OCR Interpretation


Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, June 01, 1942, Image 2

Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC

Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1942-06-01/ed-1/seq-2/

What is OCR?


Thumbnail for

Two Extra Pages
In This Edition
Late news and sports are covered on
Pages 1-X and 2-X of this edition of
The Star, supplementing the news of
the regular home delivered edition.
Closing N. Y. Morkets—Soles, Poge 12.
An Evening Newspaper
With the Full Day's News
LOCAL—NATIONAL—FOREIGN
Associated Press and (A1) Wirephotos. North
American Newspaper Alliance, Chicago
Daily News Foreign Service and The Star’s
Staff Writers, Reporters and Photographers.
_ *
_ Means Associated Preeo._
geth YEAR. No. 35.825.
WASHINGTON, D. C., MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1942
Washington TTTFFF PFVTS Elsewhere
and Suburbs iXllAJLiL LIjxMO. Five Cents
U. S. and Britain to Strike Reich
With Full Air Power, Arnold Says;
R. A. F. Blasts Cologne into Ruins
Allies to Achieve
Air Superiority,
American Asserts
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, June 1.—Lt. Gen.
Henry H. Arnold, head of the
United States Air Forces, an
nounced today he had “prac
tically completed” conferences
with British leaders aimed at de
veloping “the maximum impact
of our combined air strength” on
Germany.
Gen. Arnold, who arrived in Brit
ain last week, declared:
“It Is obvious no offensive against
Nazi-occupied Europe can succeed
without air superiority and we mean
to have it.”
He spoke at his first press con
ference since his arrival and praised
Saturday night's mammoth raid by
the R. A. F. on Cologne as “a won
derful show'.” He said the sooner
American planes could take their
place side by side with the R. A. F.
on similar raids "the better it will
be.”
U. S. to Send Balanced Unit.
The general avoided questions re
garding when the United States
flyers would be flying from the
British isles, saying: "I hope the
first you hear about it will be when
they arrive.”
He said the American air force
In Europe would be a balanced unit
of fighters, bombers and all other
types of planes.
“In gaining air superiority in any
theater,” he went on, “we haven’t
time to wait for ideal airdromes,
Ideal aircraft or ideal conditions.
"Our enemies have demonstrated
that they are willing to take their
losses. We must be prepared to
take our losses, too. but we are going
to make them count.
“It has been agreed that the
best results will be achieved if
American crews fly in American
planes as American units except
when emergency conditions dictate
another course.
“Allocation of aircraft is being
arranged with this principle in mind.
“The chief consideration of our
conversations has been to insure
that increasing demands of Ameri
can units of United Nations aircraft
production do not impair the Brit
ish air offensive now or in the fu
ture. I believe a mutually satis
factory balance has been struck.”
Minimum Kept in U. S.
“We are determined to get every
possible fighting plane into the
fight,” he continued.
“No combat planes are being kept
back in the United States beyond the
absolute minimum required for tacti
cal training.
“Prime Minister Churchill and
President Roosevelt have assured
the people of our two countries time
and again that we will hit the
enemy hard and relentlessly until
his military power is broken.
"The R. A. F. has recently been
carrying out raids on a scale never
before known in the history of, war
fare in pursuit of this policy.”
The general said he had sent a
message congratulating Air Marshal
A. T. Harris, chief of the R. A. F.
bomber command, on the Cologne
raid, and concluded:
“Mv visit has, I hope, hastened
the day when our air arm shall
join in an air offensive against the
enemy which he cannot meet, de
feat or survive."
In reply to questions he said It
“has not been fully decided” wheth
er to put the Eagle squadrons of
the R. A. F„ formed of American
volunteer flyers, into the American
air force.
Messages Exchanged.
The approaching day when United
States and British air forces will
fly wing to wing in pulverizing
smashes against Germany was
foreseen in the exchange of mes
sages between Gen. Arnold and Air
Marshal Harris.
Gen. Arnold, who has been con
ferring on joint operations here,
wrote to Marshal Harris yesterday:
“As commanding general of the
United States Army Air Force I de
sire to extend my congratulations
to you, your staff and combat crews
for the great raid last (Saturday)
night on Cologne.
"It was bold in conception and
superlative in execution. Please
convey to your officers and men
mv admiration for their courage
and skill and say that our air forces
hope very soon to fly and fight be
side them in these decisive blows
against our common enemy.”
