Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page 1

Tc WEATHER BUREAU 3jTTf 1 An Independent NEWSpaper it PRICE FTVE CENTS TWENTY-TWO PAGES TUCSON, ARIZONA, FRIDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 25, 1942 Xnurxl a wroiMl elM Mtt. PoM Offl- ADMIRAL JEAN DARLAN ASSASSINATED IN ALGIERS; REDS IN CAUCASUS START FOURTH WINTER ATTACK; ALLIES CAPTURE MAIN ENEMY DEFENSE NEAR BUNA Only Small Area Remains in Hands of Japs After New Defeats; Destroyer and Transport Sunk By Planes, Official Report Says ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN NEW GUINEA, Friday, Dec. 25. (fP) Allied troops have overrun the Japanese main i defensive positions in the Buna area of New Guinea while the aerial arm has sunk a Japanese destroyer and a transport, an official communique said today. Of the Buna fighting the communique said: "In a double envelopment our troops overran the enemy's main defensive positions and drove him back into his last line of defense in this sector." Allied heavy bombers blasted the transport from the Britain, despite the efforts of 15 Zero planes which rose to its protection.

Medium bombers scored the knockout on the destroyer off the New Guinea coast near Sala-maua. No Plane Losses Allied planes suffered no losses in this action. The final positions to which the Japanese now have been driven. in the Buna area, the communique said, centers on Giropa Point and extends approximately a mile along the coast and is between 500 and 600 yards deep. "It is a prepared and fortified citadel of resistance," the communique said, adding: "We now control practically all of the Buna main airdrome." SILLER IN CUSTODY dentity Not Learned After Victim Dies Of Wounds ORDER MAINTAINED But Indignation Rises In Algiers Over Incident ALGIERS, Friday, Dec.

25. (P) Admiral Jean Darlan, civil head of French Africa under an arrangement of co operation with U. S. Lieut. Gen.

Dwight D. Lisenhower, was shot and mortally wound ed yesterday afternoon in the government palace here by an assassin who was captured un-immodiately. Five shots rang out as Darlan was about to enter his office. Two bullets hit the former arch-col laborationist and he died within a few minutes while en route to a hospital. The killer's identity had not been learned by early this, morning.

He was questioned during the night. A communique Issued by French authorities here said It was not known whether the assassination was "of German or Italian origin." Nationality Uncertain The communique said the nationality of the man who killed the former commander of all Vichy forces was not known. (Reuters reported that a broadcast from Algiers Identified the assassin as a 20-year-old Frenchman.) Despite the shock of the high commissioner's death, and the manner in which he died, the city of Algiers maintained complete order. The French communique mentioned, however, "the indignation of the population." The of the communique Issued by the French authorities follows: Report Quoted "Admiral Darlan, high commissioner for French Africa, was assassinated this (Thursday) afternoon soon after 3 o'clock at the offices of the high commissariat. 'He died on the way to the hospital.

"The assassin was arrested on the spot. "Complete order reigns in Algiers notwithstanding the general indignation of the population. "The assassin was immediately interrogated, but his name is as yet unknown. It Is not known COPPER PENNY IS PUT ON LIST OF WAR CASUALTIES WASHINGTON'. Dec.

24 (TP) Secretary of the Treasury Mor-genthau Issued an order today adding the traditional copper penny to the list of war casualties and authorizing coinage of a substitute of zinc-coated steel. The order was issued under legislation recently signed by the President authorizing changes in the composition of the penny in order to save copper, a critical war material. Mrs. Nellie Tayloe lloss, director of the mint, said the production of the present penny, which contains about per cent copper, would be discontinued on January 1 and minting of the new coin would begin by February 1. The new penny will have a blue-gray cast which will tend to become dark with circulation, and will weigh slightly less than the copper prnnv grains, compared with 4S grains.

The steel penny will be of the same size and design as the copper pennv, which has been minted since" FDR SIGNS BILL RAISING PAY OF U.S. EMPLOYES Chief Executive Also Issues Order for Six-Day 48-Hour Week WASHINGTON, Dec. 24. (TP) President Roosevelt today signed the bill providing pay increases for most governmental employes and simultaneously ordered a six-day, 48-hour week for them. This represented a four-hour increase in the working week of most agencies and the President ordered a correspondingly reduction in personnel.

