Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 1 March 1943 — Page 1

)

tween Mr.

MONDAY, MARCH

1, 1043

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

llies And Axis Staging Tug-Of-War

BENTROP IN AS CIAND

ds Satellites Face Di- ~ lemma, But Finns Deny Peace Rumors.

‘By HARRISON SALISBURY

United Press Staff Correspondent

* LONDON, March 1.—A

major “diplomatic war appeared 0 be developing be- _ tween the allies and the axis today with the possibility ~ that Ttaly’s ultimate removal

from the ranks of the belligerent powers may be at stake.

The outlines of the diplomatic

maneuvers . still are blurred and in “some cases deliberately are obscured “by smoke screens, but there appear eer to be at least two campaigns under The first was started by the al-

les as a result of the Casablanca

conference. The second is a diplomatic counter-offensive started by

i Germany as a result of its setbacks

FF ‘Russia. . Spotlight Is on Rome

n is regarded here as considerably - more than a coincidence that the ~ German foreign minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop, has turned up in ~ Rome at the exact moment when the interest of European diplomats was centered on Rome because of op Francis J. Spellman’s git to the pope and the transfer of ga Galeazzo Ciano to the Vatican by Benito Mussolini. Count Ciano presented his credentials to pope today. - objective of the allied dipoffensive is clear-cut and {0 weaken Germany by ler ties with her satellite d to encourage the few ning European neutral states

ing toward the ‘allies instead | hace

? Nazis Talk “Holy Crusade”

The German counter-offensive is ~~ taking a familiar form. The Nazis e trying to foster suspicion among €ricans, British and RusThe maximum. objective btless is to try to call off the war tween Germany on the one side ‘the United States and Britain n the other with all three nations then joining what Propaganda Min-

ister Joseph Goebbels calls “the holy crusade” aganist bolshevism.

£3

There are indications that Ribben-

3 Hop is dangling this prospect before

; lini in an attempt to try to persuade him to stay in the war. In view of the declaration of President Roosevelt and Prime MinChurchill for unconditional ender, it is believed the allies ill accept nothing less than comte capitulation for Italy. But at will not prevent the Germans om continuing their efforts with fussolini. Finns Deny Peace Plans The diplomatic maneuvers of the Jast few weeks have centered around Finland and Spain as well as Italy.

is reealled that rumors which printed after the Casablanca ga erence mentioned that Finland,

in and Italy were specifically tioned in the discussions beRoosevelt and Mr.

Finland inaugurated Risto Ryti . first two-term president toand the Helsinki radio quoted as saying in his inaugural adhat “the war will be conid and demands our complete tion.” This did not necessarily the persistent rumors that and is seeking a basis for peace ith Russia. Even if they are true, R could not admit it publicly mtil they had been brought to a C ful conclusion,

BOMBER IS OVERDUE TYNDALL FIELD, Fla, March 1 P.).—A medium bomber with men aboard, from the army air r flexible gunnery school here due and must be considered ssing, Tyndall field officials antoday. Corp. Gene D. re,- Yorktown, Ind. is among

iNcea

|Inside Indpls. Jane Jordan . 15 Men in Serv. 7 Millett -...... 12 Movies ...... 6 {Obituaries ... 4 vireo 12 Radio Ration Points 11 Mrs. Roosevelt 11 Side 4 ‘Glances. 12 12 Sins

14, 15

15|Voice in Bal. Al Williams.. 12

a

Champion Letter-Getter

Naval Aviation Cadet Jack Benard of Woodside, L. I, seems to be the navy’s champion letter-getter at Chapel Hill, N. C. He received 50 in two weeks, 21 written and mailed on same day from one gn

Shop early and be patient. That's the advice of the county rationing director to local housewives as they went marketing with points as well as money for the first time today. Grocery clerks have been coached as to the value of the blue coupons. with which. gonsumers will purse a variety of more than 200] canned and processed food items but for the first few days, it will take longer than usual for clerks to check purchases, Alex L. Taggart, the county rationing director, pointed out. The eight-day nation-wide sales freeze on the more than 200 items was lifted this morning as point rationing went into effect with war ration book two. The rationed items comprise canned and bottled fruits and vegetables, dried and dehydrated fruits, all canned and bottled soups, all dry peas, beans and lentils, dried and dehydrated soups and canned

