Evening Star Newspaper, January 13, 1942, Page 2

Two Extra Pages In This Edition Late news and sports are covered on Pages 1-X and 2-X of this edition of The Star, supplementing the news of the regular home delivered edition. Closing N. Y. Markets—Sales. Page 12. 90th YEAR. No. 35,686. ch WASHINGTON, MacArthur Shatters Jap Attack, Dispersing Tanks and Silencing 11 Batteries in 24-Hour Battle InPriceBill Nipponese Troops Are Forced To Withdraw; Tarakan Lost, Dutch Declare American and Philippine forces, led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, have inflicted a shattering defeat on Japanese tanks and other armored units in a 24-hour artillery battle, silencing 11 enemy batteries and forcing the attackers to withdraw with heavy casualties, the War Department announced today, Marking an important victory on the Philippine front, the communique summarizing the military situation up to 9:30 am. today declared that American losses were relatively slight. American and Filipino artillery batteries “proved definitely superior” to the Japanese, the War Department said, adding that columns of enemy tanks, other armored units and infantry were “shattered and dispersed.” The usual artillery battery in the world's armies consists of four guns. On this basis the report from the Philippines would credit the defenders with wiping out 44 field guns, a considerable measure of fire power in the comparatively small fighting area. Japanese dive bombers supported the enemy artillery fire, the eommunique said, but there were no enemy bombing attacks on the fortifications at the southern tip of Batan or Corregidor Is- land, the guardian of Manila Bay. Dutch Bombers Slash at Armada. Meanwhile, Dutch bombers were reported slashing &t a Japa- nese invasion armada off the Japanese-conquered island of Tara- kan, Dutch North Borneo, as cheering word spread that Anglo- American reinforcements were en route to the new Far East battle zone. Simultaneously, British dispatches declared cryptically that an important announcement could be expected at any moment “which may change the Malayan situation considerably in Britain's favor.” Taken together, these seemed to indicate that powerful Allied counterblows may soon be struck. British troops seeking to check the 8-mile-a-day advance of Japanese invaders of Malaya dug in on a new defense line 150 miles north of Singapore under hammering by Rising Sun bombers. Singapore had another heavy raid by Japanese planes, and bombs literally shook the city. Little damage was revealed after- ward. however. Washington military observers pointed out that the Mikado's invasion hordes, striking in Malaya, China, the Philippines and the Netherlands Indies, had now spread out dangerously thin and become vulnerable to a concerted Allied counterstroke. Netherlands Indies headquarters at Batavia acknowledged that its garrison at Tarakan had been compelled to surrender in the face of overwhelming odds, but said Japanese conquest of the tiny, oil-rich island off the northeast coast of Borneo was “very costly to the invader.” was announced. ¢+ A small part of the garrison escaped, it | Sub Sinks Ship 160 Miles Off Nova Scofia 94 Lost, 89 Saved in Closest Torpedoing Yet Reported By the Associated Press. AN EAST CCAST CANADIAN | PORT, Jan. 13.—A large steamship | has been torpedoed and sunk by a | submarine 160 rriles off the Nova Scotia coast withi the last 35 hours | and survivors reaching here esti- | the most today that 94 lives had been | body had taken. | mated lost. saved. Although Japsnese submarines | have operated within sight of the | United States West Coast and sub- | marines have been reported within sight of Newfoundland. this is the closest sinking that has occurred in | the battle of the Atlantic. | Victims of Cold Weather. | Of those rescued 55 were Chinese and 23 were waite. Four white crewmen and tbout 90 Chinese crewmen and passengers were lost. Most of those lost were victims of near zero weather while afloat on | rafts and small toats. Dennis P. Car-oll of Southamp- Eighty-nine persons were ton, England, one of the survivors,| 0f the House members, it was re- said the ship wert down 20 minutes | ported. to enlist their support in a after she was hi, by a torpedo on | campaign to defeat in a joint Sen- | the starboard side about 7:40 p.m. and by a second torpedo soon after from the port s.de. Torpedo Hits Man. | wages which, if granted, would raise | One of the men lost, an Irish| naval gunner, wa: thrown overboard by the first expiosion and the sec- ond torpedo strick him before it i hit the ship, on: of the survivors | reported. Five boats and six rafts got away, | but David Hugkes of Vancouver, | British Columbis. one of the sur- vivors, said that out of 39 Chinese on the raft only 1'was alive when | a rescue ship ar:ived. Navy PilotstisT:ipfled For Stunting Over Bethesda| ‘Three pilots from the Anacostia Naval Air Station have been “disciplined” for stuntirg over Be- | gple bounds and not stir up dissen- thesda, Md., Frday morning, the | Senator Bombs Shake Singapore SINGAPORE, Jan. 13 (# —Jap- anese bomber formations, lashing out ahead of enemy troops only about 150 miles north of this de- fense bastion, literally shook Singa- pore today with bursting bombs. Preliminary surveys, disclosed little damage. Unlike yesterday, when the air battle was fought high in the clouds or at a distance from the city, the 750.000 inhabitants of the island were aware that a battle of the skies was on in dead earnest. Bomb explosions and an intense anti-aircraft barrage shook build- ings in several parts of the city and rattled windows. (Although no specific targets were mentioned in the dispatch, the Japanese would be most like- 1y to wenter on the naval base on the northern shore of the 26-by- 14-mile island. (The proximity of the battle sounds to the city itself, in the {Japs Take Tarakan | BATAVIA, Netherlands Indies, | | Jan. 13 (#).—Japanese invaders have | Navy said today | The Navy explained that the fly- | ers, who had had very little solo work, were “overenthusiastic” and island of Tarakan, off Northeast | Borneo, but a stubbornly fighting | little Dutch garrison held them off until all oil flelds and all equipment were thoroughly demolished, it was announced officially late tonight. ? Only then, the Aneta News Agency |said, did the garrison’s survivors surrender. | running it, and a communique said only remnants of the garrison es- caped to the mainland. This first Japanese conquest of | Netherlands Indies territory, how- | trainer planes. captured the little oil-producing | decided to do experimental flying in | | ‘WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION Roosevelf Sees Double Threat Fears Rising Costs For Both Labor And Farmer B) the Associated Press. President Roosevelt was reported today to have told a group of House members that farm amendments in the Senate price control bill would lead to a spiral of increased prices for both labor and the farmer. Members of the Banking Com- mittee had said earlier as they left the White House conference that the President had left them with a “free hand.” Well-informed ocongressional sources said Mr. Roosevelt had told the five Congress members that the | O'Mahoney amendment written into : the bill on the Senate floor last | waak tying parity prices directly | to the level of industrial wages was objectionable action that 25 Pct. Rise Feared. The Chief Executive was repre- sented as believing that if that formula were adopted, the ceilings on agricultural commodities which might be imposed would be raised considerably higher than otherwise. Then labor would demand higher the farm ceilings still farther. Opponents of the O'Mahoney ‘amendment said it wouul prohibit the imposition of ceilings below 120 per cent of parity and might lead to a 25 per cent increase in food pricee. The President called the meeting ate-House conference committee that amendment, as well as one by Bankhead. Democrat. of Alabama, which would give Secre- tary of Agriculture Wickard veto power over any farm price ceilings that Leon Henderson, price admin- istrator, might set. One of the conferees expressed the opinion that the controversy between two appointees of the Chief Execu- tive could be settled more quickly than the argument over the farm sections of the legislation. Chairman Steagall of the Banking Committee said at the White House that the President “recommended | we get the best bill we could. and | we said we would.” President’s Purposes. Representative Wolcott. lican, of Michigan said the President wanted to help farmers all he could and yet keep prices within reason- Repub- | 1 | sion. Chief Executive had not put the congressional delegation “on the spot” and had given it a fres hand. The committee members who will Their activiti’s, however, were | represent the House in trying to | enough to brinz numerous com- | plaints from residents of the Be- ! thesda area and .o cause the princi- ‘pal of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase flying to the Civil Aeronautics Ad- | ministration. The C. A. A. referred | Spence. Democrat. of Kentucky, and | | the complaint to the Navy and there | Gifford, Republican, of Massachu- Large numbers of Japanese had i ifyi setts. oitea onth! Tarakan) Heealls aver: | 85 little trouble in identifying the | pilots since thex had flown so low | persons on the ;round could easily ] read the numbers on the planes, :Slraus> Ouits U. S.fi H.rA., High School to report the stunt | Wolcott, were Representatives Wwil- | | ever, was made “very costly to