Marshal Harris’ Reply.
Marshal Harris replied:
"All ranks of the bomber com
mand are highly appreciative of
your message. We, too. look forward
to the time now so near when the
United States Army Air Force,
which already so gallantly and ef
fectively share their burden in the
Far East and elsewhere, comence
operation at our side in this theater
of war- _ . . .. .
•We are supremely confident that
with their aid our common enemies
—faced with certain devastation of
their own land—'will have cause bit
terly to rue the day on which they
forced our two countries into war.”
Grand Coulee Dam
Gates Open Today
By the Associated Press.
GRAND COULEE, Wash., June
1.—At 3 o’clock this afternoon the
Columbia River will rush over Grand
Coulee Dam — creating America’s
mightiest waterfall.
Work began on the dam in the
winter of 1933-34. Today engineers
open the drum gates atop the dam.
The resulting falls, far mightier
than either Niagara or Victoria, will
be 1,650 feet wide and 320 feet high.
> - ,
Canterbury Raided in Reprisal
By Three Waves of Nazi Planes
Several Historic Buildings Are Wrecked;
First Reports Put Toll at 12 Dead
By the Associated Press.
CANTERBURY, England, June 1.—Three waves of German
air raiders, totaling about 25 planes, attacked this ancient cathe
dral town early today with tons of high explosives and incen
diaries.
Several historic buildings were wrecked by bombs or fire
during the raid, which apparently was in reprisal for the R. A. F.’s
devastating attack on Cologne Saturday night.
Among the buildings hit were*
I two churches, two schools, a hotel
and a newspaper office. Many
homes were wrecked or burned out.
(An authoritative source in
London said the Canterbury
Cathedral doubtless was one of
the Germans' objectives, but
added: “It is not proposed to
assist the enemy by giving any
information as to whether dam
age was caused or not."
(He said "some 50” planes in
all attacked British targets, half
of them raiding Canterbury.
(In Berlin the German high
command said “thousands of
high explosive fire bombs” were
dropped on Canterbury and
pilots observed large fires after
the low-level attacks.)
Scarcely any section of the town
was missed by the bombers. Sev
eral large stores were wdped out in
the business section, and at one
_
j» - ■ ■ - —’■ ' — " 1
time this whole area was a mass
of flames.
All the fires were under control
by daylight, however.
Though many residents were left
homeless, they went about their
work today as well as the emergency
permitted. By mid-morning farm
ers were bringing stock into town
in many instances leading it over
smoldering wreckage.
First official reports said 12 per
sons wrere known killed, but that
other bodies might be found.
The new Archbishop of Canter
bury was in the town during the
raid, but he was reported safe.
Authorities /id the spirit of co
operation between the people and
air-raid services was remarkable and
that many were unwilling to leave
their homes though the houses often
were ringed by fire.
I
Russians Forestall
Nazis Reinforcing
Kalinin Positions
t
Important Enemy Lines
Northwest of Moscow
Declared Captured
By th6 Associated Press.
MOSCOW, June 1.—The center
of action on the Russian front
apparently had shifted today
from Kharkov to the Kalinin
sector northwest of Moscow,
where for a second time this
spring the Red Army reported
beating the Germans to the
punch.
The great) battle of Kharkov,
which has simmered down into rela
tive quiet, was the first instance and
the Russians claimed It as a tri
umph.
Without denting their own reserve
power, despite acknowledged losses
of 75,000 men, they declared they
had forestalled a Nazi push on Ros
tov, drained German reserves and
diverted 36 Nazi divisions which had
been massed opposite that gateway
city to the Caucasus. A Russian
communique has put Nazi losses on
| the Kharkov front at 90.000 or more
men captured and killed. 540 tanks
I and 200 planes destroyed.
“Important Lines” Seized.
On the Kalinin front, a communi
que said yesterday, the Germans
tried to strengthen their positions by
moving in large reserves but, strik
ing first, the Red Army seized "im
portant enemy lines” and left about
1,100 Germans dead or wounded in
repulsing counterattacks lasting
three days.
An editorial in Red Star, the army
newspaper, said the battle of Khar
kov showed major revisions in the
German tactics, with the Nazis’
former reckless advances discarded
in favor of cautious pressure.
