Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 31 March 1944 — Page 1

FORECAST:

Mostly fair tonight and tomorrow; slightly warmer tonight; lowest temperature near freezing; warmer tomorrow. :

VOLUME 55—NUMBER 17

| SCRIPPS = HOWARD | & Bw

_ LONDON, March 31 (U. P.)—Ochakoy, German defense base on the Black sea 38 miles east of Odessa, has fallen to the Russ army, sealing the entrance to the Dniep-

er bay into which the Bug river also debouches,

MOSCOW, March 381 (U. P.).—Russian advance guards have pushed high up in the Carpathians within sight of Hungary and have entered the approaches of the

SOLDIER VOTE

SESSION CALLED IL 11

FDR Allows Veterans

FOR APR

Legislature Also Will

Consider Other War | Vote Act to Be Law Measures Tonight.

Governor Schricker today

WASHINGTON, March 81

{tier from central Burma, have cut

SWIFT DRIVING

called a special session of the state legislature to convene at 10 a. m. April 11 for the purpose of passing a soldier vote : bill and considering other , * %“necessary” war time measures. Coples of the governor's procla-

: &

_10¢ 3 passing the bill as now drawn. SHploTed 2 Jew more 4-Fs into “gy to be to establish himself 39¢ : Would Amend Law scotia) w selective service legis- before the monsoon in the Imphal 30¢ The G. O. P. measure would |lation representative, recommended and Kohima area then attempt to 'y i amend the present voting laws to]to a house military affairs sub-|Strike our rail and river communi1.00 permit the printing and mailing of committee that local draft boards|Shuons ffom Calcutta along the ; ballots by Aug. 1 so that they could |publish lists of 4-Fs already in es-| Dranmaputra (river) into north-.-4%¢ reach the soldiers and be returned [sential jobs with view to per-|*iTem Asam oo Aa by the time of the general election. |suading their fellows to get into the ed communique, mean- -- The measure also provides that the | war effort, too, while, said one Japanese raiding ly, 83¢ state ballots will be mailed upon| The subcommittee yesterday urged|PAT'Y had established a temporary s 35¢ receipt of postcards from the men|that selective service re-examine| 8d Bock oe he pie the armed forces. : it road, , damaged a 49¢c Governor Schricker already has| (Continued on Page 3—Column 2}|and ned “one or two motor J . started to work on his message, NT transports” before being driven off. ..39¢ which probably will be delivered at Further to the south, almost mid- = To ly vii 27 06 BRITISH BOMBERS [zr Tore i moms ion : another Japanese column was re_20¢ Message May Include: FALL ported to have been scattered back 33¢ He is expected to recommend a) | into the Somra hills after undergoi that measures also be passed (1 ew] using and Sing 39¢ to remove technical restrictions on y es and artillery. the right of the state to tax prop- St ———————— . 19¢ erty of the federal Defense Pane|ONe Plane Shot Down for eno BETTER. PRESS 1.09 Corp.; (2) to permit cities and , : ; ’ an towns to levy property taxes now Every Eleven Miles. PARLEY CALLED arp .-d4c ae, reserves; uma Yoo (DO. March 31 (U. P)—The| WASHINGTON, March "31 (U. ._42¢ the state budget committee to make |i ga S heaviest P).—President Roosevelt's bron__39¢ 8 survey ot ow Bete uw he armada last night when 96 planes oor iy pr. 49¢ 1945 session and to correct technical] ¥er® shot down by German night|phen T. Early said today. . 5O¢ errors that have been discovered in Demers And snil-aircralt guns dur-|, Mr. Roosevelt planned to work in 1 68 Te pan by oe 103 8, 3, OTL lt, mele a na or ie a g Xe, The governor may recommend berg and targets in the western Tan. ay News confer_.49¢ these additions! measures in vain,| Reich. 59¢ however, for the G. O. P. state] The loss exceeded by 17 the yoCAl TEMPERATURES ” committee has passed s resolution|Previous record toll of 7 R. A. F.| {Be recommending to the Republican bombers which failed to return from 6am..... 30 10am a 34 majority in the legislature that it{® raid on Leipsig the night of Feb. 7am..... 30 1llam.... 38 Ny tt ne caldier vote ques mii Sam... 31 12 (Noon).. 40 (Continued on Page 3—Column §)| 9a. m..... 33 1pm..... 2

tion during the special session,

(U. P.).—President Roosevelt notified congress today that he would allow the soldier vote bill to become law : a

B2E3

Eis X 2

URGES PUBLICITY T0 SPUR A-FS

In Organization of Work Battalions.

WASHINGTON, March 31- (U. V.

proposed that the pressure of pubLic ‘opinion as well as the threat of induction into work battalions be

{Imphal road some weeks ago.

Public Opinion Seen as Aid,

¢| , “Our comfmanders have no inten-

FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1044

strategic mountain passes guarding the border region, front dispatches reported today. = : The vanguard of Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov’s 1st - army of the Ukraine raced southwestward from captured Delyatin, 15 miles short of Hungary's Carpatho-Ukraine,

formerly the eastern tip of

seize the mountain passes before the Germans could plug

them.

