HUNTINGDON, PA.,
MONDAY, APRIL 16, 1945
By LYLE C. WILSON
United Press Correspondent
Washington, April 16. — President
Truman today solemnly reaffirmed the "unconditional surrender" terms
for ending the war, and gave our enemies notice that America's great team of military
commanders will be kept on the job of beating them into absolute submission.
Standing humbly before the
'Congress in which he had served, the new president also pledged himself to carry
on Franklin Roosevelt's program for enduring world
peace and "our efforts to
improve the lot of the common people."
Addressing a somber Joint session
of the House and Senate only one day after he
watched the body of his
predecessor being laid to rest in the earth of Hyde Park, Mr. Truman promised
to support and defend Mr. Roosevelt's Ideals "with all my strength and
with all my heart."
Woven through his 'speech was a plea
for aid from all Americans in carrying- out that pledge.
But most of all, at this moment
he wanted to dash any idea the Axis leaders may have had that the change- in
administrations might bring an opportunity for a
negotiated peace.
By ROBERT MCSEL
United Press
Correspondent
London, April 16. —The Red Army
attacked 011 a 110-mile front east of Berlin
today in a general offensive to
capture the devastated Nazi capital and link up with
Allied armies in the west.
In the first few hours of the
long-expected assault, the Nazis conceded, the Russians penetrated
the'last-ditch Nazi defense line between Kuestrin and Frankfurt due east of
Berlin and seized a new bridgehead across the Oder midway
between the capital and Stettin.
The Soviet High Command did not
'confirm the offensive immediately, but the. Germans—usually first to announce
such major Soviet drives—left no doubt that
the supreme push from the east
had begun. Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov's
First White Russian army threw the
main weight of its' a-li-out offensive against the German line from Wriezen, 23
miles northeast of Berlin, to Fuerstenberg, 42
miles southeast, at 3:15 a. m.
tinder cover of a terrific air and artillery bombardment.
Grim fighting:" developed on
Berlin's frontal defenses, Nazi accounts said, and Soviet forces wedged into
the line in at least one point. Eighty miles to the east,_ American forces
.also, .were driving toward Berlin
3 U.S. COLUMNS
IN
LUZON
MOVE IN ON
BAGUIO
FOR KILL
By DON CASWELL
United Press Correspondent
Manila, April 16.—Three American columns
closed in, today on Baguio, last major enemy-held city of Luzon, with' one
force only three miles away.
- -.The columns -; were –
approaching the city, former- Japanese headquarters
in the Philippines, from the
northwest, southwest and southeast.
One force, which pushed up from
the original Lingayen invasion beachheads reached within three miles of the
southwestern city limits, while a second column
drove through Monglo-, four miles
northwest of Baguio, and the third contingent advanced beyond Lawitan to within
10 miles southeast of the city.
In southern Luzon, other American
troops seized Cagraray Island off the east coast of Albay Gulf, where the 158th
Regimental Combat Team landed two weeks ago
FRENCH
DRIVE TO
OPEN
ENTRANCE TO
BORDEAUX
HARBOR
By BRUCE MUNN
United Press Correspondent
Paris, April 16. — Tanks and
troops of the French second armored division battled inside Royan today in a
drive to clear one of the two points blocking the coastal entry to Bordeaux
harbor.
(A German DNB broadcast recorded by
the FCC said the French had announced the capture of Royan and across the
Gironde estuary were advancing In the area of Pointe De Grave.)
About 450 Flying Fortresses, operating
without -fighter escort, attacked German positions in the Point De Grave area
north of Bordeaux today.
PRESIDENT
TALKS
ON
WORLD ISSUES
WITH
KEY LEADERS
By R. H.
SHACKFOROD
United. Press
Correspondent
Washington, April 16.—President
Truman conferred for 20 minutes today with British Foreign Minister Anthony
Eden who delivered several verbal messages from Prime Minister Winston
Churchill.
Also present were Secretary of State
Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., and British Ambassador Lord Halifax.
Stettinius met with Mr. Truman earlier—shortly
after the president arrived in the executive office at the early hour of 8:15
a.m.-then returned to join in the conference with Eden and the ambassador.
Eden, who flew from England to attend
the late President Roosevelt's funeral, told reporters as he left Mr. Truman's
office:
"I was very pleased to have
the privilege of calling: on the president and very grateful that he found lime
to see me on this day
(Continued on Page Three)
PRESIDENT
TALKS
(Continued from First Page)
when he has his first important speech
to deliver.
"Naturally I brought him
some messssages from the Prime Minister telling him how gratified we are about
the very close relations that exist between us in all our affairs."
It was the new president's first full-dress
foray into the field of foreign affairs—a field which will occupy much of his
time in coming months. He returned from the burial services at Hyde Park for President
Roosevelt last night to begin his first, full day as the nation's chief
executive.
Before the San Francisco
conference on world' organization opens next week, Mr. Truman will also talk
with Soviet Foreign Commissar V. M. Molotov now that
Marshal Joseph Stalin has
decided, at Sir. Truman's suggestion, to send him to the San Francisco conference.
There was some surprise at the
speed with which Mr. Truman moved into the Big Three picture. Within hours
after he had taken the oath he had dispatched his request to Stalin. Before Mr.
Roosevelt's body left the White House Saturday night, Mr. Truman was able to
announce that Molotov would be at San Francisco.
The toughest diplomatic problem
Mr. Truman must move into is the Polish question. At the time of his death, Mr.
Roosevelt was handling that personally 'with Stalin and Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The latter plans an address
to Commons on it Thursday and
Eden is expected to "fill in" Mr. Truman on Churchill's plans.
Former Premier Stanislaw
Mikolajczyk of the Moscow-hated polish exile government has now approved the
Yalta agreement on Poland, suggesting that a settlement of some sort might be
near.
His announcement, which, came two
months after the agreement was revealed, may be the forerunner of his inclusion
in the new government—a major desire of the United States and Great Britain.
MARINES
DRIVING
AHEAD
ON OKINAWA
Guam, April 16.—Marines of the
Third Amphibious Corps pushed along the last 10-odd miles toward the northern
tip of Okinawa against light resistance today. '
In southern Okinawa, army troops
of the 24th Corps beat off Japanese counter attacks and. By Tokyo
accounts, prepared for a full-scale offensive again Naha,
capital of the island.
The Army force have been stalled
for nearly a week by upwards of 60,000 Japanese troops entrenched in defenses
built into hills shielding Naha, only a scant
four
miles south of the American lines.
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