Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 28 May 1942 — Page 1

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The Indianapolis

VOLUME 53—NUMBER 67

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FORECAST: Little change in temperature tonight and tomorrow forenoon.

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 1942

Entered as Second-Class Matter at Postoffice, Indianapolis, Ind. Issued daily except Sunday.

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BRITISH STALL ROMMEL IN LIBYA

By WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS Seripps-FHoward Foreign Editor WASHINGTON, May 28.-—Reports accumulating here daily no longer leave room for doubt that the lid is about to blow off a globe-encircling axis offensive on land, sea and in the air. Information coming through diplomatic channels indicates clearly that Germany, Japan and Italy are ready to strike in Europe, Asia and Africa, on all the oceans and perhaps even in the Americas with a series of desperate but carefully timed drives. The Nazis are known to have approximately 220 completely equipped divisions on the Russian front, mostly around Moscow, while other axis preparations have been made in the Near East, the Far East and the southwest Pacific.

GARY AWARDED The New Curtiss Commando, Giant

BIG SYNTHETIC smu RUBBER PLANT

Project Largest of Kind in| Nation; Costs 100 Million; | 3000 to Get Jobs. |

i The largest synthetic rubber | plant in the United States will be} built at Gary, it has been an-| nounced in Washington. It will be built by the Defense | Plant Corp. at a cost of 100 million | dollars. It will be built on a 1000-acre tract and will employ 3000 workers. | Private companies will operate the, plant under the supervision of the Rubber Reserve Co, a federal) agency. Sets Up Three Divisions

The plant will consist of three divisions. One will produce the butadiene and will be operated by Rubber Synthetics, Inc, a newlycreated unit of Standard Oil of In-| diana. The second will be run by! the Dow Chemical Co. of Midland, | Mich., and will produce styrene.

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NES

Designed to transport troop

SLAUGHTER OF “AE CTECHS LOOMS

companies will operate the poly-! All Over 15 Must Report merization division to combine the] i To Nazis in Probe of

two substances into synthetic rubber. Heydrich Attack.

By-products of the Calumet disLONDON, May 28 (U. P.).—Ger-

trict oil refineries and steel mills] wil! be used in the manufacturing. today that it will add more than | Man authorities in Praha seeking $17,000000 to the Burns City am- [the attackers of deputy gestapo munition depot for “magazine” | chief Reinhard Heydrich were reconstruction. {ported today to have ordered the The war department also said it shooting of all Czechoslovaks over a’ $3000000 depot-|13 years of age who fail to report warehouse “somewhere” in southern |to police before Saturday night. Indiana. A Berlin dispatch published in Another announcement, this trom | Stockholm said that Heydrich's conthe federal defense housing ad- [dition was grave and that he might ministration, said that Richmond |die from the bullet wounds inflicted has been designated a defense area|DY two middle-aged Czechs who which means that additional hous- Waviaid him yesterday as he drove ing may be provided there along a street. Round Up Victims

The threat of wholesale execu-

LEWIS OUSTS MURRAY FROM U. M. W. POST ier: in London who said counties

WASHINGTON, May 28 (U.P). — victims were being rounded up by President John L. Lewis of the Gestapo squads throughout CzechoUnited Mine Workers today removed slovakia and that merciless reprisals Philip Murray as U. M. W. vice Were anticipated. president. He named John O'Leary Czech informants here said that of Pittsburgh his successor. the German authorities in Praha The action climaxed increasingly D2Ve given all Czechs of 15 and bitter relations between Mr. Lewis Over until Saturday night to report and Mr. Murray, who is president '0 Police and that “after that date of the Congress of Industrial Or-|tvervone found without a new regganizations. [istration card will be shot.” The removal of Mr. Murray was, Ine Germans immediately after affirmed by a 17 to 1 vote of the | the shooting threatened death for U. M. W. executive board. The|3nYone guilty of hiding the at-

only dissenting vote was by Martin tackers Wagner of District 50. One Escapes on Bicycle

= = = The navy department announced

ANOTHER AXIS LIE BLASTED

PERNAMBUCO, Brazil, May 28 (U.P). —The Argentine steamship Rio Iguarzu arrived today with sur- | Sosa po. They left a brief case, vivors of a torpedoed vessel, reliably | FICh the secret police examined reported to be the British steamer, OL SIMeS: Sh quarters aid. Barrdale of 5072 tons instead of the d : wo! protectors” of Bohemia U. S. S. battleship Maryland as ru-| pg orevia ordered & general curmored by axis broadcasts. I DattHOSivak:s. frum | Heydrich is “the hangman” who {had executed more than 250 Czechs | within two weeks after he was com- | missioned by Adolf Hitler last Sep- { tember to quell Czech unrest.

