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Newspaper
Dothan Eagle
Location
Dothan, Alabama, United States of America
Date
May 15, 1945
Page
5
U S occupation authorities under General Eisenhower draft strict penalties for infractions in Germany. Death sentences may be imposed in over a dozen cases, with long imprisonment and heavy fines for others. Three military courts are set up: general, intermediate, and summary, each with distinct penalties.
AP dispatch from Washington notes President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill discuss peace progress with Soviet and British leaders. Roosevelt says a meeting with Eden occurred and favors a conference soon, hoping a war end is near. Churchill deflects question about a near-term conference, while London awaits a tri‑power meeting after Roosevelt’s remarks.
War Bond drive for the Seventh War Loan lifted a flag atop the Houston County post office as a barometer of local sales. Robert executive chairman urged continued purchases. Dothan reported bond sales of $590,187.50 on opening day, with further challenges and canvassing planned.
Australian troops repulse small scale enemy attacks. Balete Pass seized by guerrilla forces in Mindanao, aiding Army control of tenetan on Mindanao. Fighting continues across south Mindoro Yonabara air strip Okinawa taken by Army. Subam TiS capital city key town captured. Australians advance inland from northeast Guinea.
Veterans with battle experience in Europe and the Pacific will stage Here's Your Infantry at Wiregrass Memorial Stadium tomorrow night to illustrate how Seventh War Loan funds support infantry power. The self-contained unit will show close-quarters combat, mortars, flamethrowers, and a pillbox assault to explain why victory hinges on infantry fighting its way forward in Japan.
Alabama House calendar includes a bill to create a retirement system for state employees similar to teachers under a 1939 law, supported by administration. Senate to vote on a bill enabling state agencies to accept federal funds. Income and poll tax bills loom, with amendments to earmark funds for education and welfare. Other measures include education funding for Negro schools, a wage hour law, tenancy and election law revisions.
Secretary of State Stettinius proposes drafting an international bill of rights based on the four freedoms as the first task of a new United Nations, with a commission to draft a code acceptable to member nations. He notes the Four Freedoms may guide the San Francisco Conference and reiterates support for self government for dependent peoples when ready.
London dispatch reports General James H. Doolittle leaving for Washington to receive a Pacific assignment. Officials say he will organize bases for B17 and B24 operations, leveraging his Tokyo air raid experience to strengthen strikes against Japan.
United Nations officials pressed Moscow for a decisive reply that could hasten a final agreement among the Big Five on two core security questions, as diplomats in San Francisco awaited progress. The effort aims to chart a path toward broader postwar world order.
President Truman declared he opposes any tax reduction while World War II continues, insisting 85 million bond holders must be protected and taxation kept up until Japan is defeated and the war ends. He dismissed calls for gradual tax cuts during the conflict.
A Congressional mission of six Senators and six House members reported that Nazi camps carried out a calculated program of torture and extermination. Visiting Dachau Buchenwald and Nordhausen, they urged swift punishment for those responsible and warned against creating new war crime bodies. The committee echoed the Allied War Crimes Commission view and stressed the deep degradation seen in camp conditions.
London AP reports the War Crimes Commission placed Hermann Goering on the first list of war criminals in November 1944. The United Nations War Crimes Commission stated Goering's name was added to the list of persons charged with war crimes adopted by the commission.
Dan LeLnee reports from the Rhine frontier on the occupation of Germany. He notes hunger disease and a stubborn warlike spirit as the Allied task. American forces around 400 000 strong may stay long term, debated by officers and politicians amid postwar planning.
American forces press toward Balete Pass and Cagayes valley on Luzon as full-scale gains at Okinawa unfold. General MacArthur reports heavy enemy casualties and cave defenses yielding on the 80 mile mountain corridor while U S troopers push toward strategic strongpoints. The toll is expected to total around twenty thousand Japanese dead, with fierce cave resistance noted in the Ta-toot defile.
American forces captured Yonabaru airfield in a major advance on Okinawa’s defense line. Maj. Gen. Shepherd’s Sixth Marine Division pressed toward Naha crossing the Asa River as Maj. Gen. Bradley’s 1st Infantry and 383rd Hero Regiment completed the hill assault to secure a foothold for the final Shuri Line push. Heavy fighting and air attacks continued around Naha with weathered lines and looming costs as the island campaign nears its climax.
In Bolzano Italy May 1 delayed AP report describes German troops and SS officers swaggering through the town after Germany’s surrender, hosting civilians, and defying Allied controls. Col Fry and Gen Wolff tightened orders, placing Germans under confinement and warning of strict punishment for fraternizing with Italians or violations.
James M. Long reports that the Allied war extended by about five months beyond Eisenhower and staff expectations. Despite swift African landings and final victory, three major operations failed to shorten the war as hoped: the Dieppe like push, Italian south of Rome, and Arnhem flank. The piece notes overwhelming Allied power and air superiority as key elements of victory, with optimism for cleanup after Africa and the Mediterranean campaigns.
London reporting claims the Red Army killed or captured 12.77 million enemy troops on the Eastern Front and held over 1.23 million prisoners since Germany's surrender. The dispatch mentions generals among captives and notes uncertainty over specific commanders like Schoerner and Werthler. Debates surface about postwar prosecutions and Allied plans for tribunals.
Reports from PLENSBURG allege security police and border guards search the Flensburg region for Gestapo chief Himmler amid rumors he and a bodyguard may be in the wooded islands near Denmark Sweden and Norway. The pursuit follows claims he sought protection from Grand Admiral Doenitz and that Doenitz, viewed as a key German authority, could influence postwar decisions.
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