It urged intensification of Soviet
scouting to detect the enemy’s plans
and permit Russian forces to strike
(See RUSSIA, Page A-~3d
500 Soldiers Stricken
With Stomach Cramps
B> the Associated Press.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., June
1.—Morrison Field soldiers were or
dered back to their base from a
Sunday holiday after some 500 of
them doubled up with stomach
cramps and nausea on city streets
and the beach.
Post officers gave no statemnt yes
terday, but food poisoning was the
apparent cause.
A few of the men were made un
conscious. A fleet of 10 civilian de
fense ambulances, aided by military
medical units, dashed back and
j forth for three hours hauling the
I ailing soldiers.
111 Killed al Cologne,
Nazis Assert; 'Great
Damage’ Admitted
Four Historic Churches
Listed by Berlin as
Severely Hit by Bombs
By the Associated Press.
BERLIN (From German Broad
casts), June 1.—Dispatches from
Cologne today said four of the
finest old churches in that his
toric Rhineland city were se
verely damaged in the British
raid Saturday night. This fol
lowed the radio assertion last
night that 111 civilians were
killed and “great damage” was
done in the central part of the
city.
The radio broadcast last night
quoted German military quarters as
saying that only “about 70” British
planes took part in the raid and
that British assertions that more
than 1,250 planes participated were
“fantastic.”
Damaged C hurches Listed.
The Cologne churches which were
said to have been damaged were:
Saint Martin’s, one of the most
notable Romanesque churches in
Germany, dating back to the 12 cen
tury; the Church of the Apostle,
Santa Maria im Capitol, and the
Antonite Church.
Saint Martin’s towers were second
only to the spires of the famous
Cologne Cathedral as a conspicuous
landmark of the city, the Berlin
radio said.
Even older and as architecturally
famous is Romanesque Santa Maria
Capitol, which stands on the site
of the former Roman capitol and
whose carved doorways date partly
from the beginning of the 11th cen
tury. The Church of the Apostles
also dates from the 12th century.
The dispatches said the "center
of the city which comprises the most
ancient and picturesque district,
suffered particularly heavily.”
Damaged buildings, apart from the
churches, included the police head
quarters and the Nazi welfare head
quarters.
Air-Raid Services Praised.
The radio last night repeated the
high command's earlier assertion
that damage to Cologne was great,
but then it added that "fires re
sulting from the bombardment were
confined to attic fires which soon
were under control, it is learned.”
The air raid precaution services
were praised today.
"The air raid precaution services
without thought of personal losses
considerably limited the spreading
of fires by noteworthy vigilance and
prompt action,” the communique
said.
It was indignantly charged both
“ (See~BERLIN, Page A-2.)
Congress and Supreme Court
To Join in Raid Drill Tomorrow
Members of Congress and justices!
of the Supreme Court will join the
rest of the metropolitan area in its
all-out daylight air raid drill tomor
row morning, it was learned today.
In the House and Senate Office
Buildings, members and clerks will
leave their offices and go to desig
nated shelter areas in the corri
dors.
A signal for the siren atop the
Capitol power plant also will bring
the Supreme Court justices to the
shelter areas. >
It has not yet been decided
whether a number of committee
meetings at the Capitol will be ad
journed for the 15-minute drill
period.
The proposed immobilization of all
traffic except emergency vehicles
brought a warning from Traffic Di
rector William A. Van Duzer that
Washingtonians who must be at cer
tain destinations between 10 and 11
a.m„ the time of the drill, should
plan to arrive before 10 am.
Passengers on street cars and
buses, he said, must remain aboard
the vehicles and even though close to
their destinations will not be permit
ted to walk until the "all clear” is
sounded.
At Union Station guards will be
on duty at all exits to keep passen
gers on arriving trains from leaving
until the all clear. This also will
apply to vehicular traffic on the sta
tion premises. Station officials said
the hour was not particularly a rush
period and no difficulty or undue
crowding was expected.
When the sirens sound all con
struction work will stop at the Stat
ler Hotel and workmen will descend
to the concrete-floored subbasement.
y -
1,000 Bombers Hit
Nazi City With
Record Attack
By DREW MIDDLETON,
Associated Press War Correepondent.
LONDON, June 1.—Germany
can be knocked out of the war
by fall, crushed by huge fleets of
American and British bombers,
air experts predicted today as
the German city of Cologne lay
in flaming ruin under the most
devastating air raid in history.
When the R. A. P. sent more than
1,000 bombers with the greatest
weight of steel and explosive ever
borne on wings into the Rhineland
Saturday night, these sources de
clared, its flyers heralded not only
an eventual invasion of Hitler’s
Europe, but also the systematic de
struction of his war machine, city by
city, factory by factory.