JAPS MENACE 2 INDIA BASES

Establish Road Block on Vital Highway in The Interior.

miles across the wild Indian fronthe main highway linking Imphal

a major asasult on the twin British strongholds, it was disclosed today. A British. spokesman revealed

miles south of the Indian frontier,

the Japanese first launched their drive northward along the Tiddim-

Its fall was not regarded as, important to the British frontier defense, however, since their main lines were drawn up about 15 miles further north and the town apparently had been by-passed previously by the Japanese.

Cut Across Highway

that stiff fighting has been under way for the past two days. Auchinleck declared that powerful British forces are defending both Kohima and Imphal, and pledged a determined fight to hold both towns.

tion that Imphal should fall into enemy hands,” he said. Report Road Block “The enemy's Object,” he added,

and Kohima and are closing in for 5

that the Burma town of Tiddim, 40| J

Czechoslovakia, in a bid to

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

Zhukov sent other striking forces down from captured Cernauti to the Seret river, from which the whole German position in Rumania east of the Carpathians can

be flanked. : Field dispatches said

the speed and impact of the

Soviet advance had panicked the Germans and there was

_no sign that they had been or would be able to regroup

their shattered divisions to meet the powerful push de-

see

PRICE FOUR CENTS

Russ Units Enter Mountain Passes In Sight Of Hungc : veloping against their Rumanian and Hungarian allies. The battle of the Balkan frontiers approached a“ climax as Zhukov's men plunged forward and Marshal & Ivan S. Konev's 2d army of the Ukraine massed along the. Prut in Bessarabia waiting for the order to strike anew.” (Rumania acknowledged the war was at her threshold’ by issuing her first supreme command communique in two: (Continued on Page 5—Column 2) :

JAP FLEET FLEES AS U. S. FORCE SMASHES BASES NEAR PHILIPPINES

NEW DELHI, March 31 (U.P) —|% Japanese jungle troops, slashing 30

ARMY TO CLOSE BUTLER SCHOOL

To Receive Transfers to Other Units.

More than 1000 soldier students in the 52d college training detachments (air crew) at Butler university will be gradually reassigned to air fields for overseas service, Senator Raymond E. Willis’ office ‘in Washington was notified today. The order to abandon all such army college training detachments by June 30 was announced by Col. George Parker. There are 40,000 air crew trainees in 81 colleges in the United States. Butler university officials and army officials here, however, said they had received no notification as to the abandonment.

* Begin Reduction

Last month the university began to reduce by 50 a month for five months the number of soldier students in training so that the quota would be brought down to 1000. Until recently 1260 students ‘had been taking flight training at Butler. University officials said the step was entirely unanticipated and that only last week school representatives had conferred with army men from Randolph field on the college training program.

Hoosier Heroes—

LOCAL FLIER, SAILOR MISSING IN GOMBAT

a sailor are missing following combat over Germany and in the Atlantic. ~

They are: :

TIMES FEATURES

ON INSIDE PAGES

Jane Jordan. . 21

ase

By EARL RICHERT

next week.

Dawson Slated to Announce ‘His Candidacy for Governor|

O. P. gubernatorial nomination Mr. Dawson, it is known, has long

_ranking Republican official in 1940 when he was elected and the

T. Sgt. James H. Flers, 4780 Wentworth. blvd. } ' Seaman 1-¢ Albert Sylvan Eldridge, 2711 N: Illinois st. 8 =» : T. SGT. JAMES H. FIERS, engineer in. the army air forces, was

EE ae incr

Too Many Eggs Give Farmers

New Headache

By HELEN RUEGAMER

Ways to put more eggs on the tables of Indianapolis homes and restaurants and relieve a glut in Indiana's egg market were considered at a meeting today of farmers, retailers, poultry men and government officials at the Indiana Farm bureau. The mild winter weather and an increase in the number of layers has increased Indiana's egg production 11 per cent over that of last year with the result that the price of eggs has fallen to a new low of 16 cents a dozen to farmers. 8 s o Due to the rock-bottom price farmers are discontinuing their poultry production, hatcherymen are cancelling orders for hatching eggs, with the result that a serious shortage in eggs and poultry looms for the future, Representatives of the Indiana

(Continued on Page 5—Column 3)

