Oldest Newspaper In Alaska. “The News of The Uav in Pictures’* Member Of Ihe Associated Press
War Department Indicates Long
Expected Assault on Ratan Started
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 (AP) — The start of the
long-expected assault in force against Gen. MacAr
thur's lines on Batan Peninsula, was indicated in a
War Department communique reporting increased
enemy air activity, much heavier Japanese artillery
fire, end the landing of Japanese reinforcements at
Olongapo and at Subic Bay, just north of Batan Pen
insula.
At the same time, the Department reported that
Jour-motored Army bombers, attacking Japanese ships!
off Bangka Island, between Sumatra and Bbrneo.J
scored direct hits on two enemy transports, one large
and one small. Both were believed sunk. Two enemy
barges were also destroyed. There was no damage to
any of the American planes.
Roosevelt Asserts ‘Perfectly Possible"
Alaska May Be Attacked This Year
WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 (AP) — President Roose
velt told a press conference that under certain condi
tions, the enemy could shell New York tomorrow or
drop bombs on Detroit tonight. He made the declar
ation in response to questions by reporters, who told
him there was some concern over the possibility of an
attack on A]aska this year, Aske^i whether he thought
this was possible, “A thing like that is perfectly pos
sible,” Roosevelt replied.
Chinese Rush
Crack Army
To Burma
On the Chinn-Burma Border,
Feb. 13 <7P) — Fresh Chinese
troops poured into Burma today
In join others already aiding the
British defenders against the Jap
anem. Thousands more are on
1he way.
Well-equipped veterans of Gen
eralissmo Chiang Kai Shek’s or
iginal army, they are some of
the best China can put into the
field. All have had long fighting
experience against the Japanese.
Troops Greeted
Tlit> soldiers marched several
hundred miles to the border,
then were rushed by truck into
Burma
They have been greeted.by en
thusiastic crowds cheering for
“Chiang, King George and Roose
velt."
Mud-stained and tattered, the
first Chinese reinforcements ar
rived several weeks ago after
trudging 1,000 miles to take up
position defending Burma in the
steep gorges of the eastern front
ier.
Bring New Arms
These troops were led by Gen.
I.ui Kwan Lung, who brought
them from South Kwangsl Pro
vince. They brought new rifles
•nd themselves dragged machine
guns and heavier pieces, for they
were without trucks or even
mules.
The troops pouring into Burma
gave added point to the current
trip of Chiang Kai-Shek to India,
where he is conferring with gov
ernment and military leaders on
throwing the vast manpower of
the two countries against Japan.
Ernest Bevin, British labor
leader: “Neither interst, poverty,
persons, nor prejudices will be
allowed to stand in the way of
achieving victory.”
I
Rate Facts j
Are Withheld
As Secrets
Seattle, Feb. 16 —Certain
questions put to witnesses
at the hearing on increased
Alaska passenger and
freight rates went unan
swered yesterday as these
questions might have brot
answeres divulging inform
ation of benefit to the en
emy.
The questions put by At
torney General Henry Ro
den of Alaska to C. M.
Mitchell, Aalska Line au
ditor, came as a result of
Roden’s looking over the
company’s exhibit of pro
fits and losses on certain
voyages.
Asking for specific an
swers, Roden wanted to
know why some voyages
showed a profit and others
showed a loss.
An examiner from Wash
ington instructed Mitchell
not to answer, and inform-'
ed Roden that he could ob
tain the information but it
could not be made part of
the record. Roden answer
ed: “That’s what I want so
I can go back and tell my
people I at least saw it.”
Mitchell testified briefly
at the hearing, which is be
fore the Federal Maritime
Commission, on costs of op
eration to the Alaska S. S,
Co. on Alaska operations.
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Makes Appeal
United Nations
Take Offensive
SYDNEY, Feb. 18 (AP) —
An ppeal for the United
Nations to take the offen
sive and search out the en
emy and fight, was made
by Lt. Gov. Van Mook of
the Netherlands East In
dies. He declared tin pol
icy of “constantly retiring
to piepared positions could
lead to a position by which
the Allies might lose the
war. “We'll fight in the
Netherlands East Indies a-'
long as it is humanly pos
sible,” he said. Van Mook
arrived at Sydney from the
U. S. where he conferred;
on cooperation in the Pac
ific with officials in Wash
ington.
House Passes Bill
Applying Workmen’s
Compensation to Alaska
Washington, Feb. 17 (AP)
— The House passed and
sent to the Senate, the bill
applying Workmen’s Com
pensation laws to Alaska
and Puerto Rico workers)
employed by private con
tractors working on pro-,
jects on federal land.
