Evening Star Newspaper, February 21, 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, suppiementing the news of the regular home delivered edition. Closing N. Y. Markets—Sales, Page 13. 90th YEAR. No. 35,725. ch WASHINGTON, ¢ Foenin : WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION D. C, BATU Americans and Dutch Open Drive; Cruiser Sunk, Another Damaged; U.S. Dive Bombers Join in Attack Direct Bomb Hits Scored on Other Enemy Vessels In Java Sea Battle By the Associated Press. BATAVIA, Netherlands Indies, Feb. 21.—In a Java sea fight announced as the first Allied naval offensive in the battle for the Indies, United States and Dutch warships, strongly supported by dive bombgrs and fighting planes, blew up one Japanese cruiser and seriously damaged an- other cruiser and two destroyers, the Dutch and United Nations commands declared today. The announcement indicated a third Japanese cruiser might | have been hit, and reported direct heavy bomb hits on an unspeci- | fied number of other vessels—probably mostly transports. There was no confirmation of a report that one Allied destroyer | was lost after having been hit by a torpedo. (The War Department in Washington announced that American bombers winging into the fight off Bali, just east of Java, shot down four Japanese planes and scored bomb hits on three Japanese cruisers and four transports. Four United States planes were lost.) Thus there was developing in the waters east of closely guarded Java and invasion-struck Bali a naval battle potentially greater than the fight for Macassar Strait. Nazis Claim 80 Ships Sunk Off Americas By the Associated Press. BERLIN (From German broad- casts), Feb, 21.—German submarines have sunk 17 additional ships total- ing 102,000 tons to boost shipping destroyed off the American coast to 80 ships registering 532,900 tons, the high command declared today. “In continuation of these opera- tions in the Caribbeah Sea,” a spe- Convoy System ! Is Planned for Coastal Ships White House Says U. S. and British o 3 Readers Prefer The Star The Star's afternoon and evening eirculation is more than double that of any other Washington newspaper. Its total circulation in Washington © far exceeds that of any of its contem- poraries in the morning or on Sunday. “(#) Means Associated Press. | aged Wednesday night by explosions ' nounced | and there were no casualties.” cial communique asserted, “one of | o our submarines forced its way into| Boats Will Be Pooled Paria Gulf west of Trinidad and| sn:k ’t‘wo ?hlp;; one ggu "21"’; was| Acting Secretary of State Welles a tanker, in the roadstead of the said today a convoy system or British harbor of Port-of-Spain" | simjlar practical measures will be United States Army headquarters| Worked out soon for the protec- | at Port-of-Spain announced yester- tion of inter-American shipping | day that two ships at anchorage m} against Axis raiders. Simultane-! the Gulf of Paria had been dam- | ously, the White House an- that machinery for apparently caused by U-boat tor- | pooling all ship) “ | ping resources of pedoes, “but both remained afloat the ypjted States and the Brit- This specific case suggests that| iSh Empire for use of the United radioed claim: of German U-boat | Nations has been set up here and commanders have, on at least some | in London. occasions, been too broad. These announcements followed re- A Dutch communique said the"* Allied striking force consisted of | Netherlands cruisers and Neth- eflands and United States de- stroyers recently grouped under the command of the Dutch Vice Admiral C. E. L. Helfrich, a sub- | marine expert and an exponent of this very type of offensive stab. “Among the enemy ships.” a sup- plement to the war report said, “there were also cruisers carrying guns of six inches.” First Offensive Action. The communique said it was the| first time Dutch cruisers “engaged in offensive action,” adding that “up) | ports that crated war materials are |piling up on American wharves | awalting urgently needed cargo ships | fl |to carry them to the Far Pacific front. Lack of sufficient shipping, rather | than inadequate production; was | described in some circles as the most serious obstacle in the way of | bolstering distant lines. However, | there was a conviction in the Capi- | tal that shipping would be only a | temporary bottleneck. RDAY, FEBRUARY THE LITTLE 21, 1942 FELLOW. ,,g | THINK You BETTER 77/ HANDLE THEM FoR