Evening star. [volume], May 20, 1940, Image 1

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

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Weather Forecast 'From Press fo Home
Partly cloudy tonight and tomorrow; rr°m rress ro nome
slightiy cookr tonight Temperatures WithlH the Hour'
today—Highest, 81, at 12:20 p.m.; lowest,
66. at 4:45 a.m.; 79 at 2 p.m. Most people in Washington have The
From the united states weather Bureau report. Star delivered to their homes every
_Ful1 dttails °n PaEe A~3 evening and Sunday morning.
Closing N. Y. Morkets-Soles. Page 16. _ _w Mwn, A„oei,t>d Prt„_
88th YEAR. No. 33,083. WASHINGTON, D. C., MONDAY, MAY 20, 1940—THIRTY-SIX PAGES. *** THREE CENTS.
~ "" ■ ■■■■ 1 ■ "■■■■■■ —-- ■■ ■ -- - - ■ - - ^__
NAZIS SMASHING WEST TO CHANNEL PORTS
*---—-— A___
Aim Now to Destroy British Army;
Germans Claim 20-30 Mile Gains;
Allies PrepareCounter-Offensives
Enemy's Attacks
Beaten Back,
Berlin Says
By the Associated Press.
BERLIN, May 20.—The Ger
man drive across France veered
today toward the English Chan
nel, apparently with the aim of
destroying the British Army.
Although the high command
did not definitely state its ob
jectives, the German commu
nique pointed out that Nazi
forces had struck westward—
off the road to Paris—and had
gained 20 to 30 miles on a line
northward from St. Quentin be
tween Peronne and Cambrai. I
Germans estimated that a
successful drive to the coast
might isolate 300,000 British
soldiers on the allies’ northern
flank.
Counter-Attacks Beaten Back.
They said allied counter-attacks!
in the St. Quentin-Peronne-Cam
brai salient—the Somme Battlefield
of 1916—and near the Belgian bor
der between Maubeuge and Valen
ciennes had been beaten back.
The high command declared the
pounding German onslaughts were
splitting the allies—the British fall
ing back toward the channel and the j
Belgians and French seeking a !
southern outlet toward Valenciennes
and Maubeuge.
Capture of the inner fort, system
fit Liege as well as all but one fort
at Namur, was claimed by the high
command. (A British military ;
spokesman said the Belgians still
were holding Liege and Namur.)
Germans, it said, are pursuing the
pllies in Belgium, have crossed the
Dendre River west of Brussels and
reached the upper Scheldt River
west of Antwerp.
Allies "Severely Shattered.”
The retreat between Valenciennes
end Maubeuge. the communique de
clared, cost the allies their “heaviest
losses * * * especially armored
troops ”
“The enemy, after a vain attempt
to break through, is retreating west
ward severely shattered,” it said.
"Southwest of there our motorized
and armored troops reached the |
Somme battlefield of 1916 on the
line of Cambrai-Peronne.
“Stukas (dive-bombers*, fighting
pnd destroyer plane squadrons de
stroyed an armored column moving
north from Laon and forced them
to turn back.”
The whole German maneuver of
plunging deeply into France—al
most half way to Paris in 10 days—
regardless of the masses of French, '
Belgian and British forces on both
flanks, is testimony to the Nazis’ j
amazing confidence in their air
force and armored divisions.
To protect their exposed flanks,
which are as far west and south !
as St. Quentin and Le Cateau." and
as far east as Rethel, the high
command has stressed for three days
running how the air force has been
hammering allied efforts to bring up
reinforcements.
Wrvgand Naming Derided.
That the allies realize the gravity I
of their situation. Germans said, i
was disclosed in their replacement
of Gen. Maurice Gustave Gamelin
by Gen. Maxime Weygand as allied
commander in chief.
The switch brought only derision
from German commentators, who
declared Gen. Weygand was an old
style fighter, who cannot meet the
modern German attack.
One authorized source, remarking
that the French cling to “the magic
of the past to rejuvenate the pres
ent." declared it is beyond German
understanding that the general staff
could be changed at the present,
critical hour unless it means mili
tary confusion in France.
