The Waterbury Democrat. [volume], May 16, 1942, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT

                
Contingent Of May Draftees Left City This Mo
Home Edition
Late Sport News
Late News Flashes
The Weather
ESTABLISHED 1881 VOL. LX, NO. 115
WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, SATURDAY, MAY 16, 1942
TWELVE PAGES
PRICE 4 CENTS
.*
ft
Order For Retreat Given;
Munitions To Be Destroyed
New Defense Line Along
River Before Ukrainian
Capital
RUSSIAN ALSO LAUNCH
DRIVE NEAR KERCff
New U. S. Tanks Beinf
Used Effectively in Drive
on Kharkov
BY HENRY SHAPIRO
(United Press Staff Correspondent!
Moscow, May 10. — (UP)!
—German commanders hava
ordered their men to retreat
to a river line before Khar*
kov for a last ditch defense
and blow up all arms and
ammunitions in their wake,
special dispatches from the
front said today. The order
for the retreat was contained
In an enemy divisional erder of the
day captured by the Russians in
an offensive which increases hourly
in ferocity against Russia’s fourth
city, industrial captial of the
Ukraine.
It ordered the new defense live
built half a mile west of the river,
which the Russian command did not
reveal.
(The river might be any of sev
eral. including an arm of tie
Donets which flows about 25 miles
east of the city.)
Defenses Weakening
Picked Red army infantrymen,
borne in the new monster tanks,
veritable land battleships, hurled
themselves against the weakening
German defenses before Kharkov on
a front of 40 miles or more, with
their main pressure toward the
southern end of the line.
Guerrillas, charging out on Ger
man defenses from their fastnesses,
were striking against the enemy
rear In a new threat and dispatches
indicated that parachutists, massed
In the fighting zone, might be
thrown into the battle at any mo
ment, to help In reducing the thou
sands of strong points in the Ger
man hedgehog defense system.
It was reported that the hard
fighting Russian forces in the
Kerch Peninsula had lashed out
from Kerch city In a smashing
counter-attack and were fighting
German shock troops in the hill*
to the west.
Garrison Retaliates
There were reports also, uncon
firmed here, that the Intrepid gar-;
rison of Sevastopol, their spirit un-.
dimmed after months of blazing at- .
tack, had struck out in an attack;
of their own, possibly a relieving,
movement to aid the peninsular
forces.
Russia's noon communique, re-1
porting stubborn fighting in the j
peninsula, said the Russian offensive I
at Kharkov continued, in this ite'
fourth day.
The communique asserted that
the Russians, driving through de-1
fences It had taken the Germans)
months to build in the limb-freee-,
ing winter, were retaking tonne and,
villages and inflicting trernendW'
losses on the tiring enemy.
Much Armament Taken
"A great quantity of tanks, gOML
motor trucks, war materials, am
munition and food dumps has been
taken," the communique said.
"One unit alone captured M field,
guns. 64 machine guns, SO trench1
mortars, many artillery Mid tank,
guns, more than 560,000 wrMdto*.
205 cases of land mines and ae**
eral war material dumps,1* fi aa
“‘nTaddad that m the Isa tops I i
front the Russians to ths£ aOen
slve thrust*, had ktflad m addi
tional l.aoo Germans, bringing to
3,200 a three-dag total to • small i
sector, and that artillery and to- |
(Continued on Page W
MORE DRAFTEES
GIVEN ROUSING
SENDOFF TODAY
Mattatuck Drum Corps
Serenades Departing
Youths at Depot
SUPERNUMERARY IN
SECOND CONTINGENT
I6-B Quota Ohly Remain
ing One to Go This
This Month
The second large contin
gent of Selective Service in
ductees to leave the city
within 24 hours departed
from the Union Station this
morning. A big crowd bade
the young men farewell as
the Mattatuck drum band,
whose history goes back
through many wars, played
martial airs.
In the group, from Board 15-B,
was Policeman John Barnes, a
member of the supernumerary force.
