Evening star. [volume], February 11, 1944, Image 1

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

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Weather Forecast
Sleet; low near 24 tonight. Tomorrow
clearing, much colder.
Temperatures today—Highest, 33. at
5 a.m.; lowest, 30, at 1:30 p.m.; 31 at
noon. Yesterday—Highest, 42, at 4:55
p.m.; lowest, 26, at 4 a.m.
Lote New York Markets, Page A-13.
Guide for Readers
Page.
Amusements ...B-S
Comics_B-14-15
Editorials .A-6
Edit'l Articles._.A-7
Finance _ A-13
Lost and Found A-3
Page.
Obituary _.A-8
Radio .B-15
Society_B-3
Sports .A-10-11
Where to Go . B-9
Woman’s Page B-10
Ar> Associated Press Newspaper
92d YEAR. No. 36,444.
_WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1944—THIRTY PAGES. ***
Washington m TJ I? TP TP r'TP'WTQ JIVE CENTS
and Suburb* X XI XV EjXj X O. Elsewher*
Nazi Tanks Strike at Beachhead
As Weather Curbs Air Defense;
Roosevelt Sees Tense Situation
Germans Retain
Ground Initiative
In Anzio Sector
BULLETIN.
WITH THE 5th ARMY IN
ITALY, Feb. 11 <4:30 p.m.—
11:30 a.m., Eastern War Time)
<£>>,—Aided by stormy skies
which have curtailed activity
of the Allied air forces since
noon yesterday, German ar
mored units are striking
southward against the British
beachhead positions north of
Anzio, using their tanks as
mobile artillery in a deadly
roving role.
The weather—on which the
Allies’ chance of holding and
extending the beachhead be
low Rome largely depend—
has played the enemy’s game
since midday yesterday.
It was clear and cold early
yesterday but the rains can
celed much of the air support
work planned for the after
noon, giving the Germans a
freer hand to unleash their
growing power on the ground.
Declaring that we are praying
for good weather to aid sea and
air operations, President Roose
velt said today a very tense sit
uation and very heavy fighting
existed at the Anglo-American
beachhead below Rome.
The Chief Executive told his news
conference that the Allies on the
whole control the sea and air in the
beachhead area.
Mr. Roosevelt opened the confer
ence by expressing gratification
that Australian and American fight
ers have won control of the Huon
Peninsula in New Guinea, describ
ing that as the most important news
of the day. The Australians moved
up from the southeast to join Ameri
cans coming in from the northwest.
The campaign there has been
marked by terribly tough fighting,
he added, and its successful comple
tion has taken a long time but it
means now that particular strip on
the northeastern coast of New:
Guinea is now reasonably clear of
the enemy.
Allies Hurl Air Power
Into Beachhead Defense
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS. Al
giers, Feb. 11 i;p>.—Throwing virtu
ally every available combat plane,
including giant four-engined bomb
ers, into one of the greatest ground
support operations ever undertaken,
the Allies launched a terrific on
slaught yesterday to protest their
Anzio bridgehead.
Frontline reports said that despite
the fury of the Allied air offensive,
in which 850 sorties were flown as
against 30 by the enemy, the Ger
mans apparently retained the initia
tive on the ground and lashed out
in many probing attacks at various
points around the bridgehead.
They continued to add to their
forces and a new division, the 65th,
was identified in their line, making
five full divisions and a brigade
called up to smash the bridgehead.
Attack in Carroceto Area.
The German attacks were in the
Carroceto (Aprilia) area, where
heavy fighting was still in progress,
and west and southwest of Cisterna
where Americans battled grimly to
hold them back.
(The German high command,
in a broadcast communique, said
today that German troops had
penetrated into Carroceto, cap
turing the village railway.
("Mopping up of the area was
continued," the Germans said.
(The communique declared the
Americans and British had lost
more than 4.000 prisoners and 89
tanks in the Nettuno area. It
also said the Allies penetrated
for the third time into the north
ern part of Cassino, but were
again thrown out.)
The Nazis used tanks in their at- !
(See ITALY, Page A-127)
Town on Finnish Coast
Raided by Russians
Eight Reported Killed
In Attack on Kotka
Ey the Associated Press.
LONDON, Feb. 11.—A Finnish
communique broadcast today
said that 150 Russian planes at
tacked Kotka, 70 miles east of
Helsinki on the coast of the
Gulf of Finland, for two hours
last night.
