Evening star. [volume], April 12, 1945, Image 1

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

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Weather Forecast
Clearing, in 70s this afternoon; cloudy,
mild tonight, tomorrow.
Temperatures today—High, 70, at 1:30
p.m.; low, 60. at 4:24 a.m. Yesterday
High, 70, at 5 p.m.; low, 54, at 5:20 a.m.
_Lote New York Markets, Page A-21
Guide for Readers
Page. I
After Dark _B-6|
Amusements A-16-17
Comics .B-14-15
Editorial _A-12
Edit’l Articles- A-13
Finance ._A-21
Page.
Lost and Found A-3
Obituary .A-14
Radio _B-15
Society.B-3
Sports _A-18-19
Woman's Page B-10
An Associated Press Newspaper
93d YEAR. No. 36,868. Phone NA. 5000.
WASHINGTON, D. C., THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1945—THIRTY-EIGHT ‘ PAGES. ★**
City Home Delivery. Dally and Sunday S /'I'JTiVrrpQ
80c a Month. When 6 Sundays. Jl.OO. «* VAIllI'l A Q.
Second Armored Division Moving
Down Last 57MilesToward Berlin
V
Other Americans
Near Leipzig in
46-Mile Sweep
BULLETIN.
PARIS i/P).—A report attrib
uted to French sources and
without immediate confirma
tion said late today that Al
lied parachute troops had
been dropped at Brandenburg,
20 miles west of Berlin.
E> the Associated Press.
PARIS, April 12.—The Ameri
can 9th Army of Lt. Gen. William
H. Simpson crossed the Elbe
River today and began beating
down the last 57 miles toward
Berlin
The last river before the German
capital was forced by the 2d Ar
mored «Hell on Wheels) Division,
which blazed more than 50 miles to
Magdeburg in a 12-hour dash yes
terday. The precise site of the
crossing was not announced.
A bridgehead, however, was es
tablished at one undisclosed place,
about 115 miles from Russian lines.
A front dispatch said Gen. Simp
son's men could reach the Branden
burg Gate in Berlin by tomorrow
night or Saturday, provided the
Germans switched no tank forces
from the east. One report, however,
said the Germans' indeed were
shifting their battered 6th Panzer
Division from the eastern front.
To the south Lt. Gen. George S.
Patton's 3d Army tank divisions
broke loose again and thundered
forward up to 46 miles on the ap
proaches to Leipzig, Czechoslovakia,
and the Red Army lines.
The 11th Armored Division was
less than 40 miles from the border
of Czechoslovakia.
Gen. Patton's forces swept across
the Saale River south of Jena. The
crossings were made at points along
a 30-mile stretch by the 4th and
6th Armored Divisions.
Important Cities Fall.
Large ana important cities top
pled all along the western front in
the last 24 hours. Among them were
Schweinfirrt, Weimar. Nordhausen,
Halberstadt, Emmen in Holland,
Neustadt, Essen, Coburg and. by
German account, the Ruhr coal and
steel center of Bochum.
Besieged and tailing were Bruns
wick, Dortmund, Heilbronn and
Erfurt. The Germans said Bremen
was under all-out British assault:
the 9th Army imminently threat
ened Magdeburg.
One report placed American tanks
near Halle, 15 miles from Leipzig.
Infantry following the swift tanks
of the 3d Army beat to within 40
miles of Leipzig and 95 miles of
Dresden. A junction with the Rus
sians may come between those two
great Saxony cities within a week
Both the 3d Army and the 1st Army
were driving for Leipzig.
Planes destroyed or disabled 120
German tanks near Halle.
“The phantom 6 th and 4th
Armored Divisions of the 3d Army
are stabbing deeper into what re
maijps of the heart of Germany,”
Associated Press Correspondent
Thoburn Wiant was allowed to re
port through the 3d Army security
blackout. “It can be said that the
present armored stabs are much like
those made by the 3d Army in the
past—sudden, swift and sensa
tional."
Yanks May Be Vdfering South.,
The censorship ban suggested that
the 3d Army might be veering south
ward to cut routes into the national
redoubt in the Bavarian Alps, where
Hitler has planned his last “opera
tion gotterdammerung.”
