Wilkes-Barre Sunday Independent

              A Paper For Tfie Home
SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
The Weather
Cloudy, cooler followed by rain; Monday,  rain.
^39TH YEAR, NO. 24 — ^0 PAGES
rXITED  FREBt
WILKES-BARRE, PA., SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 1945
PRICE TEN CENTS]
Roosevelt Is on His Way Home
Simple Service Marks President's Funeral In the White House
Attended by Saddened Handful Of the Millions Who Loved Him; SOOjOOO Watch Last Procession
ROOSEVELT GRAVE
Br MUUUMAN i».^UT1(
Waahlngton, April 14.—(UP)—The Epiacopal aervice for the dead waa read over the body of Pranlclin D. Rooaevelt at a moving White House ceremony today In which his first message to the nation was spoken again: ^
"The only thing we have to fear ia fear itself."
The meaaage, a ktatement of  faitii in America, waa voiced by Mr.
Roosevelt at his flrat inaugural in the depreasion daya of 11)33.   It waa
.   given utterance again in hia name
'   on   thia  ahowery  Aprfl   afternoon.
The ritea for the dead Preaident laated only 4 nninutes.
In the preaence of 200 persons —a handful of the millions who loved Franldin D. Rooaevelt—the ,. Kt. Rev. Angua Dun, Epiacopal Blahop of Waahlngton, recalled the atirring example of confidence aet by the Preaident on that dark day 12 yeara ago.
Departing from the text of the moving Epiacopal aervice for the dead, the Blahop quoted: "The only thing we have to fear ia fear itself. .,.•••
Then, atandlng over the flag- covered caalcet. in the gilt and cr>'atal  room, the Bishop added:
"As that was his first word to ua. I am aure he would wish It to be hia laat, and that we should go forward In the future aa those who go forward without fear. ..." Amerirana Paid Tribute
The aervice atarted at 4 p.m EWT a« milliona of Americans the world over, fighting men as well ns civilians, paid tribute to the leader and friend who led them lo the threshold of victory in war nnd   peare.
They were the laat ritea for Mr. Roosevelt  In  the  caoltal.    Tomor¬ row  ut  10 a.m.   EWT he  will  be buried   In   a   roae-bowered   garden k on hla beloved Hudaon River eatate lat  Hyde Park. N. V. *    The   apecial   train   bearing   the PrCHldenfa  bodv northward  began le;iving Union .Station at 10:42 p.m. EVNT.     But   100-yarda   down   the (rack it stopped while a bad coup¬ ling,   which   had   alreadv   delayed the   traln'a   departure   4.'S   minutea. was readjusted.    It  finallv cleared the atation yards at  11:01  p.m.
Aboard it were nenrly 140 per¬ sons, the familv, Mr. and Mrs. Truman and their daughter Margaret, many of Mr. RoosevellV closest friends, and scorea of tor government officials. Kala. the President's Scottie made the last trin home with his master.
The train is scheduled  to arrive at  Hyde  Park at 8:40 a.m..  EWT. tomorrow. Sun Milnea Through
Outside the White House, as Bishop Dun apoke. a throng of other mourners milled. Thev were a part of the vast crowd, cstimat- Md Hi between 300,000 and .TOO.OOO. Bat watched the militarv- funeral Troce.ision pass earlier from Union Stntion to the W'hite House.
Clouds which loosed ahowers on the crowd aeveral minutea before the funeral lifted at 4 p.m. and the aun ahone through.
Preaident Truman and Mra. a    (Continued on  Page A-14)
OF HIS M
Townsmen Await Last Homecoming Of Country Squire
Hyde Park, N.'V., April 14. (UP) —Spring flowera bloomed today around the grave opened for Franklin Delano Roosevelt, while hla grieving fellow townsmen awaited the last homecoming of the  county squire.
The rosea near the grave were green-budded, and In the cedar hedge that growa protectivelv around the garden, aparrowa chirp¬ ed, mocking tbe sad ailence that hung over the village. Will Sing Hia Hymna
Tlie vlll.'tgera were prepared' to aing bravely hia favorita hymns tomorrow morning at the old ivj'- covered Episcopal Church. Th« minister, 78-year-old, whlte-l>eard- ed Rev. W. George Anthony, was prepared to read his favorite Bible passage, "For now we see throuxn a glaas darkly . . . and now abld- rth faith, hope and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.  ..."
