Evening Star Newspaper, February 6, 1942, Page 10

A—-8 o Pertinax Says Vichy Supplies Aided Axis In Libya Campaign But Petain’s Ministers Insist Pact With U. S. Was Not Violated By PERTINAX. It is now a fairly well established fact that the Vichy authorities in ‘Tunis had something to do with Nazi Gen. Erwin Von Rommel's drive against the British Army in Libya. Merchant ships and lorries were placed at the disposal of the German-Italian command and these were filled with various supplies in- cluding* petroleum. The government at Vichy, except in communiques issued for home consumption, does not deny that it lent such- assistance to the Axis military machine in North Africa. At the same time it con- tends that what it did cannot be called an infringement on the agree- ment with the United States Gov- ernment under which supplies are being sent from this country to Casablanca. That agreement explicitly forbids the French administration in North Africa from re-exporting the raw materials or finished products pur- chased in America or even goods of the same kind, this to prevent sub- stitutions which in practice would amount to re-export. So far, nothing has become known | to justify the charge that the pledged word was broken. But the controversy does not end there. The United States Government would not have approved the reprovision- ing of the French Empire in Africa without the assurance that Vichy’s help to the enemy would never ex- tend beyond the articles in the ar- mistice conventions. Vichy Denies Violations. Therefore, Vichy must maintain today that, of late months and weeks, it never exceeded its commit- ments of June, 1040, and, as usual, such is the substance of the plea that comes from Marshal Philippe Petain’s ministers. Here is the real- 1y litigious point: The delivery of trucks to the Axis powers can easily be presented as the necessary outcome of France's armistice obligations which, as re- gards North Africa, provided for the surrender of material used or even “deployed” against the Italian But those commitments cannot possibly be stretched in such a man- ner as to include fuel and similar supplies not to speak of merchant ships. In addition, whenever judg- ment must be passed upon the en- forcement of the armistice, as un- derstood by the Vichy government, a capital document and s capital precedent cannot be omitted. The capital document is the letter addressed to Marshal Petain by Jules Basdevant, the head of the legal department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who resigned his | post. And the capital preoedent‘ was recorded in Syria last May and June. Gen. Denty’s Conduct. M. Basdevant complained that he had been instructed to interpret the armistice treaties in such a way as to permit unlimited German requests. As to the conduct of Gen. Dentz in Syria we are now fully enlightened. It could not be dis- tinguished from actual eomplicity with the German Wehrmacht. Germans and Italians were en- titled only to control Syrian air fields to make sure that in French hands they would not be turned | against them; also to disarm local troops and to store the weapons taken from them. But Gen. Dentz gave much more. He did not hesi- tate to forward to Iraq ringleaders three trainloads of artillery, guns and other arms. | He had no scruples about de- | luding the Turkish railroad com- missioner in Aleppo whose duty it | was to stop such freight from get- ting to Mosul. This is an old but | & very actual story. | Did the French military chiefs | in Tunis attune themselves to that behavior? Suspicions cannot easily be dismissed. A general was in command there who, in the past, had won golden praise for his active patriotism and for his deeds on| the battlefleld, de Lattre de Tas- signy. He clashed with Gen. Juin, commander in chief in North Africa, | and was recalled. Decoration Accepted. Moreover, let us remember that,| at the other end of the world, Ad- miral Decoux, governor general of Indo-China, accepted, only the other day, & very high Japanese decora- tlon (refused simultaneously by other French general officers) which means that the Tokio rulers honor him as an accomplice and that he does not dare discourage them. Too often in Vichy servility brings pro- motion. By no flight of the imagination can the assistance rendered to Ger- mans and Italians in North Africa be termed execution of the armistice. No contractual basis for it can be found in the texts of June, 1940, It flows from Germany's successive “diktats” and out of that form of Vichy acquiescence which goes by the name of collaboration. (Released by the North American Newspaper Alllance. mme.) Women Plan Food Sale MANASSAS, Va., Feb. 6 (Special). —The Woman’s Organization of the HEADS FOOD GROUP—Hec- tor Lazo of Washington, who has been elected president of the Co-operative Food Dis- tributors of America. Execu- tive vice president of the or- ganization for six years, he formerly was with the Com- merce Department. He suc- ceeds E. G. de Staute of Los Angeles. Seizure of All Alien Enemies in Nation Unwise, Biddle Says Official Declares Arrest Of Potentially Dangerous Will Continue By the Assoclated Press. NEW YORK, Feb. 6.