Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 May 1941 — Page 1

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| SCRIPPS ~ HOWARD |

The Indianapolis Times

VOLUME 53—NUMBER 45

’

FORECAST: Partly cloudy and continued mild temperatures tonight andtomorrow,

FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1941

Entered as Second-Class

at Postoffice, Indianapolis, Ind,

HOME

FINAL

Matter

PRICE THREE CENTS

FDR ASKS 24-HOUR DEFENS

‘Only Fools and the Dead Were Left Behind’

Thousands

of Nazi

Parachute Troops

Battled by B.E F

.'Unbeaten' Balkan Army to Fight Again; 'We Are

Marching Three Abreast, Not Halting for Air Raid,' Men Told.

By RICHARD D. McMILLAN United Press Staff

and HENRY T. GORRELL

Correspondent

WITH THE BRITISH EMPIRE TROOPS EVACUATED FROM GREECE, CAIRO, May 2.—Back in Egypt after a terrible 200-mile retreat through Greece and a 600-mile voyage across the sea under the attack of Ger-

man dive-bombing planes, the

undaunted British Imperial

Expeditionary Force began today to reorganize for another

fight.

Its men had fought the massed armored forces of the Germans for days, they had fired until their ammunition gave out at robot-like waves of massed German infantrymen, who marched endlessly over the bodies of their own dead, until the attackers were exhausted.

They had fought parachutists who had descended by thousands in an attempt to cut off their final retreat. They had embarked on the beaches of the Peloponnesus, had made the voyage across the Eastern Mediterranean crowded into overloaded evacuation ships, singing below decks as the gun crews above fought a final furious —and successfnl fight with the Stuka bombers. The British Expeditionary Force, its tank men without tanks, its aviators without planes, its exhausted artillerymen without guns, its infantrymen and machine gunners, its nurses and surgeons tirelessly tending the wounded, and with the Greek and Jugoslav stragglers who escaped with us—had not only a story to tell of disaster but also of heroism. With us also were women and children, the youngest child 10 months old, and one American woman who had escaped from Jugosiavia and joined the British

Doctors Stay Behind With Wounded

EXPEDITIONARY

THE BRITISH

“The rescue of the wounded continued until the ships left.”

Army at an island she reached with her Canadian husband. »

FORCE had fought dav and

night up to the beaches of the Peloponnesus where the German parachutists machine gunned the small boats which put out from the shore. And on the voyage to Egypt, the surgeons and nurses had fought a fight with death in treating the wounded. It was necessary to leave some of the wounded behind, in charge

“A 600-mile voyage across the sea utider the attack of German divebombers,”

Maeoris Frighten Parachutists

of a base hospital corps which volunteered to remain with them. But as for the expeditionary force proper, an Australian brigadier said aboard our transport: “All but the damned fools, the stragglers and the unfortunates wounded or killed along the roads, by the German planes will be evacuated.”

A major in command of the |

contingent with which Gorrell reached the'beach, told his men: “Gentlemen, we are marching three abrsast. I sm instructed

to advise vou that in the event of an air raid we are not halting. |

Anyone who steps from the ranks to seek cover will be left behind. In event any of you are wounded we will do our best to see you aboard a transport. As

behind.” The Germans tried to cut off the Imperial force by landing thousands of parachutists along the Gulf of Corinth New Zealanders who fought the parachutists at the Corinth bridge said that they came down like a rains

THE FIRST PARACHUTISTS who landed blew up the bridge.

“The air was filled with them,” They dropped hundreds

the parachutes failed to open. Some were killed as they hit the

“Some of at a time.

a New Zealander said.

ground. They would bounce up

into the air again. Many were killed when their parachutes caught on the fuselage of their planes or, thrown out in mass a few hundred feet

above the ground, because their parachutes could not stop their fall. They were [frightfully mutilated. “There was a sudden change in the wind, and many of the parachutists were blown out to sea to drown. ‘We killed many of them. The Maoris (the Polynesian natives of New Zealand) gave them the fright of their lives. They would run out from cover in bunches, shouting their old native cries and dancing Maori war dances. The Nazis ran. “Some of our men were cut off when tha bridge was blown up. The rest of us fought our way to the coast, fighting as we retreated hour after hour “The parachutists used red parachutes for landing heavy trench mortars and white parachutes for their gunners and machine gunners “Picked blits troops on motorgets. with machine guns, joined them. “We fought them right up to (Continued on Page Three)

“The air was filled with para. chutists—they - dropped hundreds at a time”

‘War Spreads to New Front;

ARMY OF IRAQ FIRES SHELLS ON RAF BASE

British Drive Back Tobruk Attackers.

