Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 26 December 1944 — Page 9

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heard half way up the car:

U. 8. 1ST ARMY HEADQUARTERS, Dec, 22 (Delayed) —“‘Lemme See,” and Sgt. Russell Baker, Sistersville, W. Va, scratched his head reflectively as he

". told the story of his favorite jeep.

“We had two guys on the roof, six inside, two hangin’. on the back and I was layin’ on the hood with ‘another guy.” ' “You were retreating, I take it,” I observed. ‘Yes, sir, and wé was flyin,” he replied, “an’ when that flock of Jerry burp guns opened on us, we used a little jet propulsion. That little ole jeep just took off—but it still wasn't fast enough.” This is the story of a company of Americans who threw down their pencils, grabbed rifles and hopped into the foxholes, part of a4 division which took the full brunt of Germany's mightiest thrust and stood its ground for two/days until help came. Every man in the outfit hopped into defensive position. For 24 hours they held their ground, just east of a little town, with tanks in the town knocking the houses away, There is another hero jeep, too, with the first half of a double play to its credit, in the destruction of a tiger tank. The town was full of men from both armies and Sgt. ‘Elmer Keener, Sanger, Cal, was drivin an unnamed major swiftly through a narrow street. They turned at a bénd--and there way a huge tiger tank rolling straight at them, 20 yards away. ° v '

Jeep vs. Tiger Tank

“SOMEHOW, I FIGURES we had a chance,” said Keener, “so I yelled at the major to jump. He didn't lose time, either, Neither did I, and I tried to keep the jeep. going toward the tank. They ditin't have time to shoot at us or dodge. “That jeep disappeared under the tank, all ground into mincemeat. And it threw the tank off the street, sending the Tiger crashing into a brick house which fell all over it. It was stuck, so I kept the turret covered until the boys with the bazookas polished it off. ‘One jeep for a tank and crew is about an even trade.” “That was the biggest gun I ever saw on a tank,” sald Pfc. D. 8. Morrow, Austin, Tex. “One of them came at my buddy and I in a foxhole that Sunday morning. We had stopped Jerry the night before

They Were Expe

ndable By Jack

30 yards away. We could hear 'em talkin’ all night but we knocked ‘em back when they moved. “In the morning it was different ‘cause they came with tanks. It seemed I could reach out and touch that long barrel, The first shot was. low, but we saw he was after us so we figured it. was time to move ‘cause there we were, with no bazooka nor nothin’ fit for tanks. We were just gettin’ out when the second shell came, It sure helped my buddy out of that hole. Blew hisrifle into the shape of a horseshoe, and he went sailin' off like a scarecrow. That was a terrible place.”

Operating Under Difficulty

INSIDE THE TOWN occurred one of those incredible incidents so common when men flirt with death—and fight to save life!" Maj. Milton Cole, Hartford, Conn. was a regimental surgeon, operating on the wounded in a basement. The Germans drove the Americans off his street and a Tiger tank came nosing along, paused and backed between the major's operating room and the next house. The Jerries crawled out of the tank and built a fire; so, as they kept warm, the major went on with his operation. The happy ending to that little tableau was furnished by Americans with a 57-mm. gun which blasted the tank while riflemen took care of the crew. But in another part of town a tank crew built fires around their tank, Americans ventured out and were shot down by Jerries in the hedges. “They threw heavy artillery stuff at us in the foxholes all night,” said Pfc. Steve Chema, East Liverpool, O. “Then I was ordered back to town.any way I could get there. «I made it, and ran into the heaviest barrage I've ever seen. But the clerks did not fail the regular infantry, by golly; we

stayed in our holes as long as they stayed with us.”|

This desperate and costly fighting was not in vain. The men finally had to leave but they held up the German advance, hour after hour, while strong tank fighting units could move up. Yes, they were expendable, : Just a company of pencil pushers; but the American lines along that front are solid tonight, hurling back every Jerry attack. They held the little town—their blood on its streets will ajtest—until America’s heavy guns massed to outmatch those of the foe.