HIM. ‘Uruguayan President Chinese Defending Burma Dissolves Congress InPolifical Squabble Elections Also Canceled In Blocking Opponent of Pan-American Unity By the Associated Press. | MONTEVIDEO, Feb. 21 —Pres- ident Alfredo Baldomir kept a firm grip on the Uruguayan gov- to now they have been busy all the| | | ernment today in an interior po- Agreement Reached. litical squabble which resulted in | Formation of a Shipping Adjust- ' dissolution of Congress, cancella- | | ment Board was decided upon by | tion of scheduled national elec- | President Roosevelt and Prime Min- tions March 29 and placed an | ister Churchill during their confer- i | ences here earlier in the winter. Sunye i Sk men uicon el ok the country. The White House said today that | War Shipping Administrator Emory time with other duties.” United States and Dutch fighters, bombers and dive bombers support- | ed the attack and struck blows of their own at invasion transports over a wide area from Bali on the east to Bangka Strait off Sumatra to the west. Their part in the fight was re- |, ported by a United Nations com- MILE! AT EQUATOR Circle shows straits between furious battle against Japanese action to save the Indies. 4 | S. Land is the ranking American | By an unexpected executive de- | cree, he blocked Uruguay's leading ! opponent of Pan-American co-op- the Dutch islands of Bali and Lomok, where United Nations’ sea and air forces are fighting a forces in the first offensive mand war bulletin which credited them with sinking a large Japanese | transport and scoring hits on num- erous other transports and war- Furious Big Gun Duel ships. It said that during one attack on two Japanese cruisers and two | destroyers, Japanese “zero” (naval) fighter planes tried to protect their | warships, but were driven off. Hit On Four Ships. Several hits were reported scored by dive bombers on four Japanese ships, “engaged in landing opera- tions near Denpasar,” atrfield and coastal town on Southeastern Bali. Here, again, the United Nations command said, Japanese fighters| American and Japanese artil-| clashed with the allied planes. Three | lery engaged in an unexpected se planes were shot down and .I:gan:m% planes were lost, the furious duel today in the Bataan communique reported. | Peninsula, with hostile fire di- (e A e D“:gho‘;*’gmf,; rected on all fortifications of the were operating e leng! ‘M front, the communique | Manila Bay area, a War Depart- northern seafron e | ment S disclosed. | Infantry patrols were active dur- Heralds Resumpfion 0f Jap Bataan Drive Manila Bay Forts Targets; American Fire Unceasing; Infantry Patrols Clash It reported that in the Bangknf Strait a direct hit was scored on | i one transport ship and a direct hit | °% the past 24 hours, resulting in and near miss on the 5,000-ton mer- | numerous sharp skirmishes, and Jap | Civilians Ordered Evacuated From Darwin Area Officials Flatly Deny Heavy Damage to Navy Units in Jap Raid BY the Associated Press. CANBERRA, Australia, Feb. 21. — Evacuation of civilians from |Darwin, Northern Australian naval station which was bombed by Japanesé air raiders Thurs- day, was ordered today as mili- tary authorities clamped strict control on all activities in the area. 1represenuuve on the Washington eration, Luis Alberto de Herre | board, with Sir Arthur Salter rep-| from forcing his hand on a techni- resenting British interests. 1In Lon- | ca] voting dispute by which mem- don, Averell Harriman will be the pers of De Herrera's opposition American _spokesman, with Lord|party might hold cabinet posts and Leathers, Minister of War Trans- gt the same time combat the gov-| port, the British representative. ernment in congressional deb‘m.[ Mr. Welles brought the question| Senator De Herrera has long op- | of convoying into the discussion in | posed Presidert Baldomir's foreign | talking to reporters at his press con- | policy and has been an outspoken | ference. It is one way in which | critic of the administration’s plan Report Repulse of Japs By the Associated Press. CHUNGKING, China, Feb. 21—/ Japanese troops attempting to Cross | a river west of Chiengsen, in the northernmost tip of Thailand, were reported today to have been hurled | back by Chinese soldiers in one of their first defenses of Burma. The Japenese thrust was aimed at Mongyuen, which does not appear on maps available here. The Japanese have been marching ' toward Chiengsen from Chiengmai, some 125 