The Waterbury Democrat. [volume], May 15, 1942, Image 1

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

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The Weather
in, Cool Late
Tonight
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ESTABLISHED 1881 VOL. LX, NO. 114 ,*%&*>*_ WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, FRIDAY, MAY 15,1142
TWENTY PAGES
PRICE 4 CENTS
Russian Red Armies Open Great Gaps In
Nazi Lines Massed For Defense Of Kharkov
New Russian Offensives On
Two Other Fronts Speed Up
German Command Hurls
More Forces Into Breach
But Were Beaten Off
NEW AMERICAN TANKS
ARE IN THAT FIGHT
German Forces Making
Strenuous Fight to Takfc
Kerch in Crimea
BY HENRY SHAPIRO
(United Press Staff Correspondent,,
Moscow, May 15. — (UP)
—The Red Army has driven
across a water barrier before
Kharkov, (possibly the Do
netz River), in a fierce battle
of tanks that opened big
holes in the German defense
line protecting the city, ac
cording to military advices
reaching Moscow today.
New Russian offensives were re
ported developing to the north
along the 1,800-mile front, between
Leningrad and Moscow, as the bat
tle for the narrow Kerch Peninsula
in the Crimea continued.
A large-scale battle of tanks, per
haps Including new triple-turret
American tanks which the Russian
are using, was said to have occur
red along the water barrier outside
Kharkov.
After breaches had been driven in
the German line, the enemy rushed
up infantry reserves and mechan
ized units supported by dive
bombers and attempted to counter
attack. The attack was thrown
back, however, with the destruc
tion of 20 Nazi tanks, it was said.
(A British broadcast recorded by
CBS, perhaps referring to the same
action, said the Russians had forced
their way across the Donetz River
and driven westward seven mllei
toward Kharkov).
Front line dispatches to the Army
newspaper Red Star reported the
Russian forces ripping through
German fortified villages, smash
ing knots of resistance and con
tinuing their advance over fields and
along road strewn with the bodies of
hundreds of German dead, tanks and
guns.
Fresh Troops Repulsed
The German command threw
fresh troops into its lines into *
vain attempt to save the situation
by counter-attacks, it was said, but
the Russian drive steam-rollered
over them.
Bitter fighting continued through
out the night on the Kharkov front
and in the Kerch peninsula of the
Crimea.
Tanks, flame throwers, infantry,
Cosac1 ivalry, under an umbrella
of h rmovlk dive bomber and
fighter planes, swept through pill
boxes, earthworks and entrench
ments before Kharkov.
Dispatches from the front re
ported the Germans in disorderly
retreat, in some sectors, abandoning
huge stores of equipment, gathered
for an offensive of their own.
The noon communique said two
Russian units, attacking m a nar»
row sector, killed more than 1,78#
Germans, captured ISO, and took
eight German field guns, six ma
chine guns, two mortars, a radio
transmitter and a large quantity of
assorted materials which are now
being counted.
In another sector, In a grim battle
of tank against tank, tire Russians
forced a water barrier and wedged
into the enemy defense line.
Desperately, the Germans threw
a force of light infantry tanks into
the breach.
AmrkAR Ttwhi Thtft
The great Russian tanks, pouiMp
including the new American triple
turreters, raked them with cannot)
fire and knocked out DO befora til*
(Continued on Page 4)
More City Youths
Leave Waterbury
For Training Camp
Selective Service Inductees in First Units of May
Quota Greeted By High School Band as They
Bade Farewell to Relatives
The first unit of Waterbury’s May quota of Selective
Hervice inductees left the Union Station for an army
reception center this morning as relatives, sweethearts and
friends waved farewell and as a band, the first one on hand
in several months, played patriotic airs. Though the
departure was an hour earlier than for past groups, a large
crowd was on hand.
Additional local draftees will
leave for the army very soon. To
day's group was from Board 15-A,
while Boards 15-B, 16-A and 16-B
have preparations completed for de
parture of their groups. The 15-A
contlnfent today was approximately
equal to the largest number of in
ductees ever sent by a single local
board.
Formed On Field Street
Assembling at the City Hall, the
inductees formed ranks on Field
street and marched to the City Hall
behind the consolidated high school
band. Brief farewell exercises were
held, with Mayor Vincent A. Scully
praising the inductees as "a grand
bunch”. He urged the men to write
home often, to see their chaplain
regularly, and to remember that
the Hoiks at home will have them
always in their minds.
In contrast to other departures,
when there were no flags at the
station, today there was a flag
floating from atop the new pole and
another on the wall over the ticket
windows inside the station.
