La Grande Observer from La Grande, Oregon • Page 1

Gen. Stilwell Relieved Of Far East Con Command and WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (UP) Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell has been relieved as U.

S. commander in the Far East in a sensational move which, the United Press learned, stemmed fiom a direct demand by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek that he be. removed. that Stilwell had been relieved of his Announcement Far Eastern duties and recalled to Washington came from the White House without elaboration. From other sources, however, the United Press learned that Chiang had requested the action because of long-broiling difference of opinion with Stilwell on basic concepts of command matters and on how the Far Eastern war should be conducted.

It was the first time a U. S. four-star general a rank to which Stilwell was promoted only Aug. 1-had been relieved of his command in this war. Commands Are Divided His recall also marked a shakeup in both the U.

S. and allied command setups in the Far East. Stilwell had been commander of U. S. forces ChinaBurma-India theater; chief of staff to Chiang; and deputy to British Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, commander of the allied southeast Asia command.

He was relieved of all those posts. Henceforth, U. S. forces in the area will be divided into two separate commands. The China theater will be commanded by Major-Gen.

A. C. Wedemeyer, who has been deputy chief of staff to Mountbatten and is widely known as a tactician. Wedemeyer also was named by Chiang as his chief of staff. American forces in the newly-created Burma-India theater will be commanded by Lt.

Gen. Daniel I. Sultan, who was deputy commander, under Stilwell, of the now-dissolved C-B-I theater. Slated for Important Post After the White House announcement the war department stated that Stilwell "will be given a new and important, but at among Chinese leaders over allied inability to pour large quanpresent, undisclosed assignment." The war department said tities of military supplies into China. that Stilwell had been recalled to Washington "in view of the On the other hand, some American military experts have decision to divide the China-Burma-India theater into two felt that abler leadership of China's military manpower and smaller theaters." more efficient use of such supplies as were available would The dramatic announcement of Stilwell's recall revealed that have produced more effective results against the Japanese.

the long-simmering difficulties between China and her western allies had to head in most drastic' fashion. Had the best use been made of what China had, these persons come a One report was that Stilwell had requested that he be placed felt, it might have been possible to save the six American airin charge of all forces in Chinese fields which have been lost to the enemy and to have China, including now operunder to this felt that vented the cutting off of four additional fields from all supply ating Chiang. Stilwell, according report, the Chinese forces could be welded into a more effective fight- except by air. ing machine than they are now. If this was true, his request Major-Gen.

Claire Chennault, commander of the U. S. 14th might well have been the final straw that precipitated Chiang's air force in China, was reported to feel that despite these losses, decision to request his recall. the U. S.

could continue to do an effective job against the JapChinese Leaders Discontented anese in China by concentrating on air efforts, Differences with The showdown developed against a background of discontent Stilwell on this point were reported to be a factor in the crisis. A Community VENING Weather Member of the Forecast Minimum for Sunday: ...35 For Every Grande Observer ver ..76 Newspaper Temperatures for 24-hour peLa riod ending at 7 a.m. today: Family OF NORTHEASTERN OREGON dy, Eastern mild. Oregon: Partly clouUnion and Wallowa Covaties ESTABLISHED 1896 LA GRANDE, OREGON SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 28, 1944 FIVE CENTS Abandonment Of Leyte By Enemy Expected As Yanks Dominate Samar Japanese Defense Of Philippines Disintegrates New British Victory Tightens Allied Hold On Nazis In Holland of Bergen Op Zoom, one of the in the area, but yielded Meijel attack. Though the German counterthrust dented the eastern side of the British corridor into The Netherlands, front dispatches said it had failed utterly to ease British pressure rapidly crumbling enemy lines between the Maas and the Schelde estuary in the west.

