Wilkes-Barre Sunday Independent

              A Paper For The Home
SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
The Weather
Partly  cloudy,  colder! Monday:   fair,   warmer.
38TH YEAR, NO. 52 — 4. PAGES
CMTED    PKES9 WlM   KeWB   Srrtir*
WILKES-BARRE, PA.. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1944
PRICE TEN CENTS
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Jap Defenses on Leyte Crumbling^ Shelling Holland Escape Funnel
Naval Toll Now Set at 48 Ships
v
F.D.R. Says GOP Tries I To Embrace His Reforms On a 'Me Too' Basis
100,000 Hear Him Ridicule Opponents; Bid to Business Men Advocates Lower Taxes
Chicago, Oct 28. (UP)—President Roosevelt, addressing a crowd of more than 100,000 in Soldier Fleld tonight in one of the most spec¬ tacular appearances of his political career, heaped scorn upon his Re¬ publican opponents for attempting to embrace New Deal policies and made a strong bid for business sup¬ port by advocating reduced taxes to help private enterprise provide 60.000,000  postwar jobs.
Hours before the President ar¬ rived at the huge arena, long lines of Chicagoans pushed their way into the field despite a cold wind which swept the massive standi. Tonight's crowd was probably the Isrgcst ever addressed in per.'ion by Mr. Roosevelt, rivaled only by his 1936 crowd in the Hollywood Bowl In California. Olves Post-War Plan
The President made a sweeping review of what the administration had done since 1933 to aid the workers, the farmers and the busi¬ nessmen of the nation. Then he listed a number of things he wants done after the war to keep Amer¬ ican economv up to present levels or   raise   it  higher.
After the war. he said. "»n ade¬ quate program" -to assure "full realisation of the right to a use¬ ful and remunerative employment" must provide this country with close lo 60,000,000 "productive jobs."
He forf.«aw a vast expansion of our peacetime productive capacity, proposing that "the government do Its part in helping private enter¬ prises to finance exnaiwion of onr private industrial planU through normal  Investment  channels."
As an example of what he had in mind, the President said large and small business "must be en¬ couraged by the government to ex¬ pand their plants and to replace their obsolete or worn out equip¬ ment  with  new  equipment."
"And   to   that   end.   the   rate   of depreciation   of   these   new   plants and    faculties    for    tax    purposes should be accelerated." he said. Foreign Trade OpfMirlunlty
The President then turned to future foreign traile. saying "never again must we in the United Stales attempt to Isolate oiirselvc.-. from the  rest  of humaaity."
"I am confldeni.' he added, "that with congressional approval, the foreign trade of the United States ran be trebled after the war pro¬ viding  millions of more jobs.
"Surh cooperative measures pro¬ vide the soundest economic foun¬ dation for a lasting peare. And. after this war, we do not Intend to settle for anything less than lasting peace."
Mr. Roosevelt made a forthright hid for labor and farm support In this, his first major appearance in the Middle West during his fourth term campaign, demanding that America remain "the land of high wazes  and   efficient   production."
"Kvery full-lime iob in America must provide enough for a decent living." he said, promising an rnd sfter the war to wase and salary restrictions. Tn F.nd Wage Control
"After the war, we shall, of eourse. remove the control of wages snd leave their determination lo free collectivr bargaining between trade unions and employee.'."
Saying that it was "common Sense to see to it it that the work¬ ing man is paid enotigh and tint the farmers earn enough." the (resident struck at the Republi- (Contlnued  on  Page  A-1.'))
DEWEY AHACKS
Says Farm Program Was Exploited for Political Profit
Albany, Ocl. 28. iUP>¦ Voicing his confldence that he will win the ' presidential election next month, ;Gov. Thomaa E. Dewey of New York returned here today after fell¬ ing a political audience at Utica that "your new President will never juse his office lo .separate the coun- tr>-."
"Your new President," Dewey added in a brief speech from the rear platform of his campaign itrain, "will never use his oflicc to !<laim personal or political creoit ifor the magnificent achievements of the military leaders and the snirlflccs of tl'- American people and  their sons."
