Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 20 April 1943 — Page 11

dresses

re TONISTA American’ “lent hospitals in the bats tle area seem to be favorite hangouts for correspondents. ‘The presence of American nurses is alleged to { ave nothing whatever to do with it. At one hospital three correspondents just moved : in and made it their headquarters for a couple of weeks. They'd roam the country in their jeeps “during the day, then return to the hospital at night just as though it were a hotel. There are two favorite hospitals where I drop in now and then for a meal or a night. One is an evacuation hospital—the same one

where the other boys stay—which °

is always kept some 80 miles or .more back of the fighting. This is the one staffed largely from Roosevelt hospital in New York. The other is a 's mobile surgical hospital, which is usually only about &n hour’s drive back of the fighting. This is the hospital that landed at Arzew on the day of the ‘North African occupation, and whose nurses were the irs ashore in North Africa.

Live Like Men at the Front

% 3 ° “THIS GANG is ‘kept pretty much on, the move. Eo don’t dare be too close to the lines, and yet they can’t be very far away. .. There are nearly 60 of them, and theyre living Aust like the soldiers at the: front. They have run ‘out of nearly everything feminine. They wear heavy ue shoes, and even men’s G. I. underwear. Most of ‘ the time they wear army coveralls instead of

. I asked them what to put in the column tha they'd like sent from home, and here is what they want—cleansing creams and tissues, fountain pens, ' shampoos and underwear. That's all they. ask. They "don’t want slips, for they don’t wear them. ; These girls can really take it. They eat out of

By | Ernie Pyle

mess kits when they're on the: move. ‘They do their own washing. They stand regular duty hours all the time, and in emergencies they work Without thought of the hours. During battles they are swamped. Then hetween battles they have little to do, for a fyont-line hospital must always be kept pretty free of patients to make room for a sudden influx. They lead a miserably blank social life. Occasionally an officer will take them for a jeep ride, but usually theyre not even permitted to walk up and down the road. They just work, and sleep, and sit, and write letters. War is no fun for them.

Intend to See It Through

THEY MAKE $186 a month, and pay $21 of it for mess. There's nothing to buy over here, so nearly all of them send money home. : Like the soldiers, they have. learned what a valuable implement the steel helmet is. They use it as a foot bath, as a wastebasket, as a dirty-clothes hamper, to carry water in, as a cooking utensil, as a chair, as a candle-holder, as a rain-hat. Being nurses and accustomed to physical misdry, they have not been shocked or upset by the badly wounded men they care for. The thing that has impressed them most is the way the wounded men act. They say they've worked with wounded men lying knee-deep outside the operating rooms, and never does one whimper or complain. They say it’s remarkable. The girls sleep on cots, under army blankets. Very few have sleeping bags. They use outdoor toilets. ' At one place they've rigged up canvas walls for taking sun baths. Like the soldiers, they think and talk constantly of home, ‘and would like to be home. Yet it's just as Amy Nichols of Blythe, Ga. says—she wouldn’t go home if they told her she could. All the others feel the same way, practically 100 per cent. They're terrifically proud of having been the first nurses to land in Africa, and of being continually the: closest ones to the fighting lines, and they intend to stay.

a Inside Indianapolis By Lowell Nussbaum

"DUDLEY SMITH is “in bad” in his own home. Dudley, who happens to have some spare time on his hands now that his job in Washington folded under him, noticed his 9-year-old son, Steve, the other day and decided he didn’t like the way Steve had been getting his hair cut. The lad’s hair is wiry, and in spots was standing up straight like a Coman-

che’s. So Dud took Steve out in the *

yard and tried his hand as a barber. The results were disappointing. Mrs. Smith was horrified. But Steve was delighted. “Now the fellows can’t pull it when I get in fights,” exuilted Steve. . . . One of our agents reports seeing two busy physicians, Dr. Herman Gick and Pr, John Davis, take time to stop at Eastern ave. and New York a: slid scrape up some broken glass from the pavement. They But it in a paper sack they found and took ‘it along with them. , oo The Audubon cafe in Irvington has’ started having a ‘Victory day” once a week. On that day, the cafe serves no food requiring - ration points. ‘And the patrons seem to like it, too.

x Just Ano her Hat:

ROBERT GALLAGHER, president of the Public _, Service Co. if. Indiana, bought a fancy new Stetson " hat—it cost hin $20—the o r day. ‘He was very proud of it. The day he wore it, he checked it while at © lunch. When he went to get it, he saw the check girl about to give|it to another fellow. The girl, catching the mistake, gave the other fellow his own hat—a most disreputable one—and then apologized to Mr. " Gallagher by saying “the hats looked so much alike.” e , .. Mrs. Betty Harlan and son Danny have gone to the west t to be with her husband, Lt. (j.g.) Harry Harlan, . . . Seen on Illinois st. near Market last Friday: A sailor walking along with a folded umbrella beneath his . First time we'd ever heard of a sailor carrying a bumbershoot. . . . Monument circle was pretty well packed with soldiers and their gals ' Sunday afternoon, Looked like a regular parade grounds. And yards and yards of camera film were exposed. Two enterprising small boys with an eye for

~ Washington

: ‘Editor's Note: Mr. Clapper stopped off in Ber‘muda cn his way to Sweden to report on the problems of that nervous neutral.

business set up portable shoe shine stands on the south side of the monument and did a thriving business. They had eight or 10 soldier lads lined up awaiting their turn.

