Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 11 April 1945 — Page 1

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VOLUME 56—NUMBER 27

SE OCERTRET,

AIOE SEY Ae ees Jemrieabe iver: - hen. -

FORECAST: Partly cloudy atid warm tonight and tomorrow

~~ WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1945

junky as Second-Class Matter at Postoffice

Indianapolis, 9, Ind. Issued daily except Sunday

PRICE FIVE CENTS

T oday’s Rumors: Hitler May Be Ousted, Dying—Or Both

By W. R. HIGGINBOTHAM

United Press Staff Correspondent LONDON, April 11.—British “official quarters’ circulated a report today that the Nazis were ousting Adolf Hitler and that he was dying. ‘Heinrich Himmler, gestapo chief, interior minister and commander of the German home army, was said to be replacing Hitler as supreme ruler, in the Reich as the . military disaster in the west mounted almost hourly. The semi-official British press association and the Exchange Telegraph agency carried almost duplicate

stories of the Nazi split and attributed them to “reports reaching official or authoritative quarters in London.” Sources close to the British foreign office said they

had no knowledge of the reports and told the United Press the matter looked like “utter rumor.” Even if the rumor turned out to be true, these sources

said, it would make little di war. It was possible that the of British commons—perha

‘Gloria Dickson

Dies i in Flames

ALL ABLE MEN

10 TAKE. THEIR COMBAT TURNS!

Army-Congress Parley Set On Troop Rotation After V-E Day.

WASHINGTON, April 11 (U, P.). —Congress" took its first steps to-|

day as the army revealed plans to send virtually all physically-fit troops in this country overseas as soon as they can be replaced. Chairman Andrew J.- May - (D. Ky.) of the house military affairs committee said he believed the fall of Germany was “close enough” for the war department to let congress in- on its plans for demobilization | and reorganization of the army | after V-E day. He asked Secretary of War Henry | L. Stimson to send the proper army

legislation “to co-ordinate the gen-| eral problems with which we will! {all be concerned.” | Noting that such problems would |

4 be determined “largely by develop-

Gloria Dickson . . . trapped in Hollywood home.

'ments from month to month in the {theaters of war and particularly i following the fall of Germany,” May |added: Post-War Draft? “Then of course at the end of the war we will have the problem of general demobilization of the

army and rebuilding of the regular ettabfishment, The size of this or-

ward demobilization legislation to= |

fference in the course of the

reports came from members ps members, of. Prime Min-

matte wand rrp am

‘Vienna's Ps Cotifiedt

Indicated as Russ Clean Up. LONDON, April 11 (U. P.).

| —The fall of Vienna was indi-

| cated unofficially today, and | Moscow “said big forces of | Cossack cavalry were moving

|officers to a closed meeting of the Up to the Berlin front in apcommittee next Tuesday to discuss! parent preparation for a lightning

| sweep westward to meet Gen.

| Dwight D. Eisenhower's armies.

| An Austrian broadcast said Soviet siege forces had cleared the last of evidently completing the

three German-held districts Vienna, conquest of the Austrian capital.

Cossack Spearhead

‘striking mobile forces usually spear-

ster Churchill's government—who could not be named, Nevertheless, there was nothing new in German propaganda to lend eredence to reports of Hitler's deposal. “It seems certain that a grave split among Nazi leaders is developing,” E. P. Stacpoole, lobby correspondent of the Press association, wrote. : “Foreigners who for some time have been in very close touch with Germany are also convinced that Hitler

is a dying man.

They report he is looking terribly ill, -

Some vores heuer he will ever be Saprured alive,”

By MILDRED KOSCHMANN First Lt. Morrison D. Loftiss, who

In Moscow. the government organ Izvestia reported that powerful formations of Cossacks, the swift-

flew with the first American pilots

to blast Hitler's hideout at Berchesgaden, was killed in an accident]

a combat mission from Italy. The officer's parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.-M. Loftiss, 6250 Central lave, were notified of his’ death | April 2. “Morry was ‘taking off in his | airplane from our base in northern Italy to bomb and strafe enemy positions when the accident- occurred,” Maj. John L. Beck, commanding officer, wrote the Loftiss family, “He met death instantly and suffered no pain as he gave his life for his country.” Before Lt. Loftiss’.plane left the ground an explosion occurred. He died before help could reach him. - Buried With Honors

March 22 as he was ‘taking off for |

“I conducted funeral “services for

Lt. Morrison D. Loftiss

Italy,” a letter from Capt. John A. Burgess, group chaplain, said. “The officers and men of his squadron attended the service in a body. It was oné of the finest formations that I had ever had occasion to observe at a military funeral.

