Evening star. [volume], May 21, 1940, Image 1

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

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Weather Forecast '
Partly cloudy tonight; tomorrow mostly I From Press to Home
cloudy, followed by showers in afternoon . , gl .
or night; lowest tonight about 60. Tem- ' Wlthifl the HOUT
4 peratures today—Highest, 77, at 2 p.m.;
lowest, 62, at 4 a.m. v Most people in Washington have The
From the united states weather Bureau report. Star delivered to their homes every
Full details on Page a-2 evening and Sunday morning.
Closing New York Markets, Page 20. „
— II.. —... __ _ _OP) Means Associated Press.
88th YEAR. No. 35,084.WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, MAY 21, 1940—FORTY-TWO PAGES. *** ~ TITREE CENTS,
' "" 1 1 "" 1 """"————————— ■, ... --- - --- ♦ ^
Gen. Giraud and Staff Captured,
Berlin Says; Arras and Amiens Fall
-1
Failure to Blow Up Bridges
Blamed by Reynaud for
Collapse in Belgium
BULLETIN.
SKOPLJE, Yugoslavia, May 21 (fP).—The frontier
between Yugoslavia and Italian-held Albania was
closed late today by Italian order.
PARIS (A*).—Small detachments of German motorcycle
troops have penetrated in the outskirts of the Abbeville
region, near the English Channel, a French spokesman
admitted tonight.
By the Associated Press.
. Nazi blitzkrieg columns slashed to within sight of the Eiffel
Tower in Paris, 69 miles away, and swept across the northern plains
of France to a point 12 miles from the English Channel, the German
high command announced today.
Premier Reynaud of France admitted that the Germans had
taken Amiens and Arras—west of the St. Quentin-Cambrai sector—
In their race to the sea.
“We must take immediate decisions,’’ Reynaud told the French
Senate, freely confessing that the classical French concept of war
had been jarred by swift-striking Nazi mechanized raids and
parachute troops.
The German high command also declared its forces had
smashed their way to Abbeville, 12 miles from the English Channel.
1
Reich Drive to Coast
(Page of War Pictures, A-5.)
By the Associated Press.
BERLIN, May 21.—In a lightning
, break through, the Nazis declared
today that they had stormed to
within 12 miles of the English
Channel while their vanguards on
_ the southern front pushed within
Sight of the Eiffel Tower In Paris.
The Germans reported these suc
cesses;
1. Capture of Abbeville, Amiens
’ ana Arras in the drive toward the
English Channel.
2. Crushing of France’s 9th Army
and the capture of a French com
mander, Gen. Giraud, with his staff.
3. Elimination of the last allied
resistance in Rethel, the capture of
Laon and an advance to the Aisne
Oise Canal on the southern edge of
the “bulge” in Northern France.
4. Capture of the last fort in Bel
gium's Namur fortifications, attacks
east of Ghent and frustration of an '
“enemy attempt to force a way out
southward from Valenciennes.”
5. Heavy damage by air attack to
transports, merchantment and war
vessels on the French-Belgian coast;
bomb hits on a British battleship
and heavy cruiser off the Norwegian
coast.
Allies Appear to Be Cut Off.
The racing plunge to Abbeville,;
about midway between the French
Channel ports of Dieppe and Bou
logne. was said by Nazis to have
<t- put Adolf Hitler's army in position
for a battle which might bring de
struction to the British expendition
in France, as well as to a large
segment of the Belgian-French de
fenses.
Opposing the German march,
Nazis have estimated, are about
300,000 British. 250,000 Belgians and
1.000.000 French troops.
In the drive westward, called by
the Germans a march of unprece
dented magnitude, the Nazi armies
apparently had succeeded in cutting
off the mass of allied troops fighting
for the past 12 days on Belgian
soil.
They said the developments of the
past 24 hours—apparently carrying
the Nazis farther at some points
than the German armies pushed
throughout the World War—indi
cated the allies were on the verge of
paralyzing losses in Belgium and
Northern France.
The Germans seemed confident
that they had bottled up the whole
Brttisn expeditionary force.
Acidly, these sources asserted that
the English were fleeing to the chan
nel ports to embark for home “in
, the century-old conviction that the
British Isles are invincible.”
In the dozen days since crossing
the Belgian border May 10 the Ger
. mans have raced a total of 240 miles,
first toward Paris and then in a
strategic shift toward the coast.
