Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 15 December 1942 — Page 1
FINAL HOME
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FORECAST: Slightly warmer with occasional light rain or drizzle this afternoon ending late this evening. Not much change in temperature.
Entered as Second-Class Matter at Postoffice, Indianapolis, Ind. Issued daily except Sunday.
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VOLUME 58—NUMBER 239
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1942
NAZIS MAY YIELD TRIPOLI TO ALLIES
WARTHUR MEN MOP UP AFTER BUNA CAPTURE
Japs Risk 3 Destroyers, 2 Cruisers in Vain Try To Save Village:
MacARTHUR'S HEAD QU ARTERS, Australia, Dec. 15 (U. P).— Allied forces in norheastern New Guinea, having captured Buna village and becten off the Japanese navy’s strongest effort to bring in more troops, today began the mopping up operation of taking the Buna mission air strip and wiping out, isolated enemy strong points, Occupation of Buna by American forces, announced in today’s communique, ended four weeks of fighting for this strongest enemy position in the area. The fact that the enemy submitted two of his cruisers and three of his destroyers to two days of bombing and strafing by Gen. Douglas MacArthur's air force, indicated the desperate need of Japanese ground units for help and supplies. Air Strip Holds Out
These ground forces continued to hold out today in the Buna misgion area, 10 miles from the village, and also around Sanananda. a few miles northwest. There, however, American and Australian patrols had pushed Japanese outposts back down the Soputa-Sanananda trail to a spot two miles from Sanananda. The outposts were caught between two allied forces. Another group of Australians, fighting down the beach from Gona, which they took last week, were moving against from another direction. | “There also was: continued Japanese resistance southeast ofthe Buna area, around Cape Endaiadere. Cleaning up these remaining centers of resistance still may take considerable time. (United Press Staff Correspondent Frank Hewlett, who went through the siege of Bataan and now is reporting MacArthur's first offensive, said in a dispatch that the terrain around Buna was more difficult than that inthe Philippines.)
Lae and Salamaua Next
Observers here forecast that when the Buna-Gona area is com-
pletely cleaned up, MacArthur's]
forces will move against the Japanese installations—mostly air bases —at Salamaua and Lae, the remaining Japanese footholds .in New Guinea. These towns are on the
west from Buna. That will be another campaign, but use of the Buna mission air strip by allied planes, is expected to make it easier.
Jap Warships Scurry Away
Buna village .was taken at 10 o'clock Monday morning. Occupation was preceded by a heavy mortar barrage. The two Japanese cruisers and three destroyers, badly battered, were sighted steaming north toward the enemy base at Gasmata, New Britain. Gasmata is 190 miles northwest of Ambush Point on the mouth of the Mabare estuary, where the warships tried to land reinforce-
effort was made at the mouth of the Kumusi estuary. It was believed that the Japanese 1d succeed in landing a few reinforcements and some supplies, but the warship§ and landing barges were hit repeatedly by bombs and several barges were sunk. Supplies stacked on the beach were blasted with machine gun and aerial canhon fire. Other supplies, apparently oil drums lashed together in nets, were bombed on the water. Some exploded. Others were last seen floating out to sea. Many Japanese
water, some without lifejackets and a number of bodies were cast up on the beach.
LOCAL TEMPERATURES
6am ... 271 10a. m ... 31 7a.m ...27 11am ... 32 8am. ... 28 12 (noon) .. 33 9a m ,..29 1pm ...34
TILSON TO KEEP SEIBERT ON JOB
G. 0. P. Clerk-Elect Says Ettinger Hasn’t Given
Co-operation.
By NOBLE REED Some of the Democratic workers in the county clerk’s office, including Chief Deputy Cletus Seibert, will be retained, Jack Tilson, Republican clerk-elect, announced today.
. The new elected clerk said be had ‘asked Mr, ‘Seibert ‘to help ganize the operations of the department. “I can't take over. the office blind on Jan. 1 and "have asked Mr. Seibert to remain at his post,’ he said.
\ Some to Stay
Mr. Tilson did not say who else of the present staff of Charles R. Ettinger, retiring Democratic clerk, would ° be asked to stay but indicated some of -the workers:in specialized jobs might be asked to stay on a year or two. Commenting upon appointment of a Derhocrat as his chief deputy, Mr, Tilson said he was forced to do it because. “Mr. Ettinger has not given me sufficient .co-operation to organize the office by Jan. 1.” Mr, Seibert said he would accept the appointment providing he
lican. “I have agreed to stay on as chief deputy for two years,” Mr. Seibert said. “I have been promised that I will not have to be a Republican. . «+ I'll continue to be a Democrat.”