. Stacpoole speculated that Hitler might commit suicide or be assassinated “by some of his own people turn=-

ing against him.”

He said German morale was broken

and the German people only wanted the war to end. “Foreign observers who have had direct.contact with leading members of the Nazi hierarchy are convinced that

the Nazi party is falling to

pieces and have not hesi-

tated to pass on this considered opinion to official quarters

in London,” the dispatch said.

“They speak of gathering unrest in Germany, al{Continues on Page 3-O%iumn ih

PARIS, city of Essen fell today in

next 24 to 72 hours.

brought the final collapse of closer.

final drive for Berlin.

ESSEN FALLS, JUNCTION WITH

Russian Cossacks Join In Race For Berlin

Local Hero Who Bombed Berchtesgaden Is Killed

Elbe Line Smashed as Million Yanks: Plunge Ahead; 9th Now 99 Miles From German Capital.

By BOYD D. LEWIS United Press Staff Correspondent

April 11.—The great German arsenal

the wake of three Amer-

ican armies plunging over the last 100 miles to Berlin, The Yanks were racing at a clip that was expected to bring a juncture with the Red army in the

"This is a day of spreading Nazi military disaster that

the Wehrmacht IoeAsRISINY

The American 1st, 8d and 9th armies—more "than 11,000,000 strong—broke loose

on what appeared to be the

Vanguards of the 9th army in the north were 99 miles or less from the capital early today. All three armies were pounding ahead against disorganized resistance.

heading a Russian blitz, were “Lt. Loftiss was well-known Krupp Works City Captured

Film Beauty, Perishes as ~~ Husband Tries to Save Her

HOLLYWOOD, April 11 (U, P).—Blonde film actress Gloria Dick~

son, 27, was burned te death last palatial hillside home,

» ¢

night in" a fire that destroyed her

Her body, clad only n'a pink slip and, cHarred: almost beyond

recognition, was found in an upstairs bathroom where she apparently

had been trapped by the flames. dog. . Death resulted from severe bums. and suffocation; police said. Miss Dickson was alone in the house at the time. Her husband, William Fitzgerald, a marine veteran and former boxer, tried to .enter the‘blaZing mansion to rescue { her, crying “I've got to get to my baby,” neighbors said. He collapsed when told of her death.

Started in Rumpus Room

Firemen. said. the blaze apparently started in an overstuffed chair in the rumpus room and spread quickly through the luxurious home, Five Hollywood and Beverly Hills fire companies fought the flames. Actor Sidney Toler, owner of the house, estimated the loss at $25,000. Miss Dickson, who was born Aug. 13, 1917, at Pocatello, Ida. ' came to the screen eight years ago after appearances in several Federal theater productions. She was divorced a year ago from Movie Director Ralph Murphy.

She previously was married ‘to a

make-up man, Perc Westmore. Best known of her recent films were “Rationing” and “Lady of Burlesque.”

LOCAL TEMPERATURES

a I ai A Miyae. 40 «MM... 68 .m., 67

12 (Noon) .. 7 1pM.eees?9

“he

Nearby was the body of her pet Boxer

ORDER CUTBACK

AT FALL GREEK

ur P1ENS Herp; 8 and nd. Elsewhere "Are Curtailed.

The war department has ore dered a cutback in plans for converting the Fall Creek ‘ordnance plant here to manufacturing shells, it was learned today, With V-E day drawing near, it was decided to install only three production lines to make 105 mm, shell parts. instead of five. The government-owned factory at 2005 Northwestern ave. was built early in the war to make armor plate, but was cut back in size before 'it was completed. Used as Storehouse It was operated for a time by E. C. Atkins & Co. and has been a storehouse for war materials lately. A subsidiary of the Tokheim Oil Tank & Pump Co. of Ft. Wayne is to operate the plant after it is converted. The Fall Creek plant cutback is one of a number made throughout

_! (Continued on Page 5—Column §)

