The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, May 31, 1940, Page 1

THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEW'S A VOL. LVL, NO. 8428. LL THE TIME” JUNEAU, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1940. M PRICE TEN CENTS EMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS BRITISH TOMMIES KEEP Italy’s Entrance Into War Expected Now MUSSOLINI NOWREADY FOR STRIKE Al Indications Point fo Plunging of Nation | Into Conflict WHITE HOUSE GIVES | | | | New Allied Chiet Confers B VERY EVASIVE ANSWER: ; Correspondents Are Being | Called Home-Peculiar Incident in London (BY ASSOCIATED PRESS) Italy’s entrance into the Euro-| pean war is generally considered | imminent in many official circles tonight, Observers on the western front state definite moves being made give ample indication of such ac- tion, | Italian journalists have been wld‘ to quit Paris and it is also slaled‘ that all Italian correspondents in London are to be called home im-" mediately. The Italian newsmen in | London loday remained away from the daily conference at the Brit-| ish War and Foreign offices, rhe; first time they had failed to at- tend since the strained relations which developed at the time of the| Ethiopian conquest. In London, authoritative circles said Italy has strongly intimated that the British-Italian negotiations over contraband control involving the Mediterranean, have been| broken off and this gives more in-| dications regarding entrance into the war. | A dispatch from Berlin declares| that Hitler, at his headquarters | pear the Western Front, today re- McNutt, who has made his own gland today with great jubilation, ceived Ttaly's new Ambassador, Dino | ¢andidacy for the Democratic nom- | according to Friday afternoon re- Alfieri, German Foreign Minisu-x" von Ribbentrop was also present at | the conference. In Washington, reports that Pre- | mier Benito Mussolini has told Pres- | the next President of the United| ident Roosevelt Italy intended lo‘v keep her pledges and aid Germany, | are neither confirmed nor are they | denied. | White House Secretary Stephen | Early said that he could only re-| peat there has been almost *“con- tinual correspondence carried on between President Reosevelt and| heads of other Governments.” SHIPPLANT ISTIEDUP | BY STRIKE Six Thousand CI0 Work- men Threaten fo Delay Defense Program KEARNEY, N. J., May 31.—A wage increase strike of 6,000 union work- men in the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company threatens to halt construction of two cruisers and two destroyers, important cogs in the defense program, despite urging of union leaders to stay on the job and negotiate further. The strikers are members of the CIO Industrial Union Maritime and Shipworkers of America. The strike began with a peaceful picketing of the plane at midnight. The strikers ask 10 cents an hour wage increase and also a vacation of one week on pay in the new contract. e — RAMSAY ON VACATION James Ramsay,, of the grocery staff at Behrends, is taking.a va- cation this week and he is making the round trip on the Estebeth to Sitka and return with his brother, Dave Ramsay, purser. General Maxime Weygand, new western front forces, is seen en route to a conference in Paris with French war heads. Left to right retary of France's war committee, and Premier Paul Reynaud. This is an International Illustrated News radiophoto from Paris. McNutt for Roosevelt, ThirdTerm Candidalzflakes An- nouncement and States His Reasons WASHIN(‘.T(;\;,“I\'/my 31. — Paul to term ination for President subject President Roosevelt’s third intentions, announces: “I want Franklin D. Roosevelt for States. “The Nation’s welfare is now de- pendent upon total preparedness to avert a threat at a total war and this requires Roosevelt to continue as the Chief Executive.” -~ NINETY THOUSAND OVERSEA FORCES LANDED, ENGLAND LONDON, May 31. Reliable sources estimate that a total of about 90,000 British, French and Belgians have been landed in Eng- land or about two-thirds of the original British and French forces overseas. e BRITISH ADMIT VESSELS "L0ST" Three Destroyers, Other Craft “"Missing” as Convoy Ships LONDON, May 31.—The British Admiralty announces that the de- stroyers Grafton, Grenade and Wakeful and the small transport Abukir, 689 tons, and certain aux- illary vessels covering the with- drawal of troops from France and Belgium, have been “lost.” French G:n;ral Segl_ fo Prison PARIS, May 31. — Gen. Henri Bodet, of the French Medical Corps; | has been sentenced to six months | in prison by the Paris Military Tri- bunal for abandoning his post in the Sedan sector on May 15. —I. I. N. Radiophoto commander-in-chief of the Allied are Weygand, Paul Baudoin, sec- 'FLEEING UNITS | AREWELCOMED, " ENGLISH SHORES ‘ Eye«Wifne§§ rl')-escri bes Scenes of Return-In- | cidents of Batles STOCKHOLM, May 31.