Evening Star Newspaper, June 1, 1940, Page 1

EBRITISH FLAGSHIP NEL ¢ Weather Forecast Cloudy, with occasional light showers tonight and tomorrow; not much change in temperature; gentle southwest winds. Temperatures today—Highest, 77, at 1 p.m.; lowest, 62, at 2:30 a.m. From the United States Weather Bureau report. Full details on Page A-2. Clesing N. Y. Markets—Sales, Page 12. 88th YEAR. No. 35,095. @h ¢ Foeni WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION o Star WASHINGTON, D. C, SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 1940—THIRTY-FOUR PAGES. ** Poilus’ Resistance Over, Berlin Contends; 2 Allied Divisions Feared Lost By the Associated Press. BERLIN, June 1.—An authorized German spokes- man said today that the battleship Nelson, 33,950-ton flagship of the British home fleet, had been sunk with the loss of 700 of her crew of 1,320. The statement was made in response to a question at a press conference and was not volunteered. A correspondent told the spokesman that there had been rumors that the battleship had been sunk, whereupon the spokesman replied that the rumors were true and that 700 crewmen had gone down with the ship. The spokesman declined to give any further details for “military reasons.” The Nelson is Britain's biggest battleship. with a ton- nage of 33,950 and normal complement of 1,361 men. Last February the British admitted she had been damaged by a mine. The Nelson and her sister ship, the Rodney, are the only British warships mounting 16-inch guns. Laid down in 1922, the Nelson cost £7,504,055 (then about $37,500,000). She was capable of about 23 knots. The Nelson and the Rodney were reduced editions of the 48,000-ton battle cruisers ordered in 1921 and canceled under the Washington naval treaty. They were designed to treaty limits. By the Associated Press. F'Holding South Bank, French Say; y 70 Warplanes C Fedi’red fo R;é. F. BACK IN LONDON—Visc¢ount Gort, commander in chief of the British Expeditionary Force, who safely returned to London today. Halian Trade Pacts, Ready for Signing, ‘Withheld by French | Government Spokesmen i Resigned to Prospect of | Duce’s Entrance in War | } By the Associated Press. | ! PARIS, June 1.—France decided today to withhold approval of com- | Gort in England; Thousands More Cross Channel By the Associated Press. LONDON, June 1.—Destruction or | serious damage to 70 German war- planes against 19 British losses in extensive raids over Northern France was reported by the Air Ministry | today. Yesterday's toll, it said, was 56 Nazi planes at a cost of 16 British craft reported missing. Another 14 German planes were shot down about dawn today over Dunkerque, France, with one British plane lost, the ministry said. Medium heavy British bombers attacked German troops, motorized Star delivered (#) Means ‘From Press to Home Within the Hour’ Most people in Washington have The to their homes every evening and Sunday morning. Associated Press, THREE CENTS. columns and artillery in forays yes- | terday and last night in Flanders, | the ministry reported. Torpedo Boat Sunk. It said naval aircraft also had sunk a German torpedo boat off the Belgian coast. The Air Ministry said the battle in the skies yesterday raged un- ceasingly while the Allied withdrawal continded. German bombers, pro- tected by swarms of fighters, came | over hour after hour and. the min- | istry said, the Royal Air Force fight- | ers “waged relentless war against them.” | One announcement said the | British fighters were outnumbered five to one at times. The sound of anti-aircraft guns and machine-guns was heard off the southeast coast of England to- day. German planes were believed | to have been driven off. Shaking ‘Em Down! u. S Embassy Clerk, Interned By British, Educated Here Tyler G. Kent, Son of Foreign Service Ex-Officer, Attended Two D. C. Schools Tyler G. Kent, 29-vear-old clerk | in the American Embassy in London who went to school in Washington, has been discharged and interned by English authorities under their de- fense regulations. Officials here withheld any details of the charges against Kent in order The War Office announced today to protect the interests of this Gov- that Gen. Lord Gort, commander- | ernment. He was born in Newchang, Man- churia, on March 24, 1911. He at- { tended St. Alban's School here from | 1926 to 1929, later attending George ‘Washington University in 1932-33 after first attending Princeton Uni- versity and the Sorbonne and the University of Madrid. Kent was appointed a clerk in | the American Embassy at Moscow German forces wheeled today in an attack on ‘Lhe‘mmm A Somme River—the Allies’ line guarding Paris—as battle—imly which were ready for signa- stained