miles to the southwest and | the terminus of the railroad from | Bangkok. British soldiers were reported fighting on positions on the western ' shores of the Bilin River in an area some 80 miles northeast of Rangoon and only 50 miles short of the Ran- | goon-Mandalay railroad leg of the Burma supply route to China. Conciliator Assigned In Drivers’ Wage Dispute Labor Department officials re- vealed today that Prank J. Sheehan of the United States Conciliation Se: ice had been assigned to a labor pute between the Carbonated - erage Manufacturers Association and Beer and Soda Water Drivers | line west of Tobruk, the British | Nazi Troops Refreat To North Near Tobruk, Brifish Announce Italians Claim Repulse Of Motorized Columns Southeast of Tmimi B> the Associated Press. German troops and armored forces withdrew to the north| after an encounter with British | patrols on the Tmimi-Mechili| announced today in Cairo. The war bulletin said: | “Operating over a wide front west | of Ain El Gazala, our fighting patrols again reached several points on the track from Tmimi to El Mechili. THREE CENTS. President Puts Jobs Transfers On Need Basis Orders Priority Classification of Federal Agencies President Roosevelt today is- | sued an executive order designed to speed the transfer of civilian employes of the Federal Govern- ment from non-defense to de- fense jobs. The order contains two specific directives: First, that there shall | be established a priority classifica- tion of Federal agencies in respect to their relative importance to the war program, and, second, that competent employes shall be trans- ferred to the most important war agencies. Transfers Under Civil Service. The order vests in the Bureau of the Budget the duty of determining the priority ratings of agencies, while the employe transfer task is delegated to the Civil Service Com- mission. Protection is accoraed employes in the transfer process by a require- ment that their consent is to be ob=- tained before the shift is made. Transferred employes are guaran- teed re-employment benefits similar to those afforded employes who are drafted into military services, name- ly, maintenance of seniority and pay status. ‘When individual transfers are proposed, the order states, they are to become effective not later than 10 days after notification to the agency in which the employe is serv- ing. If such agency presents to the Civil Service Commission evidence that its work would be jeopardized by loss of the affected employe, the commission is empowered to con- sider such evidence and make a final decision, Plan to Speed Work. In a statement accompanying the order today, the White House said that the action “is designed to fur- ther the effort started a week ago to speed up the transfer of em- ployes to war work. At that time, the President addressed a letter to the heads of all departments and agencies, directing a survey of all | activities to determine those em- “Furtin & G ey mCl“dh"g‘nluyes who could be promptly re- | tanks were encountered but the gen- | eral tendency of enemy patrols was | | to withdraw northwards. “Some of the enemy were observed | at Tmimi and considerable enemy | forces were in and around El Mechili. | “Owing to adverse weather condi- tions, air activity on both sides was | curtailed seriously.” At the same time the Italian high | command reported that Italian troops counterattacked and repulsed attacks of British motorized columns | leased to other agencies engaged in more important war activities. It was pointed out that the extension of hours of work of Government employes should make possible such releases.” Probe of Funds Asked. The accompanying statement also said that the President has requested the Budget Bureau to conduct an immediate special investigation of personnel appropriations and other {he American republics can cb-oper- | ate effectively for their mutual de- | fense, he pointed out. | It can be accepted that practical measures of this character will be | undertaken in the near future, he | | added, emphasizing that this does | ! not imply that such measures are | not already being taken by some of | the American nations. 