Evening Star Newspaper, April 9, 1940, Page 1

Weather Forecast Fair, cooler tonight, with minimum temperature about 39 degrees; tomor- row fair; not quite so cool. Tempera- tures today—Highest, 56, at 12:45 p.m.; lowest, 51, at 8:30 a.m.; 55 at 1 p.m. details on Page A-2, * From thy United States Weather Bureau report. Closing New York Markets, Page 18. 88th YEAR. No. 35,042 he ‘WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION Eoening Staf WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1940—THIRTY-EIGHT PAGES, ‘From Press to Home Within the Hour’ Most people in Washington have The Star delivéred to their homes every *kkk K evening and Sunday morning. () Means Associated Press. THREE CENTS. BIG NAVAL BATTLE REPORTED OFF NOR hamberlain Pledges Full Aid s Norwegians Resist Invasion t All Denmark Held by Nazis; British Fleet Units in Action In North Sea Storm (Text of Chamberlain Statement on Page A-6.) BULLETIN. NEW YORK, April 9 (#).—N. B. C. announced this afternoon it had picked up a Berlin broadcast which declared the German high command “has found it necessary to bomb severely several cities and towns in the northern region of Scandinavia.” LONDON, April 9 (#).—Unconfirmed reports from Stockholm which reached London via Amsterdam said that the 26,000-ton German battleship Gneisenau and possibly other German warships had been sunk. The reports lacked details. By the Assoclated Press. LONDON, April 9.—Britain’s powerful navy is moving into the northern conflict to aid Norway against German invasion, Prime Minister Chamberlain told the House of Commons today in a brief, lustily-cheered speech. Mr. Chamberlain charged that Germany had premedi- tated the invasion of Norway and Denmark and he pledged the “full aid” of Britain and France to Norway. “Powerful units of the navy are at sea,” Mr. Chamber- lain told the House, explaining that details must necessarily be kept secret. Reports reached London by way of Paris that allied naval forces already were engaged with the Germans at various points along the Norwegian coast in a heavy storm. (A British source said tonight that it “understands a naval action is in progress somewhere near the coast of Norway.” It was emphasized that it was essential for warships to keep their radios silent during a battle. The British Press Association saids“there is reason to believe that good news may be forthcoming” within 12 to 24 hours but later asked its subscribers to delete this sentence.) The British Press Association said there was no official. confirmation that a British route to Norway other than expeditionary force was en the government’s expression of determination to aid Norway. + Mr. Chamberlain said it was plain that the German expedition to Scandinavia must have been under way before Britain mined Norwegian waters yesterday, otherwise it could not have occupied such faraway points as Trond- heim, on Norway’s northern coast, as reported. Opposition Backs Action. Opposition leaders indorsed Norway, calling for decisive and speedy action that would, as| 87 the kisoctatsdpress: the government’s action tc aid Liberal Sir Archibald Sinclaiy expressed it, “prevent another free | nation from being brought under the Nazi iron heel.” Mr. Chamberlain said that the German plans for invasion of Norway and Denmark were “made and put into operation” long be- | fore yesterday’s mine laying. “Otherwise, some of the troops which have landed in Norway already would not have been there,” Mr. Chamberlain declared. He said that the British gov-¢—"""——" ernment had “at once assured the Norwegian government that in view of the invasion his majesty’s government have de- cided forthwith to extend their full aid to Norway and will fight the war in full association with them.” Swedish iron ore, moving down the Norwegian coastal waters to Germany, was the smouldering fuse which set off the bombshell and gave the allies at last their long- sought flanking position against Germany. Battle Reported in North Sea. The German onslaught against the two Scandinavian nations early today probably came while British patrol ships were fighting a heavy fleet action with German Navy units. The British Admiralty refused comment on renewed reports that such a big engagement had taken place or was still in progress, but responsible quarters felt that the German occupation was impossible unless the British fleet was being kept busy elsewhere. British warships were known to have been patroling the Norwegian coast, and 125 German naval vessels, ranging from small