The Waterbury Democrat. [volume], March 16, 1945, Page SEVEN, Image 7

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

Image provided by: Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT

                
Walter Winchell
On Broadway
tiMt Mark
THE PRIVATE PAPERS OF A
CUB REPORTER
Newsphotug Joe Rocenthal’i un
forgettable shot of the Marines ai
Iwo Jlma raising the Stars ant
Stripes atop Mt. Surlbachl rates the
acclaim it has received. The phott
Is a classic . . . However, most ho
eus -focus dare-devils seldom receivt
the recognition their exploits de
serve. As an illustration, therc'i
the story of AP photog Karl J,
Eckelund: Some years ago he photo
graphed the Jap entry Into Canton
Then he started hiking toward Hon|
Kong—which had facilities foi
transmitting his pix to America. Or
the way bandtls fleeced him of hii
money, clothing and camera, but
he managed to salvage the films
Eckelund swam two rivers. Snipers
bullets whizzed past his akull manj
times. But he was finally forcec
to return to Canton. Through 11
all he preserved his plx. They were
published in American newspaperi
months later without comment
Most gazettes didn’t credit Ecke
lund for taking those photos 1
There la a coffee-pot owner lr
town who has this sort of sensa
yuma ... At 11:45 nightly he raise*
a photo of Jimmy Byrnes. The pro
ceeding is done in a solemn mannei
. . . Very curfunereal, too.
License Commissioner Paul Mo«!
of N. Y. C. recently banned a pla>
called ‘ Trio” because of its theme
. . . Perhaps Mr. Moss should read
the words he wrote for the 1944
ann’y issue of Variety, to wit:
"It is not a matter of censorship
or personal views as to what is
decent or moral, but rather that a
public official should be tolerant
liberal and mindful of the tendency
of the times.”
We’ve heard it for a few years
/his time the story goes: That the
Treasury Dep’t is very sensitive
|ver 18',2 billion dollars in currency
cached hi safe-deposit boxes, vaults,
etc., by black-marketeers, tax-dodg
ers. etc. . . The gov’t (it is rumored)
.intends bringing this money out
from under cover (perhaps within
the next two months or so) by call
ing in all big paper money—as well
.as fifty and hundred dollar notes
... To be replaced by new cur
rency with an orange-yellow tinted
overprint . . . After the deadline dat$
—owners of the old hidden "slacker
money” will have to answer many
questions.
A letter to the editor in one ga
zette claims that one of our re
cent paragraphs was unfair to la
bor and chides us for not raising
our voice against Industrialists who
obstruct the war effort . . . The
paragraph in question blasted John
L. Lewis—but pointed out that the
miners’ claims were justified . . .
We have also raised our voice
against industrialist Sewell Avery..
Only a few days ago the same papei
revealed that labor leaders had
lauded this newsboy as one of the
lew who always treated labor fairly.
Note for peacemakers: Nazi crim
inals are attempting to crawl
through loopholes in international
law by alibiing that they were
merely tools for higher-ups . . . .
Remember when Goebbels urged
Nazis to lynch American fly
ers? The following is an excerpt
from his blood-tnirsty address’
"American flyers can not invoke the
fact tthat they were obeying orders
from higher-ups for there is no ar
ticle of war that stipulates that a
soldier guilty of vile action is guilt
less by the simple fact that he wa.
obeying a superior” . . . The quote
can be found in a New York news
paper of May 27, 1944.
Our Wrist-Slapping Dep’t: The
Army has decided that Nazi war
prisoners must accept substitutes
lor foods on the critical shortag:
list—just like civilians.' Imagine
that! ... By heck, it is a sad com
mentary on the Army’s handling of
war prisoners when “tough” treat
ment consists of feeding them like
civilians ... It should be remem
bered that civilian menus are su
perior to the food American sol
diers in the front lines have!