the | invader.” and the Dutch and Allied | air forces are continuing to pound | the Japanese transports and fleet | lving off the island, it was an- To Get New Federal Post Nathan Straus, administrator of | Mr. Wickard. | Roosevelt. | nounced. Transport Claims Repeated. A communique recorded the pre- viously announced direct hits scored fields on the island.) . | by Dutch Army bombers on two Singapore was attacked repeatedly | japanese transports off Tarakan. A from the air yesterday. An official| special announcement, issued after statement declared that 125 Japanese | the regular communique yesterday, planes in three separate waves took | first had disclosed these attacks in part in the attacks, but described | which the Dutch said a direct hit damage as insignificant. At least | 4)55 was scored on an enemy cruiser. abx of 'dhe zaldersiwere freponiec [B6E miaiine Japanese dropped 30 destroyed. > 2 | heavy bombs on Kolonedale, an east e dapaneis ;"gfif&,‘;“gg_‘ | coast port on the Island of Celebes, | injuring a non-commissioned officer, ljr:k?t":mgu;‘:gS;:;;;o?:Stwg?évk; iand later bombed Ternate on the they said was carried out in the (See INDIES, Page A-5.) face of heavy anti-aircraft fire.) southern part, indicated. how- ever, that the raiders may also have been pounding Singapore’s | port section or the scattered air- | the United State: Housing Authority since its establishment, has resigned, | but President Rojsevelt has withheld | acceptance pencing the placing of | Mr. Straus in alother Government position. Mr. Straus cslled at the White | House this moriing to discuss his | resignation and ‘old reporters after- | him to continus for a few weeks | longer. | His resignation was submitted | about a week ago. according to | Stephen Early, White House press | secretary. | Mr. Early se.d the reason the | resignation had not as yet been ac- Icepted was due to the President’s “high regard” for Mr. Straus’s abilities and a cesire to find a new ward that the President had asked | | farm ceiling shall be set below 11 Smash at Retreating Troops. Other Japanese bombers smashed Estate of $1,874,203 place for him ir. the administration. work out a compromise with the Senate on the price control bill and who called on Mr. Roosevelt in addi- | tion to Representatives Steagall and of Missouri: liams, - Democrat, Some Senaters said that the spir- ited controversy over control by Sec- | retary Wickard and Mr. Henderson, might be compromised by a pro- vision that no farm ceilings could be set without prior consultation with ‘That middle-of-the-road provi- | sion, they said, might satisfy farm- State members as well as President House Provisions. It also might lead, they said. to | abandonment of the 120 per cent of | parity amendment in favor of House | provisions which stipulate that no| 0 per cent of parity, the December 11 market level or the average prices from 1919 to 1929. i Meanwhile, administration lieu- tenants also were seeking Senate- House compromises on daylight sav- ing time, appropriations for civilian defense and for defense housing. Senate Majority Leader Barkley expressed belief that on the first question there would be little dif- ficulty. The Senate bill would give the President discretion to advance | the clocks as much as two hours in | ¢ Foening. Star D. C., TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1942 (REISER 'CORN FIELD, MR.CITY SLICKER. F ANYBODY CUTS [ THIS—IM GOING Readers Prefer The Star More than twice as many people read ‘The Star in the afternoont and evening in Washington thah any other news- paper. ‘Telephone National 5000 and delivery at your home will start immediately. (UP) Means Associated Press. THREE CENTS. Young Deplores Lack of District Defense Funds House Unit Is Told City Has Big Problem; ‘Very Little’ Money By JAMES E. CHINN. Lack of adequate funds to finance ‘l,he District’s vitally important de- | fense program was deplored today | by Commissioner Young before the special House committee investigat- ing defense migrs.non. “We have a big problem and we are expected to do something big.” he declared. “But we have very little to do it with.” Commissioner Young. defense co- ordinator for the District, was the first witness called by the committee as it began a study of Washington's civilian morale. Committee mem- bers bombarded him with so many questions about the District’s emer- gency needs he was forced to forego the reading of a prepared statement. | outlining in detail the city’s eivilian defense setup. Congress Provided No Money. In response to a series of questions by Chairman Tolan, Mr. Young, de- Willkie Put on List 0f Umpires for New ‘War Labor Board Roosevelt Is Selecting Men to Serve With Industrial Agency BY the Associated Press. President Roosevelt has selected ‘Wendell