The Waterbury Democrat. [volume], May 13, 1942, Image 1

About The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946

Image provided by: Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT

                
Waterbury Boys On Duty In Pacific Are
ESTABU
The Weather
Mild for
Tonight
lUnr »pwt faff* S
list VOL LX, NO. 112
t Jteuttwrat 5
Home Edition
Sport News
Stock Prices
WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1942
SIXTEEN PAGES
PRICE 4
,
SERGT. BYRON
WRITES HOME
FROM PACIFIC
Copies of Waterbury Dem
ocrat Eagerly Sought
by Lads at Front
LETTER WRITTEN TO
WALLACE J. INGLIS
Sergt “Midge” Byron Is
Soldier of 2nd Battalion,
102d Infantry
Copies of The Waterbury
Democrat are eagerly wel
comed and avidly read by
soldiers of the second battal
ion, 102nd Infantry, now on
duty “somewhere in the
Pacific”, reports First Ser
geant George J. “Midge”
Byron in a letter received
today by Wallace J. Inglis,
chief of the local division of the
aircraft warning service.
Uiough copies of the paper are
a month or two late, says Sergeant
Byron, “they are read and reread
untS they are unreadable, since,
of course, we pass them from one
to another and even the boys not
from Waterbury read them.” One
mal ship brought him 70 different
copies of The Democrat.
The letter discloses that Lieut.
Richard Scully, well-known in this
city, is Catholic chaplain for the
battalion. “I have never yet seen
a chaplain do so much for his
boys,” says Sergt. Byron. “He is
on the go all the time."
All Well, Happy
Sergt. Byron asks Mr. Inglis, an
ofBcial of the city welfare depart
ment and a veteran of the World
War, to Inform the folks at home
(Continued on Page 4)
MORE CONFUSION
IN GAS RATIONING
Registration Slowing Up,
With Close Coming by
^ Thursday Night
Confusion on the part of many
oar owners about gasoline ration
ing provisions was slowing up regis
tration today as additional thou
sands Hooked to the city’s grammar
schools to secure ration cards. From
many teachers and other volunteer
registrars came word that appli
cants had apparently not given the
instructions a careful reading, and
the registrars, in many cases, had
to serve as information clerks.
Rationing headquarters at ill
West Main street, Is charge of
Chairman George J. Me Du If of the
rationing board, was swamped with
inquiries aU day long. There were
complaints from some motorist*
(hat they had not received the
sards to which they are entitled.
The confusion and complaints were
all the more marked because of the
contrast with the smoothness of
the sugar rationing registration last
week,
Oss registration will end tomor
(Continued on Page I)
i L
ilm buys one
PAIR FLYING OLOVRS
Out pUr 0t ArM «M«» J*
«i* •
uMb dr at <( fow war
I'm » DKMOORAT WA#T AO
Mi !('• Um* X aonvwMi ut»u*fd
* your h«UM Mi
I am at
4*1121
”—..
U. S. Soldiers In Australia Read First Mail In 4 Months
(NBA Telephoto)
are shown ms they eagerly
Washington, D. C.—American soldiers stationed at Port Darwin, Australia, ..
onened the first mall received from home in four months. These are the men who are helping to stem the
tide of Japanese conquest in the Pacific war area. (Photo passed by War Department, Bureau of Public
Relations, Washington, D. C.)
Fifty-Four Miners Die
In W. Virginia Disaster
21 Bodies Were Taken Out Shortly After Explosion
Yesterday—33 More Were Discovered This
Morning by Rescue Crews
Morgantown, W. Va.( May J3—
(UP)—Rescue crews reached the
bodies of 33 men In the Christopher
Coal Co. mine No. 3 today, raising
to 54 the death toll of an explo
sion which ripped through the mine
late yesterday.
The finding of the bodies con
firmed the fears of mine officials
that none of the men near the blast
had escaped, although rescue
crews tunneled desperately through
the debris-filled workings all night
In the faint hope that some had
survived.
The bodies of 21 victims were
found soon after the explosion.
While relatives and friends of the
victims, and several thousand cu
rious looked on, the work of bring
ing the bodies to the surface was
started.
