Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 16 February 1942 — Page 1
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FORECAST: Rain’ this afternoon becoming: colder by night and ssi aly tonight With rain changing to snow.
[Scripns ~ HowaRDY VOLUME 53—NUMBER 293
UB SHE
|
aps Capture Major Allied Oil Base
IN
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 19
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sae ee
300,000 HOOSIERS 20 TO 44 SIG UP FOR DRAFT TODAY; 30,000 IN COUNTY REGISTER
Al Realize Gravity as They Offer to Serve U. S.
| | By EARL RICHERT | Calmly and with little trace of
the grimness they all felt, 300,000]. : | ers who have been kept on] j sidelines so far today broke|,
ranks and flocked to the colors.
| 4 The routine for registering for ilitary service was the same as
the two previous registrations, |
| fiw today’s registration of men between the ages of 20 and 44 inclusive was vastly different. | | There was no light-hea ted quipbing: about “being out i
“there were no bitte remarks \ i bout “the Administration trying to.
| get us into war.” All Realize Gravit
‘registration plac a. m. with register before. going to wi
The registration dwindled
expec again after worki
tion places close . 9p. m it is = estimated that 30,000 men will have been registered in Marion County. 2 Take Present 1-A Men First
Today's registration will boost the reservoir of Indiana manpower from which Uncle Sam has drawn and is drawing to approximately 730,000 men—one fifth of the state's population. . Over the nation, 9,000,000 men _ were registering, bringing the number of men | registered throughout the U. 8. to 126,000,000. | Under orders from Washington, state draft officials will not release
information concerning the number | ‘|| WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (U,P.).—
(Continued on Page Two)
MOTORIST ARRESTED AFTER PUPIL IS HURT|
An 88-year-old child was struck while on nis way to school today by a motorist who was charged by police with failure to give a pedestrian the right of way and disobedience to-.traffic signals. The child, Melvin Brown, 402 N. West St., was taken to City Hospital for treatment and later released. ' The motorist was Raymond Farmer, R. R. 7, Box 426, who was driving a delivery truck. He told police the windshield was steamed and he could not see. The accident happened at Blackford and Michigan
Bear don ‘Metager, watching
. the other children : rm the path 3 the truck. |
TIMES FEATURES To INSIDE PAGES
nts. .
4 Millett cece®es 9 Music sv snens
... 15|Obituaries ... 14 | Pegler ...
Many of the men whe run the draft in Marion County were being registered themselves today. Among them was Vernon M. Scott (left), chairman of Draft Board 1, who was registered at the Little Flower Church’ by Paul J. McDufl, 5301 E. Sth Ste |
His, own: registration today was pot the first ‘experience Tony Hinkle © (left); , athletic director of Butler University, has had with the draft.
s contribuied several of his star athletes to it already. Register-
ig Mi Epes Odom, a2. icin st.
It's "Father-and- Son’ “Day
As Uncle Sam Calls Again
This was a gort of “Pather-and-Son” day ‘for many Hoosler families —with both Father and Junior registering for the draft at the:same time. Draft Board officials reported that there were “a surprisingly large
number” of fathers in the early 40s sons.
who came, in with their 20-year-old
(Some were unable to register at the same time because of their work.
LOTTERY IN MARCH WILL FIX STATUS
Many in 20-21 Bracket Expected to Serve.
A! lottery some time next month ) bly will determine the order which class 1-A men among the ,000,000 new selective service ‘registrants will be called into miliary
Officials said men classified 1-A in the current registration will not be inducted into the armed forces immediately. Existing lists will be exhausted before the new registrants will be called. The deferment rate undoubtedly will be high in the 36 to 44 age brackets because of dependents and physical impairments, but a high percentage of the estimated 1,800,000 men in the 20-21 bracket probably will be called to military service.
Fathers and Sons Sign Men jn the 36-44 age’ ‘group who do fall into the 1-A classification, however, will be subject to call on the same selective basis as applies to the younger men.
There were many cases in the last
few days of father, and son registering at the same time. Many World
this latest: Detailed questionnaires on vocational experience will be® sent. to every registrant who bas not 4lready been called into the. gSevipe.
War veterans, too, were included in registration. ’
There e are approximately 25,000,000
Typical of this group was Cecil] Eggers, 43, a draftsman at Schwit-zer-Cummins,’ and his 20-year-old son, Norman, a salesman for the General Neon Sign ‘Co. ' Norman registered this morning at the Fed-| eral Building and his father was to register after work this afternoon. Norman's brother, Mauricd, 21, en-
was declared. Norman tried unsuccessfully to get into the Marines. The Eggers live at 528 8, Vine St.