Bergen Op Zoom, four miles north of the Beveland peninsula and possible coastal anchor of the nazi line, fell to the 1st Canadian army, which pressed on several hundred yards to the north toward the Holland Diep. Other British Empire forces opened a two-pronged drive on Breda, central anchor of the enemy line and the last large southwest Holland town still firmly in German hands. One column seized Zundert, eight miles southwest on the highway from Antwerp, while the other slashed across the highway connecting it with Tilburg, 13 miles to the east. Latest front reports said British Empire forces had surrounded and were fighting through the center of Tilburg. On the north shore of the Schelde estuary, Canadian forces pushed across the Bevelandsch canal miles southwest of Bergen Op Zoom to within six miles or less of a junction with British troops who steadily were reinforcing and enlarging their beachhead on the southeast coast of Beveland itself.

last two enemy in the east to a nazi counter- SUPREME HEADQUARTERS, AEF, Paris, Oct. 28 (UP) -British Empire forces tightened their trap on 50,000 or more Germans in southwest Holland today with the capture 'Forgotten Fronts' CHANNEL ENGLISH. CHERBOURG Americans, Poles, FFI, BREST Spaniards, Russians and Czechs hold Allied line around German-held port areas. LORIENT 25,000 Loire River ST. NAZAIRE 30,000 NANTES FRANCE ILE DE RE ILE D'LERON: 12,000 or dog ne R.

BAY OF BORDEAUX BISCAY Gironde Miles R. 100 Map above shows the "forgotten fronts" of France, the port areas where an estimated 67,000 of Germany's toughest troops still hold out. Germans in St. Nazaire prevent allies from using the port of Nantes and the Loire river, while those holding out in the islands near Bordeaux deny that great port and the Gi- ronde river to the allies. German commander is Lt.

Gen. Wilhelm Farmbacher, noted as a fanatic for resistance. Establishment of Cannery Studied Post-war establishment of a cannery in Union county was being considered here this morning, County agent R. W. Schaad announced.

H. L. Stevens of Chicago and W. C. Watkins of Seattle, representatives of the Continental Can company, conferred with Schaad and Price Schroeder, assistant county agent, today.

The visitors toured the entire valley to view first hand the prospects for a successful commercial cannery, Schaad said. Woman Endangered By Bomb Explosion SEATTLE, Oct. 28 (UP)-Two elderly women in the High Point housing project in west Seattle narrowly missed serious injury last night when the blast of a crude but powerful gaspipe bomb sent a steel fragment hurtling into house. Reported by police to have been fashioned by youths gaged in gang rivalry over the aGase of a playground, the bomb exploded near the fence of the project's child center and sent crashing, the front glass of me house 1000 feet the room were Mrs. F.

L. a Ack San, 70, and Mrs. Fred Garlick, 60. Shipyard Strife Delays Work on War, Cargo Vessels SAN FF A CISCO, Oct. 28 (UP) Nineteen military and cargo vessels were tied up today in San Francisco Bay area shipyards by a jurisdictional dispute between AFL machinists and steamfitters.

AFL international officers were scheduled to meet in Washington Monday in an attempt to settle the controversy. It was reported meantime that machinists of lodge 68, San Francisco, and local 1304, Oakland, CIO, returned to their jobs of five ships, including three navy craft, at General Engineering Co. yards both here and in Alameda. The stoppages was caused by a dispute between the machinists and steamfitters' local 590 over which union's members should perform valve installation and certain pipe work. Axis Occupation Costs to France Is $18,920,000,000 PARIS, Oct.

28 (UP)-- Axis occupation cost France 946 billion francs ($18,920,000,000 at the present rate of exchange), first official estimates revealed today. The estimate compared with 164 billion francs as France's price in the first world war. The bulk of the cost represented France's contribution to the army of occupation, which Germany cashed until August 21, 1944, at the rate of 500 mililon francs per day during the last 20 months of occupation and 1 billion francs paid monthly to Italy, which Germany has cashed since the Italian armistice. Football Results CHAMPAIGN, Oct. 28 (UP)-Notre Dame kept its victory intact today by scoring a touchdown in the closing minutes to overcome an Illinois lead and defeat the Illini, 13 to 7, before a crowd of 65,000.