By JOE ALEX MORRIS United Press Foreign News Editor

British Empire forces were re-

{front in defense of the rich Near

for the | dead, naturally they will be left |

ported in action on a new war

East oil fields today after artillery {of the pro-Axis government of Iraq opened fire on the British air base at Habbaniya. The Iraq attack, which the British described as directed and paid for by Nazi agents, began at dawn and resulted in immediate counteraction by the British troops re{cently moved into that country, ae‘cording to reliable sources in London. Radio Berlin was heard in New York broadcasting that Iraq troops had placed a strong guard over the port of Basra (where the British had been landing forces). the vital Mosul oil fields and all other strategic positions in the country. The class of 1915 and all special reservists were reported called up by the Irag government,

Tobruk Fighting Fierce

{ Premier Rashid Ali Al Galani of (Iraq, who had been regarded as pro(Axis, previously had concentrated forces around the air base (where British women and children had ‘been taken from Baghbad) and demanded a decrease in the number of British troops in Iraq. But behind the clash the British saw an attempt by the Axis powers to stir up the Moslem world against Britain and to sieze the Iraq oil fields. The Iraq operations were an integral part of the Battle of the Mediterranean, which went on furiously in North Africa as the besieged British garrison at Tobruk stood off new German-Italian assaults. counter-attacked in one sector and drove the enemy back with loss of 11 tanks and many casualties.

May Extend Blockade

Hitler was believed by the British to be planning to strike through the Near East as well as through Libya in an effort to reach the Suez Canal. and warfare in Iraq would fit into his plan of strategy. British rein-| forcements had been sent into the! Near East recently in readiness to oppose any Nazi parachute attack (such as led the way for the conquest |of Norway, The London Ministry of Economic Warfare, meanwhile, announced that all vessels from neutral ports | would be required to get navicerts! for goods en route to Persia (Iran) {or Iraq, an indication that the Near | East was about to fall into the cate|gory of blockaded European coun- | tries in order to prevent countries | there from aiding Germany. British prospeets in the spreading | (Continued on Page Six) !

S, PLANS PROBE INTO 00D COSTS

Jury to Study ‘Farm to Market’ Meat Costs.

| CHICAGO. May 2 (U. P.).—The janti-trust division of the Depart-! ‘ment of Justice announced today | ‘that an investigation of prices of! ‘meat, bread. canned fruits, vegetables, dairy products and other foods will begin before a Federal! {Grand Jury Tuesday. Dan B. Britt, special assistant in charge of the Chicago anti-trust | office, said 100 subpenas had been |served upon meat packing officials including those of the major ‘packing firms. They have been: |ordered to bring into court their (records dating back to 1936 | Mr. Britt said the investigation would determine whether there had been practices in restraint of trade! in the meat packing industry. The! Government's ultimate aim, he ex-! plained, is to assure the farmer or livestock raiser a fair share of the consumers’ dollar. | The Chicago investigation is part of a nation-wide campaign by the| anti-trust division into trade prac- | tices and prices in the distribution of bread, meat, fish, milk, cheese, canned and fresh fruits and vegetables.

