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Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • Page 1

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Oakland Tribunei
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DELIVERY SERVICE Call your Tribune boy dealer by telephone, if you miss your paper. If you cannot reach hint telephones TE-6000 and everything feasible will be done to correct your service. HO EDITION LU SI Vf ASSOCIATED PRES 1 1 0 0 I 0 0 NtT ft PRESS hi VOL CXLI "Oakland, California, Monday dec. is, 1944 5c DAILY 15c SUNDAY HO. 171 Yanks Meet Nazi Counter Blow; Army Approves Return of Japs Stibs Jap Warships Pacific! Coast Exclusion Order to Be Revoked to Loyal Effective January No Mass Move From New Homes Seen NAVY REVEALS Foe Re-Invades Two Countries More on Page 12 With an attitude of completely calm confidence, Maj.

Gen. Henry Conger Pratt, newly assigned commanding general of the WesternvDefense Command, announced yesterday that Japanese who pass the Government's test of security will be Sallowed to return to California, Oregon and Washington, the area from which they have been excluded since March of 119491 The eeneral made his announcement at an unusual New 'V Weapon Appears on Front a Gen. Von Rundstedr Launches Greatest I German Assault Since Invasion Day PARIS, Dec. 18. (IP)-Lieut.

Gen. Courtney H. Hodges Court Ok's Jap Exclusion High Tribunal Ruling' Sunday press conference in his offices at the Presidio of San Francisco. It- was con-firmed simultaneously in Washington, and promptly touohed off an explosion of words across the continent. "Some groups hotly debated the wisdom of the move, which General Pratt said was made possible by the Pacific.

Others, agreed. it U.S. First Army struck back at advancing German column of infantry and armor in Belgium and Luxembourg today in -a fierce battle jvhich may prove to be one of the most decisive of the war. 1 -Th. AlMedommaiid acceptecLthx baUeiiM of Field Mar- Jaww-a just decision aod urged resj-1 AmAmvA JfcrVe'ceastar aVea tSfK-3 who permitted to nis greatest couftter-onensiVB American troops Europe.

But the situation at the front was reported extremely U. S. US. Agrees To Carving Of Poland Stettinius Says It's 0. if the Nations Concerned Concur WASHINGTON.

Dec. 18. iF) The United States said today it would have no objection to establishment of new Polish frontiers "if mutual agreement is reached by United Nations directly concerned." Secretary tf State Stettinius laid deiwirir TaaSfeaftB? in a state ment-handed a.t Js news cotr-ference, The phrase ''United dt- rtctly concerned" was not defined, but presumably would apply pri marily to the Polish Govemment-in- Exile. the only Polish regime recog nized by either this country orGreat Britain. Or it might apply to a suc cessor regime.

Stettinius' three-point policy dec laration was given out after he conferred separately- with the British ambassador, the Earl of Halifax, and Continued Page 2, Col. 4 $300,000 Involved in Uptown Realty Sale Purchase of the property at the southwest corner of Broadway and Hobart Street by the 'Money-Back Smith Company, at a price an nounced as close to $300,000, was disclosed today. The property was acquired as an investment from the Hibernia Savings and Loan Society in one of the largest sales in recent years in the uptown business district. A two-story brick building at the corner of Hobant Street will be occupied by the Sherman Clay Company, pending construction of a new and modern building for 'hem on the northwest corner of the same mtersectvftl, it was announced. Most of the area'vof'the rewly acquired property is unimproved and is being used as a parking Int.

Its purchase as an investment by to Hospitals fluid, and for this reason supreme headquarters decided upon a strict f. blackout on detailed information -concerning the extent of the enemy advances and the counter move of the Americans. However, front line dispatches said Hodges had thrown against the German thrusts, and that British Spitfires and Tempesta tun down from Holland to aid Allied Delivered Doy After WASHINGTON. Dec. 18.