L. Willkie, the man he defeated for the presidency in 1940, as one of a number of umpires and arbitrators to assist the new 12- man war labor board. and discussed the job with Mr. Willkie today. Stephen Early. presidential secre- tary, indicated Mr. Willkie had not :Snbotage Hinted as 55 Flee Gas-Filled Ship | By the Associated Press. WILMINGTON, Calif. Jan. 13— Joseph Stewart, head of the Califor- | nia Shipbuilding Corp. plant protec- tion department, said today that a possible attempt by saboteurs to asphyxiate 55 workers Sunday was | discovered before any were injured | seriously. | Carbon dioxide gas was released | from two cylinders of the automatic | fire” extinguishing ~ system. | Prosecufor’s Plga To Take Stand in Hill Case Refused Maloney Seeks Chance definitely accepted the position, and | said the list was incomplete. Mr. Willkie had no comment to| make when he left the White House. | The labor board, with William H. | (Picture on Page B-1) Davis as chairman, was created late | William Power Maloney, special yesterday by executive order and is assistant to the Attorney General, armed with authority to submit | offered today to take the witness labor disputes to binding arbitra- | stand and testifv in the perjury case tion to keep war industries operating | he is prosecuting against George at full speed. It superseded the Hill, second secretary to Representa- Defense Mediation Board, and will | tive Hamilton Fish—but was turned absorb its functions and most of its | down after a conference of attorneys employes. | with Justice F. Dickinson Letts. To Disprove Charge of ‘Planting’ Evidence | It was Mr. Wolcott who said the | umpire for each trade, Mr. Early replied that he could not describe | the exact machinery the war labor board would use but that in most of its important cases it would work as-a panel and sitting with the members would be an umpire. Mr. Willkie has consulted the Chief Executive with comparative frequency in recent months and there have been repeated rumors that he would be asked to take a Government position, particularly since he has been a strong supporter of most aspects of the administra- tion’s foreign policy. The War Labor Board is an out- strikes and lockouts during the war ful means. Four Represent Public. Mr. Davis, the New York patent Asked whether there would be an | Prosecutor Maloney, who expects to close the Government's case to- | day, declared he wanted to disprove the charge shouted out in District Court yesterday by Defense Counsel | John J. O'Connor—that evidence had been “planted” to prejudice Mr. | Hill's case. | Hill is charged with falsely telling a grand jury investigating Nazi | activities that he did not order cer- tain filled mail bags placed in the storeroom of the New York Repre- sentative. The bags in question have been lving in the courtroom during each | trial session. ~Yesterday. Mr. Ma- loney reached in one and pulled {out an envelope franked by former | growth of the recent industry-labor | Representative Thorkelson of Mor- | conference which agreed to end|tana—then read to the jury of its contents, a purported interview with | and to settle all disputes by peace- | Hitler. | Mr. Hill's attornev was on his | feet in a flash, shouting: “I'm willing to say that the Thorkelson speech was plnmeg | claring he did not want to appear critical, said Congress had not ap- | propriated any funds specifically for civilian defense here The 1943 budget framed last sum- mer and sent to Congress by Presi- | dent Roosevelt last week. he ex- plained, failed to carry any items | for civilian defense because it was | shaped “to fit the cloth.” | The Commissioners, however, he | said, are preparing supplemental | estimates which will go “pretty far” | to augment the public health serv- ices which are overtaxed by the heavy influx of war workers “What has been appropriated for 5 | civilian defense?” inquired Chair- Responding to a personal plea man Tolan. from House and Senate District| “Actually, Congress hasn't appro- | Committee chairmen that action be priated anything,” was the reply. | delayed on transfer of 12 Govern- | “We were allocated $2.400,000 un- ! ment bureaus from Washington. der the Lanham Defense Public President Roosevelt today agreed Works Act. but we had asked for | to consult with W. E. Revnolds.! $6000,000. That money will be spent | commissioner of public buudmgs.‘m,ge]y for extensions to the water, | on the problem of office space in the | sewer and fire alarm systems. Capital. 