Evening star. [volume], September 12, 1939, Image 1

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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Weather Forecast Today's War News TODAY
From the United State* Weather Bureau report. —— ■■ ....
Full details on Pate A-2,
Mostly cloudy and warmer tonight and As Night Falls on Europe's Battle
tomorrow; gentle to moderate souther
ly winds. Temperatures today—High- Fields It's Press Time on The Star
est, 72, at 1 p.m.; lowest, 55, at 5:30 a.m.
_Closing N. Y. Markets—Sales, Page 14._ _{P) M„n, Attoci.ted Praia.
' 87th YEAR. No. 34,832. D. C., TUESDAY7, SEPTEMBER 12, 1939—FORTY PAGES. *** THREE CENTS.
Germans Open 3-Front Offensive
To Break Resistance of Poles;
French Threaten Saarbruecken
- -- • -
Foe Surrendering
East of Radom,
Invaders Say
Bv MELVIN K. WHITELEATHF.R
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent.
WITH THE GERMAN ARM-*
WEST OF WARSAW. .Sept. 12.
German headquarters announcer
that German forces this morninf
launched a three-front offensivi
which it expected to be the fina
push to break Polish resistance.
The fronts were given as east o
Radom, north of Lodz and north
east of Warsaw.
Four Polish divisions fighting ir
the Radom sector south of Warsaw
with their backs to the Vistuls
River were reported beginning t(
surrender. Germans also said i
bitter struggle north of Lodz ap
peared to be ending, with heav:
Polish losses. On the third fron
German troops were reported at the
gates of Warsaw.
Planes L:sed Effectively.
The Germans, officers asserted
used the air arm effectively on al
fronts. Bombers again were flyinf
steadily to and from German bases
This correspondent observed the
preparations for today's offensive or
the Radom front yesterday after
noon. Heavy reinforcements eloggee
ell roads leading to the sector.
North of Lodz the German Arm:
Was trying to force the surrender o:
what remained of the Polish Arm:
of the west—from 50.000 to 60.00<
men. One German division number
ing between 10.000 and 12.000 mer
was battering five or six encirclec
Polish divisions.
The battle was in its third day. Ir
the first 24 hours of that struggh
Germans estimated 2.000 Poles wen
killed and 5.000 wounded. And sinci
that first day the attack has beer
even fiercer.
uri iuaua vuumridUMi n.
The Polish Army, north of Lodz
consisting of troops retreating frorr
Poznan province and the Corridor
on Sunday staged the first big of
fensive made by any Polish force sc
far in an attempt to break out anc
fall back on Warsaw. They were
halted Sunday night after advanc
ing several miles, and yesterday
morning a German counterattack
was started.
But even if the Polish division!
should escape their 12-mile-widi
“pocket'' near Lodz, they woulc
have to encounter another Germar
line drawn up west of Warsaw anc
between them and the capital. Thi;
line, which received heavy rein
forcements this morning, extend
south of the city.
Warsaw was being threatene<
from the northeast by a Germai
army which had crossed the Narev
River in its advance out of Eas
Prussia.
’ The third German army whicl
was operating east of Radom wa
seeking to tighten its hold on Lublin
railway point 100 miles southeast o
Warsaw and approximately 140 mile
east of Lodz. The Germans wan
both Lublin and Warsaw to sur
render without siege.
An armored car division which en
tered Warsaw a few days ago aftei
driving up from Silesia has with
drawn to the outskirts of the cit;
and is awaiting the outcome of th<
battle near Lodz. This maneuve:
was made, the Germans said, to dis
courage the Poles from bombardint
their capital.
niucr wun urmv.
I have just completed two days o
roaming about with the first grouj
of foreign correspondents permittee
st the front by the German higt
command.
Feuhrer Hitler, "first soldier" o
Germany, spent yesterday in thi;
region. I followed him for twi
hours along one road.
Everywhere I found the Poles ha<
been fighting harder than I ha<
imagined from reading the Germai
army communiques.
