Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 25 May 1945 — Page 1
4, 1945
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FORECAST: Mostly cloudy tonight and tomorrow; showers probable; not much change in temperature.
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VOLUME ‘56—NUMBER 65
_ FRIDAY, MAY 25,
1945
Entered as Second-Class Matter ‘at Postoffice Indianapolis 8, Ind
Issued daily except Sunday
PRICE FIVE CENTS
"FINAL HOME
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Patterson Probes Case Of Private, In Prison For Striking Nine Nazis
WASHINGTON, May 25 (U. P.)).—House Demo- . cratic Leader John W. McCormack, Mass, today that the case of a 22-year-old army private, sentenced to two years at hard labor for striking nine Nazi war prisoners, is getting the personal attention of Undersecretary of War Robert P. Patterson. The soldier is Pvt. Joseph McGee, Worcester, Mass., who was dishonorably discharged and sentenced to two A court-martial found him guilty of striking nine German war prisoners somewhere in France, McGee had been assigned to guard the pris-
Wants ‘Airplane’ for Middle Name
years at hard labor,
UNION STATION ‘HERE T0 HAVE FACE LIFTED
Yrain Shed Changes, ‘Bath’ For Interior Are Among Post-War Plans.
‘Union station's train shed may
t © have been the talk of the town in
the 1880's when locomotives with tall smokestacks came puffing in. But the shed “can’t take it” from the Big Berthas railroads are putting on and planning for post-war, Bo there'll be some changes made. The Indianapolis Union Railway Co., ‘which owns the depot, has contracted to increase the clearance between the railroad tracks
and the sheds roofing from 15 feet | six inches to 16 feet nine inches.
That will be done for six of the 12 tracks coming into the station and will cost approximately $20,000, according to W. H. MeKitrick, superintendent.
Concrete to Be Cut
The roof itself will not have to be raised. But the vent so constructed as to accommodate old style modeled. Reinforced concrete sides will be cut higher to allow more room for the larger locomotives. That will mean removing about 50 tons of concrete over each track. The train shed is 970 feet long. The interior of the station is due for some changes also. The restaurant will be remodeled and airconditioned at a cost of around big lobby and waiting rooms will be washed—a $5000 bath. The skylight will get washed too—but ‘not the barrel roof. : The station is Just too crowded nowadays to shut off the lobby and ticket booths ‘with the scaflolding necessary to wash the vaulted part of the ceiling, Mr. McKitrick said. Demonstration Planned Just to make sure the public gets the idea that the railroads aren't taking a back seat, there will be a demonstration in a week or so of how locomotives can be fired without smoking, New devices have been perfected during the war and they will be shown here to railroad and public officials. Later on, probably the railroads will show their stuff to factory and apartment house managers,
COUNTY G. 0. P. STILL ON HARMONY QUEST
Differences between the county esouncil and, county commissioners in their long standing feud over spending policies were being aired today by representatives of each group and other G. O. P. county politicians. The harmony moves were . discussed yesterday in a meeting between Henry Ostrom, county chairman; Joseph J. Daniels, 11th district chairman; - Howard T. Ayres, county commissioner; Auditor E. Ralph Moore and Addison J. Parry, county council head." “Nothing definite” was reported when the meeting adjourned and the conferees decided to get together again today in- hope .of straightening out the factionalism in the G. O. P. county ranks.
a
smokestacks, must be re-
sald
ulous;”
By VICTOR
neth Lee Airplane Cohen.
Right now “Airplane” is in the eighth grade at school 22 at 1231!
' 8. Illinois st. His father is dead and |
he and his mother live at 1114 Union st. Goes Into Detail “Airplane” first caught the public eye when he spoke recently to the Universal club in the Columbia club | on the B-29 Superfortress. He didn’t write a speech, all’ he used was a short outline. : And he stood before the members and went into the history, construction and use of the plane now worrying the home island Japs. For good measure he handed. out a mimeographed sheet titled “Plane Facts” which reads like an army air force directive, He apologized that it wasn't complete as he “had only about 15 minutes to get it ready.” Experts attending said = “Alrplane's” information absolutely was correct. Interprets Theories Now most youths “bugs” on aviation spend their spare time building model planes. Not “Airplane.” “I haven't time,” he said. “I try to study as much as possible on
(Continued on Page 6—Column 2)
Upper Bracket
Case of Love af First Sight
>» By JACK ROWLES United Press Staff Correspondent NEW YORK, May 25. — Leo, & widower for three years, went weak in the knees when Pauline walked through .the door. She fluttered her long eyelashes and took short, mincing steps toward him. They gazed at each other, then she crossed her neck over his and they touched horns. It was love at first sight for Leo and Pauline, giraffes. And a fresh spirit of spring swept through Central Park zoo today. Fred Sandman, head keeper who selected Pauline as the best of six
candidates for Leo's high-fenced
bower, was happy, For a moment, he was in doubt, but ‘when he saw the lovelight in Leo's and Pauline’s eyes, he stopped biting his nails,
TIMES INDEX
12 Jane Jordan.. 27 Comics ...... 27|Lee Miller .. 17 ween 33 Editorials .... 18 Obituaries . 9 Peter Bdson., , 18 | Pred. Perkins. 11 vaeevs 8
Given. Mrs. Roosevelt 17
.| to the 200.