"Sometime we'll understand," said a young girl, standing by the town hall, draped In purple and black. "Hc would want us to have faith in the justice of his passine."
The place where Mr. Roosevelt will lic alone Is in a quarter-acre garden, surrounded by a high hedge. The garden lies In the tenter of a triangle, the points of which are the Roosevelt ances¬ tral home, the Franklin D. Roose¬ velt llbrarj" and the barn.
On the Eagle Engine Company house was placed a wooden plaque Ic mark the death of its most famoua member. The flag flew at hnlf mast on the fire house post, just as It did in front of the clean white houses of the village. The library waa closed—the first time it had been closed on a week dav. Uia l,aat Vialt
And on the 1,000-acre Hyde Park tContinued on Page A-l.M
185 Years Since Berlin Has Suffered Conquest
Yanks Will Find Ambitious City Filthy and Ruined
It   haa    been    185    years    alnce Berlin    last   fell   to   an    Invading army. 1^     In   October,   1760,   the   arni>   of ^the coalition arrayed against Prus- ^^ alB'a  brilliant  king,   Frederick   the Great,   stormed   the   gates   of   his i   capital  and entered. ^      Berlin    haa   been    comparatively free of atrlfe in modern times.   It Was   sacked   durlpg   the    Internal Cerman   struggles   known   as   the Thirty Yeara War.   They began In 1CI6  and  ended  In   1(148.
Earlv In the Seven Yeari War — in 1757—the city was plundered by Austrian raiders and In 1806 the French formally occupied Ber¬ lin after Napoleon defeated the Prussians at the Battle of Jena. But It was In 1760 thnt the laat great battle for the German city was fought—and loat—by the Ger nians. ! Centuriea of Growth
Then,   for   nearly   two   nnlnter
rupted    centuries,    war    failed    to
touch     Berlin.    The    city    waxed
atrong and prosperous.    It aprawls
on both banks of the River Spree
and   Its   growth   as  a   communlca-
'jnns center was natural.    It Is the
JBcal   point   of   12   main   railroads
' ^d a amall network of canals.
'•"^ Industry—iron   and   steel   works
|f4^or    example — spawned      rapldl
In Today's Issue
(laaalfled   B—11
Kdiloriai    „ C—5
Movlea    „ „ B—8
Noeial    B—I
SporU    B—I
Outdoor  .. _.._.._.._
Later it made a calculated effort lo wrest art eminency from Mun¬ ich, trade from Hamburg, inter¬ national banking from Frankfurt, book publishing from Leipzig, edu¬ cation from Heidelberg, Jena and Boon. It apent lavish aums to be¬ come the amusement capital of the world.
But il will not be thif Berlin that the American soldier sees.
Massive fleets of Allied bombcr.s -darkening the skies bv day and lighting thcni by night - have ground great blocks of the city in¬ to rubble, flllcd the streets with debris, pockmarked the pavement wllh deep craters. Slinka of Death
Along the city's most spacious street Untcr den Linden—only the facades of palatial homes remain. Two exceptions are the American Emba.ssy t^d the Hotel Adion. which are reported habitable. Wilhelm-Slrasse-almost as well known as Linden—is ruined al¬ mosl equally.
The stench of death In in the town. Travellers fleeing tlie city have said that hundreds of corpses still remain to be dug out of col¬ lapsed  buildings.
The majority of the population exists In misery. They live, for the most part, from dny .to dny and hand to mouth. Allied planes have disturbed their sleep for months. Those adequatelv fed are the ones who work In war factories and at canteens.
There is no coal, no electricity: subways, street cars and busses run erratically if at all. Immor- alltv "binnied on the Influx of for¬ eign workers-is said to be wide¬ spread. Police ranks have been decimated and the few in uniform are unable to cope with the aitua tion. Theatrea have long aince (ConUnued  oa Pa«a  A-2)
Latin-America Bows in Grief
New York, April 14. (UP)— Latin-America l>owed in genuina grief today aa Franklin D. Kooaevelt, whom it ia calling tha "apiritual father of the conti¬ nent," received the final homage of hia countrymen at Waahlng¬ ton.
National mourning waa ob¬ aerved from Mexico to Argentina with all normal ofiicial. com¬ mercial, banking and educational activities halted. Throngs gather¬ ed silently. Artillery salvos were fired at virtually every capital; soclcal activity ceased.