It was the second heavy aerial
blow within a week, seeking to
hasten Finland’s exit from the war.
The attack on Kotka, 80 miles
across the Gulf of Finland from
Narva, followed the 200-plane raid
on Helsinki Sunday night.
“The attack lasted two hours,”
the communique said. “Only a
few aircraft succeeded in dropping
bombs on the town. Some dam
age was done to windows of build
ings. According to incomplete re
ports eight civilians were killed
and two wounded in various local
ities of the vicinity.”
Two raiders were destroyed by
antiaircraft fire, the communique
added.
Kotka, one <# the centers of Fin
land’s vast sawmill industry, had
been mombed several times before
the Finnish-Russian front lapsed
into comparative inactivity.
» — —- - — ---— - -
Fortresses Hit Frankfurt Again,
French Coast Also Hammered
Devastating Daylight Assault Follows
Mosquito Raids on Western Reich
By the Associatec Press.
LONDON, Feb. 11.—American
Flying Fortresses blasted Frank
furt with tons of high explesives
again today, striking the already
hard-hit Southwest German in
dustrial and transport center
for the second time in four days
and fourth time since January
29.
While this devastating assault to
flatten Frankfurt was in progress,
Liberators again operated inde
pendently of the Forts, slashing at
military installations in the Pas-de
Calais area, and American Maraud
ers in their ninth operation in 11
days struck other targets in the
"rocket gun" sector of Northern
France.
Today’s operations kept the un
precedented Allied aerial assault
going through yet another 24-hour
cycle and followed up yesterday’s
mighty attacks on the German man
ufacturing city of Brunswick and
the Gilze-Rijen air base in Holland
| which precipitated furious air fights
i in which American heavy bombers
and fighters were credited officially
with downing 84 enemy planes.
Escorted by Fighters.
Mustang. Lightning and Thunder
bolt fighters escorted the Fortresses
to Frankfurt and other Thunder
bolts covered the Liberators on their
run to France.
American heavy bombers now
have struck continental objectives
in 12 of the last 15 days.
The terrific assault obviously de
signed to flatten Frankfurt has been
under way since January 29 when a
record force of more than 800 heavy
bombers hit the city with a dav'
light record of 1,800 tons of ex
plosives.
It was estimated unofficially to
day that more than 3.500 tons of
bombs were rained on that manu
facturing and communications hub
in three previous daylight attacks.
The rumble of explosions rolled
back across the English Channel
(See RAIDS, Page A-12.1
Soviet Forces Press
Drives for Korsun
And Krivoi Rog
Guns Pound Remnants
Of Trapped Germans;
Enemy Groups Isolated
(Maps on Page A-3.J
Py the Associated Press.
LONDON, Feb. 11.—Russian guns
pounded the remnants of about 100,
000 German troops trapped in a nar-'
rowing circle near Korsun in the
Dnieper River bend today as con
verging Red Army columns drove
within 7 miles of that city and
other Soviet troops pressed their'
drive on the iron 'ore center of!
Krivoi Rog. 150 miles to the south-1
east.
Disintegration of the beleaguered i
Nazi forces was hastened yesterday!
when Soviet spearheads split off
several groups from the main body,
which once numbered 10 divisions,
a Russian communique said. These
units were being systematicallv
wiped out, the bulletin added, and
the exhausted Germans were sur
rendering in steadily mounting
numbers.
Associated Press dispatches from
Moscow indicated the German Army
was facing its biggest disaster since
the surrender of Stalingrad a year
ago.
Town Near Luga Taken.
In the far north, meanwhile, the
Russians said troops of Gen. Leonid
A. Govorov's Leningrad Army cap
tured the town of Zheltsy, 7
miles northeast of Luga, rail junc
tion on the Leningrad-Pskov rail
way. and a number of other com
munities, including Tolmachovo, a
railroad station 13 miles north of
Luga.
Gen. K. A. Meretskov's Volkhov
army, forming the southern arm of
the pincer drive on Luga, was mov
ing up from the south and was last
reported within 14 miles of the Ger
man-held base. Luga is 70 miles
east of Lake Peipus, which forms
part of the eastern frontier of Es
tonia and 100 miles northeast of
Pskov.
No information as to the progress
of Soviet forces inside Estonia, last;
reported advancing on Narva on the j
Leningrad-Reval railway, was given
in the Moscow war bulletin. The
communique also omitted mention
of the situation inside old Poland,
where the center and right wing of
Gen. Nikolai F. Vatutin’s 1st
Ukrainian Army has been reported
operating in the vicinity of Rovno
and Lutsk.
