Evening star. [volume], December 26, 1942, Image 1

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

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>V -- ... — --„_
Weather Report
Little change in temperature today and tonight*
lowest temperature tonight near 38 degrees.
Temperatures today—Highest. 45, at 3 p.m.; low
est, 38, at 6:30 a.m. Pull report on page A-2.
pM cdti sumption should be 77 per cent
of allotment for period ending January 4.
Closing N. Y. Morkets—Soles, Page B-2
NIGHT FINAL
LATEST NEWS AND SPORTS
CLOSING MARKETS
OP) Meant Attoclattrf Pratt.
91st YEAR. No. 36,033.
WASHINGTON, D. C., SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1942—TWENTY-TWO PAGES. x
Washington m-r^■D-rpT^, nrvrTC! Elsewhere
and Suburbs 1 -tl-HHilti J. £>. nVE CENTS
>
President Signs
Bill Lifting Tax
On Institutions
Restores Exemption
To Property of D. C.
Non-Profit Groups
President Roosevelt has signed
the bill restoring to the District
tax-exempt list non-profit insti
tutions here, the White House
announced today.
The bill would restore to the ex
empt list hospitals, charitable, re
ligious. educational and scientific
Institutions declared taxable by the
Commissioners within the past two
years.
A committee of local officials ap
pointed by the Commissioners went
over the exempt list in December,
1940. They issued a series of de
ci^ons holding that properties with
a total value of approximately $25,
000.000 were not legally entitled to
the exemption heretofore granted
them, under a strict interpretation
of old District statutes. The taxes
that would be payable on that total
valuation from all the institutions
would be $450,000.
Barked by McCarran.
District officials, however, felt that
about half of the properties they de
clared taxable should have the ex
emption restored by clarifying the
old exemption laws. With this in
view a measure, rewriting the old
laws, wa.s introduced in the Senate.
The Senate District Committee,
after extensive hearings, decided
the exemption definitions favored
by the Commissioners were too nar
row-. They were redrafted into the
McCarran-Hunter bill, quickly ap
proved by both House and Senate.
Local officials informally contend
the bill, in final form, restored ex
emption to all of the properties
they held to be taxable, and made
possible additional exemptions.
Sections Opposed.
The Board of Trade, through its
Municipal Finance Committee, sup
ported the McCarran bill. It
pointed out that, since District offi
cials themselves advocated restor
ing exemption to about half the
affected properties, the revenue in
volved in taxing the remainder
would be S225.000 a year out of an
annual income requirement of
$60,000,000.
The Commissioners made a last
minute effort to narrow the scope
of the bill in several respects, but
without success. Among the provis
ions to which the Commissioners
objected as too broad were the re
storing of exemption to religious
study houses, as distinguished from
churches, and allowing institutions
to retain on the exempt list their
surrounding land owned on July 1.
1942. Congress stipulated, how
ever, that if any such land later is
sold, instead of being used for in
stitutional expansion, back taxes
would have to be paid, up to a limit
of 50 per cent of the profit from the
sale.
Granting another point opposed
was the exemption to buildings of
organizations engaged in adminis
tration, co-ordination and unifica
tion of activities, locally or other
wise, of institutions or organiza
tions entitled to exemption.
Old Laws Too Narrow.
Up to now exemptions have been
governed by a series of old statutes
passed at various times. The local
officials who made the recent survey
took the position that the defini
tions in some of these old laws
were not broad enough to justify
the exemption heretofore extended
to some hospitals, charitable homes
and headquarters of religious so
cieties.
The McCarran bill, first of all, laid
down a new set of general defini
tions, describing the types of insti
tutions that should be exempt. It
also listed for exemption by name
a number of national organizations
that have their headquarters in the
National Capital. These were:
National Geographic Society,
American Pharmaceutical Associa
tion. National Lutheran Home, Na
tional Academy of Sciences, Brook
ings Institution. American Forestry
Association, Carnegie Institution of
Washington, American Chemical
Society, American Association to
Promote the Teaching of Speech to
the Deaf and the Medical Society
of the District of Columbia.
