The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-04-20
M'Arthur Has
Complete
Control
Birthday
Being Passed
by Hitler

CIV international News servics)
War nerves gripped the Japanese
Empire today as the Nipponese be-
gan to realize the potential strength
OF the United Nations and Japanese
offlcialdom warned the populace OF
worse things to come in the wake
OF Saturdays initial aerial assaults.
While the Japs still puzzled over
where the bombers which hit them
came from, they were given added
worries by new losses In the South
west Pacific which appear TO be the
prelude to the offensive that even
lually will drive them to their
knees.
They were given some inkling as
10 where the main offensive Will
come from when il was officially
announced that Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur has been given direct con-
trol. without reservation. OF the
entire armed forces OF Australia,
including militia fighting outside
the commonwealth.
This far-reachlng grant Of power
was accorded Gen. Macarthur after
he formally assumed his duties az
commander-in-chief OF all United
Nations forces In the Southwest
Pacific and was given specific su-
thority to prepare an offensive.
Take Initiative
United Nations fliers. taking the
initiative IN the campaign TO drive
the laps from their Pacific bases,
made two devastating sweeps
against the. enemy-held hsrbor 81
Rabsul and the Lakunai sirdroms
on New Britain Island. Forty
planes. BON bers and fighters. we're
reported destroyed on the ground.
/ The airdroms runways were blast
ed Seaplanes mOored AZ Rabaul
were machine gunned and enemy
shipping bombed. II was believed
one vessel sustained a direct hit.
The attacks were carried out in
what was called severe" weather
and in face OF heavy sntl-aircratt
fire.
Have "Jlttsrs"
In the imperial Japanese Islands
officials and the populace continued
10 suffer from a serious case o.
filters as result OF Saturdays
bombings Of Tokyo. Yokohama. Ma
goya and Kobe which brought the
war directly to Japanese soil for
the first time
Air raid alarms screamed twice
yesterday throughout 1000 mile
area in Japan. The first alert cams
early in the morning about a. m.
Tokyo time Axis reports tended 10
pass this or lightly by stating the
alarm was sounded merely az a test
BY way o. Berlin Il was learned,
however. that the unnerved Jsps
put All air raid precautiou meas
ures into effect.
During the afternoon the laps
we're so keyed up they sent fighter
planes into the air when the second
alarm sounded. But apparently they
found nothing 10 be alarmed about
Factories Smashed
The Jap claims that only schools
and hospitals had been struck by
the assault planes were changed
considerably by a German news
agency dispatch revealing that the
Nips had appropriated funds 10 re-
pair factories which we're smashed
by the bombers.
The Nips were mad. TOO. that they
were caught flstfooted BY the
raiders. The Tokyo radio said the
observers which failed to sound the
alarm in time would be court mar.
tailed
From Chungking. meanwhile, II
was reported that RelliniOrmed
sources in the Chinese capital
learned that the pilnes which had
attacked Japan returned safely 10
their base. II was emphasized. how.
ever. that the base definitely was
not In China
Unhappy Birthday
All this undoubtedly is contrib
uiing TO very unhappy birthday
for Adolf Hitler whose design 70
conquer the world with his Axis
partners appears 10 be hitting the
downgrsde Hitler is 50 today. Ber-
lin hasn't said yet what gifts we're
bestowed upon IT, glorifed Aust
rian house paint but 10 was ex-
pected before the day was out that
Brit5in's Royal Air Force. which
has been pummeling his territory
pretty hard. would leave him many
more OF the same femembrances.
The Luftwsffe attempted 20 coun-
ter some Of the heavy British bomb
ings with weak assault early to-
day on a South Coast town. Three
planes dropped bombs and fired
some cannon and machine gun shells
but did little damage
The aerial war in Russia in
creased as the Soviet airmen began
an about battering OF advanced
German airiromes to combat great.
" increased Nazi air activity on that
front.
Savage battles we're reported both
north and south OF Lenlngrad and
other Russian troops we're reported
10 have driven TO within is miles
OF Smolenss from where they can
shell the city with artillery fire.