Several hundred persons, carry¬ ing banners which read "Wc Want Dewey." "No Fourth Term" and '•Win With Dewey." gathered around jthe rear platform of tho train when 'it stopped here en route to Albany I from Syracuse, where the GOP {standard t>carer made a speech at- Itacking the Roosevelt adminlstra- ilion's farm program. Walks From Station
Dewey told the rrowd that It was .juat "like old home week" and that 'he was glad lo be "campaigning jin my own home state." I "Change in administration can ioiily mean that we will end the chaos, bungling and confusion in Washington." he said. ' "When wc have a new adminis¬ tration we can go forward and win  the war even quicker."
When the (Jovernor arrived in Albany, he dismis.spd his chauffeur who was waiting at the station and he and Mrs. Dewey walked lo the executive mansion. He tip¬ ped his hat and chatted with people who greeted him along the way. 't'ontinued  on   Page A-14>
Cologne Gets War's Worst Raid
Paralyze Center of German War Traffic; Support Dutch Front; Yanks Attack Supplies
By DOl'GALD WERNER
Lodon. Sunday. Oct. 29. TPi Huge forces of RAK heavy bomb¬ ers hit Cologne Saturday with the greatest weight of explosives loosed on that ruined Rhine city, wetting towering fires in the railyards as German war traffic pa-i-ied through while .'iSO American heavy bombers blasted Hamm and Mucnster, sup¬ ply funnels for the Dutch  front.
A third heavy blow against Uer¬ many from the air appeared to be
i in the making a few hours later when a steady stream of RAF big bombers crossed the channel in a southeasterly directions, requiring more than an hour to pass over the
' coast.
Mosquito pilots flew over Cologne
I four hours  after  the raid  and  re-
I ported   fires   were   raging   out   of
I conlrol through the city.
<    More than 1.000 big RAF prtnes
twere out over Cologne —the target
Ifor the first historic 1.000-plane assault—and Walcheren  Island at
, the mouth of the Schelde Estuary, where the targets were German sun batteries commanding the ap-
^pMaches of Antwerp.
Seven   bombers   and  one   fighter failed  to  return    the  air   m.nistry :)nnounced. Rail (enter Paral.ixed
The Germans had been .-ible to repair a few lines through Cologne where Allied raiders wrecked the rail yards only two weeks previ¬ ously but Saturday's record assault was reported to have once more paralyzed operations.
The previous record weight of bombs dropped on Cologne was in the April 20, 1944, raid. The new assault not onl.v involved a heavier weight but al.so a greater propor¬ tion of hiyh explosives in the load as the Allies underlined Propa¬ ganda Minister Paul Joseph Goeb¬ bels' remarks that air raids were the Germans' "greatest worry at present." A U. S. Strategic Air Forces com- • Continiied  on  Page A-l."*) j
s 7th Fleet Sank Every Ship in Leyte Gulf; 2 Battleships, 4JCarriers
Got Alao 4 Cruisers, 10 Destroyers; 4 More Carriers Sunk Above Luzon By  Admiral  Halsey*s  3rd  Fleet
Men. ^lacArthur'a Headquarters, l..e)1r, Fhlllpplnes, Sunday, Oct. 3B.— (IP)—(ien. Doiigla.<i .MacArthur today conKnttiilsted \lce Adm. Thomas ('. HInkald and every man of the Meventli Fleet on one of history's very few IOO per rent naval tlrtories, after revealing in his communique that every ship of the Japanese forre had been sunk.
Two iMttleshipa, two heavy rrulnero, two light cruisers and 10 destroyers were wiped out in the L.eylr (<ulf battle. •
7 Columns Hit Effort To Escape
Take Coast Fortress; Rest of Front Awaits Freeing of Port of Antwerp
By .MA(   R. .JOHNSON
U. S, Pacific Fleet Headquarters, Pearl Harbor, Ocl. 28.—'UP)— United States warships and planes definitely sank two Japanese battle¬ ships and wiped out iin otire force of four carrier's in the Baltic of the Philippines, boosting Japan- ¦ CSC losses In the Western Pacific last week lo 48 ships sunk or dam¬ aged,   it   was   disclosed   today. j
A communique issued by Ge.i.' Douglas MacArthur announced that an entire force of 16 Japanese war-i ships was wiped out in the Surigiio Strait, between Leyle and Min¬ danao, In one of the three action:s which raged  in Philippines  walerh.
