The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1945-08-17

Like every other newspaper,
Monitor-Leader editorial en-
ployes had maintained an unend-
ing watch on the Associated
Press wires, and had RENAME 4
on day and night call since the
first vague rumors of peace were
heard days before. The mechan-
ical staff, newsboys and others
were ION call" throughout the
weekend period.
OBSERVED FALSE FLASH
On Sunday night, August II;
when the peace filters were at
their height, and the full en-
ploye force of the newspaper had
been double -alerted the tension
was jubilantly broken by he
false United Press peace" flash
of mysterious origin which start
led the world at 9:35 p. m.
Motorists stopped their cars
and parked them in the center
of highways; people rushed into
the streets shouting; taverns
elected their patrons and closed
their doors; shotgun blasts rent
the air, and in many cities news
papers rushed extras to the
street to start a wild, premature
celebration.
Although an Extra could have
been readied in minutes, with
complete staff on hand. The
Monitor-Leader held its fire
for full confirmation - and
soon learned from Associated
Press investigation that the
peace news was erroneous.
The period OF peace Jltters'
had been launched.
WATCHFUL WAITING
Monday was a day of watch
full waiting and planning. Every
scrap OF AP wire news was
scanned for the vital clue which
would bring the blessed news Of
peace after years Of warfare and
hardship.
The vigil continued into the
early morning hours of Tuesday,
when the Domei News Agency
broadcast at l:5O a. m. its first
report later shown to have
! been deceptive and tricky-that
a note or imperial decision"
was on the way to the Swiss
government.
The Monitor-Leader editorial
employe on duty at that time
read the Associated Press re-
port. 1t evaluated the Domei dis
patch for what it was - pur-
ported favorable answer to the
United Nations surrender de-
mand; with no more guarantee
of real authenticity behind it
than Domei's glib statements of
the war years. "A Swiss broad
cast'-otherWise unidentified
said the Jap note was believed
to contain an acceptance of the
Potsdam terms.
NOTHING OFFICIAL
The pounding keys in the tel
etype machines, whose every
work was watched eagerly by
the newsman, gave no further
promise. President Truman was
in his living quarters, the State
Department had nothing to say.
1t would have been a simple
matter to have alerted the en-
tire newspaper force. One tele-
phone call to the "key-man
whose job it was to marshal the
staff, would have sufficed. An
extra could have been on the
streets quickly, but what con-
crete basis was there for a
Peace" or Surrender" head
line?
BY $50 a. m, that day (Tues-
day., newsboys with metropoli-
tan papers were arousing people
from their beds with their shouts
Of "Japs Quit" "Japs Surren-
der" war Is Over" - and
sleepy purchasers, as soon as
their dreamy eyes could read.
soon summed up the flimsy
structure on which the headlines
were built, and went back to
bed.
It was by means easy to 60
through the waiting hours of the
morning, hearing the newsboys'
cries, and constantly scanning
the AP wire for information of
the peace rumor.
SOLD LIKE HOTCAKES
The Extras sold like hotcakes,
and the jittery public reached q
high state Of excitement. In De-
troit, New York and San Fran.
cisco riotous celebrations en-
sued. Drunkenness and hilarity
marked the Jap Surrender"
based on the vaguest reports.
Meanwhile The Monitor Lead
er AP wire continued its cold
and actual reporting Of the
news:
Tank led Russian armies
pounded the japanese merciless-
ly on the Manchurian front !.
Michigan's 32nd Red Arrow d.
vision was fighting the Japs in
the Luzon mountain rebion :.