The victims were found several
miles Inside the mine, In sections
one and one and one-half, where
the explosion occurred at the
change of shifts yesterday. The
remainder of the 123-man day shift
escaped.
The mine, a drift working, is slt
(Continued on Page 4)
TWO CONN. MEN
SAVED FROM SHIP
New London, Windsor
Sailors Rescued After
Ship Was Torpedoed
Norfolk, Vo., May W-iUPt- A
torpedo attack on o madlum-eizrd
American merchant, chip off the
want coaat of Africa early In April
klUad nine member* of a «-»>*»
African training crew, eurvlvore Mid
•fW member of (he African
crew died on the way to port.
Thirty**!* member* of the crew
and- eight navy gun crewmen ar
rived her* in a paaaenger veaael
which alao carried a number of
United Plate* mlealcnariee and out
er American* from Africa.
The torpedo etruek at night but
id guietly to the bottom April I
her he and the crewmen nought
tr never* I hour* after the attack to
lip it ftfloal
Aftjf thi tdfttido itrudK, a rgifim
ml tooli thi m+n nfroifd uul
aped In the vicinity while Celnea*
sumasaomS
FATHER, YOUNG
DAUGHTER HELD
Fourteen Year Old Girl,
Married, Is Accused of
Killing Husband
Morristown, Tenn., May 13—(UP)
-Fourteen-year-old Mattie Pearl
Morgan and her lather were being
arraigned today on a charge ol
murdering Mattie Pearl's husband,
Dayraon W. Manning, 35.
There was a great deal about the
strange tragedy which had over
taken the mountain lamily that au
thorities didn’t know. They did
know, however, that Manning was
shot In the Morgan home last Sat
urday and accused his child bride
before he died.
Mattie Pearl said, yes, she shot
him but she wouldn’t say more. Site
talked to her father just before she
fired the shot and he disposed of
the pistol later. Therefore, he was
charged as an accessory.
She and her father were brought
down out of the hills yesterday and
put In the county jail here, In
keeping with the tradition of the
mountain people while they are be
ing “lawed," he said nothing,
Manning was • house painter,
who, according to his neighbors In
the community of Lowland School,
five miles from here, worked ’’pretty
regular.’’ He married Mattie Pearl
(Continued on Page 4)
107 MORE NAMES
Of CASUALTIES
Residents of Maine, Mass.
Included—None Report*
ed Prom This State
WaohlnfUm, May II — ‘UH —
Tho War Department todoy ro*
leaved (or loual publication (ho
name* of 107 United dtote* Midler*
who were killed In aoUon or diad *
wound* In (ho Fh llwnno l»Jond*.
Today'* Hot Ineluded 99 officer*
mid M enllvted moil, l( brotwhfUt
— the number of army eaeualU#*
ppp wlim oovOWOOpvo wro pov nvy wnnv***v*wv*
in (ho FhlUppioe* announced to
do to by (ho War Department. Unco
the attack on Pearl Harbor (he
doportmont hao roloaood (ho name*
Spill ooldlora killed on all front*.
•old lore from 14 oUioo aro ln
eluded In today’* Hot. In aooord*
ante with war department poUev,
publication o( army eaoualty Hot*
adsrajsc“s ‘sr-s r:
axs%wsr?
Maine and MaaMohuootto are In*
in the
‘i
SMALL TOWN
6IRL AS DECOY
Madeline Webb Is Branded
By Prosecutor—Her Life
Is Demanded
BY MARTIN KANE
(United Press Staff Correspondent)
New York, May 13—(UP)—Mad
eline Webb, sulky Oklahoma bru
nette, slouched between two co
defendants—one of them her sweet
heart-today and heard a prosecu
tor brand her as a murder decoy
and demand her life for the slaying
of an elderly woman.