That force comprised two battle- ] ships—the    30-year-old.    29.330-ton' battlewagons Huso and Yamashiro —two   heavy    cruisers,    two   light cruisers  and   10 destro.vers.
A delayed dispatch from  Gcorpr Jones.  ITnited  Press correspondent with Adm. William  F.  Halsey's U.' «.  Third  Fleet,  said   that   a  force l).\.MAGED, of four Japanese carriers was sunii on  Tuesday  off northern  Luzon.
U. S. China-based planes prob¬ ably sank one destroyer Thursdav night in the South China Sea and
damaged another More In ('amotea 8ra
MacArthur  also  announced  that one destroyer was sunk and a light cruiser   was   damaged   In   the   Ca-1 inotes Sea west of Leyte on Thurs¬ day,   but  did   not   specify   whether 1 (Continued  on  Page   A-4)
Latent figures boottled un¬ official Japanese losnes for the week'a fighting to:
Si'\K: Tuo Battleships, fight Cruisers, 11 De¬ stroyers, Four Carriers —Total 25.
PROBABLY SUSK: Two Battleships, One De¬ stroyer—Total Three.
Six Battle¬ ships, Seven Cruisers, Two Destroyers—Total 15.
In addition, China-based planes sank five mer¬ chant ships, making an overall unofficial enemy loss of 48 ships.
Chiang Kai-Shek Asked Removal of Gen. Stilwell
'Tncle Joe" Also Disafirreed With (len. (.'hennault and Ivoid Mountbatten; China-Burma-India Theatre Now Divided
(Copyright. 1944. by I nited Press)
Washington,   Oct.   28.    'Vl')    Gen.   Joseph   W.   Stilwell,   hero   of  thej North  Burma  campaign  and   "Uncle  Joe"  to  thous.tnds  of worshipful hghtii'R men. has been  relieved nf all his command and slafT posts in ' the Far Kast at the request of Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek. ¦
The sensational  development   -hrsl  of it.^   kind  involving a   four-star <eiieral   in   this   war    was   brought   to   linht   by   a   brief  While   House | innounccmenl tnat titilwtll  lias heen   relieved of his Far  Kasterii  com- | mands   and   "recalled   lo   Washing-  ——^^^——^^———^¦^— Ion "    The   War  Department  added conduct   of the   Far   Eaatern   phase! lati      that   he   would   he   given    "n of  tlie  war  against  Japan, now  and   important  but  at  present      stilwell. fil-vear-old soldier of the uiidi.sclo.sed     assignment.       Neither oj^ school, was commander of U. S.I disclosed   nny  of   the   factors   lead-,forces    in    the    China-Burr.in-Indii' ing to .Slilwolls recnll. Theater,   chief   of   staff   to   Chiang;
The United Press, however, learn-      ^^ 	
ed   that   Chiang   had   requested   thr      ^'      ^Iflf
arlion in a climax of loiig-standina      ^       -. ¦
differences with the American over      r^    '^Hr
Red Drive Above Warsaw Takes Polish Fortress
May Turn to Aid Forces in Fierce Strugjfle Inside Prussia's East Wall; Advancing: Deep Into Slovakia
By  ROBKRT  >ll SKI.
London, Sunday, Oct 20 (UP) Russian troops, cracking powerful Nazi fortifications in tuP outflanking drive northwest of devastated Warsaw, captured the Polish fortress of Jablonna-Legionowo yesler¬ day. while Berli.i said the Red Army had opened an offensive in Latvia  to  clear  the   iast   Soviet-claimed   territorv   of  German   forces.