Service kits were distributed to
the draftees by Francis W. Orencole,
chairman of the Servicemen’s Com
mittee, assisted by Frank McGrath,
Raymond Burke and Mrs. Frank
McGrath of local community clubs,
and Mrs. Arthur L. Edmonds of the
American Legion auxiliary.
Well Known Inductees
One member of the contingent,
John L. Donnelly of Orange street,
(Continued on Page 4)
GAS RATIONING
BEGINS TO WORK
Officials Are Watching to
See Just How Much of
It Was ‘Chiseling’
B¥ H1IXIER KRIEGHBAUM
.United Press Staff Correspondent)
Washington, May 15 — (U.P.) —
Gasoline rationing began today in
the east coast states as officials
worked on a tabulation expected to
show the extent of "chiseling" em
ployed by motorists In getting their
ration cards. .....
Office of Price Administration
officials said final returns on the
gasoline registration were needed
before they could decide on what
action, if any, to take toward re
ducing the value of the basic weekly
rationing unit, now three gallons.
Early returns showed a heavy de
mand for "X” cards which permit
the unlimited purchase of gasoline,
and for ”B" cards which permit rel
atively high purchases, There were
tome grounds for suspicion that
many entitled only to "A” or three
gallons-a-week cards had represent
ed themselves as "essential" to get
higher ones.
The OPA decided that the three
gallon-a-week ration could be met
(Uonunucd on Page 4)
•5.00 IJIJYH
TWO LRU M'lJNTB!
Two loo H«Ul)U MVO
two pronoun low from «apu»
lotion?
twfoMM Itimpi bur l«f
•pMnta.
NOOtf
C
•u »«ru »< u»i
Ml * UM>
ojtrtoU
bor BXTRA dcImnw
»«* »■ • »*“<*»*;
4 Hill mO
WANT AD. DM
pot wo to worth
#
Blfeii aMi,
150 GAS CARDS
ARE RETURNED
Registrants Who Had Se*
cured ‘X’ Cards Have
' Turned Them Back
More than 150 gas rationing reg
istrants who secured X cards, al
lowing unlimited gas purchases, re
turned them last night and this
morning after warnings that such
cards were only for those in speci
fically listed categories and that
those who secured them illegally
would face federal prosecution.
Chairman George J. McDuff of the
local rationing board said that he
had no complete figures but that
the estimate of over 150 was "not
far off."
Ration cards issued during the
three-day numbered about 25,000.
The Democrat estimated after an
unofficial survey. Official figures
were still being tallied. The survey
indicated that total rationing reg
istration would be far below the
pre-reg‘stration estimates of 30,000
or more.
Were Not Questioned
Chairman McDuff said that car
owners turning in their X cards for
cards allowing lesser amounts were
not questioned but were simply
given substitute cards. Some of the
X registrants, he said, received
such classification through an inno
cent misunderstanding of the ra
tioning provision. Others, he said,
knew they had violated the regula
tions and turned the cards in rather
than face prosecution.
Ten field Investigators of the Of
fice of Price Administration have
been assigned to Connecticut to
probe into false statements made in
securing X and B-3 cards. They
will work under State OPA Direc
tor Chester Bowles.
A slight, but noticeable decline,
was seen in traffic today as ration
ing regulations went into effect.
Prom today on, motorists can buy
gas only by presenting their ration
ing books. Authorities expected
that the traffic and parking prob
lems will be alleviated a great deal
more when gas tanks, most of which
are now almost full, start getting
near the ‘empty’’ mark.
Qas stations were literally Jam
ed with customers up to closing
hours last night. Stations which
(Continued on Page 2)
NAVY CASUALTIES
UP TO MAY 2
2,991 Dead, 2,495 MIm
Ini, 907 WotuxUd; 5,000
Otherf Captured
Waehington, Ilay t»—<UP
Name* of Navy oMeere end «»U* ted
men reported miaaing atnce Dee. 7
were made public today in the
Navy’e third casualty liet or tiie war.
Originally the iiat contained 3,4«6
name*, but aeverai miaaing men have
turned up and othera have been
■Among Utoae bated were Bnaigu
Kdwin Oenby, Jr„ non of a farmer
accretary oT the Navy, and Lieut.
iJO) William Oaear Speara, Jr., eon
or Heur Admiral W, O, Speara, chid
or the Panameriean dtvlaton or the
orsce or Chief oT Naval Operation*
Noth ware from the Diet*let of dot*
Navy ceeuaitita up to May I, to
eluded SMI dead, SAM miaaing and
M7 wounded, In addition, appro*
towteiy MM other* were captured
by the Japeneae in the PeeMe.