The Chilean Congress ordered a monument erected to Mr. Rooae¬ velt m the capital city. Argen- tina'a highly popular aoccer loot- ball was suspended today. Every one of the 20 Latin-American presidenta eulogized Mr. Rooae¬ velt.
Editorial eulogy brought out every quality of the Preaident'a personality. "Even those he van¬ quished understood him beeauae he always apoke In the language of human decency." a Buenos Airea editorialiat aaid.
REPRESENT REDS
Stalin Answers President Truman's Urgent Request
Washington, April 14. (UP)—The W'liite Houae announced tonight that Soviet Foreign Commlsaar V. M. Molotov will attend the San Franciaco Conference.
The Whita Houae revealed that Soviet Premier Joaef V. Stalin de¬ cided to aend Molotov after Preai¬ dent Truman hm advised Stalin that auch a move would be wel¬ comed "as an expression of earn¬ est co-operation in carrying for¬ ward plans for formulating the new international organization."
President Truman directed Am¬ bassador W. Averill Harriman in Moscow to deliver the messase to Stalin yesterday, the ^VhIte House said. Mr. Truman stated in that message that he would also look forward with pleasure to a visit by Molotov to Waahinglon.
"Today the President was ad¬ vised by Marshal t^talln that For¬ eign Secretary Molotov would at¬ tend the San Francisco Confer¬ ence." the White House announce¬ ment said.
Eden Already'Here
The statement was handed to reporters al the White House by the late President Roosevelt's press secretary. Jonathan Daniels. It came less than eight hours after British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden arrived here to attend Mr. Roosevelt's  funeral.
There had been great disappoint¬ ment over Stalin's original decision not to send Molotov to San Fran¬ cisco. Soviet Ambassador Andrei A. Gromyko had been named head of the   Russian  delegation.
Disclosure that Molotov will at¬ tend the conference gives it added importance. Forty-eight hours ago President Roosevelt's death made it questionable whelher the con¬ ference would even be held. Now, with President Truman pledged to carry on Mr. Roosevelt's objective of a durable peace and with Eden already here, the conference's chances of auccess seemed much improved.
Rooaevelt, Cluirrhill Protested
It was understood that Prime Minister Winston Churchill aa well as Mr. Roosevelt had advised Stalin of their diaappoinlment that Molo¬ tov would not be at the conference. It was likewise understood that Stalin had explained to the aatis- faclion of both Churchill and Mr, (Continued on Page A-15)
TELEPHONE STRIKE CAN CUT NATIONAL LINES
New York. April 14 (UP)—A spokesman for the Federation of Long Lines Telephone Workers said tonight that a strike of the federation's 18,0(X) New York mem¬ bers, which would di.srupt national communications, probably will bc called Tuesday.
The National Labor Relatione Board will conduct a strike vote aniong the members Monday, un¬ der provisions of the Smith-C?on- nally Act.
Henry Meyer, attorney for the federation, said an overwhelming vote in favor of a strike was ex¬ pected because of the War Labor Bo.ird's recommendation for only a $3 weekly wage -aisc for union member.s. The ^ *':Ke. if called, would curtail national long dis¬ tance service and possibly tie up all radio and teletype communica¬ tions.
The federation represents 6,000 long distance operators in New York who are employed by the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. It also represents 12,000 employeea of the New York Tele¬ phone Company.
FRANZ VON PAPEN.
YANK CAPTIVE
Caught In Ruhr;' Believed flown To United States
BERLIN FAL ATAN Y HOUR
3
Parla, April 14 (UP)—Baron Franz von Papen. former chancel¬ lor of Germany, waa aeized in the Ruhr pocket by American troops thia week and la believed to have been flown to the United Slates.
"I wiah thia war were over," von Papen told hla eaptora, one of whom anawered: "So do elevt^il mil¬ lion other guya."
The ahrewd political fixer for Adolf Hitler in World War II and aaboteur extraordinary for the Kaiaer in World War I. was taken by troopa of the U. S. 17th Air¬ borne Division at the town of Stockhausen, along with his aon and aon-ln-law on Wedneaday.
(London reported there waa no indication whether Papen waa on the Allied war criminal list. The llat being drawn by the Allied war Crimea commiasion la ahrouded in aecrecy and among all the Nazi criminals on it only Adolf Hitler thua far haa been Identified by name.) An Overliearlng Prueaian
The tall, monoclqd Papen, an overbearing Prusaian of 67 yeara, waa aeized In a amall hunting lodge in the hilla near Stockhausen, 30 mllea southeaat of Hamm, by flrat lieutenant and aeven glider infantrymen.