The bill removed "the peacetime luxury of the Saturday half holiday." In noosevelt's words, by eliminating a provision that compensatory time off must be given tor nours beyond four worked on Saturdays. In directing department beads to Institute a general six-day, 4s-hour week, Roosevelt wrote in a memo randum: To Permit Reduction "Obviously this will permit reluct ions of personnel In some agencies and eliminate the necessity for filling vacant positions in others. I am expecting you to take liatn stens to brine about a reduction In your personnel lists." The President further directed "red t.me be cut and mat government activities be "stripped of every non-essential." "Manv activities, desirable in peace times, must te euninaieu. be said, "provided only that such eliminations do not result in per manent barm to the future heaitn nd security of our Individual cm- zens; manv services iuu.n at a reduced standard: all agencies military and civilian must take all necessary measures to organize their work for maximum efficiency. Although we have made great strides in convening the government to an all-out war bis.

I am not satisfied that we (Continued to Pse II. Column 1) VOL 101 NO. 359 POPE APPEALS FOR JUSTICE IN SOCIAL SETUPS tragic Christmas Eve Is nr Pirn To Consciences FATAL ERROR CITED Supremacy of God, Dignity Of Man Necessary, He Declares WASHINGTON. Dec. 24.

(j-Pope Pius XII, in a mov-iiiJi ippral to the "conscience the world" on this tragic Christmas Eve, called upon nen of good will everywhere to undertake a vast crusade 'or a just social order based on the "supreme dominion of God" and the personal dignity of man. Declaring that the world lias sutn "plunged into darkness by Stal errors." he mentioned no individuals or nations by name. But ie condemned Die conception of ht Hate an "ansolutc and entity." the "urge for mttr and predominance, the wdinff of men as if they were i maim without a soul," the break ing of Internationa! agreements slimed to humanize war, and noted with sorrow that many pen- nl have been "consigned to doath or i nlovv decline" solely because "of their nationality or race. Materialism Happed The "baneful spirit of. material $Uc Ideas" was deplored by the pontiff, as well as the lust for gain Uiit overrides spiritualistic considerations.

The church, he said, has always pmdemned the various forms of Marxist Socialism, and condemns them today. But "legislation must prvnt the worker, who is or will, bt i father of a family, from being condemned to an economic depend-met and slavery which Is Irreconcilable with his rights as a per-inn, whether this slavery arises from the exploitation of private npltal or from the power of the iute." Official Translation The official translation of the Pope'i broadcast, as delivered In Vntiran City, was made public here through the National Catholic Wel-lire Conference. Much of the broadcast was de-totwl to the thesis that the "ca-tutrophes" that menace society are due to a departure from the of Christianity, the church, the Tope said, "does nut Intend to take sides for either of the particular forms in which tl'e aeveral peoples and states five to solve the gigantic prob-l'mi of domestic order or international collaboration, as long as tliwe forms eonform to the law of God. Church Function "Rut. on the other hand, as the Tillar and ground of and Ruardhin.

hv the will of God and tli mandate of Christ, of the na-tural and supernatural order, the diurch ramvot renounce her right proclaim to her sons and to the nnie world the unchanging basic wws, Raving them from every per-ril Among "perilous theories and thP ijs(C( "those Prions theories which, differing among themselves, and deriving Tom opposite Ideologies, agree in fnnsiderlng the state, or a group nlch represents It. as an absolute fupreme entity, exempt from ntrol and from criticism Personal Right When, a social reconstruction Program dcrdos the relationship of to man and disregards the re-'PM due the human person, he aid. then "instead of serving its harms It." ''Even the "Mate and the fuctlon-''Irs and organizations dependent on It." he continued, "are obliged to repair and withdraw measures 'hlch are harmful to the liberty. Property, honor, progress or health of the Individuals in one part of hU message the apparently hit at the Idea particular race, nation or nass should be supreme over all jfe listed anions "false Postulates" the "conception which claims for particular nations or toios, or classes, the juridical in- as thi final trmwM-ntlve and the norm from which there Is no" Ppeal." Fundamental Cited toward the end of bis broadcast. ne rope turned to a consideration Df fundamental points for the 0l'der and pacification of human Ipty." and said: "The call of the moment Is not lamentation but action: not JfiatntatUm over what has been.

reconstruction of what is to 5'3C and must arise for the good ocletv. It Is for the best and HP.0 distinguished members of the nstlan family, filled with the o'husiasm of crusaders, to unite Turtrt) An G.O.P. GAINS IN MIDWEST AREA ARE HEAVIEST Final Tabulation Reveals Nearly Half of House Victories There TOTAL COUNT SMALL Republicans Garner More Ballots for First Time in Years WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 midwestern states proved the biggest bulwark for the Republicans in the No vember 3 elections. A tabulation of final official figures today showed the GOP won just about half of its house victories 103 out of 209 in that section.