WEATHER WOULD BE FINE FOR THE DERBY

LOCAL TEMPERATURES |

Dam... “ 18 a 18 co YB

Ham. . 12 (noon) 1pm

If they were running the Ken|tucky Derby at the Indiana State [Fair Grounds tcmorrow, the weather would be cloudy and the track | fast, | | Louisville Chamber of Commerce! please note. : i §

You'll Be Seeing Emmett at the Circus

Emmett Kelly , ,

r REASSESSMENT Cole Bros. Here ORDERED IN '43 For 2-Day Stand

. Saturday, Sunday | State Tax Board Acts There was the time when Ems

| tt Kelly, 86. s Col After Charge of County Bros. reds ow, rep ws Inequalities.

cat. It was a little cat and it didn’t know anything at all about The State Tax Board today ordered the general reassessment of

the show business. But Emmett took it from his all real estate in Marion County in 1943,

Ld ” ”

brief by

dressing room and carried it into Henty 8. Murray, Board chair-, scheduled performance. High had decided a reassessment this year and that| people watched Emmett. The law prohibits reassessment| chair, and he shoved it at the lowing a public hearing at the “se RIPPER FIGHT NEAR that inequalities existed in | praisal should be made. | People, Says G. 0. P. ship assessors must complete the fective as of March 1, 1943 Repub[tionality of the G. O. P. “decenJESSE JONES SAYS challenge to the solemn will of the peo Commerce Secretary Jesse H. Jones jor jobs is at the polls and under

the lion and tiger performing cage for In man, said the mem acts were goifigron every a reassessment cannot be made in| He put the kitten on a lion during any general election year. | (Continued on Page Six) House April 14 at which a large present real estate valuation in SHOWDOWN STAGE Several petitions also have been reassessment. land assessment by July 1, 1043 | The Battle of the State : House In reference to reassessment of Supreme Court (Continued on Page Six) Charging that Governor Henry |tralizgation” program is a “direct ple,” the brief reads: WASHINGTON, May 2 (U. P) — told a National Defense Conference |statutes passed by the law-making day that ‘I do not know how long |remedy for those who do not like

under the big a wholly un« that there was insufficient time for| place but in the cage. But the 1042 because it is an election year.| Stand, then he got the kitchen The Board's action was taken fol- | number of land owners testified Marion County and that a new apfiled with the Board asking for a SUIS Challenge Will The order specified that the townbut that the valuations must be ef- neared the showdown stage today improvements, the Board stated lican attorneys. AFRAID OF NO ON E |Schricker’s attack on the constitu“The place to gain power, office on Food and Clothing Producers to- body—not in the courts. The only

England can take the punishment {what happened at the last election

it is taking now, but I am not afraid land in the last session of the Genthat any power on earth can invade eral Assembly is a political remedy the United States.” (in the form of the next general “I do know, hcwever, that the election.” powers opposed to democracy can! The brief was filed in connection give us a lot of trouble,” he said. (Continued on Page Six)

"... Of the Utmost Interest And Importance..."

"9:59 A. M," MAY 2 "The Indianapolis Times "Indianapelis

"John Whitaker has succeeded in getting to this country five of the articles mentioned in earlier communications to you. These have to do with German activities and plans in France, Spain, Portugal, and French North Africa which Whitaker has been investigating ever since his expulsion from Italy. A sixth article which would complete the series is also on the way, but has not yet arrived. "You will have the first of these articles for publication Monday, May 5th. | regret that | was unable to give you more advance notice, but the articles arrived only today. | hope that the sixth will be at hand in time for release May 10th, but | am sure that you appreciate the difficulties under which correspondence of this sort is procured in these times. "I consider the series of the utmost interest and importance.

"CARROLL BINDER, Director, "The Chicago Daily News Foreign Service."

reader

you can't tell what he'll do, and neither can his bosses,

with the filing of a strongly-worded |

PAIR ARRESTED AS CHASE ENDS

Youths Linked With Three | Others to 18th in Series Of “Thrill Holdups.’

Two of five Indianapolis youths said by police to have formed a thrill holdup gang were captured early today after a chase which wrecked two cars and ended in gun play. The two youths and two others are held on vagrancy charges, and another is sought, Police said they have signed confessions to 18 holdups, all performed with a toy pistol and a homemade blackjack. | Last night's chase. followed the | holdup of a drug store at 201 S. Audubon Road, where the two

| youths got $30 from P. S. Morgan, owner,

. Escape in Taxicab

DAY

‘NEEDE WORLD

TO WIN BATTLE

OF PRODUCTION |

Believes Manpower

Sufficient to Avoid

Lengthening of Any Workers’ Hours; May Recall Skilled in Army.

