Wilkes-Barre Sunday Independent

              f
A Paper For The Home
SUNDAY INDEPENDENT " *
Partly   cloudy,    ooolj Mondsy  cloudy,   cool.
39TH YEAR, NO. \^ — 44 PAGES
ViriTED PRcsa
win  Newt  Brrrlre
WILKES-BARRE, PA., SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1945
PRICE TEN CENTS
MILLION READY TO STRIKE; HURRICANE LASHING FLORIDA
i
State's Worst,
. ISO-Mile Winds
Bringing Ruin
$15,000,000 Damage in Fire At Big Naval Air Station; Rich Citrus Crops at Stake
Miami, Fla., Sept 15 (UP)—A mighty tropical tiurrlcane, attended by winds of more tlian 190 miles per hour, slashed into southern Florida tonight, probably precipitating a great fire at the Richmond Naval Air Station which raged unchecked as it enveloped three giant blimp hangars, ruined hundreds of aircraft and injured some 200 naval  personnel.
Hitting with devastating fury—a tury perhaps unequalled In Florida's long hurricane history—the storm center struck southwest of Miami    in    the    Everglades    and i
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through the Florida Keys, and left a trail of destruction from the lower Bahamas to the mainland.
The Weather Bureau .said at mid¬ night (EWT) that the storm would lose strength as it moved slowly up the finger of Florida but warn¬ ed  that  it  still  wns  dangerous.       I
At the air station three huge' wooden hangars, 368 airplanes and' 25 Navy blimps went up in hurri- ¦¦ ¦ ane swept flames. I
largest Wooden Hangars
Thc   hangars   were   tlie   world's largest   wooden   structures.    They fell   victim,   wilh   thc   planes   that I h.id   been   crowded   into   Ihem   for | si'.fekecping    before    the     Florid.i | hurricane,   to   fires   fanned   by   114- niilc-per-liour   winds   and    ftd    by gasolliic.    No   fatalities   were   re¬ ported early today.
Fourteen blimps in fl.ving condi¬ tion and 11 Ihere for repairs were completely destroyed. Along with them went 2l.'i naval aircraft and 153 civilian planes. Everything was a total loss, including the hangars valued at $3,000,000 each. Total damage may pass $15,000,000. Got False Aiarin
The winds that came from the sea lifted half tho roof off hangar No, 3, and a few minutes later tho doors blew off No. 1. The first alarm - which proved fo bc false - • came from No.  1 at D:3l p. m.
The first true alarm came from the same hangar at 5:<fi. A power failure prevented spreading the alarm, and a wnter failure pre¬ vented    fighting    it    with    success
GERMANS TO HAVE CITY, TOWNSHIP,
Eisenhower Plans First Democratic Vote Since 1932
By DOt'GLAS WKRNER
Berlin, Sept. IS. (UP) — Gen. Dwight D. Kl.senhower, reporting progress In denazifying the Ameri¬ can occupation zone of Germany, tonight announced plans to ar¬ range for township, city and coun¬ ty elections in the zone, the first democratic balloting scheduled for the Reich since 1932.
Eisenhower announced that ad¬ ministrative officiala of the inter¬ ior department of "land" units — thn largest existing government di¬ visions with the zone, embracing a number of counties and compara¬ ble  In  size to  American  states
How Many, Please?
Togo Also Has Skipped Hari Kari
This Is a picture that Is seen only in dreams during the last lew  years.   Hundreds   and   hun¬
dreds of shiny black Urea are I in Akron, Ohio, 'They will toon neatly stacked aa they flow off be ready for delivery to civilian the   production   line   at   a   plant  I niarket
TRUMAN EXPECTED TO APPOINT NEW
Also Still Seeks Man to Fill Post On Supreme Court
Big 5 Invites Views Of Poland, Red States
Foreign Ministers Ask For Suggestions on Peace for Italians
Kansas City, Mo, Sept. 15.   (UP)
— Asked at a press conference to-
K-|day   if   there   was   a  possibility   of
          Inn   early   change   in   the   post   of
have"be'en"lns'tructed"to"w"rife"new! Secretary  of  War,   President  Tru-
 „       «-er"menta,  codes   preparing  the -XrTe';[v'^el. t ;°e"ti^rk^ ^
Then  torrential  rains  came to thej way for elections Washington.
