Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 4 April 1941 — Page 1

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FINAL

VOLUME 53—NUMBER 21

FRIDAY, APRIL

4, 1941

at Postoffice,

FOR HINTS AT DIRECT ACTION IN ALLIS TIEUP

Situation Very Bad and Something Must Be Done, He Tells Press.

Abo

Ine.

The Truth

BEYOND THE ITALIAN FRONTIER-—The once palatial Hotel de Russie is now the headquarters of the German high command. Camouflaged staff cars stand 40 at a time in the spacious Piazza del Popolo and the road of army motorcycles reaches up into the peaceful Pincio gardehs. Italians gape or grind their teeth in impotent rage as Immaculate generals and colonels stride through the hotel doors while tow-headed, thick-set orderlies click heels and present arms. From this hotel instructions go directly to the Ministries of War, Marine and Air, as well as to the various German units who now occupy Italian soil.

Labor Summary

Today's

ments:

strike develop-

1. Renewal of Ford peace conference delaved until U, S, conciliator makes personal tour of plant, 2. Roosevelt threatens Government action in AllisChalmers strike, 3. United Coal Miners and soft-coal operators are given 24-hour extension in negotiations as Government threatens forced settlement, (Page

3.)

The Piazza Venezia remains in Mussolini's hands but the Germans control him entirely, He has thrown in his lot with Hitler and knows —

that as the brilliant second he must carry out such orders as come to him. Mussolini has talked with almost no one but Germans for twn | years so that he knows about the | great world bevond Italy only what the Germans want him to know and he thinks, consequentlv. as they want him to think. Finally, the military defeat of Italy has brought so great a popular reaction that Mussolini can remain in power only though the favor and support of the Nazis.

The Quirinale, or Roval Palace, has not been violated by the Germans, who leave the King alone except for social activities. The royal family nevertheless is at pains to identify itself with the

German alliance. Even the Queen, whose best languages are English, Italian and French in that order, prefers now to speak German, The new Japanese Ambassador told me that the Queen insisted on speaking German to him though he had the temerity to suggest that he could not speak that tongue and preferred English. Hissing between his teeth the Ambassador said to me, “It was very unhappy, also very funny. Her: Imperial Majesty talked to me for 20 minutes in German. 1 not understand one single word. Hee-hee.”

WASHINGTON, April 4 «(U. P) President Roosevelt said today | that the Allis-Chalimers strike at Milwaukee is a most serious tie-up in the defense program and he threatened direct Presidential action unless the controversy is setlan SO . . a E Wear Fascist Uniforms NEXT IN IMPORTANCE in Italy comes the Foreign Office.

There, as in all other ministries,

266°

“H-m-m,” MeN lis Says And Bowler Rita Johns Goes Free.

JUDGE JOHN McNELIS, erally, was bowled over today. Miss Rita Johns, 23-year-old ace kegler, appeared in Municipal { court today charged with speed-

that he considers the Allis-Chalmers strike the only reallv serious stoppage of work, the] President said that since the Ford walkout only in its third day it has not vet reached a critically serious point. As for the work stoppage of 400,.000 soit coal miners in 12 states. he sald he hopes they will be back work on Monday.

PEACE DELAYED IN FORD STRIKE

Holds Up Patios Pein] Inspection of Huge Plant.

DETROIT, April 4 (U. P).—Federal Labor Conciliator James F. sentatives are meeting with parties Dewey today deferred . further conin the Allis-Chalmers controversy ferences with the United Automo- | tomorrow. Mr. Roosevelt pointed | bile Workers (C. I. O.) and the Ford | out, and obviously ‘he could not in-/a\rator Co. until after a personal ter til t machinery has : ! ervene until tha hi inspection tour of the strikebound had chance to operate, . | River Rouge plant, Mr. Dewey said there would be In reply to questions, he said that no further meetings with either ) - he has had some reports of Com- ie until he and Thomas J. Donamunist Party activity in the Allis- hye chairman of a special state Chaldmers case, but he said that!ediation commission. had visited fact should not be used to SMEAr the plant and assured themselves only labor. Charges of Communist that there were no new difficulties the judged asked. “What's your activity also apply to a great many guch as disrupted their peace efforts, best game?” individuals in the United States ang vesterday. ' “Why it's 266.” not to labor alone, he said. “The next meeting will be with The judge's evebrows elevated. There was a growing demand In company representatives at 2 p. m..” “H-m-m.,” he said, apparently and out of Congress for direct Gov- Mr. Dewey announced. “The next thinking of his own best game. ernment action in the strike situa- meeting with the union representa- “Defendant ndant discharged. » tion. That action, officials said, may tives will come after that.” ..~8a

