Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 February 1940 — Page 1

The Indianapolis Times

3

FORECAST: Mostly cloudy tonight and tomorrow; colder tonight with lowest about 15; continued cold tomorrow.

FINAL HOME

VOLUME 51—NUMBER 300

v

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1940

Speedway City Welcomes Growing Pains—

TECH, DECATUR PAIR IN OPENER

Southport, New Augusta Matched; Washington Meets Speedway.

(Complete Schedules on Page 7)

Technical and Decatur Central, two of Marion County's strong entrants, will meet in the first round of the Indianapolis sectional pairings for the 29th annual state high school basketball tournament. Drawings for the state-wide event were made late yesterday and revealed today. A total of 775 teams, four less than in 1939, will bid for the coveted state championship. The reduction was caused by the -consolidation of several schools. Play in the sectional centers is to begin Thursday, and Tech will clash with Decatur Central's county champions in the second game at the Tech gym.

Southport vs. New Augusta

Southport, the sectional defending champ, and New Augusta will lead off at 7 p. m. ahead of the Greenclads and Hawks. In the night's third attraction ‘Washington . will oppose Speedway City. Shortridge does not take the floor until 10 a. m. Friday, meeting Broad Ripple, and at 11 a. m. Friday Manual’s Redskins, City tourney winners, go to bat against Beech Grove. Other teams in the local tourney paired in the first round are Warren Central and Oaklandon, Lawrence and Castleton, and Ben Davis ‘and Franklin Township. The pairings make it possible for the favorites to meet in final games in several sectionals. This is true at Ft. Wayne, where North and South are in opposite brackets; at Franklin, where a two-way fight between Greenwood and Franklin is expected, and at Marion, where Gas City is likely to provide the stiffest opposition for the Giants,

Along ‘Easy Street’

Anderson was one team to get the “breaks” af the draw. The Indians are in the upper bracket in their own sectional, while Alexandria and Elwood, if successful in first-round games, will meet Saturday afternoon. Corydon received the “easy” road at the Jeffersonville sectional, where Jeff, New Albany and ‘the dark horse Silver Creek team must fight it out in the same bracket. At Evansville, Bosse and Reitz will play {Continued on Page Seven)

HEARING OF FIVE IN WPA CASE DELAYED

Arraignment of five Indianapolis persons indicted on charges of conspiring to defraud the Government through diversion of WPA labor and funds was postponed in Federal Court today when Judge Robert C. Baltzell granted defense attorneys until March 11 to file special motions. Attorneys indicated that the motions would attack the validity of the indictments and the procedure used in presenting evidence to the Grand Jury. Those under indictment are Arthur V. Brown, president of the Indiana National Bank; Arthur F. Eickhoff, president of the ‘Eickhoff Realty, Co.; Charles E. Jefferson, former member of the Marion County Flood Control Board; Miss Elizabeth C. Claypool, 1734 N. Pennsylvania St., and Carl F. Kortepeter, former Marion County WPA co-ordinator.

CATS DIES, OVERSEER GETS THEIR $1000

MARLBORO, Mass., Feb. 24 (U. P.).—Bequeathing $1000 for care of her two “beloved” cats, the will of . Mrs. Nellie G. Claflin of Marlboro, who died Feb. 11, was filed for probate yesterday. Today, Miss Nellie Underwood of Marlboro, who was to have adminis tered the fund, revealed that both animals were dead. 2 The $1000 will go to Miss Under‘wood.