Allied troops snatched from the Nazi death trap :;en e;nw:;rwm ;x::ir‘ne;; in Flanders reached the safety of England. Italy's early entrance into the war. The French said they held against the Nazi onslaught | in-chief of the British Expedition- | ary Force, has returred to England. t clared that Lord Gort returned to | England on the orders of the gov-| | ernment as a result of the "zood| | progress in the evacuation of the A War Office announcement de- | The State Depasiment merely con- | February 12, 1934, remaining there firmed a London announcement that | until he was transferred to London Kent had been “under observation,” | last September 21, shortly after had been discharged from employ- | outbreak of the European war. Offi- ! ment by the American Government | cials said that so far as known here | and had been interned by order of | he did not request the transfer to It has been said that all prepara- on the south bank of the lower Somme in a battle launched | by the Germans yesterday, resumed at dawn today and still going on. b A bridgehead which the French established on the north side | of the river bore the brunt of the German assault, but the Nazis| announced at the foreign office, | , . Btruck also against French positions on the south bank. With the Germans striking along the Somme front while still hemming in remnants of the trapped Allied armies in Flanders, a aew phase of the war began. Attack on France Now Is Expected. The Allies expected, and Germany hinted, a Nazi attempt to roll down on France before loosing any attempt to invade England. Italy still hovered on the sidelines. apparently drawing steadily closer to the decision which might send her armies northward while the Germans pushed southward in a gigantic pincers in France. Unofficial British estimates that all but one division of the B. E. F. had reached Britain meant that about 160,000 Tommies of the 175,000 sent over to face the Nazi “blitzkrieg” had been rescued. The German price for the Flanders triumph, British news- papers said, was half a million men, the toll taken by the Allies’ rear guard fight and their warships and planes surrounding the embarkation from Dunkerque with a screen of steel and explosives. But the Germans estimated they had 1,000,000 Allied prisoners, not counting the Belgians and the Dutch, or will have when the mopup in Flanders and Artois is complete. (The German estimates of prisoners, however, probably exceed the total manpower of all the British and French forces in the battles of the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern France, and the three French armies which the Nazis declared they had smashed in their break-through. Repeated Attacks '26,000 French Taken PARIS, June 1 (#)—New French | positions on the south bank of the | death on British troops seeking to lower Somme were attacked re-|withdraw from Flanders, the Ger- peatedly by the Germans today as | man air force todqy added _five the remnants of the Allies’ retreat- | British transports to its list of sink- ing northern armies hastened their | ings while the .anx infantry was embarkation at Dunkerque with the | reported marching 26,000 French aid of low-hanging rain clouds. | prisoners back to prison camps The French said they held fast from the blood-stained fields around against the Nazi onslaught. Lille. p Bearing the brunt of the German | The German high command an- assault along the Somme was a nhounced that the resistance cf gingle bridgehead which the French | French units trapped in Northeast succeeded in establishing on the | France had been broken, but ad- north side of the river. Lesser at- | mitted that the difficult terrain tacks were launched against French around Dunkerque, rendered worse positions on the south side of the |Dby the flooding from canals, yvas‘ stream. hindering German action against The Germans accompanied their | that port, the Allies’ point of with- assault along the Somme with an |drawal from Flanders. | BERLIN, June 1 (#).—Raining more tions are complete for such an eventuality. “Something is expected to break fairly soon,” said a French spokes- man. The decision on the trade accords, reflected the tenseness that has arisen over Italy's warlike attitude. A Ministry of Information spokes- man had estimated that the ques- tion of Italy’s final decision would | come to a head in the first half of June. Meanwhile, according to French diplomatic reports, Soviet Russia is exerting ‘“stronger pressure” daily on the Baltic states. This was represented as providing | & “serious worry” for Germany, per- | haps partly offsetting Italy's pro- German attitude. The decision on the French-Ital- ian accords was made as the imme- | diate aftermath of a rupture in | economic and contraband control negotiations between Great Britain and Italy, authorized spokesmen | said. | The accords involved are mostly | renewals of previous commitments. | Negotiations had been completed, it | was said, and signatures would have | been affixed in a matter of days. Non-Commissioned Officers Called to Colors by Italy By the Associated Press. ROME, June 1.