UNIVERSITY Daily Kansan
V-E Day Predicted In 48 Hours
LAWRENCE, KANSAS, MONDAY, APRIL 30, 1945
42nd YEAR
NUMBER 142
Il Duce Hangs Head Downward In Death in Patriot Revenge
Milan, (INS)—The bloody bodies of Benito Mussolini, his once beautiful young mistress and six of his public followers were hung head down in a public square before being surrendered to a vengeful populace, it was revealed today.
Milan, the city in which Musso-
olini conjured up a tyrannical Fascist
dream, was taken under control by
the Allies in the wake of a bizarre
demonstration of contempt in which
the populace reviled the dead form
of the executed dictators.
The battered body, lying with that of his mistress, Claretta Tetacci and 17 others of the fascist regime, presented one of the grimmest scenes of the war.
Crowds Break Through Guards
Crowds Break Through Guards
The remains of Mussolini and his cohorts, flung down in the Piazza Roretto, a public square, after being brought to Milan by patriot forces
Mussolini's end came on Saturday, when he and the members of his following were seized and shot in a village named Como, near a lake on the same night. Just prior to a fatal shot in the back he received from a firing squad, Mussolini was reported to have made a last desperate plea for his life by shouting, "No, No." Brought to Milan by Truck
which had executed them, were set upon immediately by angry crowds which burst through a cordon of guards.
The bodies of the former Duce and the others, including numerous ministers of the Nazi-sponsored fascist regime were brought by truck to Milan.
Persons in the milling crowds which gathered, spit on the limp forms of the Fascists and some dashed close enough to kick the shaven head of the dead Mussolini.
Premature News Of V-E Day Sweeps Nation
Premature celebration of V-E day swept the nation Saturday night, and students in Lawrence and surrounding cities were swept into the wave of jubilance over the reported surrender of the "master race."
Students weekending in Kansas City said that elation over Germany's supposed surrender resulted in an overflow of all the city's night spots.
Radios were turned off by many offer the first news had come through, and they didn't learn until Sunday morning that the President had announced there was no foundation for the rumor.
Reporter Sees San Francisco At Beginning of Peace Conference
Eloise Knox
(Editor's note: Eloise Knox, the University Daily Kansan correspondent at the San Francisco conference, is working with the International News Service, while attending the conference. Her first story, which was received by the Daily Kansan today, was airmailed from San Francisco Friday.)
San Francisco — This entire city shows signs of unusual activity. Hundreds of shiny army cars are being used exclusively to transport the delegates from place to place. Special buses also are provided to transfer larger groups. Automobiles not having the necessary "Press" or the official red and green stickers are not permitted within one block of the Veterans Memorial building and the War Memorial Opera house.
Genie Moore, College sophomore, and Orville Roberts, College junior, made a "clean sweep" of the newly initiated speech tournament Friday and Saturday at the Missouri Teacher's College in Warensburg, Mo. Prof. E. C. Buehler, University debate coach, announced today.
All afternoon, as we drove through the streets of San Francisco we saw people who were unmistakeably from far countries here for the conference.
K.U. Takes Top Place In Debate Tourney
Moore was awarded first place in poetry reading and oratory, and Roberts took first as the top debater at the tournament. The two University entrants tied each other for first place in temporary speaking. They won the debate division.
Visit "Home" of Orientals
After dinner in Chinatown, we visited the Palace, St. Francis, Sir Francis Drake, and Mark Hopkins—
Jimmy Byrnes' curfew failed to stop the celebration, which went on into the night.
the five official hotels. To me, the Mark Hopkins was the highlight of them all. The delegates from China, Great Britain, India, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, and Syria will be "at home" there during the United Nations Conference.
(continued to page four)
The general consensus of students Sunday morning, even those who were nursing headaches, was "It was fun while it lasted."
New Shoe Stamp Validated
Washington — A new shoe ration stamp will be validated Aug. 1. Airplane stamps 1, 2, and 3 are valid now.
Weather Forecast
Fair tonight and Tuesday.
Shack Rats All Set For Extra; Lack Only Surrender News
Ensign James Gunn, associate editor of the Daily Kansan in 1943, now stationed at the University of Colorado, visited on the campus today while spending a leave in Kansas City.
Ensign Gunn Visits Campus
Two Students Injured In Bus Accident Friday on Highway 40
Janiie Ruth Nattier, College sophomore, and Mary Ruth Spiegel, College freshman, were injured in a bus accident Friday afternoon on highway 40 about six miles west of Lawrence.
(continued to page three)
Miss Spiegel was standing near the front of the bus and received cuts over her right eye and a sprained shoulder.
Miss Nattier was standing in the aisle at the time of the accident and received a broken index finger on the right hand.
The accident happened when a west bound Santa Fe bus carrying 54 passengers crashed into a culvert and turned over on its right side
While premature whopee reigned unconfined throughout the country, K.U. journalists, also carried away on an emotional jag by the phoney victory announcement, raced for the Shack to get the long-awaited V-E extra on the streets.