New Terror Predicted

The German radio insisted that his wound was slight, but Vichy reported that his condition was grave. The Stockholm newspaper Tidingens said Berlin observers expected a new reign of terror in Czechoslovakia because the assassination attempt “destroyed German confi-

| Schools _ 7/dence in the Czechs completely.”

Serial Story.. 28! Side Glances. 18 Society 18, 19, 20 Sports. 21, 22, 23 State Deaths. 9 Mrs. Stowe... 15

One fied on a bicycle and the other on foot under the eyes of the

TIMES FEATURES ON INSIDE PAGES

Eddie Ash ... 2l| Jane Jordan. 19 Business 12 Millette 20 Clapper 15] Movies ... Comics .. 25, 26] Obituaries ... Crossword ... 25 Patterns Editorials ... 18 Edson : 16| Questions .... 18 Mrs. Ferguson 16] Radio 25 Financial .... 12] Mrs. Roosevelt 15 Forum 16 Freckies ..... 25 Burton Heath 16 Hold Ev-thing 3 Homemaking. 19 In Indpls. ... 3 Inside Indpls. 15

LOCAL TEMPERATURES 6 Ham... 65 11am... ... 68 12(moon) .. 79 “w% 1pm... 8

Both would-be assassins escaped. |

THIS IS THE SITUATION behind the presence in London of the heads of our army and navy air forces, the army ground forces, the services of supply, the air-borne command and other top-ranking experts.

It is now taken for gran

ted here that the united na-

tions are preparing to launch similar far-flung activities of their own at the proper time. Chinese sources say the Japanese are hastily mopping up in north China with a view to attacking Siberia from

China, Manchukuo and inner

Mongolia.

The attack would start after the Nazi drive against

the Russians in the Ukraine

was well under way—in line

with Japan's well-known opportunism.

BULLETIN

WASHINGTON, May 28 | (U. P.).—The navy an- | nounced today that U. S. | submarines in the Far East | have sunk two Japanese ships and damaged two others, including a heavy cruiser. These engagements, a navy communique said, were not related to the Coral sea battle fought earlier this month.

MEXICAN PRESIDENT ASKS WAR ON AXIS

| Congress Expected to Give ' Request Quick Approval.

MEXICO CITY, May 28 (U. P) yes President Manuel Avila Camacho today called upon a special session | jof congress to approve a declaration of war against the axis powers. A Mexican broadcast heard by NBC in New York today said President Camacho declared that a state of war exists. Charging that axis submarines were guilty of unprovoked aggression because of attacks on Mexican ships, Camacho asked for emergency powers to deal with a “state of war” in order that “this nation may defend itself” against unjustified aggression. Wild cheers of the deputies indicated that his request would be

s, field artillery and "peeps" at high speeds, the new giant Curtiss Commando (C-46), is shown in tests by the Curtiss-Wright Corp.

given quick approval,

An irresistible desire to fix automobiles led to the death early to'day of 18-year-old Arthur MeLaughlin Jr, of 702 Main st., Beech

Grove. While driving his car with two boy friends out E. 38th st. after a high school party about 1 a m. Arthur saw a stalled car without lights just off the pavement, Believing he could fix whatever was wrong with it he stopped and found Miss Vera Freeman, 26, of Anderson, sitting helplessly at the wheel. Arthur jumped out and went to the rear of his car where he kept a large assortment of tools. While fumbling in his tool kit, a car driven by Willis R., Smith, 23, of Pen-

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PLAN FREEZING OF WAR LABOR

U. S. Aims at ‘Pirating’; Deferments Provided For Vital Workers.

WASHINGTON. May 28 (U. P). —The manpower - problem has reached such a critical stage that the government today is prepared to “freeze” millions of war industry workers and some essential farm workers at their present jobs. War Manpower Commission Chairman Paul V. McNutt has been directed to draft a policy statement on a “freezing” plan agreed to in principle last night by the commission. The plan is designed to stop “pirating” of workers — a practice

| that is hampering some war indus-

tries—and to give complete control of war worker placement to the federal government. The plan in its present form also provides for draft deferments for key war industry workers through selective service directives. There would be no blanket deferments.

