Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (April 19, 1942)
First! 3 Sections 20 Pages" Again, readers of; The Statesman were first la Sa lem U M report of the - war's litest development the bombing of Tokyo, Get the sew first la The States- Scuem, Oregon, Sunday Morning. April 19.. 1942 Pile. 5c Ko.323 Laval Keeps Three Posts on Cabinet, Still Under Petain 13 Chosen Are Collaborationists; Darlan Commands War Forces and Reports Only to Aged Marshal , By TAYLOR HENRY - VICHY, Unoccupied France, April 18. (AP) iPerre Laval, France's No. 1 campaigner for all-out collaboration with Germany, reorganized the French government on a pro-axis basis Saturday, but agreed to submit to the final authority of Marshal Petain, still chief of state. Laval won the marshal's approval, necessary under the constitution, of a 21-man government, 13 of whom have been active supporters of his pro-German policy for France. He split the civil jind military divisions of government, abolished the national defense ministry and kept three important posts Normandie Is Fired Again Welder's Torch Is Cause of Second Fire in Harbor NEW YORK, Sunday, April 19 0P)-Fire that started in supplies salvagers were removing raged through a lower hold of the former . French liner Normandie Saturday night, but did no damage to the 'vessel's structure, it was said at " 9:25 p. m. (PWT) Saturday near . ly three hours after the blaze was ' brouhgt under control. The 83-000-ton vessel had lain , en her port side halt submerged , since flames caused her to capsize : February 9." "" """ Lieut. Com. William A. Sulli van, USN, said in a statement: The fire started In deeom- poked stores which the salvage ' people were attempting to re . move. No damage to ship'i structure. Great difficulty in fighting fire due to the fact that all entrances to compartment in which fire was were located un der water. It was necessary to cut away covers which had been welded over in order to get water to the fire." A message received by teletype at police headquarters from the West 54th street station said the blaze was started by a spark from welder's torch, landing on cork insulation.j " A spark from a similar torch 1 was said tq have started the pre vious blaze. A congressional in vestigation committee this week attributed the first fire to care lessness and asserted there was no evidence of sabortage. Approximately 2 pieces of fire apparatus were drawn up ' outside the pier and . disaster nits and ambulances were standing- by. But there did not teem to be any need for them as there was in the earlier fire when many workmen were . overcome by smoke. The Normandie was taken over i by the United States with the out break of war and rechrustened the LaFayette. Hitler Slowed by LONDON, AprU 18-iflVThe zero hour for Hitler's big . 1942 gamble has been set back , by a dearth of manpower, uneasy home morale, friction within the axis and the combined ' resistance of Russian men and Russian mud, a responsible foreign Informant with wide diplomatic connections said Saturday. Hitler is late." said this in formant. He gave this outline to support his conclusion: Information both from Ger many and the rest of the con tinent shows that Hitler Is feel ing a real pinch in manpower. First of all, he had to use 40 to SO divisions of his reserve force to stem the Russian winter count-ter-off ensive. Second, Saturday's informant r said, we know, from prisoners taken in Russia recently that the German replacements are mainly boys of 17 and 18 or elder ly men, and wo know they are not satisfactory." . . ':':,V"v-V : Reports from ; Polish quarters Were said to indicate that this re serve army which Hitler by ipring had expected to total 1, 100,000 now will not exceed 1, eoo.000. : Marip lor nimseu ioreign anaus, in terior and information. The aged marshal, by special decree, delegated to Laval the power to control France's domes tic and foreign policies but simul taneously placed his heir apparent and former vice-premier, Admiral Jean Darlan, in complete com mand of all land, sea and air forces, responsible only to the chief of state. Petain Is expected to broad cast a message to the nation, probably Sunday, in explanation of the governmental reorganisa tion. The cabinet, which was officially presented to the mar shal Saturday in conformance with French political tradition, will hold Its first official meeting Monday. Petain won a significant point by'11n'Wrl&fhIs'-ttct"'ln fluential friends as miniate; Lucien Romier, his minister of state without portfolio, and Joseph Barthelemy, minister of Justice. Laval compromised by