Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 18 June 1941 — Page 3
* WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1941
‘NAZIS GET ‘FIRST
~ LICKING’ IN DESERT
Under Molten Sun, in n 110-Degree
Degree Temperature, British
Empire Forces Attacked, Meeting Germans on Equal Terms for First Time.
* By RICHARD United,
D. McMILLAN
Press Staff Correspondent
WITH THE BRITISH IMPERIAL FORCES IN THE LIBYAN DESERT, June 15, 11 P. M.—(delayed: via)
Cairo and London).— British
‘Empire troops have met the
Germans man to man at last on terms which they regard as
- equal.
(This delayed dispatch describes the opening of the
British action in the western to the retirement of. British
desert. It was written prior forces to their previous posi-
tions, which was announced by the Middle Eastern Command
today.)
They are fighting the Horch battle of the war in this
area. They are pushing the
steadily.
Germans back slowly but
It is the first phase of an operation which may
develop, if things go well, into a break-through toward
Tobruk, 70 miles to the west,
or beyond.
« Since dawn, when the battle started, I have been watching the soldiers of the Empire—infantrymen, artillerymen,
tank corps men—go out under the desert sun, a ball of ‘molten bronze, in a temperature of 110 degrees, to meet their foe. This time the Empire forces have a great mass of tanks. Already they have wedged the German forces within Egypt, mainly around Solum
- and Hell Fire Pass, into.the tight-
est sort of corner. The Germans have got to put up a desperate fight to escape capture or death. So far, throughout a long' day, the battle has equalled in ferocity the Battle of France, which I watched with the British Expeditionary Force. The Empire troops with their tanks have flung themselves against Hitler's Afrika korps and so far the Germans have taken a thorough hammering. In this first
-day they have had their first real
Accidents ..
re
3
EEE
licking of the war on land. Three. Forces Attack
As I write, the tanks which swept out in a wide encircling movement from the village of Safafi have smashed through to Bir Wair. They are now fighting to ‘seize nearby Ju Said. - Another strong force, kilted Scotsmen are fighting side by side with turbaned Indians, is in action in the runs of the newly built line of German forts guarding Hell Fire Pass.
A third force is operating in the|’
plain between Hell Fire Pass and
. the white sandy beaches of the
Mediterranean, advancing as part of pincers move to trap the Germans on.the Egyptian side. The movement has been brilliantly executed. A brigadier told me, as the artillery shells screamed over the escarp-
‘ment to the German lines 1%2 miles
away: “We have met the Germans on equal terms for the first time. We have got equality of tanks, infantry, mechanized units and I even believe we match him in fighter planes.”
Both Armies Give All This area of the desert has been.
"an inferno of explosion and flame
throughout the day. The Imperial and German armies have thrown in everything they possessed. Hundreds of tanks have raced along the desert trails. Howitzers and medium and light field guns and anti-tank guns have thundered from the early| hours of this morning until dusk. Fighter planes have spat death at each other in Se skies. The Germans had built a new line of defenses along the southeastern fringe of Hell Fire Pass to try to keep their grip on this vital line between the top of the escarpment and the plain below Solum, and it is this line which the Empire forces are stashing now. The sun rose this morning on a white, snakelike line of frost which looked like a slice of the chalk cliffs
in which |®
of Dover, But this evening it was a line of wreckage, pounded into dust by British artillery. The Indians were out there with the tanks fighting until a late hour. Fort “Rubbed Out” Now the night sky is lighted luridly by shell fire. Earlier, the great spumes of smoke rising from blazing supply dumps and the spiraling dust spouts sent up by the artillery shells created the impression of a strange mirage as the molten sun sank beyond Solum barracks, throwing its golden beams on the wreckage of the battlefield. Zero hour was 6 a. m. The tanks went out, throwing up a great cur-
tain of dust, toward the Libyan They cut through thej-
frontier. German wire, swung in a wide semi-circle, and swept in on top of the garrison of Ft. Capuzzo, on the Libyan side. If one tank fell out there was another to replace it. Hour. after hour, tanks, Bren gun carriers, infantrymen with Tommy guns and Bren guns, smashed at the Germans until they had put a steel ring around them. The Empire troops killed many Germans and captured many prisoners, including some Italians. A tanker just back from Capuzzo told me: “If the fort was a ruin before, it has been rubbed out now.”
