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-——0 | FOTECAST « \ ♦' 4 gift * rV , S™. By L«ri Wfc„ ~ sss^ ifumtmtfmt nuintum fs>t<xx sats. __State and National New# yf>K<S- WILMINGTON, N. C.» THURSDAY, MAY 3, 1945 ESTABLISHED 186^ Berlin Falls Tpf Reds; Hitler And Goebbels Reported T y Have Committed Suicide; Nazis Quit In Italy; Allies Near Baltic Nazis Along Entire West Front Falter British Toop* Completely Seal Off Germans In Denmark PARIS, May 2—(U.R)—'The war in Europe roared toward its end today as Allied armies swept 50 miles to the Baltic, captured Ber lin and imposed unconditional turrender on 1,000,000 enemy troops in northern Italy and the Nazi national redoubt of western Austria. Remnants of German armies on the entire western front were rap idly disintegrating and unconfirm ed reports said that the surrender of isolation Nazi forces in Holland was expected at any time, with Denmark and Norway to follow auuij. The last major German resist ance appeared to be within the natural fortress of Czechoslovakia. Even there, according to a re cent dispatch, the puppet Czecho slovakian government is attempt ing to surrender to the British and Americans to avoid Russian occupation. British troops completely seal ed off Denmark in the drive to the Baltic while, the Russians cap tured Berlin and the German commander in Italy surrendered that country as well as the en tire battleground of the French 1st and U. S. 7th Armies in the Austrian panhandle. Dispatches also reported a breakdown of German resistance on Gen George S. Patton’s bat tleground along the Danube river in Austria, where his 3rd Army gained up to 20 miles on an 80 mile front and reached within 16 miles of Linz. Lt. Gen. Sir Miles C. Dempsey’s plunge to the Baltic hammered into Luebeck and captured Wis mar, where the British 6th Air borne Division was within 28 miles of joining the 2nd White Russian Army of Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky which captured Ros tock during the day. Dispatches (Continued on Page Nine; Col. 5) 0. S. EXPECTED TO SEIZE MINES WLB Votes To Refer Coal Strike To Stabilization Director Washington, May 2.—<u.r>— The War Labor Board voted tonght to refer the anthracite coal trike to Stabilization Director William H. Davis who is expected to order seizure of the mines. The WLB acted after receiving "o reply from President John L. Dewis of the United mine workers Jo its order that he agreed to ex *ntl the old contract until the pres *nt wage dispute is settled. The operaors early today accepted the without reservation, me strike began Monday night 'hen the old agreement expired, ewis and the operators failed af *r four weeks of negotiations in T ( . °rk City to reach agreement, -owis had agreed to a compro tsc1 proposal of Secretary of La !!nces Perkins which was re WTB^ 1!le 0Pei'atorS. lssu«d an interim order » ee hours belore expiration of the iti act which was ignored by wwis. who also failed to attend a - armg here yesterday. Lewis sent ‘*je members of his soft coal Ing** ®0l'cT committee to the hear ---—V WEATHER i v, Temperature ,:S« piT’sa*' 7:30 *m' *1: 1;M pm' M; !,wmain'sri? 95: Minimum 49; Mew 57. Vv, Humidity 7:S0 pmms4M: 7:30 >m' «1: 1:*0 pm, 96; Total < , Pr‘*iP>‘atlon 9® incus. h' 74 hours endir)8 7:30 pm’ 0.® *nch*»Ce 4iret 04 ^tic month, 1®. Tides For Today V. s. (0lJ published by ^ und Geodetic Survey) ..is, Ma,0ft',0re *** -u\uS 1::mS ***** 54 ,4v#r *t Tayettevill* unaai *** Laval Held For Allies By Spanish PIERRE LAVAL - MADRID, May 2.—(A?)—Former French Premier Pierre Laval, un der death sentence in France as a Nazi collaborationist, fled to Spain today and was swiftly in terned for disposition by the Al lies. The chief of the Vichy govern ment during the days of Hitler supremacy and his minister of ed ucation, Abel Bonnard, were order ed placed in a fortress-near Bar celona by Generalissimo Francis co Franco when they refused to leave Spain immediately after landing from Germany in a JU-88. Supreme headquarters in Paris announced immediately that France would demand custody of Laval, Bonard and five persons who accompanied them on the flight. Representations to the Span ish government already are under way, it was reported. The Spanish foreign office an nounced that the Frenchmen were being held for disposition by the Allies and Laval told the Spani ards that he would surrender only to an Allied