Nazi Food Supply Decreasing.
The Germans trapped in the Kor
sun salient were said to be dying
in great numbers under the ham
mering of Soviet batteries raking
their positions with a steady, ac
curate cross-fire. Adding to the
hopelessness of the Germans’ situa
(See RUSSIA. Page A-3.)
Stalin Letter Protests
To Churchill Against
Polish Government
Little Hope Is Seen
For Early Solution
Of Border Problem
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Feb. 11.—Premier
Stalin in a personal letter to
Prime Minister Churchill has
voiced the Russian objections to
some members of the Polish gov
ernment in London and this!
latest communication is believed :
to offer little hope of an early j
solution of the Polish problem, it1
was reported today.
The statement of the Soviet view
point apparently followed closely the
reply the Russians made to Secre- i
tarv of State Hull's offer of media
tion. The Russians told Mr. Hull
the time was not yet ripe for United
States help in solving the difficulty.
In reply to a letter from Mr.
Churchill Premier Stalin was be
lieved to have gone further and to
have declared his reluctance to deal
wkh certain members of the Polish
government whom he alleged to be
anti-Russian.
Polish Paper Banned.
It is known that Moscow is dis
pleased with Gen. Kazimierz Sosn
knowski, Polish commander in chief;
Wladyslaw Raczkiewicz, Polish Pres
ident; Marian Kukiel, Minister of
Defense, and Tadeusz Romer, For
eign Minister.
The Poles have contended they
could not shake up their government
just to please the Russians. They
also have been firm, publicly at least,
in refusing to accept outright the
Curzon Line, suggested by Russia as
a border.
Many believe the Poles would ac- j
cept the Curzon Line, however, if a .
way were found to save the London
government's face when and if it;
gets back to Warsaw.
Tire Poles’ refusal to give ground
in the Russian dispute may have
figured in the Ministry of Informa
tion’s action today in cutting off the
paper supply of the unofficial weekly
polish newspaper, Wiadomosci
Polskie. The newspaper has carried
much criticism of Russia.
Warnings Called Ineffective.
“The editor of Wiadomosci Polskie
has been personally warned that
passages in his paper were calcu
lated to stir up discord among the
United Nations, but these warnings
have not been effective,’’ the Min
istry of Information said in explain
ing the withdrawal of its support.
The editor called the ministry’s
action inexplicable, declaring:
“Our policy has been anti-German
and pro-Polish. Our columns are
open to all classes of opinion.’’
Bolivia Expects Cabinet Shifts;
Report of Revolt Heard in Chile
By the Associated Press.
LA PAZ, Bolivia, Feb, 11.—Sev-'
eral changes in the Bolivian cabinet
are expected to be announced to
morrow.
The independent newspaper Ul
tima Hora said today there have
been no resignations in the govern
ment as yet, but several changes
are expected.
It denied reports broadcast abroad
that Maj. Alberto Taborga, the in
terior minister of the coup d’etat
government which seized power De
cember 29, had been imprisoned,
but said it was rumored that Ta
borga would be replaced by Lt. Col.
Afredo Pacheco, air force chief.
Augusto Cespedes, secretary gen
eral of the government, and Carlos
Montenegro, minister of argiculture,
also were mentioned in the rumors
as likely to be replaced.
Of the other American republics,
only Argentina has recognized the
regime of Gualberto Villarroel, who
seized the presidency from Enrique
Penaranda in the December coup.
SANTIAGO, Chile, Feb. 11
The newspaper La Hora said today
it had received a private but uncon
firmed report that the recently es
tablished nationalist government of
Gualberto Villarroel in Bolivia had
been ousted in a counterrevolution
and the leaders jailed.
The newspaper's information was
similar to the broadcast by the
Santiago station, Radio Agricultura,
last night.
(In Buenos Aires, Adolfo Costa
Durels, the Bolivian Ambassador
to Argentina, said he had received
no official information concerning
reports of a revolution in Bolivia.
There were indications that tele
phone communications with the
Bolivian capital had been inter
rupted.)
Huon Occupied
In Drive Killing
14,000 Japs
U. S. and Aussie
Troops Join After
5-Month Campaign
By the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC,
Feb. 11.—Complete occupation
of Huon Peninsula, New Guinea,
and the end of a five-month
campaign which cost the Japa
nese a division of 14,000 men
was announced by Gen. Douglas
MacArthur today.
