Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 9 April 1941 — Page 1

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VOLUME 53—NUMBER 25

CHURCHILL CALLS FOR FULL U.S. AID

AS NAZIS CUT JUGOSLAVIA IN TWO |

SALONIKA FALLN IN 3-DAY BLITZ, METAXAN LINE HEROES YIELD §

SCAN PROTEST

ON NAVY PLANT AWARD IN CITY |

Knox Aid and Operators to Study Complaint of Local Bidder.

By DANIEL M. KIDNEY

Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON, April 9.—John F.

O'Keefe, secretary to Secretary of Navy Frank Knox. is in New York today conferring with Lukas Harold Corp. officials regarding a protest made by an Indianapolis contractor against awarding the Indianapolis Naval Ordnance plant contract to the Austin Cec.. Cleveland, O

Dies

AMERICA TOLD CHEF BATTLE SIN ATLANTIC

Sheppard

Turkey or Russia, Says Prime Minister. LONDON, April 9 (U. P.).—Prime

‘warned that Hitler's mightiest war

effort threatens to sink America’s |

| | |

Nazis May Strike Next at!

| Minister Winston Churchill today |

lany moment in an invasion of Brit-|

The protest was made, after announcement of the contract award last month, by Maurice L. Mendenhall, Indianapolis attorney. on be-

SENATOR VICTIM

kans, in Africa—where he said that | even Egypt may be threatened by | Nazi Panzer divisions—or elsewhere, | Churchill declared that the main! theater of war was the Battle of the |

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contractor, and one of a number of unsuccessful bidders Mr. Mendenhall 1s a personal friend of Mr. O'Keefe, it is said and also of Serretary of Navy Knox, having been one of the latter's Presidential campaign managers at the Cleveland G. O. P. convention in 1936.

Questions Firm's Supplies

The Carson protest is said to involve the Indianapolis contractors having bid on seven buildings, with but two to be built at once he learned later. It also is based on the announcement made by Rep. Louis Ludlow (D. Ind.) that the Austin company was supposed to have ample steel stocks on hand, according to Navy officials which is said not to be the case now. Navy Ordnance ‘officers informed

today that the reasons for the award to the Austin company were set forth in detail in a special letter requested by the office of Secretary Knox. It is the latter which Mr. O'Keefe is expected to discuss with Lukas Harold officials,

No Stop Order

There has been no stop order issued and the Austin company is proceeding as per agreement, thus fal the Ordnance officers said. Should the protest vital enough, ‘Secretary Knox could stop the contract, it is admitted. This would be the second setback for the Navy in its efforts to bring the plant to Indianapolis. of the Irvington citizens objected to locating it in that section of the city au first.

In Mass Production

The plant is to be operated hy the Lukes Harold Corp. of New York who passed on the bids jointly with the Navy Ordnance The award to the Austin company was predicated in part on the fact that it has engaged for years in mass production of factories throughout the world. but the Carson protest asserts that this contractor is equally as capable, it was reported. The plant, it is said, will manufacture the secret Norden airplane bomb sights and other precision ordnance instruments for the Navy and will cost an estimated $6,000.000. The Austin award is on a costplus fixed-fee basis with $165,000 allowed for engineering and architectural services. The company has a branch office in Indianapolis under the direction of Gregory D. Deabler.

Insulin Overdose Betrays Draftee

BRAZIL, Ind. April 9 (U. P.) — Leon R. Mathers, 26-year-old conscriptee of Coalmont, was recovering today from a drastic attempt to get into the Army. Scheduled for induction at Ft. Harrison yesterday, the youth took a dose of insulin hoping to hide from Army doctors the fact he had diabetes. But he collapsed at the railroad station as he and 60 other Clay County draftees waited for a troop train. He had taken an overdose. He was sent back home.

half of E. A. Carson, Indianapolis! OF HEMORRHAGE

tion was “considered critical.” Rep. William H. Larrabee (D. Ind.) |

be considered |

Some |

Department .

| Atlantic. | Never had Churchill stated so emphatically and gravely that Brit-

‘Father of Prohibition’ Was ain's war effort depends upon full-

ili ire = scale American effort, effort | Head of Military Affairs (said, which in the shipping field, at

: least, must equal “that prodigy of | Committee. loutput accomplished by the AmeriF in 1918.” | WASHINGTON. April 9 (U.P.).— | 20s In Asks Irish Aid Too

