The Waterbury Democrat. [volume], April 04, 1945, Image 1

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

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Roosevelt May Have To Renege On Promise To Stalin At Yal
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(Published Every Evening st 55 Ortnd Street, Wstertoury. Entered m Second Clsse Matter at Poet Office et Wsterbmy, Conn Under the Act ot March 5. 1879)
ESTABLISHED 1881 VOL LXHI, NO. 77
SIXTEEN PMU3
WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1945
THIRD ARMY CLOSES ON ERFURT
Civil War Reported Rampant In Vienna
» I
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EMBARRASSING
SPOT WORRIES
PARLEY CHIEF
BY R. H. SHACKFORD
Washington, April 4. —
(UP) — President Roosevelt
today faced the embarrassing
possibility of having to
renege on a promise he made
to Marshal Josef Stalin at
Yalta.
It is only a possibility and
no stone will be left unturned
to avoid it. But the possi
bility is there and it probably
Js the number one worry of
Secretary Of State Edward R.
Stettinius, Jr., whj will lead
the American delegation at
the San Francisco World
Security Conference.
The wily apparent alternatives to
such an embarrassing situation are
(1) to get the U. S. delegation to
the conference to support the Pres
ident’s commitment to back Russia's
request for three votes on the world
assembly; or (2) to get Russia to
abandon her proposal.
Mr. Roosevelt agreed at Yalta to
support Russia’s bid for three as
sembly seats. But in a dramatic
reversal of policy, he lias abandoned
another aspect of the Yalta plan—
to seek three seats for the United
States if the Russian plan is ap
proved.
But Mr. Roosevelt cannot person
ally fulfill his promise to Stalin. It
must be done by-the U. S. delegation
to the conference. The President
and Stattinius thus are confronted
with the Job of getting the delega
tion to support the President’s
promise, if necessary.
That support apparently is non
existent now. But officials are op
timistic about avoiding a situation
in which the delegation would re
fuse to back up the President if the
issue ever gets to that point.
Soviet Russia, meanwhile, faced
the choice of abandoning her plan
to seek separate assembly representa
tion for White Russia and the
(Continued on Page. 4)
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Yanks Seize
2 New Isles
BY H. D. QIIIGG
Manila April 4—(UP) — Amer
ican assault forces outflanked the
Sulu Archipelago today with a 200
mile amphibious hop that felled two
more islands and carried within 30
miles of the great oil and rubber
center of Borneo.
Pushing out from the Zamboanga
beachhead on southwestern Minda
nao units of MaJ. Gen. Jens A.
Doe’s 41st division swept around the
Sulu Archipelago and seized the
southernmost islands of Sangasan
ga and Bongao to gain control of
the former Japanese naval base in
the Tawi Tawi group.
The two islands off the south
western tip of Tawi Tawi island
were the 33rd and 34th in the Phi
lippines invaded by Gen. Douglas
Mac Arthur’s American forces.
MacArthur’s communique said the
landings following saturation air
attacks for the past two weeks and
naval bombardment were made with
little loss. There was no serious
opposition.
Filipino guerrillas already were
operating on Sangasanga and Bon
gao when the American troops land
ed and both islands were quickly
secured together with Sangasanga s
3000-foot airstrip.
The amphibious hop represented
a 180-mile advance from Basllan is
land between Zamboanga and the
northern tip of the Sulu Archipela
go in the southeastern Philippines.
It also virtually cut off the Jap
anese main Archipelago position at
Jde 100 miles northeast of San
gasanga.
(Continued on Page 4)
Quinn Suicide By
Carbon Monoxide
Beverly, Mass., April 4—(UP)—
The body of a 36-year-old business
executive was found in his garage
today and a medical examiner said
he was a victim of suicide from car
bon monoxide poisoning.
The victim, Everett H. Quinn, a
prodduction manager for the Rich
ard Young (Leather) Co. of Pea
body, committed suicide last night,
but his body was not discovered
until his opened the garage this
morning.
