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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 1945)
Ik N cbr' Hrkal Society VOL. NO. LXI PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1945 NO. 65 1 1 I WPB Gives Civilian Goods 'Go Ahead' For Full Blast Reconversion and Full Employment in Next 12 to 18 Months WASHINGTON, OI.R) The war production board Thursday put into force its "sky's the limit'' reconversion plan. The aim: to provide full employment within the next 12 to 18 months and a standard of living 50 per cent higher than the American people have ever known. Wartime shackles on Industry were being lipped off in whole sale lots. WPB Chief J. A. Krug pro mised that by next week-end all but 30 or 40 of WPB's 400 or ders will be lifted. Only those are being retained that will as sure orderly and fair distribu tion of critically tight materials such as tin. rubber, textiles, and lumber. And these are coming off as soon a possible. Thousands of munitions work ers men and women who onlv a few days ago were soldiers of the production line already have joined the army of unemployed, which is expected to swell from its present total of 1,100,000 to 8,000,000 by next sprirrg. There will be many thousands more out of jobs in the coming weeks. Bv Thanksgiving some 5,- 000,000 are expected to be unem ployed. From all points of the country came word of plant closings and accompanying unemployment as the result of mass war contract cancellations. At Kansas City, the North American aircraft plant was ordered to stop making B-25 Billy Mitchell bombers, ana offic ials said 3,000 workers would be laid off Monday and another 2, 000 on Tuesday. The bell aircraft plant at Marietta, Ga., producers of B 29 Superfortresses, also report ed getting notices of contract termination. So did the big Bell and Whitney engine plant t Kansas City. These were typical of the hun dreds of war plants affected by cutbacked orders which will reach approximat e 1 y $.35,000,000,000 within weeks. One of the first things' WPB (Turn to Page 5, Number 1) Senators Strike At Service Plan For Discharging WASHINGTON. (U.R) The armed forces tackled their huee demobilization problem Thursday with plans to release about P.000 000 uniformed men and vvomen within the next eighteen months. The army, navy, marines and coast guard made public demob ilization schedules aimed at re ducing the biggest military force in the nations history perhaps twice as vast as it was assembled. Priority so far as transporta tion and military requirements permit will go to men and wom en with records of service in war zones. Here's the picture presented by the services: Army Hopes to discharge 5, 000,000 personnel in the next 12 months under the point sys tem inaugurated three months a go. President Truman thinks it might represent 5,500,000. Navy plans to release 1,500, 000 men and women within 18 months under a point system somewhat similar to the army's, Marines will make discharges under a point system identical with the army's including the 'cri- tical" score of 85. No estimates on the number eligible for release. Coast Guard will be demobil ized under the navy's point system but no figure was set on the rate of discharges to be expected. Senator Homer Ferguson, (R.) Mich., challenged the idea of drafting men in the 18-26 age group to relieve battle vet erans from occupational duty. He contended that occupation is a task for "mature profess, ional sold'ers rather than im mature boys of 18 or 19." Ferguson and Senator Harold H. Burton. Ohio, also protested the announcement of Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson that the army will keep its "critical" score of 85 on point discharges for the time being. Last-Minute BULLETINS SAN FRANCISCO, (U.R) The Chungking radio, monitor ed by FCC, Thursday quoted the newspaper Ta Kung Pao as saying that it was reported that American troops have landed in Shanghai. There was no con firmation of the report from any reliable quarter. ANKARA, (U.R) The Turk ish assembly ratified hte unit ed nations charter Thursday. (Before taking action the depu ties analyzed the charter's re lationship to the Atlantic char ter and paid special tribute to the late President Roosevelt. CHUNGKING, (U.R) Chin ese legislative Yuan unanimous ly ratified the united nations charter Thursday. WASHINGTON, (U.R) The office of defense transportation Thursday relaxed its restric tions on conventions. The ODT said that its war committee on conventions