boats to heavy cruisers, were sighted in the Skager- rak yesterday. Reports from a variety of sources including the Oslo radio, the Ger- man news agency, DNB, and Mrs. J_ Borden Harriman, United States Minister to Norway, pieced together this list of events: German troops simultaneously moved northward across the Danish porder and landed at Copenhagen, taking over that city’s citadel and radio station. There were no re- ports of opposition as all Denmark fell into German hands. ‘Warships Earlier Repelled. Four German warships tried to force the Oslo Fjord, water entrance to the Norwegian capital, and were “at first repelled by shore batteries. Another attempt was made by a single ship which ran aground. - Norwegian planes battled German air raiders overhead while Oslo was under an air raid alarm throughout the morning. German troops landed on the southern coast, while German mili- tary and naval units seized the strategic ports of Vallo, Bergen, Trondheim and Narvik. Christian- sand was bombarded by German warships and planes, Prosgrunn was bombed from the air about noon. The Norwegian government called | & all citizens to the colors, ordered re- moval of civilians from Oslo within two days, and itself fled to Hamar, 60 miles north of Oslo. Mrs. Harriman took over the duties of the British and French “(See SCANDINAVIA, Page A-4) War Bulletins LONDON, April 9 (#).—The British Foreign Office was said authoritatively tonight to have re-established communication with Norway and to have been informed that the Norwegian government are “in good heart and bent on resistance.” The German radio was said to have announced that Howard Smith, British Minister to Copenhagen, and his staff had been made prisoners. NEW YORK, April 9 (P.—A squadron of British bombing planes which invaded North- western Germany this morning was repulsed by German pursuit ships, said an official Berlin broadcast picked up by N. B. C. The announcer said several British planes were shot down. = NORWEGIAN MINISTER— Wilhelm Munthe de Morgen- stierne leaving his Legation this morning for the State Department, where he con- ferred with Undersecretary Welles. —Star Staft Photo. Germany. Demands Balkan Nations Yield Control of Danube Nazis Put on Pressure After Charging British Plot to Blast Channel BELGRADE, April 9.—The Ger-i man government, it was learned on | high authority today, has demanded that Yukoslavia, Hungary, Bulgaria | and Rumania accept German river police along the entire length of the Danube River to secure this vital supply route for Germany. The demand was made after the German press accused Britain of plotting to dynamite the narrow Danube channel through the “Iron Gate” to cripple Germany's trans- portation of oil, foodstuffs and raw materials from Southeastern Eu- rope. Rumanian police seized British barges loaded with dynamite and the British said that the explosives were to have been used to blow up British and French Danube vessels in the event Germany invaded Rumania. It was learned that Hungary, Yugoslavia and Rumania previously had “tentatively” rejected the Ger- man demands. They they were made a second time. Bulgaria was understood reliably to have agreed and it was reported that German river police already were patroling the Bulgarian Dan- ube borders. Seizure Basis for Demands. Diplomatic quarters here freely expressed the belief that the Ger- man news agency here as well as the Berlin Foreign Office had seized upon the reports of seizure of the British explosives as the basis for the renewed demands for a German police patrol of the Danube. These sources also believed the demand was a possible forerunner of a German move into Southeastern Europe to obtain Rumania’s oil and (See DANUBE, Page A-5) Summary of Page. Amusements, B-7 Comics _B-16-17 | Sports ‘_A?u.m Editorials --A-10; Woman’s Page, Finance ____A-7 Lost, Found B-13 | Society Obituary ___A-12 Foreign Concern felt for safety of Americans in Norway. Page A-1 President to get Hull report on war tonight. Page A-1 Norwegians here see British getting major naval test. Page A-1 Mrs. Harriman leads American evacuation of Oslo. Page A-1 National Collection machinery for Republic workers to be set up. Page A-3 Washington and Vicinity Controversy raging over new D. C. birth certificate. Page A-1 House roll call causes postponement of liquor report. Page B-1 Defective chimney caused O street fire, marshal testifies. Page B-1 4 Today’s Star - | Sports Nats make home bow tomorrow still big question marks. Page A-14 Midwest again dominating