Mrs. Quinn reported that her hus
band had been in a nervous condi
tion for some time. Quinn, a native
of Brooklyn, N. Y., was father of a
son. Funeral services will be held
in the Bronx.
Secretaryship — A Fascinating Ca
reer far Women. Goad pay, congen
ial associates. Fast Jr. Collego of
Stettinius Confers With Ambassadors
(NBA Telephoto)
Secretary of State Edward R. Stettinius confers with British, Russian and Chinese ambassadors in Wash
ington. Left to right: Lord Halifax, England; Stettinius, Andrei Gromyko, Russia, and Dr. Wei Tao Ming,
China. Before the conference, Stettinius said he had received no indication that the San Francisco confer
ence will be postponed.
U. S.Time Loses Appeal To
Enlarge Middlebury Plant
Legislators
Act Today On
Gas Tax Bill
Hartford, Conn., April 4—(UP)—
A proposal to increase the state tax
on gasoline from three to four cents
a gallon was scheduled for a stormy
hearing today before the General
Assembly’s Finance Committee.
Recommended as a means of
raising an additional $4,000,000 a
year for post-war highway construc
tion, the Automobile Legal Associa
tion claimed a survey of more than
5000 automobile and truck users
showed ‘more than 98 per cent op
posed to an increase. Support for
the increase is expected from the
Highway Department and some
town officials as .well as represen
tatives of construction and material
firms. The issue is whether there is
need of increasing highway reven
ues $4,000,000 a year.”
A House bill asking the removal
of State Milk Administrator Donald
O. Hammerberg on charges of "mal
fesance as well as misfeasance in
office,” drew only scattered support
before the committee on agriculture.
A similar move, was Instituted two
years ago, and was rebuffed. Princi
pal advocates were Rep. Bernard
H. Mathies, R., Seymonur, and Gar
ret Burkitt, Ansonia, who said he
appeared as a “private citizen and a
taxpayer.” Leaders of the dairy in
dustry were unanimous in their op
position.
Educators of the state opposed a
bill before the education committee
which would penalize non-sectarian
schools for discriminating against
(Continued on Page 4)
Coal Negotiations
Snag Again Today
Washington April 4. (UP)—Soft
coal contract negotiations were
snagged again today, with no signs
that the operators and United Mine
Workers would reach agreement
before the Saturday deadline set by
the War Labor Board.
The negotiations were scheduled
to continue today but there was
none of the optimism for agree
ment that prevailed when the two
parties concluded their last full
session on Monday.
Some of the operators were re
ported to feel that further negotia
tion were useless. They were said to
be concerned over the retroactive
payments involved and to favor im
mediate WLB intervention.
The Middlebury Board of Zoning
Lppcals today issued Its decision
lenying the U. S. Time Corpora
tors appeal to enlarge its present
ndustrial plant in Middlebury by
he addition of a second story.
Atty. J. Warren Upson, counsel
or the board today made known
he decision which rules that the
uroposed addition constitutes a
ion-conforming use according to
he terms of the town’s ordinance
lection 1X-3.
The company had been denied a
>ermit to erect the addition by the
own's building inspector and had
ippealed the latter's decision to the
oning board of appeals. Two pub
ic hearings were conducted by the
atter board at the Middlebury town
tall at which time 'witnesses for
he company and those in opposi
ion to the proposed construction
yere questioned.
Atty. Edward Carmody, secretary
if the U. S. Time corporation, to
lay stated that no definite further
ilans of the corporation are known
it this time inasmuch as officials
if the concern are out of town. The
lext legal move of the corporation
you Id be to appeal to the court of
lommon pleas with state statutes
iroviding that such an appeal must
le filed within 15 days after the
late of decision.
