Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 43, Number 63, Decatur, Adams County, 15 March 1945 — Page 1

to DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT I—- — 1 ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY A———

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I XLUI. No - 63 *

EPORT 180,000 YANKS BATTERING EAST

| Red Armies [ady For Big kh On Berlin kernion Broadcasts [Report Full-Scale [Assault JsPending bulletin I London, Mar. 15—(UP)— [he German radio indicated Lay that the Red army had | bridge across the Oder 33 L e , due east of Berlin, and Ln and arms were pouring Ler it in “massive Soviet Lack waves.” Lndon, March 15.(UP) — Nazi Leasts said today that at least (Soviet armies were battling to L German strong points along | pastern front preparatory tea [scale assault on Berlin, here was no further word on | progress of the Russian column Li the Moscow newspaper PravLaid yesterday had driven aL the Oder river beyond Keus- [ on the direct road to Berlin, L 37 miles to the west. terlin said to Soviet armies L Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov’s [t White Russian group were Ling for high ground west of [ Oder between Kuestrin and Inkfurt, 18 males to the south, [man artillery on the contested |s has (been pounding Soviet Bgeheads on the west bank. Four other armies from Zhukov’s Lp were building ferric? and Ling up bridge materials north I south of Stettin for an expect[attempt to envelop the big Baitport, Berlin said. [even armies in the third White Kian army group Were said to lassailtting Germany’s shrinking tket southwest of Koenigslberg in pt Prussia fiom all sides. At pt 13 towns, including Gruenkfise, 17 miles southwest of Koepberg, and 2,000 prisoners were [tured yesterday. [tie advances reduced the Nazi ■et to approximately 400 square L. At Gruenwiesse, the Rushs were four miles from the sea [ two from a coastal highway, breakthrough to the sea in that h wuld split the East Prussian pet in two. Mother seven armies from the pnd White Russian group were [uttering at the narrowing Dan-t-Gdynia defense salient in the [tic, according to Berlin. Street pting was raging in the suburbs both, ports. One Soviet army from the second kite Russian group* penetrated t inner defense ring of Kolberg, Went defense bastion on the Wc coast of German PomeranBerlln conceded. _ resbyterian Board leets Friday Night foe advisory board of the First I’hyterian church, including elts; Recons, trustees, department ids and all others interested, will let . m the church parlors Friday raing at 7:30 o’clock. Important ** will be discussed with Dr. ». Patteiwon temporary mod- > conducting the meeting. w. Corey Moser Reported 111 youn ? minister from the baptist Seminary in ®hie Fir \ the services at st Baptist church here SunOser U!> uf illS ReV- ‘® are y R- , p.’ is <luite ill at his home street Rev. Moser sufa severe attack of indigestion ice n?V n<l hae k® 6ll ver y siclc star F- Wtoilt ®®ell, former air 6 and ttOW h °Ming the aiX e^ nß6lism in the Chicago the miJT aenit ' word that one ri Te h „ ® ers in the school will J he re for the Sunday eerI:Qo7 RAT ™ERMOMETER 10:00 a- — 47 Noo n - — 56 2:00 jzs: 51 ht» tonich? ,hower * '’“"dy »nrf I, Frlday Partly ‘lightly cooler.

Capture Os Mandalay Reported Imminent With British forces at Mandalay, March 15 —(UP) — British. Imperial troops controlled virtually all of Mandalay today and the complete capture of this historic river port was imminent. 'Unite of the British Indian 19th division rapidly were popping up Japanese pockets in the center of the city around Fort Dufferin and enemy resistance appeared to be breaking up. - o Two More Isles Near Luzon Are Taken By Yanks Secure Southern Approaches For Shipping Channel Manila, March 15 —'(UP) —<U. S. troops secured the southern approaches to the main shipping channel through the Philippines today with the seizure of two more islands southeast of Lnzon. (Elements of the 24th division captured the islands —Romlblon and Simara —in the Sibuyan sea, east of Mindoro, in a surprising tactical operation Sunday night against light opposition, a communique said. The small Japanese Garrison on Romlblon, midiway between Tablas and Sibuyan islands, put up several skirmishes near- the town of Romblon but was quickly destroyed. 'Romlblon and Sim&ra were the 22nd and 23rd islands in the Philippines invaded by U. S. troops of Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s southwest Pacific forces. All but two—'Luzon and Mindanao—were under complete control but American regulars and Filippino guerrillas were rapidly overcoming the Japanese on those islands, the largest in the Archipelago. lOn Mindanao, 41st division veterans expanded their Zamiffoanga bridgehead to 30 square miles and continued to pursue the Japanese into the hill regions inland. ’Five more villages were seized by the Americans as they fanned out from the Zamboanga city area ‘ (Turn To Page 5, Column 6) Local Lady's Mother Is Taken By Death

