North Carolina Newspapers

FORECAST Served By Leased Wires _ of the ASSOCIATED PRESS North Carolina—Fair in west portion and the and clearing weather in the east, with TTXTlrT'I?n UP17CG temperatures Monday. Showers in ex- U IN I I la LI rftlaOD trente eastern section Monday morning. With Complete Coverage ti Tuesday, fair and mild. state and National Newa *"yOL. 78.—NO. 211. WILMINGTON, N. C., MONDAY, JULY 16, 1945 „ ESTABLISHED 1867 These Generals Rule Berlin heated behind a broad desk in Berlin at their first meeting are the four generals who comprise the Inter-Allied Kommandentur that v. ill control the German capital. Each member will serve as head of the foursome for a fifteen day period in rotation. They are (left to right): Maj. Gen. Floyd L. Parks, United States; Col. Gen. Alexander : V. Gotbatov, Russia; Maj. Gen. L. O. Lyne, Great Britain; and Ma> f,rn. Geoffrey De Beauchesne, France. (International Radiophoto) Newspaper Deliverymen Will Continue Walkout NEW YORK, July 15— —The read of New York’s striking news paper deliverymen said after a nass meeting today that the work stoppage would continue despite a earning from publishers that the strikers would be dismissed unless .hey returned to work tomorrow. Joseph Simons, president of the Newspaper and Mail Deliverers’ Union (Unaffiliated), also said that “several unions affiliated with the newspaper industry have agreed to support the strike financially.’’ The meeting had been called for the purpose of giving the strikers an opportunity to vote on whether they wanted to return to work, but Simons said no formal vote was taken. “The men were here and neard what we had to say and I read the letters from the various unions which offered to support them,’’ Simons said. The strike, now in its third week, has tied up distribution of 14 major dailies and three racing forms. Simons said other members of the union employed by papers not affected by the work stoppage would contribute 20 per cent of their pay for strike benefits. He did not name the other unions he said would give financial assistance The strikers were warned last night by the Publishers Association of New York City that they would be dismissed immediately unless they reported back to work at their usual time tomorrow. The delivery men already had ignored three War Labor Board directives and a pre vious ultimatum from the publish ers. Advised of today s action by the union, the Publishers Association in a statement, reiterated its warn ing that workers failing to report to work tomorrow would be dis missed. The Association added, however, that any who did return to their jobs would be assured that their em ployers would not make contracts with any other union which would endanger their jobs. Nearly all Of the 1,700 strikers attended today’s closed mass meet ing. Not all were in favor of con tinuing the strike, however, news men learned by talking to the union members as they left the meeting hall. Cne of the mep told reporters that the reason rib-formal vote was taken was because a motion was made from the floor to dispense with the vote after Simons had read letters from other unions promising support. (Continued on Page Three; Col. 1) BRIT1SH~BES1EG1NG JAPS IN SO. BURMA, MOUNTBATTEN STATES CALCUTTA, July 15. — (TP) — British 14th Army Troops have seized the initiative from Japanese forces in the Sittang river bend in South Burma and arp besieging the main Japanese concentration point of Myitkyo, 74 miles northeast of Rangoon, Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten’s headquarters said to day. British raiding parties attacked Myitkyo. 29 miles northeast of Pe gu, with machine guns and gre nades while Thunderbolt and Spit fire fighter-bombers blasted enemy troops in the area, a communique said. 4Vi a r\Y»4V» Tanfl nese artillery, covering the with drawal of enemy troops toward Indo-China, shelled a British posi tion on the Toungoo-India-China road. Liberator bombers yesterday winged east of Rangoon across the Gulf of Martaban and ham mered the Moulmein-Ye railr d. tearing up the track at a number of points in the Anln area. In other air strikes, Thunder bolts bombed and strafed a troop area at Kalagy-Aunggyi, 15 miles southwest of Mokpalin, and other P-47s destroyed or damaged en emy huts at Kyunbin in the Pegu hills. INVASION TERMED U. SJ5EST MOVE WITH THE U. S. 14th CORPS, Northern Luzon, July 15.