Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 17 March 1944 — Page 1

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E 55—NUMBER 5

By HELEN RUEGAMER Executives of Indianapolis oil companies today placed

the responsibility for Indian

a's thriving gasoline black

market on individual station attendants and motorists but intimated that the market was not as black as painted

by OPA.

The oil men objected to OPA’s inference that the oil companies were to blame for the fact that 100 million gal-

Proposal to Pay Post-War

Planner With

Fund Money Is Protested

By SHERLEY UHL

A controversy threatened today over the Indianapolis’ post-war planning committee's announced intention to pay the $5000 a year salary of former Democratic City Engineer M. G. Johnson, assistant chairman, with money received from the United War Fund. Most of the cross-fire revolved around the definition of the word

"charitable,"

which it was pointed - organizations benefiting from United” War Fund contributions. After spending most of the morning on the telephone fending off protests, the agency's secretary, Kenneth Miller, denied that the appropriations committee had ever approved the $5000 salary payment allotment. It did, however, he added, grant $2400 to the post-war planning committee to defray expenses of “stenographic work, office supplies and incidentals.”

‘Might Quibble’ “The fact that the Post-War Planning committee isn't a charity in the ‘charitable’ sense of the word never entered. into our con= siderations,” said Mr. Miller. “Some people might quibble over whether the Legal Aid Society or the U, 8. O. are charities. “This plan committee group has been kicked around from pillar

United War

its new

out, is usually RET with -

M. G. Johnson , . . “I thought they had it all straightened out.”

to post and we thought that it actually is one of the most important war agencies in town. Indianapolis’ economic future de~ pends on its work.” Mr. Miller said the United War Fund statement of purposes places no limitations on distribution of its finances to. “actual charities.”

Reason Why #

He added that the post-war had appealed to the United War Fund because it did not want to become “financially dependent on the various political sub-divisions in Marion county.” Neither, said Mr. Miller, did it want to “pass the hat for volun. tary subscriptions.” Post-War Secretary James Carr explained that the plan committee had been pledged “general financial support” by the United | War Fund, with the understanding that money received from that agency would not be designated | for “specific items.” Post-War Chairman George A. Kuhn said the United War Fund had agreed to finance “the preHminary phase of our program efter it was pointed out that our . objective is to create jobs . . . The more jobs we create now, the

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Hoosier Heroes—

9 LOCAL MEN DIE, 3 LOST IN ACTION

Disaster Kills Merchant

Marine in Atlantic.

TWO INDIANAPOIS men have been killed in action and three local

bat over Germany and Italy. KILLED Bernhard Wolff, 1022 Sterling st. Pvt. Gwinn Emmery McCaslin, R.R 1 Box 823. © MISSING 8S. Sgt. Louis E. Znidersich, 938 N. Ketcham st. Pvt. Vern L. Williams, 2325 Parkor ave, Sgt. Jack Blacker, 1932 W. New York st. ..® 8 =» BERNHARD WOLFF, brother of Henry Wolff, was killed in a disaster at sea in the Atlahtic with

(Continued on Page 2—Column 1)

WILLKIE STARTS TOUR

NEW YORK, March 17 (U. P.).— Wendell Willkie leaves today for a three-week pre-convention campaign tour of Nebraska and Wisconsin.

TARA

April

STATE'S DRAFT CALL ‘SMALLER’

Quota Drops but Termed No Reason for - Optimism.

{try has no intention. of following

istate department is now assembling

he Indianapolis

FORECAST: Cloudy tonight and tomorrow ; lowest temperature near freezing; warmer tomorrow.

PD, MARCH 17, 1944

lons of gasoline flowed through the Indiana black market

in 1943. One businessman viewed

OPA’s black market revela-

tions as part of a nation-wide political scheme to impress congress with the bureau’s importance and the necessity

for ‘prolonging its life which i Phil T. Williams of Gas

is scheduled to end in June. eteria and president of the

Indiana Independent Petroleum association stated that the

STALIN ACTED ALONE INITALY, HULL REVEALS

Recognition of Badoglio| ‘Regime Given Without Consulting U. S.