Point Buying Begins Today; Urge Spreading of Spending

Point rationing starts today. Since the first list of points was published last Monday, there have been some additions and -some corrections. ited to a He “corrected-| point list, published today on" Page Il. It will come in handy as you figure your point "budget" for purchasing processed foods.

and bottled baby foods, except milk and cereals. . Stocks of canned meat and canned fish still remained frozen. They will be released for sale when meat rationing goes into effect in about a month. Housewives today found the OPA’s (Continued on Page Two)

To Buy or Save

To buy or not to

Or to sacrifice a

To buy to save? Ay, there's the r

That's today famous soliloquy.

coming. Just ask any housewife. If you see her muttering to herself, buy or not to buy? Whether ’tis

HIGHEST COURT VOIDS VIERECK CONVICTION

Justices: Black, Douglas Dissent in 5-2 Ruling.

WASHINGTON, March 1 (U. P.). —The supreme court today set aside the conviction of George Sylvester Viereck, German propagandist found guilty of failing to disclose fully his activities in his registration with the state department. The tribunal split 5 to 2 on the case, with Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone delivering the majority opinion. Association Justices Hugo L. Black and William O. Douglas dissented. Justice Robert L. Jackson, who was attorney general when proceedings were instituted against Viereck, did not participate. The conviction was set aside on technical grounds that the government tried to bring him to account for certain actions under amendments to the foreign agents registration act, although the amendments were passed after those acts Stone’s opinion, however, also called attention to conduct of the prosecuting attorney — William Power Maloney, special assistant to the attorney general—which “we think prejudiced petitioner's , (Vie

Precious

Points Is Wives' Dilemma

By ROSEMARY REDDING

buy?

That is the question; Whether ’tis better To bear the family plaints

wealth of points

And by buying end them . , .

perchance to lose? ub.

And if Hamlet figured he had a

market on soliloquies, or had a real problem, he had another think

She's soliloquizing all over the place today.

she’s probably just debating. “To better to give up those little blue stamps or by juggling a menu save them.” 3 Frankly, she can’t make up her mind. Or so, the grocers who make up her audience believe. Not that the grocery clerks are being ' critical, mind you, but a

“+l cross-section of local stores this

morning reveals that most women seem still fo be in the soliquizing stage. At least, thev haven't made up their minds enough to be buying canned and processed food items normally. The majority of local stores checked report little or no calls for canned goods. Stocked up? Some say housewives may be. Others say they feel the housewives are “uncertain” about how to go about spending those precious points in their war ration book 2. Those that have had the courage to shop seem to he shopping in one of two ways: A can at a time or “shooting the works.” One shopper at a North side store, jeame in, collected quite a few cans, laid two ration books on the counter and asked if the entire March quota would cover her purchases. She had used 72 of the 96 points for her husband and herself. But she took the groceries. “I can’t understand it all, any(Continued on Page Two)

F. D. R. NOMINATES DR. SPARKS WASHINGTON, March 1 (U. P.). —President Roosevelt today nominated President Frank H. Sparks, Wabash college, Crawfordsville, Ind., to be director of the war man-

reck’s Hight fo a fair

power. commission's bureau of man-

” 8 t J

JURY PROBER OF CONTRACTS HAS CONTRACT

Foreman of Grand Jury Awarded- $1985 Job to

Repair Jail Residence.

By NOBLE REED

The foreman of the county grand jury, which has been investigating all county contracts for a month, was awarded a county contract him self on Feb. 15, The Indianapolis Times learned today. The foreman, Charles Helfenberger, 3168 N. Capitol ave. a contrac-

to repair the jail residence for Sheriff Otto Petit. Awarding of the contract came in the midst of the grand jury’s investigation into contracts at Sunnyside Sanatorium, Julietta Infirmary and scores of others,

Readvertised for Bids

Three bids for the jail improvements, including one by Mr. Helbenberger, were thrown out by the commissioners, and readvertised. Mr. Helfenberger then was the sole bidder and was awarded the contract. The contract was signed by Mr. Helfenberger alone, but on the commissioners’ record on bidders, the

oT figured i job an ny onl

Charles, a farmer is doing the work,” Mr. Helfenberger explained this morning at the doors of the grand jury rooms. Charles Jr. lives on his father’s farm at Camby. Commissioners’ records show three

bids were received for the work on

Jan. 29. ; They were from Lawrence J. Street, $1838; Gordon X. Vrell, $1863, and Charles Helfenberger, $1975.

the commissioners because they were “incomplete and indefinite,” according to the records.