The R. A. F. continued its of
fensive against the Nazis in daylight
today with flights of fighters active
over Northern France, apparently
concentrating on the Calais area.
Of such magnitude was the Co
logne raid that only a masterwork
of organization, with the bombers
i swarming over their targets at 6
j second intervals, made It possible.
Summary of Raid.
Its paralyzing might was told In
astronomical figures:
Of three-fourths of Cologne
afire and under a 3-mile-high
pall of smoke:
Of more than 1.000 bombers
roaring over their German
targets in Cologne, and elsewhere
in the Rhineland and the Ruhr
Valley in a 90-minute procession
of death and destruction;
Of perhaps 1,250 planes in all,
including the bombe'sr protective
Fighter escort, in the greatest
aerial armada ever put into the
skies at one time;
Of 6.000.000 pounds of bombs
dropped;
Of twice the number of planes
and four times the weight of ex
plosive and incendiary bombs
that ever were pumped on
Britain in a single night, even at
the height of the German air
assaults.
Of 6.000 airmen in a single, in
tricately co-ordinated air at
tack;
Of 100.000 men in ground crews
at home sending the planes off
from scores of bases.
Nazis Scoff at British Claims.
Even the Germans admitted
“great damage” to Cologne, their
fifth largest city, although the Ber
lin radio scoffed at the British an
nouncement of the scope of the at
tack, quoting Nazi military sources
as saying only “about 70” planes
took part. •
An authorative source said that
immediately after the Cologne raid,
Heinrich Himmler, chief of the
Gestapo, assumed control by decree
of Reichsmarshal Wilhelm Her
mann Goering of the whole air raid
precaution services in Germany. The
services, it was said, will be incor
porated into the German police
force.
Reuters, in a dispatch datelined
“on the German frontier,” said hun
dreds of thousands of homeless peo
ple were being removed from the
Rhineland following the attack on
Cologne, Wealthy Germans were re
ported anxiously trying to transfer
to safer districts.
The British said their losses were
44 planes, picked off by 500 anti
aircraft guns and many night fight
er squadrons.
On the basis of British reports
that the R. A. F. used 1.250 planes
in all, this was a loss of less than 4
per cent—compared with the 10 per
cent generally mentioned as the
maximum losses which still would
mark a raid as a success.
Only Berlin, Vienna, Hamburg and
Munich surpass Cologne in size
within greater Germany. Beside be
ing an important manufacturing
center of 768.000 population in the
heart of a great German industrial
region, Cologne also is a great Rhine
River port and the hub of all rail
lines connecting Germany and
France.
Though one ponderous blow
virtually had flattened a great Ger
man city, the raid's significance lay
for the British in the vision it raised
of more, and worse, to come for
the enemy.
Prime Minister Churchill himself
pictured the Cologne attack as part
of a master strategy rather than
an isolated achievement.
He told the flyers in a message
of congratulation that their work
(See COLOGNE, Page A-2.)
Bombers Hit Two Ships
In Arctic, Nazis Claim
By the Associated Press.
BERLIN (From German Broad
casts), June 1.—Two large merchant
ships were hit in German dive
bomber attacks in Arctic waters off
Russia's northern supply port of
Murmansk, the German high com
mand reported today.
German air forces also attacked
Sevastopol, the besieged Russian
Black Sea base in the Crimea, the
communique said.
On the Russian land front, it re
ported only that the Germans made
successful local attacks and repelled
“isolated enemy attacks.”
Bing Crosby Injured
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., June 1
OP).—Singer Bing Crosby suffered a
badly cut lip in an automobile crash
today. Doctors said the injury
would not impede Bing’s singing.
fWE DON'T NEED
?ANY HERE...BUT
* YOU MIGHT TRY.
k DOWN THE
|L STREET!
( NOW, THIS \
IS ABSOLUTELY
\ THE BEST AND
A THE MOST—1
x
Trials of a Traveling Salesman
New Offensive Begun
By Japanese Army
In South China
Attack Launched After
Arrival of Fresh
Troops, Tokio Says
By the Associated Press.
TOKIO (From Japanese Broad
castsi, June 1.—The Japanese
Army in South China has begun
an offensive in Kwangtung Prov
ince, an announcement from its
headquarters at Canton said to
day.
