May 3, 1945; PEACE MISSIONS PREVAIL:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, MAY 3, 1945:

Lowell Mass. Thursday May 3 1945

Reported in Germany as

Hamburg Falls to British

Some Sources Report Capitulation

May Be Announced by Nightfall

LONDON, May 3. (UP) — ;

Negotiations for the capitulation of Germany were believed in some quarters to be under way today.

There was widespread speculation in London that Prime Minister Churchill may

have gone to Germany on a mission to negotiate for the:

end of the war in Europe.

The speculation embraced the possibility that Gen. Dwight D Eisenhower might be engaged in a similar task, together with British and Russian military and political leaders.

British Troops

Batter Way

Into Rangoon

Imperials Enter

Burmese Capital

Asia HQ Reveals

COLOMBO, Ceylon, May 3

British troops have entered the Burmese capital o£ Rangoon, special communique from Allied southeast Asia command headquarters

announced today.. Headquarters disclosed yesterday that British forces had been landed on both banks of the Rangoon river after the way had been prepared by an airborne operation.

Other British forces driving down on Rangoon -overland from the north last were reported within 35 miles of the city. A regular southeast Asia command

communique reported British 14th army troops had entered the town of Prome, 178 miles north-northwest of Rangoon and had advanced as far as the railway

station within the city.

The town of Pegu, northeast of Rangoon, and Pyawbxve, west of the Irrawaddy river and 19 miles southwest of Minbu, have been captured.

Eastern air command aircraft yesterday attacked Japanese targets along the Rangoon river, ahead of the seaborne landings. Heavy bombers hit gun positions

beside the river and fighterbombers and fighters bombed and strafed beach positions, bunkers, trenches, gun pits and anti-aircraft defenses.

109,163 US

Casualties in Italy

WASHINGTON, May 3 (IP)

—The conquest of Italy from the time of the Allied landing in September, 1943, until April 28 cost the American Fifth army 109,163 casualties.

Secretary of War Stimson, reporting this today, said the total included 21,577 killed, 77.248 wounded and 10,338 missing.

At the same time, Stimson disclosed that army casualties in all theaters since the beginning of the war have reached 848,089 on the basis of names compiled here through April 21. With navy losses of 102,383, this pushed the losses for both

services since Pearl Harbor to 950,472—an increase of 21,099 since last week's report.

PEACE BULLETINS

NEW YORK, May 3. (INS)—A correspondent from General Bradley's headquarters "reports that Admiral Doenitz assumed leadership with the express purpose of surrendering the remaining German armies," said ABSEE radio in a propaganda broadcast to Europe recorded at the CBS short wave listening station.

WASHINGTON, May 3. (AP)—Secretary of War Stimson subscribed today to President Truman's belief that Adolf Hitler is dead. Said Stimson: "It is apparent that the war against Germany has not long to run.

WITH BRITISH FORCE IN GERMANY, May S. (UP) —The British Second army took an estimated 500,000 German prisoners in the last 24 hours. Many German generals approached the British to surrender their forces.

LONDON, May 3. (INS)—The London Evening Standard reported today that fleeing Nazi soldiers have told their British captors that they believe a general surrender of the German army has taken, place.

Ronald Monson, correspondent of the Standard with the British Second army in the Wismar sector where the Britons linked up with the Reds, emphasized that the reports could not be confirmed officially