Current Events April 1, 1944;

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY APRIL 1, 1944:

Southwest Pacific, April 1, Saturday.—

Gen. Douglas MacArthur today announced South Pacific bombers had again hit the Japanese at Truk and Woleai islands in the Carolines, for the 2d visit to these enemy bastions.

LONDON, March 31—(AP)—

Russian troops hurling huge German forces back into the bottleneck of Odessa on the Black sea today captured the Nazi stronghold of Ochakov, 38 miles east of the big port, and to the west slashed the main Axis escape route into Rumania by cutting the Odessa-Kishnev-Lasi railroad, Moscow announced tonight.

NEW DELHI, March 31.—(AP)

Japanese forces invading India along a front of nearly 200 miles have thrust into the vital Manipur plain above Imphal and have forced the British to abandon Tiddim, their forward base 100 miles below Imphal in Burma, it was disclosed today, but Gen. Sir Claude J. E. Auchinleck, Allied commander in India, declared there was no cause for alarm

MOSCOW, March 31—(AP)—

The Soviet Union in what may be its biggest diplomatic victory of the war has forced Japan to

surrender coal and oil concessions on Sakhalin island, north of Japan, by canceling a pact which still had 26 years to run, it was announced today.

WASHINGTON, March 31.—(AP)—

In another of the war's tragic errors, a U. S. army transport plane was shot down in the Atlantic this week by British fighter planes with the loss of its six-man civilian crew.

 

Charleston, West Virginia, Saturday Morning, April 1, 1944.

Americans Take

Island of Pityilu

U. S. Believed After Japs

Fleeing From Palau

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS,

Southwest Pacific, April 1, Saturday.—

Gen. Douglas MacArthur today announced South Pacific bombers had again hit the Japanese at Truk and Woleai islands in the Carolines, for the 2d visit to these enemy bastions.

Liberator heavy bombers started fires in fuel stores on Dublon island in the Truk atoll, the com-

munique said. In the previous raid on Truk Wednesday,' the South Pacific bombers centered their attack on Eten island in the group.

Yanks Seize'Pityilu

American dismounted cavalrymen who have won control of Los Negros and Manus islands in the Admiralties have occupied Pityilu island, on the northern edge of Seadler harbor in that island group..

Pityilu had been hit in recent days by American destroyers which helped the soldiers wipe out points of enemy resistance

Ochakov Falls;

lasi Rails Cut

Baltic Flares Near Pskov;

Reds Poised on Prut

LONDON, March 31—(AP)—

Russian troops hurling huge German forces back into the bottleneck of Odessa on the Black sea today captured the Nazi stronghold of Ochakov, 38 miles east of the big port, and to the west slashed the main Axis escape route into Rumania by cutting the Odessa-Kishnev-Lasi railroad, Moscow announced tonight.

Japanese Push

Into India Seen

Not Dangerous

Allies Will Hold Imphal,

Gen. Auchinleck Says;

Advances Admitted

NEW DELHI, March 31.—(AP)

Japanese forces invading India along a front of nearly 200 miles have thrust into the vital Manipur plain above Imphal and have forced the British to abandon Tiddim, their forward base 100 miles below Imphal in Burma, it was disclosed today, but Gen. Sir Claude J. E. Auchinleck, Allied commander in India, declared there was no cause for alarm.

"It is only within the last day or two that they have come up against our prepared defenses and met serious opposition on our part," Auchinleck assured the Indian legislature. "I am convinced

that the security of Assam (province in Northeast India) never has

been in danger, let alone the security of India.

"The opinion expressed in an American paper that the fall at Imphal would be of little importance is erroneous. Our commanders have no intention that Imphal should fall into the enemy's hands."

Japs Reach Main Road

A communique from Adm. Lord Louis Mountbatten's headquarters disclosed that one Japanese invasion column had broken through to the main highway running from Imphal to Kohima, 60 miles to the north, and had damaged a bridge before being driven back. Another enemy army was reported north of Kohima, striking toward the main Allied supply system serving the Burma front. Japanese pressure also remained heavy near Palel, 24 miles southeast of Imphal

Russia Forces

Japs To Yield

Sakhalin Fuel

Soviet Cancels Long-Term

Coal, Oil Pact in Major

Diplomatic Success

MOSCOW, March 31—(AP)—

The Soviet Union in what may be its biggest diplomatic victory of the war has forced Japan to

surrender coal and oil concessions on Sakhalin island, north of Japan, by canceling a pact which still had 26 years to run, it was announced today.

In an agreement signed in Moscow yesterday, the Russians won an immediate return of the rights

to these resources, granted to Japan in 1925 for a 45-year term. The Russians on their part have agreed to furnish Japan 50,000 tons of oil a year for five years beginning after the war. The upper half of Sakhalin island, which lies off Siberia, is Soviet territory, the southern half Japanese.

6 Die as British

Down U.S. Plane

WASHINGTON, March 31.—(AP)—

In another of the war's tragic errors, a U. S. army transport plane was shot down in the Atlantic this week by British fighter planes with the loss of its six-man civilian crew.

The fighters, a joint army-British admiralty announcement explained, were from an aircraft carrier protecting an Allied convoy. Mistaking the four-engine C-54 transport for a German bomber of the Focke-Wulf 200 type, they attacked when it approached the convoy

route

The transport was carrying no passengers, only cargo. Membersof the civilian contract crew.

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