No application for a deferment was
mad* for him by Police Superin
tendent William J. Roach, whose
appeals won extended delays for
two other supernumerary police
men. Also leaving was Patrolman
Barnes’ brother, George.
“You’re on your way to do a big
Job,” said Mayor Vincent A. Scully
as he addressed the group at the
railroad station, "and we know you'll
do It. More and more of us now
realize how serious and how Im
portant all this Is, that we are liv
ing In perhaps the most Important
days In the history of the world.”
Today’s draftees represented the
May quotas for Board 15-B and 16
A. The Board 15-A group left yes
terday, and the 18-B quota will be
sent soon.
Chairman Francis W. Orencole of
the Servicemen’s committee pre
sided at the farewell ceremonies.
Service kits were given the Induc
tees by a group which included
Mrs. Helen McGrath, Mrs. Ellen
Scadden, Mrs. Elizabeth Joyce, Eu
gene Sullivan, Edward Scholey and
Michael DeZinno.
Medals and medallions were dis
tributed by Patrick Wallace of
Sheridan council, Knights of Colum
bus.
Several late changes were made
In the 15-B list. Dr. Frank Cam
misa, who was to have left today,
(Continued on Page 2)
GERMAN CONVOYS
BLASTED BY RAF
London, May 16 —(UP)— The
Royal Air Force, renewing its sav
age offensive on Germany after
five days of comparative quiet,
blasted two strongly-defended Ger
man convoys off the Frisian Islands
last night and set three medium
sized supply ships on fire.
The air ministry said that sev
eral more ships were hit. That the
attacks were in considerable force
was Indicated by the fact that five
bombers of the coastal command
were missing. „ . .. .
Radio Berlin said that “weak
forces” of the RAF were over Helgo
land bight and the Danish west
coast. No particulars about the
damage they caused had been re
ceived, it said, claiming that two
bombers were destroyed.
The RAF attacked three German
minesweepers off the French coast
yesterday, blowing up one, leaving a
second In a sinking condition and
damaging a third. '
50c Buys 12 Yards
Of Barbed Wire
13 yard* of
■low down a
enough for on*
draw a bead on
might
long
to
your apare _ _
will buy Defenae Stamp*
I’m a DEMOCRAT Want Ad,
and I’m enUated for tbo dura
me at 4-3131 and ru turn
wire!
United States Submarine Brings Gold From Corregidor
(NEA Telephoto)
Washington, D, C.—Member* of the erew of a tJ. 8. submarine are shown as they transferred a fortune in
gold, silver and securities, brought back from Corregldor Just before the fortress fell to the Japanese. The
submarine under the command of Lt Cmdr. Frank W. Fenno, Jr. (right) spent two nights in Manila Bay,
unloading a cargo of ammunition for the garrison and taking on the gold. The sub then successfully made
the return voyage. (Official V. 8.' Navy photo from NEA Telephoto)
Further development* in the police deportment’s investigation of the
citiienship of its members win be heard at a meeting of the board of
police commissioners Wednesday afternoon, May 20.
Five regular members of the force and 14 supernumeraries who at
the time of the last meeting, May 6, had not presented proof of their
citiienship have been given until Wednesday to submit the necessary
affidavits.
While Police Supt. William J.
Roach, who Is In charge of the In
quiry has- refused to make any state
ments concerning the matter it is
understood that some of the 19 have
not yet been successful In their ef
forts to obtain birth certificates, na
turalization papers or other suitable
evidence of citizenship.
The probe started this year fol
lowing the disclosure that former
Patrolman Anthony Stango regis
tered as an Axis alien. A similar
inquiry is being carried on in the
Are department but no report of any
nature has been submitted to the
Are board by Chief Thomas P. Cav
anaugh.
There have been reports that at
least one and probably more mem
bers of the police department are
unable to submit proof of any kind
that they were born in this country
or acquired citizenship through the
processes of naturalization. Whether
the burden of proof will toe on the
police board or the policeman in a
case where citizenship cannot be
proved is a widely discussed ques
tion.
