Evening star. [volume], August 10, 1940, Page A-4, Image 4

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

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WINTHROP, N. Y—TANKS AND A “TANK” IN MANEUVERS— an “enemy” plane flys overheadf. The 1st Army combined
The 45th Tank Company, from Hartford, Conn., reinforced by a with New England troops for the maneuvers.
“tank” from the Service of Supplies, in “action” yesterday as —A. P. Wlrephoto.
Roosevelt May Visit
Northern New York
Army Maneuvers
Gen. Parsons Indicates
Inspection of Troops
May Come Next Saturday
By ROBERT A. ERWIN,
Star Staff Correspondent.
RENSSELAER FALLS, N. Y„ Aug.
10.—The possibility of a visit by
President Roosevelt to the Northern
New York 1st Army Maneuver Area
was Indicated today by Maj. Gen.
James K. Parsons, commander of
the 3d Corps Area.
The exact date and details of the
Visit remain to be worked out if it
materializes, Gen. Parsons said. Next
Saturday has been mentioned as the
possible date.
Tentative plans for reception of
the President would include a mili
tary display and parade that would
bring before him the marching
columns of several divisions of Reg
ular Army and National Guard
troops.
29th to Be Streamlined.
Keeping a watchful eye on the
National Guard mobilization bill's
path through Congress, the high
command of the 29th Division
speeded today the process of stream
lining the division's combat units
along more modern and efficient
lines for action in the maneuvers.
When National Guardsmen from
the District. Maryland and Virginia,
with one regiment of field artillery
from Pennsylvania, inaugurate
brigade and division maneuvers
next week, the old conventional
“square” division of four infantry
regiments will be gone. In its
place will be compact combat teams.
With each infantry regiment will
be a platoon or company from the
District's 121st Engineers, a bat
talion of field artillery and a de
tachment from the 104th Medi
cal Regiment, Maryland National
Guard.
This streamlining of the 29th,
Cften called a "polyglot” division
because its units come from four
different areas, was outlined to
the division staff by the com
mander, Maj. Gen. Milton A.
Reckord.
Explains System.
"The same units will be working
together all the time,” said the
General. "For example, the 1st
Maryland Infantry will be the 1
M Combat Team and with it will be
the 1st Battalion of the 110th Field
Artillery, the same platoon of engi
neers, the same medical detach
ment and the radio section of the
68th Brigade Headquarters.” The
brigade is composed of the 1st and
6th Maryland Regiments, command
ed by Brig. Gen. Amos W. W.
Woodcock.
As for impending mobilization of
the National Guard for a year of
Camp Sidelights
The Headquarters detach
ment, 29th Division special
troops, is forming a fife, drum
and bugle corps. . . . Ogdens
burg, 12 miles away, and Heu
velton, 3rd Corps headquarters,
5 miles distant, are the main
visiting points for 29th troopers
at night. . . . The 104th Obser
vation Squadron, Maryland
Guard, 29th Aviation Unit, has
based at Watertown, N. Y.. on
Lake Ontario, for the remain
ing two weeks of the maneu
vers. . . . N. B. C. will bring
mobile short-wave transmitters
into the maneuver area for
service during the big push of
August 19-22. ... Lt. Col.
Churchill J. Gibson, chaplain
of the division, will deliver the
sermon tomorrow for a mass
Protestant religious service in
the stadium of St. Lawrence
University at Canton, nearby
town which is the base of Lt.
Gen. Hugh A. Drum, com
mander of the 1st Army.
Federal service, Col. Herbert Grymes
of Baltimore, division personnel
officer, estimated from 10 to 20
per cent of the 29th's enlisted
personnel might be lost because of
the Senate proviso to allow men
with dependents to apply for dis
charge.
"It will be cheaper for the Army
to have single men,” Col. Grymes
6aid. "A man’s value will be taken
Into consideration, along with the
cost of Army allowance for main
tenance of his dependents, in de
termining whether to discharge
him.” He pointed out that the
National Guard has enlisted only
single men during the last year
and that men with dependents
have not been urged to re-enlist
as their enlistments expire.