WASHINGTON, March 17 (U.P). Secretary of State Cordell Hull disclosed today that Russia had not consulted this country before es-| tablishing diplomatic relations with | the Italian government of Marshall | Pietro Badoglio, and that this coun-

the Soviet suit. | At the same time, Hull again] made it clear at his news conference that the United States indorses Russia's ‘efforts to get Finland out of the war and out of her alliance! with Germany. Hull indicated at his news conference that he felt the Anglo-American-Soviet Italian advisory council on Mediterranean affairs ought to have had a chance to discuss the step before it was taken. He also said this country is not considering recognizing the Badoglio regime at this time. He had some information as to Soviet intentions about the time the action was taken, Hull said, but he was not consulted by the Soviet government. ‘Contrary to Policy’ Hull indicated that the Soviet move did not establish a precedent for this country and that it was contrary to the United States policy toward the Badoglio regime. The secretary added that the

all the facts and giving attention to all phases of the matter.

By EARL RICHERT Indiana's draft call for April is] | “slightly smaller” than the call for | March, Col. Robinson Hitchcock, |

| state draft director, reported today.!local matters as a first step.

(Exact figures cannot be revealed). This is the first time since last {September that the call has not | been larger or approximately. the ‘same as that of the preceding] month. There was a slump in state draft! calls last summer but this ended in September when the calls started] upward again,

that of March, it is still large enough to be considered “heavy,” Col. Hitchcock said. The draft director said that judging from the reports sent in by local draft boards, the state will be able to meet the April call Indiana fell behind its quotas during February and March because of the changeover to the preinduction physical examination system and because many draft boards

fathers in their areas. “We now have a backlog of men

meet our calls at least in the near future,” Col. Hitchcock said. Indiana will have to make up during the coming months for those she failed to send during the past two months. The local draft boards have com-

{Continued on Page 5—Column 4)

410 YANKS KILLED IN U.S, ‘CONFUSION’

Army, Navy Belatedly Admit Sicilian Freak Tragedy.

WASHINGTON, Mareh 17 (U.P). —The loss of 410 American lives was

freakish tragedies of the war, in which U. 8.

parachutists to Sicily.

night of July 10-11 but was offi-

TIMES FEATURES ON INSIDE PAGES

Movies ...:...20 Music ........21 Obituaries .6, 21 Ernie Pyle ...15 Radio Ration Dates. .17 Mrs. Roosevelt, 15

& Amusem’ts, 20, 21 Eddie Ash ....22 Comics ....... Crossword ....25 Editorials .....18 Fashions ..18 Financial .....12 Forum ..16| Side Glances. .16 “Freckles ......25Sports ........22 Gardening .... 9|State Deaths:, 6 Meta Given ..18 Stokes s+: 16 J. W. Hillman 16 Henry :Taylor.15 .... 3| War Living ...10 5{ Al

eras

navy only last night, after an unofficial account had been revealed by a correspondent for an army newspaper. The army-navy statement did not explain why the news had been withheld from the public for eight months. The statement said the 170 planes, carrying 2500 parachutists as reinforcements for American positions in Sicily, appeared over the battle area immediately after an enemy bombing attack and while flares

(Continued on Page 5—Column 1)

While April's call is smaller than!

granted deferments to most of the;

built up which should enable us to}

put down today to one of the most anti-aircraft guns helped the enemy bring down 23 out of 170 American planes carrying

The incident took place on the

cially reported by the army .and}-

“Would the matter normally be expected to come before the adivisory council?” he was asked. The council, he responded, would {primarily give attention to those

Awails Further Development

Asked if there was any possibility of this country's {following the {Soviet lead, Hull said the question {is not arising under our policy here. As to what that policy is, Hull {said he preferred that developments { proceed further before going into] detail. It is not practical at times ito talk on details, he explained, since these may be too delicate or the discussion premature. When asked whether, we had asked Moscow for an explanation, ‘he referred to his eaglier statement that the department is assembling all the facts.

HELSINKI, March 17 (U.P).— Finland's reply to the Russian terms for a separate peace was forwarded to Moscow at noon today. All signs before the disclosure that the Finnish answer had gone to Moscow, tended to bear out the conclusion that a rejection of the Soviet terms was in the offing. Today could .be characterized as a period of marking time on the

more that could be done from this end. . By tomorrow official quarters were expected to be free to break their silence and inform Finland and the world of the nation's decision.

