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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 1945)
mm VOL. NO. LXI PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA MONDAY, AUGUST 13, 1945 NO. 64 Aung weir DeM veired to Japaum ohh BY UNITED PRESS The Tokyo radio asserted Mon day that the official allied report of Japan's surrender offer only reached the Japanese government Monday through Swiss channels. The disclosure that the official allied answer had not been de livered until nearly 48 hours after it was dispatched from Washing ton was seen as an explanation f the delay in Tokyo's response to President Truman's message. Whether further delay will now result was not known. The Japanese have been in posses sion, of the allied terms since Saturday when all American radio transmitters in the Pacif. ic beamed them to Japan. Presumably Japan's consulta tion on the allied terms has been under way since then. Emperor Ilirohito received the Japanese foreign minister, Shigenori Togo, at the Imperial palace Monday aft ernoon possibly after receiv- ; the official text of Truman s ing message. If the Japanese follow the same procedure as in the case of the surrender offer, they will broad cast their reply to the allies over the Tokyo transmitters at the same time they hand it to the Swiss for transmission to Wash ington. The Melbourne radio reported that Tokyo had broadcast that news of "important developments" was impending. This broadcast was heard by Australian depart ment of information listening post shortly before a Tokyo trans mission reported the arrival of the allied answer. The Swedish foreign office announced it had been official ly authorized to deny reports that Emperor Hirohito had approached King Gustav with a request that he attempt to med iate peace. No such approach was made through members of the Swedish royal family, the foreign office said. The Tokyo Domei agency said Togo reported to the throne on 'matters under his jurisdiction." A Japanese reply to the Big Four would come within that category and it was possible that Togo was submitting the text of the reply to the emperor for final approval. No further details were given in the enemy broadcast, which was recorded by the United Press in San Francisco. It was Togo's second audience with the emper or in a little more than 24 hours. He also was received by Ilirohito at 11 a.m. Sunday Tokyo time. At 2:20 p. m. Tokyo time (12:20 a. m. cwt), FCC monitors heard a Tokyo wireless station call a Swiss station with a request to stand by for an expected mes sage. Any Japanese reply to the United States on the surrender demand would be transmitted via Switzerland. "Still coming," the Tokyo re quest said. "Please wait. How are receiving conditions?" Some eight hours earlier, Tokyo had broadcast a similar request to a Geneva station. The earlier request, however, '.specified that an "important message" was expected, sup posedly during the morning. The Japanese people apparent ly still were not aware of their government's offer to surrender. Japanese domestic broadcasts made no mention of the peace (Turn to Page 2, Number 1) Pilot Wings Awarded To Carl J. Morehead ENID ARMY AIR FIELD, ENID, OKLA., (Special) Aviation Cadet Carl J. Morehead, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. Everett L. Morehead, Plattsmouth, Neb., has been awarded his silver pilot's wings and appointed a flight of ficer in the army air forces upon completion of his twin-engine ad vanced training at this advanced unit of the AAF central flying training command. FBI Called Into Investigation of Dynamite Blasts Federal bureau of investiga tion agents Monday were seeking persons who Sunday caused dy namite explosions about two mil-1 es west of Louisville along the: : Platte liver and abandoned nine full cases of dynamite near the; ; scene of the explosions, Sheriff Mrasek said Monday. Sunday noon Marshall Max Welton and George Dolan of Louisville started investigation of explosions heard west of Louis ville. They were unable to locate the persons responsible for thei f explosions but found th dynamite. Sheriff Mrasek said Monday that ten cases of dynamite ap- parentlv had been in the hands 0 . , the persons who set off the explos ions. One case had been used by them. Sticks of dynamite had been tied to trees, then exploded by bullets fired from high-powered and .22 calibre rifles. Some of the explosives had been used on an island in the river, more on the bank. The dynamite was found along C. B. & Q. railroad property, the sheriff said. Eight cases bore a manufacture date of Jan. 3. 1945 and was 45 per cent. The ninth case was made on Aug. 23, 1944 and "was 40 per cent. Mrasek and Deputy Sheriff Doody, who were called to Louis ville Sunday to investigate, turn ed the investigation over to the F. B. I. Plattsmouth Man Escapes Saturday At Reformatory The Cass county sheriff's of fice Saturday night was asked to be on the lookout for Stewart Anderson of Plattsmouth and Donald Wallace, Omaha, who es-j caped from the men's reformatory Saturday. Both men were serving senten ces for automobile theft, Sheriff Joe Mrasek said Monday. Saturday night Mrasek made a trip to Weeping Water to aid in the search for the two es capees. Accompanied by Deputy Sheriff Emery Doody, he went to Weeping Water again Sunday but was unable to contact the two men. They had not been apprehend ed, according to Mrasek, Monday