Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 1

For Victory Buy United Statet War Savlng Bondi and Stamps. Index to Today's Herald Editorials Page 8 Comics Page 23 Society Page 21 Radio Page 14 Household Page 20 Sports Page 17 ini Vol. 66 No. 58. DECATUR, ILLINOIS, FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1945.

28 PAGES 5 CENTS DECATUR ERALD YANKS CROSS RHINE Russians Reach Seelow 25 Miles From Berlin Firm Bridgehead Gained by First Paris, March 8 (AP)" The U. S. First army planted a firm bridgehead on the east bank of the Rhine today after a dazzling crossing of Germany's great historic western- barrier south of Cologne that rivaled the Normandy landings and opened the final battles to end the war in Europe. streams of materials poured such disorganized resistance 7 (8f yVu 44 I Vy-fRANKFURT YWK GERMANY jj Ohio Valley Winning Fight Against Flood Portsmouth, Ohio, March 8 (AP) The Ohio valley appeared to be winning its fight against the third most disastrous flood in its history tonight, but the issue was undecided at some points. The cost was terrific.

Although less serious than floods of 1937 and 1913, the rain-fed Ohio river and its tributaries laid siege to hundreds of war arsenals in the rich industrial valley, took at least 10 lives and forced possibly 150,000 persons from their homes. The crests, however, were headed downstream to the road Mississippi, and there, flood control provisions were expected to keep the waters in bounds. Sandbags Flown to City Portsmouth was the scene of the stiffest fight against the Ohio. Sandbag and earthwork dikes were erected atop the city's 62-foot flood-wall as waters of the Ohio and the Scioto rose above the permanent barrier. The water stood at 64.3 feet.

Army engineers supervising the dike-building said "we have a fifty-fifty chance of holding it if it reaches even 66 feet." Empty sandbags were flown to Berlin" as Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov's tank-led First White Russian army infantry surged forward in an all-out assault covered by broadsides from massed Red army artillery. Kuestrin, east bank Oder river stronghold, was outflanked as the Russians reached the key road hub of Seelow, 25 miles due east of the capital on the main Kuestrin-Berlin highway. The Nazi high command was said to have dispatched suicidal groups of Elite SS troops to defend Berlin's outer ramparts. By German account a winding 170-mile front from the Baltic island Wollin southward to Cros-sen was aflame, and the Russians were pouring reinforcements of tanks, artillery and self-propelled guns across the breached Oder in the wake of tommygun assault troops.

Closest Advance The Soviet advance to Seelow is the closest to Berlin yet announced by Berlin, and the enemy also said the Russians were hammering German troops at the east bank Oder village of Nieder-Wutzow, 29 miles northeast of greater Berlin, and 28 miles northwest of Kuestrin. In a fluid battle raging in the Kuestrin Seelow Frankfurt triangle the Germans said the Russians also had captured Rathstock, seven miles southeast of Se'elow. and Klessin, five miles south on Rathstock and eight miles north of Frankfurt. Counterattacking German units "re-entered" Rathstock, and "crushed the remnants of Russian defenders at Klessin," the Nazi Transocean news agency said. "Many places are changing hands repeatedly." it added.

area. Small arrows indicate Al- lied drives southwest of Mayen, northward along the Rhine toward Remagen, into Bonn and Bad Godesberg and toward Xanten. (AP YVEREPH DTO Ruhr Area Rail Yards and Fuel Plants Blasted London, March 8 (AP) More than 1.700 U. S. heavy bombers blasted rail yards and motor fuel plants of the Ruhr today and the air ministry said R.

A. F. Mosquitos had bombed Berlin tonight for the 17th consecutive night. During the evening enemy radio itations blared warnings that a bomber column 200 miles long was over western Germany. The warnings indicated that British Lancasters and Halifaxes were heaping fresh destruction upon vital plants and communications as the greatest air blitz of the war carried through its 24th straight day.