Oil. and Blood
During the height of the battle I saw a limping figure emerge from
an Indian but when he approached me I saw he wore a jersey and a crash helmet. His hands and face were smeared with blood. His khaki shorts dripped blood and oil. “I am glad to see you,” he said. “I am a Hurricane pilot. I just made a forced landing. A cannon shot brought me down while I was in a dog fight.” ‘He had walked eight miles from Hell Fire Pass. I gave him cigarets and tea and took him to a first-aid dressing station a few hundred yards in the rear along Mussolini's vaunted but unfinished Via Vittoria —the Street of Victery.
Hard, Happy Day
The British troops have had a gruelipg day in the sweltering heat. But they are happy for the chance
the Germans. ~ Tank men are falling asleep on the ground as soon as they tumble from damaged tanks. As soon as the tracks are repaired they hurry off to No Man’s Land again. I saw the gunners, stripped to the waist, sweating as they loaded their guns and kept up a bombardment from 6 a. m. until dusk without a break -except for a mug of “char”—fea. And they are looking forward to resuming the battle tomorrow “as soon as the sun has driven the
night chill from the sands.
of putting up a real fight against |
“IoITY T0 60 ON DAYLIGHT TIME
Business, Railways and Churches to Co-operate In Plan.
(Continued from Page One¢)
that doesn’t stop me from issuing a proclamation He explained that the proclamation has no legal force at all. It simply requests each and every citizen to imagine himself on Daylight Saving Time and conduct his affairs accordingly. There is no law against that. Furthermore, the trick about instituting Daylight Saving Time by proclamation is that no one can come into court with injunction proceedings to stop it. The reason, of course, is that legally it simply isn’t there. There isn't any law. It exists only in the minds of the citizens and no one has yet figured out how to stop people from imagining it is 2 o'clock when it is only 1 o'clock or vice versa. On the other hand, if a group of unreconstrycted standard timers don’t like the idea, they can forget about it and imagine themselves on slow time. The proclamation is in the same category as a collective wish. If everybody wishes for an extra hour of daylight simultaneously, there isn’t anything to it. :
Business Approves It
The citizens wish together, set their clocks ahead, get up one hour earlier and they have Daylight Saving Time. A check about the City showed
that business and manufacturing
concerns and churches will observe daylight time. Howard J. Baumgartel, Indianapolis: Church Federation executive secretary, said virtually all churches would hold services and Sunday School classes on Daylight Time Sunday. The first Indianapolis minister to announce he would follow the Mayor’s proclamation was the Rev. C. A. McPheeters. of the North Methodist Church. The church will follow “Daylight ‘Saving Time this Sunday, he said. The Board of Trade has operated on Daylight Time for several years as have the grain markets, to tie in with Chicago and Eastern markets. So there will be observance there. William H." Book, Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce executive
was urging all industries to co-oper-ate. - The Merchants .Association will go along with the proclamation, according to Murray H. Morris, secretary.
Railways Step Up Clocks
“In fact,” added Mr. Morris, are delighted to do it.” Indianapolis Railways, Inc. also will observe Daylight Time. Busses, streetcars and motor coaches ‘will run at the same interval during the hour, but will advance starting and closing hours to conform to the new
“we
the smoke of battle, He looked like time
Indianapolis banks also will do business on Daylight Time. The Stockyards, however, have not yet decided. Railroads and airlines will continue to’ operate on Standard Time, as they do in most cities where Daylight Time is in effect. The City Hall will go on Daylight Time beginning Monday morning. At the Court House, however, County Commissioners remained undecided. The Commissioners said they would put Court House operations on Daylight Time if the Mayor can assure them next week that a majority of the citizens are co-operat-ing.
Wait New Ordinance
Mayor Sullivan’s proclamation urged all citizens to observe Daylight Time, until City Council can pass a pending ordinance to make it legal. Indianapolis tried Daylight Saving Time in 1928 by City ordinance, but the ordinance was set aside by a ‘1929 State Law prohibiting Indianapolis from departing from Standard Time. This law still remains in effect, although it was repealed by the #041 Legislature, on the technicality that the repealer has not been published and hence is not yet ef-
fective.