Inside Indianapolis By Lowel! Nussbaum

TWO YOUNG soldiers who happened to sit beside each other in the rear of an E. 10th trolley got to talking. Commented one in a voice that could be “Boy, this manpower shortage sure is great, No trouble at all to get a date.” . .. Apparently, Indianapolis motorists have a soft spot in their hearts for sailors. Anyway, one of the boys assigned to the navy recruiting station and who lives out ~ around 52d and Central tells us that 2 the 13 months he’s been ‘here, only once has he had to ride a bus doyntown. Every other day, he was picked up by passing motorists. The one exception was Thanksgiving day. . . . Jake Feld, the tire man, has a theory that : more civilian pedestrians would be givén lifts by motorists, if the pedestrians would make it known they want to ride. “Lots of drivers see someone standing at a corner, and stop,” says Jake. “And then when the person on the corner refuses a

"ride, the driver gets mad and says ‘To heck with 'em

all’ My idea is for all those wishing to be picked up to stand right out on the curb. And for those who prefer to ride the bus, or are awaiting pickup by regular share-the-ride cars, to stand back from the curb.” Sounds pretty sensible to us.

A Few Timely Hints

IF YOU WERE annoyed by failure to find any Christmas tree lights this year, think nothing of it. Even the light company officials had the same trouble. They couldn't find any lights for the tree in the executive offices on the fifth floor. . . . Even if you didn't use all your Christmas seals, don't forget to send in a check to the tuberculosis association... . The war

America Flies

WHEN WE RECKON Russia's bargaining assets in any deal to establish a world air authority, we must take into account her unusually advantageous geographical position. Russia occupies the economic, political and geo-

graphical balance of power posi-.

tion between Europe and Asia that England has held so long among the nations of Europe. To the west of Russia are the most restless, war-like people in the world, mostly worn out with their continuous wars and devoid of unexploited natural resources, whose policing constitutes a hard and unprofitable task, Russia is looking foward the east, toward frontiers capable of untold development and with fabulously rich, unexploited natural resources. Beyond Russia's present Asiatic borders there are about one billion people who are awakening and seeking the mechanical appliances of modern standards of

living. Market Is Waiting

* WHEN WE AMERICANS were pushing our fron’ tiers westward, we found vast natural treasures, but we had to develop our own consumer market. Russia's Far East market. is already there and waiting to be served. These things must be kept in mind when we plan an authority to control the world’s routes. Russia’s growth can be speeded up by trading with us, but she can make the grade alone if our deals do not suit her.

WASHINGTON, Monday ~On Priday, in the evening, I shared a Christmas party with some very dear friends of mine. On Christmas eve the usual ceremonies were held around the municipal tree in the White House grounds, and at 5:15 the President broadcast his message to the country and to the armed forces all over the world.

news is pretty grim these days. Hundreds of American soldiers are being wounded over in Europe (not forgetting the Pacific). A large percentage of those wounded are being saved through the use ‘of blood plasma. Nuff said. You know what to do. The place: Board of Trade building. , . . Another suggestion: A lot of ammunition is being burned up over in. Europe. It takes fats to make powder. Save your kitchen fats and turn them in to your meat dealer,

No Sooner Said Than Done ’

A RECENT reference in this column to St. Louis’ successful war on smoke and smog brings a letter from a disgusted citizen who writes, in part: “Twentyfive years ago I moved to Indianapolis because I thought it was a progressive and upstanding community. In some ways I still think it is, but it has ‘let me down. I moved north to get out of the smog, thinking the bright promises of smog elimination were slow in’ being fulfilled. I have listened since

_to orators and read the printed word assuring that

the Smoke Abatement league would accomplish wonders. I pinned my faith in the promises of the city fathers that something would be done to enforce the adequate ordinances on the subject. As you say, ‘Some day Indianapolis may be willing to make similar sacrifices to gain smoke-free air to breathe.’ Brother, I'm not going to wait! I'll be too old to enjoy it, I'm afraid.” I'm selling out my possessions and starting anew where one can see the sun and breathe air lacking in the sulphurous content of the Indianapolis air. I'm not naive enough to think anyone is going to miss me terribly, but I wonder if I might not be the vanguard of an exodus of worthy citizens from this cause.” Apparently, the writer who prefers to remain anonymous wasted no time in taking action. The letter was postmarked “Jacksonville, Fla.” “

By Maj. Al Williams

Another factor is that the major percentage of the world commerce. is done in the northern temperate zone, and the shortest air routes to most of the great centers in that zone are the great circle air courses traversing the Arctic regions.