'Die city charter provides that no
one who. is not a citizen shall be a
policeman.
PRICE CEILINGS IN
EFFECT ON MONDAY
Retailers Prepare to Com*
ply With OPA Regu
lations
-Ceilings'’ on prices of thousands
of articles go Into effect In Water
bury and throughout the country
Monday, and retailers today were
busy making preparations for full
compliance with the regulations Is
sued by the Office of Price Admin
istration. On price-fixed articles,
the purchaser cannot be asked to
pay any more than the highest
price charged for the same article
at the same store during the month
of March.
To clear up questions and prob
lems in connection with the OPA
rules, the Chamber of Commerce
has arranged an open meeting for
businessmen of the Waterbury area.
It will be held Wednesday afternoon
at the Connecticut Light & Power
Co. auditorium, with officials from
the New England Regional office of
the OPA at Boston as speakers.
The regulations not only set. up
price ceilings but also require that
hundreds of items have their price
plainly marked. This especially af
fects many staples and groceries.
Nothing in the regulations pre
vents any retailer from selling at
prices lower than the ceilings if he
so desires. This will allow competi
tion to continue.
Ceilings on wholesale prices went
into effect last Monday. The cell
ing program is one of the govern
ment steps against inflation.
It is expected that there will be
some confusion at first, but the
price fixing regulations should be in
smooth operation within a compar
atively short time.
STATE COLLEGES
GRADUATE MANY
Storrs, Conn., May IS—(UP) -The
largest class in the history of Uni
versity of Connecticut will be grad
uated Sunday, It was announced to
day.
The graduating class is slightly
lass than MO, and degrees will be
given 'to about-100 more students
than lost year.
Oov. Robert E. Hurley and former
Oov. Wilbur L. Cross will partici
pate in the exercises, which will in
clude the dedication of seven new
university buildings.
Middletown, Conn.. May IS—(UP)
—A senior class of 1M students will
be graduated at Wesleyan univer
sity tomorrow. The commencement
exercises were being held four weeks
ahead of time because of the war
MURDER, SUICIDE
VERDICT IS FILED
Lenox, Mass., May 16—(UP) —
A medical examiner returned a
finding of murder and suicide to
day in the deaths of John
Matthews, retired New York stock
broker, and his socially-prominent
wife. Their bodies were found by
a maid In their home here yester
day. Medical Examiner George S.
Wickham said the 48-year-old
sportsman apparently had crept up
behind his wife as she sat typing
a letter, shot her through the head
and then taken his own life with
the same pistol.
Dr. Wickham, who said both had
been In poor health, summoned
their daughter, Mrs. William F.
GUdersleeve of Montclair, N. J.
Mrs. Matthews, 48, was the former
Katie Schennerhom, member of
an old New York family and former
Junior Leaguer.
BRUCE CALDWELL
IN NAVAL RESERVE
Hartford, Conn., May 1C — (U.P.)
—Attorney Bruce Caldwell, former
■tar Yale University football player,
resigned today aa a member of the
Hartford Housing Authority to go
Into tlie naval reserve.
Earlier In the week, Caldwell was
commissioned a lieutenant, junior
grade, in the Naval Reserve.
He has been associated with
Mayor Thomas J. SpeUacy in law
practice.
NAMED WFB MANAGER
Boston, May iC-(UF)-Earle L.
MllUken of Hartford, Conn., director
of Connecticut's WFB Contract Dis
tribution branch since is inception,
has been appointed Connecticut dis
trict manager of WFB, it was an
Bank Head T o
Return To Horse
Middletown, Conn., May 16.
—(CP)—Rufus W. Bailey, vice
president of the Farmers Me
chanics Savings Bank, today
gave up his automobile and
henceforth will go to work
each day on his western cow
pony.
Bailey stables the horse near
his home, and the round trip
covers three miles. The horse
is tied In a parking stall at the
rear of the bank while Bailey
is at work.