DAUGHTER BORN TO ITALY’S ROYAL PAIR

NAPLES, Italy, Feb. 24 (U. P.).— Crown Princess Marie Jose gave birth to a daughter at 1:25 a. m. "today. The child, weighing 8 pounds, 12 ounces, was narhed Maria Gabriella. She was the third child of the Prince and Princess of Piedmont, heirs to the throne,

Colic Fatal to Alabama Quad

JASPER, Ala., Feb. 24 (U. P). —Faith and Charity survived today but Hope was dead. Six weeks old, one of quadruplets born to a share-cropper family, she died last night of colic in Jasper County Hospital. She will be buried tomorrow. Her sisters, Faith and Charity, and her brother, Franklin, were well and thriving. The quadruplets were brought to the hospital here the day after their birth to Mrs. Clyde Short in her husband's two-room opin near Nauvoo, Ala. Meanwhile, the advisory committee planned to meet today to decide its plans for the future. A quadruplet celebration had been scheduled for March 8-9. Hope's death automatically canceled contracts which. would have brought the babies and their parents $35,000 or more. They have received approximately $6500 to date,

CITY PARK MERIT SYSTEM NEARER

Plans Are Completed for, Selecting Summer Employees by Exams.

A bona fide merit system for the selection of summer playground employees was in sight for Indianapolis today, for the first time in the City’s turbulent recreation history. Plans for selecting the | playground instructors and supervisors by competitive examination were completed at a meeting yesterday of members of Mayor Reginald H. Sullivan’s Recreation Advisory Committee, the Playground Training Course Committee and Park officials. Junior and senior students with physical education training in all Hoosier colleges and universities will be invited to apply for recreation posts by Recreation Director Wally Middlesworth. They will go t6 recreation training school at the Brookside Com-| munity House each Monday night for four hours from March 11 to May 20. Then they will be given written and oral examinations on what they learned. “We'll select the personnel from (Continued on Page Three)

MERGURY DROP TO 13 13 DUE TONIGHT

Sion Blamed fc for Traffic Injuries to Six.

LOCAL TEMPERATURES

6am ...33 10am... 34 7a.m./...33 11a m...3 8a. m ... 33 12 (noon)... 35 9a. m.... 34 lpm... 35

Colder weather is due in Indianapolis tonight and will continue tomorrow, the Weather Bureau predicted as a 1.3 inch blanket of snow covered the City. The Bureau said the mercury may dip to as low as 15 degrees tonight. Traces of snow were predicted during the day. The snow was blamed for a series of traffic accidents in the city in which six persons were hurt. Marion County’s traffic toll for the Year was increased to 12 with the death of Francis Ackerman, 30. of 1801 S. Meridian St., at City Hospital today. Mr. Ackerman was hurt yesterday when the car in which he was riding overturned at Raymond St. and Hobart Ave., taking the life of Christopher Landrigan, 32, of 1911 Ruckle

St., former amateur flyweight boxer, |

and injuring two others. Two pedestrians on their way fo (Continued on Page Three)

R. A. F. FLIES OVER PRAHA AND GERMANY

LONDON, Feb. 24 (U. P,).—Royal |

Air Force airplanes flew over Praha during the night for the second time in 24 hours, the Air Ministry announced today. Royal Air Force planes also made extensive reconnaissance flights over northwest Germany, the Ministry added. It was announced that one pilot had lost his bearings and landed in

Building and industry in Speedway City is speeding up. Evidence of the new home construction is this row of houses in Gerard St., 1700

block.

Below is the sub-station being erected at 11th and Main St.

by the Indianapolis Power & Light Co.

Once-Neglected Suburb Now One of Hoosierland: s-Busiest

By SAM TYNDALL Speedway City is having growing pains a plenty—-but they are the

kind that don’t hurt at all. This Indianapolis suburb, once

considered a “one night” town in

connection with the 500-mile race, now is one of the- busiest, happiest and most prosperous communities in:the state.

And Speedway City folks—the and plant employees—believe that a long period of industrial expansion and perhaps world-wide fame is just beginning. In years to come, these people think, Speedway City will bi known as the airplane motor centei of the United States, the “Speedway City” being the only reminder of the automobile classic.

Property Sub-Divided

The nationally known Presto-O-Lite plant, employing hundreds, has been the town’s major industry for years. Real expansion started with the recent injection of millions of dollars into the city by the General Motors Corp. in its Allison warplane motor plants. !

Realtors sub-divided outlying property, stores put on new stteamlined fronts, and Main St. at noon began to look like Fifth Ave. at the rush hour. Everyone knows what the Allison plant has already done and is bound to do for the city in the future. Thousands more workmen, more money, more home buying, more eating, etc.