SimultaiK ously, two Russian armies advancing westward across Yugoslavia approached the Danube River on a 70-mile front. Reach¬ ing the great water harrier at Apatin. onlv ^.^ miles northeast of the Yugoslav   citadel    of   Osijek,   thci
Russians split  in  half and all but of   the   20-mile   wide   Nazi   "East eliminated   a   big   German   bridge-' Wall" In East  Prussia, head   in   tlie   river's   hiigo   right- j Warsaw-Prussia Drives Linked angle bend  northwest of Belgrade.      Marshal    Konstantiii    K.    Rokos-
Marshal Tito announced that sovsky's 1st White Russian Army the Yugoslav liberation army had j drive northwest of Warsaw was freed the big Adriatic port of closely linked to the East Prussian Spalato (Split) after three days of ' violent street battles in the Dal¬ matian   coastal  lown.
Ruthrnia  Liberated
By JA.MKS F. MrOLI.NCV
I     Allied     Siipreine     Headquarters.
I Paris, Sundnv, Oct. 29.  lUPi    Brit-
I ish troops siiiaslicd Saturday lo within two miles of Breda and be¬ gun slicllinu tliat lasape funnel for
[eight battered Nazi divisions, while
i Canadian units tore away the enemy's west flank in Holland by capturing     tlie    ancient    aeacoast
[ fortress of Bergen  Opzooiii.
Three    columns    drove    against
I Breda, site of the Royal Dutch Academy     and     last     big     enemy
! stronghold south of the Maas. scor¬ ing gains up to five miles.
The British drove closest from the cast along the Tilburg Road while PolLsh units approached within six miles in a drive up from Antwerp and Canadians rut in to¬ ward  the  city  from  the left flank
jof the fast shifting 7.^-mile front.
I Seven Powerful Coiunins
I The Canadians were reported less than four miles southwest of Breda.
I The Canadians. Brilish and Poles were surging forward In at least seven powerful columns against a foe that was trying to break offi action at many points in hia haste
I to escape across the Maas. !
I The drive was being relentlessly. pressed  despite  continued  German 1
{counter-attacks on the Allied east-, ern flank, where the enemy scored 1
I local gains. The counter-blows' were made by infantry and tanks | which sallied out of the Siegfried Line. But already their bridges had been wrecked behind them bV Allied bombers, which Saturdav enjoyed their first day of good weather in a week. |
Swift progress was reported be¬ ing made In clearing the German pockets on either side of the Schelde Estuary. On the south, where the enemy already had been pushed out of effective range of Antwerp Channel. Canadian troops counted a total of S.n22 prisoners since the.v began operations against the pocket two weeks ago, and onlv a few hundred Germans were believed left.
Gain on North Shore |
On the north shore.  British  am-;
phiblous     forces     and     Canadian
troops    driving    from    the    Dutch
(Continued on  Page A-14) !
New Landings On West Coast Reported Near
Last Water Barrier to Manila Reathed by Amerltan Fortes As MacArtltur's Men Fan out; 20 Planes Downed over Beath
By >\ILIJAM B. DI( KLN.SON
tien. .>lac.\i(4iur's Headquai teix. Le.vto. Philippines. Sun< day. Oct. l»9 (ri»)—.Vmerican troops, driving west and .south thiouKh lapidly deteiiorating Japane.se defenses, have seized control of a 67-mile front on I.eyte Island, Gen. DouKlas .\lac.\rthur announced today, a.s other V. S. forces on Samar I.sland to the north reached the Ia.st water barrier on Ihe load to IVIanila, 2.'>0 miles away. 1
] (The .'VIelbnurne radin reported tlial American landing and naval
forr«-s   aiready   were   operating   along   Ihe   west   coast   of   Leyte I     bordering on the Caniotes Sea.)
I     .  ''^  ''S.'*?" ••"•••'•¦ast admitted  the Japanese were in  retreat on :     •'<•>»«¦• Tokyo also  reported that 20 to SO Amrriran transports off ,    the I.#yte capital of Tacloban «ere pouring more men and supplies ashore.
