Evening star. [volume], April 09, 1943, Image 1

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

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Weather Report
Warmer tonight; showers late tonight. Tem
peratures today—Highest, 67, at 3:30 p.m.; low
est, 40, at 7:15 a.m. Full report on Page A-2.
"
Closing N. Y. Markets—Sales, Page A-15.
1
NIGHT FINAL
LATEST NEWS AND SPORTS
CLOSING MARKETS
OP) Mtant Aitoclattd Pratt.
91st YEAR. Xo. 36,137.
WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 1943 —FIFTY-TWO PAGES. XX
--
Washington rrTTT?Tnr r'TTXTTQ Elsewhere
and Suburbs five CENTS <
AXIS QUITS KEY POINT 22 MILES FROM SFAX
1 1 i ■ ■ .. ■ , ' ^
Roosevelt Plard
Ceiling on All
Commodities
Action Follows Order
On Wage Freezing
To Halt Inflation
ROOSEVELT STATEMENT and ex
ecutive order texts on page A-2.
By J. A. FOX.
President Roosevelt said today
dollar-and-cents price ceilings
will be established on all cost-of
living commodities as they have
on meats under the policy out
lined in his new price-wage
order.
At the same time. James F. Byrnes,
director of Economic Stabilization,
who attended the President's press
conference, said the Office of Price
Administration was working out a
new schedule of prices that might
be ready tomorrow, adding that the
same administrative procedure
would be followed as in the past
with prices posted where they can
be seen by purchasers.
The President's new order, which
holds wages to the "little steel”
formula level and establishes ad
ditional controls over commodities,
was issued last night, and the dis
cussion of its provisions came at
the press conference today, where
Mr. Roosevelt described it as an
effort to prevent ups and downs in
the Nation's economy and get on a
more stable basis.
Livestock Lnder Order.
Mr. Byrnes said that it. might be
necessary to fix the prices of cost
of living commodities that are not
sold at retail if the casts are reflect
ed in the retail price.
He agreed with a questioner that
livestock was one of these.
The President said the whole
stabilization problem resembles a
four-legged stool.
Food prices are one leg. wages an
other, rationing a third and taxa
tion and saving are the fourth, he
said.
An effort is being made, he added,
to prevent ups and downs,and to get
on a more even level, using all four
lees to prevent the stool from falling
over.
His executive order was a step in
that direction, he said. but. Congress
still has to provide the fourth leg,
taxes and savings.
Asked whether $16,000,000,000 is
still the administration's goal on new
revenue, as mentioned in his budget
message to Congress, Mr. Roosevelt
said it is the administration's hope.
Emphasizes Buying Power.
The President laid particular em
phasis on the problem of holding
down purchasing power, illustrating
his argument by telling of a visitor
who said that his wife was com
plaining because asparagus was $1.50
a bunch This man. the President
added, is a skilled machinist, and he
said he had asked the man when he
was ever able to buy fresh asparagus
before at this time of year. He de
clared he had also asked the work
man if he had had any winter straw
berries and when answered in the
affirmative, asked when that had
happened before.
So many people have a great deal
more money than they ever had be
fore and that is one of the prob
lems that must be met as a part of
a successful anti-inflation program,
the President said.
The President was asked if Mr.
Byrnes had any more powers than
previously inasmuch as the new ex
ecutive order which provides for
price adjustments shall be subject
to his directives.
Borderline Cases.
I
The President asked Mr. Byrnes
to answer that question, and the di
rector said he knew of "no material
increases" in his authority except
insofar as borderline and hardship
rases involving rulings of the OPA
and the Food Administration.
The President was asked if he had i
decided yet what to do about signing
the legislation which nullifies his
aider limiting salaries to $25,000 after
taxes. He said no, that he still had
24 hours to worry about this provi
sion which is a rider to the debt
extension bill.