The bill's basic principal for de
termining exemption rights is that
an institution must not be organ
ized or operated for private gain.
Mexican Ratification
Of Finance Pact Hailed
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. Dec. 26.—Thomas
W. Lamont, chairman of the Inter
national Committee of Bankers for
the Mexican debt, yesterday sent
a telegram to President Manuel
Avila Camacho of Mexico and to
Finance Minister Eduardo Suarez
expressing appreciation for that
country's ratification of a new
financial agreement.
“May I be permitted in behalf of
the International Committee of
Bankers to felicitate you upon the
unanijnous ratification by the
Chamber of Deputies of the new
agreement for the final settlement
of the Mexican government's direct
external debt and to renew for
my associates and myself at this
especial season our assurances of
friendship and good will,” Mr. La
mont telegraphed.
'Y Sign Leader Calls
For Chalked '1918s1
To Taunt Germans
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Dec. 26.—'“Col”
Britton, the BBC broadcaster
who led the "V” sign campaign
which nettled the Germans for
months, advocates now the use
of the symbol "1918” to taunt
the Nazis.
"Col.” Britton urged his list
eners in German - occupied
countries last night to chalk up
the figures on walls, saying they
would be a "reminder to the
Germans of their tradition of
defeat."
Public Co-operation
Asked by Camalier to
Speed Oil Deliveries
Says Consumers Should
Turn In Coupons as
Quickly as Possible
; (Earlier Story on Page A-l.)
Renah F. Camalier, newly ap
pointed consultant to Whitney
Leary, District OPA rationing
officer, said this afternoon, after
conferring with national OPA of
ficials, that he planned to seek
i increased public co-operation in
his task of solving Washington's
fuel oil problem.
"The oil situation in Washington
is very desperate,” he said. “It calls
for co-operation from both the pub
lic and the Government to meet the
situation and prevent suffering."
His conference today was with
assistants to Leon Henderson, price
administrator, with whom he re
centlv discussed the fuel oil prob
lem at length.
Manpower Shortage.
He revealpd that his reaction to
I today's conference was that there
was some friction in the District
which slowed down deliveries and
caused the present ’confusion. He
, said he had learned that there was
a lack of manpower and woman
: power, both in the offices and on
the trucks.
One object. Mr. Camalier also re
ported. will be to urge consumers
to turn their fuel oil coupons over
to the dealers from whom they buy
immediately after they arejfeceived
from rationing boards.
Trucks Idle.
“I am told the reluctance of the
public to write the numbers of their
rationing sheets upon each coupon
and to send them to the dealers has
slowed deliveries by at least 40 per
cent." he said. "Delay in doing this
puts that much more work on the
truck driver.”
He added that he knew of one
company in the District that had
eight trucks idle today because it
was unable to ge* drivers for them.
He revealed further that he
planned to investigate the supply
situation as it affects the District,
explaining that no system would be
effective until the city received its
allotted ration on schedule.
>
Montgomery Resigns Post
At Agriculture Department
Donald Montgomery, head of the
consumers council of the Food Dis
tribution Administration, Agricul
ture Department, has submitted his
resignation to Secretary of Agri
culture Wickard. It was accepted
as of December 31.
Mr. Montgomery joined the Agri
culture Department almost 10 years
ago. He succeeded Calvin Hoover
hr the consumers counsel chief in
the Agricultural Adjustment Ad
ministration.
Race Results
| (Entries for Monday on Page 2-X.)
Tropical Park
By thr Associated Press.
FIRST RACE—Purse. $800; claiming:
."--year-olds and up. 6 furlongs
j C.uile (Haskell) 10.40 4.5(1 3.30
Largo Mint (Snider) 5.80 4 20
Hard Jester (Mojena) 3 70
j Time. 1:12*5.
