Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 15 July 1940 — Page 2

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THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

rn ORAS re Ty SE ea a

en spe AAA RIE SON AAR

WILLIAMS ON NAVY MUZZLE

BALKS

Correspordence Reveals Aviation Writer Quit Marine Corps Reserve After Being Warned to Cease ‘Further Criticism.’

GUY V. MILLER

Times Special Writer

PITTSBURGH, July 15.

Howard aviation writer, resigned from the U. S.

Maj. Al Williams, ScrippsMarine

Corps reserve because the Navy Department, of which the

Lahn b Marines are a

branch. threatened to revoke his commission

for eriticizing the Navy in print.

Chis was revealed today in correspondence between the

Department and Maj. Williams, made public for the first

me, the Navy had refused to do— he said, “the Navy violated my proposal for gentlemanly silence.”

vecause,

Last week the Navy Department announced Maj. Wil-

ams’ resignation, but gave no explanation beyond quoting Maj. Willlams as saying “he could serve his country best as a private citizen without military affiliation.” ‘he ¢eorrespondence, however, discloses that Maj. Wilhams was served a virtual ultimatum to cease “further destructive eriticism by you of e administration of the naval service” under penalty of having his commission revoked

Warned April

Mal. Williams

this edict, unusual m that ited to a reserve officer when on active service regu and customs brought Maj. Williams

rations about ignation 1e correspondence Williams was on April 18 Holcomb

ommandant

reveals warned from Ma Marine that ‘‘certam es, published under your Pittsburgh Press a Howard newspaper) Februar ae

that in a Gen Corps artiname mm Scerippsthe ear contam tenor to the U. S

nomas

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1940

NA o MRATON ministration of destructive ont on of the » PUess an officel 1 Marne Corps ceed INgly mMappropnate and canye condoned by the Major Gen Commandant The? followed a wan her destructive criticism dered sufficient scommendcailion to ihe the Navy that Ma) 1 be revoked

icism otf the Naval service the letter conof vor rank

reserve, 1s

ing that woulda for a

e Cons Callise Secretar) Williams

ommission

Termed It America’s Business

en. Holcomb's lever evidentl) a column published on hich Ma). Williams I think Navy neeas a major overs fairly crawling with hidebdouna and obana reacumonary choke off and disefficient and

oul

its more i personnel the same column Ma) cnriicized Selection voara sthod of promotion, charged that discrimination agamst Annapolis in the serve and asked this the Navy's [men be washed in public? I'l America’s busmess defense column

Wil-

the

re was officers

that Sal not. It's It's national rat Maj. Williams of eight wartime who, although de promotion, were not retained in active service Anril 23 Maj. Williams replied Holcomb's letter, asking a

a vif 1AM arification

}

"® Care 5 aviators red A fon an he on

Gen

he wrote, “IT would ke ta know where my privileges t are overlapped obligations as a

Specifically

R Drivate citizen my quties ana

reserve officer

aware that, if on the {. my statements and opin need conform with, and ited bv, the policies and reguof the service

1 am well

ust

Got No Reply to Letter

Reing on the reserve list, howve 1 have been of the opinion the spoken or aritten word of nine in nowise is to be interpreted as official or under censorship.’ I'e this letter Ma). Williams ceived no reply. |iX weeks later, on sndered his resignation nd without publication.” He said he “desired to speak freely vigorously in expressing my

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Maj. Wiliams released the correspondence

which

CHICAGO POLICE EXTRA CAUTIOUS

i . ‘No Rough Stuff’ Is Motto During Convention: Dynamite Theft Studied. CHICAGO, July 15 (U. P).—PoSecret Service, G-Men and Fire Department vigilance squads took drastic precautions today as the Democrats opened their convention in Chicago's “Little Hell” district where bombs—not politics— once flourished. The theft of a quantity of dynamite from & boxcar at Joliet, TI, 40 miles from Chicago, spurred the police. They recalled the finding of bombs in Philadelphia on the eve of the Republican Convention there The Stadium in which the wsessions were held is fireproof, but a fire squad was on hand to turn fire hoses on any riotous demonstrators Deputy Chief of Police John Penaergast detailed policemen 10 the Stadium, “Our motto is no rough stuf! during this convention,” police quarters announcea.