The attack was launched at dawn
yesterday after the arrival of "crack
Japanese units" as reinforcements,
Domei reported.
The Japanese news agency said “a
steady northward drive” was under
way against a Chinese army of "tens
of thousands” under Gen. Yu Han
mou, commander of the Chinese 7th
War Zone.
Series of Bombing Raids.
Japanese warplanes co-operated
by a series of severe bombing raids
along the Peh River and around
Tsungfa, some 50 mile* northeast of
Canton.
(The new Japanese drive, ap
parently following the parallel
lines of the Peh River and the
Canton-Hankow railway, appears
to be another phase of the large
scale operations which many ob
servers believe is designed to
knock China out of the war.)
The Bangkok radio today broad
cast an announcement that Thai
(See CHINArPage A-3.)
Bailey's Primary Victory
Is by 2-to-l Margin
By the Associated Press.
RALEIGH. N. C.. June L—Senator
Bailey today held a better than
2-to-l margin over his opponent
for nomination for a third term
in Saturday's Democratic primary.
Similar victories were indicated
for incmbent Democratic House
members having opposition and for
Cameron Morrison of Charlotte, for
mer Governor and United States
Senator, in the newly created 10th
district.
With returns tabulated from 1.610
of the State's 1.919 precincts the
vote for Senator Bailey was 183.107, i
as compared with 83.584 for Rich
ard T. Fountain, former Lieutenant
Governor and one-time Speaker
of the North Carolina House.
The 69-year-old Senator Bailey,
who made no formal campaign, was
ahead in all but four of the State’s
100 counties In the incomplete re
turns.
Yugoslav King to Visit
Roosevelt This Month
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, June 1.—Two monarchs
of.conquered Balkan countries—
King Peter of Yugoslavia and King
George of Greece—are expected to
visit President Roosevelt in Wash
ington early this month.
Exchange Telegraph said the
youthful Yugoslav ruler and several
of his ministers expected to spend
four to six weeks in the United
States.
Greek government-in-exile circles
j said King George and Prime Min
ister Emmanuel Tsouderos expected
to leave Cairo at the end of the week
for the United States.
Household Carving Sets
Fall Under W. P. B. Ban
By the Associated Press.
The War Production Board today
prohibited manufacture of house
hold carving sets, penknives and
most manicure implements, and
sharply restricted the production of
household cutlery.
The order, affecting 80 companies
with normal annual business of
$60,000,000 was made effective today.
It is expected to save 6,000 tons of
iron and steel annually. 600 tons of
copper alloy and quantities of other
metals, rubber and plastics.
The curbs do not apply to sterling
silver flatware and do not affect the
use of unalloyed gold and silver in
other articles.
t
908 Return on Drottningholm;
3 Subs Sighted on Crossing
Twelve From D. C., Maryland and Virginia
Among Those Exchanged by Axis
By THOMAS R. HENRY,
Star Staff Correspondent.
NEW YORK, June 1.—Out of Axis internment camps 908 North
and South American diplomats, journalists and others caught by
the declaration of war In continental Europe reached home today.
me sweaisn uner urouningnoim^
docked at Jersey City in a driving i
rain and there was a long delay for I
final examinations of papers and
the removal of the body of Mrs.
William D. Leahy, wife of the Am
bassador to Vichy, who died in
France.
Ship's officers said three Axis sub- !
marines were sighted on the 10-dav ;
trip from Lisbon, but that Capt.
Sigfrid Ericsson, the skipper, did not i
tell the passengers for fear of alarm- j
ing them. The ship's itinerary had
been given in advance to all the
belligerents.
The first sub. ship's officers said
was sighted off the coast of Portugal
22 hours out of Lisbon. Two more
were sighted May 29 and they im
mediately closed their hatches and I
dived. I
j
Admiral Leahy was the first off
the boat followed by men and
women many of whom were step
ping on American soil for the first
time in many years.
Twelve from Washington and
nearby Maryland and Virginia were
listed on the passenger list, all
State Department employes or serv
ice attaches.
From the ship at quarantine were
removed 85-year-old George Horton
and his elderly wife, considered by
officers who boarded the ship too
feeble to stand the excitement of
landing with the other passengers.
Mr. Horton formerly was United
States Consul General in Italy and
has made his home there for 40
• See DROTTINGHOLM. Page A-4.)