MovieviUe Stuff: Hollywood has
always been burdened with a short
age of acting skill. But what do
they do with talented thespians?
Among the supporting cast of Lau
rel and Hardy’s latest double-fea
ture bait are Mary Boland and
Philip Merivale—two of the thea
ter's finest make-believers.
Memo for a Scrapbook: This is
one of the most delightful bits oi
literary lace we have ever come
across. It is by author Susan Ertz.
"So calm and settled was the day
that it seemed its beauty must be
universal. One imagined that the
blue sky stretched and stretched un
til It covered the whole surface of
the globe with a seamless mantle.
Far out in the Atlantic on such a
day, a petal might lie as quietly as
upon a duck pond; wheat would be
standing motionless in the great
-himmerlng fields of Kansas; the
rass of the Siberian steppes would
r
be unruffled by so much m a play
ful breath; the fronds of the palms
, In tropical atolls would hang un
fretted; the smoke from steamers
would lie level on the air, and
, everywhere, throughout the world,
i the flags of all nations would for
get to wave.”
General De Gaulle's starchy de
meanor has distressed many of his
advisors. The General seems to
lack a sensayuma ... He Is in sharp
contrast to another great Frencn
war leader—Marshal Foch.
Among the many anecdotes Foch in
spired, the best concerns the time he
visited the Grand Canyon. As he
stood looking down into the depths
of the amazing natural winder, re
porters all around him waited
breathlessly for any comment which
would go down in history. After
a few minutes of dramatic silence,
the Marshal observed; "What a
beautiful place to drop one’s moth
er-in-law!”
Newspaperman Stuff: Editor
James Gordon Bennett offered this
advice to newspapermen: "Don’t wait
to be invited into the Hall of Fame
—enter it by breaking down the door
with your bare fists!”
United Nations, statesmen will
gather in San Francisco to make
fateful decisions for the future of
the world. We hope they have
learned that tyrants grow strong
enough to incite wars by feeding on
the intellectual hypocrisy and
apathy of peace-loving nations . . .
The following story is an example
of the type of sordid thinking which
could be fatal to plans for global
peace: When Stanley Baldwin was
the British Prime Minister, he in
formed a reporter: "I want it to be
said of me that I never sent a
single Englishman to die on a
foreign battlefield” . . . The re
porter then reminded Baldwin.
"Don’t you see you are piling up
trouble that will kill a million Eng
lishmen In the next war?" . . . The
Prime Minister calmly replied:
‘‘That is a problem for my suc
cessor.”
Gertie Stein's autobiog (just pub
lished) is being saluted as a work
of art by many critics. One New
York book reviewer points out that
the tome is filled with gossip . . .
In other words, when you put gos
sip In a book—you are a great wri
ter. But when you put gossip in
a colyum — some people call you a
baaaaaaaad coy. Ho, hum.
Your Gl Rights
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
ON SERVICEMEN'S PROBLEMS
BY DOUGLAS LARSEN
NEA Staff Correspondent
Washington, March 16—Magnitude
and complexity of the job of placing
returning servicemen in their pre
war positions is Just beginning to
dawn on Selective Service. The law
governing reemployment rights is
worded in general terms offering
many legal points of question.
Rights of a veteran to his old
job, however, are broadly covered
by the following conditions:
1. The job must be in the em
ploy of a private employer, U. S.
Government territories and posses
sions, or the District of Columbia.
2. Hie position must have been
other than temporary.
3. He must have left such posi
tion after May 1, 1940, in order to
enter upon active military or naval
service in the land or naval forces
of the United States.
4. He must have satisfactorily
completed his period of training
ard service and received a certifi
cate to that effect.
0. He must be still qualified to
perform the duties of such position.
6 He must make application for
reemployment within 90 days after
he is relieved from service.
7 If the position is in the employ
of a private employer, he is entitled
to his old job unless the employer’s
circumstances have so changed as
to make it impossible or unreason
able to reinstate the veteran to such
position or to a position of like sen
iority, status, and pay.
