The Richland Beacon-News from Rayville, Louisiana • 1

KPFP FAITH mRBONPs I MEAN M0R THAN A good investment; WAR BONDS A LIBERTAS ET NATALE SOLUM VOLUME LXXVII. RAYVILLE, RICHLAND PARISH, LOUISIANA, SATURDAY, MAY 5th, 1945. NUMBER 14. Service Officer Named For Richland Parish STATE INCOME TAX SOON DUE Freed Prisoners To Be Returned Home OVERTON URGES QUICK PASSAGE OF FLOOD BILL European War Rapidly Being Brought To Close Hamburg Entered After Being Declared Open; Battered Nazi Divisions Surrendering In All Sections of Reich Prisoners of War Aid In High Water Fight The belief has been expressed by many Louisiana- citizens in flood-threatened communities that work of the German prisoners of war was in large measure responsible in preventing extensive property damage by record breaking crests, according to an Eighth Service Command Army spokesman. The officer said that many comments along this line have been re enth closed to within seven of Deadline Is Slay 15; Returns Must Be Filed By Many Persons State income tax returns are required in Louisiana on May 15th, the deadline designated.

The office of the department of revenue is at 212 North Second street, Monroe, where those who require will be given any needed information and aid in making out their returns to the state. The state income tax law requires all single persons or married persons, not living with husband or wife, having a net income of $1,000 or gross income of $5,000 per year, and all mar ried persons having a net income of $2,500 or gross of $5,000 per year, to file returns regardless of whether a tax is due. The law applies to all citizens of the state, whether residing at home or abroad. If a person resides in Louisiana for an aggregate period of six months, during any taxable year, he is nreaumed to be a resident of the state, and his entire net income from 1 all sources must be reported. The reported.

law also includes non-residents receiving income from sources within the state. Illinois Central System Planning New Train After War Prominent in plans for probable additions to the Illinois Central streamline fleet after the war is an all-coach train to be named "City of New Orleans," according to J. W. Stevenson, passenger traffic manager. Operating between Chicago and New Orleans, the new train would depart early in the morning and arive late the same day.

"The City of New Orleans would resemble the City of Miami, our established all-coach train between the Middle West and Florida," Mr. Stevenson said. "We believe that the coach customer will be a major factor in postwar railway passenger service, and if we give him the kind of transportation he wants there is almost no limit to the volume of business that can be developed." Mr. Stevenson reported that studies show many passengers want to travel I with as little expense as possible and yet are eager to get there in a hurry and relish comfort with a touch of smart styling thrown in. "Railroads will be in a preferred position to deliver in a single package everything such passengers want," be said.

"It takes only three to four horsepower per ton to pull a highspeed passenger train, the lowest power ratio of any form of transportation. That means economy plus speed, particularly with the development of more efficient locomotives. Comfort and style will likewise be combined in postwar designs." SGT. BELTOJf DILLARD WRITES APPRECIATIVELY OF PRAYER SERVICE The following letter was written by Sgt. Belton Dillard, who is with the U.

S. Army in France, in appreciation of the weekly prayer services for the service personnel. Belton is the son of Mr. and Mrs. B.

M. Dillard, of Rayville. The letter: TPrnnfA Anril 12 19455 Dear Members of Union Prayer Ser- vice: I wonder if you can sincerely feel the pride I possess in knowing of your interest in all of us over here? It proves that our efforts are not in vain. I would like to thank each of you personally for your individual notes and especially to Mrs. J.

C. El-lerbe, who is new to our town and, although I have not met Mrs. Ellerbe, I do wish to welcome her to Rayville on my behalf. Perhaps we do not have many luxuries here, but it is a great feeling to know that while I am here doing my part that all of you are safe, secure and have more than ample food. When I say that, I am speaking of those who have escaped from the oc cupied countries and have now joined the Allies in our fight It must have a grimmer meaning to know that while they fight, they too, have families and friends who were not so fortunate to escape.

That's why I'm so thankful you are in America. My experiences have not been in vain for now I'll return with a greater pride in my country and a greater respect for what it stands for. Yes, 111 return far richer and fuller in experience and appreciation of what we repre- sent in America. I am extremely grateful that I need not worry about those at home while I'm here, as the French soldiers must do while they do their share, for France has felt the Police Jury Names T. E.