Developed Right Here THERE'S AN interesting display of military and naval’ equipment in the Banner-Whitehill window calling attention to the war bond campaign. One of the exhibits, an amphibious jeep (known sometimes as the “weep”) reminds us that the pilot. model of the amphibious jeep was engineered and developed right here at the Marmon-Herrington plant, then turned over to Ford to produce. The current model includes some modifications by Ford. . . . Incidentally, Earl Godwin, the Washington radio commentator, is authority for the statement that the present jeep (the kind that travels only on land) is, itself, merely a refinement of a vehicle designed by Marmon-Her-rington back in ‘1936 and tested on the King ranch in Texas. The Marmon-Herrington model was a halfton, passenger carrying, all wheel drive vehicle, whereas the jeep is much the same, except it’s only, a quar-ter-ton job.

Some Fun, Eh, Boys!

SOME OF THE boys are snickering over a story about one of our competitors. According to the story, one of the employees went to a drinking fountain,

filled a paper sack with water, then dropped it out|

the 10th floor window. The sack chose the head of an important advertiser to alight on, we're told, with highly satisfactory results from a Keystone comedy viewpoint. The victim was mighty indignant but finally managed to get his indignation under control. . . . A blind man had traffic in an uproar for a couple of minutes Saturday at Illinois and Washington, despite the efforts of half a dozen military police. The military cop in the center of the street had just blown his whistle and started traffic flowing one ‘way when the blind man reached the curb and blew a piercing blast on his whistle. Not noticing who was doing’ the «whistling, the M. P.’s on the various corners tried ‘to switch the flow of traffic with highly confusing results.

‘By Raymond Clapper

conference hotel. The drive is along a narrow road " hedged with hibiscus and oleander, and past lily fields now in full bloom for Easter.

planes around:the field.

aviation training program. The new army air corps recruits stationed at Butler

first taste of ‘flying there, under the experienced hand of Robert F. Shank, the airport's 51-year-old founder, instructor, chief pilot, and official president, And helping oiit is Mr. Shank’s good right arm and office manager, Mrs. Lena M, Shank. The training is not considered primary flight training. It's an indoctrination course to determine whether the man is at home in ‘the air, whether he has an aptitude for flying and whether he wants to fly. Each cadet receives 10 hours of flying and a grade and then the army decides whether he is to continue his training.

Save Time . . . and Lives

BY SUCH a course, the army hopes to save time, money and lives. At the Hoosier airport the men are taught by 30 civilian flight instructors in Piper cub monoplanes. Thus by the time they are ready for the heavier army planes, their chances of washing out or cracking up are lessened considerably. The number of cadets in training is a military secret, of course, but the airport field and office fairly buzz with the activity and lively banter of the young cadets all day long. A bus takes a load to and from Butler every hour from 8 a. m. to 6 p. m. each day. The Hoosier airport's contribution to our air fleet dia not begin with this indoctrination course. It started with the airport itself. Since 1928 hundreds of men have learned to fly at the Hoosier airport. Now nine out of ten of:

_ these are ih government “air serv-

ice. Some are in army or navy flying schools, others are already piloting’ bornbers over enemy territory. Still others are in the ferrying service, and several are flying for commercial airlines. Two former students, both Chinese, are now

RUSSIAN FRONT IS NEVER QUIET

The ‘Battles of Local Importance’ Are Not

university are getting their

Air Corps Recruits* Get First Test of Aerial Aptis’

By HELEN RUEGAMER OUT ON the Lafayette road is the Hoosier airport, It’s been there since 1928—a small airport as airports go, but an eye-catcher with its cinder block buildings, orange hangars and roofs, and vari-colored single-wing

in China's air force. They all

Right now the Hoosier airport is engaged in one of | the newest and most important phases of the army’s

have one thing in common—they -

got their start at the Hoosier airport.

