WEATHER
Rain and colder north and west
showers and mild southeast portion
today followed by rain and colder
tonight.
Ehe Hhelhy Baily Him«
- State Theatre Today -
“Frenchman’s Creek”
JOAN FONTAIN
ARTURO DE CORDOVA
CLEVELAND COUNTY'S NEWSPAPER SINGE 1894
TELEPHONES 1100
I
VOL. XLI11—50
ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWS
SHELBY, N. C.
TUESDAY, FEB. 27, 1945
TELEMAT PICTURES
SINGLE COPIES—fie I
” ~ ~ ~ ******** *
Red Army Advances 30 Miles In Pomerania: 28 Miles From Baltic
DRIVE CARRIES
TO BUBLITZ,
RUMMELSBURG
Bridgeheads Thrown Over
Neisse 50 To 60 Miles
Below Berlin
TANK BATTLES RAGING
LONDON, Feb. 27.—(/P>—
The Red army, breaking
through for 30 miles in Pom
erania in a bid to slice Dan
zig and Gdynia from the
Reich, has thrust to Bublitz
and Rummelsburg, 28 and 36
miles from the Balt’c, the
German high command said
today.
A Berlin broadcast said the
# Soviets had forged even beyond
Rummelsburg on the military high
way running 31 miles north to
Stolp, a communications Junction
62 miles east of Danzig.
The German communique said
the Russians had thrown bridge
heads over the Neisse river 50 to 60
miles southeast of Berlin, but that
these had been knocked back.
Nail reports of tank battles
raging along the Oder-Nelsse
river suggested the first White
Russian and First Ukrainian
armies might have opened an
offensive to topple Berlin.
The Germans located the Neisse
bridgeheads between Guben and
Forst. 51 and 57 miles southeast
of the capital, and southeast of
Forst. This might Indicate Soviet
attempts to outflank the river ba
stions of Guben and Forst.
MOSCOW SILENT
Moscow remained silent on acti
vities at this gate to Berlin.
German accounts placed Russian
motorized infantry in Pomerania 30
miles beyond their last positions in
the Baltic push.
One Berlin broadcaster said the
Red army was pounding a triple
drive toward Stettin, Kolberg on
the Baltic 65 milea farther north
east and Stolp, and reported Soviet
gains toward all three. Another
said the Russians were 23 miles from
Stettin.
By German account, large Rus
sian and German infantry and ar
See DRIVE Page 2
CURFEW TO HAVE
LITTLE EFFECT
ON LOCAL SPOTS
The midnight curfew which went
into effect last night is expected to
have little effect in Cleveland
county. However, as the interpre
tation of this directive is under
stood here, it does apply to the
operation of country clubs, night
clubs and to other public or pri
vate places where the serving of
beer with Juke box music, rather
than the serving of food is the
primary business.
A!1 such places are supposed to
close after midnight from now
until the order is changed.
Chief of Police Knox Hardin
said this morning that he stands
willing to cooperate with the fed
eral officials in the enforcement
of this ban as he has always co
operated with federal officials.
The police have nb authority to
make any arrests for violation of
the order unless the violation is
also contrary to state laws and
city ordinances. However they
have been asked to report viola
tions to the office of war mobili
zation for punitive measures to
be taken by it.
HOISTED FLAG—Platoon Sgt. Er
nest Ivy Thomas, Jr., (above!, 21
of Tallahasee. Fla., has been iden
tified as the U. S. Marine who rais
ed the American flag on top of Mt
Suribachi on Iwo Jima Island dur
! ing the battle for the extinct vol
cano Feb. 23. He took charge of his
platoon after his lieutenant was
wounded, and led his men to the
crest of the mountain under heavy
enemy tire.
! JAP AIRCRAFT
I LOSSES HEAVY
i ' _
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27. —(JP)—
I Carrier-based planes of the Third
and Fifth fleets have destroyed
1.610 Japanese planes and sunk 187
enemy vessels of all types on oper
ations since December 1.
A Navy compilation announced
today Included two recent strikes
against Tokyo.
In addition, a Naval spokes
man said, 1,078 enemy planes
and 388 enemy ships were dam
aged at a cost of 178 American
planes lost. There are no naval
vessel combat losses in the
operations covered.
Planes of Admiral Halsey’s Third
Fleet carrier forces destroyed or
damaged 1,796 enemy planes dur
ing December and January, Includ
ing 314 shot down, 629 destroyed
on the ground and 853 probably de
stroyed or damaged.