Cooper For Place; Office Will Be Opened May 15th Mr. Joe Darwin, director of Department of Veterans Affairs of the State of Louisiana, and representatives of the two American Legion Posts, the V. F. W. and D.

A. V. Post of Richland Parish, appeared before the Police Jury of Richland Parish last Tuesday, and prevailed upon this public body to make appropriation of $250.00 per month for the establish ment of office and employment of a full time service officer for the parish. To this amount the State of Louisiana adds $70,00 per month, beginning May 1st, 1945. The office will be located in the city hall of Rayville, and will be opened May 15th, 1945.

Mr. T. E. Cooper, of Dunn, was named as service officer, and when he opens the office this month will render service to veterans of all wars and their dependents and families. He will be especially prepared to assist with the administration of the GI Bill of Rights.

Mr. Cooper's appointment was the result of the unanimous endorsement of all the veterans' organizations of Richland parish. A resident of Dunn all of his life, he has been recently employed as a captain of a police patrol at one of the defense plants in Lake Charles, La. He is happy to return home for duty to serve the veterans, although at a lesser salary than he was receiving before his appointment as service officer. Mr.

Cooper is an overseas veteran of World War and ever since that time has been a regular member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars at Rayville. The Police Jury is to be commended for this appropriation which is a service sorely needed by the local veterans. MASONIC LODGE NOTICE A special communication of R. F. McGuire Lodge was held Wednesday evening of this week, at which time five candidates were initiated.

Our attendance at this meeting was fine, and those who were not present missed a rare treat and an enjoyable meeting. At our regular meeting Wednesday evening of next week, May 9th, we expect to confer the Fellow Craft degree. Members of R. F. McGuire Lodge are urged to attend, and visitors are always welcome.

J. B. SHARP, W. M. H.

I. SOREY, Secretary. Veterans Applying For Aid BATON ROUGE, April 30. C. C.

Huffman, Administrator, Louisiana Division of Employment Security, announces that 23 World War II veterans filed claims through the Monroe office during the week ending April 21, under the Self-employed provisions of Title of the G. bill. In addition to the city of Monroe, the local office located at 230 South Grand Street, serves Bastrop, Farmerville, Jonesboro. Lake Providence, Oak Grove, Ruston, Tallulah and Winns-, boro. The total of such claims filed In the State as of April 21 was 201.

Monroe with a total of 67 claims, or one-third of all claims filed, ranked second in the State. Only the Baton Rouge office, with 69 claims for self-employed, showed a higher claim load. The Self-employed provisions of the Act provides that a World War II veteran meeting the eligibility requirements as to length of service and type of discharge, who is self-employed for profit in an independent establishment, trade, business, profession, or other vocation, may be eligible for readjustment allowances if his net earnings for any previous calendar month is less than $100. The amount of these allowances is the difference between his net earnings of that month and $100. The length of time he may receive these allowances depends on his length of service.

The veteran has until the 20th of the month following the month for which claim is made to file his claim. Claims under these provisions may be filed at the Monroe office or at any of the towns on the itinerant schedule. RATIONING MEATS, FATS Red stamps Y5, Z5, A2, B2, C2 and D2 expire June 2. Red stamps E2, F2, G2, H2 and J2 expire June 30. Red stamps K2, L2, M2, N2 and P2 expire July- 31.

Red stamps Q2 through U2 expire August 3L PROCESSED FOODS Blue stamps H2, J2, K2, L2 and M2 expire June 2. Blue stamps N2, P2, Q2, R2 and S2 expire June 30. Blue stamps T2, U2, V2, W2 and X2 expire July 3L Blue stamps Y2, Z2, AL Bl and CI expire August 3L SUGAR Stamp 35 expires June 2. Stamp 36 expires August 3L FUEL OIL Period 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 coupons good for ten gallons per unit, continue valid throughout the country for the rest of the heating year. SHOES Airplane stamps 1, 2 and 3 in book three, good Indefinitely.