Windsors Are Guests
Of Roosevelts at
Informal Luncheon
Duke and Duchess Come
To Capital for Visit
Unmarked by Ceremony
The Duke and Duchess of
Windsor, arriving by train at 9
a.m. today from Miami on what
was described as a business mis
sion, were guests at the White
House at an informal noon
luncheon.
It was said at the White House
that President and Mrs. Roosevelt
were entertaining the royal couple
as old friends at a family luncheon.
No guest list was announced and
the luncheon wras not regarded as an
official affair.
The duke, who is Governor Gen- j
eral of the Bahamas, said at Miami
that the principal purpose of his
visit to Washington and New York
was to arrange for marketing Ba
hamian vegetables, hemp and other
products in the United States—a
trade the West Indian Islands
needed since the war had greatly
reduced the number of tourists.
England’s former King planned to
confer with Government officials
during a stay of several days here.
He also was expected to discuss the
defense co-ordination of the Ba
hamas and the Florida coast.
To Dine at Embassy.
The duke and duchess will be
guests at a dinner tonight at the
British Embassy where they are
staying.
Their arrival was in striking con
trast to the reception given them
last September on their first visit
to Washington since Edward VIII
renounced his throne and married
the American-born Wallis Simpson.
Then crowds of spectators on hand
and large squads of police pro
tected the visitors.
Today the couple left their train
almost without public notice. Only
(See WINDSOR, Page A-3.)
Girl Slashed to Death
In Chase Through
Boston's Back Bay
Three University Students
Overtake Dishwasher
And Hold Him for Police
By the Associated Press.
BOSTON, June 1—A ’teen-age
girl, screaming as she fled before
a knife-brandishing pursuer
along a parkway path beside the
Charles River Basin, fell and was
slashed to death today within
view of horrified Back Bay
apartment dwellers.
Three Boston University students
pursued and captured the killer.
Police said the girl, Fidelia Briand,
18, of suburban Woburn, was walk
ing to her classes at the Fisher
Business School when she was ac
costed by the man, armed with a
foot-iong butcher knife. The man
gave his name to Patrolman James
Leonard as Harry Adams, 28, of
Somerville, a dishwasher in a Boston
West End restaurant.
Girl Stumbles and Falls.
Harold Breski, 21, of Bridgeport.
Conn., and Henry Gates, 21, of
Gardner. Mass., seniors, and Lyle
Wilson, 19, of South Portland, Me.,
a Junior at Boston University, pur
sued the man and the screaming
girl along the pathway beside a
lagoon, but were too far behind to
prevent the tragedy.
As the man closed in the girl
stumbled and the pair rolled mo
mentarily from view into shrubbery
along the path. Then the assailant
appeared again, running.
Wilson halted to bring police.
iS^e MURDER. Page A-3.)
Bernard Schuster Dies
EL PASO. Tex.. June 1 (JPi.—Ber
nard Schuster, 82, of El Paso, who
in 1890 took electric lights into
Mexico to show President Porfirio
Diaz and his cabinet, died yester
day of a heart ailment.
Summary of Today's Star
Foreign
New offensive begun by Japs in
South China. Page A-l
Russians forestall Nazis strengthen
ing Kalinin positions. Page A-l
Rommel’s tank forces trapped by
British in Libya. Page A-l
Canterbury attacked in reprisal by
German air raiders. Page A-l
Three midget Jap subs believed sunk
in Sydney Harbor Page A-5
Chiang pleads for 10% of America’s
equipment output. Page B-M
Nazis slay 20 more in Czech capital
for attack on Heydrich. Page A-4
Rioting in Paris emphasizes serious
ness of food situation. Page B-7
National
Three explosions blow hole in U. S.
tanker at Tampico. Page A-3
Supreme court may sit next week to
finish work. Page A-3
Arnold charges Standard Oil tried to
mislead committee. Page A-5
Barrage balloons in use along West
Coast. Page B-13
Water wall drowns seven on Lake
Erie. Page B-13
Washington and Vicinity.
D. C. residents asked to save tin cans
for salvage. Ptge B-l
Labor rfiobilization program becomes
effective today. Page B-l
Modified decentralized air-raid sys
tem to be tried here. Page B-l
Oden denies statement to police on
sweetheart’s slaying. Page B-l
Gas-rationed throngs jam public
transportation. Page B-10
British Capture
Rommel's Chief
Aide in Libya
Saw Hitler One Week
Before Attack Began,
Seized Diary Shows
By HARRY CROCKETT,
Associated Press War Correspondent.