Medal for Raider

SECOND LT. LESTER MORELAND JR. (above), who has been a prisoner of war in Germany since July, will be honored tomorrow at Butler university whem army officials present his air medal to his mother, Mrs, Lester Mgreland Sr, 42 8S. Ritter ave. The ceremonies will follow a review of the 52d college training detachment (air crew) at 2 p, m. on the parade grounds east of Jordan hall. Maj, William E.

peace issue, since there was nothing |.

HINT RUSSIANS REACH DNIESTER; BOMBERS SMASH VIENNA REGION

2000 HEAVIES

Ernie Pyle Hurt

Ernie Pyle ON THE 5TH ARMY BEACHHEAD, Italy, March 16 (Delayed) (U. P.).—Ernie Pyle, roving war reporter and Indianapolis Times columnist, was injured slightly by flying glass today when German glider bombs wrecked a correspondents’ headquarters building on the Anzio waterfront. Pyle was cut on the right cheek but did not require hospitalization. = » » Four other American correspondents who were sleeping in the building when the bombers came over shortly after 7 a. m,, suffered minor injuries in the raid, three of them requiring hospital treatment. The wounded men were identis fied ‘as William : Strand ‘of the Chicago Tribune, Wick Fowler of the Dallas News, George Tucker of the Associated Press, and Slim Aarons of the army newspaper “Yank.” None was injured seriously.

NAZIS STRUGGLE IN CASSINO TRAP

‘New Zealanders Battle in Rubbled Streets to

Corner Foe.

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, Naples, March 17 (U. P).—The German defenders of Cassino, cut off from their main escape road to the north, fell back into a narrowing death pocket on the southwestern lend of the riuned town today, battered every foot of the way by allied tanks and veteran New Zealand infantrymen. Fighting across twisted heaps of rubble that hampered their armored {support, the battle-hardened New |Zealanders shot and bayoneted their way through the stubborn Nazi defenses in one of the blood-

jest clashes of the, Italian campaign. As the struggle entered its third day, front reports said the New Zealanders, who held only about one-tenth of Cassino before the shattering allied bombardment began last Wednesday, had won back more than three-quarters of the battered enemy stronghold. i Nazis Still Tough There was no indication, however, that the Nazi resistance had slackened, despite the blinding allied aerial and artillery bombardment that tumbled the town down about their heads only 48 hours before. Headquarters spokesmen indicated the fighting had closed in to such short range that néither side was able to bring its artillery to pear, leaving the infantry to battle it out with hand grenades, bayonets and small arms. Observers said the bulk of the Nazi defenders were veteran para-

Destroy Nazi Factories and|

“itan planes

Oil Fi irms Deny They Are To Blame For Black Market Here

oil companies want no part of the coupon counterfeiting

racket or black market.

“The fault is not with the oil companies,” “OPA makes the rules and puts all the work on the oil company. On the whole the industry is abiding by the Naturally, some employees will cheat, and some

rules.

motorists are passing the counterfeit coupons. employees who violate the regulations put the money in

Entered as Second-Class Matter at rostoffice Indianapolis 9, Ind Issued daily except Sunday

FINAL

imes mo |

PRICE FOUR TE

their own pockets. It doesn’t come to the oil company. “OPA is trying to make us police our own customers. We're in business, and yet we're supposed to check every customer’s integrity. If he thinks we're accusing him of dishonesty, he goes someplace else, and we've lost a customer°we spent 15 years cultivating.” Officials of two major oil eompanies disclaimed respon-

(Continued on Page 2—Column 3)

he explained.