Covei-ed by fifth Air i'oroe fighters and anti-aircraft whirh ahot dowri 20 enemy raiders on tho American beachhead, dismounted troopa of the First Cavalry Division drove Into Carlgara in a three-mlla advance along the bay on the northern sector, while troops of til* 24th Division piclted up four miles in the Leyte Vallay. where tha enemy now is fighting only a delaying action America's  "hottest"  fighter  pilots
I In the Southwest Pacific, including
, the  famous  Maj. Richard  I.  Bong, now   were   operatinR   from   Leyte,
snuffing out Jap hit-and-run at lacks. Five hours after his arrival here Friday, the 23-ycar-oId Bong got his 3Ist enemy plane to become America's leading war ace. Stop Counterattack
As the 24th slashed at Alsnga- lang, 10 and a half milea north¬ west of Palo, and threw back a Jap counterattack against Santa Fe. six miles southeast of Alanga- lang. elements of the Seventh Dlvi-
square miles, waa reported In tht firm grip of Maj. Gen. Verna D. Mudge's dismounted cavalry and Filipino guerrillas a/ter a six-day cnmpalgn.
The rcporta indicated that tha Americans driving up Samaria weat coast had advanced some 63 miles north of the newly-won capl* tal of Catbalogan to reach the 10« mile San Bernardino Strait separ« ating .Samar from  Luzon.
The dispatches mentioning "full control" of Samar did not mean that   the  Americans  and   Filipinoa
sion  on  the  southern  sector  drove had occupied all of the islands, but to  within  a   mile  of   Dagami,  ke.v|had   taken   key   areas   which   en-
junction of the Burauen-Dagam road, eight miles hrlow .Santa Ve. linking the coa.stal sectors, Mac- Arthur announced.
On the left flank, patrols broke into the towns of Santa Ana, four miles .southeast of tho key junc¬ tion of Burauen. and near San Andre and Pangban. south of tho Marabang River. Minor rontact with the enemv wa.s reported in¬ land from Abuyog where six coast¬ al guns and 40 vehicles gathered in a motor pool were captured, the communique said. Control Srd I.argest  Island
Smar. third largest of the Philip¬ pine  islands  wilh an  area  of ,V124
abled thom to exercise  control. Defenders Disintegrating
On the Leyte front to the south. the Americans were driving for¬ ward in all directions ngalnsl Jap¬ anese forces officially described as bordering on "rompieto disorgani¬ zation  and  disintegration."
(Tok.\o claimed that .Tapanesa naval planes were attacking tha American transports and that sine* the invasion of Ivcyte on October 20 had sunk or damaged 108 war¬ ships or transports. The enemj^ broadcast said that in the latest series of attacks on Friday threa large transports were sunk, threa (Continued  on  Page A-15)
offensive.      Smashing    forward    to;
wipe out an enem.v bridgehead In a
triangular neck of land east of the|
confluence  of  the  Vistula and  the I
Narew rivers, Rokossovsky's troops [
In   Czechoslovakia   and   northern ^.^^e  battling  lo secure the  flanks
Hungary, meanwhile. Soviet forces qj    reported    bridgeheads   on    the;
advanced deeper  into  the   province [xarow   River    from   which   Soviet
of Slovakia following virtual liber-1forces   were    preparing   to   strike!
I   Bong Becomes Leading U. S. Ace ^   Yfith No. 21 over Philippines
If
By rRAN( IS I. McCarthy
W'ilh Far Eastern Air Force, Leyte. Philippines. Oct. 27. (UP) -Major Richard I. Bong, the 23- year-old sharpshooting Armv flier .^from Poplar, Wis., todny chalked "P his 31st Japanese plane live hours after arriving in the Philip- Pines, lo become America's leading war ace.
Bong, who earlier this year kept "]' "piggy-backing" for a 4.'i-niin- "te demonstration of Iho aerial bag Of tricks, arrived al Leyte with his {jnd-based lighters to operate from ^^nillppine  airfields.
