The Waterbury Democrat. [volume], January 24, 1945, Image 1

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

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(Publlehad Every Evening at S5 Orand street, Waterhury. Entered as Second Claaa Matter at Poet Office at Waterbury, Conn. Under the Act gf March I, 1871).
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ESTABLISHED 1881
VOL. LX1II, NO. 20
WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24,1945
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SOVIETS STORM ODER DEFENSES
Nazis Puli Troops From Western Front
REDS REPORT
EVACUATIONS
FROM SILESIA
London, January 24—(UP)
— Moscow broadcasts today
reported mass evacuations of
Germans from Silesia, north
eastern Germany and west
ern Poland, and said unrest
in the ranks of the Volks
sturm led to clashes with
Elite Guards units.
A shrill discord of propa
ganda broadcasts clogged
the European air waves, some
of them reporting that panic
had broken out In Berlin and
that the Germans had begun
to dig trenches around their
capital.
*'Thc decisive battle in the east is
approaching a climax ever more
rapidly,” the Nazi Transocean News
Agency quoted a German high com
mand source. '‘It has assumed a
ferocity and violence which cannot
possibly be surpassed."
The often inaccurate Paris radio
said without giving its source that
the Germans were ringing Berlin
with trenches in apparent prepara
tion for a last ditch defense. A
Brussels broadcast quoted Swedish
reports that the evacuation of Ber
lin was going on.
A Moscow broadcast immediately
following a free German committee
appeal for an uprising in Germany
said big scale evacuations from
Silesia, Pomerania and the bordqr
area of Poland were under way,
with the people "being driven on
foot toward the interior of Ger
many.’
“In central Silesia,” the broadcast
added, "clashes have been reported
between SS units and Volkssturm
men whose wives and children were
being evacuated forcibly.”
A brief flurry of optimism in Ger
man press and radio comment yes
terday was dampened by the Welir
macht’s chief spokesman, Lt. Gen.
Kurt Dlttmar, who warned the pub
lic that the Russian invasion sweep
lias not been halted and that there
is no immediate indication where
or when lt will stop.
At the same time, iDttinar brush
ed aside Nazi propaganda claims of
big successes in the west with the
assertion that Marshal Karl von
Rundstedt's counter-drive into tiie
Ardennes was only a "local” opera
tion.
Lear Awarded
McNair's Job
Paris, January 24. — (UP) — Lt.
Clcn. Ben Lear, commander of all
If. S. Army ground forces, has been
appointed Deputy Commander of
American Forces In the European
theatre, lt was announced today.
Lear was named commander or
Army ground forces last summer,
succeeding Lt. Gen. Lesley McNair,
who was killed while witnessing the
aerial bombardment preceding the
American breakthrough at St. Lo lr
Normandy.
(Washington sources have been
speculating that General Joseph W
Stillwell, former American Com
mander In China, Burma and India,
would be given the ground forces
command.)
Gen. Dwight D. Elsenhower, Sit
pnne Allied Commander and con
currently American Commander In
i lie Euro|>ean theatre, already has
delegated Lear U) direct the conser
vation and utilisation of manpower,
including morale and welfare as
pects.
Some of the division* lighting on
the western front received their ini
tial maneuver experience under Ills
Second Army command In the
United States In 11140-41.
Lt. Gen. Hen Lear, Jr., who at
tracted attention during early Amer
ican mobilization for punishment of
soldiers who yoo-hiated at girls on a
golf course, climbed to the top with
out benefit of a West Point career,
lie was a graduate of I lie Action
School. He volunteered In the Hpun
ish-Amerlcan war and promptly
earned sergeant's slrliies
(Continued oil Page 4)
Tree" German Army
May Fight Germans
Ankara. Jan. 24 ill P i A re
ixirl from Holla today sutd that lit)
German generals met In Itiissln
under the leadership of Field Mar
shal Friedrich Von Paulin* and de
termined to form a ‘ provisional
Get man military government ."
The "government," tJie reiairt said
would sei up headquarters In
Koanlgsberg as soon aa the city Is
occupied bv the Husslaiis and Im
mediately would enter Into armlstluc
negotiations with the Allies.