—British |and French units who fled from ft,h? bloody battlefields of Flanders | were welcomed at the coast of En- | ports reaching Stockholm from London. The colorful account of the evac- uation by an eye witness correspon- dent of the Swedish military news- paper Aftornbladet, declares that all of the soldiers are extremely worn and exhausted. Lack of food during the past weeks showed plainly on their hol- lowed faces and deep set eyes. | The eye witness of the Swedish | paper relates that many were so exhausted that they had to be! carried from the transports to land on stretchers although they were| not wounded. Many of the troop transport ships had blood on their decks as they had been exposed to heavy German air attacks. The scale of the British flight becomes evident, the correspondent says, from the fact that an enormous number of ships of all sizes are being em- ployed for carrying the British and| French to England. The long chain of ships stretch- ing across the English Channel to- day looked from the air like a mighty pontoon bridge thrown across the sea. Removal of fighting units of the Western Powers from Belgium is being completed. The correspondent quotes from statements made by British soldiers from Belgium. One officer for instance is reported to have declared: “Detonations of German bombs- were terrific. They dropped onto our positions with mathematical precision.” Another said: “We had to fight our way step by step through to the coast. When we reached the coast long lines of Allied warships were outside channel ports with orders to take us ‘on board. At the same time overhead in the air fierce battles were being fought | between German bombers and our | fighters. One of our troop trans- port ships was so crowded with soldiers that men had to stand sheulder to shoulder and could not move. Most of us became deaf for hours as the terrific thunder of cannon and bomb explosions threatened to burst our ear drums.” This correspondent had several British soldiers confirm to him that German air force planes suc- MORE FUNDS ARE SOUGHT, FDR MESSAGE President g\ds Supple- mentary Defense Pro- gram to Congress 'INCREDIBLE EVENTS CAUSES NEW FEARS Wanis Authority to Call New Forces Into Ac- five Service WASHINGTON, May 31.—Presi- dent Roosevelt today submitted to Congress a supplementary emergney program involving “over a billion dollars” and he asked action with- out delay. The message to tne legislators said this latest enlargement of th de- past two weeks in Europe's war “par- ‘ticularly as a result of the use of aviation and mechanized equip- ment,” No mention is made of a specific sum and no breakdown given for the appropriation, the new program details being left (o representatives of the War and Navy Departments and other government agencies. In a special defense message, the second in fifteen days, the Presiy dent said: “As long ds the possis bility exists that all continents may become involved in a world wide war, reasonable precaution demands that American defense be made more certain.” The President made one specific recemmendation to Congress, asking it to grant him the authority to call the National Guard, Reserves and the Personnel Defense forces into active service. Bon?lis Wreck One Cruiser of Brifish Navy Curlew Is Sunk Off North Coast of Norway After Attack by Germans LONDON, May 31—The British Admiralty announces the loss of the 4,300-ton anti-aircraft cruiser Cur- lew after a German bombing attack several days ago off the north coast of Norway. Four officers and five sailors were lost of the normal complement of 450 officers and men. This is the second British cruiser that is admitted to have been lost since the war started. Mur]lo?fiafig Found Guilfy Four Convicled of Killing Companion for Fear 0f Squealing SACRAMENTO, Cal, May 31— Four members of the so-called “Duchess Gang” have been found guilty of first degree murder, the killing of their companion, Robert Sherrod, for fear he might squeal about a San Francisco murder. The four convicted are Mrs. Juan- ita Spinelle, known as the “Duch- ess,” Albert Ives, Mike Simeone and Gordon Hawkins. The jury refused to recommend leniency, thus making the death (Continued on Page Seven) sentence mandatory. fense program is necessitated because | = | of “almost incredible events” in the FIGHTING ON By JACK STINNETT | WASHINGTON, May 31. — Tof hint at the collapse of a nation— even if that nation should be one whose acts. you don't like—is 99 times out of 100 more wish than | thinking. | Nations just aon't go bus‘u—pooi,i like that. Remember only a few short years ago, economists were | writing about the sour prvdicn.menu‘ 0o/ Germany. Now she's waging a war, the cost of which would black out the most vivid imaginations. This is all by way of cautious prelude, because Washington is| hearing that Japan is in a bad way. I don’t argue that it is not. I just mean that if you are a Japanese sympathizer, don't go committing hari-kari—or if you are anti-Nipponese, don’t start holding any joyful wakes. The facts are pretty simple. The three-year Chinese interlude has been costly. The cost of living has skyrocketed. Wages (except in the munitions industries, which are creating the most amazing class, of nouveau-riche you ever heard of) haven't. The foreign | trade business locks good in yen, but the country is painfully short on foreign exchange , . . and/or gold. | JOLTED BY WEATHER Last year, Japan had a