Subject Is Touchy
This gentleman’s agreement on the political moratorium is not expected to keep down the “heat” that is expected to-rise from leaders of both parties, however. The Democrats won't like one of their staffers helping a Republican run his office and plenty of Republicans won't like to see a $4000-a-year job going to a Democrat.
MUNK SELECTED AS DEFENSE DIRECTOR
Succeeds Bradley as Head Of County Forces.
William E. Munk, acting Marion county defense director, today was named director by (fovernor Sch icker. He succeeds C. Harvey Bradley who ‘resigned recently to accept a position with the war production board. Mr, Munk formerly was executive assistant to Mr. Bradley and has been acting as director since Mr. Bradley accepted the WPB as-
TIMES FEATURES ON INSIDE PAGES
B| Jane Jordan... 17 Men in Serv. Millett ...... 14 Movies ...... 8 Music ....... 8 Obituaries ... 10 Pegler ....... 14 Politics ...... 15 Byle ......... 13 Radio 23 Mrs. Roosevelt 13 Schools ...... 4 Side Glances. 14 Society ... 16,17 0/State Deaths. 24
Amusements. . Ash Clapper ..... Comics ....22,23 Crossword .., 23 Editorials ... 14 Edson essere 14 Fashions ese 16 Financial .... 18 Forum ces en 14 Freckles 21 S. B. Heath .. 14 ‘Hold Ev’thing 13 ‘Homemaking. 5
signment in the national steel scrap drive.
ville but has lived in Indianapolis since he was 12. He is a graduate of the Harvard University school of engineering and a veteran of world war I. For several years he was secretary of the Maybey Electric Co. and since relinquishing his (Continued on Page Four)
FIREMAN IS KILLED
One fireman was killed and approximately 100 overcome by: smoke in a stubborn fire which burned
clerics 3
doesn’t have to become a Repub-|:
Mr. Munk is a native of Conners-|-
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 15 (U.P.).—
.the/night in a sub-base-|
employee, said today, “but while I thousand © of them. They were working to win the war, just like we are. “And they were working hard.” Mr. Kautsky, who is 63 and working his way through his second big war, cam2 back to his job in Indianapolis after three days in the busiest spot on earth. He and nine other “thinkers for victory” from various parts of the country, went there to receive citations for suggestions that sped up production in the war plants where. they work. “Of course I can’t vouch for all the employees in Washington,” Mr. Kautsky said, “but the ones in the war production drive have the kind of war spirit we need in these shops. We owe them a lot in this war effort.” The Hoosier war worker, a tool expert for Link-Belt, earned his trip to Washington by dropping a score or so of suggestions for production improvements in the LinkBelt suggestion box, all under the (Continued on Page Seven)
SHOPPING DAYS LEFT-
WHERE DOES
Fi
ment of Pittsburgh's
13] Was Moves |
Indpi. |
an Janpent joke) of tho oi,
Hotel William |
Who Said Capital Loafs? Kautsky Found All Working
By ROBERT BLOEM Believe what you: like about Washington's war workers, but America’s number one productioneer who just returned from the nation’s capital thinks they've got lots of spirit that production lines could use. “I've heard all that talk about workers in Washington running around with nothing to do,” Joseph Kautsky, Indianapolis Link-Belt
was there last week I saw several
FEDERAL PAY RAISE BILL PASSES SENATE
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 (U.P) — The senate today unanimously approved a bill which would give an estimated 1,500,000 federal employees either time-and-a-half pay for overtime works in excess of 40 hours for most workers or a flat 10 per cent pay increase to those on a mileage basis. The bill was sent to the house in an attempt to secure final congressional approval before the adjournment.
Snyder, 1840 Mansfield ave.
morial, in a
8 =® =»
The allotmeéntédf financial aid
boards.” Mr. Williams pointed out, however, that complete: relief could not be forthcoming until additional funds are appropriated by congress to maintain the state's rationing system and save it from collapse.
Mr, Strickland had “appealed to Mr. Williams on the" grounds that the state’s rationing aetivities were “apt to collapse unless. financial aid could be obtained.” In his appeal, he quoted Alex L. Taggart, county rationing co-ordinator, that the county's system would break down unless the situation was remedied immediately.
