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VOL. LIV No. 18-S ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN FRIDAY, JULY 28, 1944
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Last Nazi Escape Route
from Baltics Cut
Lwow, Bialystok
Taken by Soviets
Sweep Through Poland Toward Reich,
Czechoslovakia in Powerful' Surge
By The Associated Press
LONDON, Friday, July 28-Russian troops, inflicting the war's most
staggering series of defeats on the Germans, yesterday cut the enemy's
last big escape route out of the Baltic states and toppled the major
fortress cities of Lwow, Bialystok and Stanislawow in powerful surges
through Poland toward Germany and captive Czechoslovakia.
Premier-Marshal Joseph Stalin in an unprecedented issuance of five
orders of the day announced the fall of six major German strongholds,
including Daugavpils and Rezekne in Latvia, on this "Black Thursday"
for Germany. ,
Vistula'Crossed Southeast of Warsaw
With Germany's peril becoming more acute hourly Berlin also announc-
ed that Russia armies of the center had smashed across the Vistula River
southeast of imperilled Warsaw.
The crash of Russian artillery could be heard in Warsaw, Moscw dis-
patches said.
Stalin's fifth order of the day told of the capture of the strategic rail
Junction of Siauliai, 73 miles southwest of Riga and 83 miles east of
Memel in East Prussia.
30 German Divisions Boxed Up
The fall of this "large communications center linking the Baltic with
East Prussia" to Gen. Ivan Bagramian's First Baltic Army effectively boxed
up 30 German divisions of perhaps 300,000 men under Nazi Col. General
Lindemann retreating toward Prussia from Estonia and Latvia with other
Russian armies in hot pursuit.
The fall of two other big German bastions, Brest-Litovsk, 115 miles
east of Warsaw, and Kaunas, former Lithuanian capital, appeared to be
near. Red Army shock troops were reporting fighting in Brest-Litovsk's
streets, and all adequate German escape routes already had been cut by
other Soviet units attacking about 50 miles east of Warsaw.
Lwow Falls After 2-Day Siege
Lwow, nine-way rail junction which is one of the largest in Europe,
fell after a two-day storm by Soviet shock troops. Stanislawow, another
important rail junction 65 miles to the southeast in the Carpathian foot-
hills on the road to Czechoslovakia, was taken by other units of Marshal
Ivan S. Konev's First Ukraine Army.
The fall of Lwow, old Poland's third largest city with a population of
317,000, will release thousands of Russian troops as reinforcements for
the surge southward into the Carpathian mountains and westward toward
Germany.
Daugavpils, Latvia's third largest city with a peacetime population
of 45,000, and Rezekne, important rail junction 52 miles to the northeast,
fell to Andrei Yeremenko's Second Baltic Army, which was plunging
northwestward toward Riga, Latvian capital on the Baltic, in an effort to
trap scores of thousands of German troops stumbling in disorder toward
East Prussia from the broken Estonian front.
COMMENCEMENT :
McNair Is
Killed at
Front Line
General Hit While
Observin gTroops
By'rh Associated Press
WASHINGTON, July 27-Lt. Gen.
Lesley J. McNair, one of the nation's
most able and most fearless military
leaders, has been killed on the Nor-
mandy front.
Enemy fire struck him down while
he was with a leading element of the
new Allied offensive in France, ob-
serving the work of the American
ground army which he organized and
trained, the War Department an-
nounced today.
McNair, commander of Army
Ground Forces until he received an
anks Break German Line
GEN. LESLIE McNAIR
Seanigall a
Captured
By Poles
iroops Advance
Up ltalian (-oast
By The Associated Press
ROME, July 27.-Driving up the
Adriatic coast of Italy against weak-
ening German resistance, Polish
troops have pushed 17 miles beyond
the captured port of Ancona and
seized Senigallia at the mouth of the
Misa River only 22 miles from Pesaro,
Allied headquarters announced to-
night.
The German radio reported yester-
day that the vengeful Poles had
opened a full-scale offensive in the
Adriatic sector as part of the general
Allied push toward the enemy's
"Gothic Line" defenses, but there
was no Allied confirmation until to-
night's special announcement.
Outpost of Gothic Line
Pesaro, next objective of the Poles,
is believed to be an outpost of the
"Gothic Line," whose main fortifica-
tions are said to be anchored on
Rimini, another 20 miles up the coast.
