Evening Star Newspaper, April 11, 1940, Page 1

Weather Forecast Rain tonight and tomorrow; colder to~ morrow; much colder tomorrow night; minimum tonight about 50. tures today—Highest, 68, at 2 pm.; lowest, 47, at 6 a.m. From Btates Wea Bu report. il it ‘From Press to Home Within the Hour’ ° Most people in Washi Star delivered to tnnon h".;rym Closing New York Markets, Page 22. 88th YEAR. No. 35,044 - WASHINGTON, —~FIFTY-SIX PAGES.##++ NAZI NAVY CRIPPLED, CHURCH . | REPORTS 18 VESSELS DESTROYED IN BATTLES ~ Allies Now on Road to Victoty, Commons Told; Bergen Retaken Battle Off Norway Still Raging; Danes’ Faroe Islands Are Taken (Text of Winston Churchill’s Address to Commons on Page A-7:) By the Associated Press. LONDON, April 11.—The men-o’-war and bombs bursting from swarming warplanes have crippled the German fleet “to victory in a world cause,” House of Commons today in an hour-long statement. ‘The pugnacious First Lord of losses at about 18 vessels—four of them cruisers—but added to Britain’s sorrow with news of the loss of the destroyers Glowworm and Gurka. He branded the Nazi invasion and political error” as Napoleon’s 1808.” In Paris Premier Reynaud ships had been sunk in the naval which the allies lot only four vessels. on, M. Reynaud .said. The Premier listed the losses without naming the boats, as follows: Four cruisers, representing one-tenth of the total German fleet tonnage, two smaller war- ships, one submarine, one destroyer, and 10 troop transports. The British lost four destroy two went down in the fighting off Narvik. There were no French losses, he added, and disclosed that one Polish warship was fighting with No Norwegian Ports Reoccupied. In his sharp-tongued, exhaustive review of the tempestuous events since the beginning of the week, Mr. Churchill declared: 1--“We have not reoccupied Norwegian ports,” but the corridor “neutral Norwegian waters used, by Germany has been closed “forever” and “we shall take what Tow with an enormous increase in Iceland, are being occupied by the occupation, but will be returned when Denmark “is liberated from the foul thraldom into which she has been plunged.” 3. Norway’s defenders should and prolonged resistance” to the Germans. 4. German action against a “long and elaborately prepared,” that it was disclosed “that Norway and Denmggk had drawn the unlucky numbers in this sinister lottery.” Vast crowds milled about Whi and the Mouse of Commons was to arrive in the galleries was United States Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy. Mr. Churchill saw the Nazi campaign against Norway as pos- sibly a prelude to “far larger events,” and he said dramatically: “We have probably arrived at Four German Cruisers Four German cruisers, a number of destroyers, a number of submarines have been destroyed since Sunday, he said, and “nearly a dozen ships, some of large tonnaf The 26,000-ton battleship Scharnhorst was damaged. British losses, he said, include: by two German destroyers; the d bombs; injury of seven men when the battleship Rodney was hit, and piercing of the battle cruiser Renown by thO German shells. These were in addition to the loss of two British destroyers yesterday at Narvik and the damaging of two others. The conflict still is raging in the North Sea, Mr. Churchill said, but he refused to “lift the veil.” He further told the house that he found no reason “to deter us from entering on further perils” and promised that the Navy would sink remaining German ships in the Skagerrak and the Kattegat. Britons, who dearly lovg a seaa fight, got plenty of thrills as Mr. | Churchill with gusto told how the 32,000-ton Renown, one of | Britain’s sleek battle cruisers, engaged the 26,000-ton battleship Scharnhorst. Hit on Scharnhorst Seen. He told how the Renown’s crew “observed a hit" on the Scharn- horst's forward superstructure, how & second hit was deduced from a column of smoke and how the Re- nown plunged on through raging seas and a blizzard in an, effort to catch and destroy the battleship. “T regret to say,” he said, “that the German cruiser Hipper: al_dec_l the Scharnhorst to escape by laying a smoke screen.” He lauded the action of Capt. ‘Warburton Lee ,and the destroyer flotilla which attempted to take Narvik, saying their action was “as worthy as any in British naval his- tory.” %‘Ae destroyers Hunter and Hardy were lost at Narvik while the Gurk- ha went down when hard hit during five unsuccessful bombing attacks on the cruiser Aurora. The Glow- worm was sunk by German destroy- ers when she turned back from her squadron to pick up & seaman who had gone overboard. Discounts Air Raid Fears. The crew of the Gurkha was rescued, he said, while “there is no reason why. a large portion of the crew of the Glowworm should not have been saved if the ordinary ing umanity of fighting men had been b 7 the enemy.” The normal complement of the destroyer men. '.';ht“mt Lord discounted feared air attacks on the home fleet, pointing out that the flagship Rodney’s deck armor resisted the of a heavy German bomb. Sir Archibald Sinclair, leader of the Liberals in the House, followed (8ee CHURCHILL, Page A-3.) 