Also ran—Day Dress. PairiciR A., Tainall
I star. Down Six. Wise Witch and Sumatra
SECOND RACE—Purse. $80(1; claiming'
3-year-olds and upward: 0 furlongs
H -ien Spot (Goggi i 14.20 fi.oo 4 30
Big Chance (CafTarellai 3.40 2 70
Cosine (ThornburgI 4 4n
Time. 1 :121 y.
Also ran—Tower Maid, Take It. Sun
8pirk Valdina Jo
THIRD RACE—Purse. $800; claiming'
3-year-olds and up: 0 furlongs.
Coupon (Thompson! 3.20 3.00 2 00
Flaming High (Daniels) 5.70 3 20
Zaca May (Thornburg) 2 So
Time. 1 11*5.
Also ran—Tra-La-La. Lady Orchid. Old
Whitey. Mattie J and Tripod
FOURTH RACE—Purse $800* claiming;
3-year-olds and upward: 8 furlongs
Drumont i Adams) 3.7 0 2.80 2 50
Shasta Man (Bates) 5.00 4 nr
Castigada (Wright) 5 80
Time 112.
Also ran—Flying Silver. Whlscendent.
Sherron Ann, Dense Path, Patrol Flight.
New Orleans
By the Associated Press.
FIRST RACE—Purse. $000: claiming:
2-year-olds; ti furlongs.
Be Calm iBrooks) 13.80 5.80 400
Marcella K (Guerin) 4.00 3 40
Forevic (Whiting) 4 20
Time. 1:15V
Also ran—Craft Lady Kennebis. Green
• Torch. Southland Miss. November, Ed
Greenock. Eagle Peak. *
U. S. Flyers Bag
12 Japs to One
On China Front
Don't Need Road
To Supply Air Force,
Says Chennault Aide
By NELSON M. SHEPARD.
Back from the air front in
China. Col. Merriam C. Cooper,
chief of staff to Brig. Gen. Claire
| L. Chennault, the former Flying
i Tiger, disclosed today that mem
bers of the China Air Task Force
are shooting down 12 Jap planes
i for every one they lose in
combat.
American air power is on the
"up and up" from China to North
Africa, the veteran flyer said on his
return to Washington after visiting
various fronts around the world.
Col. Cooper declared an Allied air
force large enough to whip the
Japs over China could be maintained
easily without the necessity of re
taking the Burma road by being
supplied by air cargo planes.
Land Forces Need Burma Road.
That is the situation affecting the
aerial warfare, he pointed out, but
in the case of supplying the Allied
land forces, he said the reopening
of the Burma road would be a great
help.
The combat score of the China
task force is considerably less than
j the 20-1 maintained bv the famous
American volnteer group which
Gen. Chennault commanded in
; China before its transition into the
American volunteer group which
per indicated here as on other
j fronts our air power is on the "up
I e.nd up” and given the planes neeri
I ed it could clean up the job in
China in quick time.
"We still need more stuff, and I
think we are going to get it," Gen.
Chennault's chief of staff said.
"With our P-40s we can lick any
thing the Japs have in the air now."
Air Units Growing Stronger.
Col. Cooper explained that by his
praise of the P-40 he did not mean
the China air task force would not
be glad to get any other planes.
Referring to the air fronts around
the world he has recently visited.
Col. Cooper said American air
i power is still lacking in might to
| win the war. but is improving and
looking "better everywhere."
"We are beginning to be an effi
cient fighting force and as a Nation
w-e are doing a hell of a good job,"
he said. “That is my fleeting im
pression—that everything is running
smoothly and we seem to be doing
, better in every theater of war.”
Cites Plane Development.
The development of air transpor
tation. Col. Cooper said, has been
one of the great achievements of
this war and is really improving by
i "leaps and bounds." A year from
now. he predicted, it will seem fan
tastic when the record of air trans
portation is realized.
Col. Cooper, who mentioned only
incidentally his own part in the
activities of the China task force,
spoke repeatedly and enthusi
' astically about the amazing record
i and personality of Gen. Chennault.
i “I'm very happy in that theater
of war and I am anxious to get
back," he added.