Local eirclions Hmt ^  I    He    gets    back    to   Washington
The codes are to bc in the hands,gjnjjay ^nj ^.^p,, fii.i,t asked of military government officials by'about a change at the Wnr Depart- Oit. l.''i. Thc first elections, on a Iment and also in thc Supremo local or township scale, are ex-1 Court and thc Federal Security pected to be held in January, Elec-|Afency of which Paul V, McNtitt tions  for  larger units, large  cities \ is   the   head,   he   merely   said   ho
firemen's aid.
The hangars were 1,000 feet long anrt 270 feet wide. The blimps were of  "K'   type,  helium   filled.
The cause of the fire could not be immediately determined. (The navy in Miami said that DOO en¬ listed personnel from the OPA Lorkii N.'ival Air .Station were be¬ ing ruslied to Richmond to help in fighting the fire. Doctors and blood plasma were al.'^o being sent down as fast as vehicles could travel  the debris-strewn  roads.
Homestead, gateway city to the Florida Keys, was reported to he the hardest hit of any municipali¬ ty. It was cut off for hours. Resi¬ dents were reported badly in need of food. There were no deaths re¬ ported but the town's frame struc¬ tures were virtually demolished. 200 .Miles Wide
At !) p. m. cEWT) the Weather Bureau ordered hurricane warn¬ ings extended throughout Florida and warned the central part of thc state to expect hurricane wind.s - over 7,5 miles an hour - late tonight and Sunday. Tlie wide path of the tivity to be slorm estimated at 200 miles - endangered both thc Atlantic and Gulf  coasts.
Thc Weather Bureau said the slorm  presently was centered over
and counties, will be held later, "depending .somewhat on the re¬ sults oht,iinecl In thc local elec¬ tions." the announcement, said.
Tlie announcement said the Ger¬ mans will be allowed to take a more active voire in their own gov¬ ernment as a result of "progress in j
eliminating thc former party structure in the American zone." It explained that the denazification of the German people hart made progress since the Allied troops first entered Germany, To Teach People
"It   is   particularly   desired   that
Mould hold a news conference at 4 p. m, Tuesday, His second reply as regards the War Department was in response to a direct ques¬ tion concerning the immediate future of Secretary of War Henry I.,.   Stimson.
Stimson Keady to Retire Stimson,  who will be 78 Sept. 21,
is   believed   ready   to   retire
The chief executive mot with rc- pprters during the morning In hla federal   building  oflice  here.
He said he had not yet found an appointee for thc e-xialing Supreme C;urt vacancy. Ho was still hunt¬ ing for the right man, he said, anrt ]it was  a difllcult  search.    He em-
the initial elections be at a local phasized he would not have any- level so that. experience may bc thing to say about that job Tues- gained    In    handling    election    ma-  dKy.
chinery, nnd also to prove the first      One   appointment    Mr.     Truman opportunity   for   local   political   ac-j may   announce   then   is   that   of   a resumed   with    local  new   solicitor   general    to     replace issues at   stake | Charles   F'ahy,   wilh   the   Governor
"It  is believed that  the  proposed;of Georgia,   Ellis  Arnnll,  the  most elections   represent   a   practical   ex- j frcqueiitly  mentioned   possibility.
periment  as well  as  a logical   first step   to    bring   about    democratic
the F.verglartcs, 60 miles west of, processes in (Germany.' Miami, and apparenllv wns swing-1 Thc codes wiil outline the struc- Ing around tn a northward course, I ture anrt functions of local govern- thrcatening the citrus area which {ment. They will provide for choos- (Continued  on   Page  A-lOi I (Continued  on  P.ige  A-lOi
Drove Pegs Under Her Kneecaps, Nearly Grilled Daughter Alive
Singapore, Sept. IS. (UP)—A British offlcer newly returned from Malaya told today how the Japa¬ nese tortured a Eurasian woman accused of helping anli-Japancse guerrillas and as a last resort threatened to grill her daughter alive over an open fire to make thc inother   talk.
