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Weather Forecast Fair, freezing temperature tonight; fair, warmer tomorrow. Temperatures today—Highest. 48. at 1:30 p.m.; lowest, 36. at 5:40 a.m. Yes terday—Highest. 66. at 12:01 am.; low est, 41, at 11:55 pm. _Late New York Markets, Page A-23. Guide for Readers Page., Amusements A-18-19! Comics.B-22-23j Editorials -A-12 Edit’l Articles .-A-13 Finance -A-22-23 Lost and Found _A-3 page. Obituary -A-14 Radio_B-23 Society.. B-3 Sports .... A-20-21 Where to Go __B-14 Woman s Page .B-lfi An Associated Press Newspaper 91st YEAR. No. 36,351. _WASHINGTON, D. C., WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1943-FORTY-EIGHT PAGES. **** Washington T'TI'RTr'TT' fTVTC: Klsewhm and Suburbs XXlXlXL/XLl ^Xji.\XO. FIVE CENTS Americans Rout 9 Counterblows In Drive on Nazis' Italian Line; Japs Try Bougainville Squeeze' Heavy Casualties Inflicted on Foe; War Plants Blasted Ey the Associated Press. ALLIED HEADQUARTERS Algiers, Nov. 10.—German troops lashed out in nine furious coun terattacks in the last 24 hours against American soldiers press ing in the Venafro area against the core of the greatly-reinforced Nazi winter line, it was an nounced today, but all were thrown back, with United States artillery and infantry fire taking a heavy toll. In a sharp new blow at Nazi war production. American Liberators battered the ball-bearing works at Villa r Perosa southwest of Turin— the last Italian source of vital bear ds*—and Plying Portresses bombed the Ansaldo steel works, docks and railways at Genoa. Italy’s leading port.. The Germans charging in the Venafro area tried vainly to hurl the Americans into the craggy ravines of the upper Volturno River. Nazi Resistance Stubborn. Enemy resistance was almost equally stubborn along the entire line, but the 8th Army to the east further consolidated its positions on high ground overlooking the San gro River and inland seized two im portant areas, including the towns of Castiglione and Porli. in gains of over four miles. The Germans launched a heavy counterattack at Calabritto on part of the 5th Army front held by Brit ish forces, but this, too, was re pulsed. These frenzied sallies cast the Nazis heavily in casualties and pris oners captured, Allied headquarters announced. American artillery backing up the infantry in the Ven afro area poured shells into enemy ranks by day and night in barrages whose detonations echoed through the valleys and whose shells ripped up the mountainsides. Told to Hold for Eight Weeks. Captured enemy documents con firmed prisoners’ stories that the Germans had chosen their present front as a “winter line,” and .that the. enemy command had ordered the line to be held at all costs for “at least eight weeks.” Allied patrols probed the stout German line. Besides throwing in many more troops supported by heavy artil lery concentrations and tanks ready for disruptive sorties, the Germans have cut many machine gun em placements in mountainside rocks. • Today's German communique said Allied attacks near Mignano and Venafro had been repulsed with heavy lasses. A bombing raid on Naples caused severe damage to ships and docks, it added.) The 8th Army advances to Cas tiglione, Carovilli and Forli put the lateral road inland from Vasto un der Allied control. Advancing to Forli British forces crossed the Van dra River on the Volturno’s head waters. They encountered 45 major demolitions in their drive, and big fires were seen in Castel di Sangro and Rionero, still German-held. Dozen Other Villages Taken. The advance took more than a dozen other villages, including Macerona, Vallepiccola, Roccasicura, Montalto. Monticello and Sebiana. The blow upon the Villar Perosa ball-wearing works by 15th Air Force Liberators came a day after Flying Fortresses had wrecked a sim ilar works in the nearby Fiat fac tories in Turin. There was no official announce ment on the damage at Villar Perosa, but the Fortress raid on Genoa was reported successful. With snow falling over the Apen nines and low clouds preventing flying over the 8th Army front in Italy, swarms of Allied fighters and fighter-bombers crossed the Adri atic to support Balkan guerrillas. RAF Spitfires fired a small ship off Saseno Island near the Albanian coast, shot up radio stations and gun positions near Durazzo and strafed five enemy tanks dug in for gun positions at Kavaje, Albania. RAF Kittyhawks hit a medium sized merchant ship at Split, Yugo slavia. and set fire to railway cars near the docks. Train Near Rome Blasted. In Italy, American A-36 Invaders blew up a locomotive and four rail way cars near Rome and ham mered highway transports, while °-40 Warhawks bombed bridges, roads and the town of Cerrano, north of Isernia. Last night WeL lingtons bombed railway bridges at Pontassieve. 