2 8 =»
John LeBar, an Austrian who was detaired by the FBI for a short time last mont h, an‘nounced his in‘tention of enlisting in the Army Air Corps after he ‘registered at the Federal = Build-
“1 was in the Austrian cavJohn LeBar ~~ 2UV. until Aused” he said. : “And then ‘after the portion of . the country in which 1 lived was ‘ placed in Jugoslavia I served about 18 months as a maShige gunner in the Jugoslav air or
“It will be one of the happiest|-
moments of my life if I can become (Continued on Page Two)
Call LI-6501
If you have a question about today’s box draft registration for men Ri wee the Ege of 20
| losses and lack of water, fuel, food HH Smpntion, his position was
| Singapore Fall.
listed in the Marines the day war]:
FEAR 60,000 ARE CAPTURED AT SINGAPORE
Lack of Food and Water Brings -Fall; . Believe
Only Few Escape.
LONDON, Feb. 16 (U. P.).—Fear spread today that the entire Empire garrison, estimated at 60,000 men, had been involved in the surrender of Singapore to -the Japanese. : Nearly 24 hours after the cessation of fighting, government authorities said they we m-
tion or of the fate of the British, Australian, Indian, Malayan and Sarawak troops. Women, Children Remain
(Approximately 60,000 British troops surrendered, a Tokyo broadcast said. . These included 15,000
| British troops, 15,000 Australian and
30,000 Indien soldiers. The Tokyo report added ‘there were 120 British women and children remaining in Singapore.) A military commentator disclosed © that some time Sunday afternoon, Singapore time, Gen. A. E. Percival, commanding at Singa-
: | pore, advised Gen. Sir Archibald
Wavell, united nations commanderthat because of heavy
ther . defense: ‘was.
ess and fur
mend “and, ina “he intended to sufrender.
Demand Cabinet Purge
“The commentator said that he had no information whatever on Axis reports that many Empire troops had evacuated. “We know nothing,” he said. “There was no policy of evacuation. The intention was always to fight it out to the last. “There was some evacuation of women, children and wounded and there may hav: been some évacua‘tion in the case of technical troops. “We had very hedvy losses in material.” Japs Gave First Word
The commentator said that the Empire troops in the Malaya campaign included the 18th British division, two brigades of the 8th Australian division,r the 9th and 11th Indian divisions, totaling about 55,men, plus some fortress troops and supply ‘and ordnance units, making the total considerably higher. Shocked by the fall of Singapore and asserting that the country faced its gravest situation since the (Continued on Page Two)
JAPS DIRECT NEW ‘BLOWS AT BATAAN
Increases Threat to MacArthur.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (U. P)). —Aided by heavy artllery fire and aerial ‘attacks, Japanese infantry is slashing "at ‘Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s Bataan peninsula defense lines at several points, a communique said today. Undaunted by the fall of Singapore, 1500 miles to the southwest, which has increased the threat to, Gen. MacArthur, ‘the outnumbered American and Pilipino forces were grimly resisting the new Nipponese blows. ? The unmuzzling of Japan's artillery along the mountainous and jungle like battlefront stretching
tria was defeat-|g
mander-in-chief Gen. Masaharu Homma, might be nearly ready to unleash his threatened all-out assault.
(Copyright, 1942,
known for five full days that
pletely without news of the situa-|.
Registers Son
One of the first persons Mrs. Marjorie Swift, a registrar at the Indiana University Building at the Fair Grounds, registered today was her own son, Robert Wren Swift, 20. Many women registrars also had .the unusual experience of registering their husbands for the draft.
FUNK SAYS BLUE
BROKE PLEDGES
Possible Rival in Primary Charges Graft by ‘Same
People at Same Stands.’
By VERN BOXELL Prosecutor Sherwood Blue's record since he took office Jan. 1, 1941, was termed a “trail of brokéi promises” today in an open letter by.Glenn Funk, attorney and probable candidate for prosecutor ih the Republican May primary. His letter was in reply to one he received from Mr. Blue, also a Republican, Feb. 9, asking his cooperation in an investigation of the “policy racket” and certain taverns on Indiana Ave. Mr. Funk charged that the Prosecutor had . promised to “clean up graft and corruption in the county without fear or favor,” but that the ‘same people are doing their same old business at the same old stands.” He also charged that Mr, Blue had failed to change the tavern situation or solve the youth problems, as he had pledged. - Prosecutor Blue said today that he had no comment on Mr. Funk’s letter. Pointing out that there are 30 deputies and two investigators on the Prosecutor's staff, Mr. Funk said “surely they are not so overworked as to be unable to investigate: the conditions as they exist.” He also alleged that $3000 paid to 10 “special deputies” put on the payroll during Novembér and December was money “distributed as a sort of year-end dividend to some of the boys who were getting a little impatiént, to keep them quiet a little ‘while longer and to:get them to consider ‘you with a little more personal favor.” These special deputies were paid (Continued on Page Two)
SCHRICKER: ASSAILS JOBLESS AID PLAN
Washington, Feb. 16 (U. P.).— President Roosevelt asked his congressional leaders today to fry to expedite’ handling ‘of the Administration’s bitterly contested $300,000,000 program for relieving workers who lost their jobs through wartime conversion of industry. Mr. ‘Rooosevelt was told, i was learned, that opposition to the bill has reached serious proportions because of apprehension in the states that Federal Security Administrator Paul V. McNutt is trying to Federalize. unemployment compensation. Governor Henry F. Schricker of Indiana, urging defeat of the measure; said the “fathers and mothers of this bill, if it has a parentage, were thinking of federalization.” He denounced recent federalization of the employment services as an invasion of states’ rights.