Japanese Reported
Landed on Java
Saigon, Cochin China, Feb.
1G — The Saigon radio re
ported Jap troops have [
landed at eastern Java un-|
der protection of a barrage;
from big guns of naval
vessels off shore.
The radio said that thei
Japanese are advancing in-!
to the interior of the island
and meeting resistance
from Dutch troops. Heavy
fighting was said to be un-,
der way. At the same time,
the Saigon radio said Jap
anese troops have landed
on another island east of
Java. This was believed to
be Bali.
The Dutch have admitted
Japanese penetration of
the major islands, Borneo,
Celebes and Sumatra, but
have not confirmed any;
landing on Java.
QUINTS OFFICIAL
PHYSICIAN QUITS
Toronto, Feb. 16 — Pre
mier Michael Hepburn dis
closed that Dr. Allan Roy;
Dafoe had resigned as of
ficial physician to the
Dionne quintuplets. Hep-;
burn indicated that Dr. Da
foe objected to the failure
of those in charge of the
quints to to teach them the
English language.
Chinese Troops
I Now Id Burma
i Situation Crave
' RANGOON, Feb. 18 (AP)
i— Chiang Kai Shek’s vet
j erans crossed the mountain
"s Thailand frontier in
the north from Burma, was
\ p rted here, but on the
uthern front, heavy fight
raged and the gravity
f the situation is hourly
I becoming manifest.
The Japanese, following
!' nnd-to-hand combat with
| Indian troops, forced a
la. i.t crossing of the shal
o-’.v B'lin River, a eommun
: uc said. The British front
| is vaguely described as
I somewhere between the
: marshy Sittang and Sal
j ween rivers.
Japs Bomb
Filipino Refugee
Camps On Batan
_
i
Washington, Feb. 17 (AP)
— Increasing enemy air ac
j tivity over MacArthur’s
1 lines on Batan Peninsula,
and heavy artillery bomb
ardments were reported in
a War Department com
| munique which said 28
women and children were
killed and 22 others wound
ed in a bombing attack on
Cabcaban on the southeast
tip of Batan Peninsula.
The Dept, said all killed
and wounded were Filipin
os. So far as they knew, no
American women and child
| ren are in refugee camps
on the Peninsula.
I
Australia’s ! rime Minister Orders
Mobilization ‘Every Human Being'
j r
UNDATED, Feb. 17 (AP) — Prime Minister Cur
tin ordered the mobilization of “every human being”
in Australia as Japan’s invasion hordes pressed a di
rect threat at Java, heart of the Dutch Indies, and
forced a new British withdrawal in the cricital battle
of Burma.
Blasting a path of invasion, Japanese planes bombed
and machine-gunned several islands in the narrow
Sunda Strait which separates Java from Sumatra. A
bulletin from NEI headquarters said Dutch bombers,
striking back at the invaders, scored a direct hit on a
Japanese transport and probably hit another. The at
tack was presumably made off the Sumatra coast. Java
is the last big island barrier guarding Australia from
invasion by Japanese armies striking southward from
captured Singapore.
Reports Of Jap Landings On Java Untrue
Dispatches from Batavia said the Japs evidently are
preparing to attack Java, headquarters of Wavell’s
United Nations command, without even waiting to
complete the investment of Dutch Sumatra. NEI
authorities, however, said Axis rumors of Jap landings
on Java are untrue. The situation on neighboring Sum
atra, across the 20-mile Strait of Sunda, remained ob
scure, following the Japanese capture of Palembang,
producer of half the Indies’ oil output.
American Planes Strike Damaging
c c
Blows to Invaders Dutch East Indies
BATAVIA, F b. 18 (AP) —American fighter planes
and bombers, aiding in the all-important battle for the
Dutch East Indies, struck damaging blows to Japanese
aircraft and invasion forces in southern Sumatra, the
Allied Southwest Pacific Command announced. The
Indies defense forces, meanwhile, brought down five
enemy bombers out of a force of 21 planes which at
tacked the vital United Nation’s naval base of Soera
baja in two waves this morning. The Aneta news
agency reported the raid did little damage to the base
and cause only few casualties. The alarm lasted for
an hour and three-quarters.
A squadron of U. S. fighters was credited with
downing four Japanese planes without a loss them
selves, in an attack on an enemy-held airdrome, pre
sumably in the area around the Dutch-destroyed oil
center of Palembang.
AIRCRAFT CARRIER IN PACIFIC SENDS OUT A SALVO
^ %
While seeking the enemy in the Pacific, a U. S. Navy aircraft carrier carried out
marksmanship practice by firing at a target being towed by destroyers several
thousands yards distant.