Mr. Byrnes also was asked whether
Manpower Chairman Paul V. Mc
Nutt has greater powers under the
new order which prevents job shift
ing merely to obtain higher wages,
and he said that there was greater
authority because the new order is
based on the sanction of the Price 1
Control Act of October 2.
Rationing "Leeway.”
In connection with rationing. Mr.
Roosevelt suggested it should be
applied with what might be called a
leeway, since prices might have to
be changed from time to time, de
pending on scarcity or plenty. He
indicated, too. that the question of
’ determining specific food prices
might be handled regionally, locally,
or by areas, so as to avoid a situa
tion such as developed recently in
Washington. One week, he said,
there were screaming headlines here
(See PRICES, Page A-14.)
Guide for Readers
Amusements.
B-24
Comics . _ C-8-9
Editorials .. A-8
Editorial
Articles . A-9
Lost, Found. A-3
Obituary . A-10
Jfc&suo .C-9
Serial
Story _C-10
Society _B-3
Sports C-l-2-3
Where to Go,
B-15
Woman's
Pag*_B-22
4 Allied Vessels
i Destroyed Off
Guadalcanal
Four Allied naval vessels, In
cluding a destroyer, were sunk
during the aerial battle off Guad
alcanal Island on Wednesday,
the Navy disclosed this after
noon.
The other vessels included an oil
tanker, a corvette and what was
described as a small tank vessel.
1 Because of the fragmentary re
ports which have been received, the
Navy was unable to definitely give
the nationality of the four vessels
which were sunk. However, the be
(See NAVY^Page A-4.)
Brown Says Ceilings
On Meat Products
May Violate Price Act
Squeeze on Packers Held
Serious and Untenable by
OPA Chief, Chester Davis
By the Associated Press.
Price Administrator Brown and
Food Administrator David agreed
today in testimony before the
House Small Business Commit
tee that the price ceiling squeeze
on meat packers has become “se
rious and untenable.” Commit
tee members have demanded im
mediate action to correct the sit
uation and stamp out the black
market in meat.
In response to questions from
Chairman Patman. Mr. Brown ac
knowledged that “to be frank” pres
ent ceilings on meat products may
be in violation of a Price Control
Act provision which calls for a
'generally fair and equitable mar
gin” for processing.
But while conceding that "small
packers are in tough shape,” the
price administrator said there are
"some casualties as a result of price
control that cannot be avoided.”
Livestock Ceilings Hinted.
Both Mr. Brown and Mr. Davis
hinted that price ceilings might have
j to be placed on livestock to alleviate
] the situation, although Mr. Davis
declared. “God knows. I don't want
that because of the administrative
headaches involved."
He termed the packers' plight just
one part of the whole meat-feed
grain situation, buk described it as
the “hottest No. 1 problem I've yet
bumped into."
Mr. Davis expressed hope the situ
ation would be alleviated by ra
tioning and by prosecution of black
market violators.
Mr. Brown, asserting that prices
of feed directly affect those of meat,
said at one point that action on
the packers' problems had been de
layed because of the Bankhead bill.
That measure, recently vetoed by
the President and then returned by
the Senate to its Agriculture Com
mittee. would have prevented in
clusion of Government benefits in
computing parity prices of farmers'
products, an action that would have
raised feed prices.
Personnel Report Due Soon.
Meanwhile, Mr. Brown said he ex
pected about April 20 a report from
his committee studying OPA per
sonnel and that he would act upon
“the facts" uncovered by that in
vestigation.
He made that statement after
Representative Patman declared
that the committee had found that
! "three or four" persons in OPA were
responsible for "all the trouble" with
meat packers "and our hope is that
those who won't acknowledge their
errors and correct them will be
removed."
Earlier associates of Mr. Brown
asserted that a reorganization of
the agency's policy-making offices
may be expected by the end of this
month, and predicted "business
men" will replace "professors" in
several key jobs.