British, New Zealand and South
African troops engaged in closing a
steel clamp on Florence gained up to
four miles at some points in bitter
fighting, winning positions within six
miles of the Arno River west of the
historic city.
South Africans Destroy Tanks
In beating back one strong Nazi
counterattack below Florence, South
African troops destroyed two huge
enemy "Tiger" tanks. British forces
inflicted heavy casualties in driving
four miles beyond Greve to a point
about ten miles from Florence.
Other Eighth Army troops pushing
up northwest of Poggibonsi were re-
ported within six miles of Montelup,
a communication center on the Arno
ten miles west of Florence.
Indications grew that American
troops drawn up along the Arno from
the west coast inland would be forced
to take the ancient city of Pisa by
storm and perhaps turn their artil-
lery against the celebrated leaning
tower, which the Nazis had converted
into an observation post.
Simmons Will
Lecture Today
Russian Literature To
Be Topic at Rackham
Dr. Ernest J. Simmons, chairman
of the Department of Slavic Lang-
uages and director of the Intensive
Study of Contemporary Russian Civ-
ilization courses at Cornell Univer-
sity, will deliver the second in a series
of lectures on contemporary Russia
on "Soviet Russian Literature" at
4:10 p. m. today in the Rackham am-
phitheater.
This series of lectures and films
on Russia., sponsored by the Office of
the Summer Session, brings to this
campus men from leading universi-
ties throughout this country to ad-
dress students on various aspects ofI
the culture and life of the peoples of
the Soviet Union.
Everyone is cordially invited to at-
tend the lecture and no admission is
harged.
Polish Premier
Goes to Russia
LONDON, July 27-(AP)-Stanis-
aw Mikolajczyk, peasant-born pre-
nier of Poland's government in exile,
left today for Moscow to confer with
Premier Stalin and seek a remedy
for the long-ailing Polish-Soviet rela-
tions.
Out of the conferences may come
a merger of Mikolajczyk's London
administration and the rival Polish
Nnrtinnol ihparena~n Cmmitan P - a
The first summer Campus Sing will
have Oswald Lampkins, baritone, as
the guest soloist on the Varsity Glee
Club's program from 7 to 8 p. m.
today in front of the Main Library.
More than a dozen Michigan songs
will be sung by the Glee Club and the
audience including "Varsity," "When
Night Falls." "I Want to Go Back to
Michigan,'' "Old Friars' Song," "Col-
lege Days" and "The Bum Army."
Others will be "Laundes Atque Car-
mina," "Tis of Michigan We Sing,"
"Victors," "Michigan Men," "God-
dess of the Inland Seas" and "The
Yellow and Blue."
Admiral Hart To Speak at
Medical School Graduation
OSWALD LAMPKINS . . . to appear with Glee Club at Sing.
* * * * * *
TIME TO VOCALIZE:
Larnpkins To Be Soloist at
First Campus SingToday
Adm. Thomas C. Hart, U. S. N.,
Ret., will address medical school
graduates at commencement exer-
cises tomorrow in Rackham Auditor-
ium when 85 of the graduating class
of 114 will enter the armed forces.
This class is the first class to be
graduated from the accelerated
program, having completed four
academic years in three. It is also
unique in containing the largest
proportion of graduates entering
the armed forces in medical school
history.
Capt. Richard E. Cassidy, com-
mandant of the Navy unit at the
University, will administer the oath
of office to 26 graduates who will en-
ter the Medical Corps of the U. S.
Carrier Planes
Sink Jap Ships
Near C arolines
WASHINGTON. July 27.-()-A
Japanese destroyer, an oiler, a de-
stroyer escort or minelayer, seven
small cargo ships and many smaller
craft were sunk by American carrier
based planes in a series of attacks in
the Western Caroline Islands, the
Navy reported tonight.
Marines Capture Height
With the American attack on the
Japanese inner circle of outposts
being maintained at a fast tempo, the
Navy also announced that American
Marines now control the northern
one third of Tinian Island, including
Mount Lasso, the island's command-
ing height.
Aerial support is being extended
the marines by Army Thunderbolt
fighters based on Saipan, neighboring
island in. the Mariana r.hain.
Naval Reserve as lieutenants, junior
grade. Ten will be ordered to active
duty as Navy internees, while 17 will
go into civilian interneship.
The 57 graduates of the Army's
training program will be sworn in
by Lt. Col. Reginald C. Miller and
will receive commissions as first
lieutenants in the reserves.
