Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 28 December 1943 — Page 1

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| SCRIPPS ~ HOWARD Nl

VOLUME 54—NUMBER 250

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1943

Entered as Becond-Class Matter at Pogtolfice Indianapolis, Ind

Issued dally except Sunday

PRICE FOUR CENTS

Simms: ‘Most Violent Fighting In History Due In 1 944’

This is the second of a series of dispatches by Mr. Simms forecast-

Ing probable developments of 1944.

By WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS

scripps-Howard

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28.

almost certainly will see an western Europe, and with it fighting in history. This is not guesswork.

LOW FUEL OIL SUPPLY BRINGS WARNING HERE

Self-Rationing Advised a

OPA Lists Greater Military Needs.

By HELEN RUEGAMER Marion county's 45,000 fuel oil users, faced with a critical shortage of the fuel they use for cooking, heating and lighting, today were cautioned to ration their own fuel oil allotments or wake up cold some wintry morning. OPA and rationing officials! warned that loca] supplies are running dangerously low. Although| — they assured the users that there would be sufficient oil to redeem their ration ;coupons, they warned there would be none to waste. Officials of Indianapolis’ only refinery, the Rock Island Refining Co., reported that they were out of domestic heating oil and so far, had been unable to obtain ‘enough to fill their orders.

Future Uncertain

At the same time the executives of two of the nation’s largest oil companies, which have pipelines into Indianapolis, stated that their present supplies wgse adequate for their regular customers. However, they would make no predictions or offer any assurances for the future, For the first time since the war started Indianapolis is confronted with. a shortage of the oil itself. Last winter's rationing was necessitated by transportation difficulties. Since then the completion of the Big Inch pipeline has solved that difficulty. Now the increasing military needs are outstripping the

Military Demands

Here are a few of the military demands for fuel oil which explain the civilian shortage: : 1. The manufacture- of 100 octane

full swing, and the present refining process leaves very little fuel oil as a by-product. 2. Sixty-five per cent of all tonnage going offshore is psiroienm and its products. 3. It takes 33,000 gallons of fuel oil per day to run one army transport loaded with troops and equipment; 3000 gallons an hour to drive] a modern destroyer at top speed, and 13,000 gallons an hour to move an aircraft carrier at high ‘speed. 4. The fuel oil needed just to start the African invasion was the equivalent of the entire East coast's requirements for.21 days. Cautioning fuel oil users that they must make their coupons stretch over the period of time designated, Alex Taggart, county rationing administrator, said, “We have a lot of sympathy for those who run ofit] of fuel oil, but we can’t do anything about it. Already, it's touch and’'go to see that there is enough oil for everybody. "

Sickness Considered Rationing boards are instructed

oil in homes where there is sickness or an increase in the family, but for householders who mismanage, there are no allowances. They'll just go cold until the next coupon becomes good. In spite of the shortage, fuel oil users are expected to get along

(Continued on Page 2—Column 2)

U. S. Using Secret Weapons

On Japs, N

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (U. P.). S6CEet weapons are being employed against the Ger-

TIMES FEATURES ON INSIDE PAGES

Amusements . 17| Millett ...... 14 Clapper ..... 13 Movies sesens 17 Comcis 20 Music ..,ee00 17 Crossword ... 20| Obituaries ... 8 Denny ..eeees 2 Pegler ....... 4 Editorials .4. 14 Pyle lic... 13 Fashions .... 16/Race Entries. 10 Financial cone 21|{Radio ....:.. 20 Fosdick veesss 20| Mrs, Ronsevelt 13 20!Side Glances. 14

0 them, and will continue to do.so.

Foreign Editor —The first 100 days of 1944 Anglo-American invasion of some of the most desperate

President Roosevelt, Prime

Hoosier Heroes:

Aviation Cadet Don Shook .« « killed in plane crash.

HUFF MAY LEAD WORKS BOARD

Campbell Resigns With Blast at ‘Interference By Politicians.’ By SHERLEY UHL

Indianapolis Post-War Chairman C: A. Huff was slated today to take

over the $3000-a-year works board presidency following the resignation of Harmon Campbell under a fusillade of political” eriticism. Mr. Huff, it is understood, will be tendered the works board helm as a reward for his work in revising the city's insurance schedule, another task he had been assigned to by Mayor Tyndall. He probably will retain his post-war chairmanship while serving as works board president, a part-time job.