With an expression of amazement
on her thickly powdered face, Miss
Webb, who hoped for Broadway
fame but gained notoriety instead
with her capture in a Bronx board
ing house, heard Assistant District
Attorney Jacob Orumet tell a blue
ribbon jury that the state would
prove “the defendant, Madeline
Webb, acted as the, decoy" In the
first degree murder of Mrs. Susie
P. Reich, wealthy refugee.
The 28-year-old Miss Webb, whose
eyes were red and swollen when she
walked past the jurors to the de
fContinued on Page 4)
UNDERWORLD iS
VERY PATRIOTIC
Counterfeiters of Savings
Stamps for War Are
Given to Police
New York, May 13-<UP>-F!ve
men accused of counterfeiting war
savings stamps blamed their trou
bles today on the patriotism of the
underworld.
They had tried to let fellow
thieves in on their scheme. Not
only were the counterfeiters spurned
and denounced for trying to take
advantage of the government in
war time, but also the treasury de
partment was tipped off. When
they got around to printing the
stamps, the government was watch
ing all of them.
Six were arrested yesterday with
2104X10 25-eent stamps in their pos
session. The government released
Louis Samouski, alleged financial
backer of the scheme, on his own
recognisance because of his so
oiwrfttloni
Federal agents said they had sent
a representative to Detroit to con
tact the Purple dang end try to
sell a block of stamps at half prise.
The gang woe to collect full price
for the stamps from post offloes, and
•genu said the fake stamps were
good enough to fool a postmaster
The other men arreeted were:
Abraham Perkes, M, and his brother
Joseph, each held in 0004XM ball;
Harry Horowtts, M, held in OOOMO
ball; Morris Rubin, held in HA00
ball, and Abraham OUckstein, held
in WOO bell. M
Treasury agents said "ssveral
picked up when needed, but the
other minor characters" would be
masterminds were In jail,
Battle Rages Over Narrow
Front At Caucasus Gateway
Hitler Headquarters Says |
Five Day Fight Is Won
—Russians Licked
MILITARY EXPERTS
SCOFFED AT REPORT
Germans Are Throwing in
Masses of Tanks, Dive
Bombers, Artillery
BY JOE ALEX MORRIS
(United Press Foreign Edlter)
The battle'of the Kerch
Peninsula at the gateway
to the rich Russian Caucasus
continued along a narrow >
front today with both Ger
mans and Soviets claiming
initial successes. Adolf Hit
ler’s headquarters issued a ;
communique claiming that
the five - day - old battle s
run already has ben “decided," that
the Russian forces have been over
run and encircled and are fleeing
back upon the city of Kerch after
suffering heavy losses, Including
40fl00 prisoners.
But the Nazi claims were dial"
lenged in advices from Moscow
which, although acknowledging that
the Red Army was being hammered ,
heavily by masses of enemy tanks,
dive bombers and artillery, indi
cated that thus far the German*
had made only slight headway.
Battle Not Decided
It appeared despite the German
claims that the battle has not been
decided and that formidable Soviet
resistance must still be overwhelm
ed If the Germans are to storm into
Kerch, which they abandoned last
December, and strike on across the
Kerch Straits toward the oil of the
Caucasus.
A Russian communique said that
at least 2,500 Germans had been
killed on the Kerch front and re
ported that the Red air force car
ried out destructive attacks along
and behind the Nazi lines, battling
waves of German dive-bomber* and;
bringing down a total of 102 enemy
planes in 48 hours.
Ilya Ehrenbourg, one of Russia'*
outstanding war correspondent*,
said in a dispatch to the United
Press hat the masses of German
troops, planes and tanks were at
tacking along a front only two miles
long and that “the air is as con
gested as the land,"
Tanks are the principal weapon
of the German drive, led by one of
Hitler’s ablest generals, Fritz Erich
von Mansten, and against them are
being thrown new British tank* and
triple-turret tanks from the United
States.
May Be Forerunner
The German drive upon Kerch
in the Crimea may be the prelim
inary to the long-heralded German
big offensive in Russia but so far
it appears to be a purely local ac
tion, military observers in London
said. The irresponsible Vichy radio
said that the Germans are expected
to launch an even bigger drive to
the north "within a few day*."