All the North Germans ports were
menaced. The Canadians launched
a drive into Western Holland against
thousands of trapped Germans.
Ninth and 1st Army Divisions whit
tled down the Ruhr pocket and its
garrisons of up to 100.000 German
troops.
The crossing of the Elbe was the
first time it had been forced since
Napoleon did it more than a cen
tury ago.
Tanks crossed the 450-foot river
by means which censorship would
not permit to be divulged. The com
mander of the "Hell on Wheels”
Division, Maj. Gen. Isaac D. White of
Peterborough, N. H.. and Des Moines,
ordered his Sherman tanks across
onto the open plains leading to
One additional man from
the District area has been re
ported killed in this war See
“On the Honor Roll," Page A-2.
(See WESTERN FRONT. Page A-3)
Week's Gain in Casualties,
6,481, Smallest in Months
By the Associated Press.
American combat casualties since
Pearl Harbor have now reached
899,390.
Secretary of War Stimson today
reported Army casualties of 802,685
while the Navy set its losses at
96,705.
The increase over last week’s
figure, 6,481, was one of the smallest
weekly rises in months.
Mr. Stimson said the Army figures
reflected casualties reported through
March 31 and covered operations on
the war fronts through the middle
of March. •
A breakdown on Army casualties
and similar figures for the preceding
week:
Killed. 159,267 and 156.471; wound
ed. 489,256 and 486,929; missing, 86,
643 and 88,755: prisoners, 67,514 and
66.228. Of the wounded 250,192 have
returned to duty. ,
THE FAST-CHANGING WESTERN FRONT—Black area indi
cates territory covered in spectacular 24-hour advances by
Americans on the western front, including a 50-mile push in
12 hours by the 9th Army to the Elbe River in the Magdeburg
area. American flyers reported Yank forces (broken arrow)
near Halle, but this was not confirmed officially. Schweinfurt
fell to the 42d (Rainbowi Division. —AP Wirephoto.
Reds Punch Big Hole
In Defenses After
Pushing Past Vienna
Berlin Radio Reports
Soviet Armor 115 Miles
From Berchtesgaden
t he Associated Press,
LONDON. April 12.—Marshal
Feodor Tolbukhin’s 3d Ukrainian
Army has punched a big hole in
German defenses west of Vienna,
Moscow dispatches said today,
and Berlin reported Soviet armor
had reached a point between
Krems and Melk, 115 miles from
Berchtesgaden, mountain top
retreat of Adolf Hitler.
Soviet troops virtually completed
the occupation of Vienna, and dis
patches from the Russian capital
said "Moscow's guns may salute the
freeing of the ancient Austrian
capital tonight."
Northwest of Bratislava the Rus
sians were fighting within sight at
least of the Vienna-Bruenn high
way, last escape route for the Ger
mans northward out of the capital
Assault on Berlin Seen.
Moscow dispatches said the en
circlement had been completed.
Berlin said Soviet gunboats weie
putting tommygunners ashore in the
rear of German troops still fighting
on the 9-mile long island in north
ern Vienna between the river and
Danube Canal.
The German commander on the
Berlin front was reported by the!
German radio to have issued an
order of the day to his troops
warning that the zero hour for the
push by Marshal Gregory Zhukov's
1st White Russian Army from its
bases along the Oder could be ex
pected at any time.
Soviet air reconnaissance herald
ing such an assault already is “ex
ceptionally brisk," a Berlin minitary
spokesman said.
Reds Believed Ready.
“In the Oder bend from north of
Bueben (50 miles southeast of Ber
lin* as far as Kuestrin enemy mo
torized and rail movements continue
and indicate a growing Russian
readiness for the offensive," he said.
The German communique said
Gen. Lasch, commander at Koenigs
berg, had been court-martialed for
cowardice in surrendering the East
Prussian capital and sentenced to
death in absentia.