[Senator Morris W. Sheppard (D. | (Tex. the dean of Congress and the| pe expressed hope, also, that the (“Father of Prohibition,” died early |,iq of Eire's sea bases and airfields today of an intra-cranial hem- | 1 iont ultimately be given Britain. orrhage at Walter Reed Hospital. | “Everything,” said Churchill, in (He was 66 years old. lan address to Commons, “turns on | Senator Sheppard was stricken the battle of the Atlantic which is lat his home last Friday, but the [proceeding with growing intensity [seriousness of his illness was not jon both sides.” (revealed until yesterday when Dr.| He said that German submarines George W, Calver, Congressional and surface raiders are ranging 'physician, announced in a special [even farther westward toward bulletin that the Senator's condi- American shores, seeking to sink {America’s aid to Britain. He deMr. Sheppard was chairman of [clared that unless this menace is the Senate Military Affairs Com- [met and defeated “the life of Britmittee which has had a heavy load ain” will be threatened and ‘the of legislative work during the past |purposes . .. to which the Governvear. Dr. Calver said the Senator {ment and people of the United had shown the effects of overwork |States have devoted themselves “will and strain for several weeks. be frustrated.” Devoted to Duty Mr. Churchill said that only the {full resources of America’s ship“His devotion to duty and high |puilding industry would enable Brit(sense of responsibility kept him at |ain to carry on full-scale warfare work in spite of advice of friends into 1942 in the face of the German and physicians to take a rest,” Dr. | submarine and surface raider blitz. Calver said. Mr. Sheppard was not moved to (the hospital until Sunday. | Mrs. Sheppard and one of his {three daughters were at the Sen(ator's bedside when death came at 15:30 a. m. They had taken a room near his at the hospital and had been the only callers during his iliness. enator p y s ; Be hii Oe a vay hort wi Since ihe collapse of France, la 3 - pow .. | He said Germany presents these a valedictorian manner. The favor- | ns : lite capital sobriquet for him was | Menaces to Britain and the world: “The Little Sheppard of Kingdom 1. The Battle of the Atlantic Come.” Phere. British sea power is chalPresident Roosevelt today paid |‘enged. ‘ tribute to the Senator's memory, 2. The Balkans where Nazi Panzer : divisions reached the Aegean at Salonika at 4 a. m. today and may at any moment attack Turkey and drive for the wheat fields of the Ukraine and the Caucasus oil fields. (Continued on Page 10)

THIS LAZY WEATHER T0 LOITER AWHILE

The Baseball and Golfing Seasons Approach.

LOCAL TEMPERATURES

. +.v 48 rev 54 + 0 35

Lists Nazi “Menaces”

He said a disaster would ensue if | the Germans succeeded in their at- | tempt to send to the bottom Amer|ica’s much needed war supplies. The Prime Minister spoke in {somber and solemn tone. He was more grave than the House of Commons has seen him at any time

“He Was a Gentleman”

“The nation joins with Texas in mourning the loss of Senator Sheppard,” said Mr. Roosevelt. “It is not chiefly because he served close upon 40 years in Congress that he achieved distinction, (but because of the high character of the service he contributed to national councils. “Steadfast in conviction, he stood firmly by principle and conscience, in the work of the national defense, as chairman of the great committee on military affairs, he was a tower of strength. “Courteous, kindly, sides superb courage, and great charm of manner. was a gentleman.” Mr. Sheppard had served continuously in the Senate for 28 years and prior to that he served 11 continuous years in the House. No other member of Congress can (Continued on Page Seven)

URGES 100 PER GENT

he had beenthusiasm He

10.3. m. ... 58 lam .. S58 12 (noon).. 59 1 p.m ... 60

Spring bulletins: Golf courses open next Tuesday. Indians play ball a week from tomorrow. This lazy weather is good for another 36 hours.

he!

na. X

This map shows the new allied defense between the Vardar River and Nazi three-way drive to Salonika.

the Greek mountains following the

HOPE FOR EARLY | Norway Invaded

Year Ago Today

A year ago today Germans invaded Denmark and Norway by air, land, sea and “Trojan horseback,” to “protect” them from the allies. Denmark offered no resistance, in accordance with King Christian’s request. Norwegians waged brief, losing fights against Germans descending by airplane and pouring out of warships and disguised merchant ships. The German cruiser Bluecher, damaged by an Oslo coastal battery, drifted into a mine and sank; the German cruiser Karlsruhe was sunk by coastal batteries at Kristiansand. By the end of the day, however, Norway’s struggle had all but ceased. King Haakon fled to Hamar and subsequently to Britain.