DE Youth ts "Cured By Lie Detector

affected, anti-strike legislation, ori both Stimson Serves Warning Henry L, A POLICE LIE detector “Uncle night Federal of an ‘injured” shoulder, The youth told police he was struck by a hit-and-run driver Wednesday night and was wearing his arm in a sling when he was brought to the Police Station for questioning. After questioning, Sergt. Jack Vevan

Mediation Given Chance

But. said the President, the Allis-| ( tain ers strike is really a very bad | tuation and something has got io! done about it. He said that he is giving existing mediation machinery a few more] to work on the case, but the controversy are no: have another eight or] weeks to settle the aeadlock.| is In its 10th week The new Mediation Board's repre-

i} ul

litaavs rties to

R0INg {0

ten

I York St. She

pleaded not guilty. She said her dash light

now.

and she couldn't see the speedometer, “Where were you going” Judge McNelis asked. “I was going bowling.” Johns replied. “By the way,”

The Communist Angle

Miss Johns

Scene Generally Quiet

Meanwhile, production lines at the plant remained idle and maintenance crews passed through picket lines without molestation. It was a company charge that pickets were banning maintenance workers yes{terday that sent peace efforts into rapid deterioration. The scere at the plant generally was quiet throughout the morning A group of men wearing C. I. O./ buitons broke the windows of an (automobile containing two Negroes (but State Police quickly restored order, President Roosevelt told a press. conference at Washington that since the Ford walkout is only in its third day he did not consider the tie-up critically serious from a defense standpoint. The Ford company.had $154.000.000 worth of defense contracts, much of it centered in the River Rouge plant, which is the largest {Qontinued : on Page 10)

POOLING OF SMALL | PLANTS 5 FAVORED ALIEN QUESTIONED IN

StimSam's troops

Secretary of War son hinted that, if patience” is tried, might be used. Mr. Stimson, at his ence late yesterday, the strike situation was “getting worse.” and warned that “Uncle Sam's patience” should not be mistaken for weakness. He discussed only the Allis-Chal-mers strike at Milwaukee, Mr. Stimson said he had we might find a force right ht He then recalled the serious Pullman company strikes in Chicago in 1894 when Federal troops were sent to intervene over the protest of the late Eugene V. Debs, jabor leader, and the Governor of T1linois Mi again appealed to states to set up home guard units to take the place of mobilized National Guardsmen for use in emergencies such as the Allis-Chalmers strike

conferdeclared that

press

Detective showed the

ed a few fibs. Then the young man admitted he had tried mixing beer and ice cream and in the resulting illness fell off a curb. The story about being struck by a car, he said, was just a story, “I'll bet that arm feels better now, too,” Detective Bevan commented. The vouth reflected a moment, took off the sling, handed it to the detective and left the Police Station cured cured.

We “an idea near-

Stimson

Whisky Flows Freely on 135

TWAS HIGH-GRADE whisky that flowed freely on Road 135 last night. Lester Dunn

. ? NEW YORK, April 4 (U. P).— Farming An alien who said he had been an! agent for the French and Italian! intelligence services during the World War was held on a grand larceny charge today after his arrest for allegedly stealing 1500 blue-

OPM Aid Urges Out’ of Defense Jobs.

It is important to national defense that large industries “farm out” defense jobs to small shops, Pierce Williams, of the Office of Production Management, labor division, said here today. Mr. Williams, who is here with former Governor M. Clifford Townsend, to discuss this problem with Indiana industrialists, said:

of Chicago was driving his tractor-trailer north near the Bixler Road when he started to pass another truck. His brakes locked and his machine jack-knifed.” His cargo of 450 cases of whisky sprawling with 100 cases damaged at a loss of

military aircraft. He gave his name as J. Dutar de Benque, 55, a Frenchman who came to the United States in 1902. When arrested yesterday he denied that he now was engaged in espionage work.

went broken or £2000,

ing 40 miles an hour on E. New |

was turned off |

Miss |

youth that the machine record- !

THEFT OF BLUEPRINTS

prints of airplane pumps used on!