lice,

370

in advocating what 1 essential to our national defence’ and that he therefare could not conscientiously heed the Navy Department's warming “destructive criticism.’ He said, however, that "my services will alwavs be at the command of the U S. Marine Corps and In case of amergency I shall bring with me mv two standard singleseater fighting planes, and they shall be donated without cost to the Marine Corps.” Two days later Maj. Williams finally received a reply to his previous request for clarification of the warning letter It was dated June 6. ihe dav before his resignation, but postmarked June 8 the da) altel Judge Advocate General Rules

This letter,

opinions and believe 10 be

against

also from Maj. Gen Holcomb, said Maj Williams’ reaquest had been referred the Chief of Naval Operations, who had forth the following policy, in which the Judge Advocate General of the Navy concuired: That under section 301 of naval reserve act Maj. Williams not subject to U. S. Navy orders or regulations concerning the publication of articles in the public press “However, it has been established by custom and usage In the naval service that persons therein shall not publicly in the press ol wise eriticize the naval service my a derogatory manner, Inasmuch as the U. 8 Marine Corps reserve is a component part of the U.S. Marine Corps which in tum 1s a component part of the U. 8 Navy, it follows that Maj Alford J. Williams, U. 8 M. CC R. \VW) an officer in the naval service.” On July 8 Maj. Williams was Nnotified of the acceptance of his Yesignation, The acceptance letter expressed Gen, Holcomb's regrets at Maj. Williams’ separation from the reserve and thanked him for his “generous and patriotic offer of service in the event of need.’ On that same day the Navy in Washington formal) announ =d the resignation. When asked what lav behind the resignation. the Department said the correspondence would not be made public

Outstanding Speed Flier

sel

the

“18

Yel'=

In making public the correspondence today Maj. Williams said “1 resigned from the U. 8S, Marine Corps, reserve, the grandest militar) organization in the world, because . in my newspaper column 1 exposed and criticized the evils of officer promotion under the selection hoard procedure, The Navy threat ened to revoke my commission [ wrote the criticism as a newspaper writer of daily columns, The record speaks for itself without farthe: comment.” Maj. Williams formerly was an « ‘= ficer in the naval air corps and fo VeArs was its outstanding speed flier establishing several world records, The Distinguished Flying Cross was presented to him in 1929 by President Coolidge. In 1930 he resigned from the Navy and was commissioned & captain in the Marine Corps reserve. In 1935 he was promoted to major He a graduate of University and of Georgetown law school, and is a member of the school of engineering faculty at the University of Pittsburgh.

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Giant Dies at 22 TALLEST MAN IN l: Far From War :

Foot Infection Is Fatal to Robert Wadlow, Giant From Alton, 1

MANISTEE., Mich, July 15 (U. P.).— Robert Wadlow, whose height of ‘eight feet 10 and three-tenths inches made him the tallest man in the world, died today of an infeetion. Mr. Wadlow became ill on July Fourth while appearing at the National Forest Festival here. A foot brace he wore to help support his weight broke the skin along the ankle and an infection set in. He had been seviously ill with a high fever for several days but last week had shown considerable improvement. He Was 22

Late yesterday his fever mounting rapidly and death early this moring. He had given a transfusion vesterday. His home was in Alton, Ill, and he was 22 years old. His parents Mr, and Mrs, Harold Wadlow, and a younger brother were here Funeral arrangements were not completed pending word from an uncle in Nebraska. It was expected. however, that the body would be Yremoved to Alton later today. Mr. Wadlow's extreme height was attributed by physicians to an over-active pituitary gland. He weighed 491 pounds. Mr. Wadlow, who weighed 8': pounds at birth, began attracting first local. and then national attention shortly after his fourth birthday, when his unusual growth began,

began came been

Robert Wadlow . . . dies of foot infection. His health usually was good, although he received treatment 1935 for an infection from a blister, His parents, brothers and sisters were of normal size. Although he wanted to become a lawver, We abandoned his studies and travelled for a shoe firm and appeared with various shows and circuses.