commission. Accompanying Laval and Bon nard on the flight were Mrs. Lav al, Bonnard’s son, Eugene: two Frenchmen named Neraud and Gabolde; and two German pilots. Mrs. Laval was offered her free dom but elected to stay with her husband. The decision to intern the group was taken after a two hour de bate between Laval and the Span ish authorities at Barcelona. Fran co’s original order was that the Frenchmen be allowed to refuel their plane and be escorted by Spanish fighter planes to the near est French frontier. Laval, convicted and sentenced to death in Absentia by the French at Marseille on October 20, 1944, objected to being forced to go to France, asserting he would not “get a fair trial.” The former Vichy chief of gov ernment was reported offered the alternative of leaving Spain im mediately or being held for the Allies. He was said to have plead ed for the right of assignment but agreed to interment. The group was placed in the nearby Montjuich military prison. None of the eight had a passport or any other documentation and they identified themselves. United States Ambassador Nor man Armour acted quickly when news of their arrival reached Ma (Continued on Page Nine; Col. 5) Enemy Swept Out Of North Italian Area Southern Flanks Of Frag ments Of ‘National Re doubt* Exposed ROME, May 2.--{£*)—Nearly 1, 000,000 German and Italian Fas cist troops made the first uncon ditional surrender of the war in Europe today, yielded without a shot the mountainous heart of the Nazis’ ‘national redoubt” in the Alps and exposed the south flank of the fragments that remain. Gen. Heinrich Vonvietinghoff Scheel planned to come out of the Alps tomorrow to give up with his staff to Field Marshal Sir Har old Alexander, the Allied com mander, or to Gen. Mark Clark, commander of the 15th Army group in Italy. The surrender swept clean of resistance all northern Italy and western Austria up to and includ ing Salzburg province and its cap ital of the same name, which was the eastern bastion of the Alpine retreat. rnus tne Allied armies oi tne south were free to march unoppos ed to within 10 miles of Berchtes gaden, where Hitler had his moun tain hideout and which being in Bavaria is not included in the sur render order. (Gen. Eisenhower in Paris told his armies to keep on pressing south, mopping up all resistance, although the surrender order yielded up the chief objectives of his U. S. Seventh Army and part of those of the U. S. Third, which was closing on Salzburg.) The surrender documents, end ing the bloody two and one-half year Italian campaign, were sign ed Sunday at the Royal Palace at Caserta, near Naples, and became effective at 12-noon (8 a.m., East ern War Time) today. Two German plenipotentiaries signed for Germany in the pres ence of American, British and Rus sian officers. Approximately 20,000 square miles of German-held territory in cluding all of northern Italy to the Isonzo river in the northeast and the Austrian provinces of Vorarl berg, Tyrol, Salzburg and parts of Carinthia and Styria were surren dered to the Allies. The action not only uncovers me southern approaches to Germany but lops off the southwestern end of the so-called German "national redoubt’’ and turns the right flank of Col. Gen. Von Lehr, command ing enemy troops of the. Trieste area and northern Yugoslavia. New Zealand troops of the British Eighth Army and forces of Mar shal Tito’s Yugoslav army al ready have joined 14 miles north west of Trieste which has been occupied by the Yugoslavs. But even as the sirens screamed and jubilant celebrations were started a grim warning of the bit ter fighting that still was ahead on the other side of the world Was sounded by Gen. Joseph T. McNar ney, commander of American ^tr ees in the Mediterranean, whb said that not "until the last foe—Ja pan—is crushed” will “freedom loving men and women be able to enjoy lasting peace.” It was rumored in Borne tonight that Gen. Von Vietinghoff would surrender himself and his staff to (Continiide on Page Three; Col. *) Extra Assembly Session Is Predicted By LeGrand Rep. J. Q. LeGrand told the K wanis club on Wednesday that there is a possibility that a special session of the Legislature will be held next year, because appropri ations for the support of some state institutions were not made at the recent session, and that if it comes the hope is to set up the financial machinery for fi nancing