Every inch of the Polish retreat
despite its swiftness, has been con
tested, but the fighting for the mos
part has been individual. No gen
eral plan seems to have existed. Oi
if it did exist, it was disregarded.
Each time the Poles assemble!
and tried to make a stand the;
found themselves surrounded. Ger
man officers expressed the opinioi
that the Polish general staff hai
made a big mistake in not with
drawing its troops—thus preventini
(See TRAP, Page^A-5.)
Contraband Control
Bases Are Established
Great, Britain has established con
traband control bases at Weymoutl
Ramsgate, Kirkwall, Gibraltar an
Haifa, the Embassy announced to
day.
The announcement said the Brit
ish government wanted "to facili
tate innocent neutral trade so far a
is consonant with their determina
tion to prevent contraband good
reaching the enemy.” It was adde
that "they will be compelled to us
their belligerent rights to the fui
but they will at all times be ready t
consider sympathetically any sug
gestions put forward by neutral gov
ernments designed to facilitate thei
bona fide trade.”
D. C. Has Coldest
Night Since May
Last night was the coolest tha
Washington has experienced sine
May 19, the Weather Bureau re
ported. The temperature droppe
to 55 degrees. It won't be so col
tonight, the bureau stated, and th
temperature will stay above 60 de
grees.
Tomorrow will be cloudy an
warmer with moderate souther!
winds, it is predicted.
| WtACA Accused of Tuning In,
Sending Foreign War Orders
F. C. C. Tells Radio Station to Show Cause
Why License Shouldn't Be Revoked
By the Associated Press.
The Federal Communications Com
i mission today accused the Knicker
1 bocker Broadcasting Co., Inc.,
licensee of Radio Station WMCA,
New York City, of illegally intercept
ing and broadcasting secret radio
communications sent by the gov
! ernments of Germany and Great
Britain.
i The F. C. C. ordered the company
to show cause by September 15 why
its license should not be revoked
"for violation of and failure to ob
serve the provisions of the Com
munications Act of 1934 * * * con
stituting conduct by said licensee
contrary to the public interest."
The F. C. C. said it had "infor
mation in its possession tending to
establish" that WMCA "caused the
; interception of secret radio com
munications sent by the govern
ments of Germany and Great Brit
ain, respectively, containing orders
to the naval or military forces of
said governments to govern the
movement of said forces in time of
war, and thereafter caused said
messages to be decoded and broad
cast over the facilities of Station
WMCA, all without authority of the
respective senders of said communi
cations.”
The commission added that "dur
ing the period of tense international
relations," public interest requires
"strict observance by the licensees
of radio broadcast stations in this
country of all international under
'akings and Federal legislation re
lating to the secrecy of international
communications.”
This country, the F. C. C. added,
has agreements with other govern
ments. including Germany and
Great Britain, to take the necessary
measures to prohibt, unauthorized
interception and disclosure of radio
communications not intended for the
general public.
Germans Are Pushed
Into Outskirts of
Warsaw, Poles Claim
•
Reinforcements Reported
To Have Arrived From
Southern Front
By LLOYD LEHBRAS.
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent.
BUDAPEST. Sept. 12. —Polish
Army general headquarters asserted
today that 'Warsaw's German be
siegers had been pushed back “far
into the outskirts of the capital.”
A communique broadcast from the
radio station at Lwow said the near
est German troops now were 6 miles
from the center of the city. It said
; the push was "developing” with the
■ aid of heavy Polish reinforcements
which were rushed to Warsaw from
, the south.
It was reported from Cernauti.
; Rumania, that 7.000 Polish refugees
. i crossed the frontier there,
i Stalemate Claimed.
The Polish general staff's com
1 munique No. 11. broadcast earlier.
! declared stout Polish resistance had
• : brought German plane, tank and
t artillery attacks at least to a tem
porary stalemate throughout a wide
, spread battle zone.
. The communique announced se
vere fighting was continuing along
r the Bug River without major change.
| wtth the Germans throwing vast
numbers of tanks into the struggle.