Waited for Lull

Although he waited for a lull mn the political storm before making Lis’ resignation officiai, Mr. Campbell for the past six months has been accused of “obstructionist tactics in blocking certain city pur-| chases. He also has been tagged as a “regular G.O.P. organization supporter, although he was a direct appointment of the Tyndall faction. Mayor Tyndall accepted Mr. Campbell's resignation with a written comment, stating, “I appreciate the conscientious effort you have made during the first year of my administration and hope, although you are no longer in the official family, that you will feel free to call on me. Any suggestions you have for the betterment of the cause will be appreciated.”

Second to Quit

Mr. Campbell is the second works board official to resign since Mayu! Tyndall's “insurgent” = Republican administration took office last Janvary. The first was former Works Board Secretary Otto Abshier, who n protest over what he, termed

(Continued or on “Page 3—Column 4)

AIRPORT DEDICATION CHAIRMAN SELECTED

Lt. Col. Walker Winslow will serve as chairman of dedication ceremonies March 21 changing the name of Municipal airport to Weir Cook airport. The field was renamed recently in honor of the Indianapolis ace who died in a crash in the Pacific last March 21.

azis, Knox Says

mans and Japanese, Secretary of re|the Navy-Frank- Knox said -today.) This disclosure was made in a summary of the past year’s achievements of the various navy bureaus, released by Knox at his news conference. Discussing the work of the bureau of ordnance, Knox said: “In the field of new weapons, or secret weapons, the navy has by no means been idle. The Japanese éspecially have felt the sting of weapons which although greatly improved, nevertheless are of conventional types. “Japanese and Nazi alike, however, also have felt destruction wrought by weapons not known to

Minister Churchill and Marshal Stalifi Rave all said that a titanic blow from the west is coming, and other officials have indicated that it is ining

. Apparently, therefore, it’

and the time depends on the weather.

guessing. Official spokesmen

the necessary shipping, men and material are ready. Hence about all that remains to do is to set the day.

3 From Here Killed

. Pfc. Jack B. Van Zandt . . . killed in South Pacific.

- » - Killed PFC. HENRY R. ACKERMAN i9-year-old marine, has been killed in action in the South Pacific. Word of his death was received Christmas eve by his parents, Mr, end Mrs. Raymond R. Ackerman, 543 Berwick ave. Enlisting in the marines in July, 19042, Pvt. "Ackerman went overseas soon after completing his boot training at San Diego, Cal. He was wounded in action in Guadalcanal last January and two weeks ago the purple heart was sent to his mother.

Letters from the marine private were received - hy relatives through” October. A graduate of BickiYell high school, he was an employee of the W. J. Holliday Co. here before going into service Survivors besides thé parents are five sisters, Mrs. Goldie Huff

(Continued on Page 3 Column 1)

. Evacuation of Ukraine

REPORT ORTONA IN ALLIED | HANDS

Capture of Mai Major Italian

Port Unconfirmed; 5th

‘Army Gains.

By C. R. CUNNINGHAM United Press Staff Correspondent

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, Algiers, Dec. 28.—American trocps have completed the consolidation of their positions on the 4000-foot Sammucro mountain range commanding the approaches to the Rome plain, it was announced today as the Berlin radio announced the evacuation of their greatest stronghold on the Adriatic coast. Canadian units of the British 8th army were reported slugging their way house-by-house through the fragmentary Geérman defenses in Ortona. The Germans, waging the “Little Stalingrad” stand in defense of their Adriatic keystone, brought out flame ‘throwers in the town and to the west. They were in -the hands of small infantry units, rather than operated from tanks. Entrenching themselves Armly. on the Sammucro ‘range -by the seizure of two moré¥strategic heights, the Americans of the 5th army front won the last of the dominating heights overlooking San Vittore, kep to the Cassino junction six miles to the northwest. The United States vanguard pushed down the Sammucro slopes and sent patrols stabbing at the immediate defenses of San Vittore, where the next big battle for another section of the Rome road was shaping up.

SEATTLE LANDLORDS

LOSE RENT F PROTEST

Emergency Cour Court Upholds Established Ceilings.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (U. P). —The U. 8. emergency court of appeals today ruled that the price administrator is not required to permit increases in rents after defense activities have begun in a section “on the sole ground that the increases are normal.” In the ruling, the court dismissed »| complaints of eiglit owners of rental

Countries is abominable. Wh _faced the necessity of picking

inent. is only a question of time, This, too, is hardly

have clearly indicated thal early as that old gambler dar

it ‘may be, of course, tha an earlier time to establish a

a 1!

SCHARNHORST | SUNK RUNNING |

'British Reveal Nazi Giant Trapped in Sneak Raid - On Unarmed Ships.