During the same two months Hal
sey’s carrier forces sank 168 ships
including all types and damaged
another 354, while losing 120 planes
In combat.
FIRST STRIKE
In the first Tokyo strike Febru
ary 16 and 17, 509 enemy planes
were destroyed and 150 damaged
while sinking 14 ships and damag
ing an additional 22 at a cost of
See JAP AIRCRAFT Page 2
CONTRACTS EXPIRE:
Coal Operators Talk Wage
Demands, Strike Possibility
vv nomn a un, jccu. 4 I-\tr)—
Bituminous operators met today
to shape their policy toward John
L. Lewis’s expected wage demands
in an atmosphere tensed by the
suggestion of a strike and predic
tions of a 50,000,000-ton coal de
ficit.
The group of operators, repre
senting 478 whose contracts with
Lewis's United Mine Workers ex
pire March 31, considered the un
ion leader’s move yesterday in
serving notice under the Smith
Connally labor disputes act that a
•trike was possible in 30 -days.
i
ouui me operators ana tne
UMWA policy committee are pre
paring negotiations which begin
Thursday.
Meanwhile Interior Secretary
Ickes said a SO,000,000-ton coal
deficit Is inescapable this year
even with continued production—
If the war in Europe lasts through
1945.
PRODUCTION DOWN
Production has hit the down
grade while requirements hold to
peak levels, Ickes reported to the
; See COAL Page 2
233 Japanese Planes
Destroyed Or Damaged,
5 Small Vessels Sunk
U. S. PACIFIC FLEET HEADQUARTERS, Guam, Feb.
27.—OP)—Carrier aircraft of Vice Adm. Marc A. Mitscher’s
forces heavily damaged two Japanese aircraft factories, de
stroyed or damaged 233 Japanese planes and sank 5 small
enemy vessels in strikes at the Japanese capital and Machijo
Jima, 175 miles to the south, Sunday and Monday.
Paced by only light opposition,
although flying under “extremely
adverse” weather conditions, the
attacking force lost nine planes
and suffered slight damage to two
of the fleet’s lighter units while
withdrawing from the action, Adm.
Chester W. Nimltz announced.
Five of the pilots of the downed
American planes were saved.
Nlmitz gave no indication of
the size of the air force mak
ing Sunday’s raids although
Japanese reports have varied
from 600 to 1,600 planes.
Primary targets of the Tokyo
stride were the Nakja Ma aircraft
plants at Ota, 50 miles northwest
of Tokyo, and Kaizumi, three miles
away. The Ota plant has been 75
percent destroyed as a result of
this attack and B-29 raids, Nimitz
reported. Fifteen percent of the
remainder was damaged. The Kai
zuma factory was described as
"heavily damaged.”
PLANES DESTROYED
A total of 15 enemy planes were
destroyed, 37 shot from the air, and
75 damaged on the ground, as pi
lots hit at ground installations,
hangars and airfields in the two
day strike
In addition, five small enemy
vessels were reported as sunk and
19 others sunk or damaged. Two
trains were destroyed in the Tokyo
See 233 Page 2
Red Cross Asks Day’s
Pay Minimum Giving
*-:»r-v-rj*-.— • m '' ^r- » ■-yaWO’ ■ • - ~t * **•■-■*£
Chairman Yates Praises Organization As City Cam
paign Kick-Off Set For Thursday
Appealing to everyone to give a minimum of a day’s
wage to the Red Cross War Fund, Dale R. Yates, chairman
of the Cleveland County Red Cross chapter, today commend
ed both the cause and the organzation he described as "the
best ever.” The drive for $40,000 opens formally Thursday
but many rural churches have jumped the gun and already
RAF Mosquitos
Bomb Berlin
During Night
By HENRY B. JAMESON
LONDON, Feb. 27. —(/P)— A me
thodical destruction of Berlin from
the air was continued through the
night by RAF Mosquitos which
bombed the German capital by the
light of fires started 12 hours ear
lier by a record force of 1,200 Amer
ican bombers.
The German radio said U. S.
bombers had returned to the Reich
again today.
Hitting Berlin for the seventh
LONDON, Feb. 27.— (A>) —A
fleet of 1,100 American bomb
ers feinted sodther attack on
Berlin where fm stUl burned
from yesterday’s record blow
then swerved south today and
pounded the blf railroad cen
ters of Leipzig and HaUe.
The giant bomber train, pro
tected by 700 long-range fight
ers, stretched for 150 miles as
it roared to the targets 90 to
100 mUes southwest of Berlin.
night running, the Mosquito crews
said they observed scores of fires
burning over a wide area. The Brit
ish fliers encountered only weak
and erratic anti-aircraft fire.
The night-flying Mosquitos also
made a moonlight attack on the
Nuernberg railroad center in south
eastern Germany. Both the Berlin
and Nuernberg attacks werq carried
out without loss, as 'was an RAF
See RAF Page 2
Fulsome Praise
Heaped Uppn Eden
LONDON, Feb. 27. —(JP)— Prime
Minister Churchill praised Foreign
Secretary Anthony Eden today In
language which teemed virtually
to nominate him as a successor to
the premiership. "
Telling of Eden’s assistance,
Churchill declared:
“Tis unequal}*! experience as
minister at the foreign office, his
knowledge of foreign affairs and
its past history, his experience of
conferences of aU kinds, his
breadth of view, his power of expo*
sltion, his moral courage have gain
ed for him a position second to
none among the foreign secretaries
of the grand alliance.”
"A
A
are well over the top.”
Mr. Yates sounded his enthus
iastic endorsement of the cam
paign direction as general Chair
man Mai Spangler, sr., was apply
ing finishing touches to the coun
ty-wide campaign, as more church
es were rendering reports of hav
ing “gone over the top” and as
business district Chairman Willis
McMurry prepared the second
“kick-off” get-together in the
course of the present campaign.
Mr. Spangler announced that
Capt. John Z. McBrayer, who be
cause of an operation on the re
mainder of a leg he lost in China
was unable to be present for the
earlier county-wide luncheon,
would appear and speak to the
“kick-off” breakfast for Chairman
McMurry’s organization Thursday
See RED CROSS Page 2
Many Casualties
In Berlin In Wake
Of Monday’s Raid
By The Associated Press
From 25,000 to 30,000 casualties
were caused in Berlin yesterday
by the 1,200-bomber raid by the
U. S. Air Force, Stockholms-Tid
ningen said today in a dispatch
reported to the OWI.
Central and northern sections of
Berlin were the worst hit, with
thousands of freight cars destroy
ed," the dispatch added.
A new type of incendiary bomb
“which cannot be extinguished with
any means tested so far” caused
huge fires of “unprecedented ex
tent,” the newspaper declared.
FALL OF IWO
EXPECTED IN
FEW MORE DAYS
Marines Advance 400
Yards Under Heaviest
Fire Of Campaign
TAKE IMPORTANT HILL
U. S. PACIFIC FLEET
HEADQUARTERS, Guam'
Feb. 27.—(fP)—Capture of
Iwo Jima “in a few more
days” was predicted today by
Lt. Gen. Holland M. (Howlin’
Mad) Smith after his marines
won a critically important
hill in the central plateau dur
ing a 400-yard advance
through probably the heaviest
fire of the bitter campaign.
As American planes flew from
Iwo’s main airfield for the first
time, the top Marine commander
in the Pacific told newsmen that
heavy fighting was ahead of the
Devildogs on northern Iwo but
“we expect to take this island in a
few more days.”
The general estimated that al
mqgt half of the five-mile-long
island was in American hands at
the start of the second week of the
fiercest battle of the Pacific war.
“I consider that progress is
satisfactory,” General Smith
said. The Marine command
er reported the Tanks were
becoming more battle-wise
“and casualties are relatively
smaller each day.”
Motoyama airdrome No. 1 on
Southern Iwo Jima was put to use
for the first time yesterday as Ma
rine artillery spotter planes, little
two-seaters, came down on run
See FALL Page 2
WHITE IS SENT
EXTORTION NOTE
An extortion note demanding that
$9,000 in cash be place in the
seventh hole of the local golf course
went awry when the man to whom
it was directed failed to open the
letter by the deadline it mentioned.
Jim White, Casar livestock and
used car trader, was the man to
whom the note was directed with
the threat that “something serious
might happen to you.” The letter
was written on a typewriter.
The note stipulated that the
money be placed at the golf course
seventh hole last Friday evening,
but Mr. White was out of the state
on business and did not receive it
until the deadline was past.
The development has the Casar
community aroused.
WHAT’S DOING
TODAY
7:00 p.m.—Lions club meets
at Hotel Charles.
7:30 p.m.—C. A. P. members
meet at armory.