Von Hindus, captured by the llus
slans In the encirclement of his
sixth German Army at HtaUngrud,
would head the government which
would resign as soon ns free elec
tions could bo held.
Following formation of Ihe gov
ernment, the report suld, a "free"
German army would Jolu In tile war
agalnit Germany.
Navy Yard Workers "Products"
IS
(NEA Telephoto)
Washington. D. C.—Members of the Senate War Investigating Committee examine an inlaid checkerboard,
an oyster table and some other oddities they claim were made in the Norfolk, Va„ Navy Yard by workmen
using official materials on company lime- Left to right: Senator Harley M. Kilgore, W. Va.; Rudolph Halley,
chief counsel for the committee, and Senator Homer Ferguson, Mich.
Engineer, Doctor First
Murder Trial Witnesses
Victim
MRS. STEPHAN IE PLUNGIS
Public Press
Editor Slain
Minneapolis, January 24. — 1UP1
— Detectives searche<i today for a
typewritten copy of an unpublished
Issue of the tabloid "Public Press."
which they believe may be the key
to solution of the slaying of Arthur
Kasherniun, 42, editor of the paper.
Police said they believed a brown
cardboard file was missing Irom the
effects of the crusading editor. They
suspected it contains the copy which
Koslu l inan wrote shortly before he
was shot down Monday night In
typical gangland fashion
Detectives said Kusherman's kll
(Continued on Page 4)
CLAYTON RESIGNS
Washington, Jan. 24 fll P.i
Lawrence Clayton, 12 years assist
ant to the chairman of the I'Vdei h
Kesi rve Board, has resigned to take
over thi! presidency of Clayton •Se
curities Corporation, Iloston. if was
unnonneed today He will be asso*
elated with Ids brother, C, C. Clay
ton.
(BY ANNE ZKMA1TIH)
Technical testimony bv a city
planning engineer and by a medical
examiner featured the opening of
the first degree murder trial of
Francis Zukauskas, fohner super
numerary policeman, In suj)erlor
court this morning, as a capacity
crowd of spectators waited to hear
the more sensational aspects of the
case.
Zukauskas last Nov- 22 pleaded
not guilty to the charge, which car
ried a death penalty on the finding
of guilt, and on Dec. 1!) asked to be
tried by three Judges Instead of by
a Jury. Presiding at the trial aiv
Judge Frank P. McEvoy of Water
bury, Judge John If. King ol Wll
llmantlc, and Judge Howard W. A1
corn of Suffleld.
A foundation was laid by State's
Attorney William B. Fitzgerald at
the start of the hearing to show the
distance Zukauskas traveled on the
night of Nov. 1, when Mrs- Ste
phanie Plungls, 25-year-old Alder
street resident and mother of two
children, met her death from gun
shot wounds.
Zukauskas, who was neatly dress
ed in a gray pencil-striped suit, ap
peared outwardly calm, but occa
sionally fumbled for his rosary
beads or vigorously rubbed his face
and forehead as hi- sat at the coun
sel table beside Public Defender Ed
ward T. Carmody and Attorney W
W. Gager, who defend him.
Present In the courtroom through
out the morning session were Mrs.
Edna Sterling Zukauskas, wife of
the accused, his mother. Ills Iwiu
s Is ter. and two other sisters. His
wife talked to him across the rail
ing around the prisoner's pen when
(Continued on Page 4)
Navy Patrol Plane
Crashes, One Dead
New York, Jan. 24 A twin-en
gined navy patrol bomber on rou
tine operational (light from Floyd
Bennett Held with nine men aboard
crashed Into Jamaica Bay at (1:22
a. m. today. One crew member was
was killed, another seriously Injured
and Hire were reported missing
Three enlisted men and one ollleer
escaped without Injury.
Names ol the dead, injured and
missing were wllhhcld pending noil
(lealIon to next ol kin.
Canadian Uprising Not
Quelled Yet-McNaught on
own Mound, out , Juniiurv
ilil'i (litnitdlaii IH'lenne Minlxii'i'
A, Cl, I Mi'NiiukIiIoii revealed IiinI
lilldd lliut lid ll|irl*lllk of Home
Defi'iiee threatened (laiiudii
"ii few mold I ih ukko" mid In* lull
titled Lliut Hip ell mil Inn wan not yei
fully hi limid.