In their thrust into France to the
Vicinity of St. Quentin, the Ger
mans advanced on an extremely
narrow line, which easily might
have been pinched off jvith heavy
losses except for the evident over
whelming Nazi air and armored
superiority.
Since that three-day-old drive,
the Germans have broadened their
narrow hold to a salient fully as
wide as it is deep, an irregular
block 40 or 50 miles long.
Anglo-French Rift Seen.
The Germans express confidence
that there is a serious rift between
the British and French. They insist
the British are demanding pro
tection for the channel ports—op
posite England—and are withdraw
ing their army in that direction
while the French want to protect
Paris and as much of northern
France as passible.
It seems likely that the heavy
drive toward the channel has been
launched on the heels of the first
' (See-BERLIN. Page A-4J
Cooler Weather Due
In District Tomorrow
Slightly cooler temperatures to
night and tomorrow were predicted
by the Weather Bureau.
A high of 85 degrees was expected
for this afternoon with cloudy skies
today and tomojrow.
Yesterday the thermometer went
up to 89, the second highest tem
perature so far in 1940. Highest
was 92 degrees May 14.
Powerful Forces Being Massed
For Weygand's Pincers Move
New Army Chief's Strategy Believed
To Sew Up Pocket With Motor Units
By the Associated Press.
BASEL, Switzerland. May 20.—Gen. Maxime Weygand, the new
allied generalissimo, apparently is shaping a powerful pincers
counter-offensive from the Valenciennes and Rethel areas, It was
reported here today.
Reports reaching Switzerland indicated a powerful British- j
Belgian force, supported by French motorized units, was massing
in the Valenciennes region and still more powerful French con
centrations were assembling at Reims and Rethel, behind the
Aisne River. <
Valenciennes is just across the
Belgian frontier in France along
the northern flank of the allies’
western front. Rethel is on the
south side of the German "bulge”
into Northern France.
Gen. Weygand. who succeeded
Gen. Maurice Gamelin yesterday as
the allied commander in chief, is
said to envisage a counter thrust
from these two sides aimed at sew
ing up the German pocket, which
has reached- a point about 80 miles
northeast of Paris.
Such a maneuver, if successful,
could re-establish the French line
along the Ardennes through Mons
to Ghent.
Heavy French concentrations
south of Rethel were reported to in
clude large tank and armofred car
divisions and to be ready to move
despite constant Nazi bombing raids
from airports behind the Rhine.
Foreign military observers here
reported the German westward
drive was confined to such a narrow
point between St. Quentin and Le
Cateau, about 30 miles to the north-1
east, as almost to invite an allied1
counter offensive from the south,
east and northeast.
Pressue on Switzerland was re
lieved, meanwhile, as both German*
and the allies pulled more and more
divisions and equipment from fron
tier zones into the western front.
Nevertheless, the Swiss remained
on a wartime basts of full mobili
zation. with no troops relieved or
dismissed.
I
Five Mechanized
Divisions Used;
Paris Is Safer
By the Associated Press.
PARIS, May 20.—Five German
mechanized divisions, with 60,000
men inside their armor, battered
west across the Northern French
plains today in a drive toward
the English Channel, easing the
threat of a smash at Paris.
Their apparent objective was
to drive a wedge between the
French forces defending Paris
and the allied armies—British,
Belgian and French—in Belgium.
Whether this meant the Nazis
definitely had abandoned the
idea of striking at Paris remained
a matter of conjecture.
Germans in St. Quentin.
The northern allied forces dropped
back to meet the new threat.
An Information Ministry spokes
man disclosed this afternoon that
the French had "evacuated St.
Quentin” yesterday in the face of
the German advance.
Previously a War Ministry spokes
man had asserted that in see-saw
fighting at St. Quentin—bloody bat
tleground of the World War 80 miles
northeast of Paris—the Germans
had entered the city, but that its
fate was in doubt.
Plight 'Pretty Grifh,'
But Morale Is Better,
British Declare
Bombers Continue Mids
Of Communications in
Belgium and Reich
(Text of Prime Minister Churchill’s
Radio Address on Page B-10.)