national A. A. U. title boxing. Page A-14 Ring’s teapot tempest boils over as Maryland quits N. B. A. Page A-15 Federal team golf tournament looms &s banner affair, Page A-16 Editorial and Comment This and That. Answers to Questions. Letters to The Star. David Lawrence. Alsop and Kintner. G. Gould Lincoln. Lemuel Parton. Jay Franklin. Page A-10 Page A-10 Page A-10 Page A-11 Page A-11 Page A-11 Page A-11 Page A-11 Miscellany * Service Orders. Vital Statistics. Nature’s Children. City News in Brief. Poge A-18 Page B-6 Page B-6 Page B-9 Bedtime Story. Letter-Out. Winning Contract. Uncle Ray’s Corner. Crossword Puzzles, Page B-16 Page B-16 Page B-16 Page B-17 Page B-17 Oslo Surrenders; Army Protects New Capifal , ‘Protection’ Offered To Bar Attack'by Allies, Reich Says By the Associated Press, ¢ STOCKHOLM, April 9.—The City of Oslo, capital of Norway, surrendered to German forces at 4 pm. (10 am, E. 8. 7), to- day. Dispatches reaching Stock- holm said that the Norwegian police chief had resigned and that he was replaced by German officials. North of Oslo Norwegian air- craft was reported to have shot down two German planes. The Norwegian government moved to the lake village of Hamar, north of Oslo. . ‘The Norwegian army was reported to be guarding a defense line be- mobilization of inland towns. Fully half of the population was reported to have left Oslo before the city surrendered to German troops. The Germans were landed from warships along the city's harbor. The Swedish Parliament was called into session at 8 p.m. tonight. From Northern Sweden it was reported that the German invasion {of Norway met opposition, and that at least two German ships were sunk at Narvik, the northern port from which Germany has been ship- | ping Swedish ore. The Germans mounted machine guns at all places they occupied. “‘Oslo before the surrender reported |- that all roads from the town were blocked by German troops, who halted the withdrawal of civilians. Many had left before, however. No bo;gbs were dropped, Oslo reports sald. German troops were landed at Moss, 35 miles south of Oslo, at a point where Oslo Fjord narrows. From there they marched against the capital. ‘Slight Local Resistance’ Reported by Germans By LOUIS R. LOCHNER. BERLIN, April 9 (#) —The Ger- man Army, Navy and Air Force in- vaded Norway and Denmark at| |dawn today in a lightning stroke typical of Fuehrer Hitler's now well- developed pattern. By afternoon the capitals of both the northern nations—Oslo and Copenhagen —were in Gennan hands. All Denmark, which decided not to resist, was under German control, and in Norway, where Norwegian troops offered “slight local resist- ance,” the Germans said they had eccupied “the most important ob- Jectives.” : Germany announced she had ex- tended “armed protection”—the ex- act nature of it not being clear—to Norway and Denmark to “counter- act British aggression” against their neutrality. Authorized sources divulged that the Northern Norwegian port of Kristiansund was bombarded be- cause it offered resistance. (Kristiansund, well up Nor- way's west coast, is'not to be confused with Kristiansand, at the southern extremity of Nor- way.) = The Norwegian government was no longer in Oslo, having with- drawn to Hamar, to the north, but German government orders were issued to put a halt to further withdrawals from Oslo. Other Resistance Broken. Norwegian resistance in other sections of Norway was being broken rapidly and constitutes no military problem, the Germans said. The high command announced shortly before 7 pm. that military "(See BERLIN, Page A-5) Netherlands Cancels Virtually Al Leaves By the Associated Press. THE HAGUE, April 9—The Netherlands government canceled virtually all army, navy and air- force leaves today, calling men back to the colors immediately “as a pre- cautionary measure.” This ruling was in a second or- der issued today. Earlier it had been announced that no new peri- odic leaves for border and coast troops would be granted in the im- mediate future. The announcement followed & special session of the cabinet. Pre- sumably the government ministers had been summoned to consider the new situation created by the Ger- man invasion of Norway and Den- mark. The order to the troops will not affect business leaves or cancel the leaves of those now on their fort- nightly two days of rest. A semi-official source said the de- velopments in Scandinavia had sharpened the foreign situation, but that the Netherlands is “standing out of it.” 