Mr Brown, thev said, is waiting
only for a formal report from the
special committee. The committee
is headed by former Senator
Clyde L. Herring, who has
been an ooen advocate of changes.
Mr. Herring recently said his
personal opinion was that no
man is qualified to make OPA policy
unless "he had either carried a pay
roll or a precinct."
Says “Mobsters" Take Part.
The OPA was accused by a witness
before the committee yesterday of
contributing to the operation of food
black markets by "arbitrary, capri
cious and confiscatory" regulations,
and Mr. Patman proposed a shakeup
of OPA personnel. He said "mob
sters" who operated during prohibi
tion days had "muscled into” the
meat business, threatening a break
down in food distribution and
menacing the health of millions.
Witnesses representing independ
ent meat packers testified OPA
regulations do not allow a price
margin sufficient for legitimate
i See OPA SHAKE-UP, Page A-6.)
Count Fleet Turns In
Fast Warmup Time
B> the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Aoril 9.—Mrs. John
D. Hertz’s Count Fleet, favorite for
the Kentucky Derby, was sent a mile
over the Jamaica race track in
1:39 3-5 today in preparation for his
3-year-old debut in the Wood Me
morial, April 17.
With Jockey Longden in the sad
dle, the son of Reigh Count stepped
the first quarter in 24 seconds, hit
the half-mile marker in 48 flat and
was caught in 1:12 4-5 for six fur
longs—the same turned in by W. E.
Boeing s derby hopeful, Slide Rule,
in winning the FTjrnlanntnl Han
1 Uicap yesterday
Senate Passes
Liberalized U. S.
Pay Increases
$300 Minimum Set;
Ceiling Eliminated;
Conference Due '
By J. A. O LEARY.
The Senate today passed and
sent back to the House an
amended wartime pay bill for
Government employes, continu
ing the present temporary in
creases in most cases and treat
ing more liberally those in the
low-salary brackets.
The principal Senate change in
the House measure would give a
$300 increase after April 30 to those
for whom the present 21.6 per cent
increase is less than $301 for a 48
hour week.
The Senate measure also gives a
flat $300 to those now receiving a 10
per cent increase above November
salary levels in agencies where work
is not on an hourly basis—princi
pally in the legislative and judicial
establishments.
A third Senate provision elimi
nates the $5,000 ceiling in the tempo
rary law, which means increases may
be granted above that limit, but
computed only on the first $2,900
of annual compensation.
Held in Line With New Order.
It is expected the two branches
will now send the bill to a confer- !
ence committee for final settlement
of differences next week.
Asked by Senator Vandenberg,
Republican, of Michigan during the
debate whether the bill collides with
President Roosevelt's "drastic but
appropriate" order forbidding wage
increases above the "Little Steel"
formula. Senator Mead. Democrat,
of New York, sponsor of the meas
ure, declared:
"This in no way violates the
President's new order. There is
nothing in it at variance writh his
message.”
A Senate committee amendment
to deny the benefits of the bill to
any Government worker belonging
to a union that discriminated on
grounds of race, color or creed, was
kept in the bill on a division vote.
Extension Fails.
Senator Langer, Republican, of |
North Dakota, failed, however, in a
motion to extend the discrimination
ban to wage-board workers in Navy
yards, who are paid under other
laws.
Senators Mead and Brooks, Re
publican, of Illinois, defended the
Langer amendment, asserting it was
intended to prevent discrimination
by unions whose members work in
Navy yards. The amendment was
opposed by Senators Russell, Demo
crat of Georgia, and Byrd, Demo
crat, of Virginia, w'ho urged the
Government has no control over the
management of unions, as private
organizations.
A last-minute effort, launched last
night, to put employes of the Fed
eral and District governments on a ■
regular time-and-a-haif basis for:
overtime, which would have made
the wartime increases 30 per cent
instead of 21.6 per cent for 48 hours,
was abandoned today. No one in
• iSee PAY, Page A-4.i
Markets Tumble
As Speculators
Rush to Unload
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. April 9.—The Presi- :
dent's new anti-inflation drive to
dav touched off the heaviest selling
in securities markets since the Nazi
smash at France.