decided to allow the holding of conventions with an out-of-town attendance of (Turn to page 4, Number 8) Arrests Made in Dynamite Mystery Near Louisville Complaint has been filed in fed eral court at Omaha against Rich ard and Ralph Nielsen, and How ard Thomas, Omaha youths, char ging them with possession of dy namite as a result of an FBI in vestigation of dynamite explos ions near Louisville last Sunday. A gravel worker reported the license number of a car which he had seen at his gravel pit. and the FBI followed his tip to make the arrest. The car, the FBI said, belonged to Richard Nielsen, a University of Colorado student. Found hidden "in the youth's home was a veritable arsenal of machine guns, rifles, pistols and ammunition said to have been tak een from the university armory at Boulder, and other radio and technical equipment, according to the FBI. The loot was estimat ed to be worth about $4,000. The nine cases of dynamite re covered by local officers had dis appeared from supply stores of an equipment firm at Boulder, it was learned. The two Nielsens, the other of whom is a high school student, pleaded guilty and were bound over to the federal grand jury. The Thomas youth's hearing was continued until early next week and bond set at $1,000. Political Skeletons Start Rattling As Smoke Clears from Battlefield WASHINGTON, (U.R) The home front is coming into its own today and domestic political disputes are fused to go off in a series of nation-shaking explosions from this moment right on through the 1948 presidential campaign. Labor, tax, spending and reconversion problems all are loaded. President Truman is on his own now. The war imposed a partial political truce here. It checked controversy, curbed tongues and balked some opposition efforts to challenge administration conduct. Top priority in the republi can effort to look behind the scenes at the administrative conduct of the war in Washing ton probably will be given to an investigation of the Pearl Haibor disaster of Dec. 7, 1941. Public opinion refused to sup port anti-administration investi gation demands during the war. Military leaders explained they could not detach from active ser vice the officers who would have to testify. The public recognized (Turn to Page 5, Number 2) President Proclaims Sunday as'Day of Prayer for Victory WASHINGTON, OJ.R) Presi dent Truman Thursday proclaimed next Sunday as a day of prayer and thanksgiving for the allies' victory in World War II. The day of prayer, Truman in dicated, will be separate and dis tinct from V-J day, .which will come by .another presidential proclamation nee Japan has signed the instruments of sur render. Under questioning, Truman said he felt Americans will have had their victory holidays Wed nesday and Thursday, and there fore he did not envisage V-J it self as a day free from work for the nation. The president, commenting on the day of prayer, remarked that after two days of celebrating Americans needed a day to pray. Hailing the victory over the axis, Truman's proclamation call ed upon Americans of all faiths to "unite in offering their thanks to God for the victory we have won, and in praying that He will support and guide us into the paths of peace." Alamito Buys Storys niilk and Cream Business Ray Story has sold his retail and wholesale milk and cream business, and dairy equipment to the Alamito dairy of Omaha, it was announced Thursday. Story will continue to operate the re tail store and ice cream business of the Home Dairy for the time being, he said Thursday. He will continue to operate Kent's also, he added. James Bridgewater of Platts- mouth has been named local man ager for Alamito, L. H. Hanson and J. P. Muller owners of the firm, announced. Regulations of the ODT will be followed and de liveries made to homes every other day, they said. Under the new ownership milk and other dairy products, will be brought to Plattsmouth daily in re frigerated hauling equipment by Alamito. In the past, Story said, he had been unable to handle the products with that type of equip ment, which was one reason for the sale of the business. "We'll deliver the same quality milk in Plattsmouth that we have been selling Omaha for the past 40 years," Muller said Thursday The firm will also wholesale and retail its by-products such as chocolate milk, orangeade, butter milk, homogenized vitamin D milk, standard homogenized milk, cot tage cheese ,butter and others, Hanson said. Home delivery "and wholesale delivery