—
By the Associated Press.
LONDON. May 20.—An authori
tative British spokesman today de
scribed conditions on the front as
“pretty grim," saying that geograph
ically the situation is no better and
there is no use pretending it is.
He said that as far as morale is
concerned the situation was im
proved.
Pointing out that the advantage
at the beginning must be with the
aggressor, the spokesman said it
must be so especially with “an ag
gressor as efficient and ruthless as
the Germans.”
He said the base of the “bulge"
driven into Northern France by the
Nazis had been widened slightly but
was not much deeper, and that the
general direction of movements at
present was northwest.
Give-and-Takc Air Fighting.
Give-and-take air fighting roared
on the edges of the w’arfronts.
Less of the escort ship Whitley,
a 1,090-ton converted destroyer,
bombed and subsequently beached,
was disclosed by the British. The
Admiralty said there were four
casualties.
British bombers, the Air Ministry
announced, continued their raids on
the Nazi rear last night “against
enemy lines of communication in
the south of Belgium and selected
military objectives in Western Ger
many."
The Air Ministry said bombers
over the week end raided German
communication lines and supply
bases from Hamburg in the north
to Sedan in the south. The R. A. F.
centered its attacks on oil stores,
feeding tanks nad concentrations
of the dive bombers, which form the
spearhead of the Nazi offensive.
At least 20 German planes were
reported shot down.
On land, headquarters of the
British Expeditionary Force an
nounced, “The British front was
held successfully in the face of
enemy pressure” after four succes
sive days of falling back before the
German iron drive pivoting west
ward through Northern France
toward the Channel ports and Eng
land.
German progress has been slow,
_< See LONDON~Page A-3.)
A Useful Map
Suggestions have been re
ceived by The Star that the
large relief map of France—
showing the battle lines—
printed in yesterday’s Star, be
made available on heavy
paper for Star readers who
may find it useful in follow
ing day-to-day progress of
the war.
The map, enlarged, and
printed on stiff paper, is now
being reproduced. Copies will
be available Tuesday after
noon and will be on sale at
The Star business counter for
5 cents each.
The number of these maps
is limited.
Wheat Prices Rise
8 Cents After Two
Moves Aid Market
Minimum Prices Set;
New U. S. Loan on
1940 Crop Announced
By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, May 20.—Two moves
to bolster wheat prices—establish
ment of minimum quotations on the j
Nation's grain exchanges and a new
Government loan for the 1940 crop
—helped to bring about a strong
rally of almost 8 cents a bushel in
Chicago quotations today.
Selling hysteria which caused last
week's sensational price collapse of
32 to 34 cents a bushel in Chicago
wheat was supplanted by heavy
buying throughout most of the ses
sion. Saturday’s closing figures
were established as minimums below
‘which no trading in any grain fu
tures would be permitted. Further
more, Secretary of Agriculture Wal
lace announced that the 1940 wheat
loan rate would average S4 cents a
bushel, about 1 cent higher than
last year's average.
Heavy expansion of flour business
throughout the country, due to
trade encouragement resulting from
fixing of the minimum prices, also
was reported, helped to bolster the
wheat market.
After shooting up to 86>4 and
85 Vi for May and July contracts,
compared with the “minimums” of
79 and 7814, respectively, wheat
later reacted, but closed 4%-614
cents higher than Saturday, May,
85 V4. and July, 83%-84. Corn closed
3%-4 higher, oats, 1% up, and rye,
4%-4% higher.
64 Cents Average.
Secretary Wallace announced that
the wheat loan rate would average
64 cents a bushel, as against an
average rate of 63 cents last year.
Agriculture Department officials
said the average loan rate, together
with parity payments of 19 cents,
assured wheat farmers co-operating
(See GRAIN~Page A^3.) !
Push North of St. Quentin.
The French also faced an enemy
"push" north of St. Quentin. Military
advices said an extreme advance
German motorcycle squad reached
Peronne—15 miles northwest of St.