NOTICE I am applying for executive clemency. 5-5-3t WILLIE LEE NEAL. Agreement Not To Use Liberated Troops To Be Enforced PARIS, April 30. Supreme headquarters said today it was "sticking by" an agreement not to use liberated Americans against the Germans and announced it would send every freed prisoner home "as fast as the army can get him there." A headquarters statement said sick and wounded would get priority in medical transport home as soon as their condition permitted, while temporary evacuation camps were ready to receive the others. "In return for a German promise to leave prisoners in camps in the path of the Allied advance rather than take them along on forced marches, U.

S. authorities agreed that all liberated military personnel would be prohibited from taking further part in the war against Germany either as combat or service troops, and they are sticking by their part of the agreement," the announcement said. Liberated prisoners will be assigned to duty in the United States or another theatre of war if not discharged, when they report back to a redistribution center after an automatic three-weeks' furlough on arrival in America. While waiting in European evacuation centers they will receive new clothing, medical attention and part of their back pay and will get the bal- ance due them after their return home. They also may file claims for any money or personal property lost at the hands of the Germans.

O. H. Bynum, Wins Oak Leaf Cluster An Eighth Air Force Bomber Station, England. For "meritorious achievement" while participating in bomber combat operations over Germany and enemy occupied Europe, Sergeant Ocie H. Bynum, 31, son of Mr.

O. H. Bynum, Rayville, uiusier to nis previously won Air Medal, it was announced by the Commanding General, First Air Division. Sgt. Bynum, armorer and gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress, is a member of the 91st Bombardment Group, veteran heavy bomber unit of more than two and one-half years service in the European Theatre of Operations.

This group, commanded by Colonel Henry W. Terry, of Ossining, N. is the combat home of such famous forts as the "Memphis Belle" and was the first group to complete 100 daylight high altitude bombing missions from this theatre. Bynum recently took part in the group's 315th aerial assault, Sgt. Bynum was graduated in 1931 from Rayville, high school, and was a student for one year at the Northeast Center of Louisiana State University.

Prior to joining the Air Force in October, 1943, he was employed as a stock clerk by the Hale Hal-sell Grocery Company at Muskogee, Okla. His wife, Mrs. Carmen E. Bynum, lives at Council Hill, Okla. Local Man's Outfit Helps Increase Prisoner Take Near Po Valley In Italy WITH THE FIFTH ARMY, ITALY Corporal Wood row M.

Templeton, wire corporal, whose wife, Janice, resides on Rayville Route 1, Is a member of the 329th Field Artillery Battalion, which has been employing tactics that have greatly increased the prisoner take of doughboys fighting close to the Po Valley on the Fifth Army front in Italy. As the infantry prepares to move into a new position, the 329th fire direction center quickly sets up harrass-ing and zone fires that neatly cut all escape routes behind Germans in the area to be occupied. These tactics have been used with good results on at least two recent occasions. One of these incidents alone netted 150 German captives. The 329th's 105-millimeter howitzers aided In cracking the Gustav line, helped get doughboys past forbidding terrain features at Terracina and played a leading role as the Gothic Line was breached at II Giogo Pass beneath ML Altuzzo.

Part of the 85th "Custer" Division, the 329th has supported the 338th In fantry Regiment through more than 250 combat days. 1 Pinning down Germans in their well entrenched positions atop a ridge in the Gustav Line, the "329th enabled doughboys to gain the crest as the summer offensive got underway last year. The artillerymen followed up by blasting machinegun and mortar positions and enemy supply dumps on the reverse slope, and the infantry was able to resume the advance with the momentum that carried it almost non-stop to the Arno river. Jerries in a tunnel at Terracina, where precipitous mountains jut out into the Tyrrhenian Sea, threatened to interrupt forward movement. One howitzer of the 329ths Battery was placed in position directly facing entrance to the tunnel and shells were fired Into its mouth.

The infantry continued to move ahead. Battery went into Rome with a task force on the night of last June 4, and the rest of the 329th rolled through the capital the following day. The outfit didn't slow down anywhere for very long, not even at Giogo Pass, one of the most formidable natural defenses in the Gothic Line. Enabling the infantry to take Firen-zuola, the 329th kept its weapons on the move, sending them up to fire at Appropriation of $12,000,000 Sought To Repair Flood Damage WASHINGTON, April 30. An emergency bill authorizing an appropriation of $12,000,00 to repair damages to levees and flood control works caused in the recent floods was introduced in the senate today by Senator John H.

