Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 4 February 1942 — Page 1

The Indianapolis Times

scapes —mowaRnl VOLUME 53—NUMBER 283

Allies Battle Grimly To Gain Time Until Aid Arrives

oy

‘FORECAST: ‘Light to moderate rain and warmer this afternoon and tonight.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1942

Entered as Second-Class

at Postoffice, Indianapolis, Ind.

FINAL HOME

Matter

PRICE THREE CENTS

NAZIS MAP NOW-OR-NEVER DRIVE

Spadework

Want a Bombshelter? Local Man Will Supply You. By RICHARD LEWIS A BOMBSHELTER business started up in Indianopolis today and its operator, Cecil O. Wilson, was having the kind of trouble Robert Fulton had when he started out with the steamboat. Mr, Wilson is a suburban contractor by trade and a pioneer by inclination. He believes the bombshelter business is an enterprise admirably suited to the times.

| Office of Price Administration said | today.

| | period. There will be a separate

STAMP BOOKS PREPARED FOR

SUGAR RATION

Local Boards Likely to Be Issuing Agency, OPA Hints. WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (U.P) — Special stamps, each good for one,

week's allotment, will be used in| {rationing sugar to consumers, the]

| The stamps probably will be issued by local rationing boards, probably in book form. A book of stamps | {will cover at least a three-month

Overcome by Gas

book for each individual user of’

sugar. Thus, a family of three| { would receive three books. | While the exact amount of sugar) which will be allowed each indi- | vidual has not heen settled as yet, | OPA Administrator Leon Hender- | son said last month that it prob-| ably would be approximately 12 ounces weekly.

Families Must Register The sugar stamps would be Is- |

‘sued when members of a family il

| register with local rationing boards, | | which already are allotting new

& | tires to certain specified civilian con-

Cecil 0. Wilson . . . bombshelter

builder.

His principal difficulty is find-

ing people to plunge in with him. Even a few friends who agree with the idea in theory are holding back cautiously. But that doesnt discourage him. “Folks are like sheep,” he said. “They. wait until somebody starts something before thev jump in. “It may sound like a Buck Rogers idea at that. But you never can tell what may happen. Nobody expects an air raid over Indianapolis. But nobolly expected what happened at Pearl Harbor eitherr What you've got to expect is anything.” =

x =

Only on Paper Now

MR. WILSON'S OFFICE is his home, 814 Ingomar St, business is himself. has one customer who is interested and several others who are waiting to see what the first customer does. The bombsheiter which Mr. Wilson has in mind exists on paper at the present time. He started out to build a demonstration shelter, but the owner of the property where it was to be built backed out at the last minute. That still doesn’t discourage Mr. Wilson who sees a future for the bombshelter business. The hard part is to get started. Mr. Wilson plans a standard 10 by 20 foot shelter to be sunk six feet in the backyard with an igloo dome curving three feet above the ground level The construction is concrete and

rock wool. The walls and roof |

would be composed of two feet of highly compressed rock wool sandwiched between two 16-inch sheaths of concrete.

Costs About $800

IT WON'T STAND a direct hit, he said, but it will take a lot of punishment. The rock wool, particularly, he said, will gbsorb shock and is absolutely fireproof. Cost of the shelter, complete

with a pump for water, would run |

about $800C.

Mr. Wilson said he got the idea | building bombshelters a |

about vear ago while working in Yorktown, Ind

If he cant get steel to reinforce | concrete, the contractor is |

the figuring on bamboo which, he said, is used In shelters im Panama.

and his | However. he |

| sumers such as doctors and nurses. Stamps will be issued for a uni-

| form amount regardless of whether

an individual is a:child or an adult! OPA officials said. Under the proposed plan, a familv of rour inciuding two adults and two children, could obtain three; pounds weekly if the 12-ounce esti-| mate is finally adopted. Printing Delays Sta

OPA tar said that ee delay | in issuing sugar stamps, which may push the formal start of rationing’ over into March, was almost entire-| 'lv due to the tremendous job of| of printing stamps and cards for the nation’s 132.000.000 citizens. At the present time the War Pro- | duction Board and OPA are working on final details of the sugar] rationing plan, with the WPB expected to have a large hand in wholesile regulations. | Under the present proposal, the grocer would tear out the stamps] from the books carried by his cus- | tomers and keep them on hand for| {trading in later when he replaced | { his sugar stocks.

cauNTY WORKERS ASK 10% INCREASE

Bosson Indorses Move for Higher Pay.