4 $ pounding guns of Britain’s and set the allies on the road Winston Churchill told the the Admiralty put German sea of Norway “as great a strategic disastrous invasion of Spain in also déclared that 18 German battles in Norwegian waters in The fighting is still going before the Chamber of Deputies ers, M. Reynaud said, of which the allied forces. we want of this Norwegian coast the efficiency of otr ‘blockade.” | 2. Denmark’s Faroe Islands, between the Shetland Islands and British to forestall any German be able to maintain “vigorous number of neutrals had been and it was only early Monday tehall while Mr. Churchill spoke packed. First of the diplomats the first crunch of the war.” Among Those Sunk. ge, have been sunk or captured.” d the destroyer Glowworm, sunk estroyer Gurkha, sunk by aerial Nazi High Command Denies Major Battle, Embassy Hears The German high command has denied that any major sea battle has taken place off the Norwegian coast, according to advices reaching the German Embassy today. Such reports were termed “fantastic.” It was said at the Embassy that the latest radio reports indicated Oslo was quiet and German refhforcements were reaching Norway on schedule and without resistance. ‘An Embassy atigthe said he was not trying 0" deny that a naval engagement was under way, because it was logical to expect the British Navy would attack, but he expressed doubt that the engagement thus far had reached the magnitude de- scribed in press dispatches. Assessor’s Office Clerk Falls Dead on Sidewalk Bernard T. Fegan, 43, clerk in the special assessment division of the I District assessor’s office, dropped dead, apparently of a heart attack, on the sidewalk on New York ave- nue near Fifteenth street this morn- Mr Fegan reported for work as usual at the District Building, his associates said, and then left on his dutles of serving bills. Mr. Fegan lived in Alexandria with his mother, & brother and sis- ter. He had been employed in the War Bulletins LONDON, Aprii 11 (®—A German Dornier flying boat was reported shot down in the North Sea today by a Royal Air Force coastal command plane. A Brit- ish account said the Dornier - “plunged into the sea” after one attack by a Hudson reconnais- sance aircraft. OSLO, April 11 (CDN).—The Germans further clinched their hold on Oslo today with the ar- rival of five transports carrying more than 20,000 troops. Three of the largest, jammed to the rails, began disembarking at 4:45 o'clock this afternoon. ._ (The above dispatch, filed by Leland Stowe, Chicago Daily News correspondent, is the first direct news dispatch frem Oslo in 24 hours. Reuters also re- ported from Stockholm that more German warships had reached Oslo Fjord and that some troop transports had landed during the night.) PARIS, April 11 (#).—The French Army, preparing against a possible German offensive on the western front,. tonight sus- pended all army leaves. Nazis Report Sinking Two More English Warships at Narvik Six Alligd Destroyers. . In All Lost in Fight for Port, Germans Claim (Tert of German communique on Page A-18.) By the Associated Press. BERLIN, April 11.—German naval forces last night sank two more al- lied destroyers at the West fjord ap- proach to Narvik, the official Ger- man news agency, DNB, reported today. The agency said the newest sink- ings brought to six the total of allied destroyers sunk in the Narvik re- gion. Britain has acknowledged losing four destroyers in naval war- fare off Norway, two of them at Narvik. The agency did not say whether the newest losses had been inflicted by warships or coastal defense guns. Defy Allies to Break Hold. Germany is steadily tightening her fist of iron on Norway, author- ized Germans contended, and defy- ing the allies to loosen her hold.’ “German positions throughout Norway are so thoroughly consoli- dated,” these sources asserted, “that there is not the remotest possibility they could be dislodged by English and French forces.” They pictured a steady stream of German soldiers being transported to the northern kingdom ° to strengthen the forces landed Tues- day at strategic points. Authorized sources then made the most categorical denial of reports of an extensive sea battle. “In only two places did the Ger- man air force have encounters with 'the British flest (yesterday),” they said, “but reports of a clash of ma- jor forces of the navy are wholly unfounded. “Our transports continued crossing the Skagerrak unmolested until the Nofwegian situation was completely in control.” Panish Island Occupied. High points of the official an- nouncements issued here included: 1. Denmark—The high command announced extension of Nazi control yesterday to the Danish Baltic Is- land of Bornholm, 25 miles off the tip of Sweden, 2. Norway—German troops pro- ceeded “on schedule” yesterday, oc- cupying Elverum ‘in the forenoon, consolidating positions at Oslo and along Oslo Fjord and destroying D, O, THURSDAY, APBIL 11, 1940 e R 1 Populace Armed, Repulse German Drive on Capital BULLETIN, STOCKHOLM, April 11 (#).