noon. Sheriff Finds Lost Springfield Youth Sheriff Joe Mrasek was called to Louisville Saturday to aid in the search for 11 -year old Ron ald Fritz who disappeared from his Springfield home Friday noon. The boy was found hiding in weeds on the south side of the Platte river, near a bridge. The youngster had been with out food since noon Friday, and was turned over to his parents by Mrasek, after he located him. He is the son of Ed Fritz, Spring field. Commissioners Plan Budget Tuesday County commissioners planned to discuss the county budget here Tuesday and do necessary work on it in preparation for adoption of the budget either Tuesday or Wednesday of this week. As soon as work has been com pleted on the budget, it will be adopted by the board, county of ficers believed Monday. World Awaite Mpfly Memorial Services to Be Held Next Sunday S2-C KENNETH CARNICLE Memorial services for S 2-c Kenneth Carnicle, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Carnicle of South Bend, who was killed in action on May 4 off the shores of Okinawa, wrill be held at the Methodist church in Ashland next Sunday, Aug. 19, at o-MO p. m. The family requests no flowers. Two Hundred Less Farms in County Now Than in 1935 The number of farms in Cass county, as shown by the prelim inary count of returns of the 1945 census of agriculture was 1,857, as compared with 1,983 in 1940, and 2,051 in 1935. This was announced by Chet L. Steen, supervisor for the 1945 farm cen sus in the second Nebraska cen sus district with headquarters at Lincoln, Neb. The total land in farms in Cass county, according to the prelim inary 1945 census count, was 335,795 acres, as compared with 339,939 acres in 1940, and 339, 482 acres in 1935. Average size of farms shown in the prelimin ary census count for Cass county was 181 acres, as compared with 171 acres in 1940, and 166 acres in 1935. In announcing the 1945 census totals of farms and land in farms in Cass county, Supervisor Steen pointed out that the figures are preliminary and subject to correc tion. Final tabulations of farm census returns will be made by the bureau of the census and an nounced from Washington when completed, Steen said. Major Ryan's Unit Given Citation for Meritorious Service SUPPLY .SERVICE -HEADQUARTERS, KUNMING, CHINA (Delayed) The meritorious service unit plaque has been awarded the station hospital near here, according to orders issued by Maj. Gen. II. S. Aurand, com manding general of the supply 'services in the China theater. The award stressed the main tnance of high standards cover ing a period from Oct. 15, 1944 to Feb. 15, 1945. All personnel attched to the unit during that time are permited to wear a laur el wreath on the sleeve of their uniforms. Major William V. Ryan, 711 Avenue C, Plattsmouth, Nebr., is among Nebraskans at the hos pital. THE WEATHER NEBRASKA: Partly cloudy to cloudy, scattered rain showers and thunder storms Monday, Mon day night and Tuesday. Not quite so w7arm east and central Mon day. High middle 80's; slightly cooler in extreme east Monday night and Tuesday. , k0M - WW X 1 1 Burglars Fail in Safe Try; Steal Cash, Appliances Burglars who broke into two Murdock business places early Monday morning apparently were frightened away before their pil fering was completed at Paul Stock's implement store, Sheriff Mrasek said Monday. Although they made away with about $23 in cash, a Zenith electric portable radio, and two electric fans tak en from Stock's, they had at tempted to cut into his safe but were unable to complete their work. The Murdock Mercantile store owned by Gus Wilkins was brok en into early Monday but nothing apparently was taken by the thieves. The burglaries were believed to have been made at about four o'clock Monday morning, Mrasek said. A Murdock man who lives near the implement store drove his car into his yard at about that time, parked it for the night. He saw two men enter a car and drive away from near the Stock business place, but gave no thought to burglary. j The safe had been nearly open ed which led Sheriff Mrasek and Deputy Sheriff Doody to believe the burglars had been frightened away. The break-ins were discovered when the business houses were opened Monday morning. Mrasek and Doody were immediately call ed to investigate. Fight Resumed By Third Fleet Carrier Planes GUAM, (U.R) Carrier planes from the third fleet destroyed or damaged several score enemy air craft parked on airfields in the Tokyo area Monday and pilots re ported only light Japanese anti aircraft fire. Striking while Japan still de bated whether to surender, hund reds of American and British car rier planes also bombed, rocketed and strafed a submarine base, shipping, railway targets and oth er mliitary objective in a sudden resumption of their assault on the enemy homeland. A Japanese announcement said 800 carrier planes attacked the Tokyo-Yokohama area for ' 12 hours and caused "some damage." The broadcast claimed 17 planes had been shot down and at least 25 others damaged. Radio Tokyo said the third fleet was cruising off the Tok yo area and speculated that the allies were preparing for land ing operations in the "near fu ture." (As quoted by the ex change telegraph agency in London, the broadcast said the landing might come "at any moment.") More than 400 allied ships have been concentrated at Okinawa and ground forces there have been "drastically increased" by the transfer of troops from Leyte