—(U.R)—A captured Japanese army captain said today that in his opinion Jap an could not hold out long against an American invasion, which he declared was “the only quick way to end tne war.” 'The sooner the Allies irivade Japan proper the sooner the war will end,” he said in an interview through an interpreter. “I don’t think Japan can hold out long. Con centrated air attacks might bring surrender ultimately, but_invasion is the only quick way to end the war.” The officer requested that he be called Jiro Takahashi for the pur poses of the interview, because that is the Japanese equivalent of the anonymous American “John Doe.” He did not want his family at home to know of his disgrace. Until a few days ago Takahashi was in command of a fighting Jap anese infantry company. He did not intend to be captured. He prob ably would have died fighting or would have committed suicide if he had not been stricken by malaria. Since his captured, however, he has had time to think about tfce fu ture of Japan and the futility of continued resistance. In this re spect he is typical of many Japa nese officers captured on Northern Luzon, who realize that the war is Inst anH parnpgtlv mart npapp It is his belief that practically all Japanese now realize th^ war is lost despite the bold front put up by military propaganda. He said the Japanese High Command ob viously erred in thinking that it would take eight months to switch Allied might to the Pacific once the European war was over. "I know the Japanese people are praying for peace and hoping that the war will be over at the very soonest,” he said. "I see no im mediate prospect of re olt, but I think the Gumbatsu (Military cli que) gradually will be discredited. The bombing undoubtedly is hav ing a terrific demoralizing effect on civilians.” BAPTISTS TELEGRAPH SENATORS RE DOCTOR SHORTAGE IN CITY u *n an effort to help relieve, the “critical shortage” of doctors in Wilmington, members of the South side Baptist church last night voted unanimously to send to Senators Clyde R. Hoey and Josiah Bailey a telegram requesting their efforts in behalf of the city in relation to the Army’s discharging of doc tors. It was felt that Wilmington oas a dire need for additional medi cal men in view of the great in crease in population during the War. pie telegram follows: “In the light of the Army’s plan to discharge some of its doctors, «nd as we have a critical shortage of doctors in Wilmington, the South side Baptist church today unani mously voted to ask you to do all you can in the interest of Wilming ton doctors,” signed, "Rev. J. O. ” allon, minister.” ■---V WEATHER (Eastern Standard Time) t *®y s* Weather Bureau) i nrr e0rn0l?sical data for the 24 hours tidnig 7 ;30p.. yesterdav. TEMPERATURE . ;30a- 79: 7;30a. 80: 1:305. 85; 7:30p. 80. aximum 87; Minimum 73; Mean 80 formal 79. humidity I:30a' 87; 7;30a. 35; 1 ;30p. 63; 7:30p. 77. precipitation Inches f°r 24 h°Urs endirS -30 -0.90 !:«l4he"Ce £irSt °E *he month~ tides for today ii J0!? 11le Tide Tables published by ' » Coast and Geodedtc Survey1 Wilmington - *£ Masonboro Inlet - 12.18a.' ounnse 5:12: Sunset 7:24; Moonrise 7il:53 ‘ ■ Moonset ll;55p. (Continued on Page Three; Col. 1) FormerYank Base Taken CHUNGKING, July 15.— (A5) — Chinese assault troops have re captured the lost American airfield it Kanhsien, 250 miles north of long Kong, the Chinese High com nand said today, giving the U. S. L4th Air Force an advance base rom which to lash China’s “in vasion” coast. Kanhsien airfield, stormed and •eoccupied Friday by veteran aghters of Free China, was the sixth former American airbase lib erated from the Japanese in re cent months, t had been aban ioned by American fliers on Jan lary 30. The air field lies a short distance South of the town of Kanhsien, jn the Kan river 200 miles West Df the embattled Southeastern coastal area below Amoy. Mop ping-up operations against Japa nese remnants still holding out in the streets of Kanhsien, the most important highway junction in Southwestern Kiangsi Province, were continuing, a Chinese com munique said. It was doubtful, however, that the bomb-cratered Kanhsien field could be put to immediate use for it is without communication with the main airfields of the Chinese interior and would have to be sup plied by transports hopping the Japanese corridor from Hong Kong North to Hankow. The main Japanese garrison of Kanhsien was pulling out to the Northwest and possibly already had reached Suichwan, the first of the six American