Wallpapering Included

Then the commisisoners advertised for new bids. On Feb. 15, only one bid was received, and that was Mr. Helfenberger's, who was awarded the contract. The renovating at the jail residence includes wallpapering and repairing the walls.

JAP DEFEAT ‘SOON’ IS HELD POSSIBLE

Chennault Says It Could

Be Done This Year.

WITH THE AMERICAN AIR FORCES IN CHINA, Feb. 28 (Delayed)—U. P.).—Brig. Gen. Claire L. Chennault said today the allies can defeat Japan in a comparatively short time when they turn their whole effort into the Pacific, and “there is an outside chance the job can be finished this year.” ‘The commander of the United States air forces in China emphasized his conviction that victory in the Pacific is nearing, but said it depended on “how soon the united nations put the necessary stuff into China.” Looking to the possibility of eliminating Japan in 1943 if an all out effort is made, the blunt-spoken and weatherbeaten Chennault said: “I think there are some men in a (Continued on Page Two)

Ernie Pyle

By ERNIE PYLE THE TUNISIAN FRONT, March 1 (by wireless).—This and the next few columns will be an attempt to describe what a tank battle looks like. Words will be poor instruments for it. Neither can isolated cam-

Probably only Hollywood with its

1 machinery of many dimensions .is

capable of transferring to your senses a. clear impression of a tank battle. The fight in question was the American counter-attack on the Ss day of the battle at: Sidi

RLI0n here,

rH

tor, was given a contract for $1985; i =

tis an a a8 eine, Awarded |

These bids were thrown out by

era shots tell you the story. -

8 =» =»

Tragedy

Hit-Run Death Climax To Long Series of

Troubles.

THE DEATH OF James G. Etter, 34, Pennsylvania railroad fireman, under the wheels of a hit-run driver’s car yesterday was a tragedy climaxing more than a month of trouble for his family. His crushed body was found in the street at S. Gale and Prospect sts. early yesterday. A few bits of broken headlight glass comprised the only clue to the identity of the killer. No witnesses to the accident could be found by police. Trouble in the Etter family started last Jan. 17. when their home at 1346 Mr. Etter Olive st. caught fire while their 6-year-old daugh‘ter, Patricia Ann Etter, was critically ill with pneumonia. ” 2 2 MRS. ETTER wrapped the child in blankets and took her to a front room and while returning to a bedroom to get her other child, 4-year-old Marcia Lee, the (Continued on Page Two)

CLAIM LEE CITED

MEMORY LAPSE

2 Policemen an Tell of Quizzing Driver Soon After Crash.

' By HELEN RUEGAMER Two police officers, called to the scene of the tragic accident in front of Ayres last July, told the criminal court jury this morning that John W. Lee, driver of the death car, had stated that he had no recol-

‘| lections ‘after he drove his car on

to Washington st. from Kentucky ave. The witnesses, William L, Cravens, a former police officer now employed at Allison's, and Sergt. Fred Hague of the police emergency squad, said they took Lee to City hospital for examination after the accident. They then testified that Lee asked them several times what

had happened. :

A third witness, Max Cohen, ownér of a grocery at 919 N. Delaware st., described the collapse of Lee in his store the afternoon of (Continued on Page Two)

U.S. Parley to Air

Post-War Issues

WASHINGTON, March 1 (U. P.).—Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles said today that all of the united nations would be asked to send representatives to a meeting on post-war problems which is planned for the near future. Welles told a press conference the meeting would be held in the’ United States but that he preferred not at this time to set any particular date for it. President Roosevelt last week said the conference would be on post-war food problems. Welles, however, indicated to a press conference today that it would have a much broader scope and would. inelude economic and other subjects.

of Indianapolis

It was the biggest tank battle fought so far in this part of the world. On that morning I had a talk with the commanding generel some 10 miles behind the front lines before starting for the ba'tle scene. . He took me into his tent and showed me what the battle plan

was for the day. He picked out a point close to the expected battle area and said that would be a good place for me to watch from." The only danger, he said, would encircled :

| Sardinia,

{increasingly difficult.