Three Plants There Now There are three Allison plants

|there now. The original, the new

experimental plant and the $6,000,000 production factory and all go full blast 24 hours day. At night, the floodlights around the Allison plant, necessary protection because of the importance of the product, seem like footlights, revealing every tiny house scattered around the mammoth factory. , During the day, the roar of motors (Continued on Page Three)

drugstore owner, real estate man,

second floor.

SAVES HER CHILDREN FROM BURNING HOME

Mother Leads Two From House, Then Calls Aid.

Running back into her home at 3450 Carson Ave, after discovering it was ablaze, Mrs. Carl Oliver early today directed her 11 and 8-year-old daughters to safety. Shortly after her husband left for work at 5 a. m., Mrs. Oliver departed for her own place of employment. She noticed smoke coming from under the roof of the home which is on the second floor over a grocery operated by O. J. Jones. Mrs. Oliver went into the house, called to her 8-year-old daughter Helen, who was listening to the radio, and awakened her other daughter, Jean, 11, and led them out of the house, Then she ran to a neighbor's home and called the Fire Department. Firemen estimated the loss to the grocery stock and the Olivers’ furniture at $1000. The fire was believed to have started in the grocery, eating its way up through the wall to the Most of the damage was caused by smoke. The two children took shelter in the family car while firemen extinguished the flames and then went back inta the home.

LOCAL SECTIONAL SCHEDULE

(Sixteen Teams)

Game P.M. 1. 7:00—New Augusta 2. 3.

A.M. 4.

11:00—Lawrence and P.M.

THURSDAY, FEB. 29

8:00—Decatur Central and Technical 9:00—Speedway and Washington FRIDAY, MARCH 1

9:00—Warren Central and Oaklandon 10:00—Broad Ripple and Shortridge

Officials (1-2) (2-3) 31)

and Southport

(1-2) (2-3)

Castleton (3-1)

2:00—Beech Grove and Manual Training (1-2) 3:00—-Ben Davis and Franklin Township (3-1)

4:00—Winners Games 1 and 2

(2-3)

7:00—-Winners Games 3 and 4 8:00—Winners Games 5 and 6 9:00—-Winners Games 7 and 8

P.M, SATURDAY, MARCH 2

1:30--Winners Games 9 and 10 2:30--Winners Games 11 and 12 8:00--Winners Games 13 and 14

Officials (1) B. R. Hosier; (2) Norman Dunlap; (3) Orville Jones.

(1-2) (2-3) (3-1)

(1-2) (2-3) (3-1)

Belgium,

Times Photo.

| street need feel no humiliation over

{ sent Under Secretary of State Sum-

TRADE PROGRAM SENT TO SENATE

F. D. R. Forces Expect Early Approval After Victory In House, 216-168.

WASHINGTON, - Feb. 24—Administration leaders. today hailed House passage of the bill extending the reciprocal trade program for three years as indication of early approval by the Senate. Democratic and Republican ‘Senate leaders predicted that the Senate would vote on the measure within two weeks. Democrats said it would be approved; Republicans still hoped it would be defeated. The House gave the Administra-

night by voting 216 to 168 to continue the trade program. Immediately expressions 'of gratification came from President Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull. From the cruiser Tuscaloosa, aboard which he is fishing near the Cocos Islands, the President radioed Speaker William B, Bankhead congratulations on passage of the bill by the House and asserted that Senate approval would prove a force for peaceful and prosperous international relations “in the days to come.” Mr. Hull stated briefly: “I am, and, I am sure, supporters of the program everwhere are, immensely gratified by the vote.” The vote in the House to extend the program three years beyond the June 12 expiration date was along party lines. Only five Republicans voted with the Administration to continue the program; 19 Demo(Continued on Page Three)

HUGHES ENDS DECADE "AS CHIEF JUSTICE

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (U. P.).— Charles Evans Hughes today ends a decade of service ag Chief Justice of the United States. He closes the 10-year epoch—a period marked by the crisis of the Roosevelt Administration’s great Supreme Court controversy—a firm believer in the function of the Court as a balance wheel of Government. . The 77-year-old jurist, who ascended the bench for the second time Feb. 24, 1930, as an appointee of President Herbert Hoover, iplanned no ceremony to mark his anniversary. He adhered rigidly to his custom of issuing no public statements.