GERMANS RAID

Parley Given Until 4 P. M. Before Case Goes to Dykstra Board.

DETROIT—Hope fades for peace in Ford strike.

WASHINGTON —Philip Murray, C. I. O. president, confers with President Roosevelt; House Committee | calls F. B. I. chief to testify on| charges of communistic influence | on labor.

early

NEW YORK-—Hopes for opening soft coal mines this week dwindle as miners and operators continue negotiations,

By UNITED PRESS Hopes for immediate settlement of the Ford Motor Co. strike Inde | today when conciliators emerged from an after-midnight conference with officials of the company and the United Automobile Workers (C. I. 0.) without agreement. Governor Murray D. Van Wagoner still was optimistic about the possibility of ending the strike before Secretary of ILabor Frances Perkins certifies the dispute to the ad Defense Mediation Board at 4 p. m.| ‘hile British planes engaged in Federal Conciliator James F. Dewey What appeared to be their biggest called company and union repre-| offensive of the war at Kiel, German | sentatives to a third joint confer-'pombers last night made another A an. atiempt io beay the | a vage attack on Coventry, a town President Philip Murray of the already so devastated that its name Congress of Industrial Organiza- | has become synonymous with aerial tions reports to President Roosevelt |plitzkrieg in Washington today on C. I The R. A. F. rained death and delabor disputes involving defense. struction of the great Kiel subMr. Murray comes directly from marine and naval base in the secconferences in Detroit with Ford ong consecutive night attack. The Air Motor Co. and United Automobile| Ministry asserted that the results Workers officials. were even more impressive than The Roosevelt-Murray conference | those of the previous night in what had been planned for yesterday but/was up to then the biggest British was postponed by the White House | raid of the war. to allow Mr. Murray to go to De-| The nearly full moon made the troit. Mr, Roosevelt is expected to night ideal for the air attacks by tell Mr. Murray that Congress hoth sides, although clouds dimmed probably will enact drastic anti-|the moon over Portsmouth and strike legislation unless labor dis- Coventry. Both of these cities had putes stop impeding defense produc- heen subjected to concentrated Gertion. man bombing previously. The House Military Affairs Com- ity in Rui mittee voted today to call J. Edgar City in ns Coventry has been mostly in

R. A. F. Counters With New Attack on Naval Base “At Kiel.

By UNITED PRESS

Hoover, Director of the Federal Buruins since the night of last Nov. 14,

INCOME TAX BOOST

George Wants New Levies To Finance Defense.

U.S. Ready to

Are Violated, Wallace Says

(Continued on Page 10) when great swarms of German » ® ® planes made an all-night attack on Fi ht if Ri hts it, killing more than ‘1000 persons, g g 200 of whom were buried in one grave. Five nights later the raiders returned to the stricken town, once a thriving center of plane motor

FORD PEACE DIM come ee

COVENTRY AGAIN

PREDICTS EAST ASIA CRISIS WASHINGTON, April 9 (U. P.) — TOKYO, April 8 (U. P) —Baron Senator Walter F. George (D. Ga.) Kiichiro Hiranuma. Home Minister, | proposed today that individual inwarned provincial governors today|come tax rates be increased 100 per to be ready for a big crisis in East cent and that corporation taxes be Asia at any moment. {raised 25 per cent to help finance

| 8 multibillion dollar defense and TIMES FEATURES ritish-aid programs. UN INSIDE PAGES

Senator George is chairman of the {Senate Foreign Relations Commit[tee and second ranking member of {the Senate Finance Committee, He suggested that the present 4 Movies g |per cent tax on individual incomes Mrs. Ferguson 12 (be increased to 8 per cent and that Obituaries ... 22{the base corporate tax be boosted , 11 from 24 to 30 per cent. He esti11 {mated that the two increases would 22 (bring in $1,000,000,000 annually. 11| Senator Robert A. Taft (R. 0) 20 claimed that an increase in the nor12 /mal tax rate to 8 per cent would Society ...... 13 be “insufficient.” He reiterated his Sports ... 16, 17 previous statements that the rate State Deaths. 10 !should be raisea to 10 per cent.

11 20 19 12 . 21 12 12 14 4 11 15

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Clapper «ase. Comics Crossword ... Editorials ... Financial ... Flynn Forum Homemaking. In Indpls.... Inside Indpls. Jane Jordan. Johnson .....