Stocks tumbled $1 to $6 a share in
dealings that approached the 3,000.
000-share level and the ticker tape,
near the close, fell three minutes
behind actual transactions on the
floor of the stock exchange.
Bonds were equally weak. Com
modties, however, cut early losses at
the finish.
At Chicago wheat was down about
2 cents a bushel at the opening but
ended with net recessions of 1 to
13«. Hogs lost 10 to 20 cents. Cot
ton gave up 55 cents to $1.05 a bale.
IT'S MEAT THAT'S TROUBLING THEM—Food Administrator
Chester Davis (left* and Price Administrator Prentiss M. Brown
1 right* appear to be pondering their next moves in the meat
price situation. They were pictured today at the House Small
- 1 ' I——^
Business Committee hearing into the meat black market. Both
agreed the price ceiling squeeze on meat packers has become
“serious and untenable.”
—A. P. Photo. !
WMC Helps Create
Turnover Problem,
Spokesman Admits
Army Anxiety Grows
Over Shift of War
Workers to Farms
The War Manpower Commis
sion has helped to create the
turnover problem now harassing
industry, a WMC spokesman ad
mitted today.
His statement came in the wake
of growing War Department anx
iety over migration of men in war
production back to. the farms.
Speaking in defense of WMC
stabilization programs, the spokes
man commented that the rate of
turnover doesn't always measure
the effectiveness of stabilization
efforts.
“The War Manpower Commis
sion," he said, "sometimes creates
turnover itself.”
He cited as examples the non
deferrable list which threatens the
draft for men in non-essential work
who fail to transfer to vital activi
ties; the back-to-the-farm pressure
and the effort to remove men with
logging experience from Pacific
Coast shipyards despite a shortage
of shipbuilding workers.
Asked if there was some hope for
finally getting men into permanent
work without shifting them from
agriculture to industry and back
again, he replied that the whole
problem is dividing up a total of
too few men. Future production de
mands, shifts from one type of pro
duction to another and new tech
nical methods which may replace
then with machines, he said, are all
factors in influencing stabilization.
He indicated that the back-to
the-farm movement had been ini
tiated because "we've got to be sure
we have enough farmers. We can't
gamble with food.”
WMC spokesmen confirmed, how
ever, the protests of the War De
partment over the drift back to the
farms and disclosed that commit
tees from WMC and the War De
partment will get together next week
to discuss the problem.
Morgenthau Asks Whole Nation
To Back 13-Billion Bond Drive
Finds New. Millions
Must Buy Shares
In America's Future
By HENRY MORGENTHAU, Jr.,
Secretary of the Treasury.
(Written for the Associated Press.)
The financial demands of this
war have stretched to every cor
ner of the country the need for
lending fighting dollars to the
Government.
Even with history-making num
bers already holding a stake in the
Nation’s future, new millions will
have to be added to the lists of
shareholders in America during
the $13,000,000,000 second war loan
drive which the Treasury will launch
next week.
Thousands of volunteer workers
from eOery group in our national
life will be collaborating with their
Government in the campaign to sell
securities to their friends, neigh
bors and business associates. Busy
as they will be in this important
task concentrated into a brief
period, they will find their work sim
plified tremendously by the splen
did contributions that have been
made and will be made by the in
HENRY MORGENTHAU, Jr.
dustries that provide our public
with information and advertising.
Natyrally, one of the great jobs
in this field is that contemplated
by the newspapers of America. The
(See BOND DRIVE, Page A-13 )
Late News Bulletins
Nazi Bombers Raid English Town
, LONDON </Pi.—Four Focke-Wulf 190s, flying low out of
the English Channel mist, bombed and machine gunned a
southeast coast town at dusk tonight, leaving behind a num
ber of 'casualties and considerable damage to workers’ homes.
