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VOL. LIV No. 94 ANN ARBOR MICHIGAN, SATURDAY, FEB. 19, 1944
U.S. Assault Forces Lan on niweto Is

PRICE FIVE CENTS
land










Tru k-Based Jap Convoy

Sunk

in

Air

Attack

Troops Gain
Beachhead on
Pacific Atoll
Carrier Based Planes
Smash Installations,
Have Little Opposition
By WILLIAM HIPPLE
Associated Press Correspondent
U.S. PACIFIC FLEET HEAD-
QUARTERS, Pearl Harbor, Feb. 18.
-Army and Marine assault troops
under cover of battleship gunfire and
supported by low - flying carrier
planes, have landed and established
beachheads on Eniwetok in the
Marshall Islands.
Eniwetok, westernmost of the Mar-
shalls, is 380 air miles northwest of
Kwajalein and 750 miles northeast
of Truk.
Nimitz Force Large
The fact that a large number of
troops and heavy concentration of
ships and planes was able to carry
out a land assault at the same time
as the Truk attack indicated the im-
mensity of the force Admiral Chester
W. Nimitz now has assembled in the
central Pacific.
There still was no further word
from Admiral Nimitz' Headquarters
on the Truk attack, announced yes-
terday. Radio silence still was in
effect.
Nimitz did not indicate what op-
position his forces may have encount-
ered on Eniwetok. The Japanese are
known to have an air field on Engebi
Isle, at the northern end of the atoll,
and probably another on Eniwetok Is-
land, to the south.
But all ground installations have
been heavily hit by U.S. carrier raids.
During the three day sustained car-
rier raids of Feb. 10, 11 and 12, no
fighter opposition was encountered
and there was little anti-aircraft
fire.
Admiral Nimitz said, "Capture of
Eniwetok atoll has been undertaken
by forces of the Pacific ocean areas."
All Forces Participate
All forces are participating under
the immediate command of Rear Ad-
miral Richmond K. Turner, who led
amphibious forces in the Gilbert and
Marshall campaigns.
"The initial landings took place
after strong preliminary attacks by
carrier based aircraft and by ships
of the Pacific Fleet," Nimitz said.
Soviets Take
Rail Junctionl,
Staraya IRussa
LONDON, Feb. 18.-(AP)-Soviet
forces advancing along the southern
and western shores of Lake Ilmen
today captured ancient Staraya
Russa, heavily fortified rail junction
protecting the heart of the Nazi
northern front, and also the rail
station of Shimsk, 30 miles to the
northwest, Moscow announced to-
night.
The Moscow daily communique,
recorded by the Soviet Monitor, said
Red Army forces captured 40 com-
munities in the Staraya Russa sec-
tor, just south of Lake Ilmen, includ-
ing Vainovo, 15 miles to the south on
the road to Kholm.
Both Staraya Russa and Shimsk,
at the western tip of Lake Ilmen, are
stations on the railway that runs
from Chudovo on the Leningrad-
Moscow trunk railway, curves around
Lake Ilmen and re-connects with the
trunk line at Bologoe.
A new extensive German with-
drawal from their easternmost sali-
ent in northern Russia appeared
likely, for other Soviet troops to the

west were reported moving down
fr~mT ir frx,r3 Pvm enirina

Mars halls,_Carolines
 JAPAN Pacific O
//Tokyo
BON IN
MARCUS

Bases Invaded
MILES AT EQUATOR
:ean .
MIDWAY HAWAIIAN
ISLANDS
Honolulu

WAKE

MAR IANAS

JOHNSTON

GUAM MARSHALL' - I
YAP '.
PALAu JALUIT
CAROLINE ISLANDS MAKIN, -
TARAWA HOWLAND- --
United States assault troops have invaded Eniwetok atoll which is
less than 400 statute miles northwest of Kwajalein and the westernmost
of the Marshall Islands. Eniwetok is 750 miles northeast of Truk, the
mid-Pacific Jap fortress which powerful American task forces attacked
the day before. The Nipponese use Eniwetok chiefly as an operating
base for theier planes moving in and out of the Marshalls. Ponape,
another important enemy base in the Carolines, is 425'miles south of
Eniwetok.
Dr. Hannah To Give Address at
Graduation Exercises Today