Overton, chairman of the senate subcommittee of flood control. The measure authorizes the secretary of war, pending the appropriation, to allot sums for immediate prosecution of the work. It also directs the proper federal agencies to provide necessary allocations and priorities for farmers to replace and repair farm machinery. Further, the secretary of agriculture is authorized to make loans and grants to farmers whose property is destroyed or damaged by floods and 'wind storms in 1945. Overton declar- that the funds available to the sec- retary of agriculture for this purpose would be approximately $12,000,000.

The funds will be used primarily to take care of damages occurring on the Red river and its tributaries and the Sabine. Some of the amount will be expended for relief of flood sufferers on the Arkansas, White, Missouri, Trinity, Neches and Ohio rivers. Overton said the War Production Board has established procedure whereby the American Red Cross has at its command priority ratings and direction which will enable it to secure practically all of the materials needed for rebuilding and repairing. He added that arrangements have been made for securing additional machinery. The senator said persons needing new farm equipment and machinery must apply for priority in the usual manner through the district WPB office in New Orleans.

He said he had been assured that the applications will be speedily handled. He suggested that chambers of commerce or other organizations in the affected areas request the New Orleans WPB office to furnish them with the necessary forms of applica- tion for priorities in order that they wji De available. SENATE APPROVES FLOOD DAMAGE AID WASHINGTON, May 1. Legislation authorizing $24,000,000 emergency aid in floods or other disaster areas during 1945 was approved unanimously today by a senate commerce subcommittee. Chairman Overton, Democrat, Louisiana, said the subcommittee acted after hearing estimates from army engineers that spring flood damages in the Mississippi, Ohio.

Arkansas, Missouri, White, Red, Yazoo and other river basins exceed $100,000,000. The engineers said 54 persons lost their lives in the floods, covering a total of 15,800,000 acres. Half the money, or $12,000,000, already is available to the secretary of agriculture for loans and grants to farmers to rehabilitate farms and farm equipment, Overton explained. The balance, authorized in the bill for expenditure on repair of flood control works damaged by the ram- Png waters will require a separate appropriation, he said. Army engineers can go ahead on flood control repair work immediately, he added, as they have approximately $4,000,000 already available for such work.

Methodist Church Services JACK II. MIDYETT, Pastor Services for Sunday, May 6th, are as follows: 9:45 a. m. Church School. 11:00 a.

m. Morning Worship Service, with sermon by the pastor: "Becoming the Real Supermen of Today!" 7:00 p. m. Methodist Youth Fellowship. 8:00 p.

m. Evening Worship Service, with sermon by the pastor: "Matthew Thirteen." Burk-Bridges The following social news item in a Hazlehurst, paper will be of in terest to quite a number of friends of the young groom, and his parents who made Rayville their home for a num- ber of years: Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Ellis Bridges of Hazlehurst are announcing the mar riage of their daughter, Mary Loyce Columbia, son of Dr. and Mrs.

Thomas Burk, also of Hazlehurst. The wedding vows were quietly exchanged in Terry on April 17th, in the home of Mrs. W. B. Dubose, with the Rev.

Thurman Booth officiating. The bride, formerly employed with the Copiah County Health Department, received her education in the Hazlehurst schools. TSgt. Burk attended school in Rayville, graduated from Columbia high school, and attended Louisiana College. He entered service in 1941, and has served thirteen months in the South Pacific.

Upon his return to the States, he was stationed at the Marine base, El Toro, at Santa Anna, California, where he is now on duty. After a short honeymoon trip, Sgt. and Mrs. Burk returned to Hazle hurst, where they visited relatives un til they left for Santa Anna, where thev will make their home for the present. ceived by the Headquarters of the Eighth Service Command.

Typical is the one received from Mayor R. C. Lawrence of Pineville, where the Red River hit a crest of 45.5 feet, highest in history, resulting in a day and night fight to save levees which bordered the business and residential district. "We hesitated several times about putting the prisoners of war to work on the levees, but due to the extremely critical situation and lack of other manpower, we were forced to do it," he said. "They could have made a mistep, or kicked a hole in the levee that would have started a dangerous crevasse at any time, but they didn't.