The veteran shall not be dis
charged from such position without
cause within one year after such
restoration.
The President has ordered set
up in each state a State Veterans’
Service Committee combining rep
resentatives from Selective Service,
War Manpower Commission and
evterans Administration. Job of the
committee will be to set up .local
committees to provide job informa
tion and aid in administrating the
reemployment rights of veterans.
FAT PROPELLANT
Waste fats from the kitchens of
American housewives has found a
wartime use as an ingredient in
the propellant used to Are Ameri
can rockets. The waste fats are
used in the making of nitroglycer
ine which constitutes 50 per cent of
the propellant. _
I
Choose 3»V
to Pay
et Hodla
Floor Sample
Sale! MATTRESSES TO
W# know Shit price it tidieulautly lew far tlicic mclirettti
. , . but tern* ere ilightly tall*i . . . ethtrt ark diiptay
Mmplct . ■ » ana and fwa af a Had . . . Shaft why «
want te dear Sham eat. If yea wa»S a big valaa. 'be bare
•«la. Ttria aai !■>“
7
LIBERATED YANKS COME HOME
mm
-*T-WUV
'TT7~,;
T ; ~r
• St*
(NEA Telephoto)
Back from the hell of three year* imprisonment in the Philippines, 272 American soldiers wave from the
deck of a transport as it docks in San Francisco. Yanks were imprisoned at Cabantuan and were liberated
my a Ranger raid behind Jap lines on January 30th. Navy blimp soaring overhead helps to provide the
greatest harbor welcom e in San Francisco history.
Borough Bill
Unfavorable
Hartford, Conn., March 16.—fUP)
—Late in getting under way because
of prolonged caucuses over a com
promise state labor relations act,
the general assembly devoted most
of its sessions yesterday to clearing
the calendars of relatively routine
bills.
Those approved by the house pro
vided:
Establishing April 14 as Pan
American day.
Creating a tax of one and three
quarter per cent on life insurance
premiums of foreign companies, and
two per cent on all other forms ot
insurance. Exempting insurance
company officials from personal lia
bility concerning tax payments in
other states.
Extending from six months to one
year the time limit for paroling in
sane patients before permanent re
lease from an institution would be
allowed. •
Establishing a joint committee of
state mental hospitals to integrate
programs and consider common
problems.
Authorizing the state welfare com
missioner to be named conservator
for persons supported by the state,
in cases where the estate is less
than $500 and no other conservator
has been provided.
An unfavorable report was re
ceived from the cities and boroughs
committee on a bill to increase from
two or three the number of asses
sors at Naugatuck.
Among the senate bilft approved
were those providing:
Exempting servicemen from pay
ment of motor vehicle operators'
fees, and granting a one-year ex
emption of fee payments to those
honorably discharged from the serv
ice.
Permitting regional high schools
to borrow up to $50,000 on notes.
Allowing taxes coming due on
Sundays or holidays to be paid the
following day without penalty.
After a plane from which he had
alighted had continued its journey,
a Wellington, New Zealand, business
man found he had left $4,800 aboard,
so a radio message was sent to the
pilot and the money was returned
by another plane.
k
I
"1
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A complete IO-Pc. grouping — nothing els# to buy! You get
♦ht ever popular "Knuckle-arm" sofa and choice of either chair . .
in luzuriously styled floral tapestry covers. Sofa and club chair
in rust, barrel-back chair in baige . • • Plus charming end. lamp
and cocktail tables finished in walnut, leatherette covered hassock,
metal smoker, walnut magazine basket, and 2 framed pictures.
•too
CompItU
A complete 10-Pc. grouping — nothing otto to buy!
Unusually fovaly modern walnut suite with large round
genuine plate glass mirrors (bed, chest, dresser or
vanity) plus o "SIMMONS" coil spring. "HEALTHREST"
mattress, boudoir chair, bedroom throw rug. Chenille
bedspread end 2 charming pictures.