accept ing the marshal's condition that he he submit the ministerial list to the chief of the state "to whom he will be responsible and to whom he will give an account of his undertakings and his actions." (Semi-official circles in Ber lin said Laval was expected to concentrate first and immedi ately on stepping up Industrial production and agricultural yield. Laval's chances of success, these sources said, depended on the at titude of his government towards the powers of "the new Europe.") Relief Ship Docks, Greece NEW YORK, April 18-(jP)-The Greek War Relief association an nounced Saturday it had received word that the ship Sicila, which left New York March 27 with a cargo of flour and medical sup plies, arrived in Piraeus, Greece, April 16. The 1633-ton Swedish freight er's voyage was approved by the United States, British, German and Italian governments. ower, Morale and Mud The German general staff j has been calling more and more upon the occupying troops In France and the low countries for service In Russia, and has been seeking to replace these saen by semi-casualties and others unfit for front-lino fight ing. Prisoners from these west ern garrisons already have been taken In some quantity in Rus sia. At the same time the nazis, in creasingly worried ' about allied continental invasion, are frantic ally seeking to reinforce coastal defenses on the west Only today Belgian reports told of nazi miner laying in fields between the riv ers Sambre and Meuse, at five or more points. On the German front, Satur day's Informant said the most re liable contacts reported -that Hitler is engaged in drafting a special speech for his birthday Monday to bolster morale. In it, he is ex pected to appeal to the people to forego festivities in his honor and to give him instead a steady and complete effort for - victory in 1942. ". - A. I :;' Inspects - 1 ' ; v; t ir.r ; s . a ft - A i . . f-4:.- i Vi . .. ; GEN. GEORGE C. MARSHALL Furloughs Set For Draftees To Clear Up Affairs; Hershey Lists Most Important Work WASHINGTON, April U-JP) Men expecting to be inducted in' to the army may now expect fur loughs shortly after being sworn in, to wind up their personal af fairs. Under a new policy described as "rreatly liberalised" fur loughs up to 15 days will be granted on request, to begin not later than five days after in duction. --.,,. Requests for such leave should be made in advance to local draft boards. Under the new procedure, men accepted for military service will be sworn in immediately upon their induction at reception cen ters with the result that they will not be eligible during their fur loughs to enlist in tne navy or marine corps. BLYTHEVILLE, Ark., April 18 Brig. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, na tional selective service director, Saturday night listed in order what he considered the seven most important occupations on which draft deferments should be based, They were: Munitions production, food production, transportation, com munications, health, . mainten ance of each and "to some de gree" education. Fourth selective service regis- 4 a Jl m . . irauon in aaiem is scneauiea w occupy two days, employes at the armory office announced Satur day. To accept registrations from men who by February 16 of this year had attained their 45th birthdays but by April 27 will not have attained their 65th birthdays the armory registration rooms will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 26, it was declared. From 7 ajn. to 9 pjil, Monday, April 27, registrations will also be taken. This appeal Is said to take into consideration a report from Propaganda Minister Goebbels to the effect that German mo rale, which rose with ' Japan's initial successes, Is sinking again because of: . . 1. A cut in German rations. contrary to promises. 2. Realization of the magnitude of the loss of German life in Rus sia. ; -ii-; , , S. Taking of boys and elderly men from factories into the army, which is affecting business and industry seriously, r C r s . Severe British air raids against northern and western Germany, and uneasiness lest this be - a "softening" process preceding allied invasion. I A supplement to the. midnight communique of the soviet infor mation bureau, illustrating the steady drain on German man power, said 1500 German officers and men were killed in two days of fighting on the Leningrad front and in the last few days 3160 Ger man officers and men were killed on me Aaumn front. The com munique said there were no im portant changes on the front. Yanks To Raid In Europe Marshall Avers Boys in Ireland Are Prepared By RICE YAHNER