County Commissioners today took | initial steps toward getting a pay, increase for County employees, aspecially those in the lower pay brackets. The action followed filing of a pe- | tition signed by several hundred County workers demanding an in-| crease of at least 10 per cent. William Bosson, Republican Commissioner, said that he and other, Commissioners felt that mang| workers for the County are re paid and certainly are entitled to! increases.” | He said that he and Commissionler William T. Ayres would draft a resolution recommending that the| County Council consider wage in-| | creases.

| Fabian Biemer, Chief Deputy Au-|

| ditor, estimated that a 10 per cent| increase for Courthouse workers would increase the County budget! by $75000 for the remainder of 1942.

LOCAL TEMPERATURES Sam ...30 am... 33 “a.m ... 3 Ham. 3S S§am ... 32 12 ‘meon).. 36 Sam ... 33 1pm... 38

TIMES FEATURES ON INSIDE PAGES

He likes his rock-wobl-concrete |

construction plan better than the steel Anderson shelter used in England. In the first place its stronger, and in the second piace, it saves iron and steel, he said. Faced with indifference and

Editorials Fashions ....

skepticism, Mr. Wilson knows that | the bombshelter business has its |

compensations. % If the bombs start falling on Indianapolis, it will put him into busimess.

Jane Jordan ..13| Society ....12, 13 8, Th

ssnsaed Ji s ei.

_ Fred Lewark

4-YEAR: ou 80!

Girl, , Collapses After Calling Aid; Both Are Revived Quickly.

Blue-eyed Barbara, whose fair ‘tresses give her the appearance of

a doll. felt she had outgrown child- |

ish ways, such ss playi ing with dolls. For Barbara, 11 “year-old daughter {of Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Lewark, 20 N. Highland Ave., was told by her |mother last night to take good care

{of her brother Fred, who is 4 She

was left alone with the small boy when their mother went to City

| Hospital to call on a friend. The | father was working at the Allison

lant. Barbara was fully aware of her responsibility. She saw to it that her brother put on his night clothes and went to bed. Freddie dozed, and Barbara pre-

pared to sit up until her mother | would return. Suddenly she heard him gasp-

ing, choking. She rushed to his bed, lifted him up, found that he was very pale—and unconscious. Barbara ran upstairs, pounded on the door of the apartment of Mr.

{and Mrs. J. W. Woolley.

“Freddie is so sick!” she an-

nounced. “Can you please help

| me?” Barbara rushed back to the Lewark apartment, which is in the basement. Mrs. Woolley followed. The little girl slid up to her broth-

"er and fell unconscious.

Mrs. Woolley smelled gas, which

| had evidently seeped into the base-

iment apartment from the mains |outside. She carried the children out and called City Hospital. The children were revived and treated by a physician from the hospital. Later Barbara and Freddie were taken to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Craig, 1701 Broadway.

JAP BOMBERS SET BIG FIRES IN SINGAPORE

Bataan Forces Still Hold; Resistance Strong in

Indies and Burma.

By JOE ALEX MORRIS United Press Foreign Editor The united nations battled to hold their Far Eastern defense line today until “great reinforcements” from America can turn back Japan's offensive. On the swirling Salween river in Burma, along the blazing Johore Straits before Singapore, on the tropical Duten islands of Borneo, Celebes and Amboina and along the sea lanes north of Australia the allied armed forces still were fighting stubbornly against big odds. “Our part is to gain time for the great reinforcements which we and our American allies are sending,” Gen. Sir Archibald Wavell told the defenders of Singapore in an order of the day that applied as well to Burma and the Bataan peninsula where American defense lines threw back another Japanese ffanking attack. Grim Fight Is Faced

Allied leaders emphasized that the fight to hold on would be a grim one.