VICTIM OF ACCIDENT ABDUCTED AT GARY

GARY, Ind, Feb. 24 (U. P.).Basil Batach, 54, injured here Thursday in an automobile accident, was abducted mysteriously from his rooming house today. One of the alleged abductors told a resident of the house that he was taking the injured man to Wesley Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Detectives reported that he never arrived at the hospital. Police said they could find no motive for the abduction. Louis Goerge, Mr. Batach’s attorney, stat-

ed that he would demand an ination by the Federal

tion an overwhelming victory last

Entéred as Second-Class Matter Indianapolis. Ind,

at Postoffice,

If Setting Is Right

U. S. May Join in Peace Move.

| BULLETIN BERLIN, Feb. 24 (U. P.).— Broadcasting authorities here announced tonight that Adolf Hitler would deliver a speech by radio shortly after 8 p. m. (1 p. m. Indianapolis Time) on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the National Socialist Party. Whether he would speak in Berlin or Munich was not announced.

By WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS Times Foreign Editor WASHINGTON, Feb. 24.—Insiders (if any such exist in this war) are now expecting a new crisis in the European conflagration soon— perhaps within 30 days. But they admit they can only guess at what's coming.

all his diplomatic pipelines here and in other capitals, is puzzled. So the average American man-in-the-

his own bewilderment. His guess has about as much chance as the next of being correct. That is why the President has

ner Welles to Europe. Though the President, as a matter of course, sees the situation more clearly than most, thanks to his superior sources of information, even so it is stiil just a mound of jigsaw-puzzle pieces to him and he wants the pieces put together. If and when the pieces are properly integrated, the picture may make sense. It may turn out to be a dove of peace. If so, some sort of peace move can be expected, with the United States taking part. If, instead, the picture reveals a bloody-beaked vulture perched above a battlefield, the emphasis more likely will be on our own national preparedness. I have encountered no military expert here, either domestic or foreign, who expects that the Allies will try to smash the German Westwall ‘in any vast land offensive, or that the Nazis will attempt to break through the Maginot Line. Some suggest the Germans may seek to turn that line via Belgium or Switzerland, but these are neither positive nor numerous. The cost in human life would be staggering and the chance of success slim. More seem inclined to look for something to happen in Scandinavia, along whose long and jagged coastline British, French, German and Russian warships are now moving mysteriously. Or in Italy, the Balkans, Turkey or the Near East. Russi4 Gives Warning

If the Anglo-French blockade of. Germany is to bear fruit, it is admitted that it must keep supplies from reaching her through the Soviet Union, Italy and—insofar as possible—the Balkan back ' door. That is why the Allies are beginning to draw the cordon ever more tightly around those areas. Patently, if Russia and Italy can import whatever they like from abroad, there is nothing to keep them from passing these supplies on to Germany. Russia has said she will not tolerate any such interference with : (Continued on Page Three)

CONTRACT AWARDED TO END ‘DEATH TRAP’

A contract for construction of a new structure to replace the Sshaped “death trap” bridge near the Municipal Airport on High School Road was awarded® today. T. A. Dicus, State Highway Commission chairman, said the bridge must be finished by Dec. 1, 1940. The contract went to Smith & Johnson, local contractors, on their bid of $77,380. The five-span bridge will be 180 feet long and will have a 28-foot roadway and a sidewalk. Graded approaches will be three-tenths of a mile long.

Even President Roosevelt, with |

It will be built withiposite end of the

PRICE THREE CENTS -

1

The Var in Biot

STOCKHOLM—Special session of Parliament is called for tomorrow as tension with Russia over bombing of town increases. COPENHAGEN — Norwegian and Danish foreign ministers confer on vital international problems, await Swedish foreign minister later.