Miners Agree on Pact With $1.30 Day Raise, No Royalty

WASHINGTON, April 11 (U, P)). «Soft coal producers and the United Mine Workers prepared today to ratify a new wage contract estimated by operators to mean an average daily raise of $1.30 for miners and a $150,000,000 a year expense for the industry. Negotiators for the two parties reached agreement last night shgrtly after the government Seized 235 coal mines that had been beset by wildcat strikes, traceable in part to

the uncertainty of the nearly six

weeks of wage discussions. The seized mines were located in seven states—Penngylvania, Ohio, Alabama, Virginia, Indiana, Tenn-

TIMES INDEX

essee and Kentucky—and for the most part were the so-called cap~ tive mines operated by steel companies, : The new contract, which still must receive government approval, will be put in final form by an op-erators-U, M. W. subcommittee this afternoon and placed before the full negotiating committee for final ratification at 3:30 p. m. One-Year Agreement The 10 cents a ton royalty demanded by U.M: W. President John

Amusements. , Eddie Ash-...10| Obituaries Comics ......17|Ernile Pyle.:..13 Crossword ....20| Radio ........17 Editorials ....14|Ration Dates . 7 Forum .......14! Mrs. Roosevelt 13 Meta Give 16 ya? Shonik 14 1 nan

all

6) Movies ,...... 8

wvess B| Fred Perkins. 13)

bei nl : Stokes. 14, Sat

question of the necessify or nonnecessity i universal military

Committee members have been trying for months to tearn the war department’s estimate on the number of men to be released after Germany's fall as well as thé volume of men and equipment to be transferred from Europe to the Pacific. The war department already has revealed general plans for partial demobilizatton’ after-V-E day, under which seme men will be discharged on a point systerd. But it has declined to give details of the program for fear of possible: adverse effect on troop morale. Army Sends Letter News that the army is planning to get all able-bodied troops in this country overseas, presumably to take the place of battle-weary combat troops for occupation duty in Europe and fighting in the Pacific, came yesterday in a letter from Stimson to Rep. George M. Mahon (D. Tex). Mahon suggested that the army “scrape the bottom of the barrel” in this country before switching combat troops from. Europe to the Pacific after V-E day. Stimson replied that of 2,900,000 men on duty in the U. 8. almost half, or about 1,400,000, already are being trained for foreign duty. He

(Continued on Page 9—Column 4)

Hoosier -Heroes—

2 MORE LOCAL MEN

One Is Prisoner.

Two Indianapolis soldiers ‘have lost their, lives in Germany, today's casualty lists revealed.

Germany;

missing in the Southwest Pacific. An infantryman previously reported missing, is a German pris-

prison camp. KILLED Pfc. Henry ‘Evans, 2050 Bellefontaine, killed in Germany. Pfc. Edwin David Cox, 2841 Forest Manor, killed in Germany. MISSING Capt. Russell D, Wade, Union st, over Germany,

Winthrop avé; over Austria. Ens. Robert. W._: Hunter, Central ave., in'the Southwest pon cific. ;

PRISONER

>is a 4

SAFE T. Sgt. John C. Ambul, 1817 N.

KILLED IN GERMANY

Three Others Are Missing,

Also an air force captain is missing over a tail gunner is missing: over Austria and a navy_pilot is

oner, and another has been freed by the Americans from a German

2520 «8. 8gl. Charles Spargur Jr. a9

Pfc. Robert. C. Sprague, 1240 W, ‘| 34th st, of Germany.

ip of

Y [runs through the Oder valley some

30 miles east of Berlin. . : The massing of Soviet cavalry on the front facing Berlin and the fast ‘moving Anglo-American armies coincided with forecasts from the Western froit of an allied juncture within a matter of 24 to 72 hours which would cut Germany in twe at ‘the tightly pinched wésp waist,

off Vienna with an acknowledgment

Austrians Desert

| 150-mile southeastern front

or fallen apart,

crackup was temporary and th front had been re-established wa weak in contrast with the implict acknowledgment that for a time a

Bavarian sanctuary of the_Nazis. Soviet front dispatches Austrian conscripts deserted: to th Vienna. They also said the Rus

airmen and sailors, fighting as in fantrymen in an effort to salvag

Radio Sender Austria said th Leopoldstadt (second) and Brigit

the Danube river canal and th river, itself, (21st) district east of the -rive finally had been liberated.

Other Districts Occupied

Occupation of the remainder of Vienna's 21 districts—all those west of the river and canal—was completed yesterday by Marshal Feodor I. Tolbukhin’s Russian 3d Ukrainian army. A Soviét front dispatch said Tolbukhin had captured a crossing over the Danube canal into the Leopoldstadt and Brigittenau districts.