Quentin—yesterday, but withdrew at
nightfall to avoid being cut off.
Peronne was the westernmost point,
reached by a Nazi force in the drive
toward the Channel ports.
The spokesman reported other
Oermen columns attacking heavily >
east of Cambrai, which is 25 miles
north of 8t. Quentin.
Five German bombers attacked
the region of Dieppe. French port on
the English Channel, Saturday
night, killing one person and wound
ing another, according to press re
ports published in Paris today.
(Here four lines were censored.)
Caseinate Crew Captured.
The War Ministry spokesman said
the Germans had captured the crew
of a small casemate near Montmedy,
in the "Little Maginot” line south
east of Sedan. The communique
said further German attacks in this
area were repulsed.
The spokesman also reported the
capture of German troops who
crossed the River Aisne near Rethel,
100 miles from Paris and southeast
of St. Quentin, and remained on the
southern side after the main Nazi
force was thrown back.
As military experts judged the
situation, the Germans are attempt
ing to continue west from the Cam
brai sector to reach the sea—Dun
querque, on the channel, is only 70
miles north.
At the same time, they said, the
enemy columns, having reached
Saint Quentin on the River Oise,
may try to roll southwest down the
valley of the Oise toward Paris.
See-saw Battle.
The French fought throughout
yesterday in the Cambrai region and
the surging, swirling struggle began
again at dawn today.
Military authorities said the
greatest melee existed in the re
(See PARIS, Page A-4.)
Floods Hit Puerto Rico
PONCE, Puerto Rico, May 20 </P).
—Floods after a heavy four-day
rainstorm have halted rail traffic and
interrupted communications in all
parts of Puerto Rico.
The War at a Glance
By the Associated Press.
The Nazi “blitzkrieg” drive
toward Paris—apparently stalled
by staggering losses—veered to
day toward the English Channel.
For the moment, It seemed,
the Germans had abandoned
their onslaught against the
French capital.
The German high command
said the Nazi drive to the west
had gained 20 to 30 miles on a
line northward from St. Quentin,
which is 80 miles northeast of
Paris.
If successful, it was estimated
the thrust to the English Chan
nel might isolate 300,000 British
soldiers on the allies’ north flank
—and also attain channel bases
for a quick, short attack on Eng
land.
The channel port of Calais,
presumably one of the main
German objectives, is only 20
miles from Dover, England.
Gen. Maxime Weygand. the
new commander in chief of the
allies, was reported today to be
massing a huge British-French -
Belgian Army to “pinch off” the
50-mile deep German salient
striking into the heart of France
on the Meuse River Valley front.
Reports reaching Switaerland
said Gen. Weyband envisioned a
blasting counter-thrust from each
side of the Nad "pocket,” which
has penetrated to a point about
80 miles from Paris.
The French War Ministry,
meanwhile, disputed a Nazi high
command report that German
mechanized legions—plunging a
massive two-headed flanking
movement toward the French
capital and English Channel
ports—had captured St. Quentin.
The French insisted that the
city, 80 miles northeast of Paris,
was the scene of see-saw fighting
which left its fate still in doubt.
The German high command
said flatly St. Quentin had been
captured.
French military authorities ad
mitted that the enemy was at
tacking furiously In the region
east of Cambrai, only 70 miles
from" the channel port of Dun
querque—just across the chan
nel from Dover, England.
The Nazi high command, in
claiming these successes, said the
British were being driven back
under forced March toward the
English Channel.
Dread German Stuka (dive
bomber) plane squadrons, in
wave on wave, were reported to
have destroyed an armored al
lied column racing north from
Laon, at tip southwest tip of the
huge German “bulge” along the
Meuse River front, to combat the
German advance in the St. Quen
tin sector.
A.
Paper Bombs
Nazi Substitute Bridges Ready
For Every Span Bombs May Hit
Ready-Made Equipment Rolls Forward
With Vanguard as Air Force Blasts Way
(Louis P. Lochner, chief of the Berlin Bureau of the Associated
Press, has gone to the western front with the German forces by
personal invitation of Adolf Hitler in the first trip to the front
offered to foreign correspondents. Here is his first story.)