The claeabieation 'miming ' oov
ttiio diusoi bt AeaQuudri
for, mm of wham may be priaoner*.
seen «#•
AMNl it HI |IUt ft! (fobtiNl
HMI
and have had no opportunity
fir with V. S. Navel
■M$k
Girl He Left Behind Him
American soldiers landing at nnnamed Australian port has plenty to
carry but still manages to bring along picture of girl friend.
Local Plant Alleged To
Be Hiring Young Boys
Court Officials Here Have Heard Nothing From Labor
Com. Danaher About Any Prosecutions
Against Factory Owners
MADELINE WEBB
IDENTIFIES GAG
Her Own Scarf Was Used
to Suffocate Woman in
Murder Case
BIT MARTIN KANE
(United Press HUff Correspondent)
New York, May 15.—(UP)—The
detective who arrested Madeline
Web!) testilied today that the Okla
homa dancer had identified as her
own a woman’s silk scarf which
formed part of the gag used to
suffocate Mrs. Susie P. Reich, who
was slain in a hotel suite occupied
by Miss Webb and her paramour.
Detective John Kaiser, who ar
rested Miss Webb and Eli Shonbrun.
her sweetheart, in a Bronx boarding
house, six days after the murder
of Mrs. Reich, also identified a dia
mond which he said he had found
concealed in a pillow case in the
apartment where the arrests were
made.
Kaiser was the first detective to
arrive at the scene of the slaying
on March 5, when Uie body was dis
covered in a Sutton liotcl suite
whicii Miss Webb and ShortKtfU
had occupied for two weeks as "Mr.
and Mrs. Ted Leopold."
Witnesses have testilied that Mrs.
Reich went to tire "Leopold" suite
about noon on March 4 to keep
(Continued on Page id
AIRLINES UNDER
CONTROL OF GOVT.
Hilt of Their Plnne* Are
Ordered Info Military
Service of Nation
UV HAMOUR M. KLEIN
(Dolled Press HUM ferrespemOmll
Washington, May 16 — tIJ.P.) —
UlviUuu travel on commercial air*
lines was subjected to drastic cur*
I ailment today as the army assumed
virtually complete control ovar aU
airlln** and ordered eirproabnatrly
liaif of Uteir planes Into military
i^f vice.
Die civil aeronautics board will
ton announce a new route and
urvice setiadulas that will eiiminate
ill operations not consider*! esscn
Uai to tire war effort.
Air mail service, Ihe army said,
sit] not be affected at prevent mi
iCorumued ot Page 6) |
i:'
Local court officials said today
they had heard nothing from
Labor Commissioner Cornelius J.
Danaher with reference to plans for
the prosecution of local factory of
ficials on charges of employing
school boys as young as 12 years
old at night in violation of the
child labor laws.
Commissioner Danaher told the
United Press at Hartford that he
was planning to ask for warrants
for the arrest of officials of a Wa
terbury foundry on information re
ceived by him from school officials.
Prosecutor Frederick L. Palomba
of municipal court said he would
be glad to cooperate with officials
of the labor department but added
that he had not been consulted.
According to Commissioner Dan
aher’s statement the boys were paid
25 cents an hour for stripping —
emptying molds of hot metal with
crowbars.
Parents Complained
The foundry was investigated,
he said, on complaint of a parent
of one of the boys who said he
found him at work after 10 p. m.
A state law prohibits employment
of boys under 13 years, and under
18 years in hazardous occupations.
About a half dozen of the boys,
said the commissioner, were 12, 13
and 14 years old.
(Continued on Page 2>
YOUTH ESCAPES
AFTER 15 HOURS
Imprisoned Under Boulder
in Tunnel; Brave Kid
Said Readier*
By OAVK BBYIIKN
(United Press Staff Cerrespendenti
Portland, Ore., May IS- tUP)
Rescue squads pric'd id-year-old
Jimmy Harper out from under a
lAdfl-uuund boulder In u remote
tunnel of Poi Hand'* Mucky Hutu
euriy today, Anally answering his
aft-repeated query of “flow soon
you got.a gel me out of liereV'
Ttie rescue ended a 15-hour im
prisonment during which liai(»af, a
Hill Military academy cadtt, re
mained couaeious aiui ehetriul. de
soli# Uui crusitiiig weight of Hie
rock mi ItU legs lie was pinned
against Uie wail of Hie tunnel about
0 UCiOCk iUBt IliMill
The rescuers brought Harper
the surface on an Improvised
stretciier, and waiting physl'tan*
immediately administered snaes.
iiietke. At Providence hospital, at
tendsnis said it probably would not
be necessary to amputate his tegs.
