Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 23 January 1942 — Page 19
FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 1942
CHURCHILL TO FACE
CRITICS IN HOUSE
Alleged Attempt to Gag Parliament Resented at West-
minster; Failure to Satisfy Australians
Endangers Empire Unity.’
By WILLIAM H. STONEMAN Copyright, 1842 by The Indianapolis Times and The Chicago Daily News, Ine.
LONDON, Jan. 23.—Winston Churchill and the Parlia-|' ment are now locked in the first real contest of wits and temperament which the Prime Minister has had to face since
he assumed power in 1940.
With all the stubbornness of a brilliant and self-assured
national favorite, Mr. Churchill has made the mistake of balking at the criticism which he encountered in such plentiful doses upon his return from the United States. Now he has come dangerously near to exposing himself 4 ~— | to the charge of trying to gag
RUSS BOMBERS BLAST VYAZMA
Report Russian Near City Where Next Big Blow Is Expected.
Patrols
‘he was not going to have easy
legitimate parliamentary criticism and the air around Westminster is thick with resentment. The trouble started the minute the Prime Minister arrived in London and has been intensified every day since. The first sign that
sailing came when his proposal for the recording of his wartime speeches
Wreckage of one of the modern buildings, blasted by Jap bombers in their first attack on Singapore, being examined by air raid workers and natives for dead and wounded. Hardest hit in city was Raffles Square.
THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES
Singapore Building Smashed by Bomb
PAGE 19
Douglas stubbornly blasting back at continuous, anese attacks and have inflicted a large casualty toll on the enemy troops, ported today.
JAPS REPULSED
BY M'ARTHUR
Biggest U. S. Battle Since
Argonne Is Raging in
Bataan.
By HARRISON SALISBURY United Press Staff Correspondent WASHINGTON, Jan. 23.—Gen. MacArthur's forces are
“extremely heavy” Jap-
the War Department re-
The communique reported that
the battle—the biggest American war action since the Argonne—has raged for the past 24 hours as the reinforced Japanese troops smashed again and again at the short Amerlcan positions on Bataan peninsula. Japanese losses were reported] “heavy” and the U. S. troops were said to have beaten off every attack thus far launched, The communique revealed that the Japanese have apparently placed their offensive on a 24-hour continuous basis, hoping to wear down the American and Filipino troops by their superiority in’ numbers.
Wavell Commends General
The War Department said also
UNTRAINED A.E.F. COULD AID ALLIES
Soldiers Not Ready for Nr AGE Gon Combat Might Serve in Other Lands to Relieve Seasoned Troops on Home Fronts; They Did in War L
By THOMAS M. JOHNSON Times Special Writer
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23.—Our training Army becomes a striking force, to fight anywhere in the world—on the Nile, the Irrawaddy or the Rhine—lest it have to fight on the Hudson, the Rio Grande or the Pacific coast.
“No more A. E. F.’s!” are our war!” There may be an seas for all the six continents —wherever they are needed
to win the whole world’s war. Probably few Americans realize what opportunities there are today for American troops to hasten the victory on the IF Nile, the Irrawaddy, or the Rhine. Nor need an A. E. FP. be perfectly trained troops—e Vv e n though quite a few of our mil- : lion men are now as well trained as were
:| we equip. ourselves.
words as empty as “This isn’t A. E. F. sailing all the seven
pointed to a task In organization, training and equipment far greater than in 1917-18. Then, we trained four million soldiers, sent over two million to Europe and Asia but for equipment depended considerably
jon Allies.
Now we equip our Allies before
The problem is tremendous, but as Gen. Pershing
{| said before he solved one that also | was tremendous,
“Let’s analyze it.” So, telling the Nazis nothing they don’t know: We can raise an Army of nine million plus another million and a half for the Navy from our male
BRAZIL ACCEPTS DEFENSE TASKS
some A. E. F. divisions that went into battle in 1918, or some German divisious that went into battle in 1939, Can Release Trained Men
Mr. Johnson population of 20 to 44, maintaining oresent high standards. Today we have nearly two million, half of
them draftees.