to all grocers will be in charge of Bridgewater, according to Hanson. The new owners completed the transaction here Thursday and have taken possession of the business. Treasury Plans Last Bond Drive WASHINTON, OJ.R) The treasury was making plans "Thurs day for a gigantic "Victory" bond drive to help meet huge costs of demobilization contract cancella tions and other expenses incident to war. Secretary of the treasury Fred M. Vinson, called all state war finance leaders to a meeting here Saturday to plan a drive for raising from $10,000,000,000 to $14,000,000,000. The end of the war has not ended the government's large war born expenditures, Vinson said There are millions of men over seas and billions of dollars will be needed to bring them home Money is also needed to meet mustering-out pay, costs of caring for the disabled, and fo other expenses of the war, he said. (Turn to page 4, "Number 7) Japan 1 Fighting Higashi-fai Ordered to Form SAN FRANCISCO, (U.R) Emperor Hirohito Thursday or dered Gen. Prince Naruhiko Higa-shi-Kuni, uncle of the Empress Nagako, to form a new Japanese cabinet a selection the emperor apparently hoped would satisfy the allies. The official Japanese agency Domei said the premier-designate was expected to complete by Thursday a full cabinet, replac ing Premier Kantaro Suzuki's government which resigned Wed nesday. It was the first time in Japan's history that a member of the imperial family has been commanded to head the govern ment. Domei said the prince establish ed his "cabinet organization head quarters" at 3:25 p. m., in a de tached palace in Tokyo. Hirohito "personally took the decision" without consulting the senior statesmen' when he se lected Higachi Kuni to succeed Suzuki, the Japanese broadcast said. Domei added that such an un usual step "indicated that his majesty regards the present situ ation as one of unprecedented im portance in our national history." The dispatch said that the form er premier Prince Fumimaro Kon- oye, Suzuki's agriculture and commerce minister, Tadatsu Tshi- guro, and transportation minis ter, Naoto Kobiyama, as well as vice minister for war, Lt. Gen. Tadaichi Wakamatsu had visited the prince's headquarters and are believed to have agreed to join the new cabinet.'' Another broadcast reported that two other Suzuki cabinet members navy minister Admiral Mitsumasa Yonai and chief of the legislative bureau Chokuyo Murace, had visited Higashi Kuni and were "believed to have been appointed members of the new cabinet." Higashi-Kuni probably was chosen by Hirohito because the emperor felt that his royal blood and his record as a soldier might make him acceptable to the occu pation forces. The emperor, it was believed, apparently hoped that the de mands of Gen. Douglas MacAr- thur, as supreme allied command er, might be better understood and carried out by a military man ... than by a new premier with a purely civilian backgroud. The portfolio of foreign affairs Tokyo said, might be given either to Mamoru Shigemitsu, who held the post in the former cabinet of Gen. Kuniaki Koiso, or to Hach iro Arita, foreign minister in 1936-37 and again in 1938-40. Arito was said to hold the inside track. Arita, who is 61, is a graduate of the Tokyo imperial university and learned American ways as first secretary for the Japanese Washington embassy in 1921. He also served as ambassador to Bel gium in 1934-36 and as ambassa dor to China in February, 1936. The Japanese doubtless hope that Arita would ease the in evitable friction which, will - arise between the Japanese gov ernment and occupying forces. ' Shigemitsu, who is 56, entered the diplomatic service in 1911. He had a long career in Europe serving first in Germany in 1911, then in England in 1914. "His majesty, the emperor, at 9:30 a. m. today command ed his imperial highness, Prince Naruhiko Higashi-Kuni, to form a new' cabinet, the imperial household ministry announced at 4:15 p. m- today," the broad cast said. " The 58-year-old prince is the eighth son of Prince Asahiko Kuni and is a supreme war councillor. He created the House of Asaka in 1905 and married the late Princess Nobuko, -daughter " of (Turn to Page 5, Number 4) tails lisp atch Continues mmm03 1 '.