Evening Star Newspaper, April 26, 1940, Page 5

Slowe Story Causes Furor in London; May Have Serious Results War Office Is Criticized For ‘Treating Public Like Children’ By WILLIAM H. STONEMAN, €hicago Daily News Foreign Correspondent. LONDON, April 26.—Yesterday's dispatch from Leland Stowe de- scribing the action between British and German troops north of Trond- heim, has caused a first-class sen- sation in London and may have serious consequences. Every newspaper in London this morning prints an official com- munique in which it is stated that “reports to the effect that a Brit- ish force in Norway has been cut to pieces and forced to withdraw in disorder is a distortion of the facts. The account presumably re- lates to an incident already re- ferred to in recent communiques,” it adds. On Tuesday night the official communique had stated that “north of Trondheim our troops had been counter-attacked and sharp en- gagements ensued.” On Wednes- day night a further communique stated that “in the Trondheim area the counter-attack referred to in yesterday's communique was deliv- ered by a considerable number of German troops landed from ships in Trondheim Fjord. After some| sharp fighting our troops supceeded' in re-establishing the situation.” British Explanation. That was as much as the British War Office had told the British press about operations in the Trondheim area. Not referring to the Stowe _d\s- patch, last night’s communique adds: “The facts are that an ad- vance detachment of a larger force pushed toward Trondheim from the direction of Namsos. The Germans, moving reinforcements inside Trond- heim Fjord, threatened to cut off the advance troops from their main body. They, therefore, withdrew, but were not followed by the enemy, who are now reported digging in at the head of the fjord. Our troops suffered some losses.” This communique, of course, does not refute the principal burden of Mr. Stowe’s story, which, in fact, | referred to only two battalions, pat- ently an “advance force.” | were more than enough. | age. THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1940. NORTHBOUND NAZIS—Plentifully supplied with equipment, these German soldiers are standing on the deck of a troop transport nearing Denmark. German-censored caption accom- panying the picture gave no other information. —A. P. Wirephoto. Stowe (Continued From First Page.) of the allied expeditionaries is to shatter the Germans’ complete aerial domination of the Namsos- Lake Snasa sector. Until Tuesday, the Germans were using only a handful of planes there—but even half a dozen unopposed bombers Aircraft May Be Essential. and doing a great amount of dam- Even with 20,000 men, the British and French would be in a Today it was made clear that no aspersions were being cast on Mr. | Stowe's integrity or veracity. ‘What people here did take exception to. apparently, was the emphasis the story placed on one isolated opera- tion which affected onfy several| hundred men. As a matter of fact, | the actual details of the battle do not seem available here and thus it is somewhat perplexing that Mr. Stowe’s story should be labeled a “distortion of facts.” Guns Declared Now Landed. It is readily admitted that the| first British troops which landed at‘ Namsos carried nothing bug their | small arms and that it was impos-| { sible to land big guns at the be-| ginning. It is also agreed that the | Germans were bound to-have supe: riority in the air. It is stated, how- ever, that guns have now been| landed. Emphasis is placed on the fact “the Germans landed by treachery and were able to take possession | of the best strategic positions, while the British who, of course, could not | use those methods, had to land wherever they could.” Mr. Stowe’s full story has not been printed in London, although the London Daily Telegraph, which has the rights to the Chicago Daily News Foreign Service, had the complete copy in time for publication and this copy was finally passed for pl_xh- lication after consultation in high places. Yet, practically every paper, ex- cept the London Times, gives the outline of his story, together with the official communique branding it as a “distortion of facts.” The Daily Mail prints long verbatim excerpts which it received from New York. Interesting Treatment. Highly interesting is the treatment given Mr. Stowe's story by the Daily Herald's diplomatic corre- spondent, who, after calling it “wild exaggeration,” goes on to repeat, in somewhat milder terms, just what Mr. Stowe wrote. In a sharp editorial the Daily Herald criticizes the War Office for the manner in which it has handled news of the Norwegian expedition. “Nothing was said in the commu- nique about the source of the alarm- ing rumors about Norway,” it writes. “The Daily Herald, however, is able to rescue its readers from the be- wilderment in which the War Office | was content to leave them. “The reports were cabled to the‘[ United States by Leland Stowe, an American journalist, stationed on the Norwegian-Swedish frontier. “Public Treated Like Children.” “1t is to be presumed that by now they have achieved wide publicity in America and in other neutral countries. “It is also to be presumed that they have been widely believed. And it may be taken for granted that a great number of neutrals will be more impressed by Stowe’s vivid re- ports than by the War Office’s dull denial. “If the War Office wants the British and foreign public to see the Norwegian campaign in proper per- spective why does it wait to be goaded into a statement by some- body else’s distortion of facts? “It must tell the truth promptly and fully, withholding only such facts as would be of strategic value to the enemy. So far, in the Nor- wegian campaign, the War Office has grossly neglected its duty. “It has treated the public like ehildren. “This treatment must stop.” (Copyright. 