He was flown to Parla from a amall airfield 20 milea behind the front lines. It ii believed he later waa flown to tha United Statea according to the ouatom of apecial treatment of high ranltins generala and leading civilian priaonera taken l>y Allied forcea
Von Papen wora knickarbockan and a Tyrolean bat when be w«a taken at tha hunting lodge, owned by hia aon-in-law. Although tbe announcement mada here aaid he waa taken on April 11, a front dia patch aaid the capture was made Tueaday, at the eaatern end of the now almoat crumpled Ruhr pocket Inside which ISO.OOO Nazi troopa were aurrounded.
The men who took Papen were membera of the 194th Glider Regi¬ ment of the 17th Airborne Diviaion, part of tha lat Allied Airborne Division fighting with the Ninth Army In mopping up tha Ruhr pocket. Accent Betrayed Him
The Americana firat captured his son, Frantz jr., a captain in the (ierman army. HU American ac¬ cent betrayed him —ha waa edu¬ cated at Georgetown University and the Yanka became auspicious and upon queationing, learned hia identity. ,     .,
"We approached the hunting lodge from the rear," aaid Sgi. Hugh Frederick of Alabama, one of the eaptora.
'Yeah," added PFC Jeaae Leonard of Norlh (Carolina, "there waa aome character aitting on the Uttle front porch who had a gun and there waa no point in taking chancea."
The "character" turned out to be Papen'a aon-in-law. Max von Stockhauaen, after whose family the town where the diplomat waa seized  apparently waa named.
The aoldiers entered the lodge and found Papen eating dinner.
There are no German aoldiers here," Papen aaid.
He admitted hia identity to Lt Thomaa McKinley of Kentucky, leader of the aquad. and added but I can't imagine what you Americana want with an old man of 67 yeara." They e«t>l"lned to him that it waa neceasary to Uke him.
'I   wish   thia   war   wera   over, Papen  said.
"So   do   11   million   olher  guya, Sgt.  Frederick  responded. Firat Big Capture
Papen waa the most prominent Nazi ofllcial bagged to date by the Allied armies. He waa the first (Continued on Page A-15)
Cermans Say Russians Have Opened Offensive
Think Reds Want To Reach Berlin Before Americans
By  ROBERT MITSEL
London, Sunday, April 15. (UP)— Germany reported laat night that the Red Army had opened attacks on a 35-mile front west of the Oder and penetrated German linea only 26 miles from Berlin in the first phase of a general offensive aimed at reaching the capital before the Americans.
The German newa bureau com¬ mentator, Ernst von Hammer, aaid the closest thrust to Berlin was made due weat of Soviet-held Kuestrin on the Oder, where the Russians, by enemy accounta, drove to tlie Seelow area early in April.
While not confirming the report¬ ed Berlin attaok, the nightly Soviet communique reported that Red Army troopa In the aouth had raced 17 miles from laat poaltlona weat of fallen Vienna and were storming the key road junction of Sankt Poelten after capturing Hergozen- burg, five milea northeast of the town, and Boehimkirchen, five milca east. Sweep Beyond Vienna
Sankt Poelten liea 31 milea due west of Vienna. Unofficial Mos¬ cow diapatehea aaid that Marshal Feodor I. Tolbukhin'a forces had swept on aome 60 mllea beyond Sankt Poelten to tlie approachea of Linz, only 75 milea from Adolf Hitler'a "Valhalla" at Berchtea- gaden.
BerUn admitted a "deep breach" in the Sankt Poelten area and aaid the Ruaaiana wera trying to out- flanlv tha key defense point to the aouth in a powerful drive through the Semmering Pasa.
Marshal Rodion Y. Mallnovaky** Second Ukrainian Army northeaat of Vienna meanwhile   thrust    aix
mllea deeper   into    Moravia    and captured Moravska Zizkov, only 28 mllea aoutheast of the big Czecho- alovak arms center of Brno. Clearing Eaat rruaaia
Far in the norlh, the Sovieta opened an all-out assault on Ger¬ man expendables on the Samland Peninsula west of Koenigsberg and, capturing 60 towns, carved down the enemy holdings in Eaat Prussia to 120 aquare miles. The roadstead of the Germans' only escape port, PlUau, and surround¬ ing waters were a graveyard of German ahipping.