12 miles east of Flor ence. Mosquitos the previous night fired trains between La Spezia and Rome, Two enemy planes were shot down, against no Allied losses. An official announcement said a final tally showed Flying Fortresses and Liberators had established a new record in this theater by shoot ing down 56 enemy fighters in the big aerial battle over the Messer schmitt factory at Wiener-Neustadl in Austria November 2. The largest previous total had been 45 downed over the Gerbini airfields in Sicily in July. ' German Puppet Leader In Albania Assassinated By the Associated Press. NEW YORK. Nov. 10.—Idhomom Kosturi, president of the puppet Na tional Assembly in German-occu pied Albania, has been assassinated the Albanian radio said today In * broadcast recorded by United States government monitors. The broadcast said “unidentified persons” shot Kosturi as “he was leaving Parliament in his car." k 1 Three U. S. Destroyers Lost; One Rammed Sub in Atlantic Washingtonian Commanded One of Two Craft Sunk in South Pacific Two United States destroyers have been sunk in the South Pa cific and a third one lost in a ! battle with a submarine in the North Atlantic, the Navy Depart ment announced today, j The Navy said a torpedo explosion | sent the destroyer Henley down in [ the South Pacific last month, and [the Chevalier sank off Vella Lavella during a night engagement on Octo ber 6 after she was severely dam aged in a battle with the enemy and collided with another destroyer in her formation, breaking in two. Tlie third destroyer, the Borie, was lost as the result of a damage she suffered in ramn^ing and sinking an enemy submarine in the Atlantic. She sank one sub with depth bombs, then rammed and sank a second German U-boat. The force of the second ramming was too much for the old Borie, which was built in 1920. and holes opened in her hull below the water line. With water pouring in. she managed to rejoin her task force, but damage was so great it was necessary for her personnel to aban don her. The Borie then was sunk by bombs from her own group's: planes. In announcing the losses the Navy Department emphasized that all' sinkings of United States vessels in the South and Southwest Pacific now1 have been announced. The Japanese recently have claimed the sinking of a large number of Amer-! ican w-arships during engagements in those theaters. The Borie. the Navy said, was part, of a task force which included the1 i See DESTROYERS, Page A-22 > " Hull Due Back Today, Will Give President Details of Parley Official Will Report on Conversations With Stalin and Eden B» ihe Associated Press. Secretary of State Hull is due back from the Moscow confer-: ence late today and will report I immediately to President Roose- j velt on what is generally consid ered here to be his greatest diplomatic triumph. With general war and postwar accords among the Allies in his pocket, Mr. Hull is expected to give the President much unannounced detail of the conference and of his conversations with Premier Stalin. Foreign Commissar Molotov and Foreign Secretary Eden. Mr. Hull's party is returning with him but for two announced excep tions. Charles Bohlen of the State: Department remained in Moscow as1 counselor of Embassy and Maj.! Gen. John R. Deane, who went as1 secretary of the combined chiefs of staff in Washington. aLso stayed be-1 hind to head a United States mili tary liaison mission in the Soviet capital. Reporters will be allowed to meet the 72-year-old Secretary at the National Airport when he arrives from Puerto Rico, where he rested overnight after flying across the South Atlantic. Acting Secretary of Statp Edward R. Stettinius, jr . asked if Mr. Hull was in good health after his airplane journey to Russia and back, said no reports had been received to the : j contrary. Hull Sends Message On Soviet Anniversary NEW YORK, Nov. 10 (/Pi.—Tass radioed to Russian newspapers yes terday the text of a message from Secretary Hull, congratulating the Soviet Union on its national anni versary and sending “'best wishes for the future" to Premier Stalin, The message expressed Mr. Hull's thanks for "a most pleasant and in teresting visit to your great coun try.” It was recorded in this coun try by Government monitors. RAF Mosquitos Batter Targets in Western Reich By the Associated Press. LONDON. Nov. 10 —The RAFs speedy Mosquitos kept the sirens going in Western Germany last night for tke sixth time in a week. They bombed objectives in that bat tered section of the Reich while British Intruder fighters struck at two airfields in France and Belgium by moonlight. Two fires were started at the I Amiens Airdrome in France and ! damage also was inflicted on the ! field at Coxyde, Belgium, the an i nouncement said. The forays followed a series of ' daylight sweeps over France yester day bv Typhoons. Spitfires and Mus tangs. during which railway lines and other targets were attacked. Four RAF planes were l06t in these sweeps. Meanwhile, Britain