Their speed averages about 20 miles
(See BERLIN, 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 Sunday’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 this afternoon
and will be on sale at The Star
business counter for 3 cents
each.
The number of these maps
is limited,
k
Why Line Broke
By the Associated Press.
PARIS, May 21.—Premier Rey
naud announced in the Senate to
day that the Germans had taken
Amiens and Arras and freely con
fessed that the classical French
concept of war had come up against
something new in deep motorized
raids and parachutists.
Telling the Senators “the truth”
because it alone “can save the
fatherland,” the Premier declared
“we must take immediate decisions.”
M. Reynaud spoke about 10 min
utes, after which the session ad
journed, leaving the government
free to call another when it deemed
it necessary.
He explained the disorganization
of the army assigned to hold the
line of the Meuse River in Belgium
by disclosure that French divisions
“were less numerous” in that sector.
Best Troops in Belgium.
“The best troops had been sent
farther into Belgium." the Premier
continued, declaring that made it
“easy” for enemy mobile units to
penetrate into the Meuse region.
The Premier laid part of the blame
(here three words censored) for the
Nazi advance on the failure of
French defenders to blow up bridges
across the Meuse.
These faults “will be punished,” he
shouted and the Senate, which had
been listening in somber silence,
broke into cheers.
The Premier's announcement in
dicated a 25-mile German advance
within the past 24 hours.
At the same time, a semi-official
French news report said “the whole
region behind Cambrai,” east of the
German thrust through Arras and
Amiens, “is being burned sys
tematically by incendiary bombs.”
M. Reynaud told the Senators
that the French withdrawal started
when the army of Gen. Andre
George Corap (here one word cen
sored), famed in France as the con
queror of Abd-el-Krim, was forced
to fall back from their advance po
sitions in Belgium to the line of the
Meuse River.
Explaining the first phases of the
operations, M. Reynaud said that
when the Germans invaded Hol
land, Belgium and Luxembourg, the
French were forced to move for
ward to meet them out of their line
of prepared fortifications along the
Belgian frontier.
It w'as then, M. Reynaud said,
that the enemy launched its attack,
forcing Gen. Corap’s advancing
army to withdraw.
_ “One would think the Meuse
(See PARIS! Page A-3.)
REPORTED CAPTURED—
Gen. Henri Honore Giraud,
identified Saturday as com
manding “groups of armies’’
in the “Battle of the Bulge,”
may be the Gen. Giraud re
ported captured with his staff
by German Armies advancing
in Belgium.
—Wide World Photo.
Nazi Troops Gaining
Drive for Channel
One of War's Hottest
Actions Fought in Town
On Edge of Salient
By DREW MIDDLETON,
Assoc i* ted Press War Correspondent.
WITH THE BRITISH EXPEDI
TIONARY FORCE IN FRANCE,
May 20 (Delayed: Passed by military
censor.).—British troops fought stub
bornly today along one side of a
German salient thrusting north
westward toward English Channel
ports.
(Note: This dispatch was writ
ten before Mr. Middleton re
turned to London with other
correspondents, on orders of the
B. E. F.)
The Nazi salient, driven at head
long speed after the Sedan break
through, is many miles wide at its
mouth and many miles deep.
Tonight it lies like a broad bayonet
pressed to the heart of the British
and French Empires and is the
gravest factor in the allied military
situation.
Even if the status is no worse than
it was 24 hours ago, it remains ex
tremely grave.
One of the war’s hottest actions
was fought by the allies against
the Germans in a town on the edge
of the salient, which is tactically
important as a junction of the roads
leading north and west to the Low
Countries and sout and east to the
center of France.
Gaining Second Wind.
German troops in the salient,
buttressed and screened by hundreds
of tanks and armored cars, appeared
to be gaining their second wind
today.
Execept for a big battle at the
town mentioned above, there were
no other large-scale engagements
along the front, which is still as in
(See MIDDLETON, Page A-4.) “
Eiffel Tower in Sight, but Nazis
Hint London Is First Goal
Hitler More Interested in Channel Drive
Than in Quick Capture of Paris
By LOUIS P. LOCHNER,
Associated Press War Correspondent.