By LOUIS P. LOCHNER,
Associated Press War Correspondent.
WITH THE GERMAN WESTERN ARMIES, May 20.—The air
force is Germany’s super-ace In this war.
The first line, therefore, usually is where the dive bombers
have done their devastating work, but only now, with the Ger
man forces at last, Amiable to see what the air arm really means
in war. ’ •
It has been the dream of every newspaperman in Berlin, ever
since May 10 when the Reich’s gigantic offensive by way of Hol
land and Belgium began, to see Hitler’s amazing and awe-inspiring
armed forces in action. <■
I
Not until yesterday, however, did
the Fuehrer’s invitation give oer
mission for three Americans to join
the active forces.
After crossing over from the last
German border town in the dust
and morning mist mingled with
clouds of smoke from roaring planes,
it took us but a short time to realize
how war ha* been revolutionized by
the air force.
This is how Germany operates in
this decisive area:
First, an air squadron determines
just how enemy troops are moving.
The flyers learn exactly the strength
of the enemy's iorc< s. their equip
(See"LOCHNER~Page l6T)
High Court Denies !
D. C. Plea for Review j
Of Domicile Case
Appeals Tribunal Ruling
In Tax Exemption
Dispute to Stand
The Supreme Court today tfenied
the petition of the District govern
ment for a review of tlje decision
of the United States Court of Ap
peals, which ruled in March that
a Federal employe on duty here
might claim domicile elsewhere and
by that fact be exempt from the
old intangible personal property tax.
That levy has been repealed, but
the principle laid down by the ap
pellate court was seen by District
officials as standing as a possible
barrier to collection of the new
income tax and the estate tax and
as complicating also the adminis
tration of estates and granting of
divorces where the question of domi
cile was at issue. For that reason
the review was sought.
In denying the petition the court
said: "The petition for writ of
certiorari is denied in view of the
fact that the tax is laid under a
statute which has been repealed
and the question is therefore not of
public Importance.”
Test Brought by Sweeney.
The tax test was brought by James
J. Sweeney a Justice Department
attorney, who had paid under pro
test assessments of 86 cents and 93
(See^SWEENEY CASE," Page A-3.r
r-:-1
May to Speak on
National Defense
Representative Andrew J.
May, Democrat, of Kentucky,
chairman of the House Military
Affairs Committee, will be the
guest speaker on the National
Radio Forum over WMAL to*
night at 10:30 o’clock.
Representative May, who has
been a consistent campaigner
for better national defense since
entering Congress, will speak
on “Preparedness and This
Country’s National D e f a n s e
Needs.”
The program is arranged by
The Star and is heard over a
eoast-tO'Coast network of the
National Broadeasting Co.
r
8-to-t Supreme Court
Decision Upholds
Bituminous Coal Act
Unhampered Operation
Of Law Made Possible;
McReynolds Dissents
BULLETIN.
The First Circuit Court of Ap
peals was rebuked today by the
Supreme Court for refusing to
enforce an order of the National
Labor Relations Board. The high
court in a decision by Justice
Black declared the appellate tri
bunal had “exceeded the power
given it” and directed that the
. board’s order be enforced “with
out conditions or qualification.”
Sam Beard, one-time District
gambling king, was blocked in
another attempt to gain his free
dom from Atlanta Penitentiary
when the court refused to review
the action of the Fifth Circuit
Court of Appeals denying him a
writ of habeas corpus.
The court reversed the con
viction of three members of the
Jehovah’s Witnesses, a religious
sect, who had been found guilty
of disseminating antl-Catholic
literature in violation of a Con
necticut law, which prohibits so
liciting without a license for re
ligious causes.
By J. A. FOX.
By an 8-to-l vote the Supreme
Court today upheld the constitu
tionality of the National Bituminous
Coal Act of 1937.
Enacted to replace the old Guffey
Act, which was stricken down by a
Supreme Court decision, the legis
lation had been challenged by the
Sunshine Anthracite Coal Co., an
Arkansas concern.