The Supreme Court today declared justified an order excluding Japanese from the West Coast which the Army applied -in March, 1942, and revoked only yesterday. The court's 6-3 opinion by Justice Black on the issues of exclusion did not rul eon the constitutional questions involved. In another opinion, the justices ruled unanimously that an American woman of Japanese -descent was entitled to. unconditional release from Relocation Authority conceded 'to loyal citizen. The opinion holding exclusion lustilied was given in the case of Fred Toyosaburo Korematu.

who was removed from his California home to a War Relocation Authority center in Utah Justice Roberts wrote a separate concurring opinion in which he said he felt that court Was "squarely faced" with the constitutional rights of Miss Mitsuye Endo. In still another separate, concurring opinion. Justice Murphy "aid he was "of the view that detention in relocation centers of persons of Japanese ancestry regardless of loyalty is not only unauthorized by Congress or the executive but is another example of the constitu itional resort to racism inherent iiK Ihr entire evacuation program." Miss Endo was born 24 years ago in Sacramento. described by Air The German Air Force continued to support the German Winter stride i. on the biggest scale since the Allied landings ioNofmandy.

A-new typo- -of V-weapon' Was used by the Germans along the 9th. Army front both by night and day. PARACHUTISTS DROPPED More Nazi parachutists were dropped behind American lines last night. But these may have nun. the Japanese are return "without incident." OUTLINES PROCEDURE The general, outlining the procedure under which Japanese who have been "thoroughly screened" will be permitted to come back, made it clear that the final decision jwill be his.

If he, as" military commander of the Pacific Coast States, doesn't want any Japanese to come back, that Japanese won't. "There is no military reason why they must stay out of these areas," he declared, admitting at the same time that there will be "many problems of adjustment." "I dofi't believe that the Army would issue an order of this, character ft it didn't feel that the military 'BafiRcr of having these people here hrd passed." The decision to allow the Japanese to return to the three West Cpast States was made after "a amount of data" had been thered by the Western Defense Command, the Navy, the Justice Department and the War Relocation Authority, General Pratt explained. OUSTED EN MASSE They originally were excluded in a mass move by order of Lieut. Gin. John L.

DeVitt three months after the attack on Pearl Harbor and when the coast obviously wasin danger of attack and possible invasion. "The mass exrlusion order was, made at a time when it was needed." General Pratt declared yesterday. was not enough data on the; Individuals then. But the danger has passed now. "Don't get tne opinion, thoush.

that every Japanese will be on the list of those to come back." The tall, blue-eyed former cavalryman, who is the fourth general to head the Western Defense Com- Cnntinned Page 2, Col. 1 21 OTHER SHIPS ALSO BAGGED WASHINGTON, Dec. 18. (P- American submarines have sunk 33 more Japanese ships, including a light cruiser, three and six escort vessels, in their latest forays in the Pacific, the Navy re ported today. The new tally brings the total of enemy ships of all types sunk by submarines since the start of the War to 94 of them war ships.

The 21 cargo ships reported 'in to days announcement ranged from a large rnedfiS'' small undersea boats now have sent dowh 13; eneirrjtC as -1C: Jestroy ers. GEN: M'ARTHUR'S HEADQUAR Philippines, Dec. 18. (fly- Airfields are being whipped into shape today on the southern end of Mindoro Island, now securely in American hands. Yank infantry men are 11 miles from the beachhead they established at dawn Fri day.

Only scant resistance has been New Landing Hinted By United Press yrbk.yo said today that an American fleet of "considerable strength" had been sighted in the Sulu Sea south of invaded Mindoro Island in the Philippines and speculated that another ajpphibious landing was perhaps on Luzon. Tokyo broadcast similar reports of the sighting of an American fleet just before the American landing on Mindoro Friday. encountered, a spokesman reported. The Americans have command of 'strategic- htgh-grounfl-aTTd- -have' set up a wide defense six miles beyond the town of San Jose. Gen.