airbases re captured by Generalissimo Chiang Kaishek’s forces since March. The Japanese last were reported within 14 miles Southeast of Suich wan and also were said to be mov ing on Wanan, an auxiliary land ing field 16 miles east of Suich wan. Beside Kanhsien and Suichwan, the Chinese, strengthening Ameri can airpower on the Asiatic main land, have taken back from the Japanese the bases at Sinfeng, 30 miles south of Kanhsien, and at Yungning (Nanning), Liuchow and Tanchuk, all in Kwangsi Province 400 to 470 miles Southeast of Chungking. From Liuchow, Chinese forces following in the wake of withdraw ing enemy troops made new pro gress along the Hunan-Kwangsi railroad and highway toward the triple-airfield base at Kweilin. STATE TROOPERS WOUNDED IN FIGHT WITH FUGITIVE PHILLIPSBURG, N. J., July IS _C/p)— Two State Troopers wer<> wounded today in a gunfight at Brainards, a village seven miles from here, with a man sought, in connection with the axe-slaying of his wife in Orange last night Cpl. Jay Zeiss of the State Police said the fugitive, who he identified as Ernest Rittenhouse, 30, ex changed shots with the two officers, left them wounded, then escaped by foot into Pennsylvania over a railroad bridge to Martin’s Creek, a town about seven miles north of Easton. Sgt. Cornelius O’Donnell, in command of the Washington, N. J. barracks of the State Police, was in critical condition at Warren Hos pital here with wounds in the ab dome nand arms. Trooper Fra Perry, who received chest wounds, was listed as in serious condition at the same hospital. State Police said they had ,»o fur ther details on the shooting affray. -7V Lehman May Resign As UNRRA Head Next Month WASHINGTON, July 15. —tU.R)— Associates of Herbert H. Lehman disclosed tonight that there is an outside chance” he may resign next month as director general of the United Nations Relief and Re habilitation Administration. They emphasized, howevc that the former New York governor will quit as international relief chief on only one condition: With the knowledge that his departure would rally the public behind UNRRA’s faltering efforts to ob tain enough food and relief sup plies for liberated Europe. Lehman is expected to decide his course during his current tour of Europe. He may announce his de cision at next month’s UNRRA council meeting in London. ?/■ BOX SCORE OF FLEET ATTACKS ON JAPAN By the Associated Press Japanese Losses Vessels sunk: 61 totalling 53, 000 tons. Vessels damaged: 64 totalling 55,000 tons. Planes de stroyed: 28 on the ground, 1 in the air. Planes damaged: 63 on the ground. Locomotives de stroyed: 17. Cities hit: Kushiro on Honshu burned out; Hakodate on Hok kaido, rail and shipping facili ties knocked out; Kamaishi on Honshu, steel mills and harbor works set aflame; Esa: ' on Hokkaido, rail yards smashed; Muroran on Hokkaido, two steel mills, chemical works, ware houses aad other industries 'et afire and exploded. U. S. Losses Nine planes and three crew members. Ships damaged: None. CHENNAULTHITS AT CHINA CRITICS General Says Attitude Of Some At Home Shocks Him Deeply KUNMING, CHINA, July 15—(JP) —Maj. Gen. Claire Lee Channault, who has resigned as commander of the 14th U. S. Air Force, said today he had been shocked deeply by what he termed adverse criti cism of the armies and government of China “recently made by irres U11LUU1V J/Vl iJVJllJ Ml/ MVMIV. “'I think it’s about time for Amer icans to cease to be so concerned by the mote in our neighbor’s eye,” he declared in a statement. Chennault, former leader of the Flying Tigers announced his resig nation yesterday, saying he would remain until a new higher U. S Air Force command is installed in Chunking and then return to the United States and retire from the Army. His statement said that China’s armies and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek's government were ‘no more faultless than any others ” ‘‘I have been a witness of eight years of war in China, and I have the deepest admiration for the Gen eralissimo’s courage, foresight and unwavering loyalty to the cause we share,” Chennault declared. ‘‘I think it’s time for us to re member that we owe China an im mense debt.” Chennault said that Lt. Genl Al bert C. Wedeme.ver, as command ing general of U. S. Army forces in China, had done a "great job,” and that the Japanese now were being pushed back in retreat. In his tribute to Gen. Wedemey er, Chennault said that the ‘‘war was at a low ebb here when tie assumed command. I think I can claim not to be easily discouraged and even I was discouraged, He brought his splendid energy and de (Continued on Page Three; Col. 2) BERLiNTORISE AS TRADE CENTER FRANKFURT ON THE MAIN, July 15.