Evening star. [volume], September 25, 1939, Image 1

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

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! i .
Weather Forecast I
ftwth'mW»rN,,rl Today's War News TODAY
Mostly cloudy with light showers late ” * 1
tonight, followed by fair and much
cooler tomorrow and tomorrow night. Nighttime On ElirODe's Battlefields
Temperatures today—Highest, 83, at * K a vumcricias
2 p.m.; lowest, go, at 6 a.m._ It Press Time on The Stor
Closing New York Markets, Poge 14. ’
"—---— OP) Means Associated Press.
87th YEAR, No. 34,845._WASHINGTON, D. C., MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1939—THIRTY-TWO PAGES. *** THREE CENTS
French Attack in Haardt Range;
Guns Pound Main Siegfried Forts;
Zep Plant Is Reported Bombed
aii wesr rronr
Is Alive With
Heavy Fire
>7 tht Associated Press.
PARIS, Sept. 25.—French troops
•truck at German positions in the
Haardt Mountains today under
cover of heavy fire by artillery which
French dispatches said was bom
barding main fortifications of Ger
many's Siegfried line. The entire
. western front sprang to life.
Military advices said shells
•creamed across the Rhine for the
first time since the first two days
of the war. The Siegfried and Mag
inot lines are separated only by the
river along the southern half of
the German-French frontier
French troops were hitting at a
Haardt Mountain road which winds
through some of the most rugged
terrain of the western front. A
continuation of the Vofcges range,
the Haardts cover a 20-mile sector
between the German town of Pir
masens and French Wissembo-ug.
Apparently the French believed
they had found a weak spot in Ger
many's fortifications where tney
had depended on rugged count ry as
a protection.
Direct Bombardment of Line.
Military dispatches from the
western front reported that French
artillery had begun a direct bom
bardment of the main fortifications
cf the Siegfried Line.
Heavy French batteries, the dis
patches said, were dropping large
caliber shells on the West Wall case
mates in an effort to blast German
defenders from their positions in
the heavily fortified zone.
German guns replied to the bom
bardment. it was said, but the
French declared the Nazi artillery
was failing to make direct hits on
advanced French positions.
Most of the artillery action was
reported centered south of the Ger
man town of Saarbruecken and
•long the Lauter River, where the
Maginot and Siegfried lines are
closest.
Sunday iMgni wuiei
Dispatches said Sunday night was
comparatively quiet along the entire
front as the Germans failed to re
new assaults they have been launch
ing during the last few days with
amall bodies of troops between the
Rhine and Moselle Rivers.
Earlier, the French, taking ad
vantage of a lull in German thrusts,
It was said, assumed the initiative
at several points to consolidate po
r eitions- and thwart Nazi preparations
’ for new attacks.
French dispatches said the action
extended from the Wamdt Forest on
the west to the Bienwald Forest in
the east, and that fighting occurred
near the German cities of Saar
bruecken. Zwiebruecken, Pirmasens i
and Bergzaberg.
Reconnaisance flights were car
ried out "with success," the French
reported.
A morning communique reported
“local improvement” in French posi
tions. German artillery was said to
have been active in the area south
east of Zweibruecken.
Secret of Attacks Sought.
The French attacking units, in
formed quarters said, were seeking
to learn the secret behind the re
cent numerous German assaults on
advance positions.
There was some ’ speculation
Whether the Nazis were putting on
a show for the benefit of Fuehrer
Hitler, who French sources reported
on the front, or whether the Ger
mans were masking hurried troop i
displacements and new fortifications
ahead of the French forces.
The French said they had “an- I
Uthilated” several German units
which yesterday attempted to dis
lodge troops from dominating hill
top nests in the Saar, Blies and
Lauter River regions.
Dispatches reported the Germans
were massing warplanes at stra
tegic frontier points as far south as
the Swiss border, indicating great
aerial operations were likely soon
to overshadow the “fortress war
fare” on land.
Patience Urged on Public.
Meantime. French military writers
asked the public to "be patient’’ be
cause no general offensive had been
opened on the western front. Many
observers believed French tactics
had been designed to lure the Ger
mans into an offensive.