Douglas MacArthur in his Monday communique said "our hold on the southern part of the island is now secure. RUSHING AIRFIELDS On Leyte Island, to the southeast. the 77h American Dfvision outflanked Japan's prize Yamashila line at the southern section of the Ormoc corridor and drove seven miles north toward an ultimate junction with Yank forces pressing southward. American and Australian con struction engineers on Mindoro are busy readying captured airstrips for day and night fighter planes. These -HTmelds are only 150 miles from Manila a flight of less than a half hour.

Japan took serious note of the Mindoro invasion. Tokyo's influ ential newspaper Asahi warned in an editorial that an American vic tory there would give the yanks "full control of tomorrow's military situation." It cautioned against minimizing the "fighting spirit of American military leaders and the enemy ability to maintain their lines of SMASH 435 PLANES Airmen of Vice Adm. John S. McCain's carrier force off the Philippines in three days of con tinual strikes, including Saturday, raised to 435 their toll of enemy planes put nut of action. These, added to the 146 destroyed or damaged by fliers covering the Mindoro landings, make a four-day total of 581 planes.

Maj. Richard I. Bong of Poplar. America's top ace, shot down his 39th plane Friday in a fighter sweep over Negros Island in support of the Mindoro operation. RICHMOND FIGHTER bered no more than 10.

Six were caught. Tabulations from 9th--Tflet1rMt-'fi Command headquarters said 129 German planes had been shot down "i in 24 hours more than 20 per -cent of thefhumber of carefully husbanded aircraft put over the lines by. the German Air Force. Sin Jcip Mainland, Chinese Area Are Targets Giant Bombers From Saipan Rain Explosive And Fire Bombs on Nips By the Associated Press The Japanese today reported an 18-hour series of super-fort raids on some of the most important Nippon war production centers, including a 70-plahe assault on Nagoya iato'alttnAauftai admittedly. wasdamaged.

A series of- enemy broadcasts picked up by the federal Communi, cations Commission said -Jfa-goya took the main weight of explosive and incendiary bombs drppccf but that Yokosuka and Shizuoka also. were hit. ADMIT FIRES STARTED" An imperial headquarters com munique conceded slight damage to Nagoya, but a Tokyo domestic broad cast later reported fires, had been started in the aircraft center and required "resolute fighting" by ground units before they were ex tinguished, The Japanese wireless agency said the super-forts from Saipan feinted eastward in the direction of Tokyo, then turned around and streaked westward to They also flew over Osaka. Kobe and Kyoto but the Nipponese reports indicated they dropped no bombs on those cities. Domei.

Japanese news agency aTso reported six super-forts- flew over the vicinitv of Nanking, in JapaneseStfccultfelFihTrfa, without droenine bombs. Nanking is the capital of Trfe Chinese Puppet Gov rnment. NONE SHOT DOWN None of the Japanese reports made claiffis that'snyof the-B'-M's' had been shot down. The Tokyo radio Ihe raids started at 9 o'clock Sunday night, Japan time, wheh a single super- fort bombed Nagoya. Another one passed over at 4:30 a.m.

today. Six hours later eight more appeared but did not bomb. The big push came at 1 p.m.. Bomei repqrted. when an unspeci fied number of giant planes flew over, "sporadically dropping incen diaries and explosives." STATE DRAFT QUOTA RAISED BY 20 PER CENT SACRAMENTO.

Dec. Col. K. H. Leitch, State director of selective service, today announced that the quota of California men to be inducted into the armed services in January had been increased by 20 per cent.

Because of military necessity for more men. local boards also have been ordered to call up for pre-induction physical examination during January 20 per cent more men than called for originally, Leitch said. In addition, he said that during a special period of the last two weeks of January a "substantial" additional number of men will be called for pre-induction examina- tions. Men given pre-induction examirf-jtidns will be ready for actual induction in February, and Leitch said that the February induction quota in the State would be 40 per greater than that for December. Leitch said that in order to fill iquotfis during the corning month; the occupational deferments of some men will have to be revoked.

