Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 7 September 1942 — Page 1

BP er Sl Pas

VOLUME ASN 164

"FDR TO CON

1500 Planes Hammer ne Stalingrad Sector:

SOVIETS MEND BREAK MADE IN ‘LINES ON 3. W.

60-Hour Battering Futile; Russians Claim Victory

On Caucasus Front.

By HENRY SHAPIRO United Press Staff Correspondent MOSCOW, Sept. 7.—Soviet defenses on the near southwest approaches of Stalingrad and the Volga river line quaked today beneath the pounding-of 1500 German dive bombers and fighter planes and tanks assaulting In herds of hundreds. The Germans had not advanced in 72 hours against the gallant defense of Russian soldiers, marines and a people's army. But huge German reinforcements of planes, tanks and infantry, after 60 hours of continuous, costly assaults, finally make another penetration of Soviet lines on the southwest. The noon communique said, how=ever, that the Germans had been outflanked, and forced to retreat, restoring Russian lines to their

original position.

Believe Battle at a Crisis

Perhaps 750,000 Germans were assaulting on .the southwest and northwest approaches to Stalingrad,

' and front-line dispatches said the

almost unprecedented liberality with which the enemy was using“plancs| and tanks indicated that he be-

lieved: ‘the battle was in Js last

round. On the northwest’ approath. “he Russians struck back violently and improved their positions, the noon communique said. The German strategy southwest of Stalingrad now was to knock out Soviet artillery, the backbone of the defense. To this end they attacked more frequently than ever before with planes and tanks. They were estimated to have increased their dive bomber and fighter strength on this sector to 1500. The greatest concentration, perhaps, on any one point since the war began in 1939, Double Duty Guns

Their massive air superiority en= abled them to subject Russian positions to heavy bombing, day and night. Dispatches said the situation was so critical that anti-aircraft were doing double duty—against planes and tanks. At one point, hundreds of tanks tried break through. Anti-aircraft gunners trained their sights and put 45 tanks and 10 armored trucks out of commission. In some phases of the battle, enemy tanks surrounded gun emplacements and almost reached the gunners, who were able, just in time, to wreck the tanks with rapid fire. Special dispatches reported one resounding Russian success in the Mozdok area of the eastern Caucasus, where the Germans had broken across the Terek river and were advancing toward the oil fields

. of Grozny. Russian fighter assault

planes shattered 80 German tanks, 10 planes, and 500 trucks, and killed 2000 Germans moving in two columns toward the river.

'Recross Terek River

Soviet guards were reported to have Trecrossed -to the north bank of the river, established ‘a bridgehead and killed 500 Germans. They continued successful counter-at-tacks against a big enemy force which had crossed to the ‘south bank. The situation in the direct area of Novorossisk, the Soviet Black sea naval base, was extremely critical, but the noon communique said Soviet forces “continued defensive battles” and sailors had repulsed an attempt to capture a “most. important strategic height.” ; (The Germans claimed yesterday that they had taken Novorossisk | en and occupied the whole Taman peninsula above it)

TIMES FEATURES oN INSIDE PAGES

P88 8

£0

- Entered toes Matter at Postoftice, ~ Indianapolis, Ind, Issued daily except Sunday.

INF

Sv

At the drill press—Violet Pearson of Curtiss-Wright.

Draft Board No. 4—

HIGHLY-SKILLED MEN DEFERRED

Led enn

Dependents and 20-Year-Olds Meet Quotas. This is the fourth of a series of

draft boards. These articles will tell what the manpower situation .

+ By EARL RICHERT Draft hoard 4 is meeting its calls

ents and 20-year-old single men. Board officials say that this sup-

that they will determine what group of men to take next “when we get to that point.”

defense plants live in the board area, which covers’ a section of northwestern Indianapolis, and this situation has provided board members with an unusually large number of “tough” cases: Board menibers say that they take men only in cases where they are convinced they are not absolutely necessary for war production.

Many Have: Appealed

“And we don't think 20-year-olds sitting behind automatic machines are necessary,” one board member commented. .. A comparatively large number of the men working in war plants who have beefy ‘placed: in 1A by the board have appealed. But the appeal board has upheld the local board in more than 90 per cent of the-cases. The board has the viewpoint that anyone holding a highly skilled warplant job such as a toolmaker should be deferred. Board 4 has been taking men married since passage of the draft act in the fall of 1940 excépt in cases where «children have beep horn.

‘Meet Calls Promptly

have children would create undue hardships in most ‘cases, "” ‘one- board member said. | A large proportion: of the popula= tion in the board area is Negro, and board members say they have had no trouble in meeting their insreasingly ‘heavy calls for Negro

Board 4 covers an’ area running | west from Meridian st. to the city

«| limits, ‘bounded on the south by 25th st. and on the north by: 38th st. ~ ‘Board’ ‘members: are kK H.. C. Ketchum, war Production Joard of -

"Married Wen Without Any}

articles on Marion county’s ‘15 | #

and prospects are in each board. |

with married men without depend-}:

Large numbers of men working in| :

“Taking men in this group whol.

ply” will not: last “very long” and § =

Labor Day, 1942—American Women Perform

Li

The Work Of Men

: At %the sewing bench—a Firestone

Tire & Rubber Co. craftswoman.

