Evening Star Newspaper, February 24, 1942, Page 1

Weather Forecast Somewhat colder tonight, lowest temperature about 22 degrees. Temperatures today—Highest, 40, at 4 pm.; lowest, 26, at 7:45 am. 90th YEAR. No. 35,728 NVASBINGTON,_ D. ¢, TUESPAY, FEBRUARY ¥, 1942 -THIRTY-EIGHT PAGES& THREE CENTS. BRITISH FORCES DRIVEN BACK IN BURMA U. S. Destroyer and Auxiliary Lost in Newfoundland G Late News Bulletins Yon Papen and Wife Escape Bomb in Ankara ANKARA, Turkey (#).—German Ampassador Franz von Papen and his wife barely escaped death or serious injury today when a bomb exploded only 50 feet from them on Ataturk boulevard. They suffered minor shock, but were able to return to the Embassy. One man was blown to pieces and two girls were injured slightly. Challedon Scores First MIAMI, Fla. (#).—Mighty Challedon finally scored a Flor- {da racing victory today, winning over five others in a $1,400 seven-furlong event at Hialeah Park. Signator was second and Doublrab third. W. L. Brann’s winner returned $4.50, $2.90 and $2.60 across the board. In two previous qutings at Hialeah the 1939 and 1940 champion finished second. Cuban Sugar Ship Reaches Port Safely HAVANA (®.—Cuban Navy headquarters announced to- day the sugar freighter Kofresi, which last night was re- ported torpedoed off the south coast of Cuba, was safe at a United States port unloading her cargo. Japs Report Seizing of Timor Airdrome TOKIO (From Japanese Broadcasts) (#).—Japanese forces which landed near Koepang, capital of the Dutch portion of the Netherlands Indies island of Timor, have occupied an airdrome 10 miles southeast today in a dispatch from an “undisclosed base.” Florida Victory of the town, Domei reported Two British Bookshops Raided In Istanbul, Manager Arrested B the Associated Press. ISTANBUL, Turkey, Feb. 23 (De- layed).—Istanbul police raided two British bookshops today, arrested the English managers, Arthur and Thomas Colley, father and son and long-term residents of the country, and carried off some printed matter. A French businessman, Andre Musat, likewise an old Istanbul resident and head of the Free French Committee in Istauibul, was arrested later in the afternoen. Unconfirmed reports said a num- ber of othér British establishments building in the business section cently, and police have been trying | gove: to discover who did it Tourists Musn't ‘Discombobulate’ Things—Roosevelt Questioned at a press con- ference late today, President Roosevelt suggested that the usual horde of school children who visit Washington ~each spring should come here this year only if they can do so without using too much gaso- line and without “discombobu- lating” the emergency govern- mental activities of the Capital. A reporter had observed that some hotels were seeking to cancel reservations already made for such visiters, with the explanation that the city’s housing facilities are greatly overtaxed. Two R. C. A. F. Planes Crash; Two Bodies Found BY the Associated Press. OTTERVILLE, Ontario, Feb. 24.— Two Royal Canadian Air Force training planes locked wings and crashed here today and two bodies were found in one of the wrecked planes. Intense heat from the burning fuselage prevented workers from ap- proaching the other plane. The planes were believed to have come from Aylmer Training Station near here. Otterville is near Woodstock, | Ontario. Late Races Rossvan's, Other Selections and Entries for Tomorrow on Page 2-X. Hialeah Park FIFTH RACE—Purse. $1,500; = 3-year- olds and up; 8 furlon: War Melody 1ucr.‘rum 20.80 ark Discovery (Mehrtens) Pelisse (Wielander) Time. 1 Ao ran—Chiquita Mia, Pomayya and Transient. SIXTH 4-year-olds and up: Ehatledon (Woolt) i Eignator (Strickler) .'m Doubirab (Wielander) .10 Time, 1.24%. Also rln—Tllan Quakertown and Bossy Bervant. 7.90 4.10 1688 348 nluw- 2.60 RACE—Purse, !1 400: Tyriones, 0 2.90 3.10 l{}Ofl clfilm‘ miles. " Ko 340 530 SEVENTH RACE—Purse. ing: 4-year-olds and upwar Bright Trace (Wiel'er) 10.40 Specify (Wall) Curwen (Garza) e. 1:52. Also ran—Gay Man, Cash Basis, tinel. Ouklavm Purk claiming; %yur-o!d A By Handate ina CTpeh me. 1:16%. paty Pt Mad. Bunng, R c"“"rf&'z‘fn";’ y Pirst Ma PE Rounder sna Pairsetta. {Field en FOURTH RACE—Purse. $600: claiming: 4:3ear-clds and up: 1 mile and 70 yards. Nap (Franklin) 16.80 820 Blrsoa Trall (Fisk) 20 Be ! Pre;ued (Guerin) Auo I til(r mlw ‘l‘ln Bln' thltu Hero. vings Arizon: y. H RA Pflm» $800: olal and upward; 1 mile i St 18 18 g--%w R 4 4 | The newspaper Vatan asserted | that “nations which stand for justice” are becoming disillusioned with the peace and war aims of the democratic nations. | This disillusionment, the paper said, resulted from the statement of Sir Stafford Cripps, former Am- bassador