Queen Helena talks German now . “It is very funny.”

the Germans have installed GerAs a concession to the Italwear the black Fascist high ranking party officials. They are instructed to be tactful and merely to offer the collaboration of Allies who say, “We do it this way in Berlin.” In the Foreign Office, as in the Ministries of War, communica= ticns, finance and all the rest, no decision can be made without

mans, ians they uniforms of

RCA MAKING BIG

BRAZIL STATION

——————

Powerful Short Wave Beam To ‘Point’ to Four Continents.

By SAM TYNDALL

At the Indianapolis RCA plant this week workmen began building | | equipment for what is to be one of | the largest and most powerful shortwave radio broadcasting stations in the world. It is being constructed for he} | Brazilian Government and will oo) {on the air at Rio de Janiero ii [time In January of 1942, The station will be a joperated to combat powerful Buro(pean short-wave or high frequency stations broadcasting and to reciprocate “good will” casts rom U, S | which have been America. The radio broadcasting studio and |all studio and broadcasting equipment excepting the transmitter, under construction at the local RCA | Dish which is a part of the record | division of the RCA Manufacturing Co,

broad-

‘Points’ Its Broadcasts

last | cured a 19-year-old youth |

The station will operate with a i power of 50,000 watts and have eight directed beam antennas for selectional broadcasts to three other con- | tinents besides South America. Two antennas will be “heamed” on the United States, two on Europe, lone on (onal antennas for | coverage.

South America

the manufacture and assembly parts for the unit, explained that by selection of a particular | Brazilian station will be able to “point” four continents it is desired cover. He added that any ordinary household radio would be able to pick up. on the short wave band, any broadcast to the United States. J. M. Smith, RCA vice-president (Continued on Page Five)

FT. WAYNE IS FREED OF EXPLOSION PERIL

FT. WAYNE, Ind, April 4 (U,

P.) —Ft. Wayne police and firemen, |

fighting the menace of possible ex- | plosion. announced today { highly inflammable liquid heating tgas had been cleared from the city sewers, The gas was flushed into the sewers by mistake last night. At one | spot, tests showed the explosive volume reached 80 per cent. Miss Margaret Baker, 16, was taken to the Methodist Hospital for treatment after she was overcome by fumes. Attendants said her con-

‘dition was “good.”

“If aid to Britain is to mean anything in the next four or five months, we are going to have to get production from the small shops in the small cities and towns.” Mr. Williams suggested a nation-' wide inventory of the facilities of the small plants and the establishment of “pools” of these shops te relieve the defense load of the big plants, Mr. Townsend, now agriculture adviser for the OPM, was the prin cipal speaker at the luncheon at the Indianapoils Athletic Club sponsored by the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce and the State Division of Publicity. Following the luncheon, Mr, Williams was to Jordan. . 27 Society discuss the “farming out” problem nson ,....24 Sports 36, 37, 38 at a series of conferences with InMovies ,,.....52. State Deaths.16/diana businessmen,

TIMES FEATURES ON INSIDE PAGES

Ferguson 24 censored dispatch shows

.. 16 «co 23 23 14 20 35 2: 19 43 24 29

Mrs. Obituaries Pyle Questions Radio Real Estate Review of wk. Mrs. Roosevelt School News Serial Story.. Side Glances.

Autos Clapper Comics Crossword Denny Editorials Financial Flvnn Forum In

Clapper's column. (Page

(Page 29) REVIEW OF THE WEEK—A

Inside Tndpls 23 Jan

Joly

Exclusive in The Times

THE TRUTH ABOUT ITALY—John T. Whitaker's second un-

taken over control of Italy. HEADACHE CERTAIN WHEN PRICES RISE—Another revealing article on the war-time cost of living. (Page 21)

LABOR ALONE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR STRIKES—Raymond

EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE—An

mestic news during the last week.

how completely Germany has (Page 1)

23); Editorial (Page 24) Indianapolis Institution.

digest of international and de(Page 35)

propaganda

. short-wave stations | serving South |

Aria and three non-direc- |

R. A. Wilson, who is co-ordinating | of |

antenna | and by varying the frequencies, the |

the broadcast to any of the | to |

that

y John T. Whitaker

the approval of these German collaborators. Actually they serve as commissars. The Germans, especially Von Ribbentrop, detest Ciano. Italy's youthful Foreign Minister has independence of mind and he is the only Italian left who will speak the truth to Mussolini. Ciano opposed Germany's invasion of Poland, insisting at Berchtesgaden that the British and French would fight until Hitler in fury cried, “You ass, you son of an ass.” Worse, Ciano opposed Italy's entry into the war. Consequently, the Germans have thrown Ciano out of the Foreign Office despite the fact that he is Mussolini's son-in-law and heir apparent. Von Ribbentrop said to an Italian friend of mine at a dinner party in Rome nine months ago: “One of the first things we will do when we control Italy is get rid of Ciano.” It was no idle threat. Ciano today commands a bombing squadron, in the heel of Italy, that flies almost daily against the Greeks. He keeps the title of Foreign Minister, but “Major” Ciano has no control of the country’s policy.