Bailey said new rationing
regulations caused him to give
up using his car to come to
work.
RECORD SURPLUS
IS ANTICIPATED
Restrictions on Purchases
May Cut Normal Expen
ditures of City
City expenditures during the first
lour months ol 1942 were kept well
within budget limitations, Controller
Thomas M. Condon's monthly finan
cial summary showed today. An
other large surplus lor the munici
pal government is indicated, with
the possibility that the amount may
be swelled to record proportion
through lederal restrictions on pro
duction ol equipment and mate
rials that the city would normally
purchase.
Ol total appropriations ol $6,286,
744 lor the year, the sum ol $4,596,
602 remains available lor the last
two-thirds ol the year. This
amounts to 64.6 per cent.
The percentage remaining 1s less
than the strictly arithmetical bal
ance ol 66.7 per cent that should
be on hand, but the discrepancy
is explained by bond redemption
and by purchases that will not have
to be repeated during the year. An
other lactor is the school depart
ment payroll, since teachers are not
paid during July and August.
Despite a big cut in the wellare
department budget, expenditures
by this department are lar below
estimates. A balance ol $238,313. or
almost 75 per cent, remains ol a
total appropriation ol $318,091. Last
year the welfare department' con
tributed $100,000 toward the city's
surplus.
Hie controller's general financial
account has a balance ol $824,217,
or 57.6 per cent, but this deviation
from par is accounted lor by bond
redemption and Interest payments.
The education department has 61
per cent ol Its appropriation, but
the lag will be made up during the
summer. The fire department lias
64.9 per cent of Its appropriation
still available, being below the aver
age only because ol new equipment
ordered. The police department is
at almost exact par, with 66.6 per
cent of Its appropriation lor the
year remaining.
A BIT EABLY
Belmont. Mass.. May 16—<UP>—
The Belmont tax board will receive
in the mail today a poll tax bill
from one John F. Bullivan, Jr., who
should be pretty veil put out about
the whole tiling. John received his
first poll tax yesterday but it was
a little premature. Be to it months
0
GERMANS CLAIM
KERCH TAKEN
Russians Said to Be Suf
fering Heavy Losses
in Retreat
Berlin, May 16-<UP)—The Ger
man high command reported today
that German troops had captured
the town and harbor of Kerch at
the eastern end of the Kerch Pen
insula and that the Russians try
ing to flee across the three mile
strait to the Caucasus, were suffer
ing heavy losses.
“German and Rumanian troops
ceaselessly continued their pursuit
of the enemy retreating on Kerch
and he made an unsuccessful at
tempt to make a stand on the
heights around the town," the
statement said. "Whenever the
enemy attempted to resist he was
overwhelmed immediately, and the
Luftwaffe, cooperating with the
ground forces also kept up the
pursuit and directed numerous low
level attacks against the retreating
enemy."
Russian motor transports that
managed to reach Kerch,, were de
«on the eastern outskirts ol
vh, the communique said.
On the Murmansk front the Rus
sians lost 8,000 men killed besides
many taken prisoner between April
26 and May 13, ard their losses ir
men and material were so serious
that they discontinued their attacks
and withdrew to their previous po
sitions.
A British patrol vessel and an
escort ship were sunk in the Medi
terranean by German submarines
and the bombardment of Malta was
continued. Five of eight British
planes that attacked a German
convoy oft the Dutch coast were
shot down and three bombers and
one British fight were shot down
when they attacked mine sweepers
in the same area. British planes
also were sighted over Heligoland
Bight and the west coast of Den
mark last night and anti-aircraft
fire shot down three of them.
The British naval base at Alex
andria was attacked by the German
air force last night and big fires
were started.
GRAND JURIES TO
PROBE CONTRACTS
Government Robbed of
Millions, Attorney Gen*
eral Alleges
Washington May 16 — (UP) —
Federal grand Juries soon will in
vestigate charges of war contract
frauds which have allegedly robbed
the government of “million of dol
lars,” Attorney General Francis
Biddle announced today.
