Evening star. [volume], May 28, 1940, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Weather Forecast ,e
Increasing cloudiness tonight; showers, rrOffl PreSS tO HOffle
beginning late tonight or tomorrow; WaL* . ■ u .
lowest tonight about 55. Temperatures wV 1(11111 the tlOUr
today—Highest, 76, at 2 p.m.; lowest, ' . .
55, at 5 am. ‘ Mos* people in Washington have The
rrom the United State* Weather Bureau report. ® J;. ™"***f* the,r homes every
Pnu Hetaii* on Pace a-2. evening and Sunday morning.
Closing New York Morkets—Soles, Poqe 18_ Dh M„n, A,Mei,i,d Pr„t,
88th YEAR. No. 35,091.. WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, MAY 28, 1940—FORTY-TWO PAGES. *** THREE CENTS.
BELGIANS OUT, FRENCH MASS TO ATTACK
Conferees Agree on 3 Billion U. S. Defense Taxes Over Five-Year Period
- t <
King's Surrender Is 'Disowned'
By His Government in Paris
Forts Taken, Berlin Says;
Trapped Armies Fight
Fiercely to Escape
By the Associated Press.
With the surrender of the Belgian army under a sur
prise order by King Leopold III—whose own government
quickly “disowned” him as ruler of Belgium—a huge Allied
force estimated at between 450,000 and 600,000 men was
reported massing tonight on the Aisne River for a “now or
never” offensive. I
The desperation-inspired Allied counterattack, it was reported,
will be launched in the vicinity of Rethel, 95 miles north of Paris,
in an attempt to rescue the British and French troops trapped in
the Germans’ “squeeze” pocket in Flanders.
King Leopold's command to his troops to lay down their arms
after an 18-day defense came as a crushing blow to the Allies in
the north, depriving them of approximately 300,000 Belgian soldiers
protecting their left flank. * .
Prime Minister Churchill told the House of Commons, however,
that despite this setback the Allies would continue the fight with
“full vigor.”
With the German high command declaring that the Allied
armies “pocketed” in Flanders were doomed, British naval spokes
men hinted that the British Expeditionary Force was preparing to
withdraw from the battle in Belgium. The naval spokesman said
the British troops in Belgium would face terrific obstacles in
attempting to retire across the Channel.
The German high command announced a new series of smash
ing Nazi successes. Hitler’s mechanized columns brokq through
strong French border fortifications “on a broad front,” the high
command said, and captured numerous towns and villages in the
giant “squeeze” movement on the trapped Allied armies.
The high command reported its armies had driven to within
6 miles of Bruges, Belgium, and had partly broken Allied resistance
in the battle of Artois and Flanders.
Blow to Allies Heavy
(Text of Reynaud Speech on
Page A-15.)
By the Associated Press.
PARIS, May 28.—The Belgian
army surrendered unconditionally to
the Germans today under orders
from King Leopold III, breaking the
back of the Allied armies of the
north and bringing the battle of
Flanders to its culminating point.
That blow was as heavy as the
collapse of the army of Gen. Andre
Coraps in the battle of the Meuse
May 15, which permitted the Ger
mans to break through France to
the English Channel and split the
northern and central Allied forces.
The French and British remnants
of Gen. Blanchard's northern army
carried on the Flanders fight, but
a military spokesman acknowledged
their resistance was “extremely dif
ficult”
The outcome of the war now turns
on the central front along the
Somme and Aisne Rivers and down
the main Maginot Line defenses.
Capitulated Before Dawn.
The Belgians, battered back al
most to their Western shore by 18
days of blitzkrieg, capitulated before
dawn today.
The Belgian government, now in
France, rejected the King's leader
ship, “disowned”—in effect, de
posed—him aTid conferred on a “new
Belgium” to continue the fight.
But how effective Belgium now
can be as an ally is problematical.
King Leopold himself was com
mander in chief of the Belgian
Army. His order to lay down arms
in unconditional surrender ended
the resistance of the great body of
his forces.