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 28-A heavily reinforced Navy eleven snapped youthful Penn's win streak of three games today with a 26-0 victory before a sellout crowd of 73,000 at Franklin field. Navy scored once in the first and third periods and twice in the final quarter. ANN ARBOR, 'Oct. 28 (UP)- Michigan turned what was expected to be a close football game into 8 near-rout today ripping Purdue's line almost at will and outplaying the Boilermakers in every department for an easy 40-14 victory.

STATE COLLEGE, Oct. 28 (UP)-The West Virginia Mountaineers scored an upset today when they defeated Penn State, 28-27, before 6000 football fans at Beaver field. NEW HAVEN, Oct. 28 (UP)-Yale's Bulldogs kept comwith the perfect record pany football teams of the east today by defeating Rochester 32 to 0 for their fourth straight gictory. BOSTON, Oct.

28 (UP)-Boston college defeated Syracuse university 19 to 12 today in the rain and cold at Fenway park to win its third game in four starts before fewer than 5000 shivering fans. See FOOTBALL Page 5 Young Patriot While picturesque partisan fighters look on, a British paratrooper pins a Union Jack brassard on the arm of a young Greek patriot who helped them when they landed from U. S. planes at Megara. Great Artillery Battle Launched By Soviets Along Baltic Front LONDON, Oct.

28 (UP) Bulgaria has accepted the allied armistice terms, radio Moscow announced today. MOSCOW, Oct. 28 (UP) said today that the Germans zer and Grenadier divisions Gumbinnen-Insterburg gateway counter-attacking upward of 13,000 Executions Laid to Nazis LONDON, Oct. 28 -More than 13,000 persons were executed and their bodies cremated by Germans at the notorious Vught concentration camp during nazi occupation of Holland, dispatches from Holland said today, following liberation of Vught township by British troops. The dispatches said that 35,000 Dutch had been imprisoned at the camp at one time under apalling conditions but that Dutch Red Cross workers were permitted to enter after Adolf Hitler had made a personal inspection.

More than 3,000 prisoners were reported shot between June and September, 1944. In addition to those executed many other prisoners died as the result of cruel treatment. Peace Disturbers Sought by Police Peace officers were called to 1305 avenue last night on the complaint of Grace Daron and other occupants thie address, which is owned by the county, that they had been assaulted and the building defaced by having the windows broken and the doors kicked in. An investigation was made this morning by the grand jury. The names of the persons accused were withheld pending their arrest.

Jap Fleet Losses In Great Pacific Battle Increase PEARL HARBOR, Oct. 28 (UP) -The unofficial toll of Japanese warships sunk or damaged in the battle of the Philippines rose today to between 40 and 42-including five battleships almost certainly wrecked and the stage appeared set for triumphant communique detailing one of the greatest American sea victories in history. In addition to 10 enemy warships reported sunk, 14 to 16 probably sunk and 16 damaged, three merchantmen in one of the fleeing task force probably were blasted to the bottom in the South China sea by China-based bombers to bring the grand total for the four-day air-sea battle of 43 to 45 enemy ships hit. A later communique from American army headquarters. in Chungking said China-based Liberators nad sunk a Japanese destroyer and damaged another, a tanker a cargo vessel 75 miles east of Luichow peninsula in the South China sea, but did not indicate whether these vessels also were part of the enemy fleet withdrawing from the Philippines.

(Tokyo broadcasts heard in London claimed that 108 American warships and transports had been sunk or damaged in Leyte Bay, while 72 others were hit in other engagements off Formosa and the Philippines.) A navy communique issued in Washington yesterday listed only American sea losses in the battle as six warships sunk--the light carrier Princeton, two escort carriers, two destroyers and a destroyer escort. Death Summons Pioneer Resident Carl Patrick Edvalson, 73, for many years a resident of Union, died at 4 a.m. today in a local hospital, following an extended illness. He was born in Sweden September 9, 1871, and had lived in the Grande Ronde valley 35 years. He was a member of the Latter Day Saints church.

