Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 19 March 1943 — Page 1

FORECAST: Showers this afternoon and early tonight with higher temp eratures followed by colder late tonight and tomorrow forenoon.

JL SCRIPPS ~ HOWARD §

VOLUME 34—NUMBER 7

FRIDAY, MARCH

°

19, 1943

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

F D. R OPPOSES u

~ » »

NELSON PLANS

T0 MAKE NORE CIVILIAN 600DS|

Ban on Manufacture of 8

Refrigerators, Other items May End.

WASHINGTON, Marck ' 13 P.) —War Production Board Chair: man Donald M. Nelson today revealed plans to resume production of many now outlawed consumer products, such as refrigerators, as part of the government's effort to maintain a civilian economy on a “sound but lean” footing. Nelson said at a press conference - that a study of civilian needs is being made constantly because “it is Just as important that the home

WASHINGTON, March 19 (U. P.) —War Production Chief Donald M. Nelson disclosed at a press conference today that the country is suffering a severe shortage of glycerine, fats and oils. He urged housewives more than ever to support the government's kitchen fat salvage campaign and announced that, effective April 1, glycerine will be eliminated from cigarets, cosmetics and other home front products. ; Nelson said 90 per cent of all "glycerine is going into munitions. but that more is needed. Only three out of every 10 housewives, he said, are turning in waste fats,

¥

Ulf

F. C. Ball Dies

Frank C. Ball

GIFTS TOTALED OVER MILLION

Muncie Industrialist Was 85; President of Glass Jar Firm. ~ MUNCIE, Ind, March 19 (U. P..

—Frank Clayton Ball, 85, multimillionaire industrialist and philan-

{ thropist, died in his home early

today after an illness of several weeks. He was president of Ball Brothers Co., largest manufacturer of glass ‘ja¥s in the world; which was started at Buffals, ‘N.Y. in 1857 as a seven-acre development with an annual business of about $200,000. Under the management of Ball and ‘his “brothers, the firm was

.ftransferred to Muncie and it ex-

front be sound—though lean—as it is for the war front to be in good shape. ” He confirmed reports that a reorganization of WPB's office of civiljan supply is imminent. There is need, he said, for a strong federal agency to represent civilians in making claims on available supplies of critical materials.

Details Are Meager

Nelson ‘denied reports however that Emil Schram, head of the New York stock exchange, was under consideration to head up the reorganized: agency. : He gave few details on how pro- - duction of civilian goods would be increased. The fact that many plants heretofore manufacturing household products have ‘been converted to war production and the necessity of reconverting them to civilian manufacture, would constitute considerable of a problem, he said. He added, however, that small business would be called into the picture. WPB Executive Vice Chairman ‘V“Charles E. Wilson, who participated In the press conference, said that his far-reaching program for scheduling of valves, heat exchanges and

+ other component parts of war wea-

pons. ‘is proceeding satisfactorily and that all demands of the armed services for 1943 will be met “on time.” : Nelson said. airplane manufacturers generally are doing: “a good job” in the production effort. He admitted that the Curtiss-Wright plant at Columbus, O. had encountered difficulties at the outset * whieh had retarded production. But WPB engineers, he added, have taken steps to correct the difficulties and “we are looking for better production soon from that plant.” Nelson. said the WPB will give organized labor a greater voice in determination of important production policies. He said labor advisory committeees such as have been created in the WPB steel division will be set up in other WPB divisions. WPB also. he said, is seeking to get up. a labor-management council at the top level of the agency to confer constantly with him and Wilson on important policy moves.

“TIMES FEATURES “ON INSIDE PAGES

Inside Indpls. 19 Jane Jordan.. 23 Kidney .......21 Men in Service 7 Millett ees 20 29| Movies ...... 16 20| Obituaries ... 15 Pegler ....... 20 Pyle essessnse 19 Mrs. Roosevelt 18

Amusements . 16 ®eevessas 24 Books Seton 20 Clapper ..... 19 Comics ossnes 2 Crossword o.. {Xditorials sess ERA 2 ¥ Fashions ..22;23 Mrs, Ferguson 22 Financial .... 14 Forum ....... 20|Saboiage ..., 19 Freckles ..... 25|Side Glances. 20 6 Society ....22,23 19 Sports vens.24,25 Deaths

panded to shout 70 acres of buildihgs with an annual business estimated at $10,000,000.