From the great American armada just one bomber was reported missing an all-time low for losses on an operation of such magnitude. The Flying Fortresses and Liberators met no opposition from the German air force and most fliers said they had encountered no antiaircraft fire over the Ruhr, long notorious as "flak valley." Benzol Plants Targets Benzol plants were among the American targets and at one a terrific explosion on the ground swept into the sky 20,000 feet high. Mustang pilots said they saw "a ball of fire and brown smoke turning white rising about 8.000 feet" after the attack. Some pilots four miles high could feel the concussion from the blast. The daylight blows caught the Germans still reeling from a Wednesday night assault by the largest force of bombers sent out by the K.

A. F. this year and tonight the enemy's "achtung" warning system told of British bombers being over Brandenburg province where Berlin has been hit for 16 successive nights Rain Destruction Approximately 1.250 British bombers rained destruction in last night's attack on Dessau, important eastern front base, and on two oil refineries at Harburg and another at Deide in Schleswig-Hol-stein. More than 500,000. incendiaries were dropped on Dessau and fires spread over the greater part of the target area, the R.

A. F. reported. With the daylight more than 700 Fortresses and Liberators concentrated on railyards at Essen, six benzol plants in the Gelsen-Kirchen-Dortmund area and the 'Jerscholven synthetic oil refinery lant which had been knocked out reviously but had been repaired ufficiently to merit renewed attention. Nearly 700 more bombers blast-'d congested freightyards at Siegen, 45 miles southeast of Cologne; Giessen, 75 miles southeast: and Betzdorf and Dillenburg on the main line from Giessen to Cologne.

Fai ir FORECAST FOR DECATCR AND VICINITY: Fair with mild temperatures Friday and Saturday. LOCAL WEATHER Thurs. Wed. Thurs. Wed.

8 a. m. 27 25 Precip. .02 1 p. m.

33 31 Fri. Thurs. 8 p. m. 32 30 Sun 1 Highest 43 37 Rises 7:19 7:21 Lowest 27 25 Sets 7:01 7:00 TEMPERATURES High Low London, March 8 (AP) Russian troops fought their way within 25 miles of greater Berlin today in an all-out frontal assault which the Germans said had reached the iunction town nf low in a 10-mile advance in two aays west of the, broken Oder river defense line.

The Soviet high command com munique again ignored this vital sector but announced that other Soviet forces had rolled within seven miles of the Pomeranian capital of Stettin, main port for Berlin, and within 12 miles of the former free citv of Danyitr fnr the Berlin announced that Russian troops in a new offensive also had crossed the Noeat river bonndarv from. East Prussia, reaching Neu- teicn, ig miles southeast of Danzig, ih a seven-mile advance inside Danzig territory north nf fallen Marienburg. 360 Villages Fall The First and Second Whit Rus sian armies together captured 360 towns and villages during the day, including the Pomeranian stronghold of Buetow, and the "Polish corridor" bastions of Koscierzyna and Skarszewy to the east, the Soviet communique said. Berlin said the Pomeranian junction town on Schlawe also had fallen. Marshal K.

Rokossovsky's Second army captured 2.000 of the 5,000 German prisoners taken dur ing the day and overran 300 localities on a 100-mile front between Schlawe in the west and the Vistula river in the east. A total of perhaps 200,000 Germans were caught in the trap around Danzig, original estimates said. Ail-Out Assault Enemy broadcasts told of "terrific fighting in the forefield of Yanks Gain on Coast of Luzon Manila, March 9 (AP) American forces of the 33rd divi sion drove 12 miles north along the west coast of Luzon to seize the town of Aringay, due west of the Philippine summer capital of Baguio, while Yanks on Luzon's south coast advanced 13 miles east of Balaywan bay to capture Le-mery. East of Baguio, the 25th division was probing northward from Dig-dig and Carranglan toward the Balete pass, gateway to the extensive Cagyan valley of northern Luzon. The bulk of the remaining enemy garrison is believed to be in this area.