Questions Radio Mrs, Roosevelt Serial Story.. Side Glances

NEW YORK, April 9 (U. P.).— |The American people should let |treaty-breaking nations understand | that they “are ready to go to war {if their rights are transgressed at lany vital point,” Vice President [Henry A. Wallace asserted last | night. But, he added: “With the situation as it is to(day, I believe the United States jcen stay out of war if the nations of the world know we are ready land willing to give all possible aid to the democracies.” Mr. Wallace spoke at a dinner {of the Foreign Policy Association. He said that the Nazis are tryling to undermine the morale of the ‘nation and urged the adoption of a “bill of duties” as a complement | to the Bill of Rights. Without such la bill of duties, a post-war peace

will mean only world chaos, he said. It is the duty of Americans “to correct the lies about the degeneracy of democracy which the Nazis are spreading” and to prepare for a post-war era in which the United States will help in building an international order “sufficiently strong to prevent the rise of aggressor nations,” he added. Mr. Wallace said Germany looks upon Latin America as a “happy hunting grounds,” but predicted that, with the defeat of the Axis powers, tremendous opportunities for Americans would open up there. “Here have tremendous

in the United States we reserves of un-

used capital, technical understandling, and trained labor eager to co-

operate with our brothers to the South in the development of a

hemisphere,” he said. ¢

production. Last night's attack was said to have been the heaviest since then. The Germans also bombed Portsmouth and the harbor works at Harwich and claimed to have damaged a destroyer off Skegness. The British, In addition to blasting Kiel, bombed the naval bases at Bremerhaven and Emden, oil storage plants at Rotterdam, Holland, and German airdromes in Northern France, The British claimed to have shot down a total of 10 planes in the last 12 hours. The British Home Security Ministry reported that 4259 civilians were killed and 5557 wounded in air raids on the United Kingdom in | March. This brings the grand total [for the seven months of intensive raiding to 28,219 killed and 39,193 seriously injured. Totals for the entire war are given by the Govern-

ENGLAND TO GET 100. CUTTERS

F. D. R. Orders Transfer to Aid in Battie on Subs: Convoys Held Unlikely.

' WASHINGTON, April 9 (U.P.).— | President Roosevelt today ordered |the transfer of 10 U. S. Coast Guard cutters to’ Britain to supplement |Royal Navy forces desperately bat- | ting the German submarine menlace to vital war supply shipments {in the Atlantic. White House Secretary Stephen |T. Early announced the transaction, saying that it was made under the Lend-Lease Act. He indicated that the ships now were being made ready for delivery to British crews, perhaps near Halifax, Nova Scotia. London sources said they would soon be in action. The cutters were said to be of the Chelan class—of approximately 250 eet and capable of speeds of 16 knots, thus making them useful in British convoy work. There was some speculation that ships were the Cayuga, Itasca, Sebago, Saranac, and Shoshone, 1975 tons, and the Chelan, Champlain, Medota, Pontchartrain and Tahoe, 1983 tons. They are now equipped with two five-inch guns each. The cutter Transaction and forecasts that American cargo ships will be turned over to the British bolstered evidence which appeared [to be against an early Administration decision to send American (Continued on Page Seven)

BILL APPROVED FOR 300,000-MAN NAVY

Senate Naval Affairs Group Would Give FDR Power.

WASHINGTON, April 9 (U, P.) — The Senate Naval Affairs Committee today unanimously approved leg-

islation authorizing President Roosevelt to increase the Navy's manpower to 300,000 men if he deems it necessary. The IHouse-approved bill author{izes the Navy to increase its peacetime enlisted strength from 191,000 to 232,000 and its emergency strength strength from 205,000 to 300,000. The present personnel is approximately 195.000. The measure would provide for corresponding increases in officer and Marine Corps personnel.

ITALY CONSENTS TO EXPULSION OF LAIS

WASHINGTON, April 9 (U. P.). —The Italian Government today consented to this Government's request for the withdrawal of Admiral Alberto Lais, Italian naval attache here, and at the same time requested that Capt. William C. Bentley be withdrawn as assistant U. S. military attache in Rome. The request for Capt. Bentley's withdrawal on grounds that he is “persona non grata” to the Italian Government apparently was in retaliation for the Lais incident. This Government had asked for Lais’ recall on charges that he ordered the

ment as 29.815 persons killed and 40,886 seriously injured.

sabotage of Italian vessels seized in American ports.

British Form Defense Line Across Vardar) Empire Forces Capture Massawa as Fleet Arrives to Aid Tobruk Defense.