Dr. John Hannah, President of
Michigan State College, will deliver
the principal address to the more
than 480 degree candidates at the
University's second midyear gradua-
tion exercises at 10 a.m. today in
Hill Auditorium.
Speaking on "The Debt We Owe,"
Dr. Hannah will make the first
Allies Launch
Major Attack
Against 'Cassino
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, NA-
PLES, Feb. 18.-(I)-The Allies op-
ened a major assault before dawn
today on the stubborn German for-
tress of Cassino, sending ground
troops smashing against the town's
powerful defenses after an earth-{
shaking six-hour artillery barrage.
On the Anzio beachhead 60 miles
away American and British forces
continued to hurl back savage Ger-
man onslaughts.
Hundreds of Allied guns belched
steel into Cassino's battered streets
and sprayed the slopes of 1,800-foot
Mt. Cassino which towers above it in
one of the deadliest barrages of the
Mediterranean war before Lt.-Gen.
Mark W. Clark's seasoned ground
troops moved to the attack.
Elastic Allied defenses absorbed
continued heavy attacks by German
infantry, and tanks at the beachhead
today and the enemy suffered thous-
ands of casualties, Associated Press
correspondent Daniel De Luce said
in a dispatch from that battleground
filed at 5:45 p.m.
He described the German artillery
fire in the assault which began Wed-
nesday as being heavier and more
sustained than in any other battle in
which American troops were engaged
in North Africa,Sicily or Italy.
It is estimated that the Germans
have elements from as many divi-
sions at the beachhead as they have
stationed on the main coast-to-coast
Italian front. Nazi combat teams
varied their attacks on the beach-
head perimeter between infiltrations
and frontal assaults.
Charges Denied by
Wayne County GOP
DETROIT, Feb. 18.-()-Officers
of the Wayne County Republican
Precinct Organization today denied

appearance of any head of MSC at
a University graduation ceremony as
far as records show.
Because these exercises are being
held before the final examination
period, only token degrees will be
presented by President Alexander G.
Ruthven to the candidates. When
full degree requirements are com-
pleted after exams, real degrees 'will
be awarded.
All University classes except those
in ASTP and the School of Educa-
tion will be dismissed at 9:45 a.m.
today to permit students and faculty
members to attend the exercises.
For persons who have not yet
obtained their commnencement tick-
ets there will be limited number
available at Hill Auditorium.
The Rev. Ernest C. Stellhorn of
the Zion Lutheran Church of Ann
Arbor will deliver the invocation and
benediction.
Among the graduating seniors are
60 Army-Navy students who will be
presented for degrees by Army Com-
mandant Col. Fredrick C. Rogers.
Prof. Glenn L. Alt, Chief Marshal
for commencement exercises, has
directed all arrangements for the
program.
State Grants
Kelly Demands
Juvenile Delinquency
Control Is Included
LANSING, Feb. 18.-(P)-- The
Legislature tonight adjourned its
special session, granting the bulk of
Governor Kelly's demands for a pro-
gram of veterans rehabilitation and
juvenile delinquency control legisla-
tion.
It banged the door in the gover-
nor's face, however, on his efforts to
install Dr. William Dekleine, former
Medical Director of the American
Red Cross, as State Health Commis-
sioner, the Senate Business Commit-
tee failing to recommend confirma-
tion of the eleventh hour appoint-
ment.
Kelly had given No. 1 rank in his
recommendations to a program for
aiding veterans of World War I, and
received it in full, along with a bill
altering Michigan's election laws to
enable men and women assigned to
distant posts in armed forces to par-
ticipate in the November, general
election if they choose.
In the juvenile delinquency field,
the Legislature gave Kelly most of