Hear From ‘Alumni’

THE WALLS of the office are filled with pictures of the former students, and Mr, and Mrs. Shank hear frequently from their “boys.” They write when they've soloed in an army plane for the first

. time, or they may let them know

when they're going into action. Sometifnes a boy's mother will

call—her son's been killed or is °

missing in dction and she wants a picture of him with his plane. Since 1940 nine civilian pilot training courses have been conducted at the airport under the sponsorship of the government's civil aeronautics authority. At the present time the civil air patrol has headquarters there. :

In more ways than one, Mr, Shank is one of the country’s pioneers in air travel. Since he learned to fly in 1916, he has spent more than 8000 hours in the air. Today he is the sole survivor of the first quartet of civilian pilots ever to fly the mail for the government. Two of his companions were killed in plane crashes, the other died, but Mr. Shank still flies daily.

60 Miles an Hour!

IT WAS in August of 1918 that the four pilots answered the government’s call to fly the mail from New. York City to Washington, D. C. Using their own planes, two started out from New York and twe from. Washington. At Philadelphia, they exchanged mail bags and returned.

If the wind was favorable, they -

traveled about 60 miles an hour and made a little better time than the trains. This was the forerunner of our present air mail service, Mr. Shank first started flying in June of 1916. Those were the days of the open-air crates. In September he made his first

Your Blood Is Needed

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Students and instructor at the Hoosier airport have a common goal — to ‘keep our flag and planes flying. Here four army air corps cadets, stationed at Butler university, receive instructions from their ehief pilot, Robert F. Shank, president of the airport. : Standing, left to right, are John P. Dunfey .of Lowell, Mass.; Edward J. Drake of Wilmington, and Mr. Shank. Kneeling, left to right, are William W. Kuchinskas of Worcester, Mass., and Edward

Pileski of Solvay, N. Y.

exhibition flight, and still has his letter + of “introduction = which promised “one of the best exhibitions: of fancy flying ever: seen west of the Mississippi.”

Stinson’s Partner ‘IN. HOUSTON, Tex., he started a flying ‘school with Ed Stinson

of ‘the. ‘famous ‘Stinson flying family. When their own plane

was’ damaged, the ving school ,

came to an abrupt finish With the declaration of war, the two partners went to work as civilian instructors for the government at Kelly field, Tex. and later at Love field near Dallas, Tex.

After a year of air mail fiying in 1918, Mr. Shank worked for the Traymore “hotel ‘on the Board Walk at - Atlantic’ City, ‘N. J, where he took adventurous persons. for sight-seeing rides.

Next he went on a barnstorm- -

ing tour of the south for five or . six. months, . Mrs. Shank went

along and’ frequently was exhibit

Ato prove that the Plane wouldn't fall apart in the: air. Then : for. almost eight years Mr. Shank had a flying school in his home town of Huntington, W. Va. From there he came to In‘diana, and the Hoosier airport. ,

Air-Minded Family IT'S AN air-minded family. Although ‘Mrs. Shank is only a back . seat driver, she can tell you as much about flying and the airs port as any veteran. Their 17- = year-old son, Bill, already has 150. i flying hours and has passed his 4 intelligence test for the naval * corps, Hes s:-Sentor ate

in-law is a flying instructor at an. : army flying school in. Arkansas. As a flier, Mr. Shank is no dare devil. In fact, he's super-cautious, Perhaps that's the reason he's © still flying. ,

TREASURER OF

FUND NAMED

Paul E: ‘Fisher to ‘Handle

State Collections in Combined Appeal.

HOLD EVERYTHING

AXIS FORTIFYIN 'BULGAR BORDER

Concrete Bunkers Trebig 500 Airports Complete; 4 ‘More Roads Built. :

center, second floor, Chamber of Commerce: building, N. Meridian st.

ENGINEER CORPS AGE LIMIT IS RAISED

Age limits for voluntary induction | of construction specialists and oth-' er skilled workers in the engineers corps have been raised to include all men between the ages of 39"and 50 besides those in the draft age of 18 to 38. Those interested should arrange for an interview with Maj. OC. H Cotts, 240 W. Ohio st. - An+ announcement by the Ohio river division of the engineer corps points out that only those who volunteer for induction in advance of being drafted are eligible for assignment to the corps of engineers. Those who qualify will be ‘sent from the reception center to engineer replacement training centers, engineer unit training centers or army air forces basic training centers. Here they will be trained in| the duties of an engineer soldier.