War Moves Today
By LOUIS F. KEEMLE United Press War Analyst Japan's extension of the Pacific war close to the shores of Australia raises the question of how
that Gen. Sir Archibald Wavell, supreme commander of the Southwest Pacific for the United Nations, has sent Gen. MacArthur a message “warmly congratulating him and his
LONDON, Jan. 23 (U. P.).—Dive | in the House of Commons was given ussian air force the cold shoulder by so many indiWoshels ‘al eg 1B i blasti vidual members of Parliament that were reported today to be blasting|, "forced to abandon it.
i iti around German fortified positions un Torrid Debate Expected
Vyazma, 135 miles southwest of
far the Japanese can extend their lines before they
Moscow, in preparation for the next
Then on Wednesday the powerful
Strategic Position Makes
command for their magnificent de-
They can release more experienced Allied troops for combat duty
pass the danger point and lay themselves open to
fense of the Philippines.” possible collapse at strategic points. ppines
Describing the combat operations,
ittee, which forms the ; Red Army blow at the succession of ae, ee AUEt of the elsewhere while still completing
Her Vital Link in New
German “winter lines.”
Unconfirmed Stockholm reports said Russian patrols already were
in the vicinity of Vyazma.
Russian troops were advancing | strong German
westward against
Conservative Party, held a meeting at which insistent demands were voiced for changes in the Cabinet. It thus became evident that the three-day debate in the House next week would be a torrid affair and|a that the Prime Minister's oratory
The Japanese points of assault now stretch over a vast area of islands and sea frcm Burma to the Solomon Islands northeast of Australia, a distance of more than
4000 miles. ‘ Although it is not otherwise confirmed, they are even hinted in
broadcast by the Australian war
minister to be attempting a landing on Australia proper.
resistance and are moving Mozhaisk towards Smolensk at the rate of six or seven miles a day and German defenders already have razed Borodino, Napoleon's famous battieground, press reports from Moscow said. Increasing evidence of Russian
facts.
plain that the Russians were bent|sides of the House regard this as next on smashing completely the|little short of an order to hold their Rzhev-Vyazma-Bryansk line which tongues since, on a vote of confiAdolf Hitler had hoped to hold for |dence it stands to reason that virthe winter. [tually everybody would have to vote Between Rzhev and the Valdai with the Government. hills the Russians also offered the Political Defeat Doubtful threat of a pincers claw which would force the retirement of the| The biggest arrow in the Prime entire German army in the Lenin-| Minister's quiver is the fact that he grad area. lis stronger in the affections and In the Donets basin toward the confidence of his own countrymen south of the long front, the Rus-/and the Americans than all the sians were reported by Stockholm members of Parliament put toto have taken 44 additional towns gether. Nobody thinks seriously of and villages. { his political defeat; as long as he is | alive and well, it is practically in-
conceivable that he could lose nis|s
position. Another definite factor in his favor is that much of the present turmoil arises from the Australian criticism of the way Far Eastern af- . | fairs have been handled. The ordi- & | nary citizen of this country resents t such criticsm on the natural, if t somewhat insular, ground that the | “Australians have got their wind up {because the Japs are only 1000 ! miles away.” Criticism Summarized | Aside from the general Parlia-
* AYRES
from would have to be supplemented by {some very solid and reassuring
The Prime Minister's reaction to this was to announce that he was prepared to have a showdown with his critics and that if they were {too violent he would call for a vote operations to the north made it | of confidence. Many MP's on both
Attacking Burma, Malaya, Borneo, Celebes, the Philippines, New Guinea and Australia simultaneously is about the most ambitious military feat ever attempted. Because of the ocean stretches involved, it dwarfs even Hitler's operations along a 2000-mile land front in Russia.
It's All One War
Yet the Australians seem convinced that the Japanese are out to do it and have sent urgent messages to President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill appealing for reinforcements. Some reinforcements are en route but the Australians apparently feel not in sufficient quantity. It presents a difficult problem to Britain and the United States. | While it is all one war, it has many | fronts. The British probably will have to send air reinforcements to Libya,
[where Gen. Rommel has quit retreating and is on the offensive. They have to protect Malta or risk losing control of the Mediterranean, with all that implies to the oil fields of the Middle East and the road to India. Keep Supplies Rolling
Especially, both Britain and the United States have to keep supplies flowing to Russia, which apparently has the manpower to keep Hitler fully occupied until next summer if the supply of airplanes and material
. servatives Churchill by failing to |satisfy the Australians, has endan-
mentary criticism that the Prime | Minister is being autocratic about the {basic and at the same time less {well-defined charges to be faced. | These are summed up by Hannen lk |Swaffer in the London Daily Her|ald today as follows:
resent affair, there are more
1. In the estimation of many Con-
ever, American supplies across the At-
is not interrupted.