"There wun ii lime u few month.1,
iigo wlii'ii I li'iin'd lor Hu' lienee mid
Mt-urlty oi tin' rountry," !»• wild In »
(OIII|)tlKh li|M'PI'll lor I'P-Plt'I'llull HVlj
ruury ft I
"I tldnk u lot of |ioo|)li do not
rciillM* that Hip oonwrlpli'd Home
Ocfeiuie rci'riilLh IimiI iirnn. In tlielr
hand* mid were a I rained body of
men and that we had relatively few
active Mirvlcemen to enforce oiiedi
enue If neuaaaary,” he »ald,
Hi' .'.mil in' could nor no mm ui"
lull Ini' III** Unit* In IMlt Hpc ' bill
Hull iin* nil nut Inn. imrti'liilm ly in
ii'Miil'iJ In (li'hi'i'lltm IiiiiI Iiim|iinil u
rcqucnl In 11 it* I'ubliii’t In mini llu'
Hill ill' Hillin' I IrlrllM' mill H IIVI'I 'I'U.s
by rmiipul'.lmi II iu-i i'smiin mill |n
Klvi* him ii fh'M quoin nl HI non men
Ol lilt* I(I.IMMI Willi writ1 till'll Old*
1‘l'iul nldpprd mil II, 1100 diMTh'd, In'
Mild, or "Jtinl ulimit llir number tin*
uiiifl fomiuM lunt November when
wi' idnuni'd hi troop movement "
I Imp*' tliul thh. HWukcni'd thr
publlu of Cunudu lo whul w<- Inivt*
hud hi dual with hi tin' imtlonnl re
mhutum inobtlluatlun Hct,1’ In* mild.
"Till' Unit* bun rulin' U> mi* who'n
bo*."
Accused
r
FRANCIS ZCKACSKAN
Jones Before
Senate Today
HY LYLE C. WILSON
Wlushing toil, Jim. 24—(UP)—Sec
retary of Commerce Jesse II Jones,
win. lues b'en fired but Is waiting
around for a successor to accept the
keys of the office, appears at, 2:30
l>. m. (KWT) today to explain to
senate committee why he believes
Henry A. Walace is not fit to ad
minister mull l-billion dollar federal
loan operations.
Wallace will apiiear tomorrow to
defend Ills competency.
The hearing is before the senate
commerce committee which origin
ally plumed to have the two ad
ministration enemies confront each
other at today's hearing an occa
sion which would have been second
In public Interest only to the time
a midget sat In ,1. P. Morgan's lap
when Judge Ferdinand Pecoru wius
Investigating Wall street.
Hut the Jonc.SfWallaec perform
ance will play to n packed house
just the same in the big Senate cau
cus room Sen. Waller F. lieorge, JJ.,
till., will appear today With Jones.
When Pnsldenl Roosevelt fired
Jones and nominated Wallace lor
Ills post, (ieorge Immediately offered
a bill to separate Irom the com
nierce department I he reconstruc
lion lluance corporation and ulllll
a ted lending agen ‘ex A companion
bill lias been Introduced In the
House.
The bills and today's hearing urn
conservative maneuvers in prevent
Wallace Irom gaining control of vast
governm nl financial resource
From Wallace Id- uppniiculo want lo
know wind i.sial-econoinlv objec
tive,in Mould underlake d he sup
planicd Jones. Piimarlly, however,
11ie\ hope lo arrange li so that lie
will not supplant Joins or nuynin
i lse us duel ol file lending agencies
Through time agencies the sec
retary ol commerce, In llic liVc ot
banker, Is a poleid lores In Ameri
can induslry. More particularly,
he would lie a polclll force III deler
iiiltllug how loans shall be ll<|uldut
ed when Ihe war ends. Vast sums
tContinued on Pug* 4)
NAZI CONVOYS
HEADING EAST
FRESH TARGET
BY BOYD I). LEWIS
Paris, January 24. — (UP)
— American forces plunged
forward toward the German
Siegfried positions east of
the almost vanished Arden
nes bulge today amid gath
ering signs that the Ger
mans were hastily drawing
strength from the western
front to meet the crisis in
the east.