—Italy today called up 10,000 non-commissioned officers lto supplement a force of 50,000 en- | listed last fall. | Simultaneously spring military | maneuvers were reported under way in Northern Italy, with one full army corps engaged in exercises near Florence. These developments shared the spotlight with the passage through Ttaly of a Spanish military mission, | (See ITALY, Page A-4.) | the British Home Secretary under | London. | B. E. F. and consequent reductions” | defense regulations. | | of the forces in Northern France. | His detention first was hinted at King George VI received Lord ! jast week when dispatches trom] | Gort and conferred on him the in- London reported the arrest of an signia of the Knight of the Grand employe of the American Embassy | Cross of the Order of Bath. in the British counter-espionage | War Council Meets. drive. In announcing Kent's arrest in London today the British Home | Secretary issued the following state- ment to the Associated Press: “In consequence of action taken by the American Ambassador in co- operation with British authorities, While all of London's evening | papers proclaimed the Germans had lost half a million men in their attempt to wipe out the B. E. F., an official announcement said the | Allied Supreme War Council met yesterday in Paris and reached full | agreement regarding all measures which the situation calls for.” The official announcement of the war council meeting said the ses- sion “gave full proof that the Allied | government and peoples are more than ever implacably resolved to pursue in the closest possible con- | cord their present struggle until| complete victory is achieved.” Meanwhile thousands more of | British and French troops were ar- riving in England from Flanders. Gen. Gort was likened by the Brit- ish press to Sir John Moore, hero of | the Peninsular War, who saved his army from annihilation by Napo- leon's troops. R. A. F. Guards Evacuation. Boatloads of soldiers moved stead- | ily across the Channel. The move- | ment was screened by the Royal Air Force. Increasing numbers of Gen. Pri- | oux’s French troops fought through | (See LONDON, Page A-4. | Driver, 5, Safe in Crash LOS ANGELES, June 1 (#)—Five- year-old Johnny Sanborn sat in his | aunt’s parked automobile. | He kept fiddling around with Lhe} controls until the thing started off with him, much to his panic. Down the street, the car jumped a curb, cut across a lawn and smashed into Mrs. Margaret Dunstan’s residence, \British Claim 100,000 Saved From Flanders Death Trap All But One Division of 15,000 Men Reported Taken Across Channel | not allowed to come ashore and none Kent was the son of a former American Foreign Service officer and was highly recommended to the State Department. His mother is understood to be living in Wash- ington now. Tyler Kent, a clerk who has heen dismissed from the employment of the American Government, has been | under observation and has been de- | tained by order of the Home Sec- | retary.” 1,100 Americans Seek Passage Home on Liner Roosevelt Some War Refugees May Be Left Behind When Ship Sails Today By J. NORMAN LODGE, Associated Press Foreign Correspondent. GALWAY, Ireland, June 1.—Nearly 1,100 Americans sought passage home on the liner President Roose- velt amid confusion today. Passengers had their tickets, but at noon nobody knew whether they ‘were actually going on board. ‘There were reports here the liner ‘Washington would call for passen- gers left behind because plans to carry some passengers between decks were cancelled without explanation. The youngest passenger scheduled to sail was Elizabeth Ellen Kennedy of West Orange, N. J, born two | months ago. The child’s father, an | English citizen, is staying behind. The ship arrived off Salt Hill late last night and took on 600 tons of fuel and other supplies. While it waited with steam up, customs officials searched all baggage. The only reason for the unusual pro- cedure was that they were “told that someone was trying to take out considerable money.” Unofficially it was explained that the search was for explosives. The crew of the President Roosevelt was but bona fide passengers were al- lowed on the tender or the liner. Today’s high command commu- BlismnG dofland {EEE Vags il nique indicated a German offensive The ship is expected to sail late 'Man, 27, Found Shot; Another Arrested, Friend Hunted Washingtonian Near Death in Hospital Of Head Wound BULLETIN. Harvey Fritter, wanted by police for questioning in connec- tion with the shooting of William D. Hennessy, jr., in Mount Rainier, Md., early today, was arrested this afternoon at his apartment, 437 Tenth street NE. He was taken to the ninth precinct station and held for Prince Georges County authorities, A 27-year-old Washington man was found shot through the head on Otis street in Mount Rainier, | Md., early today. While the victim—William D. Hennessy, jr., of 626 M street SW.