IN INDIANAPOLIS
Here Is the Traffic Kecord County 19
32 —June 17— 20) Injured \ Arrests TUESDAY TRAFFIC COURT : Cases Convic- Fines Tried Yous Paid 18 $103 1
Violations
Failure to stop at through street. 7 Dissheying traffic y
5 5 2 40
4
MEETINGS TODAY Edits of Pythias, K. of P. building,
Loa Club, Claypool Hotel, noon. Cs-Operative Club, Columbia Club, noon. Club, Columbia Club, noon. Motor Truck aria Hotel Antlers, nocn ¥Y. M. C. A. Camera Club, Central ¥. M. C. A, 7:30 p. m Young Men’s Discussion Club, ¥. M, C.
“Purdue * Alumni Association, Hotel Boye. noon Sigma. Alphas Epsilon, Board of Trade.
lis Real Estate Board, Property Division, Canary Cottage, noon. ta Tau, Seville restaurant,
MEETINGS TOMORROW Indiana Motor Rate and Tariff Bureau, |e Severin Hosel, 12:15 p. m. Knights of Pythias, K. of P. Building, all day.
Indiana Beal Estate Board, Hotel
fhe Athletic
; Stock Yards st,
b, noon. oil Club, Hotel Severin, wy Consttuction 1 League © of Indianapolis, 231 van
Hoosier Market Lamb Show, Union
ay. India fanapoils all Su. Club, 110 E. Ninth
Beta inet Pi, Canary Cottage, noon. nt Foy is Motor Transportation Club, © %
H n.. pegms Nu. Folum bia. Club. noon. INj- DLU PUN NUPUP
dion LICENSES
(These lists are from official records y Court House. The ore is Tot responsible for errors nea. and addresses 2)
_§726_Carroliton; a1, FE Meridian,
City Total 33 521"
‘| Gertrude J. Branum, 36. Noblesville, ing.’ Loy S. Al
Club of Indiana, Indianapo- |
Fred FE. Thomas, 22, of 1538 N. Senate; ole s -— Brooks, 18, of 2612 Winthrop. ond H. Fisher Jr., 21, of
N. he "Melos, G. Bray, 21, of 3730 Arthing-
Uhle, 31, of 767 Warman;; Esther Blake, 26, of 255 N. ral. C. Frederich Carne oy, di 3317 Webster; MarjorieR. Wise, 18, of 2456 Park. Harold J. Newt, of 1066 Sentra, Pubigus, Gove; Mary J. Parrott, 20, R. R.
Glenn C. Merin, 23, of 1859 N. Pennsylvania; Mary Chilcutt, 23, 2006 N Pennsylvania. John O’Connor, 20, of 550 Abbott; Catherine Glennon, 21, of 215 Hiamatha. Joe Kelly, 25, of 65 N. aa Drive; Dorothy J Lawver, 24, of 11 Wallace, i Lie mn Ea 25, of 3 Horace R. Ausie, 23, a sylvania; Ruth L. Ritz, Roy A: Gillespie, 5 208 Clas E 10th: Agnes Brne, 24, of 133g Bradbury. James H. Fy 60, of 539 Massachusetts; Bessie P. Ozment, 50, of 539 Massachusetts. Martin May, 60. of 2851 Boulevard Place: Alzada Moore, 58, of 2851 Boulevard
Place. Fred E. Kurtz, 21, of See N. Hiinois: Marietta Varley, 20, of 2832 N. Delawar Harry E. Parsley, 46. Noblesville, In
Anthon
uel J. Baker, York: "Mary I Lynch, 19, of 219, N. Wal-
BIRTHS
Twins, Boy and Girl Russell, Pauline Peacock, at St. Francis. Girls
#Arvin, Naomi McKinney, at St: Francis. Wilbur, Marie Bohanom, at! 3 Francis. Melvin, Ruth Brown, at St.