“Reprisals will be taken against
(See RUSSIA, Page A-4.~)
American Casualties
In First 9 Days on
Okinawa Total 2,695
432 Dead and 2,103
Wounded; 11 Japs
Killed for 1 American
Ey the Associated Press
GUAM, April 12,—Southern
Okinawa’s grim, no-quarter ar
tillery battle went into its eighth
day today as the Navy announced
American casualties of 2,695 for
the first nine days of the cam
paign. The Yanks were killing
11 Japanese for every American.
Japanese in the bitterly contested
southern sector hurled four deter
mined and well-prepared counterat
tacks against Maj. Gen. John R.
Hodges' 24th Corps Doughboys yes
terday after firing 4.000 rounds of
mortar and artillery fire.
The Japanese were calling for
supporting mortar fire, even though
some of it was falling into their own
lines. Artillery shells and small
arms fire poured into the American
positions in increasing amounts
along the ‘Little Siegfried Line”
about four miles north of Naha, the
capital.
Southern Sector Unchanged.
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz again
reported "no substantial changes in
the lines in the southern sector.”.
Maj. Gen. Roy S. Geiger's Ma
rines in the north ran into organ
ized resistance for the first time as
they pressed toward the end of the
tip of the Motobu Peninsula. Other
Marines advanced into the main
land of Northern Okinawa against
only slight opposition.
Carrier and land-based planes as
well as naval guns gave close sup
port to the ground operations.
Fighters wrecked 14 Japanese am
phibious tanks and 15 camouflaged
boats along the southern shore. A
shore battery was silenced.
Associated Press Correspondent
Vern Haugland reported that the
Japanese were suspected of using
a small observation plane with
American markings. The tiny craft
was believed observing American
positions and directing Japanese
mortar fire.
432 Dead in Total.
Admiral Nimitz announced the
2.695 American casualties included
432 dead, 2,103 wounded and 160
missing. This count was up to
midnight on Monday.
The last report of Japanese dead
showed 5,009 ,by midnight Sunday,
(See OKINAWA, Page A-20J
Bicyclist Negotiates Surrender
Of Weimar Without a Shot
By EDWARD D. BALL,
Associated Press Waf Correspondent.
WEIMAR, April 12.—Weimar,
birthplace of the German Republic
in 1919. surrendered today to the
American 3d Army’s 80th Infantry
Division without a shot.
It was a bloodless conquest, ne
gotiated by a German bicycle
courier.
Negotiations for the surrender
began last night in the village of
Troistedt, 3 miles south of the his
toric German city. The surrender
ultimatum, which was to have ex
pired at 8:30 a.m. today, was drawn
up and handed to the Mayor of
Troistedt.
The gray-haired Mayor pedaled;
p bicycle into Weimar and deliver*! j
the surrender demand, which had
been drawn by Lt. Col. Paul Bandy
of Hillsboro, Tex.
Before 8 o'clock the Mayor was
back—riding his bicycle again—and
was followed 10 minutes later by
the Overmayor of Weimar, who said
his city was ready to surrender. The
American troops then marched in.
The Overmayor, riding in a limou
sine, brought with him Dr. Erica
Fischer, whose American mother
lives in Germany, and Dr. Fischer’s
German husband. Both Frau Fischer
and her husband are psychologists.
Both speak flawless English.
The Fischers told 80th Division
afficers the German Army had pulled
U. S. Formally
Accuses Nazis
Of Atrocifies
Stimson, Stettinius
Join in Statement
Promising Justice
E\ !he Associated Pres.*
The United States Government
today charged Germany with
“deliberate neglect, indifference
and cruelty” in the treatment of
American prisoners.
The War and State Departments
declared in a joint statement that
actions are being uncovered daily
which "ha.e shocked the entire civ
! ilized world "
' The statement was issued by Sec
retary of War Stimson and Secre
tary of State Stettinius and read by
Mr. Stimson at his weekly news
conference. Secretary Stimson called
it a “balanced statement'’ on the
condition of American prisoners in
the Reich
Justice Promised.