The Soviet communique an¬ nounced that American-built Soviet torpedo planes and bombera of the Baltic Fleet air arm sank one de¬ atroyer, nine patrol warahips, two trawlera. a 10.000 to tanker and 18 transports totalling 92,000 tona on "Thuraday and Friday. German ship loaaea for the month In the Pillau area run close to 200.000 tona, it waa estimated. Expect Oeneral Offenaive
The fighting for Beriin la atill in the preparatory atage. von Ham¬ mer aaid, but "it can be safely aa- aumed that the Soviet command if only in view of American competi tlon on the Elbe", will ahortly give the signal for a general offensive againat Berlin. He aaid the pres ent attack front extended from Kueatrin to the Frankfurt area
The attacka, each reported made in the atrength of a regiment (3.000 to 5,000 men) with atrong tank and plane aupport. presumaBly were carried out by Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov'i powerful Flrat White Ruaaian Army, which haa been maasing on the Oder for weeka.
Earlier German liroadcaata aaid the Sovieta were clearing aasault linea through CJerman minefields on a 60-mile front in the opening phaae of a large-acala offenaive againat Berjln.
Infantry on Okinawa Beat off Another Attack
No Gains Are Made; Carrier Aircraft Raiding Unopposed
By FRANK TREMAINE
Guam, Sunday, April 15. (VP)— V. a. infantrymen on aouthern Okinawa beat off another amall Japanese counter-attack Saturday and Marinea In the north poshed ahead againat negligible reslatance to bring almoat half of the im¬ portant island under American control.
Army and Marine field artillery, naval gunfire and carrier and land- based aircraft plaatered Japanese positions along the aouthern Naha defence line aa the »6th Army Divi¬ sion easily repulsed the amall enemy attack. Carrier Strikea ITnoppoaed
Fleet Admiral Cheater W. Nimltz reported the carrier aircraft of the U. S. and British Pacific Fleet units atruck againat the Saklshlma Islands, southernmost of the Ryu¬ kyus, and at Formosa Saturday without oppoaition. ' Almost all of tho large Motobu Peninsula jutting out from Oki- nawa'a western coaat now waa con¬ trolled by Marines of the 3rd Am¬ phibious Corps. The Leathemecka attacked small concentrationa of enemy troopa who continued to resist  in  that arcei.
Other Marines dri-ving north¬ ward on Okinawa pushed to the vicinity of Momobaru Town on the west coast and Arakawa Town on
War  Summarj
WESTERN FRONT—Capture of Berlin imminent; onrushing Americans advance to perhaps less than 21 miles of city; only about 80 miles from junc¬ ture with Soviets.
EASTERN FRONT—Red Army, attacking on 35-mile front, drives to within 26 miles of Berlin, Ger¬ mans say.
PACIFIC—Americans continue battering pillboxes shielding Naha on Okinawa; great fires rage over five-st]uare mile area of Tokyo.
AIR—U. S. heavy bombers, 1,150 strong, blast German targets along French coast "forgotten front".
ITALY—British tighten iron grip around Imola; Ger¬ mans say second drive opens southwest of Bclogna.
PHILIPPINES—Mopping up continues on Luzon; U. S. reveals Japane.se order to "kill American troops cruelly."
SOUTHEAST i4S/i4—British warships sink several enemy vessels off Burma, batter great Coco Island; ground units continue advances.
the eaat ooaat. Momobaru la with¬ in 10 milea of the northern end of tha ialand. No Advance In 8ou«i
The American - controlled area now extended aome 60 milea from north to aouth. The fluid northern line waa being extended northward daily against the alighleat resis¬ tance, but 60,000 Japaneae troopa maaaed in the aoutabern aector of Okinawa hava held the American army forcea to a atandstill for 10 daya.
The enemy attack against the 96th Division's poaitiona Saturday morning waa amall and apparently not of a alze comparable to yea- terday'a aasault by a full battalion. The attack immediately waa re¬ pulsed.
Nine enemy planea were ahot down off Okinawa during the day by combat air patroLa, Nimitz aaid.