General Lauds N. C. O.'s.
Gen. Parsons said the expemption
•lause in the bill would not cause
the Guard to lose more than 5 per
ft
cent of its enlisted personnel. He
paid tribute to non-commissioned
officers, particularly trained .serge
ants of many years' experience who,
because of wives and children, will
apply for discharge.
This, Gen. Parsons felt, would not
affect the training progress of the
Guard if mobilization of the second
line of defense is carried out 30 days
in advance of conscription. A 30
day period would allow time for
training of new Guardsmen and
promotion of veteran enlisted men
into the non-commissioned vacan
cies.
“We are going to miss these ex
perienced non-commisisoned offi
cers,” Gen. Parsons said.
Sergeant Philosophical.
One of the old heads of the 29th's
I non-commissioned officers, Master
: Sergt. Edward W. Ireland of
I Washington, in the 121st Engineers,
i was rather philosophical about the
prospects, commenting: “They got
me in 1916, and now they'll get me
again.” Two of his sons, James
C., 19, and Charles E., 22, are in
the engineer band and map sec
tions, respectively. The sergeant
has been a District guardsman for
^23 years
“A year’s compulsory active duty
will interfere seriously with many
young men,” said Pvt. Thomas Mc
i Call. 26, War Department civilian
i employe, who is in the State De
1 tachment under the State staff and
during the current maneuver is
in the division of public relations
section. “The average soldier be
lieves he should co-operate. The
average private, without any rating
and at $21 per month, will find it
hard to live in his new mode of
life. The average Washington Gov
ernment employe will find it hard to
stretch the $21 very far. There
are other considerations, of course,
and there is a job to be done. It
| is our patriotic duty to do it.”
Another enlisted man, Pvt. An
i thonv F. Zilinsky of the same unit,
| posed the question: "Would you
rather spend a year in the Army
: now. or would you prefer to spend
i that time in the service a year
later? Many of the boys tell me
they would rather go in now, assur
ing themselves of an earlier start
on the ladder of promotion.”
In Battalion Maneuvers.
The 91st Infantry Brigade, Vir
ginia National Guard, continued its
battalion maneuvers in the fields
and woods along the Rome, Water
town & Ogdensburg Railroad today,
while regimental and brigade com
munications platoons completed
their first three-day exercise under
brigade supervision.
Advance detachments of the 54th
Field Artillery Brigade are begin
ning to arrive in camp, coming from
firing practice during the past week
at other points. Brig. Gen. William
H. Sands of Norfolk commands the
brigade composed of the 110th Regi
ment, Maryland: 111th, Virginia,
and the 176th, Pennsylvania.
Today's program for the 121st
Engineers included occupation and
protection of a concealed bivouac,
followed by field inspection and rec
reation.
The 29th Division will go on the
air next Tuesday night for 25 min
utes, from 8:05 to 8:30 o’clock, over
Station WSLB, Ogdensburg, in a
special program that will include an
open-air concert by the Engineer
Band, Warrant Officer Meyer N.
Goldman, directing: brief talks by
division officers and other features.
This program is under the direc
tion of Capt. Gordon Hittenmark of
the District Guard, N. B. C. an
nouncer, assigned as radio officer to
the division public relations section.
Maj. Ray Perkins, radio director
of the 1st Army public relations
headquarters at Ogdensburg, will
interview Capt. Hittenmark briefly
Monday night at 8:45 over the same
station and will interview Mr. Gold
man, veteran Washington band
master and orchestra leader, Thurs
day at the same time. Station
WSLB operates on 1,340 kilocycles.
Victims Battle Bandits;
One Saves His Wallet
Armed holdup men who met re
sistance from two Washingtonians
last night were sought by police
today.
The bandit who entered a liquor
store at 1527 Eleventh street N.W.,
encountered William C. Frame, a
23-year-old clerk, who is losing his
patience with robbers. Mr. Frame,
victim of a holdup several weeks
ago, rebelled when last night’s in
truder, after snatching $65 from the
cash register, ordered the clerk to
precede him to the street.