This grouping purchased separately
weald be priced at $139, — Save $39,
BEDROif
*100
Compute
DcLnxa Barrc^
Back Chalt
445*
Modern Wainut
7-Drawer Desk
2975
End Tables
775
Lounge Chair
WUh Ottoman
1850
Cocktail
Tablet
1875
Easy-Folding
Carriages
1175
Fine Quality
Occaslondls
1175
China Date
Lamps
875
Modern Walnut
Bookcase
875
22-Year-Old Girl Teaches
Engineering To Trainees
By ALINE MOSBY
United Press Staff Correspondent
SEATTLE—(UP)—The Navy trainee membership of Elementary Me
chanics at the University of Washington did a quick double take when
their new instructor came into the class the other day.
a vwviibt utuu v iiwiv a
cane over the desk or stroke a goat
ee. Teacher slipped into the instruc
tor's seat, crossed a pair of shape
ly legs and smiled charmingly at
the amazed students.
For probably the first time in
the history of education in the
United tSates, a woman was teach
ing a college engineering class.
Gets Job Before Degree
The phenomenal gal is 22-year
old Virginia Platt. Ten years ago,
she began to tinker with the in
nards of the family automobile in
Seattle. Not finding any spare
parts left over, she decided to be
come a mechanical engineer.
Miss Platt lasted two years ' at
Vassar college, where she acquired
a bit of Eastern accent and a back
ground in physics and art. Then
she returned to Seattle and held
down a drafting board at a steel
company for a year.
Entering the University of Wash
ington as a sophomore, she plunged
into the stiff college of engineering
course. Her professors were so im
pressed With her ease for designing
Diesel engines and mastering brain
busting eqations that recently
they signed her up for an instruc
ting post before she even finished
her own classes. Her Bachelor of
Science degree comes in June.
Believed Only One
Engineering Dean E. A. Lowe
said he believed Miss Platt to be
the only woman Instructor in an
engineering college in the country.
Off campus, the brown-haired
teacher is an amateur architect,
ardent gardener and chicken rais
er and “passable” pianist.
Only knot is convincing her stu
dents that good engineers can wear
skirts.
“When I was given the job,” she
said, “the profs told me to just be
a teacher and forget I was a wom
an."
She said she's forgotten. But
what about those navy students?
There'll be plenty of apples or
teacher’s desk.
INSULT TO INJURY
Royal Oak, Mich. (UP)—The
manager of a lumber company here
wasn't taking any chances with his
liquor. He left a half qupart of
scotch in the company safe, re
cently. During the night two or
three men entered the office, sub
dued the watchman. Helping them
selves to tools from the company's
hardware stock, they then cracked
the safe and finished the bottle.
They also took $5,000.
New Zealand farmers may re
vive flax and are studying north
ern Ireland methods.
r
*
Actual
Photo
DUTCH OVENS
While they hi*
t
Another Hadley first! Heavy
earthenware, holds 2-qti.,
uso for stowing, roasting,
bating! Completo with
hoavy knob cover. Wo have
only 240 and they'll go like
"hoteekes."
Limit, I to « Customer
CL0THIN6 NEEDS
OF FRENCH PW’S
POSES PROBLEM
By ROBERT AHIER
(United Press Staff Correspondent)
Paris, March 16—(UP>—How to
clothe nearly three million French
prisoners of war and deportees
when they are liberated from Nazi
Germany is the major problem
confronting Minister of Prisoners
and Deportees. Henri Frenay, the
minister told the United Press.
Frenay said these men would
come back dressed like “Bohem
ians." They have been wearing cast
off clothing taken from various
European armies which Germany
defeated at the beginning of the
war, Frenay stated. Political de
portees In concentration camps - are
dressed like criminal prisoners,
while French workers who were
forced to go to Germany have
worn out most of their clothes and
cannot buy new ones. "We must
have clothing, blankets and good
Shoes to give these people when
they return.’’ said Frenay. "Most
of them are wearing old Russian
boots with the tops cut off.”