— Norwegian forces have recap- tured the port of Bergen, the Norwegian commander at the | city reported today by ‘wireless, and are massing for an attempt to wrest Trondheim, farther up -the west coast, from the enemy. B> the Associated Press, STOCKHOLM, April '11—A radio message’ from the Nor- wegian commander at Bergen today reported that seaport had been recaptured from the Ger- man invaders. Other sources reported German planes had circled the Kongsvinger railway station, dropping light bombs. Reports pouring into Sweden sald the Norwegians were blasting bridges to make German advances difficult and cut off German forces already in possessior of Norwegian t.en'nqry‘ Workers Being Armed. Norway, ordering her troops to co- operate with the allies, was hastily fortifying every defense point and arming workers, members of rifles clubs and military school pupils to help defend the nation. From Southern Sweden came fur- ther reports of the British-German naval engagement fought off Pater- ::-urmuut the eastern end of € e or et Germaniroup e ports had been sunk. Part of those which escaped headed on north to- ward Norway and the others turned south. Among the ships sunk was an am- munition supply ship, these reports said. One transport entered Mar- strand, but left when ordered out by a Swedish warship. Repulse at Eidsvold. ‘The Norwegian government said German troops, trying to advance | toward Elverum, the temporary seat of government, had been repelled at Eidsvold, about half way up the railway line from Oslo. The captured capital’s outer fort- resses still are in Norwegian hands, the government reported, an asser- tion borne out by reports of con- tinued firing against German forces in Oslo Fjord. Between Elverum and Hamar an- other contingent of German troops, commanded by the former aviation attache of the German Legation in Oslo, was turned back by hastily armed civilians who manned ma- chine guns at barricades thrown up on the highway, Norwegians said the Nazis apparently intended to capture members of Parliament and the government by surprise. The German commander was killed and severe losses inflicted on his forces, Norwegians said, add- ing that only two Norwegians were injured. A Swedish newspaper re- ported Narvik recaptured by the British. (Winston Churchill First Lord of the Admiralty, had declared, however, that.“We have not re- occupied any Norwegian ports.” His statement apparently did not cover any points which the Nor- wegians themselves might have regained.) Aiding Allies Fully. The President of the Norwegian Parliament, Carl J. Hambro, an- nounced that Norway’s northern forces now are co-operating fully with British forces against the Ger- man invasion. Hambro, who is in Stockholm on an undisclosed mission, made the announcement after communicating with the Norweigian government, which has established headquarters at Elverum, 20 miles from the Swed- ish frontier. A German advance eastward (See BERLIN, Page A-10.) ‘ Summqry of Page. Amusements, C-4-5 Comics .___C-6-7 Editorials . A-12 Finance -A-21 Lost, Found. D-5 Obituary ...A-14 Foreign German Navy crippled, Churchill declar e A-1 Serial Story B-18 es. + Page Nazis report sinking two more Brit- ish destroyers. Page A-1 i Page Oslo under British guns; Britains repel raids. Page A-1 National ° 3 President’s fourth reorganizai order shifts bureaus. Page A-1 assessor’s office for about six years. He was identified at the morgue by E. F. Driscoll of the assessor’s office. 3 ’s asssociates said he J Evacuation of Americans in Scandi- navia aythorized. Page A-1 Three new U. 8. airplanes released | Winning Contract. e Wi s 1 ge ,000 nat - propriations bill 2 2 Page A—Cv " (See STOCKHOLM, Page A-3) Today’s Star Washington and Vicinity Colder weather predicted; will not halt blossom fete. Page A-1 D. C. Health Department to get can- cer control unit. Page A-14 Inquest into fire fatal to three re- sumes tomorrow. Page B-1 Editorial and Comment This and That. Page A-12 A-12 A-12 Page A-13 Page A-13 Page A-13 Page A-13 Page A-13 i f > wnun 2 Morgenthau fo Free Scandinavian Funds For Legifimate Uses Combat Zone Extended; Text of Erecutive Order on Page A-8. Map of Enlarged Combat Zone, Page A-%. By GARNETT D. HORNER. Secretary Morgenthau said today & “rule of reason” would guide him in granting licenses for-the export of Danish or Norwegian funds in this country, impounded yesterday by executive order of President Roosevelt. The Treasury head, who was given authority by the President to license such exports, promised at a press conference to facilitate “legitimate business transactions” involving Nor- way or Denmark. He said, however, no formal requests for licenses have been made. Secretary Morgenthau advised any persons or firms who might be con- templating transactions which could run up against the embargo on ex- port of Scandinavian funds, to con- tact their local banks He said the banks would be in the best position