to Moscow and now lord privy seal, who was reported here as saying Russia should be guaran- teed “strategic frontiers” after the ‘War, “What difference is there between this and the German demand for living room?” Vatan demanded to | Of know. “Protests against this state- should have been government of the terms Atlantic charter.” Lundeen Aide Hurls Lie’ at Hint of Pay For Informafion Tells Viereck Jury Columnist Gave Him ‘100 Per Cent Thanks’ (Earlier Story on Page A-1.) By CARTER BROOKE JONES. by his of the Edward Corneaby, former sec- | tor. retary to the late Senator Lun- deen, testifying this afternoon at the Viereck German propa- ganda trial, denounced as “a lie” a suggestion by defense counsel that a Washington columnist paid his hotel bill in return for information disclosed after the death of the Minnesota Farmer- Labor Senator in a plane acci- dent 18 months ago. Mr. Corneaby had testified that he gave a newspaperman some facts about the Senator’s activities. Emil Morosini, a defense attorney, asked the witness to whom he gave this information. “I didn't give it to any Nazi agent,” Mr. Corneaby retorted. “I gave it to a 100 per cent American— Drew Pearson.” 100 Per Cent Thanks. “And what did you receive in re- turn?” the attorney asked. “I received 100 per cent thanks.” Mr. Morosini asked if Mr. Pearson, a Washington columnist, had not paid the hotel expenses of the witness. “That’s a lie,” the witness shot back. “You've got a lot of nerve to suggest it.” Attorneys on both sides jumped | to their feet in a hot argument over , the direction of the cross-examina- | tion, and the crowded coun.room, was in a momentary uproar. Justice | F. Dickinson Letts quickly restored order and warned the witness to answer questions and not volunteer statements. Asked if he did not phone Sen- ator Lundeen’s widow about that | time, Mr. Corneaby said he did. Asked the purpose of the call, Mr Corneaby said: “She was shooting off her mauth around Washington and I warned her it was a dangerous procedure. I wn.s trym; to protect the Senator’s The Witness then was asked about (See VIERECK, Page 2-X.) Markets at a Glance NEW YORK, Feb. 24 (®.— Stocks steady; steels, specialties higher, Bonds higher; rails and utilities lead gains. Cottan high- er; trade buying, short covering. | representative of the new housing Roosevelt Pus Housing Under One Agency Blandford to Head Body; Federal Loan Unit Abolished By JOHN C. HENRY. President Roosevelt late today National Housing Agency, con- solidating previous activities of tions. At the same time, he announced abolition of the Federal Loan agency and its other functions being transferred to the department. To head the new national housing agency, the Chief Executive desig- nated John Blandford, jr., now as- sistant director of the budget. Mr. Roosevelt told a press conference that Mr. Blandford has shown amaz- ing executive ability in that post. Palmer Going to England. The President said he was asking Charles F. Palmer, who has been co- ordinator of defense housing activ- ities, to make a trip to England as agency to study and report on gov- ernment housing activities there | after two and a half years of war. Under the master housing agency, | in which the administrator will have full power and authority, will be three principal subordinate agencies. These will be the Federal Hous- ing Administration under Abner Ferguson, the Federal Home Loan Bank Administration under John H. Fahey and the Federal Public Housing Authority under Leon Keyserling. All of thesg oflchls will hold titles of ‘The consolidations, Mr. Roounlt said, should not cause a single day | interruption in the present Gov- | ernment housing activities and should actually bring about a speed- up very shortly in production of war 3 ‘Will Absorb Employes. In addition, he said, the consoli- dation will fit advantageously into the program of departmental reor- ganizatiin and transfer of individual employes to agencies engaged in the war effort. The reorganization pro- gram also will absorb many ployes affected by the housing con- solidation who otherwise might have been temporarily unemployed. Affected by the liquidation of the Federal Loan Agency will be such | organizations as the R. F. C, the | Electric Home and Farm Authority, | the Disaster Loan Corp.. the Ex- port-Import Bank and various war- time agencies. These will remain intact. the President emphasized, | but will be transferred to the Com- | merce Department and still be un- | der the administrative jurisdiction of Secretary Jones, who has also served as Federal loan administra- The President refused to esti- mate how many individual employes might be involved in the reorganiza- tion. The three