-sir V-J DAY IN KANSAS CITY Thousands of people parade Kansas City's streets for hours celebrating V-J Day. (NEA End Predicted on Most Rationing Before Christmas WASHINGTON, (U.R) An end of all rationing by Christmas except for sugar, butter and other fats was forecast Thursday as the public cranked up cars for joy rides and put their blue stamps in souvenir books. An informed government source said that cheese and canned fish would be off the ration list and by the end of the month when a new red stamp period starts. Gaso line, fuel oil, canned fruits and vegetables and oil stoves were made point free Wednesday. This source also predicted substantial relaxation of meat rationing in the near future. He said that after early Oc tober, points probably wouldn't be required for low-quality beef cuts and all types of pork. Choice cuts of beef, as well as shoes and tires, will have to stay under controls until late Decem ber when supply comes into bal ance with demand. Removal of butter, fats and oils from the ration list can't be expected before early spring. Sugar remains the scarcest of all foods and will continue to be ra tioned at least until late 1946. War Production Chief J. A. Krug warned Wednesday that the passenger car tire situation will be tight for the next three months. He urged gasoline-happy motor ists not to ''go rushing around the country burning up their tires." Another high official, however, said that production of civilian tires would be "tremendous" af ter hostilities are formally end ed and military needs drop. Well within three months, - he said, needs of the most essential driv ers can be taken care of and non essential drivers will be put on the list. Rationing of truck tires will -ease before it does-for passen (Turn to Page 5, Number .3) THE WEATHER . NEBRASKA- Partly .cloudy Thursday, Thursday night . and Friday xcept light -scattered showers extreme east early Thurs day, and west Thursday night and Friday morning ; slightly warm er Thursday except extreme northwest-with high temperatures ffver state middle to upper 80's. Slightly warmer i, extreme, east; eooler northwest Friday, v of Some war on Telephotoo) Martin Employes Are Awaiting Letters on Status of Their Jobs The Martin-Nebraska plant will be closed the rest of this week, instead of just Wednesday and Thursday, J. T. Hartson, presi dent, announced late Wednesday. The plant will reopen Monday. Meanwhile, letters will be sent to all employes within the next few days giving instructions on whether the individual employe should return to work Monday or call at the plant for termination and checking out. Principal work ordered in the termination notice is to complete fly-away delivery of all airplanes scheduled for August and a por tion of those scheduled for Sep tember, it was said. More Than 133 Warships Struck In Final Assault GUAM, 0J.RJ At least 133 American and British warships including nine battleships and 20 aircraft carriers participated in the third fleet's final air-sea as sault on Japan during the past month, Admiral Chester W. Nim itz announced Thursday. The huge, armada, . totalling more than 1,000,000 tons of war- craft, was the most powerful ever assembled for a single operation. It still was off the Japanese coast awaiting orders to enter the en emy's territorial waters at last reports. A lone Japanese "snooper" plane approached the fleet this morning and was chased away by protective carrier planes. Other Japanese planes attacked the warships Wednesday and five were shot down. Nimitz listed by name. 105 American warships, totalling 956, 000 tons and comprising all. but a handful of the ships launched after Pearl Harbor, and 28 Brit ish warships of . 203,000 tons. Even these, represented only a fraction pf , the total allied naval strength, in the, Pacific ... . In addition to the .main strik ing, forces,, numerous, tankers, ammunition ships, escort carriers, destroyers, , destroyer .escorts and miscellaneous supply ships making up the-American and British ser vice .fleets participated in , the (Turn. to page. 4, Js umber 6) Surrender is Men Nip T , V.1 .... Production of . Atomic Bombs Is Continuing SPOKANE, WASH., (U.R) America had more atomic bombs to unleash on Japan in case she Tefused to surrender, Col. Frank lin Matthias, commanding officer of the Hanford, Wash., atomic bomb project, said Thursday. "We think Japan's delay over the allied surrender terms was caused by suspicions that the two bombs dropped upon Nippon were the only ones in existence," he said. "On: the contrary, atomic bembs still are in production and more could have been dropped." Matthias, head of one of three plants manufacturing the deadly weapon, said that production of the bomb would continue "until congress tells us to quit." ''We