The statement declared that
atrocities against American prison
ers "are documented by the pitiable
condition of liberated American sol
diers,” adding:
“The American Nation will not
, forget them. It is our relentless de
: termination that the perpetrators
of these heinous crimes against
American citizens and against civ
j Uization itself will be brought to
justice ’’
In general, the statement said,
'conditions under which American
j prisoners are held in Germany are
'deplorable." Some 70.000 American
men are captives in the interior of
Germany, it added, and the condi
tions under which many are living
"are due to a large extent to Ger
many's fanatical determination to
continue a hopeless war, with a
resultant disintegration under dis-,
astrous military defeat."
“Since the beginning of this
year." the statement said, "there
has been a steadily increasing fail
ure on the part of the German gov
ernment to provide, according to
the standards established by the
Geneva Convention, for American
prisoners of war in Germany cus
tody."
All Possible Efforts Made.
As a resuit, it continued, the
United States Government, in co
operation with the Swiss govern
ment as protecting power; the
.Swedish government, the American
and International Red Crass, "has
been and is doing everything within
I its power to get food and other sup
plies to these men.
Allied armies advancing from the
east and the west into Germany
have overrun 27 of the 78 prisoner
| of-war camps and haspitals in
which American soldiers were known
to have been held. These advances
have resulted in the liberation of
| approximately 15,000 Americans,
but the Nazis have hastily removed
36,000 American prisoners into the
i See PRISONERS, Page A-4.)
36 Lost in Collision
Of Two U. S. Tankers
By the Associated Presa.
NEW YORK, April 12.—The War
Shipping Administration disclosed
today that 36 men were lost as the
result of a collison of two tankers
Monday about 700 miles from New
York.
The WSA said the tankers, Nash
bulk and the St. Mihiel, were in a
convoy when the accident occurred
about 7 p.m.
The St. Mihiel, on her maiden
voyage, took fire, the WSA said.
It was brought under control after
abandon ship orders had been given.
Both ships have returned to New
York.
All except one of the dead and
missing were crew members of the
St. Mihiel, the WSA reported.
Most offthe missing men were lost
when they jumped into the sea, al
though some were trapped on the
burning vessel.
Survivors from the St. Mihiel were
picked up by the Nashbulk. After
the blaze aboard the St. Mihiel was
extinguished, remaining crew mem
bers boarded and returned her, with
the Nashbulk, to New York.
The master of the St. Mihiel pre
sumably perished in the fire, the
WSA said.
Names of the victims and survivors
were not available immediately.
Exact location of the accident was
not revealed.
Bulletin
Sub and Landing Craft Lost
The submarine Scamp and
a large support landing craft
have been lost in the Pacific,
the Navy announced today.
The submarine was reported
overdue from patrol and pre
sumed lost, and the LCS (L)
(3)—49 was lost in the Phil
ippines as the result of enemy
action. Normal complement
of a submarine is about 65
officers and men and of a
landing craft of the type
about 45.
■i'NOW WHY CAN’T Tl
ALL OF YOU BE LIKEj
British Forces Drive
Past Second Barrier
In Italian Offensive
Yanks Capture Carrara
As Clark Tells Patriots
Final Battle Has Begun
By the Associated Press.
ROME, April 12.—Eighth Army
troops, battling heavy opposition,
have pushed across a second
barrier thrown up by the Ger
mans at the Santerno River,
while on the opposite end of the
front American troops, assisted
by Italian partisans, have cap
tured Carrara, Allied headquar
ters announced today.
The crossing of the Santerno was
forced “against strong opposition,'
the communique said.
The Santerno runs parallel to and
about 5 miles west of the Senio
River line from which the 8th
launched its new offensive four days
ago.
Carrara is 4 miles north of Massa.
West Coast hub whose capture by
the 5th Army was announced yes
terday.
Patriots Warned.
• Meanwhile, in a message to
Italian patriots behind German
lines in Northern Italy, Gen.
Mark W. Clark said the “final
battles for the liberation of Italy
have begun."
(He warned, however, that the
moment for co-ordinated action
had not yet arrived. The instruc
tions were broadcast over the
Rome radio and recorded by the
Federal Communications Com
misison.)
Dozens of towns have been re
duced to rubble around the stub
born Germans by pulverizing artil
lery concentrations in the new at
tacks.