port developments provid ed for in the enabling act hf spon sored shortly before the legislative adjournment Mr. LeGrand shared the Kiwan is program with J. T. Hiers, execu tive secretary of the Wilmington Port Commission, confining his re marks to a brief summary of the bill setting up a ports authority, while Mr. Hiers gave an illumi nating talk on the rise of com merce here between 1935 and the cessation of shipping because of the war, and the prospects for Wilmington taking its place among leading southern ports in the postwar period if adequate terminal facilities are constructed in time for the sharp competition which will then exist. The three essentials for suc cessful port operation, he pointed out, are eargoes, ships and ter minals. Cargoes, he explained, in creased a million and one-half tons here between 1935 and the start of the war. This business was (Continued on Page Two; Col. 1) *1 I Frank Walker Quits; Hannegan Selected WASHINGTON, May 2—UP)—In the first shift in the old Roose velt cabinet, President Truman today announced the resignation of Postmaster General Frank C. Walker and the selection of Robert E, Hannegan to succeed him. Walker, 59-year old New York lawyer and theater chain operator, will leave the cabinet voluntarily June 30 after completing a reorgani zation of his department. Hannegan, 41 year old Missourian who ran Franklin D. Roose velt’s fourth term campaign, will take over his new job July 1, if LATIN AM ICA, U.S. ' SNAG Delegates Say Argentina Should Prove More Than ‘Good Neighbor* SAN FRANCISCO, May 3— UB— Latin America desires to give Argentina an official post in the United Nations conference ran to night into dead set opposition from the United States. United States delegates, it was learned, have taken the stand that the South American neighbor, a late entry into the war, ought to prove she can be a “good neigh bor’’ before she gets anything more than bare admission to the conference. The U. S. stand became evident while Russia was throwing her support toward a voting formula which would prevent a bloc of 21 American republics (including Ar (Continued on Page Two; Col. 2) connrmea Dy xne oenaie. ne win retain the democratic national chairmanship. James J. Farley held both posts for eight years under Roosevelt, but quit over the third term issue. Walker also act ted in the dual capacity for a year. In a second major appointment announced at his news conference, the President said he was naming David E. Lilienthal for another nine-year term as chairman of the Tennessee 'Valley Authority start ing May 18. In doing so he sided with Alabama and against Tenn essee senators. The Hannegan and Lilienthal nominations were made public in an unusual manner. The Senate was not in session at the time, making it necessary for the Presi dent to send them to Senate Sec retary Leslie Biffle for transmis sion to the Senate when it meets at noon tomorrow. Senator McKellar (DTenn), long a bitter critic of Lilienthal, had no immdiate comment on the President’s announcement. Prior to it, he had indicated to report ers he was uncertain whether he (Continued on Page Two; Col. 3) YANKS SHOW GAIN ON OKINAWA ISLE Seventh Division Moves Forward 1,400 Yards Against Japs BY LEIF ERICKSON GUAM, Thursday, May 3— Paced by tanks and flamethrowers, Doughboys of Maj. Gen. Archibald V. Arnold’s Seventh Division spear ed ahead 1,400 yards on southwest ern Okinawa yesterday in general advance all along the bitterly-held line. The 77th Infantry Division under Maj. Gen. Andrew D Bruce, bol stered by the First Marine Divi sion under Maj. Gen. Pedro A. Del Valle, pushed ahead in the center and on the right flank. , This was the first time Marines had joined the Doughboys in the tough fight on the southern end oi the strategic Ryukyu island 325 miles south of Japan itself. Leath ernecks have cleared the entire northern end of Okinawa. The Seventh Division, making the deepest penetration, reached Gaja hill, one mile north of the (Continued on Page Three; Col. 4) U. S. CONFIRMS BORNEO LANDING U. S. 24th Infantry Divi sion Reaches Outskirts Of Davao City MANILA, Thursday, May 3.