WEATHER
Partly cloudy, continued warm,
today and tonight. Friday, mostly
cloudy and warm, with scattered
thundershowers over north and
west portion.
The Hhelhy Bnily star
CLEVELAND COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1894 TELEPHONES 1100
- State Theatre Today -
“HAVING WONDERFUL
CRIME”
Geo. MURPHY — Pat O’BRIEN
VOL. XLIII—130
ASSOCIATED PRESS NEWS
SHELBY, N. C.
TELEMAT PICTURES
SINGLE COPIES—6c
JAPS HOLD OUT
NORTH, EAST OF
RUINED cnr
Fresh Downpours Of Rain
Worsen Knee-Deep
Mud In Area
SUPPLY PROBLEM
By Hamilton W. Faron
GUAM, May 31.—(&)—
First division marines who
yesterday raised the Ameri
can flag in victory over Shuri
castle, pressed a flank attack
today against the Nipponese
Shuri tow.n garrison fanati
cally holding out against two
divisions north and east of
the ruined city.
The advance patrols of the Finn
Regiment met slight opposition as
they shoved ahead toward the wes
tern flank of the almost encircled
enemy. _ .
The already knee - deep mud
which has slowed the whole Okin
awa campaign for weeks was made
more soupy by fresh downpours.
All available Tenth army men
not in the front line were set to
carrying munitions, water and ra
tions afoot to the fighting fronts.
Company A of the Fifth Re
giment under Capt. Julius D.
Duaenberry of Florence, & C.,
first occupied Shuri Castle,
medieval fortress which was the
home of 16th Century Ryukyu
Mnga and in recent months the
headquarters of the Japanese
command on Okinawa.
The invading leatherneck* found
only 50 Japanese troops, which
they killed, and two women and a
baby.
STARS AND BARS
One of the first act* of the oc
cupying company was to raise the
•tars and bars of the American
civil war confederacy, which was
the company’s victory flag at bloody
Felellu. The American standard
was officially raised approximately
35 hours later.
Marines of MaJ. Oen. Pedro A.
Del Valle's First division hoisted
the colors at 1:45 pm. yesterday
Sec JAPS Page 2
POINT VALUES
CHANGE SUNDAY
Go Up On Conned Toma
toes, Spinach, Down On
Vegetable Juices
WASHINGTON, May 31— (IP) —
Point values on canned tomatoes
and spinach will be higher begin
ning Sunday. However, the ration
coat of tomato juice and vegetable
Juice combinations will be trim
med.
The OTA announced this to
day along with only minor changes
In meat and other red point food
values for the new ration period,
which runs from Sunday through
June 30.
The blue point revision boosts
the value on No. 3 cans of toma
toes to 40 points, up 10, while a
can of spinach of the same size
will require 20 instead of 10 points.
Spinach in No. 2 1-2 cans also
will be up 10 points to 30.
Ten points will buy two cans of
tomato juice or vegetable juice
combinations in containers through
size 2 1-2. But the current value
of 10 points per can will continue
for single purchases. In 46-ounce
containers both kinds of Juice will
have a value of 10 points, down
from 20. ,
MEATS UPWARD
The changes in meat values, dis
closed last night, are confined to
upward adjustments for a few fat
cuts of pork. This, OPA said, was
necessarv to prevent housewives
diverting* them to lard.
Fat backs and plate bacon go
from five to eight points a pound,
while dry-cured and aged bacon
sides go up a point to nine. Reg
ular bacon remains at eight points
a pound.
The only other red point change
. is a reduction from eight to six
points a pound for soft cheeses,
such as limburger, camembert and
liederkranz.
Price Administrator C h e e t e r
Bowles estimated meat supplies
available for civilians in June will
be about seven per cent less than
this month.
HAPPY YANKS HOME FROM BATTLES IN EUROPE—These American soldiers are all smiles on the deck of
the troop ship John Ericsson as the vessel arrived in New York from the European war zone. Aboard are 3,238
wounded, liberated and rotational troops. Above the crowd can be seen a Nazi flag the boys brought along
as a souvenir. In the background is the Empire State Building.—:(AP Wirephotoi.