Merchantmen,
Warships Are
Lost by Nips
MacArthur Announces
14 Ships Destroyed in
Massau Islands Battle
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN THE
SOUTH PACIFIC, Feb. 19, Saturday.
-The Japanese convoy bound from
Truk to imperiled Bismarck Archi-
pelago bases when spotted northwest
of New Ireland Tuesday has been
almost completely wiped out, Gen.
Douglas MacArthur reported today.
Japs Lose 15 Ships
The ships lost by the Japanese to
the aerial attackers included 12
merchantmen of 36,500 tons and
three warships.
The masthead attacks caused heavy
losses to Japanese personnel.
Yesterday in first announcing that
the attack had begun Tuesday off
Massau Island, General MacArthur
said the ships bombed included a
destroyer. large tanker and four cargo
ships. Today ie said additionally
that a 7,500 ton tanker, five 2,000 ton
merchantment, two corvettes and a
small merchantman were sunk off
Hanover.
Continue Rabaul Assault
MacArthur also reported a con-
tinuation of the daily air assaults on
Rabaul as well as another of the in-
creasing strikes at Kavieng. Signif-
icantly, no interception was encount-
ered at either base. Runways were
cratered and three parked bombers
were damaged.
Knox Calls Truk
Major Victory
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18.--- W)-
Secretary of Navy Knox expressed
the opinion today that American
forces are scoring a major victory in
the attack on Truk, major Japanese
naval base in the Pacific.
"I think this attack was a victory,
the full proportions of which will not
be known until the need for radio
silence is over," Knox told a news
conference.
He added in response to questions
that he had no information to indi-
cate that the operation has been
completed, and that no details will
be available until radio silence en-
forced during such an operation is
broken.
Asked about Japanese radio re-
ports that landings have been at-
tempted at the heavily-fortified en-
emy base, Knox said only, "This was
an air strike by carrier - based
planes."
FDR Subsidy
Veto Sustained
By House Action
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18.-Presi-.
dent Roosevelt triumphed again over
the anti-subsidy bloc in Congress
today, vetoing the bill which would
have repealed food subsidies, then
winning enough support in the House
to sustain his action.
Today's vote in the House was 226
to 151 in favor of passing the bill
over the veto, 25 votes short of the
required two-thirds. There was no
point to the Senate doing anything
about it.

The President's opposition today
came preponderantly from Republi-
cans but some farm state Democrats
joined in. Voting to override were 58

Nazis Raid
London in
Night Blitz
LONDON, Feb. 19, Saturday-(A )
-The German air force early today
made one of its most determined
attacks against the London area
since 1940-41, dumping tons of high
explosives and incendiaries that set'
fires raging in a great ring along the
horizon.
Three waves of heavy and medium
bombers swept through a barrage of
anti-aircraft fire which guards called
the heaviest ever thrown up against
enemy raiders.
Once over the city the Nazis broke
formation and darted through the
inner concentrations of flak to show-
er bombs on half a dozen districts.
In one section high explosives hit
a block of apartments, a church and
an unused hospital, where the care-
takers were believed buried in the
wreckage.
In another section bombs flattened
a number of houses and rescue work-
ers began digging in the debris for
dead and injured. A third district
also was hard hit, with widespread
damage being caused to houses and
to another church.
At no dime during the raid, which-
lastednapproximately an hour, did
the enemy planes make an attempt
to force the anti-aircraft barrage in
force. Instead they used the same
"scalded cat" tactics that have
marked other recent raids, slashing
singly but simultaneously in many
different directions.
The sky was bright with flares
and spangledawith bursting shells.
Red tracers and searchlights combed
the heavens and the gunfire was
almost continuous. Shrapnel rained
throughout the city and two shells
exploded after falling in a residential
area.
Night fighters rose up to clash
with the attackers.
400 Drowned
On Troop Ship
VANCOUVER, Feb. 18.-(A)-Four
hundred lives were lost in the mid-
night sinking of the former Port of
Vancouver liner, Empress of Canada,
off Freetown, West Africa, a year ago,
it was learned tonight.
News of the loss of the 21,517-ton
ship was confirmed publicly for the
first time although an Italian com-
munique had announced its sinking
March 15, 1943.
She was carrying troops and Navy
personnel, Italian prisoners, Greek
and Polish. refugees, when struck by
a torpedo fired by an Italian sub-
marine.