in the Philippines, Tokyo said. South and central Japan also were under attack by Okinawa based planes of Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur's command. Tokyo said 30 allied planes, presumably from Okinawa, raided Wakayama and Narav 35 miles south and 20 miles east respectively of Osaka, and other areas of southwest Honshu about 11 a. m. A dispatch from Admiral Will iam F. Halsey's third fleet quoted pilots who participated in the days raids as saying that the Jap anese were not putting up any where near so much opposition as in the past. Neither were any Japanese ( Turn to Page 2, Number 2) mH j., POSSIBLE JAP HEIR Should the Allies reject Hirohito but agree to the con tinuation of the institution of Emporership with limitations, he Japannese throne would go to 11-year old- heir apparent. Crown Prince Kotaishi Akihito. shown, right, in his latest picture to the U. S. before the war. At Itft he is shown on his 6th birthday. (NEA Telephoto) Legion Program Headlines V- J Day Program Locally Hurried plans were being made Monday for observance of V-J Day in Plattsmouth. The Business Men's Ad club, American Legion, and churches were planning spec ial observance for the time when President Truman will officially proclaim V-J Day. That - time might be hours, perhaps days, after the surren der has been announced, since the president will not make a V-J Day proclamation until the actual signing by Japanese emissaries if they sign. John Bissing, vice-president of the Ad club said that if the an nouncement is made before noon, stores will close the rest of that day. If the proclamation comes after noon stores will close the rest of that day and all the next. If the proclamation comes on Sunday stores will remain closed the next day, Bissing said. The Ad club sets the closing days for Plattsmouth for both its own organization and the chamber of commerce, it was pointed out. Plans had not been completed by the ministerial association Monday but it was believed prob able that they would observe V-J Day with special church service at 8 p. m. of the day proclaimed, at the Methodist church. No special observance will be held by the Catholic churches of the city, Father Tuchek said. Holy Rosary church is undergoing re pairs and Msgr. Agius of St. Hohn's church is out of the city. The American Legion has ar ranged a special observance at the Cass theater for one hour after the fire siren announces the victory proclamation. The Legion service will be in the spirit of thanksgiving to God for victory in the Pacific, and asking divine guidance in the pres ervation of world peace, the Leg ion announced. The program will be held here at the Cass theater one hour after the fire siren announces the news that war with Japan is ended, pro vided the announcement comes before 6 p. m. In case the news comes after 6 p. m. the program will be held the following morn ing at 9:00 a. m. If the announce ment should come on a Sunday morning the service will be held at 1:30 p. m. All churches will be open for prayer during the day. All business houses will be closed in accordance with the fed eral suggestion. The Legion Program: Presenta tion of colors by Legion color guard; ''Star Spangled Banner" led by Frank Cloidt; Invocation, Rev. J. W. Taenzler; Roll of lo cal service men and women who (Turn to Page 2. Number 3) False Flash Sets Off Celebrations In U. S., Canada NEW YORK, (U.R) Hugh Bail lie, president of the United Press Sunday night offered $5,000 re ward for the identification and conviction of the person who fed into the U. P. wire system short ly after 9:30 p. m. a false flash saying Japan had accepted the allies' surrender terms. The UP immediately reported the case to the federal bureau of investigation and the federal com munications commission. Charles R. Denny, general counsel of the F. C.C. said he would be glad to have all available information on the case. The flash was fed into the UP's southern w?re system at 9:34 (cwt) o'clock Sunday night. It carried a Washington dateline and said the Japanese had accepted the surrender terms. Within two minutes the U. P ascertained that the flash had not originated in its Washing ton bureau. A kill on the flash was then sent, but the erron eous information already had been broadcast by some radio stations. Shortly after 10 p. m. Charles G. Ross, White House secretary, issued this statement: "President Truman went to bed about an hour ago. If anything comes in he'll be notified. There is absolutely no word of truth in the report that the president has announced that Japan has accept ed the allied surrender terms." The flash set off celebrations in some places. In Washington a crowd of 7,000 in front of the White House sang patriotic songs. In New York whistles blew and motorists sounded their horns. A speech which Prime Minister Mackenzie King had prepared for the day of victory over Japan was broadcast by transcription in Can ada. Two Hundred Attend Community Sing Here Nearly 200 attended the com munity sing on the lawns of the Masonic home here Sunday even ing. Songs were lead by Lester Thimgan with Mrs. Jess Hodge accompanying at the piano. Slides were used to project the words of the songs on a screen. William Evers used his screen and pro jector, which were set up on the east side of the home. Caldwell's loud speaker system was used. Special numbers were given by a quartet composed of Mr. Ed gar Glaze, Mrs. Earl