Throughout the long night, liar
•f Yakima, Wash ,
drank black rot
t Can Untied on Page 2t
Edward F. Lacasse Of Plainfield
Under $10,000 Bonds As Firebug
Eight Counts Charged
Against Him for Costly
Forest Conflagrations
Putnam, Conn., May 15—(UP)—
Edward P. Lacasse, 30-year-old
Plainfield volunteer fireman, was
held in $10,000 bond for superior
court trial today on eight counts
of arson in connection with dis
asterous forest fires last month
along the Rhode Island state line.
Returned from Kingston, R. I.,
Lacasse was in custody on bench
warrants issued by Superior Court
Judge Ernest A. Inglls.
Lacasse may be presented before
Judge Inglls for trial next Friday,
according to court officials.
Rhode Island State Police Sergt.
Frank N. Kenny said Lacasse prob
able would be accused on about
eight charges in that state also, in
connection with forest fires which
caused more than $3,000,000 dam
age last month.
Lacasse, a New Haven Railroad
foreman, was not put to plea to
day.
Seven of the arson counts con
cerned fires during April and May
of this year, while one dated to
, 1P«- JfeR he allegedly
set fire to a building owned by the
Dayvllle Grain <fe Feed Co., at
Plainfield. Lacasse reportedly helped
fight this fire with other members
of the volunteer department of
which he was a member.
Other Specific Counts
Other Specific counts ip the war
rants were:
April 5, firing a building owned by
William P. Babcock, Groton, and
used as headquarters for the Plain
field Social Club.
April 23, firing a barn owned by
the Plainfield Corporation.
April 30, land fire on the property
of Thomas Gannon, Sterling.
April 30, land fire on the property
(Continued on Page 4)
MEXICO ANGERED
BY AXIS BOMBING
Mexican Flag, Plainly
Marked on Vessel’s Side,
Hit First Shot
By JOHN B. McDERMOTT
(United Press Staff Correspondent)
Miami. Fla., May 15<UP>— An Axis
submarine that sank a medium-sized
Mexican freighter off Miami last
night aimed at a brightly illumi
nated Mexican flag painted on the
vessel's side, survivors said today.
"It was no mistake that a torpedo
hit our ship.” Julio Benavides, 32,
of Tampico, Mex., said. ‘They must
be good shooters for they split our
flag -bingo! They made a target of
our flag."
Thirteen men were lost when the
vessel, the Portrero de Llano, bmst
into flames and sank within sight of
tlm Florida coast. Twenty-two crew
members were saved. All deck offi
cers were believed to have gone down
with their ship.
It was tiie 15th torpedoing an
nounced by the Navy since May 4 in
which survivors have been landed at
Florida porta. Twenty-si* of a crew
(Continued on Page V
Commands Nazis
In Crimea Push
Gen. Frit* Erich von Manstein
leads the German forces against
Russia In the Crimea.
YANKEE PLANES
HIT JAPS AGAIN
Two Key Enemy Bases in
Australia Are Smashed
By Our Bombers
BY DON CASWELL
(United Press SUIT Correspondent)
Melbourne, Australia, May 15 —
(U.P. )— United States planes In
new, heavy blows at two key enemy
bases have given Japanese invasion
preparations another setback and
administered a humiliating blow to
Japanese fighter planes which tried
to interfere, General Douglas Mac
Arthur said today.
The Allied planes, piloted by
Americans and Australians, dam
aged a Japanese transport in an at
tack on shipping in Rabaul Harbor,
I New Britain Island, and shot down
seven of an interceptor fleet of 17
enemy fighters, without loss to
(Continued on Page 4)
American Ships Sunk
Says Nazi Broadcast
Cruiser, Destroyer, Two Other Vessels in Allied Con
voy Struck By Nazi Planes in Arctic; Ger
mans Nearing Kerch in Crimea
(Please note that the following
was not written or filed by a
United Press correspondent but Is
an enemy government broadcast
recorded outside enemy territory).
Berlin, May 15—(UP)—(German
Broadcast Recorded by United Press
in New York)—Tlie high command
said today that German warplanes
in a battle with “a United States
squadron” along the Allied Arctic
supply route to Russia sank a 9,100
ton American cruiser, a destroyer,
an ice breaker and at least one
merchant ship.
The1 attack against the Allied con
voy enroute to Russia's Arctic port
of Murmansk was said to have been
carried out yesterday between North
Cape and Spitzbergen.