Capture of Lemery gave the Yanks a firm foothold on the southern shores of Luzon, just 30 miles across the vital Verde island passage from American-held Min-doro island. Gen. Douglas MacArthur announced in his communique today that bombers on successive days hit Japanese defenses along the line with more than 1,000 tons of bombs. This was the heaviest supporting action of any ground campaign in the Southwest Pacific. Heavy bombers sank or damaged 11 freighters in wide sweeps of the China sea and areas around the Philippines.

One was a 000-ton tanker, sunk off Formosa. Among ground targets pounded were airdromes on Formosa and Mindanao, southernmost of the Philippines. MacArthur announced that Australian forces in an amphibious operation had landed without opposition on Saposa island, at the southern entrance to Matchin bay, off the northwestern coast of Bougainville. MacArthur's Thursday communique reported the "sterilization" of Formosa was continuing with bomber attacks on nearby-shipping and fighter plane sweeps at low levels against railroad installations on the Japanese held island. The new South China sea raids swept to the Indo-China coast First Infantry Unit Baas 60,000 Prisoners Bonn, Germany, March 8 (AP) The U.

First infantry divi- bv Brig. Gen. Clift Andrus, captured its prisoner today-rounding out a bag equivalent to an entire Ger man army witn two cuia divisions each. The famous fighting First, many of whose men are from New York, rolled up its record in campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium 'and Germany. Thousands of men and across all day long against that the assault waves met mortar fire.

Lieut. Gen. Courtney H. I Crossing of Rhine May Shorten War By WES GALLAGHER Of the Associated Press Cologne, Germany, March 8 The First army's crossing of the Rhine altered the western front military situation overnight, and opened the possibility of shortening the European struggle by months. As a result, the First, Ninth, and Third U.

S. armies and the First Canadian Army may change over from their limited operations of clearing out the west bank of the Rhine to the more continuous and ambitious project of forcing the river before the Germans have time to organize any semblance of organized defense. The rapid Third and First army advances south of Cologne caught the Germans by surprise. It is apparent that they have had no time to reorganize their scattered forces east of the river at any point. Marshal Von Rundstedt did not have sufficient troops to.

hold the German border defenses. In the Allied drive to the Rhine by four armies he lost at least a third to a half of what few he had. Faces Difficult Task Thus with disorganized forces to taling less than he had to hold a stabilized front, the Nazi field mar- shal is facing if not an impossible task at least the most difficult task of the war. This is the task of trying to seal off the First army bridgehead and at the same time throwing up a defense along the entire length of the river. Only two possibilities seem open to the Germans in trying to halt the First army threat to run through the center of Germany.

One is to pull troops from the Russian front. The other is to abandon the Italian front and pull the 27 German divisions out of there. First Step Unlikely The first step appears extremely unlikely in view of the new Russian offensive along the Oder toward Berlin, which Berlin reports, especially since the German high command stripped the western front to meet the last Russian offensive. Even if troops were moved from Italy they probably could reach threatened points only one division at a time. They might well be destroyed piecemeal without having appreciable effect on the situ ation, as in Normandy.

Most military men, in forecast ing a idng summer war, believed that once across the Rhine it would take weeks of bitter battling really to break through inner German defenses. Americans already are into Ger many inner defenses and the next few days may well bring a definite turning point of the war. Gen. Mudge Wounded In Manila by Grenade Manila, March 9 (AP) Maj. Gen.

Verne D. Mudge, com mander of the hard-hitting First cavalry division, was wounded severely Feb. 28 by a Japanese grenade, but the medical staff re ported today his recovery was certain. General Mudge's home is Fells- ftiere, Fla. His wife lives in San Diego.

The general was wounded on the battle line northeast of Manila while looking for a dugout which the Army engineers had blasted A Japanese, who had been left for dead, tossed a. grenade. Shrapnel wounded Mudge in the abdomen. General Mudge has been with the cavalry since he left West Point in 192a only scattered artillery and Hodges struck going all out for the bridgehead Gen. Eisenhower wanted to shorten the war.