—Attorney General Biddle said last night*that it would be “profoundly unwise” and “profoundly un-American” to intern all the 1,100,000 alien enemies in the United States although his “tough critics would doubtless be satisfied” only if that were done. In a speech at the 53d annual din- ner of the Brooklyn Bar Association on protection of civil rights, Mr. Biddle said many of the alien ene- mies “have sons fighting in the Army and Navy.” “There are many million Ameri- cans of German and Italian origin in our population who would be deeply shocked” if all alien enemies were interned, he continued. “And the effect would be severe retalia- tion on Americans living in Axis countries. We have arrested and will continue to arrest the potenti- ally dangerous and the disloyal.” Some 'vigilante spirit may arise, Mr. Biddle said, but the Justice De- partment would defend the “rights and liberties of all those entitled to the protection @f our borders—citi- zens and aliens alike.” The menace, “real or imaginary, of fifth column activity by enemies within our borders has been and is being swiftly neutralized,” he added. “On the Pacific Coast, where tem- pers and dangers are highest, the Department of Justice has acted promptly on every recommendation of the military authorities. “Strict prohibitions have been placed upon the movements of en- emy aliens, with whole areas barred to them and others established where they may enter or remain only under the most stringent limi- tations. Similar prohibitions will be ordered promptly upon receipt of recommendations by the War De- partment or the Navy Department, within the authority of presidential proclamations governing the activi- ties of alien enemies.” Washingfon Highlands Asks | For Elementary School The Washington Highlands Citi- zens' Association last night asked construction of an elementary school in the vicinity of Nichols avenue and Chesapeake street S.W. as nec- essary for children of war workers and decided to fight for priority rights on the building materials. The association voted to co- operate with the Southeast Council of Citizens' Associations in organiz- ing a mass meeting February 12 to protest the Government requisition- ing of the partially completed Kramer School at Seventh and Q streets SE. L. E. Zimmerman and Curtis W. Ingalls, president of the group, will serve as delegates to the meeting. Mrs. Frank Woodsmore Was named treasurer, taking the place of Alden Erikson, who recently en- listed in the Navy. Mrs. R. J. Bartell was appointed chairman of the Committee for Waste Salvage. A Health Department representa- tive spoke on rat extermination. The meeting, presided over by Mr. Ingalls, was held in the Con- gress Heights School. Army Hunts 14 Horses, A. W. 0. L. for Months By the Associated Press. NEW ORLEANS.—Folks in last September’s Louisiana maneuver area can do Uncle Sam a favor. They can help him find some of his horses. Third Army headquarters has advertised that 14 cavalry horses strayed from their organization Manassas Church of the Brethren will hold a food sale from 9 am. until noon tomorrow in the office of the National Loan Association. during the war games. The Army'd like to have them back. P. S—They're all branded. 72 Americans Leave Singapore Under Hdil of Japanese Bombs B) the Associated Press. SINGAPORE, Feb. 6.—Seventy- two American men, women and children have left Singapore and are now well on their way to safety, after a narrow escape when Jap- gnese bombs exploded within 75 yards on three sides of the ship on which they were about to sail. The captain of the American ves- sel said all his passengers behaved magnificently when a large forma- tion of Japanese bombers attacked in one of the heaviest of Singapore’s raids. United States Consul Clayson Aldridge of Rome, N. Y., who ar- ranged the departure of the largest group of Americans to leave Singa- pore since the outbreak of war and who accompanied the party, echoed One missionary family arrived on board with the battered rem- nants of belongings salvaged from their car which was hit on the way to the dock. Their Malay driver was killed. The bombers came over a second time before the ship sailed, but the crew continued loading baggage and passengers kept on walking up the gangplank. The ship is a freighter without passenger accommodations.. Part of one section amidships has been cleaned of cargo to make room for rows of cots and tables, loaded with food which the Americans brought with them. Departure of this group left 102 Americans in Singapore, including the captain’s praise for businessmen, missionaries and children. 