Although the Democrats won a narrow majority of the house membership 221 the compilation disclosed that the Republicans polled a larger combined popular vote in the congressional races over the nation for the first time in 14 years. Smallest Vole The total vote in the house contests throughout the country was only the smallest in any national election in 22 years. Even the highest vote in each state, whether for senator, governor, rep-resentative-at-large, or the combined district votes for representatives, totaled only :m.024,'J27. lowest since the cast in the Coolidge-Davis-La Follette presidential contest in 1021. Of the total congressional vote, the Republicans polled 14.217,o20 or 50.6 per cent.

The Democrats polled 13.3:51,215. or 47.4 per cent, and other parties or 2.0 per cent. In the last off-year elections in 103.X the Republicans rolled up only 47.3 per cent of the total against the Democrats 49 per cent. Other parties polled 3.7. Outside South The 'vote by sections disclosed that the Republicans achieved their popular plurality in the house races despite the fact that they polled only votes against 1.3t)0.G9S by the Democrats in the 11 southern states plus the political "border" states of Kentucky and Oklahoma, or 22.R per cent against 76.S per cent.

Other parties got only 11,372 votes for 0.6 per cent of the total In those 13 states. The Republicans polled 54.7 per cent of the aggregate in the mid-western states of Illinois. Indiana. Iowa. Kansas.

Michigan, Minnesota. Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio. South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Their popular total there was The Democrats had 4.75I.C02. or 41.9 per cent, and other parties 3X1.5H, or 3.4 cent.

The Republican total was a gain of 4 per cent over Democratic a loss of 2.3. Gain in Midwest the In electing 103 house members in the midwest against 25 for the Democrats, the Republicans gained i spats in that resion over 103S and the Democrats lost 20. The Republicans had a combined plurality also in the 12 eastern states. 51. per cent against 47.2 for the Democrats: and in the aggre- (Continued to Page 12, Column 1) at the dedication of a national community Christmas tree in Washington that "This is a happier Christmas than last year in" the sense that the forces of darkness stand against us with less confidence in the success of their evil wavs." The President told the nation's armed forces that "You are in the thoughts of your families and friends at home, and that Christmas prayers follow you wherever ou may be." He greeted the armed forces and merchant sailors of the United Nations and told those at remote inlands and haes that they were (Continued to Page 11, Coluiun 2) ASSASSINATED Admiral Jean Harlan, who led French forces in Africa against the Axis, was assassinated yesterday.

FDR DENOUNCES DARLAN KILLING Indignation in Capital Is General Despite Polity Fight WASHINGTON, Dec. 24. (VP) President Roosevelt to night denounced the assassi nation of Admiral Darlan as "murder in the first The text of his statement: The cowardly assassina tion of Admiral Darlan is mur der in the first degree. "All leaders of all the United Nations will agree with tha statement. "Nazism and.

Fascism and mill tarv clesDotism hold otherwise. I hope that speedy justice will over take the murderer or murderer of Admiral Darlan." News Given The news of the slaying of the former Vichy leader who became co-worker of the -American forces in North Africa was relayed to Roosevelt while he was in the midst of Christmas Eve observance at the White House. The President immediately put all other considerations aside to compose his statement and hand it to Stephen Early, presidential secretary, for distribution to the press. The assassination came as a shock" to the whole capital, even to those who questioned the wisdom of American dealings with Darlan. Free French Angry Fighting French officials here were among those who expressed a sense of shoc.

Pendmg receipt of further details, however, they hesitated to suggest any explanation of the slaying or to attempt any evaluation of its possible consequences. the 10th U. S. Air Force carried out an offensive patrol against Japanese installations at Maing-kwan, in northern Burma, with fragmentation and incendiary bombs and heavy machinegun fire. Fire3 were burning in the target area as the attacking force left.

One of our aircraft sustained slight damage due to ground fire, but returned safely to base. Returning from thi3 raid, the fighters strafed an enemy truck convoy. ALLIED HEADQUARTERS 1' AFRICA, Dec. 24 The following- communique has just been issued: Admiral Darlan, high commis-(Continued to Page 12, Column 2) fill Vf OTHER GAINS RAPID Counter Attack Speed On Don Faster Than Nazi Drive SUCCESSES CLAIMED More Prisoners Taken In Surging Moves Of Russians MOSCOW, Friday, Dec. 25.