18 Divisions Lost.
The decision of Belgian leaders
here to reorganize an army to
continue fighting referred presum
ably only to whatever Belgian
troops are in France, a few units
at most, and to Belgian refugees,
Borne of whom already are under
taking military training in this
country.
' By the Belgian surrender the Al
lies have lost an army of at least
250,000 men in 18 divisions. The
way to Dunkerque, the French Chan
nel port througn which supplies have
been reaching hemmed-in Allied
Armies, has been opened to the
Nazi legions.
(A German announcement
(See PARIS, Page A-8.)
Nazi Attack on British
Expected Near Narvik
■t the Associated Press.
STOCKHOLM, May 28.—German
troops landed from planes were
reported today to have crossed
Rombakfjord in collapsible boats
for an atatack on British flanks
near the Arctic ore port of Nar
vik, Norway.
The newspaper Aftonbladet said
dispatches from across the border
indicated the action was Intended
to relieve German forces hard
pressed at Bjomfjell, near Narvik.
The dispatches said the Germans
parachuted from planes a mile
east of Narvik and crossed the fjord
under “difficult conditions," pro
tected by fire from their own pur
suit planes.
Reports reaching here were that
1,200 German Alpine fighters had
been landed by parachute in the
past two days. Twelve large trans
port planes, each carrying about 50
men, were reported to be making
two trips daily to the Narvik region.
a
'Broad New Break
By the Associated Press.
BERLIN. May 28.—A hew break
through French border fortifications
“on a broad front” was announced
by the German high command to*
day as Belgium’s army laid down its
arms on command of its King.
The communique reported heavy
fighting against the Allies’ “embit
tered resistance,” which, it said, was
partly broken with Nazi legions ad
vancing within 6 miles of the Bel
gian city of Bruges, crossing the
Scheldt Canal west of Valenciennes
and capturing the French towns or
Orchies and Douai. south of Lille.
Capitulation of King Leopold left
an estimated 700.000 Allied soldiers
trapped in a space hardly bigger
than a good sized Western cattle
ranch.
Flank Left Exposed.
Into this crowded area today
waves of German dive bombers were
unloading lethal cargoes of bombs
and machine-gun bullets, determined
to paralyze all organized resistance.
With the flank exposed by the
Belgian surrender, it seemed that
only a miracle could save the trapped
men from destruction.
“The big battle in Flanders and
Artois ras reached a climax,” it said.
“Our troops, in a sharp attack,
partly broke the embittered resist
ance and hemmed in the encircled
enemy armies into an even narrower
area, into which the air force
also, with strong units, worked de
structively.
"The fight continues against the
encircled English and French.”
Rapid Gains Reported.
Nazi forces had "gained ground
rapidly” against the Belgians, the
communique said, and "in recogni
tion of its hopeless situation, the
Belgian Army, under the leadership
of its King, in strength of about
400,000 to 500,000 men, laid down
arms.”
Renewing raids on harbors at
the back of the trapped British
and French Armies, the Germans
said they bombed the water fronts
of Zeebrugge, Nieuport, Ostend and
Dunkerque during the night.
The German gains, accompanied
again by sharp air and naval blows,
included the French towns of La
Bassee. Bourboug, Hazebrouck and
Merville.
French Allied resistance on the
southern front was indicated by
the high command’s report that in
one repelled attack 30 Allied tanks
were destroyed.
A Nazi torpedo boat was credit
ed with sinking a 3,000-ton trans
port.
Germans generally hailed King
Leopold’s decision as a prelude
to collapse of the main line of re
sistance of the Allied army of 1,000,
000 men in Flanders.
The Fuehrer’s headquarters said
(See BERLIN, Page A-10.)
r - . ' ■
Yanks Pound Two Hurlers,
Lead Nats, 8-2, in Sixth
LINE-UT (First Game).
WASHINGTON. NEW YORK.
Dickey, c.
Selkirk. If.
Gordon. 2b. ^
Dahlsren, lb.
Russo, n.
Umpires—Messrs. Ormsby. McGowan and
Rolls.