The 1937 act was designed to
stabilize the bituminous industry by
Axing minimum prices and regulating
marketing. It provides for a tax of
1 per cent on the sale or disposal
of bituminous coal produced within
the United States, and an additional
tax of 19 Vi per cent as a penalty on
the sales price of coal sold by pro
ducers who do not subscribe to the
regulations of the Bituminous Coal
Code. Sunshine, a non-code mem
ber, contends that its products are
semi-anthracite and said that, in
any event, the act is unconstitu
tional. It lost in the lower court
and then appealed.
McReynalds Dissents.
The decision, which clears the
way for the unhampered operation
of the act, was read by Justice
Douglas. Justice McReynolds, the
lone dissenter, declared: “The act
(See COAL ACT, Page A-3.)
Plane Makers Hear
Officials Plead for
50,000 Craft Quickly i
Industry's Leaders Flock
To Capital to Learn
U. S. Air Program
By JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.
Pledging the fullest possible sup
port of all agencies of the Federal
Government, Secretary of the Treas
ury Morgenthau and Secretary of
War Woodring today asked repre
sentatives of the Nation’s aviation
industry, attending a hurriedly i
called defense conference at the
Treasury Department, to achieve
President Roosevelt's goal of 50,000
military aircraft “as quickly, as ef
ficiently and as cheaply as possible.”
The cabinet officers appeared with
other Federal and military leaders
before more than 100 representatives
of the airplane, aircraft engine, ac
cessory and machine-tool industries,
who jammed a stuffy Treasury De
partment office to capacity in a dra
matic effort to launch the greatest
warplane program a war-torn world
has seen.
At the same time on Capitol Hill !
Gen. George C. Marshall, Army chief j
of staff, told the House Military Af* j
fairs Committee that the War De- !
partment wants to expand the Army
Air Corps to 10,000 airplanes. He
remarked that, although the Presi
dent had spoken of attaining a total
of 50,000 airplanes, backed by an in
dustry keyed up to produce as many
more warplanes annually, the War
Department today is "thinking of a
force of 10.000 planes.” The Army
now is limited to a maximum of 6.
000 aircraft, but has on hand at
present only about half this num
ber.
Planes Destroyed on Ground.
On the first day of the outbreak
of hostilities on the western front,
Gen. Marshall testified, one govern
ment lost six times as many planes
as Congress originally allowed the
Air Corps for replacements in the
appropriation bill now pending in
the Senate.
“They were lost on the ground.”
he said. “They were not even in
the air to operate.”
Gen. Marshall said the need for
training additional pilots was one
of the reasons for proposed expan
sion of the Air Corps to an early
figure of 10,000 planes.
Following Gen. Marshall before
the committee, Maj. Gen. Henry H.
Arnold, chief of the Army Air Corps,
testified it was planned to estab
lish four new pilot training centers,
but explained that did not mean du
(See PLANES, Page A-S.)
Goering Calls
Hitler Another
Frederick
B; the Associated Press.
BERLIN, May 20 (Via. Radio).—
Field Marshal Hermann Goering
compared Adolf Hitler to Frederick
the Great today. He pictured the
Nazi Fuehrer as a master military
strategist who personally maps even
minor action “down to the very last
detail.”
Back in Berlin for a 12-hour visit
from the front, Goering disclosed
that \the Belgian fortress of Eben
Emael, in the Liege area, had been
considered by German militarists as
the strongest fort in the world and
that it had been captured in con
formity with plans *"made by the
Fuehrer himself.”
Like Frederick the Great, Mar
shal Goering said, Hitler possesses
an “almost incredible amount of
expert knowledge” of every type and
kind of arms. The field marshal
asserted that there ,is no warship,
no gun and no weapon in existence
which Hitler cannot Judge as to its
effect on operations.
He said Hitler, in long nights of
study, originated the plans for all
recent Nazi conquests, in Poland
and Norway and now on the West
ern Front.
A
Army Bill Sped
To Senate Floor
By Committee
$50,000,000 Added
To Bring Force to
Peace Strength
By J. A. O LEARY.