Smith Funeral Rites Friday In Illinois (Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at Marshall, 111., for Mrs. W. E. Smith, 84,- mother of Mrs. O. J. Pasawater of this city, who died Tuesday night at her home in that city after a few weeks illness. IMr. and Mrs. Smith, who resided at Willshire, 0., for a numlber of years, would have celebrated their 66th. wedding anniversary tomorrow. (Surviving in addition to the husband and the daughter in this city are the following children: iClilf of Terre Haute, Lambert of Marshall, 111., John of Lewis, Wood of San Diego Calif., (Clyde of Monroe, Mich., Robert of Detroit, Frank of Portsmouth, N. H., Mrs. Albert Oslborn of Robinson 111., and Wilma, at home; a numlber of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter. Grandchildren from this vicinity who will attend the funeral include Mrs. Sephus Jackson of Decatur, Mrs. Floyd Enos of Fort Wayne and Judson Pasewater, Jr., of Willshire. —i o — Heideman Funeral Held This Morning Fourth degree Knights of Columbus acted as pall bearers for Julius Heideman at funeral services conducted this morning at St. Mary’s Catholic church. Internment was made in the Catholic cemetery. IMr. Heideman. a prominent retired farmer of Washington township died at the home of a niece in Toledo, Ohio.

Japs Need More Than A Smoke Screen Now

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OSAKA, JAPAN, is shown in the above photo, taken in August, 1934, as the important industrial city was “bombed” by the Japs themselves during a three-day defense maneuver in the Kinki district. Today these synthetic fires have become a reality—for the city was the target of American Superfortresses on their third mass bombing raid over t’he Nips’ homeland. The mighty reported to have left the city a burning holocaust, were little hampered by the above smoke screen, which the Japs in 1934 termed “a most- effective method of air attack defense.”

Army Combat Losses Lower In February U. S. Casualties Now Total 839,167 Washington, Mar. 15 —(UP)— Army combat losses fell off sharply on the western front during February’s intensive preparations for the climactic battles now going on. Secretary of war Henry L. Stimson revealed today that ground force casualties on the western front during February were 34.468. This was less than half those of December and 27,494 fewer than January’s. February’s western front total included 4,145 Americans killed, 26,436 wounded, and 3,887 missing. The weekly compilation of casualties in all services in all areas meantime reached 839,167 — an increase of 15,535 in a week. Etimson’s figures indicated that the Germans were taking much greater punishment than the Americans. Since Feb. 23, he told his news conference, the western front Allies have captured about 140,000 German soldiers. The secretary disclosed "also that the enemy in the Philippines are suffering losses about five times greater than the Americans. U. S. army losses on Leyte and Luzon now total 31,221, Including 6,889 killed, 354 missing and 23,978 wounded, he said. Japanese losses, however, include 150,278 counted dead. Total U. S. ground force casualties on the western front since D-Day on June 6, Stimson said, are 425,007, including 70,414 killed, 297,547 wounded, and 57,046 missing, (Turn To Page 2, Column 1)

Plan Seventh War Loan Drive Here Meeting Tpnight To Plan For Campaign Plans for the seventh war loan drive, which will be launched next month, (Will ibe made Thursday evening at a meeting of citizens at the FHnst State bank, H. L. Neil, chairman of the payroll division, announced today. Theodore F. Graliker, county chairtnan of the war bond staff, will outline plans for the coining drive. The treasury has announced that the national quota will be 14 billion dollars, of wihich half will be allocated to individuals. On this basils, the amount of E bonds to be sold totals four billion dollars. Payroll deductions, plus regular monthly purchases, have kept bond sales in this county albove the JIOO-, COO mark, ever since the sixth war loan drive last November. The seventh war loan drive will be extended over to June 30 and purchases made during April, May and June on the payroll plan will be credited to the county’s quota, It was stated. . , ,

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, March 15,1945.