Camp Springs Airport
Fire Damage $125,000
A lass expected to reach $125,000
was reported by the War Depart
ment today in a preliminary investi
gation of the fire which early yes
terday destroyed the Construction
Administration Building at the
Camp Springs (Md.i Airport. Esti
mated loss included the building
and contents.
There is no evidence of sabotage,
the report stated. No more than 10
persons were in the building when
the fire started and. although all the
occupants escaped without injury, it
was said the fire spread so rapidly it
was impossible to save any of the
building's contents.
A ooard of officers has been ap
pointed to investigate all aspects of
the loss. While the fire destroyed
many valuable records, it was said,
no delay in construction of the air
base is expected
Inquiry developed that the fire ap
parently started in the room next to
the heating plant. It spread not
only into the heating system, but
also into open-air space between the
ceiling and roof.
I
Winant Returning Home
To Talk With Roosevelt
B* the Associated P. ess.
LONDON. Dec. 26.—John G. Wi
nant, United States Ambassador to
London, has gone to the United
States for a brief visit, during
which he will consult with President
Roosevelt, it was made known to
day.
H. Freeman Matthews, counselor
of the Embassy, will be in charge
during his absence.
Late News Bulletins
Germans Condemn 25 french for Sabotage
LONDON <&).—Reuters said the Rome radio broadcast a
report today from Paris that 25 Bretons had been sentenced
to death by a Germany military tribunal at Rennes, France,
on charges of committing sabotage.
Axis Regains Tunisian Hill
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN NORTH AFRICA
Enemy units strongly attacking a British Guards Brigade
regained the crest of a hill in the Medjez-El-Bab area of the
Tunisian front yesterday, Allied headquarters announced to
night.
TAKING ORDERS FROM YANKS, NOW—German flyers, captured in the North African offensive, pose for Signal Corps Photogra
| pher Lt. Robert Longini at Fedala, French Morocco
1_
■«
Old Gangland Feud
Probed as Motive
In Chicago Slaying
Tavern Owner Found
Murdered, Apparently
Dumped From Auto
By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, Dec. 26—Possible
motives of trouble with remnants
of the Capone mob or of robbery
were investigated by police today
as they hunted the slayer of
Robert E. McLaughlin. 42, cafe
owner whose brother was killed
in a gang feud 12 years ago.
McLaughlin's body, with three
bullet holes in the head and neck,
was found on the North Side yester
day. Police said it apparently had
been thrown from an automobile.
His lf»ge automobile was found yes
terday afternoon a short distance
from his tavern which had been
closed since a fire damaged it De
cember 13.
Police said they learned Mc
Laughlin had lived in fear of attack
since his brother. Eugene (Red)
McLaughlin, an ex-convict, was shot
and dumped into a drainage canal
in 1930.
Robbery was considered a likely
motive after police learned Robert
McLaughlin, intoxicated and dis
playing a large amount of money,
was seen in taverns a few hours be
fore his death. Only $1.05 in coins
was found in his pocket.
Police Lt. Thomas Sheridan said
a woman had told him McLaughlin
left a restaurant at 4 a m., waving
to two men. His body was found
at 8:25 a m. Police indicated they
knew the identity of the men and
would question them.
Police weighed conflicting re
ports as to whether remnants of
the Capone mob had dealings with
McLaughlin in operating the cafe.
McLaughlin was president of the
Checker Cab Co. in the turbulent
years between 1926 and 1931. A
week after he assumed the presi
dency, his predecessor, Joseph Wok
ral. was slain.
Joseph, last survivor of the three
: McLaughlin brothers, is a Municipal
! Court bailiff. He said he could
offer no motive for the killing and
j knew of no enemies of his brother.
Typhus Unit Appointed
To Protect U. S. Forces
By the Associated Press.
i President Roosevelt today estab
lished a typhus commission to pro
tect members of the armed forces
from typhus fever both here and
abroad.
The commission will serve with
| the Army and will consist of a di
lector. to be appointed by the Secre
tary of War, and officers of the
! Army Medical Corps, Navy Medical
i Corps and Public Health Service.
An executive order authorized the
; director to “formulate and effectu
ate a program for the study of ty
; phus fever and the control thereof,
both within and without the United
States, when it is, or may become, a
threat to the military population."
The order also established a medal
to be awarded by the President to
any person rendering meritorious
service in connection with the ty
phus commission's work.
Eire Faces Anxious Future,
De Valera Warns Nation
By the Associated PrcM.
DUBLIN, Dec. 26.—Prime Minister
Eamon De Valera, in a Christmas
night broadcast, told Eire it must
take every precaution to meet
dangers “and we cannot but look
into the future with anxiety, but
there is no reason why we should
look into it with dread.”
He reiterated his nation's inten
tion to defend itself and expressed
his sympathy “with the millions of
families in countries at war linked
to us by the closest human ties.”
Mr. De Valera said it would be
hard to convince the victors in the
war that their safety would not re
quire utter humiliation of the van
quished. but he warned that a peace
conceived on such terms would be
only another war deferred.
This German officer wears an expression of displeasure as he was photographed by Lt.
Longini. Note American flag on the lieutenan t's sleeve. These are being used so the natives
i may easily distinguish Americans. —Army Signal Corps Photos.
Nazis Acknowledge
Argentine Request
On Envoy's Immunity
No Action Indicated
On Protection Waiver
Asked by Court
By the Associated Press.
BUENOS AIRES, Dec. 26.—Tire
German government acknowl
edged through its Embassy today
the receipt of the Argentine
Supreme Court's request that
Capt. Dietrich Niebuhr, Nazi
Naval and Air Attache here,
waive diplomatic immunity pro
tecting him from appearing in
court to answer charges of es
pionage which resulted in the
sinking of several merchant
ships in the Atlantic.
The German disclosure did not in
dicate whether the request would be
heeded. Capt. Niebuhr figures in
charges before the court as a sus
pected recipient of information al
legedly delivered to the German
Embassy concerning the movements
of ships which called at Argentine
ports and later were sunk.
I Presumably, if the German gov
ernment refuses the request, the Ar
gentine government's only. alterna
tive would be to declare Capt. Nie
buhr persona non grata. Argentina
and Chile are the only twd Latin
American countries still keeping
diplomatic relations with Germany.
It also was disclosed that the con
gressional committee investigating
anti-Argentine activities was pre
paring legislation aimed at prevent
ing funds from being made available
by foreign representatives to Argen
tine publications deemed by the
committee to be in “the service of
' Nazi-Fascism or Falangism."
Four Civilians, 2 M. P/s
Hurt in Night Club Fight
By the Awociated Pres*.
GREAT FALLS, Mont., Dec. 26.—
j Four civilians were wounded by bul
I lets and two military policemen were
beaten in an affray last night at a
night club.
The Injured were taken to hos
pitals, but none was believed to be
in a serious condition.
Deputy Sheriff Ed Ugrin said wit
nesses informed him a fight started
after the military police Instructed
a civilian wearing a military type
leather jacket to leave the place at
midnight, curfew hour for soldiers.
Army officials started an investi
gation.
Flying Fortress,
In Death Dive,
Fells Nazi Plane
By the Associated Pres».
LONDON, Dee. 26.—Although
falling itself in its final, steep death
dive, a Flying Fortress which was
reported missing after the raid last
Sunday on Romilly-sur-Seine was
disclosed today to have taken one
more Nazi fighter with it.
Staff Sergt. Jack D. Sngll of Se
dalia. Mo., told interrogation officers
of the 8th United States Air Force
about it after returning from the
same raid.
“Four forts were flying in close
formation under incessant attack,”
Sergt. Snell said. “Finally, the rear
plane started downward in its final,
steep dive.
“Closing in to make sure of the
kill came an enemy Focke-Wulff
190.
“I saw the top turret gunner spin
his guns into position and open j
fire. All of a sudden the Hun came
apart in the air. I guess it was the
last gun the fort fired.”
The plane was one of six missing
from the raid in which at least 44
enemy planes were destroyed.
Wife Denies Killing Mafe
Day Before Child Is Born
By the Associated Press.
WARE. Mass.. Dec. 26.—As her 17
day-old baby sat in a nurse's arms
a short distance away, Mrs. Beatrice
I Bouvier, 28, calmly pleaded innocent
I in District Court today to a charge
' of murdering her husband, Rudolf.
32. on December 8. the day before
i their child was born.
Mrs. Bouvier was arrested earlier
today in Mary Lane Hospital after
I an investigation by District Attorney
! John W. Heselton and Ware Police
Chief B. W. Buckley. Two nurses
accompanied her and the baby to
court and then to Hampshire County
Jail, where she was held without
bail.
The baby will remain with its
mother until the hearing date, Jan
uary 5.
Mr. Bouvier was shot twice in his
bedroom and a double barreled shot
gun was found nearby. Police were
summoned by a neighbor whom Mrs.
Bouvier had informed her husband
had been shot.
No motive for the alleged murder
Fas disclosed.
Son Born to Pasternaks
HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 26—A six
pound son was born today to Film
Producer and Mrs. Joe Pasternak.
He was named Mickey, for Screen
Actor Mickey Rooney. Mr*. Paster
nak is the former actresa, Dorothy
Darrell. i
Flying Forts Blast
Big Jap Merchantman,
Damage 3 Small Craft
Planes Make First Flight
From Guadalcanal Under
Direction of Navy
Army Boeing Flying Fortresses,
making their first flight from
Guadalcanal to Rabaul, scored
three direct hits on what was
thought to be a large Japanese
transport and several near-hits
on three small cargo ships, the
Navy announced in a commu
nique today.
A force of Japanese fighter planes
took off from Rabaul but did not
attack the American bombers.
This important Japanese harbor.
560 miles from Guadalcanal, often
has been attacked by Army planes
operating from the Australian
command, but this Is the first time
that planes under the Navy Com
mand have participated in the
bombing of Rabaul. Rabaul is in
the Bismarck archipelago.
Score 3 Direct Hits.
The raid occurred December 25
(East longitude time). While they
were certain that three direct hits
were made on the big vessel, the
flyers could not definitely ascertain
that the target was a transport
and said that it might have been
a cargo ship.
Rabaul, next to the Island of
Truk, is regarded as probably the
most valuable Japanese base in
this area of the Pacific. It is from
Rabaul that the Japanese have
launched many of their raids on
the Solomons.
Navy spokesmen said that the
1,120-mile round trip flown by the
Fortresses was apparently the long
est raid yet made from Guadal
canal.
New Offensive Phase.
Heretofore. Guadalcanal blows
have been directed at enemy bases
in the Central or Northern Solo
mons, 170 to 300 miles from Hender
son Field.
The attack on Rabaul. therefore,
possibly signalizes the beginning of
a new stage of aerial warfare in the
Solomons, employing the force at
Guadalcanal, plus planes based
elsewhere which use that field as a
refueling point, carrying the war
deeply into Japanese territory.
-■ -
Chicago Tribune Raises Price
CHICAGO. Dec. 28 The
Chicago Tribune, which has been
selling its daily editions for 3 cents
In Chicago and suburban area, an
nounced a price increase to 3 cents,
effective Monday.
French Council
Meets to Name
New Leader
Allied Officials
Pay Tribute at
Admiral's Funeral
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Dec. 26—Reuters
reported from Algiers that a
firing squad this morning put to
death the 22-year-old assassin
of Admiral Jean Darlan, quickly
carrying out' the sentence of a
court-martial.
The assassin previously had been
scheduled to face the firing squad at
dawn.
i CBS Correspondent Charles
Collingwood also reported to New
York that the sentence of death
had been executed.
i Mr. Collingwood said Admiral
Darlan’s funeral was held with
considerable military ceremony
this morning and was attended
by the highest Allied officers, in
cluding Lt. Gen Dwight D Eisen
hower and Mark W. Clark, who
stood with Mme. Darlan around
the casket after the services in
the Algiers Cathedral as Ameri
can. British and French troops
marched past.
• The body, which had lain in
state in the fort of the govern
ment palace, was moved into a
chapel where it now lies, he said.t
The name and motive of the as
sassin as yet were uncertain. He
was described, however, as of French
nationality with an Italian mother
still living in Italy.
ALGIERS, Dec. 26 t/Pi.—The 22
year-old assassin whose bullets cut
down Admiral Jean Darlan on
Christmas eve was scheduled for
swift execution today as the im
perial council named by Darlan was
called to choose his successor as
high commissioner of the French
African colonies.
(The Morocco radio said all
five surviving members of Ad
miral Darlan's imperial council
would be present at the meeting
to pick a successor. They are
Gen. Jean Marie Bergeret, Gen.
Henri Honore Giraud and the
three Governors-General of
French North and West Africa.
Pierre Boisson of West Africa,
Yves Chatel of Algeria and Au
guste Nogues of Morocco, i
Police powers in French North
Africa were taken over yesterday bv
Gen. Henri Honore Giraud. French
military commander now regarded
as one of the possible successors to
Darlan's political leadership in the
colonial empire.
The consequences of this violent
removal of Admiral Darlan. former
Vichy collaborationist, whose as
sumption of African colonial lead
ership brought bitter protests from
divided French factions and other
quarters, still were unclear. It
appeared, however, that the way
nowT was open for greater unity
among the French fighting beside
the Allies.
Bergeret Calls for Unity.
Gen. Jean Marie Bergeret. close
associate of the dead admiral,
urged all Frenchmen to unite "for
the only fight that counts—the
liberation of France."
French justice move almost, in
stantly to punish the assassin. At
6 pm. yesterday, 27 hours after
Admiral Darlan's death, the court
martial sentenced him to death.
The young killer, when at first he
believed his attempt had failed,
said: "I am sorry I missed my
mission." Then, when informed
Admiral Darlan was dead, he said,
: "So much the better, you may kill
me now.”
A communique said letters be
tween the young man. described as
French, and his mother, now living
in Italy, had been seized but "the
contents threw no light on the case
or the actual circumstances of the
crime.”
The assassin used the name
"Morand" when he went to the
summer palace to ambush Admiral
Darlan at 3 p.m. on Christmas eve.
He was said to have spent most
of his life in Paris and Italy, and
to have entered the University at
Algiers about a year ago.
The body of the dapper little
French Admiral and politician was
taken to the Algiers Cathedral for
(SeeDARLAN Page 200
: 7 Ship Sinkings Claimed
In Nazi 'Routine7 Report
By the Associated Press.
BERLIN (From German Broad
casts', D^. 26.—A DNB broadcast
| said today that U-boats had sunk
■ seven merchant ships, totaling
i 40.000 tons, in the Atlantic, includ
ing a fully-laden 7.000-ton tanker
en route to North Africa.
Four of the ships, the report said,
were sunk from a “small but
strongly protected convoy in the
North Atlantic, and the other three,
the tanker among them, were sunk
‘ between Natal. Brazil, and Free
town, British West Africa.
There was no confirmation of this
report. Such claims have become
part of the Nazi week-end routine.
Markets at a Glance
NEW YORK, Dec. 26 14>)_
Stocks steady; peace shares fa
vored. Bonds steady; few rails
higher. Cotton firm; tride price
fixing and commission house
buying.
CHICAGO. — Wheat higher;
short covering. Corn higher;
weather conditions. Cattle nom
inally steady. Hogs steady; top.
$14.75.