$0 have arrived in the Far Fast but a large scale flow of men

‘{and materials is urgently needed to

end Japanese bombing attacks on Singapore and break up enamy preparations for a direct assault on the island. American and Dutch airplanes were scouring the East Indies waters in search of new Japanese invasion fleets and aircraft carriers. Dispatches from the fighting fronts showed:

PHILIPPINES — Gen. Douglas | MacArthur's forces sharply repulsed | renewed Japanese attacks along the west Bataan coast as the Jap|anese continued constant night and day attacks in their attempt to drive the American and Filipino defenders back upon Corregidor. A swift American torpedo boat is “believed” to have torpedoed and damaged a Japanese warship which may have slipped into Manila Bay.

SINGAPORE Japanese bombers heavily today, but British artillery shelled ‘enemy forces across the Johore | Straits. Heavy explosions shook (Continued on Page Five)

On Inside Pages The War and You

A Suggestion Jo Rising Sun

HOW HOOSIERS might remember Pearl Harbor forever was suggested today by Edmund J. Rocker, 1324 W. Washington St. Mr. Rocker proposed that the city of Rising Sun, Ind., drop the name which suggests the Japanese flag and call itself Pearl Harbor. “We have a town called Indiana Harbor in the northern part of the state and Rising Sun is located in the southeastern part of the state on the Ohio River,” he said. “I am sure the new name of Pearl Harbor would always be remembered.” Mr. Rocker recently suggested that the new Army cantonment south of Indianapolis be named for Gen. Pershing.

By NOBLE REED

‘The weird story of two hermit brothers who refused to take $11,000 left to them in an Indianapolis bank because they “expected to die soon anyway,” was revealed in Pro-

bate Court records today.

The money was left to them from the estate of their brother, Prof.

| Richard Souter of the Hanover College faculty, who died in 1933.

No heirs to Prof. Souter’s estate

could be located immediately by Fletcher Trust Co. officials here. A few months later, however, the typewritten

Aged Hermits Spurn $11,000 Willed by Hoosier Brother

The letter stated that neither he nor his other living brother, Oliver Souter, wanted the money and served notice that they @idn’t want to be bothered about the will or any legal matters incident to the estate, suggesting that the money just “be kept in the bank.” . Investigation revealed that there were no other living heirs or descendants of heirs, so bank officials appealed to Probate Judge Smiley N. Chambers. The judge had planned a trip to Florida last with bank ers and

reinforcements were . be=|

attacked Singapore again

As Our Fleet Keeps Vigil in Pacific

Bombing planes wing overhead as vessels of the U. S. Pacific Fleet scour the sea on patrol duty. The picture showing the continuous vigil the United States is keeping for enemy craft in the air, on

the sea and undersea, is one of the first released by the Navy showing U. S. fleet activities since the

Pacific War began.

1292 MISSING OR CAPTURED

‘Reveal New Losses in

Pacific War.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (U. P). —A Navy spokesman told the Senate Naval Affairs Committee today that 1292 officets and men of the

Navy and Marine Corps are missing or prisoners of the enemy as a result of American war action in the Pacific. This was the first official disclosure of casualties since Secretary of Navy Frank Knox announced after the attack on Pearl Harbor that 2729 enlisted men and officers had been killed and 656 wounded.

Navy Lists Missing

The disclosure was made during open hearings on a House-approved bill to permit the continuance of allotments to dependents of Americans captured by the enemy. The spokesman, an officer of the Bureau of Navigation, gave the following figures on American losses: Fifty-six naval officers “supposed to be prisoners of war”; five officers missing and whose status is unknown; 80 enlisted men missing; 75 enlisted men probably prisoners; 300 enlisted men “suspected” to be prisoners.