WITH THE US ARMY IN NORTHERN IRELAND, April 18 (AP) Gen. George & Marshall, chief of staff of the United States army, de claring: "the time for action is near. said Saturday that American troops "inevitably will join the commandos," the British shock force which has been raiding the German-held continent. Further forecasting offensive action, he told a press conference that United States air forces will be established in bases "all over the British Isles." Here for a flying inspection of the United States contingents al ready in Ulster, General Marshall said he had conferred at length in London with Lord Louis Mountbatten, chief of the British commandos, as well as with Prime Minister Winston Churchill and other British service chiefs. He pointed out that the TJS army has long trained an entire army eorps in land cooperation such as the recent British dash to St Naxaire, nasi submarine base on the occupied Brittany coast, and against other impor tant nasi coastal installations in both Franco and Norway. General Marshall 1 1 e where Friday With twe of "President Roosevelt's closest advisers, Har ry Hopkins and W. Averell Har riman, after ten days of "the most intimate and satisfactory" discus sions with the British leaders. He made a speedy inspection tour and review of the bulk of the United States troops here and then told officers that these men are but the first of a "steady flow." The first US troops of this war arrived in Ulster in mid-January; a second contingent followed in about a month. Gen. Marshall told the unit commanders that he was "very much impressed with the appar ent state of discipline and the evidence of strenuous training" of the American forces. Speaking to the same assembly of officers, Hopkins said that pro duction alone would not win the war and that he had "a deep spatm? belief that in the final anal- v.;,. the battle is coin to be with I " our land forces fighting the Japa nese and Germans. "It is going to be a tough busi- ness. for our enemies are xougn A 1 fighters," said Hopkins. Enemy Siege Guns Silenced Attack on Corregidor Decreased; Japs Darning Cebu WASHINGTON, April 18-(ff) Corregidor's sharp shooting gun ners encouraged hopes of a pro longed defense of the Philippine stronghold Saturday by blasting into silence additional batteries of enemy siege guns. As a result of the effective counter-blows, the war depart ment said, Japanese bombing and shelling of the island fortress at the entrance to Manila bay showed "somewhat decreased intensity. Reporting on the situation else where in the islands, Lieut Gen. Jonathan Wainwright advised that Cebu. the Philippines' second city, was in enemy hands and was burning.. .XLIHZ - w m ot Dixon Named US Minister CANBERRA, Australia, April 19 (SundayHAVPrime Minister John Curtin announced Sunday the appointment of Sir Owen Dix on, justice of the high court, as Australia's minister ,to the United States. - : y Sir Owen, 53, . succeeds Rich ard G. Casey, who recently was appointed British minister of state In the middle east. - - : Burma.; No Rangoon Hit; Japs Outflank American Planes Raid Rangoon as Chinese Retreat NEW DELHI, April lS-P) Big United States bombers sav agely raided Rangoon, chief Japanese supply base in Burma, Saturday while battle-worn British troops stubbornly fought the invader in the burn ed out Yenangyuang oil fields, 140 miles southwest of Manda- lay. Chinese forces under United States Lieut Gen. Joseph W, S til well w.ere in difficulty on the al lied left flank where the Jap anese pressure has been growing and a Chinese communique said that the main Chinese forces had withdrawn to prepared positions in the rear, inflicting heavy cas ualties on the Japanese in a de laying action. r. - Thej withdrawal was ordered after" the Japanese 'had! out flanked the Chinese positions from both sides. The Chinese command said that fighting was continuing without abatement against a foe "vastly superior in numbers." The heavy assault on Rangoon was delivered by Fortress-type I planes, based in next-door India under the command of Maj. Gen. Lewis H. Brereton, whose United States pilots already have set fire to Japanese troopships and a cruiser in the Bay of Bengal. It (Turn to Page 2, Col. 2) Manpower Board Set Up McNutt Given -Control Of Labor Mobilization For Industry, Farms WASHINGTON, April loHA nine-member war manpower com mission headed by Federal Secur ity Administrator Paul V. Mc Nutt was established by President Roosevelt Saturday and given all embracing authority to mobilize the nation's manpower and wo man power for war labor Jobs. The other eight members, to