Some French sources asserted the
German .Army was not as powerful
as the military machine the Kaiser
launched against France in 1914,
either in numbers or fighting ability.
They conceded, however, the Ger
man equipment was excellent and
that there seemed to be plenty of it
available.
At the same time the French ex
pressed satisfaction with their famed
75-millimeter field guns, which play
ed such an important part in the
World War and which they have
been employing effectively to cover
advances during the current fight
' tag.
Heavy Fight Reported
Along 40-Mile Front
BASEL, Switzerland, Sept. 25 </P).—
Thousands of French soldiers,
backed by tanks and complete offen
sive equipment, clashed with Ger
man troops today in what dispatches
•Aid was heavy fighting along a
40-mlle jagged line in the heart of
the western front.
Reports reaching this frontier city
•aid the engagement was the result
of a series of French attacks from
the Saar Basin to the Vosges Moun
tains. It still was too early, how
ever, to judge from reports whether
the lighting was the beginning of a
French offensive or merely a con
centrated effort to recapture posi
tions which, it was said, German
counter-attacks wrested from the
poilus in the past week.
Over the week end, reports said,
'See PARIS, Page A-3.)
British Destroyer Is Sunk
By Submarine, Germans Claim
Eight French Airplanes Are Shot Down
In Air Fight in West, Communique Says
BERLIN, Sept. 25.—Sinking of a
British destroyer by a German sub
marine was announced in an offi
cial communique today as German
military leaders were reported pre
paring for prolonged war on the
western front.
The cummunique did not identify
the destroyer and gave no details
of the sinking, but declared mari
time warfare was “yielding good
results.”
The same announcement said
eight French war planes had been
shot down during an airtight in the
west, where, it added, there had been
"reconnoitering activity and artil
lery on both sides” at various un
disclosed points.
nuuit niuci gcuciauy whs ca
pec tea to come to Berlin tomorrow
from the eastern front for the state
funeral for Col. Gen. Baron Werner
von Fritsch, former commander in
chief of the German Army, who was
killed in action before Warsaw last
Friday.
(Reports reaching Paris from
the western front said Hitler was
in that area Saturday.)
Von Fritsch’s body will be brought
to Berlin tonight and taken to the
War Ministry Building where offi
cers will stand a guard of honor.
Funeral services will be held in
the square before the memorial to
World War dead.
News of the sinking of the British
(See BERLIN, Page A-6.)
Big Naval Battle
Believed Raging
Off Norway Coast
Violent Cannonading
Is Reported From
Several Points
By the Associated Press.
BERGEN. Norway, Sept. 25.—In
habitants of Algroi Island reported
this afternoon that unidentified
ships had been engaged in heavy
cannonading off the coast of Nor
way since 6 a.m. (midnight E. S. T.),
leading them to express the belief a
naval battle was under way.
The battle—if such it was—ap
parently was moving closer to the
coast, they said. Concussion of
large-caliber guns shook houses on
the island.
Firing stopped temporarily at
about 1:45 p.m., but resumed about
half an hour later, the island in
habitants said.
Cannonading Is Heard
From OtheFSections
OSLO. Norway, Sept. 25 (JP).—
Violent cannonading far out in the
Atlantic was reported from several
points along the Norwegian coast
today, leading observers to beiieve |
a naval battle was raging
Reports from the coastal com-;
muni ties said the bark of big guns!
could be heard between 8 and 9:30
a.m. (2 and 3:30 a.m., E. S. T.).
Hazy weather made it impossible
to see any warships, but several
German trawlers were observed
steaming toward the coast as if
fleeing from a battle zone.
The Aftenposten's correspondent
at Bergen said the "battle" started
last night and continued early to
day.
Inhabitants of a small island
south of Bergen said several ships
of undetermined nationality were
steaming northward at full speed
last night amid a constant exchange
of gunfire.
Boy Chasing Squirrel
Is Bitten on Ankle
Billy Hayes, 6, of 605 Silver Spring
avenue, Silver Spring, Md„ has
sworn off chasing squirrels providing
they cease chasing him.