The American advance was
rolling steadily and ahead of
the ground forces U. S. tacti
cal air forces struck at fresh
targets — Nazi convoys mov
ing east.
Reports came from several sectors
of the front Indicating that the
fighting 111 the west was being af
fected by the German efforts to
bolster the lines shattered try the
Red Army In the east.
Along the British-held Dutch
front correspondents reported two
German divisions definitely had
been pulled out of the line and sent
east. British and American tactical
air forces reported heavy movement
of German military traffic on the
lines leading away from the Ruhr.
The American tactical air force
reported 1L had destroyed 70 more
German vehicles in strikes against
the Nazi rear line thus far today.
The British reported they hit more
than 100 German trains in 48 hours,
many of them loaded with troops
and war materials.
However, there was little change
in the grim character of ground
lighting.
The American Seventh Armored
Division with the assistance of the
508th Infantry of the 82nd Airborne
Division shoved east of re-captured
St. Vith In a push to drive the Nazis
back Into their Siegfried positions
from which they launched the Ar
dennes drive December 16.
3rd Army Gains
Third Army forces moved up in
gains of one and two miles and
along about half the Ardennes sec
tor the lines were virtually where
they had been before field Marshal
Karl Von Rundsledt attacked.
The extent of the forces being
pulled out of the western front by
the Germans was not yet certain.
One front report suggested that the
German Sixth Panzer army was be
ing sent east hurriedly. Antoher
speculated that the Fifth Panzer
Army also was headed that way.
These two armies were the spear
(Contlnued on Page 4)
Forts Rake
Iwo Island
By FRANK TREMAINE
Pearl Harbor, Jan. 24 — (U P.) —
B-29 Superfortresses turned their
attention from the Japanese home
land temporarily today for another
heavy attack on military Installa
tions on Iwo, stepping stone Island
half way from Saipan to Tokyo.
Twice before Marlanas-based
Superfortresses have hit Iwo, 750
miles southeast of Tokyo, both times
In conjunction with Liberators and
a naval task force. There was no im
mediate Indication whether surface
vessels and other bombers joined In
today\s bombardmelit.
Iwo, In the volcano group, is the
main enemy air base Athwart the
Superfortresses route to Tokyo, Na
goya and Osaka and Serves both as
u warning post and as a nest for in
tercepting lighters. Japanese bomb
ers also have made hit-run raids
from Iwo on the Marianas.
The new attack wius announced
In a brief bulletin Irom the War De
partment in Washington, which
promised details later.
The laid followed by less than 24
hours an attack on the main Jap
anese aircraft center of Nugoyn by
Major General Curtis Lemay’s Mur
ianas-based 21st bomber command.
Returning pilots reported they
met their heaviest tighter opposi
tion yet over Japan at Nagoya, with
as many as I Oil planes attacking
some formations. A War Depart
ment communique said 15 enemy
aircraft were shot, down in combat,
12 probably destroyed and 24 dam
aged.
Though only one Hli;>el toi lless
was lost to enemy action, u Jap
anese communique claimed 111 had
been shot down and ‘about 50 dum
I aged seriously. The Japanese ac
knowledged the loss ol only six
l planes.
The Iwo ulluek was announced
while I'aelfte fleet headquarters was
awaiting word of the results ol the
the Third Heels latest loruy against
Japan* Chum He a stronghold!
A Pueille Fleet communique .ve
in din said hlrong forces ol the
fleet's currier planes iinollieiiill •
estimated at 500 or more ulluek*
ed Okinawa In the ItyukMl island
250 mile* south ol Japan Monday 24
hours after destroying or damaging
240 enemy aircraft In raids on the
Formosa area.
Nerund Term Begins .Ian. 211. Send
for Bulletin. Post Jr, College ol
Comm ere*. 24 Central Av*.
Russians Reach Oder
iNEA Telephoto)
Continuing their steam roller advance the Russian army has reached
the Oder River southeast of Breslau. Fifty miles to the north another
Soviet army Is fighting in Poznan on the road to Berlin, while still
other Red units in Hast Prussia are driving toward the Baltic Sea nar
rowing the Nazi eseape ga of 200,000 enemy troops.