Can cellation of deferments will result from a stricter interpretation by lo cal boards of what i an essential activity, he said. The State draft director again emphasized that men who leave essen tial employment without consent of their local boards will be subject to immediate induction. They will be placed at the top of the list to be inducted along with volunteers and delinquents and ahead of the regular quota of inductees, he said. Leitch also disclosed that local boards again will comb through their list of registrants between the ages of 18 and 29 for potential in ductees. All men in this group who were rejected at Induction stations after February 1 of this year again will be reclassified and considered for Induction.

Rita Hayworth Gives Birth to Daughter SANTA MONICA. Dec. Actress Rita Hayworth presented her husband, Orson Welles, with six and one-half pound baby girl last night at St. John's Hospital, attendants at the hospital said today. or.

Jpiaxe witson periormea Caesarean operation, Ljeut. Gen. William H. Simneon. commander of the Ninth U.S..

Army on Hodges' left flank, nraisnd th jhalKarf -Rudolf 6ft Reich Rails 1 100 U.S. Heavies Seek to Disrupt Nazi Counter-Blow By HOWARD COWAN LONDON, Dec! 18. (fly-Eleven hundred heavy bombers and fighters raced from Britain to the flaming American First Army battlefront to day and smashed three German rail heads supplying the German coun ter-offensive. Five hundred American Flying Fortresses dumped 2000 tons of bombs on Cologne, Coblenz and "Mainz despite solid clouds- which blanketed them from view. The clouds robbed the fighter escort of 600 Mustangs of a.chance to mix it with German fighters.

BLOW The daylight blows- followed a night pummeling of Munich, Ulm and Duisburg by 1300 British heavy bombers, 17 of which were lost. Returning tt 'German Silesia for the second straight day, heavy bombers hit synthetic oil refineries at Blechhamer and Odertal. A formation of Liberators of the 15th also "battered targets in the Vienna area. Military installations at Sopron, Hungary, 35 miles east of Vienna, and at Graz, Austria, 95 miles southwest of Vienna, were hit. Except at Graz.

where the rail way yards were plainly visible, all bombing was done by instruments. The big R.A.F. planes dropped an estimated 7000 tons of bombs on the three German cities, all key points in the Nazi railway network. American fighters with belly tanks of extra fuel ranged ahead of the American heavy bombers today to meet any challenge in the skies over Western Europe's flaming battle lines. The triple blow last night one of the first struck by R.A.F.

heavy bombers in weeks came in the wake of a day of -bitter air combat between German and Allied fighters. STRENGTH AUGMENTED The Germans had 108 fighters and bombers blasted out of the air yesterday in battles accompanying the enemy's ground attacks. Two R.A.F. fighters were lost, ooth due to flak, and 31 American pursuit craft were listed as missing. From all sectors Allied fighter craft were summoned even the H.A.F.

Spitfires. Tempests and Ty phoons from the Netherlands as 8 sudden break in the weather ex posed long columns of German tanks, trucks and troops moving lowly toward the battle raging in the American First Army lines. PHOT DOWNS FOUR Bomb Rip work of the' Allied tactical airmen. ELAS TROOPS SMASH INTO ATHENS PRISON ATHENS, Dec. 18.

U.R Swarms ofELAS troops, launching a predawn attack on Averon Prison. shot and dynamited their way into two of the three buildings housing political offenders today as fierce fighting flared again in the" battle of Athens. British-mSnned tanks and Greek infantry fought their way into the vicinity of the prison to prevent the ELAS forces from overrunning tn6' small prison-defense unit and capturing some 920 inmates held in protective It was feared 'the ELAS troops. (National. Liberation Front), mierft free some of uic-'jpolitical prisoners ajjd Jclt others.