AT CONFERENCE:
Good Neighbor Idea
Put To Severe Test
Outbreak,In Levont'Cauees Apprehensions Over Abil
ity To Make League Function
By John M. Hightower
Associated Press Diplomatic News Editor
SAN FRANCISCO, May 31.—(/P)—Bloody fighting in
i Syria put to its severest test today the good neighbor policy
| on which the United Nations are seeking to erect a new
I <ii/\m1/1 Inn (VII 1 r AAv\ f\n A A “
VVV/4SV* IVMg UV VV
Topping off Iran’s demand for
withdrawal of Allied troops and
the prolonged Big-Three dispute
over Poland, the outbreak in the
Levant aroused new apprehensions
Of many delegations here over the
ability of the big powers to work
out their world interests in a
friendly and unselfish manner.
American officials, however,
are telling these small nation
representatives that had the
prolonged world organization
already been in existence prob
lems such as the Levant crisis,
especially, probably would have
been more easily and speedily
solved.
Secretary of State Stettinius
threw his influence against letting
any current issues interfere with
the work of the conference. Offi
cials appeared confident that he
would succeed and the league
charter would be produced early In
June.
Stettinius was drawn directly
into the Levant situation when a
See GOOD Page 2
WHAT’S DOING
TODAY
7:00 p.m.—C. A. P. members
meet at armory.
7:00 p.m.—Kiwanis club meets
at Hotel Charles .
7:00 p.m.—Junior Chamber
of Commerce directors meet at
Cleveland Springs country club.
8:00 p.m.—Called meeting of
Cleveland Lodge 202 A. F. &
A. M. at Lodge room for work
in third degree.
FRIDAY
12:30 p.m—Rotary club meets
at Hotel Charles.
8:00 p.m.—Final graduation
exercises for high school seniors.
YANKS PROBE
JAP POSITIONS
Invade Last Important
Enemy-Held Area In
Philippines
MANILA, May 31. — </P)—. Yank
patrols probed today into the Ga
gayan Valley, last Important Jap
anese-held area In the Philippines.
The appearance of American
forces in the valley, a narrow low
land area in northern Luzon which
runs to the island’s north coast,
was made while 32nd and 25tii in
fantry division troops cleared up
Japanese from hills around Santa
Fe.
The nearness of rains and the
time needed for consolidating posi
tions at Santa Fe probably will de
lay the start of the battle with the
enemy garrison.
ON THE WANE
On Mindanao, close quarter fight
ing flared between trapped Japan
ese north of Davao and the 24th
infantry division but the three
weeks-old fight definitely was on
the wane.
Today’s communique of Gen.
Douglas MacArthur reported a
Monday air strike at fuel plants,
railroads an^ communications on
Formosa by more than 30 Fifth Air
Force Mitchell bombers and raids
on the coastal rail line of French
Indo-China between Saigon and
Phanrang by more than 45 Libera
tors.
Approximately 150 bombers and
fighters of the 13th airforce at
tacked the oil center of Balikpapan,
Borneo, the same day.
WPB Cutbacks, Reconversion
May Relieve Food Shortage
By OVID A. MARTIN
WASHINGTON, May 31.— (£*) —
War production cutbacks and re
conversion may team up to ease
some of this country’s food supply
strain by the end of the year.
This possibility is being consid
ered by food officials in connec
tion with plans for sharing Amer
ican food with hungry peoples in
Europe.
Agriculture department eco
nomists say that reductions in
military output now taking
place should tend to reduce
consumer incomes. And smaller
consumer buying power should
be reflected, they add, in a
somewhat reduced demand for
food.
Similarly as industrial reconver
sion gains momentum and is able
Ito put larger quantities of non
food Items on the market, there
will be a tendency, the econo
mists say, for consumers to divert
money from food to other' items
coming back into production.
Consumption and demand for
food during the war have been at
See WPB Page 2
ANDERSON GETS
COMMITTEE NOD
Hearings Ordered For
June 11 For Wickard
As RtX Head
WASHINGTON, May 31 ——
The senate agriculture committee
unanimously approved today the
nomination of Rep. Clinton P. An
derson (D-NM) to be secretary of
agriculture.