In its decision today the zoning
ward states that:
“The claim of the United States
rime Corporation that unnecessary
lardshlp would result from the de
lial of its application and appeal
vas not sustained by the evidence,
rhe denial of the appeal of the
Jnited States Time corporation and
he denial of its application for
■ermission to enlarge a non-con
orming building and to vary the
erms of the zoning ordinance as
equested will lurther the general
mrpose and intent of the zoning
(Continued on Page 4)
Ex-Colucci Waiter
Missing in Action
Pvt. John Ricchia, 20, a for
mer waiter at Colncci’s restau
rant, Bank street, is reported
missing in action in Germany
since March 15, according to a
War Department telegram re
ceived Monday by his father,
Granziano Ricchia, 25 South
Leonard street.
The Infantryman entered the
service August 5, 1942, and
trained at Camp Grant, 111.
Since arriving overseas in Jan
uary, 1943, he has served in
England and France.
His brother, Corp. Anthony
Ricchia, who has been in serv
ice the past four years, is now
stationed in the Philippines.
Flood Compels 10,000 To
Evacuate Louisiana Homes
By United Press
5 The Mississippi river, at flood
stage along a 1,550-mile course from
Iowa to the Gulf of Mexico, threat
ened Louisiana lowlands today.
The river, fed by flooding Red,
Black, Ouachita, Tensas and Little
[ rivers and scores of smaller streams,
, already had forced more than 10,
000 from their homes in Louisiana.
Thousands more were to be evac
| uated today.
, Red Cross rescue crews Wire sent
. from Atlanta, and every levee board
i In Louisiana was alerted. Levees
everywhere were being patroled.
Prisoners of war, soldiers, engineers,
. state guards and civilians worked
. together sandbagging levees where
[ weak spots were reported.
At Shreveport, the Red River was
expected to crest tomorrow night ai
or near flood stage. Many famine*
marooned in the Agurs section ol
Shreveport were rescued last night
Much of the city’s commercial
property was menaced.
South of Shreveport, an all-time
high was reported on the Red rivei
at Coushatta where the river level
stood at 35.7 feet and still was ris
ing.
At Natchitoches, it was reported
100,000 acres of the parish was in
undated. Hundreds of head of cat
tle were removed from the low
lands.
Colfax, in Orant parish, was sur
rounded by water and soldiers
prisoners of war and civilian!
worked desperatley to raise the level
of the levee sufficient to stem tin
flood tide.
i.t s.
Nazis Check
Anti-Hitler
Geunan Coup
Bill. HIGGINBOTHAM
London, April 4—(DP)—A Stock
holm dispatch of doubtful authen
ticity said today that the Gestapo
had discovered plans for a new anti
Hitler coup in Germany.
An uncredited dispatch in the
Stockholm newspaper Tidnlngen
said Marshal Karl Von Rundstedt,
deposed German commander on the
western front, was executed by a
firing squad following exposure of
the plot.
Other arrests were made through
out Germany • and guards were
doubled, then tripled at Adolf Hit
ler’s mountain retreat at Berchtes
gaden, the dispatch said.
The plot, reminiscent of the at
tempt in which Hitler was wounded
last June, was said to have called
for coordinated attacks on the
Fuehrer’s headquarters, presumablj
near Berlin, and on Berchtesgaden.
Parachutists were to have carried
out the attack on Berchtesgaden
the dispatch said.
Swiss dispatches to the London
Daily Express, while not mentioning
the plot, said the entire Berchtes
gaden area of upper Bavaria had
been closed off to all travelers.
Towns in the forbidden area in
cluded Garmisch, 50 miles southwest
of Munich, Partenkirchen, 48 miles
south, Miesbach, 16 miles south, and
nearby Sternberg, the dispatch said.
Other European reports told of the
wholesale removal of prominent Al
lied prisoners to the Bavarian Alps,
where diehard Nazis are expected to
make their last stand.
Among those moved, these reports
said, were King Leopold of Belgium,
former French Premier Edouard
Herriot and Jakob Stalin, son of
Premier Stalin.