Red Cross Fund The Red Cross War Fund went over the SII,OOO mark today. Contributions tabulated at the home service office total. $11,091.86. The county’s quota is $16,700 and the outstanding reports are expected to send the fund over the goal line. o 11-Ton Bombs Smash Ruhr Valley Viaduct World's Biggest Bombs Hit Germany iLondon, March 15. CUP) —lEleventon British bomlbs, biggest in the world, collapsed six and perhaps eight spans of the German Ruhr’s vital Bielefeld railway viaduct yesterday, the air ministry announced today. The attack knocked cut one of the last remaining double trunk railways linking the Ruhr with the rest of Germany. The pilot of one of the RAF Lancaster bombers which dropped the giant bomlbs said the resultant explosion lifted his plane 500 feet in the air. “Jt felt as though someone had hit me severely in the back,” he sai 4 ‘'l didn't expect the kick quite so soon. The force of the explosion caused a pain in my spine which lasted more than a minute.” •His bomb aimer said the bomb exploded with a flash that was at on'ce smothered by a high column of smoke.” Air correspondents said the new bomib could be expected to have (Turn To Pag« 5, Column 4)

Stockholm Reports Hitler Bid For Peace Is Flatly Rejected

London, Mar. 15. — (UP) —The Stockholm newspaper Svenska Dagbladet published a wholly unconfirmed report today that. Adolf Hitler made a peace offer to. America and Britain early this month and it was rejected. A British foreign office 1 commentator said he 'had; no information regarding the Stockholm reports of a Nazi peace gesture. The Dagbladet dispatch was written by Arvid Fredborg, the newspaper’s former correspondent in Berlin. He said a Nazi emissary made contact with “English and American circle” in Stockholm to advance Hitler’s peace proposal. Rumors of the move by Hitler coincided with a wave of optimism over prospects for an early victory in Europe, both in Britain and some sectors of the western front. By the Stockholm Dagbladet account, Hitler was persuaded to make the peace overture by foreign minister Joachim Von Ribbentrop in a “dramatic conference" at Berchtesgaden, the Nazi leader’s Bavarian retreat. Hitler was represented as agreeing to send a high official of the German foreign office—'unidentified lb the dispatch—to Stockholm,

Churchill Renews Victory Optimism Predicts War End • Within Six Months London, March 15 — (UP) — Prime Minister Churchill said today that victory in Europe may come before the end of summer “or even sooner.” The quickening progress of the war means Germany will be forced into unconditional surrender or “beaten to the ground in chaos and ruin,” he told the annual conference of the conservative party, IChurchill's prediction that the war in Europe may end within six months coincided with a wave of optimism throughout Britain and on the western front. 'One front dispatch said reliable non-mili'tary sources believed peace possible within six weeks. A former Berlin correspondent now in Stockholm (wrote that Adolf Hitler early this month had made a peace feeler through Sweden to the United States and Britain, but had been rejected. IChurchill promised an intense British war effort against Japan. “No mood of war weariness must prevent, us from doing our duty to the last inch and to the last minute,” he said. Churchill inferentially told the United States and Russia that Briain has no need of advice on how to run the Biritish empire and Commonwealth of nations. Recalling that the entire empire with the exception of southern Ireland rallied behind the mother country “to die or conquer »with (Turn To Page 5, Column 2)

The emissary purportedly got in touch with similarly unidentified American and British “circles” in Stockholm. Contact, was said to have been made with Swedish assistance. The Dagbladet said the envoy returned to Germany empty handed. He was said to have insisted that Hitler and Heinrich Himmler retain power “in order to avoid chaos” even if Germany were surrendering unconditionally. The emissary was pictured by the newspaper as “describing in moving words the dangers of German bolshevization.” Three reliable nommilitary sources told a United Press war correspondent at British 21st army group headquarters that peace was possible within six weeks. Military sources at the headquarters refused to speculate on any specific dates, but said the end appeared considerably closer than it did six weeks ago. Richard D. McMillan, veteran United Press war correspondent with the British second army, said both American and British soldiers at the Rhine believed "one big hit” would collapse the last real German resistance,