Zoo Wedding:
Bride and groom were introduced yesterday afternoon under the budding maple trees that shade the giraffe pen. She had just arrived from Norfolk, Va. where she got
from Africa, her home, He has been a city zoo boy for 10 years, during ‘which the tuft of black hair on the end of his tail has fallen away, Pauline has a bushy tail and ‘a full-length mane, She is 4—in the prime of life—and he is 10. That's about middle-aged, Sandman said. Leo's first wife—also Pauline— died three years ago. Since then, Leo .has stood forlorn, staring at Yaks and other creafures unbecoming ‘to his stiffnecked standards. : - Pauline came to him as a gift from a man who does not want his name used. Sandman said only that the donor had given several animals
Pauline clearly came from a good family.” Her posturé was erect and her manners beyond criticism. She does not reach over Leo's neck to grab a “leaf he is contemplating. She does not put her feet in the sunken watering trough while he is ig
24| Leo's 0
Kenneth (Airplane) Cohen . .. aviation is his life.
14-Year-Old Already Expert On Aerodynamics and Design
Kenneth Lee Cohen, 14, wants his name to hit on four cylinders. His nickname is “Airplane.” He wants it legalized so he will be Ken-
The reason is that “Airplane” is saturated with everything that is aviation. In fact he may be another Alexandre P. de Seversky. But he denies that he is a budding genius in the future of aviation.
off a ship which had brought her |
mn
oners while they were working to repair a highway. After receiving a copy from McGee's family, McCormack labeled ‘the court-martial proceedings * and sent an immediate protest to Army Judge Advocate Gen. M. C. Cramer. Later, -McCormack told reporters, he had received a call from Patterson who told him the case will be “looked into at dnce.” “The court-martial proceedings, in which most of the testimony was from the nine Nazis, alleged that McGee ‘struck or kicked each of them.
PETERSON *
KELLY LAWYERS
. were “humiliated” ‘ridic- ny medical treatment. The proceedings report
of the Geneva convention.” of war “must at all times and protected, particularly
insults and public curiosity.
It also quoted the prisoners as saying. that they or “insulted” by the alleged act, but that none was seriously
were not-of a serious nature, but “were in violation
injured or required
that McGee's alleged acts
This states that prisoners be treated with humanity against acts of. violence, trivial:
McGee pleaded not guilty but declined to testify in his own defense. In his letter to Cramer; McCormack said: “The evidence in this case justifies reconsideration and restoration of this soldier to duty. The evidence against this man came from—practically if not wholly—German people and certainly one cannot remove their testimony from the realm of prejudice. “The prosecution contends that the acts were only When we have in mind the treatment of
prisoners of war in Germany, also the poor unfartu=
»
nate civilians who were put in Nazi concentration
camps—it seems to me that the verdict arrived at in this case was unnecessary and emotional. I believe the sentence imposed was ehtirely out of proportion to the so-called offenses, even if they were established as having been committed.” McCormack concluded that he thought a review of the case “will result in exoneration of this soldier and his immediate restoration to duty.”
SUPERFORTS FIRE-BOMB TOKYO; “SEAL JAPS IN OKINAWA CAVES
Yanks ‘Die At Guns In Jap Suicide Attack
JACKSON-IS IN
IN LEGAL BATTLE
| sands of “small fry”
‘Fight Over Admission of
‘Signed Confession.’
A legal battle was fought today in criminal court over admission of a signed confession into the Kelly murder trial, The conflict ensued in the fifth day of the trial, at which Charles E. Kelly, suspended city fireman, is being tried on charges of first degree murder in the alleged slaying of his wife, Ruth, last Sept. 21. Floyd Christian, a defense attorney, charged the defendant was held at state police headquarters later the same day of the tragedy and denied legal counsel. A confession signed there was “evidence obtained unlawfully by the state,” Mr. Christian contended. “The defendant had a right to consult his attorney from the time of his arrest to the completion of this trial,” he said. Maj. Walter Eckert of the state police was an earlier witness. He described the questioning of Kelly
(Continued on inued ‘on Page §—Colu §—Column 4)
OLD-TIMERS TO SEE
MIBSTER FINALS
| ises a brief cooling in the northern
Two Rings Prepared in University Park.