Survivors include his widow, Cecelia; seven sons, Theodore, Arnold, and Rulan, of Union, Carl of Ogden, Utah, Herman of Baker; Willard of Lakeview, and John, now in France with the U. S. army; five daughters, Celia Crossan of Lebanon, Esther Edvalson of Union, Stella Edvalson Newark, N. Edna Edvalson of Washington, D. and Ada Edvalson of Portland, and several grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later. Allies Occupy Isle In Mediterranean ROME, Oct. 28 (UP) Allied amphibious troops have occupied the Mediterranean island of Piscopis northeast of Rhodes, a communique reported today. Headquarters also revealed that British warships bombarded the island of Melos, in the Cyclades group north of Crete, on Thursday. Torrential rains have bogged down all operations on the Italian front, halting both the 5th and 8th army drive from the south and east against Bologna.

BERLIN BOMBED AGAIN LONDON, Oct. 28 (UP)-RAF Mosquito bombers raided Berlin twice during the and also hit western Germany, the air I ministry anounced, today. All planes returned safely. GENERAL MacARTHUR'S HEADQUARTERS, Oct. 28 (UP) American invasion forces raced up the west coast of Samar to within nearly 65 miles of Luzon and 320 miles of Manila today and Gen.

Douglas MacArthur an-. nounced that the Japanese all along the 80-mile Philippines front were bordering on "complete disorganization and disintegration." Dismounted elements of the 1st cavalry division already were 10 miles beyond Catbalogan, liberated capital of Samar, after a 32-mile advance in a little more than 24 hours. With the aid of organized local guerrillas, practically the whole of Samar, third largest island in the Philippines, "is now under our domination," MacArthur reported in a communi- Misrepresentation Laid to Dewey In FDR Speech ABOARD PRES. ROOSEVELT'S TRAIN EN ROUTE TO CHICAGO, Oct. 28 (UP)-Moving through the farm belt where there has been intermittent rebellion against his administration, President Roosevelt indicated to a big train-side audience at Fort Wayne, today that he would continue his active fourth term campaign right up to election day.

Mr. Roosevelt implied again that Gov. Thomas E. Dewey was misrepresenting campaign issues. He spoke briefly at Fort Wayne en route from Philadel-, phia, where he accused Republican campaigners of putting party above country and patriotism, to Chicago, where he speaks in Soldier Field tonight.

His aides said he would propose to business tonight certain taxation inducements toward fulltime postwar employment. Republicans are, irritated by his campaigning, Mr. Roosevelt told the Indiana crowd. Last night in Philadelphia Mr. Roosevelt charged Republican campaigners with "deliberate and indefensible" efforts to put party advantage above patriotism.

They had done that, he said, by implying that congress would not cooperate hereafter with a Democratic president in an effort to set up world peace guarantees. Ten Tons of Scrap Paper Collected Ten tons of scrap paper collected in the house to house canvas conducted yesterday by junior chamber of commerce members. Their pickups were continued today to obtain paper that was not ready for collection yesterday. The paper was loaded in a box car along with the 11 tons received from recent collections by school children. If enough scrap paper is not collected today to fill the second car what there is will be shipped with paper collected in Elgin.

Money received from sale of the paper will be used by the juror chamber of commerce for community projects. ATTEND UNIONS BITES Several rombers of do co. tish Rite of Freemasonry 9:01 this area attended the degree work at Baker last They and others to go to Baker thisOvening for a ilar program. que. The speedy advance carried to Bel with 57 dino miles Strait, of narrow "separ an Sal from Luzon and or of two ship passages through the central Philippines.