Biddle named Tom C. Clark,
Dallas, Tex., as head of the war
frauds unit of the Justice depart
ment, and said he would conduct
Jury Investigations involving these
complaints:
1. Charges that faulty materials,
supplies and workmanship have re
sulted In defective goods being de
livered to the government.
2. Alleged conspiracies to Increase
the cost of plants and factories
built for the manufacture of war
materials.
3. Alleged practices to Increase
the cost of food and supplies lor
the army and navy.
Biddle gave no indication on how
many grand Juries would take up
the cases, or where they would
meet.
Besides conducting fraud Inves
tigations, Clark’s office will inves
tigate and prosecute violations of
rationing and price-ceiling orders,
Biddle said.
Biddle also named John Darsey,
formerly on the federal trade com
clsslon’s legal staff, as first assis
tant in the war fraud unit. Clark,
who served as coordinator in the
evacuation of enemy aliens from
west coast areas, replaces Fowler
Hamilton who resigned from the
frauds unit to Join the staff of the
board of economic warfare.
SOLD IKK MIXED
Camp Edwards, Mass., May 16
(UP)—Corp. Frederick H. George,
23, of (6631 Fairdol Ave.) Baltimore,
Md., died at the camp hospital early
today from a skull fracture sus
tained when struck 3 1-2 hours ear
lier by a hit-run motorist In nearby
Falmouth. George, a member of
Battery D, 136th Field Artillery,
never regained consciousness after
being Bit while walking -along a
Confesses
—NEA Telephoto
Hartford, Conn.—The Connecti
cut State Police announced that
Edward P. La Cassc (above), 30,
of Plainfield, Conn., had confessed
to having set forest fires which
caused $3,500,000 damage In East
ern Connecticut and Western
Rhode Island two weeks ago. The
fcrest fires alcgedly ignited by La
Casse, who Is married and father
of one child, spread over 50 square
miles and destroyed war produc
tion lumber depots as well as miles
of standing timber.
INVASION BASE
HEAVILY BOMBED
MacArthur’s Planes Catch
Japanese Off Guard
at Lae
BY DON CASWELL
(United Press Staff Correspondent)
Melbourne, May 16.—(UP)—Gen.
Douglas MacArthur's United Na
tions planes caught the Japanese
asleep at their important Lae in
vasion base on the Huon Gulf of
northern New Guinea yesterday and
in one of their most effective raids,
rained bombs on runways and
started big fires in buildings, it was
announced today.
It was the first time the United
States and Australian flyers, in
their new American planes, had
been over Lae since a reconnolter
ing flight May 7, during the last
phase of the Coral Sea battle.
Then the allied planes were look
ing for signs of Japanese reinforce
ments.
In their raid yesterday, they were
exclusively on the attack and it
was indicated that they left the
much-bombed base in chaos.
MacArthur said in his commu
nique that the Japanese were tak
en by surprise and that the allied
aviators landed all their bombs in
the target area.
MacArthur’s communique, No. 29,
from his southwest Pacific general
headquarters, said:
"New Guinea—Lae: Our ah- force
carried out a surprise attack on the
airdrome. All bombs were dropped
on the runway and building area.
Large fires were started.”
The Lae raid immediately fol
lowed shattering attacks Thursday
on nearby Rabaul, in New Britain
Island, and on the enemy's increas
ingly important seaplane base at
Deboyne Island in the Louisiades.
The pattern of allied bombing in
the northeastern Invasion area
plainly indicated that MacArthur’s
aircraft were still on the hunt for
the assembly of enemy naval and
transport forces and of reinforcing
airplanes, especially the seaplanes
at Deboyne Island.
Australia was still on the alert for
a new Japanese move, and kept it
in mind that MacArthur, in report
ing the repulse of the enemy fleet
in the Coral Sea emphasized that
fighting has ceased only tempo
I rarily.
MAJ. GALLAUDET
RESIGNS POST
Hartford, Conn , May II — (V.