(The Truth About Italy, Page 11)

By HARRISON SALISBURY United Press Staff Correspondent

Hitler's 72-hour Balkan blitzkrieg today cracked the entire south Serbian front and planted the Nazi swastika on the Aegean at Salonika and Xanthe. Panzer divisions, racing across the mountain barriers from Bulgaria, swept into control of the whole Vardar Valley —chief artery of southeast Europe—and reached the Als banian frontier, cutting off all land connections between Jugoslavia and her Greco-British allies. By Reaching Albania the Germans were also in position to help the Italians there fight against a pincers movement by Greeks in the south and Jugoslavs in the north. Today's Jugoslav war communique said that the Jugoslavs had crossed the Drin River in north Albania and were sweeping into the interior of the country, attempting to aid the Greeks. Battle Looms at Tobruk In Africa Massawa, Italy’s oldest colonial port, was captured by the British, apparently sealing the fate of all Eritrea. In North Africa a battle seemed to be developing for control of the port of Tobruk. The Rome newspaper Giore nale d'Italia reported that Italian and German troops had “arrived” there yesterday. Lord Moyne, British Colonial Secretary, told the House of Lords today that British Ime perial Forces there had set up strong entrenchments and were being aided by units of the fleet, now returned from taking troops to Greece. A special German communique on the Libyan situation claimed that the last British stand had been made at Mekeli,

ish generals and 2000 troops there. Previously it had been believed that the British had withdrawn without serious loss. List in Personal Command Berlin said the Balkan campaign had been personally directed by Field Marshal Siegmund von List, conqueror of Poland. There appeared to be grave danger that the Germans might quickly reach a position in northern Greece near the

movement against the line of defenses erected by the British along the west bank of the Vardar River and manned by a picked force of possibly more than 100,000 veterans of Gen; Sir Archibald Wavell’'s Army of the Nile. "a. These British troops have not. yet gone into action. They have been held back, braced to meet the force of the Nazi at« tack after it had spent some of its original strength against the stanch but futile resistance put up by the Greeks at Rupel Pass and other points in the Metafas Line along the northern frontier. os The crashing series of German successes in the Vardar Valley gave them control of the principal railroad of souths= east: Europe from Nish, Jugoslavia, to Salonika, a distance of about 225 miles. ro From Nish they are in a position to thrust north in a pincers movement against Belgrade, coinciding with an ate

tack across the flat plains of the Banat regions between Bele (Continued on Page Seven) ! ooh

War Moves Today

By J. W, T. MASON United Press War Experd

German capture of Salonika: cuts off Greek troops defending the Struma Valley and Rupel Pass, as well as those farther east, from the main Greek " Army in western Greece. Their hope of rescue : would seem to depend on the possibility that the PN new German front from Jugoslavia' through the a Vardar Valley to Salonika, may be broken if the Mr. Mason British develop a successful offensive in that area. London reports that the British Army in Greece has not yet gone into action, explaining the ease with which the Gers mans have moved into Greece. The British line now seems to be in process of being formed west of Salohika and when it is completed the real conflict for mastery should ; . begin. . Fin. se British were nos in pre- MATSUOKA RESUMES.» pared positions at the beginning of

the German declaration of war against Jugoslavia seems basically due to lack of unity of command. The Greek Government apparently did not want to flout Germany by direct use of British troops as long as the Germans and Greeks were at peace. The British scarcely could override the judgment of Athens. Thus British and Greek troops were not co-ordinated at the fighting front. ' ; The Jugoslavs, it seems, had not unified their military plans with the (Continued on Page Seven)

ANGRY HAITIANS PROTEST

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, April 9 (U.P.).—A crowd of several thousand, demonstrating against the Presidential candidacy of Elie Lescot, Haitian Minister to the United States, broke down doors of the

Legislature Building and destroyed furniture today. }

TALKS IN MOSCOW

MOSCOW, April 9 (U. BP) Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka today resumed talks,

“

south of Derna and that the Germans had captured six Brite...

Albanian frontier from which they could attempt a turning

started on his arrival here Monday,

with . Premier, Foreign Commissar Molotov * on Soviet-Japanese relas tions in the Far East, . Matsuoka’s first talk with Molotov lasted three hours and a Japahese spokesman said the results, were

“useful.” He resumed his conversas

tions with Molotov at 4 p. m, Mate suoka reportedly is seeking to nego= tiate a non-aggression treaty with Russia.

NARVIK MAYOR TO SPEAK Theodore Broch, mayor of Narvik

at the time of the Nazi invasion of

Norway, will address members ‘of the

Norway Club of Indianapolis tos - ? morrow night at Crawfordsville; Ind i