Marshal Henri Philippe Petaina,
Pierre Laval gnd other members of
the French puppet government were
taken by automobile from Sigmarin
gen, 30 miles northeast of Lake
Constance, to the Garmisch-Parten
(Continued on Page 4)
Wisp Of Hair
Solves Case
Boston, April 4. (DP)—A wisp of
hair brought the alleged admission
from a 24-year-old Roslndale man
early today that he fatally beat Mrs.
Isabella Patterson, 35, in her South
End home last Friday.
Held as a murder suspect since
he surrendered yesterday, Joseph
Tortora refused to discuss the case
until police show him the hair they
found in blood-stained trousers
which the suspect had taken to a
cleansing establishment. The hail
was some that had been torn from
the waitresses head as she was bat
tered to death in her basement bed
room.
It was then, police said, that Tor
tora allegedly told of striking the
woman during an argument aftei
she returned from work early Fri
day.
Police said that the women’i
nudebody lay in the room where
window shades were drawn until
yesterday when it was discovered
by a neighbor’s child.
The victim was identified by hei
daughter Agnes, 20. Police said Mrs
Paterson separated from her hus
band James of New Haven, Conn,
12 years ago. A son now is in the
Army to the South Pacific.
Mile-An-Hour Drive Continues
In Hope Of Linking With Reds;
Soviets Advance Beyond Baden
BT ROBERT MUSEL
LondoA, April 4. — (UP) —
The Red Army smashed into
the outskirts of Vienna today
and word reached Stockholm
that civil war had broken out
in the Austrian capital.
Russian siege forces were
storming the barricades of
Vienna. The German high
command conceded that
other Soviet flanking forces
had pushed beyond Baden,
12 miles south of the capital,
sealing off the city from the
south.
A German military spokesman
said at least two strong Soviet arm
ies had been thrown Into the of
fensive against Vienna and the Slo
vakian capital 01 Bratislava, 30
miles to the east.
Stockhalm reports said fighting
was going on in the heart of Vien
na after a rebellion against the
German garrison, which now was
being assaulted from both front and
rear. The reports said the Nazis
were throwing up barricades in the
streets.
(A BBC broadcast said the Rus
sians already can see fires burning
in the center of Vienna. German
broadcasts said Soviet bombers and
fighters were flying over Vienna.)
The official Russian Army organ
Red Star said Marshal Feodor I.
Tolbukhin’s Third Ukrainian Army
group punched into the outer city
limits of Vienna from Velm, six
miles to the south.
Nearing Brack
Hie Second Ukrainian Army
group under Marshal Rodion Y.
Malinovsky was approaching Bruck,
20 miles southeast of Vienna, after
crashing through the Baitislava
Gap in a companion advance, Red
Star said.
Malinovsky’s forces also were
fighting in the outskirts of Bratis
lava Itself, capital of the German
puppet state of Slovakia and 30
miles east of Vienna.
The Third Army group closed in
on Vienna from the south and south
east along a 25-mile front after
toppling Wiener Neustadt, one of
Germany’s biggest aircraft manu
facturing centers 23 miles below
the Austrian capital.
(Continued on Page 4)
Japs To Make
Strong Stand
BY FRANK TREMAINE
Guam, April 4.—(UP)—Tenth
Army columns pushed down the
east and west coasts of Okinawa to
day within striking distance of two
more Japanese airfields and only
six miles or less from Naha, capi
tal of the island.
(A German DNB dispatch from
Tokyo said American troops made
a new landing on Okinawa Tues
day south of the original beach
head.
Resistance still was negligible as
the greatest invasion of the Pa
cific war went into its fourth day
only 362 miles southwest of Japan,
but the enemy garrison of 60,000
may make its first stand in the next
few hours along a line across the
narrow Isthmus Just north of the
airfields.