WITH THE BRITISH FORCES
IN THE LIBYAN DESERT, May
30 (Delayed).—Gen. Ludwig
Cruewell, coihmander of the
German African Corps and sec
ond only to Field Marshal Erwin
Rommel in the North African
command, was captured yester
day and found in possession of a
diary which show’ed he conferred
with Adolf Hitler only a week
before Marshal Rommel's latest
attack.
Gen. Cruewell. 55. former com
mander of Nazi tank formations
in France and Yugoslavia, was
taken prisoner when a reconnais
sance plane in which he was a
passenger was forced down by anti
aircraft fire in the center of the
British lines.
Earlier it had been thought that
Lt. Gen. Nehring had taken com
mand of the corps—there even was
a rumor that he had succeeded
Marshal Rommel—but it became
apparent that he was sent to the
desert only to fill In for Gen. Crue
well during the latter’s home leave.
Returned May 24.
Gen Cruewell, who became a full
general last December, left the des
ert March 24 and returned May 24,
just two days before the zero hour
for the African Corps’ new drive.
Gen. Cruewell probably is the most
important general yet to fall into
British hands.
“Captured Italian officers gava
him a most deferential Fascist sa
lute when he departed," said a Brit
ish officer who escorted Gen. Crue
well to quarters assigned to him.
The tall, ruddy-faced, grizzled
officer with the grime of the desert
struggle still on him faced newspa
per cameras unabashed.
Asked w’hat he thought about the
Russian campaign, where he parti
cipated in the Kiev drive last fall,
he replied curtly, "I don’t speak on
military or political subjects.”
The plane in which Gen. Cruewell
was forced down was a Fieseler
Storch plane—a two-seated mos
quito-like aircraft described as able
to hover at vantage points from
which to view land operations.
Damaged by anti-aircraft fire, the
plane made a forced landing in
which the pilot was killed. Gen.
Cruewell was uninjured.
Bulk of Rommel's Tanks
Are Reported Trapped
CAIRO. Egypt, June 1 UP).—The
bulk of Field Marshal Erwin Rom
mel's two German tank divisions—
the backbone of his Africa Corps—
was reported trapped and atempt
ing to escape the British today with
the forces of Lt. Gen. Neil M.
Ritchie waging a fierce battle from
all sides and from the air in an ef
fort to wipe out these forces.
The Germans’ only hope, a Brit
ish communique indicated, was to
win a "battle of the gaps" by hold
ing open two narrow passageways
through British minefields to the
westward which the Germans had
cleared and where they had concen
trated anti-tank artillery to protect
their route of escape.
British informants said the Ger
mans. faced with the choice of using
the minefield gaps to bring up sup
plies or to withdraw the tanks, ap
parently had chosen the latter
course and that the Rommel of
fensive, begun five days ago. had
turned into a furious battle by his
forcfis to escape encirclement.
19 R. A F. Planes Lost.
The R A. F., reporting the loss
of 19 planes in continuous opera
tions over the battle area in the
last 24 hours, said its fighter and
bomber attacks on Axis mechanized
forces were maintained "with out
standing effect.”
The planes are concentrating on
supply columns attempting to move
oil and water to Marshal Rommel's
forces, as well as engaging in actual
combat with the tanks and armored
cars.
“Many enemy trransport vehicles
were destroyed and damaged, and,
although our fighter effort was
directed principally against the
enemy's land forces, several com
bats developed over the battle area,”
the R. A. F communique said.
At least four Axis planes were
shot down and others were "prob
; ably destroyed.” Bombers blasted
| the Martuba airdrome and objec
I tives in the El Tmimi area.
Other bombers ranged as far as
Messina is Sicily. A heavy attack
was pressed home last night at
the Derna Airport and "large fires
were observed among the dispersed
aircraft.”
British authorities said an order
(See-LIBYA, Page A-3J
Quiz on Price Ceilings
Will Be Held in Forum
Senator Brown. Democrat,
of Michigan; Representative
Patman, Democrat, of Texas,
and Price Administrator
Henderson will engage in a
question and answer discus
sion of rationing and price
fixing in the National Radio
Forum, which is arranged by
The Star and broadcast over
WMAL and a coast-to-coast
Blue Network hookup at 9
o’clock tonight.
Senator Brown and Repre
sentative Patman handled
the price control bill in their
respective branches of Con
gress.

xml | txt