According to the Vichy report,
which intimated that the Kerch at
tack may have been merely a diver
sion asrault to tie up Russian
strength on the southern front. Hit
ler is preparing to attack Rostov
and move upon the Caucasus from
tlie north above the Bea of Asov,
Far to the north, in the Arctic
Ocean, another struggle of impor
tance to Russia** res‘stance was de
veloping — the battle of the AUird
supply route. Camouflaged Ameri
can freighters and tankers are ply
ing tire Arctic route to Murmansk
under protection of British warship*
and any day American warship*
may appear in the zone where «ev.
(Continued on Fags 4)
Complete Military Plane Every 8V2
Minutes To Reach Goal Of 60,000
Apathy Is Being Killed Off
Says Undersecretary
of War Patterson
BY L W. SHOLLENBERGEK
(United Press Staff Correspondent)
Washington, May 13 —(UP)— If
the aircraft industry is to meet
President Roosevelt's goal of 60,000
war planes this year, it must turn
out a complete military plane every
8 1-2 minutes of each day.
This year’s goal, the War Produc
tion board said today, is more than
half the number of planes of all
types built in this country between
the first flight at Kittyhawk, N. C„
in 1904 and this country’s entrance
into this war. During that period
only 100,000 planes — from puddle
jumpers held together with bailing
wire to 82-ton army bombers—were
built.
Quantity isn’t everything. The
quality of planes coming off pro
duction lines today is far superior
to any in the world. During the
last war, for example, engines had
to be overhauled every 50 hours.
Today they can 'go 600 hours.
How far the aircraft industry has
progressed is best explained by a
few statistics on the situation dur
ing World War I, WPB said. When
the United States entered that war
it had 55 military planes. But 51
were “obsolete” and four were "ob
solescent,” leaving a front line air
force of zero.
Production during World War I
reached 3,227 military units and 8,
000 training units.
Back to Peacetime
After that brief flurry, production
went back to a peacetime basis and
by 1939 the United States was pro
ducing only 100 military planes a
month. Foreign orders doubled
that during 1939 and, after Con
(Continued on Page 4)
“GAS LOOPHOLE”
FOR CONGRESSMEN
Price Administration Says
Inaccurate Interpretation
Has Been Made
Washington, May 13. — (UP) —
The Office of Price Administration
today blamed an “inaccurate inter
pretation" of the gasoline ration
regulations for the "supposed loop
hole” giving congressmen ration
cards for unlimited amounts of
motor fuel,
A congressman's rights are the
same as those of any other person,
the OPA said.
Joel Dean, chief of the fuel ra
tioning branch of OPA, said that
"no one is entitled to '*’ (unlimited
amount) cards because of his posi
tion as a government employe. A
government workers or a congress
man cannot obtain an card for
a car which he uses for driving to
work and for pleasure driving.”
But that interpretation came at
the end of the first day’s regls tre
tlon during which, according to pre
liminary reports, more than 200 con
gressmen obtained cards merely
by explaining that their cars were
used for official business.
(Continued on Page 4)
GfTfWAn “Nerve Gas” Is Similar To “Gas”
From Goebbel’s “Propaganda Machine”
By PKKII H. SM'HKKH
(United rrtM Mtaff t’erreapeiMlrutl
Washington. May is -tUH) —
AflMNrSIn mtUUry iuUumne.aatd
today that thara U a remurkablr
aimllerlty between the "nerve a*^
at tha Oarman army and the "aaa
of DoatUaUr1 propaganda machine
"Ae far aa J m cmt'erned," said
quo military authority, •*»*«*»''*
Uia War Department's attitude
"tha only nerve gas that I» aura
about la tha nerve tha Haaia have
la apreedin< aueh atorlaa.
Ronaowd epecuJationabeut nam
•aa aroM from a SwedWi report
that the Oamtan* ware ualn« It
atalnat tha Rumlans In the ft«ht.
Inc on tha Kerch Reninaula In the
Oritnei,
Berlin eorre»epondent of the
_.o»m Aftonbladet aald the new
paralysed tha nerve can ten
Its vtothaa of tha power to
make qut-k decisions, but was not
poisonous, Tl»# If** described u»
ono of two "now owl Improved
weapons” which tho cjermon high
command reported it m using in
ti>* Koreh offensive.