[ROMMEL PULLS

| HIS: LINES BACK

Try Come- back.

By RICHARD D. eds United Press Staff Correspondent

CAIRO, Sept. 7—British mobile

| forces are” slashing at a German

8 | rear guard covering the westward

At the forge--two srandiotliors of Eustis, Fla,

THE YEAR 1942 is crammed

: One full page will be captioned “Labor Day.” The page will tell the story of women leaving

the wash tub for the plow: the

for the loom; the bridge table for the lathe. It will describe soldiers with skirts—soldiers of

production.

It will deny American women have become soft

“full. of history.

d equality. sewing machine |

through easy living. : ¢It “will complete the transition: of women to

Labor Day, 1942, when women and men alike on the home front observe a holiday by working, will be “a: preface ito another—Labor day, 1943.

Then, the government has assured us, one work-

“ing man in every three will be—a ‘woman. .

AIR RAID ALARM WAKES NEW YORK

‘Unidentified Plane’ Proves To Be Friendly.

'NEW YORK, Sept. 7 (U. P)— New York City was awakened by an: air raid alarm early today, but no enemy planes appeared. and no bombs were dropped. . The eastern defense . command announced - that the alarm was caused by: “the. presence ‘of an unidentified plane.” \- “The all-clear signal was given| promptly when the. plane was) identified as a friendly plane, it said. The air raid sirens creamed mot

only in. the New York City metro-|

politan area, which includes scores of suburban fowns in Long Island and Westchester - county, ‘but - also in Newark, N..J.; Asbury Park, N. J.; New Brunswick, N. J., and Garden City, N. Y. In that ares, some 7,000,000 persons live and a great majority of them: ‘were ‘lifted rout of their: beds by the first “business”

[War Workers Stay-on n Job; Traffic Accidents Reduced

By UNITED PRESS America, the arsenal of democracy, beat its plowshares ‘inte weapons today on its first wartime labor day in 14 years, Workers in vital war production plants ‘maintained ° ‘full - schedules in turning out the machines to. fight the axis and, in many cases, donated their earnings to buy war bonds, : In Indianapolis, all war plants kept: on working, and only those

LESSON ONE--SCHOOL AT 845 TOMORROW

58, 000 Pupils fo Report at “New: Starting Time.

Indianapolis public schools pupils —85,000 of them=-will yawn out of bed tomorrow “morning to to “answef the 8:45 call to. classes. : :

. It’s a new starting hour and-trom|

that point on ‘the edycation pro-

businesses non- to the war effort, such as banks and stores, closed to give heir semployees a day’s rest. . ere were. no. ior traffic accidents reported in the city or county, | but five were killed in state_traffic accidents. A- total of: 150 "naval ships and 16. ‘merchant ° vessels will ‘be launched: or have ‘their keels laid on the Atlantic; Pacific, the the Great Lakes. The ‘ships included an ‘unspecified ‘number: of destroyers, submarine chasers,’ ‘motor. torpedo boats, mineswespers and Actidents Are Fewer

The holiday spirit: mus tempered

gram this year will be geared t0|by m

the united pledge to.win the ‘war.|ru hE Ethie 8:45 starting fine. was designaiy

the Gulf and|

| withdrawal of Field Marshal Erwin | Rommel’s axis army and are re-

lentlessly harassing the main enemy force, a communique said today. - Rommel brought airplane reinforcements to aid him in covering his withdrawal, reorganize his forces and study his next move after suffering a distinct defeat in the first phase of the fall campaign, in

| which he had staked his reputation

on breaking through the British

eighth army to take Alexandria, ‘| sweep across the Nile and establish

his lines on the Suez canal. Closely supported by artillery, the British mobile columns, covered by their own dominant planes, thrust at the main axis force at every

- | chance.

Too Soon to Claim Victory

A frontal attack was made on the rear guard detachments, which Gen. Rommel in his withdrawal had left east of the British defensive mine fields through which he had pushed in the first day of his offensive. Imperial patrols were active also on the northern sector, held by a mixed German-Italian force, it was revealed. It was too soon to claim an allied victory. which would remove the ‘danger. of the axis break-through. There was general expectation that Gen. Rommel, well aware that his own much-publiczed record as (Continued gn Page Four)

F. 0. R. PRAISES IDEAL OF MERIT SYSTEM

Notes Federal Service Now “Facing Severest Test.