But the

SUR or RR

Li pa

SPREAD HAVOC OVER EUROPE

125 Warplanes in Mounting Raids.

BULLETIN ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, Naples, March 17 (U. P.).—Strong forces of American Flying Fortresses and Liberators made the first attack of the war on the * Vienna area - today, bombing German military targets . and meeting no fighter opposition whatever. (The Algiers radio quoted an allied headquarters report as saying that Vienna itself was bembed by Amer-

Mediterranean y ;

LONDON, March 17 (U. P.).—Large formations of allied planes flew against Europe today and the Berlin radio reported that American bombers were striking into Germany from the south, indicating an aerial pincers was being clamped on the continent from Britain and Italy. British bombers attacked Europe from France to Bulgaria during the night, and a U. S. army communique revealed that American gunners shot down 125 German planes in daylight assaults on southwest Germany yesterday.

The air ministry revealed that] RAF Lancasters dropped six-ton! super-blockbusters, the use of which | was revealed recently, on the Mich-

rand. The German news agency DNB said United States bombers flew over the Alps and into Germany about noon today in what appeared to be a renewal of the 15th air force's participation in the daylight offensive against the Reich after a long recess.

Clouds Ground Luftwaffe

Only a limited number of German fighters were able to make contact with the raiding force, because of heavy clouds and generally bad weather conditions, DNB said. The bombers flew at extreme altitude above the clouds, the agency added. The pre-invasion air offensive rose to new heights of intensity as the week ended. British heavy bombers during the night struck industrial and communications targets at Amiens, France and Cler-mont-Ferrand, southwest of Vichy. Two-engined Mosquito bombers hit western Germany. Other heavies crossed the Adriatic to bomb Sofia, capital of panic-stricken Bulgaria, for the seventh time and for the second straight night. These attacks maintained the continuity of the staggering assaults Wednesday night and yesterday by two armadas of British and American heavy bombers, numbering arotind 1000 planes each plus large

(Continued on Page 2<golumn 7

(Continued on “Page 2—Column »

elin tire factory at Clermont-Fer- |

penis

PANICKY NAZI - REAR GUARDS OVERWHELMED

Soviet Avalanche Rolls Through Desperate

| Repeat ... | Shall Return’

: Resistance.

MOSCOW, March 17 (U. \P.).—Soviet armies speeding |the liberation of the last oneeighth of the Ukraine ran ‘roughshod over panicky German rear guards today, drivs ing within 25 miles of the Dniester and into the suburbs of Vinnitsa, by-passed anchor of a Nazi defense salient, (The British radio quoted a dispatch from Moscow as saying that the Russians had reached the Dniester at some points.) Hard-pressed German forces were reported struggling desperately to disengage themselves for an effort to teach the comparative safety of the Dniester, the natural defense the Ukraine and Bessa Marshal Ivan 8S. Konev's spearhead driven across the Odessa- ; | Lwow railroad at Vapnyarka was ? {reported only about 25 miles from the Dniester, where the Germans were expected to undertake their next stand. Due north some 50 miles, other U.S. S.R. army units closed an assault arc on Vinnitsa, key hedgehog position in the German defenses of the Ukraine, which front dispatches said was imminently endangered.

Kill 2000 Germans

As assault units struck at the city itself, other forces approached a junction from the northwest and southwest of Vinnitsa, leaving only a narrow escape corridor for the German garrison. The Germans ‘|were counter-attacking furiously in the adjacent Proskurov area in an attempt to ease the pressure on Vinnitsa, but the Russians were re ported closing in irresistibly. On the south Ukraine front, advance guards north and southeast of Nikolaev were within 13 miles of the city at the mouth of the Bug river. Troops who forced the southern Bug were reported advance ing rapidly. At Tyazhilov, only a little more than 'a mile east of Vinnitsa, the Russians killed nearly 2000 Ger-

DERE

Gen. Douglas MacArthur . . . presented with high British award.

YANKS MAKE NEW : ADMIRALTY LANDING

Storm Ashore 2 at Manus, from their war-won South Pa- . ifi ire. Move Toward Jap Airport. | “sree

“With God's ‘help “it should be By UNITED PRESS decisive, MacArthur declared American troops landed on

confidently at an Australian state ¢ r dinner commemorating the secManus, principal island of the Ad-| ond anniversary of his arrival here miralties, and quickly advanced t0| from Bataan. within a half mile of Lorengau air- “Two years ago when I landed field, the main Japanese base, iti on your soil, I said to the people was announced today while U. S.| of the Philippines whence I came airmen carried out the first air attack on Truk, 725 miles to the

—T shall return.’ “Tonight I repeat those words. north in the Carolines, with landbased planes.