Brother Survives Frank Ball was one of eight children of Lucius Stiles and Maria Polly Bingham Ball and the fourth son of the couple. Of his brothers, only George A. Bell, vice president of his company, survives, Frank Ball was born in Greenburg, Trumbull county, Ohio, on Nov. 24, 1857. Frank and Edmund took their three brothers, Lucius, William and George into their business and moved their plant to Muncie, where natural gas provided a cheap fuel. ‘Ball Brothers Co. was organized in 1900 and, under Frank's direction, grew rapidly. Mr. Ball and his brothers engaged in many civic and philanthropic activities. They contributed more than $1,000,000 to public institutions, the most notable being the purchase and gift to the state the old Muncie State normal school, now Ball State Teachers college. Rites Not Arranged

More than a dozen buildings in Muncie were made possible by gifts of the family, including the Y.~M. C. A, Y. W. C. A. and the Muncie City hospital. : Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth Brady Ball; a son, Maj. E. Arthur Ball, now serving with the army in North Africa, and three daughters, Mrs. Alvin M., Owsley, wife of the former national commander of the American Legion; Mrs. Fred J. Petty, and Mrs. Alexander M. Bracken, all of Muncie.

TIME IN NEGOTIATION

Operators: Wish to ‘Allay Public Fear of Strike.

NEW YORK, March 19 (U.P.).— A proposal by operators of soft coal mines in the northern Appalachian region, to continue the present contract in order to have more time to work out a new wage agreement was rejected today by representatives of the United Mine Workers union. The proposal by the operators was made, Charles O'Neill, spokesman, said, to “allay public fears” of a coal strike on April 1 when the present contract expires and also to “get the conference on a basis where the disputed claims can be analyzed.” Mr. O'Neill said that the operators do mot believe that there is|R sufficient time: remaining now to consider all of the miners’ nine proposals, including a $2-a-day pay increase. Thomas Kennedy, secretary of the U. M. W,, said that the union believes that there is “ample time to negotiate a contract if both sides apply op emasives diligently. po He

“hinder

CLAIM CAPONE

MINERS SPURN MORE

MOB MULCTED FILM INDUSTRY

Eight of Old Gang Indicted By U. S.; Extortion of Millions Charged.

NEW YORK, March 19 (U. P.)— The Al Capone syndicate, which operated much more quietly after its leader went to prison in 1932, advanced from the beer and prostitution rackets to the extortion of millions from the movies and labor, it was charged today when eight of its mobsters and a union official were indicted for racketeering.

Two indictments, the fruit of three years’ investigation, charged a conspiracy which took more than $2,500,000 from the motion picture industry and the International Alliance of - Theatrical Stage Employees (A. F. of L.), of which the Capone syndicate gained control at a Louisville, Ky., convention in 1934. It named such familiar figures of the prohibition racket .days as Frank (The Enforcer) Nitti, first cousin of Capone and heir to his empire, Louis (Little New York) Campagna, onetime bodyguard. of the scarfaced rackets chief, and Frank (The Immune) Maritote, who married into the CapoRle family.

Name Ex-Bodyguard

There were others of as shady a reputation named—Paul de Lucia; alias Paul Ricca, who was questioned If the murder of Jake Lingle, Chicago reporter; and Phil d’Andrea, once a Capone bodyguard who became head of the Italo-American National Union and was publisher | of the Chicago Italian language newspaper, L’Italia. Others were Ralph Pierce, Capone lieutenant of the palmy days, when the mob ruled Chicago, and Charles (Cherry Nose) Gioe, always a likely suspect when police were investigating a “spot” murder. Still another was John Rosselli, former husband of movie actress June Lang, who was assigned to control of the gang’s West) coast business after it entered the movie racket. Of the nine indicted, onl appeared to have no direct /membership in the Capone mob.“He was Louis Kaufman, business agent of the Newark local of the I. A T. S. E. He was indicted under the anti-racketeering law. The others were charged not only with racketeering extortion, but also with conspiracy and mail fraud. The mail fraud indictment was believed the first time that law has been applied to racketeers.

