forces that toppled the Japanese politicos from power, and it was this same factor that made the realignment of Ameri can Army-Navy leadership neces sary. Heretofore the commands had been geographically separated, with sea forces in MacArthur’s Southwest Pacific area coming un der his command and land forces in Nimitz ’Pacific Ocean areas taking orders from the admiral. There had been much unofficial discussion whether MacArthur would go on with the job, or stop in the Philippines where he is now established, and leave the Japan and China campaigns to others. MacArthur’s forces, driving (Continued on Page Nine; Col. 4) Japan s Cabinet Resigns UnderHome front Censure By The Associated Press Racked by military defeats and a rising storm of criticism at home, Premier Kuniaki Koiso’s cabinet resigned en masse today and Emperor Hirohito called on an elder statesman, Adm. Baron Kantaro Suzuki, to form Japan's third wartime government. In quick succession to the fall of the doomed Koiso regime, an nounced by Tokyo radio, came the denunciation in Moscow of the Russo-Japanese neutrality pact. Soviet Russia explained in a note handed the Japanese ambas sador, said the Moscow radio, that the treaty was terminated because Japan had aided Germany in the latter’s war with Russia. In facing the “gravity of the situation” which Tokyo said forc ed Koiso and his ministers to step down, Japan turned to a 77-year old veteran of public service who had been considered a “moder ate” in pre-war years. SuzuKi, president of the Privy Council, has been looked upon as an opponent of the extreme army clique’s pro gram of conquest. Military disasters in the field and on the seas which have har assed Koiso since he took over the reign of government from Premier Gen. Kideki Tojo nearly nine months ago made certain his downfall was not far off. Close students of Japan predicted the succeeding government would be a "moderate” one that might pro ject peace feelers to the United States and her allies. Suzuki, who had been in semi retirement since being wounded in the revolt by young Japanese ar my officers in 1936, may fit into this picture as the "front man for a Japanese peace offensive,” in the opinion of Glen Babb, Asso ciated Press foreign news editor. Babb spent many years in Japan. Beyond accepting the office of president of the Privy Council last August, Babb added, "Suzuki has given no public intimation of sym pathy with the army extremists who have dominated the govern ment virtually ever since the 1936 attempt on his life.” Until the complexion of the Su zuki cabinet is known, however, Babb cautioned, "it may be too early to conclude that the shift presages a peace offensive.” He contined: "There remains the chance, of (Continued on Page Nine; Col. 6) Two Russian Armies Face Japan On Siberian Front By HENRY C. CASSIDY WASHINGTON, April 5.— ffl— If Russia goes to war with Japan, at least two Red armies, equipped with the finest modern military material, will be ready to join combat immediately in the Far East. Behind them will be a string of brand-new air strips, swarming with fleets of fast, hard-hitting bombers and fighters. With them will be large, well organized United States and Bri tish military missions, prepared to cooperate with the Russians to whatever extent they permit in prosecution of their part of the campaign. These are the highlights of the little that le known about the world’s most mystery-shrouded military theater. The secrets of the Red. Army’s far eastern military establishment have been so closely guarded that, in comparison, the Russian forces in Europe are wide open. So tightly are those secrets held that even the identity of the Soviet commande rin the far east is not known. The former commander, General Apanasenko, was moved west and killed in the battle of Kursk in June, 1943. Before Germany invaded the So iet Union in 1941. viet Union in 1941 the Russians had three Red-bannered armies in the standing force of two armies in (Continued on Png* Nine; CoL I) Foe Accused Of Assising The Germans Move Leaves Question 01 Soviet-Nipponese War Unanswered LONDON, April 5.—CF)—Russia denounced her neutrality pact with Tokyo today, bluntly accusing Jap an of helping Germany and pos sibly clearing the way for eventual Soviet entry into the Pacific war. In a strongly-worded note, Mos cow linked the European and Paci fic wars for the first time by de claring Japan had aided Germany and, “in addition, Japan is fighting against the U. S. A. and Great Eritain, which are allies of the Soviet Union.” Moscow broadcast the announcement of its action to the world. The question whether Russia will go to war against Japan was left unanswered. The denounced five-year neutrality pact does not expire until April 25, 1948 — more than a year from now. But the note which Foreign Minister Vyas cheslav Molotov handed Japanese Ambassador Naotake Sato this aft ernoon in Moscow placed Japan squarely in the enemy’s camp and stated Soviet Russia’s opinion that Japan had violated the pact. Shortly before Moscow acted, the government of Premier Gen. Kuni aki Koiso in Tokyo fell in the midst of a political and military crisis, and Emperor Hirohito sum moned Adm. Baron Kantaro Suz uki, 77-year-old president of the Privy Council, to form a new gov ernment. Suzuki has been regard ed as a moderate — aloof from previous military cliques ruling Japan — and 'his selection raised the possibility a Japanese “peace cabinet” might be installed. The Japanese crisis was precip itated by the American invasion of Okinawa and perhaps also by strong indications of the ominous Soviet diplomatic blow, Moscow’s announcement said that Molotov told the Japanese ambassador that the neutrality agreement had “lost its meaning and continuance of this pact has become impossible.” Russia ratified the pact April 25, 1941, and it: was to have been con tinued for another five year* un less denounced a year before its expiration. The note given Sato was remin iscent of the same line taken by Russia last September when Rus sia went to war against Bulgaria, accusing that Axis satellite of aid ing Germany against Russia and declaring “Bulgaria actually has been in a state of war with the Soviet Union for a long time.” Animosity has marked Soviet Japanese relations for 50 years, and both countries have strong armies massed on the Soviet Manchurian frontier, where bor der “skirmishes” amounting to large-scale battles were fought and largely overlooked by the rest of the world during the opening days of World War II in Europe. The repudiation of the pact gave Russia a free hand for joining in any joint action the United Na tions might decide to take against Japan at the San Francisco con ference opening Apnl 25. The main purpose of this meet ing is to lay the foundation for an intprnpfinnul eonuritir — - against aggressors—a n d Premier Stalin already has publicly brand ed Japan “a typical aggressor na tion” — equally guilty with Ger many. British official circles here were silent on the possible implication* of Russia’s latest move, but the first comment from the British Press Association’s diplomatic cor respondent said "it seems some thing more than coincidence that the resignation of the Japanese government should precede so shortly the Soviet announcement.” The first official reaction cam# from H. V. Evatt, Australian for eign minister here for a Domin ions conference, who said that the Molotove declaration "demon strates that Russia will play a not able part in the future security and welfare of the peoples of the Pa cific.” Describing the Moscow an nouncement as "characteristically (Continued an Page Nines CoL ]) b
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