Cotignola. which was one of the
first towns taken by the 8th Army in
the new drive, was destroyed. Only
about 1,000 of its normal population
of 10,000 remained, living in cel
lars.
Capture of Carrara apparently
was made by the 442d Regiment,
made up of Americans of Japanese
ancestry. They had been last re
ported only a half mile from the
town, a marble quarrv center of
50,000.
Nazi Defense Stiffens.
The Germans obviously were put
ting up one of their "show piece”
defenses all along the Italian front
— a stubborn bloody fight for every
crossroad despite the present situ
ation inside Germany.
RAP Liberators were out in sup
port of the 8th Army ground forces
during the night, attacking points
close to the battle line southwest
of Lake Comacchio where enemy
supplies were concentrated.
The new fighting in Italy was co
incident with a reported German
withdrawal north of Sarajevo in
Yugoslavia. The Balkan Air Force
has been attacking German com
munication lines in that area almost
constantly for three days. More than
300 motor transports were destroyed
or damaged on the main road to
Brod, and 18 locomotives and more
than 100 freight cars were put out
of commission.
Carrier Raid Reported
On 3 Formosa Cities
Ej the Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 12.—
About 80 Allied carrier planes
raided three major cities on North
ern Formosa for two hours today,
the Japanese Domei news agency
reported.
The unconfirmed dispatch, re
corded here by the Federal Commu
nications Commission, claimed four
were shot down.
Targets were identified »' Kirun
(Keelung), major port, shipbuilding
and repair center on the northeast
coast; Taihoku, key transportation
center and port on the northwest
coast 15 miles from Kirun, and
Shingchiku, 40 miles southwest of
Taihoku
Formosa, a daily target of Philip
pines-based bombers, is about 125
miles from the Ryukyu Islands, in
whose waters American and British
naval task forces have been operat
ing for weeks. a
Britain to Stop Drafting
Of Men 31 and Older
L? the Associated Press.
LONDON, April 12—Britain plans
to discontinue conscription of men
of 31 years and older for the armed
forces after May 1 except where
there is a need for specialists or
other special factors. Labor Minister
Ernest Bevin announced today.
With the same exceptions, con
scription of men and women for war
jobs under Britain's national service
law also will be discontinued. Mr.
Bevin told Commons.
No British women have been called
up for a considerable time.
Senate Holds Up Bill
Threatening Curbs on
Press and Congress j
j
Ferguson Forces Recall
Of Approved Measure
Dealing With Codes
A bill which the Senate passed
unanimously Monday to throw
added safeguards around mili
tary secrets has been held up
for reconsideration on motion of
Senator Ferguson, Republican, of
Michigan who expressed fear
that its broad terms might in
terfere with voluntary censor
ship or hamper congressional in
vestigations of Government de
partments.
The measure deals primarily with
messages or information trans
mitted in code, fixing heavy pen
alties for unauthorized disclosures
Senator Ferguson told a reporter
the bill might be construed in suchi
a way as to prevent an- investigation
of the attack on Pearl Harbor, or
similar inquiries involving code
messages.
Calls Terms Too Broad.
He explained today that he had
no desire to interfere with the pro
tection of military secrets or the.
Government s code machinery, but
that the bill is in such broad terms
that many political questions the
people have a right to be informed
about could be suppressed.
"It would enable one man to write
the history of this war." Senator
Ferguson declared, "because the reg
ulations governing the use of any
information sent by code would be
determined by the President. Some
day the public wants the whole his
tory of this war written."
The Michigan Senator expressed,
the belief that a great deal of diplo-1
matic correspondence which the
public should have could be with
held under the bill if it happened
to be transmitted in code.
Didn't Pass Unnoticed.
Although the bill was approved on
the unanimous consent calendar, it
did not pass the Senate unnoticed.