Browne, Bioff in Prison

The indictments arose from investigations in the trials of Joseph M. Schenck, former chairman of the board of 20th Century-Fox Film Corp., convicted of income tax fraud and perjury, and William Bioff, convicted panderer and West coast representative of the I. A. T. S. E. and George E. Browne, I. A. T. S. E. president. Browne and Bioff are serving prison terms on charges of extorting more than $1,000,000 from the motion picture industry. Browne and Bioff appeared, how ever, to have been mere catspaws, though well} paid, of : the Capone mob. Schenck, his film company, and three other film companies— Loew’s, Paramount and Warner Brothers—were the principal vic-

one

On the War Fronts

(March 19, 1943)

TUNISIA—American troops capture El Guettar, Tunisian road junction, in thrust to choke off German communications at Gabes.

RUSSIA—Red army presses on toward Smolensk and yields some ground to massed German armored forces southeast of Kharkov in ome ‘of the heaviest battles since Stalingrad battle,

AIR WAR—American Flying Fortresses and Liberators make one of their most successful and possibly heaviest raids on Germany, blasting Vegesack U-boat yards near Bremen.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC—Allied planes pound Madang, Japanese base in northeast New Guinea,

BURMA-—Fighting breaks out on Mayu peninsula in western Burma; America bombers concentrate on bridges.

(U. S. Communiques and War Moves Today, Page 15)

YANK RAID SETS SUB BASE AFIRE

Vegesack, Near Bremen, Is Target of Biggest U. S. Attack So Far.

LONDON, March 19 (U. P)~— The largest American: bomber force yet sent against a European target wrought “tremendous damage” in the Untersee submarine building

and repair yard at Vegesack near

Bremen, northwest Germany, yesterday, a spokesman for the eighth U. S. air force announced today. . The daylight raid was described as the most successful of the war by the eighth air force. He said a “great weight” of bombs was dropped, and other ' authoritative

BULLETIN

CAIRO, March 19 (U. P.).— American . Liberator bombers operating from African bases attacked the harbor of Naplés by daylight yesterday and again last night, a communique of the ninth United States army air force revealed today.

sources disclosed that these included hundreds of 1000-pound demolition missiles. The spokesman said the raid was carried out in good weather and bombs were seen to blast the Uboat yards and demolish the power station. At least five huge fires were started. “Reconnaissance photographs disclosed perfect bombing,” he said. Returning crews were enthusiastic over a “job well done.” The raid was the heaviest yet carried out by the 8th air force. Fifty to 75 German fighters attacked the Flying Fortresses and Liberators simultaneously during running fights that lasted up to 105 minutes, but only two bombers were lost. An American communique said “many” enemy fighters were destroyed. The raid broke a 48-hour lull in

(Continued on Page Four)

HOURLY TEMPERATURES 6a m ...47 10a. m, ... 56 7am ,.. 47 lla m ...356 ga m ... 50 12 (noon) . 54

tims.

9a. m, ... 53 1pm...

FDR Indorses Post-War

Resolution of 4 Senators

WASHINGTON, March 19 (U. P.)—The broad principles of the resolution sponsored by four senators to set up a united nations post-war planning organization were indorsed today by President Roosevelt. The president said he was not cool to the senate resolution, as was believed after his last press conference in which he spoke of post-war planning only in general terms. He explained that the resolution, which also would set up un international police force after the war, was purely a senate matter and that it was within the rights cf the senate to express its opinions. Then Mr. Roosevelt explained that he could not discuss the 1 guage, but he approved of the general objective looking toward peace. He said it would be helpful to

have the world know that the| United States is Seay and willing}

W help matr

ference his own post-war committee headed by Secretary of State Cordell Hull and Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles was discussing the possibility of calling three or four other united nations conferences on economic and financial subjects, in addition to the two food conferences now tentatively sched« uled for some time this spring. He ‘emphasized that the two food conferences were entirély different and should not be confused. One conference will deal with long-range world-wide food plans, going into better production and better distribution. The other food conference will concern immediate post-war

food relief problems.

All of the united nations will be represented, not just the big. four,

{the president said..’

Mr. Roosevelt made it plain that

ies m——————

3 VSO 0

AMERICANS WE §

IN FRONT LINES

Von Arnim Jabs at British In. North; Weather Hampers 8th Army.