All-Out Yank Offensive On West Front Reported By Dispatches In Berlin

Seven Persons Die In Transport Crash San Francisco, March I's. —(UP) —'Seven persons were killed and 16 were injured (when a twin-engined naval transport plane crashed on a ridge near San Carlos, Cal., last night, 28 minutes after circling the Oakland airport, the 12th naval district announced today. The plane, a Douglas transport bound .from San Pedro, Cal., to Oakland clashed on a spur of the coast range three miles west of San Carlos at 8:12 p. m. .— o Osaka Arsenal Is Believed Destroyed Terrific Explosion During B-29 Attack Guam, Mar. 15. —(UP) —A building believed •to have been the Osaka arsenal, one of Japan’s biggest war plants, blew up during Wednesday's fire raid in an explosion so violent it nearly wrecked two Superfortresses a mile and a half overhead, jt was announced today. Deffnite proof of the explosion awaited clearing weather that would permit reconnaissance photographs of tire five-square-mile area devastated in the 2,300-toii attack on Osaka. The arsenal, well within the target area, covers 150 acres and produces antiaircraft guns, artillery, machine guns, rifles, shell cases, bombs and fuses. The plant algo contains a steel mill, chemical works and a research laboratory. The explosion sent two Superfotresses rocketing 3,000 to 4,000 feet into the sky within a few seconds. Japs Complain By United Press “The enemy raiders against Japan proper are always changing their tactics,” Tokyo radio complained Thursday in asserting that U. S. Superforte had dropped two new types of incendiaries over the Japanese capital March 10. One of the new type bombs is “a 50 kilogram incendiary loaded with explosives,” Tokyo said. As soon as the bomb reaches the ground, it explodes and scatters a fire over a wide area marking the target for succeeding planes dropping incendiaries, Tokyo said. “The other type bomb resembles a sharp pencil and has for its purpose the killing of non-combat-(Turn To Page 2, Column 5) O Girl Scout Program On Friday Afternoon Mark Anniversary Os Scout Founding Deoatur Girl Scouts will formally celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the founding of the national organization with a birfhdaj’ program at the auditorium of the Lincoln school Friday afternoon at 3:4-5 o'clock. Special guests at the meeting will be mothers of the Girl Scouts and Brownies, adult leaders, committee and council members. Mrs. Walter J. Krick, Juliette Ldw chairman, "has arranged the following program: Group singing. History oif Girl Scouting in Decatur —IMiss Georgia Foughty. 'Story of Juliette Low, founder of Girl Soouting in the United StatesI—IM 1 —IM rs. Harold Zwiok. Girl Scouts in other lands— representatives of the four Scout troops. of birthday pennies by the Brownie troops. (During a tea which will follow the program, music will be furnished by the Girl IScouts. Arrangements for 'the tea have been made by the program committee, with Mrs. Chet Reynolds as chairman.