— lay at the point of death in Cas- ualty Hospital, Prince Georges County police searched for a friend with whom he was seen last night after arresting a third man they had Joined at a nearby Maryland night club. Mr. Hennessy was found crumpled on the sidewalk in front of 3226 Otis street, the home of W. S. Tomp- kins, a printer with the United States News. Mr. Tompkins told police he was awakened about 4 o'clock by an “awful explosion.” Mr. Tompkins discovered the vic- U. 5. Navy's Largest Battleship Launched Amid Precautions Walsh Declares Program Will Protect Nation From Any Attack By the Associated Press PHILADELPHIA. June 1—The 35.000-ton battleship Washington. first capital ship addition to the United States fleet since 1921, was | launched into the Delaware River at the Philadelphia Navy Yard to- | day before a cheering crowd of 30,000. Wartime restrictions the navy yard as the $65900,000 | "battle wagon’ ’slid down the ways. Fifteen-year-old Virginia Mar- shall, great-great-great grand- | daughter of Chief Justice John Marshall, christened the battleship |in honor of her home State, Wash- ington. Chairman Walsh of the Senate Naval Affairs Committee, declared Mn an address to the gay throngs of spectators that the launching signalled the “beginning of a renais- sance of naval preparedness” that will protect the United States from any attack. “The American people,” said Mr. Walsh, “are determined at all costs to prepare for any eventuality that may follow the European war.” Referring to controversy over the relative merits of air power and sea power, Mr. Walsh contended that “an adequate Navy, capable of meeting and defeating an enemy's navy at sea, is the only sure way that war can be kept at a safe dis- tance from our coasts and the only sure way to bring a war to a close.” Construction Figures, As evidence that other powers have not lost faith in the need for | battleships, Mr. many had recently completed two and has four under construction, | Italy had completed two and has two building, Japan—on ‘“positive | information”—is building four and “it is believed that she actually has | eight or more under construction,” | Great Britain has nine building, France has completed two and has | four under construction. | He added that the United States | had completed one today, would complete another on June 13 and had six under construction. In considering British naval | losses by air attack, Mr. Walsh con- tinued, one should take note that | the British Navy operated under “the worst possible conditions.” “Due to the limited range of air- craft, our self-sufficiency in food, and our geographical location, the United States is not confronted with | & similar situation,” he said. | Mounts 16-Inch Guns. The Washington, mounting nine | 16-inch guns, exceeds by 1,600 blanketed Walsh said Ger-| SON REPORTED SUNK \Congres' acks Billion Boo In Arms Funds Roosevelt's Guard Plan Encounters Sharp Opposition By the Associated Press. Congress rallied unhesitatingly today behind President Roosevelt | call for another billion to fortify the ramparts of national defense but there was sharp dissension ir the ranks over his request for powes | to call out the National Guard if needed. From both ‘parties came staunch support for the broadened prepared- ness plans. Representative Martin | of Massachusetts, the Republican leader, said his party would join in | every effort to improve defenses. The latest arms recommendations gave the Nation a prospective mil- | itary bill roughly three-fourths of the $6.148,795,000 spent for the Army and Navy during America’s first full fiscal year in the World War. $4,672,011,352 Total. | | Although Mr. Roosevelt spoke in ' round terms of “more than a billion | dollars,” authoritative quarters said that the expenditures contemplated | in yesterday’s special message wouid come to $1375000000. Added to regular and extraordinary measures now pending, this would make a total of $4,672,011352. While Congress evinced readiness to vote the mounting millions, Mr. Roosevelt's