WEATHER North Carolina—Fair and slightly warmer today, tonight and Tues day. Ts is s skxk M 1 gsz I si i« - State Theatre Today - “FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS” Gary Cooper — Ingrid Bergman VOL. XLIII— 85 ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWS SHELBY, N. C. MONDAY, APRIL 9, 1945 TELEMAT PICTURES SINGLE COPIES—6c Russians Within Mile Of Heart Of City; • Reach Schoenbrun Park LONDON, April 9.—(fP)—The flame of battle rolled over three fourths of Vienna today and the Germans said the Russians had fought into Schoenbrunn park, site of the sum mer palace of the Hapsburg monarchs, and also had reached Franz Josef railway station in the northern part of the city. In the south the Russians were j fighting within a mile of the ring,! the circular street around thej heart of the city, and in the north! within 1 1-4 miles of the city's center. They were reported with in 8 to 12 miles of closing the es cape gap on the north side of the j Danube. Schoenbrunn park is west and, •outhwest of three railway sta-1 tions already seized by the Rus sians in the southern part of the city. Schoenbrunn palace rivaU Versailles in its sumptuous plan. The Germans said the Russians reached the Franz Josef railway station, depot controlling traffic northward out of the city, by ad vancing across the historic kahl enberg, a mountain overlooking Vienna on the northwest, and j through the famed wine-growing j •uburb of Grinzing. Just east of Grinzing, the Ger mans said, the Russians were at tempting to storm across to the rastern bank of the Danube at Nuzsdorf, a suburb. Moscow dis patches said it was believed the Russians already had crossed far ther out, in the vicinity of captur ed Klosterneuberg. Other force* had stormed across the 325-yard-wide river east of Vienna and the two columns were driving toward a junction on the Marchfeld, the flat Vienna plain north of the river. The eastern column, from cap tured Pframa, was reported to have pushed within sight of As pern airport, inside Vienna's city limits on the northern bank of the Danube. Already having cut the railroad leading to Bruenn, Czechoslovak munitions center 65 miles north of Vienna, this col umn was driving for the main highway leading north and had taken it under long-range fire at some places. Only one railway, the north bank line running to Prague, Czechoslo vak capital 150 miles northwest, remained open and it was menaced if not cut by the force reported to have crossed the river northwest of Vienna. MAKE ADVANCES West of Vienna Soviet forces svho captured Neulengbach, 15 miles from the city, were reported to have advanced several miles to aithln sight of St. Poelten on the See RUSSIANS Page Z Japanese Casualties In Philippines High Latest Count Sets Total At 314,854, Against Around 30,000 For Americans MANILA, April 9.—UP)—The count of Japanese kill ed and captured in the Philippines reached 314,854 today as ; Gen. Douglas MacArthur added 6,495 dead and 179 prisoners to the official total of a week ago. There was no new announcement of American casual ties—by latest previous report around 30,000 killed, miss Japs Claim U. S. Casualties On Okinawa High SAN FRANCISCO, April 9.—— A Japanese imperial communique reported today that American re inforcements were still pouring into the U. S. army’s southward drive on Okinawa but that Japanese troops 'are repulsing enemy forces." A broadcast version of the com munique recorded by the federal communications commission claim ed. without confirmation that 3, 600 American casualties were in flicted in the first week, 102 U. S. tanks and 33 guns knocked out and 16 landing barges destroyed. Jap anese lasses were placed at 400. The Imperial communique claim ed 49 U. S. ships were sunk or damaged in the Japanese' air at tack on the American fleet in the Okinawa area last Friday. Adm. Chester W. Nlmitz has announced U. 8. losses as three destroyers sunk. The enemy version was that 30 ships were sunk including three cruisers, 10 destroyers, a ‘‘large type warship,” three minesweepers and 13 unidentified craft. FIVE SHIPS LOST Japan officially acknowledged the loss of five warships in the .two day, air-sea battle. The Domel news agency described them today as units of a "special attack corps,” the Nipponese term for suicide forces. Domel described their par ticipation as “highly significant,” and added, “this means that not . only the air force and submarines, but every branch of the Japanese navy is now carrying out special attacks." One Domel dispatch from “a Jap anese naval base” reported: “The imperial navy has been mobilized for a grand offensive and for the last few days this base has been resounding with one roar of the special attack corps planes which have been taking off for the Oklnawas.” There was nothing further to in dicate a new naval action might be brewing. •s mp: ann wounaeu. Mac Arthur’s communique also disclosed an impressive toll of Japanese shipping — nearly three quarters of a million tons sunk or damaged—in the American air blockade of the South China Sea during the first three months of 1945. Blockading planes of the Fifth Army Air force and attached na val aircraft, the communique said, j sank 345,179 tons in the three | months. probably sank 116,965 tons and damaged 274,295 tons. For March alone corresponding tonnage was listed as 221,492; 44, 645 and 108,630. Ground fighting in the Philip pines, which MacArthur announc ed yesterday had virtually com pleted liberation of southern Min danao, continued particularly bit ter in the Balete Pass sector of northern Luzon. LIKE CASSINO "This battle should be compared with