When it was called up Monday Sen
ator Revercomb, Republican, of West
Virginia asked for an explanation
and Chairman Thomas of the Mil
itary Affairs Committee, replied:
“Thfr bill provides for filling a gap
in .regard to the punishment of per
sons who may divulge military se
crets. I presume the bill becomes
necessary because of the great num
ber of radio communications, radio
being used for the transmission of
codes. The bill is sponsored by both
the Army and the Navy. It is a
measure which is necessary in peace
(See FERGUSON, Page A-20?)
U. S. Munitions Stop Blast
Kills Hundreds in Bari
Ey the Associated Press.
ROME, April 12.—Hundreds of
Italian civilians and a number of
American and British servicemen
were killed in Bari Harbor Monday
by the explosion of an American
Liberty ship loaded with munitions,
an Italian government spokesman
announced today. More than 1,000
other persons were injured.
The cause of the explosion was
not yet known, the spokesman said.
The number of military personnel
casualties also was not known. '
Authorities did not disclose the
identity of the ship.
Earlier, the government spokes
man had placed the toll of Italian
dead at 267 and the injured at about
1,600.
Army and Navy Differ
On Asking Internees
For Transport Fares
War Department Says
Trips Are Free; Navy
Asked Promissory Notes
By CARTER BROOKE JONES.
While the Navy has been re
quiring Americans liberated
from internment camps in the
Philippines to sign promissory
notes for the cost of their pas
sage back to the United States,
the Army has been carrying
them free on its transports, a
War Department spokesman
said today.
This conflict of policy was dis
closed after The Star published
Tuesday a report of the experience
of Mr. and Mrs. William Burke, jr..
now in Washington. They spent
three years in the Santo Tomas
Internment camp in Manila and
were required to sign an IOU pro
mising to pay the Treasurer of the
United States on demand $825. the
expense of transportation for them
selves and their young son from
Leyte to San Francisco on a Navy
transport. Mrs Josephine Waldo,
freed from the same camp, said
here yesterday she had to sign a
note for $275 for a single passage.
Navy lias No Comment.
There was no comment at the
Navy Department and no explana
tion of the apparent opposite inter
pretation by the two services.
The War Department officer said.
However, that the Army had taken
i large number of refugees from
the Philippines to the United States
and exacted no payments from
them and made none sign IOUs.
Inquiry at the transport com
mand had disclosed this situation,
though there was no explanation
af how the policy was determined
ar why the Navy had a different
policy.
Elsewhere in the Government it
was suggested that the Navy offi
cer who levied the IOUs might have
felt that he lacked authority to
transport civilians free and had
taken this means of protecting him
self, leaving final determination to
Dfflcials at the Navy Department.
The whole matter of providing
transportation for civilian American
refugees in various parts of the
world is under consideration, it was
learned, and a definite policy un
doubtedly will come out of these
discussions. The War, Navy and
State Departments and probably the
Executive Office of the President
will be involved before the dispute
is settled, according to an informed
source.
Cite U. S. Spending Abroad.
While returning refugees would
have paid almost anything to get
out of the internment camp and
back home, they made the point
that this Government was trans
porting British war brides to the
United States without charge and
spending large sums in many for
eign quarters, and they felt it could
afford to bring its own citizens back
from prison camps. They also
pointed out that many of those who
returned from the Philippines with
them were left destitute by the war
and the destruction of Manila and
no longer even had contacts in the
United States.
They were frankly surprised that
their Government adopted an atti
tude they described as strictly busi
ness and did not even furnish them
with clothing or other supplies, of
which they were in desperate need.
Col. Agan Is Missing;
Led Yalta Air Escort
Ey the Associated Press.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Tex., April 12.
—Col. Arthur C. Agan, 29-year-old
commander of the American 1st
Fighter Group and leader of the
fighter escort for principals at the
Yalta Conference, has been listed as
missing in action over Hungary
since March 31, his family was noti
fied yesterday.
The colonels mother, Mrs. A. C.
Agan, lives in Corpus Christ!; his
wife and 3-year-old daughter in San
Antonio, where Colj Agan was born.
A
Higher Ceilings
On Cattle Asked
To Assure Beef
Prices Are Based on
Costs of 2 Years Ago,
Food Inquiry Told
DISTRICT OPA CHIEF says 50
more investigators are needed
here. Page B-I
A spokesman for livestock
producers told the Senate Feod
Investigating Committee today
that an increase of SI a hundred
pounds in cattle prices would get
the country the beef it wants.