Man of Courage

THE GERMANS whisper in Rome, to discredit Ciano with the Italian people, that his squadron never goes out to bomb without an escort of 25 fighting planes

Entered as Second-Class Matter Indianapolis,

Ind.

PRICE THREE CENTS

REJECTS AXIS SHIP PROTESTS

ROME A

They Violated U.

WASHINGTON, April 4

toosevelt accused the Italian 1

rym

described himself as “7: ed in a note sent to the Italia:

ence, Mr. Roosevelt said that it had been clearly proved tage aboard 25 of the 28] Italian vessels was ordered

I aoubt that and if it is true I don't believe that it is at Ciano’s (Continued on Page 1, Section 3)

Count Cianeo . . . “Only Italian who will speak truth” to Duce.

_ BRITAIN, GREECE «BET BILLION AID

Half in War St Supiies, Half In New Ships; U. S. War Zone May Be Cut.

WASHING President Roosevelt. announced today that $500,000.000 in Army and | Navy equipment already has been | rele: sed for transfer to Britain and {Greece under the Lend-Lease Act. | He disclosed that an equal amount mm new funds has been allocated for building 212 merchant ships for be! He ociaes realed also that he is draft-| {2 i to aid Jugoslavia and indicated that he soon may open the port of Aden and the Red Sea for American commercial permitting them to deliver war supplies close to the Suez Canal. From [that point the British could transfer them to the Mediterranean and the Balkan front.

on Is Born fo

Mrs. Mauri Ros

MAURI ROS consistent money winner in A annual 500mile Memorial Day race, has new fan. The fan is Mr. Rose's first child, a seven-pound boy, born to Mrs. Rose yesterday morning at Methodist Hospital. The driver, who was A. A. A. champion in 1936 when he finished second to the late Wild Bill Cummings and who finished third last year, is now a defense worker at the Allison Division, General Motors,

BOATMEN SAVE 16 ON AIRLINER

Dr. Crile Bruised as Big Plane Smashes Into Florida Swamp.

VERO BEACH, Fla, April 4 (U. P.).—Pilot Gerald O'Brien and A. G McIntyre, a passenger, the last of 16 to American shipping. he indicated, persons to be removed from a would await the completion of Britwrecked Eastern Air Lines plane in jsh mopping up in East Africa, a swamp southwest of here, were| taken to a hospital today for treat-| January ment. | O'Brien, who had saved his passengers by bringing the Miami-to-New York plane down right side up in a thunderstorm, was seriously injured and was carried into the hos- ~ pital at Ft. Pierce, 20 miles to the south, on a stretcher. McIntyre, however, was able to walk with assistance. The two men were taken by flatbottom boat to a highway, where an ambulance picked them up and took them to Ft. Pierce. Most of the 16 aboard the plane were injured and all suffered from shock and submersion, The only way to get to them was by frog boat. These boats have outboard motors and the propellers frequently | were snagged on water hyacinth roots, The rescuers worked from a| road two miles from the scene of the wreck, on the northern fringe of the great Everglades. The zig-zag course the rescuers had to follow (Continued on Page Five)

RAINSTORMS DUE | TODAY AND TONIGHT

{

212 Ships by

he declined to discuss | the exact tvpes.of equipment released by the Army and Navy, Mr. Roosevelt said that in general they were of a nature similar to the old T5-millimeter guns which he ordered turned over to Greece earlier this week. He told a press conference that | the 212-ship program would entail construction of 50 or ways, But he said he expected the ships to be afloat by the first of next vear, The $500,000,000 ailocated for this project included funds | for repairs of damaged British merchant vessels and above the $1,080,000.000 which he (Continued on on Page Five)

WM. CG. SMITH DIES; BUILT BUTLER BOWL

Although

Ex-Trustee Held 2 Degrees From University.