8 8 =

GERMAN NORTH TUNISIAN JABS ALL REPULSED

‘Magnificent’ Air Attacks Carried Out, Including Cagliari Raid.

By VIRGIL PINKLEY United Press Staff Correspondent

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, NORTH AFRICA, March 1.—Allied forces on the northern front have checked all enemy thrusts with the aid of a dawn-to-ausk air attack, and in the southern sector of Tunisia there were indicaticns that the town of Feriana had been occupied by Anglo-American troops. The allied aerial attack was: described by officers here as ‘“‘magnificent’—a term seldom used by conservative military men. Edward W. Beattie, United Press correspondent with the British first army, said that “never before had the troops had such air support as they are receiving today.” Besides the attacks on vehicles, troops, roads, railways and docks in Tunisia, one of the heaviest attacks of the war was made on Cagliari, an axis - reinforcement base. Flying fortresses. caused heavy damage among ships, docks, warehouses and in the railroad yards there.

yr Still ‘Retreat in shat

Fighting. yesterday in the Beja area—chief scene of the German thrusts in their attempt to throw the allies off balance—died down in size yesterday, but the enemy spent most of the day making jabs at our lines. In the southern sector the Germans continued to retire toward Gafsa. United Press Correspondent Phil Ault, writing from the front, indicated that the allies had occupied Feriana and Thelpte. He told of stepping cautiously to avoid hundreds of mines and booby traps which the axis forces had planted before evacuating Thelpte and Feriana.

Battle Lasts All Day

An allied headquarters communique reported that British Eighth army patrols were in contact with the enemy, and it was indicated that Gen. Soir Bernard L, Montgomery still was feeling out axis positions before starting. his push northward. The allied communique reported British eighth army patrols in contact with the enemy. (Stockholm dispatches said Berlin believes a

full-scale attack on the Mareth line

is imminent.) The enemy suffered heavily in the northern sector, both in tanks and men, the communique said. The heaviest fighting was northeast of Beja where, the communique said, “the attacks on our positions continued all day, the enemy throwing in tanks and infantry in an effort to pierce our positions.”

Blast Communication Lines

The great allied smash through the air yesterday was primarily designed to wreck Marshal Erwin Rommel's communication lines. Twelve allied aircraft are missing from all operations and seven enemy

bombers were shot down.

It is the opinion here that Rommel’s supply problem is becoming In addition to the air attacks, allied naval forces are cutting into axis shipping in the Mediterranean. Somé axis ships still get through, but the flow of reinforcements is being severely

reduced.

Start of Tunisian Tank Battle Reminds

500-Mile Race

“But it won't,’ he said, “for we

_ are going to kick hell out of them

today and we've got the stuff to do it with.” Unforfunately, we didn’t kick hell out of them. In fact the boot was on the other foot. ‘1 spent the forenoon in the new-

iy picked, badly shattered forward command post. All morning I

tried to get ‘on up where the :

tanks were but there was no transportation left around the post and there communications were

ie on off at noontime.

1000 TONS OF BOMBS RAIN ON ST. NAZAIRE SUB BAS

MAY IN

Month of LONDON, March 1 (U.

impossible.

tion raid.

the bay of Biscay.

reached St. Nazaire.