— (/P)—A new chapter in the Pacific war—a drive to erase the Japanese from the Dutch East Indies—op ened Tuesday when an Australian force, boblstered by a few.Dutch units, invaded Tarakan island, just off northeastern Borneo, against negligible opposition. This operation, previously re ported by the Japanese and the Australians, was confirmed today by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who said it “virtually severed the en emy’s holdings in the south." mean time, in the Philippines, the 24th U. S. Infantry Division on Minda nao reached the very outskirts of Davao city, still finding no serious opposition. Fall of the big port, one of the last major cities of the achipelago still in enemy hands, appeared im minent — and without the fierce fight that had been expected. U. S. Seventh Fleet and Austj’al (Continued on Pafe Nine; Col. 2) Truman Says Japanese, Nazis Fight Futilely By MERRIMAN SMITH United Press Staff Correspondent WASHINGTON, May 2.— (U.R) President Truman today warned both Germany and Japan that they are committing national sui cide by continuing a war which for them is irretrievably lost. In a statement announcing the unconditional surrender of all Ger man forces in Italy, he voiced con fidence that the Axis will be Com pletely crushed and said that the surrender in Italy is a forerunner of what can be expected soon for the battered enemy forces in all of Europe. “The collapse of military tyran ny in Italy is no victory in Italy alone,” he said, “but a part of the general triumph we are ex pectantly awaiting on the whole continent of Europe. Only folly and chaos can now delay the gen eral capitulation of the every where defeated German armies.” And he said the surrender also is a grim warning to Japan of the might that will be hurled against her when the Allies finish the job at cleaning up her tottering Axis partner. “Let Japan as well as Germany understand the meaning of these events,’’ he said. "Unless they are lost in fanaticism or determined upon suicide, they must recognize the meaning of the increasing, swifter-moving power now ready for the capitulation or the destruc tion of the so-recently arrogant en emies of mankind.’’ (A United Press dispatch from Naples revealed that the German armies of both northern Italy and western Austria surrendered for mally effective at 8 a.m.. E.W.T., today. Mr. Truman’s statement did not mention enemy forces in Aus tria.) ‘The President noted that the first German unconditional surren der came "on the first European soil to which, from the west, we carried our arms and our deter mination.” Allied armies invaded Sicily on July 9, 1943. Mr. Truman immediately dis patched messages of contratula tfon to Field Marshal Sir Harold R. L. G. Alexander, supreme com mander in the Mediterranean the ater, and to Gen. Mark Clark, commander of U. S. forces. r -■— Nazis Report Adolf Hitler ‘Died A Hero’, - ( Dr. Hans Fritsche, Goeb- > bel’s Lieutenant, Taken By Soviets LONDON. Thursday, May S.—(JP) —Adolf Hitler and Paul Joseph Goebbels committed suicide as Berlin fell in ruins about them, the Soviet communique said today, quoting Dr. Hans FritSche, the propaganda minister’s lieutenant. The Russians said Fritsche was captured as Berlin finally fell to the overwhelming Red army and that he told his captors that a General Krebs also took his life with the two high Nazis. The communique, issued past midnight and following Premier Stalin’s order of the day announc ing the fall of Berlin, was the first Soviet confirmation that Hit ler was actually dead. The Nazi radio at Hamburg had said that Hitler “died a hero’s death” in Berlin May 1. The Soviet communique said that Dr. Hans Fritsche Goebbel’s lieu tenant who was taken prisoner in the fall of Berlin, said that Hitler, propaganda minister Goebbels and a General Krebs all had commit ted sMcide. The iiamDurg Droaocasx ux day night announcing Hitler’s death had said he died, "fighting to the last,” in his Reichschancellery. The Moscow radio had quickly expressed belief that this was a Fascist trick” to cover Hitler’s possible escape. Today, however, the communique reported the suicides. Whether the Russians have as yet had an opportunity to comb the ruins of Berlin’s government dis trict for the Fuehrer’s body was not known. However, it was regarded as un likely that the Soviet communique —a highly formal document— would quote a captive on news of such moment unless the Rus sians had reason to believe it true. The Soviet communique said that several high officers of the garrison of Berlin, were captured, and then went on: ‘‘Also taken prisoner were Hans Fritsche, first deputy of