Ignoring the bandit’s pistol, Mr.
Frame said he hit out with his right
fist and knocked the colored bandit
against the door frame. The man
struck back, felled Mr. Frame and
escaped.
Rutherford Cumming, 61, of 2148
Florida avenue N.W., frustrated ef
forts of two assailants to take his
wallet, but received head lacerations
in the struggle. He was accosted,
he told police, while walking on
Decatur place near his residence.
Mr. Cumming, who was treated at
Emergency Hospital, said one of the
men was armed.
\,
President Inspecting Defenses
On Tour of New England
Sees Sub Building at Portsmouth;
Plans to Be in Capital Tuesday
By the A»*ociated Preaj.
PORTSMOUTH, N. H„ Aug. 10.—
President Roosevelt began a week
end inspection of New England sea
and land defenses today by observ
ing conditions at the Portsmouth
Navy Yard, where 11 submarines
costing approximately $55,000,000 are
being built, reconditioned, or in the
planning stage.
Accompanied by Secretary of the
Navy Knox, the Chief Executive
arrived by train at 7:59 a m. from
Hyde Park, N. Y., and went imme
diately to the yard. Francis P. Mur
phy, Republican Governor of New
Hampshire, joined the presidential
party at the railroad station.
New Hampshire and Maine State
police combined with Secret Service
men in closely guarding the Presi
dent as he was driven under a
scorching sun to the yard over a
route from which traffic had been
cleared.
The commandant of the yard,
Rear Admiral John D. Wainright,
; also joined the President at the
station and rode with him to the
j base.
Within an hour of his arrival at
the yard the President boarded the
White House yacht Potomac and
headed for the Boston Navy Yard.
Greeted by People and Salute.
On the brief drive to the yard,
which dates back to 1800, the Chief
Executive kept a waving hand aloft
in greeting to thousands of people
along the narrow streets.
Crossing the Piscataqua River
Bridge to Dennetts Island, on which
the yard is located, Mr. Roosevelt
heard a 21-gun salute break the
! quiet of the morning. A Marine
guard, drawn up inside the gates,
presented arms as buglers sounded
ruffles and flourishes.
Driving about the plant, the Presi
dent saw where facilities were being
expanded as rapidly as possible to
expedite submarine construction.
Several shipways now are in use
and more are contemplated to han
dle submarines authorized* but not
yet under way.
The Roosevelt car paused beside
the keel of a new sub and saw a
shower of sparks from the cutting
of steel plates with acteylene
torches.
Greeted By John and Wife.
John and Anne Roosevelt, the
President's son and daughter-in
law, had come up from their home
at Nahant, Mass., and were waiting
for Mr. Roosevelt at the adminis
tration building. Some of the offi
cers of the yard and civilian master
mechanics filed by and shook hands
with the Chief Executive.
Admiral Wainwright told the
President the yard had 13 ships
building or authorized and that
three old submarines, the Bass, Bar
racuda and Bonita, were being re
conditioned.
Admiral Wainwright later in
formed reporters that the right
score on construction at the yard
was:
Three submarines on the ways,
three being reconditioned, with ma
terials being assembled for another
three. Two additional sunmarines
are in the planning stage, and work
will start on them as soon as ways
are free. He said the cost of the
work on the 11 vessels would run
around $55,000,000. Of the three on
the ways, one will be launched in
September, one in November and
one in February.
With 6,050 employes, of whom
1,200 are on night shifts, the yard
has the biggest personnel in its his
tory. It is almost impossible, Navy
officials aid, to find a room in Ports
mouth. The yard, the commandant
asserted, is spending about $1,500,000
on new tool machinery and more
than $1,000,000 on buildings and a
barracks for submarine crews.
The Sailflsh, reconditioned and
back in service, was berthed at the
yard. The submersible, formerly
the Squalus, sank with the loss of 26
lives on May 23,1939, and Mr. Roose
velt saw the salvage operations a
few miles off Portsmouth on a
cruise last summer.