30-Minute ‘Saturation’ Pens and Docks as Climax to Biggest

Picking up where the day bombers left off, the royal air, force smashed Nazi targets during the night with a heavy’ raid on the submarine lair at St. Nazaire and lighter thrusts at western Germany. The raiders dropped 1000 tons of bombs at St. Nazaire in a 30-minute “thunderbolt” satura--

Nazi Defenses Are Swamped A British announcement said the weigl fu appeared to swamp the enemy defenses. fighters were seen: _e Five bombers were reported missing from the raids. + Every type of bomb in the British arsenal, ranging from. 8000-pound super-block-busters to two-pound incendiaries, was dumped on the docks, submarine pens and other installations at St. Nazaire, which lies at the northwestern end of

anes Pee SAL BX A

100-HOUR RAIDS

DICAT

INVASION NEA

Blitz Given to U-Boat i

Air War. P.).—The greatest allied air

offensive ever directed against Europe roared past the 100hour mark today with no sign of ending. ’ It was indicated, however, that the virtually continuous: attacks by American and British planes were only a fore-: taste of what the Germans will get in the coming months, | The attack was expected to continue with ever-increasing . 4 weight, interrupted only when bad weather makes operations, :

[the assa w German

The four-motored bombers encountered heavy clouds as they swept across the English southeast coast and roared : over north France, but the sky had Cleared by the time they. A

Heaviest Month of Raiding

fortresses and Liberators.

wound up the heaviest month of the war.

GERMAN ATTACKS IN RUSSIA GAIN. FORGE

Moscow Hints Soviet Troops May Have Lost Ground.

By UNITED PRESS

The Russians appeared today to be confronted with a major Nazi counter-attack in the Donets region, which had halted the Soviet advance there and possibly forced the Red army back at some points. Perhaps significantly, the Soviet midnight communique for the first time in recent weeks referred to fighting in the “area” of Kramatorsk, 100 miles southeast of Kharkov, rather than “southwest” of that important railway city as heretofore. The Germans had claimed the capture “by storm,” not only of Kramatorsk but also of Lozovaya, 50 miles northwest. The Germans were throwing fresh troops into action on that front as fast as they arrived and buttressing their attacks with scores of tanks. Soviet military authorities said the spring thaw had now extended north of Orel, so that the whole southern front was a bog. The Russian noon communique claimed the capture of a chain of villages west of Kharkov. Moscow was silent concerning the northern front, but continued reports from Berlin and Stockholm indicated the Red army may be engaged in a

major effort in that region.

A German move to mobilize the nationals of the occupied Baltic states was seen as possible confirmation of other indications that the Nazis are preparing for a quick getaway from the Baltics if their position there becomes untenable.

HOUELY TEMPERATURES

The communique described the attack as “very pesvy i 1 It probably was the heaviest of 44 R. A. F. raids on the port, | which also has been raided in daylight by American fying |

Last night’s attacks carried the around-the-clock allied ; aerial offensive against Europe into the fourth night and )

of allied raids since the star t,

British and American planes based in Britain made 43 attacks on Germany and occupied territory during Febru-

ary at a total cost of 176 air¥ * craft, of which 20 belonged to the 8th U. S. air force.

Commando Raids Next? ; Simultaneously with the steppedup aerial offensive came predictions = that large-scale commando raids on. = the German-occupied Atlantic coast are imminent as another step im 4] J preparing for an all-out invasions Allied observers cautioned, how=ever, that the softening-up process probably would take weeks and per= haps months rather than days to complete. Last night's attack completed the heaviest month of allied raids since the start of the war. The exact tonnage of bombs dropped was not’ disclosed, but it was believed in excess of the 4000-ton monthly average maintained last year, ; However, unofficial sources esti= mated that the tonnage for the one (Continued on Page Two)

On the War Fronts). |

(March 1, 1943)

AIR WAR-—Allied round-the-c offensive goes into fourth day a February sets record for bardment. Latest raid sees 1( tons of bombs dropped on Nazaire. :

TUNISIA—British repulse all mel attacks in northern Tunisia? Anglo-American forces in cent a Tunisia continue advance.: ari, Rommel’s reinforcement, I bombed heavily.

RUSSIA—German counter-att

increase in power, but . troops make small gains,

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC — M thur communique reports . nese reinforcing arc of north of Australia, either fensive or offensive ve moves.

(War Moves Today, Page Nir ; U. S, Communique, Page

HAVE JUST COMPLETED Charley's Res! at,