WASHINGTON, May-2 (U. P.).—President Roosevelt today called for a 24-hour day, 7-day week work schedule in defense industries to help the United States win the world battle of production for the democracies in this

“critical situation.”

He addressed his appeal in a letter to co-directors William S. Knudsen and Sidney Hillman of the Office of Pro

duction Management. The letter was made public at a press conference in which he revealed that the Administration is considering the release of selective service trainees who might be more useful as skilled workers in

defense plants. “The ever-increasing demands for munitions, planes and ships, caused by the critical situation which confronts our nation, requires that they be produced in even larger quantities and ahead of schedules assigned to them,’ the President said.

Three-Point Program

He requested Mr, Knudsen and Mr. Hillman to institute immediately a three-point speed-up program: 1. Pool every useful or potentially useful machine tool and machine in the country for use in the defense program. 2. Utilize these machines and tools where they are, or transport them to a point where they can be useful. 3. Re-canvass the entire nation, including the armed forces, for gkilled workers to operate the machines on an all-out basis. Mr, Roosevelt expressed confidence that sufficient workers could be found to man the machines for continuous operation without individual men working longer hours to the detriment of Federal hour standards,

Shortly after that, they entered a drug store at State and English Aves. and got $60 and then they attempted to hold up Jerome Lucy in| a filling station at 805 E. New York | St. Mr. Lucy refused to turn over his (money and the pair ran. A witness told police they escaped in a taxi cab which the company said had | been stolen | At 2 a. m, Patrolmen Kenneth (Downs and Elmer Huber sighted |the cab and gave chase. | Out Arlington Ave. the cab and police car sped, going up to 80 miles an hour at times, and at Brendenwood, where Arlington Ave. is dead end, the cab went nose-over into shrubbery. The police car went off [the road and landed on its side. No one was seriously injured. |

At 3:23 a. m., Patrolmen Paul Kennedy and William Gorton | sighted the Hoke car and gave chase. They overtook the car and | ordered the youths to pull over, When they speeded up instead, Patrolman Kennedy fired a shot into the car and the youths halted.

HENDERSON WARNS

OF PRICE ‘CEILING

Prevention of ‘Unjustified’ Increases Threatened.

| WASHINGTON, May 2 (U, P).— | Price Control Administrator Leon | Henderson sald today that a ceiling would be placed on retail prices of {consumer goods if necessary, to [prevent unjustified increases in the | cost of living. | He conceded that regulation of (prices in the consumer field would be a difficult administrative problem but told a National Defense | Conference on Food and Clothing | Producers: “We are not afraid of the task [. « . it can be done any time it is {more important to regulate retail prices than to suffer the consequences.” | He sgid unwarranted advances in [Living costs “feed the demand for | wage increases and force prices up | further.” “Once that particular cat begins {chasing its tail around the circle,” | he added, “the only way to stop him lis to cut his tail off. “A price schedule for retail sales provides an admirable knife for such an operation, although I do not want to be the surgeon unless I am forced to be.”

WASHINGTON, May 2 (U. P)

“The ever increasing demands for munitions, planes and ships caused by the critical situation which cone

fronts our nation requires that they be produced in even larger quanti ties and ahead of the schedules as« signed to them,” Mr. Roosevelt wrote Mr. Knudsen and Mr, Hill= man, “Our problem is to see to it thah there is no idle critical machina in the United States. The goal should be to work thesé machines 24 hours a day and seven days a week, relieving the machines only for such time as is required for overhauling and repair. “The country should be further combed for men who have had ex= perience on these machines. Wa should ask them to transfer their efforts to this operation which is so essential to our defense, No effort or justifiable expense should be spared in speeding this program, in order to obtain the objective which our national interests require. “My. recent discussionsswith you have emphasized in my mind the urgent necessity of expanding and speeding up the manufacture and use of critical machine tools. I have watched the steady and substantial growth of the machine tool industry during the past months, “At the same time I have seen the critical machines in our de« fense plants used in an ever grows. ing number of hours each week. I