Wore Size 27 Shoes time he was 5, he was clothes designed for a While William C. Bullitt, U. S, youth in his teens. In five more years he was wearing garments made for large men, and his familv was discovering that ordinary furniture would not support his weight, Special shoes, size 27 and larger, were required to cover his feet.

By the " wearing Ambassador to France, grapples his AtShe's Ppicboardwalk

with war-time problems,

Anne, relaxes at N. the

daughter, Jantic City, tured strolling there.

Cl EE Eo ry aac] Pr 3 FIES

GARY COOPER

U.S. CONTRACTS FOR 627 TANKS

Army to Spend $11,000,000 To Speed Mechanization Of Land Forces.

WASHINGTON, July 15 (U. P) — | The Army, speeding mechanization of its land forces, today contracted with the American Car & Foundry Co., Berwick, Pa. for 627 heavily armored light tanks, said to cost] about $11.000.000. | The order was the largest of its kind in American peacetime history. | The award was made from bids opened at Rock Island, Ili, arsenal last week Informed officials said the tanks would be about 12 tons each, | equipped with 30 and 50-caliber ma- | chine guns and one 37 mm. cannon. | The new tanks. described as “the latest thing,” will be used to aug=ment the equipment of the new mechanized divisions being established this summer at Ft. Knox. Ky. and Ft. Benning, Ga. The two divisions are patterned along the lines of the famous Nazi Panzers, and ultimately will use 1400 tanks, 13,000 semi-automatic rifles, 600 pieces of artillery, and 18.000 men. The Army has on hand or on order approximately 3000 tanks. the largest being the so-called “medium” type of about 18 tons. It is understood, however, that President Roosevelt's latest request for an additional $5.000,000.000 for the Army and Navy envisages the purchase of about 3000 more tanks Among these, it was said. will be several hundred huge “land battleships” ranging from 60 to 70 ‘tons. The Germans had 80-ton tanks dur= ing their swift conquest of the lowlands and France

CLIPPER AT CANTON ISLAND HONOLULU, July 15 (U. P.) —The American Clipper, blazing an air trail from San Francisco to New Zealand, was ready today to take off from Canton Island for Numea, New Caledonia, on the fourth leg of is journey

Outstanding star who scores again

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BETTER MADE FOR BETTER SMOKING

Here as seen in the new film “TOBACCOLAND, USA" is one of the most amazing devices in cigarette making = Chesterfield's electric de. tector. Twenty mechanical fingers examine each cigarette in a pack and if there is the slightest imperfection a light flashes and the entire pack is automatically ejected.

Sun Tan Hints

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. July 15 J. P.).——Science now can tell the summer vacationist where to get the best sun tan in the quickest way. Dr. Helmut Landsoerg, assist= ant professor of geophysics at Pennsylvania State College, has developed a new method for measuring ultra violet in solar and sky radiations by use of the photo=-sensitive glass rods. Using the photo-sensitive glass in nation-wide tests, Dr. Lands= berg found the southern regions show 30 to 50 per cent move ultra Vviolet—hence quicker sun tan—than the northem. Rie Piedras, Puerto Rico, had the highest recorded value while Tucson, Anz, was a close second. SCHOOL AID DEAD MARTINSVILLE, Ind. July 15 Raymond E. Blunk, recently elected vice-president of the County Super intendents Association of Indiana, and Morgan County superintendent of schools died vesterday. He was 43.

MONDAY, JULY 15, 1940

‘Here's Vacation MURDER CHARGE IN

PLOCH CASE DROPPED

Grand Jury charges of first de= gree murder in the 4-year-old case of Charles Polley were dismissed today. Polley Was indicted with three lother defendants in the holdup= murder of Hamry Ploch, Beech Grove tavern owner, which occurred March 7, 1936. Deputy Prosecutor John M. Kelly said that the prosecutor has "n= sufficient evidence” and explained that the only alleged eye-witness [to the murder is unable to identify Polley, and that the three co-de= fendants are already serving long [prison sentences on other charges. However, Mr. Kelley declared that Polley will be returned to the In= diana State Reformatory as a |parole violator on a grand larceny |sentence. Polley was a fugitive for nearly three years after the alleged crime. He was arrested in Redwood City, Cal, May 2. 1939 by agents of the Department of Justice and returned to Marion county to stand trial.

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