According to the story he told his
father, Ferd R. Hayes, Billy yester
day was feeding the squirrels that
wander up from Sligo Creek Park
when he decided to chase one. Sud
denly Billy found himself with a
bite in the ankle. He was treated
by a private physician.
Billy is the second child to be
bitten by a squirrel in the past few
days in that neighborhood.
Mrs. Clark Recuperating
Mrs. Robert Vanderpool Clark,
wife of the young Singer Sewing
Machine heir, was reported to be in
fair condition today at Emergency
Hospital after treatment for an ac
cidental bullet wound in the cheek,
received Saturday at her home in
Middleburg, Va. Mrs. Clark is a
bride of two months.
F.B.I. Forming Agency
To Help Curb Spies,
Hoover Reveals
t
Hopes It Will Become
'West Point' in Law
Enforcement Field
Creation of a “West Point of law
enforcement” to aid in the fight
against foreign spies, agents of sub
versive influences and saboteurs is
in progress, J. Edgar Hoover, direc
tor of the Federal Bureau of Inves
| tigation. told graduates of the F.
: B. I. National Police Academy to
day.
Every agency of law enforcement
must be rallied to the “internal
defense” of our Nation—“a Nation
which loves peace and hates war”—
Mr. Hoover said.
"There is little question but that
at this very moment forces which
hate democracy and would seek its
destruction by any means are bur
rowing deep into our national life,”
Mr. Hoover told the 230 graduates
and as many more former grad
uates of the academy.
An army of foreign agents is
known to be at work in America
to gain military information, "to in
sidiously undermine” American in
stitutions and "to sabotage Amer
ican neutrality.” Mr. Hoover said.
The forces which seek to destroy
American liberty and to drag it
into war, he declared, are agents
of “dictatorial powers” which de
spise democracy, liberty and the
rights of the individual.
Cognizant of Peril.
Declaring that America must be
protected against all such influences
at a time when war and the threat
of even greater war threatens the
world, Mr. Hoover said that Amer
ican law enforcement agencies are
"fully cognizant of the peril that j
endangers our national lire. ’
In the field of counter-espionage,
Mr. Hoover said, experience is in
valuable and the United States
has the benefit of experience dur
ing the World War, when as many
as 1,500 complaints of enemy es
pionage activities were received
in Washington daily.
He cited as “an excellent example
of concerted effort” the work new
being carried on by the Military In
telligence Service of the Army, the
Office of Naval Intelligence of the
Navy and the F. B. I. to curb
foreign espionage activities in the
United States and declared that
every law enforcement agency in
the country, local. State and na
tional, must join in the fight, with
national security as the stake
“We must strengthen every weak
link in the chain of law enforce
ment,” the director said, “if Ameri
can liberty and American insti
tutions are to be protected against
the internal dangers which threaten
them.”
Academy Being Established.
The F. B. I. National Police Acad
emy, Mr. Hoover said, is being estab
lished as a national law enforce
ment training agency which he
hoped in the near future “will bear
the same relationship to law en
(See SPIES, Page a73J
The War Situation
me entire western iront sprang
into action today as French
forces struck at German posi
tions in the Haardt Mountains
near Pirmasens, Germany, and
Wissembourg, France. French
artillery was bombarding the
main fortifications of the Sieg
fried Line. German guns were
replying to the attack, but re
portedly with smaU effect. (Page
A-l.)
Great Britain and France were
reported to have*, struck at Ger
many's great Zeppelin works at
Friedrichshafen last night in a
raid which put out of action one
of Germany's main airplane mo
tor factories. The roar of raiding
planes, the bursting of bombs and
the fire of German anti-aircraft
batteries were witnessed by Swiss
observers across Lake Constance
(Page A-l.)
As Germany prepared for a pro
longed war on the western front
she claimed another victory in
the warfare at sea with the sink
ing of a British destroyer by a
German submarine. At the same
time Berlin announced that eight
i
irencn warplanes had been shot
down' In an air fight over the
western front, where it was said
there had been artillery activity
on both sides. (Page A-l.)