760 Marines Captured

A Marine officer gave these figures for the Marine corps: 44 officers and 716 enlisted men “in the hands of the enemy”; ope officer and 65 enlisted men missiilg. “I presume that they are all missing as a result of action at the islands in the Pacific?” Chairman David I. Walsh (D. Mass.) asked. “And in North China,” the Marine officer added.

WILLIAM FORTUNE'S HEIRS GET ESTATE

Employees at Office and!

Home Receive Gifts.

The estate of William Fortune, Indianapolis civic and business

distributed to his heirs under terms

today. No estimate was made of the value of the estate which included substantial stock in the Eli Lilly & Co. and Government bonds along with vast real estate holdings. The will provided for immediate cash bequests totaling $24,000 to heirs. Gifts of $100 for each year of employment were provided for each employee of the Fortune home and downtown office. Six grandchildren are to receive $50 on every birthday and $5000 when they reach 21.

leader who died last week, will bel ;

of a will on file in Probate Court]

‘

3 Tire Thieves Get Limit Here

THREE MEN convicted of desi} ing two new auto tires valued at $17 today received the maximum penalty permitted by law. Judge Dewey E. Myers of Criminal

Court sentenced them to serve one to five years in prison. The defendants were Harry Hart Feathers, 41; Robert H. Goolsby, 36, and Albert W. Small, 34. Thé tires had been stolen from Superior Chevrolet, Inc., on Jan. 5. It was brought out during the trial that a relative of Golsby’s had purchased one of the tires and, suspecting it had been stolen, notified police. “Ordinarily, I would not impose this heavy penalty in a petit larceny case,” Judge Myers said. “But in view of the tire situation and the national emergency I must give these men the limit permitted by law.”

IGE SLOWS TRAFFIC; FALLS INJURE MANY

Street Car, Bus Service Is Delayed in Rush Hour.

Rain that turned to a sheet of ice as it fell today caused many auto collisions in Indianapolis and gave hospitals and doctors’ offices a “rushing business” treating persons injured by falls. Traffic was badly tied up during the morning rush hour, and street cars and trackless trolleys ran about 20 minutes behind schedule. he rain started at 6:55 a. m, and amounted to half an inch by noon. It was reparted to be general over Indiana. J. H. Armington, Chief of the Weather Bureau, said the rain would not be ab(Continued on Page Five)

WEDDELL CALLED HOME

MADRID, Feb. 4 (U, P.).—American Ambassador Alexander W. Weddell has been summoned to Washington “for consulation,” it was made known today.

U. . FREIGHTER (2 KILLED

Four Others Injured as U-Boat Attacks Ship Off Maryland Coast.

3598-ton United Fruit Co. freighter San Gil was torpedoed and sunk last night by an enemy submarine off the Maryland coast, killing two members of the crew, survivors disclosed on arriving here today. Four other member: of the 41-man crew also were injured when the 325-foot vessel was struck by one torpedo on the port side. : The crew and one passenger immediately launched three life boats, the survivors said. They no sooner had struck the water than the submarine began: shelling the ship. About 15 shells were fired, but only four struck the ship before it sunk. The San Gil was the 16th vessel attacked by German U-boats since they began their recent raiding in coastal waters from Nova Scotia to Florida. Fifteen of the ships were sunk, and only the tanker, the Malay, succeeded in reaching port. The San Gil survivors, who spent seven hours in the open lifeboat, were picked up by a Ccast Guard cutter, with the aid of several private craft from Ocean City, Md.