(Eyewitness Story on Capture of (Gafsa, Page 30; Map, Page 12) . a By VIRGIL PINKLEY United Press Staff Correspondent ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, North Africa, March 19.—American forces, pushing forward in two columns In an attempt to reach the coast and trap thousands of enemy troops, have occupied the town of El Guettar, 12 miles from'the Gabes bottleneck in south-central Tunisia. The advance was made through rain and mud, but the bad weather did not deter the Americans from attempting to exploit their occupation of the axis base of Gafsa. One U. S. column moved northeast along the Sfax railroad toward Sened station; the other, advancing southeastward, was on the road that leads to Gabes, where there is only a 12-mile passage between Chott Djerid (salt lake) and the sea. It was officially announced that three American divisions—the 1st and 34th infantry and the 1st

“larmored—are fighting on the Tun-

isian front. 3 Miles Southwest of Tamera

In the northern sector Col. Gen. Jurgen von Arnim, jabbing at the British first army’s lines in an ate tempt to keep it off balance, scored an advance in the Sed Jenane sector and forced the allies to withdraw from Tamera. The new allies lines now is set up three miles southwest of Tamera. The. conquest of El Guetfar was a bloodless victory for the Americans. Axis forces, still retreating toward the town, had evacuated the town even before U. S. advanced patrols could reach it. El Guettar is 14 miles southeast of Gafsa, so, including the 30-mile advance which U. S. troops made to capture Gafsa, the Americans now have made a {otal gain of 44 miles in two days.

Planes Continue Attacks

Bad weather prevailed over most of the Tunisian front, but planes from Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery’s western desert air force continued their attacks on the Ma‘reth line. Patrol activity continued, an allied headquarters communique said; and the eighth army in the last 24 hours has made “slight local adjustments along the front with little interference by the enemy.”

It was apparent now that as Rommel’s position in south and central Tunisia became more critical he was attempting to divert the allies from their impending offensive by thrusting at their northern lines. The tactics on both sides resembled a checker game with the adversaries making sudden moves in an attempt to uncover a weak spot in the enemy’s positions.

AWAIT ‘CLUB’ FOR POTATO SALE GURB

OPA to Plug Loophole Price Ceiling. Dr. Gerald E. Warren, price

control officer for the Indiana OPA, today awaited a formal order from

Washington which may be used as|

a “club” to end the black market in seed potatoes. Although press reports from Washington said yesterday that Price Administrator Prentiss M. Brown had moved to prohibit sale of white seed potatoes unless sellers establish that they are to be used for planting purposes; Dr. Warren Said he had not yet. received the order. According to the unofficial Wash-

as yet how the OPA could e establishment of the ola sutured to which potatoes are to but. said the order probably w or its way and should clarify the forcement: proble: - Meanwhile, ‘market contin to be flooded

NN | men,

AK

5

Gen. H. H. Arnold

Roosevelt Nominates Chief Of Air Force for 4th Star

WASHINGTON, March 19 (U.P.).—President Roosevelt today nominated Lieut. Gen. H. H Arnold, commander of the army air foress, for temporary designation a: a full general. ! Cen. Arnold will be the fourth four-star general on active command duty. The others are Gen. George C. Marshall, army. chief of staff; Gen.

Africa, and Gen. Douglas MacArthur;' ‘commiander-in-chi- +f of united’ nations forces in the Southwest Pacific. In 4 on, Gen. Malin Craig, former chief of staff, vas recalléd from retirement to serve as head of the war Separtment 3 personnel seleciion board.

Gen. Arnold, 56, is Kiown to, fellow generals and’ priva’es alike as “Hay” because he is always cheering them on with a grin. He is a native.of Gladwyn. Pa.

He entered the army as an infantry lieutenant in 1907 after graduating from West Point, but in 1911 ‘he learned to dy with: the

- {Dwight W. Eisenhower, commander-in-chief of allied forces in North

— Tirothers, and began devoting all his time and attention to the then-infant field of aeronautics. He transferred i 1916 3 the aviahas been in that séction and its successors ever since. Always an exponent .of. air power, ‘Arnold generally is credited with being responsible to a great degree to building up the army air forces to its present strength. He became chief of the air corps in September, 1938, and was named commander of the air forces in March, 1942, when the army was reorganized into. ‘ground, air ‘and service forces.