Dispatches from Norway re
ported what was believed to be a
naval battle off the coast. In
habitants of Algroi Island, 6 miles
west of Bergen, said that uniden
tified ships had been engaged in
heavy cannonading. (Page A-l.)
With her position immensely
strengthened in the first few
weeks of the war by her occupa
tion of Polish territory. Soviet
Russia opened commercial and
diplomatic conversations with her
little neighbor, Estonia, and pre
pared to receive the Turkish for
eign minister, Shukru Sarr.coglu,
for similar discussions. (Page A-4.)
The Royal Air Force has car
ried out new reconnaissance
flights over Germany, during
which more propaganda leaflets
were dropped, the British min
istry of information reported. All
planes returned safely, the min
istry said, and they met no seri
ous opposition, (Pigs a-S.)
i
None Motor Plant
Declared Put
Out of Action
By the Associated Press.
'ROMANSHORN, Switzerland, Sept.
25.—One of Germany s main air
plane motor factories was reported
today to have been put out of
action by bombs from French or
British planes staging a raid on the
Zeppelin works at Friedrichshafen,
Germany, last night.
(The German high command,
a dispatch from Berlin said, flatly
denied that there had been any
air raid on Friedrichshafen.’
The first alarm in the Fried
richshafen area—5 miles across
Lake Constance from here—started
searchlights sweeping the skies at
8:15 p.m. and a number of anti
aircraft batteries on the German
side opened fire. Explosions of a
few bombs could be heard here.
The mam part of the raid appar
ently came when a second alarm
was sounded at 11 p.m. Military
observers on the Swiss side, judging
by the dull roars heard here, esti
mated at least 30 bombs were
dropped by the raiders despite
heavy anti-aircraft fire, which in
cluded tracer bullets.
Reports reaching here said several
direct hits on the factory were
scored, but because the border was
closed these could not be confirmed.
These reports said the attack ap
parently was aimed, not only at
Friedrichshafen but also at the little
town of Manzell, about 3 miles up
the lake from Friedrichshafen. The
Zeppelin works, recently converted
into a factory for airplane motors
and other parts, opened another
plant at Manzell.
It was not known if any of the
raiders—whose number also was un
known—were hit by the anti-aircraft
fire or by fighter planes sent up to
meet them.
Swiss Warn Flyers.
Swiss frontier patrois along Lake !
! Constance fired sky rockets to warn
the bombers against invading Swiss
territory.
(A ministry of information i
communique in London an
■ nounced new "reconnaisance"
j flights by British warplanes over
Western and Northwestern Ger
many last night, but said only
propaganda leaflets were drop
ped. The communique did not
say specifically over what areas
the British planes flew.)
Swiss authorities opened an in
vestigation to determine whether
Swiss territory had been violated.
The German batteries were said
to have kept up their fire for two
hours wnile searchlights criss
crossed over Friedrichshafen.
The roar of what were believed to
be invading warplane motors could
be heard only a few minutes.
The giant Zeppelin works was
working*day and night. Special
bombpioof shelters had been built
for the factory workers deep under
the plant.
Repetition of History.
If British bombers participated
in the reported night raid, history
will have repeated Itself, for early
in 1914 a British plane carried out
one of the first World War air
raids against the Friedrichshafen
works. That raid brought a pro
test from Berlin to the Swiss gov
ernment, charging the British flyer
had crossed Swiss territory.
The Swiss general staff'said that
earlier last night a plane of un
identified nationality flew up the
Rhine River on the German side
toward Singen and crossed over
Swiss territory near Schaffhausen.
in the northwesternmost part of
Switzerland.
It wheeled away into Germany,
the announcement said, when Swiss
anti-aircraft batteries opened fire.
Four Held on Charge
Of Desecrating Flag
Pour New York men. here as
sertedly to urge “strict neutrality” in
the European war, were scheduled
for trial in Police Court today on
charges of desecrating the United
States flag by using two of them
as automobile seat covers.