LONDON, Dec. 28 (U. P) —The admiralty revealed today that an outgunned British cruiser force in-

north cape Sunday and forced the big enemy raider to break off an| attempted raid on a Russia- -bound allied convoy Disclosing for the first tails of the spectacular Arctic naval battle that ended in the death of the Nazi battleship—the last seaworthy capital ship in the German, navy — the admiralty said the, Scharnhorst finally was sent to the bottom, by a torpedo launched > the 8000-~ton cruiser Jamaica. The first contact with the gant | German surface raider was made in the half-light of the Arctic dawn Sunday, when the 9025-ton cruiser Norfolk intercepted the Scharnhorst driving toward the convoy In an sttempt to bring her big guns 0 bear on the helpless merchantmen Giant Runs for Cover . The Norfolk moved into range and opened up with her 8-inch guns, scoring at least one hit on the raider, which then turned back to the south and headed at top speed for the shelter of the Norweglan fjords, despite the fact that White. | she mounted main batteries of nine below {11-inch guns.

Pfc. Henry R. Ackerman . . . killed in South Pacific.

HINT ZHITOMIR LOST TO NAZIS

Base Is Ordered.

STOCKHOLM, Dec. 28 (U. P) The newspaper Aftontidningen said today that the German command had ordered the avacuation of Zhitomir, main base in the northwest Ukraine. : The newspaper also reporied

rail

FROM BATTLE

tercepted the 26.000-ton Ger MAN} battleship Scharnhorst off Norway 5

time de-|

* Another known fact is that from now until around the end of March the weather in northern France

and the Low

en Marshal von Hindenburg the opening date for his final

campaign! in that region he chose March 21, which was as

ed chance it. t Gen. Eisenhower will pick bridgehead ‘on the “invasion

Voice of Poland

Janusz L. Stamirowski

Somervell,

But those who know the terrain best don't. believe Both ground and air are too full of water.

coast.” he will. - I'he experts of late have had much to say concerning why Turkey hesitates to enter the war at this time. They that before the allies could arrive at her side with

say _ men, guns, tanks and planes, the enemy would be able to drive her out of Europe, back across the Dardanelles.

{Continued on Page 5 Column §)

TROOPS SET

T0 OPERATE RAILROADS

Stimson Warn Strikers Will Be

Prosecuted Under Smith-Connally

I.abor Act and Other Laws.

NATION'S MIGHT REVEALED HERE

Rotarians Hear Envoy’ S Hope for Just Settlement With Russia.

Rotarians today heard Stamirowskl, director of the Polish information center, Chicago, tell of Poland's sacrificial contribution in the war and of the country's _peace- | time. hopes. “If Poland hadn't resisted in '30| would have been lest,” he

War Re “It was OCermanys idea to hit France and England but she

Janusz L

MOSCOW, sian armies

two-Nazi fronts. Tra aced- in close to drive three tor=| A 50-mile breakthrough by Gen. | pedoes inte the hull of the ScharnNikolai F. Vatutin’s army of the/horst. forcing it to reduce speed. Ukraine had thrown the Germans Morial Blow Struck [completely off balance, and in the] new 35000-ton battleship Zhitomir sector they were strug- yx of York flying the—_flag_of gling to disengage and reform their Adm. Sir Bruce Fraser. joined the main forces behind a Tear guard action just after nightfall and action of feeble counter-thrusts. [scored one hit on the ¢nemy raider The onrushing vanguard of Va-| It closed in again in the final tutin’s army was less than 12 miles) minutes of the battle and hurled its from Zhitomir, most vital Gerinan'y 4 inch salvos into the stricken base between the Russians and the g.,ornhorst while the big raider pre-war Polish border. : | limped along, blazing from repeated Early Reconquest Seen | shell hits and mortally wounded by

All signs pointed to an early re-| torpedo hits conquest of the strategic rail junc-| The Scharnhorst tion which the Russians captured |d0Wn at on Nov. 12 and lost a week later.|Jamaica To the: north 400-odd miles, Gen. Ivan C. Bagramian's Siberian veterans Were closing in on Vitebsk from three sides and driving against the railroad to Orsha, the last Ger-man-controiled, line out of the imperiled’ city keying the defenses of upper White Russia. Front, dispatches said Bagramian's troops were in firm control of the western, northern, northeastern, eastern and southeastern approaches to Vitebsk. The position of the German garrison rapidly was assuming the fatal characteristics marking the Russian "conquest of most of the big cities taken in the! summer and autumn campaign— semi-encirclement making the posi- | tion untenable, In the Ukraine, Vatutin’s onrush smashed the focal defense points along the Fastov-Vinnitza railroad, carried southward across it, and plunged a spearhead ever deeper into the heart of the Nazi positions defending the approaches to the! bordeflands. Crossing the Fastov-Vinnitza line, the Russians also cut the Berdichev-Belaya-Tserkov highway, while other forces pushing southwestward broke the Berdichev-Zhitomir highay. :

U. S. Controls Gloucester;

The Duke

finally went 7:45 p. m., when “the

movéd in to deliver

hours’ sailing time from the Nor- | wegian coast

gave no indication as to how many of the 1400 officers and men aboard the Scharnhorst were rescued.