The commencement ceremonies
will begin at 10 a. m., preceded by an
academic procession at 9:30 a. m.
The procession which will march
from the Medical building to the
Rackham building, will include re-
gents of the University, faculty mem-
bers and students. President Alex-
ander Ruthven will preside at the
exercises and introduce Admiral
Hart. The Navy V-12 Choir will
sing at the exercises.
Born in Davison, Mich., Admiral
Hart attended the U. S. Naval
Academy and saw service in the
Spanish-American War and World
War I. Given supreme command
of the United Nations naval for-
ces in the Pacific after Pearl Har-
bor, he was decorated by the Dutch
government for his Pacific service,
He was advanced to the rank of
full admiral just before his retire-
ment.
Following his retirement he was
appointed to the Navy General Board
and is now directing the government
investigation of the Pearl Harbor
disaster.
U
a
1
s;
h
unspecified but "important" overseas
assignment a few weeks ago, had
gone to the battlefronts of this war
twice. On his first visit, in March,
1943, to Tunisia, he was wounded by
shell fragments. On his second visit
he met death.
He was the highest' ranking Ameri-
can officer to die in action in this
war. Four other generals have been
killed in battle, in addition to a num-
ber of other deaths, including eight
who died in plane crashes while
traveling to or in war zones.
"Had he had the choice, he prob-
ably would have elected to die as he
did, in the forefront of the attack,"
said General George C. Marshall,
Army Chief of Staff.
The 61-year-old McNair was gen-
erally credited with bringing into
being the vast and complex Army
Ground Force.
Cas ualtyList
Is Announcec
WASHINGTON, July 27-(AP)-1
Secretary of War Stimson released
new battle casualty figures reflecting
vividly the fierce fighting on far-
flung fronts. Total American casual-
ties now exceed 313,000, including
more than 63,000 dead.
The approximate casualties now
are: (dead, wounded, prisoners,
missing)
Army, 207,283.
Navy, 50,496.
Saipan, 16,463.
Guam, 3,018.
Normandy, 24, 162.
Air Forces, 11,665.
Total, 313,084.
Veterans on (U'
Campus To Meet
At Union Toda
All honorably discharged veterans
on campus who are interested in
joining an organization to further
their interests are asked to be present
at a meeting to be held at 7 p.m. to-
day in Rm. 304 in the Union, Laszlo
J. Hetenyi; temporary chairman, an-
nounced yesterday.
The aim of this organization is thej
solution of problems that confront
all men who are returning from the
services to collegiate or graduate
studies, he said.
"The various problems confront-
ing veterans are usually similar in
nature," Hetenyi said. "Whether it
is housing, food or social readjust-
ment that presents a problem to the
former service man, he is bound to
find some others who have experienc-
ed or are experiencing the same diffi-
culty. It will be much easier if these
men get together and help each oth-
er," he added,
During the meeting definite plans
for future actions will be discussed.
Chinese Troos
Retake Leiyang
Capture of City Halts
Drive To Split Country
CHUNGKING, July 27-(AP)-
Counter-attacking Chinese have re-
captured Leiyang, southernmost point
of advance from the north 'in the
Japanese grand strategy to split
China in half and seal her off from
help from the Pacific, a Chinese com-
munique announced tonight.
Thirty-four miles to the northwest
in Hunan Province, confused fight-
ing raged inside and outside the
beleaguered rail junction of Heng-
yang, where the Japanese were ack-
nowledged to have broken into the
c~r -o - nf a_ o moi__ _ .+ +,._,+.
In order that everyone may join
in the singing, copies of the songs
will be distributed to the audience.
"This is designed especially to ac-
quaint the new students on campus
with the Michigan songs," Prof. Da-
vid Mattern, director, said, "although
all are invited."
Will Sing Four Songs
Mr. Lampkins, who was with the
Fisk Jubilee Singers of Tennessee
for eight years, will present four
selections: "Song of the Open" by
La Forge, "Zueignung" by Strauss,
"Jesus Walked This Lonesome Val-
ley" and "Deep River." ,
As soloist with the singers, he tour-
ed the country giving concerts in
Chicago, New York, Detroit, Philadel-
phia, Dallas and St. Louis. In the
spring of 1936 the group appeared
in Ann Arbor at the Lydia Mendel-
ssohn theatre.
First Summer Appearance
The Campus Sing 'will mark the
first summer appearance of the Glee
Club which now has both civilian
students and servicemen as members.