Seeback, at Coleman. John, Dorothy Shirley, at Coleman. Richard, Dorothy Fansler, at St. Vincent's George, Joige Osborne, a Me ihodist, Albert, rotha Ford, at Method Joseph, yk ; hodist. James, Jean Clarence. Catherin ges. £053 Bloyd. Lee, Gladys Raper, at 1130 *N. Illinois Saafvey, Franch Buchanan, at 2622 Bast-
TD vif, Ruth Long. at 1545 Lex n. Clarence, Elizabeth Hord, at oT E. Washington. Andrew, Emma i at 10633 Udell.
John, Dorothea, Wise, “at St. Frans. J ueen Victoria Cook, at City Walter, Mary Vandergriff, at City Robert, Georgia Ches nut, at aity. Robert. Ruth McKam, at Coleman. . Melvin, Thelma Smith, at Coleman. Wilbert, Patricia Gruner, at St.
cent’s, Curtis, Alice Tarbell, at St. Vincent's. Leqn: Juanita Boring, at St. Vincent's. L., Irene Teague, as Vincent's. Ghoriee. Opal Scott, at St. Vincent's. ceSalvadore, Madeline Larosa, at St. Vin. | M
ent’s. Se and, Ruth Osborn, at mt
Ste b. ethodist.
.| chronic ne
'C!; | western, arteriosclerosis.
ncis. Christine Ballard, at oy als,
1 Vin- ®
(Charles, Evelyn Steinhardt, at St. Via- g
Edward, Dorothy Alexander, at 12%0 St. aul. Calix, Marie Mortos, at 806 Udell.
DEATHS James H. Washington, 73, at 429 W. 26th,
N. | coronary occlusion
n Elmer Erzinger, 3 at 927 N. Jefferson, Parkinson’s diseas Ela Ray, 75, at 4135. Fietcher, chronic nyocarditis. Katherine , Bader. 87, at 850 N. Jefferson, Lydia A
hriti llen, 53; at 1621 8S. East, coronary occlusion Anna Purcell, 57, at 937% S. New Jersey, chronic myocarditis. ~Ida Bailey Bledsoe, 68, at 2437 North8 Florence Proffitt, 62, at Methodist, coronary thrombosis. Joe May 12; at Riley, rheumatic heart
disease. Viola Maple, 28, at Long, diphtheria.
OFFICIAL WEATHER
U. S. Weather Burean ____. INDIANAPOLIS FORECAST — Fair and
'Islightly warmer tonight and tomorrow.
Sunrise 4:16 | Sunset
TEMPERATURE —June 18, 19401p Mooorss BAROMETER TODAY 6:30 a. m....380.17" Total precip 24 hrs. ending 7 a. m..
Tota Srecipitation sings Jan, 1 ncy since Jan.
MIDWEST WEATHER
In ala Fain ad slightly warmer tonight aad ti am und slightly warmer toalr and
night and tomor Lower Michiga slightly warmer tonight nd tomorrow.. Ohio—Fair tonight 21 tomorrow; somewhat warmer tomorrow ' Kentucky—Fair tonight and tomorrow;
WEATHER IN OTHER CITIES, 6:30 A. M.
Chicago .... Cincinnati .. Sleveland en
23nnhpay
10h po
BUSVBVLLES BLN
22-388588 4932923222882222222
on S!
888s 8
2
vice president, .said the Chamber|
| a terrible
- . and Mrs.
NEW YORK, June 18 (U. P.). —In a ceremony so hastily planned that the best man — a New York night club proprietor— had to be called from his bed late in the afternoon, Victor Mature, stage and screen actor, and Mrs. Martha Kemp, socialite widow of Bandleader Hal Kemp, were married last night at her apartment
{ by State Supreme Court Justice
Ferdinand Pecora. Sherman Billingsley, who was
Victor Mature
called on to act as ‘best man just one hour before ithe ceremony, was so nervous that he dropped the ring. Mr. burs said he had several radio plays to do -which would keep him in New York until June 26. Then the couple and Mrs. Kemp's year-old daughter will go to Louisville, Ky. the actor's home town, where they plan to be married again in St. Paul's
. Catholic Church.
artis
British Ask for Radio ‘Hams’
By WILLIAM H. STONEMAN
Copyright, 1941, by The Indianapolis Times and The Chicago Daily News, Inc. LONDON, June 18.—The avalanche of publicity which the British Government suddenly gave to its system for radio detection of enemy aircraft was dictated by the urgent need for the people to man its
defenses against night bombers.