Need Paid Workers
The county and state need funds to provide for paid workers and adequate quarters to carry on the business for the public. “Already a few additional clerks have been authorized, but I am warning you not to be optimistic. This is just a small step in the right direction—that is all,” Mr. Strickland declared. Mr. Taggart said that several voluntary workers had appeared at the rationing headquarters at the War Memorial today following his appeal to the public last Saturday. He reiterated that the voluntary | workers were doing “a wonderful job” but emphasized the need for
more paid workers, who would be
\ornir fifo hecho lies in Washington, not
3. And down in the innermost recesses of the airless War Meault, works Lewis E. Lancaster, who could be in his
room at the Coldinbia Club, filing records and guarding coupons. . ’ » s f J
Local Rationing Boards Are Promised All Assistance Possible
2)
1. These voluntary workers in the War Memorial building, typical of those througheut the city, are what Alex L. Taggart, county rationing administrator, and James D. Strickland, state rationing adminis‘trator, term “a more patriotic group never assembled.” are Mrs. M. L, Fansler, 4011 N. Meridian st.; Mrs. P. B. Denning, 4535 “Central ave.; Mrs. Ward -Hackleman, 141 'W. 41st st.; Alex Taggart Jr. whom his . father pressed into duty right away, and Mrs. John W.
Left to right
2. If you've —t war E rationing Beadquariers and denounced the
“takes all: yo . Taggart Is She. somplain you bani in this not Indianapolis.
Volunteers Serve as Cash Is Waited to Pay Workers
% i By EDWIN C. HEINKE
for a ‘few paid employees and the
enlistment of volufitary workers today sent a ray of light into Marion county’s desperate‘rationing situation. James D. Strickland, state rationing administrator, announced that Birkett Williams, regional OPA administrator at Cleveland, had assured him “that all steps possible are being taken to give assistance to local
Kentucky's OPA Takes 'Breather'
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Dec. 15 (U. P.).—George H, Goodman, Kentucky OPA administrator, said yesterday that the state's ration boards, knee-deep in clerical red tape and short of manpower, will get a half-holi-day Wednesday in order to gain on their work. Goodman said all ration boards will lock their doors until. 1 p. m,, Wednesday “to have time from tlie public in which to do the necessary processing of applications and other important office work.”
working regular hours and not sacrificing their businesses. Mr. Taggart’s criticism of existing conditions was directed to Washington authorities and not at the state offices, he said. “If the government would stop overloading us for awhiie and permit us to catch up with what we are doing now, we’ll try to see this thing’ through,” he said. Meanwhile there was no change in (Continued on Page Four)
Link-Belt Departments Do It Again;
Use Dimes to
(List of Donors, Page
TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF LinkBelt departments 3, 9 and 15 on the Ewart plant night force, Clothe-A-Child is a year-
round proposition.
Faithfully each week, they have con-
tributed a .dime apiece to Child Fund.”
They started it three years ago. : They
clothed 22 that Christmas.
15)
the children.
a “Clothe-A-
Clothe 85 Children
hand westerday when the 85 children were taken to the store. formed a committee to do the shopping. Some of the wives fixed up sandwiches for
But 30 of them
And a big milk truck backed
up to the store door. The 85 children had the time of their
lives. You could tell by their faces.
And so did the 30 grownups.
You
could tell by their faces.
The next year they had enough money
for 50.
This year—yesterday in fact—they did it again—85 needy youngsters outfitted
from head to toe. All the men an
women couldn’t be on
IN TWO WEEKS there's another event
9 and 15.
scheduled at Ewart plants, departments 3,
It’s the launching of the 1943 Clothe-A-Child fund,
ROMMEL LIBYA
London Believes Afr
Already Repor
By EDWARD
out a fight.
into Tunisia for a last stand. There were unconfirmed
AIRLINER LOST WITH 15 ABOARD
: Western Airlines Plane Over,
Utah Unreported Since Midnight.
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 15 (U.P.).— A Western Airlines passenger transport with 15 persons aboard has been missing over central Utah since 1:20 a. m..(Indianapolis Time), the airlines announced today. / Leo Dwerlkotte, -executive vice
| president of WAL, said the plane,
carrying 12 passengers and a crew of three left Salt Lake City at 1:05 a. m. and was last sighted 15 minutes later over the Civil Aeronautics association station at Fairfield, Utah. Dwerlkotte said the plane has not been heard from since it took off. He said planes have been sent to make a thorough search of the missing ship’s route and adjacent areas. No passengers from Indiana were aboard, the company said. The crew comprised Capt. Ed{ward J. Loeffler, Glendale, Cal, pilot; Co-Pilot Cliff Lee, Burbank, Cal, and Stewardess Cleo Booth, Glendale. The plane, on a regularly scheduled passenger flight, was due at the Lockheed air terminal near Los Angeles at 6 a. m.
