FORECAST ^ > Served By Leased Wires 77 , 1 + yt\ £SVl ASSOCIATED PRESS Nor,h Carolina: Partly cloudy and III III II I I *^^7 I X| I and the warm Monday. Widely scattered, thun- ^ ■■■■■■■■■■ ■ I ■ ■ UNITED PRESS dershowers in alternoon, mostly in north ^ ^ 4 4"4 ^44 ^ V4^ With Complete Coverage O* portion and in mountains. state and National Newt v^s7n0- 217. _WILMING®? &, MONDAY, JULY 23, 1945 ESTABLISHED 1867 Granted Divorce Film and stage actress c-aroie Landis is all smiles after being Granted a divorce in Las Vegas, C from Maj. Thomas C. Wal lace of the U. S. Army Air For res They were wed in London, England.‘in 1943. (International Soundphoto)._ JAPANESE TKOUKS 45-Mile Dent In Chinese Lines M a d e 0 n In vasion Coast CHUNGKING, July 22. — (IP) — Japanese troops covering 103 miles in 22 days, have made a 45-mile breakthrough along China’s “in vasion coast” opposite Formosa in a drive apparently designed to build up a defense wall against; any possible Allied landings, the Chinese High Command acknowl edged tonight. While the enemy forces battled to link their pockets in the seaports of Amoy and Swatow in Southeast China, battle-tough Chinese voter ans tightened their siege arc around the Japanese-held airbase city of Kweilin, a communique re vealed. Striking southwestward toward Swatow, the Japanese advanced from a point six miles south of Yunsiao, mid-way between Amoy and Swatow, crossed the bordei from Fukien Province into Kwang tung and captured Chaoan, 20 miles north of Swatow, the communique said. Chaoan, a port on the Han river Delta and the site of an airdrome, was, however, recaptured by the Chinese in bitter fighting and at Friday noon still was in the hands of Generalissio Chiang Kai-Shek’s troops. The 4,"-mile Japanese advances from the Yunsiao area to Chaoan took several days and was made by troops who were landed on the coast south of island-bound Amoy June 30 and now are threatening to break through for a link with enemy forces holding the former treaty port of Swatow. Chungking observers expressed (Continued on Page Three; Col. 4) --v AUSTRALIA RECEIVES OVER BILLION WORTH OF AMERICAN GOODS CANBERRA, Australia, July 22. — (IP) — United States lend-lease goods val'Vd at more than a bil lion dollars were received by Aus tralia up to the end of last April, it was officially disclosed here to day. Reciprocal Australian lend-lease goods and services to America be tween April 1942 and last March totaled about $800,000,000. The official report showed that T S. forces received $10,500,00C worth of Australian radar and sig rta! equipment—one-fifth of the to tai output of the Commonwealth radio industrial before 1942 had no experience in this technique. The report said American carbor black, tire fabric and synthetic rubber received under lind-leasc was used in part in Australia tc Produce tires for American forces Jt added that lend-lease tractors seed and other farming equipment v as used to increase food produc Con for American force. WEATHER Eastern Standard Time) . TT. S. Weather Bureau) Meteor^cgica1 data for the 24 hour lnS 7:30 p.m.. yesterday. . Temperature -0,° am- 74; 7:30 am, 75; 1:30 pm, 82 pm. 80. Maximum 86; Minimum 72; Mean 79 Normal 79. . Humidty am, 96, 7:30 am, 90; 1:30 pm 89 ‘ ••jo pm,-. ^ Precipitation , •otal for the 24 hours ending 7:30 pm o.nn inches. m«,Sl ;ince the first of ‘he month J°26 inches Tides For Today tt J0™, !he Tide Tables published b • Coast and Geodetic Survey). Wilmington ... 8 :25a 3:29 Masonboro Inlet _ s*0fa lllll ,, . 6:41p 12:17 !:,7; Sunset 7:20; Mocnris '■■ ; Moonset 3:39*. Conference May Discuss Jap Defeat BIG THREE BUSY Deliberations Resumed Af ter Truman Attends Church Services By MERRIMAN SMITH United Press Staff Correspondent POTSDAM, July 22.—(U.R)—Presi dent Truman, Marshal Josef Stalin and Prime .M i n i s t e r .Winston Churchill returned again to their momentous discussions today amid indications that the most vital mili tary issue in the Allied world—the defeat of Japan—may be laid be fore the Big Three conference be fore the week is ended. It was believed probable that the question of the Japanese war would be brought up before the conference by President Truman, who already has voiced his de termination to achieve the quickest possible victory in the Far East to save American lives. Reports yesterday said the Big Three have cleared their agenda of all preliminary routine and now are prepared to make their fate ful decisions dealing with major economic and military problems. It was believed the Big Three will dispose of their top European problem — an overall economic policy for postwar Europe and broad details governing the oc cupation of Germany — before turning to the vital issue of Japan. The virtual news blackout on the discussions continues. The only of ficial news Sunday was a brief announcement that the conference reported officially that “much seri Truman. Stalin and Churchill met again in the former Kaiser’s palace at Potsdam. This announcement followed the Iirst aenniie siatemem ui attum plishment yesterday when it was ported officially that “much seri ous business has been done” in the first four days of discussions. The Big Three did not even per mit the Sabbath to interfere with the urgent matters of world import receiving their attention in the high-ceilinged conference room of the palace. President T r u m an attended church services in the morning be fore he returned to the discussions in the afternoon. As the leaders met, a freak cyclonic storb struck the shattered German capital. The storm ripped up trees, levelled tot tering walls in Berlin’s ruins and delayed army communications. The storm lasted only a few min utes and early reports said there were no casualties. There were no new indications today when the conference will end. When Truman and Churchill ar rived a week ago, it was estimated the session would last from 10 days to three weeeks. There is a feel ing now that it is likely to run the full three weeks, indicating the wide scope of issues to be decided. While the strictest secrecy sur rounded the discussions themselves correspondents still were permitted (Continued on Page Three; Col. 8) XT_ SENATE TO PROBE RAILWAY SYSTEM WASHINGTON, July 22—(A>)— The Senate War Investigating com mittee will give the right of way tomorrow to an investigation of the Nation’s war clogged railway system. First witness will be Col. J. Mon roe Johnson, director of the Of fice of Defense Transportation, the government agency charged with coordinating all forms of trans port during the war Although the situation has been developing for some time, public and congressional interest was fo cussed on it more sharply after complaints that some soldiers had to ride in coaches instead of Pull mans in making cross-country trips after their, arrival from Europe. The situation stems primarily from two factors, says J. J. Pelley. American Railroads—first, a short age of passenger cars, and second ly the speed of redployment from Europe to the Pacific. In a letter to Senator Lucas ( \ 111.), who had made inquiries, Pel ley said: •The forces which we were build ing up in Europe over a period of almost four years are to be rede ployed in less than ten months.” And the pressure of that move ment, he explained, is aggravated by the shortage of passneger qgrs and the great increase in other 1 passenger travel. Peelv said that: ■ ”The total passenger travel on the railroads this year will prob ably be close to five times that oi pre-war years, but it is to be car ' ried in virtually the same number r of coaches and sleeping cars i which were then available. This 3 year’s load will probably be near ’ ly two and one-half times that ol 5 (Continued on Page Two; Col. 5) JapanesT/iiattleship Nagato, 415 Other Ships, 556 Planes Destroyed, Damaged By Mighty Third Fleet In Ten-Day Raids - --—-— -—-—-—-— ★ Singapore Drive Expected Shortly COLOMBO, Ceylon, July 22. —i/P)—The Times of Ceylon said today that a new Allied offen sive “with Singapore as the great prize” was expected soon. “Singapore is a great pri\e, not necessarily to use as a great naval base again, but for securing sea passage through the Malacca Strait which would greatly shorten the haul of supplies to our forces in the Pacific,” the editorial said. “It is worth noting that Singa pore ‘ is only 800 miles from where Australian troops are now operating in Borneo.” TRIAL OF PETAIN WILL OPEN TODAY PARIS, July 22.— (U.R) —Henri Philippe Petain, 89-year-old former hegid of the Vichy Government, sat tonight in a heavily guarded cell built specially for him in the Palace of Justice, resting in the few hours that remain before he goes on trial on a charge of betraying the France which once honored him as a mar shal of her armies. Petain was brought to the palace secretly in the “Black Maria’’ Sat urday from the Montrouge prison. He has been held at Mntrouge al most, all the time since he gave himself up on the collapse of Ges mony and has spent his time com posing his memories. His wife was reported with him at the Justice Palace as she was at Montrouge. Before leaving Montrouge, he was permitted to confer with Marcel Peyrouton, former Vichy Interior Minister, to clarify a point of his defense involving the Dec. 13, 1940 arrest of Pierre Laval, Vichy chief of government now a fugitive in Spain. It was reported their con ference confirmed Petains conten tion that he gave Pelrouton a free hand to arrest Laval. Only a few spectators were pres ent as he was moved into the Jus tice Palace. The Republican guards and police, 600 of which will guard the building and its surrounding during the trial, doubled their vigilance. Republican guards had walked those pavements before to guard notable prisoners of France. In 1793 Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, was led forth from the Justice Palace to the Guillotine after a revolutionary court found her guilty of treason. A France smarting under the (Continued on Page Three; Col. 4) -v BRITISH NAVY MEN SEARCHING CLYDE FOR GERMAN MINES LONDON, July 22.—(JP)—A Ger man submarine slipped into the Firth of Clyde three weeks before VE Day and planted 15 large magnetic mines, three of which have not been located despite a search since April 20, when the first of them exploded and sank a 200-ton fishing trawler. Disclosing this today, the Ad miralty said an area of more than 1,000 square miles had been dragged by Royal Navy mine sweepers. Both the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, loaded with American troops returning to the United States, have made at least two departures down the Clyde since the potential danger has existed. They are equipped with every known anti-mine device. After VE Day, the Admiralty said, the commander of the U boat 218, one of the first Nazi sub marines to surrender, told question ers he had penetrated the Clyde April 18 and laid 15 mines. He gave the exact position where each was placed. Japs Break Trap, Start Hard Drive IN PEGU MOUNTAINS Mountbatten’s Troops Counter-Attack Enemy In Force CALCUTTA, July 22.—(U.P.)—Jap anese troops in the Pegu mountains have broken out oi a trap and opened a powerful drive toward Pyu, vital Rangoon-Mandalay rail town 19 miles west of the Sittang, a. communique said today. Allied infantry, supported by ar tillery, tanks and armored cars counter-attacked in force, Adm. Lord Louis Mountbatten said. The enemy group, estimated un officially at several thousand, re cently was pocketed west of Pyu, 120 air miles north of Rangoon. The Japanese drive apparently was aimed at crossing the rain-swollen Sittang and either joining the hard pressed Wawchi garrison, 50 miles to the northeast, or lunging toward Thailand, some 70 miles away. Mountbatten said that Pyu was the “center of the zone of activi ty.” Northeast of Pegu at the bend of the Sittang river, Japanese units moved toward Myitkyo. British Gurkhas seized two villages in that area after fierce skirmishes. British artillery shelled a con centration of 200 Japanese two miles northwest of Taunggyi, 117 miles east of Maiktila. Liberator bombers yesterday bat tered supply points at Singora in Southern Thailand. Heavy dam age and fires were reported by re turning airmen. Supporting ground troops south east of Pyu, other warplanes at tacked enemy positions. Twenty huts and buildings were destroyed. On the previous day, Japanese bunker positions and supply dumps were pounded west of Pyu and in the Myitkyo sector. T 7 TWO WOMEN GET NIEMAN AWARDS CAMBRIDGE, Mass.,July 22.— —An Associated Press editor and a political reporter for the San Francisco News today became the first women to receive Nieman Fellowships in journalism at Har vard University. Charlotte L. Fitz Henry, AP night editor at Chicago, and Mary Ellen Leary, San Francisco news political reporter, were among the ten men and women chosen for a year’s study at Harvard begin ning in September. This is the first year that wo men have been eligible for the Fellowships, which provide sti pends that approximate the salar ies of the recipient. The awards were first made in 1938 under the will of Agnes Wahl Nieman, widow of the publisher of the Milwaukee Journal, and since then 87 newspapermen have stud ied at Harvard under the Fellow ships. The eight men who received awards this year for study be ginning in September are: James Batal, editor and publish er Cleghorn Courier, Fitchburg, Mass., now with the OWI in New York; Arthur W. Hepner, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter; Frank W. Hewlett, United Press war cor respondent; Robert J. Manning, state department reporter for the United Press at Washington; Cary Robertson, Sunday editor of the (Continued on Page Three; Col. 2) Truman And Churchill Inspecting Honor Guard Two of the “Big Three,” President Harry S. Truman and Prime Minister Winston Churchill inspect an honor guard, composed of Second Battalion Scots Guards, on the lawn of Churchill’s Berlin residence. The President was Winnie’s luncheon guest at the moment. British Official Radiophoto. (International) Australian Troops Make New Landing In Balikpapan Headwaters Area + --- Third Fleet Box Score GUAM, Monday, July 23.—(U.R)—Here is the box-score of Adm. William F. Halsey’s sweeps against Japan now in their 14th day: PLANES Destroyed Damaged Downed Total Tokyo, July 10..-109 231 2 342 Hokkaido-Honshu, July 14-15_ 36 45 1 82 Tokyo Area July 17_ 17 5 22 Tokyo Area July 18_ 43 67 110 Total __„205 348 3 556 SHIPS Sunk Damaged Total Tokyo July 10_ 3 14 Hokkaido-Honshu July 14-15. 140 234 374 Tokyo area July 17_ 3 10 13 Tkoyo area July 18 _ 12 9 21 South Tokyo July 23 _ 2 2 4 Total _ 160 256 416 DISCHARGE POINT TOTAL UNDER 85 WASHINGTON, July 22.—(U.R>— Soldiers with slightly less than 85 points will become eligible for dis charge within a few days. The promised revision of the “critical score,” set at 85 in May, will he made before the end of this month. War Department spokesmen said tonight. Meanwhile, many veterans with more than 85 points, who werp returned to this country monit s ago, are complaining bitterly that the Army won’t release them. Over point men in camps here, rated “non-essential,” but unable to get discharges, are resentful cf the de lay. Others with a surplus of points say their commanding officers won’t declare them hon-essential because of personal prejudices or because they hope to keep up » big army. The Army’s answer to charges In that five chief barriers are in the way: Time required to transfer men from one service to another, to supply replacements, to train them, and give furloughs, and lack of shipping space. Chairman Edwin C. Johnson. D.. Colo., of the Senate Veterans sub committee. charged however, that the Army is “leisurely” about (Continued on Page Three; Col. 4) ICKES PLANNING TERRITORY END WASHINGTON, July 22 — (U.R) — Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes is planning a policy dec laration aimed at future liquida tion of U. S. territories and de pendent areas through political self-determination, it was disclosed tonight. The plan, which may be Ickes’ swan-song to Washington political life, points at final disposal of the nation’s outlying possessions ac cording to the democratically-ex pressed will of their peoples. Ickes is expected to leave the cabinet within a month or six weeks, according to reliable quar ters which said that President Tru man soon will accept the self styled “old curmudgeon’s” resig nation. The source said there is “no acute reason” for Ickes’ de parture “other than that the Presi dent wants a cabinet of his own choosing. Ickes has been charged With the administration of territories, and island possessions since 1934. He said recently that “colonial” ad ministration under the Interior De partment was a “mess” and that a “coherent policy” is needed. Under his plan, which parallels President Truman’s Potsdam dec laration that the United States (Continued on Page Two; CoJ. 7) MANILA, Monday, July 22.— ll.R)—Australian Seventh Division troops have made a new landing in the headwaters of Balikpapan Bay on Eastern Borneo while Al lied heavy bombers have wiped jut a Japanese base in the North ern Celebes across Makassar Strait, Gen. Douglas MacArthur announced today. The new Borneo landing was made Friday night and Saturday morning at Tempadoeng, 14 miles Northwest of Balikpapan, after a six-mile shore-to-shore jump. There was no opposition and the Aus tralians sent patrols six miles southeast to the village of Ber angoe without meeting opposition. (Heavily armed U. S. naval landing craft in cooperation with Australian Spitfires attacked and completely wiped out a Japanese barge hideout in the nearby Riko river, according to the Netherland News Agency Aneta.) Lt. Gen. George C. Kenney’s 13th Air Force stepped up its hammer ing of the Japanese in the north ern Celebes, some 230 miles East of Borneo, by sending 20 Liberator bombers to destroy the enemy base at Toboli in the Gulf of Tomini. The planes heaped scores of 100 pound bombs on Toboli, site ol large Japanese troop concentra tions, and completely levelled the town, Toboli is the Tomini gull terminal of the Japanese sup ply road across the narrow waist o! land separating the Northern is land from its Southern section. H was the first raid against Toboli The Makassar strait terminal of the road, Donggala, has beer repeatedly and heavily hit by Al lied fliers blasting Japanese in stallations and airfields in that area. Other night bombers of the Far Eastern Air Force returned’ again to hammer Japanese installations in the Pescadores islands West of Formosa, while other planes de stroyed or damaged 43 large junks and luggers along the China coast near Hong Kong. (Continued on Page 8; Col. 5) CHURCHILL, ATTLEE TO RETURN HOME FOR RESULTS OF ELECTION LONDON, July 22 — UP) —Prime Minister Churchill and Clement Attlee, leaders respectively of the Conservative and Labor parties, are expected to return Wednesday night from Potsdam to be on hand when results of the July 5 genera) election are announced. All day Wednesday returns wil) be coming in and the complexior of the new House of Common; should be known by late afternoon, A special service has been arrang ed to Churchill’s residence to keep him speedily informed on all re turns. It is believed that if his govern ment gets a working majority Churchill will quickly return tc Potsdam, assuming the conference there still is in session. If Chur chill should be defeated, then some interruption of the conference's work would seem inevitable while political changes c0are made at home. i Civilians To Feel Pinch Of Japanese War More In HomeHeatingFuel Tanks ThanAuto Gas Tanks WASHINGTON, July 22.— (£>) — Henceforth civilians will feel the pinch of the war against Japan more in their home heating fuel tanks than in their automobile gas tanks, 'the Petroleum Industry War Council said today. “From now on this is largely a fuel oil war,” the council said in a report from its committee on petroleum economics. “The moderate decrease in gas oline requirements is more than offset by increased requirements for diesel and residual fuel and hence the total demand for crude oil and its products is greater than before VE-Day.” (, The supply and distribution oi home heating oil for the coming winter present real problems, par ticularly on the East Coast and in the Midwest, the council said in a statement. “Earlier Navy diesel fuel pro grams,” it added, “have resulted in substantial losses of normal pro duction of burning oils for this winter. The operation of catalytic cracking units for the 100-octane program has further reduced kero sene and distillate fuel oil yields. Unless more crude oil can be ob tained and refined it appears that a substantial increase in the yields of distillate fuel and kerosene at the expense of gasoline will be necessary to avert a serious situ ation next winter. Even this would not allow for prospective demands to offset possible coal shortages either here or in Europe.” The increased mileage between the United States and Pacific bat tle areas was cited by the-Petrole um Council as one of the factors requiring more fuel oil. It is 6,900 miles from San Fran cisco to Okanawa, and 11,009 miles between the Gulf coast refinery area and the Philippines, the coun cil reminded, compared with the 3,000 miles between New York and the United Kingdom, when the war f against Germany was being fought. “Because of these distances,” the council said, “it requires about 11.000 barrels of fuel oil to deliver 100.000 barrels of gasoline from the LJ. S. Gulf coast to the Pacific heater, including the return trip af the tanker, as compared with 5i000 barrels in the case of the European theater. This does not ;ake into account the fuel necessary ;o return dry cargo vessels.” The report, covering the period anding June 30, 1946, said the prob able production of crude oil in 3urma, Borneo, and Tarakan had seen added in considering available ;upplies outside the United States. Light Units Also Blast. Omura Town BRITISH TAKE PART Raiders Meet Strong Anti Aircraft Fire At Yoko suka Base By EDWARD L. THOMAS United Press War Correspondent GUAM, Monday, July 23 —(U.P,)— Adm. William F. Halsey’s mighty Third Fleet, augmented by units of the British Navy, destroyed or damaged 416 ships, including the 32,702-ton battleship Nagato, and 556 planes in their sweeping at tacks along the coast of Japan which are now in their 14th day, it was disclosed today. Lifting the curtain of secrecy which had shrouded activities of history’s mightiest fleet since it bombarded the Japanese shoreline South of Tokyo early last Thursday, Adm. Chester W. Nimitz announc ed that light units operating in the same area today destroyed or dam aged an entire four-ship convoy. Other light units of the Third Fleet, Nimitz disclosed, early Mon day morning shelled the town of Omura on the island of Chichi, in the Bonin islands 165 miles north of American held Iwo and 725 miles south of Tokyo. Nimitz disclosed that in last Wednesday’s aerial bombardment of the Tokyo area by some 1,500 American and British planes, U. S. Navy pilots attacking the Yoko suka naval base 30 miles south of Tokyo heavily damaged the battle ship Nagato, previously damaged in the Philippines sea battle last October. The Americans, it was disclosed, found only a small part of the remnants of the Japanese fleet at Yokosuka. They attacked through (Continued on Page Three; Col. 2) JAPAN FINALLY RECOGNIZES LAW WASHINGTON, July 22.— UP) — Japan has agreed, after three and a half years of war, to comply with the international law permit ting neutral observers to visit prisoner-of-war camps. The State Department disclosed the Japanese decision today in an announcement that Switzerland will take over representation of Japanese interests in this country. Spain represented Japan here un til April 4, 1945, when it decided to stop after receiving unsatis factory replies from Tokyo to pro tests about treatment of Spaniards in the Philippines. The announcement said the Jap anese then asked the Swis* to take over. Since the Swiss also represent United States interests in Japan, they said they would .agree on condition that Tokyo al lowed their observers to visit “all (Continued on Page Three; Col. 6) -V--— MARINE SERGEANT, INJURED IN WRECK, . DIES AT HOSPITAL Sgt. Herman E. Smith, 30-year old Marine of Camp Lejeune, who was injured Thursday afternoon when th" car in which he was riding skidded and overturned about three and one-half miles north of Wilmington on U. S. High way 17, died at 5:22 p. m. yester day at James Walker Memorial hospital, Coroner Asa W. Allen reported last night. Coroner Allen said there would be an inquest this afternoon. A coroner’s jury will be impanneled at 10 a. m. at the hospital and the inquest will take place at 3 p. m. at the courthouse. The operator of the car, Cpl. Clyde E. Tyler, 25, also of Camp Lejeune, was removed to the Blue thenthal Army Air Base after the accident, where it was reported that he suffered only minor cuts. Smith was unable to be removed from James Walker Memorial hospital before he died. Investigating officers said the accideni occured at 4:15 p. m. Thursday in front of the High Hat club, where the vehicle was at tempting to pass another car, also headed south, when the Marine’s automobile skidded about 53 yards, overturning and skidding another 55 yards, stopping on the right side of the road.

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