HELSINKI—Finnish stone wall defense continues; 3000 Russians are reported slain in Mannerheim line assault.

MOSCOW—Conference of Russian political and military leaders in Leningrad area is disclosed. ROME—Balkan capitals hear Turkey is mobilizing its forces along the Russian frontier. BERLIN-—Adolf Hitler addresses nation by radio on 20th anniversary of founding of National Socialist Party.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND—Prime Minister Chamberlain declares Allies fight to secure right of small European nations to live.

REPORT TURKS MASS IN NORTH

Fear of Russia Indicated; Allied Army May Cut Off Oil From Nazis.

ROME, Feb. 24 (U. P.).—Balkan capitals heard unconfirmed reports today that Turkey had mobilized troops along its Russian. frontier as its first big scale move after invocation of a drastic National Defense Law. Excitement was heightened because telephonic communication between Turkey and European capitals was interrupted all night. Operators insisted that the interruption was due-to “technical reasons,” due to damaged--lines at the Turkish end. (The United Press Istanbul correspondent reported that Turkey's telephone and telegraph communications with other countries had been disrupted during the night, and on several recent occasions, by storms, but that the wireless functioned normally. Reports of Turkish mobilization of troops on the Russian frontier were denied, he said, and were ‘attributed to a report published abroad several days ago.) The newspapér Messaggero here, in a Bucharest dispatch, quoted a report that Turkey had ordered full mobilization. There were counter(Continued on Page Three)

FINNISH LINES HOLD; 3000 RUSSIANS SLAIN

Red Attack With Tanks Used As Snow Plows Stalls.

HELSINKI, Feb. 24 (U. P.).— Three thousand Russian dead were reported today in an official Finnish war communique which said that

attacks near Koivisto, at the head of the Gulf of Finland, and in the islands of the Viipuri Achipelego had been repulsed. Using tanks and snow plows, Russian troops struck in heavy snow and fog at the second line of the Mannerheim defenses to meet strong resistance, which, reports from the front said, held the Red Army in its tracks. Russian attacks were repulsed at Yla-Somme, near Koivisto, and at Kaemaerae. Two Russian detachments, the communique said, were trapped east of Lake Muola inside Finnish lines and were annihila More than 1000 Russians were killed. In the Taipale region, at the opannerheim Line

Federal and State funds.

(Continued on Page Three)

ABOARD LINER REX, At Sea, Feb. 24 (U. P.).—Cleared through the British contraband control station at Gibraltar in the record time of three hours and 40 minutes, due, presumably, to the presence aboard of Sumner Welles, United States Under Secretary of State on a mission to European capitals, the Italian liner Rex made for Naples, where it will dock tomorrow. :

The British made the stop at Gibraltar as painless as possible and although Mr. Welles stood at the railing and watched the contraband controllers come aboard, a party of British officials kept him in conversation at tea on the veranda deck while bags of American mails, addressed to Germany and Poland, were remavec. J. P. Moffat, chief of the State Department's division of European affairs, accompanying Mr. Welles,. remained on the alert, however. "As the Rex slipped into Gibraltar harbor, the great rock peak was veiled by a heavy mist. A tender met the liner and guided it past a score of shabby Jrelghtars, = of which ere were approxim tely 50 “in port,

Welles Is Nearing Naples; Sees British Remove Mail

their after decks, awaiting organization into a convoy. Several ships with Belgian nd other flags painted on their sides also awaited clearance but the Rex was given the right-of-way. There were no British warships in sight.

Welles Is Ex soled In Berlin Wednesday

. BERLIN, Feb. 24 (U. P.)—Au-

thorized German sources said today that plans had been completed for a visit to Berlin by Sumner Welles, President ‘Roosevelt's special envoy to Europe, but they refused to give details. Usually reliable quarters, however, understood that Mr. Welles would arrive in Berlin from Rome Wednesday wh Fuehrer - Adolf Hitler, who has gone to South Germany for a few days, was expected to return. Well-informed quarters expected that Herr Hitler and Foreign Min- : Ribbentrop would

for selected issues.