Mrs.   Sybil   Kathigasu   of   Ipoh
Japanese dragged Mrs. Kathigasu to a military police compound and tied her to a post.
Then her daughter was brought in, her hnnds tied behind her back, and was drawn up on a rope hang¬ ing from a tree limb over a blaz¬ ing  fire.
The Japanese threatened to cut thc  rojie  and   drop   the  child  Into
told ths slory of her sufferings  lo'the fire unless the mother talked
fcritish occupation oflicers when they entered Malaya. She said she Was arrested nn suspicion of help¬ ing the guerrillas 26 months ago and was tortured horribly for four months. I>rovo Pegs Ijider Kneecaps
The Jnpanese drove wooden pegs Under his kneecaps, split her ear lobes when they learned she listened to British broadcasts, drove bamboo splinters under her fingernails and beat Tier back with « heavy club until she was paralyzed, fc^   Finally   in   November,   1943,   the
//I Today's 'ssue
('laNsitied F.dllnrial Movleit    ...
Social    	
Sporto  	
Badio   	
i Outdoor  .
 ft—n
 C—J
 B—10
..B—1 ..B—It ..B—14
According to Iho British officer, the mother wept as she told thc slory of how the Japanese began— slowly-hacking al the rope.
"I love  you.  momniie,"  the  child cried oul. ""Jesus wili lake care of me." She Wouldn't Talk
"I knew then whnt I would do," the mother wns quoted as saying. "I  knew  I would not talk."
About   the   time   the   rope   was cut half through, a Japanese mili¬ tarv    police    chief    appeared    and halted   the  proceerting.s.   When   thr|p^,|___    „,.„,.-^ child  waa   lowered   tn  the   (found, j ^^^j^^^^^   ^^^^^   j
Mr. Truman disclosed that Pat rick J. Hurley, American ambassa¬ dor to China, is coming home to report, but said, in reply to a ques¬ tion, thnt Hurley had snid nothing to him about wanting to resign. Visits Mother Alone
The President was up early to¬ day, brcakfa."tert al 7 a.m. and then drove lo Grandview for a viEit with his 92-ycar-old mother, Mr.s. Martha Truman. No report¬ ers went along. Thc President's mother is allergic to fanfiire and Mr. Truman would do nothing to displease  her,
I.ialer he said she'd given him htr   usual   advice—to  be   careful.
He carried to her a portfolio of pictures taken at the Berlin con¬ ference of the Big Three.
Reluming from Grandview, thc President slopped lo see Eddie Jacobson, his old haberdashery partner. He dialled lo minutes and ended up by buying 18 pair of socks. I.asl .Tunc, when the President was here, Eddie couldn't find a while shirt to fit him and news of that brouglil a deluge of .shirts of the proper size to the White House. Today Mr. Truman laughingly said he thought he'd better keep his sock size to him¬ self. Gets Haircut
He sloppirt for a haircuf by Frank Spina and received from two old hnttery males of World War I days a gold membership card  in  the  "Boys  of  Battery  B."
Then      Phyllis      and      Barbara
sevcn-ye,ar-old   twins,   were
lis   office   hv   U.   S.
the   mother   broke   away   from   l'<-r j „^^,,,3, y^^^ Canflll.    Tlicv want- Japanese guard  "".''  en^braccd  her I ^^ ^^ ^^„ ^^^ president forget-me-
for  the    Disabled
American one     from
daughter.    She    said    a Japanese
kicked  her in the face. I "°. „„   v,„,,„i,.
Later.   Mrs.   KathiKa.su said,   the   Veterans^    He   bought
Japanese   sentenced    her to   death  carl, of the girU and each   pinned but  a  delegation   of  citizens  saved   her flower on his coat,
her  hv   nn   appeal  to a Japanese     An old    Legion commander.           , '        (Continued on Page A-15)
friend.    Robert
By BRUCE W. MV>'N
London. Sept, IS, (UP)—Tlie Big Five foreign ministers' council an¬ nounced tonight tllkt Poland and two of the Soviet Union's feder¬ ated republics. White Ru.ssia and the Ukraine, had been invited to txprcsi their view on the Italian peace treaty which will be consid¬ ered at Monday'a council session.