1940, by Chicago Daily News, Inc.) John L. Lewis to Speak Before Negro Congress John L. Lewis, president of the C. 1 O, is listed as the principal speaker at the opening session of the Third National Negro Congress tonight in the Labor Department auditorium. Other speakers will include A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Por- ters and head of the congress. The Rev. Arthur D. Gray, chair- | certainly requires troops with the| | ship and exceptional powers of or- serious predicament unless at last they have brought plenty of anti- air batteries. These alone may prove to be suffi- clent—if the German bombers at Trondheim military airport, at Vernes and its commercial port at Jonvand remain few in number. But if the Germans rush up many | squadrons of war planes from Oslo allied anti-air guns still may not | be sufficient to protect their narrow mud-plastered lines of communica- | tion. In that event, Anglo-French | aircraft may become essential for the Namsos-Lake Snasa sector, and | this problem will not be a simple one to solve. Accordingly it becomes 1mmedx-} ately apparent—once you have | traveled through this war zone north | of Trondheim—that the allies’ land | invasion of Norway is an extremely difficult and hazardous venture. It stiffest kind of military preparation —with far more training than the first two battalions of British ter- ritorials have had. In mountainous, snow-blocked terrain of this sort it will also require first-class general- ganization. The Germans have al- ready demonstrated that they have both of these tremendous assets. The first contingent of British ex- peditionaries certainly lacked vete-‘ ran, iron-bodied soldiers. One may expect the French to be very| different. | Nazis Win First Round. The fact remains, however, that Fuehrer Adolf Hitler’s military ma- chine has won the first round in Norway. It has won it by speed and efficiency—and especially by sheer nerve and astonishing self- confidence. I saw 1500 German troops capture Oslo with as much calm assurance as if they had been 100,000 strong. I saw little columns of 200 and 300 men, some of them without field guns, and some with a few field guns miles behind them, speeding swiftly to seize control of cities and towns and get an imme- diate grip on all of Southeastern Norway. Every German platoon or squad seemed to know exactly what to do throughout those first 24 hours in Oslo. Every German private had the iron look of a polished soldier. Every key building was occupied first with a mere handful of men. When the Germans spread their thin fanlike ribs out from Oslo, on the fourth day, their slender columns were on the march within 12 hours of disembarkment and each column was striking at an objective prepared long in advance., They were granite-faced troops and they were simply formidable to con- template. I doubt very much whether any army in the world but the French could hope to match them, man for man. These are the kind of German troops, most of them veterans of the Polish campaign, who now hold every elevation and strong position among the hills and bluffs along the main road from Trondheim up to Steinkjer or just beyond. They took over these important outer defenses during the two weeks while the British were landing a mere 1,500 territorials—and these without any heavy armed equipment whatever— up near Namsos. The German com- mand clinched its hold by perfect co-ordination of land, naval and aerial forces, thereby driving back the first contingents of British ter- ritorials and knocking out virtually half of their number. Thaw to Bring Quagmires. Against this kind of generalship and this sort of troops, the British and French will need to use the very best they've got, but the Nor- wegian spring thaw, after the heaviest snows in 50 years or more, is bound to make large-scale mil- itary operations a nightmare in this northern theater for several weeks. No mud that was ever seen on the western front during the last war could begin to approach the quag- ITCHING, BURNING OF ECZEM ickly soothed and comforted. 5‘.’,‘5“.{«:";’ at your druggist's. They were flying singly or in twos |. SOAP ano man of the Washington council of the congress, will preside. . ' CUTICUR OINTMENT 2 3 1,000 See Gun Fight, But Miss Besieged Man's Suicide Takes Life in Bullet- Riddled Room; Dozen Of Curious Wounded By the Associated Press. BURLINGTON, Iowa, April 26.— More than 1,000 curious spectators risked their lives to watch an ap- parently deranged gunman “shoot it out” with a score of officers—and then missed the grand finale. In the solitude of his second-floor room, the gunman Kkilled himself after machine gun bullets ripped away part of the shotgun with which he held off police for two hours here yesterday afternoon. Sheriff Harry Hunt identified the gunman as Henry Reeb, 36, unmar- ried and unemployed. During the battle firemen climbed to the top of the thrle-story build- ing where Reeb lived, lowered a grappling hook and swung it through a window of his room. Clinging to the hook when it was pulled out was—a pair of men's trousers. Whether the hook caught the trousers accidentally or whether Reeb fastened them on it in a ges- ture to authorities will never be known. He died a short time later. One of the purposes of breaking the window was to clear a way to throw tear gas bombs into the room. The wild exchange of gunfire from & shotgun, machine guns and re- volvers resulted, the sheriff said, when Reeb resisted officers who sought to serve an insanity warrant on him at the request of relatives. When the sound of bullets whiz- zing through a street in the heart of the downtown district ended, at least a dozen spectators were wounded, several