HEAVY SNOWFALL

Probably 4 to 6. Inches Deep, Says Weatherman.

LOCAL TEMPERATURES 6 a. m. 34 10a m. 33 7a m 34 11am _. 33 8a m. .. 34 12 (Noon) . 31 9a m 31 1pm .. 31

The first heavy snowfall of the season was scheduled to strike In{dianapolis this afternoon. “Heavy snow,- probably four to six inches deep” was predicted by the weather bureau. But the snowfall will end tonight, the bureau said.

By DON CASWELL United Press Staff Correspondent ADVANCED ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, New Guinea, Dec. 28.— Jungle-wise U. 8. marines, expanding their main invasion beachhead to a width of at least two miles, were reported closing in rapidly from two sides today on twin Japanese airfields behind Cape Cloucester at the northwestern tip of New Britain. (The navy announced in Washington today that an American de-

. {Navy Frank Knox announced that the U. 8. navy lost a destroyer and a small coastal transport in the landings on Cape Gloucester. There was a possibility that the Americans already had captured the Japanese airfields, since late reports told only of scattered opposition and dispatches were trailing 24 to 36 hours behind the action. Throwing tanks and artillery into action; the marines captured Target hill, dominating the east coast

strover was sunk in the landings beaches on Cape Gloucester, and} on Gloucester. This being the [began shelling sitficiis ‘only & few hours after they swarmed ashore

(Continued on Fags 5—Column 1)

| pared, we resisted | oensives threatening - to arumple | | chase and after dark the destroyers so costly it gave France and Eng-

Loses Destroyer in Invasion

“We had a non-aggression pact! {with Russia and a mutual assist- | {ance pact with France, both " | which we meant to keep “Germany proposed co- operation. but we refused,” he sald. “And then (they marched against us UnpreThe fight was]

land time to prepare. “We Jost everything, but we will regain it with a victorious peace.” Poland's peace-time hopes are restoration to pre-war- boundaries, territorial and national rectification for Poles outsidé the eastern border and that no sacrifices will be

asked which do not comply with the principles of the Atlantic Charter. Russ Nearing Border ‘But we didn't quit fighting in| 1939," said Mr. Stamirgwski “The | Polish army today numbers 250,000, | fifth among united nations. Our

air force is equal to the Canadian,

(17 per cent of the Germans shot | down They have dropped 14 mil-

Some survivors were picked up|lion pounds of explosives on Ger- [few hours after Murray, from the water, but the admiralty |many and our havy is larger than |tne wake of a war labor board or- would have the effect of

before the war’ “Today Russian forces are neéaring our borders. It is our earnest hope they come as liberators, and, as they re-occupy Poland, that they turn government admin stration | over to our people,” he said.

wi» “Polish-Russian relations must be |

on mutual understanding, and territorial integrity [For that, I hope diplomatic relations between us can be reestablished before they reach our borders. I say our border, for in 11941 Russia theoretically restored

the partitioning with Germany.’

SAVE YOUR PAPER, |

HELP WIN THE WA

Military Urgency of School

Drive Explained.

By JOAN HIXON Practically everything the war rogram needs must be packaged. It will be done with the paper you save for the public schools’ waste paper drive beginning Jan. 4 in Indianapolis and lasting throughout the school year. |

and March, 1942, the waste paper shortage was met by the public. Unfortunately, however, paper mills received contract canceilations and manufacturing regu.ations that forced them to curtail operations, and the "demand for waste paper topped. The ceiling price broke, too. Since then, the mills have come back to full production with an increasing demand for waste paper. The supply, meanwhile, is dimin ishing. The amount of paper fcr civilian use is smaller; newspapers and magazines have ‘been ig nd

yee Wi

I'he

was insecure on her eastern border

By LYLE C. WILSON | United Press Staff ( |

WASHINGTON,

orrespondent served notice today that it intends to keep ‘the railroads running—with soldiers, if necessary——and that it will invoke the SmithConnally act and other federal laws to; punish anyone who attempts to promote a strike at this vital juncture in the united nations’ mihtary atlairs } Secretary of War Henry I. Stimson and Lt. Gen. Bre‘hon B.” Somervell, federal operator of the strike-threatened [carriers, Announced at a that they will perinit nothing to stand in the way of continued functioning, of the transportation system upon which the fighting forces

Dec. 2% ithe army

news conterence

are dependent for weapons and supplies Stinson-Somervell came at .a time when only three of the 20 operating and nonoperating

pronouncements

rail unions were still holding out against Presidential arbi-

tration of their wage disputes. The heads of these three rail unions kept silent on whether fey Would cancel the strike called for Thursday.