The four, arrested yesterday
morning, were said by Policeman
J. F. Seeley to have had a sign
on the back of their sedan read
ing: “Keep us out of war; avoid
any entanglements; real Ameri
cans want no part of war.".
William Wagner, 39, of Brook
lyn, said to have been the driver,
also was charged with using a car
“for the primary purpose of ad
vertising” in allegedly having the
sign on his automobile.
Policemen Seeley and R. T. Nash,
who arrested the men in the 400
block of Eleventh street SB.,
exhibited pictures showing flags
draped on the backs of the seats.
Policeman Seeley said they told
him they belonged to the “All
American Association.”
The others gave their names as
William Edgar Fox, 40; Thomas
Maloney, 22, and Salvatore Patrick
Zummo, 37.
—
Injured Football Star
Taken to Hospital
Dixie Walker, former Catholic
University backfield star, was in an
undetermined condition at Sibley
Hospital here today as the result
of injuries received while playing
with the Washington Presidents
against the Norfolk Shamrocks yes
terday at Norfolk, Va„ in the Dixie
Professional Football League open
ing game.
Walker received head injuries
when a Shamrock player fell on him
after he had been tackled. He im
mediately was rushed by ambulance
to the Norfolk-Washington boat and
returned hero.
I
" - - J_, ^g;
(NO!lwiu\
I NOT RUN! J
7 /
A Republican Dream
Dies Probe Records
To Be Turned Over
To Hull and Murphy
Communists and Bund
Declared Violating
Espionage Act
By JAMES E. CHINN.
Charges that officers and mem
bers of the Communist Party in
the United States and the German
American Bund are violating both
the registration and espionage acts
today caused the House Committee
on un-American Activities to vote
to turn over to the State and Justice
Departments all records in its pos
session which may relate to such
instances.
The charges were made by Repre
sentative Thomas. Republican, of
New Jersey, immediately after the
committee convened to question
Gerhart Seger, a former member of
the German Reichstag, and now
editor of the New York German
language weekly Neue Volkseitung.
Kuhn to Be Recalled.
The committee also decided to
recall Trite Kuhn, German-Amer
ican Bund leader, after Mr. Seger
produced some of Mr. Kuhn's own
newspapers which he said denied
certain statements the bund leader
made during his testimony several
weeks ago.
The committee, it was said, wants
to question Mr. Kuhn about these
statements, as well as learn why
he had not submitted, as promised,
a list of bund posts in the United
States and their officers.
The decision to recall Mr. Kuhn
followed a statement by Repre
sentative Starnes, Democrat, of Ala- j
bama, a committee member, that
some action should be taken to
bring the bund leader "to account.”
“Based on testimony presented to
this committee to date,” declared
Mr. Thomas, one of its members,
"there can be no doubt that the of
fices and members of the Com
muinst party. U. S. A., and the j
German-American Bund, are violat- i
ing both the Registration and the :
Espionage Acts of this Nation. The
penalty of such violation in the!
case of the Foreign Agents Act is
a fine of not more than $1,000 or j
imprisonment for a term of not
more than two years, and in the
case of the Espionage Act, the pen
alty is a fine of not more than
$5,000 or imprisonment of not more
than five years.
“In view of the clear-cut testi
mony showing the close tie-up be
tween the Communist party and the
German-American Bund and their
foreign headquarters, and in view
of the national emergency which
exists, I think it is our solemn duty
as a committee of the House, to
immediately acquaint both the State
ana justice departments with all
relating testimony.
‘‘I therefore ask that the chair
man of the committee request our
attorney to transmit all such testi
mony to the departments in ques
tion without delay.”
(The Registration Act, aimed
particularly at those dissem
inating foreign publicity or prop
aganda. requires all agents of
foreign principals or govern
ments to register with the State
Department. Under the Espio
nage Act, all foreign govern
ment agents must notify the
State Department of their activ
ities. Hie acts apply to those
receiving compensation or tail
ing orders from abroad.)
Move to “Clean House.”
Chairman Dies subsequently an
nounced he had received informa
tion Federal departments as well
as A-ganized labor are preparing
to “clean house" of known com
munists.