Russia Holds the Key

RUSSIA OWNS about 60 per cent of all the land bordering the Arctic Circle. To reach Europe and Asia we will fly the Arctic Circle, Therefore, if Russia intends to remain aloof from our proposed world air authority, the project will collapse and we will be forced to form an air league with the British, It is unlikely that Russia will make such decision final until she has fully explored the deal we will eventually propose. We have not yet made that proposal. “ There is one thing certain—Russia is ready to offset any attempt by the British to repeat the old League of Nations trick of reporting to executive meetings of any world council with a solid bloc of five votes, one for England, and one each for Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Russia would top this bid for voting control by a vote from each of the states of the Soviet Union, which recently were empowered to act internationally as individual and sovereign states, We fnight with similar logic match this with a vote from each of the 48 states, plus the Central and South American votes which should go along with us. Above all else, the agreement to establish a world J authority will have to be truly a world meeting of minds or we will have at least two air leagues and later a real alr war which will make this one look like a May party.

By Eleanor Roosevelt

they can make a great deal of confusion when they acquire new toys and are trying to get some child to play with them. After the small children had their naps and it became somewhat dark, we had the lighting of the Christmas tree and the presents for the children, who then went to bed a very exhausted group. We found ourselves getting ready for Christmas dinner with a certain amount of weariness, but with the sense of a day well spent. The elders could relax and enjoy the traditional Christmas feast.

We have again this year received many, many

Bell

iy » ” DIAPHANOUSLY Martin pockets around $3750

- a.

SECOND SECTION

UTS ee tS lcs

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1944.

THEY'RE THE TOPS... (Last of a Series of Articles)

By EPSIE KINARD "NEA Staff Writer

NEW YORK. — Loftiest names on Broadway, are strenuously sincere Margaret Sullavan and girlishly glamorous Mary Martin, who, judging by the biggest salaries knocked down on the street, are tops. Until Margaret Sullavan yielded her bright spot in “The Voice of the Turtle” to actress Betty Field, she starred as Bro way’s high est paid performer? : For her verbal juggling feat in a comedy based on a furlough love story where conversation is tossed back and forth as airily as a ball that never falls, she earned $4000 a week, which included a piece of the show's profits. ° ” draped Mary

every Saturday night—a salary which includes a percentage of box office receipts and varies according to the take. She gets this sum for singing, dancing and strip-teasing in that set-to-music fantasy, “One Touch of Venus,” a last year's click which is still packing ‘em in, Third runner-up to the two gilded gals in .the Broadway sweepstakes is veteran funny man Bobby Clark, who, for his firecracker wit, precision-timed innuendos, broad winks, shouts and glares earns a big chunk of change in “Mexican Hayride,” plushy musical,hit. = = =

FOLLOWING close behind if not neck and neck with Clark on the fast Broadway track is pneumatic Mae West, whose “Catherine Was Great” is a come-up-and-see-me version of Russian history. Then comes Queen Ethel Barrymore of the theater's royal family, stars in tear-jerking “Embezzled Heaven.”

Both of these stars sturdily pull

weak plays while the three actors in the lead are luckily cast in hit shows. » ” . THE FIVE hottest hits—judging by advance sell-outs and by the size of the ever boom-town hordes who "push, fight, stand in

_block-long lines for upcomplaining hours to get tickets—are two

Americana-spiced musicals, the old “Oklahoma” and the new

The Brightest Stars of Old Broadway -

Talented Margaret Sullavan earns more money than any star on Broadway, with Mary Martin (right) singing her way to second place. Bobby Clark leads the Broadway parade of comedians, and Mae West is big box office in sexy “Catherine Was Great.”

women’s - rights saga, “Bloomer “Girl.” . Tops too, are “The Voice of the Turtle,” which gives audiences the sneak thrill they'd get from watching a love affair through a window. Also ranking high is “I Remember, Mama,” a play which has no sex, no crime, no suspense—just simple goodness—but is dragging ‘em in, ‘

v8 on 8 “HARVEY” is a new comedy wow in which a 6-foot 1inch

imaginary rabbit has zoomed to stardom, The rabbit is already a by-word, and will be the next animal pet of toy and souvenir manufacturers because of the exalting talents of ° endearingly wacky Frank Fay, who makes him his companion both at home and at bars. » ” . OTHER HITS which have been running so long that they are accepted as Broadway fixtures are:

ONE: The ‘suavely melodra-

matic “Angel Street” which will celebrate its fourth birthday soon. TWO: The nostalgic valéntine, “Life With Father,” which is galloping into ‘its sixth successful year in New. York and on the road, and is expected to out-live two other past perennials, “Abie’s Irish Rose” and “Tobacco Road.” The latter is fast using up all of the .children in the theater, and grown-up graduates from the juvenile cast now form a sizable alumni society, 18 of whom are in the army, navy and air force. . pp» DRAMATIC hits like these and the more current ones cost between 20 and 50 grand to produce, depending upon how many sets are used, how many actors are in the cast, and what size wad the stars demand. Weekly box office grosses range from $18,000 to $25,000 depending upon-how big the theater is, and how much is charged for a cardboard. Top ticket for a top smash will cost you $4.80, and 75 cents more if purchased through a legitimate ticket. broker. » H s