British Rush Against EAM Rebels By STEPHEN BARBER ATHENS, Dec. 18. (P) British forces launched a full-scale drive against left wing ELAS forces in Athens today and it appeafeTl likely to be only a matter of hours before" the siege of the capital is lifted Within a short time after 'dawn the British had captured an ELAS stronghold on the highway leading from Athens through resort of Phaleron to the Kalamaki airport. The ELAS forces, estimated at about 200, had barricaded them selves 'in -wewery and were equipped with heavy macltme-guns. The KabmaJfLaixnoctaiready had been cleared to a depth of 300 and British armored vehicles' were traversing the road from Athens to Piraeus.

Before the main attack began, British forces took Sikelias Hill. due south of the Acropolis, which had been strongly held by the ELAS. Armored forces as well as Infantry participated. A number of prisoners were taken in the first hours of the drive. Strong ELAS forces, meanwhile.

made simultaneous attacks upon R.A.F. headquarters Averoff Prison, whieh was held by a British detachment and Greek police. The prison houses a number of political The American position of strict neutrality in the Greek political crisis was reaffirmed by a high mili tary spokesman, who said American activities are "strictry limited to relief and rehabilitatfon." New Appeal Sent to Ward's WLB Chairman Says Defiance of U.S. Will Hamper War Effort WASHINGTON. Dec.

18-iF) Both the Government and Monf Romery Ward appeared today to be preparing the country for a new and possibly more extensive presi dential seizure. With a midnight deadline for company compliance with War Labor Board directives in seven ritifs less than 12 hours away. WLB Chairman William H. Davis voiced a new appeal to the concern, saying that continued "defiance of the Government could prolong the war." Meanwhile, the mail order firm In newspaper advertisements ad dressed to "all Montgomery Ward peoplo" listed these four points: I The reason given for a strike in four Detroit Ward -stores is'that the company has refused to romnly with an ordrr that "seeks to impose upon Wiirds a closed shop 2. The District of Columbia Appeals Court has held that WLB orders are advisory only and that no one has any legal duty to obey 3: Wards has refused to agree to any form of closed shop or com pulsory union membership because the closed shop "violates the American principles of liberty and freedom." 4.

Each Ward's employee Is free to join or not to join a union, "as he wishes." Davis previously replied to a similar series of Ward advertisements with the statement that Scw-ell Avery, the company's board chairman, "draws a veil" over the company "refusal to Increase its sub-standard wages" by "deliber atcly repeating all of his familiar misstatements regarding maintenance of membership." "If Montgomery. Ward officials decide to join the hundreds of thousands of companies many of them even larger than Ward's-which'have accepted the WLB decision, they will make a splendid contribution to national morale and the upholding of the no-strike, no- lockout pledge," Davis said in I i declaring that despite the great number of planes used by the Ger mans they are "not able to bother us a great deal." The Germans declared forward the. Justice Department as a loyal clothing store company, of which citizen, she demanded freed'orn Smith is president, whs made the center at Topaz, Utah, and the idea development in court declaration that she has the the post-war period. The nioperty right to go anywhere she pleases, has a 135'i-foot front.igc on Broad- The court's 6-3 opinionby Justice way and 104 feet on Hobart. Black on the issues of exclusion did Both buyer and seller were rf-prr-nl rule on the constitutional sented by George G.

Block, Oakland tions involved. real estate broker. American positions along 20 mile front had beer overrun between Luxembourg and theHohe Venn, "high marshland." a swamp tract 2200 feet above sea level extending ror mites irom Rotgen to Mai medv. But the German command also Decorators Give Festive Air adopted a cautious attitude and laid it was withholding details of action. OPPOSING FORCES 'A Blue network corresnondent at the front said the American Sec ond Division from Texas and the 78th Division were anion Amert.