(A Japanesel communique re
corded by the FCC admitted that
American forces had reached the
east coast of Okinawa and claimed
that six more transports, a battle
ship and four cruisers had been
sunk in the invastion Armada. An
additional destroyer and an uni
dentified ship were listed as dam
aged).
Reach Kuba
The Seventh Infantry division
seized nearly seven miles of the
east coast in a drive along the
, Nakagusuku Bay Naval anchor
age yesterday, to Kuba, four miles
north of the uncompleted Yona
; baru airfield.
Another army cil’ -sion smashing
■ down the west coast against mod
erate opposition reached Chiyun
na, four miles north of Machinata
airfield and six miles north of
Machinata airfield and six miles
nort of Naha, a city of 65,000.
Two other airfields farther north
were captured by the Americans
on the first day of the invasion
and already were in operation.
The army forces were 'inder or
ders to advance at all possible
speed in an attempt to break
l through the narow Isthmus separ
ating the south-central bulge of
the Island from the southern bulge
, in which -laha is situated.
"Keep on driving ahead,” MaJ.
, Gen. John R. Hodge, commanding
(Continued on Pag* 4)
Russians Pursue Nazi
(NEA Telephoto)
Youthful Nail with police band on arm is running away from venge
ance-seeking Russians. The former slaye laborers were on their way
to a displaced persons center in Bonn when they met the German
civilian cop. A fast street battle ensued.
50,000 Miners In
Two States Idle
r>x umAJDi/
More than 50,000 miner s in Penn
sylvania and Alabama remained idle
today, but coal production in other
sections returned virtually to normal.
Fifty-three Pennsylvania mines
employing 14,000 men were com
pletely shut down. Absenteeism in
other mines was estimated 14,000
men. Prouction loss was 110,000 tons
of coal.
In Pittsburgh, Carnegie-Illinois
steel corporation officials said 12 to
15 blast furnaces will be closed to
morrow because of the work stop
page, which also affected production
in Kentucky, Alabama and West
Virginia.
There were only scattered opera
tions in Alabama fields, although
miners were returning slowly.
Most West Virgini a miners were
back at work.
UMW spokesman Tom Price of
district six, Columbus, said “several
mines” in eastern Ohio and "two or
three” in the southern district were
idle.
Field offices of the solid fuels ad
ministration reported that yester
day's production was 60 per cent of
normal but predicted it would rise
to 80 per cent today.
The high rate of absenteeism,
coming on the first scheduled work
day after expiration of the United
Mine Workers’ contract with the
soft coal operators, was attributed
primarily to a “double Easter holi
day.” Some locals, however, said
they had not received official notice
of the 30-day extension of the agree
ment in time to notify miners to re
port for work.
At a few scattered pits in West
(Continued on Page 4)
NAVY PILOT MISSING
Boston, April 4—(UP)—A Navy
fighter pilot is missing after his
plane crashed into the sea about
five miles off Martha’s Vineyard
late yesterday, the Navy announced
today.
Jeffersonian
Conclave Set
Deputy Treasurer Prank J. Mad
den, Jr., chairman of the Connec
ticut Jefferson Day Dinner, today
announced that Senator Brien Mc
Mahon will be the principal speaker
at the dinner, to be held at Hotel
Taft, New Haven, Saturday even
brien McMahon
ing, April 14. This will be Sena
tor McMahon’s first appearance be
fore a statewide gathering of Demo
crats since his election last fall.
This dinner is held in conjunc
tion with similar affairs being
sponsored by the Democratic Na
tional Committee throughout the
country in its nationwide drive for
funds in preparation for the Con
gressional elections in 1946.
It is expected that President
Roosevelt will attend the dinner be
ing held in Washington and his
speech will be heard over a nation
wide radio broadcast.
(Continued on Page 4)
Ryukyu Yanks’ Waterloo
Avers Tokyo Propagandists
By United Press
Tokyo propagandists professed to
day to see a golden opportunity for
Japan to win the war as result of
the American invasion of Okinawa,
only 330 miles southwest of their
homeland.
The Domel News Agency reiter
ated the line it used when the Amer
icans Invaded the Philippines and
declared that The Anglo-Americans
are completely playing into the
hands of the Japanese high com
mand."
Domel aaid the Japanese high
command “had lured the enemy Into
an area . . . where Japanese forces
have the best chances of wiping out
the enemy.”
KyuKyu promises w oe we w
emy’s Waterloo. It Is here the tide
Is likely to turn,” Domei promised.
The Tokyo radio broadcast a
statement to the Japanese people
from Vice Admiral Eipero Kondo
(retired) warning that the invasion
of Okinawa was a step toward in
vasion of the homeland but advis
ing them not to become ‘impatient.”
In another broadcast, Vice Ad
miral Takijiro Onishi, Identified as
commander of the Japanese naval
force, expressed “supreme confi
dence" that Japan could win by
“killing as many American soldiers
as can possibly be killed until the
American peopH have been con
vinced that war is indeed a wretch
ed thing.”
BY BUYD V. LLVY1B
Paris, April 4. — (UP) —
The Berlin-gound American
Third Army closed today on
the Saxon stronghold of
Erfurt,, 130 miles southwest
of the German capital, in a
mile-an-hour drive to link up
with the Red Army and cut
the main Nazi escape roads
into the Bavarian Moun
tains.
Striking squarely into the
center of Germany, Lt. Gen.
George S. Patton’s Third
Army tanks broke loose on
the broad Frankfurt-Leipzig
Dresden superhighway less
than 180 miles from the west
bound Russians.
Other tank speadheads to
the south plunged ahead to
the Werra river line only 65
miles from the northwestern
comer of Czechoslovakia.
Front reports said American col- j
imrng on the superhighway were
within six miles of Erfurt and 10
miles west of Weimar after a 23
mile advance that by-passed the
German hedge-hog position at Eis
enach and Droke into Gotha, 13
miles west of Erfurt.
Patton’s explosive breakthrough j
threatened the entire center of •
German battle line already shaken
by Allied victories in the north and
south.
French First Army forces ham
mered out a new crossing of the
Rhine north of Karlsruhe and
swung up the east bank to enter
the city, a key barrier on the road
to Stuttgart and Munich.
Simultaneously, American Firs!
Army forces on Patton’s northern
flank began caving In the eastern ;j
wall of the great Ruhr valley pocket,
where possibly up to 150,000 German
troops were trapped.
German military spokesmen said
First Army tank columns also had
driven 27 miles east of their ad
vanced positions at Paderbom t«
reach the Weser river in the Bev
erungen area, 161 miles west of Ber
lin and almost on the Westphalia
Brunswick provincial border.
(Continued on Page 4)
Nazis Sub t
Bases Hit 1
London, April 4—(UP)—Strong
forces of American heavy bombers |
with an escort of more than 850
fighters today struck the German
submarine bases of Kiel and Ham
burg and nearby airfields for the
second straight day.
U. S. strategic air force head
quarters said the attack was made
in very great strength.
The announcement of today’s at
tack did not say how many bomb
ers were engaged—a departure
from the current practice—but the
strength of the escort indicated
well over 1,000 heavy bombers were
in action.
A large part of the raiding fores •
hit air fields in a wide area below
the Danish Peninsula . Reports of
bad weather suggested that the
bombing was done generally by in
strument.
Recent operations made it evi
dent that the Allies were pressing
an air offensive aimed at breaking
the German U-boat fleet and sur
face navy.
In five days, with much of the
damage still unassessed, U. 8.
bombers had set a German light
cruiser afire, damaged or destroyed
probably more than two subma
rines, sunk a motor ship, and left
four other vessels burning.
(Continued on Page 4)
THERE MUST HAVE
BEEN HUSH WINOS IN
TOWN LAST NIGHT* IT
SAVS HERE THATTH6
j—n