ACCUSES OPA MAN OF BALKING ARRESTS

Wheeler, However, Too Late On.Removal Demand.

WASHINGTON, April 11 (U. P.). ~Senator Burton K. Wheeler (D. Mont.) taday accused OPA’s chief enforcement official of preventing the seizure two years ago of meat bootleggers about to be indicted in Baltimore in a “two million dollar black market operation.” ; He demanded immediate removal 13 or the ‘official, Thomas I. Emerson, deputy ig administrator for enforcemen

er demand was a bit late, however, OPA announced last week that Emerson had resigned, to become counsel for Economic Stabilization William" H. Davis. - “If they don't. jet. somedise elde ‘to head the

swinging into position on Marshal Gregory K. Zhukov’s front which

him and he was laid to rest with full military honors in a United States military cemétery in northern

throughout the squadron and group.

{Continued on Page 3—Column 2)

NAZI DEFENSES

IN ITALY SWAY

The German high command wrote |

that its defenders had been beafen back to the Danube canal in the city.

It also admitted that the whole in Austria between the Danube and Drava rivers had “lost cohesion” —

A high command claim that the

least no connected positions stood between the Russians and the

said Red army in several sectors of

sians captured groups of German

something from the Vienna debacle.

tenau (20th) districts, both between

and the Floridsdorf

Alles stat ¢ to Whittle German Strength. 3

ROME, April 11 (U. P.).—Both coastal wings off the German defenses in Italy swayed back today before concerted allied drives.’ The La Spezia naval base's outpost of Massa was captured. The allies gained 2% miles through three Po ‘valley towns. The American 5th army stormed through Massa, German stronghold 18 miles southeast of La Spezia. On the other side of Italy the British 8th army’s new offensive ‘| across the Senio river toppled Lugo, 28 miles southeast of Bologna. Also captured were Fusignano, four miles northeast of Lugo and Cotignola, 4% miles southeast of Lugo. Planes Continue Raids

Gen. Mark W. Clark’s 15th army group was striking. all along the line in a bid to whittle down the German might in Italy before it could fall back to join the homeland defenders in a last hopeless stand. Throughout the day yesterday allied planes carried on their greatest attack since the invasion of southern France last August. They flew 1650 sorties.

e s t t

Red Cross Rushes Food to Starving

Yank Prisoners

‘WASHINGTON, April 11 (U. P.).—Allied armies in Europe have’ released nearly 10,000 U. 8. prisoners of war from the Nazis, according to the best estimates available today. Liberation of others is imminent. The Germans marched allied prisoners away from threatened fronts in an effort to prevent their liberatifn. This has caused great congestion and confusion in central Germany. » » » THE NAZIS no longer are able to move prisoners as -esired or feed them adequately because of transportation difficulties and food shortages. “Conditions will get worse for our prisoners before they get better,” Brig. Gen. B. M. Bryan, army assistant provost marshal general, said. He recalled one repatriated American who said prisoners were glad to put up with their growing hardships because they were a sign liberation was near, 5 EJ ” MEANWHILE; the interrfational Red Cross is attempting to supply prisoners in Germany with food packages provided. by various na-

| (Continued on “Page ‘3—Column 2)

Court Takes On Dog and Pony Show Aspect |

JUDGE JOHN L. NIBLACK was ringmaster of a three-ring circus- in municipal’ court 4 this morning. Master Niblack cracked . the

judicial whip over four dog owners and a horse owner whose steed wouldn't be “fenced in.” Russell Klein, 747 W. Michigan st., was fined one dollar and costs for keeping a dog without a license. Said the judge: . “I'm a lover of dogs and have one myself. He has a license. Only 845 dog licenses have been issued this year, and I am positive there are at Jeast 250,000 running ‘around the city.” Mrs. Goldie Morris, 804 Coffey st., felt she had grounds for complaint, A war worker, she claimed she couldn't get in her sleep because of noisy dogs. So she swore'warrants for Clara Cheathem, 823 Chase st.; Tom Miller, 809 Coffey st, and Elmer Cannon, 554 Chase st. “Judge Niblack fined. each of the : three a dollar and costs. '

> Then the ringmaster turned hi

CHURCHES APPROVE

Advice for San San rancid Prepared Here.