had its first ! raid-free night in eight nights. Red Cross Ship Reported Sunk by Mine Off France j By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, Nov. 10 —The Bern radio announced last night that the 1.080-ton Portuguese mail ship Padua, which was commissioned by ■ the International Committee of the Red Cross to transport from Lisbon - 11.000 bags of packages intended for Allied prisoners of war, had struck a ' mine and sunk off Marseille. Six Portuguese members of the crew are missing, said the broadcast, recorded here by CBS. The broad cast said sinking constituted the in ternational committee's first ship loss in more than two years of mari , time activity. ' Eden Back in London LONDON, Nov. 10 </P>. — Foreign l Secretary Anthony Eden returned i today from the tripartite confer ences in Moscow after a stopover in Cairo, where he talked with Turkish ; Foreign Minister Numan Menemen cioglu. A Nazis Acknowledge New Retreats Over Snow in Kiev Area Red Army Advonces 27 Miles in Day, Retakes 80 Towns By the Associated Pres*. LONDON, Nov. 10—The Ger mans acknowledged fresh re treats north and west of Kiev today before superior Russian forces thundering over the first heavy snows of the Western Ukraine toward the Polish and Rumanian frontiers. Gen. Nikolai Vatutin's 1st Ukra inian Army was said in official Moscow advices to have advanced 27 miles in a day from Kiev, cap turing 80 towns and villages. The Kiev combat carried within 58 miles of the important rail city of Koros ten. further threatening Germans in the Ukraine with encirclement. Russian tanks and infantry were pounding heavily at German lines northwest of Smolensk "in swaying fights’’ on the approaches to the Latvian frontier, the German com-1 munique said. Violent Russian at-; tacks also were reported in the Nevel area of the frozen north. The Germans described fighting in ! the Crimea as local. They have ac- ; knowledged a Russian drive from < the north in the Perekop Isthmus: and from the east around Kerch. The Berlin communique said a So viet landing formation had been driven back in the Kerch Straits. There was no confirmation of a Reuters report that Kerch itself 'population, 105.0001 had been cap tured. 'Anorner Benin broadcast heard by Government monitors in New York said the Russians had made a fresh landing at an unidentified spot in the Crimea and that heavy fighting was in progress on the Perekop Isthmus. The Columbia Broadcasting Sys tem said Russian patrols knifing south of Kiev had “made con tact with Russians in the Pere yaslav bridgehead.”i “In the Kiev fighting area south and southwest of the town German troops again on November 9 were engaged in fierce fighting against the enemy thrusting forward on a wide front." the Berlin communique said. "Despite tough enemy re sistance. German counterattacks reached their assigned goals and captured lost localities." 3.800 Germans Slain. The Germans said the Red Army was attacking "in severe struggles” southwest of Dnepropetrovsk and north of Krivoi Rog in the Dnieper bend, making “local dents." which the Nazis insisted were straight ened out. The Moscow bulletin said that 3.800 Geremons were slain yester day—700 in the Crimea, 1.600 in the Kiev area and 1,500 on the Nevel sector on the north-central front, where Red Army forces threaten the Latvian and old Polish frontiers. Other Moscow dispatches reported a Russian drive from a Dnieper River bridgehead 50 miles south east of Kiev, apparently aimed at the flank of the German forces under attack by other Russian columns operating in the vicinity of recently captured Fastov, south j west of Kiev. Here, the Soviet com munique said, the Russians captured 150 antiaircraft guns, 22 field guns and huge stores of other war gear. Gen. Vatutin's armies were re ported operating on a 50-mile-deep j arc west of Kiev in the first heavy i snowfall on the Ukrainian front. Former U. S. Employe Here Gets 10 Years as Spy By the Associated Press. | NEW YORK, Nov. 10.—Roberto Lanas Vallecilla. 35, former trans lator in the office of the co ordinator of inter-American affairs, was convicted yesterday in Federal Court on charges of conspiring to sell American defense secrets to German agents in 1940 and 1941 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Lanas, native of Colombia, ad mitted w'riting messages on Ameri can military machine production in invisible ink on an apparently inno cent letter and mailing it to a “drop" in Lisbon. He admitted receiving almost $3,000 from German agents, but asserted he obtained the in formation from public reports. Several Hundred Men Landed Near U. S. Beachhead By the Associated Piess. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, Nov. 10.— United States marines, tanks, artillery and planes are battling hard against several hundred Japanese who have landed north of Empress Augusta Bay, thus forcing the Americans to fight on both sides of their Bougain ville beachhead in the Northern Solomons. Latest advices from Admiral Wil liam P. Halsey indicated strongly today that the Japanese already are attempting to exert a squeeze play. While the northern force brought 90-mm. mortars into action another force attempting to push up from the south skirmished with marines and was pounded by 16 tons of ex plosives loosed by Avenger torpedo oombers and Dauntless divebombers. Escorted by Warships. Fully equipped, the northern group sneaked down from Buka Saturday night and early Sunday in self-pro pelled barges. Presumably they were escorted by the cruiser and two de stroyers previously reported to have seen attacked early Sunday 50 miles from Buka bv the torpedos of low flying Australian Beauforts. These barges had to move through the same waters in which a Japanese naval task force was intercepted and decisively beaten by American war ships November 2 while trying to get, close enough to bombard the then day-old beachhead. The first Japanese to land Sunday st, 6 a m. 4 miles northwest of Cape Torokina were met by a marine observation post which killed 30 of them. An hour and a half later patrol torpedo boats attacked one troop laden barge but it put into Atsinima Bay, seven miles north of Cape To rokina, where the marines had first established their beachhead. i»iveoomt>ers Mrale Barge*. Shortly after noon a Japanese unit was encountered on a jungle trail leading to Torokina and was forced to withdraw, leaving eight dead. More than 125 Japanese were slain Sunday and the marines sustained 60 casualties. Admiral Halsey's head quarters said. During that afternoon Dauntless divebombers strafed the barges, each capable of carrying 35 to 150 troops, at The mouth of the Laruma River, where the first Japs landed. Fighter escorted Venturas later attacked them with four and a half tons of bombs and Mitchell medium bomb ers followed in. Some Japanese planes had made night forays during the landing operation, dropping 50 bombs on the marine beachhead and on nearby Puruata Island, killing two marines and wounding several. Fourth U. S. Battleship Claimed Sunk Off Solomons LONDON, Nov. 10 uPi—'The Ber lin radio quoted Japanese dispatch es as saying today that an Allied battleship reported damaged off Bougainville yesterday was now as certained to have been sunk, raising to four the total number of bat tleships sunk In that area of the Solomon Islands. The broadcast added that Tokio said three additional large cruisers and a small cruiser or destroyer had been damaged. There has been no Allied confirm ation of the Japanese claims. Chinese Hold Invaders On Yangtze River Front B? ihf Associated Press. CHUNGKING, Nov. 10. — Con tinued fighting for control of the vital Yangtze River front, with the Chinese holding the invaders on most sectors and recapturing the important town of Nanhsein near Tungting Lake in the heart of China’s rice bowl was announced today by the Chinese high com mand. Nanhsein. which had fallen to the left wing of an estimated 30.000 Japanese troops operating on a 90 mile frone. was retaken Sunday. The enemy lost heavily in Chinese attacks on a column that had pene trated into the mountains to points about 40 miles south of Ichang on the Yangtze. War Fund Solicitors Due to Report Today On 15 Pet. Deficit Eisenhower and Halsey Appeal on Behalf of Servicemen on Fronts BULLETIN. Community War Fund con- j tributions have reached a ! total of $4,202,481 — 13.5 per cent short of the $4,800,000 quota—It was announced this afternoon at a report meeting in the United States Chamber of Commerce. Community War Fund solici tors were scheduled to meet again today to report gains made ,toward obtaining the $700,000 | still needed to reach the $4,800, 000 goal. Meanwhile. Admiral William F. Halsey, United States naval com mander in the South Pacific, and 1 Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Allied 'commander in the Mediterranean, cabled urgent pleas for completion of war fund drives all over the coun ; try. "Our men are proving themselves ;out here,” Admiral Halsey declared. "May your will to win be equal at home." Cite* Morale Building. "Best wishes for its complete suc cess.” Gen. Eisenhower wired to War Fund officials. The military chiefs commented on the morale-building activities of the fund, which includes 145 agencies for the relief of servicemen at the front, people in the Allied countries and families at home. "Your dollars are providing the means,” Admiral Halsey declared, "with which our already successful drives will increase in scope and ef fort until the enemy cowers in terror in its homeland.” Herbert L. Willett, jr.. executive director of the drive, joined with the District Commissioners in plead ing for special effort by the 19.000 I fund solicitors in connection with | Armistice Day. Commissioners Appeal. “If we cherish the memory of ! those who died for us and are still I dying for us,” he declared, "then let's finish a job we have to do right here in Washington—put the War Fund over ttoe top.” The Commissioners' official proc lamation. issued yesterday, urged contributions to the drive on Armi stice Day, tomorrow. The city heads also suggested that those who have given might see fit to .give a "little more." Total contributions now stand at $4,101,000—about $700,000, or 15 per cent, short of the goal. Business men still are leading the eight groups of solicitors with 94 per cent of their quota collected. The gains will be reported this afternoon at the United States Chamber of Com merce. Tattered Guadalcanal Flag Flies at Capitol Marine Rites <Picture on Page A-2.) A tattered United States battle flag was raised over the Capitol today in celebration of the 168th anniversary of the founding of the Marine Corps and President Roose velt made it an occasion for noting that the corps "even now is busy attending the baptism of more battle flags on the road to Tokio." The flag hung limply as a bat talion of marines and a score ol officers, most, of them veterans of Guadalcanal, stood stiffly at atten tion. then whipped proudly into the November breeze. The band struck up the national anthem. The flag is now a cherished relic of a corps of fighting men who have many trophies to attest to their courage and daring on the field of battle. Carried ashore at Guadalcanal, it guided thousands of marines who followed it onto that bloody field. The young officer who directed the raising ceremony was himself a vet eran of the initial landing on Guad alcanal. Lt. F. McClanahan. Highlight of the celebration which will be followed by many more all over the country today A was the reading of a letter from President Roosevelt by Lt. Gen. Thomas Holcomb, commandant of the corps. In his letter to Gen. Holcombe the President said; ‘‘I am sorry I cannot be with you on Wednesday and with you salute the Guadalcanal flag as it is raised over the Nation's Capitol. ‘‘But with the rest of the Nation, I can and do enjoy the significance of this ceremony, which will honor the Marine Corps on its 168th anni versary. "Even now the corps, which never rests on its laurels, is busy attend ing the baptism of more battle flags on the road to Tokio. "Eventually these flags, too, will come home, to be grouped with the flags of all our victories as a new Inspiration for future generations— generations who will always have good cause to gather on the 10th of November to celebrate the birthday of the United States Marines.” ‘‘The Japanese war lord once an nounced he would dictate the terms of peace while the Japanese flag was flying over Washington,” Gen. (See MARINES, Page A-22.) Late News Bulletin Woman, Hit by Bus, Dies Betty J. Gordon. 35, of 512* Second street N.W. died In Garfield Hospital shortly be fore noon today of injuries re ceived several hours earlier when she was struck by a Cap ital Transit Co. bus at Kansas avenue and Gallatin street N.W. (Earlier story on Page B-7.) Bricker Will Enter Name in Presidential Primaries in Ohio Present-Day Postwar Planning Not Feasible, Governor Declores Br the A*ftociir«d Prcs$. CHICAGO, Nov. 10 —Gov John W. Bricker of Ohio stated today at a press conference he would be a Republican candidate for Pres ident in the Ohio primaries in May. The Governor declined to make a statement regarding any other 1944 campaign plans, but remarked. "I will definitely enter the Ohio pri maries as a Republican presidential candidate. I think they're the sec-| ond week in May—about May 14." Gov. Bricker said present-day postwar planning "is not feasible because we can't anticipate post war conditions.” He added: “Our Government must, in co operation with other governments, meet postwar problems as they arise, or anticipate them before they come up and eliminate them. I think it would be dangerous to say what we are going to do when the war is over, because we are fighting a world war in co-operation with other nations, and one of the quick est ways to destroy that co-opera tion would be for the United States to take an adamant stand on their postwar position now. We must await developments." Believe* Allies Statements. Gov. Bricker said he did not want to see America "give up her sovereignty as long as I am an American citizen, but on the other hand, w'e shouldn’t insist on being the big Dower." “I think there has been a very real desire on the part of Russia and England for real co-operation." he said. “I take their statements at face value. We must, they are our allies.” Commenting on last, week’s elec tions. Gov. Bricker said: "The New Deal is through. There isn’t any question in my mind but that the American people are through with it. I don’t think the Republican trend demonstrated in last week's elections will change even if the war is going on. We are in the midst of a definite trend." A Republican victory at the polls in 1944 “would he an assurance to (SeeJ3RICKER. Page A-22.1 Wallace Raps Rails Again In Reply to Transport Group B? *hf A*soci«t#d Prew. Vice President Wallace reiterated yesterday the charge that the rail roads are planning to gain control of an integrated transportation sys tem and "destroy the only effective competition in transportation which still survives—that between differ ent forms of transportation.” Answering an attacfc by the Trans portation Association of America against his recent Dallas (Tex.> speech condemning what he termed the railroads’ efforts to control pub lic transportation, Mr. Wallace said in a statement that the association was organized and financed "by in dividuals closely associated with the Association of American Railroads.” He quoted from a report of the Senate Interstate Commerce Com mittee stating that the Transpor tation Association was organized "for the purpose of providing a neutral, independent and unbiased vehicle through which the, Asso ciation of American Railroads might express its views to the public.” Defense Warns Jury Not to Let Prejudice Convict De Marigny Calls Fingerprint Fake; Asks Acquittal; Jury To Get Case Tomorrow P* >hf A.»soci»t«d Press. NASSAU, Bahamas. Nov. 10.— Defense Attorney Godfrey Higgs charged again today that a faked fingerprint is being used in an effort to send Alfred de Marigny to the gallows for the slaying of Sir Harry Oakes, and appealed to a Bahamas Supreme Court jury not to convict the accused son in-law because of prejudice. In his closing argument, the youthful attorney asked that De Marigny be acquitted of a charge of murder in connection with thp bludgeoning and burning of the aged multimillionaire last July. De Marigny was tense and nerv ous in the barred prisoner's cage until his chief counsel had made his final plea. Attorney General Eric Hallman was scheduled to be gin his summation of the prosecu tion evidence this afternoon. Chief Justice Sir Oscar Bedford Daly will make his charge to the jury tomorrow morning, and the jury then will begin its deliberation Wife In Court. De Marign.vs 19-ypar-old wife Nancy. Sir Harry's eldest daughter, sat with folded hands in a spec tator's chair. She was the final wit ness in behalf of her husband. "De Marigny is a foreigner of French descent," the white-wigged. black-robed Mr. Higgs declared, "but you are not trying him on prejudice. If De Marigny died from prejudice it would be a greater crime than the slaying of Sir Harry Oakes." "Some of his actions may have shocked the people of this island, or shocked you,” the attorney conceded in building up to his request that any prejudice be forgotten. Attacks Fingerprint. Mr Higgs made his strongest at tack against the fingerprint in evi dence—an impression of De Marigny's right little finger which Capt. Japtes O Barker of the Miami police testified was lifted from a bed screen which stood in the death room. He pointed out that Capt. Barker now says he is unable to tell the spot from which the print came “I suggest that lift never came from that screen.’’ Mr. Higgs said. He attacked an account of Sir Harry's death which Nancy said was given to her and her mother. Lady Eunice Oakes, by Capts. Melchen and Barker soon after Sir Harry's funeral. “I suggest they made the state ment to Lady Oakes and Nancy to poison their minds against him so that the accused would not have their support." Mr. Higgs said. Mr. Higgs declared that witnesses' stories of De Marigny's actions on the night of the slaying show that "it was absolutely impossible for the accused to have murdered Sir Harry.” Portuguese Red Cross Hears 2 U. S. Ships Sunk By the Associated Press. LISBON, Nov. 10.—The Portuguese Red Cross received a report from Lourenco Marques yesterday that 10 United Nations vessels, including two of American registry, had been sunk in the Indian Ocean, and that survivors were landed in Mozam bique. Survivors landed In the Portu guese colony in Southeastern Africa from the American ships, Alice Holmes and Robert Bacon. Allies Ask Badoglio To Remove Gen. Roatta By the Associated Press. LONDON, Nov. 10. — Minister of State Richard K. Law told the House of Commons today that the Allies had asked Premier Marshal Pietro Badoglio to remove Gen. Mario Roatta as chief of staff of the Italian Army following an investiga tion of complaints against him. “The case of Gen. (Vittorio) Am brosio is still under consideration’ by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Mr Law said in reply to a questioner. The two Italian generals have been charged by the Yugoslavs with war crimes. * Congress Action To Avert Rail Strike Expected Coal Miners Seek $40 Retroactive Pay For Travel Time With soft coal miners demand ing, under the new wage agree ment, a lump sum of $40 each as retroactive pay for undergrouud travel time between April 1 and June 20, the Government was worried today over the threat ened strike of 1,100,000 railroad workers, and congressional in tervention to prevent the walk out seemed increasingly likely. The Government has not made up its mind whether the coal miners are entitled to the retroactive pay ment, though the United Mine Workers insist they are. The coal operators said they were not re quired to pay. One baffled Government official called it a "delicate legal problem which is under consideration.” The demand threatened further trouble in the harassed bituminous coal fields, and it was hoped in Govern ment circles that the matter could be disposed of before December 1, when one-fourth of the $40 would fall due. under the miners' inter pretation. Vinson Asked to Defend Action. Meanwhile, a Senate subcommit tee called on Economic Stablization Director Vinson to defend his order rejecting the 8-cent-an-hour wage increase awarded by a mediation board to the 15 nonoperating rail road brotherhoods. A joint Senate House resolution to override Mr. Vinson and put the increase in effect is before the subcommittee. Senator Johnson. Democrat, of Colorado predicted approval of the resolution “unless Mr. Vinson presents some very sound reasons why we shouldn’t.” At a subcommittee hearing yes terday, George M. Harrison, presi dent of the Railway Clerks, one of the largest of the brotherhoods in volved in the wage dispute, said the heads of all the nonoperating brotherhoods are ready to fix a date for a strike on completion of a vote among the unions’ membership. He pledged, however, that a walkout would be put off until Congress had had time to act. The strike ballot Ls due to be com pleted November 25 and Mr. Har rison indicated belief the workers would authorize a walkout. Senator Reed. Republican, of Kansas charged that Mr. Vinson had "gone beyond the clear intent of Congress" in rejecting the 8-cent increase on the ground that it would conflict with the Wage Stabilization Act. "The Stabilization Act specifically exempted the Railway Labor Act from its provisions and the Con gress never intended to give the executive branch authority to sus pend the machinery of the Rail way Act for settling wage disputes," Senator Reed said Carriers on Middle Ground. A statement that the carriers, which accepted the 8-cent award, "neither approve nor disapprove" the congressional resolution was given to the committee yesterday by Jacob Aronson. New York Central vice president and counsel for the railroads in the wage case. He said, however, it was management's belief that if Congress approved the res olution the controversy would be settled and "there would be no remaining impediment to the agree ment (between the railroads and the unions) going into effect,” Transcrips of testimony taken j during the last two days before the j Interstate Commerce Subcommittee ; were sent to Mr. Vinson with a re quest that he appear in person or submit a statement of his views. Committee members said they ex pected his reply by Monday. The stabilization director, after his re jection of the increase, approved a sliding scale wage boost proposed by a second board, but the, workers termed this plan "impractical and unacceptable." It provided for in creases from 10 cents an hour for i lower-paid workers to 4 cents for those in the upper wage brackets. Interpretations Differ. The agreement negotiated a few days later by Secretary of the In terior Ickes and UMW President John L. Lewis incorporated all ' terms of the Illinois contract which were not disapproved by the WLB, , but added the provision that "Para graph 13 (the $40 payment) of the Illinois contract shall not be ap plicable to the Government." The United Mine Workers con tend this simply means that the i retroactive pay should not come jfrom Government funds, as dis tinguished from the industry bank [accounts from which wages Rre paid. The National Coal Association has sent a contrary interpretation to its 1 members, and leading operators have asked the War Labor Board to notify all parties concerned that the $40 payment was eliminated. Mr. Ickes could direct the op erators, who are managers of the mines during Government opera tion. to pay the $40. but there is a question in the minds of Mr. Ickes' legal advisers whether this would [result in a claim or liability against . the Government after it terminated possession of the mines. Three Records Set In Waste Paper Drive Jefferson Junior High School, located at Eighth and H streets S.W., set three rec ords Monday for single-day collections in The Evening Star-PTA Salvage-for-Victory waste paper program with a total of 13,650 pounds. Details on these records and other news concerning the drive to get in the vitally needed scrap paper will be found today on page A-6.