Only One Hiring Agency

The United States employment service ‘would become the sole hiring agrney for war industries which are considered critical. Employers could get new workers only through that agency; workers could get jobs or change jobs only with the service’s approval. Brig. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, selective service director, already had indicated that the armed service problem may be eased a little by seeking legislation to permit the (Continued on Page Five)

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Allies Alert For Axis ‘Blowoff’ On

A FLARE-UP IS EXPECTED in the eastern Medi- - terranean, involving Syria and the Middle East. The German-Italian tank drive toward Egypt and Suez, announced yesterday, caused no surprise here. It fitted into the developing picture perfectly. A showdown between Hitler and Pierre Laval, chief of the government at Vichy, also is expected momentarily.

Hitler is known to have asked for use of the French fleet and French African bases, threatening to “give” Corsica, Nice, Savoy and Tunisia to Italy if Laval refuses. From Rome and Berlin come threats of an intensified German-Japanese-Italian sea offensive against united nations’ shipping, not only to increase sinkings, but to scatter American and British naval forces over the seven

seas.

‘Troopship of the Sky’

ER

airplane division at:Buffalo, before-delivery to the U, S..army air forces, It is the world's largest twin-engined transport and weighs 50,000 pounds. gi

‘PSYCHIC’ DRIVE ON RUSS FAILS

Red Soldiers Mow Down Goosestepping Nazis on

Kharkov Front.

MOSCOW, May 28 (U. P.).—Red army forces have halted the German counter drive on their left flank below Kharkov where German troops, wearing Russian uni= forms and using tanks and planes marked with Soviet emblems, have been thrown into “confusion attacks,” advices from the front said today.

On the War Fronts

CAIRO: British armored forces repulsed axis desert offensive spearhead in tank battle 15 miles south of Tobruk.

MOSCOW: German counter-offen-sive checked in Izyum-Barven-kova sector south of Kharkov.

CHUNGKING: Chinese hurl back Japanese attempt to storm Kinhwa in eastern China.

MELBOURNE: Allied planes down or damage seven of 15 Japanese planes attempting attack on Port Moresby.

STIMSON SEES JAP RETALIATION RAIDS

Oriental Psychology Calls, For Face-Saving Attack.

WASHINGTON, May 28 (U, P.) — Secretary of War Henry L. Stim-

ANKARA, May 28 (U. P.).=Information reaching military headquarters here today indicated that the Germans, steadily gaining the initiative on the front south of Kharkov, hope to launch a big assault in about 10 days aimed at the “liquidation” of the

Russian offensive.

Youth Who Stopped to Repair Stalled Car Killed by 3d Auto as He Reaches for Tools

him against the rear of his own car. A moment later his car burst into flames and he was caught in the middle of it. His companions and the passengers in the Freeman car finally pulled him out of the flames and a passing motorist took him to St. Vincent's hospital where he died two hours later. A Both of his legs were broken in several places and his hips were crushed. He also suffered severe burns over his entire body. He died while his father, Arthur

| McLaughlin Sr., an employee of the

Beech Grove railroad shops, was rushing around the city hunting some of Arthur's school chums to donate blood for transfusions.

dleton, crashed into him, crushing

him, who was only slightly injured, told police he didn't see the MecLaughlin car in time to stop or swerve out of the way. Young McLaughlin had been em-|. ployed at an automobile service station in Beech Grove owned by James W. Young. His employer said Arthur was a “natural born mechanic” and that he could listen to any motor and know what was wrong with it. “He had a great love for motors and instinctively could fix anything about a car,” Mr. Young said. “He couldn't resist fixing up a sick car.” Surviving the victim besides the

on the United States in retaliation| .. Izyum and Barvenkova sector, tack delivered by Gen. James H. eastward drive. rience with it—knows that it has ger than that suffered by their own GHARGE SYNTHETIC Curb Production. day that powerful petroleum interwishing to utilize farm commodiber dealer of New York, declared war protection.” serve corporation told representafather are his mother, Mrs. Mar-|pound, you won't stand a chance

son said today that it is “almost for the smashing blow delivered by qq ioc couth of Kharkov, the RusDoolittle, he said: The Germans were said to have meant a most serious loss of face i RUBBER IS BLOCKED He reminded the reporters that WASHINGTON, May 28 (U. P). ests were blocking manufacture of ties. that a “fake rubber shortage” had Clarence R. Bitting, president of tives of his firm in February that of getting a contract, because the