at Hanford have 5.000 persons on the payroll and so far have .received no instructions about slowing down production," he said. Workers at the plant, he said, will continue to work even on Sundays and holidays, including V-J day. No relaxation is likely in the secrecy regulations surrounding basic manufacturing processes of the bomb, Matthias said. "It would not even be safe for planes to come close to the plants," he added. The colonel said the main job of the Hanford plant was to separate element U-235 from the metal uranium. He likened the operation to a "transmuta tion cf metal which scientists have ttied for centuries." "It is not exactly accurate, but graphic, to say we started where Einstein left off," he said. . He said the final atomic bombs were assembled in New Mexico "just before the planes take off with them." , : Several : .by . products of the manufacture of. atomic bombs, in cluding plutonium, are being stored,, the colonel revealed, but ''their commercial use is a long way off." COUPLE MARRIED Elsie Lucille Kellison of Platts mouth was married Wednesday morning to Galen Burdell of Men omenie, Wisconsin who is. in, the navy. The ceremony was per form- j ed, by County Judge Paul E. Fauquet y sion as Fronts; Prince Cabinet NEW YORK, (U.R) , A mutual broadcasting system re port from Manila said Thurs day that General Douglas Mac Arthur has accepted the Japan ese explanation for their delay in sending surrender emissaries. MacArthur, the report said, told the Japanese to send the envoys as soon as practicable. He requested that they use a Japanese Zero transport plane similar to the American DC-3. He said he would take steps to acsure the safety of the plane. MANILA, (U.R) Japan stalled the dispatch of her surender mis sion to Manila again Thursday, radioing word to General Douglas MacArthur that Japanese emis saries will not be able to arrive Friday as he ordered. MacAr thurs headquarters said radio Tok yo finally had replied to his broadcast instructions on the sur render negotiations. The Japanese reply complained, however, that they had not been given sufficient time to prepare their delegation and that the en voys could not reach Manila Fri day. However, it said, the emissaries will "take off as soon as possi ble." The broadcast expressed great embarrassment" over the delay, which it ascribed in part to Japan's uncertainty over the type of plane MacArthur want ed them to use. . There was no immediate com ment from MacArthur's head quarters on the new hitch in the negotiations, or on a warning from Tokyo that it would prob ably be 12 days before cease fire orders could reach all of japan's armed forces. An official Okinawa broadcast earlier had said the Japanese del egates probably four in number, would arrive at Ie island near Okinawa between 10 a. m. and 1 p. m. Friday (8 p. m. and 11 p. m. Thursday cwt.) That, however, appeared to be based on MacArthur's instruc tions to the enemy rather than on any definite information receiv ed from Tokyo radio. A Japanese broadcast directed to MacArthur's headquarters said that emperor Hirohito issued his official cease fire order to Jap anese forces at 4 p. m. (2 a. m. cwt.), and is sending members of the imperial family to the fight ing fronts to see that the order is enforced. It said the order should be re ceived by forces in Japan within 48 hours, by forces in China, Man churia and Korea and southern regions except Bougainville, New Guinea and the Philippines, with in six days; Bougainville in 8 days; New Guinea and the Phil ippines in 12 days. The message said, however, that it was "difficult to forsee' exactly when an order would reach all the front line fighting units. The Okinawa statement said fighting units that the Japanese delegates would transfer to an American plane at Ie Shima and then fly south directly to Manila. The Okinawa announcement said the delegation was expected to return to Japan with the sur render terms for emperor Hiro hito, the Japanese government and the imperial family staff Fri day or Saturday. The date and scene of the for mal signing of the terms was not announced. Fighting continued on most Tacific and, far. . eastern battle fronts Thursday. A lone Japan ese "snooper" approached Admir al Wm, F. Halsey's. mighty fleet of 133 warships off the Honshu coast daring the morning but was chased away by carrier planes. The official Japanese Domei news agency broadcast the t an nouncement of Hirohito's "cease (Turn to Page 5,(Number 5) r 4