1 Brazil Loss Prompts Query. | Mr. Welles was asked about the prospect of convoys to protect ships of the other American republics as well 4s the United States in inter- American trade, as an outgrowth of the recent sinking of two Brazilian vessels by German submarines and 1 other submarine activity in the Western Atlantic and Caribbean. The attacks on shipping of Latin | American nations give further proof of the plans of Hitler and his ac- complices for world-wide conquest, Mr. Welles said. He pointed out that long before any of the Ameri- | can nations were involved in the war, some of their ships had been | airplanes made frequent flights over the American positions, again rain- | ing incendiary bombs on troops seeking shelter in their foxholes. chant vessel, Koapang. Ranging over the Musi River, where Japanese invasion forces won their foothold on Sumatra, Allied | planes were said to have scored two | All women will be removed from Darwin except nurses, an | announcement said. Australian authorities, meanwhile, Asked about reports that the®| Vichy government had permitted the use of Dakar in French Africa as a refueling base for German sub- sunk by German submarines. LT United States funds. Under President Baldomir's decree | today, police immediately occupied the Congressional Building and for- bade anyone to enter or leave. The offices of the National Electoral Court also were occupied. All Troop Leaves Canceled. | Minister of War Gen. Julio Ro- | letti resigned at once, and Presi- | ‘dent Baldomir assigned his duties temporarily to Foreign Minister Al- berto Guani. Leaves of all the troops were canceled and the army was placed in readiness to maintain order as| the dispute between President Bal- domir’s supparters and the minority | party led by Senator de Herrera reached a critical stage. | Special guards were placed around | all public buildings and the Monte- | video electric power plant. | The President summoned the| cabinet to meet later in the day to decide on further precautionary measures and it was expected he would broadcast e: a Bonus for Veterans to build naval and air bases from | | now locked over a wage increase | holiday with pay and improved | working conditions. 3 Nazi Warships Reported! direct hits on an 8,000-ton vessel, a bomb hit squarely on the bridge of a 5000-ton ship, and several near misses of another ship of 8,000 tons. ‘Warship Hit by Torpedo. In the sea fight with Japanese Today's intense fighting was in marked contrast to the comparative | lull that existed earlier on the Ba- taan front, which gave Gen. Douglas MacArthur's weary troops a-breath- ing spell. cruisers and destroyers, the Dutch reported that the Japanese warship | which was sunk “was in flames after | having been hit by a torpedo, and | after an hour it blew up.” (The Japanese acknowledged the naval battle, telling of a clash Japs Pound From Cavite. Jap batteries on the Cavite shore pounded away during the day and night at the bay fortresses, with most of their fire concentrated on Fort Frank. between their naval units and Dutch cruisers and destroyers yesterday between Bali and Lombok. (Reporting on only one phase of the action, the Japanese claimed that two of their de- stroyers, finally supported by cruisers, sank two Dutch destroy- ers with torpedo hits and badly damaged a third. Dutch cruisers also were said to have been hit.) The Dutch communique declared Japanese bombers struck at air- fields at both ends of Java, and bombed the eastern town of Ban- joewangi, just across the narrow (See INDIES, Page A-10) labor’S Ophosi@ion Viewed As Spiking Boom for Bullitt By the Associated Press. HARRISBURG, Pa. Feb. 21— Word that a projected boom for Wwiliam C. Bullitt for the Demo- cratic gubernatorial nomination in Pennsylvania had been virtually spiked prompted an “I told you so” attitude in State party circles today. Coldness of organized labor and | premature disclosure of President Roosevelt’s partiality toward the Ambassador were given in Wash- ington as cause of the development. Earlier this week responsible per- sons reported the President had suggested Mr. Bullitt as a compro- mise candidate. Mr. Bullitt com- mented he was interested in his present diplomatic work. but would 8D if the President desired. [ The big 12-inch guns of Corregi- dor and the three other American forts kept up a continuous fire in return in an effort to silence the Japanese batteries. No mention was made of damage to the fortresses or to losses among the troops in Gen. MacArthur's front lines. It was apparent, a War Department spokesman said, that the Japanese were bent on bringing additional pressure in an effort to soften the lines before at- tempting