High Court Denies
Buonanno’s Appeal
John Buonanno ol Wuterbury wiio
appealed to the State Supreme Court
In an effort to recover on fatal in
juries sustained by Rosinu Buonan
no in an automobile accident have
been unsuccessful. The high court
today handed down a unanimous
decision uphodlng tlie superior court
which returned a verdict for the
defendants, Evelyn and Floyd Cam
eron of Watertown.
Mrs. Buonanno died from injur
ies sustained Jan. 5, 1942 when she
was struck by a car owned by
Evelyn Cameron and operated by
the other defendant on Watertown
avenue near the Connecticut Chil
dren's hospital. She was crossing
the street to take a bus when the
accident occurred. The plaintiff
filed tlie $15,000 civil action as ad
ministrator of her estate.
In the memorandum of decision,
written by Justice Edwin C. Dick
enson, the high court ruled the jury
' might have lound that “the high
way was slippery from hard-packed
snow; that it curved just before the
point of collision; that the defend
ants’ car was following another,
which was about 35 or 40 ieet di
rectly ahead, at a rate of speed of
about 25 miles on hour; tnnt the
car ahead swerved suddenly to its
(Continued on Page 4)
Soldier, Girl
Plan Appeals
London, Jon. 24.— iUP)—Counsel
for Pvt. Karl Gustav Hulten, Bos
ton paratrooper, and Mrs. Eliza
beth Marina Jones, British strip
tease dancer, said today that they
would appeal the case In which the
couple was convicted and sentenced
to hang for the murder of George
Heath, a taxi driver.
Hulten and the girl were con
lined to cells In the death house, un
der a constant guard of two police
officers since they were found guilty
of first degree murder yesterday.
Mrs. Jones had two possibilities t
escaping the death penalty. If her
appeal of the verdict fails she can
apply to the home secretary for
commutation to life sentence us a
result of the Jury's recommendation
of mercy for her.
Under the latter procedure, the
home secretary can determine the
number of years she Is to serve of
the life term Willi good conduct
she possibly could be freed In 10 to
12 years.
More Low-Ci
Promised By
Washington, Jan. 24 itfPi- An
i increase In the number and quality
, of low-cost garments was promised
■ nuluy as a result of the govern
I incut's most drastic move ol the
; war to regulate output of the cloth
| tug Industry
Viral aiitl'lpated result ol the
| new crackdown, which oltlelals esti
mated would save consumers $.>00,
uooooo annually in clothing prleo
was an additional H.ooo.ooo essential
| children's garments available foi
purchase during April, May and
June
Ur Wilburn Y. Klholt. head of
the War Production Uourd's office
of civilian requirements, advised
parents to delay all but absolutely
necessary buying until (hen with
"all confidence' that the kiddles'
Uhithes would be there at lh« time
Japs Abandon
Defense Line
Near Bamban
BY WILLIAM B. DICKINSON
General MacArthur’s Headquar
ters, Luzon, Jan. 24.—(UP)—Jap
anese forces lmve abandoned new,
well-prepared defenses In the hills
northwest of Bamban, 53 miles
from Manila, and the full of that
last bastion shielding Clark Field
appeared imminent today.
Muj. Gen. Oscar W. Griswold’s
14th corps already may be within
50 air miles of Manila at a point
cast of Bamban. Concepcion, 53
miles northwest fo the Philippines’
capital and six and a half miles
northeast of Bamban, wius over
run yesterday.
United Press War Correspondent
Frank Hewlett reported from the
front that the 40tii (California) di
vision was closing in late yesterday
on both Bamban and the Bamban
airfield, three miles northeast of
tile town und the first of I lie Clark
field airstrips.
Japanese opposition to the fron
tal advance on Bamban stiffened
yesterday afternoon, Hewlett said
but dual purpose antl-alrcrafL-antl
Lany guns silenced enemy batteries
and most enemy snipers soon af
terward fell back farther south.
The enemy's abandonment of de
fense positions completed only a
few montlis ago northwest oi Bam
ban was taken us a sign that he
will not attempt a strong stand even
at the Bamban rive« which bisects
the Luzon Plain a , nlle south of
the town, Hewlett said.