BEAVERBROOK HEADS BRITISH PRODUCTION

LONDON, Feb. 4 (U. P).—Lord Beaverbrook has been appointed Minister for War Production, an official statement said tonight in announcing reorganization of the Cabinet of Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

FREIGHT WRECK COSTLY

SOUTH BEND, Ind, Feb. 4 (U. P.) —Railroad officials today estimated at $50,000 the damage done early this morning when 18 heavilyladen coal cars, part of an 85-car New York Central Chicago-bound freight, were derailed in an industrial section of South Bend.

pines, devoting their main effort to other tasks.

fore storming the strongly defended island of Java. But as the Japanese strategy unfolded, it became apparent that their need for haste impelled them

A son, Russell Fortune, and two

daughters, Mrs. Evelyn F. Bartlett

United Nations got fully organized. They appear to have, established

Today's War Moves

By LOUIS F. KEEMLE United Press War Analyst A siege as spectacular as that of Singapore is likely to result from the impending Japanese attempt to occupy Java and its naval-air base, Soerabaya. Signs are multiplying that the attempt will be made sooner than generally had been expected. Earlier, Allied strategists believed the Japanese would concentrate first on Malaya and the Philip-

cleaning up there before taking on

Certainly, it was thought, they would want to reduce Singapore be-

coasts of Borneo; on Celebes and probably on Amboina, although the Dutch are reported resisting strongly there. Menacing spearheads,

to strike in all directions before the close to Java, thus are pointing at|as

the island from the north and east. The Japanese have put the finger

LEWES, Del, Feb. 4 (U. P.) ~The] .

EXPERTS FEEL HITLER READY 10 RISK ALL

Situation Is Compared to Final '1918 Smash by Von Hindenburg.

By WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS

Times Foreign Editor

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4.— Observers from Spain and

‘| Portugal told me just before I

left Rio De Janeiro last Friday that Hitler is now believed to be preparing to put everything he has into an early offensive as Von Hindenburg did on March 21, 1918, and for much the same

reason. Hitler, according to these reports, is said to be convinced that the Axis must win a decision in 1942 or not at all. In 1943, he figures, the United States will have reached its stride, Then, supported by all the coune tries of the Western Hemisphere, the United Nations will be unbeate able. For him, therefore, it is now or never. Strike at Many Points

Apparently the plan is for Gere many, Japan:and their stooges to speed up and synchronize their blows. Japan has already gone all-out in the Far East. As soon as weather permits, the European end of the Axis will strike in Russia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and perhaps northe west Africa. The idea would seem to be to strike as hard as possible in as many areas as possible, Similar to 1918

Thus Hitler's situation today is fundamentally similar to that of Von Hindenburg early in 1918. At that time the United States had entered the war, but had not yet made its presence felt on the battlefields of Europe. The Kaiser's legions were everywhere on foreign soil—from Finland to Asia Minor. At home the Germans were beginning to be war-weary but not too seriously so. Nevertheless, they were noticeably tired of “vice tories.” What they yearned for was peace.

Just One More Try

Accordingly, the generals and politicians held a conference. “Give me a free hand for one more grand offensive,” Field Marshal Von Hine denburg said in effect, “and I will guarantee you final victory. I will destroy the Allies and dictate the peace this summer.” Von Hindenburg launched great offensive on March 21, He had accumulated every man and every ounce of material he could lay his hands on, and all these he flung into this final offensive. He had no need to hold anything back. He had to win in 1918, or not at all.

Should Be Last Blow

Hitler is now confronted by a similar situation, according to what refugees told me in Rio. They are convinced that the led®ers of the United Nations will be making a mistake to believe the Nazis have been smashed in Russia. They admit the Russians have performed miracles in the ice and snow and that Josef Stalin has unquestionably interfered seriously with Hitler's plans. However, they point out that for months Hitler has been conserving his air force and other offensive weapons, probably for an all-out blow this spring—a blow which, like Von Hindenberg’s, should be his last.

CHICAGO CHOSEN FOR PLANE ENGINE PLANT

CHICAGO, Feb. 4 (U. P.).~Lieut. Gen. William Knudsen announced today that a contract had Been awarded the Chrysler Motor Corp. for construction of a $100,000,000 bomber engine plant at Chicago. « Knudsen said construction would start immediately and the plant “probably will be in operation” in nine months. The plant will turn out Wrigat 12-cylinder air-cooled engines, which Knudsen described as “the biggest motors we have.” He did not disclose the projected site of the construction, nor its sta

his