(It was generally believed they ‘would call it off rather than strike against the govern155, 000 Men Filing Back i in government and union orders, went {back to their jobs after a we~"-end Answer to Order I CtKIstOPER ES By Murray Stimson and 8omervell said their € .

ment Me anwhile the threat of a crip- | pitnig general strike in another vital ppeared to have been

Steel we yrkers, obeying

war industry a

dissipated

Lada

[sole objective was to keep the raliroads running so that the war TTSBURG » 2% U ; PI BURGH. Dec 28 up would not be interrupted. Somers= Striking steel workers who had eur- yell commander of the army serv tailed vital war production in nice ice forces, was placed in charge of |states began returning to work to-{the railroads when the government day in compliance with an order cok them over last night from Philip Murray, tieir union| Wages and working conditions president that existed as of 7 p. m. last night

that part of Poland she took in | Midland, "Pa.

During the last drive in February |

Officials of the plants idled by the will be frozen for the duration of walkout of approximately 155000) the army's control, they said. These workers sajd that, except in the included awards of wages to the cases of those plants whose blast Brotherhoods of Railway Trainmen | furnaces were banked during the|and Locomotive Engineers under the

the and during the battle for’ Great strike, production would return to|Pre<ident’s arbitration. coup de grace, little more than two | Britain our men were credited with near normal by nightfall

Stimson quoted from a letter writ. A few workers began going back ten by Gen Henry H. Arnold, com= on the midnight shifts last night a 'mander of the army air forces, acting In|which stated that the railroad strike “virtually der from Washington directing the paralyzing the war effort of the sirikers to return, called on union|army air forces.” He said the serileaders to get their men back nw ous ness could not be exaggerated. the plants With. the morning shifts today, Would Hait Freight officials in the areas .flected by the | The strike would immediately stop | walkout reported almost full turn- the flow of army air force technical outs [supplies, the export of drum gaso-

| In the Pittsburgh district, where line and exhaust the supply of avia150,000 men were idle last night |tion fuel in the United States in five Formal crews were reported at|davs nearly all the struck plants this| Each day's interruption of raile morning Abnormal! absenteeis.n|road traffic’ from’ strikes, Arn nd was reported in sume instances (said, would represent the equivalent {The Crucible - Steel Co. plant atliof the loss of a day's production of

employing 2500, re-|about 300 airplanes which could mained idle, although two other never be made up. struck plants of crucible in Pitts- | Somervell sald Arnold's appraisal urgh resumed operaticns of the effect on the air force would The Wheeling Steel Co., Wheel- [apply equally to the ground and {‘ng, W. Va, which had 15,000 men service forces and interrupt the lout in plants in West Virginia and |movement of troops overseas. {Ohto, reported the men were re- Somervell said army officers and turning to work, |although full OP- men with railroad experience were erations will not-be restored until | being assembled at key points so blast furnaces which had been shut | they could be used if necessary in down are restored. sf operation of the railroads. He said The Timken Roller Bearing Co. |it’' was the intention to use them as

(Continued on Page 3—Column 3) (Continued on “Page 2—Column 3)

“

Lt. Gen. Somervell, Army's Trouble-Shooter, Is Rail Boss

WASHINGTON. Dec. 28 (U. P.).— railroads when the army took them Lt. Gen. Brehpn B.. Somervell— over last night. . 2 “boss” of the railroads for the gov-| His right-hand man in the new ernment—is famed as a trouble- [rail setup is the transportation chief shooter and red tape cutter. of the army service forces—Brook= As No. 1 man of the army serv-|lyn-born Maj. Gen." Charles PB ice forces, he has the monumental | | Gross, 54-year-old regular task ot seeing that the army is sup- iman and graduate of West Point, plied with the wherewithal to fight.| A member of the special supply His job is to feed, house, clothe the mission which went to Russia ‘in army; keep it armed: run its com September. 1941, he previously a munications, care for its wounded wide experience with various and transport its ‘troops; and sup- engineers units both at home plies tothe far-flung battle fronts abroad. His tours of duty in