Goebbels in propaganda and the press; chief Flick and government counselor Heinrich Dorsch. -V Over 1,500,000 Nazi Prisoners Reported Taken During April By The Associated Press Figures announced today (May 2) show the rapidity with which the German army has crumbled in the final stages of the war. Nearly 1,000,000 Germans and Italians in northern Italy and southern Austria were surrendered unconditionally today to the Al lies. Premier Stalin said 70,000 prison ers were taken in the final col lapse of Berlin and that 120,000 others had been killed or captur ed by the Russians since April 24 southeast of the German capital. Supreme Allied Headquarters stated more than 1.500.000 enemy troops were captured by the west ern Allies during the month of April. --+ Nazi High I Vet Fired By Doenitz LONDON, May 2.—(U.R)—Fuehrer Vdm. Karl Doenitz fired Nazi vet eran Joachim Von Ribbentrop as Herman foreign minister today 24 lours after succeeding Adolf Hit ler and named british-educated Finance Minister Count Ludwig Schwerin Von Krosick to replace him in apparent preparation for early peace negotiations with the Allies. The whole southern front fell to pieces before Doenitz’ eyes wher the German army in Italy, that was to be the bulwark of the re doubt, surrendered unconditionally. Berlin fell to the Russians—per haps with Hitler’s dead body in the ruins of his Reichschancellery. The British cut off Denmark by breaking through to the Baltic. Germany was in its last throes. Doenitz, donning Hitler’s man tle of command sought desperately to prevent utter collapse. Responding to his appeal for support, the German commanders in Denmark and Norway asserted they would fight on. Doenitz himself, with Krosigk, the remnants of the German high command and other remaining leaders, was believed to be in northwestern Germany preparing to continue to Denmark or Nor way—if he had not already started. There were totally unconfirmed reports that Doenitz and possibly Krosigk might have met Count Folke Bemadotte. Swedish inter mediary, during the abortive at tempt by Heinrich Himmler to ar range peace with the United States and Britain but not Russia. (One of the reports, heard by Blue network from the Swiss ra dio, said that Doenitz met Berna dotte Monday.) Krosigk in a broadcast speech in what he called “Germany’s heaviest hours’’ gave no hint of immediate peace feelers. Instead he pictured Germany as Europe’s bulwark against a disastrous tide of Bolshevism—the traditional Nazi line intended to split the Allies— and said he isaw no hope that the San Francisco conference could succeed in arranging a new world order such as Germany also want ed. Allied belief that Hitler actually was dead, as the Nazis had an nounced Tuesday, hardened into near certainty. Russia' alone remained suspicious, Moscow dispatches said that she most likely would demand prooi that he was dead. Possibly Red army soldiers already were search ling Hitler’s "chancellery com xilcillu pubi avjx xixa uuu,y. There was no clue to the fate oi Himmler, Ribbentrop, “retired” Reichsmarshal Hermann Goering, propaganda minister Paul Joseph Goebbels, Nazi party chancellery chief Martin Bormann and other top flight Nazis. Ribbentrop had flown to north west Germany, according tc Stockholm, in an attempt to save his job. He met Doenitz last Fri day, it was said, after he learned Hitler was dying. There was a heated argument and Ribbentrop lost out—unwanted, as he foresaw, by the military men now in charge. Goering was believed in south ern Germany or Czechoslovakia. There was strong belief that Goebbels, the Nazi leader for Ber lin, had died in the capital. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower said that Himmler, in attempting to negotiate peace, told Bernadotte that Hitler was dying of a brain hemorrhage and might not live 48 hours. That was on April 2 Truman Names Jackson On War Crime Tribunal By TOM REEDY WASHINGTON, May 2.