The Senate Appropriations Com
mittee today reported out a *1,407,
711.368 Army supply bill for the next
12 months, including the military
part of the new defense program
President Roosevelt submitted less
than a week ago.
A minority move to strike out
*132.000,000 “blank check” emer
gency fund, to be used by the
President to expedite defense pre
parations during the congressional
recess, was beaten in the commit
tee.
While the Senate group was ap
proving this presidential emergency
fund, made up of *66,000.000 in cash
and an equal amount in contract
authorization. Gen. George C. Mar
shall. Army chief of staff, was de
fending the President's request for
such a fund, before the House Mili
tary Affairs Committee.
The President asked for a total of
*200,000,000 urr-earmarked. Some
of it was intended for naval needs,
however, and was left for consider
ation later in the week, when exist
ing naval appropriations are step
ped up.
Includes Added $50,000,000.
The Senate committee not only
approved all of the Army portion of
the President's recent message,
amounting to *545.770.364 but in
cluded another *50.000.000 to bring
the Army up to full authorized
peacetime strength of 280.000 men.
To reach that figure. 53.000 enlist
ments will be needed.
In addition to its cash total, the
enlarged Army bill carries contract
authorizations amounting to *323 -
229.000.
Senator .Thomas, Democrat, of
Oklahoma, announced he would seek
Senate action on the big Army
measure tomorrow, at which time a
floor fight may be renewed over the
President's emergency fund, which
Gen. Marshall today, told the House
group "is a'trivisl amount” for dis
cretionary use in the present-day
situation.
The President indicated in his
message last Thursday that a large
part of the lump-sum emergency
fund would be used to build up the
air service, for additional anti-air
craft guns and the training of per
sonnel for air defense.
Slashed Fund for Land.
The only point on which the Sen
ate appropriations group reversed
the subcommittee that drafted the
bill was on purchase of more land
for military posts. Under this head
ing they cut out $1,551,720 in cash,
of which $1,000,000 would have been
used at Fort Knox, Ky.. and $940,000
of additional contract authority for
land.
With funds carried in this supply
bill the War Department will be able
to buy 309 combat planes. 20 miscel
laneous types and 2,237 training
planes. Added to the present ex
pansion program, these new funds
would bring the Army Air Corps up
to 8.066.
Testimony given the House com
mittee earlier in the day by Army
officials was that 10.000 was the max
imum number of planes they could
hope to procure between now and
the convening of the new Congress
next year. Maximum delivery of
planes would be reached about De
cember, the committee was told.
Stark Outlines Plans.
Simultaneously. Admiral Harold
R. Stark, chief of naval operations,
outlined behind the closed doors of
a House Appropriations Subcom
mittee details of the Navy's $250,
000,000 share of the President'!
program. Other naval officers were
before the House Naval Committee
to explain emergency legislation de
signed to put warship construction
machinery in high gear.
In its present form, the Army
supply bill contains $712,712,274 more
than when it passed the House six
weeks ago. but at that time the
turn of events in Europe had not
aroused America to the need for
stronger defenses. The Army meas
ure is now $647,000,000 above last
year's appropriation act.
Although the Senate Committee
gave the President discretion in
spending the $132,000,000 emergency
(See DEFENSE^ Page~A-ll.)
Lindbergh Is Rebuked
Indirectly by Hull
Secretary of State Hull today indi
rectly rebuked Col. Charles A. Lind
bergh for his radio speech criticizing
a "meddling" foreign policy last
night by declaring that world events
during the last few years had fully
justified the program urged by the
administration. „
Mr. Hull declined to comment di
rectly on Col. Lindbergh’s remarks,
saying that he could not attempt to
engage in debates with every one of
the 130,000,000 individuals in this
country.
In a general way, however, the
Secretary said he would like to
point out that, particularly since
the Japanese invasion of China'in
1937, he had attempted to analyze
the conditions facing the United
States and often had expressed his
views and proposed programs in the
national interests.
He added that he was willing for
any one to pass on the question of
whether events have justified the
views and proposals he had put for
ward.
(Earlier story on page A-4.)