Carr, Mrs. Edgar Newton, and Miss Ethel McCamley. They sang "Slumber Boat" and "Irish Lullaby". A trumpet solo ''Holy City" was giv en by Ruth Nelson. Another community sing is planned for next Sunday. ZURICH (UP). Communications with Japan were functioning normally Monday but it was under stood no communication from Tokyo to the allies had been transmitted. (The FCC quoted the Swiss radio at Schwarzen burg as reporting at 6:30 a. m. (cwt) that no reply had been received from Tokyo up to that time. Swiss of ficials were said to be standing by ready to relay any commu.nnication with utmost dispatch. BERN (U.P.) An authorative Swiss source said Monday night that the Japanese statement that the allied reply had been received in Toyko only Monday was not correct and that the reply actually had been in Japanese hands since Sunday morning. WASHINGTON (U.P.) The hours and the war dragged on Monday. At 1:15 p. m. nearly 52 hours after the allied reply to Japanese surrender offer had been dispatched, the White House had received no official word of acceptance from Tokyo. White House secretary Charles G. Ross said the al lies had placed no time limit for an answer to the noto dispatched at 10:35 a. m. (ewt) Saturday. Asked whether a third atomic bomb would be dropped on Japan if no report were forthcoming soon, he said: "I do not know. If I did I wouldn't say." The Chinese ambassador Dr. Wei Tao Maing, con ferred with president Truman briefly shortly after 10:30 a. m. (cwt) and told reporters later he person ally believed that the "good news will come at any moment." Asked on what he based his belief, he re plied: "On many things, but I'd better not say. But it will come I believe it will come." Ross noted a Tokyo broadcast that the allied commun ication arrived in the enemy capital on Monday Japan ese time. (Monday in Tokyo begins when it is about noon Sunday here.) "If that is true," he said, "they have had our terms only 14 hours." "But," he added in apparent reference " "to the fact that the allied reply I has been repeatedly short waved Last-Minute BULLETINS CHUNGKING, (U.R) A spok esman for Generalissimo Chaign Kci Shek has warned the Jap anese that they will be held ac countable if they surrender their arms to Chinese commun ists. The warning followed Chaing's sharp command Sun day to Chinese communist lead ers over whom he has only nom inal control, to "remain at their Posts and wait for further dir ections." SAN FRANCISCO, (U.R) Af ter nearly five years of service Col. James Roosevelt has ac cepted a release to inactive sta tus because of a recurring stomach disorder, the marine corps announced Monday. PARIS, (U.R) Defense coun cil in the trial of Henri Philippe Petain charged Monday that the fallen leaders of the third re. public were seeking the aged marshal's death to cover their own responsibility in the de feat of France. CHUNGKING, (U.R) The Chinese government, in appar ent expectation of an imminent Japan surrender has appointed mayors for the occupied cities of Shanghai, Peiping, Tientsin and Nanking, it was learned in reliable quarters Monday. WASHINGTON, (U.R) The Office of Prce Administration said Monday that it had stopped printing on 50,000,000 new ra tion books and 37,000,000 new "A" gasoline ration books. The agency said the hold-up order was issued Friday and would be in effect "until we see where we are about the end of th war." By United Press The Japanese Dome! news agency said Monday that the mayor of Hiroshima and two other high government officials (Turn to Page 2, Number 4) to Japan, "they certainly knew what was in our terms.'' Mean while, the allies were prepared to unleash unprecedented blows against the Japanese if they de cide to stall indefinitely. More atomic bombs are ready for use. President Truman waited at the White House for the news which would mean that World War II was over except for the final formality of signing the sur render articles. At No. 10 Downing Street in London, Prime Minister Clement Attlee went to work early to be ready for the expected word that Japan was ready to endorse her defeat. In Switzerland where the Japanese message will be re layed to Washington communi cations were functioning norm ally and no delay was antici pated when the time comes. A radio service message from Tokyo to Switzerland intercepted by the federal communications commission at 12:20 a. m. cwt., Monday indicated that the Japan ese reply to last Saturday' sur render note shortly would be on the way. "Still coming," the message said. "Please wait. How are re ceiving conditions?" Meantime the war goes on. The White House announced that President Truman will not proclaim V-J day until the tar render articles are signed by Japan's emissaries. Presidential Secretary Charles G. Ross estimated that two or three days might elapse between receipt of Japan's surrender agreement and signature of the articles assuming that the little men do surrender. There is abun dant confidence here that Japan will quit now. Democratic leaders have agreed to recall congress from vacation recess on September 4 or 5. Re conversion plans and legislation are lagging far behind events. Congress must move quickly to cope with domestic problems mostly the problem of unemploy ment. ' Surrender signatures will be af fixed somewhere in the Pacific Manila, Okinawa, or, perhaps, aboard one of the vessels of Ad miral William F. Halsey's brawl ing third fleet.