Hitler's submarine campaign off
the American coast, which is likely to be intensified in the spring, may be partly designed to aid Japan by
eeping American fleet units away
from the Pacific.
It is more probably aimed, howat interrupting the flow of
gered empire unity.
2. Laborites complain that while
women and girls have been con-
scripted property is still sacrosanct.
| 3. Many employers and employees
lantic at the source. The bulk of these supplies go to Britain, which in turn can release material to Russia. Cabinet Crisis Seen
ler’s principle was to pick off his enemies one by one. When he tackled Russia, he actually was not opening a second front, because there was no real Western front. Libyan operations are not on the grand scale. It may be that the Japanese are taking too much territory.
Hemispheric Strategy.
By WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS Times Foreign Editor RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 23.—The of President Vargas of
GERMANS LASH BACK IN LIBYA:
Rommel’s “Forees Reoccupy Agebadia in Sudden |
|
Thrust at British. |
CAIRO, Jan. 23 (U. P). — Axis forces have reoccupied Agedabia, 90 miles south of Benghazi, in a sudden thrust from the salt marshes of El Agheila on the Cyrenaica-Tripo-litania border, British General Headquarters for the Middle East said today. The enemy columns which recap-
tured Agedabia, from which Gen. Erwin Rommel’s Africa corps recently withdrew under cover of a raging sandstorm, were “strongly covered by German and Italian bombers with fighter protection,” a communique said. Operations which gave Agedabia back to the Axis began several days ayo when German and Italian armored forces, covered by bomber and fighter planes, organized in three columns and moved eastward from El Agheila, where Gen. Rommel made a stand after pulling out of Agedabia. The Axis counter-thrust followed a period of bad weather, described officially by the British as the worst in 10 years. Raging standstorms alternated with torrential rain. (In London British military commentators speculated as to “what
Brazil to align his country with the United States and hemisphere defense is destined to become historic, marking as it does, in military opinion here, a courageous acceptance by Brazil of the role as a great {power which events are thrusting. | upon her.
Argentine and Chile, of course, | are vital to hemisphere defense, So are Peru, Colombia and the other South American republics. Each in its own way is tremendously im- | portant, like a link in a chain. But Brazil's strategic positions, plus her,
i
the War Department said: “The fighting has been extremely heavy, The enemy’s assault troops have been strongly reinforced. Nevertheless all Japanese attacks have been repulsed with heavy losses. “Apparently has
the enemy
adopted a policy of continuous assaults, without regard to casualties, hoping by great superiority in numbers to crush the defending forces.”
Espionage Is Effective
How long the outnumbered Amercan forces can hold out under the
storm of Japanese attack—which is backed up by the full resources of Japan’s 14th army plus special units
and constantly arriving reinforcements—was not certain.
Gen. MacArthur again furnished
evidence of the efficiency of his
size, natural wealth and large popu-| espionage and loyal communications
lation, makes her a logical key to| network Japanese lines.
the defense of the southern half of! the hemisphere, as the United i States is to the northern half.
Closer to Europe Than U. S
Brazil is closer to Europe than the United States is. She is a little more than 1600 nautical miles from East Africa, the jumping-off place for a European attack on South America. Her location on South America’s eastward bulge places her in the area of greatest danger
On the other hand, once she is
functioning behind the He sent to Washngton another report on develop-
| ments on the Japanese-held island of Mindanao.
The report said that the Japanese
at Davao had organized a militia of 10,000 Japanese local residents, presumably to aid in the task of con- | trolling the far-flung territory and reducing the strain and dispersion of purely military forces.