4 a few women, but the majority plan to leave on the next available ship. Girl Spy for Nazis Declares She Thought Job Would Be Fun- Did Not Realize Data Sent Abroad Would Hurt U. S., She Says By the Associated Press. * > NEW YORK, Feb. 6—Lucy Boehmler doesn’t know why she ac- cepted a job as secretary to two men accused as leaders of a Nazi spy ring but—“I thought it might be a lot of fun. * Miss Boehmler nas been on the witness stand for three days, testi- fying as the chief Government wit- ONCE EVERY S ness in the trial of six men and & woman accused of being members of the ring. She is accused in a separate indictment and already has pleaded guilty of espionage. “I don’t know why I accepted the job,” she said yesterday. “I don’t think it was the salary ($25 a week) —I thought it might be & lot.of . “Didn’t you know it was espionage work?” asked Warren J. Heeg of defense counsel. “I never thoughf of it,” she said. “I know the repofts sent to Spain and Portugal related to national de- fense, but I never thought it would harm the United States.” Earlier she affirmed her loyalty “to the United States—there’s no question in my mind about that.” Miss Boehmler also testified that Mrs. Helen Pauline Mayer, a de- fendant, told her she had destroyed papers belonging to Kurt Prederick Ludwig, alleged leader of the ring, and also had “gotten rid of” s short- wave radio transmitter in August, 1941, That was shortly before the Ludwig and to Ulrich von der Osten, described Qy United States Attorney Mathias F. Corea as the master- mind of the ring and who was killed last spring in & taxicab accident here. Others on trial are Hans Hel- muth Pagel, Karl Mueller, Rene Froehlich, Psul T. Borchardt and Frederick Schlosser, Dr. Douglass to Speak Dr. Paul F. Douglass, president of American University, will be the principal speaker at & vesper service at 4 pm. Sunday at Hood College, Frederick, Md. Dr. Henry I. Stahr, president of the college, will preside. IX MONTHS! Men’s Furnishings & Clothing Reduced IN GROSNER’S SEMI-ANNUAL Sale! Drastic Clothing Reductions Here’s the way reductions go: For Suits and Over- coats—Group One—The $29.75 suits are now $24.75. Group Two—The $37.75 and $44.75 suits are $31.75. Group Three—$45 Grosner overcoats, $44.75, and $50 Kuppenheimer suits are $39.75. Group Four—$50 and 565 Kuppenheimer suits and overcoats, $44.75. A Group of the World’s Finest Ocercoats Reduced! $55 KILDARE TWEED OVERCOATINGS from Athlone, Ireland. Reduced to $65 BRAEMAR OVERCOATINGS by Foz of Somersworth, England. Reduced to $65 DEWMORE OVERCOATINGS by Isaac Carr of Brad- ford, England. Reduced to $75 GOLDEN FLEECE OVERCOATINGS by Crombie, of Aberdeen, Scotland. Reduced to $85 ALEXANDRIA OVERCOATINGS by Crombie of Aberdeen, Scotland. Reduced to. $39.75 $49.75 $49.75 $59.75 $59.75 Men’s Furnishings RBeduced STETSON & GROSNER SHOES INCLUDED! $2.00 SHIRTS. educed to $225 SHIRTS. Reduced to $2.50 & $2.65 White & FANCY SHIRTS. Now._._. $1.00 NECKTIES. Reduced to $1.50 NECKTIES. $2.50 IMPORTED NECKWEAR. Reduced to $225 & $2.50 PAJAMAS. Reduced to ___ 55¢ MEN'S HOSE. Reduced to $1.00 HOSE. Reduced to 75¢ SHORTS. Reduced to $7.50 & $8.50 HATS. Famous makes, now $10.50 to $13.50 STETSON SHOES not in all styles . . . reduced $8.95 to $9.95 + $1.50 & $8.50 Cobbler Shoes Other Furnishing Items Proportionately Réduced Grosner of 1325 F St. Use Our Y; in 3 Charge Plan o Pay Y3 March 15th o Y4 April I5th o 4 May I5th AT WASHINGTON’S LARGEST' EXCLUSIVE MEN’S STORE THE SEMI-ANNUAL and we stick / to our word . . . on men’s Suits b 0\ w7 continue as long as our present stocks hold out . . . topcoats and o’coats 1 & 2-TROUSER SUITS, Reduced! $25.25 $29.75 $34.00 $38.75 #44.75 %¥48.75 were $29.75 to $65.00 T'S an old Y. M. S. custom to maintain enormous stocks, so the present situation found us prepared. The merchandise we own at the old low costs is still yours to choose from at the present low sale prices. All we ask is a little extra time for proper alterations and delivery! REDUCED Topeoats, Overcoats, and Zip-lined Coats $24.75 $28.75 #33.75 $38.75 $44.75 $59.75 were $30.00 to $75.00 LSCT . A MR TR Genuine Hand-W oven Harris Twnds $40 Harris Tweed Topcoats $47.50 Harris Tweed Zip-lined Coats, $39 $45 and $50 Harris Tweed Suits L7 P Men’s Shoes ™\ Furnishings also drasti&ally reduced! 1&2 Trouser SUITS | O°COATS $19-88 1 $33:88 $2].38 w0 $29.88 Sport Coats reduced to $10.88 & $13.58 Sport Slacks reduced to $4.88 & $7.58 Topcoats CHARGE ACCOUNTS CORDIALLY INVITED %Ymez S 1319 F'STREET % »