The driver of the car that struck!Henry

inevitable” that the Japanese ih U. 8. army fliers against Tokyo. | 0)6 were said to have seized the “Anyone who knows oriental). i's. Rumanian regiments into which can be wiped out only by a there is no perfect defense for long | a —Four senators and the presiden® synthetic rubber either by indeOn the house side of capitol hiil, been conceived by “the giant rubthe United Sugar Corp. asserted “unless you can produce synthetic guerite McLaughlin and a brother, Mclaughlir big boys have it n hoof A

attempt to make “face saving” raids| 4 coveral points along the 25Speaking of the humiliating A | initiative after halting the enemy's psychology—and I have had expe(Continued on Page Five) return blow; a blow, if possible, Bie coastlines such as this nation has. 4 Senators Say Big Firms of a sugar corporation charged topendent oil producers or by firms Elliot E. Simpson, independent rubber monopolies for their own postthat members of the rubber rerubber for less than 10 cents per

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All Fronts

EXPECTING A RENEWAL of the Japanese drive southward at any moment, Australia wants a greater share of American lend-lease material. China, feeling much the same, also is asking for more and immediate aid. Like Australia, China is of vital ime portance as a base of attack against Japan proper. Should she collapse, the Japanese no longer would be menaced from the rear while invading Siberia. The answer the allies plan to this all-out, world-in-clusive axis offensive apparently is to launch similar counter-offensives, returning blow for blow, with interest, whether by land, sea or air. This, at any rate, is believed to be the meaning of the allied conferences in London.

SPEARHEADS OF

DRIVE BLASTED INTANK BATTLE

Cairo Reports British Have Seized the Advantage; Allies to Standardize All Weapons For ‘Second Front.’

By JOE ALEX MORRIS United Press Foreign Editor

Axis onslaughts stalled against stubborn allied counter blows in Libya, Russia and China today and American offi cials disclosed a gigantic program for standardization of united "nations arms in the coming invasion of Europe. U. S. Lieut. Gen. Brehon B. Somervell, discussing prepa rations with British leaders in London, said arrangements were being pressed for standardization of airplanes, tanks and munitions so that American and British forces massing strength to strike at Germany would be able to exchange implements of war to great advantage. The program, designed to take advantage of growing American mass production of arms, would be effective, too, in other theaters of war such as the North Africa desert where American-built planes and tanks are playing an important role in blunting an axis mechanized spearhead thrust eastward to the El Adem sector, only 15 miles from Tobruk. : R. A. F. Blasts Axis Columns ‘Nazi Gen. Edwin Rommell, using up to 450 tanks, had advanced more than 100 miles across the Libyan no-man’se land to the area just south of Tobruk, where his spearhead was repulsed by the British in a blazing battle of tanks. Another big tank battle was fought near Bir Hacheim, farther south in the desert, where the British halted a 90 mile axis advance yesterday. The R. A. F. was blasting heavily at Rommel’s columns, In southern Russia, the Red army stopped the Gere mans on the Izyum front south of Kharkov and struck ag= gressive blows at the enemy. Chinese Hold Off Japs On the other side of the world, the Chinese clung te defensive positions at Kinwha, in Chekiang province, after repulsing repeated Japanese attacks in an offensive designed to knock China out of the war, but the Japanese were ree ported bringing up heavy reinforcements. The Japanese on the Salween river frent in Yunnan province were reported encircled in a Chinese counter offen (Comitinued on Page Five) :

‘Miles’ of British Tanks Rush to Libya Battlefield

By RICHARD McMILLAN United Press Staff Correspondent WITH THE BRITISH EIGHTH ARMY IN THE LIBYAN DESERT, May 28.—British and German armored forces are in action today in the opening phase of the fifth campaign of the Libyan war." In the haze and choking dust of the desert, under a blistering sun, the tanks are smashing against each other and heavy and light field guns are blasting away. Anti-aircraft guns are in action against Gere man and Italian planes, and as I write a fleet of royal air force fighter planes is roaring westward to the attack. For miles back to the east, heavy tanks, artillery, anti-tank and other armored and mechanized units are rumbling forward over the roads and desert tracks, marking theip progress by the gray geysers of grit and dust which they send up to meet the sun which blazes in & blue sky. Hottest Weather of Year

The Germans and Italians selected for their attack the hottest weather of the year. For some time the British general staff had known that Col. Gen. Erwin Rommel, the star German tank corps commander, had received ore ‘|ders from Adolf Hitler personally to

Flaming Arrow Points the Way

WITH THE BRITISH AR-~ MY IN LIBYA, May 28 (U. P.) —A daring British volunteer gave valuable aid to R. A, F, night bombers in the preliminary phase of the new battle of Libya, it was learned today. He went in a truck far out into the axis lines, and as he came back he set alight a line of axis gasoline tanks so that a flaming directive arrow, visible for many miles in the desert darkness, showed the way toward German concentrations.

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