Australian troops. Including vet
erans of the North African cam
paign. and American soldiers, many
of whom had triumphed over the
Japanese at Buna on the Papauan
Peninsula of New Guinea last year,
joined forces on a hot coastal plain
yesterday, chopping off another
piece of Japan's captured territory.
The Aussies had fought and cut
their way through the jungle for
150 miles along the coast, since
launching the campaign with a
landing north of Finschafen Sep
tember 22.
Bulk of Jap Division Destroyed.
The Americans, units of the 32d
Division, invaded Saidor from the
sea January 2 and then moved down
tlie coast 14 miles to old Yagomi.
where the Australians met them
yesterday.
Gen. MacArthur’s communique
said the great bulk of the augment
ed Japanese division, which con
sisted of three infantry regiments,
a field artillery regiment, two en
gineer regiments and auxiliary serv
ices, had been destroyed in the
squeeze action which preceded the
joining of the two Allied forces.
Gen. MacArthur credited the
Allied air force and light naval units
with an assist in the victory, for
they destroyed the Japanese coastal
barge routes, making escape or
supply impossible for the enemy,
and causing death by starvation for
hundreds of Japanese. Failure of
supply and reinforcement forced
great numbers of the Japanese to
flee into the mountains.
Making the long campaign
through the rugged Finisterre
range, across 60 streams and along
malarial coastal plains, were units
of the Australian Imperial force
and of the Citizens’ Military force,
or militia, and also some American
Army engineers.
Allies May Move on Madang.
The combined Allied force may
next move on Madang, Japanese
case about 60 miles up the coast
from Saidor. American bomber
crews reported evidence that the
enemy already has abandoned Ma
dang
The communique reported another
raid on Rabaul, the heavily-hit Jap
anese base in New Britain, but made
no mention of opposition to the
blows by Solomons-based night pa
trols against Lakunai Airdrome.
While enemy interception has
been growing weaker in the air over
Rabaul, this was the first time in
many days that a communique re
port of a raid made no reference to
opposition. Usually 40 to 60 enemy
planes rise to battle.
Once an important base for Japa
nese warships, Rabaul long ago be
came a favorite Allied bombing tar
get and the Japanese moved their
cruisers and destroyers to compara
tively safer harbors.
Allied flyers reported seeing but
little shipping of any kind in Simp
son Harbor at Rabaul in recent days.
Tito s Forces Fall Back
From Northern Dalmatia
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Feb. 11—The Yugoslav
Partisan Army’s 19th Division has
fallen bark from Northern Dalmatia
into the Province of Lika in Croatia
after bitter fighting. Marshal Joslp
Broz (Tito) announced today.
His broadcast communique gave
no further details of the action in
the Dalmatian sector, but reported
successful operations in both Eastern
and Western Bosnia, and added:
“In Slovenia all enemy attacks
against our positions from Rakek to
Novo Mesto were repulsed with
heavy losses to the enemy.
“Enemy units which tried to thrust
forward from Karlovac and Ogulin
(Croatia) on the main Fiume-Zagreb
line also were successfully repulsed.”
U. S. Prints Money for Use
After Invasion of France
By the Associated Press.
Special currency to be used by
occupation authorities after areas
of France have been wrested from
Nazi domination has been printed
here.
The money, turned out by the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing,
presumably is comparable to cur
rency taken into Sicily and Allied
held portions of Italy.
The currency is not invasion
money in the sense that the first
troops to enter French territory
will make use of it. It is in
tended rather to provide for quick
restoration of the French economy
by replacing franc banknotes that
prooably will have been destroyed by
the Nazis.
Cold Wave Forecast
For Washington Area;
Snow Blankets West
Low Temperature of 24
Due Early Tomorrow;
May Reach 15 Sunday
A cold wave was in store for
Washington today in the wake
of sleet and snow which covered
the city with a light blanket this
morning and hampered traffic,
A low of 24 degrees was forecast
by tomorrow morning, and the
Weather Bureau warned it may drop
as low as 15 degrees by Sunday. The
cold wave will abate early next week.
Snow flurries, mixed with occa
sional rain and sleet, were expected
to continue until this evening and
will be followed by high winds and
colder weather late tonight.
The sleet iced sidewalks and
streets in some sections of the city
and made travel difficult.
Garbage Collections Halted.