come within the government setup, will be' named later but it was made known that Chairman Don ald M. Nelson of the war produc tion board would be one of them. Other members will represent the war, navy, agriculture and labor departments, the selective service system, civil service and ; a new labor section of the WPB. i A sweeping executive ! order gave McNutt power to issue directives to all federal agencies now dealing with a recruiting and training of manpower. It also authorised him to see "that adeqnato supplies" of acrleul (Turn to Page 2, CoL 2) Ocean-Going Ships Under US Control WASHINGTON, April 18-(ff) All " American-owned sea-going tankers and freighters Saturday were placed under direct control of the government . The war: shipping administra tion announced it had requisition ed "possession and use" of several hundred vessels the last of, tne merchant fleet not already under government control. , While the action brings to an end private shipping for the dura tion of the war, original owners will continue to operate the ves sels, receiving "reasonable com pensation for their services. t ; Americans Toughest Jap Foe BERLIN - (From German Broadcasts ) -April lMAVTbe Tokyo 'newspaper Nlchi Nlehl corrected - the Japanese press Saturday on a recent statement that of all Japan's foes the Chinese soldiers are the tough est. The Americans now head Nlchi Nichl's list. Earlier the Chinese had been ranged ahead of the Russians (whom the Japanese fought on the Korean border In 1938 and on the Manchukuo border In 1939), British, Americana, An stialians and Indians. In more recent fighting be tween Japanese and United States troops, Nlchi Nlchi said, the Americans proved to be considerably tougher than the Chinese when fighting under comparable conditions. RAF Keeps Up War of Bombs Warplante in Flames Deep in Germany in Daylight Attack LONDON, April 18-i-Thick formations of RAF bombers and fighters -skimmed the channel waves Saturday to carry on the unceasing offensive against Hitler held Europe in which, by day and night in the last 24 hours, huge and lethal warplanes have left great nazi warplants aflame deep in the German homeland. In daylight Saturday, Hurri cane bombers sped across the Kent coast at sea -level and dis appeared in the haxe toward Boulogne. Later, Spitfires fly ing almong wing to wing and barely 59 feet above the spray returned from a daylight raid swooping up the coast to avoid the white cliffs along the chan nel. The air ministry said the raid ers encountered, no opposition at all from German fighter planes, and that all the RAF planes re turned safely after attacking rail way and other objectives in north ern France. : The German radio reported that 33 British planes were shot down over Germany and occupied terri tory in the last 24 hours. Squally weather reduced the scale of attacks which left ex tensive damage Friday at Augs burg and Hamburg. Nazi raiders again approached some southeast British towns where daylight alerts were sounded, but atey were turned away in dogfights high above the channel. In this atmosphere of offensive activity, newspapers jubilantly featured the United States bomb ing attacks on Tokyo and o her Japanese cities and on Rangoo.1. Yard Given . First Merit PORTLAND, Ore., April 18-F) Oregon Shipbuilding corporation. the nations fastest builders of Liberty freighters, Saturday re ceived notice that it has been awarded the US maritime com mission's first flag of merit. A telegram from Rear Admiral Howard L.' Vickery, commission vice-president, said the award was for "the most outstanding accomp-f lishment during the first quarter o: i 1942 in the production of Liberty ships.' - ... . :.r..c- The yard has launched .a , total of 28 ships since September 27L 1841. ! -J A W-.il.o- " Weather f orecasu withheld and . temperature lata delayed -,-- - . . . by army, request. Klver Satar- ' day, .2 feet. Max. temperature Friday, 55, aabL. SS. Ealnfall, OS laches. US MjqH on Mam Bombs Tokyo Populace Calm As Fire Bombs Drop Carriers or Alaska Bases Advanced As Source of Raid; Imperial Family Said Unharmed in Jap Broadcast TOJKYO (From Japanese Broadcasts) - April 18--(Al) The great cities of Japan Tokyo, Yoko hama, Kobe and Nagoya time in history Saturday, imperial headquarters an nounced, by planes which bore the bright insignia of the United States air forces. (Thus the very heart of the Japanese empire, its capital, two principal ports and the center of its air craft production, were attacked in what may prove the most daring and spectacular air exploit of the war thus far when the rest of the story is