Battle Against Time Gen. MacArthur fought his des-
perate battle against time while America’s bent every effort to rush U. S. re-
High War Command
adequately equipped with modern | inforcements—particularly fighting
defense machinery the most pow-
erful European aggressor will find tions’ Far East—Burma, the Dutch Indies and Australia.
it difficult if not impossible to gain a foothold on her shores and as long as she holds out the danger of invasion of the rest of the South |t America will be negligible. It would be difficult, therefore to exaggerate the importance of Brazil's future role as one of the principal defenders of the new world She is larger in area than the United States. She touches every country in South Americg except Chile and Ecuador. She has the largest iron deposits in the world, and the quality is of the finest. She has coal, plus enor-
planes—to the great United Na-
second defense line in the
It was a nip-and-tuck race beween Japan’s enveloping offensive,
already battering at vhe approaches to Australia, the outer fringe of the Dutch Isles, and the fringe of Burma, and the stream of American |} aid now pouring toward the south- ‘| west Pacific.
Japs ‘Turn on the Heat’ The Japanese, apparently sensi-
tive to the approach of reinforcements to the United States second line, turned on the heat against
mous waterpower.
against Singapore.
Gen. MacArthur—as they have also|&
their training in a war zone—the best place to do it, as was proven in 1917-18. For something of the sort preparations have already been made. Defensively, from bases already begun in Egypt and Eritrea, Dakar can be protected, the Mediterannean blockade be maintained cutting off Hitler from oil. Offensively, the Balkans can be regained; Italy invaded. From the Dutch Indies and Australia, the Philippines and Singapore can be supported or recaptured; ditto from Burma, whence also Thailand can be invaded, the Chinese Army kept going, Chinese bases secured for bombing Japan. From bases already established in North Ireland and Scotland, we can defend the European jumpoff for Allied sea and air power for invasion of Norway, France and the Low Countries, where the opening of that “secon dfront” against Hitler now becomes a question mainly of sufficient air power. British troops could begin such an
(invasion, their places in England
taken by American troops still in training. And in Britain, American troops can be more readily supplied than in the Far East or the Near East.
* AYRES
LAST DAY!
the World Famous
Historic Collection
©2.000 Years of Fashion”
On display in Ayres’ Hande bag, Glove and Hosiery Departments, Street Floor, and Tearoom Foyer, Eighth Floor.
The evolution of fashion! See this world-famous and priceless collection, pri= vately owned and pains takingly collected from Europe, Asia and America.
The President's recent message
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These considerations illustrate the interlocking nature of the war
complain that, while Britain is in
pthe third year of her war and the Hourly, 16 appeared, ihe pressure :
that tricky devil Rommel” is up to
sixth year of her rearmament pro-
{gram, she is only producing about
/60 per cent of her maximum capacity. | 4. General dissatisfaction with the {inequalities in the amount of sacri-
| fice demanded from various sections
{of the population (this is very
largely Swaffer’s personal idea.)
the personnel of the Government.
DUTCH FREIGHTER ~~ ELUDES JAP SHIPS
| A PACIFIC PORT. Jan. 23 (U. P). — A Dutch freighter which eluded pursuing Japanese warships, jafter fleeing from a Japanese port 'the day the war started. has reached a Pacific port, authorities disclosed | today. | Its captain is a Russian. its crew |is Chinese and its owners are Dutch. {The battered ship was engaged in: {the South China Sea trade for years, calling at Chinese, Japanese and!
| 5. Widespread dissatisfaction with |
in the Pacific, the Mediterranean and in Russia. The idea that Hitler is enemy No. 1 has not been abandoned. However, the suggestion that Hitler must be attended to first and Japan dealt with later is being reconsidered. The Australians, a potent force in the British Empire, were bitter about it. The repercussions in London over the reverses in the Far East are growing from muttering to thunder and a cabinet crisis is threatened. The situation in the southwestern Pacific is admittedly grave but there is no discernible ground for utter pessimism.
Biting Off Too Much?
The extension of Japanese operations may be in itself a favorable factor. It is recognized that the Japanese strategy is based on speed. to strike everywhere before the United Nations get fully or|ganized. But in imitating Hitler's lightning | tactics, the Japanese omitted one leaf from the master’s book. Hit-
!
in his sudden sortie back to Agedabia. It was believed German and Italian aircraft had been pulled out of Russia and rushed to North Africa.