The city government halted gar
bage collections for the day and gar
bage and other trucks were being
equipped with plows in preparation
for cleanup operations later today.
Refuse Director William Xanten
said he planned to get at the slush
before the freeze sets in tonight.
Sanding of steep hills and other
roads began before dawn. Thirteen
trucks were called into operation.
Air travel at National Airport
halted this morning, with the last
flight arriving here around 6:30
o'clock.
A heavy wind-whipped snowstorm
struck the Northeastern part of the
United States, while in a wide sec
tion of the already snow-blanketed
Midwest the season's most severe
cold wave drove temperatures far
below zero.
Eight to 12 inches of snow was
predicted for New York. An emer
gency storm warning was issued by
the Weathfr Bureau at Boston,
which forecast up to 10 inches in
New England. Strong winds and
increasing cold were expected to add
to hazards throughout the North
east.
Trains Hours Late.
Trains arriving in New York from
Western, Southern and Northern
points were running as much as 2'2
hours behind schedule. Virtually
all airplane flights out of La
Guardia Field, N. Y., were canceled.
In the Midwest, temperatures
dipped to as low as 42 below zero
in the wake of that area's heaviest
snow of the winter. The snow fall
ranged up to 11 inches, but had
ceased in many areas.
Weather bureaus in some North
eastern States warned the snow
would turn to sleet and rain by
night. Sleet already was falling in
Maryland and highways in that
State were reported hazardous.
Dr. Hens Gets 5 Years
In Draft Evasion Case
D. C. Selectee's Trip Led
To Psychiatrist's Arrest
Ey the Associated Press.
BALTIMORE, Feb. 11.—Dr. James
S. Hens, former Spring Grove State
Hospital staff physician and part
time examiner at the induction cen
ter here, was sentenced today to
serve five years in a Federal prison
for counseling a prospective Wash
ington inductee to evade selective
service.
Judge William C. Coleman, im
posing the maximum sentence, said
the psychiatrist’s offense was one
of the most serious the court had to
deal with relating to the war.
Dr. Hens pleaded guilty a week
ago.
Judge Coleman heard testimony
from several witnesses, including
Ferdinand A. Nauheim, 3916 Military
road N.W., Washington, the selectee
whom Dr. Hens approached and
from whom he admitted attempting
to collect a $2,500 fee for instruction
in the simulation of psycho-neurosis
Mr. Neuheim’s tip put the FBI on
Dr. Hens’ trail. He later helped FBI
agents set a trap for Dr. Hens.
The native Swiss psychiatrist made
a personal plea for leniency, declar
ing he had done "a terrible, terrible
thing” and that he was “most re
morseful, and most repentant.”
Pepper Proposes 3% Pay Raise
If Congress Kills Subsidies
Senator Offers Amendment Designed
To Compensate for Higher Living Cost
By the Associated Press.
The congressional drive to end
food subsidies today ran up
against a proposal that the Lit
tle Steel formula be relaxed so
that every wage earner's income
could be raised an additional 3
per cent to compensate for a
prospective rise in living costs.
Senator Pepper, Democrat, of
Florida, offered an amendment to
that effect to pending antisubsidy
legislation with the assertion that
cutting off subsidies would result in
a 7 per cent food cast rise and a 3
per cent increase in the over-all cost
of living.
"If we are going to increase the
cost of living," Senator Pepper said
“it's only fair that wages should be
allowed to go up. Otherwise sub
| sidy repeal would be the same as
cutting every worker's pay 3 per
cent.”
i Higher Limitation Proposed.
Instead of limiting wage increases
■ to 15 per cent above January 1, 1941,
levels, as under the present formula,
the Pepper amendment would in
: struct President Roosevelt to raise
the limitation to 18 per cent.
1 Other broad amendments offered
by Senator Pepper would direct the
Government commensurately to
raise the pay of Federal employes
| Federal pensions and retirement
benefits, veterans' aid and allow
ances for servicemen's dependents
; and permit private employers tc
; raise wages to a "subsistence level,’
| determined by the Bureau of Labor
' 'SeeSUBSIDIES, Page A^37i
Nazi Prisoners to Get
Full Pay Despite Union
Demand for Checkoff
25 Cents Weekly Dues
Won't Affect Wages,
War Department Says
By the Associated Press.
A War Department spokesman
made it clear today that war
prisoners working in American
industrial plants will continue to
get the full 80 cents a day to
which they are entitled under
international agreements, re
gardless of any union dues
"check-off” which may be em
ployed in such plants.