—(#)—Within another four weeks battered Berlin will become once more one of the great gov ernment centers of Europe as the Four Power Control Council takes over its task of directing the gov erning of occupied Germany. Already representatives of all 12 divisions of the United States (Tvrv, 7 + «11 in Berlin as an advance echelon to work out details of liaison and cooperation with the Russians, the British and the French prepara tory to the first full dress meeting of th? Control Council. By mid-August the Central Con trol Council is scheduled to begin functioning, thus focusing in Ber lin the Allied government of Ger many. As American representative on the Control Council Gen. Eisen hower will spend part of his time in Berlin working out policies and a multitude of details with Mar shal Gregory K. Zhukov, Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Mont gomery, and other Control Council members. Eisenhower, working in a spac ious office here in a building which formerly housed the head quarters of I. G. Farbenindustrie, is expected to spend a large part of his time in Frankfurt, where the American occupation activities center. Paris becomes of secondary im portance, although communications zone headquarters will remain there until the redeployment pro gram is completed. This head quarters directs the handling of supplies, communications and transportation for the occupation army in Germany. Meanwhile Marseille, Cherbourg, Rouen and Le Havre will continue to be important centers for the Americans in the redeployment of troops and the shipment of sup plies into Europe. Both the 12th and the Sixth Army groups aie in the process of being dissolved. Their command func (Continued on Page Three; Col. 5) Planes, Warships Blast Jap Plants, Burn City; Aussies Near Sambodja ■ * ■ ■ ■ i ■ ■ ■ Batochampar Mount Falls FIVE-MILE ADVANCE Heavy Artillery Fire Sends Japs On Run For Hills MAN LA, Monday, July 16.—(A5) —Capture of one of the principal oil fields in Eastern Borneo was imminent today after Australian troops pushed to within five miles of the center of Sambodja against vanishing Japanese resistance. Advances of five miles in two days were disclosed in Gen Douglas MacArthur’s communique, and they came in a sector along the coast where previous gains had been bought by the yard in heavy fighting. The wells of the Sambodja fields feed the refineries of Balikpapan, which were wrecked by bombings or set ablaze in the liberation of the port city. The condition of the wells was now known, but if the Japanese who have retreated from strong, fixed positions under heavy pound ing from land, sea and air follow their usual tactics the wells will be found dynamited and choked with drilling tools. The Australians were pusmng on toward Sambodja from the village of Amborawang, in the heart of the difficult tidal swamp region. Australians and Dutch colonials brought heavy artillery to bear and drove the Japanese from Mount Batochampar or “Smashed Stone Ridge,” six miles Northeast of Balikpapan. This was an important obstacle in the Northeastward push along the highway leading to the port and oil center of Samarinda, 60 miles distant. This drive is concerted with the one along the coast, since Samar inda lies 36 miles north of Sam bodja. The Japanese fought back stub bornly, 'however. Patrols were operating 30 miles South of the enemy'-held base of Jesselton in British North Borneo. Heaviest fighting still was in the Balikpapan area. PROBE PROVES ARMY GOODS NOT BURNED AT BRITISH DEPOT LONDON, July 15. — <fP>— Char ges that repairable equipment was destroyed by United States Army troops at a military depot in War minister were found to be “with out foundation” by an official Army investigating committee, headquar ters of the United Kingdom base announced today. It had been alleged at the trial of Alfred Grist, a former civilian employe at the depot who was con victed of unlawful possession of U. S. Army equipment, that thou sands of dollars worth of motor trucks, ambulances, tires, furni ture, motor accessories and tons of timber had been burned at the depot. The investigation disclosed mai early last month one wooden am bulance body and one two-and-one half ton truck body, wrecked be yond repair, were burned in order to salvage the steel frameworks, the official statement declared. The statement added that the in vestigation found no evidence to support the geaeral charges. -V 4,879 More Dead Japs Found In Philippines MANILA, Monday, July 16.