WITH THE GERMAN WESTERN
ARMIES, May 21.—The famous Eif
fel Tower of Paris was clearly visible
to the advance guards of Adolf Hit
ler’s forward-dashing army this
morning, but it was by no means
certain that the Fuehrer would en
deavor to capture the French capital
in a hurry.
He seemed more concerned with
routing Belgian, French and English
troops headed for the French coast
of the English Channel.
No less a man than Gen. Walther
von Reichenau, commander of the
8th Army, was selected to perform
this task.
Yet even Gen. von Reichenau
was not too busy to offer a welcome
to American correspondents visiting
the German western armies as Hit
ler’s personal guests.
Gen. von Reichenau is credited
with knowing every detail of Ger
many’s famous pincer tactics. He
covered himself with glory during
the Polish campaign by a practical
illustration of how these tactics can
be applied.
London Hitler’s First GoaL
With Gen. von Reichenau’s army
on the right wing apparently head
ing in the direction of the French
and Belgian coastal points and with
the left wing gradually moving
southward. Hitler could afford to let
the center take care of itself, as in
dicated in yesterday’s high com
mand communique.
Paris will fall into his lap, he
feels, like a ripe apple from a tree
(See LOCHNER. Page A-12.)
i
British Admit Loss
Of Cruiser and
Minelayer
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, May 21.—Loss of the
9,550-ton cruiser Effingham and the
minelayer Princess Victoria was an
nounced today by the Admiralty
on the darkest day of the war for
Britain, menaced by threat of Nazi
invasion.
Intense anti-aircraft fire off the
southeast coast was heard twice
this afternoon, mingled with the
drone of airplane engines high over
head. Seacoast residents described
the firing as so intense that "every
thing shook and trembled."
The Effington was lost "as a re
sult of damage sustained through
striking an uncharted rock off the
Norwegian coast.” It was the first
cruiser the British have reported
officially lost since the war began.
Commander Lost.
The minelayer Princess Victoria
was sunk by a German mine with
four officers, including the com
mander. and 31 men missing and
feared l06t. Eighty-five survivors
were landed at an east cost port yes
terday. Twenty-four required hos
pital treatment.
Latest reports reaching London
said the British expeditionary force
is fighting it out on assigned posi
tions—determinedly and in good
spirits.
On the line south of the British
positions the situation was de
scribed as obscure. London sources
said German claims of deep pene
tration were based on limits reached
by small, fast-moving mechanized
units left “dangerously open to
flank action.”
German claims that their drive
to the sea had captured Amiens.
Arras and Abbeville, 12 miles from
the English Channel, were charac
terized as “grossly exaggerated.”
The average Londoner received
the news with the comment: “It’s
bad—but it was bad last time and
we won.”
Air Attacks Continue.
Meanwhile, continued air attacks
at bases behind the German lines
were pictured in vivid terms. A
government spokesman told of Brit
ish fighter planes clashing with
tremendous waves of the enemy’s air
force, shooting down bombers in
fierce fighting in the clouds.
German fuel storage depots at
Rotterdam were the target again of
British night bombing attacks. The
government spokesman said the
bombings threw behind-the-lines
communications into confusion and
wrecked many gasoline storage
tanks. Direct hits at Rotterdam
that sent yellowish smoke columns
7.000 feet into the air were described.
Despite heavy shrapnel fire from
ground batteries, damage to the
raiding bombers was termed slight.
Pour British merchant ships to
taling 8595 tons and one allied ves
sel of 316 tons admittedly were sunk
“by enemy action” during the week
ended May 10.
Reich Steamship Sunk.
The Admiralty, at the same time,
issued a report that the 4,541-ton
German steamship Campinas was
sunk by a mine May 10. It said this
brought the total known German
mercantile losses to approximately
630.000 tons.
An additional five German ships
totaling about 25,000 tons were “con
sidered sunk as a result of submarine
operations,” it was said.
The source estimated the total
sinkings of enemy ships, whose
names and exact tonnages have not
been ascertained, afnounted to 190,
000 tons, and the total German losses
at 820,000 tons—approximately 20
per cent of Germany’s pre-war ton
nage.
Since the war started up to May
14, the source said, 287 officers and
men from Nazi U-boats have been
captured.
The spokesman said German
mines reported by the South African
government last week off the Cape
“might have been laid” by a German
surface raider, submarine or mer
chant ship which escaped from port.