By BURTON HAWKINS.
Star Staff Correspondent.
NEW YORK, May M.—The Yan
kees piled up an S-to-3 lead over
the Nationals in the sixth inning
here this afternoon In the first
game of a double-header.
Haynes and Hudson were in
effective, Gordon hammering out a
415-foot homer with Selkirk on base
off the latter, who went to the
mound as a relief hurler.
The game was twice halted be
cause of rain.
FIRST INNING.
WASHINGTON—Case filed to Di
Maggio. Lewis singled to left. We
is] forced Lewis. Croeetti to Gordon.
(See BASEBALL. Page A-3.)
30 Allied Divisions
Reported Moving to
New Offensive
By the Associated Press.
BERN, Switzerland, May 28.—
Thirty allied divisions were re
ported moving into position to
night south of the Aisne River
near Bethel for a “now or never”
offensive to rescue French and
British forces trapped in the
German s Lille pocket.
Reports reaching here from
both sides of the war zone indi
cated that Allied Generalissimo
Maxine Weygand had placed a
major part of this force in
position before the Belgians
surrendered
Allied divisions range from
15.000 to 18.000 men—450,000 to
640.000 in the 30 divisions re
ported massed for attack.
Leopold and Weygand
In Stormy Tilt Before
Surrender, Nazis Say
Berlin Claims Allies
Wanted King to Fight
Without Assistance
By the Associated Press.
BERLIN, May 28.—German radio
accounts of the capitulation of King
Leopold of the Belgians said today
he made his decision after stormy
meetings with Allied Generalissimo
Maxlme Weygand and his own gen*
era Is and after tbe French had
pleaded with him to postpone sur
render for at least a week.
Thi King, according to one ac
count credited to the Stefani (Ital
ian) news agency, declared that the
Belgian Army already had suffered
greater casualties than in the World
War and that, in view of its "hope
less position,’’ further shedding of
blood was useless.
Gen. Weygand, this account said,
was unable to lend further assist
ance to the Belgian northern army,
yet wanted the Belgians to resist fur
ther to permit the French to re
organize their Somme-Aisne front
to the south and "enable England
to protect herself against invasion.”
Pierlot Reported in London.
Belgian Premier Pierlot went to
London to tell British Prime Minis
ter Churchill of the King's atti
tudee, and Churchill called French
Premier Reynaud to London, the
story continued.
A German radio report credited
to reliable sources in Geneva said
Gen. Weygand came back to Paris
Sunday after a visit to Belgian gen
eral headquarters under the im
pression that Leopold was about to
capitulate.
“Stormy scenes are reported to
have occurred between the King of
Belgium and Gen. Weygand Sun
day,” said this account. "The King,
in strong words, voiced his disap
pointment concerning the effec
tiveness of allied help to Belgium.
He is said to have bitterK'dgft*
phasized in reply to Weygand^ re
quest that Belgians should go on
fighting, that Belgian troops fought
(See LEOPOLD,' Page A-8.)
12 'Fifth Column' Suspects
Are Seized Near Dublin
Bj the Associated Press.
DUBLIN, May 28.—Twelve per
sons suspected of “fifth colum” ten
dencies have been seized since Sun
day in the mountains surrounding
Dublin and seven still are in custody.
This became known as the Dail
Eirrean (lower house of Parliament)
prepared to discuss defenses tonight.
One alien of undisclosed nation
ality was among those detained.
The Dail meeting tonight is at
Premier Eamon de Valera’s call for
unity. The opposition party, the
Pine Gael, led by William T. Cos
grave, met today to formulate plans.
It is believed De Valera may ask
for limited martial law, blackouts,
a larger army and defense meas
ures to cope with some Irish and
alien elements considered inimicable
to Nrish neutrality in the European
war.
__;
Heavy Losses Seen
If British Attempt
Channel Retreat
(Text of Churchill Statement
on Page A-4.)