"The German air force sank a
cruiser of the Pensacola class of
9,100 tons as well as a destroyer.”
the high command said in a com
munique. "In add 11 ion, an icebreak
er of 3,000 tons and a merchant
ship of 2,000 tons were destroyed.
A merchant ship of 10,000 tons was
so severely hit that it was left
burning from bow to stern.”
Low-flying German fighter planes
were said to have destroyed four
ships totaling 7,500 tons in "some
ports of England’s south coast” in
an attack Thursday evening, dodg
ing violent anti-aircraft fire and a
balloon barrage. >
The high command said that only
Luftwaffe planes participated in
the attack on tlie convoy in the
Arctic.
Bombed to Destrurl on
Several destroyers, presumably
American, accompanied the cruiser
<Continued on Page 4)
JAPANESE SMASH
CHINA TWO WAYS
Meet Resistance But Drive
Ahead; British Corvette
Sunk at Madagascar
London, May 15.—(UP)—Japanese
troops, striking at China by two
routes, have met determined re
sistance from Chinese forces guard
ing the back door route to Chung
king, and farther south In Burma
other Chinese forces still fight to
cut the invader’s supply and com
munication lines, a military spokes
man said today.
The Japanese force in Yunnan
province was pushing along the
Burma road northeast of Lungling
toward Paoshan, while a branch of
this force had swung off the main
line to attack the ancient town of
Tengchung.
The commentator sa'd the sec
ond main Japanese force was going
north through Burma in the vicin
ity of Mjitk/ina. approximately a
100 miles north of Bhamo and near
the Chinese-Burma border. This
line of march may be intended to
carry the Japanese into Assam State
to cut the ancient trails and roads
that lead through that area from
India to China.
The Chinese, it was believed, were
concentrating on holding the Jap
(Continued on Page 9)
Half Of Men In United States Will Be In
Armed Forces Or War Plants This Year
MV JOHN M. MV&MMN
ll'nllrd Vnm Nitilf t'Mraopondvoi) ,
Waaliinfton, Muy 16. - iVt'i
Half of tint mu In tl»# Unit’d j
dial** kalwawi 'Jo uid Of) mr* ui,
iik* will l«< hi (In* aruiad lurw* or
in war iuduatriaa liafdra tit* and of
tltia >«ar It praaant plana proaraaa
IMI M-llfiiUlMl. IWaiipOWtr ottMala
Mild today.
Tlia taak of moWna iu,60t),o<w
workara In to war production into*
—to double tint praaant number of
war wotkera la proe«eriln« at an
average rata at MJMO a day, (Hay
wild.
Aeli»av«inw>t of the prraatit goal
will leavr only a few million at ihe
adult mala population in iwhiw»
annual activities and a traat por
tion at three will ba Mwee bwUirlblf
for armad eervkw or war production I
work
| it wtii mean Uiat hundred* at
tiioukMwd* ut wmtom will leave Uifir
Imines tor l Hu floiw* mid dirt of f»t>
lory ui .iiiil.in lints. And it tiia>
iimutt rittid control over inununwet
perhaps #uvuiiiiiiiit anion to
workers in Jobs for wiutli
they um best fitted.
loot January, titer* warn '/000,000
iH'tsuns employed in wur iin.diw
Hon activities, That haure since
then htut been itu ruMM-d to #000,000.
It must lut Increased to 17,WO,(too
including 3,000000 women, by the
etui of the year to meet Mr, Root*'
volt's production sdteriule.
nitmilUuirously, aMNQftbiMtely %•
000 000 men must bo absorbed into
the armed forces to loin# the
army's strength to S400000 and the
strengih of tiie navy ai d ms Hite
corps to umm. But Utst is only
the IMS goal
Herd toy said at Detroit test Mon
dV Utai Ut« arovy eventual^ may,
U> Uml'toMOl u» OMM Of DM,(MW
men. Chairman Carl Vlnaon, U,
Cla, of life House naval affair*
committee rvcontiy maul ehnllar
hauies.
or Urn Incn between uu
aid «.v the 1043 manpower moblli
.nation program will leave appro«|.
mutely mjwooou In actlvittea oilier
titan Hit mined force* or war pro
durtlon. Approximately 9,MM) of
them art agricultural worker*, who
tlmugh they art clamed m exaen
tlal, art not included among war
production worker* becauee the war
dl<1 not create their Job*
That leave* #4WO,<JOO of the adult
male population In other work. In»
eluded ere police and firemen
druflbit*, atreet ear conductors,
grotux and hundred* of other
worker* whaee ectivitfee cannot be
eliminated and era therefoee «*•
xeothU.
jsk
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