House Committee OK's Bill To Delay Draft of Fathers

WASHINGTOY,

March 19 (U.P.).—The house. Files éommittde. de-

spite war department opposition, today approved the Kilday bill to grant

deferment priorities to fathers: and wida rather than local hoard bases.

to establish draft quotas. on. state-

Chairman Adolph Sabath (D. Ill.) said only one member of the rules committee voted azainit the measure, despite the opposition expressed

in a lengthy letter from War Secretery Stimson. The committee appro/al means the bill soon will be given a place on the house calendar. Fep.. Paul Kilday, (D. Tex) sponsor of the measure, told the rules group “the war department’s objzctions reflect only a refusal to read and consider the. bi

He said that one of {3timson’s ob= jeciions was to langusige suggested by a war department spokesman. Stimson had declared the measure would be impossible to administer and would cause a “complete breakdown” in the selective service system. The bjil would require the drafting, in/ each "state, of available single /men and childless married fers fathers aie called. It d

prevent the ‘induction of ‘married men with children on a permanent basis. ; Under this construction, Stimson said no selective service board would be able to ascertain “at any given time” when every childless registrant in the state had been inducted. “Shifts of population, changes of individual circumstances, and other similar factors make such a determination - impossible,” - the letter said. . Stimson suggested that if the Kilday bill’ could be interpreted as merely establishing a uniform procedure for the states’ under which unmarried and childless registrants could be called. before married men “when possible,” the war department would have no objection.

not, according to Kilday,

Germans Claim Belgorad;

Russ Gain Slowly i in North|

By UNITED PRESS

Russian forces continued their gains toward Smolensk and Staraya| Russa today, but the German high command claimed the captive of}

Belgorad, 35 miles nor:h of Kharkov. °

Chief Russian advantage was the capture of Todethibovd, 15 miles

President Hopes to Avi _Regimentation as Long As Possible.

WASHINGTON, March 19 (U. P.).—President Roose velt told a press conferene today he wanted to avoi compulsory national labor service just as long as he pos= sibly could.

Mindful that War Secretary Henry L. Stimson and Undersecre= tary Robert P. Patterson had

- |dorsed legislation which would em-

power the government to draft men and women for war work, Mr. Roosevelt said there was no division in the government on the question; that it was purely a question of when. Capt. Edward V. Rickenbacker’ meantime charged that many young Americans are holding down in war industry “to evade the draft. He made the charge at a hearing of the senate military affairs coms: mittee on the Austin-Wadsworth national service bill—the bill which the war department has indorsed.

Rick Urges Incentive Plan

Asserting that 5,500,000 men could be released from their present Jobs in war industry by adoption of the incentive plan—which he defined as “basically piece work”’—Mr, Rick backer said the nation was failifes to get maximum production out: -

d|its men and women workers,

“Many young men between: 18 38 years of age, without dependent: are in war industry to evade draft,” he said. “I know this is serious accusation, but I stand my statement.” Mr. Roosevelt told his press ef ference he wanted to avoid tional service as long as because it would create a lot m machinery, make things more co plicated in general and make for increased regimentation.

Hasn’t Read Bill

Now, of course, he said, a war cannot be won without some regis mentation, but Le reiterated his hope that the nation would not have to come to national labor serv. ice. But he added that maybe the country later might have to come to some form of national service. Mr. Rickenbacker before the sen= ate committee said he had not read the Austin-Wadswo bill and therefore preferred discuss the manpower problem generally rather than in terms of national service legislation. Adoption of the incentive system, Mr. Rickenbacker said, would re= lease one-third of the men now ems ployed in war plants—>5,500,000—for work on farms, service in the armed forces, or jobs in ‘new indus plants. He urged that young farm work: ers, who have succumbed to fi “attraction of the city” to take plant jobs, be “given an oppo to go back to the farm.” = “Otherwise,” he said, “they § go into the army prior So babies of 17 and 18 into u ‘In that event, Mr: R said, iidie-agel men and

viCl

west of Vyazma and 32 miles northeast of Smolensk on the Vyazma-| e Sriolensk railway, bu the Russian communique also r of §

for Marshal Semyon Timo0's ‘drive south o! Lake ake Timer did

seed stocks which, for lack of assy

smi ttn

(ERNIE PYL