It ordered hearings June 11 on
the nomination of Claude R. Wick
ard, present secretary of agricul
ture, to be rural electrification ad
ministrator.
Chairman Thomas (O-Okla) said
all the members had been getting
numerous letters and telegrams
from rural electric cooperatives
opposing confirmation of Wickard
“so we decided to let them come
in and make their statements.”
Both Anderson and Wickard ap
peared before the committee in a
closed session.
Thomas said there was great
similarity in the wording of all the
telegrams protesting against Wick
ard’s' nomination.
BEING PROMPTED
“Apparently somebody has been
telling them what to say,” he said,
adding that he understood Earl
Murley, manager of a Vincennes,
Ind., cooperative had been com
municating with other coopera
tives.
The judiciary committee called
Assistant Attorney General Tom
C. Clark of Texas to a hearing on
his nomination to succeed Attor
ney General Francis Biddle.
Rep. Clinton P. Anderson of New
Mexico had an invitation from the
agriculture committee considering
his selection to be secretary of ag
See ANDERSON Page 2
Patterson Reports
Six Killed By Jap
Balloon Bomb
WASHINGTON, May 31 —(/F)—
Undersecretary of War Patterson
disclosed today that a mother and
five of her children were killed by
a bomb from one of the long-range
Japanese balloons sporadically at
tacking the western part of this
country.
Asked if he had any further in
formation on the balloons, Patter
son said he cited the incident of
the woman and her children to
emphasize the need for precau
tions. •
He said the six were killed in a
western state, but gave no names
or other details except that the
tragedy occurred during a fishing
trip when one of the children be
gan playing with an unexploded
bomb dropped by one of the un
manned paper balloons. The wo
man’s husband and one child,
Patterson said, were the only sur
vivors.
The army previously had re
ported that no property damage
has resulted from the balloon
raids.
Liuchow Defenders Set \
Fire To City, Prepare
To Abandon Positions
By Clyde A. Farnsworth
KUNMING, China, May 31.—(fP)—Liuchow, main Japa
nese road and rail hub in southern China was reported swept
by fires set by its defenders today as Chinese troops closed
in on the city along a 50-mile front.
signs tnat tne Japanese werej
preparing to abandon the former
American air base site, coming af
ter their loss Sunday of Yungning
(Nanning) 120 miles to the south
west, reinforced a growing belief
here that Japan is about to sur
render the main military fruits of
her swift conquest of Indo-China,
Thailand, Malaya and the Nether
lands Indies.
Such a move would mean that
imperial headquarters at Tok
yo has decided to write off its
investment in men and mate
rial as a non-paying proposi
tion, and to leave its forces
south of China to shift for
themselves. The land corridor
serving those forces already
has been almost severed by
the Chinese, while American
planes and submarines have
made the sea lanes more of a
hazard than a link.
The situation at Liuchow also
suggested the possibility that Ja
pan even planned to quit south
east China, leaving only small
loldout pockets while concentrat- |
ng her strength between the j
Yangtze and Amur rivers for a
ast-ditch defense of her conti
nental possessions.
One of the reasons for such a I
concentration in the north may be
Japanese fear of Russian interven
tion along the Amur river.
OFFENSIVE
An even bigger Japanese con
sideration may have been prepa
rations in China for a full-scale
nffensive against them in the
south, marked by increased Amer
ican assistance to Chinese ground
forces in supplies, equipment and
training under the American
irmy's Chinese combat command.
The preparations came to their
first fruition in the recent smash
ing of the Japanese drive on Chih
iciang, which may have played a big
part in the change of Japanese cal
culations.
Tokyo’s apparent decision to li
quidate the Japanese position in
See LIUCHOW Page 2
Chiang Turns Over
Premiership T o Soong
Move Seen As One To Coordinate Opposing Forces In
China; Soortg Very Popular
By Spencer Moosa
CHUNGKING, May 31.—(fP)—Chiang Kai-Shek resign
ed today as premier and turned the post over to acting
Premier T. V. Soong in a move viewed as a step toward
solidifying China at a time when the allied nations are ap
plying tremendous pressure on Japan from all quarters.