accompanying National Guard recommendation encountered prompt opposition, Senator Vandenberg, Republican, of Michigan told reporters the re=- | quest for power to call out the Na- tional Guard if necessary to main- tain neutrality was a ‘“shocking” proposal which sounded as if the President wanted to be able to order a partial mobilization by Executive authority alone. Senators Wheeler, Democrat, of Montana, Nye, Repub- lican, of North Dakota and Bridges, Republican, of New Hampshire, seconded this view. Senator Austin, Republican, of Vermont, a consistent supporter of the Roosevelt foreign policy, said the proposal was “unfortunate” and would “have an adverse effect on | harmony between the President and Congress.” Woodring Explains. “What does he know that we | don't know that would justify him in implying that it would be necessary to call out the Natfonal Guard to enforce neutrality?” he inquired Secretary Woodring sought to clarify the situation a state- ment explaining that the War De= partment had asked that the aue thority be sought, but had no pres= ent intention of using it. If it should later become neces- sary to call out the National Guard, Secretary Woodring said, the initial purpose would be to give the men field training and seasoning such as is given the Regular Army. Gen. George C. Marshall, Army chief of staff, it was recalled, re= ;cently told a congressional come~ mittee he opposed Guard mobiliza= tion as long as it could be avoided, He pointed out that it would draw | men away from jobs connected with | the defense program. Sheppard Supports Plan. Supporting the presidential ree |Quest for National Guard power, Senator Sheppard, Democrat, of | Texas said he approved because “we | must be prepared for any emer- |gency.” Chairman May of the House Military Committee ane nounced that the necessary legisla= tion would be introduced Monday |and quickly passed alang to the House for action. In asking for more rearmament | funds, Mr. Roosevelt said that “the | almost incredible events of the past | two weeks” in Europe made the money necessary to hasten prompt and big deliveries of guns, ammu-~ | nition and fire control equipment, and also to train a vast group of specialists for work in industry and in Army and Navy service. Details of the program will be | given to congressional committees I next week by War and Navy De- (See DEFENSE, Page A-4) Presidmfill Take | tons the largest ship the Navy| |now has afloat. However, the| . | Washington and a sister ship, (he‘week-End crulse North Carolina, which will be/ launched at the New York Navy FPlanning a week end cruise down Yard later this month, will not join | the river on the White House yacht the Channel coast between Dun- kerque and Boulogne, which they hold. | - carrying | against Allied troops in a forest| h:;l]f;;tzs ?:»erg t°§§g§md i mrgsugl south of Abbeville, near the wesm-l against small harbors and fishing | ern terminus of the German for- | villages. ward line in France, and a sally Massed Infantry Attacks. against French forces at Lechesne, | on the other end of the line. Masses of infantry, supported by | ~ An authoritative source said the tanks, planes and artillery were re- | was stirring along all fronts. | It reported bombing attacks By the Associated Press. A SOUTHEAST COAST PORT IN ENGLAND, June 1—Britain exulted today at one of the greatest military rescues of all time as it was | estimated unofficially that all save one division of the British expedi- | tionary force—a division originally numbering 15,000—had been brought back from the German death trap in Flanders. The strength of the B. E. F. sent into Belgium at the outset of the great war in the west was placed at 175,000 men. How many were killed in the spectacular 20-day campaign is not ascertained. At all odds, how- ever, some unofficial sources put the number of returned men at well ported by military spokesmen to have taken part in the German at- tempts to force a crossing of the Somme. The Germans found their way blocked by strong defenses which the French constructed during mop- | ping up operations along this front last week. The French reported last night that they had liquidated the last German bridgehead on the south bank of the river in the vicinity of Abbeville, The first German attacks were laurrched yesterday noon and were continued until nightfall without letup. At dawn today the Germans | high command probably would an- nounce the tabulation of its collec- tion of guns, war equipment ana | other booty abandoned by the Allies ;in Flanders in an all-embracing | communique. The spokesman said | these stores are ‘“enormous.” | He described British reports of | orderly retreat