Boards Yacht for Boston.
The White House yacht was tied
up to a berth at the yard and Mr.
Roosevelt went aboard, to the roar
of another 21-gun salute, shortly
before 9 am. to cruise to Boston
for a midafternoon inspection of
the navy yard there.
Shaking hands again with Ad
miral Wainwright, the President
smiled and remarked: “It’s good to
get a glimpse of you. I wish I could
stay longer.”
John and Ann boarded the Poto
mac with Mr. Roosevelt. A short
stop was planned at Nahant to al
low the President to see his young
est grandchild, Haven, the couple’s
child.
At Boston the Potomac will tieup
at Pier 2, alongside the Constitu
tion, the famed “Old Ironsides” of
i
the War of 1812, which was saved
as an historic relic by the pennies
of school children.
The program for the rest of the
day included:
A cruise from Portsmouth to Bos
ton to view destroyer construction
at the Boston Navy Yard, with a
pause at Nahant to let Mr, Roose
velt see his youngest grandchild,
Haven.
A motor trip to the arsenal at
Watertow'n. Mass., which is accel
erating production of railway, sea
coast and anti-aircraft artillery and
gun-carriages for the Army.
The Watertwon plant was one of
six manufacturing arsenals which
began operating around the clock
today, on a three-shift basis, to
speed up the output of essential
war equipment.
Donovan Boards Train.
Col. William Donovan, who com
manded the ‘'Fighting 69th” in the
World War, boarded the President's
| train at Hyde Park. He was in
; vited to tell the President what he
had seen on a recently-completed
■ secret mission in Europe, under
taken for Secretary Knox.
As the Chief Executive ended a
six-day stay at his Hyde Park home,
it was reported reliably he had in
mind at least four more defense \
inspection tours.
He has been asked to view one j
of the biggest peace-time military
operations in the country's history,
in up-State New York next week
end.
Mr. Roosevelt said at a press
conference yesterday he was not
sure he could take In the maneuvers.
An inspection of West Coast de
fenses this summer is out of the
question, he indicated, because it
isn't safe, under present world con
ditions, for him to be more than 12
or 14 hours from Washington.
Tomorrow Day of Rest.
Tomorrow will be a day of rest
for the President at sea aboard the
White House yacht Potomac. Em
barking from Boston late today, ne
will put in Monday morning at New
port, R. I„ to look over the Naval
War College, torpedo plant and
training station, then cross Narra
gansett Bay to see the site for a
Northeastern air base at Quonsett
Point.
Monday afternoon will be given
over to an inspection of the suo
marine base at New London, Conn.,
and the yard of the Electric Boat
Co., at Groton, Conn.
The President expects to be back
in Washington Tuesday.
Western Union Association
Ordered Dissolved by Court
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Aug. 10.—The Cir
cuit Court of Appeals yesterday or
dered the dissolution of the Associa
tion of Western Union Employes, an
independent union on the ground it
was company dominated, in viola
tion of the National Labor Relations
Act.
Upholding a Labor Board ruling to
the same effect, the court said the
association and the company en
tered into an agreement which con
tained a stipulation verging on a
disclaimer of the employes’ right to
strike.
The court said the Labor Board's
finding was “supported by substan
tial evidence.”
The American Communications
Association (C. I. O.) filed original
charges with the N. L. R. B.
Switzerland to Move
Interned Troops East
By the Associated Press.
BERN, Switzerland, Aug. 10.—The
Swiss Army command announced
today that French and Polish troops
interned in the Bernese Oberland,
south of Bern, will be transferred to
Eastern Switzerland.
About 60,000 troops in all are in
terned in Switzerland.
The shift of the French and Po
lish soldiers was due to recent at
tempts by small groups of Poles to
escape to the French frontier and
to French-speaking Switzerland.