told. (It came less than 24 hours after Secretary of War Stimson in Washington said the American army was "getting pretty near to the stage of being ready for an offensive : ' (Tokyo could not say Chungking said they did not (But the official report that Tokyo was attacked first, half an hour after noon, and Kobe, 376 miles to the west, two hours later, suggests an east-to-west sweep. apitai nans Tokyo Raids Congress Cheered Also By Attainments of War Production WASHINGTON, April 18 (JP) Word that American planes had finally slashed at the great cities of Japan exhilirated and excited this capital Saturday and was hailed by members of congress as the harbinger of a vast offensive that ultimately will crumble the Mikado's empire. It was balm for the wounds of Pearl Harbor and Bataan to learn that the war had been carried in direct and punishing fashion to the Japanese people. In combina tion with this week's air raids on Japanese bases in the Philippines it cheered a country which, con trary to its traditions, had been fighting a defensive war. And cheering, too, was the pace which America's war pro duction was attaining, empha sized daring the day by a White House announcement that lend- lease aid to Hussia. In March was two and one- half times what it was in February. To this, Undersecrtary of War Robert j Patterson added an an nouncement that American pro duction of tanks was now greater than that of the zxis. Elation over the .raids on Japan was mingled with intense specula tion as to the kind and number of planes used and how they (Turn to Page 2, CoL 5) Circumstances' Stop Jap Games Bombs Not Rain SAN FRANCISCO, April IS (AVSports note from Tokyo,' after i the visit from enemy bombers: ., . :?Todays sports news from Tokyo universities Owing to circumstances, the- scheduled game between Waaeda and Keio universities has been called off. It was to bo held on the Melji grounds at IS p.m. "Twe rugby games have also been cancelled owing U eir- . The CBS listening station In San Frandseo heard the Tokyo radio broadcasting the above to "Jananeso listeners, who appar ently were able to understand what circumstances' the ai it. ' . in Japan Radio Avers- - were bombed for the first whence the raiders came. come from China. (Such an operation could have been carried out by a naval task force built around one or more aircraft carriers approaching Ja pan from the northeast, where the heavy April fogs might hide their approach. Long-range bombers from the Aleutians, some 2500 miles from Tokyo, might conceiv ably have cooperated with carrier-borne craft. Flights from hid den bases in the Philippines or China also are possibilities). There were an undisclosed number of casualties, head quarters for the defense of' east Japan annonneinr that Wi ex press to the next of km of per sons killed our condolences." This account, like other official accounts, said damage was light. Incendiary bombs fell In the Tokyo-Yokohama area, Nagoya and Kobe but fires were reported quickly controlled. (This suggests, however, that the raiders carried to the crowd ed industrial centers the type of war the Japanese fear most, fire bombs on cities which for the most part are built of wood). The high command announced that nine attacking planes were shot down over the Tokyo-Yokohama district (suggesting the raiding force totaled several times that number). The greater part of the Japa nese homeland was under air raid alarm for varying periods during the afternoon, from the northern tip of Hokkaido to Shikoku and western Honshu, a sweep of some llt miles em bracing three of the four main islands. Even the fourth, Sho kekn. la the southwest, was civ- . en "precautionary warnings.' I Military communiques and of ficial broadcasts gave this picture: Tokyo: The capital, third city of the world, population, 7,000, 000: military, political, financial heart of the empire: "It has been confirmed thus far that nine enemy planes were shot down ' when hostile aircraft: at tacked the Tokyo-Yokohama re gion this afternoon for. the, first time since the war began," read an announcement by eastern .de fense headquarters. . "The enemy planes approached from several directions .about 12:30 p. m. and were Immediately impulsed by air and 'ground de fenses. It is, revealed, that dam ages inflicted by-the air attack are slight" ; . . ; . Other announcements said the Imperial family, was unharmed (a customary assurance fm the ease of major disaster), that no damage was done la the imjne diafe Belghberbood; of .the. fm - aerial palace, enclosed by moats and huge ' stone waCi. la the (Turn to Pago VCot .1) :