It was in San Bernardino Strait and adjacent waters off Samar that one of the three Japanese naval forces which challenged the American fleet came to grief earlier this week. Leyte Hold Tightened East Prussian front dispatches had several crack paninto a roaring battle for the to Konigsberg and they were 20 times a day. (The German high command said the "great battle in the East Prussian border areas continues to rage." The heaviest fighting yesterday, it said, was east and southeast of Gumbinnen and on the western fringe of Romintern Heath. "The Berlin communique reported that other Russian forces opened a large scale offensive cast and southeast of Liepja (Libau) Latvian port 50 miles north of Memel, but "break through attempts were prevented by determined Gen. Ivan D.

Cherniakhovky's troops, supported by new 24-barrel Katushas and artillery massed to a density averaging one big gun for each yards, were beating down the counter-blows, slowly but steadily broadening the front between the Masurian lakes and the Baltic, and deepening the westward penetration. The Russian vanguard slugged forward within 10 miles or less of the Inster river which angles through Insterburg and threatened Gumbinnen from the northeast and southeast. Dispatches said the, Germans were losing upward of 60 per cell of their effectives in some sectors as they counter-attacked repeatedly but only succeeded in slowing down the Soviet juggernaut. AIR SECRECY LIFTED PORTLAND, Oct. 28 (UP)-The secrecy of installations at Portland-Columbia airport was temporarily lifted today for the benefit of 90 state school officials and instructors from Oregon's secondary schools who wished to learn first-hand about latest airport and airline facilities, On Leyte, just southwest of Samar, other American forces lengthened their hold on the east and north coasts to at least 65 miles and were pursuing the beaten, decimated enemy garrison toward the west coast and into the mountain ranges paralleling the Leyte valley on the southwest.

There was some evidence that the Japanese may be preparing to abandon Leyte except for suicidal rear guard resistance. American patrol -torpedo boats, boldly dashing into the Camotes sea under cover of darkness, sank 10 enemy barges loaded with troops and two coastal freighters in Ormoc Bay on the west coast of Leyte. It was not immediately clear, however, whether the troops were leaving the island or landing to reinforce the garrison. Gen. Shiro Makino's infamous Japanese 16th division, which marshalled American, war prisoners in the "march of from Bataan in 1942, already has been "thoroughly defeated" on Leyte, MacArthur said.

He estimated Japanese ground casualties in the first week of fighting on Leyte at 14,045, practically half the enemy's entire strength on the island, while American casualties were 518 killed, 139 missing and 1,503 wounded. Dewey Declares Farm Program Is Political Football SYRACUSE, N. Oct. 28 (UP)- Gov. Thomas E.

Dewey accused the Roosevelt administration today of exploiting its farm programs "for political profit and to gain control over the operation of our farms," and promised that a Republican victory in November would bring stabilized prices and "freedom from dictation and control." He denounced what he called "the scarcity theories and shrinking economy of the new deal years." He warned that the "farm and food problems of the United States are inseparable," and that "neither will be solved un-, til all our people are well and our agriculture is stabilized on a par with industry and labor." Dewey declared there is "no hope" of achieving such results under the Roosevelt administration because it had been in office nearly eight years in 1940, the new deal had still failed to achieve anything like fair prices for farm products." took a war to get decent farm prices, just as it took war to, get Dewey charged. He linked the failure what he said was quarrelir and bickering over overlapping responsibility as well as ity to stabilize agriculture on par with industry and labor. Navy Hospital Fire Cost Is High FARRAGUT, Idaho, Oct. 28 (UP) Damages from a fire which swept one wing of a hospital worker barracks at the naval training center here early yesterday and took the life of a WAVE were estimated today by Capt. H.

F. Harding, hospital commandant, at between $7000 and $10,000. The 150 WAVES and civilian employes who had lived in the barracks were moved to. a new barracks building which had just been completed. MIRES BURREU CLOSES ALBANY, Oct.

28 (UP) -The 6 bureau of mines station ab has been obo and its activities 0: 00 to the Northwest OlOtro De O0 Dient laboratory in AllOny, Dr. Bruce A Rogers, director the bucaru's institution here, said today..