—(S*> —An additional 4.879 enemv dead have been counted and 608 cap tured in mopping up operations in the Philippines during the last week, Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters said today. American casualties in the samp period were 62 killed, 195 wounded and one missing. -V— Judge Justin Miller Heads Broadcasters KANSAS CITY, July 15—(^—Jus tin Miller, an Associate Justice oi the U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, has been named president of the National Association of Broadcasters, its board of directors announced to day. __ — ■ . ■ — -——— - --- Ready For Conference PRESIDENT TRUMAN who arrived at Potsdam yesterday afternoon for the first meeting of the “Big Three” scheduled for today in the German city. He ar rived by plane after a flight from Brussels, Belgium. Prime Minister Winston Churchill also arrived during the afternoon and Marshall Stalin followed a few hours later.__ “Big Three” In Potsdam For Historic Meeting BERLIN. July 15—UP)—President Truman and Prime Minister Churchill arrived in Germany’s ruined capital by plane today to join Premier Stalin in an historic conference that may shorten the Pacific war and decide the world’s fate for vears to come. The Big Three will begin discus sions tomorrow in Kaiser Wilhelm’s former castle in suburban Potsdam and an unofficial estimate tonight was that the conference would last from ten days to three weeks. Planes roared in over the bomb blasted capitol in an almost con tinuous stream from about 2:30 p.m. onward, bringing British and American dignitaries, while other American, British and Russian fighter planes patrolled the skies. The president, accompanied by his personal chief of staff, Admiral William D. Leahy, fiew in from Brussels at 4:15 p.m. Berlin time (8:15 a.m. EWT), fifteen minutes after Secretary of State James F Byrnes had landed. They had spent 2 hours and 50 minutes in Belgium (Continued on Page Three; Col. 7) -V AMERICA FACING POCKETBOOK TEST WASHINGTON, July 15.—OF)— The pocketbook test of America ! widened role in world affairs the question of United States partici pation in the Bretton Woods Mone tary agreements—comes up before the Senate tomorrow. Administration leaders, who have Insisted that unqualified approval of United States commitments to share in the 44-nation, $17,900,000 International Monetary Fund and Bank is inseparable from overall plans for world peace, are confid ent that approval will be given with votes to spare. One Republi can who opposes the plan said pri vately that it undoubtedly would be approved. But the three days or so of de bate that will preced the show down may provide a foretaste of some opposition opinion when con sideration is begun next week of the United Nations peace Charter, even though ratification of that document is regarded as assured. A preview of arguments to be presented against United States subscription of $3,175,000,000 to tbp proposed International Bank’s capi (Continued on Page Thrje; Col. 2) BRADLEY LIKELY TO SHAKE UP VA BY MILTON MAGRUDER United Press Staff Correspondent WASHINGTON, July 15— <U.R) — Gen. Omar N. Bradley is expected to give the Veterans Administra tion a ‘big shake - up” when he takes it over as Administrator on Aug. 1, and he may put it on a stream - lined military basis, in formed sources said tonight. Bradley, Commander of the Twelfth Army Group, is now in Germany. He is due back early next month to replace Brig. Gen. Frank T. Hines, resigned, in a post that promises to be the “hot seat” of the government after the war. The Veterans Administration has been under f re for months on charges of neglect and mistreat ment of veterans and embroilment in red tape. Bradley already has under consideration the question whether VA should be “mili tarized” and its medical depart ment headed by a surgeon general who would be an Army officer. Such a move would be revolution ary inasmuch as the agency has always had civilian status. Bradley, an Army man since he entered West Point in 1911,“ will for the first time deal directly with pressure groups, politicians and the potent veteran and labor lobbies. He has let it be known that he