Airline Presents Plaque
A plaque in recognition of her
100,000 miles of air travel has been
presented to Mrs. Mabel Walker
Wlllebrandt, Washington attorney
and first woman to be chairman of
the American Bar Association’s
Aviation Committee, by the United
Airlines through D. Walter Swam,
district manager. The plaque has a
bronze shield depicting an airplane
flying around the world.
%
WINTHROP, N. Y.—THE HAY MUST BE MADE—Boys of the
26th Infantry go rushing through the fields in simulation of
war—but they make little impression on two farm boys who
are more concerned with getting in the hay. Picture made
during maneuvers in Northern New York.
—A. P. Wirephoto.
■ ■ .. ■■ i i - .
BRASS HATS TALK IT OVER—Talking over tne situation as the 1st Army, combined with New
England National Guardsmen, held maneuvers were (left to right): Brig. Gen. Karl Truesdale,
commander of the 1st Division; Col. James Muir, 26th Infantry; Col. Theodore Roosevelt, jr.,
26th Infantry, and Brig. Gen. S. M. Harrington, U. S. M. C., Boston. —A. P. Wirephoto.
Army's New Weapon
To Get Real Test in
Western War Games
Armored Scout Car,
With Crew of Eight,
Has Hazardous Job
Bj the Associated Press.
YELM, Wash., Aug. 10.—The I
Army's latest weapon, developed
since Adolf Hitler's blitzkrieg in
Poland, gets its first full-fledged
test in the 4th Army war games in
Southwest Washington next week.
The weapon is an armored scout
car. It is capable of 50 miles an
hour over fairly rough country, is
plated with 3-18th-inch armor to
stop machine-gun bullets, weigh six
tons, carries two .30 and one .50
caliber machine guns and a sub
machine gun and can maintain
two-way radio communication.
The armored cars were patterned
after Germany's and have been in
use only about five months. They
were especially designed for hit-run
warfare—to scout out and harass
the enemy until infantry and artil
lery move into position.
Each car is manned by a crew
of eight. It is built to flatten ob
stacles, including trees up to 6
inches in diamtter, but for emer
gency use carries crosscut saws,
axes, picks and shovels.
The cars have four-wheel drives,
eight forward speeds and develop
more than 100 horsepower.
Must Expect High Casualties.
Maj. A. W. Willia, commander
of the 24th Reconnaissance Squad
ron, Wyoming National Guard
one of the few units fully equip
ped—said the scout car troops had
the most hazardous job of modem
ground warfare. He said they
were the first into an area after
the bombers had visited it and
must expect high casualties.
The scout cars feel out and break
through troops to test enemy I
strength, and in case of retreat they
also handle the rear guard action.
Training of the 40,000 men for
the war games reaches its peak this
week end. Troops begin moving
up to battle positions Monday and
Tuesday.
The northern army will be
brought together as a whole for the
first time this afternoon, passing
in review before Lt. Gen. John. L.
Dewitt and Gov. Clarence Martin
and Charles Sprague of Washing
ton and Oregon, respectively.
The southern army, composed
of men mostly from California, will
launch the attack next week against
the northern “defending” army of
Pacific Northwest troops.
Southern Guardsmen
Dig Guns Out of Mud
CAMP BEAUREGARD, La., Aug.
10 (^.—Overcoming nature’s own
blitzkrieg—the most serious trop
ical disturbance in Louisiana in
years—the South’s 50,000 National
Guardsmen settled down today to
their most extensive peacetime
maneuvers.
Trucks and guns were dug from
the bogs in the wake of the storm
and camp was made at last. Men
from the Carolinas to Arizona began
whipping their companies into shape
for regimental, then division, then
Army corps maneuvers starting late
next week.
Some of the Reserve troops came
1,000 to 1,500 miles across country
t
in forced marches and then were
dumped down in wild, unsettled,
cut-over timberland at night. Tor
rential rains stalled their equipment
and caused innumerable problems.
Gravel roads were cut to ribbons
by the heavy Army trucks, bridges
washed out, hundreds of trucks
stuck, many with heavy guns, and
the Guard had to meet the problem
alone.