P.) — Major Herbert O. Oallaudet,
Branford, who organised Connecti
cut’* air raid warden schools, re
signed today from the State De
fense Council because of ill health.
State Defense Administrator Sam
uel H. Fisher, accepting the resig
nation, announced the appointment
of James M. Osborn, New Haven, as
Connecticut Air Raid warden direc
tor succeeding Major OeUaudet.
Osborn is research associate is
Yale University’s English depart
GAS CARDS TO
BE MADE PUBLIC
Henderson Orders Ration
Boards to Open Records
for Inspection
BY HILLIER KRIEGHBAUM
(United Press Staff Correspondent)
Washington, May 16. — (UP) —
Price Administrator Leon Hender
son threw the spotlight of publicity
today on gasoline chislers, suspected
of obtaining high allowance cards
by misrepresentation.
Taking his cue from President
Roosevelt's press conference re
marks in suggesting publication of
the names of holders of “X” cards,
Henderson issues a directive today
ordering all rationing boards to open
their records to public Inspection
“as soon as practicable”.
His action will make it possible
to determine the type of ration cards
issued to congressmen and other
government offleals or to any indi
vidual or group of individuals.
The price administrator had ruled
that members of congress and gov
ernment officials are entitled to
“X” cards for “official business,”
including transportation “to conduct
business with a government agency”.
OPA officials said there has been
a trend among motorists holding
“X” and “B-3” cards to turn them
in for cards of lower allowances.
They predicted that if the trend
continues and grows, there will be
practically no need for changing
the present three-gallon value of
the basic rationing unit as was at
first contemplated in order to nul
lify chiseling.
Henderson’s publicity order was
issued only a few hours after the
Senate — resentful of public criti
cism of congressmen who have “X”
cards — rejected a resolution asking
them to waive "special rights, privi
leges and exemptions” under the
gasoline or other rationing program.
It was defeated 66 to 2 with its
sponsor, Senator Sheridan Downey,
Democrat, California, and Senator
(Continued on Page 2)
FLEET URGED TO
CHECK U-BOATS
Senator Mead Calls on
Navy to Eliminate At
lantic Menace
Washington, May 16 — (U.P.) —
Senator James M. Mead, D„ N. Y.,
urged the Navy today to consider
using a large fleet of torpedo boats
and sub chasers, as a means of “end
ing the Atlantic coast submarine
menace within 60 to 90 days."
Recently returned from an In
spection tour of Gulf Coast ship
yards, Mead said in an Interview
that he is convinced the swift and
deadly craft "present the answer”
to Axis marauders which have
taken a heavy toll of United Na
tions shipping in hemisphere waters.
Recalling the daring exploits of
Lieutenant John D. Bulkeley whose
torpedo boat squadron sank seven
Japanese warships and merchant
vessels before the fall of Corregldor,
Mead said that if the naval hero’s
recital of his teat "is the testimony
of experience—and we know it Is—
then a huge mosquito fleet will stop
the submarine menace.”
Bulkeley, who carried General
Douglas MacArthur from the Phil
ippines to Australia through the
Japanese blockade, told reporters on
his arrival in flan Francisco early
this month that his squadron des
troyed a 6,000-ton enemy cruiser, six
other vessels and four warplanes
before it was ordered to leave the
islands.
Axis underseas craft have sunk
some 106 ships in the Atlantic, the
Caribbean and the Oulf of Mexico
since America’s entry into the war.
Senator Sheridan Downey, D., Calif .,
told the senate Thursday that the
attacks have resulted in the with
drawal of all tankers from Atlantic
coast trade.
Mead, who toured the Oulf ship
yards with members of the special
senate war tnvetlgattng committee,
said a number of yards now are
building ships with suHtoient strik
ing power to destroy a submarine.
Borne of the vastest, he Mid, could
be carried on the decks of cargo
vessels to be lowered Into the water
when the presence of a submarine
to detected. Others ere large enough
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