By HAROLD GUARD
by United Press) .
BATAVIA, Feb, 16 (3:20 p. m.- 3:20 a m. Indian- - apolis Time) .—Japan has won its greatest victory of the war at Singapore over a British imperial army which had
it was beaten but fought on,
‘| | hour after hour and day after endless day, in order to ‘make victory costly to the enemy. The Singapore I left Wednesday night in a’ sailing vessel La & blazing hell of shsl] 388 bomb fis and bate
Entered as Second-Class Matter at Postoffice. © Indianapolis, Ind. Issued dailv except Sunday,
ENEMY WINS FOOTHOLD IN
U. S., Dutch and British
Fliers Blast 10 Ships; Fail to Halt Foe.
By JOHN 'R/ MORRIS United Press Far Eastern Manager BATAVIA, Java, Feb. 16~The
Dutch | East Indies islands by air and sea captured the destroyed Sumatra oil center of Paiembang and thrust | close ‘to Allied supreme headquarters on Java today despite, “devastating” counter-blows that blasted 10 enemy transports and warships, including two cruisers, with heavy loss of life.
American, Dutch and British aircraft battered the enemy invasion forces along the Sumatra coast, up the 56-mile Musi River route to Palembang, where the cil facilities had been destroyed, and at three points where enemy parachute troops estimated at 700 well-armed soldiers were landed.
Defenders Still Fighting
Dutch land forces were reported| — still fighting south of Palembang to hold the railroad line leading southeastward toward the island of Java.
A communique issued by the united nations headquarters of Gen. Sir Archibald ‘Wavell said thats | —American_ and _ Dutch planes scored direct hits on five troopladen enemy transports and two eruisers, one of which was set aflame off the Sumatra coast. Three Japanese transports previously had been bombed by the Dutch, making a total of eight ships hit in addition to the cruisers.
—British eight-gun Hurricanes and Blenheim bombers battered enemy troop transports and barges with bombs and cannon in six attacks as they moved up the Musi River toward Palembghg. —Dutch defense forces wiped out a great percentage—possibly 500—of the Japanese paratroops landed at three points around Palembang. Despite the Allied blows, the Netherlands East Indies news agency said that “a very large”
‘lenemy fleet was pouring thousands
of Japanese soldiers into Sumatra Island as a result of the fall of Singapore. Destroy Oil Facilities Thus the western prong of the Japanese pincers moved closer to Java, while the eastern prong was set for an over-water thrust at Soerabaja naval base from Borneo. (In London, Dutch sources said that Borneo was “as good as gone and Sumatra cannot. be held.” The defense of Java was described by these sources as “touch and go.”) The. Dutch had applied vigorously the “scorched earth” in the great oil fields around Palembang, de- | stroying at least $100,000,000 worth fof facilities and dashing the hopes of the Japanese to seize the main East Indies oil supply. .
PREDICTS RATIONING OF GASOLINE SOON
Wall Street Journal Sees Action in 3 Weeks.
Times Special NEW YORK, Feb. 16.—Plans to control the distribution of gasoline will be taken within three weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported today.in an analysis of the petroleum situation. Full-fledged rationing with ration coupons will follow shortly thereafter, it was predicted. Although stocks are lowest along the seaboard because of diversion of tankers to war uses, it was thought probable the rationing system would be set up on a nation wide basis.
JAVA THRUST f=5
Japanese army invading the main|§
HOME |
FINAL
PRICE THREE CENTS
In Su Scene of Attack
'S. BASES |
ATLANTIC OCEAN
a BERMUDA
PUERTO RICO
The grave menace in the Axis’ first attack on the Western Hemisphere is shown in the above map. Aruba, shelled by a Nazi submarine today, is one of three islands in the Dutch West Indies only 800 miles from the Panama Canal and 2000 miles from New York. The star just off Venezuela at the bend of the lines shows its location.