William C. Smith, former Butler TEMPERATURES TODAY University trustee, who built both Sa. mi ... 50 19a. m.... 51 Y 3% MM ...5% Ham...

8 a.m. . 53

a.m ... 53 between

A “collision” a Great Lakes ‘high pressure area and a Missouri low pressure zone brought storm warnings to the Middle West today. Rain and thunderstorms weve predicted for Indianapolis and Indiana today and tonight, while wind | velocities reaching 40 miles an hour | were predicted for Lake Michigan ‘and Lake Erie. The Missouri disturbance caused | rain over most of the Eastern states, ‘particularly in the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys. Kentucky reported more than an inch of rainfall over a six-hour pe(riod today and in Southern Illinois numerous thunderstorms were developing. Rain was reported as far south as the Carolinas and as far sisters, Mrs. Esther Alford, Miss north as New York. Cora Smith, Miss Ivy May Smith | et | and Mrs. Tilden S. Greer, FORD A GREAT-GRANDDAD | DETROIT, April 4 (U, P). —2 1%. -pound 12-ounce daughter born to| STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Cal, | Mrs, Henry Ford IT and her mother April 4 (U. P.) —Deirdre Conselman | | were reported “doing well” today at of Beverly Hills, Stanford Univer- | Henry Ford Hospital. The girl, who sity sophomore, today announced | will be named Charlotte, is Henry her engagement to Don Budge, pro- | Ford's first great-grandchild. | fessional tennis champion,

51 ler Bowl, died today at his home, 2910 College Ave., after a brief illness. He was 76. The son of Mr. and Mrs. George M. Smith, pioneer Marion County residents, Mr. Smith attended But-| ler when it was a college, graduat-| ing in 1884. He held A. B. and M. 8. degrees from Butler. When he was 21 he was elected] Marion County surveyor on the! Democratic ticket. In 1903 he was| married to Miss Elizabeth Burt, who survives. He was a trustee and elder of the Central Christian Church and! a member of the board of directors of both the Y, M. C. A. and the Y. W. C. A. Mr. Smith was presi-| dent of the Marion County Construction Co. Besides Mrs. Smith, he is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Wallace Richards of Pittsburgh, Pa.; four

ENG AGED TO BUDGE

Opening of Aden and the Red Sea

60 new ship- |

was over and |

the Butler Field House and the But-| ‘from the general belief in the Balk- |

‘by the Italian attache and] that this was an illegal act. Rejecting the protests, Secretary! |of State Cordell Hull sent notes to | Prince Colonna, Italian Ambassador, and Dr. Hans Thomsen, German jiharas d'affaires. He rebuked the vo nations for violating this coun- | we s “hospitality” by ordering sabotage of the ships. In his note to Dr. Thomsen, Sec-

| retary Hull expressed surprise at | the

ernment, including a request that

| the vessels be returned to their mas- |

ers and the crews released from arrest, He flatly rejected Dr. | Thomsen’'s argument that the seiz-

international law.

“I know of no principle of international law which permits the masters or crews of vessels of a | country which has sought refuge in

Hull Rebukes Germany and Italy,

Today, as a press confer-|”

that a great deal of the sabo-

“extreme assertions and de-| mands” made by the German Gov-|

F.D.R. CHARGES

ITACHE

LED SABOTAG

Claiming S. ‘Hospitality’;

Denies Breach of Treaty. (Text of Notes,

25)

Page

TU. P.).—The United States

today rejected German and Italian protests over seizure of their merchant ships in American harbors and President

1aval attache of directly order

ing sabotage of the Italian ships. tecall of the Italian attache, former chief of the Italian Naval Intelligence who had onca > per cent American”—was demands

Admiral Alberto Lalg—e

a B mbassy Yesterday.

[or entered the ports of another | country to commit acts of destruce tion in disregard of iocal law and of the hospitality which they have been permitted to enjoy; nor is there any provision in the treaty | between our two countries which lends even color of support to any such argument,” he wrote. “It would indeed be unthinkable that any civilized nation would become a party to a treaty cone taining any such provision or that it would subscribe to any so-called principle of international law which .| would permit foreign vessels to be brought to its harbors and roadsteads and there wilfully damaged and wrecked in violation of law and to the detriment of navigation and even the safety of its harbors without restraint or hindrance by the local sovereign.” Mr. Hull's reply to the Ttalian protest was more mildly worded, ale though 25 Italian vessels were dame aged and only one German vessel

TON. April 4 (U, P) — ures and subsequent actions violated yas sabotaged.