2 “In the President's $100.000.000 Announcement of this decision emergency fund we had in a modest was made by Chairmen McCarTan request for $300.000 for additional and Randolph of the District Com- | fire-fighting equipment. Later we | mittees after a 20-minute confer- | ;qiced the figure to $1,000,000 to pro- {ence with the President at the (ije underground water reservoirs, | White House shortly before noon. water storage tanks above the | Indicating their encouragement ground and hose for fire-fighting. | at this plan of the Chief Executive g "iy.i was cut down. I see no to explore the issue further. rtlem | hope of getting anything. They seem legislators pointed out to reporters ",y we should go along like | on leaving the White House lhlt.‘ other municipalities.” {“we know Mr. Reynolds has facts | g, micioner Young said the Dis- and figures substantiating our con- | PTHC RCORET FHRE B b tention that wholesale transfers are | ¢, 0., 000 rom the Treasurv in the | not immediately necessary. so-called “blackout bill.” and some No Time for Visit Set. | of that money is now being used for No time was specified for MTI. gefense equipment | Reynolds visit to the White House. | “The defense plans are in pretty | but the congressional leaders said | gooq shape, and I am proud of they expected the President to seek | them » he summarized. “but we have | further information in & day or two. | gone all of those things without spe- | Promptly on his return to (he‘cm appropriations.” | Capital. Senator McCarran con- ' Questioned about plans for civilian | ferred with his advisers regarding | air_raid shelters, Commissicner | his resolution which would prohibit young said they were being han- | transfer from Washington of 8NV gleq by the Federal Governmert. | of the old line agencies without the Byt he added, “they want us to consent of Congress. do the planning—select the types | He told them the President had gng pick out the sites—and fhat's agreed to call into conference M. | going to cost us $40.000 or $50,000, Reynolds, representatives of the even' though the Federal Govern- ‘Bmli’%et Btuk:"Du' :n_dt‘:: fl"“}:f(rh‘e’: ment is going to build the shelters.” traffic in the Distric see Wi £ i bt gl g District Is No. 1 City. with decentralization or if some com- | When the hearing began. Chair- promise could be made with the man Tolan explained the commit- alternative plans proposed by the tee’s interest in civilian morale in congressional group. ine B}sEEici e | “Senator McCarran announced em- ‘Washington is the number 1 de- Roosevel fo Confer 'With Buildings Chief On Agency Shifts McCarran and Randolph Call at White House; Announce De: ) phatically that the White House | conference today has not altered | his determination to press for the | earliest possible action on his re- | fense city in the United States.” he said. “Many people have left their home States to come here to rake jobs or look for them. After the war, ‘Washington, like other defense cen- lawver who also headed the De-| "~ (See HILL. Page A-6) fense Mediation Board. will be one | eI A of four men representing the public.' Industry and labor will be repre- sented by four each. with labor's British Report Torpedoing e 1. 0 ana e a > Ifalian Supply Ship Members aside from Mr. Davis| oo ascociated Press. = LONDON, Jan. 13—The Admiralty Public—Dr. George W. Taylor,|tonight announced a 5222-to professor of economics at the Uni-| rtalian supply ship had been tor- versity of Pennsylvania, who Wm?pedoed_ another Axis supply ship of | serve as vice chairman: Dr. Prank | medium size had been set afire by P. Graham, president of the Uni-|gynfire, and an Italian minesweeper | versity of North Carolina and, like| sypk by British submarines in the | Mr. Davis, a member of the Defense | pediterranean. Mediation Board, and Dr. Wayne L.| " The Admiralty identified the Morse, dean of the University of | minesweeper as the Santa Pietio, Oregon law school and chairman of the presidential fact-finding | was damaged seriously. and said the supply ship, the Sirio, | Mr. Straus has been at odds with | defense areas to conserve electrical | at British troops attempting to hold | Lefl by Lord LOthiflfl a new defense line after abandoning | Kuala Lumpur in a retreat described | gy 1ne Associated Press. as carried out with good order and | | ONDON, Jan. 13.—Lord Lothian, relatively few casualties. | British Ambassador to Washington The air assault apparently Was| gt the time of his death, December designed to prepare the way for &) 15 1940, left an estate of £464.199 resumption of the overland offen- | (g} g74203). it was announced today. Kive in which the Japanese have The names of the heirs have not ;_ivnnced some 300 miles from the ' peen disclosed. ailand border since they began | e Abandonment 2 4 = 2 of Kuala ilumpuy Peter Francis Walter Kerr. important rubber center and capital other Governmeat housing admini- strators over the question of defense housing. |Greek King May Visit U. S. LONDON, Jsn. 13 (A.