a large-scale frontal at- tack, Since the fall' of Singapore, Gen. Masaharu Homma, in charge of the Bataan campaign, has received ad- | ditional artillery, and these guns have been brought up into position behind the front lines facing the American and Filipino forces. An in- | tense artillery fire in which both sides engaged characterized the ac- tion along the lines which extend some 15 miles midway across the Bataan Peninsula. Dive Bombers Not Active. ‘There was no indication from the communique that Japanese dive bombers have returned to make raids | on Corregidor. % The communique also announced attacks on Japanese shipping off the coast of Bali, an action which had been announced previously from the Netherlands East Indies. The War Department said yester- day that new tactics and special equipment for landing operations have aided the Japanese in their (See PHILIPPINES, Page A-10) issued a flat denial of Japanese claims that heavy damage had been inflicted on Allied naval units in the Darwin raid. They said, however, that for military reasons a detailed statement of the damage actually inflicted by the raiders could not be made at pfesent. Prime Minister Johp Curtin said the measures at Darwin did not constitute martial law. “London has been bombed but not conquered and Darwin has been bombed but not conquered,” he said. “Martial law was not declared in either place.” Hospital Ship Attack Charged. Mr. Curtin, denying a statement by the Tokio radio that a hospital ship at Darwin was not attacked during the raid, said today the “hos- pital ship was attacked and dam- aged and there were casualties.” It was reported also that the Jap- anese machine-gunned the Berrima and Bagot hospitals at Darwin, causing some causalties. ‘The Premier of Victoria issued an order today that no lights be shown at night on any building within 10 (See AUSTRALIA, Page A-10.) Rosenman Studies Merger 0f 16 Housing Agencies B the Arsociated Press. Consolidation of 16 Federal hous- ing agencies under one supervisory head was indicated in official quar- ters today as the aim of Judge Sam- uel I. Rocenman of the New York Supreme Court, who has been work- ing on a reorganization plan for President Roosevelt for several months. A final decision on the proposed merger was said at the White House today to hinge on the return to work of Brig. Gen. Philip Fleming, Federal works administrator, who has been {ll for months. a) marines, Mr. Welles said he was not | in position to comment without | more precise information. s Senate Appropriations Subcom- Meanwhile, on the production front ‘ Of This War Proposed By the Associated Press. LANSING, Mich.,, Feb. 21.—The Michigan Legislature concluded its second special session last night, mittee was assured by Undersecre- enacting a bill to liberalize unem- tary of War Patterson yesterday |ployment compensation benefits that manufacture of planes, tanks | during the industrial changeover to and guns was going forward rapid- | war production. ly. Prom Admiral Land, who is| The measure will become op- | chairman of the Maritime Com-|erative February 28, raising max- | mission, members received a less imum benefits from $16 to $20 a encouraging description of the dif- | week; maximum duration from 18 Army-Navy Bill Up Monday. ‘The committee is to act Monday on the $32,070,901900 Army-Navy appropriations bill, carrying $3,- 852,000,000 in direct appropriations and contract authorizations for con- struction of 1476 merchant ships. The bill contemplates speeding up production to a rate of two ships a day. Admiral Land was said to have told the committee that every ef- fort was being made to alleviate shortages in materials, particularly steel, and to hold down labor dis- putes which have interrupted con- struction. He told reporters later (See SHIPPING, Page A-4) !Nuzis»to Seize Hostages |For Fleeing Norwegians By the Associated Press. STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Feb. 21— For every Norwegian fleeing to Brit- ain or allied nations, police in Ger- man-occupied Norway will arrest 10 persons and hold them as hostages, it was announced officially today in Oslo. One hundred hostages were re- ported already held. Duke of Aosta IlI NAIROBI, Kenya Colony, Feb. 21 (®~The Duke of Aosta, former Viceroy of Ethiopia, who surrender- ed to the British last May 19 at Am- ba Alaji with his troops after a long seige, is gravely ill of tuberculosis in a nursing