The checkoff is a system pro
vided for in some labor contracts
under which union dues are de
ducted from pay envelopes before
their delivery to the employe, such
collections being turned over to the
union by the employer.
Where war prisoners may be sub
ject to such a checkoff, the War
Department spokesman said, any
question concerning who (other
than the prisoner) pays the dues
will be a matter for the company,
the Treasury Department, the War
Manpower Commission and the
Controller General to settle—but
the prisoner will still get his 80
cents.
The comment was prompted by an
announcement by Leon R. Schach
ter, business manager of the Amal
gamated Meat Cutters and Butchers
Workmen (AFL), that a union dues
checkoff of 25 cents a week will be
demanded from the wages of 165
Nazi prisoners employed at the Sea
brook Farms, Bridgeton. N. J.
Mr. Schachter said the union’s
closed shop contract with Seabrook
included provision for a 25-cent
weekly checkoff from the pay of mi
gratory workers. He emphasized
such a checkoff would not make the
prisoners voting members of the
union, but said it would entitle them
to a work permit and benefits of the
(See CHECKOFF, Page A-3.)
Bond Forces Must Sell
10 Million in 4 Days
To Reach D. C. Goal
$85,100,000 Total
Sales Account for
90 Per Cent of Quota
The District today had less
than $10.000.0M to raise in War
Bonds before the Fourth War
Loan campaign ends next Tues
day. following a report from the
Fifth Federal Reserve Bank in
Richmond, Va„ that the local
total had risen to $85,100,000. or
90 per cent of the dver-all goal.
Individual purchases today stood
at $34,600,000. or 65.3 per cent oi
the quota and E bond sales totaled
$22.200.000—74 per cdnt of the quota
Corporation sales gained only
slightly since yesterday's report, tc
aggregate $50,500,000 or 120 per cent
of the goal.
Three additional States—Minne
sota, West Virginia and North Da
kota—yesterday reported thev had
attained their goals. Rhode Island
and Montana had previously gone
over the top. Maryland was only
$1,000,000 away from its $191.000.00C
quota—less than half of a percentage
point. The national drive foi
$14,000,000,000 had attained 86 pei
cent of its quota.
Montgomery Over Quota.
Montgomery County in Maryland
yesterday reported War Bond sales
of $2,252,212 or 102 per cent of the
quota. Richard F. Green, chair
man of the county campaign, re
ported collections as follows: Sil
ver Spring-Takoma Park area. $1,
006,745; Bethesda-Chevy Chase
Cabin John area, $316,648; Sandy
Spring area. $356,825; Kensington
Gaithersburg-Rockville area, $407,
124, and Germantown-Poolesville
Damascus area, $68,068.
Other available State percentages
were reported yesterday as follows:
New Hampshire, 90.5: Ohio. 87.9;
'Set WAR BONDS. Page A^3T~
Kelly Hits Juvenile Court Laxity
As Police Arrest Old Offenders
The arrest early today on charges
of theft of four youths with pre
vious criminal records spurred Maj.
Edward J. Kelly, superintendent of
police, to ask why the Juvenile Court
does not adopt a stricter policy to
ward the release of habitual of
fenders.
The boys, two 14 and two 17 years
old, were arrested as they were at
tempting to escape in a stolen car
after robbing a Connecticut avenue
liquor store. One later escaped. Po
lice records showed that all had
been arrested previously for auto
mobile thefts, one having taken 22
cars for joy rides.
When the case was called to Maj
Kelly’s attention by reporters, he
said:
"I am at a loss to understand how
it happens that these boys are en
gaged continuously in the commis
sion of crimes—namely, the theft o!
autos and other offenses—and wh\
they are not properly sentenced anc
confined in order to put a stop tc
their illegal practices, instead of be
ing allowed to go back on the street;
to become implicated in more
crimes.
“When a juvenile has been taker
into custody and then, after beinf
properly released, is willing to gc
straight, I have no objection to hi:
release. But when he has been ar
rested on a number of occasions foi
serious offenses and insists on beinf
involved in more crimes, I am at a
loss to understand why proper ac
tion is not taken after the police
(See KELLY, Page A-3.)
24 on Airliner
Killed in Plunge
Into Mississippi
Plane With Arlington
Man Aboard Falls
Near Memphis
By the Associated Pres*.