A LOT more money—it will run anywhere from $100,000 to $300,« 000—is sunk into a musical hit," and the amount depends upon how lavish the sets, extravagant the costumes, and whooped up the star-studded cast. Sell-out musicals will gross from $31,000 to $46,000 weekly, depending again upon the size of the theater and the price of tickets. To see the most expensive musical shows in town, if you're lucky enough to get a ducat—go to “Mexican Hayride” or “Song of Norway” or the new “Sadie Thompson” (familiar stage play “Rain” set to music). You'll pay $6 for an orchestra seat, bought at the box office. 2 x =»

NONE BUT the sucker will pay black marksl, HOR gp Jurtive and seedy charaCters, pulous bell boys or other chiselers who try to turn a few crooked bucks by selling tickets with more than fixed broker's fee of 75 cents added to the price. Mail-order sales, made way in advance and directly through the box office, grow in importance as Broadway becomes the Great White Way of all the country, scattering seeds of little Broadways all over the post-war U. 8. A., theatrical folks hope. .

Phil Murray Urges New ;

Labor Voice

By FRED W. PERKINS WASHINGTON, Dec. 26.—Philip Murray, president of the ©. I. O, has made public an article he has written for “War and the Work ing Class,” official - trade union publication of the Soviet Union, urging forma- ' CE tion of a new y international body for worldwide labor unity. This follows declarations by the American Federation of Labor and the United Mine Workers, headed respectively by William Green J and John L. Lewis, that they will Y have nothing to do with any such organization in which the Soviet Union is represented, hecause they charge that Russian labor is dictator-dominated and the labor bodies there are not “free” trades unions, Mr. Murray made no direct statement on whether he thinks Soviet unions are “free” or “dice tator-dominated,” but indicated he. holds the former opinion - through writing, “workers in free countries the world over, and . more especially those who are members of trade unions, are united by a great common bond-— the fight they are waging against fascism and fascist aggression.” a . » REFERRING to the recent peace-planning meetings of Bret ton Woods and Dumbarton Oaks, he sajd, “the labor movements of these countries are no less con=cerned with the maintenance of unity and there must be labor representation at such conferences in the future and at the final peace settlement.

" “It is therefore imperative that the forthcoming labor conference accept as its major task the development of a truly representa tive international labor organiza.

tion which can speak for organized Iabor on a world scale.”

Thus the competition for world attention was increased between a Jan. 31 meeting in London, of the International Federation of Trade Unions, in which the A. F. of L., but not the C. I. O. or the Soviet Union will be represented, and a gathering a week later of

BEWILDERED AND WILD-EYED CREATURES—

“Greek Children Need Food and Shoes

By GEORGE WELLER Times Foreign Correspondent ATHENS, Dec. 26.—The Athenian child today is a bewildered, wide-eyed creature sitting in a corner watching, on an empty stomach. He lives in a world in which

“parents and relatives are jerked,

as though by rubber bands, in and out of rooms. What the child hears is whisperings of terror at best, the terrible biting concussion of lowflying aircraft machine gunning rooftops at worst. His world is rocked with mortars and rent with flashing artillery. Yet, not all is motion in this world. When death touches parents, this frenzied motion halts and is still. * Between the intervals of firing the children may peep through the closed blinds and see things once bright with familiar motion now dead and still, o » » WHY, the child may ask, does yonder green trolley car never

Mr. Weller

leave its stop 40 feet down the street? Suddenly a pachydermous tank swings around the corner; fire leaps from the streetcar’s windows and is answered with a twist of the tank's turret cannon. The shell at point blank range rips through the trolley’s body. Something like a doll falls from the empty motorman’s vestibule, lies on the steps and then rolls into the street leaking his life into the gutter. o » J AN HOUR later a man in a helmet comes and binds the wrecked trolley car in a rusty web of barbed wire which he stealthily unspins across the deserted street, And the ‘wide-eyed child still stares between the locked blinds

until his mother sweeps the little observer away. _ Greek children are poorest in two things: Food and shoes, Though a parent with both hands raised up may run full speed between the fireswept lines in the free hours between 12 and 2-—-hoping no sniper gn the Republican or British side will make the family poorer by yet another death—what he brings home is almost nothing.