They rolled up their sleeves and went at it. As soon as we saw the caliber of their work, we began to get confident that we would be able to save Pineville." At one time, over 3200 prisoners of war were at work against the flood waters in Louisiana and up until April 25, they had worked 358,736 man-hours, or the equivalent of 44,842 eight-hour days, the Eighth Service Command revealed. Musical Progrram At Rayville Kiwanis Club The members of the Rayville Kiwanis Club enjoyed a delightful program of music at the luncheon hour last Tuesday, sponsored by the Committee on Music and Religion, Jim Aycock, chairman, in charge. Mes-dames J. H.

Hooks, C. E. Gay, E. A. Coxe and E.

G. Swetman graciously favored the club with violin solos by Mrs. Gay, vocal duets by Mrs. Coxe and Mrs. Swetman, with Mrs.

Hooks at the piano. An interesting and informative paper on the history of music and the origin of musical instruments was read by Chairman Jim Aycock. Jimmie Thompson read a beautiful poem, "I Am Music" Jack Midyett reported on the clothes drive, which has proven a fine success under his management. Horace Mangham reported that the Red Cross drive had gone over, but the exact figures are not yet available. Jimmie Thompson, parish chairman of the Seventh War Loan Drive, made a short talk on this important war effort, and enlisted the assistance of all members of the club in putting it over and reaching the quota for Richland Parish, which is fixed at $228,000.00, of which amount $135,000.00 to be sold are bonds, those offered persons of modest means.

Mr. A. A. Breeden, of Ruston, conservationist, Soil Conservation Service, was a guest of the club. The program for next Tuesday will be in charge of the Inter-Club Relations Committee, Jimmie Thompson, chairman, and at this time the Fellowship Cup will be brought to the Rayville Club by the Bastrop Club.

Presbyterian Church Notes REV. A. R. CATES, Pastor The Business Women's Circle of the Rayville Auxiliary will meet at the Manse Tuesday night. May 8th, at 8 o'clock, with Mrs.

Frank Greaves as hostess. The Sunday School Workers' Council will hold its regular monthly meeting next Wednesday night, May 9th, at 8 o'clock, at the Alto church. The meeting will be in charge of the program committee composed of Mrs. G. C.

Pardue, Miss Pearl Archibald, and Mr. C. W. Gaines. The Holly Ridge Bible class will meet Thursday afternoon.

May 3rd, at 3:30 o'clock, at the home of Mrs. Horace Cochran, Sr. Services next Sunday: Sunday Schools at 10 o'clock. Preaching service: Rayville at 11 o'clock. Archibald at 8 o'clock.

Miss Gladys Diamond Will Graduate From Louisiana Tech Gladys Diamond, of Rayville, is included among 76 candidates for degrees from Louisiana Tech at the end of the present trimester. Graduation exercises will be held in Howard auditorium at the college on June 20th. Dr. Joseph Mickle, newly-appointed president of Centenary College, will deliver the commencement address. CPU THOMAS O'NEAL WINS BRONZE STAR MEDAL CpL Thomas O'Neal, son of Mr.

Wilmer H. O'Neal, of Rayville Route 1, has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal. He is a member of the 11th Armored Division, and Is at present taking part In the Battle of Germany. He is In the medical department- short range, often with direct observation, bringing them back from enemy observation, then moving them up again. The infantry, moving in under this "cover, took another German citadeL Lt.

Col. LeRoy A. Davis, Chicago, ,111, commands the artillerymen. PARIS, May 3. Hamburg surren- uereu iu me ri nail iuuay as vuc men in Europe drew toward its close.

Remnants of one beaten German division after another surrendered. Denmark and Norway were isolated by British-Russian junctions on the Baltic. The western and eastern Allies linked up at new points during the day. The largest of many German death traps was shrinking in the south, where General Eisenhower's three-army assault moved close to a junction with the Russians in eastern Austria. The Third army moved to within 39 miles of Berchtesgaden and the Sev- Mangham Seniors Will Present Play May 11 Ten members of the senior class of Mangham high school will appear in the comedy drama "War Correspondent." This is a thrilling and timely play, replete with exciting action and brightened by the inclusion of many richly comic scenes.