DISCIPLES TO PICK CONVENTION CITY
The convention committee of the Disciples of Christ Church will meet Feb. 5 to decide what midwestern city will receive the church’s annual international convention. At a committee meeting here yesterday it was decided that because of war conditions the convention would not be held in Oakland, Cal. as originally scheduled. The convention will be held in August. Approximately 6500 delegates and 1500 visitors are attracted by the convention. Dr. W. A. Shullenberger of Indianapolis, president of the international convention, and A. R. Liverett of Indianapolis, representative of the Board of Church Extension of the Disciples
completing its $350,000 goal.
of Christ, attended the meeting.
$210,000 RECEIVED IN RED GROSS DRIVE
The war relief fund campaign of the Indianapolis Red Cross chapter was today within 40 per cent of
George S. Olive, general campaign chairman, announced that more than $210,000 had been received and that the drive was now
entering its most difficult stage. Arthur R. Baxter, chairman of the large gifts division, said his group expected to raise between $5000 and $10,000 before its canvass is complete. The success of the drive, according t6 Myron R. Green, director of the campaign, will depend on the thoroughness with which the workers cover their territories. He said if the remaining 40 per cenit of the quota is to be raised donations five times amounts previously given would be necessary.
Quezon. doughty abouts except that he is MacArthur.”
against Gen. MacArthur's short, stiff and stubby lines across the waist of Bataan Province is mounting. The size of the Japanese force|} on Luzon was estimated anywhere from 200,000 to 300,000 men.
Gen. MacArthur now holds an
area of only 250 to 300 square miles of rugged mountain and jungle | country in Bataan—hardly an area |large enough for maneuver.
Relies on Artillery Lacking aircraft, his chief reli-
ance has been his artillery—artillery emplaced with extreme skill to lay down a curtain of fire across ; all possible avenues of Japanese |: advance. Beside Gen. MacArthur in the: fight, it was reveaied, is President|: Manuel Quezon of the Philippines The Resident missioner Joaquin M. Elizalde revealed receipt of a message from : It did not disclose thel:
Philippines Com-
little president's where“near
WAR FIRST IN ROAD PLANS, HADDEN SAYS
LAFAYETTE, Ind. Jan. 23 (U. P.) —Despite the uncertainties of toe Sy PAutal Daweh owners and war, activities of the State Highway ll a Bae oral GHEE ths Commission will be carried on as an ogo amide ager er the, ak’ 3 1 : nearly as possible in a normal manSe a Dae 238 ob iro r ner, Commission Chairman Samuel 1 es | C. Hadden said yesterday at the
ELKHART YOUTH DIES, Sty 20th annual road school, TWO HURT IN CRASH
“It is our hope that the total amount of our cbnstruction this LA PORTE, Ind, Jan. 23 (U. P). —Robert Bakelaar, 19, Elkhart, was
year will not shrink greatly as compared with recent years even though killed instantly and his two youthful companions were injured crit-
we are shifting the emphasis from roads carrying only general traffic ically yesterday when their Buoy mobile splintered the guard rail o
Malayan ports, before the war. The vessel was in a Japanese port when word was received of the Jap-| anese attack on Pearl Harbor. The| captain opened sealed orders from |
Bond Poster Stresses Need for All to Help
Piquant Shert Coat Ensemble
4.00
It's the newest and smartest boudoir moulded gown and gently full short coat from a tiny waist. This is a light-
style—lovely
to those carrying a large volume of wartime traffic,” Mr. Hadden asserted. Governor Schricker expressed pride in Indiana’s more than 10,000 miles of highways, traditionally operated on a “pay as we go” basis. “We are getting the most we can for every dollar spent,” the Governor concluded.
a a wooden railroad overhead and hearted floral print in tea- plunged 20 feet over an embankrose, white or blue. Sizes ment. 32 to 40. 4 Joe Ornat, 19, and Hershel Alumbaugh, 19, both of South Bend, were removed from the wreckage. Hospital authorities said neither was expected to live.
It does not take a millionaire to help America today. That's the theme of this poster, one of the newest of the Defense Savings promotion pieces now going up in busses, streetcars, on billboards and at other public places. The poster emphasizes the Treasury Department’s point that every American can and must pitch in to help if America is to have the guns, planes, ships and other material needed to protect its -
AYRES' LINGERIE, SECOND FLOOR.
> SR ty 3 ; eS MC ch » : i . PORE ele Ry eS a