~ CANBERRA, March 17 (U. P.). —Gen., Douglas MacArthur to-, night renewed his pledge to return to the Philippines and revealed that “one of the greatest offensives of the war” now is in

I shall return. Nothing is more certain than our ultimate recon-

capture of the stations of Tyushki and Gnivan, five and 11 miles southwest of Vinnitsa respectively, and also’ forced the Bug river on a 15mile front for a second time to capture Voroshilovka, :

they had completed occupation of Hauwei and Butjo Luo islands off Los Negros and gained artillery bases for the attack on Manus, at the northern end of the Bismarck archipelago. Capture of Lorengau airfield, immediate target of the invading forces, would give the Americans a new base for further aerial attacks on New Guinea, 300 miles to the south; Rabaul, 370 miles to the east in" New Britain, and Truk. U. S. casualties were described as “very small,” although the troops

(Continued 01 Page 2—Column 5)

CHILDREN TO GET STAMPLESS SHOES

WASHINGTON, March 17 (U. P.).—Stampless sales of children’s inexpensive shoes was ordered

MacArthur said the big offensive will be launched “at the.appropriate time,” and predicted that it would not only isolate the

(Continued on Page 2—Column 3)

WAR ANALYSIS— Air Strength Demonstrates Its Value Upon Every Front

By LOUIS J. KEEMLE United Press War Editor Allied air superiority is being brought into play .now on every front around the world with telling "effect. Fe Its most striking triumph has been in the Pacific, where the swift American march to the Philippines, the Asiatic mainland and eventually : Japan would not have been possible without it. As the same time, the Pacific campaign has demonstrated the complete inter-dependability of air,

WASHINGTON, March 17 (U. P.) —Tenacity, determination and a dream of fried chicken can take .credit for keeping Pvt. Clarence - Holcomb, 28, of Sand Springs, Okla, plowing through jungle swamps and across the steep

Sayer, commanding officer, will - Quen Stanley ouBtaus of New : make the ‘presentation, u or ys on one of the . LOCAL TEMPERATURES BB on i Flying For- | longest endurance marathons of 4a.m ...35 10am... 38 | tress, Lt. Moreland was reported °| the war, 7am ...3 11am ., 40 | missing after a raid over Oscher- Holcomb's story was released by 8am... 34 12 (noom)., 41 ed A while 9am ...36 1pm... 41 "(Continued 2—Column 3) Walter

Dreams of Fried Chicken : Help Yank Through Jungle

Reed hospital from the effects of the trek. ‘He was a member of the 3d platoon, Company E, 126th regiment, 32d infantry division. Out of 192 men who started out with his group, only seven were on their feet after reaching Buna and - clashing with the Japanese there. “Semehow,

most of us Kept

| last night by the office of price

administration for the first three

weeks of May to move sluggish stocks of ‘low-priced footwear. # The order $pplies specifically to children’s: shoes in sizes 8% through 3, sizes worn by youngsters” generally in the 4 to 10year age group. Maximum price for such sales is $1.60 a pair. Sales will begin May 1 and extend through May 20.

BREWERY HEIR INDICTED

Presley Anheuser, 32, son of W.

indicted by a federal

fics, for falsification of a

|tion to his draft board in order to

ST. LOUIS, March 17 (U. PJ).

Fred Anheuser, vice president of Anheuser-Busch Brewery Co, bier

and and sea forces in such over‘water ‘operations and what can be accomplished when they. are perfectly co-ordinated, as they have been in the Pacific. The Japanese have not had the air strength to protect their outlying possessions. In turn, this American dominance has-not been attained by the air force alone, but has been forwarded by surface and underseas operations against shipping which have wrecked their sup-

ply system. . - The attack by ‘land planes on

Truk, however, is a good example

of thevether: two services. Its effect has not yet borne such visible fruit as in the Pacific, but is bound to appear in the final showdown.

pay big dividends when the sion comes and the Ge

aerial defensive power, hamstrung in their own communications, and

too, aif power is an equal partner

That is, the smashing strategie offensive against Europe should