to advise them because of contacts with the 12 regional Federal Reserve banks, which would either have the answers to problems as they arise or would be able.to get the answers quickly from Washington. Combat Area Extended. President Roosevelt issued the order “freezing” Norwegian and Danish wealth in this country lnsc* night soon affer extending his defi- nition of the European combat area, from which American vessels are bannped, to include waters around the *entire Scandinavian peninsula and part of Soviet Russia. ‘The two presidential moves have the effect of protecting American lives and ships and the assets which the governments and- citizens of Norway and Denmark may have in this country from new ‘war dangers arising from the Nazi invasion of Scandinavia. ‘The wealth-freezing order pro- hibits the removal from this country, except under special license from the Secretary of the Treasury, of any Danish and Norwegian assets, mone- tary or otherwise, which were here on April 8, before the Nazi invasion. Reports on Holdings Asked. ‘The Treasury promptly issued in- structions for all holders of Nor- wegian or Danish wealth in this country to report it for an account- ing. The exact value of the holdings involved was not known, but it was estimated that the Scandinavian countries, including Sweden, had several hundred million dollars to their credit in readily transferable assets. Short-term balances and “earmarked” gold were sald to ac- count for most of it. For the first few days, Secretary Morgenthau said, he and Undersec- retary Daniel W. Bell will handle personally any requests for licenses to transfer Danish or Norwegian funds. Later general rules to determine (See NEUTRALITY, Page A-4) Death Separates Twins, Believed Oldest in U. S. By the Associsted Press. MENTONE, Ind., April 11.—Death i Ay il | GATHER THEMIN, | GATHER THEM IN! = ATy //\ l. 2 i Wireless Traffic With Scandinavia Is Back to Normal By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, April 11.—West- ern Union announced today that traffic with Norway was resumed which advised the National Broadcasting Co. that the Oglo radio station ceased transmis- sion early this morning, said later that it had re-established contact. Cold Forecast Fails To Deter Plans for Blossom Festival Drop to 30s Predicted; Advance Guard of Visitors Arriving A farecast of cold weather for the week end failed today to deter of- ficials in their final plans for the Cherry Blossom Festival, which opens tomorrow night with the crowning of the cherry blossom queen, . Even as the Weather Bureau pre- dicted temperatures in the high 30s tomorrow night and Saturday, the advance guard of 20,000 visitors anticipated by the Greater National Capital Committee of the Board of Trade began filling local hotels. Unless the temperature drops to freezing tenight or tomorrow the trees, already blossoming. around Tidal Basfn, will be in’ full bloom this week end, National Capital Parks experts said today. ° Hotels reported “heavy bookings,” with the peak expected Saturday night as persons from all sections of the country converged on the Capital. Both the Pennsylvania and Baltimore & Ohio Railroads have scheduled “Cherry Blossom Specials” in addition, to their regular week-end excursion trips. o 2,000 Get Invitations. Edgar Morris, general chairman of the festival, announced that 2,000 invitations have been sent to promi- nent Washingtonians and repre- sentatives of foreign governments to attend the pageant tomorrow night and Saturday. ~ Engineer Commisisoner David A. McCoach, jr., will crown Miss Rose Collifiower cherry blossom queen at 7:50 pm., following & water pageant in Tidal Basin and an address of welcome by Chairman Morris. Observers in the reviewing stand (See WEATHER, Page A-2) Eliot Junior High’ On WMAL Today Students of the Eliot Junior High School science clasges will broadcast interesting facts about astronomy, eléctricity and sound over Station WMAL at 4 p.m, Actual demonstrations of ex- periments will be carried on in the radio studio. g This is another in the series of student features sponsored by The Star with the co-opera- tien of the National Broadeast- ing Co. and the Board of Bduestion. !Plans Are Mapped To Take Americans From New War Zone Overland Transportation Through:Germany to ; Itorl;'roing Arranged The State Department today an- nounced plans for the evacuation through Germany’ and Italy of American citizens caught in the new Scandinavian war zone. The department authorized the overland evacuation of the more than 3,000 American citizens listed as residents of Norway, Denmark and Sweden, but officials said it was uncertain how many of these would want to leave. The tentative plan calls for over- land transportation of the evacu- ated Americans through Germany to Genoa, Italy, from where Ameri- can passenger liners could bring them home. The State Department said it had secured the co-operation of American ship owners. The evacuation scheme was an- nounced after fragmentary reports from American diplomatic