HEAVY SPORT
IN BOND SALES
Soles In Cleveland Coun
ty Now Have Passed
Million And Half
Marking the biggest spurt for
Cleveland county since the Seventh
War Loan drive was started, War
Finance Chairman George Blanton
announced this morning that bond ‘
sales in this county had passed the j
million and a half mark.
Campaign Chairman Jack Dover
accounted for $500,000 of this in
crease in a report of sales made
to Mr. Blanton yesterday after
noon. An additional increase of
$340,000 was chalked up when J.
R. Davis, director of the drive in
Kings Mountain reported sales in
that amount. Previous sales re
ported had amounted to $656,000.
Campaign leaders are particular
ly pleased with this showing and
believe now there will be little
trouble in meeting the Cleveland
quota of $2,069,000. Chairman
Blanton was high in his praise of
the work of the four Shelby civic
organizations which have been co
operating in the drive.
EFFORTS FRUITFUL
“Their efforts have been par
ticularly fruitful in the sale of E,
F and G bonds,” he pointed out.
Today closed the books on May
sales and all bonds sold after to
day will bear interest from June
1. Bonds sold today bear interest
from May 1.
The solicitation in the uptown
district is being directed by Worth
Morris, commander-in-chief of the
retail division. Jack Dover is
handling the over-all campaign
with George Blanton acting as
War Finance chairman for the
county and J. R. Davis directing
the drive in Kings Mountain.
Despite the heavy increase in
sales since the last report, those
directing the campaign in Cleve
land point out that this is no time
to rest on the oars. Bonds are
still to be sold, the Japs still to be
beaten.
uniang retained ms post as
president of China and head of the
state. He also remains China’s
generalissimo, and now will be able
to concentrate fully on military
tasks in this critical period of the
war on the continent of Asia.
When Soong, Chiang's brother
in-law, became acting premier last
December, the shift was regarded
as a popular one, possibly paving
the way for a working agreement
between the central government
and the Communists of North Chi
na. Soong’s attitude toward the
Communists is known to be mod
erate.
Soong's elevation to the full
premiership, or president of
the executive Yuan, as the post
is designated in China, raised
the possibility that he would
attend any forthcoming meet
ing of the Big Five leaders of
the United Nations.
Soong's .popularity throughout
the country is expected to strength
en the central government’s hand
in the military situation. There
have been some unconfirmed re
ports that an agreement already
has been reached in principle be
tween the central government and
the Communists of the north to
wage a single war against the Jap
anese invader.
ACTING PREMIER
Soong actually became Chiang’s
“right hand man” last December
on his appointment as acting pre
mier. As such, he had attended tc
most of the generalissimo’s pre
miership duties. Thus his eleva
See CHIANG Page 2
Cleveland Registrars Are
Ready For Bond Election
county precincts, who open the reg
istration books Saturday for the
hospital bond election to be held on
July 7 met at the courthouse this
morning and received an explana
tion on election procedure from
Henry Edwards, county attorney
and W. L. Angel, chairman of the
county board of elections.
The registrars were told that this
is a special election and only that
those persons who register during
the four weeks period from June '
to June 23 will be eligible to vote
In the election. It was also polntec
out that those who register and whe
ROY C. DEVINNEY
.WILLIE T. DOSTER. , . ' %
TWO CLEVELAND
MEN KILLED
S 1-c Roy Colon Devinney,
GM 3-c W. T. Dos ter Re
ported Dead
The families of two Cleveland
county men serving in the United
States navy have been informed
that their sons, Roy Colon Devin
ney, seaman first class, and Willie
Tim Doster, gunner's mate third
class, have been killed in action
at sea. Both were previously re
ported missing in action.
Mrs. Gwendolyn Hoyle Devinney
wife of Seaman Devinney, receiv
ed a message from the War de
partment saying that her husband
previously reported missing, lost his
life as a result of enemy action
on April 24. The message stated
that information leads to the con
clusion that there is no hope foi
his survival.
Seaman Devinney entered tht
See TWO CLEVELAND Page 2
Soldiers Already Set
For Discharge All
Army Can Spare
WASHINGTON, May 31.— (JP) -
Under Secretary of War Pattersoi
said today the soldiers now slate<
for discharge are all the arm;
thinks it is safe to release at thi
time.