(P)The fourth major Soviet winter offensive, in the critical Nalchik area of the Caucasus, was announced early today by the Russians and the total enemy killed and captured in the continuing advance in the middle Don area of the third offensive mounted to 92,000 Nazis and satellites. A special, communique of the Soviet Durcau of Information said the new Caucasus offensive already had regained 12 to 14 miles in that sector, where the Germans had attempted to break through the mountains to the oil riches beyond. Xhe new action in the deep Caucasus was the first important battle since the Russians stopped a German attempt to push to the vi-fai r.onrPian military highway thpniiah snlltf Of the Ol ld's tall- iliivu. est mountains. Report Advance npcpntlv our troops in the area southeast of Nalchik went over to the offensive and advanced 18 to 20 kilometers (12 to 14 miles), the special announcement said, i.

thp recaiiturc of 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Alagir, 40 miles southeast of Nal chik; Ardon, 2d nines noiu.L of Ordzhonikidzc, and three other large populated places. In the Don. the communique in dicated, the Russians are cnivm out the Germans faster than they come in. The Red army yesterday gained from 13 to 16 miles, tne communique said, for a total eight-day advance of from 85 to 120 miles in the middle Don. Capture 5.600 The Russians announced the capture yesterday of 5.600 men, bringing the Don offensive total to and said that Wednesday the enemv left more than 6.00 dead on the battlefield, raising to 50.000 tne enemy dead so far announced for that sector.

In the Don area, the Russians further said they had occupied several dozen populated places and two large railway stations. The Red army thus was surging on across the land of the Don Cossacks toward Rostov and deeper into the Ukraine at an unbroken pace. Villages Liberated Last night the Russians had reported 32 more Cossack towns and villages liberated and left behind with hundreds of additional German dead and captured. Pravda indicated the flight of the Nazis had become almost a rout in on area where the enemy abandoned 17 Messerschmitt fighter plants intact. From virtually encircled Mille-rovo.

German-held communications center, the Russians steadily were closing the 130-mile gap to Rostov, which lies to the southwest on the Azov. Closing of this gap would sack nearly a million Germans in the Caucasus and on the Stalin grad front. Vatntin I Hero The hero of the Russian offen sive is coionei-oeneral Nikolai atutin, a commander in his mid dle 40s who is credited with achiev ing something of a transportation miracle in mass movements of men and machines in some of the worst fighting weather. His accomplishment is consid ered all the more remarkable be cause his advance, under the most trying conditions, has exceeded the pace of the German invasion of the middle Don area late last summer, when the steppes were hard and dry and at their best for machine warfare. UMAX LEADER DEAD CHICAGO.

Dec. 24. V-Walter Sheffer, 67. business agent for the Electrical Workers Union of Chi cago, was shot and. fatally wound ed todav in the barber shop of a Loop oft ice uuuuing.

MUNDA BOMBED BY AMERICANS WASHINGTON, Dec. 24. American airmen bombed and strafed the Japanese airfield at Munda in the Solomon Islands Tuesday for the 13th straight day, the navy reported today. Results of this raid were not re ported to Washington but previous attacks there have set the installa tions afire and damaged ships. FOUR ARE DEAD IN TRAFFIC CRASHES By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Tragedy marred the start of the Christmas holiday season yester day as four persons, three of them soldiers from Salt Kivcr aney Air Fields, met death as a result of motor vehicle accidents.

The victims: Staff Set. Harrv Overhall of Pampa, Tex. Staff Sgt. "Charles Light of Leba non. Pa.

Pvt. Earl A. Waddell, 21, of Princeton, W. Va. Juan Lopez, 27, an Indian, of Sells.

Staff Sgts. Overhall and Light were fatally injured and John Donaldson, 24, Liberty, and Rus sell Haine, Los Angeles, Calif-were hurt critically when an army automobile overturned about eight miles east of Apache Junction. Waddell was killed, the Luke Field public relations office reported when his motorcycle collided with an automobile while he was helping convoy army trucks to the field. Lopez died as the result of in juries suffered Wednesday night when he fell from a cotton trailer The accident accurred on a county road about one-half mile south of Casa Grande. STIMSOX SPEAKS WASHINGTON, Dec.

24. CP) Secretary xf War Stimson said to day that the military prospects in all combat areas were definitely favorable for the United Nations, but tempered the statement with a warning that large casualties and even serious reverses could be ex pected before victory was won. AXIS IS DRIVEN OUT OF HEIGHT IN AFRICA WAR First Significant Drive In Two Weeks Is Reported LONDON, Dec. 24. (P) Allied soldiers fighting in the rain and mud of Central Tunisia have thrown the enemy out of a height dominating the important junction point of Medjez-El-Bab, 35 miles southwest of Tunis, Allied headquarters reported from North Africa tonight as the British Eighth Army doggedly pursued Field Marshal Rommel westward across Libya.