Allies Near Victory
At Narvik, Sweden Hears
Bj the Associated Press.
STOCKHOLM, May 21.—A short
age of ammunition in the German
garrison at Narvik, Norwegian ore
port besieged by strong allied and
Norwegian forces, is reaching a crit
ical stage and occupation of the city
by the attackers is imminent, re
ports from the Swedish frontier said
today.
These reports indicated that the
Germans might resist to the last
man rather than surrender or re
treat into Sweden.
Reporters Leave Front
LONDON, May 21 UP).—American
correspondents who had been with
the British Army in Belgium re
turned today to London. Among
them were Drew Middleton of the
Associated Press and Arthur Mann
of Mutual Broadcasting System.
A *
I
Roosevelt Phones
Landon, Confirming
Parley Tomorrow
No Coalition Rumors
Heard at White House,
Early Declares
Br JOHN C. HENRY.
Following a personal telephone
call early today from President
Roosevelt to former Gov Alfred M.
Landon of Kansas, 1936 Republican
presidential candidate, the titular
heads of the Nation’s two major po
litical parties will lunch together at
the White House tomorrow.
The subject of their conference
has not been disclosed, and frequent
rumors of a Democratic-Republican
coalition effort in the face of the
war crisis were scouted today by
Stephen T. Early, secretary to the
President, who declared he had
heard nothing around the White
House to substantiate such specula
tion.
The final confirmation of the
luncheon appointment followed 24
hours of confusion arising, accord
ing to the White House, out of the
President's desire to postpone his
meeting with Mr. Landon until
Thursday. Since the Wednesday
date originally had been made
through a third person—a New York
Republican named Frank Altschue—
the White House called Mr. Altschue
to arrange the postponement.
Original Date Confirmed.
At this point some misunderstand
ing arose in the negotiations, and
the story was published that the
White House desired cancellation of
the meeting. Informed of the situa
tion this morning, the President at
once called Mr. Landon in Chicago
and confirmed the original Wednes
day date.
Meanwhile, the White House made
an effort to have Representative
Wadsworth, Republican, of New
York, a supporter of the administra
tion’s foreign policy, lunch with the
President today. It was found, how
ever, that Mr. Wadsworth is out of
the city.
The subject of the Landon confer
ence has never been disclosed, but its
Scheduling followed a meeting last
week between Mr. Roosevelt and Col.
Prank Knox, Chicago publisher and
vice presidential candidate with Mr.
Landon in 1936. As talk of
Democratic-Republican joint defense
efforts spread, Mr. Landon declared
on Sunday in an interview at Topeka,
Kans., that he was opposed to any
suggestion that his party “lend it
self to any coalition which would
tend to decrease party respon
sibility.”
Willkie Favors Third-Term Bid.
Meanwhile, on the political front,
Wendell L. Willkie, a late but fast
running starter in the present race
for the Republican presidential nom
ination, called for renomination of
Mr. Roosevelt because “there are
millions of Democrats who will vote
Republican if he runs.”
Mr. Willkie’s views were contained
In an an article in Look Magazine. It
contained the following:
"It might be that Mr. Roosevelt is
the only man capable of beating the
Republicans, but there are millions
of Democrats who would like to see
somebody else try. And there are
millions of Democrats who will vote
Republican if he runs.
“Mr. Roosevelt is the champion
New Dealer, the outstanding advo
cate of the philosophy which holds
that the Government’s control over
the individual shall be extended and
intensified. That is what the New
Deal means, and it is the most vital
issue of the national campaign
ahead.
“With Mr. Roosevelt in the fight,
defending this philosophy, we can
obtain a clean-cut verdict. If any
other candidate is named by the
Democrats, the big, important issue
will be clouded by other considers
(See PpUTICS, Page A-4.)
k
Germans Held Giraud
For Three Years
In World War
By the Associated Press.
The Germans' assertion that
they have captured a “Gen.
Giraud” of the French Army
recalls that Gen. Henri Honore
Giraud was a German prisoner
for three years in the World
War.
Giraud, then a captain,
was wounded and captured in
the battle of Guise in 1914. He
was interned in Germany, but
escaped to France in time to
take part in the attack on
Malmaison in 1917.
Now 61, Gen. Giraud was re
ported commanding allied forces
in the “battle of the bulge” in
France.