City recreation division workers were busy today conditioning two marble ringd at University park where the city championship will be fought tomorrow by four keen eyed youngsters. It will be the final competition in The Times-City recreation division tournament that began April 16. A number of dads, teachers and old-time mibsters. are expected to be on hand tomorrow morning when the contest opens. Contestants will be Pete Black, representing school 15, and Kenneth Heath, school 51, both 13 years old, and Louis Stowe, school 46, and James Crawford, school 17, both 14. Each will play. five games with the other three before it is decided who wins a pre-war Biglt, bicycle
EUROPE, SPEED IN TRIALS SEEN
Britain Favors U. S. Plan On War Guilt "Prosecution.
By EDWARD V. ROBERTS United Press Staff Correspondent
LONDON, May 25.—Pressure for swift trial and punishment of axis war criminals mounted today with the arrival inthe European theater of the American prosecuting staff, headed by Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson. Authoritative sources said the official British stand on the disposition of captured Nazi criminals is being formulated by tne cabinet and probably will be announced within the next few days. These informants indicated Britain may follow in general the policy proposed by the United States. Un- | der that plan, the principal erimi- | nals would be tried by United Nations tribunals, leaving the thou-
By UNITED PRESS _ ABSIE, American broadcasting station in Europe, said today that aified troops in Germany have captured Gen. Karl Albert Oberg, former 8S. S. commander in Paris and known as “The Butcher of Paris.”
to national courts in the countries where their crimes were committed.
Minimize Differences
They were inclined to minimize Washington reports that disagreement between the United States and Britain over procedure was delaying the trials of such top Nazis as Hermann Goering, Robert Ley and Julius Streicher, The London Economist urged that the rest of the United Nations follow the example of the United States ih naming its prosecutors and making all preliminary arrangements for the trial. “To allow. the prisoners the luxury of famous last words in a Hollywood
(Continued on Page 6—Column 4)
COOL AND RAINY—. SAME OLD STORY
LOCAL TEMPERATURES
12 (noon)... 72
The weather outlook for Hoosiers today still seems to be cool and rainy, Although the five-day forecast for the state predicts that temperatures will average three to five degrees above normal, it also prom-
| section of Indiana Monday and throughout . the entire state Tuesday and Wednesday. Scattered showers or thunderstorms are on the schedule through tomorrow with general rains again Monday. . In - Indianapolis’ forecast today it's to be mostly cloudy with not much change in temperature today
and tomorrow.
Eyewitness: Himmler Bit Doctor's Fingers, Broke Poison Phial
By SGT. MAJ. EDWARD AUSTIN As Recorded by the B. B. C, LUENEBERG, Germany, May 23 (Delayed) —He came into the room dressed in an army shirt; a pair of underpants and with a blanket wrapped around him. I immediately recognized him as Himmler, - : Speaking to him in German, ,I pointed to an empty couch and said: a “That's your bed. Get onto it!" : He
ROGUES' GALLERY—
Death or Jail Overtake Most Guilty Germans
By UNITED PRESS HERE IS what has happened
SAVE WARSHIP IN GREAT EPIC OF NAVAL WAR
to some of Germany's top war
criminals: Adolf Hitler—Reported dead in Berlin. Heinrich Himmler, chief of the -gestapo—Committed suicide while in British custody. Paul Joseph Goebbels, propaganda minister—Reported , dead in ‘Berlin Reichsmarshal Hermann Goering—In allied custody.
31 of Crew Killed as Men Are Swallowed Up By Flames.
By MAC R. JOHNSON
ABOARD ADM. TURNER’S FLAGSHIP, Okinawa,
Joachim Von Ribbentrop, | foreign minister—At large. Grand Adm. Karl Doenitz, selfproclaimed successor to Hitler as fuehrer—In allied custody. Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, supreme commander of the German armed forces—In allied custody. Adm. Gen. Hans Georg Von Freideburg, commander of the German navy—Committed suicide while in allied custody. Julius Streicher, ‘author of the infamous Nuernberg racial laws— In allied custody.
BIG 4 INSIST ON VETO POWER
Stettinius Returns, Talks to U. S. Delegation.