WEDNESDAY
2:00 p. m. — County-wide bas
ketball tournament opens at
the armory.
7:00 p.m.—Workers council
meets at First Baptist church.
7:30 p.m.—Fellowship hour at
Central Methodist church.
7:30 p.m.—Regular prayer ser
vice at Presbyterian church.
7:45 p.m.—Mid-week prayer
and praise service at First Bap
tist church.
TEACHER PAY FIRST:
Cherry Says Hospital Bill
May Have To Be Postponed
RALEIGH, Feb. 27.—(ff)—Gover
nor Cherry today advocated the
“general principles” of the hospi
tal and medical care bill now be
fore the assembly but asserted that
many of the proposal of the med
ical care commission “must be
postponed to some future date." j
He referred to a comprom
ise he made with public school |
teachers, in which he caused ,
to be inserted into the general
appropirations bill a contin- j
gent salary increase for teach- ,
ers if funds are available.
"We shall do nothing to break
faith with these faithful pub
lic servants or materially in
crease the contingencies af
fecting this particular appro
priation made for their bene
fit,’* he said.
Cherry said in effect that he
avored the bill and its aims, but
ranted to continue a balanced
rndget and keep faith with the
eachers and low-salaried state em
>loyes. Then, he said in effect,
f the money is available, go ahead
vith the hospital and medical care
See CHERRY Page 3
DEATH STIRS TALK—Pfc. Robert
R. Pogue (above), son of a Cincin
nati department store owner, was
killed in action in France Feb. 3.
U. S. Senator Robert A. Taft, Re
publican of Ohio, who knew the
youth, says he will tell the senate
Young Pogue had only 17 weeks of
training before going overseas.
PEACE OFFERS
TURNED DOWN
Gen. Chiang Reported To
Have Refused Many
From Japanese
By RUSSELL BRINES
FORTY-FIRST U. S. FIELD
HOSPITAL, Luzon, P. I„ Feb. 25
—(Delayed)— (fp) — Generalissimo
Chiang Kai-shek indignantly turn
ed down at least 12 Japanese peace
offers froty 1938 to 1940, W. H
Donald, the Chinese generalis
‘simo’s Australian adviser, said here
today.
Donald said in an interview
that his three years of internmenl
in the Philippines at Santo To
mas and Los Banos civilian con
;entration camps isolated him frorr
Chinese affairs.
“I am convinced the general
issimo is genuinely fighting a
sincere and determined war
against Japan,” Donald said.
“He refused to even consider
any peace offer although the
Japanese proposed favorablee
terms which he could have ac
cepted if he were primarily in
terested in political power.
“The Japanese sent 12 peace
feelers to the generalissimo through
neutral ambassadors and promin
ent individuals. The terms—Chi
nese recognition of Japan’s con
quest of Manchuria, granting cer
tain economic, and exploitation
rights in north China, political ad
justment of inner Mongolia to
prevent any extension of Russian
influence there from Outer Mon
golia.”
NO DEMANDS
The Japanese made no terri
torial demands in these offers,
Donald said.
The adviser, rescued last week
from Los Banos, said Chiang’s at
titude was typified by his refusal
of one offer—“There will be nc
peace while a single Japanese sol
See PEACE Page 2
Tires For ‘A9 Card
Holders Still Lost
In Dim Future
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.— (A3) -
Those new tirefc for “A” car hold
ers still are ndwhere in sight.
The OPA today established a
March ration quota of 1,600,000
new tires, the same as in Feb
ruary, but all will go to “B” and
"C” drivers. TMe agency described
inventories as '“grossly inadequate'’
for the coming warm months, when
demands increase. As long as in
ventories remain that way, there
is no change t&r “A” motorists.
March tire quotas for trucks and
buses, and fpr fstrm tractors and
implements, also will remain at the
February levels.
The month’s quota of new au
tomobiles available for rationing
was set at 2,000, the same as in
February. This will leave 10,000
new auuk
First Army Americans
Fight In Outer Defenses
Of Cologne, City Shelled
---
PARIS, Feb. 27.—(/P)—American tanks and truck
riding infantry broke through German defenses in the
Rhine valley completely today in a racing eight mile
advance into Konigshoven* 15 miles southwest of Dues
seldorf and a bare mile from the Erft river.
PARIS, Feb. 27.—(/P)—Ninth Army tanks broke loose
in a five mile advance today and raced within two and a half
miles of the Ruhr city of Munechen Gladbach while First
Army Americans fought in the outer defenses of Cologne
and shelled the great cathedral city.