One bomb bounced 300 yards and made a direct hit on a row
of houses. The bodies of a man. his wife and his daughters
| were recovered.
‘
Union Officers Convicted on Draft Charges
MIAMI (/Pi.—A Federal Court jury today convicted Max
Caldwell and Pvt. Mike Savachka, former Chicago Clerks'
Union officers, of violating the Selective Service Act. Cald
well, one-time business manager of the clerks’ organization,
was convicted of conspiring to violate the Draft Act and of
aiding and abetting Savachka in registering falsely. Savachka
was convicted of conspiracy and of making false statements.
Labor Amendment Voted Down
The House today voted down, 167 to 126, on a teller count,
an amendment which organized labor representatives have
said would make the Hobbs anti-racketeering bill acceptable
to unions. The amendment would have declared tifat union
activities made legal under four existing statutes are recog
| nized as legal under the Hobbs bill
(Earlier Story on Page A-4.)
Nats Top Coast Guard, 13-1, in Seventh
Washington was leading Curtis Bay Coast Guard. 13-1. at
the end of seven innings in an exhibition baseball game at
College Park. The Nats scored seven runs in the second in
ning on five hits and five errors.
Agreement to Place
Ceiling on Live Hog
Prices Reported
Decision Called First
Result of Roosevelt's
Anti-Inflation Order
By ihe Associated Press.
The Government intends
shortly, it was learned authori
tatively today, to roll back the
: market price of live hogs from
; current levels of nearly $16 a
i hundred pounds to about $14.50,
, and at the same time provide
“support prices” to give hog pro
! ducers additional payments,
i Officials, who asked that their
names be withheld, indicated that
Price Administrator Brown and
Food Administrator Chester C. Da
vis had agreed on such a program
and would issue a public statement
later in the day. It was understood,
however, the statement merely
would announce that the action
would be taken soon, and the actual
order was not expected today.
The action, which actually has
been pending several weeks, was
described as the first major result
of President Roosevelt's order last
night to “hold the line" on all farm
prices and wages.
On Capitol Hill Mr. Brown him
self said that in line with the Presi
dent's order regulations now are
(See HOG PRICES, Page A-4.j~
Kawabe New Leader
Of Japs in Burma
Br the Associated Press.
Lt. Gen. Masakazu Kawabe, for
mer chief of state of Japanese expe
ditionary forces in China, is the
new commander in chief of the Jap
anese Army in Burma, the Tokio
radio announced today in a broad
cast recorded by the Associated
Press.
Kawabe, 56, succeeds Lt. Gen.
Shojiro Iida, who commanded the
fanes which overran Burma last
year. The Tokio radio yesterday
said Iida had returned to Japan.
St. Elizabeth's
Visitor 'Given'
Bike by Patient
Warning him that he should never
accept gifts from strangers, Judge
George D. Neilson today,sentenced
George F. Lucas, colored, to a $50
fine or 30 days in jail for the theft
cf a bicycle from Dr. Winfred Over
holser, director of St. Elizabeth's
Hospital.
Judge Neilson's warning and sen
tence came after the defendant told
the following story:
"I went to visit a friend who was
a patient in the hospital. When I
came out a man was standing by the
bicycle rack. He said, ‘Do you want
a bicycle?’ I said, ‘Sure.’ He said,
‘Take any one you want.’ I thanked
him and took the shiniest one there.
"Judge, I didn't know he lived
there," said the defendant.
Senator Brooks' Wife
Files Suit for Divorce
By th« Associated Press.
RENO. Nev„ April 9—Mrs. Ger
trude Ackerly Brooks, wife of Sena
tor Brooks. Republican, of Illinois,
filed suit for divorce today, charging
extreme cruelty.
Detaiils of the charge were not
outlined in the complaint. Mrs.
Brooks came here six w’eeks ago.
She sai^ public service demands on
the Senator's time made it impos
sible to continue their marriage.
They were married in St. Joseph,
Mo.. August 26, 1920.
The complaint asked the court to
approve an agreement providing for
the support and maintenance of
Mrs. Brooks and the couple's son
Russell, 19. A private hearing was
scheduled for this afternoon.
Retired Policeman Burned
Clarence LaDow, 75, of 1254
Evarts street N.E., a retired Harbor
precinct policeman, was severely
burned late today when he fell
asleep in a chair on the front
porch of his home and dropped a
cigar which set fire to the chair.
His condition was reported critical
i at Casualty Hospital.
558,551 rC*J-Bushel
Winter Wheat Crop
Estimated by U. S.
703,253,000 Produced in
1942; Acreage Total
Is 37,482,000
The Agriculture Department
estimated today that the 1943
winter wheat crop will yield
558.551.000 bushels, compared to
703.253.000 bushels produced last
year, and a 10-year average pro
duction of 550,181,000 bushels.
The estimate was based on April
1 conditions.
The area planted to winter wheat
last fall was 37.482,000 acres, com
pared to 38.339,000 acres the pre
vious year and a 10-vear average
planting of 48.039.000 acres.
The Crop Reporting Board last.
December forecast a production of
624.504.000 bushels, based on condi
tions 88 per cent of a normal on
December 1. indicating an acre yield
of 16.7 bushels.
Winter damage, the board said,
has resulted in a loss of acreage
indicated at 10.4 per cent. This com
pares with abandonment of 6.7 per
cent in 1942.
Conditions April 1, the Crop Re
porting Board said, indicate a yield
of 14.9 bushels of winter wheat to
the seeded acre, compared to 18.3
bushels a year ago and 11.4 bushels,
the 10-year average acre yield.
The condition of rye April 1 was
82 per cent of normal, compared
with 87 a year ago and 75. the 10
year average.
Pastures were 80 per cent of nor
mal. compared with 82 per cent a
year ago and 73, the 10-year aver
age.
Early potatoes in Southern States
were 78 per cent of normal, com
pared with 76 a year ago and 76, the
10-year average.
Peaches were 48 per cent of nor
mal, compared with 77 a year ago
and 65. the 10-year average.
60 Ft. Belvoir Soldiers
Become Citizens Here
Sixty soldiers of 23 nationalities
from the Port Belvoir Corps of En
gineers today were sworn in as
American citizens in a special cere
mony before District Court Justice
F. Dickinson Letts.
Only officer in the group was Lt.
Cy Rose, 23, of Chicago, a native of
London, England.
Those naturalized included na
tives of Mexico. England. Germany,
Italy, Sweden. Norway, Greece, Rus
sia, Spain. Ireland, Rumania, France,
Austria, Holland. Canada. Scotland,
Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Portu
gal. Czechoslovakia, Cuba and Yugo
slavia.
Shortage of Material
May Make Casualty
Of Womens Slacks
By the Associated Press.
ST. LOUIS. April 9.—Slack
suits for women defense workers
may be the next war casualty.
They take too much material
and too long to launder, said
Hugh P. Flynn of Providence,
R. I., president of the Linen
Supply Association of America,
in an interview today.
He said Eastern linen supply
men will refuse to furnish them
when the present supply wears
out. Flynn favors dresses.
The association is holding its
annual convention here.
Mezzouna Also
Yielded in Big
Withdrawal
Allies Take 12,000
Prisoners in Three
Days of Fighting
By the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, April 9.—Axis
forces are abandoning Mahares.
only 22 miles south of the vital
harbor of Sfax, and the railway
town of Mezzouna in a continu
ing withdrawal under Allied
blows on a broad front between '
the Central Tunisian mountains
and the sea, it was disclosed to- -
day.
Armored vanguards of the British
8th Army pursued the troops of 1
Marshal Edwin Rommel's Afrika
Korps. who were fleeing north from ,
Mahares and northeast from Mez
zouna, 52 miles from Sfax, under
the hammering of the western desert
air force.
The flight of Rommel's forces from
Mahares marked a 70-mile retreat
from the Mareth Line in 11 days and
a 30-mile withdrawal from Wadi El
Akarit since Tuesday morning.
United States troops captured the
Djebel Mazaila, a height in the
mountain range north of Maknassy.
A communique announced that
the 8th Army had taken 9.500 pris
oners since the initial attack on
Rommel's Wadi El Akarit positions
and military quarters said 1,300
more were captured by the United
States 2d Army Corps in the mop
up of the El Guetar sector.
The French also rounded up some
prisoners and announced tonight
that, 24 cannon of 47 and 77 milli
meters were among supplies taken
from the enemy in the southern sec
tor.
In three days the Allies have cap
tured nearly 12,000 Axis troops.
Alexander Offers Praise.
The achievements of the Ameri
can corps, headed by Lt. Gen.
George S. Patton, jf„ in engaging
the bulk of the Axis armor earlier
this week on the 8th Army's left
flank were highly praised at a press
conference by Gen. Sir Harold L.
Alexander, Allied deputy commander
in chief.
(A Transocean dispatch broad
cast by the Berlin radio and re
corded by the Associated Press
said "the great superiority of the •
enemy in men and materiel is
showing its effect." Elaborating
a high command communique
which said Axis troops had frus
trated Allied encirclement at
tempts in bitter fighting, the dis
patch reported that ‘‘the detach
ing movement toward the north
* * * to all appearances is being
continued.”
iA British radio broadcast re
corded by CBS said American
forces thrusting along the road
from Maknassy to the coast (by
way of Mezzouna i "are now re
ported to be little more than 20
miles from Gen. Sir Bernard L.
Montgomery's spearhead.")
Military quarters anounced that
Allied observers saw Axis troops
heading out of Mahares yesterday.
Both Mahares and Mezzouna are
way stations on- the Gafsa-Sfax
railway. Mahares lies 50 miles
northeast of Gabes.
130 Vehicles Destroyed.
While American and British aerial
squadrons maintained assaults on
retiring Axis columns, it was an
nounced that 130 enemy vehicles
had been destroyed and 300 damaged
in the last two days.
Pressed hard by the 8th Armv,
Rommel was growing short of motor
transports to extricate his rear
guards.
In the Medjez-El-Bab sector of
Northern Tunisia the British main
tained the offensive launched Wed
nesday on a 12-mile front. Long
range guns knocked out two enemy
tanks there.
Military quarters said one enemy
tank concentration in that area was
observed yesterday under violent
attack by German dive-bombers
which obviously had mistaken their
target.
More than 400 prisoners have been
taken in the Medjez-El-Bab fighting
since Wednesday, a communique
said. Without naming the points,
it reported that the British had
(See AFRICA, Page A-C)
New Pay-Go Tax Plan
Proposed in House
A compromise pay-as-you-go tax
plan designed to put all taxpayer*
on a current basis by July 1 was ad
vanced today by Representatives
Newsome, Democrat, of Alabama
and Compton, Republican, ot Con
necticut.
The proposal by the two freshman
Representatives would reassess levijto
on 1942 income on the basis of 1941
rates and exemptions and provide
| that, the March 15 installment, al
| ready paid, and the June 15 install
ment be treated as payments on 1943
income.
This, they said, would exempt ap
proximately 7.000,000 new taxpayers
from any indebtedness prior to 1943,
while aH other taxpayers would re
ceive an abatement equal to 45 per
cent of their 1942 taxes. The re
maining 55 per cent would be paid,
over a period of five years in equal
annual installments. Effective July
1, a 20 per cent withholding tax
would be placed in effect.
India to Join in Parley
NEW DELHI. April 9 <>P>.—'The
government of India today accepted
the United States invitation to a
conference on postwar food prob
lems.