The action followed by one day Issuance of a council Invitation to Yugoslavia, Italy, Australia, Can¬ ada, India, New Zealand and South Africa—the last five all British do¬ minions—to nominate representa¬ tives to attend Monday's meeting on the question of the Yugoslav- Italian frontier, a major point at i.=sue in tiie peace treaty. K DilTerrnc«
It was noted that today's foreign ministcr.s' communique did not i::peciflcally atate that the lhr"e j newcomers had been invited to send representatives.
The council's communique was issued after thc fifth meeting over which Foreign Minister Georges Bidault of France presided.
It said that ^he Italian colonial question had been referred to depu¬ ties of the foreign ministers for detailed study, "making the fullest possible use of the plan proposed by the United States delegation and taking inlo account the views expressed by other delegations." I'. N. Favors Trusteeship
The plan proposed by U. S. Sec¬ retary of Stale James F. Byrnes' delegation reportedly would place Italian colonies under an Interna¬ tional trusteeship in compliance wilh the provision of the charter of the United Nations organization. There have also been reports that the Americans might seek to have Italy made trustee for her own colonies. Thus Italy would not be deprived of her pre-war territory, although sho would lose outright sovereignty over it.
In this connection, reliable sources said that Azzam Bey, sec¬ retary of the Arab League, was ex¬ pected here shortly from Cairn to confer with Foreign Minister Krn¬ est Bevin. The Arab nations have considerable interest in the Italian colonies, which have a large Mos¬ lem population, ,\rab I.4>Bder lo Observe
Rome dispatches said that For¬ eign Minister Alcide de Gasperi will represent Italy befnre the council mecling Monday. The lead¬ er of the Yugoslav delegation will be Foreign Minister Ivan Subasic, I informed sources predicted. A I Yugoslav spokesman here saiil the 1 deirgiition left Belgrade today and ; will  reach London Tomorrow.
Both Yugoslavia anrt Rome ac¬ cepted quickly the chance to put their views on Italian-Yugoslav boundary questions before the council.
The   council   reportedly  received today a formal Yugoslav note set¬ ting" forth Marshal Tito's demands for   sovereignly   over   Istria.   Vene- zla,   Glulia   and   Trieste,   and   elab¬ orating     claims     for     reparatlops against    Italy.    The    memorandum was   understood   to  have   heen  de¬ .signed to  give  delegnles  a   chance lo     familiarize     themselves     with Yugoslav proposals before the Bel- ¦jrado   and    Rome    representatives ' :ippcar  before  the  council. I Yugoslavia  Wants  Indemnity I    It    was   understood   that    Yugo¬ slavia  proposes   to  ask   abnut  $1.- i 446.000,000  In   reparations   for   des- itroyed    property    from   Italy,   and '        (C:ontinued on Pa«e A-iS)
AS ALLIES READY WAR GUIL1[TRIALS
Prosecutor for Soviet
. Is Reported Removed;
Jackson In Nuernberg
By EDWARD V. ROBERTS
Ixmdon, Sept. yi. (UP)—Un¬ official reports that Maj. Gen. I. T. Nikltchenko, Soviet prosecutor of German war criminals, had been removed from his post reached London today as Justice Robert S. Jackson, chief United States prose¬ cutor, moved his headquarters from London to Nuernberg where thc trial will be held.
The possibility of a hitch In preparations for the trial of thc Nazis, who include Reichsmarshal Hermann Goering, Foreign Minis¬ ter Joachim von Ribbentrop and others, was Indicated In the reports that Nikltchenko had been remov¬ ed from office. Not Confirmed
A Taas agency representative here said the report had no con¬ firmation in London but that it was "quite possible." Nikltchenko, who has represented the Soviet Union since the Inception of the B'our-Power conference on war criminal trials, was recalled to Moscow some weeks ago.
The prosecutors are expected to meet next in Berlin following the ippointment of British, French and Russian representatives to sit on the international tribunal which will judge the cases.