Cassino,” (in Italy) declared MaJ. Gen. Charles L. Mullins, whose 25th division troops have been battling for 83 days to clear the Balete Pass gateway to the Cagayan valley. '"The enemy, can not be blasted out by air or artil lery, but must be dug out.” In Southern Luzon, 14th corps cut the last land escape route for Japanese in the Bi col Peninsula as they captur See JAPANESE Page 2 RAF Heavy Bombers Blast Submarine Base, Oil Plant LONDON, April 9—(/P)—An ar mada of more than 900 RAF heavy bombers blasted the Blohm Voss submarine yards at Ham burg and the Lutzekendorf syn thetic oil plant near Leipzig last night while fleet mosquitos rock ed Berlin with another dose of two-ton blockbusters. The raids followed up sweeping assaults on Germany yesterday by more than 1,950 planes of the U. S. Eighth Air force, which bomb ed 11 targets between Berlin Rnd Nuernberg without being challen ged by the Luftwaffe. ) PVT. CLARY PVT. R. E. CLARY DIES IN ACTION Pvt. Ralph E. Clary, son of Mr. and Mrs. S. B. Clary of route 3, Shelby, who was previously report ed missing, was killed in action on March 24, while fighting in Ger many, according to a telegram re ceived by his parents from the War Department. Pvt. Clary was wound ed in the early part of January, but the wound was slight and he was soon returned to his company and was fighting somewhere in Ger many when he was killed. Pvt. clary entered Che Army in Decem ber, 1943, and received his training at Fort Jackson before going over seas. DR. W. A. SMART OPENS SERIES Discusses Lesser Known Prophets Of The Old Testament Dr. W. A. Smart, of Atlanta. Ga„ conducting services this week at the Central Methodist church be gan a series of discussion this morn ing on the lesser known prophets of the Old Testament. He opened his discussions with a talk on the Book of Amos which he declared reached a high peak in the moral and religious progress of the day. ‘'Amos did more than any other prophet of his age to make religion moral,” Dr. Smart declared. Dr. Smart spoke twice at Cen tral church yesterday. On yester day morning he talked on “The Coming Kingdom of God”, and at the vesper hour spoke on “God, the source of all Goodness.” Dr. Smart will speak each morn ing and evening this week. In the morning the service will last from 10 to 10:4S o’clock and he will speak each ^vening at 8 o’clock. Jap Columns In Honan Withdrawing CHUNGKING, April 9.—Two Japanese columns were reported withdrawing into Honan province today after suffering setbacks at the hands of Chinese forces de fending the Shensi border. A Chinese communique said more than half of one column had been wiped out when it was surrounded in southwest Honan barely 30 miles from the Shensi frontier, and that Chinese forces were pursuing the remnants eastward. The second Japanese column, striking toward Shensi from north western Honan, was reported rout ed after six hours fighting in which 400 of the invaders were slain. Chi nese forces pursuing the withdraw ing enemy were said to be near ing Japanese-held Chang-Suichen on the Lo river 70 miles from the Shensi border. Heavy bomber raid on that ob jective within a week. The plant, which was described by the air ministry as probably the most im portant ship buildinig yard in Germany, still employs 17,000 workers and is one of the main assembly points for the new pre fabricated submarines. The German air force suffered its worst defeats of the year during the weekend as 192 of its carefully rationed planes were shot out of the sky by Eighth Air force gun See HAF Page 2 Americans Meet First Reverses On Okinawa, Forced To Withdraw GUAM, April 9.—(/P)—Japanese charging with fixed bayonets in their first counterattack of the Okinawa cam paign drove American troops off a dominating hill as tank supported Yank infantrymen hammered at strongly defend ed eaves and nillhnves heneatVi a develnnincr nr-Hllprir l-iaf+lo Nipponese poured out of caves! and crags on Southern Okinawa when Japanese tanks, artillery and mortars began blasting at five U. S. tanks lumbering through a field studded with 500 pound bombs which had been converted into land mines. The Japanese showered the tanks with Molotov cocktails and then charged Red Hill. Three American tanks were i lost. The Third battalion of the 184th regiment with drew from the hill. Ameri cans reformed last night, ex pecting strong opposition in their attempt to retake the hill. Nipponese were strongly dug into crags, hills, ravines and caves on Southern Okinawa, 325 miles from Japan. Behind them was the largest concentration of ar-! tillery encountered in the Pacific campaign, with heavier guns than they’ve used heretofore. These batteries kept up a swelling, round the-clock duel with superior U. S artillery. IN THE NORTH Lightly opposed Marines were swarming through northern Oki nawa, cutting off Motobu Penin sula with its former enemy sub marine and torpedo base at Un ten. Ground resistance was about all Japan had to offer in the way of a defense. Its mighty 45,000-ton, super-battleship Yamato and five lesser warships were sunk Satur day in a suicidal attempt to come to the infantry's rescue. In all, 560 enemy warplanes were de See AMERICANS Page 2 Grand Jury Indicts Lt. Epes For Murder Indictment Charges Mary Lee Epes Came To Death By . Poison And Suffocation; Buried Alive COLUMBIA, S. C., April 9.—(JP)—Lt. Samuel C. Epes, 29, member of a prominent Richmond, Va., family, was in dicted by the Richland county grand jury today for the I murder of his wife by “poison and suffocation.” NAZI TREASURE STORE SEIZED U. S. Officers Making In ventory Of Gold, Works Of Art MERKERS. GERMANY, April 9 —