By EMMA RIVERS MILNER Times Church Editor Indianapolis Protestants today had definite proposals for action at the united nations conference April 25 in San Francisco. These proposals wefle adopted at the study and action conference on “The Churches and a Just and Durable Peace,” held yesterday in the First Baptist church. Representatives of Protestant organizations and of the churches of the city drafted their peace resolutions with the counsel of Dr. Harold E. Fey of Chicago. Dr. Fey is field secretary of the Christian Century. The conference gave its support to the Dumbarton Oaks proposals

(Continued on “Page 5—~Column 2)

MORGANS MERGE

LONDON, April 11 (U, P.).—Mrs. John Morgan's three sons, George,

daughters of another Mrs. John ‘Morgan, Amy, ‘Sarah and Edith.

Herbert and -Ivor, have married the |

PL dig jmany yams]

Essen, Germany's greatest manufacturing city and the

‘core of the Ruhr valley industries, was captured by the

to fall into alleid hands.

weak resistance.

| |

allied sweep.

pected to speed up the liquidation of the Ruhr trap, still holding possibly 120,000 Germans,

the Red army. American 9th army troops on the northern wing raced five miles be-’ yond Brunswick to within 99 miles of the dying Nazi capital. The 1st army was 114 miles from Berlin and the 3d army is 126 to 130 miles. away, on the basis of front reports lagging hours behind the speeding American tanks.

149 miles due west of Russian troops

{miles from the Elbe.

A dispatch from United Press| | war correspondent John -

| (Continued on Page 3—Cvluiun *

and release powerful |

American forces to join the march | toward Berlin and a link-up with}

“The 1st army at last reports was.

on the Niesse river and about 50; war officer personnel, were Hbe

9th army’s 17th airborne division in an advafice into the northen wall of the Ruhr trap. Home of the sprawling Krupp works and the sixth largest city in Germany, it was the richest industrial prize

The German garrison, already more “than 100 miles behind the Berlin-bound “American armies, offered oply

Essen fell barely 24. hours aftr the 9th army's 84th: | division had captured Hannover. | on-Main, also .in American hands, and seven more, - -of Ger'many’s 20 largest cities—Hamburg, Bremen, Dortmund, Duisburg, Disseldorf, Leipzig and Magdeburg—were bypassed, under direct attack or imminently threatened by the

Cologne ‘and Frankfurt.

The swift capitulation of the Essen garrison was ex-

» . BULLETINS WITH UTS. 3D “ARMY, April 11 (U. P).~Lt. Gen. George 8. Patton's 4th and 6th armered divisibns started another tank

- drive early today, while other 3d

army troops broke into Erfurt, 130 miles southwest of Berlin,

By UNITED PRESS Absie, the American

casting station in Europe, reported today that the allied Western armies are only 115 miles from a juncture with the Red army at an unspecified point. a

PARIS, April 11 (U. P.).~More than 4000 French officers, perhaps a fifth or a sixth of France's pre-

erated on the might of April when American 9th army f overran a prison camp on southwest sige of Soest, o »

PEAGE PRC PROPOSALS 2100 Planes Strike Targets

Vital to Nazi Last Stand

LONDON, April 11 (U, P)— More than 2100 American war planes smashed today at war facilities deep in the southern reich in the inner triangle of Munich, Regensburg and Nuernberg. Halifax heavies of the R. A. F. joined the attack on south Germany this afternoon. They hit rail yards at Nuernberg and - Bayreuth. The American attack was carried out by about 1300 Flying Fortresses and Liberators with an escort of more .than 850 Mustang and Thunderbolt fighters. Chief targets were oil storage depots, ordnance depots, freight yares sirfielag ane on explosives

Ninth captures Essen. EASTERN FRONT—Cossack forces

factory—all of them vital to any

German attempt to make a sfand in’ the southern “inner fortress." The attack followed a night ase sault by 800 R.A. F. bombers on Berlin, Leipzig and Plauen, 60 miles south of Leipzig. Thé bombers made their attacks in good weather. Generally good results were observed in the attack

on the Kraiburg explosives plant

near Muhldorf. . Other targets Included the oil storage depots at Regensburg and Freiham, airfields at Ingolstadt,. north of Munich, and Obertramiiy iy ing. The Ingolstadt airfield was the 28th jet plane hase pounded during the last five days,

On the \ War Fronts

WESTERN FRONT—Three Ameri-|PA and Berlin along 100-mile front.| -

mon no so Bn .