Up Front With Mauldin

R10

THE MARKET within the Anglo-Papandreist lines is virtually reduced to blackmarketed lend-lease, orginally issued for military use, but pulled into the bullet-torn “market” by the fantastic prices there. This disorderly world in some ways might be ideal from the child’s view if he were less hungry. Parents are so busy either hunting, or talking about hunting, food that the child has privacy. There are no baths because there is no water extept for drink-

ing. But the winter's cold pene- -

trates the smashed windows. = Blankets and sometimes beds have been sold. The child sleeps cold as well as fearful, . ” » BUT NOT ALL the children. There is .that half-dozen lucky offspring, who live with their parents 4n the shadow of the fading Papandreou cabinet in the Hotel Grande Bretagne, girt about with red-capped British and Greek police, At the 1insistence~of the Mae West-like British matron, the lits tle aristocrats clear and carry dishes from the servantless kitchen themselves, Occasionally, the roof is shaken by the fall of a mortar, looped over by the Republicans hardly six blocks away. ’ But the great, bare hostelry is theirs for endless hide and seek games when they grow bored listening to their parents forever muttering the’ same names: Sco bie, McMillin, Leeper, Papandreou, Saraphis, Plastiras, Sophoulis. And they are warm, safe, and fed the things that are fed to the

WORKER INJURED RY | CAR ON WAY TO WORK

Arthur Toon, 42, of 1614 8S. Ran- | dolph st., was in fair condition at City hospital after being struck by

an automobile as he was en route to work this morning. | Police sald he was taken to the) hospital by Joseph W, Smith, 53, of | 2619 Boulevard pl., driver of ‘the car. | The accident ocourred, they were told, as the Injured man walked west on 10th st, near Olin ave,

He received a broken right leg and

head cuts.

CHAPTER WILL MEET Indianapolis chapter No, 303, O.

JE. 8, will have a stated meeting

at 8 p..m, today at their temple, 1522 W. Morris st. Mrs, Frieda

1Brandt is worthy matron and William Ludeman is worthy patron.

HONOR PAST PRESIDENT

| The Kiwanis club will celebrate | past, - presidents’ day 1h

during : its

_*HANNALD

American lend-lease and British forces. . » » BEYOND the barricades there is another kind of child playing a different kind of game. The

E. L A, 8. Republica ave drafted boys and" girls ine as 7 to carry munitions. A children’s committee has been formed, each member being given a sack in order to visit houses and ask everyone to contribute a few beans or a fistful of flour to the army's needs. Finally, a few “eaglets” are used to skin along terraces through transoms whence they can see the movements of British snipers. In any “people's army” the children have a part just like the women. s ” . LOVE, that most essential food for all children, is not yet banished from this world. It was love for his famished children that made that father try to cross the lines and crumple before a machine gun. It was love that made a cap~ tured Republican woman who passed under my window flanked by police armed with tommy-guns first fill her arms with her baby and insist on keeping it.

the new World Trade Union Con=gress, in which the American representation will be reversed and in which Russian spokesmen will participate. Mr. Murray, Sidney Hillman and other plan to attend the latter meeting.

We, the Wome ‘Gl Wife Learns To Appreciate Her Mother

By RUTH MILLETT TWO YOUNG married women were discussing the problem of their widowed mothers. One said: “It seems to me they ought. to be able to get along all right. They have comfortable places to live, and they can always come and visit us for a week or two in the summer.” The other said: “I used to feel that | - way, too. But I've had a 3 taste of Xi ‘widowhood with Jim overseas for two years. And I think I've learned something about it. wr “A woman isn't well off just because she has a comfortable place to live, if she has to live alone after having had a husband and a family for years. - ~ » w “I HAVE a lot more sympathy for mother than I used to have. I realize now how much she needs her children and that she needs them for more than a week out of every year.

“I still think she should have her own home,” as long as’ possible. But I think it should be near some of her children”

“And I think she ought to be visited by her children. in her own home as well as visiting them, so that she gets the fun out of preparing for their visits and - showing them off to her friends. - » . ” 3 » AND I think she needs help and encouragement in finding ine terests to fill her time. I know, too, ‘she must resent being bossed by her children,

1 understand her problem much beiter than I used to, and I know Ill never again be as thoughtless toward her as I have been many times in the past.” That sidelight on the effect “temporary widowhood” has on war wives has probably been overlooked. It is sure to make