'Back to Capifal; tween Oslo and Hamar to protect | the new capital and to cover the | | ing the original traveling plans. A4 A ek, 2 An Early Blooming Crocus t Roosevelt Rushing Due Early Tonight Gravely Disturbed as Aides Telephone News Of New Crisis Abroad By JOHN C. HENRY, Star Staff Correspondent. HYDE PARK, N. Y, April 9—| Gravely disturbed by the swift spreading of Europe's war, Presi- dent Roosevelt left here for Wash- ington shortly after noon today. He ! is expected to arrive early tonight. In frequent telephonic communi- cation with the White House and | with the State Department since | being informed of the startling out- break of hostilities in the Scandi- navian countries, Mr. Roosevelt up to the time of his departure had made no public comment on the crisis. Presumably, any extension of the Neutrality Act to embrace this new war zone will await further news and consultations at the Cap- ital. Railroad officials and White House aides had prepared his special train | for an earlier departure from Hyde} Park if he so decided, but the thor- | oughness with which he was beingi informed of developments by tele- | phone removed any need for revis- | Telephone Circuits Arranged. Arrangements were made to hook- in telephone circuits to-the train at several points between Hyde Park and Washington. A press conference was scheduled aboard the train. Before leaving his home, Mr. Roosevelt conferred at length with his secretary, William D. Hassett, and then took an hour's ride. Because of the late growing season here, the President was informed his spring planting of Norway spruces will be delayed until about April 20. He plans to add 50,000 of the young trees to his present crop. Mr. Hassett was first informed of the serious developments in Northern Europe, receiving by tele- phone from Assistant Secretary of State Berle a full review of the report of Mrs. J. Borden Harriman, United States Minister to Norway. Information Relayed. Apprised of Mrs. Harriman’s re- port shortly after 2 a.m., Mr. Hassett immediately relayed the information to Mr. Roosevelt at the latter’s home. ‘The President at once was put in communication with Washington and through the rest of the night tele- phone lines were kept open between the Capital, the Roosevelt home and temporary White House quarters in nearby Poughkeepsie. Mrs. Harriman was reported as saying that she was in receipt of a request from the British Min- 1ster to Norway to take over the British Legation if his government ordered him to leave Oslo, an order apparently expected shortly. Unofficial reparts of German ac- tion in Denmark also were received here, but it was understood that communications with Copenhagen had been disrupted. Nazi Envoy in Moscow Confers With Molotoff By the Associated Press. MOSCOW, . April 9 —Premier- Foreign Commissar Molotoff today received the German Ambassador, Count FPreidrich Werner von der Schulenberg, for a long interview. The subject of their talk was not disclosed. The Moscow radio, after several hours of silence on the subject, broadcast German and British ver- sions of the German invasion of Denmark and Norway. Prior to the new German stroke the Communist party - newspaper Pravda published an accusation that the allies were trying to plunge Scandinavia into war. ) The new development came &as Russia lifted her blockade of the Gulf of Finland, instituted during her war with the Finns. 4 At Busy Intersection Two Killed in Crash Near Havre de Grace By the Associated Press. | HAVRE DE GRACE, Md., April 9. | —Two persons were killed today when a heavy trailer-truck collided | with a passenger automobile in the | rain and fog on the old Philadelphia road. The dead were Mrs. Inez Brown, 35, of Salisbury, and John Schumm, 23, of Perryville. el Geraldine Brown, 16, daughter of | Mrs. Brown, suffered bruises an® shock. Kirk Thompson, 23, driver of the | car, and Charles Oliver Wolfe of | Baltimore, driver of the truck, | escaped injury. Woman Loses $1,325 In Daylight Holdup Two Bandits Escape With Money Intended To Start Boarding House Mrs. Louise McGuire, 33, of 1306 Rhode Island avenue N.W. was held | up at the busy intersection of Fif-| teenth and I streets N.W. this morn- ing by two purse snatchers who robbed her of $1,325 she had with- drawn from the bank a few minutes previvously. Detectives assigned to the case believed the woman was held up by | robbers who have loitered about downtown banks watching for per- sons making large withdrawals. A similar robbery, in which a man lost $175 he had taken from a bank, was reported a fortnight