drought. Nuns in Belgium FleeBefore Nazi Advance According to information supplied by the French censor this radiophoto, received from Paris, shows nuns and civilians fleeing before the German onslaught in hauled on the wagon by the fleeing nuns. First Picture of Air Raid Victim in Paris French news censor caption attached to ( in the ruins of their home in the environs of Paris. They are victims of a German air raid, EVEN IF WAR DOES NOT WREC A NATION, | ample, | comparatively small percentage of It knocked the very watts out of ALLIES ARE ESCAPINGTO COAST PORT ‘British Trob}?rs Engaged in Hand fo Hand Fight- ing with Nazis 'PAVE WAY T0 ESCAPE AVENUE AT CUNKERQUE Hitler Reported Attempt- ing to Offer British and French Peace Terms (By Associated Press) BULLETIN—PARIS, May 31. —The Ministry of Information anncunced tonignt that two Di- visions of the French Rear Guard in the Allied retreat from Flanders Field, numbering 30,- 000 before they underwent the shattering attack of the Ger- mans, have fought their way back to Dunkerque and reached the seaport as the mechanized legions laid seige to tha teity. British Tommies are today fighting hand to hand with the German | troops south of the ¥Yser Canal in a fierce struggle to hold the Allles “escape port” on Dunkerque on the north end of the Strait of Dover. This port has heard kettledrum dinning as the result of anti-air- | craft fire and naval guns cooperat- ing with British pursuit air squad- rans operating from English bases against Nazi bombers. Troopers Reach Coast Thousands of battle weary troops, | both French and British, are stream- ing into the port through a pass between the muddy seawater, several miles wide, which girds the port like |an ancient moat. The canal locks were opened and |epilled water over the defense area. The Germans report wiping out a British pocket near Cassel, 20 miles south of Dunkerque. Berlin also reports that the trap- ped French forces in the Lille area have “practically ceased to exist.” Hitler Scheme Hitler is also reported attempting to split England and PFrance with separate peace offers under threat of calling him axis partner, Italy, |into the war, according to both London and Paris spokesmen. The official communique also re- lp()lLs that the French Army is lashing its way through the German | lines between Cassel and Poperinghe and making their way to the coast. Gefi;fifi;, With Staff, Is Capfured [French CT)Emander-In- France. Note the few sacred possessions being radiophoto describes this mother and child as sitting helpless K COLONIZATION OF ALASKA IS UP ONCE MORE Government Officials ir Discussion with Al- i lied Diplomats Then came that same bli: rdy spring which swept America, Latest | (agHINGTON, May 31.—A relia- reports say it has put the blight 110" ource of information indicated of frost on Japan’s important crops. | ynic morning that Governnient of- Latest government informationl is | ficia)s are discussing plans with al- that the Japanese silk crop may be |jjeq qiplomats which permit Eur- p affected as much as 80 percent bY | cpean refugees to settle n Alaska.| (hief Reporled fo be the spring freezes. | Such a proposal is incorporated | . . This much of it is truth and I|in an Alaska development bill now Nalls Pflsoner can give you the figures if you are pefore Congress. mathematically - minded. For ex-| The measure has the blessing of the general retail price in-|the Administration and some quar-| BERLIN, May 31.—Gen. Prioux, dex 581 percent above the | ters believe it is a means of im- Commander-in-Chief of the French June, 1937, level. The wage index proving national defense as well as| First Army, has been captured with for March was only up 14.7 per- | developing natural resources in Al- his entire staff near Steenvoorde, cent in the last year. The muni- | aska, least of Cassel, according to an tions industry, which employs a | | official German announcement. the population, accounted for a The communique says that the ar e number of prisoners taken “cannot lot of that .Spring estimates mdi—‘ | yet be estimated, not even approxi- cate subnormal crops of wheat, | barley and rye. There's a general | T reason, Belgium ;’mntely." trend toward inflation; a signifi- cant decline in the absorption of | national bonds; an increase of 50| ditles; a decline In labor efficlency. | pypig aay 31.—The Prench mili- PRICES KEEF¥ CLIMBING | tary spokesman declared today that The inability of the government |the German military successes in IT HURTS the vital Japanese hydroelectric | power system. A coal shortage | caused householders to turn their | charcoal braziers into central heat- | ing plants. is ->-> SO R S | | BRYANT ON VACATION Chester A. Bryant, In the adver- tising and circulation department of the Fairbanks Daily News Miner, is a passenger on the southbound = Baranof. Bryant was in Juneau for an hour while the steamer was in port and is going south on a two- months’ vacation. He was a caller at The Empire office. ing shortage in nearly all commo- percent in the national debt; a much heavier tax burden; a mount- | FBelgium are due “directly to treas- lon," (Continued on page Six)