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, May 28—Great Brit
ain and her gravely endangered
army in Flanders were pledged to
day by Winston Churchill to fight
Nazi Germany’s might to the last
ditch "through disaster and grief,”
despite the capitulation of King
Leopold of Belgium and perhaps half
a million of his fighting men.
Neutral military observers expect
ed the encircled British army in
Belgium and Northern France, with
its left flank exposed to the fury of
German attack by the Belgian
King’s surrender, would try to fight
its way southward through the Ger
man iron corridor to the French
armies on the Aisne.
Cries of "Shame!" echoed through
the deep vault of the House of Com
mons as Prime Minister Churchill
told of Leopolds capitulation.
Cheers roared to the rafters when
he said the British and French
would fight on despite the Kings
action, that the Belgian government
had in effect deposed him and that
the Allies would continue "to defend
the world cause to which we have
bound ourselves."
Withdrawal Considered.
Although naval spokesmen ad
mitted that attempted withdrawal
of the British army by sea from Bel
gium was under consideration, neu
tral observers were of the opinion
that such an operation, under the
overpowering punishment of the
German air force at channel ports,
would produce more casualties than
the desperate fight southward.
“Nothing which may happen to
us,” the Prime Minister said solemn
ly, “in this battle can in any way re
lieve us of our duty to defend the
world cause to which we have bound
ourselves.”
A thunder of cheers arose then in
the House.
Surrender of the Belgian Army,
Mr. Churchill went on, had appre
ciably added to the “grave peril” of
the British Expeditionary Force in
Flanders, but the troops were never
theless in good heart, although beset
on three sides and from the air.
House Cries “Shame.”
Cries of “shame!” went up in the
old halls of the House on the an
nouncement of the capitulation.
The Prime Minister began his
speech by telling the House that
Belgium had asked an armistice with
Germany.
The British and French govern
ments instructed their generals im
mediately to dissociate themselves
from this procedure and to perse
vere in operations in which they
now are engaged. Mr. Churchill in
formed the House.
“I have no intention to suggest to
the House that we should attempt
at this moment to pass judgment
on the action of the King of the
Belgians in his capacity as com
mander in chief of the Belgian
Army," Mr. Churchill declared.
Belgium’s Army had. he said,
fought “very bravely” and “suffered
and inflicted heavy losses.”
“Desperate Situation.”
The hard-pressed British army of
Flanders can drive southward toward
the French forces massing along the
Aisne or grope blindly toward the
Channel ports with its left while
the right fights off the German
onslaught.
These alternatives appeared to
day to confront the B. E. F. in a
desperate situation.
British military sources viewed
the position as of “the utmost grav
ity. Neutral military attaches de
clared either movement would mean
Britain must sacrifice considerable
stores of ammunitions, materials and
even guns.
• Either alternative would produce
‘See LONDONTPage A-1A)
Six Die as Army Bomber
Crashes in California
By the Associated Press.
MARCH FIELD, Calif., May 28.—
Two officers and a crew of four in
a Douglas bomber were killed last
night in a crash near Mojave, Calif.
One man, Sergt. John B. Stewart
of Midway, Ala., survived the crash,
but was injured seriously. He was
flown to the General Hospital in
San Francisco early today.
Those killed were:
Second Lt. Jess A. Smith, 30,
Riverside, Calif.
Second Lt. Charles A. Nisbett, 25,
Riverside, whose parents are Mr.
and Mrs. Leonard N. Nisbett of
Alton, 111.
Sergt. Thurman T. Owens, River
side.
Pvt. Wayne G. Kaufman, whose
mother is Mrs. Rita L. Kaufman of
Burlington, Iowa.
Pvt. Doyle H. Bean, Kirbyville,
Tex.
Pvt. Eugene A. Schulz, Twin Falls,
Idaho.
The plane was on a night bombing
mission. The crash occurred at
Muroc Dry Lake, which is the Army’s
bombing range in the Mojave desert,
say.
^ '--—
OH,MY POOR DEARS! >
there’s That
Italy's Peace Price
Called Maritime Alps
And French Riviera
African Claims Reported
Included, All Being
Too Dear for Allies
By CONSTANTINE BROWN.