The First infantry crossed at an undisclosed point south of Cologne at 4:30 p. m. yes terday, and Associated Press Correspondent Don Whitehead said that in the hours since the Americans were pounding east to get the crossings out of enemy artillery range. Remagen Reported Site (The Brussels radio said the crossing was made at Remagen, site of a bridge 12 miles southeast of Bonn. The German high command communique, previously had declared armored spearheads had reached Remagen.) The Americans burst across the river never crossed in battle since Napoleon's day at a point about 230 miles from Berlin, hurdling in one giant stride what the Germans throughout their history have regarded as an impregnable moat and a symbol of Teutonic greatness.

The dramatic announcement was made tonight 24 hours after the crossings in order to leave the enemy in the dark while the Americans built up a powerful bridge head. The Germans themselves had yet to tell the homeland that the Americans now were across, the stream. AP Correspondent Howard crossing with some of the troops, declared: "The Americans are across the Rhine to stay." May Shorten War AP Correspondent Wes Galla gher writing from Cologne said the crossings had changed the western front situation overnight and opened the possibility of shortening the war months earlier than calculated by the Allied high command only a short time ago. Eisenhower now was in position to strike for the heart of the Reich across the rolling hill country south of the Ruhr valley. The fact that supreme headquar ters in announcing the crossings referred to a bridgehead Indicated good progress had been made east, since in military parlance a cross ing becomes a bridgehead only when it moves out of direct, short-range fire.

Hodges chose to cross where the Rhine is about a quarter of a mile wide and its banks, steep and al most sheer at Coblenz, begin to flatten out as the stream meanders toward the Dutch frontier. While the location was secret, it was disclosed during the day that the First army had speared to the Rhine at three points between Cologne and Bonn. 60,000 Germans Trapped The sensational development overshadowed combined First and Third army blows farther south. which by German account were aboutvl5 miles from closing a steel trap on possibly 60.000 German troops and pinching off 2,500 mountainous square miles of the western Reich. In this push, the First army had smashed half way across through, Bonn, Rhineland traffic nerve cen ter with a population of 101,000 and was the same distance through Bad Godesberg, three miles south, where the late British Prime Minister Chamberlain met Adolf Hit ler for a second time in 1938 in a futile attempt -to arrange "peace in our time." The German communique said the Ninth armored division had forged across the Ahr river, possibly 14 miles from where the Third army's Fourth armored division was shelling the Rhine transit center of Coblenz from positions at Wessenthurm, seven miles to the northwest The crossing of the Rhine, an Allied goal almost as soon as the Turn to Page 12 "Western Front' Boston 42 24 New York 44 27 Fort Worth 60 40 Miami 84 62 New Orleans 63 61 Chicago 42 23 Detroit 39 24 Indianapolis 37 24 Memphis 54 32 Bismarck 40 -2 Kansas City 51 22 St.

Paul 34 12 St. Louis 47 29 Omaha 47 29 Denver 55 23 Los Angeles 75 39 San Francisco 60 39 Seattle 53 40 American troops have crossed the Rhine river south of" Cologne (arrow with flag), and may be in a position to sweep north (open arrow), and cut off the German Ruhr industrial Varied Industries May Save Illinois Economy Urbana, March 8 (AP) Because Illinois lacks a "predominant industry" such as shipbuilding, the economy of the state prob ably wouldn't suffer as much as other states when war production declines, the Illinois Business Re view said today. The periodical, a publication of the University of Illinois bureau of economic and business research, said the state's wide diversifica tion of industry and agriculture offered an insurance against cutbacks. Illinois has the largest number of manufacturing employes of any Midwestern state (1,160,000) the magazine declared, "but its varied industrial output provides a balancing factor." Osmena Cabinet Takes Office Manila, March 8 (AP) President Sergio Osmena today administered the oath of office to the new Philippine Commonwealth cabinet, composed of men who had refused staunchly any step of collaboration with the Japanese. The impressive ceremony was at historic Malacanan palace, where the.