ago. Mrs. McGuire said she went to the bank near Fifteenth street and New York avenue to get the money to use in starting a boarding house. She received thirteen $100 bills, a $20 and a $5 bill from her savings ac- count, which she placed in her purse, Mrs. McGuire had walked only two blocks up Fifteenth strcet when two men accosted her at the corner of I street. One snatched her purse and both took to their heels. The woman said she was so terrified she was speechless for the moment. The robbery - dccurred about 9:30 o’clock. ‘The victim reported the robbery to a traffic policeman stationed at a nearby corner. ,She described the man who took her purse as about 30 years old, of a slight build and about 5 feet 8 inches tall. He had & small mustache. Mrs. McGuire told officers it hadn’t occured to her to make her withdrawal in the form of a certified check. |$1 to $2 in United States Steel, Stocks Swept Down After Sharp Rise In War Flurry Commodities Retain Gains; Scandinavian Bonds Tumble By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, April 9.—The stock | market did a somersault as Wall Street tried to interpret the Ger- man move into Scandinavia today. Shares rose $1 to $4 in early deal- ings, particularly steels, aircrafts, coppers and papers, but a flurry of selling swept through the list at midday, erased most of the gains, and sent many issues $1 to more than $3 under yesterday's final prices. Commodities, however, particular- ly wheat, which had surged up in the early dealings, held their gains. Bonds had been heavy from the first, and Scandinavian issues cracked widely. In shares, paper issues held most of the early rise as Wall Street took the view America’s substantial imports of that staple from Scan- dinavia might be cut off. In the early afternoon gains of | Bethlehem and Anaconda were lost and declines of $1 to $3 appeared in General Motors, Chrysler, United States Rubber, Douglas, Dupont and New York Central. Trading was all but suspended in currencies of Scandinavian curren- cies, and the free market for the British pound sterling dropped more than 12 cents to around $3.44, before recovering partially. The official buying rate in London held at $4.02%. ‘Wheat at Chicago bounded up 3 cents a bushel and more, and in the New York futures markets, forenoon advances included: Rubber, 3 to nearly 5 cents a pound; cotton about 30 to 60 cents a bale; cottonseed oil, about % of a cent a pound; wool tops, 1; to nearly 2% cents a pound; raw hides, about 1; of a cent a pound; raw silk, 8 to 14 cents.a pound. Copper futures rose about % of a cent a pound, and no red metal for immediate delivery was available under the recent major producers' price of 11, cents, although re- cently considerable metal has been offered at 111 cents. The bond market was generally under pressure, with United States Government issues off $5 to $10 per $1,000 bond in comparatively light dealings. In foreign markets the Paris Bourse was weak, but the London market steadied after an early marking down of prices, Doctors Split Over Questions In New D. C. Birth Certificate ' Confidential Nature of Inquiries Stirs Issue Over Whether Oath Is Violated Are doctors violating their oath on the confidential relationship be- tween them and their patients by answering certain intimate questions about mother and child on the new birth certificate filed with the Health Department? : A controversy is raging over the matter, with some prominent ob- stetricians refusing to answer the disputed questions and Health De- partment officials contending an- swers are not compulsory but would be of great value in improving the maternal and infant mortality rate in the District. Many physicians say no oath is violated. Some of the questions in dispute are of such a nature that the oppo- sition to them charges they are “im- pertinent,” and shouild not be an- swered for the public record. The new detachable form, however, does not identify mother or child, it is said. Among the questions most objected to are ones tending to disclose whether the child had “congenital malformation,” that is, was some kind of a monster; and whether the mother had been tested for syphilis and gonorrhea. Other inquiries go into detail regarding the methods of the doctor in handling delivery of the child, Protest has been lodged by op- ponents of the new form not only with the Health Department but also with the District Medical So- clety. The society, which earlier had approved the form, has referred the protests to its Committee on Public