That need will eventually arise.
Lord Beaverbrook, Prime Minister
Churchill’s right-hand man, and Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Joubert
de la Ferte, new Coastal Command commander-in-chief, appealed yesterday for at least 10,000 men and 5000 women voiunteers.
The appeal was broadcast to the United States and the Empire because the United States and certain dominions, particularly Canada, are radio-minded while Britain has been slow to develop a large corps of radio amateurs and has already exhausted its supply.
Everybody who has beén around Britain since the beginning of the war has known that the British have been employing reflected radio beams for detections of enemy formations. Thousands of people have seen the externals of the apparatus. Less has been said about the use of similar apparatus for the detection of night bombers and for determining their exact location in order to lead night fighters to them. The details still remain an official secret. The disclosur: that the Royal Air Force will eventually need thousands more men and women to man its defenses indicates, however, how wide-spread the network of the anti-night bomber system will be when it is perfected. Various visitors. to this country during the last few months have already revealed to the American public several devices used for Ds German night bombers and directing night fighters to them. The Germans have a device for detecting, British nigh! bombers bus, althought they know the principie, they have not succeeded in perfecting its practical application as well as the British. Most of what has been told about the present system was told by Joubert de la Ferte, who said: “Radio waves, which naturaly are
not affected by wind, fog or dark-
ness, are constantly sent out far beyond the limits of our shores. If they strike any object like a plane they are instantly reflected. “It is a 24-hour day watch in the air. It obviatés the necessity for constant fighter patrols. It means a tremendous saving in fuel and mental strain on personnel. Radio at least doubles the effectiveness of the observer corps. He commented that the radio locator organization already contained many thousands of persons. British radio detection, it - was made known, is largely due to Sir Frank Smith, secretary of the Department of Séientific and Industrial Research, and R. A. Watson Watt, scientific. adviser of telecommunications to the Air Ministry. The technique came into being in an ancient motor truck at the great Daventry radio station in 1935. It was developed when the threat of war came and it has been tremendously expanded since then. Some “rough and ready” locators were constructed before the war started and were used until recently. The system has been one of Britain’s most closely guarded war secrets. Goodwradio men need two months of instruction to qualify for locator operation. Watson Watt, 49, is responsible for the chief scientific work of radio location, which has now been applied to the detection of ships as well as aircraft. Millions of pounds have been spent in development. American scientists have contrib-
uted largely to the success of thel-
British system and it can be assumed that the proper authorities in the United States understand it just about as well as the Royal Air Force. \
Consul Ouster
Violates 1923"
Treaty, Nazi Protest Says;
(Continued from Page One)
German Nationals. . It was believed these were designed to prevent or control exodus of Nazi propagandists to South America. The border order was imposed ostensibly for purposes of currency control in connection with President Roosevelt’s order freezing German assets in the United States. The deterioration of relations between Washington and Berlin continued while the capital awaited this Government's formal protest to Germany against the torpedoing of the American steamer Robin Moor. : Refusing to connect that incident with any plans for arming merchant ships, Mr. Roosevelt said yesterday that he supposed every chief of naval operations since 1918 has formulated plans for mounting guns on merchant vessels for their defense and that the Navy has such plans’ for doing so now if it were deemed necessary.
problenis, suddenly bowed his head in talking with a foreigner. There were tears in his eyes when he looked up. The foreigner was astonished at this extraordinary behavior in the midst of a serious discussion. “I must tell you,” said the German, “that we have lost the war. I know it. I can think of nothing else. If preys on my mind. Once again we have miscalculated the character and nature. of the Americans. That tke Americans would sell arms to Engiand, we knew. But we never believed that America would give arms. I bear responsibility before ‘my Fuehrer. I told him that the Americans would only sell gold and gain and that Bri did not have enough money to buy enough arms to overcome our head start, Now I know that our defeat is inevitable.”