commissioners of the subordinate units of the new agency already are serving in com- parable positions in the over-all Federal housing program. Soldiers Given 360 Days For F Street Shooting Two Arlington Cantonment sol- diers, charged with possession of concealed weapons, were sentenced to 360 days in jail by Judge Walter J. Casey in Police Court today as the aftermath of an impromptu “Wild West” celebration police said they staged at a downtown corner Sunday night. The soldiers, Sergt. Joe Jacob Brutz, 23, and Pvt. George S. Gordos, 24, were arrested at Eleventh and F streets N.W. after having fired ap- proximately 11 shots from their 45- caliber revolvers, it was charged. ‘When they were arrested, police said, they had in their possession about 70 rounds of ammunition and each had two .45-caliber revolvers. |Coleman Jennings Again Heads Community Chest Coleman Jennings this afternoon was named president of the Wash- ington Community Chest for his fifth consecutive term. His election came at the annual Board of Trus- | tees’ meeting held in the United States of Building. Chamber Commerce announced establishment of a| 16 unrelated housing organiza- | | Agency with its housing financing | | activities going into the new housing House Votes Pension Repeal, 389107 Acts to Reject Congressional Annuities By GOULD LINCOLN. Pensions for members of Con- gress, for the President and Vice President and members of the cabinet, provided in a' recently enacted law extending the re- tirement system to a couple of | hundred thousand employes of various Government agencies, to- day were effectively tossed out of the window by the House. By a vote of 389 to 7 that body, after a brief debate, agreed to the Byrd amendment to & naval pay bill repealing the pensions for elec- tive officers of the Government and heads of the executive departments. Among_the seven were Majority Leader McCormack and Repre- sentative Boland, Democrat, of Pennsylvania, the Democratic whip. Others opposed _included Repre- sentatives Casey, Democrat, of Mas- sachusetts; Flaherty, Democrat, of Massachusetts; Moser, Democrat, of | Pennsylvania; Mitehell, Democrat, of Illinois, and Rogers, Democrat, of Oklahoma. The vote came on a proposal of Chairman Vinson of the Naval Af- fairs Committee that the pay bill be sent to conference and the con- ferees of the House be instructed to agree to the Byrd amendment. The action taken by the House insures the retention of the repealer in the bill, which is expected eventually to go to the President for his ap- proval. Forced in Senate. The public criticisth of the “Pen- bill originally passed ithout debate and with- . In the Senate it was debated and passed by a vote of 42 to 24. Later it was signed by the President and became a law. During the House debate, the principle of retirement pay for elec- tive officers was defended by Chair- man Ramspeck of the Civil Service Committee and opposed by Repre- sentative Rogers. Eager to Get It Over With. | Other members who spoke briefly | against the pension system included | Representative Rees of Kansas, who | led a successful fight against similar legislation in 1939. Representative Reed, Republican, of New York told the House that “for 23 years I have been a mem- ber of this House and in that time I have never deceived my constitu- ents on any subject. I was not at the telephone or away from the House when the vote on the bill was taken.” There was no record vote at that time. Mr. Reed said he believed in the bill and supported it. Instead of the huge sums which it has been | said its operation would cost for members of Congress, he said it | would cost the taxpayers one-tenth of 1 cent each. Two members of the House who were already in the retirement sys- tem because of service as secretaries ip earlier years, Representative Can- field, Republican, of New Jersey and Representative Bonner, Democrat, of North Carolina koth voted for repeal There was little drama in the debate, only an urgent desire to vote the repeal of pensions and get the matter over with. It was noticeable, however, that when Mr. Ramspeck, a sponsor of the pension proposal, arose to address the House there was loud applause. It is a fact that many of the members who to- day voted ‘for repeal believe in the retirement system, but because of the public clamor against Congress for voting pensions to itself at this time, decided to support repeal. Chairman Vinson earlier today sought unanimous consent to take up the Navy pay bill and send it to conference, announcing that he would offer a privileged motion instructing the House conferees to agree to the Senate amendment eliminating elective offices and cabi- net officers from the retirement (See PENSIONS, Page 2-X) BY the Associated Press. LONDON, Feb. 24—Pilot Officer J. J. Lynch, 24, of Alhambra, Calif., blasted a freight train with machine- gun and cannon fire today in a sweep Nazi-occupied France—and Flyer Raiding France Hits Pole, |= Returns With Part of It in Wing of it drove a third of the way into the plane’s wing. “T rocked a bit after the collision, but I didn't realize it was such a near thing or that I was bringing home such a souvenir,” Lyzch said with a grin after landing. Another United States-born fiyer with the R. C. A. F., H. F. Marting of Indianapolis, also took part in the raids. He reported he had strafed a ‘column of Nazi soldiers with cannon and machine-guns from a height of not more than 50 feet, and also had attacked another party of Ger- mans on s truck. ICELAND CONVOY BATTLES ATLANTIC GALE—Almost on their beam -ends, these two-Navy supply ships, a part of a convoy en route to Iceland, battle heavy seas as they ply the open Atlantic. Loss of the U. 8. S. Truxtun on convoy duty in a gale off Newfoundland with a death toll of 7 officers and 90 men was announced today by the Navy. The Truxtun was the same type destroy- er as the Reuben James, torpedoed and sunk off the coast of Iceland last fall. A Navy cargo ship, the U, 8. S. Pollux, also was lost. (Story on Page A-1.) —Official United States Navy Photos. (Story on Page A-1) Aid for MacArthur 'Impossible Now, President Says Would Send Bombers To Bataan if They Could Get Through Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s men in the Philippines would have bombers and other reinforce- ments if there was any way to get them there, President Roose- velt told a press conference late today. He was asked for comment on dis- patches from correspondents on the Philippine fighting front that sol- diers in Gen. MacArthur’s command had started a fund of their own to provide a “Bomber for Bataan.” The President remarked that if the reporter starting the discus- sion would tell him how to get a bomber to the forces fighting in the Philippines, he thought they would have a bomber. Asked if it was correct to inter- pret the fact that such dispatches as have passed the military censor- ship from the Philippines indicated that Gen. MacArthur might have different ideas from the high com- enough about it he tried not to speculate on it. Mr. Roosevelt described the Jap- anese submarine shelling of the California coast last night as an ex- cellent example of political warfare. He added, however, that he thought it would react in an opposite man- ner from what was intended. During his pr-s conference, the planned abso- 1umsnochmmhuum His comment came when he was published California Attack ‘Typical Jap Blutff, Welles Declares The shelling of a point on the California coast by a-Jap- anese submarine last night was described by Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles today as a typical example of Jap- | | anese “bluff.” | He remarked that the bom- | | bardment obviously was timed | | with President ~ Roosevelt's speech, emphasizing that “bluff® of this kind would have no effect on this gountry. | Drafting School Children For Farm Work Predicted BY the Assoclated Press. CHICAGO, Feb. 24—Fay W. | Hunter of Washington, chief of the |Farm Placement Section of the | United States Employment Service, asserted today it-may become neces- sary to draft school children from the seventh grade up to meet the Nation’s farm labor shortage. Speaking before a meeting of Fed- eral Farm Placement officials of 10 Midwest States, Mr. Hunter said steps must be taken to replace the agricultural workers who have bheen drained from the farm by the armed forces and the war industries. - Mr. Hunter said the plan to draft 3 Oregon, where the older elementary and high school students have been registered for service. “If the Oregon plan proves suc- cessful,” Mr. Hunter added, “it may be put i operation in other agricul- tural ns of the country.” Tony Sarg Gravely 11l | F. B. 1. Seizes Scores 0f Enemy Aliens in Series of Port Raids ‘German, Italian Nobles Arrested -in Florida; Much Contraband Found In a series of raids in Ameri- |can port cities, the Associated | | Press reported today that the rounded up scores of German, aliens and seized much contra- band matter. A member of the German and one of the Italian nobility were seized on the Flor- | ida Gold Coast. ‘Texas officers and F. B. I. agents rounded up more than 50 enemy aliens and seized great quantities of contraband during all-night raids in Dallas County. Contraband Seized. The contraband included radios, cameras, pistols and shotguns. suburban areas, including Cockrell Hill, near the North American Avia- tion plant. persons