Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 20, 1994                   TAG: 9404190097
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Greg Edwards
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

JAPANESE LOSSES HEAVY IN ADMIRALTIES IN RECOGNITION OF THE SACRIFICES OF

Russian troops smashed through the first German defense ring and penetrated to within three and one-half miles of the Crimean citadel of Sevastopol.

Sec. of State Cordell Hull disclosed that the status of Rome was again being actively considered, including a suggestion that the city be demilitarized by a joint Allied-Axis commission under the chairmanship of Pope Pius XII.

John Strickler of Roanoke was nominated by 6th District Republicans to oppose Rep. Clifton Woodrum, D-Roanoke, in the upcoming congressional race. GOP national convention delegates from the district were instructed to vote for Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of New York.

In England, U.S. soldiers were busy practicing for the invasion of France, using bricks as stand-ins for hand grenades and practicing house-to-house fighting in the bombed-out section of an English town.

The first conference among U.S. automakers and the nation's war production bosses over the issue of reconversion to civilian manufacturing brought division among the automakers. The manufacturers wanted to resume passenger-car production at the same time, but small companies wanted the government to restrict production to pre-war market share for a while.

Sen. Tom Connally of Texas, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called for a strong postwar military force as an instrument of peace and agreed with the State Department that the idea of the United States joining in an international police force should be abandoned.

Bedford and Bedford County were completing plans for observance of Invasion Day, when news of the invasion of Europe by Allied Forces would be announced. Defense Coordinator C.O. Updike said ministers and leaders all over the county were being asked to participate. Updike said the day should not be one of celebration but of prayer, meditation and rededication to the war effort.

The new Lockheed Constellation set a record, crossing the continent in six hours and 58 minutes for an average speed of 355 miles per hour. Production of the planes was being turned over to the Army for troop transport work.

Allied infantry and tanks were locked in heavy fighting against Japanese invasion troops around the entire jungle perimeter of the rich Imphal plain in eastern India.

British radio advised the French people to store up as much food as possible because the time for the Allied invasion was drawing near.

The War Department disclosed that friendly and enemy fire had brought down 10 American transport planes with the loss of 44 men the previous July at Catania, Sicily, only three nights after 23 transport planes and 410 men were lost in similar circumstances.

Army casualties had increased by over 10,000 in a two-week period, bringing the total for the war so far to over 145,000.

Lt. Gen. George S. Patton Jr., whose American 7th Army swiftly overran Sicily and who had been out of the public eye since a soldier-slapping incident had nearly ended his career, arrived in Britain to take a place among Gen. Dwight Eisenhower's chief invasion lieutenants.

The National D-Day Memorial Foundation is selling commemorative bumper for $1 and ename pins for $5 as fund-raisers. Write the foundation at 2551 Sweetbrier Ave. S.W., Roanoke, Va. 24015, or call 774-7045.