Also in conjunction with today's con-
cert will be a carillon program of
Michigan songs by Prof. Percival
Price before and after the Sing.
Blood Donors
Needed -Here
Coeds
Social
To Register with
Director Today
Registration will be held from 1 to
3 p. m. today in the Social Direct-
or's office in, the League for coeds
who wish to participate in the Red
Cross Blood Bank, which will be held
Friday and Saturday, Aug. 11 and
12, in the Womnen's Athletic Build-
ing.
Civilian men may register between
0 a. in. and noon and 1 and 2:30 p. in,
Monday on the Diagonal. A quota
of 200 men and 75 women has been
set.
If today's registration hours are
inconvenient, coeds are asked to sign
up with the League Social Director
before August 1. Persons who are
under 21 years old must bring writ-
ten parents' consent to registration.
Pam Watts, '45, secretary-treasur-
er of the Women's War Council; heads
the War Council drive for blood don-
ors. Sandy Perlis, a member of the
Navy V-12 unit, is in charge of the
Union drive.
Whitney Theatre
Has Midnight Fire
A fire of undetermined origin
started last night in the basement of
Two Cities
Crumble in
Yank Push
American Advance
Imperils Coutances
By TheAssociated Press
SHAEF, July 28, Friday-Lightning
U.S. tank columns shattered the Ger-
mans' western Normandy line yester-
day in a sudden breakthrough that
plunged the enemy into chaotic re-
treat and drove to within five miles
of strategic Coutances, whose fall
might trap the entire 4th Corps of
seven battered Nazi divisions.
Thundering lines of tanks, half-
tracks and self-propelled artillery,
revealed by Supreme Headquarters
-for the first time to be striking in
divisional strength in the greatest
armored blow since D-Day, smashed
all organized resistance, field com-
manders declared.
Lessay Yielded Without Fight
Without a fight the enemy yielded
the old seacoast strongpoint of Les-
say, 12 miles north of Coutances, and
Periers to the west, and fled south
under a hail of bombs and shell fire
to try to make a stand, possibly
around Coutances.
But the midnight communique dis-
closed that besides the column driv-
ing head-on toward Coutances from
the east, a second column fanned out
four miles southwest of fallen Canisy
in what may be an outflanking threat
to that next stop on the American
drive deeper into France.
Coutances in Firing Range
Coutances already was within ar-
tillery range and it appeared it outld
not hold out for long with the spor-
adic resistance the bewildered enemy
is offering on this sector of the flam-
ing 40-mile front. Prisoners up to
noon totaled 2,600 and tank crews
did not bother to corral them.
The Alliesradmitted their forces
had withdrawn from Esquay, 7 miles
southwest of Caen, and had given up
blood-stained "Crucifix Hill" which
dominates the Orne - Odon River
wedge, but said their positions south
of Caen were strongly held.
* * *
Yanks Bomb
Enemy Troops
LONDON, Friday, July 28-(AP)-
American fighter bombers plastered
enemy frontline troops, tanks, guns
and strongpoints and canopied U. S.
troops from enemy fighter planes
yesterday in supporting the biggest
break-through yet made on the west-
ern front while from Italy 500 Am-
erican heavies bombed the Manfred
Weiss works in Budapest, largest in-
dustrial plant in Hungary.
RAF Mosquitos blasted Stuttgart
with 4,000 pound bombs last night,
subjecting that German industrial
city to its third raid in four nights,
the British announced today.
Argentine Out
Of Peace Talks
Nationalist Paraders
Back Up Government
WASHINGTON, July 27.- (-.
The Argentine government, by its
continuing support of the Axis, is
considered in official quarters here
to have forfeited its right to sit down
with the United Nations in important
war and post-war conferences, in-
cluding whatever peace conferences
may be held.
This exclusion policy, already in-
voked at the Bretton Woods Mone-
tary Conference, has been given a
new and more permanent base by last
night's official United States declara-
tion denouncing Argentina as a "de-
serter" of the Allied cause.
* * *
BUENOS AIRES, July 27.-(P)-.-A
harmless noise bomb exploded in
front of the newspaper La Nacion
builino +Mninsahtmn...wn.. n1fl-a
WORSE MAY COME-
Robot Bomb Raids Increase
LONDON, July 27-(AP)-The
Nazis' flying bomb barrage increased
I British Lancaster and Sterling
bombers are using their big six-ton
factorv-busters to smash nossihl