He pointed out, too, the committee
seven, months ago transmitted to
the State and Justice Departments
all information in its possession
concerning subversive activities.
Mr. Seger, who came to the United
States in 1934 after escaping from
a German concentration camp, told
the committee some of his observa
tions in traveling and lecturing in
34 States in this country, particu
larly with respect to activities of
the German-American bund.
The witness said he “guessed”
there are between 74)00,000 and 8,
300,000 Germ an-America ns in the
United States, 5 per cent of whom
are members of Nazi organizations
>r sympathizers of the Hitler regime.
At least 90 per cent of them, he
ieclared, are either indifferent or
(Me BOM. Fife ▲-£.)
1
Perfect Weather
Brings Record
Sunday Crowds
A well-nigh perfect Sunday, warm
but not hot, clogged the highways
with motorists yesterday, jammed
the parks and sent thousands to
the river front to watch the final
event in the President's Cup Re
gatta.
Police estimated the crowd around
Hains Point at more than 60.000.
Another sport event which drew a
good crowd was the ball game be
tween the Nationals and the Yan
kees. An estimated 40,000 visited
i the Zoo.
Motorists returning last night
from week-end trips into Virginia
or Maryland had to crawl across
bridges and along highways in one
| of the heaviest Sunday traffic jams
police could recall.
j The temperature rose from a low
j 57 in the night to 85 in the after*
; noon. Somewhat cooler weather
was in prospect for tonight and
tomorrow.
California Storm
Takes Heavy Toll;
Breaks Heat Wave
Five Known Dead, 34
Believed Drowned;
Fear Felt for Scores
By the Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25—With
five known dead and 34 others be
lieved to have drowned, fears were
held today for the safety of scores
of persons unaccounted for In the
Sunday wind and rain storm which
struck Southern California shores.
Most of the missing were among ;
persons aboard small fishing boats I
and pleasure craft when the storm j
struck, ending the most severe heat
wave in South California's history.
Approximately 90 deaths were attrib
uted directly or indirectly on the
heat, which reached 100 degrees or
more for an entire week.
At least 24 persons were reported
drowned when the sport fishing boat
Spray capsized late yesterday off
Point Magu, 40 miles northwest of
Los Angeles.
The Ventura County sheriff s office
gave up hope that any of the 24
would be found alive. A man and a
woman swam ashore.
John Hamilton and Darro Mc
Gowan, both of Los Angeles, were
said by the Coast Guard cutter Au
rora to have been lost from the
schooner Success before it was taken
in tow in mid-Catalina Channel by
the Aurora.
Marion Tanner, E. T. Harrington
and John H. Harrington, the latter
an 11-year-old boy, were reported
missing from the yacht Nina O.,
wrecked off Cabrillo Beach.
Raymond Bernhardt and Donald
Rupert, both of Los Angeles, drowned
when their yacht crashed into the
San Pedro breakwater.
Two Corpus Christi, Tex., youths,
Ralph Galvan. 22, and Gregory Rod
riguez, 18, drowned near Long Beach
in attempting to rescue a 13-year
old girl.
Violence Punctuates
Strike of Drivers
Of Dump Trucks
Bricks Are Thrown
And Driver B'eaten;
Police Escort Wprkers
Violence flared for the first time
today in the dump-truck drivers’
strike, necessitating police motor j
cycle escorts for truck fleets haul- ■
ing materials to several construction
projects in the District.
One driver was injured when he
was attacked by three men near j
the Van E. Thompson Co., truck
operators, on Thirty-first street
N.W.. near the C. & 6. Canal.
Eight men were arrested a short
time later after an outbreak on
construction projects at the Dis
trict Jail and Gallinger Hospital.
Police reported that stones were
thrown at drivers hauling materials
from the Smoot Co. wharves at the
foot of South Sapitol street to the
building sites.
More than half a dozen officers,
under Sergt. Joseph Johnson, hur
ried to the scene after a riot call
was received at the Fifth P-ecinct
Station.
Other Outbreaks Reported.