East-bay Groups Cheer Veterans Thousands of men from all parts of this country more thousands than for military reasons can be told had their first look yesterday can forces opposing the new push.) Throwing hundreds of carefully conserved planes, hundreds of tanks, many divisions and even parachut- ists into a surprising Winter eoun- ter-offensive. Von Rundstedt had achieved a penetration of several the hearts of people who live (pi -I in Alameda County. It was a look that had a sentimental background. It concerned Christmas and the age old story of hope and peace; it was at odds, perhaps, with the reasons they were patients in the county's five miliary hospitals, but it proved one thing that stranger, that people who do not even know each other. have one thing in common a deep leeling of liking, and thought -for ihe men now from war.

Hundreds of Bay area residents, from school children to members of urbanization, confirmed this by vol unteering th-fir day, by helping to turn, under direction of the Veteran 1-Vsoitals' Christmas Committee, the white, blank walls of hospitals into attractive and symbolic holiday scenes. AT WORK They strung hundreds of yards of GERMAN PLANES AND DAMAGES FIFTH mnes in the American lines, rein-' vested Belgium the Monschaj area 18 miles south of Aachen, and re-entered Luxembourg at two other points. Today the Germans were pushing their advance along an 80-mle front from the Monschau area to the-4 southern tip of the Luxembourg1 border, with new and more violent V. attacks. i Allied military authorities direct ing the battle said it had been de elded not to make public specifid.

information now as to the exact places where the German columns were smashing through and how far they had advanced. LOCKED IN BATTLE 1 But First Army headquarter! di- '-patches said the Germans had gained several and American troops were locked in The penetration apparently had been at least four miles in one area 10 miles east of Malmedy, a Belgian town north of the Luxembourg border. This was a push by strong: German armored column supported overnight by artillery and bombinf Continued Page t. Cel. 3 WHERE TO FIND IT Classified Advertising It Comics 11 Crossword Posite 14 Editorials and Columns Finance 1 Gardens 14 Geraldlne 14: Mackeniie 4 'Sadie Schedules 11 Rationing Timetables II Best er Yew Lif .4 Society and Clabe 1 Sports Theaters: Weed Seaatee Unci Wlgrlly I iVIUl Statistics 1 Lieut.

W411iam M. Kerr, of 21ft South 18th Street, Richmond, shot down four German planes and dam aged a fifth in a single encounter during the air battles over the west cm front yesterday, according to press dispatches. Kerr, a fighter pilot, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Eljno Kerr.

A graduate of Richmond Union High Schodl and Marin Junior Col lege, the lier won his wings at Lake Charles. after taking preliminary training at Kelly Field and Perrin Field, Tex. Kerr is based with a U.S. Ninth Air Force unit on the western front. The Germans lost a total of 108 planes during the fight in which Kerr participated.

Other Bay area men who ac counted for enemy plafies were: Lieut. George 95 Plym outh Street, Oakland, one plane; and Lieutrftichard J. Scholz, 3840 Army Street, San Francisco, two planes. Maler; P-47 Thunderbolt pilot holds the Air Medal and two Silver Oak Leaf Clusters trior than 100 7- garlands, they decorated hundreds of trees, they hung wreaths and tacked up posters, and they talked to and wished a Merry Christmas to the men who are spending a rather important holiday away from their homes. In some wards and it was one ff those unplanned things that happen the men themselves Joined in the decorations job.

They forgot war, for the moment, and their wounds. They kidded with the amateur decorators and if they were young enough, asked for telephone numbers. They hung, ornaments on trees, they talked about the other Christmas seasons they had known, they had fun and they expressed their appreciation. Some groups brought music with ther-accordions, banjos which whanged out tuneful accompaniment to hammer blows and a few Cevumef i Iff Patienti not only offertd thftlr help, but had lot of fun in aiding pretty airli like Betty Richard of the Berkeley telephone airlt hang holiday She gave the directions while Machinist 2e Charles F. Mghrer.

of the Oakland. Naval Hospital did the work. The activity was under direction ofheJYeterat! Hospitals' Committee and Is $ar ef a week-long pregraai el celebration. statement,.

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Years Available:
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