The Chicago Daily News re
ported from London that the
German report was regarded in
authoritative circles as an at
tempt to establish the location
of Gen. Giraud and his staff
headquarters.
Stock Market Breaks
$1 to $13 or More in
Heavy Selling
Steels and Aircrafts
Hard Hit; Wheat
And Cotton Down
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, May 21.—Leading
stocks broke $1 to more than $13 a
share today as new selling .waves
toppled security and commodity
markets on news of the continued
German push into France.
Steels, ircrafts and other shares
tagged "war babies” in recent
months, were hard hit. Wall Street
sources reported sizable selling or
ders from Shanghai, Far Eastern
speculative center.
The share market generally was
the lowest in two years.
Trading was at the pace of about
4,000,000 shares for the full session,
the largest since last September's
war-buying wave.
Wheat at Chicago yielded part of
the previous session’s gains, show
ing losses of about 2 cents a bushel
after a partial recovery of initial de
clines ranging to 4 cents.
Cotton at New ‘ York fell back
about $1.50 a bale, and raw hides
around % of a cent a pound.
In the bond market German and
Danish Issues advanced.
Pepper Would Allow
U. S. lo Sell Part
Of Air Force to Allies
Bill Gives President
Discretion in Transfer
Of Any Ships, Parts
By J. A. O’LEABY.
A resolution to authorize Presi
dent Roosevelt to sell part of this
country’s air force to the allies at
once was offered in the Senate today
by Senator Pepper, Democrat, of
Florida as that body began debate
on the new defense program.
Calling attention to the critical
position in which the democracies
find themselves on the western
front. Senator Pepper declared “the
best way to insure our own defense
is to see that Hitlerism does not
dominate the world.”
Senator Minton, Democrat, of In
diana interrupted to say the Presi
dent already has authority to per
mit the allies to purchase planes in
process of construction in this coun
try. Senator Pepper said he realized
that, but explained his proposal
would let Mr. Roosevelt send them
planes already a part of the Amer
ican Army and Naval Air Force.
He offered it as a move to “help
stem the tide of barbarism,” he
said.
Bill Sent to Committee.
His resolution, which was sent to
the Foreign Relations Committoe,
reads:
“Be it resolved by the Senate and
House of Representatives in Con
gress assembled, that the President
be authorized to sell and deliver
within the United States to the rec
ognized governments of Great
Britain, France, Austria, Czecho
slovakia. Poland, Norway, Holland,
Belgium, and such other countries
in Europe as may be subject to un
provoked invasion, upon payment of
such purchase price as the Presi
dent may fix, such aircraft, aircraft
parts or equipment belonging to the
United States as in his judgment
(See DEFENSE, Page A-T)
Farm Credit Revamping
Held Dead for Session
By the Associated Press.
Chairman Jones of the House Ag
riculture Committee said today that
administration legislation to revamp
farm credit machinery apparently
was dead for this session.
The bill would reduce F. C. A. in
terest rates and liberalize many re
quirements for loans in order to help
farmers.
Washington Navy Yard Plans
To Push Production to Limit
Commandant Will Increase Forces by Adding
To Day Shift and Filling Skeleton Crews
The Washington Navy Yard today
was ordered to speed production to
the limit, as part of a general order
to all commandants of naval dis
tricts, heads of navy yards and
naval stations, all bureaus and of
fices. Navy headquarters and the
Marine Corps.
The Washington yard at present
is on a three-shift basis, including
a full day shift and two skeleton
evening and night forces. Accord
ing to yard officials, under today’s
order, the day shift of 4,500 me
chanics will be considerably in
creased and the two skeleton staffs
brought to full strength. No imme
diate estimate of the new employ
ment forthcoming here was avail
able.
It was said plans are being worked
.out for immediate expansion in
keeping with tha letter from Acting
Secretary of the Navy Compton, to
expedite national defense.
*
The commandant of the Wash
ington yard was directed to increase
his working force as rapidly as pos
sible.
“All practicable steps shall be
taken to eliminate the bottleneck
where three shifts are now being
worked,” the letter said. "It is di
rected that steps be taken at once to
expedite the naval shipbuilding pro
gram and all other work relating to
national defense.”
The primary work at the Wash
ington establishment is the produc
tion of armament.