He reminded Prince Colonna that the ships were wrecked while they were enjoying “the hospitality and protection of our ports” and added (Continued on Page Five)

2 Battle Fronts Likely

United Press St

By HARRISON

SALISBURY

aff Correspondent

Great Britain and Germany moved toward major combat todav on

mountain country of the South Ba

In Africa Britain was bolstering her

vessels, thus {wo land fronts—the Cyrenaica desert of North Africa and the rugged

Ikans.

desert hrigades for an early

test with a force of two or three mechanized divisions which Germany is

| estimated to have ‘pushed across the The Royal Air Force was in action, pounding the Germans along their tenuous 625-mile line of com(munications from Tripoli to spearhead of the speedy Nazi thrust [in the vicinity of Benghazi. The British had already doned Benghazi, rolling their light scouting force back rapidly to shorten eommunications and consolidate their strength, The signal for the opening of hostilities on the Balkan front ap- | peared about to be given, Belgrade reported that heavy German troop movements to the south continued all through the pisht in Budapest and the Nazi Luftwaffe is already reported poised lon Jugoslavia's frontiers, ready for | Hitler's command to go into action. There were wild rumors of internal repercussions in Hungary to the sensational suicide yesterday of | Premier Count Paul Teleki, but {there was no confirmation, official lor unofficial, of these reports from Budapest. One rumor was that Hungary's War Minister, Gen. Charles Bartha, had, like Teleki, taken his own life. This was flatly contradicted by eyewitnesses who said they saw him today at swearing in ceremonies for the new Hungarian Premier, Dr. Ladislaus de Bardossy. Another unconfirmed rumor was (that a number of Hungarian of- | ficials, including the Regent, miral Nicholas Horthy, were about to leave Hungary for Jugoslavia, These reports appeared to stem

the |

aban- |

Ad- |

land 350,000 troops ready

Channel into Libya

narrow Sicilian ans that Teleki took his life rather than carry out demands from Gere many that Hungary collaborate in the expected attack upon Jugoslavia, Jugoslavia appeared possibly the calmest of the Balkan countries as the hour of likely attack drew near er. Troops were at defense sta=tions and internal unity was Sitengtnened by the swearing in of Dr. Vladimir Matchek, Croat leader, as Vice Premier in the new Gowv= ernment. Field Marshall Peter Bojovic took over supreme command of the Jugoslav Ariny, succeeding the former Regent Prince Paul. The British were believed ready for all eventualities on’ this front, They have a strong force in Greece which was reported on the northern Greek frontier ready to oppose any German thrust designed to sever communications between Greecs and Jugoslavia through the ime portant Vardar Valley. Turkey called men of 30 and 31 to the colors, speeded all defense preparations and prepared to lift, the age limit at which men can be recalled for reservist duty from 45 to 50 years. Elaborate anti-aircraft defense practice was continued in the Istanbul area. In the Balkans it appeared that a war front might be opened up at any hour. The British were alleged bv Gere man sources to hayge between 100,000 for action in Greece and reports from various (Continued on Page 10)

War Moves Today

By J. W.

United Press

Evacuation

shows that Great Britain

and equipment The call for Africa and for

military

T. MASON War Expert

of Benghazi by its British garrison has not enough troops in the Middle East to go around, operations in Italian East heavy concentrations in Greece as

well as the defensive requirements in Eastern Libya

have compelled mitments.

That action, necessary but for the required use of the British Eastern

Fleet to protect convoys en route attacks as the Italian naval comm such tragic consequences. Concentration of British warships in Greek waters loosened British naval control of the passage between Italy and Tripoli. The Germans have been taking Jadvantage of this opening to trans- { port considerable bodies of troops to (Tripoli. That is the initial reason | for the recapture of Benghazi by Axis forces. The advance from ‘Tripoli to Benghazi by the Italo-German battal-

the British to curtail some come

however, would not have been Mediterranean for Greek ports against just such and attempted last _Wweek- end with ions however, would have been ime possible if the British had contine ued to hold their advanced positions in eastern Libya in force. The dis« tance covered by the Axis troops is 500 miles over ferrain without nae tural bases, requiring supplies bs (carried along with the troops. Attacks by British air forces and mechanized units should have been lable to disrupt the Axis line of (Continued on Page 10)