LONERGAN VERDICT DEBATED BY JURY

NEW YORK, March 31 (U. P.).— A blue ribbon jury began its deliberations at 11:45 a. m. (Indianapolis time), today to decide whether Wayne Lonergan, R. C. A. P. aircraftman, will be sent to

or freed on a charge of murdering his wife, Patricia Burton Loner-

gan. In a charge of one hour and 23 minutes long, Judge James G. Wallace instructed the jury it could acquit Lonergan or find him guilty of first or second degree murder, or of manslaughter in the first or second degree. If it finds him guilty of first degree murder without recommending mercy, death in the electric chair

the ‘electric chair, be imprisoned,|

AIRCRAFT LABOR CHIEF INDICTED

U. S. Jury Charges False Information Given in WLB Application.

NEW YORK, March 31 (U. P)— Thomas de Lorenzo, president of the Brewster Aeronautical Corp. local of the United Automobile Workers union, C. I. O.,, was indicted by a federal grand jury today en a charge of making false statements in an application to the United States civil service commission for appointment as a labor panel member of the war labor board. De Lorenzo was charged last year with responsibility for labor troubles which seriously curtailed the production of navy fighter planes at Brewster plants in Johnsville, Pa. and Farmingdale, N. Y. The 35-year-old, Brooklyn-born

(Continued on Page 5—Column 4)

NEW EXGISE TAXES START TOMORROW

Higher Rates to Go in Effect On Long List of Items.

WASHINGTON, March 31 (U. P.).—The public will feel the bite of sharply increased excise taxes tomorrow when stiff new rates go into effect to raise the government an estimated $1,165,800,000 a year in new war revenue. The new rates will bring excise revenues to an estimated $5,438,110,000 yearly—more. than the government collected from all internal revenue sources, including income

is mandatory.

In Line for U.

Tucker Formally Takes Place

lost in a raid over Germany Feb. 22 on what was believed mission. He is the son of Mrs. Elma Flers and brother of Mrs. George

(Continued on Page 9—Column 4) ' ELEVEN U, 8. SHIPS LOST

the G. O. P. senatorial nomination was on today as James M. Tucker

his 14th

oHINGTO

, March 31 (U.P). NO 8B. val

loss of 11

The Tucker-Capehart battle for

formally announced that he would

S. Senate Race Salem, he now lives in Paoli where

he is a law partner of his father. In ¢ his candidacy, Mr. Tucker said his platform, if

and cerporate taxes, in fiscal 1940, (Continued on Page 3~—Column 3) |

the ninth. A former resident of |g:

Photos Dramatize Allied Bombardment of Cassino Ruins

He ger

wave of bombers left in a record-breaking aerial

Six U. S. Fliers Die When British.

Down Transport

WASHINGTON, March 31 (U. P.).—British carrier fighter planes, protecting an allied Atlantic convoy, shot down an American transport plane by mistake this week and its crew of six men was lost, the war department and the British admiralty announced today. The plane was a four-engined C-54 operated by the U. 8S. army air forces air transport command. It was flown by a civilian contract crew. { # s Lo The plane carried cargo but no passengers. , | “Fighters protecting the convoy attacked the C-54 in the vicinity of the convoy route when, according to reports, identification was not established,” the announcement said. “Evidently the fighters mistook the C-5¢ for a German four-motored bomber, the Focke-Wulf. 200.” ft ® = ® It was the second announced case of mistaken identity. involving aircraft since the United States entered the war. The first occurred during the invasion of Sicily when 23 American transport planes were shot down at Gela by British and ‘American naval and ground anti-aircraft gunners who thought they were German bombers, About 400 men, plane crews. and paratroopers, were lost in that tragedy. The C-54 “Skymaster” is a lowwing, four-engine, all-metal transport manufactured by Douglas. It is an adaptation of the DC-4, a commercial airliner, Its is 117% feet. ;

HEAVY ATTACK 1S ‘CONTINUING

Wn.

3 ty

BY SEA AND ARR

Yank, Ships, Planes Make Record Penetration Into Enemy Waters.

By UNITED PRESS ¥ Powerful American naval forces, in their deepest penetration of Japanese waters, were believed today to have smashed Japanese bases in the Palau islands, 530 miles

from the Philippines, in heavy at« tacks which still may be continuing,

“heavy attacks” were and although the details were ing, observers in Washington ed that a landing would

Hundreds of planes were believed to have participated in the attack. (Naval observers in Washington regarded the attack as the prelude to an American invasion thrust = against the Japanese defense sys= tem in the Carolines, stretching eastward.) 4 The exact size and makeup Of the task forces comprising the at= tacking fleet was not disclosed, but Nimitz’s communique called them “strong” and a spokesman said they were similiar to those which = sank 23 to 20 Japanese ships at Truk in a two-day raid last Feb. 16 and 17. ' Japanese search planes from New Guinea and Carolines bases spotted the huge fleet as it approgthed Palau and flashed a warning to the islands, enabling ships anchored = there to flee before the assault bes = gan. | a Deserted by their protective ware ships, the islands presumably wers left at the mercy of the attackers with only coastal batteries and fighter planes with which to wapd off a sea or air bombardment. =

200 Small Islands

In view of the destruction ine flicted on the even more stronglys protected Japanese hases of Truk and Saipan by similar task forces = last month, observers believed : American - fleet | probably ach ‘wide devastation at Palau, The raid was the most daring Jeb attempted by American naval forces

(Continued on Page 3—Column §