At present, guns for the fleet con
stitute the major portion of the work
of the Washington Navy Yard.
These Include rifles ranging in size
from light 3-inch pieces up to the
largest 16-inch battleship arma
ment. In between are guns for light
and heavy cruisers of 6 and 8 inch
(See NAVY YARD, Page A-4.)
Navy Will Speed
Program With
Extra Shifts
15,000 Increase
In Shipbuilding
Forces Ordered
By the Associated Press.
All navy establishments were or
dered today by Acting Secretary
Lewis Compton to speed up defense
preparations by working additional
shifts and by increasing civilian
shipbliding forces by at least 15,000
within three months.
Mr. Compton sent a letter to the
commandants of all naval districts,
yards and stations, all bureaus and
offices of the Navy Department and
to headquarters of the Marine
Corps.
The proposed increase in 15,000
in shipbuilding forces, the Navy
said, would be distributed between
the Portsmouth, New York City,
Mare Island, Philadelphia, Boston,
Charleston. Norfolk and Puget
Sound Navy Yards. The force at
the gun factory at the Washington
Navy Yard also will be increased.
There are 66 warships under con
struction or projected, including
eight battleships.
May Discuss Labor Laws.
Even as Mr. Compton's order was
announced, President Roosevelt con
centrated on Navy affairs, summon
ing ranking admirals and Senate
and House Naval Committee chair
men to a conference at which the
effects of Federal labor laws on ship
building were expected to be dis
cussed.
The House committee approved a
proposal to authorize the Navy to
dismiss, without regard to the civil
service law, employes engaging in
subversive activities. The commit
tee withheld final action on the
legislation, however, until Chairman
Vinson could take to the White
House a set of amendments designed
to relax the labor laws.
Mr. Roosevelt, Mr. Vinson said,
had asked to see these amendments.
This gave rise to speculation thas
the Chief Executive might turn
thumbs down on the law modifica
tion suggestions and insist on keep
ing intact such New Deal enact
ments as the Wages and Hours
and Walsh-Healey Acts.
The Walsh-Healey Act permits the
Government to fix the labor stand
ards of private employers on Gov
ernment contracts. This has re
sulted in widespread application of
the 40-hour week with time and
one-half for overtime.
Prefers Added Shifts.
Mr. Compton ordered as the first
move toward speeding up defense
work, that where possible, plants
should step up to a two-shift basis.
Where three shifts already are being
worked ‘‘all practicable steps shall
be taken to eliminate the ‘bottle
necks'."
“The shipbuilding yards.” he con
tinued, "should be able to increase
their civilian forces by at least 15,000
within three months.”
He expressed a preference for more
shifts rather than overtime work,
but authorized where necessary the
working of a 48-hour week, with
overtime pay where legally required.
Mr. Compton also ordered that “all
employes needed to expedite the
completion of present and antici
pated work loads, particularly those
in groups 2 and 3 (helpers and me
chanics) should be taken on and
trained (if training be nedede) as
rapidly as they can be obtained and
absorbed.”
In spite of the urging to press
preparation, officers in charge of the
various plants were ordered to "ex
ercise the utmost discretion in in
suring that the authority granted
in this letter is not abused to the
disadvantage of employes."
The naval conference was the
President's chief national defense
meeting scheduled for the day.
Move to Modify Law.
The bill tentatively approved by
the House Naval Affairs Com
mittee would modify application
of wage and hour laws where neces
sary to speed up the Navy's ship
building program. It also would:
Authorize navy yards or private
shipyards working on Government
contracts to go up to a 48-hour week,
with time-and-a-half for all above
(See NAVAL, Page A-3.)
Long War Would Favor
Allies, Soviet Paper Says
By the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, May 21.—If the Eu
ropean war is of long duration the
“time factor” favors the allies be
cause of their huge resources, raw
materials and also the economic
backing of the United States, Trud,
organ of the Russian trade unions,
declared today.
"The productive capacity of the
American steel industry,” it said, “is
twice as much as Germany’s. • * • A
war of exhaustion, prolonged for
years, would serve in the allies’
favor.”
Hitherto, the Soviet press has re
corded the progress of the war as
favorable to Germany.
The Soviet Union, since the sign
ing of the German-Russian non
aggression and trade agreements
last summer, has been cited both in
Berlin and Moscow as a Nazi source
of supply.
»