So far as the President is concerned, he added, those plans for arming merchant vessels are in Navy safes. He said he didn’t know whether Congressional authorization would be needed to take such action. Asked at his press conference whether action would be en against consulates and semi-offi-cial agencies of other countries, President Roosevelt replied not today with emphasis on the word “today,” suggesting that some move was imminent. He refuse to amplify the charges of improper and unwarranted action made against German consular and semi-official
agencies officiais except to say that|
they were of a cumulatively subversive character.
HOOSIER HURT FATALLY
SOUTH BEND, Ind. June 18 (U. P.).—Joseph Nagy, 41, South Bend, died ‘today of injuries received wheh his: car went over a nt and overturned twice last n
Whitaker Radios: '3 in Nazi Cabinet Say Hitler Can't Win’
(Continued from Page one)
from tke difficulty of replacing worn out, or manufacturing new, machine tools. The same source revealed that while gasoline needs are being met by synthetic production and enough lubricating oil is bolt gotten in by devious means,. British blockade is pinching Re: several. raw materials without which whole industries are held: up. The most serious of these shortages, is rubber. Though: excellent. or tires, buna
SOVIET-GERMAN
4-100,000 es on the question:
TALK IS ‘GRIM’
Hitler Reported Angry; List Suicide Rumor Is Unconfirmed.
By DANA SCHMIDT United Press Staff Correspondent ANKARA, Turkey, June 17 (delayed)—A diplomatic informant said tonight he had confirmed reports that a grim bargaining battle was proceeding between Germany and Russia and that this was the reason for the troop concentrati on the German-Russian frontiers. Wild rumors circulated here anc at Istanbul of forceful action by the Germans. Most sensational of those which could not be confirmed was a report that Marshal Siegmund von List, German commander in the Balkans, had committed suicide. Telephone communication between Turkey and Sofia and other European towns has been interrupted between Sofia and Bucharest, on one hand, and Berlin, on the other. (Yesterday it was reported that Petsamo, Finland, at the other end] of the German line facing Russia, had been closed to shipping and the Finnish Foreign Minister's newspaper said the situation was “tense and full of surprises.”) : Baron Franz von Papen, German Ambassador here, conferred for an hour this afternoon with Foreign Minister Sukru Saracoglu.
Expect Stalin to Yield
The diplomatic informant said Adolf Hitler was angry at Russia because Russia had provided only between 10 and 15 per cent of the supplies it had promised him. Hitler was represented to have informed Russia that henceforth he would .expect not merely all that had been promised but all, in addition, that Germany needed and that if he did not get it his troops would go and take it. The informant gave it as his own opinion that Russia would give in rather than fight and might even permit a certain degree of German control over Russian communications, oil, mineral production and agriculture, screened by a corps of consultants” who would be sent to Russia. Other well informed diplomatic sources said that though the Russians were attempting to resist German pressure by making counterdemonstrations on the frontier, it was estimated that about one-third of the Russian Army was so badly equipped that it was almost useless, and that only one-third of Russia’s estimated 5000 airplanes were fit foy first line use.
Rumanian Harvest Poor
As for some of the reasons behind the reported German threats to Russia, it has been reported that the” Rumanian harvest will be the poorest in 10 years. It was said that instead of having an export surplus of food, Rumania would not have enough for its own needs and that already there was a severe shortage of potatoes, meat, fats and onions. Even Rumanian oil production was reported - to have declined heavily as the result of internal disorders and -sabotage. Rumanians were reported to have hampered German attempts to dredge the Danube, with the result that one ship carrying 5000 tons of wheat for Germany hit a sand bank recently and blocked an important channel.
POLLS DISTRICT
WASHINGTON, June 18 (U. P.) —Rep. Hamilton Fish (R. N. Y.) told the House today that he is starting a postal card poll of his
“Shall we become involved in European and Asiatic wars or shall
Fruit Inspector
Frank Goss » ” »
Frank Goss, Martinsville, Named «to State Job By Dawson.
Frank Goss, Martinsville fruit grower, today was named an inspector by Lieut. Gov. Charles Dawson to carry out the provisions of the new fruit grading law passed by the last Legislature.