home here, it was re- ported today. ) ficulties in turning out cargo vessels. { to 20 weeks; minimum benefits from $7 a week to $10 and minimum duration from 8 weeks to 12. The liberalization will expire May 31, 1943, unless extended by future legis- lation. Efforts to write a soldiers' bonus clause into the bill collapsed. The Legislature adopted instead a reso- lution creating a committee to study means of providing a bonus for veterans of the second World War. | Local 67, A. F. L., in an effort to keep 132 drivers of beverage trucks in the Metropolitan Area from strik- ing Monday. A meeting of union members to take a final vote on the matter; demand, is scheduled for tomorrow morning. The old contract under which the drivers worked expired Tuesday. Henry Fowler, attorney and sec- retary-treasurer for the association, | said the firms involved were the Pepsi-Cola, Royal Crown Cola, Dr. | Pepper, Try-Me, Rock Creek Ginger Ale, 7-Up, Root Rock and Squirt | Beverage companies. | The drivers have asked that their guaranteed weekly wage be in- creased from $18 to $21 and the commission on each case sold from | 6 cents and 7 cents. Mr. Fowler | said the employers had consented to a part of this increase and also had offered a week’s vacation with pay of $36 per week, an additional | Heading Up Norway Coast | BY the Associated Press. LONDON, Feb. German warships, battleship Tirpitz, pocket battleship Admiral Scheer and the 10,000-ton cruiser Admiral Hipper, were reported today steam- ing northward along the Norwegian coast apparently as part of a plan to cut American - British supply routes to Russia. A Stockholm dispaich to the Daily Express reported the move- ment of the ships toward Trond- heim and said: i “Their job is to keep British naval forces tied up in the North Sea and raid convoys on the Marmansk route to Russia.” E The battleships. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the cruiser Prinz Eugen, which recently escaped from Brest to Helgoland, “probably will join them as soon as they have been repaired,” the dispatch added. 21 —Three big the 35,000-ton | the 10,000-ton i Living Costs He | Family living costs in Washington | are the highest in the country, ac- | cording to estimates of intercity dif- ferences in living costs released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics today. On the basis of the estimated re- quirements of a four-person manual worker’s family, Washington tops New York, the second most expen- sive city, by approximately $5 on yearly budget figures for mainte- nance living. A worker with a wife and two children to support needs $1,633.16 a year here as compared with $1,628.15 in New York, the bu- reau estimated. The three other most expensive cities on the list of 33 are Chicago, Detroit and San Francisco. The two cities with the lowest llving costs, each less than $1,400, are Kansas City and Mobile. Rents were higher here than in any other city, according to the InU.S., Federal Agency Reports| bureau, The housing item in the ( re Highest Washington family budget was $355.26, as compared with $31042 in New York. Other items in the ‘Washington budget are estimated as follows: Food, $56252; clothing, $201.60; fuel and light, $11750; fur- niture and household equipment, $42.72, and miscellaneous, $353.56. The costs on which the estimates are made were those of December 15. The basic budget was that prepared in 1935 by the Works Progress Ad- ministration to measure the costs of approximately the same level of liv- ing in the principal cities. “In view of the changes in buying habits, particularly during the last two years, the ‘maintenance’ budget as defined in 1935, may not be en- ures are presented, however, for the convenience of those who find them useful, and in the absence of any better measure of comparison of liv- ing costs between cities.” ordinary departmental expenditures south and southeast of Tmimi, 60 miles west of Tobruk, and El Mechili, | 60 miles southwest of Tobruk, ac- | cording to the Rome radio. The Italians said air activity was ! limited yesterday because of ex- | tremely bad weather but that Italian planes carried out harassing actions | against British supply routes. | Single British planes bombed | Zuara, on the Tunisian border, and | Homs, east of Tripoli, but caused no | damage, it was reported. Prisoner, Sentenced, Escapes Courtroom By the Associated Press. HUNTINGTON, W. Va,, Feb. 21— Earl Blake, 23, of Huntington, con- | victed of breaking and entering, bolted from the courtroom and es- | caped today after being sentenced to | 1 to 10 years in the State Peniten- | tiary. Blake, following the sentence im- | posed by Common Pleas Judge H.