There are about 2,875,000 French
men in Germany according to the
best available figures. Of this total
800.000 are war prisoners, 225,000
are war prisoners who have been
forced to work for the Germans,
600.000 political deportees, 800,000
workers and 450,000 French citizens
from Alsace-Lorraine who either
have been forced into the German
army or sent to concentration
camps.
Efforts to assist returning pris
oners in the matter of clothing
have been centralized, Frenay stat
ed, but the resources at the govern
ment's disposal are poor. Most French
industries are closed due to lack of
raw materials while the remainder
send their output to the army.
Frenay revealed that the Ministry
of Prisoners and Deportees had al
ready sent clothing to some 80,000
French and Allied soldiers freed
by the Russian advance, as well as
to many w;ho managed to escape
from Germany into France.
"We have already distributed
130.000 suits of clothing, 100,000
rabbit-skin vests, 67,700 suits of
underwear, 22,000 pairs of socks,
11.000 pairs of gloves, 26,000 beerts,
122.000 pairs of shoes and ration
coupons enough for 165,000 com
plete outfits of clothes. We also have
helped the families of men who
are prisoners in Germany with
34.000 dresses, 52,000 feminine un
dergarments, 75,000 children’s out
fits, 47.000 suits of children’s un
derwear and 35,000 shoes—mostly
with wooden soles—for women and
children.” the Minister said.
“The Ministry of Prisoners and
Deportees is helping prisoners who
have escaped from Nazi camps to
rebuild their homes if damaged by
the w«r, and to furnish them If
necessary. We have distributed
furniture running to thousands of
pieces We have built nearly 2.00P
barracks heated by 5,750 stoves
We have given returned prisoners
more than 500 tons of hardware
some 480 tons of china and
crockery.”
Allies Give Help
Frenay said that the French
Army turned over about 300,OOf
suits of clothes to the Ministry —
suits the Vichy government had
prepared for prisoners who were
supposed to return according to an
agreement made by Vichy with the
Germans but who never left Ger
many. The Allies, too, have helped
■with 1.500 tons of clothing 150,000
pairs of shoes and 300.000 blankets.
The future. Frenay thought, was
not bright since French clothing
manufacturers lack raw materials,
and since over 300.000 foreign re
fugees must be cared for as well
as the three million Frenchmen
"The maximum number we can
provide for at present is 700.000,’’
Frenay stated. "Wc hope the Allies
will help us provide for some of
the rest. We are not begging bu1
consider it part of our job to en
able those who have suffered men
tally and physically to look for
ward, with some hope, to the
future.”
Frenchmen have contributed
enough money to the Prisoners
fund, Frenay said, to provide each
returning prisoner with at least a
20 dollar saving bank account. This
money will be available to the
WORLD WAR D
A YEAR AGO
BT UNITED
In Italy. Allied
■low pragma, hindered It
of their own bomba and Mbi
eontinne to pound at tha AbhOf
on Monnt Camlno.
Rum Ian* continue ounpilpi of
encirclement and annihilation an
Germans tn the Ukraine; Serial
unit eroaaea the Bar Brer, carta
off the last major rail
to Odessa aa other emits
on Nikolayev. |
Allied troopo on Dee RM
Island, In the Admiralties, open*
ned a narrow channel to the la*
land of Manua an March 14, It
was revealed.
u. s. Army iwnr-moaonsa
bombers attack Trnk for tha that
time.
President Roosevelt and King
Gustav, of Sweden, both counsel
the Finns to withdraw from their
"hateful partnership” with Ger
many.
prisoners as soon
home. Some prisoners, .
those who come from the country,
have as much as 500 dollars In th|
bank for the neighbors have been
saving money for them for several
/ears.
they arrive
•s. especially