— (IP) — Concinced that Adolf Hitler really is dead, President Truman acted tonight to bring to swift justice other leaders guilty of high crimes against civilization. The President told a news con ference he had it on the best au thority that Hitler is no longer alive. He didn't know how the death occurred, he said, but was glad that both der Fuehrer and Mussolini were out of the way. It means, the executive contin ued, that the two major war crimi nals of Europe do not have to be brought to trial. But, he asserted there are others and they must. To that end, he appointed Su pheme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson as this country's chief counsel for such prosecution in the European theater. Jackson al ready has gathered a staff togeth er. The President said Justice Jack son will function in those cases of major war criminals whose mis deeds are not connected with any one specific locality. Others, who can be connected with a personal hand in specific crimes are to be tried by the countries where the crimes were committed. Mr. Truman said he hopes an in ternational military tribunal is set (Continued on Pa^e Two; Col. 4) 70,000 Nazis Are Reported In Surrender Russians Reported Seeking Bodies Of Hitler And Goebbels LONDON. Thursday. May 8 —•&> Berlin, greatest city of the Euro pean continent, fell yesterday afternoon to the Russians, whoi quoted a high prisoner as declar ing that Adolf Hitler had commit ted suicide along with Propagan da Minister Gocbbels as the capi tal of the blood-drenched Nazi em pire tumbled around them. Also reported dead by his own hand was Hitler’s new general staff chief, an infantry general named Krebs, as 70.000 German troops laid down their arms in the surrender which Hitler had said never would come. The Soviet triumph after 12 days of history’s deadliest street fighting, was announced last night by Premier Stalin in an order of the day and in the Soviet com munique broadcast from Moscow this morning. btalin s order made no mention of Hitler, who the Nazis had said died in his shattered Reichschan cellery in thfe heart of Berlin on May 1. ITie Soviet communique, how* ever, states that among the cap tives taken was Dr. Hans Fritsche, Goebbels’ chief deputy in the Nazi ministry of press and propaganda, and that Fritsche told his Rus sian interrogator* that Hitler, Goebbels and General Krebs all had committed suicide. Not a single additional detail was supplied by the communique, which carried the startling an nouncement deep in the body of its text. Only Wednesday the Moscow radio had ridiculed the German account of Hitler s "hero's death" in Berlin, saying it was "a Fascist trick" to give him a chance to escape underground. Today, Moscow officially carried the suicide report, indicating that it was at least given lome credence. There was no word of a search for the bodies, but it was a cer tainty that the Russians literally would leave no stone unturned in all the junk-heap that is the Ger man capital in an effort to verify that Hitler actually was dead and, if so, how he died. ror or against rritscnes crcm* bility as a witness, there was tha fact that on the very .day the Rus sians broke into Berlin—April 21 —he had broadcast the first re port that Hitler and Goebbels were there and that Hitler per sonally was directing the defense. An "old-time Nazi and long-tima chief of the propaganda minis try's radio section, Fritsche might be considered as one of the last men on earth to say that Hitler died an ignominious suicide rather than the heroic Siegfried of the Hamburg radio announcements. Moscow built up to the Hitler suicide report in a dramatic serie* of victory announcements. First Stalin issued an order of the day announcing destruction of the German Ninth army trapped southeast of Berlin, with capture of 120,000 of its men and slaughter of at least 60.000 A second Stalin order announc ed capture of Germany’s last big Baltic ports, Rostock and Warnc munde, in a 44-mile drive by tha Second’ White Russian arm?. Then Stalin proclaimed the fall of Berlin. It capitulated at 3 p.m., Moscow time, and by 9 p.m., 70 GOO of its staggering defenders had been rounded up and counts the Russians. Then, this morning, came the communique and the report of Hit ler’s suicide. For the conquest of Berlin hif proclamation called for the top Moscow victory salute of 24 salvoi from 324 cannon in tribute to the armies that took Berlin. The First White Russian and First Ukrain ian. Those armies, commanded by Marshals G. K. Zhukov and Ivan S, Konev, had jumped across the Oder 16 days previously, and on April 21 fought into Berlin. They encircled the sprawling city, which already had been wrecked by Am erican and British bombers, and tore the remains to bit» in som« iContinued on Page Three; Col. 1)
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