By GHALI igh 10, bn Bal BERN, April 20. — With feve speed Europe's Nazi masters strengthening the Bulgarian-’ ish frontier, according to tion appearing in the impc Swiss weekly Weltwoche. : So secret are the aelenseh, | newspaper. says, that trains: ¢ ing the border are blacked out ¢ AL

Paul E. Fisher, Indianapolis, has been named state treasurer of Indiana War Appeals, Inc., which will sponsor next fall's, ‘combinéd local war service ‘and relief campaigns, for Indiana's 92 counties. T he work of organizing the counties wi

“A postcard from a chap we sent away last week—it says ‘Wish ‘you were here!”” ;

“The Horizons” is cramped, and there is no room HAMILTON, : Bermuda, April 20 (by wireless).— for the press to live there as originally planned. But ~ The secrecy arrangements which are proving so un- there is every facility for access to the.conference. ~ fortunate in connection with the united nations’ food The hotel grounds are open. There are no armed : eonference at Hot Springs, Va., are not being at- guards asking passes. . : tempted at the JYefuges ‘conference here. The meeting The conference is largely an exploratory affair. at this isolated island resort is At most it will only recommend a program for future being conducted with as much consideration by the united nations. It will consider freedom for the. press as is possi- the plight of refugees without regard to race or creed, ble in any international confer- but it won't deal with the question of sending food to ence. occupied countries. The policy on that is firm, beOfficials representing both the caude food is considered a military matter.

‘Washington and London governMay Be Able to Ease Pressure

ments here seem determined to + avoid the mistakes that have been ' made ‘with the food conference. ALSO, THE question of potential refugees now inside ‘Germany, while ‘it will be considered, must. be approached’ cautiously. There have been some hints

They are most cordial and co- - operative in explaining the refugee that Germany might be willing to let the Jews out of Germany. and the occupied countries.

2 problem. % A Several American correspond- ¥ ents telephoned . conference - officials for an appointThe first session of the conference is open to the many would make no move of that kind from humanipress, but naturally the other discussions will be pri- tarian, motives, but only for military reasons that vate. Yet the delegates are glad to have newspaper would benefit: Germany. So all ‘hints in that direcGorrespondents come and discuss conference matters, tion are viewed with deep suspicion. - atther for direct quotation’ or for background infor- The chief attention here will be given to making mation. arrangements for refugees who are already out of to Germany—such as the 15000 in Spain. - If these $ “There Are No Armed Guards could ‘be moved on to some place near: the continent| For another, they are attempting of Europe, then perhaps” Spain éould" take more| to check any new Russian niove beTHERE. HAS. BEEN some comment in the states refugees from the occupied countries. = fore it gets under way. Boeaces this conference is being held at an isolated The refugee problem is a series of questions of Leading to the heights is one par- ~ Hotel here. The hotel is a small one of the guest- that kind. There is no general solution except victory, | ticularly convenient approach which house type, widely known as “The Horizons.” but it may be possible to easé the pressure some, al-|{ hag been the center of tke heaviest +. To get to-it you hire a horse-drawn, open-face though Frankly 30 large hopes should tie Hull,un ils fighting. ‘A military observer who conference. selects the situation as character-

back: Ts takes half an Hour from. my Rotel to the istic of these struggles of “local im"By Eleanor Roosevelt

My Day portance” predicts that there may sign 8 donen, more, ander to get them back on hel

develop 8. major battle here 5s. the summer nears. ; Protect Flanks PT. ‘WORTH, Tex, Monday~We reached F. . Pratict own ar . Worth, Tex, in the very early morning hours, and train, for it was about to start. This period is without a definite * found some one at the station to drive us out to the or ending. The offensive “ fanch. Everyone there hud given up waiting for us, and so all the lights were out. However, we got in

MOSCOW, April 20.—When you read a communique saying that only battles of “local importance” occurred, you may get the wrong impression. Actually, there is fighting every day somewhere on this front and from accounts, it is often more bit{er than a general offensive except in periods of initial break-through. There is one spot “somewhere in the western front” where a Nazi infantry division during the winter offensive was pushed into a difficult position. Since the offensive slowed down a Soviet rifle division has held the heights which command: the German lines and for these there has been the most savage sparring. Try and Try Again The Germans have tried repeatedly to seize the heights. For one ‘thing, their present position appears too uncomfortable.

Copy?

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. Clarence W. Goris, ' Gary, “is - president’ of the

a. EVEN THE TROUT ARE |: “RATIONING VICTIMS Ee

"and / Frank Zoll, Anderson, is BELLEFONTE, Pa., April 20 (U. PY.

Paul E. Fisher . . tive .direc-

tor. Mr. Fisher last year served as state ‘chairman of the U. 8. navy relief campaign. = ‘ Members of the Indiana War Ap- Sood: points. But the 30-inch trout} * lieve it.’ The big fish have feasted on hamburgers, ‘tossed ‘them by brand, Batesville; Harold B. Tharp, tourists for years. But the advent

besides Mr. Goris, * chairman, and Mr. Fisher, treasurer, are: J.. Ralph Indianapolis; Benjamin = Blumberg, | of meat: suiafi wil prevent that) ch Terre Haute; C. L. Van Skyhewk,|t £

Irons, Evansville; George Hillen-

South Bend, and Joseph A. Andrew,

beginning” | slackens to end with an irregular line, | Some units forward are consequently exposed. t ‘They must withdraw, protect the