It will furnish an evening of continuous entertainment, with much more than the average in thrills and excitement. The performance is scheduled to take place at the Mangham high school auditorium on May 11th, at 8:30 o'clock. The admission will be: students 25c, adults 50c, family $1.00. The cast of characters: Ester, the maid: Betty Thomason. Birdie Love, a musical young lady: Kathryn Douciere.

Mrs. Mable Ketcham, owner of a boarding house: Lillie Bell Pritchard. Gavin Hines, a young business man: Lorell Graham. Lorita Hines, his sisttr: Ongelee Kline. Frank Stone, a boarder: Jimmie Thomason.

Judy Ketcham, daughter of the house: Mary Thomason. Eddie Fields, a young business man: Charles Noble. Steve Cartright, a war correspondent: John Williams. Asa Plunkett, the sheriff: David Gregory. Enjoy this evening of rollicing humor, of mysterious espionage, and of amusing detective work of a rural sheriff.

Mrs. M. K. McConnell is director. First Baptist Church Services DR.

JOHN H. HOOKS, Pastor 9:55. Bible School. 11 a. m.

Morning Worship. Sermon subject: "Touching the Border of His Garment." Luke 7 p. m. Training Union. 8 p.

m. Evening Worship. Sermon subject, "Heaven Can't Wait" II Cor. 6:2. Our Bible School, under the capable leadership of the superintendent, Mr.

W. O. Boughton, is growing in number, especially in the adult department. About thirty women were present last Sunday to hear, as usual, a wonderful lesson taught by Mrs. W.

H. Eddins. The Men's class is truly an inspiration. Another splendid attendance Sunday morning will bring joy to the heart of their consecrated teacher, Mr. J.

C. Boies. Men, let's be there! Sunday night the training unions will meet promptly at seven o'clock. Each union will go directly to their separate rooms for the program, and return afterward to the main auditorium for general assembly. Come and worship with us in all these services.

CHURCH REPORTER RIFLE JAMS AS GERMANS COUNTER-ATTACK East of the Rhine with the 17th Airborne Division It isn't often that a man has to sit in a foxhole and wait for an enemy attack without a weapon to defend himself. Pfc. Tommie Uz-zle, 20, Rayville, Louisiana, did just that. Just as the news of an enemy coun ter-attack was given Pfc. Uzzle discovered that his rifle was jammed and wouldn't fire.

He struggled with it but it was no use. It wouldn't work. He said that he sat there sweating and "did a little praying then." His buddies held off the counter-attack and he fixed his rifle. It only took him five minutes but it "seemed like two hours." MEETS TWO BROTHERS J. P.

Matheny, MoMM 3C, met two of his brothers in the South Pacific. The brothers were Bob C. Matheny, GM 2C, and William Randolph Matheny, GM 1C. He didn't meet them both at the same time. Matheny went aboard their ship to see them.

There are two more of the Matheny boys in service, R. C. Matheny, SC 2C, and Pfc. Wilford Matheny, who is a Jap prisoner. These brothers are from Mangham.

LAND POSTED Notice is hereby given that my land Is posted and all hunting and trespassing is forbidden under penalty of the law. ALTON WARREN. 4-21-3U Rayville, RL 4. Field Marshal Kesselring's rear had been thrown wide open by the surrender of nearly 1,000,000 Germans opposing the Allies on the Italian front. Gains in the south ranged up to 28 miles.

Hamburg was the second" largest city of Germany and its leading port. The metropolis of 1,682,220 on the lower Elbe had long since been devastated by American and British bombs. Its Blohm and Voss shipyards and Deutche Werke submarine works had spawned much of Germany's fleet and merchant marine. Its Deutche refinery had produced up to 30,000 ton of oil a month. One of the last remarks of the Hamburg radio was that Prague capital of Czechoslovakia and now the largest city remaining in German hands had been declared a "hospital city." The radio had proclaimed Hamburg an "open city" shortly before the British Second Army of Lt.