| Clay Warth,' had been seated in| “prisoners’ row” near the judge’s| bench. Suddenly he leaped over a railing, | fled down a long hallway and after making his way to the outside dis- appeared in an alley. Several dep- uties and a lawyer took up the chase, but were outdistanced. | Pair Who Forged Tickets For Excursion Sentenced | Bv the Associated Press. NEW YORK, Feb. 21.—Richnrd1 Ganaday, 25, and Charles Brown, | 26, convicted last December of forg- | ing tickets for a colored persons’| excursion last summer which re- | sulted in three persons being| trampled- to death during a stam- | pede at & Hudson River pier, yes- terday were sentenced to two to| five years each in prison. Police said the forged tickets were | responsible for the appearance of | hundreds of persons who strove to| board the boat with holders of legitimate tickets. Forty were in- Jjured. Northern Ireland Visit By Roosevelt Suggested BY the Associated Press. LONDONDERRY, Northern Ire- land, Feb. 21 —Senator F. J. Sim- mons, Lord Mayor of Londonderry, suggested today that President Roosevelt should visit the United Kingdom and said Northern Ireland would welcome such a visit. He re- called that President Grant had be- come a freeman of Londonderry. Food Going to Prisoners PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 21 (®).— The American Red Cross plans to deliver food and clothing within three weeks to the 2,200 American soldiers and civilians held prisoner by the Japanese, Vice Chairman Richard F. Allen told a regional zeefinx of the organization yester- y. Mr, Allen said the arrangements are being made now with the Jap- S with the view to segregating in a reserve fund any amounts found not presently essential to the conduct of the Government. It was further stated that Civil Service Commission figures show that since May 27, 1941, there have been 8,049 employes transferred from other Federal agencies to the fol- lowing agencies more directly related to the war effort: War Department, Navy Department, Maritime Com- mission, Office for Emergency Man- agement, Civil Aeronautics Author- ity, Office of Censorship, Co-ordina- | tor of Information and the Board of | Economic Warfare. Draft Cases Reopened On Shipyard Strikers By the Assceiated Press. MOBILE, Ala., Feb. 21.—Reopen- ing of the cases of Mobile shipyard workers who have been given mili- tary draft deferments for defense jobs which they no longer are per- forming has been ordered by Brig. Gen. Ben C. Smith, Montgomery, in charge of the Selective Service System in Alabama. Approximately 800 members of the United Brotherhood of Welders, Cutters and Helpers of America left their jobs at the Gulf Shipbuilding Corp.’s plant at Chickasaw Monday because of an inter-union dispute. The welders met again yesterday but took no action toward ending their walkout, although it was learned that the Mobile draft boards were preparing to carry out Gen. Smith's order. Figures were not available on the number of Se- lective Service eligibles affected by the order. Pennsylvania Wreck Third in Three Days BY the Ascociated Press. ALTOONA, Pa., Feb. 21.—The en- gine of & 7l-car eastbound freight train plunged over an embankment and several of its cars derailed near here today in an odd accident, the Pennsylvania Railroad reported. One member of the freight train crew was injured slightly. The ac- cident occurred 3': miles from famed “Horseshoe Curve.” Railroad officials said a light en- gine, also proceeding east, derailed and caromed against the other locos motive, jolting the second engine from the tracks over the embank- ment. It was the third wreck in three days on the railroad’s Western Pennsylvania lines. The most se« rious occurred near Johnstown, Pa., last Tuesday when four members of the train crews were killed in a head-on collision of an express and a freight train. . Film Hoaxes Fought HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 21 (#).—What, no more phoneys or hoaxes? Some Hollywood publicity men have organized as the Free Lance Publicists to “create a standard of ethics and practices.” Vic Shapiro 1s president, and, of course, they'd have to have a public relations man. He's Bev Barnett.