The U. S. carrier aircrafi raid¬ ing the Saklshlma area hit air¬ fields on lahlgakl and MIyako Islands, destroying aeven nlanes on the ground and damaging 26 oth¬ ers. Britiah PUnea Attaaking
British carrier planea' hit alr- flelda and inatallatlona at Mattsyu- ama and Shinchiku on Formoaa without opposition. Many planer, were damaged on the ground and hangara, barracka, buildinga, a railway bridge, a train and other targeta were heavily hit by the Seaflre and Hellcat fighter-bomb¬ ers flying from the dccka of aome oT Britain'a  greatest carriera.
Several   small   groupa   of  enemy
planes attempted to attack aurface
units of the British force and three
were  ahot  down.    The  task   force
(C^ontinued on Page A-15)
Juncfion wifh Reds May Trap Million Nazis
By BRUCE W. MUNN
Paris, Sunday, April 15 (UP)—A huge fleet of RAF bombers blasted Berlin and its suburban defenses last night in support of American 9th Army troops approaching from the west, while the American Ist and Srd Armiea, quickly by-passing Leipzig, swung out below the capital to within 80-odd miles of a junction with the Russians, thu.<i threaten- ing the bulk of the remnants of the once all-powerful German army with entrapment.
An aniioi*ed wedge of the 1st and Srd, 75 miles wide, was being pushed steadily across the supply and communication area behind the German armies facing the Russians, threat¬ ening imminent disaster to the tottering Nazi Reich. When the wedge reaches the Russian lines, tiie main German forces —perhaps 1,000,000 men—will be cut off in a 25,000 square mile pocket including Berlin and extending to the Baltic. Say Yanka In Outaklrta
The Parla radio aaid American Ninth Army men to the north already were In Bcrlin'a outaklrta. The Luxembourg radio aaid they were IS milcs away. The Germana themaelves aaid they were only 21 milea away aa of Friday. In London, newspapers expected their triumphal entry into the rubbled capital to be announced at any hour.
These developments came aa the Germans admitted that powerful Red armies massed along the Oder oniy 30 milea east of Berlin, had at Isust opened an offenaive, aa though
hent on  beating the Americana to the aupreme goal of the Alliea.
The 9th Army'a 2nd "Hell on Wheela" Armored Diviaion waa bat terlng acroaa tha Berlin plaina, atill under a aecurity blackout clamped on ita movementa ever ainee tt leaped the Blbe River at Magde¬ burg on Thuraday. A aecond 9th Army armored task force reported the Elbe at an undlacloaed point yesterday and joined tha Berlin aweepatakes. German reporta apoke vaguely of atiff opposition and bigger fighting — reporta ao vague they aeemed to have little aub- atance.
Clearing the way for the en- ruahlng Yanka, the RAF aent a giant fleet of LAncaater four- motored bombers againat bot* Ber¬ lin and the garrison town and rail center of Potsdam, on the aouth¬ western edge of the city. Eager for Final Blow
Aa tha hour of victory in Europe neared, Gen. Dwight D. Eiaen- hower returned to Supreme Head¬ quartera Saturday after a tour of the front during which he found all his Allied troopa eager to de¬ liver the final stroke to crush Ger¬ man militarism.
Six armored columns were rac¬ ing across the dwindling aupply highwaya and railroada from re¬ maining Nazi araenala In Czecho- alovakia and Austria aa they pushed wllhin 80-odd milea of the Red Army pressing through the Reich from the east.
Lt. Gen. Courtney H. Hodgea' lat Army tanka and Lt. Gen. George S. Patton'a 3rd teamed to hammer a deep breach in the Nazi linea aouth of the capital from the Dea- aau   area,   55   mllea   aouthwest   of
Berlin, to Chemnitz, near tfaa C^zechoslovak border, 75 milaa aoutheaat of Deaaau.
Patton'a drive reached within M milea of Cottbua, already undar Ruaaian guna in the Eaat, ami tha Naxia rapidly were facing tha choice of retreating aouthward Into their redoubt er being aewed Inta the greateit pocket of the Euro¬ pean War. Spmrheada Charging
The lat Army had three tpear. heada charging acroaa the area ba¬ tween Leipzig and Berlin and an¬ other awinglng out juat beloer besieged Leipzig, while Patton'a two-pronged spearhead waa reach¬ ing out toward Dreaden, other Patton columna far to the aouth¬ weat alaahed into the northern fringea of the (German redoubt at Bayreuth, only 167 mllea northweat of Hitler'a Berchteagaden retreat and 102 miles from western Austria and reached within IS mllea of tha western tip of Czechoalovakla.