By approximately $13\frac{1}{2}$ minutes after 7, all lines were busy, Chicago INS was contacted, several radios were tuned way up (listeners waiting for a flash that would put "Laura" off the ether), the linotypes were warming up, the Daily Kansas's newsroom, composing room, press, and circulation, were ready for anything in the way of a confirmed report. Many papers, feeling that the confirmation was just a formality, went all the way and made a nice profit on their surrender extras.
The Chicago office of International News Service assured the Kansan that they were on the job and would be kicking through with the confirmation "momentarily."
Paul Zook, linotype operator; Tom Buckley, new ad manager; and Liz Baker, newly appointed editor-in-chief, were calmly working at their respective duties in the Shank, when Suilzman blew through to put them in the "know" on the surrender bulletin and started calling in the staff.
(continued to page three)
Stockholm Says Nazis Surrender To Big Three
Fresh reports of a new surrender offer by Heinrich Himmler heightened the tension in the world capital today as triumphant Allied armies made another juncture in Germany and continued the methodical dismantling of Hitler's Third Reich.
(International News Service)
Usherms at the concert, members of Phi Mu Alpha musical fraternity, will be Merton Anderson, Lawrence; Ted Gettys, Wayne; George Ton, Wichita; Bob Fountain, Sabetha; and Frank Stalzer, Kansas City.
Forty Chosen to Take Summerfield Finals
Don Cousins, V-12 student from Washington, D. C., will act as master of ceremonies of the concert program. Miss Irene Peabody, professor of voice at the University, is the Glee club director.
Glee Club Gives Concert Tonight
Combining a comic quartet, piano variations by the accompanist, and special entertainment from the master of ceremonies, with their own singing, the University of Kansas Women's Glee club will present a spring concert at 8 p.m. today. The group composed of 70 voices, will be celebrating its last appearance of the 1944-45 season.
Richard T. Kirchhoff and Austin Turney, University High school, are among the 40 finalists for Summerfield scholarship who will take the final examination at the University May 7 and 8.
The Stockholm radio reported that a new surrender, this time addressed to the United States, Great Britain and Soviet Russia, will be communicated "within the next few hours." The intermediary, the neutral radio continued, again will be Count Folke Bernadotte, chairman of the Swedish Red Cross. "Acceptance will come before the end of the week," the Stockholm radio reported with equivocation.
Robert L. Bailey and Franklin E. Fearing, Lawrence High school, are the two other Lawrence boys selected from a group of 150 to take the final examination.
Other students in Kansas who are finalists are Marvin G. Alexander, Leavenworth; Jo E. Anderson, Concordia; William D. Angle, Wichita East; Richard B. Barnett, Topeka Norman Baumann, Sylvan Grove, James R. Bowden, Wichita East; Key Brower, Hutchinson.
Dean Collins, Junction City; John Crump, Lakin; Robert L. Davis, Wichita North; Hal M. Davison, Fort Scott; Charles C. Dietrich, Wichita East; John E. Dunkelberger, Wich-
(continued to page four)
Conference to Decide Argentina Invitation
Washington, (INS)—The steering committee of the United Nations conference got down to business today on the question of inviting Argentina to meet with the other United Nations on drafting a world security organization. Observers predicted that Argentina would be invited along with White Russia and the Ukrain, but they insisted that Russia's bid for recognition of the Lublin Polish government would be turned down.
Rumors Report Hitler Dead
The capitulation reports completely overshadowed the actual fighting on the front, and persistent rumors in London held that Hitler was either dead or dying and that the next 48 hours may produce a vital development. The authoritative British press association even went so far as to speculate on the possibility of a May Day announcement tomorrow proclaiming the end of the war in Europe.
Other unconfirmed rumors in London said that Churchill may get up in the House of Commons tomorrow and make a sensational announcement.
But while these reports continued to circulate, the war itself went on with thunderous monotony.
Germans Drop Parachuters
Soviet troops constricted the hopeless defenders of bombed and fireravaged Berlin into a small area and burst out onto the Unter den Linden, the Reich capital's principal thoroughfare.
Gen. George S. Patton's Third American army swept unchecked toward Berchtesgaden and into Austria and the American Ninth made a new juncture with Soviet armies in the German town of Appelndorf, three miles west of Wittenburg.
Brochelm Virtual End of War in World
Battlefront dispatches said the Germans were dropping parachuters into Berlin as last-ditch reserve in the hopeless battle. The United States Seventh army marched trismphantly into Munich, birthplace of Nazism and liberated 38,000 half-starved and cruelly-tortured political Dachau, the dreaded Nazi concentration camp. Only a little while before, 27,000 American and British prisoners-of-war were freed at another camp at Mosseburg.
Proclamation End of War in Italy Gen. Mark Clark proclaimed the virtual end of German military (continued to page four)
Independents Extend Date for Petitions
The date for the return of petitions selecting primary election candidates of the Independent Party has been extended until tomorrow, Rosemary Harding, political chairman, has announced.
The petitions for all student council members or class officers must be signed by 35 persons and turned in to the Independent's office in the basement of the Union building. Students nominated by the direct primary election will be candidates in the all student election May 17.
Today had been set as the last day for the return of petitions. "Returns have been good but a few persons started late with their petitions so we are extending the time an extra day," Miss Harding explained.