Health, which in turn has referred them to the Subcommittee on Ma- ternal Welfare. A report may be ready for a business meeting of the Medical Society next month. The medical profession is known to be divided on the issue. What proportion of the doctors is attack- ing the new certificate could not be learned, but it is known the oppo- sition is vigorous and aggressive. On the other hand, officials of the 8ee BIRTH CERTIFICATE, A-3) 1 WAY President fo Get Hull Report on War Tonight Invoking of Neutrality Act Studied; Oslo Communications Cut By GARNETT D. HORNER. The administration is considering extension of the Neutrality Act to cover the new war area in Scandi- navia and is studying means for possible evacuation of American cite izens from the danger zones, Secre= tary of Staté Hull said today. The Secretary added, at his press conference shortly after noon, that he could not undertake at that time to speak conclusively about the exact nature of any steps that might be necessary in possible extension of neutrality law provisions. He indicated that all the infor= mation pertaining to the new war developments and suggested steps for action by this Government were being assembled this afternoon and would be laid before President Roosevelt for decision on the Chief Executive's return from Hyde Park tonight. Communications Broken. Meanwhile, the State Department disclosed that its direct communica- tions with Oslo, Norway, were broken off at 11 am, E. S. T, in the middle of a message when the Norwegian telegraph operator re- ported there was an air raid and he had “to run away.” Previous messages from Oslo had reported that Mrs. J. Borden Harri- man, United States Minister to Nor- way, had accompanied the Nor- wegian government to the inland city of Hamar, while a dozen Amer- ican foreign service officers ree mained in charge of the Legation and Consulate General at Oslo. Wives and children of the foreign service officers were evacuated. Dictates Statement. Before an unusually large group of reporters at his press conference, Secretary Hull dictated the follow- ing statement, which he explained was all he could say officially about the extension of the European war to Scandinavia: “I think we are all aware by this time of the extension to another area of the military activities that have been going on in Europe since September. “This Government is observing very closely and diligently all of the new. developments and as nearly as possible ascertaining their nature and significance. “It is likewise proceeding with the same diligence and accuracy it has exercised since September in apply- ing our neutrality and combat area law and other pertinent policies to the European military situation. Assembling All Facts. “I would not undertake now to speak conclusively about the extent and nature of any steps that may be called for relating to the extension of the combat area or other provi- sions of our neutrality law or proce lamations declaring certain addi= tional or new areas in a state of war. “We are assembling as rapidly as possible all of the facts and circum- stances pertaining to these two phases, as well as all other aspects of this new military situation.” Safety 'Considered. If the President proclaims that Norway is in a state of war, the “cash-and-carry” provisions of the Neutrality Act would apply to Nor- way, and American vessels would be prohibited from entering Norwe- glan ports. The combat area, which American vessels are forbid- den to enter, could be extended to cover the Norwegian coast without formally proclaiming Norway a bel- ligerent. In response to questions Secre- tary Hull said some high officials of the State Department were giving particular attention to the safety of American citizens in the new war area, adding that any plans for evacuation or other emergency measures would come along as de= velopments revealed the situation. Raymond E. Cox, First Secretary (See AMERICANS, Page A-5.) The Time to Read Is in the Evening And the paper that domi- nates the evening field in ‘Washington is The Star, Yesterday’s Circulation The Evening Star Tues., April 9, 1940__°156,735 Tues., April 11, 1939__*154,582 Increase 2,153 Increase, two years__. 11,231 *Returns from newsstands not deducted and no samples included. The. Star’s leadership in advertising reflects the char- acter of its circulation. Dis- criminating advertigers prefer The Star because discriminat- ing readers read The Star. Yesterday’s Advertising (Local Display) s The Evening Star Total, 3 other papers, 27,114