The price Premier Mussolini is
reported to have asked from the Al
lies now to maintain Italy’s non
belligerent status is so high that the
Allies cannot meet it.
According to reliable information
received today in Washington, Mus
solini is asking France to cede to
Italy the whole Alps maritime and
the Haute Savoie east of Grenoble,
as far as Chambery.
This region contains some six de
partments, including the world
famed French Riviera. The cession
of this region would enable Italy to
hold the whole important strategic
frontier of the Alps and give Italy
both slopes of the mountains.
In Africa, II Duce is repotred to
desire the immediate cession of Tu
nisia and a rectification of frontier
in East Africa to include the port
of Jibuti—Ethiopas outlet to the
sea—and the two Somalilands—the
French and the British.
Whether other demands have been
made by II Duce is not known here
yet, but there apparently is little
hope of success in further discus
sions between the French and the
Italian governments.
Under the pressure of the situa
tion in Flanders, the French had
agreed to approach Italy to see
whether an understanding to keep
that country out of the war was
possible. A few months ago certain
concessions in Africa, it is said,
would have satisfied II Duce—
temporarily at least. Now the price
has gone up.
While it is admitted that Italy’s
definite non-belligerent status would
be of tremendous help to the French
because they could withdraw im
portant forces which are now sta
tioned in the Alps, the price set by
II Duce is reported to be so high
that the French may decide to face
the worst rather than give up a
frontier which is by far more im
portant for defense than any other
border they have.
Germans Free U. S. Ship
Detained at Bergen
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, May 28 —The Amer
ican freighter Charles R. McCor
mick. which was caught at Bergen,
Norway, during the German inva
sion, has been released by German
authorities and will sail for New
York June 1, her operators, Stockard
& fco., were informed by cable by
their Bergen agent today.
Her cargo, bound for Finland, will
be unloaded and held for disposition
by a prize court, the agent said.
The ship, with a crew of 32, reached
Bergen just before the invasion and,
with the American freighter Flying
Fish, was slightly damaged during
the fighting. She moved for safety
to Vakstal, 80 miles away, and re
turned to Bergen May 22. Her op
erators believed her crew had been
left aboard and not interned.
She is expected to reach New York
about June 17.
The vessel, owned by the McCor
mick Steamship Co. of San Fran
cisco, was chartered by Stockard 8s
Co. for the Stockard Steamship
Corp.
GUIDE FOR READERS
Page.
Amuse
ments _B-U
Comics . B-H-17
Editorials ..A-lt
Finance -A-17-19
lost, Found B-19
Page.
Obituary ...A-14
Radio.B-1S
Society.B-S
Sport* - A-24-22
Woman’s Page,
B-1S
Canada Will Enlarge
Army and Air Force
By the Associated Press.
OTTAWA, May 28.—Immediate
expansion of Canada's army and air
force is the first objective in the Do
minion's war plans resulting from
the critical situation in Europe.
Prime Minister Mackenzie King
informed the House of Commons
yesterday that expansion was neces
sary. Some 30,000 recruits are to be
enlisted as quickly as possible, with
an additional 5,000 for the air force.
Other new steps will be the organ
ization of reserve companies of vet
erans to be attached to militia units
for training and the institution of
special training for certain veteran
officers.
Panama Bridge Blast
Report Is Denied
By the Associated Press.
COLON, Panama, May 28—Pro
vincial Gov. Inoencio Galindo quoted
Federal Government sources today
in denial of reports that a Tetas
River bridge had been blown up in
a series of pre-election disorders.
He declared all was quiet.
(An N. B. C. broadcast heard in
New York had reported serious dis
turbances during which a strategic
bridge over the Tetas River, on the
highway between the Panama Canal
Zone and the United States Army
base at Rio Hato, was destroyed.)
$500,000,000 Crop Loan
Fund Hike Increased
By the Associated Press.
The Senate Banking Committee
approved unanimously today a
$500,000,000 increase in Government
funds for crop loans intended to
protect American farmers from war
time price shocks.