—King George of Greecs and Premier Em- manuel Tsouderss of the Greek gov- | ernment-in-exile soon will visit the | United States at President Roose- | velt's invitation, the Daily Mail re- | ported today. of the Federated Malay States, was confirmed by the British last night. | Earlier a communique had reported (See MALAYA, Page A-5.) | Summary of Foreign. | British take Salum, Nazis Execute Parisian BERLIN, Jan. 13 (Official Broad- | cast) ().—A Parisian identified only as Gourlot was executed Janu- | ary 9 for having arms in his pos- | session, the German commander | of Paris announced today. Air-Raid Alarm ‘The Office of Civilian Defense for the Metropolitan Area has asked The Star to publish for the information of the public these air-raid signals for the entire region, inclyding nearby Virginia and Maryland: Alarm—Five short blasts at half-second intervals, sounded three consecutive times, a total of 15 blasts. All clear—Three long blasts of one and one-half seconds each. ending Axis threat in Libya. Page A-3 Nazis reported massed in Italy for attack on Malta. Page A-3 Occupied nations pledge post-war punishment for enemies. Page A-3 Batan Peninsula. Russians forming two pincers actions on northern front. Page A-4 Chinese begin drive against towns held by Japanese. Page A-5 at Rio conference. Page A-6 | National. Willkie chosen for umpire post in war labor work. Page A-1 Roosevelt intervenes in dispute over price control. Page A-1 Prosecution to close case today against Hill. Page A-1 War Labor Board appointed; Davis chairman. A-1 Willkie says Nation pays heavily for easy way out. Page A | Japanese claim control of neck of | Page A-4| Argentina may prove only holdout | 2| Births and Desths. Today's Star Move to tax U 8. bonds stirs Con- | - gress attack. Page A-6 arsenal, Maxvell says. | E | Washington and Vi | Lack of defens: funds deplored by | Young. Page A-1 Plan to stagger private business | working hour: in D.C. Page B-1 Paval officer is sixth D. C. traffic | _ fatality of year. Page B-1 | Rent chief wil' not consider hypo- thetical questions. Page B-1 | Dorothy Lamour to appear at Mile o' Dimes tomorrow. Page B-1 Panel disagrees on District’s hospital needs. Page B-1 House approvel sends liquor price ad ban to Senate. Page B-1 Page A-6 Miscellany. Marriage Licemnses. Nature’s Children. Army Orders. Page B-2 Page B-6 Page B-71 Page B-7 A | Plans progressirg for vast Near East | energy. The House bill would make | daylight saving time of an hour | universal. The Senate passed a bill giving| Fiorello H. La Guardia, civilian de- fense director, an unlimited author- ization to spend money, but the House transferred control of the program to the War Department and put a $100,000.000 limit on the authorized expenditures. Conferees also are seeking agree- ment of authorizations for a $300,- 000,000 appropriation for defense housing and $150,000,000 for com- munity facilities. Hoover Urged as Price Chief. Despite such unsettled questions, howeversthe No. 1 legislative sub- Jject remained the price control bill. And not all of the legislators agreed that Mr. Henderson should be con- tinued as price administrator under the new legislation. House Minority Leader Martin declared in a radio address last night that appointment of former President Hoover to head the price control agency “would give the Na- tion greater confidence than those ‘who now exercise that control.” Mr. Martin, who also is chairman of the Republican National Commit- tee, made the suggestion in the Washington Star Radio Forum, broadcast over the Blue network. He declared the President “might do well to avail himself” of the tal- ents of a number of Republicans, and anti-New Deal Democrats in ad- ministrative posts. Among those, he named Wendell Willkie, Alf M. Lan- don, Alfred E. Smith, Thomas E. Dewey and Lewis W. Douglas. (R | committee which settled the threat- | ened Nation-wide railroad strike in December. Industry: A. W. Hawkes, president of the United States Chamber of Commerce and of Congoleum-Nairn, Inc., Montclair, N. J.; Roger D. Lap- ham of San Francisco, chairman of the board of the American-Hawaiian (See LABOR BOARD, Page A-4) Australia Plans Direct Talks With U. S. on War By the Associated Press. MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 13. —Authorities said today that Aus- tralia would undertake direct dis- cussions with the United States. as well as other Allied nations, in fram- ing war strategy in the Pacific. Direct contact with Washington is a departure from the usual pro- cedure of communicating with over- seas governments only through the United Kingdom. Prime Minister John Curtin recently established a | precedent, however, when he per- sonally cabled President Roosevelt during the Churchill conferences in Washington to stress Australia’s view of the importance of Pacific opera- tions. While direct contact is made be- tween Australia and the United States, closest touch will be kept with Prime Minister Churchill, au- tkorities said. 3 ‘#Rangoon Hos Alarm RANGOON, Burma, Jan. 13 (P .