LABOR SCARCITY FAGED ON FARMS
Situation Threatens State Dairy Industry, Buréau’
Survey Shows.
By WILLIAM CRABB
Indiana’s dairy industry is-on the “downgrade” . despite the Government’s request for a 5 per cent increase in milk production, an Indiana Farm Bureau survey showed today. ? The reason given was a farm labor shortage. A survey in 88 of the 92 counties will outlined to the Midwest meeting of Farm Bureau presidents and retaries Wednesday in Des Moines by Hassil Schenck, president, and Edmond Foust, publicity director, of| the Indiana Farm Bureau. 1
Most Helpers Too Old
Serious phases of the situation clude: Three-fourths of farm helpers average 57 years of age, “past the point of great energy.” In some counties 75 per cent of available labor has gone to industry. At least 53 counties must depend on transient labor for this year’s harvest. In many places even “supposedly stable” labor is becoming migratory. No county reported city coming to the farms.
Replacements Diffoult
The report stated that dairy farmers hesitate to trust machinery to incompetents and are finding it hard to get equipment replacements. In the general farming industry the labor problem “will not be such as to merit great concern,” said the survey. Wives, daughters and sons are able to assist in this type of farming.
labor
“greater draft consideration” be
given farm boys.
20 BARBERS HERE FIGHT NEW RULES
Twenty Indianapolis barbers filed a suit in Superior Court 3 today asking that the State Barber Board be restrained from enforcing its recent prices and hours regulation.
LOCAL TEMPERATURES
48 1p. Be».
OR Mhyvss:
E Saw Singapore a Flaming Inferno Before It Fell’
On that island then, were 60, 000 British’ imperial troops—youths and veteran regulars drawn from all over
the British Empire.
: Unless there has been: a miracle they ‘are still there, :
prisoners of the Japanese, those who survive.
» » =
WHEN I LEFT, under a blast of Japanese bomb and . shell fire, there was not a single nayal unit around Singa-
The report recommended that |
-
matra
FOUR TANKERS HIT 600 MILES EAST OF CANAL
U. S. Owned Oil oil Refinery Victim in First Attack On This Hemisphere.
WILLEMSTAD, Curacad, Dutch West Indies, Feb, 16 (U. P.).—A German sub marine deep in the American defense zone east of the Pan-
| ama Canal has torpédoed
four oil tankers and shelled the great American-owned oil refinery on the Dutch island of Aruba, is was disclosed
today. - The main enemy submarine ate. tack was the island of Aruba, where American troops were landed ree cently to protect one of the world’s greatest oil centers off the Vens ezuelan coast and about 600 miles east of the Panama Canal. |
Three tankers were torpedoed at Aruba, the Netherlands Indies agency said, while a fourth was torpedoed but not sunk near Willemstad. In the latter attack one person was injured. .
The shelling of ‘the Abuba re« finery, owned by. the Standard oil Co. of New. Jersey, caused only slight damage, the dispatch re« ported. Casualties Not Learned | The Netherlands Indies’ Tews agency said the shelling of Aruba marked the first land attack on any Western Hemisphere territory in World War II. | There were no casualties on land. The number of casualties among’ the tanker crews was not imme. diately learned.
The island of Aruba is about square miles in area, with a pop: tion ‘of 10,000. Almost its entire maritime traffic is the importation of crude oil from the wells of the Venezuelan fields operated by affiliates of thef Standard Oil Co. and exportation of the refined products.
Three Islands in Group
There are three’ islands in the group, Curacao, the largest and the site ‘ of the capital, Willemstad; Aruba and the island of Bonatre. . Most of the oil from Venezuela is brought by fleets of shallow-draft tankers. It is processed at the Standard refinery. American trdops recently arrived In both Curracao and Aruba, where
_ | British forces have been stationed
since” the German occupation of Holland in May, 1940. The Caribbean islands refine high-octane aviation fuel important to the Allied war effort and the dee fense of the i a Hemisphere, »
On the War Fronts
BATAVIA: Japs capture Palen. bang, but ten ships—including two cruisers—are hit in united ‘Rations air attack.
SINGAPORE: Fear 60,000 British troops lost in unconditional surrender of Singapore to Japs.
LONDON: Churchill's address fails to appease demands for radical reorganization of gov. ernment. put RUSSIA: Russian drive into White Russia outflanks Nazi: positions; ‘Reds drive to within 85 miles of Poland border.
RANGOON: Jap drive threatens Thatoh, ‘75 miles from Burmé : Road. |
AUSTRALIA: Government oles whole : population to *'werk or fight” as nation ‘braces for Jap : invasion attempt. ,. ° BERLIN: Heavy British. , claimed . in . Axis ET convoy “from Alesandris Malta.