Build Roads, Repair Bridges.
Troops that in civilian life prob
ably sat behind desks or worked
behind counters are building roads,
repairing bridges, getting motorized
equipment out of mudholes and
studying like university students be
fore exams in their spare time.
They are living in open tents and
sleeping on the ground without
mosquito netting or other protec
tion.
Guardsmen undergoing these rig
ors have their minds uppermost of
one subject—the state of National
Guard legislation before Congress.
Calling of the Guard, as proposed,
would bring domestic problems for
many.
An informal check on some units
indicates varying percentages of
men who would quit because of de
pendents if the Guard were called
for a year's duty and they were
permitted to resign. Some company
commanders reported that less than
10 per cent of their men would leave
—some say up to 30 per cent of the
married men.
Sale of $104,137 Assets
For $1,510 Is Approved
An order ra4ifying and confirm
ing the sale of the assets of the
Departmental Bank, having a book
value of $104,137.38. was signed late
yesterday by District Court Justice
James W-. Morris.
The property, comprising bills re
ceivable, judgments, overdrafts and
other assets, goes to H. Lamar Hen
derson. whose bid of $1,510 was un
contested.
Justice Morris acted after in
vestors were given an opportunity
to bid higher but failed to do so.
and Receiver John F. Moran asked
that the sale be ratified.
Defense Contracts Let
The Navy Department has an
nounced award of a $18,761.30 con
tract for brass and copper to Revere
Copper & Brass. Inc., Baltimore
division. A $1,758 contract award
to Pangborn Corp.. Hagerstown. Md.,
for machines was announced by the
War Department.
Lewis Urges Shorter
Enlistment, Good Pay
To Draw Volunteers
Strong Opposition Will Kill
Draft, Says C. I. 0. Chief,
Offering Alternative
Hr the Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 10 —John
L. Lewis offered an alternative to
conscription today.
“Shorten the period of enlistment
to one year and increase the pav
of the Army, at least until it equals
that of the boys in the C. C. C.
camps,” the president of the Con
gress of Industrial Organizations
suggested.
“You will attract the young men
who believe it their duty to the Gov
ernment to be trained as soldiers.”
Such a volunteer sys'em. he ven
tured, would raise an army ade
quate for all of America’s needs.
C. I. O. Opposes Conscription.
Mr. Lewis, here on a tour of the
Pacific Coast, said the C. I. O. was
“definitely opposed to conscription.”
“So are the A. F. L. and the five
railroad brotherhoods,” he added.
“So are the youth of the Nation, the
women of the Nation, the churches
of the Nation. It will not come to
pass.”
He disclosed plans for further or
ganization in the rapidly expand
ing shipbuilding and aircraft indus
tries on the Pacific Coast.
The “so-called defense program.”
he asserted, "is making patriotism
very profitable for industry end
: finance.”
Mr. Lewis said he had no pa
! tience with charges that “fifth
column activities were undermin
: ing American institutions and that
he did not believe the United States t
was in danger of Nazi invasion.
Bay State A. F. L. Unit
Backs Third Term, Draft
BOSTON, Aug. 10 OP).—The Mas
sachusetts Federation of Labor was
on record today, by convention vote
of 411 to 8, in favor of a third term
j for President Roosevelt.
Heated debate preceded adoption
I of the resolution last night, and at
! one point, Walter Camerazzo of the
I Boston seafood handlers’ local was
shouted down when he inquired
whether only one man was qualified
for the presidency and announced
that he intended to vote for Wendell
Willkie.
The convention earlier crushed,
259 to 8, a resolution opposing con
scription.
C. /. 0. Smelter Workers
Oppose Conscription
DENVER. Aug. 10 iiP).—Opposition
[ to the Burke-Wadsworth conscrip
I tion bill was voiced yesterday in a
| resolution adopted unanimously by
the 37th convention of the Interna
I tional Union of Mine, Mill and
i Smelter Workers (C. I. O.).
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