Senator Byrnes, Democrat, of
South Carolina, who sponsored the
legislation, which was advocated by
Secretary Wallace, said he would
seek prompt Senate action on the
bill, which would add $500,000,000
to the authorized lending powers of
the Government’s Commodity Credit
Corp.
Officials of the crop loan agency
said the present lending limit of
$1,000,000,000 was nearly exhausted
and that the additional funds were
needed to cushion 1940 crops agaiqst
wartime disturbances.
41 Dead and 200 Wounded
In Raid on Chungking
By the Associated Press.
CHUNGKING, May 28.—The for
eign quarter of Chungking—a new
residential district—was severely
bombed by Japanese planes today
in the first aerial Attack on the
city proper since August 5, 1939,
taking a heavy toll of Chinese ci
vilians.
Forty-one bodies were counted
shortly after the raiders passed,
and at least 200 were wounded.
La Fayette Escadrille Revokes
Membership of Col. Lindbergh
Bj the Auocltted Press.
PARIS, May 38.—Honorary mem
bership in the La Fayette Eseadrille
conferred on Col. Charles A. Lind
bergh after his 1937 Atlantic crossing
was withdrawn today by order of
the Trench and Air Association of
American Volunteer Combatants in
the French Army in 1914-1918, rep
resenting former pilots of the Esca
drille.
The association announced its
action was the result of Col.
Lindbergh's speech of May 19,
which it classified as "definitely op
posed to the spirit of the American
volunteers of the La Fayette
Eseadrille and Foreign Legion who
rushed to the defense of France
in 1814.”
The association’s announcement
said the title of honorary member
was conferred on Col. Lindbergh
“in a moment of enthusiasm—mis
taken but understandable.”
‘The former pilots of the Lafay
ette Escadrille's announcement con
cluded:
“We believe that his words are an
insult to the memory of the com
rades who fell on the field of honor
and who rest in the crypt of the
Lafayette Escadrille Monument at
Garches ”
Paul Rockwell, member of the
Escadrille in the World War, who
Joined the famous Foreign Legion In
(See UNDBERGH, Page aT)
Benching Politicians
Declared First Move
For Planes Program
Redesigning Also
Stressed as Need
As Experts Gather
By BOBEBT BBURKIN.
American warplanes must be re
designed before mass production
can be begun, a pioneer designer in
all-metal airplanes declared today
as executives from the aviation in
dustry pondered their problems in
forums.
William B. Stout of Detroit, who
designed the Ford tri-motor plane
of a decade ago, predicted in an in
terview today new materials and
new methods will be found before
the United States can attempt to
turn out 50,000 planes a year.
“You cannot go into mass pro
duction on things made by hand,”
he declared. "The average big plane
has 300,000 rivets which have been
put in by hand, and the costs go up
with quantity production instead of
down.”
Would Oust “Screwballs.'*
The only method to advance the
output is by “getting technical men
to do it instead of screwballs.” Ger
many, he said, created her air force
by permitting technically trained
men to plan production “and poli
ticians or Senators' sons had noth
ing to do with it.”
He recommended that a research
group made up of the best engi
neers in the industry be put to work
immediately without being bothered
by political interference. They
would plan the design and models.
A production group, made up of
industrialists acquainted with the
mass production industries should
then be given the problem of out
put. "Politicians” should have
nothing to do with it, he asserted,
and both the research and produc
tion groups should be . answerable
only to the President. •
Standardization on a very few
models would not provide the
answer for large output, he said.
Competition must be continued
even if it is only by three or four
companies so that “advancement
will continue.” Each factory, how
ever, should be standardized on one.
type of plane but not the whole in
dustry, he said.
Urges Mechanical Progress.
“Mechanical progress wins wars,”
he said. “Wars need a new aerial
generation every six months. When
Germany attacks England she will
■(See PLANES, Page A-14.)
Churchill Changes Residence
LONDON, May 28 UP).—Prime
Minister Winston Churchill belatedly
took up residence at No. 10 Downing
street today. Strenuous war duties
since becoming Premier May 10 de
layed his moving.