Announcing this at a news con
ference, Patterson said it was ii
answer to proposals to release mei
over 35 or to discharge those whosi
skills are especially needed in civ
lian life. Chairman May of thi
house military committee recentl;
urged the army to discharge al
soldiers over 35 except for certaii
key personnel.
the hospital bonds.
The voter is given four question
to answer on the ballot.
CONVEYANCE
In essence these are:
1. Shall Cleveland county accep
1 i conveyance to it of the Shelb
hospital and assume the present in
debtedness of $18,000 now borne b
No. 6 township?
2. Shall an order calling for th
issuance of $240,000 in bonds fc
paying the cost of remodeling an
enlarging the Shelby hospital b
See CLEVELAND Page 3
BRITISH READY
TO INTERVENE
IN THE LEVANT
DeGaulle Calls Key Minis
ters To Consider Church
ill's Demands
U. S. SENDS PROTEST
By Alex Singleton
LONDON, May 31.—(ff)—
Prime Minister Churchill call
ed upon Gen. De Gaulle toda:
to withdraw French troops ii
Syria to their barracks. Brit
ain has instructed her arme<
forces in the Middle East t
intervene in the fighting be
tween French and Syria;
forces to prevent furthe:
bloodshed, Churchill said.
De Gaulle called key min
isters into session in Pari
immediately after he receiv
ed Churchill’s demand. Pari;
dispatches said the French
government was surprised at
the London announcement.
In Washington, the State de
partment disclosed the Unitec
States last Monday had urge*
Prance to review her policy towarc
Syria and neighboring Lebanon.
Fighting which has taken at leas
i 300 lives continued in Damascus
and two huge fires swept section
of the city.
Britain, with France, promisee
the Levant states their indepen
Hence after British and Frencl
forces eliminated Vichy contro
there.
“In order to avoid a collision be
tween British and French force;
we request you immediately to ordei
French troops to cease fire and tc
; withdraw to their baracks.” Church
ill told DeGaulle.
British forces have been in Syria
■ since 1941 when they and the Free
i French knocked out German con
trol.
The action was announced ir
i Commons by Foreign Secretary An
I thony Eden following the thirc
| emergency session of the Britist
I cabinet in 24 hours.
“Once firing has ceased and or
J der has been restored we shall bt
prepared to begin tripartite dis
j cussion here in London,” the mes
; sage to De Gaulle continued.
Eden said the British ministe:
j in Damascus had reported a fur
I ther grave deterioration of the sit
uation in which 300 or more per
! sons already have lost their live
l in fighting between the Frencl
and Syrians, and that large fire
were burning in the capital.
“We have not acted until ou
over-all responsibility was so se
rious that we simply had to act o
stand by and see a situation de
velop which would have shame;
us ail,” Eden told Commons.
COLLISION POSSIBLE
Eden spoke after a Frenc.
spokesman in Paris had asserte;
that a direct collision betwee:
France and Britain was possiblr
and the Syrian minister in Pari
had insisted that outside inter
vention alone could resolve th
See BRITISH Page
[CASUALTIES BY
MILLION MARK
Army Has Lost 890,019
Navy 112,868 In 3
Years, 5 Months
WASHINGTON, May 31. —(i1!*)—
American combat casualties ii
World War II passed the mlllioi
mark today.
The Army has lost 890,019 me)
and the Navy 112.868, a total o
1,002,887.
These casualties, suffered in thre
years and five months of fighting
t represent an increase of 6.798 ove
last week’s report,
3 The breakdown on Army casual
ties as reported today by Under
secretary of War Patterson, anc
corresponding figures for the pre
t i ceding week:
. \ Killed 183,563 and 181,739; wound
_ ed 553.088 and 550 506; missinv
52,746 and 57,802; prisoners 100,621
and 96,478. Of the wounded, 309,
s 646 have returned to duty.
r Similar figures for the Navy: .
•) Killed 43,534 and 42,807: wound
eicd 54.380 and 52,005: missing 10,709
| and 10.505; prisoners 4.245 pnd
\ 4,247.