SWEDEN ABANDONS GOLD; ANGER AT RUSSIA RISES; CRISIS IN 30 DAYS SEEN

Parliament Meets in Extra Session To- | Morrow.

STOCKHOLM, Feb. 24 (U, P.).—Sweden went off the gold standard today as the Government convoked a special session of Parliament for tomorrow afternoon and faced a difficult diplomatic situa tion as a result of Russian denials that Red; Army planes had bombed the Swedish frontier town of Pajala. Swedish feeling against Russia was especially resentful because of a report published by the newse paper Aftonbladet of Stockholm that the captain of a Russian sube marine which sank the Swedish steamship Fenris had been decorated on his return to Moscow. The sip»

was sunk weeks ago but Russia has not replied toc a Swedish protest against the sinking. The Government agreed to estabe lish foreign exchange control. The bill, tabled in Parliament this afte ernoon, will be debated and passed tomorrow and it will become ef fective Monday. No opposition was expected. , Previous restrictions on gold transactions were in force against public business, but special dispens sation was granted to the Central Bank. That dispensation was ree voked today.

Seek to Mobilize Wealth

The Government's action today was regarded as officially and come pletely abandoning the gold stande ard. Although Sweden technically suspended that standard on Sept, 27, 1931. Six days earlier, Britain abandoned the gold standard. Exchange control, under the new setup, will be regulated by the Riksbank itself which henceforth will constitute a special co: for the purpose of mobilizing the nation’s wealth and Swedish invests ments abroad. The regulations, it was under stood, were: aimed to restrain the outflow of the country’s wealth by businessmen in order to provide the country with credits necessary for the purchase abroad of goods nee cessitated by the present situation,

i Guenther Delays Trip :

Foreign Minister Christian Guene : ther delayed a journey to Copene« hagen where other Scandinavian foreign ministers were conferring today. Because of the diplomatic situa tion between Moscow and Stocke holm and in view of Guenther's delay in going to Copenhagen, there was widespread speculation - over the agenda of the Parliament session. (Copenhagen dispatches said it was understood there that Guene ther spent all this morning dise cussing the Pajala situation in Stockholm with the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament. The dis patches reported that Guenther in tended to raise the Pajala.as well as the whole Finnish question when he joined the Copenhagen discus= sions. As a result, it was said, the complexion of the Copenhagen meeting may be changed to give a much more important position on the agenda tc the Finnish war.)

Public Opinion Divided

The Foreign Office made it known that despite the Russian denial it would maintain its attitude 'that the planes which bombed Pajala were Russian. But most important was the efe fect of the denial on Swedish pube lic opinion, already divided on the Government's policy of refusing all official aid to Finland. (A Stockholm dispatch to the Cos penhagen newspaper National Tie dende asserted that the Swedes could prove that bombs dropped on Pajala were Russian ones because they were marked with Russian characters, and added that thse planes were decidedly of - Russian type. Further, the newspaper ase serted, the Swedes held that they (Continued on Page Three)

N.Y. STOCKS STEADY: BONDS IRREGULAR

New York stocks developed na definite trend in today’s short sese sion. Demand was brisk, however, Bonds" were ire

regular. Announcement that Ale:

lied powers planned tos spend a

billion dollars for American planes and parts was anticipated several: weeks ago in securities prices. ? Wheat sold easier at Chicago and"

Kansas City. Cotton had fair gains’

at New York. Hogs weighing more: than 160 pounds sold 15 cents higher

at Indianapolis and other weights. advanced 10 cents.

TIMES FEATURES ON INSIDE PAGES

++s 10'Obituaries .. 8 Clapper ...... 9 Pegler ....... 10 Financial sec 11 Pyle Flynn CREE RE RS 11 Radio sessnes Forum ...... 10/Mrs. Roosevelt so In Indpls..... 10{Scherrer .... Jane Jordan . 5 Society i

Editorials

assessor §