Hodgea' three northern apear* heada gained up to 30 milea. with one reaching within five milea of* the middle Blbe at Deasau. In- fant-ry forces fought within four milea of Halle.
Scottiah troopa of the Britiah' 2nd Army joined the race for Berlin from the northweat. fight¬ ing Into Uelzen. 97 milea from the capital and 23 miles from the Elbe, driving the Geraiana ahead of them In mass flight. Lt. On. Alexander M. Patch's American 7th Army, fighting through Bavaria along Patton'a aouthern flank, captured the city of Bamberg, and moved toward the Nazi ahrine center of Nuremberg, 29 miles to the aouth. Ruhr Fight Ending
Far  behind  the  apedrheads,   the (Continued  on Page A-10)
Two More Islands in ines Invaded
Nipponese Told To Kill American Troops 'Cruelly'
BRITISH DESTROYERS SINKING JAP SHIPS
Calcutta, April U. (UP)—British destroyera, haraasing the aouth shorea of Burma, have aunk a number of coastal veasela and bom¬ barded ahore Inatallatlona on great Oco Island, It was announced to¬ day.
The British ahips suffered no damage or casualties, a Southeast Aaia Command  communique aaid.
At the northern end of the 14th Army front, in Burma. Lt. Gen. W. J. Slim's troops stormed Into Hlaingdet, which is tactically Im¬ portant because It commands the main Japaneae escape route lead¬ ing eastward from central Burma to the Shan states. It Is eight miles cast of the Rangoon-Manda- lay rail town of Thazl.
To    the    south    and    aouthweat | where enemy armored   and   Infantry   forces   ex-
By H. D. QUIOO
Manila, Sunday, April 15. (UP) — American troops have landed on Rapu Rapu and Batan islanda oft the coast of Southern Luzon in Albay Gulf and quickly eliminated the enemy garrisons, (^en. Douglaa MacArthur announced today.
The landings, on the 39th and Mth islands in the Phillppinea Archipelago invaded thus far, were made just off the Legaspi Penin¬ sula where a Japanese force haa been trapped by American forcea converging  from  north and  aouth.
Batan, an island of about 48 square miles, lies IS milea north- cast of American - held Legaspi City. Rapu Rapu. 30 square miles In area, is just east of Batan and separated from it by a two-mile wide strait. Closing on Baguio
In Northern Luzon, ground troops closing in on Baguio, Philippines aummer capita), were supported by fighter planes and bombers whicii dropped .')40 tons of explosives in low level attacka on enemy rear installations.
Constant air attacks by bombers
and flghters were taking their toll
of Japan's measer reservea on Cebu
hill   positions  rapidly
are being out-flanked and envelop-
panded    their   positions    south   of cd. the communique aaid. Meiktila   and    eonsoUdated   newly     Hea-vy bombera atruck at Davao. won  positiona  In the  oilfield  town on  Mindanao,  starting large  Area of Kyaukpadaung, captured Thura '
On the CThina 0>aat, air unita maintained their blockade, wreck¬ ing alx amall frelghtera and aweep* Ing rail  facilitiea in Indo-China.
Enemy ahipping waa attacked la the Gulf of Bone In the Olebea. Two medium aized frelghtera and 20 achoonera were aunk or aerious¬ ly diunaged. Told to "KiU CrueUy"
MacArthur announced earlier that Americana on Luzon had cap¬ tured an enemy order In whieh a Japaneae ground commander told hia men to "kill American troopa cruelly."
"Do not kill them with en* atrlke." aaid the order. "Shoot guerrillaa. AU who oppoae the emperor, even women and ehU* dren, will be killed."
The document waa captured by troopa of Maj. Gen. Oacar W.' Griswold's 14th Corps, who aaw at Manila ample evidence that the Japanese spared no one. It was dated March 8. and waa found ii Tanauan In Batangaa province. The order was a form of "battle Instructions" from the commandtfr of the Fuji Group, a Japanesa army unit.
The Japanese attitude toward Filipino guerrillaa haa been proven time and again In the campaign in Luzon, where they have wanton¬ ly alain thouaands on even • faUlk suspicion of guerriUa activity.
A headquartera preaa release ea the captured order aaid It provided the "lateat Information on tha of¬ flclal    attitude    of    tha    Japanesa
<Uy.
.. ipanesa
and   patrol    planea    bombed    and: army toward American and Ftalllf* strafed the weat coast of Formosa. I pins forces,"