Two nerve specialists at John.*
Hopkins hospital. Baltimore. Md,
smtporied Oio War Department a
attitude by expressing disbelief.
Dr. prank ford, associate prole*,
■or in neurology, **ld ho could not
conceive Of any fu that would af
fect the nerve center* or atuplfy a
man’s power to make quick decl
"The regular anaesthetic would
have such an effect but it muat bo
administered diresUy to the Individ,
ual,” said Dr. Ford **H would be
neoeaaary to catcl) the people and
live them anaesthetics or sedative*
e are knows to nullify the
!
would make a pereon dopey and
not klU him. But it would be hit
powlbto to um untow a vart arm)
or troopa could be concentrated and
then grayed with carbon monoxide
It all xouroto impractical ae lir at
I can conceive it."
Dr. Othello Lang worth), another
Jointk Hopbine neurolog bit, Mid:
"If there hae been euch a •»«
created, I have never lieard of it.
I don't know a great deal about war
aaa but thto allegedly new product
i-aroely aounda plaurtbto to me."
It wae recalled that aimilar atortaa
or nerve gae ware diaaemlnated
from Burape In the eprlng of ltoo
when the Oermana captured the
Balaian for tree* of Bben Emael in
a apace of houra. Military author
nice attributed the capture to per
feet preparation, teamwork and
timing rather than by new teeh
•_t _I, . <
Conn—And New Sparring Partner
The No. 1 heavyweight challenger, Billy Conn, (right). Is pictured at
LaGuardia Field, N. Y., where he displayed the hand he broke while
trading punches with his father-in-law, Jimmy Smith, (left), during a
party following christening of the boxer’s baby in Pittsburgh. Injury
will prevent Conn from meeting Joe Louis next month.
Jap Invasion Fleet Is
Reassembling For Blow
Japs Await Heavy Navy Reinforcements at island
Bases Northwest of Australia—Key Units of
Jap Fleet Are Intact
BY DON CASWELL
(United Press SUM Correspondent)
Melbourne, May 13.—(UP)—A
Japanese Invasion fleet Is reassem
bling at island bases northeast of
Australia, awaiting heavy naval re
inforcements for a new offensive
thrust, dispatches from Allied ad
vanced bases indicated today.
Warships and transports were re
ported at these bases. The main
striking force had been scattered by
the AJnerlcan-Australian naval vic
tory in the Coral Sea but it was
believed to be virtually Intact, in
sofar as key units went. It was
apiwrently only awaiting reinforce
ments to strike a new blow which
many beleived would give Australia,
and the United States and Allied
forces their supreme test.
Activities of Japanese ships, re
ported by American and Australian
reconnaissance planes, and of the
Japanese air force absed at Rabaul
in the Bismarck Islands and Lae
on the north New Outnea cosat,
indicating that enemy reinforce
ments were arriving steadily.
Bad Weather for Mac Arthur
For the first time since the battle
of the Coral Bea started May *,
bad weather interrupted the often
sive activity of Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur’s air force yesterday.
However, it was understood that
limited reconnaissance work was
continued and the United Nation*
command and tlvs United States
south Pacific naval command would
receive the usual reporta of enemy
(Continued on Pate 4)
ROUTED JAPS ARE
REORGANIZING
Chinese Drove Them Al
most to Frontier—Join
Reinforcements
By ROBERT P. MARTIN
(United Frew SUIT Correspondent i
Chungking, May 13—(UP)—The
routed Japanese invaders of south*
west China joined several thousand
reinforcements north of Lashlo to
day and prepared another frontal
a&tault against Chinese strongholds
along the banks of the Salween
river near the Chinese frontier.
A major and perhaps decisive en
gagement in this area in southern
Yunnan province appeared Immin
ent while Chinese and Japanese
columns were maneuvering for po
sitions in northeastern Burma to
the south, and the Japanese In west
Burma, carried an Invasion threat
within 60 miles of the Indian fron
tier.
Chinese quarters estimated that
5,000 Japauese reinforcements from
Lashlo had moved north to retrieve
a situation in southern Yunnan
province which became desperate
(Continued on Page 4)
I'JSSE
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