(Continued on Page 4)
New York-Chicogo
Trains Derailed
Pittsburgh, Jim. 24 — (UP.) —
The "Shenandoah", passenger train
of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad,
was derailed at Versailles, Pa., early
today, seven of the eleven-ears leav
ing the tracks, n B. iV O. official an
nounced here. No one was Injured,
he said.
The train, traveling west from
New York to Chicago, was wrecked
about 8:45 a. in., KWT The cause
of the derailment has not been
determined, the railroad official said.
ist Garments
Government
promised.
The government's new program
was announced by WPB Chief J A.
Krug and Price Administrator Ches
ter Bowles at a press conference yes
terday
Kssentlally, it amounts to a van'
priority system which will send
about 75 per cent of all material
produced for civilian use to maiiii
lueturcrs of low and medium priced
clothes Mills will he required to
reserve a high proportion of their
fabrics tor these manufacturers.
Us major purirose was to stop
whut government officials felt had
become an stunning trend of manu
facturers to turn out fancier, more
diHsirallve high-priced clothing
which made them more money but
used up goods needed for essential
low-cost Items.
IMMINENT FALL
OF POZNAN MAY
TRAP 200,000
BY ROBERT MUSEL
London, January 24. —•
(UP) — Russian armies to*
day stormed a broad stretcH
of Germany’s hold-or-die de
fense line along the Oder, the
East Prussian capital of
Konigsberg, and the Polish
bastion of Poznan, 136 miles
from Berlin.
A German military spokes*
man said that Russian at*
tempts to cross the Odes
southeast of Breslau werq
frustrated.
The German high com*
mand, acknowledging whole*
sale setbacks from end to
end of the blazing eastern
front, said that the “decisive
battle” was nearing a climax,
and had reached a pitch of
ferocity and vilence “which
cannot possibly be sur
passed.”
Nazi military s]x>kesmen, confirm
inti Moscow reports that Poznan
was under assault:, said two columns
of Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov's
army were storming the city from
the east and south. The tenor of
the spokesman's comment and high
command admission of ‘‘embittered
lighting” there indicated the city’*
fall was imminent.
Soviet field dispatches reported
the attuck on Konigsberg and said
that other Russian forces pushing
up through the western belt of East}
Prussia were within 15 miles of El
blng, the fall of which would slant
the door on some 200,000 Nazi troop*
In the province.
On the other wing of the fast
shifting eastern front, Marshal Ivan
S Konev’s first Ukrainian army
massed on the cast bank of the
Oder southeast of the Silesian capl*
tal of Breslau opened a shattering
bombardment of German defenses
across the river, and closed against
a number of key towns nl the in
dustrial ‘ Ruhr of the east.”
‘The batUe of Silesia swiftly
neared a decision at Konev, already
entrenched on the Oder along a
broad front, fanned his forces out
north and south and reached point*
10 to 15 miles from Breslau,” a Mas
cow dispatch reported.
Children Mobilized
•‘The Germans are reported
mobilizing every able-bodied man,
woman and child to flgljf with a
fanaticism unparalleled s for the
Germans in a desperate attempt to
defer if not avert the doom of the
relch’s last important arsenal.”
Applying the scorched earth policy
to their home soil, the German*
were reported from Moscow to have
laid waste the Silesian towns and
(Continued on Page 4)
I
I
Japs Block
Burma Road
By HUGH CRUMPLKR
Myitkyina, Burma, Jan. 24.—(UP)
—The American Mars task force has
cut the o!<! Burma road near Host,
35 miles southwest of wanting, and
was reported today to be battling
Japanes foree.s attempting to break
the block which protects the re
cently cleared Burma-Ledo road to
the north.
The Mars force, under command
of Brig Gen. John P. Willey, was
disclosed to have marched 300 mile*
for the operation, Its first on tilt
Burma road In almost three year*.
Its activity was “blacked out" dur
ing the last month while a specially
trained penetration force moved
into position to cut the road.
The road block cut the retreat
route of an estimated (100 Japanese
troops caught In a triangle formed
by the Burma and Bharno roads.
Artillery commanding the road
was set up seven days ago and troops
on either side had kept In continu
ing contact for the last six days
before the road was cut yesterday.
One Japanese group of 300 march
ing down the road was pinpointed
by artillery yesterday and was be
lieved exterminated
t(' dinned on Page 4'
1