repre- sentatives in Norway and Denmark had assured the department that so far as they knew all Americans in Oslo and Copenhagen were safe. Messages Telegraphed. Several messages filed to the State Department from Norway and Den- mark since the German invasion ‘have not reached’ Washington, how- ever, leaving officials here in the dark as ‘to how many Americans might ‘be attempting to get out of the new war zone. The authoriza- tion for the overland transportation of all those Americans desiring to leave was telegraphed to the Amer- ican legations and consulates in the countries involved today, but it was not certain how soon the messages might reach them’ The route to the Italian port, where American vessels are free to call under the Neutrality Act, was chosen in preference to “sending American merchant ships or naval vessels through the dangerous com- bat .area to pick up Americans at Scandinavian ports. Officials said there had been no formal move to secure co-operation of Germany, but it was felt there would be no difficulty in the pro- (See EVACUATION, Page A-3) 50 New Curfiss Planes Reporfed Found by Nazis By the Associated Press. BERLIN, April _M.—Informed sources said today German troops who occupied Oslo found 50 new American Curtiss planes which had not been completely assembled. They said they would be studied for any possible information or new construction details. (Aviation experts said there were, no secrets' of design and that no military secrets could be involved because the airplanes could not have been sent to Nor- way had there been.) URCHILL DECLARES: Reorganizafion Order Affects 6 Deparfments Two Independent Agencies Also to Take on Other Duties (Text of President’s Message on Page A-2.) By JOHN C. HENRY. President Roosevelt today sub- mitted to Congress his fourth and final order on Government reor- ganization. By its terms, six first-line depart- ments and two independent agen- cies will be vested with responsibili- ties now under other jurisdictions, the whole program being calculated to effect an annual admimstrative saving of approximately $300,000. While it was made clear that to- day’s order is the last one contem- plated under the present Reorgane ization Act. the President recom- mended that this enabling statute be re-enacted with no exemptions. By the present law, 21 administra- tive agencies were exempt from any tampering. The Principal Changes. Principal shifts proposed in to- day’s order follow: 1. Transfer of jurisdiction over St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Freedmen's Hospital, Howard University and the Columbia Institution for the Deaf from the Interior Department to the Federal Security Agency. 2. Transfer of the Food and Drug Administration from the Depart- ment of Agriculture to the Federal Security Agency. 3. Transfer of the Civil Aeronau- ties Authority fram a full independ- ent status to the Commerce Depart- ‘ment and abolition of the Air Safety Board, with the C. A. A. to assume | the functions of the board. 4. Transfer of the Weather Bu- reau from the Department of Agri- culture to the Department of Com- merce. 5. Transfer and consolidation of interdepartmental messenger serv- ices into the Post Office Depart- ment. 6. Division of the Soil Conserva- tion Service to place that section concerned with public lands under Interior and that concerned with private lands under Agriculture. Forest Service Untouched. No change was made in the status of the Forest Service, around which a bitter controversy has been carried on as efforts were made to have it moved from Agriculture to Interior. The other changes proposed today would move the Dominican Customs Receivership from State to Interior; would vest in the Secretary of Treasury the present function of the Attorney General of approving iout of court settlements under the Federal Alcohol Administration; would transfer the disbursement function of United States marshals from the Treasury Department to Justice; would accord to the Labor Department the enforcement re- sponsibilities for minimum wage provisions in contracts for Federal construction, and would transfer to the Maritime Commission the pres- ent Navy Department jurisdiction (See REORGANIZATION, Pg. A-2) . Recent Survey A city-wide survey of all income groups made last week by an independent organiza- tion shows that The Star is ‘read by more people in the afternoon and evening than those who read the two other afternoon papers combined. In the upper income groups the preference for The Star, both evening and Sunday, over all other papers is over- whelming. . Yesterday’s Advertising (Local Display) The Evening Star. 2nd Newspaper __ Lines. 33,515 - 14,054 9,896 The Evening Star Wed,, April 10, 1940___*163,598 Wed., April 12, 1939_ Increase __ L *Returns from newsstands not and no samples included. Telephone NAtional 5000 and have the regular edition of The Evening Star and The Sunday Star delivered to your home at 75 cents per month or the Night Final and Sunday Star at 85 cents. deducted o)