By R. H. SHACKFORD United Press Staff Correspondent SAN FRANCISCO, May 25.— Secretary of State Edward R.*Stettinius Jr. returned today to the United Nations conference. He met immediately with other members of the American delegation to give them a “fill in” on his talks with President Truman. The secretary was in Washington for two days, during which he canvassed the many post-war European problems in talks with Mr. Truman and with state department officials. He also revealed while in Washington that the President will come here to address the closing session of the conference. SStettinius was believed to have brought word from Mr. Truman that the United States, along with Britain, Russia and China, will stand pat against any “softening” of their power in the proposed world organization, Oppose Little Nations
These four countries, in talks here prior to Stettinius’ return, had made it clear that they were ready to reject demands of the “little” United Nations for liberalization of the Yalta voting formula for the proposed security council. For two days and two nights the big powers have been studying 22 questions submitted by the little nations seeking modification of the voting formula through informal interpretation.
The Big Four have decided not|
(Continued on Page 6—Column §)
rp —————————— CYCLIST 1S KILLED FT, WAYNE, May 25 (U. P)~— John O. Langston, 69, was killed last night when ‘his bicycle collided with a truck. Police said the accident occurred when a soldier opened an automobilé door. Langston first struck the door and the cycle veered into the truck.
| April 19 (Delayed). — Brave | sailors died strapped to.their | gun seats in the agony of the!
U. S. destroyer Laffey, another great ship that refused to be sunk. The gunners fired until they were swallowed up ifi the searing flames of exploding Japanese suicide planes and bombs. ; In two hours the 2200-ton destroyer was hit by six suicide planes and two bombs. Other bombs came close enough to increase the dam-
United Press Staff Correspondent
Spun in Circle The ship’s rudder was jammed to the left by a bomb and the vessel sped dizzily in a circle during the raging battle. The skipper, Cmdr. Frederick J. | Becton of Hot Springs, Ark., uttered these words: “1'll never abandon ship as long as a gun will fire.” . And so ‘the Laffey came through | the third mass Japanese suicide attack on ships off Okinawa, nursing] serious wounds but still proudly | afloat. Spectacular Action i The Saga of the Laffey's two! hours of agony will stand out among the sea epics of. the ‘war| along with othér great episodes) such as that of the Franklin. It was unquestionably the most | savage and ‘spectacular action in| which an American destroyer has| participated in the entire war. { In nd’ other part of the world] would the enemy hurl six screaming war planes in flaming suicide] dives onto a ship. This 2200-ton “can” absorbed all! the Japanese could give that day with tremendous heroism and unparalleled fighting performance. The gallant destroyer stayed at her post until the last enemy planes | had been destroyed by gunfire or/ American planes. 31 Killed When the last fire was out it wi found that there were 31 of as} officers and men listed as killed or missing in action. Another 60 were wounded. Her gunners had shot down eight Japanese planes and - probably a ninth. Added to. the six suicide
(Continued on “Page 6—Column-1)
BRITISH TAKE PORT, I ‘FAIR CONDITION’!
CALCUTTA, May 25 (U. P).~—| | British 14th army troops, sailing up the Bassein river -from the southwest Burma coast, reached the im-| portant inland port of Bassein, 88 | miles west of Rangoon, and found it clear of Japanese, a communique sald today. ! Main jetties of the port were reported destroyed but smaller jetties were described as in “fair condition.” \
i
Sgt. Maj. Edward Austin of
cast by the BBC.
the guards in the room at ‘Lueneberg where Heinrich Himmler, Nazi gestapo chief, swallowed poison Wednesday night. His eyewitness story of Himmler's last minutes was recorded and broad-
the British 2d army was one of
I said, “Yes, 1 do. You are Himmler. But that still is your bed. Get undressed.” . He ‘tried to stare me out, but stared at him and eventually
: looked at me and then Norma | looked at an interpreter and ‘said,
looking . for the poison which we suspected he had on him. We looked between his clothes, all over his body, under his arms, in his ears, behind his ears’ and in his hair. ‘ At last, we asked Himmler to open his mouth. He opened his and folled. his tongue
11000 Tons of F laming Explosives Are
of Dropped on Jap, Capital’s
Industrial Areas
By RICHARD W. JOHNSTON United Press Staff Correspondent
GUAM, Saturday, May
.26.—Five hundred . Taoiton
| tresses dropped ‘4000 tons of incendiary bombs on Tokyo
.shortly after midnight today.
It was the second great fire raid against the Jubaness
| capital this week.
The D2 haved defenses which the Tokyo radio
MARINES SEAL JAPS IN CAVES
‘Army Shatters Enemy Resistance in Okinawa.