MEMPHIS. Feb. 11.—Twenty
four persons were killed last
midnight when an American
Airlines transcontinental plane
crashed and sank in the Mis
sissippi River 15 miles below
Memphis.
(One of the victims was
L. B. O'Connor, 4014 North
Twenty-fifth street, Arlington,
Va.. an employe of the War
Production Board. He was the
son of the late Representative
Charles O'Connor of Oklahoma.
His widow and two children live
at the Arlington address.)
Several crewmen with the United
States Engineers reported hearing
the plane flying low overhead and
one said he saw it hit the water and
sink seconds after being enveloped
jin flames.
“There was a terriffic explosion.’’
said Charley Williams, watchman
for the engineers’ crew. “It seemed
to sink immediately.”
Find No Trace of Plane.
When Mr. Williams and Foreman
W. R. Wellborn reached the scene
by boat, they found no trace of the
big plane, which w^as en route from
Los Angeles to New York.
"It #as quite low,” Mr. Williams
said, “and appeared to be tipped a
little to the right but the engines
seemed to be all right and there
were no flames. It angled into the
river about half way across.”
Mr. Williams said the plane hit
the water about 50 or 75 yards from
Passengers Include
'3 Most Promising
Young Engineers'
• Ey the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. Feb. 11.—An
executive and two employes of
the Sperry Gyroscope Co.,
which described them as “three
of the most promising young
engineers in the United States,”
' were passengers on the airliner
which crashed last midnight
! near Memphis.
Sperry officials said the men
I were returning from a mission
I which the company would not
discuss, but which took them
to Little Rock, Ark.
The men were identified as
James J. Ryan. 27, assistant
manager of the Sperry' aircraft
armament sales division: Dan
iel S. Pensyl, 27, and Randel C.
Matthews. 24. both project en
gineers in the Sperry research
laboratory.
j his barge and that “something ex
| ploded—it sounded like when you
; light a skyrocket.” He said there
| later was a "swishing sound and
then an explosion like a big fire
j cracker.”
Officials were unable to advance
any probable cause of the crash.
At least 10 of the 21 passengers
aboard the plane, flight No. 2. which
stopped at Dallas, Tex., and Little
Rock. Ark., wrere members of the
armed forces. The three crewmen
were Capt. D. B. Francis. First Offi
cer R. R. Majors and Stewardess
Dovie Holybee, all based at Fort
Worth, Tex.
The crash was one of the mast
disastrous in the number of lives
lost in the history of civilian avia
i tion in this country.
I The toll was exceeded only by the
i wreck of a Pennsylvania Central
Airlines transport plane August 30,
1940, when 25 persons, including
Senator Ernest A. Lundeen, were
I killed near Lovettsville, Va.
List of Passengers.
In New York, American Airlines
officials said ether passengers aboard
the plane were:
J. J. Ryan. Woodhaven, N. Y.
R. C. Matthews, Forest Hills. N. Y
D. S. Pensyl, Garden City, N. Y.
Lt, Victor L. Ramsey, 5th Ferry
Group, Dallas. Tex.
Lt. Charles S. Brumfield, Evans
iville, Ind.
Capt. Edgar F. Zarr, Dallas, Tex
Dr. O. L. Roberts. Philadelphia.
Capt. Sam Rosenfeld, Evacuation
Hospital, Los Angeles.
Frank A Kennedy of the Morri
son Knudsen Co., Boise. Idaho.
Lt. Herbert S. Submier, member
(Sec AIRLINER, Page A-8.)
President to Broadcast
To Nation Tomorrow
| By the Associate^ Press.
President Roosevelt will addresi
the Nation tomorrow afternoon,
speaking for approximately 5 min
utes during a radio broadcast be
tween 4:30 and 5 o'clock.
The speech will be in connection
with the presentation of a destroyer
escort to French naval authorities
under lease-lend. The subject of
Mr. Roosevelt's address was not dis
! closed.
Late Bulletin
Towers to Get New Post
Vice Admiral John H. Tow
ers, one of the Navy’s highest
airmen, is going to become
deputy .commander of the Pa
cific Fleet, giving major rec
ognition to the increasing
importance of the naval air
arm in the war against Ja
pan it was learned today.
Admiral Towers now is com
mander of the air forces of
the Pacific Fleet, principally
an administrative job.
Your Excuse for Not Buying an Extra Bond Wouldn't Sound
a
Convincing to That Boy at the Front