— An air slarm sounded here early today and the rumble of explosions was heard from the north. ) “This ship last was secn in tow and the enemy may hav= succeeded getting her into a harbor,” the | communique said. A surface attack by a submarine on the smaller supply ship. which was set afire, was “broken off owing to interference by enemy shore bat- teries,” the Admiralty declared {in straining resolution. | ters, will be a whirlpool. Authority Questioned. “For that reason we wanu to use He said it had not been shown washington as a sort of a sample | that there was any statutory author- | city. We want to get somerhing out | ity for the budget director or any of these hearings to heip the rest of other agent or office of the Gov-!the Nation.” ernment ordering decentralization | Commissioner Young's prepared without approval of Congress, that | statement which was Sxmfi xg' the no survey had been made or hear- | record explained that before the at- ings held to show whether the pro- tack on Pearl Harbor the major posed moving of agencies or offices | civilian defense problem was “public was practical or how much it would | lethargy, even to the extreme on | cost, how much it would decrease |the pert of some people of looking | efMciency or interfere materially on civilian defense efforts as some with the emergency war program. |form of war propaganda.” | The resolution is now on the desk | “It is fortunate indeed,” the state- | of Vice President Wallace, where it | ment declared, “that the Office of can be called up for consideration. | Civilian Defense utilized this pi Senator McCarran aggeed to a re- |~ » D. C. DEFENSE, Page A-5) Siest by SMslority: Lesaer Barkler| oot D-CoDY EERASIAS) | that consideration of the measure g | be held in abeyance pending today's | | White House conference. | You and The Senate and House Committees . . | have been holding hearings on the | An Air Raid proposed transfers of Federal de- . & partments, and information gained | The series of articles which ran in The Star, describing precautions for the safety of Action Would Be Fi By J. A. FOX. Automobile dealers now fear the Government will “freeze” their stocks of used cars, the House Small Business Committee today was told at the opening of a‘hearing designed to shape a program to cushion the effect of the stoppage of production of passenger cars and light trucks on the 44,000 dealers of the country. “That will be the last blow, be- cause it is only from the liquidation of used car stocks that we may hope to secure that inflow of cash for a short period of time which is nec- essary for the maintenance of small business men,” said L. Clare Car- gile, president of the National Auto- mobile Dealers’ Association. His prepared statement was read by Ray Chamberlain, executive vice president of the association. Mr. Cargile was unable to attend the hearing which drew several hundred Dealers Fear Used Car Stocks Also May Be Frozen by U. S. Small Business Committee Is Told (S8ee DECENTRALIZATION, A-5) your home and family in an emergency, is being reprinted in pamphlet form. Decision to print the pamphlet was in response to many requests from air-raid wardens, build- ing wardens and others in the civilian defense organization as well as from readers. nal Blow, House spectators to the caucus room in the | Old House Office Building. “If the used-car stocks be frozen, then the difficulties which will face dealers in paying income taxes on March 15 cannot be exaggerated,” the statement added. Mr. Cargile offered an eight-point program which paralleled his rec- ommendations several days ago when the Senate Small Business Committee had the same matter under study. He proposed: 1. That the Government permit the delivery of all bona fide orders dated prior to January 1, when the stocks of the dealers were frozen. 2. Liberalized ceilings if new-car prices are “frozen.” 3. A fair handling charge allow- ance for dealers if a ceiling is placed on used-car prices. 4. That all automobiles and trucks produced, except those designed (8ee AUTO DEALERS, Page A-4) i [) The pamphlet bears official indorsement from Mayor La Guardia, director of civilian defense, and from Col. Lemuel Bolles, executive director of District civilian defense. Copies, singly or in quantity, can be obtained tomorrow at the first-floor counter of The Star Building at 2 cents a copy, slightly less than the cost of printing. Mail orders for copies should be addressed to “You and an Air Raid” Editor, in care of The Star. Five cents should be inclosed for each copy, to cover the cost of postage and handling. A