restored Commonwealth gov ernment is starting to function. Several of the new cabinet members were guerrilla leaders during the Japanese occupation. One, To-mas Caoili, named secretary of national defense, is engaged now in fighting the Japanese on Mindanao and was unable to be present. Hailing a "new era in Filipino American relationships," Osmena expressed gratification in his first message to the cabinet that "not only is the speedy, realization of independence assured but we have obtained new important concession from the United States: A formal pledge our independence will be guaranteed." Mindanao Is Under Fire-Japs By the Associated Press Tokyo radio said today that warships have been bombarding Zamboanga on the southwest tip of Mindanao island in the southern Philippines since early Thursday morning and the bombardment "is believed to be a prelude to a landing attempt." The report was without any Allied confirmation. Mindanao, is second only to American-invaded Luzon island in size in the Philippines.

It was bypassed by Gen. Douglas MacArthur when his forces returned to the Philippines at Leyte last October. Since then a series of island invasions have cut off Min danao from the central and north ern sectors of the archipelago. One of the latest invasions, at Palawan, severed the Japanese gar rison of Mindanao from supply and reinforcement through the south China sea. the beleaguered city by army troop- carrying transports.

They were dropped to soldiers and volunteers including men, women and children erecting the hasty breastworks. The river was ebbing at Pittsburgh, where it is formed by. the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers. Other cities along Ohio's eastern border, such as East Liverpool and Steubenville, reported the waters receding, but days must elapse before thousands who fled to the highland can return and begin the job of drying out their homes. For some of them this is an almost-annual task.

Recedes at Cincinnati Other Ohio points, however, were still battling to keep slowly-rising flood waters from breaching their defenses. Marietta looked for another -half foot of water, sending the flood surface to 43.5 feet. Nearly 300 families left their homes there. Ironton was safe behind a 73-foot floodwall, but downriver at Proc-torville, Ohio, the Red Cross set up relief shelters to house 150 families whose homes were taken over by the Ohio river. Louisville, expected a crest of 47.5 feet tonight or Friday morning, and expected.

the waters to remain at that stage for a day or so. Cincinnati's flood receded from a top of 69.2 feet, and then remained stationary. Shawneetown, 111., traditional victim of high waters, had 51 feet of water, highest since 1937, and forecasters looked for a crest of perhaps 60 feet by the week's end. Truman Says Williams Has Fighting Chance Washington, March 8 (AP) Vice President Truman conceded today that Aubrey Williams has only "a fighting chance" for confirmation as rural electrification administrator. He told a Missouri CIO delegation that Ihe nomination, which came out of the agricultural committee with a 12 to 8 unfavorable vote, will not be called up in the Senate until next week.

There is "a fighting chance" for his confirmation over the opposi tion of a Republican-Southern Dem ocratic coalition, he said, "but only a fighting chance." Mrs. Flynn Denies She Plans to Divorce Errol Hollywood, March 8 (AP) Nora Eddington Flynn, youthful wife of Errol Flynn, today denied Hollywood reports that she plans to divorce the handsome actor. In answer to reports published here, Mrs. Flynn, in Mexico City, said: "There is nothing in the story published in California that I am divorcing Errol. I am certainly not suing my husband for divorce.

Just where the story originated I can not say, but it is untrue." Nation's Broadways Become Ghost Streets New York, March 8 (AP) Variety, the show business weekly, reported today that the amusement curfew had turned the nation's Broadways into ghost streets after midnight. Night clubs throughout the country were estimated to be doing 25 to 45 per cent less business, motion picture theaters five to 10 per cent less. Pay Adjustment Limits Set Up Washington, March 8 (AP) Fred M. Vinson fixed the limits for four common "fringe" wage adjustments tonight in his last act as economic stabilizer, and said they could be granted without OPA approval. These adjustments involved vacations, shift differentials, merit increases and job re-classifica tions.