seriously. All are expected to recover. As hot lead whined across the in- tersection, curious spectators began to gather in doorways and other vantage points to watch the battle. Law enforcement officers from the surrounding territory were called in and for two hours the authoritiés tried to drive Reeb from his quarters with tear gas and bullets. Finally, when the shooting in the room ceased, officers went in with drawn guns to find Reeb crumpled beneath the window from which he had been firing. Woman Dies After Scalding Katherine Bannan, 65, died at Casualty Hospital last night after she was scalded two weeks ago while taking a bath at the Little Sisters of the Poor home, 220 H street N.E. Deputy Coroner Christopher Murphy Lssute: a certificate of accidental leath. e mires which are now in the making along the very inferior Norwegian coastal roads just above 64 degrees latitude, north. One factor in the allies’ expedi- tionaries’ favor may be the limited supplies of shells and munitions which are probably possessed by the Germans as well as what ought soon to be an inferior number of Nazi troops. To this observer, how- ever, it would appear that typically British caution may again play into the German hands. If the Germans are to be driven back down the road to Trondheim before June, only a most determined, expertly organized and audacious onslaught by the allied-Norwegian forces by land and sea (and possibly also by air) seems likely to do it. Thus far, the audacity and organiza- tion in the Trondheim area, and almost everywhere else, has been all on the German side. (Copyright, 1940, Chicago Daily News, Inc.) —_— When Arthritis Flares Up During cold months, when Arthritis and other Rheumatic disorders flare up, it is well to drink Mountain Valley Mineral Water from Hot Springs, Arkansas. Good to taste, not laxative, Moun- tain Valley tends to neutralize acidity, to eliminate poisonous wastes from the body. Mountain Valley is a natural aid| in Kidney, Stomach and Bladder conditions. It may help you. Order a Case Today Send for Free Booklet * Mountain Valley Water from HOT SPRINGS, ARK. High Admits Charges In Short-Weight Case Appearing in Police Court for the second time in little more than a month, Luther W. High, president of the High Ice Cream Co., yesterday pleaded guilty to 10 Government informations charging 40 violations of the District’s weights and meas- ures laws in connection with the short-weight sales of dressed chick- ens at 10 High stores here. Judge John P. McMahon contin- ued the case until May 3 for sen-, tence, declaring he wanted to in- vestigate the facts thoroughly. Informations were sworn to by George M. Roberts, superintendent of weights, measures and markets for the District government, after purchases were made by his agents at various High stores. Assistant Corporation Counsel Milton Korman told the court chick- ens handled in the stores were be- ing sold “dressed” at live weight, the difference being approximately three-fourths pound per chicken. The prosecutor explained that the chickens were weighed at a poultry farm in Maryland and sent to the High establishment with live weight tags attached to each. Furthermore, Mr. Korman said, the investigators found there were no scales in any of the stores. The defense claimed Mr. High had been purchasing chickens on a “consignment basis” from a business associate who owns a poultry farm in aearby Maryland. Mr, Higk said the associate han- dled all transactions and that he relied upon the poultry dealer ex- clusively. China’s annual egg production is estimated at 12,000,000,000. Frederick Sillers Dies; Retired Postal Official Frederick Sillers, 69, former as- sistant superintendent of matils at the City Post Office, died suddenly early today at his home, 1530 Up- shur street N.-W. Death was at- tributed to a heart attack. Mr. Sillers, a native of Washing- ton, entered the employ of the Post Office as a clerk in 1889. In 1904 he was made an assistant superintend- ent. He held the position until shortly before his retirement in 1934, being demoted at his own request 80 as to be eligible for retirement. *% A-5 Well known in music circles, Mr. Sillers sang tenor in several church choirs during his younger years. He was a member of Columbia Lodge of Masons. Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Mabel Donaldson Sillers, and a son, Frederick Sillers, jr. Funeral services will be held at 3 pm. tomorrow at the residence, with burial in Oak Hill Cemetery. Veteran of Indian Wars Dies PRESCOTT, Ariz., April 26 (#).— John 8. Mahoney, 91, national com= mander of the Veterans of Indian Wars in 1934 and 1935, died last night. This is “The Case of the 4 Sack Coats”. It give you a kick —and some worthwhile tips. Last week, a husky 6-footer strode in, a glint in his eye. Ten paces past the door he cut loose with "What’s going on here? They tell me you folks are running away with a big part of the clothing business. I'm here to investigate!” And he did. Gave us the works. Tested fabrics like an expert. Had a magnifying glass to count stitches. Even checked the 210 tailoring operations we put into every suit. Then— “Let me try on this double-breasted.” Fit him like a glove. "Let’s see another.” Four times, four different models. Not a wrinkle = snug collars, smooth shoulders, perfectly draped sleeves.” How do you do it?” he exploded. “They're tailored in Rochester,” we whispered. “So”—with a snort—"tough to pick when they all look so good.” (He eventually took that plaid drape.) Not a smile, still tough as an F. B. I. operative. But as he stalked out, we heard him mutter, "Gee, man!— what clothes!” 25 ‘30 '35 including two trousers CLOTHES 1335 F St. N.W. Listen to Arthur Godfrey, “Sun Djal”* WISV, Every Weekday Morning, 7:45 to 8.