Order Will Affect
800. U'Servicemen
Program Will Cease April 1; Three
Advanced Groups To Continue Studies
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18. - (AP) - Draft Boards have
failed to meet the Army's manpower requirements to the fullest
extent and so it has become necessary to transfer 110,000 special
training troops from colleges to combat assignments, the War
Department said today.
Except for advanced courses in medicine, dentistry and
engineering, the entire ASTP-Army Special Training Program
-will be eliminated.
Designed to replace the mounting number of casualties
and to offset the decline in inductions, the War Department
order issued yesterday eliminating the Army Specialized
Training Program, will affect between 700 and 800 Army
men stationed here.
The order does not affect medical, dental and advanced en-
gineering trainees.
Under the curtailment order, the European and Persian Area
and Language, and basic engineering courses on campus would
definitely be dissolved by the first of April.
Liquidation of the ASTP Asiatic Language group, which includes ap-
proximately 250 men studying Japanese here, remained doubtful last night.
Although the War Department order made no provision for their remaining
in schools, University and Army officials here vouchsafed the opinion that
their courses would not be discontinued.
Under this curtailment order, the University is financially protected
since most of its contracts with the Army carry a guarantee of 90 days notice.
"We are not financially dependent upon the Army," Prof. Marvin
Niehuss, director of Emergency Training, said last night, "but to small
universities this will be a hard blow."
At its peak in January, the ASTP had approximately 143,000 men in
its ranks, and now has a few thousand less. Of this total more than 2,000
are enrolled on campus. Michigan's unit is recognized as one of the leading
of 223 universitites and colleges accredited for ASTP training.
Under a strict interpretation of the shut door order, it was estimated
that the unit here would be reduced by 70 per cent.
This War Department announcement comes on the heels of a
statement by Secretary of War Henry Stimson two weeks ago when he
said, commenting on ASTP dissolution rumors, that "there will be a
gradual elimination of the program, but that there won't be a complete
elimination of ASTP."
Col. Frederick C. Rogers, commandant of the service unit here, said last
night that "the Army had antitcipated this change, but we have received
no official word."
Last Dec. 13, Col. Rogers, commenting on rumored reduction of ASTP
said, "Although there has been a ten per cent reduction in the ASTP ordered
within the next three months this will not affect the men stationed here as
far as I know."
Of the 110,000 men in the nation that will be taken out of school,
80,000 will be assigned to Army Ground Forces and the remainder to
units destined for immediate service overseas.
Both the War and Navy Departments have in recent weeks stressed the
need for more men because of increasing losses.
In line with this policy, the Navy Department has ordered all Naval
ROTC men in V-12 units in the country who would have completed their
NROTC training by Nov. 1, 1944, to active duty at the end of the current
semester. These men will all receive Ensigns commissions.

AIM FOR PROSPERITY:
Post- War Economy Plan Revealed

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18.--P)-The
White House made public might a
broad, post-war industrial demobili-
zation program laying emphasis on
carrying out the adjustment from
a war to a peace economy with such
speed that the post-war era will
bring not a depression but "an ad-
venture in prosperity."
To achieve that speed, the authors,
Bernard M. Baruch, who heads a
post-war planning unit in the Office
of War Mobilization, and John M.
Hancock, his assistant, proposed:
1. "Quick, fair and final settle-
ment of terminated war contracts
through negotiations by the con-
tractors and the procurement ag-
encies."

(

4. Government loans to help busi-
ness "change over" from war to!
peace production.
5. Unifying government forces
dealing with the human problems of
demobilization. Everything being
done by the executive branch, they
said, should be brought together
"under a single, unforgetful mind";
or "work director." Congress should
merge committees dealing with such
problems into a single committee in
the Senate and in the House.
6. "Planning, designing and en-
gineering of worthwhile (public
works) projects-not simply make-
work schemes-should be pressed
immediately and put on the shelf
for use if needed."
7 _ yenaetment ofrGavernment

To bring their broader recommen-
dations down to final detail, Baruch
and Hahcock proposed too that "the
armed services and the War Produc-
tion Board cooperate in the imme-
diate preparation of an 'X' Day re-
conversion plan based on -the- as-
sumed defeat of Germany on 'X'
Day."~
The War Department, they said,
already has drafted a tentative
supply program assuming the end
of hostilities in Europe ona hypo-
thetical date. Its details are a
military secret, they added, but
it might prove a "beginning basis"'
for the "X Day plan."
Again and again they empha-
sized the necessity of speed in the
post-war adjustment if a period of
u-n-r --nv a f aA I.win. n