Debt Limit Boost
To Be Asked
In Congress
Plan, Ratified by
President, Drafted
At 3-Hour Parley
By tbe Associated Press.
The administration and congres
sional leaders agreed today to raise
(3.000.000,000 of new taxes in the
next five years to pay the costs of
national defense.
The plan, ratified by President
Roosevelt, was drafted in a three
hour conference by Secretary of the
Treasury Morgenthau, Chairman
Doughton of the House Ways and
Means Committee and Chairman
Harrison of the Senate Finance
Committee.
It calls for immediate financing
of defense costs by the sale of
$3,000,000,000 of special “national
defense obligations.” It also calls
for levying of additional taxes,
amounting to between *600,000.000
and $700,000,000 annually for the
next five years, the proceeds to be
used to retire the “national defense
obligations” and pay interest on
them.
To Ask Debt Limit Increase.
The conferees agreed to ask Con
gress to increase the Treasury s
$45,000,000,000 debt limit to *48,000,
000,000 to make possible the bor
rowing of the new defense funds.
The administration’s budget, pre
pared before the defense program
was laid down, already had pro
vided expenditures which required
borrowing up to the present debt
limit by about June 30, 1941.
A joint statement issued by the
conferees said "the Secretary of the
Treasury communicated to the Pres
ident the conclusions reached by the
conferees and the President ex
pressed his approval of the pro
gram.”
Committee* to Meet Soon.
The statement also explained that
Chairmen Doughton and Harrison
would call their committees together
immediately to work out the details
of the tax program.
There was no indication of what
kinds of taxes might be imposed.
The statement also did not make
it clear whether enactment of the
new taxes would be sought at the
present session of Congress. Its
only reference to the present ses
sion was a statement that the in
crease in the national debt limit
would be asked immediately.
Accord Announced.
The conferees, the announcement
said, "have agreed to ask Congress
at this session to consider legisla
tion to provide funds for the pay
ment of the national defense pro
gram.
“Chairman Doughton and Chair
man Harrison stated that they will
convene their committees immedi
ately to formulate a plan.
“They will propose an increase In
the national debt authorization by
$3,000,000,000 to provide for tha
issuance of national defense obli
gations to be sold with maturities
not to exceed five years, and they
will also propose the levy of addi
tional taxes, the details of which
are to be worked out by the com
mittees.’’
Tydings Demands Action Now.
Meanwhile, Senator Tydings,
Democrat, of Maryland labeled the
present state of Government flnanco*
“a sixth column” that may under
mine national security unless action
is taken now. He declared the un
balanced budget remains an ex
posed flank of the national defense
system.
Senator Byrd, Democrat, of Vir
ginia, long an opponent of deficit
spending, joined Senator Tydings in
demanding revenue legislation now.
He gave the Senate a specific pro
gram to raise at least $1,000,000,000
by a combination of taxes and re
duction of all Government expenses
except national defense and debt
payment, starting July 1.
Senator Byrd proposed:
A 10 per cent horizontal increase
in the existing tax on 1939 income,
payable during 1940, raising $230,
000,000.
A 10 per cent increase in miscel
laneous revenues, which would raise
$125,000,000 for the remaining half
year, and $250,000,000 for a full year.
_A 10 per cent cut in all appropria
(See TAXES, Page A-3.)
Embassy Goes for Hours
Without Surrender News
By the Associated Press.
Many hours after announcement
of King Leopold's surrender to Ger
many the Belgian Embassy here re
mained today without any official
word of It.
At the State Department, officials
said they had had no advance in
dication that the King had decided
to capitulate. Some foreign rela
tions experts speculated that the
status of the Belgian Ambassador,
Count Straten-Ponthoz, would not
be affected by the surrender.
They argued that the King had
surrendered his army and not his
nation, that he had acted only as
commander in chief of the army,
and that he did not have constitu
tional authority to surrender the
nation.
It was considered significant that
Paris dispatches reported that the
Belgian government opposed the
King’s action.