Similar outbreaks were reported
in the 3000 block of K street N.W.
and Cathedral avenue and Conduit
road N.W.
A “trouble” radio call sent nearly
a score of policemen, headed by
Inspector Howard F. Beckett, to the
crowd of spectators had gathered
when several Thompson drivers
were threatened.
It was reported that some one
had tossed a brick into one of the
trucks on Virginia avenue, a short
distance away, striking the driver
on the arm.
A dozen motorcycle patrolmen be
gan escorting the dump trucks in
groups of five to a street construe- ;
tion project on Seventeenth street
N.W., near the Corcoran Art Gal- j
lery. The escorts later were cut!
to a personnel of four patrolmen to
each fleet of trucks.
Injured on Thirty-first Street.
The driver. Robert Lindsey, col
ored. 1152 Twenty-third street N.W..
was beaten in the face, but did
not require hospital treatment. The
driver struck by the brick was re
ported only slightly bruised.
Eight Under Arrest.
Those arrested by fifth precinct
officers were charged with disorderly
conduct. They gave their names
as Donald Aubrev Durham, 22, of
the 1300 block of Tenth street N.W.;
Malcolm Donald Cornett, 21, of Sil
ver Spring, Md.; Richard Leroy
Dodson. 22, of the 800 block of F
street S.W.; Owen Lee Powell, 28,
of the 400 block of G street N.W.;
Caruthers Lewis, 38. colored, Halls
Hill, Va.; William Harris, 36, col
ored, 3200 block of Cherry Hill street
N.W.; Philip Stewart, 26, colored,
1000 block of Cecil place N.W., and
Isaac Tancil, 45, colored, Rosslyn,
Va.
Meanwhile, the Labor Department
conciliation service continued efforts
to settle the strike, which was called
(See TRUCK DRIVERS, Page A-4~7
U-Boat Captor in 1917 Named
To Head U. S. Destroyer Unit
uapt. Artnur s. uarpenaer, tne
first American navy officer to take
German seamen prisoners in the
World War, today was ordered to
t. a k e command
of Destroyer
Squadron 32 in
the neutrality
patrol.
A former resi
dent of Wash
ington, Capt.
Carpender has
been on duty as
professor of
naval science
and tactics of
the naval R. O.
T. C. unit at
Northw e s t e r n
University, E v
anston, 111. He c,,<' Cw®**,**,r
is a native of New Brunswick, N. J.
At the time of the capture of the
German prisoners, Capt. Carpender
was a lieutenant in command of the
U. 8. 8. Fanning, a destroyer on
convoy duty. A German submarine,
U-M, was sighted on November 11,
\
I
mi l, as « crosseo me oow *uu yaras
from the destroyer. Racing to the
spot, the destroyer dropped a depth
bomb and then turned to attack the
U-boat with its bow gun. At the
third shot, the 39 members of the
crew of the submarine came on
deck shouting “Kamerad” and sur
rendered.
For this service, Capt. Carpender
received the Navy Distinguished
Service Medal and the British Dis
tinguished Service Order.
Capt. Carpender was formerly on
duty in the office of naval operations
here.
Ten of the 40-odd destroyers being
prepared for tlje neutrality patrol
are being commissioned today at
Philadelphia and San Diego, the
Navy Department announced. How
ever, the destroyers will not put out
to sea until minor adjustments are
completed in port.
The ships being commissioned at
Philadelphia are the Dallas, Gilmer,
Hatfield, Pox, Brooks and Kane.
Those being commissioned at San
Diego are the Gamble, Montgomery,
Ramkay and Breeas.
i
Senators Delay
Neutrality Vote
Pending Study
Committee Adjourns
Until Thursday at
Repeal Foes' Request
BACKGROUND—
President Roosevelt last week
asked Congress to repeal arms
embargo provision of 1937 Neu
trality Act. He left to Congress
details of other provisions to safe
guard American neutrality. At
last session. Congress had failed
to follow President's request to
repeal embargo before European
war started.
By G. GOULD LINCOLN.