URGES ILLINOIS FUEL RATION SUSPENSION
Governor Green Acts to End Utter Chaos.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill, Dec. 15 (U. P.).—Gov. Dwight H. Green announced today that he had asked the OPA to suspend fuel oil rationing until “adequate machinery could be set up to bring the program out of its utter chaos.” He summoned by telephone to a meeting tomorrow afternoon members of the Illinois council of defense’s public health committee, State Director of Public Health Dr. Roland R. Cross, the council’s chief medical officer, and members of the committee's: medical advisory committee, In addition to discussing temporary suspension of the rationing system, which Gov. Green has characterized as “bunging” and “confused,” he said the conference tomorrow would discuss ‘public health safeguards.”
RYAN AND SEN. LEE NAMED ON AIR BOARD
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 (U. P.. —President Roosevelt today appointed Senator Josh Lee (D. Okla.) and. Oswald Ryan of Andefson, Ind., to the civil aeronautics board. Mr. Ryan was reappointed. Senator Lee, who was defeated for reelection in November, succeeds to the vacancy created by the resignation of George Baker, who had been serving as CAB vice chairman. The board elects its own officers.
LAKE SULLIVAN HAS SKATING AT NIGHT
Ice skaters may: skafe at Lake Sullivan during the day and under lights at night. The -city recreation department provides bonfires and a shelter house for skaters, and the ice is
swept, scraped and sprayed regu-
FORCE
POURS ACROSS
BORDER
ika Korps Preparing
For ‘Last Stand’ in Tunisia; Marshal
ted at Bizerte.
W. BEATTIE
United Press Staff Correspondent LONDON, Dec. 15.—Front dispatches today ‘indicated that the axis may be ready to abandon the rest of Libya with
Observers here believed the German Afrika Korps, hotly pursued across Tripolitania by the British Eighth army, may be preparing to forfeit its great base at Tripoli and retire
reports here that Marshal Er-
win Rommel himself had abandoned his retreating army after the British break-through at El Agheila and had gone
to Bizerte to take charge of the defense of Tunisia. Axis ‘troops and supplies already afe pouring into eastern Tunisia from Tripoli, front dis patches said, indicating that Adolf Hitler considered the Tunisian bridgehead more important than a defense of what is left of Benito Mussolini's African empire. The axis was under heavy press sure all along the North African battle line. American planes hame mered at German bases on the Tunisian coast and the R. A. F. gave the retreating Afrika Korps no respite. Radio Morocco broadcast a report that the Cierman: suffering heavily as they ward along the coastal road proc
El Agheila and listéd the 15th and 21st panzer divisiofis, the 54th
German light division as being among the retreating tropos.
Naples Raid Unconfirmed
The Italian high command broadcast a report that Naples was bombed again last night, indicating the allies may still be attempt« ing to choke off axis reinforcements from Italy, but there was no confirmation of the report from allied sources. Whether the allies will win Tri
inforce the Afrika Korps before Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery, commander of the British Eighth ariny, overcomes the problem of maintaining communications and providing water for his rapidly advancing forces. Front dispatches indicated that might cause the British more trouble than axis resistance. There are only scattered water wells between El Aghelia and Misurata, toward which the British are moving. Once past Misurata, the British would find it easier going. The
is cultivated and well populated and the Eighth army could find sup-
plies. Whatever may be Rommel’s plans for Tripoli, there is no doubt that the axis is making a determined attempt to reinforce its Tunisia army. Report Heavy Troop Movements Allied air reconnaissance de= termined that for three days small transports, including even sailing vessels, Gabes, on the east Tunisia coast, from Tripoli. Spanish advices from Algiers reported heavy motor traffic along the axis-held Libyan-Tunisian coast
were moving into the hills where
from Gafsa, 95 miles inland, Mahares, 50 miles up the coast,
the American army air force had
known that heavy German reine forcements were arriving in Tunisia, some of them in transport planes and gliders.
On the War Fronts.
(Dec. 15, 1942)
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC—Allies take Buna, turn back Japanese reins forcement convoy 12 miles from New Guinea base; S and Buna air strip foe’s last footholds.
RUSSIA—Soviet troops stop
" new village southwest of Staline grad; 3000 more Naxis killed.
AIR WAR—Italians report wall} raid on Naples.
SEA WAR — Churchill announces new anti-submarine committee. 3
(U. 8. Communiquen Page War Moves Today, Page
German infantry division and a
poli without a fight depends chiefs . ly on whether the Germans can res hd
have been arriving at
all German counter - attacks, take
£0
land between Misurata and Tripoli
and said several German columns =
they could command the raliroad : 4
The ferocious aerial offensive of
3
been intensified because it was