The law provides that fruits and vegetables packed and offered for sale must be properly branded and provides for the assessment of heavy penalties for violations. Mr. Goss has been engaged in the fruit growing business for the past 26 years, 11 of them with the Skookum Packers in the State of Washington. He has been affiliated with the Jesse Wilson farms at Paoli, and the Kivitt & Bradford Orchards of Martinsville. His appointment was indorsed by the Indiana Horticultural Society.
TOKYO-INDIES CRISIS COOLING
Economic Talks Break but ‘Normal Relations’ Will - Be Kept Up.
TOKYO, June 18 (U. P.).—Tension between Japan and The Netherlands East Indies was relieved today by an announcement here that the discontinuance of economic negotiations would not affect political relations between the two governments. Koh Ishii, chief of the Japanese Cabinet Information Bureau, disclosed that Kenkichi Yoshizawa, former Foreign Minister who led the Japanese negotiators to Batavia, was leaving for home June 29. “It goes without saying,” Ishii said, “that Japan will hold fast to her just and fair conventions, while normal relations between Japan and the Indies will by no means be affected by the "discontinuance of the negotiati His statement was believed to mean that there would not be an immediate crisis. In view of participation by powers such as the United States and Great Britain in the economic exploitation of the Indies, Japan’s requests were ‘very reasonable,” Ishii said.
SEEKS TANKER TRANSFER
WASHINGTON, June 18 (U. P.). —Defense Oil Co-ordinator Harold L. Ickes today recommended that three tankers which have been used to carry gasoline from California to
: Today's War Vorce—s
FOES’ EQUALITY
SHOWN IN LIBYA
Indecisive Battle Sure to Be Index for Both Belligerents.
‘ By United Press War Experts
e battle just fought in the d sands along the Egyptiane Lib frontier is likely to prove an index to the future course of events in North Africa. The action was not a decisive one, but it is of paramount importance to both sides. Gen. Sir Archibald Wavell’'s army has felt out the strength of the Axis forces and one of the bitterest single actions of the war resulted. One fact stands out: The oppose ‘ing forces seem to be aimost equal, after a period during which the German had superiority and the British were barely holaing their own.
Second Attempt Possible
Now the Empire troops have again attempted offensive. Because of the known military caution of Gen, Wavell, British commander, that must mean he thinks he has a chance to prevail and is trying ‘0 find out. If he can succeed in a second aty tempt around Solum, jus: over th border within Egypt, his next move probably would be to advance 70 miles westward and relieve the Brite ish garrison at Tobruk, besieged there for months. From Tobruk, he could command the Axis supply lines toward Egypt and keep the enemy well back within Libya. If he could con< solidate there and keep augmenting his forces of infantry, tanks and mobile equipment, a drive, on to Derna, Benghazi and Tripoli would be in ‘order. That is the British bdpe, but it is no more thdn a hope. It would be a slow and arduous campaign, The intense desert heat in which the fighting takes place must be at times almost more than a human being can bear, especially when in« closed in a stifling tank.
Long Campaign Likely
great distance is out of the question, Moreover, an army must be supe plied, which means the maintenance of slow communications over a long and difficult haul. If Wavell has found that he cane not go forward, the situation bee comes difficult for the Allied side. It will be a matter of digging in for the defense of Egypt. Both sides will be bringing up reinforce ments, with a long campaign in prospect. Britain must ‘hold Egypt and the. Suez Canal at all costs or be driven out of the Eastern Mediterranean and cut off in the Near East. It is a question of how much in the way of supplies and Empire forces Britain can bring up through the Red Sea, and how much the Axis partners can ferry across to North Africa by air and sea from Sicily and Crete.
ENGLAND DETAINS © 3 FINNISH VESSELS
LONDON, June 18 (U, P.).~= Hugh Dalton, Minister of Economic Welfare, announced today that the British Navy had intercepted and detained three Finnish.ships in the last few days since Great Britain no longer regards Finland as a “truly independent state.” The vessels were en route to Pete samo, Finland.
followed dispatch of a note to Finland announcing that all maritime traffic to Petsamo would be suse pended after June 14 and that no navicerts would be granted to ships
the East Coast, be assigned to the
we stay out?”
Gulf Coast-Atlantic Seaboard route.
sailing for Finland.
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IE i.