from Flanders as ‘_‘h_loody irony” and “shameful cyn- icism.” | The Germans | naval successes: | Five British transports bombed and sunk outside Dunkerque, One destroyer and one sub- | marine sunk by German torpedo 4 speedboats. Three destroyers or eruisers e reported (See PARIS, Page A-7.) ) | (See BERLIN, Page A-2) these | above 100,000. Although it was announced def- | inite figures could not be released as yet, informed sources reported a | tremendous increase in the numbers | of homecoming troops within the last 24 hours. When King Leopold III ordered the surrender of the Belgian army last Tuesday and thus laid open the Allied left flank, the B. E. F. | appeared to be faced with the al- | ternatives of putting up the white | flag or being annihilated by an on- rushing German army of some 1,000,000 men. ‘There has been neither surrender nor annihilation. Covering the withdrawal of the British Army Hitler sought to destroy, British and ) o French forces still are waging a furious rearguard action aaginst the Nazis closing in on the narrow- ing Dunkerque corridor. Allied naval guns and the Allied air forces are supporting the with- drawal and embarkation, proceed- ing under the additional cover of a | low-lying fog that has hampered the “operations of the numerically su- perior German air force. One officer returning from Flanders said the commander of the B. E. F., Gen. Lord Gort, faced the danger of the rearguard battle with the humblest of his men. The general returned to England today. French pollus fought side by side (See B. E. F., Page A-3) ) tonight under sealed orders. The liner had' extra berth accom- modations ready and cots were placed in the public rooms. Rush May Delay Sailing Of Liner From Genoa GENOA, June 1 (#)—The rush of Americans eager to quit Italy before the Mediterranean is bottled up by possible spread of the war threat- ened today to delay the sailing of the liner Manhattan until tomorrow. Officials who had hoped to start the ship back for the United States today were handicapped by a jam of 2,000 passengers—almost all of them Americans. Some who had to be turned away offered as high as $1,000 for the $200 to $400 tickets—without takers. Offices of United States repre- sentaiives were filled with crowds, ‘weeping, pleading. Shipping officials said another 1800 Americans had reservations in advance to sail on the liner Wash- ington—but there was no indication when it would reach Genos. tim lying near a hedge, his head bleeding profusely. At Casualty Hospital, doctors said a preliminary examination showed that a 30-caliber bullet had been nessy’s forehead, G, Page A-2) The Spirit on The Air Tune in WMAL at 9:30 o’clack tonight for a dramatization of the first episode of the thrilling story of The Spirit, one of the three new Comic Book personalities to be brought to Washington newspaper readers by The Sunday Star to- morrow. 2 The Spirit, Lady Luck and Mr. Mystic will appear each Sunday in the new Comic Book of The Sun- day Star, which is in addition to the regular comie favorites familier to all Sunday Star readers. § — | the channel the fleet for more than a year. Coast Guard orders stayed ship- ping on the Delaware at least four hours for 2 miles on each side of the Navy Yard while the 750-foot warship was eased into off League Island. Stringent precautions were taken both in air and on land to prevent unauthorized photographs. A police guard was established on the New Jersey side of the river and only authorized visitors were permitted in the yard. When completed, the Washington will carry 1450 officers and men, | have a radius of 5,000 miles and a cruising speed of 28 to 30 knots. It is the first of 68 vessels the Navy is rushing to completion. Belgian Corps Reported Still Fighting With Allies BY the Associated Press. NEW YORK, June 1.—A British Broadcasting Corp. announcement heard this morning by N. B. C. said “at least one Belgiam army corps w’lulfinl side by side with the 8.’ Potomac, President Roosevelt sched- uled only three appointments today, Those to see him are Henry Luce, | magazine publisher, recently re- turned from Europe; Chairman | James Lawrence Fly of the Federal | Communications Commission and Senator Pepper, Democrat, of Florida. As his guest aboard the Potomac Mr. Roosevelt invited Senator and Mrs. Byrnes of South Carolina and Secretary of Commerce Hopkins. Miss Marguerite Le Hand, personal secretary to the President, also was to be in the party. Bulletin Gafencu Resigns BUCHAREST _ (P).—Foreign Minister Grigore Gafencu re- signed today because of “ill health” and was immediately replaced by Ion Gigurtu, Min- ister of Communications and a close friend of the German government. '