P. O Wilson, Chicago, secretary
manager of the National Livestock
Producers' Association, expressed the
opinion, too. that “it would not cost
! consumers any more tnan they are
paying now when you figure what
they are paying the black market.”
Price ceilings on cattle, Mr. Wilson
I testified, are based on costs of two
years ago, while corn has gone up 75
j per cent and other feeds are also
; higher.
As a result, he said, cattle are not
being fed to heavy weights.
“There were 2.700.000 calves
slaughtered last year which would
have been fed to steer weight if the
price structure had been favorable.
The country lost the difference be
tween their average weight of 350
to 400 pounds and the weight of a
,1,000-pound steer.”
Price Action Indicated
There were indications at today *
hearings that committee members
may try to change the price situa
tion by amending the bill to extend
the life of OPA. which will soon go
before the Senate.
Chairman Thomas read an
amendment which he suggested
could be offered in the Senate to
make it unlawful for OPA to estab
lish against any processor a maxi
mum price which does not equal all
costs and expenses. He said the
amendment had been submitted to
the Banking Committee, consider
ing the OPA extension bill, but indi
cated there is a desire in that com
mittee not to amend the act.
Mr. Wilson insisted that the num
ber of cattle being fattened by the
feed-lot operators has fallen off this
year, despite figures presented ear
lier to the committee tenaing to show
more cattle in the feed lots this
January than last year. He said
his testimony is based on the ob
servation of men who are constantly
traveling through the feed-lot areas.
Mr. Wilson said it is his opinion
that some of the cattle Government
observers thought was moving into
the feed lots was actually going di
rectly into black market operations.
Chairman Thomas said earlier
that he has leceived reports that
a small, unidentified group within
OPA wants to eliminate small meat
packers.
He added that the reports, which
he said he had not verified, declared
the group's ultimate aim was to con
vert the meat business to a public
utility by citing the big operators
who would remain under antimon
opoly laws and placing them under
firm Government control.
"Knowing the men in charge of
OPA. it's plausible." Senator Thomas
told reporters. “I can see that
whether or not that is their pro
gram. their system of pricing meats
has that effect, intended or not."
Brownlee Has No Comment.
Deputy Price Administrator James
F. Brownlee, advised of Senator
Thomas' assertion, said he would
have no comment until he could
study the matter further. Other
OPA officials were not immediately
available
Senator Thomas' committee has
heard frequent complaints from
small packers that OPA price pol
icies are forcing them into bank
ruptcy by denying them a profit
margin between the price they must
pay for livestock and that at which
they must sell their meat.
On another angle of the price dis
pute, Senator Thomas said James
E. Cooney, vice president of Wilson
& Co., one of the larger packing
firms, contended that neither OPA
nor the Emergency Court of Appeals
would allow usual items of business
expense in determining meat ceil
ings.
Amendment Suggested.
Senator Thomas said Mr. Cooney
suggested the price control law
should be amended to take into ac
count for price-fixing purposes over
head and similar business expenses
which are deductible on corporation
income tax returns.
The Oklahoma Senator said the
(See FOOD, Page A-20.)
Open City Declarations
Banned by Himmler
Ey the Associated Press.
LONDON, April 12.—Heinrich
Himmler, commander of the Ger
man nome army and Gestapo chief,
today issued a decree declaring that
"no German city will be declared an
open town,” DNB announced in a
Berlin broadcast.
“Every German town and every
house must be defended.” the SS
leader declared.
“Every village, every town will be
defended with all means. Every
German man responsible for the
defense of a place who does not
follow this order loses his honor and
his life.”
DNB said the decree was neces
sitated by a tendency toward easy
surrender in tlje west to American
spearheads commanders who prom
ised that if the towns gave up they
would not be destroyed.
Although Himmler signed the
order as Reichsfuehrer of the SS
(Elite Guard), unverified report*
reaching London have said he was
virtually the ruler of Germany and
had superseded thaler.