The Bug River flows from east to
west, joining the Narew at a point
20 miles due north of Warsaw.
The official Hungarian news
agency reported the Polish radio sta
tion at Lublin said Gen. Feliejan
Slawoj Skladkowski, the Polish pre
mier. had presided over a ministry'
council which decreed measures pro
viding for the purchase and distri
bution of foodstuffs for civilians
! forced to flee from the battle zones.
The radio station at Lwow (Lem
berg >. capital of the Polish Ukraine,
1 reported volunteers were digging
1 trenches and air raid shelters and
i preparing to defend the city with
the intention of carrying on until
: the last, and had no idea of with
> drawing.
> The Germans were reported con
tinuing their attacks in the Modlin
l sector without achieving any gains.
I Modlin is at the juncture of the
i Narew and Vistula Rivers, only 20
miles northwest of Warsaw.
German attacks were reported
■ continuing along the San River,
t but it was said there were no indi
' (See BUDAPEST, Page A-5.)
'Swastika' Plane
Seen Over Site
Of Submarine
Coast Guard Launches
Probe to Determine
If of German Origin
B> the Associated Press.
BOSTON, Sept. 12.—A mysterious
‘‘swastika-marked'’ airplane, flying
over the same general area where
an unidentified submarine has been
in operation, was reported today by
a group of American trawlers fish
ing approximately 190 miles off this
port.
Capt. Michael Shea of the trawl
er Storm, in a radio message to the
Associated Press, said one of his
seamen had seen the German swas
tika on wings of the gray-painted,
single-motored biplane as it twice
circled the fishing fleet at a low
! altitude yesterday before heading
i off on the great circle route that
! would lead to Europe.
At the same time, however. Capt.
Shea reported another of the fish
ermen argued the planes’ markings
more closely resembled a star than
a swastika.
Coast Guard officials here prompt
ly reported they were starting an
investigation, but would hazard
no immediate official opinion as
to whether the plane was of Ger
man origin.
Simultaneously, the trawler Dela
ware reported it had been informed
by the trawler Shawmut on Georges
Banks that a submarine had come
up close beside it on Sunday night.
Further details were not immedi
ately available.
Fourth Report on Sub.
This was the fourth report of a
submarine off the New England
coast. The first came to the Coast
Guard last week from the Pollock
Rip Lightship, followed by another
from the fishing schooner Frances
C. Denehy, which said a strange
undersea craft had been sighted
last Wednesday and Thursday on
Georges Bank, in an area where
United States Navy officials said
no American submarine was in oper
ation Still another report of a sub
marine—this time off Nantucket
Lightship—came today from officers
of the British Arandora Star, which
docked safely in New York.
The Boston water front was
stirred with conflicting discussion
about the strange plane. Some
argued the craft might have been
(See SHIPS, Page A-3.) ~
! The War Situation
German forces in Poland
| today launched a three-front
offensive, which German
> Army headquarters expected
to be the final push to break
Polish resistance. German
troops were attacking east of
Radom, north of Lodz and
northeast of Warsaw, it was
i, said. German bombers were
i active. (Page A-l.)
The German supreme army
command announced in Ber
lin that the German Army
s had struck east of Warsaw by
crossing a railway leading
s from the Polish capital to
1 Siedlce, 50 miles away. The
® army communique also an
nounced that a number of
] cities had been taken in West
ern Poland. (Page A-l.)
r Polish Armv headauarters
claimed, however, that the
German besiegers of Warsaw
had been pushed “far into the
outskirts of the capital,” and
that the nearest German
troops were now 6 miles from
* the center of the city. It said
the push was growing with the
l aid of heavy reinforcements
i rushed to Warsaw from the
e south. (Page A-l.)
Paris reports said that
French advance guards had
y driven a wedge into the ad
vance fortifications of Ger
> 4
many s Seigfried Line east of
Saarbruecken, and that one
section of the attacking forces
had “slightly turned” the de
fenses of the great industrial
city. Artillery pounded Ger
man lines surrounding the
city from heights in the forest
of Warndt. (Page A-l.)