An Allied command communique announced the capture of the heights and added that Allied troops held it against counterat tacks by the.enemy. Dispatches from Allied headquar ters in North Africa pointed out that this was the first significant offensive action reported on the Central Tunisian battlefront in two weeks. French Successful The Allied command also said there was patrol activity on the northern sector of the Tunisian front while on the southern sector, west of Kairouan, "French troops repelled enemy attacks." Fresh downpours of winter rain hampered ground and. air activity, it was reported from North Africa. There were unconfirmed reports that the Germans were moving con siderable forces southward in Cen tral Tunisian areas, and there were some signs that the early outbreak of a major clash could be expected there.

Aided bv strong American air support, the French clung to their newly won positions south of Pont Du Fahs. in central Tunisia, against heavy Nazi counter-attacks. Positions Held A French communique stated that the Nazis had "reacted vigorously" to the French advance, but added that all positions were held, saving: "The American air force has powerfully contributed to the sue cess of our Both the German and Italian communiques claimed the repulse of Allied attacks aimed, said the Italians, "at recapturing lost posi-tions." (The Italians claimed the capture of 300 Allied prisoners; the Germans claimed 200.) Rommel's flight in Libya- was unbroken, the Morocco radio announced in a broadcast, but British advanced units were maintaining contact with his rear guard. British troops were In the vicinity of Buerat El Hsun. 50 miles west of Sirte and 200 miles short of Tripoli, and there still was no indication that Rommel intended to stand and fight.

Crete Bombed It was disclosed that Allied medium bombers assaulted the German-held Mediterranean island of Crete, setting off nine big fires and dropping bombs among enemy planes dispersed on the ground. Allied bombers hit and set aflame an enemy supply ship off Tunisia, shooting down one enemy plane that sought to interfere and damaging another. The day brought disclosures that American forces had arrived in the kev French West African port of Dakar, thus symbolizing the slow, progressive closing of the continent to the Axis. whether the assassination was of German or Italian origin. The nationality of the assassin is "unknown." Several Shots At the same time the Allied force headquarters Issued the following communique: "Admiral Darlan.

high commissioner of French North Africa, was assassinated shortly after 3 o'clock this (Thursday) afternoon, on ar-riving in the office of the high commissariat in Algiers. "The assassin fired several re-rolver shots. The admiral died shortly afterward while being taken to the hospital." (The British radio, in a broadcast heard in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission quoted its own correspondent in Algiers as saying the assassin had tried to get an interview with Darlan earlier in the day and had returned later. Another Account (Tills account related that the young man, said to be about 20 years old, fired several shots at Darlan as soon as he saw the admiral, the first wounding him in the mouth and the second piercing a lung. (The young man was reported to have jumped over his body and run.

shooting in the neck a French naval officer who tried to stop him. Other officers arrived, however, and took the man prisoner.) The assassination of Admiral Dar. lan removed from this busy military and political scene a man who. was able to deliver to the Allies the cooperation of all French North and West Africa. Change Uncertain What change, if any, the assassination might mean to the effort of the Fighting French -here re-(Continued to Page 15, Columa 1) Official Communiques Americans Helping Christmas Celebrations All Over World LONDON.

Dec. 24 fi?) An Allied headquarters in North Africa communique broadcast by the Morocco radio follows: "On the northern sector of the Tunisian front there was lively patrol activity. "On the central sector our troops wrested from the enemy a height dominating Mendez-el Bab. "Counter-attacks on this sector were repulsed by our troops. "On the southern sector, west of Kairouan, French troops repelled enemy attacks." NEW DELHI.

India, Dec. Hv TIIK ASSOCIATED TRESS A world at war today celebrated the birthdav of the Prince of Peace. While spiritual, civil and military leaders voiced messages of hope and blessing. I'nitcd Nations fighting men carried the observance of Christ's birth to strange far lands, or celebrated where it was an age-old story. It was a heartening holiday for the United Nations generally, contracting with the horror and heartache and darkening future of Hitler-enslaved Europe which Nazi propaganda broadcasts failed to mThat was the thousrht of Presi-dent Kuo.sc velt whu told crowd The text of a United States Army headquarters communique today said: Yesterday fighter aircraft of 'V- 'i continued to rage 12, Column 1).