(Continued on Page Six)

British Get Tankers, Planes

~The Government mobilized fleets (of tankers and transport planes today, responding to urgent British ree

quests for more help in the battle of the Atlantic. Deliveries of about half of the fleets begin ‘at once. Stepping up aid to Britain in every way possible, the Administration

worked on almost an hour-to-hour basis.

patrol was understood to be getting into full operation, The oil industry, called on for 50 tankers, promised 25 immediately. A committee of its executives worked with the companies concerned. More will follow later. From private industrial firms and air lines the Government arranged to get 20 to 30 large transport planes within 48 hours and more later, probably 50 to 75 in all. The tankers, remaining under the American flag, will be used to transport oil for Great Britain from Veneruela and Trinidad f{o North American ports for transfer to British or other tankers which will carry it into the combat zone. The planes, it was understood, will be used by the British to enlarge their aerial patrol of the waters around the British Isles. They will be sent to Britain under the Lend-Lease Act. These actions were in line with

The Navy's extended Atlantia

indications that Britain's Atlantio forces now will concentrate on proe tecting the “last miles” of the supe ply route, while the United States

patrols the western part of it. The back-bone of the patrol are the war= ships and planes of the Atlantis fleet, plus converted private yachts and auxiliaries the Navy has ace quired and armed in recent months, ‘he tankers being assembled will total about 500,000 tons of the 2,-000,000-ton shipping pool which the Maritime Commission is creating. The transport planes, older craft of the airlines and planes used industrial concerns to transp executives, will be sent to Britain without waiting to convert them to military uses. All are twin-motored, and include Lockheed Lodestars, Lockheed 14s, and Douglas DC-2s and pC-3s. They have ranges of 1500 to 2000 miles.

War Moves Today

By J. W. T. MASON United Press War Expert

Efforts by the new pro-Axis Iraq Government to prevent powerful British forces entering the country

are part of a wider movement to create suspicion {of British power in the minds of the Turks.

There

is little reason to doubt that Franz von Papen, German Ambassador to Turkey, has been the moving

spirit in this action.

Iraq, before the last World War, comprised three Their freedom from the Turks was due entirely to the British Turks in Mesopotamia, now included in Iraq.

vilayets under Turkish rule.

Mr. Mason

Army which fought the The subsequent grant of

independence to Iraq, which had been mandated to Great Britain, was

likewise due to British action. The recent anti-British coup d'etat in Iraq can be considered an act o ingratitude; but it apparently was accomplished by Axis diplomacy, pointing out that Turkey, the for-

mer enemy of Iraq's freedom, now is |;

allied with the British Empire. Turkey is suspicious that Iraq

seeks to expand its northern boun-| daries into Turkish territory. If the |

Germans can create an impression in Ankara that their new influence in Iraq can either stimulate or repress this ambition, then von Papen may widen his influence with the Turkish Government. The original movement of British troops into Iraq and their present reinforcement, thus is not concerned entirely with the protection of the Iraq oil fields. Deeper than that objective seems to be a struggle, below the surface, between the Axis and the British to impress the Turkish authorities.

If Great Britain succeeds in,

checking the antagonism of the Iraq Government and taking ade Guate military precautions to pros

(Continued on Page Six)

TIMES FEATURES ON INSIDE PAGES

Aulos ..cooeee Clapper «eve ee Comics Crossword Editorials .... Financial .... FIYDR ovrvess Gallup Poll... 14 In Indpls..... 3 Inside Indpls. 21 Jane Jordan.. 25 Johnson ..... 22 Movies ....26,37

31| Mrs. Ferguson 21 Obituaries . 39 (Pegler ..evese 36| Py 22 30 22 22

le Se FEINLILS Questions Radio ...eesn Real Estate.. Mrs. Roosevelt School News., Serial Story.. Side Glances.. Society " Sana

Spor. .32, 33, State Deaths.

; SRREBBEEREEGLE