Times Special WASHINGTON, Sept. 7.—President Roosevelt today declared that the federal service “is facing: its severest test,” and expressed his confidence that federal employees

x; will make the mest of their oppor-

tunities for distinguished paurigtie service, : The statements were made by the president in a letter to Luther C. Steward, president, and Gertrude M. McNally, secretary-treasurer, of the National Federation of Federal Em-

killed, | ployees, in which he congratulated

ma

xpect-Axis ns < :

"PRICE THREE CENTS

« ® w

v

LAW B

threat 6f economic chaos,” message to the legislators.

prevent a runaway wartime

SAYSHE'LL ACT IF THERE IS NO

Y OCT.

Asks Farm Price Stabilization at Parity or Recent Date, Whichever Is Higher;

On Radio Tonight at 8:30.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7° (U. P.).—President Roosevelt asked congress today to enact by Oct. 1 législation unde which, he would be “specifically authorized to stabilize the cost of living, including the price of all farm commodities.™ “Inaction on your part by that date will leave me with an inescapable responsibility to the people of this country to see to it that the war effort is no longer imperiled by the Mr. Roosevelt said in a speci

. ¥“In the event that the congress should fail to act, |act adequately, I shall accept the responsibility and I will act.” Fireside Chat Scheduled Tonight

Mr. Roosevelt will explain his anti-inflation policy to the _| nation in a fireside chat at 8:30 p. m. tonight. : Outlining to congress the steps he proposes to take to

inflation, ‘Mr. Roosevelt said

that “at the same time that farm: prices are stabilized,

wages can and will be stabilized also—this I will do.” Mr. Roosevelt explained his deadline for congression

a".

“No

« Wiang:

NON-STOP AIR RAIDS SHAKE NAZI EUROPE

Night Bombers at Duisburg,

Forts Over France.

By EDWARD W. BEATTIE United Press Staff Correspondent LONDON, Sept. 7. — Britain’s great bomber planes, opening the third year of mass air raids as part of a non-stop allied offensive on an unprecedented scale, bomber Duisburg, Germany's great inland port, and other .argets in the war industrial Ruhr during the night and left fires which were burning still hours later. Fighter command airplanes spent the entire night on strong intruder patrols over enemy-occupied territory to leave the skyways clear for up to 200 bombers or more which took part in the raid, and coastal command planes attacked enemy (Continued on Page Four)

On the War Fronts

Sept. 7, 1042)

RUSSIA—Reinforced Stalingrad defenders hold lines. despite relent= less German assaults; Nazi crossing of ‘Terek river repulsed at + Mosdok, northwest of Grozny oil fields; situation critical at Novorossisk, which Nazis say has been captured.

WESTERN EUROPE — Two American flying fortresses acknowledged missing after raids on Abbeville, Meaulte and St. Omer; eight R. A. F. planes missing after heavy aerial attack on Duisburg.

EGYPT—German forces retire west of British mine fields along El Alamain line.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC — Allied bombers attack Japanese ship carrying reinforcements for Jap-| anese in Milne bay sector or

Gunes, gram,

3 JAP PLANES DOWN

northern Solomons, strafe Jap-| anese forces in Kokoda, New|

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (U, P.)— Land

action by the end of this month by saying that “we hold the actual cost of food and glothing Sown to a he & present level beyond Cas ne,” he said, “can give any assurances s that cost of living can be held down after that date.”

." No Mention of “Economic Gear”

stabilization of the cost of living, including farm price would have as its purpose the holding of “farm prices. parity, or at levels of a recent date, whichever is higher.” The present price control law forbids fixing the prices of farm products at less than 110 per cent of parity. O % ; hundred per cent parity is

price calculated to be ne sary to give a farmer re tively the same return he hai in 1909-1914. iy Mr. Roosevelt gave no indica in his message to congress. of reported plan to establish any form or super-economic authority to ade minister the drive against n living costs.

Gives Congress a Chaise He advised congress that wh

‘he has power under the constitu

and under congressional acts take measures necessary to avert disaster which would interfere the winning of the war,” he determined, however, “on this: matter to consult with the come gress. ”» aly “There may be those who. say that, if the situation is as g as I have stated it to be, I sh use my powers and act now,” president said. “I can only say,” he added, * I have approached this from every angle, and that I decided that the course of co which I am following in this is consistent with my sense of : sponsibility as president in time - war, and with my deep and unalte able devotion to the processes democracy.” Mr. Roosevelt had said p ly in a press conference that inflation problem was so sel that there might not be time seek remedial legislation. lengthy * consultation with his visers, he apparently decided acting without first giving congre an opportunity to do so.

‘Recalls 7-Point Program

The president. in his message day recalled that two points of original seven-point anti-in plan—“an adequate tax‘ pro and a law permitting the fixing price ceilings on farm products parity prices”’—required legis] He said he regretted having: (Continued on Page Four

DI'OB

~ Guess Again : "WASHINGTON, Sept. 7.(U P.).—President Roosevelt day sent a message lo papermen at the White F many of whom had pr his anti-inflation message