At first the Vinson order, handed down as he took the oath as federal loan administrator, to be succeeded' by "William H. Davis, former WLB chairman, was regarded as a concession' to the board. Later analysis by the board showed, however, that the ruling was not as liberal as it had expected it to be. The possibility immediately arose that Davis might have to make his own revision or ex tension of the order to cover addi tional fringe adjustments. In a statement which the board at first blocked from release through the Office of War Informa tion but later withdrew objection to, Vinson said that all other fringe ciujuMjiiejua, wuiui lie as "minor," could not become effective if OPA says a price increase would be needed.

Of immediate concern was the status of the meat packing and textile industry cases, blocked in th2 dispute over this "fringe" pol icy. Clearing his desk for Davis, Vinson issued the order authorizing WLB approval of these four wage adjustments to become effective on authorization of Davis, instead of OPA, 'if price ceilings or pro duction costs would be increased. The order provided for these standards: 1. Vacation provisions up to one week after one year of.service and two weeks after five years of service. 2.

Shift differentials in non- continuous operations not to exceed four cents per hour for the second shift, and eight cents per hour for the third shift. 3. Merit increases and automatic progressions on a basis no more liberal in that embodied in the board's present standards. 4. Re-classifications and job re-evaluations not to exceed an aver age increase for all employes in the plant of one cent per hour or one per cent.

The board, Vinson's order read, "shall continue to use its present safeguards to prevent such adjustments from becoming general wage increases. House Votes National Debt Limit Increase Washington, March 8 (AP) The House voted today to in crease the national debt limit to $300,000,000,000. The ceiling now is $260,000,000. 000, and the actual debt approxl mately $242,000,000,000. debt was around $43,000,000,000 before America began preparing for war.

The legislation now goes to the Senate. New Controls on Coal Expected Washington, March 8 (AP) Drastic new consumer controls en rtfsl arp in thp makinff. Drob- ably to be handed down within a day or two. This was learned tonight coinci-nritu hut nnnarentlv indeDen- ulii tin" -fr" dent of indications of optimism on the part of union and operator negotiations working on a new bitu minous wage contract. Although there was no official word, there were increasing indications that federal officials, probably the Solid Fuels Administration, will put out jiew rules to control use of coal in eastern homes.

fh.r. ic nn nresent nrospect of actual coupon rationing. There is good reason to oeucve, nuwevci, that the new regulations will be ctT-irtoct rnntrol vet of home- heating coal both bituminous and anthracite. They are expected not only to limit anthracite purchases but to extend to bituminous and bar substitutions of cheaper fuels to make up for cuts. In general the new rules probably will cut individual consumers back to about 80 per cent of the amount they used before present controls took effect.

Presumably the new ruies win apply in the same areas now controlledstates east of the Mississippi river and Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Louisiana and the city and county of St Louis, Mo. King to Discuss Frisco Conference With F. D. R. Ottawa, March 8 (AP) Prime Minister Mackenzie King today announced that Canada's delegation to the San Francisco world security conference April 25 will include representatives of the parliamentary opposition here.

He left for Washington to discuss details of the conference and other matters with President Roosevelt. The Prime Minister said he did yiot propose to ask for an extension of the life of the present parliament beyond April 17. Mr. King said he was journeying Washington at the invitation of President Roosevelt and planned to ay at the White House Friday light and part of Saturday. MacArthur to Receive High Filipino Award Manila, March 8 (AP) The Philippine government will P'esent Gen.

Douglas MacArthur tte Medal of Valor Saturday. The award is the highest the Commonwealth government can bestow. Gen. Carlos Romulo said the medal was created 12 years ago, but MacArthur will be the first to receive it. WLB Orders Wages Hit By Curfew Adjusted Washington, March 8 (AP) Regional' War Labor Boards were authorized today to "allow such age and salary adjustments" as deem fair for workers in establishments hit by the midnight I curfew..