Gen. Sir Miles C. Dempsey entered. It was the first German city so designated. Chaos reigned in the north.

British and attached American troops burst defense after defense and gathered tens of thousands of prisoners. Hamburg fell with hardly a struggle. The surrender terms called for British occupation and control not only of the city itself but also of a ten mile arc surrounding lt on the north side of the Elbe. This placed the British within 37 miles of Kiel, the main German naval base, and 72 of Denmark. The commander of occupation troops placed the entire city under curfew and ordered all residents except utility plant workers confined to their homes after 1 p.

m. today. Hamburg, Europe's largest port and Germany's second city, had been outflanked and besieged for several weeks. It was largely In ruins because bombers had made it a frequent target. "Hamburg is an open city," the radio there one of the last in German hands proclaimed.

"British occupation troops are now entering the city." The northern German holdings were split into several untenable pock-etf and the southern section was shrunk by the surrender in Italy of nearly 1,000,000 German combat and service troops. The Alpine "redoubt" was virtually wiped out under terms of the surrender. The Germans still held Bohemia and Moravia, eastern Austria and the mountainous region of northwest Yugoslavia. Even this southern section was about to be split by a junction of General Patton's Third army and the Russians around the Austrian city of Linz. The British and Russians joined forces on the Baltic above captured Berlin and east of fallen Luebeck.

It was more of a mopup than a campaign. What Germans remained were beaten; many had fled to the doubtful refuge of Denmark. With the loss of Berlin, Hamburg, Luebeck and Rostock, the only large German cities remaining under the swastika were Breslau, Dresden, Chemnitz and Kiel. At Luebeck, the British were 38 miles from Kiel and 85 from the Danish frontier. Schwer-in Wismar and Wittenberg (both 25,000) toppled in the north.

The Danubian fortress of guardian city of Linz, fell to Patton's troops in the south. Under terms of the Italian surrender, the Austrian provinces of the Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Salzburg all were surrendered. Included in these regions were the cities of Innsbruck and Salzburg. The surrendered region stretches to within artillery range of Berchtesgad en. The Blue Ridge (80th) division of the Third army pushed 25 miles south to the area of Holzfelder, 39 miles from Berchtesgaden and a mile from Austria.

The general German crackup was accelerated. Supreme headquarters listed the capture of Field Marshal Baron Maxmillan von Welchs, former German commander in the Balkans, along with Field Marshals von Rund-stedt, Freihar, von Sperrle and 18 gen erals. Some 93,797 Germans surren dered Monday for a total since D-day for Eisenhower's armies of 2.BQ1.915. The Germans in the north surren dered in wholesale lots. In the south, the Third army dominated the Inn river on a C6-mile front and had crossed the wide tributary of the Danube at least half a dozen times.

Braunau. birthplace of Hitler, was occupied completely. Patton's Texas and Oklahoma (90th) division crossed Into Czechoslovakia near Stary Pastrekov and advanced six miles to within 29 of Pilsen and its Skoda Munitions Works. The loss of Berlin and the death of Hitler were blows to German morale. Soldiers and officers now were released from their personal oaths of fealty to the man whom Moscow said is reported by the captive Dr.

Hans Fritsche to have committed suicide. Lt. Gen. Alexander M. Patch's Seventh army at last reports was eight miles from Innsbruck capital of the Tyrol, and within eight of Imst, a major stronghold in the western end of what the Germans had called their national redoubt.

Both the Seventh and the French First armies last were reported within 17 miles of the north Italian frontier. ravages of German plunder which is(to Master Technical Sergeant Thomas so obvious where I am located. You'll-Burk, USMC, of Rayville and never fully appreciate America until you have seen what I have. Thanks to all of you for your grand and inspirational letter, and I'm as proud of all of you as I try to have all of you be of me. Sincerely, BELTON DILLARD POSTED NOTICE Notice is hereby given that my land, south of Dunn, is posted, and all hunters and trespassers are warned to keep off under penalty of the law.

JOHN L. TATUM, 5-5-3 1. Dunn, La. FOR SALE Three good farm mules; one one-row J. Case riding planter, and lot of other farm equipment.

M. F. HOLLO WAY, 5-5-3t. Route 2, Rayville, La-.