has his own ideas and thus may run into considerable opposition. (Continued on Page Three; CqJ. 8) -V A A AAA «« « M ■■ W TOll yu,uuu KAr men wm Help Police Germany LONDON, July 15. —<£>>— More than 90,000 RAF airmen and ground crewmen will assist in the air policing of Germany, the air min istry said today as a new aerial police known as the British Air Force of Occupation in Germany came into being. The new force is a direct suc cessor to the RAF Second Tactical Airforce, which ceased to exist as such. Air Marshal Sir Arthur Con ingham, commander of the second TAF, relinquished his command to Air Chief Marshal Sir Sholto Douglas. The makeup of the American oc cupational airforce has not yet been officially announced. Enemy Loses 128 Vessels 92 AIRPLANES OUT Widespread Damage Noted By Observers; Shore Fire Light .GUAM, Monday, July 16.— rwo days of unprecedented U. S. taval ail and sea bombardment if Japan Saturday and Sunday lost the enemy 128 ships and 92 -i-rtes destroyed or damaged, vital iteel works in two cities blown »p, one entire city burned down md another seriously damaged, idm Chester W. Nimltz reported ;oday. In the latest bombardment, on Sunday, by battleships of the pow* 2rful Third Fleet, more than 1,000* :ons of shells set off continuous 2xplosions and great fires in the Dnce-important industrial port of Muroran on Hokkaido Island. The enemy offered no defense, either aerial or naval, he said, to this second day’s assaults on the home islands by 16-inch broad* siders and carrier plane strikes, which first were announced yes terday while they were taking place. Preliminary reports of the two d days of carrier attacks showed 128 Japanese ships and small craft sunk or damaged—including six vital train ferries linking Hokkaido T-TnncVin Most of the city of Kushiro was burned in the first day’s air as sault, Nimitz asserted. Superfortresses from the Mari anas ioined the coordinated blast ing of the empire with a 50 to 75 plane bombing of a major Honshu oil refinery at Kudamatsu. Despite “widespread destruc tion” caused by the fleet’s delib erate blasting and powerful air strikes, “the action of these forces brought no defensive response from the enemy in the air or on the sur face throughout the day” Sunday —the second day in which Japan offered no gesture of defense ex cept ineffective anti-aircraft fire, the communiaue reported. Muroran’s Nippon steel plant and Wanishi Iron Works were exploding and aflame after Sunday’s cyclone of 16-inch shells from the battle ships Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin burst upon the city, formerly un touched by war. In complete reports of Sundays carrier plane blows at Northern Honshu and Hokkaido—again ham pered by adverse weather—show ed nine ships and six small craft totalling 12,000 tons were sunk and nine ships and 30 small craft total ling 12,000 tons were damaged dur ing the early morning hours alone. Four enemy planes were destroy ed aground, and one was damaged. There was no aerial interception, and antiaircraft fire did no damage. F’urther reports from Saturday’s carrier actions showed 24 Japanese ships and 25 bages totalling 41,000 (Continued on Page Three; Col. 6) AIR FORCED AY SET FOR AUGUST 1, BY GEN. H. H. ARNOLD WASHINGTON, July 15.-dJ.B Gen. H. H. Arnold, commander of the Army Air Forces, tonight de signated Aug. 1 as Air Force Day to mark the 38th anniversary of Army aviation. It was on Aug. I, 1907, that a Di vision of Aeronautics was created "to study the flying machine and the possibility of adapting It to military purposes.” The army air wing started with one captain and two enlisted men. Today it comprises more than 2, 300,000 officers and men and tha most powerful air fleet in the world. Air Force Day will be observed by all domestic AAF installation* and by as many overseas as pos sible. In this country, formal re views will be held and the publia will be invited to inspect equip ment and facilities. "Purpose fo the day,” the Waf Department said, “will be to re port to the American public the magnitude of air power's contribu tion to the victory in Europe and tr* the task that lies ahead of the Al lied forces advancing against Jap an.” -V THIRTEEN AIRMEN DIE ALBUGUERQUE, N. M., July 15. —UP)—Thirteen men wen killed and one was injured in a crash of a B-29 six miles south of Albu querque today, Col. Frank Kurtz, commandant at Kirtland Field, an nounced. The plane was based at Kirtland Field.