President Truman last week named former U, S. Attorney CJen¬ eral Francis Biddle to repiesent the United Slates and other gov¬ ernments are expected to name their men before the end of the month.
Jackson directed that the Paris office be closed, cenlr|ilizlng the American proseculion team in Nuernberg where the questioning of tho Nazis slated for trial before the tribunal in November now nears completion.
BRADLEY'S PLANE FLIES IRON LUNG FOR VETERAN
New York, Sept. LS. (UP)—An iron lung to be used in treating a World War II veteran suffering from infantile paralysis was being flown tonight from New York to Muskogee, Okla., in thc personal plane of Gen. Omar N. Bradley, head of the Veterans Administra¬ tion,
The plane took off from La¬ Guardia field at n:10 p, m. EWT nnd waa scheduled to arrive at Muskogee at about ,^ a. m. Sunday afler a non-stop  flight.
The plane, piloted by Maj. Alvin E. Robi,son, San Antonio, Texas, arrived nt LaGuardia Field at 8 p. m. EWT to pick up the arti¬ ficial respirator, which was lent by Base 81 Veterans Hospital iri the Bronx.
Also    aboard    the    plane    were
T Sgt.   Oorge   E.   Cook,   LaSalle,
III.,    the    crew    chief,    anrt    S,Sgt,
Earl   L.   Fisher,   Washington,   la.,
1 radio operator.
General Homma, 'Beast of Bataan' Gives Himself up; Speeding Roundup
By WILLIAM B. DICKINSON
Tokyo, Sept. 15 (UP)—Shigenri Togo, foreign minister at the time of Pearl Harl>or and No. 2 on Gen. Douglas MacArthur's list of Jap¬ anese war criminals, surrendered today to the U. S. gth Army,
Allied authorities now have rounded up more than half of the persons on the first list of Pacific war criminals, including Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma, the "Best of Bataan." and Shigenorl Togo, Pearl Harbor foreign minister, it waa disclosed today.
Fiv* days after Gen. Douglas MacArthur ordered 40 war crim¬ inals and seven members of the terroristic Black Dragon Society arrested to stand trial, 19 were still at large. Twenty-six were In cus¬ tody and two had taken their lives by their own hands, PrcM, Radio Chastised
The quickened tempo of arrests was accompanied by a severe dressing down of Japanese press and radio officials who were at¬ tempting to evade MacArthur's or¬ ders against continuing propagan¬ da. The Japaneae were told that MacArthur was the boss of Japan and the Japanese were not to think for one moment they had yet re¬ gained the respect of the world.
Captur* of Homma, along with the general who succeeded him as Philippines commander, put the first five Japanese war criminals in Allied hands — Pearl Harbor Premier Gen. Hidekl. Tojo, No. 11 Togo, No. I; Oklnorbu Kaya, To- jo's finance minister. No. 3; Adm. Shlgetaro Shiraada, Tojo's Navy minister. No. 4, and Homma, No, 8.
Taken alone with Homma, who commanded th* Philippines in 1941 and 1942 and was responsible for the infamous Bataan deatji marches, was his successor, Lt. (Jen. Shlge- mori Kuroda, No, 13 on the list, Homma Surrenders
Homma, it was announced, sur¬ rendered to U.S. 8lh Army author¬ ities Saturday night, dressed in a crumpled civilian suil. He was immediately transferred to a Yoko¬ hama jail to join others of his countrymen awaiting trial.
The haul Included thc two top Filipino Quislings arrested by Sth Army men—Jose P, I.*urel, presi¬ dent of the Japanese-sponsored Philippines Republic, and Benigo S. Aquino, president of the Jap¬ anese - sponsored Philippines Na¬ tional Assembly. Ordered Panay Attack
Surrendering with Togo wsre Vice Admiral Yoshltake Ueda, for¬ mer chief of naval aviation and No. 24 on the list, and Col. Kingo¬ ro Hashimoto, nationalist leader of the pre-war "young officers" clique which had demanded wsr with the U, S. for a decade before they got
Disputes Arising In Reconversion Menace Program
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Auto Men Hurl Bombshell With 30