The administration's neutrality
bill, repealing the present arms em
bargo and setting up « drastic “title
and carry" plan for all exports to
nations at war, was laid before the
Senate Foreign Relations Commit
tee today by Chairman Pittman.
After discussing the measure
briefly, the committee adjourned
until Thursday morning at the re
quest of opponents of the embargo
repeal, who said they wished an
opportunity to study the new bill.
Chairman Pittman said he hoped
it would be possible to report the
bill to the Senate by Saturday so
that Senate debate could begin
Monday.
“The bill has for its sole pur
pose the maintenance of our neu
trality and keeping us out of war."
Senator Pittman said. “I am sure
it will accomplish it.
“This is the first time in our
history a law has been proposed
that absolutely prohibits American
vessels from carrying materials of
any character to a belligerent. It
was the loss of American lives and
the destruction of American ships
that led us into the World War.
Under this legislation that can
never happen again."
Whipped Into Shape.
The measure had been whipped
into shape over the week end by
I Chairman Pittman and 14 Demo
cratic members of the Foreign Re
! lations Committee. None of the
minority members of the committee
nor Senator Clark of Missouri, Dem
ocratic opponent of repeal of tha
; embargo, was asked to participate.
After the meeting today Senator
Borah, speaking for the foes of re
peal, said that eventually the con
| test over the neutrality bill would
boil down to a few questions, prin
cipally the proposed repeal of the
arms embargo and discretionary
powers granted the President.
The Idaho Senator disclaimed any
intention of filibustering to prevent
an early report to the Senate. "We
are not going to keep the bill in
committee merely for the sake of
keeping it in committee,” he said.
"But I have always had a prejudice
against voting for a bill which I
have not read.”
There was no contest in the com
mittee over the question of adjourn
ing until Thursday.
The new bill is a substitute for
the Bloom bill passed by the House
at the last session, which retained
the arms embargo and was unsatis
factory to the administration.
Unanimous Action.
Senator Barkley of Kentucky,
majority leader of the Senate, said
| the Bloom bill was laid before the
committee today and the new Pitt
man substitute—now the adminis
tration bill—was offered as a basis
for further consideration. He said
this was done unanimously.
“I think that the postponement
of further committee meetings un
j til Thursday, asked by opponents of
repeal, was a reasonable request,”
commented Senator Barkley. "I be
lieve that it will facilitate rather
than delay consideration of the bill.
I know of no disposition on the part
of any one in the Senate to delay
consideration of this measure.”
Senator Barkley made a brief
statement about the committee ac
tion to the Senate when it convened
at noon, and the Senate promptly
; adjourned until Thursday.
»*« ivcprais rrrseni Laws.
The new neutrality bill repeals
outright the neutrality laws of 1935
and 1937, sounding the death knell
of the arms and munitions embargo,
which the President was forced to
make effective against nations In
volved in the European war.
Section 1 of the new bill au
thorizes the President to proclaim
a state of war between nations
whenever he, or Congress by con
current resolution, shall find a state
of war existing, and that it is neces
sary to preserve the peace of the
United States.
Section 2 (a) is the heart of the
new bill. It provides that whenever
the President shall have issued
the proclamation that a state of
war exists between foreign nations,
it shall thereafter be unlawful for
any American vessel to carry any
passengers or any articles or mate
rials to any state named in the
proclamation.
An exception is made of trans
portation on lakes, rivers and in
land waters, bordering on the
United States, and transportation
on or over lands bordering on lands
of the United States.
Such transportation, however,
shall be governed by regulations
prescribed by the President.
Penalties Provided.
Heavy penalties are provided for
any violations of this “carry” pro
vision of the bill. Any person con
victed of a violation shall be fined
not more than $50,000 or Imprisoned
for not more than five years, or
both. If the violation is by a cor
poration or other organization, each
officer or director participating in
the violation shall be liable to the
penalty.
The “title” provision of the bill
declares that it shall be unlawful to
export or transport any articles or
materials from the United States to
any belligerent nation until all right
and title therein shall have been
transferred to some foreign govere
<8ee HSUTHAUTV, Page A-4.)
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