confiscated munitions and other ulmn& Conroy, special - agent in chmdnzeflewnrk (N. J.) office of the F. B. I, said 13 German and Italian aliens hld been rounded up in the vicinity of the Wright Aero- nautical Corp. plant ‘at Paterson. ‘They were taken into custody last night by F. B. 1. agents and :police for possession of contraband arti- cles. Revolvers and rifles, ammuni- tion, cameras, short wave reoelvm Federal Bureau of Investigation | Italian and Japanese enemy Officers were active mostly in| losses Heavy On Both Sides In Savage Fight Bridge Destroyed, Defenders Withdraw Across Sittang River (Earlier Stb: = B the Associated Press, A LONDON, Feb. 24—British troops have withdrawn to the west hank of the Sittang River after inflicting heavy casualties on the Japanese troops invading Burma, the All-India Radio said today, quoting official accounts. “Our losses have been heavy, but our troops are now in good posi- tig;a," the official account contin- u ‘The report covered land fightthg for the last four days. On Feb- ruary 22, the report said, the Jap- anese “made a heavy attack on our troops holding a bridgehead on the east bank of the Sittang River. “Yesterday after savage fighting, during which the bridgehead was penetrated, we made re, eoun. terattacks, inflicting l'Ag::meull- ties on the enemy. Our troops with- drew, after which the bridge was 20 Miles From Railroad. The Japanese thus were within 20 miles of the Rangoon-Lashio Rail- md which supplies the Burma ’X‘ellmg of earlier phases of the fighting in the four-day period, the All India report said: “On the southern front our troops withdrew on Priday after several days of heavy fighting against fresh, re%cmed enemy forces. “Much of the fighting al the Bilin Riv®r was of hi‘.nd g:‘hmd nature. Our troops counterattacked fiercely with bayonet and on many occasions inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy.” Fighting Reported Raging Along 100-Mife Front MANDALAY, Burma, Feb. 2¢ (®). —Fighting raged today for 100 miles along the lower Sittang River, to which the British had withdrawn after abandoning their Bilin River line 30 miles to the east. Compulsory civilian evacuation of Rangoon, Burma's capital, was ¢ar- ried qut February 20. Unofficially it was learned that depots containing supplies which could not be carried away were set lfl;e bAy authorities. F. bombers are attacking roads at the rear of Japanese posi- tions daily. Returning pilots say troops and transports along these routes are “as thick as ants and can't be missed.” The American military mission is still in Rangoon, where it is staying until many thousands of tons of defense supplies for China can be shipped northward to the Burma Road, including hundreds of trucks. Some unassembled trucks still at the Rangoon docks are due to be demolished. {U. §. Envoy to Spain Returns on Clipper By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, Feb. 24 —Alexander W. Wedell, United States Ambassa- dor to Spain, arrived today on s Pan-American Airways Clipper and indicated he might make some per- tinent remarks after he reports to | the State Department. “I am going to get some things off | my chest and then I'll probably have something to say,” he told newsmen, explaining that he had returned to “consult—whatever that means.” The Ambassador described condi- tions in Spain as “bad, but better than in other European countries.” He said he planned to go to his Richmond home tomorrow and re- port to the State Department short- ly afterward. The Ambassador was accompanied | by his wife, Mrs. Virginia Chase Weddell. Among Mr. Weddell's co- passengers were seven persons from | Europe and Africa including Lester | A. Walton, United States Minister to Liberia since 1935. Mr. Walton said he was called home for consul- tation. Dispute Cripples Output Of Aircraft Parts Plant BY the Associated Press. CLEVELAND, Feb. 2¢—A labor- management dispute today crippled war production at the Monarch | Aluminum Manufacturing Co., wholly engaged in making aluminum bomb and aircraft parts. Company spokesmen said produc- tion was cut in half by a contro- versy with the C. I/ O. Mine, Mill d | gnd Smelters Union. Alex Balint, union representative, asserted no strike had been called, but that 95 per cent of the 150 day shift work- ers voted yesterday not to return o work “uritil we can be assured we | will not be terrorized inside the plant.” Pickets appeared at plant gates, but company officials said about 90 employes passed through the line. Mr. Balint added that the union seeks to represent employes and asks reinstatement of 12 C. I. O. members laid off. D. R. Gould, Mon. X % % % 6 % % % 6 % X X6 X X X X6 X X % 6 o % X 2 0 % 2% % %6 6%