''functioning from strips wrested 'rom the enemy a scant week ago.
i
In Today's issue
< lassllled   	
Kdltnrial  	
Movlea 	
Social   	
Bperts    „
Outdoor 	
Radio   .,.
,the Fifth Air Forces P-38 patrols. I lo one of which Bons voluntarily i attached himself, rrlurnod from I their flrst action against the enemy ! with an eighty [irr cent average downing four of (h'o .laps iinwar\" I rnoiisii to iross their eager paths. •laps Al larked   Brarli
Altliough    the.v    arrived    shortly I after  noon,   it   was   not   until   just before   dusk   that   the   P-38's   met ; the   enemy.
Talting advantage of low-hang¬ ing cloud lOvcr. four "Oscars" i (radial ensined enemy fighters), wlUch bear a striking resemblance to our P-,'J(1'3. and a divebomber with fixed landing gear, scurried in over our beachhead dropping their eggs and departing amid a fierce ack-ack   barrage.
Bong, flvins wiHi M»j- J^ry Johnson. K.iqciic. Arc, and Col. Robert .Morrison. Tccumacli. Neb., look iii> tiic pursuit. Tile Anicric.in trio ovcihaiilcd the enemv group ..—. ,20 mile." iiortlnvst nf Ti loban A—30    1 (Continued   on  Page  A-iJ
ation of Rulhenia and, in advances of as much as 18 miles, cleared all but 36 miles of the vital Lwow- Debrecen railroad and hammered to within seven miles of the strate¬ gic rail junction of Cop.
Moscow's midnight communique early today said that Red Army troops had "reached the ap¬ proaches" lo Cop.
For the first time since Moscov,- announced the great offensive in East Prassia six days ago, Soviet war bulletins ignored the bitter ititlggts hul both Moscow and Ber¬ lin reports told of a titanic battle of   attrition   raging   in   the   drpths
toward    East    Prussia's    southern borders. j
Capturing   Jablonna - Lcgionowo, 10 miles nortliwe.st of  Warsaw,  Inj a   three-day.   three-mile    advance, Rokos.sovsky's  troops also took«ixl other   towns   and   villages   and   se-l cured control of nine miles of the Vistula's   east   bank   northwest   of Praga. |
Latvian  Offensive Opens
Berlin meanwhile reported that, the Red Army was attacking in' Latvia. The new offensive, design¬ ed to clear the last Russian-claim-J cd territory from the grip of the, (Continued   on   Page  A-4)   ¦
War   l^uiiiiiiarT
..A—Sl
. C—2
A—20
B—S
B—I
.MAJ. <iEN. A. (.  WEUEMKVERl Succeeds (ien. Stiiurll
and deputy lo Britis^h AdniirHl' Lord Louls'Mountbatteii, command-] cr of the Allied Southeast Asia! Command. He was relieved simul- taneouslv of all three posts. Forres ^'oiiipiele Mhakrup
lis recall, v.hicii necessitated a shalieup in both the U. S. and .Mil d lommaiid .setups in the Far Hlatl. was preceded not only b.v ir¬ reconcilable conflict of lenipera- inenl and military concept wilh I (Continued  on Paja A-13)
P.VriFIC—American invasion forcea races up west coa.st of .Samar to within 6.") mile.s of Luzon wliilc un¬ official toll of Japanese warship lo.sses in Battle of Philippines ri.ses.
WE.STERN FRONT—British Empire forces tijjrhtcn trap on .")(1,000 or more Germans in southwest liollanij.
RUSSIA—East Pru.ssian front dispatches report Ger¬ mans have thrown several crack Panzer and Grenadier division.^ into battle and are counter- attackinjf ujiward of 20 times a da.v.
AIK \\'.\R—Cologne given heaviest raid as rail centers are smashed.
IT.\LV—Torrential rains bog down operations on the Italian front and stall .American Fifth and British Eighth annies below Bologna.
:n.-.
YANKS FANNING OUT IN PHILIPPINES
okyo JAPAN