Marines Hack Away At Japs' Pockets On Iwo Island Is Declared Officially Captured As Flag Is Raised Guam, Mar. s—(UP)—Marines still were hacking away at two shrinking enemy pockets on Iwo today, but the island was declared officially captured with 20,000 of its defenders already killed. The stars and stripes were raised over the tiny stepping stone island 750 miles south of Tokyo at a formal ceremony at 9:30 a. m. yesterday—24th day of the battle of Iwo. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz proclaimed himself military governor of Iwo and “other” occupied islands in the Volcano group, presumably barren Kangoku and Kama Rocks off the west coast of Iwo seized two days ago. Maj. Gen. Keller E. Rockey’s fifth marine division gained 200 to 400 yards in compressing the main enemy pocket at the rocky northern tip of Iwo yesterday. The Japanese were fighting to the death from long-prepared defenses. A smaller pocket was under assault by Maj. Gen. Clifton B. Cates’ fourth division on the east coast. Pacific fleet headquarters, in fixing the number of enemy dead on Iwo at 20,000 through yesterday, emphasized that its estimate was conservative and less than the detailed estimates of frontline commanders. The figure was based on the number of Japanese bodies buried and a “very careful” guess as to the numbers sealed in the fortified caves which the enemy refused to surrender. On Monday alone, 115 such caves were sealed with demolition charges. There had been no announcement of marine casualties since (Turn To Page 2. Column 6) o American Planes Hit Hard At Berlin Area Over 2,000 Planes In Smashing Raids (London, March 15 —(UP) —More than 2,000 American bombers and fighters attacked military targets in the Berlin area today in one of the most powerful blows yet struck in direct support of the Red Army. 'Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle sent upwards of 1,350 flying fortresses and Liberators at German keyetpne objectives around Berlin while massed Russian forces hammered the capital's defenses some 30 miles to the east. More than 650 Thunderbolt and Mustang fighters made the long trip to Berlin to protect the bombers and shoot up tarkets of opportunity. The 'big rail yards at Oranienburg, 20 miles north of Belin, com manding most of the transport into the' capital from the north, were among the day’s targets. A vast fleet of Royal Air force heavy bombers headed out of Britain this afternoon in a miles-long procession toward Germany. During the night, the RAF’s heavies struck a shattering double blow at the troop-jammed communications center of Zweibruecken and Homburg, 15 miles southeast of Saarbruecken, in direct support of American ground forces. Other British heavy bombers struck deep into Central Germany to pound a synthetic oil plant at Lutzkendorf, near Halle, and a force of Mosquito raiders unloaded 4,000-pound bombs on Berlin.

Price Four Cents.

Berlin Reports New American 15th Army Joins First Army In Battering Offensive BULLETIN Paris, March 15 —(UP) —Five American armies were reported storming the Rhine and Saar basin defenses of Germany today in a coordinated front from Duisburg to ttje Karlsruhe corner of Alsace. A flood of German reports and Allied front dispatches indicated that a general offensive to crush the Nazi armies in the west was in full swing along the entire southern half of the western front. Paris, Mar. 15 — (UP) —Berlin said the new American 15th armyhad gone into battle east of the Rhine today, joining with the U.S. first army in an all-out offensive to break out of the Remagen bridgehead and split the German armies of the west. Jittery German broadcasts said a massive force of perhaps 180,000 American troops and hundreds of tanks was battering eastward through the w'ooded bluffs overlooking the Rhine. They suggested the Americans already wefe astride the broad military highway paralleling the river some five to eight miles «-ast of the Remagen bridge. At the same time, front dispatches said the entire German front in the industrial Saar basin was melting away before a surprise offensive by Lt. Gen. George S. Patton's American third army. United Press war correspondent Robert Richards reported signs of a general German withdrawal across the Rhine in that one-time Nazi arsenal, which would give the Allies virtual control 4 of the Rhine's west bank from the Swiss border to the North Sea. Patton's veteran infantry and tank fighters, Richards reported, are begininng to pay off old scores for the hundreds of third army troopers who died along the borders of the Saar in the bloody battles of last fall and early winter. There was no confirmation of the Nazi reports that the newlyformed U.S. 15th army had joined in the battle of the Rhine bridgehead or that the Rhine-Ruhr-Berlin highway had been cut. Latest official reports from the bridgehead said vanguards of the American first army were about a half-mile west of the road early today, within point-blank artillery, mortar and machine gun range of the Nazi speedway. The Germans were reported falling back slowly all along the battlefront, however, and it was expected that in a matter of hours the Americans would break loose their armored might on the great highway built by the Wehrmacht, as a springboard for the invasion of France and the low countries. Nazi propagandists began preparing the home front for word of an American break-through late today. They broadcast unconfirmed reports that 12 American divisions, possibly 180,000 troops, were across the Rhine and striking eastward into the (Turn To Page 2. Column 5) o Says Tokyo Ordered Manila Destroyed San Francisco, Mar. 15.—(UP) — The city of Manila was destroyed and her people slaughtered on direct orders from Tokyo, it was revealed here today by Brig. Gea. Carlos Romulo, Philippines resident commissioner. He said he would indict the Japanese on the floor of congress. Describing the rape of Nanking as "a picnic compared to Manila," Romulo said he would present, congress with captured documents, sworn affidavits and documentary films to substantiate his story of the "systematic, deliberate, wanton destruction” wrought by Japanese imperial marines “on direct orders from Tokyo.”