The Americans and their tanks were not over ten miles
from the outskirts of Cologne, ravaged city of 768,000—if
that far. They fought beyond the hamlet of Berchausen, ten
airline miles from the extreme edge of the city. Reports
available at supreme headquarters did not specify how far
beyond Berchausen the Americans had charged.
German broadcasts, however, said the allies had reach
ed the Erft river, which at one point flows within eight miles
of Cologne and forms the last water barrier to the citv.
Simpson s U. S. Ninth Army |
crashed into Rheindanlen, 17 miles
southwest of the Rhine city of
Dusseldorf and 14 from Neuss,
which lies on the west bank of the <
Rhine across from the city. .
Rheindahlen is five miles north .
of Erkelenz and within easy can- t
non shot of the first chimneys of .
the Ruhr war indstries.
The swift pace of Gen. Ei- .
senhower’s drive indicated that j
the Americans would be stand
ing watch on the Rhine well ,
within a fortnight. Half the j
distance from the pulverized
Roer river line to the mighty
river has been covered in the
first five days of the on
slaught.
As the Ninth Army veered north
n the acute new threat to the
tuhr. First Army tanks and in
antry smashed another mile down
he main highway from Duexen to
Cologne through Blatzheim Into
lergerhausen. They drove on be
ond and still were unchecked at
ast reports.
A ridge guarding the Erft river
iow was less than three miles a
lead of the assault spearheads of
See FIRST ARMY Page 2
vnyu^niLL jA T 3:
Great Powers Ready
For German Collapse
Declares Proposed Polish Frontier Will Not Sow Seeds
| Of Future Wars
LONDON, Feb. 27.—(/P)—Prime Minister Churchill de
clared today the great powers were completely prepared for
the collapse of Germany, asserted the proposed Polish fron
tier would “not sow the seeds of future wars,” and gave his
personal assurance of Russia’s good faith in plans for the
no non
The British leader demanded a
vote of confidence from commons
on the Crimea plans for a peace
ful world, challenging particular
ly those who have criticized the
Polish decisions.
He promised drastic and effec
tive steps “to render offensive ac
tion by Germany utterly impossi
ble for generations to come,” anc
called on Germany again to sur
render.
Churchill said the United
States would play "a vitally Im
portant part” in a new, far
stronger world security league
“which will not shrink from es
tablishing its will against the
evil-doer” by force of arms.
Giving the first public accounl
by one of the principals at the mo
mentous Crimea conference, he
termed the proposed Polish bound
ary "the fairest division which car
be made between the two coun
tries.” ,
Marshall Stalin has given “the
most solemn declarations" that
Poland’s sovereignty and independ
See GREAT POWERS Page 2
i
Plan Afoot To
Reduce Prices
Of Clothing
Washington, reb. 27.— wp* —
Price Administrator Chester Bowles
told congress today he hoped to
1 bring down prices of clothing 6 to
7 per cent by next August.
‘‘They are at the top of our or
der of business,” he testified be
fore the senate banking commit
tee. It is here that we have had
our most dangerous increase in
living costs since the hold the line
i order became effective.”
“While the average prices of all
items going into the cost of liv
ing have increased only 1.5 per
cent, clothing prices have increas
ed 11.6 per cent in addition to
marked quality deterioration.
“Because clothing accounts for
See PLAN Page *
AGAIN AT LIBERTY:
Manila Proclaimed Capital
Of Liberated Pbilinnines
By JAMES HUTCHESON
MANILA, Feb. 27.—(JP)—General
Douglas MacArthur solemnly pro
claimed Manila today the capital
of restored civil government in the
Philippines even as rifle fire
against the last Japanese diehards
echoed over the war-ravaged city.
While he spoke in a moving
ceremony at shell-scarred Malaca
nan palace, his soldiers in a new
island invasion 70 miles south of
Manila pried open the shortest
sea route through which to rushi
supplies from the United States
and revive the stricken city.
General MacArthur, tur- J
rounded by men who fought
with him in adversity at Ba
taan and C'orregidor, told wild
ly cheering Filipinos he was
lifting military rule from lib
erated areas of their common
wealth in favor of the consti
tuted government of President
Sergio Osmena.
“Your country once again Is at
iberty to pursue its destiny to an
Honored position in the family of
free nations,'1 he said.
"Your capital city, severely pun
ished though it be ,has regained
See MANILA Page I