Operations of an unidenti
fied submarine off Nantucket
Lightship were reported to
the British ship Arandora
Star, officers of the ship de
clared upon its arrival today
from Cherbourg and South
hampton with 441 passengers,
260 of them Americans.
(Page A-l.)
Southeastern Europe was
the scene of a trade struggle
between Europe’s warring
nnmorc nAiit.ral not.inns
of that section of the conti
nent were faced with the
choices of continuing to sell
to Germany with small pros
pect of payment, selling to
Britain and France for gold,
or bartering their products
with Italy. (Page A-4.)
The British government an
nounced that it was taking
steps to remove between 7,000
and 8,000 members of the
staffs of government depart
ments from London, but it
was emphasized that the gov
ernment itself was remaining
In the capital. (Page A-3.)
i
Wedge Driven in
Siegfried Line,
It Is Reported
By the Associated Press.
PARIS, Sept. 12.—French dis
patches tonight reported that French
guards had driven a wedge into the
advance fortifications of Germany's
Siegfried line east of Saarbruecken
One section of the attacking forces
was asserted to have "slightly turn
ed” the defenses of the great indus
trial city.
Artillery pounded German lines
surrounding the city from heights
in the forest of Warndt.
These reports of French activity
followed the war ministry’s commu
nique for the morning which said
merely that there had been "A calm
night along the entire front."
Saarbruecken was emptied of civil
ians days ago. French military
sources believed the German Army
soon would fall back into defensive
positions behind the industrial
capital.
Reservists in Nazi Line.
The pincer movement against
Saarbruecken and penetration of
formidable advance posts of the Sieg
fried Line were accomplished in the
beginning by small sorties of in
fantrymen supported by tank fleets.
The German lines were said to be
held by young reservists because
older soldiers were engaged in the
Polish offensive on the other side of
Germany. However, several divi
sions were said to be diverted al
ready to the Western Front to meet
the French-British threat.
Although less seasoned Nazi troops
were said to hold positions near the
Luxembourg frontier, their positions
were strong because of the nature of
the land.
The French had to make their
precarious way over hilly roads
topped by machine-gun and mortar
nests. They had to encircle their
foe to wipe out threats of cross-fire
ahead.
The high command would not
name places involved in this ex
treme northern flanking movement
in the belief that publication would
endanger progress of the operations.
The French described their losses
as slight as compared with the ad
vances achieved. They said some
German prisoners had been taken,
that gas had not been used and that
much of the fighting was under
cover of night.
major Baiue KipetiM.
Previous fighting on a 100-mile
sector of the western front between
i the Moselle and Rhine Rivers
! strengthened the impression a
major battle was shaping up—an
engagement which history may re
' cord as the battle of the Saar.
British troops were reported mov
| ing up into position already estab
lished by the French.
"Despite enemy resistance our at
tacks continued to show serious
progress on a front of some 12 miles
east of the Saar." said last night's
i war communique.
This was taken to mean the
French were gaining at a point some
distance north of the French border
town of Saareguemines in the Ger
man area between the Saar and
Blies Rivers. The Saar runs north
| from Sarreguemines through Saar
| bruecken. chief German city in the
rich Saar Basin.
Bitter fighting also was reported
in the area north of Sierck, further
west where the Saar River shifts
its course northward to parallel the
Moselle River along the frontier of
the neutral principality of Luxem
bourg. Germans and French fought
hand to hand in that wooded area
between the two rivers.
War Cabinet Forming,
j On the home and diplomatic
I fronts. Premier Daladier still was
working to fuse a "war cabinet" for
balanced representation of French
political parties while watching de
velopments in Rumania and Italy.
Andre Francois-Poncet, Ambas
sador to Rome, was understood to
have told M. Daladier yesterday
afternoon Italy was observing a
“strictly correct” neutral attitude
despite her military alliance with
Germany.
Rumania's week end call to re
servists, increasing her army to
1,200.000 men, interested the French
because of her status as Poland's
neighbor.
Thousands of men still were flock
ing to the French side for military
service. Stephen Osusky, who was
Czecho-Slovakia’s Minister to Paris,
said he expected 50.000 Czechs to
fight under the Czech flag.
Poles also were enlisting by the
thousands for service on the western
front under French command.
At Lille, Jeane Pouille, fugitive
from the Devils Island penal colony,
appeared to join the French Army.
He had been living in Belgium after
escaping through Brazil and French
Guiana 13 years ago.
Big French Drive Soon
Seen in Troop Moves
BASEL, Switzerland, Sept. 12 f/P),
—Reports of a German troop move
ment from Baden northwest toward
the Haardt Hills on the west side of
the Rhine were taken by border ob
servers today as an indication the
tsee PARIS, Page A-4.)
Matanuska Colonist
Discovers Gold
By the Associated Press.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska. Sept. 12.
Matanuska Valley sheep and cow;
may have to seek new grazing land:
if a gold mining boom in Uncle
Sam's far northern co-operative
farming colony develops.
Antone Anderson, civil engineer
said assays showed Massive Butte
carried gold averaging $2.15 to the
ton.
k
^threeS)
acrowdA
VBiLt^y
Reich Forces Tighten
Warsaw Ring, Claim
Cities in West Taken
i
Big Battle Near Vistula
Is Reported Ending;
Goering at Front
2» th* Associated Press.
BERLIN, Sept. 12.—German forces
in Poland, driving around and
toward Warsaw, were announced of
1 flcially today to have crossed a rail
way east of the Polish capital and
to have captured a number of cities
in the west.
A communique issued by the su
preme army command pictured a
gradually tightening ring of steel
around the besieged capital with the
first announcement that German
soldiers were east of it.
The communique said the Poles
had been defeated northeast of
Warsaw and added:
"Advancing in pursuit, the main
body of German troops crossed the
Warsaw-Siedlce rail line." Siedlce
is approximately 50 miles east of
Warsaw-.
Subsequently it was explained of
ficially that the Germans had
crossed the Warsaw-Bialystok Rail
way, which runs northeast of War
saw, and then their vanguards ad
vanced as far as the Warsaw
Siedlce Railway.
Germans reported the troops had
crossed the River Bug. one of the
Polish capitals defensive lines on
the northeast, on Sunday, and these
troops apparently now were form
ing northeast of Warsaw for an of
fensive.
Cities West of Capital Fall.
Simultaneously, the supreme high
command announced occupation of
Poznan. Torun, Gniezno, Inowro
claw (Hohensalza* and "other cities”
west and northwest of Warsaw.
This announcement, which was sep
arate from the communique, said:
"Thanks to the advance of our
troops in the Provinces of Poznan
and Western Prussia. Poznan, To
run, Gniezno. Hohensalza and other
cities were occupied. Thereby in
this region, too, territory formerly
German is now almost without ex
ceptions in German hands.”
Poznan is approximately 40 miles
airline east of the Polish-German
frontier and some 170 miles west of
| Warsaw. Torun is 110 miles north
west of Warsaw and about 80 miles
northeast of Poznan.
The two other cities named lie
between Poznan and Torun. Gniez
no is almost 30 miles northeast of
Poznan: Hohensalza. or Inowroclaw
in Polish, is 20 miles southwest of
Torun.
Battle Near Vistula Ending.
The army communique reported
“a big battle in Poland west of the
Vistula River is nearing its end,”
told of advances in Southern Poland
toward Lwow, and said that in Cen
tral Poland "there is a prospect of
capturing the guns and war ma
terials of at least four divisions.”
In a reference to operations
southeast of Poznan and west of
Warsaw, the communique said:
"Desperate attempts of strong
enemy forces encircled near Kutno
to break through southward were
(See BERLIN, Page A-5.) .
Germans in lokio Urge
Japanese-Soviet Pact
By A. T. STEELE,
Chicago Daily News Foreign Correspondent.
TOKIO. Sept. 12 «By radio!.—Ger
mans in Tokio are doing all in their
power to persuade the Japanese to
negotiate a non-aggression agree
ment with Soviet Russia. There is a
section of Japanese opinion that
favors the idea, but nothing to in
dicate that the ruling heads yet are
giving it serious thought. Such a
move would be an abrupt about-face
in national policy. The weight of
articulate opinion is at present
heavily against it.
The German aim seems to be to
check the drift of Japanese opinion
toward a friendlier relationship with
the democracies, particularly Great
Britain. Next to the China problem
—now in its third headachy year—
the Russian question is the most
perplexing issue facing the Japanese
government. Majority opinion here
is that every effort should now be
made to avoid a Russo-Japanese wai
until settlement of the China ques
tion is in sight.
Copyright, 1939, by Chicago Dally News, Inc
Bulletins
PARIS, Sept. 12 A\—Prime
Minister Chamberlain met
Premier Daladier “somewhere
in France” today at a meeting
of the supreme French-British
war council. A communique
issued by M. Daladier's office
said two other members of the
council also attended, Gen.
Maurice Gustave Gamelin,
commander in chief of the
French-British armies, and
Lord Chatfield. British min
ister for co-ordination of de
fense.
LONDON, Sept. 12 (CDN).—
The Duke and Duchess of
Windsor have arrived in Eng
land. They are understood to
have made the trip to Eng
land from France by sea.
Stocks Surge Ahead
After Sharp Drop
In Profit Taking
Many Soar ST to $4
Above Monday Close
To New Peaks
i
3y Associated Press.
NEW YORK. Sept. 12 —The stock
market absorbed its biggest wave of
profit-taking sales since its “war
boom” developed today, then surged
upward again in the late dealings.
Midday losses of $1 to $6 a share
were largely canceled, and many is
sues pushed up $1 to more than $4
above yesterday's final prices to new
highs for the past year or two. Trad
ing continued at a strenuous pace,
with a turnover of around 4.000.000
shares.
The revived bull forces in the
market displayed a vigor reminis
cent of 1929. When the “war babies”
were slipping they began buying the
laggard utilities and rails, and as
prices rose in those divisions, activ
ity generally shifted to the buying
side.
United States Steel was given a
whirl in the late trading, converting ]
a loss of $2.50 into a gain of $4.50, j
and closing at $82.50. highest in
more than a year. Bethlehem Steel,
down more than $6 at one time, re
gained all but $1 of its loss.
Chrysler was also a bull favorite,
rising $4.87 to $90.87. Interna
tional Harvester rose $4. and issues
up about $1 to $2 from yesterday's
close included Youngstown Sheet,
General Motors, American Smelt
ing. American Can, Johns Man
ville, Santa Fe. New York Central,
Pennsylvania, Chesapeake & Ohio
and others. Allied Chemical, off
$8 at one time, closed at $197, off
$3.50. American Sugar closed at
$23.37. off $3.37 and other sugars
were lower.
Germany Puts Churches
Under War Restrictions
By the Associated Press.
BERLIN. Sept. 12— It was offi
cially disclosed today that Catholic
and Protestant churches had been
placed under war-time restrictions,
but spokesmen said the measures
were made necessary by the war and
did not constitute an attempt to in
terfere with the church.
Under the restrictions the number
of Catholic church publications, such
as diocesan organs and scientific
and religious research publications,
will be limited to five. This was at
tributed to rationing of paper.
Some churches have been closed.
These are in outlying sections and
it was explained worshipers there
could not reach bomb shelters in
time in case of emergency.
Minnesota to Mark
Usual Thanksgiving
Br the Associated Press.
ST. PAUL, Sept. 12 —Gov. Harold
E. Stassen, a Republican, the Na
tion's youngest State head, today
declined to go along with President
Roosevelt in moving Thanksgiving
Day a weeluahead this year and set
November 30 for the Minnesota ob
servance.
Gov. Stassen said he did not be
lieve “commercial considerations"
should affect the traditional ob
servance.
1
House Rules Head
Predicts Session
About October 2
Sabath Urges Roosevelt
To Consider Measure
To Curb Profiteering
Bv J. A. O LEARY.
A prediction that the special
session of Congress to revise the
Neutrality Act will convene on or
about October 2. was made today
by Chairman Sabath of the House
Rules Committee, following a visit
to the White Hoti.se, in which he
urgpd President Roosevelt to con
sider also anti-profiteering legisla
tion.
The veteran House member em
phasized that the President did not
commit himself on the date for the
special session, but Mr. Sabath in
dicated he personally believed the
date will be an early one.
In turning to the question of
food prices. Representative Sabath
said he made this suggestion to Mr.
Roosevelt, "because what is going
on now is unjustified "
He charged that wholesalers and
manufacturers with large stocks on
hand are raising prices, and he
called this "an outrage and a
shame.
Practice Held Continuing.
Mr. Sabath said the President's
recent statement on the subject did
some good, but he added, "they
have not stopped." Lifting the sugar
marketing quotas was a good thing,
he said, but affects only one com
modity.
The Illinois Representative said
he had not decided how Congress
could approach the problem, but
suggested it might be done through
the taxing power.
Mr. Sabath said he had heard
some rumors that an effort might
be made to attach the anti-lynching
bill to the neutrality revision meas
ure. Any such move, he said,
"would be contemptible.”
Although he favors anti-lynching
legislation, he said he did not be
lieve such a parliamentary maneu
ver would be approved even by
friends of the measure.
The anti-lynching bill is in a
position where it could be called
up in the House, since the required
218 signatures have been obtained
to a petition to give it right of way.
Representative Sabath said, how
ever, the chances are no action will
be taken at the special session, de
claring such controversial matters
should not be injected at this time.
Amended Bill Probable.
As to the course neutrality will
take, he said, he presumed the Sen
ate would amend the bill passed by
the House at the recent session,
after which the House could either
adopt the revision or work it out in
conference. Asked if he felt the
administration's neutrality proposals
would be adopted. Mr. Sabath said
he did not see what else Congress
could do.
"I have always been opposed to
militarism and war, but I do not see
what else we can do.” Mr. Sabath
said. “We must protect our own
interests.”
The rules chairman said the
President impressed on him the fact
that politics should be adjourned for
the emergency and admonished him
not to bring in politics. He said a
considerable number of Congress
members are anxious to know’ when
the special session will convene in
order to adjust their affairs.
I--—l
George VI Busy
16 Hours a Day
On Home Front
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Sept. 12.—King George
VI, working an average of 16 hours
a day, has put away his civilian
clothes and worn only service uni
forms since the war started.
The King and Queen Elizabeth,
who canceled all social engagements
at the outset of hostilities, have new
date books to record the round of
official visits that keep them busy.
While the Queen visits hospitals,
air raid precaution organizations
and nursing centers, the King
studies the latest reports from the
fighting forces. Outside the chiefs
of staff he is the best informed man
in the empire on military matters.
He has the only key to the red
dispatch case that arrives from
Whitehall. But like all other Lon
doners, the King and Queen obeyed
the A. R. P. wardens and took to
shelter during London’* air raid
warnings.
I
Vandenberg
Stands Firm
For Embargo
Declares Repeal
Would Be Case
Of 'Nature Fake'
(The text of Senator Thomas’
speech on the National Radio
Forum may be found on page
B-5.)
nv u. uuUiii untuLn.
Declaring repeal of the arms em
bargo in the name of neutrality
would be "a nature fake,” Senator
Vandenberg of Michigan, a leading
Republican presidential possibility,
today ranged himself squarely in
opposition to amendment or repeal
of the existing neutrality laws.
The statement made by the Michi
gan Senator, in conjunction with
those of Senator Borah, Republican,
of Idaho; Senator Nye. Republican,
of North Dakota, and others of the
group favoring retention of the em
bargo, made it clear another historic
struggle is likely to take place in the
Senate when that body meets to
consider President Roosevelt's pro
posal to revise the Neutrality Act.
Senator Vandenbergs statement
was made just before he left Wash
ington to return to Michigan. He
had attended a conference yesterday
afternoon with Senators Borah. Nye
and others of the g*roup opposed
to repeal.
Firm in Opposition.
The Michigan Senator's position
does not run on all fours with that
of Senator Taft of Ohio, another
Republican presidential candidate,
or with that of Senator Austin of
Vermont, assistant minority leader
It does, however, follow very closely
a considerable body of sentiment in
the Middle West.
Senator Vandenberg made it clear
his sympathies are with England
and France, along with most other
Americans. He said, however, his
paramount duty was to this country,
and he believed that every possible
step should be taken to keep it out
of war. He has no intention of
abandoning his opposition to arms
embargo repeal.
“I take the same position on neu
trality legislation I have taken for
years.” the Senator said. "The only
way to have a neutrality code is to
write one in advance of war. We
did it two years ago. It was adapted
in Congress by an almost unanimous
vote. The Senate passed the legis
lation by 63 to 6; the House, 376 to
13. The President signed it and the
country approved it.
Called “Nature Fake.”
“At the time, we could deal ob
! jectively with the subject of neu
trality and without consulting our
emotions and our sympathies. We
cannot change the situation now
without being unneutral.
“If we want to change it. don't
do it in the name of neutrality—
that's a nature fake.
"I take the position you can't
become an arsenal for one belliger
ent without ultimately becoming a
target for the other. That's not
the way to stay out of this war.
"I want to make it plain that I
have the same personal sympathies
and feelings about the outcome of
this war that most other Americans
have.
"Mv public responsibility, how
ever. requires above everything that
I consult always the best interests
of the country. I do not believe it
possible for this country to be half
in and half out of this war.
"Until we are ready deliberately
and conscientiously to go all the way
in. it is better deliberately and con
scientiously to stay all the way out.
Wants Full Debate.
"If a special session of Congress
is called, I have no interest in bot
tling up the Neutrality Bill in the
Senate Foreign Relations Commit
tee. nor in a filibuster in the Sen
ate. But before a vote is had on the
question of repeal or revision of the
neutrality laws, there should be full
and free debate in the Senate."
Senator Vandenberg said he be
lieved it would be impossible to in
voke the cloture rule in the Senate
on this subject, as has been pro
posed in some quarters, so as to limit
debate on neutrality. He said, too,
he did not believe it would be pos
sible to confine a special session of
Congress to consideration of neu
trality legislation—as is favored
by the President.
"I have the general feeling.” the
Senator said, "that Congress should
be in more or less continuous ses
sion while this war is in progress.
There is a constitutional partner
ship in our Government and all parts
of the Government should be at
work constantly under present con
ditions.”
Nye Sees Hard Fight.
Meanwhile, at the Capitol, Senator
Nye said the administration would
“run into a real war in the legislative
field” over any attempt to repeal the
embargo provision.
Although he said he knew of no
present move for a Senate filibuster
to block repeal, the North Dakotan
declared there would be "extended
and thorough” debate on the pro
posal.
Observing that administration
leaders appeared to be considering
invoicing cloture, Senator Nye said
he did not believe the Senate would
vote for any limitation of debate.
He added the opinion that if Con
gress was called into special session
it would remain so throughout the
winter.
Senator Nye said he had found
sentiment in the Middle West strong
ly against Hitler. He observed, how
ever, that there also was a strong
sentiment against involvement of
this country in war. He said he
~(SeTNEUTRALITYTPage A-7.) '
Destroyer Mustin
To Be Accepted Friday
By the Associated Press.
The Destroyer Mustin, 60th of the
Navy's new ships to be commissioned
since 1934, will be formally received
from the manufacturer in a brief
ceremony at Newport New*, Va.,
Friday.
r