GUAM, Saturday, May 26 (U. P).— Grenade-throwing marines systematically sealed off Japanese
‘caves in fierce hand-to-hand fight-
ing outside Shuri today. At the same time, army troops shattered organized resistance on the southeastern Okinawa front’ beyond Yonabaru. Japan announced without allied confirmation that special suicide
{troops of the Giretsu corps had landed—presumably by parachute— on two American-held air fields
Thursday night and had blown up U. S. installations, aircraft and
| munitions depots. -
An imperial headquarters communique said a co-ordinated Kamikaze suicide plane attack was carried out against a great fleet of American naval and merchant vessels lying off Okinawa. Claims “Confused” “The air-borne units,” said the Japanese communique, “are achiev|ing great war results by throwing !the enemy into confusion.” Tokyo predicted American troops soon would attempt a landing on Amami island, 115 miles northeast of Okinawa and 185 miles south of Japan proper. - Yesterday the
[enemy said 400 American ftrans-
| ports and craft of various sizes
(Continued on Page 6—Column 2) |
Hoosier Heroes—
'3 KILLED IN ACTION; 8 DEAD IN ACCIDENT
Eleven More Freed From!
Nazi Prisons.
Two Indianapolis soldiers have | been killed in action, one has lost | his life in an automobile accident in | Germany, and a Lebanon navalof-
{ficer has been killed, according to
| today’s war department announcement. Eleven more local men have: been freed from Nazi prisons. KILLED Pfc. Willlam E. Blackwell, Centennial ave., om-Tebu island. T. Sgt. Harold Brown, 2147 Madsson ave., over Germany: Pfc. Melvin Bowman, 1815 Bellefontaine st. in Germany. Lt. Berton B. Bales Jr. Lebanon, in the Marshall islands.
(Details, Page 3
nb
asked him to come near ko light and open his mouth. The doctor put two fingers in his mouth and took a good look inside. Then - Himmler clamped down his jaws on the doctor's fingers and crushed a phial which he had held in his mouth for hours. The colonel and I instinctively
the
jumped to him. The doctor hauled
him onto the sofa and tried to make him spit but the olsen.
All n u
558 |
claimed were the most violet ever put up against America's growing air arm in the Pacific.
The great load of fire bombs again were plummeted into the strategic industrial target area of south-central Tokyo, bordered on {the north by the Imperial palace and on the south by the Shinagawa small-plants district. It was the Shinagawa district that took the full impact of Thursday's record-shattering .attack in which more than 550 B-29s dropped in excess of 700,000 incendiaries. Other Attacks Reported The mission this morning, orig inating ‘from Maj. Gen. Curtis Lemay’s 21st bomber command fields on Saipan, Tinian and Guam, was preceded by small-scale attacks ‘by 60 Mustang fighters and recon~ naissance Superforts, enemy reports indicated.’ The sky giants rose from their string of Marianas bases during the early evening and joined in a huge parade heading to Japan They struck about midnight from medium altitude. Tokyo claimed Japanese defenses accounted for 27 Superfortresses and 30 damaged in the Thursday morning raid. Aerial photographs taken Friday while smoke still billowed ove) Tokyo showed “visible damage” in an area about 3.2 square miles— the equivalent of 26,000,000 squars feet or 2050 acres.
Restricted by Smoke The 21st bomber command emphasized, however, this was only partial damage since assessment of the strike results were restricted by haze and smoke. “Considerable additional damage is probable,” a headquarters state. ment said. Tokyo city damage now totals 359 square miles, or 995,826,008 square feet,
'BECZKIEWICZ NAMED ON STATE TAX BOARD
Appointment of Peter A, Beczkiewicz of South Bend to the stats tax board was announced today by Governor Gates. He replaces Ray E. Smith, who resigned to become secretary of the Indianapolis Medical society. Mr, Beczkiewicz was a Democratic member of the state tax board under the preceding administration. Before that he served as trustee «of Portage township in St. Joseph county, and as county treasurer there. He is a charter member of the American Legion and belongs to the Elks, Moose and Knights of Columbus.
PHILCO TO RELEASE 1300 EMPLOYEES
PHILADELPHIA, May 25 (U, P). Phiico Corp. will release some | 1300 employees within the next five weeks because of reduced military needs for aircraft and artillery | equipment, the company announced today. The workers to be laid off are in the ordnance and metal divisions of three company plants at Phila delphia, Watsontown, Pa, and Belvidere, N. J.
BELIEVE SOLDIER WAS BURIED ALIVE
MONTEREY, Cal, May 2 P.) ~~A Cincinnati soldier listed A. W. O. L. was believed have been buried alive blown sand dunes: