The Burlington Free Press from Burlington, Vermont • Page 1

Wat 4 ON OTHER PAGES Burlington's two fire commissioners, asked to resign by the board of aldermen following a committee report on an blackout, have complied with the request. Page 13. SHOWERS; WARMER Vermont: Showers north portion, warmer Friday. For full weather report, se next to last page. Si CcnU Oatsid of Venn VOL.

107. NO. 92. BURLINGTON, VERMONT, FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1942. PRICE FOUR CENTS.

(ssOd LsivsiD Talk yontappv Frame; WW Compulsory Saving Is Not Favored by F. D. However, Door Bell Ringing Campaign to Sell Bonds Promised WASHINGTON, April 16. (JP) 00D Jlap la U. S.

Will Make No Attempt Ai Maintaining Relations With a Laval Government Whether This Means the Recall of Ambassador Wm, D. Leahy or a Complete Rupture With Vichy Is Not Revealed By WADE WERNER WASHINGTON, April 16. (AP) The United States will not attempt to maintain normal diplomatic relations with a Vichy government dominated by Pierre Laval, an authoritative source disclosed tonight. Dsll SodDdMD surod Incendiarism and Sabotage, Mass Executions, Arrests Greet New Chief of Vichy A Train Is Wrecked Historic Forests Near Paris Are Burned Marshal Petain 'Gives' Audience to 'M. Le President' By THOMAS F.

HAWKINS BERN, Switzerland, April 16. (AP) To an undertone accompaniment of reported incendiarism and sabotage, of mass arrests and executions, Pierre Laval became tonight the new chief of the government at Vichy, achieving actual rule of that beaten land under Chief of State Petain. Hundreds of Warplanes Swarm Across the Channel To Blast Occupied France More Than 400 Fighters Alone Take Part in the Onslaught In Addition Bomb Carrying Hurricanes Are in Two Attacks By The Associated Press LONDON, April 16. RAF planes by the hundreds swarmed across the channel today to blast at Nazi-occupied France and carry on the British non-stop offensive in what appeared to be the greatest mass daylight sweep by either Britain or Germany in this war. The air ministry disclosed that more than 400 fighters alone took part in the day's onslaught.

In addition, bomb-carrying hurricanes took part in two attacks, and in others clouds of fighters escorted American-made Boston (Douglas) bombers. 5 Axis Planes Downed Five Axis fighters were shot down; two British planes failed to return from the daylight forays, aimed at such targets as the power station and docks at the great port of Le Havre, the railway sidings and blackened piers of Dunkerque. In the channel a 200-ton German motor torpedo boat was raked by cannon and machine-gun fire by a British pilot who dived until his plane almost touched the waves. This became known for certain even before the formal communique was issued on the results of today's Laval-Petain conferences. It was understood also that Laval would assume the ministry of interior which directs the French police.

All but the formality of full power over the destiny of what Vichy had kept of France seemed to have been placed in the hands of this old-line politician whose affection for the Axis pre-dated the appeasement at Munich and came to full flower after the French surrender to Germany at Compiegne. British Communique The communique issued tonight a few condensed lines said merely: "Marshal Petain received M. Le President Laval this morning. In the afternoon the marshal confer Nipponese Take Possession of 4th Largest of Philippine Islands They Now Have Troops on 7 of Group WASHINGTON, April 16. AP) The Japanese, driving to extend their control over the Philippines, landed in force today on the island of Panay.

India Rising Slowly From long lethargy to Know She's War Zone New Delhi More Curious Than Disturbed NEW DELHI, India, April 16. (AP) With Japanese warships churning the waters along much of the coastline, India is rising slowly from long years of lethargy to recognition that it is a war zone. 9 if. LPsnraay red again with admiral of the fleet Darlan and M. Le President Laval.

They exchanged views on the poli tical situation. Before constitution of the new government the council of ministers will meet for the last time tomorrow." (M. le president is the courtesy title for all ex-premiers). Ever since the fall of France Laval has been known as the foremost collaborator with Germany. It was his Axis bent which brought his ouster from the early Petain government in which he had been vice-premier and Petain's desig nated political heir.

Laval and Petain were reported by the German radio to be prepar ing radio addresses to the French nation to follow formal announcement that the new cabinet had been drafted. Please turn to page 18, col. 4 marines had appeared south and southwest of Ceylon. Thus the Axis came nearer and nearer to hooking its belt on naval units around Europe and Asia tenuous though the belt may be in certain places. With ships to the west, south and east and Japanese troops pressing ever deeper into Burma.

New Delhi officially recognized the war last night by having its first blackout. Please turn to page 17, rol. Would Stop Sale of Short Term War Bonds WASHINGTON. April 16. Continuation of the sale of short-term war bonds "will lead to financial chaos," Representative Gifford (R-Mass.) told the house today.

Gifford, a member of the house banking and currency committee, demanded that the treasury stop immediately the sale of such bonds and substitute 20-year bonds bearing 3 1-2 per cent interest. The present five and ten-year war bonds yield 2 1-2 per cent and may be cashed by the holder at any time before the maturity date. Gilford asserted there was "danger" in piling up a demand debt through sale of such bonds. The government's demand debt now is $7,500,000,000 he said, and at the present rate soon will reach $20,000,000,000. If the government found it could not meet these demands, the next alternative might be "printing press money or managed currency," he said.

"Let's pay a little higher rate over a longer period and be safer," he added. One of every 20 Americans is on Federal payroll. Told That Freedom Trice, former executive news editor of the Associated Press, on leave of absence for the wartime censorship post, declared it would be an unhappy day for all of us if it was found that the president! confidence in them had been misplaced. "The President of the United States has put his confidence in your patriotism and your understanding," said Price, "and has turned his back on those who argue that only compulsory censorshin Whether this means merely the recall of Ambassador William Leahy or a complete rupture of diplomatic relations was not revealed. It was emphasized, however, that this government could noi regard any cabinet headed by Laval as anything but a regime pledged to collaborate fully toward a German victory.

No Policy Announced There has been no official an nouncement of United States policy toward the new Vichy government ar.ct there is not likely to be until tomorrow. It was considered pos sible in well informed quarters that the German precedent might be followed that is Ambassador Leahy could be recalled and a charge d'affaires left in Vichy until the government there chose to break off all diplomatic contact with this country It will be recalled that the United States embassy in Berlin was not until Germany declared war on the United States. French Ambassador Gaston Henry-Haye. who called on acting Secretary of State Welles to com municate his government's rejection of an American note described in Vichy Tuesday as insulting in tone, denied that he had received instructions to return to Vichy. He said he still hoped normal rel ations might be maintained, but admitted he could not forecast "the American reaction." Please turn to page 17, col.

2 Ship Torpedoed Off the South Atlantic Coast Survivors See Shelling of Another Vessel Nearby COCOA, April 16. (JPy Less than three hours after their ship was torpedoed off the south Atlantic coast, survivors of a medium sized American freighter saw the shelling of a Swedish vessel near the same spot. One man lost his life in the sinking of the American ship late on April 12, and four are missing, while 27 made their way to shore in lifeboats. Nine of the crew of the Swedish craft have not been accounted for, but 17 landed safely after the ship was abandoned early on the morning of April 13. Both groups of survivors were given food and lodging at the naval air base at Banana river.

Was Flying Swedish Flag The shelled vessel, a medium freighter, was flying the Swedish flag, but was running without lights in accordance with war-time regulations. She was under charter to the British government. Crew members said there was nothing in the darkness to give the submarine commander any indi cation that he had opened fire on a neutral flag. "The Swedish ship almost ran down our lifeboat," related the chief engineer of the American ship, Thomas McCartny of New York. "There was a faint light showing where a sea hatch apparently had been left open.

We couldn't tell she was Swedish. "We didn't hail her because we were afraid she might be armed and. not knowing who we were, start shooting at us. "She hadn't gone very far when firing started. Two submarines got her in a crossfire.

They pounded her for about 15 minutes. "We rowed as hard as we could ko get out of the line of fire." WASHINGTON, April 16. Newbold Noyes, journalist, world war soldier and poet, died today. Royce's Raid Rocked Japs Info a Panic American Bombers Are Now Operating From a Secret Base Deep in Philippines; Expect to Return Again and Again Brig. Gen.

Royce By CLARKE LEE UNITED STATES ARMY HEADQUARTERS IX AUSTRALIA, April 16. Ufh rrovinj; that, the Philippines are not yet lost, it was disclosed today that the American bombers which spread destruction and dismay among: the Japanese early this Week used a secret, fighter-guarded base deep in those islands and provisioned it in expectation of returning; again and again. Ten B-25's and three B-17's made the raid. One B-17 was destroyed on the ground by the Japanese, but its crew of 10 was brought back in the other planes along with 34 soldiers and civilians who had made their way out of such places as Corregidor and Battan. Only An Opening The unfolding story of the American exploit showed clearly that it was only an opening, though highly-effective, step in Gen.

Douglas MacArthur's promised campaign to drive the Japanese out of the Philippines. Australian Prime Minister John Curtin hailed the exploit of Brig. Gen. Ralph Royce and his men as indication, that the. war tide was turning against the Japanese, saying it was only the first drive into the heart of Japanese positions and would in time be followed by vast fleets of planes.

Something Like "Picnic" General Royce, who volunteered to lead the expedition, gave these details of the bold, significant exploit: "It was a field day for two days something in the nature of a picnic. "We left our Australian squadron base at 1 a. m. Saturday, refueled farther on, and took off under cover of American fighters at 10:30 and flew straight into the Philippines. "I went up in a B-17 and came back in a B-25, and did some piloting both ways.

On the way back one of our engines was out for three hours. Please turn to page 10, col. 7 Weary Battalion Holding Burma Front LONDON, April 16. (JP) Bloody, weary, but still on their feet and fighting, a battalion of the king's Dwn Yorkshire light infantry, a regiment with 186 years of glorious history, held the Burma front today in obedience to the regimental motto, "yield to none." This battalion of hard-fisted, coal miners from Yorkshire has been twice mentioned for gallantry in the Burmese campaign. They are part of a small but determined force who have turned the Japanese invasion of Burma into one of the war's bloodiest campaigns, one which cost the Japanese heavy casualties and time.

The deeds of the battalion ring throughout the British army today. Already cherished is the remark of a sergeant who spat out a spent Japanese bullet which had ripped through his cheek. "I'm tough, mate," he told a youngster. "They bounce off me bleedin' teeth." The battalion, which has been Sghting steadily since the second week in February, had neither re lief nor respite for 44 days of fighting early in the Some times no food reached them for several days. i ut'Zf tr-nfi A Secretary Morgenthau informed congress today that the treasury soon would start ringing door bells once a month to stimulate war bond purchases and hinted broadly that the administration does not contemplate compulsory savings.

"We expect to go into every county and ring every door bell once a month," Morgenthau told the house ways and means committee a short time after indicating at the press conference that President Roosevelt still favors voluntary rather than forced bond purchases. Plan To Stimulate The 'cabinet officer told the committee that "we have a plan in preparation" to stimulate voluntary purchases, which have dropped from a rate of $1,000,000,000 a month in January to $500,000,000. But he quickly explained that the treasury did not "intend to paint houses yellow" or put people "behind barbed wire" if they did not buy bonds. With sales lower than during the period immediately after Pearl Harbor, some administration officials have advocated forced savings and a tax program much greater than the pending one to help control inflation. President Against It But President Roosevelt was reported to have sided with Morgenthau in opposition to those steps.

Morgenthau, intensifying his drive to head off forced savings, took four representatives of labor and management from General Motors corporation before the committee to explain that company's scheme of voluntary payroll deductions for bond purchases. "I would not be giving this demonstration of the value of voluntary methods unless I felt I was in tune with the president," he told his downtown press conference just before riding to the capitol. After listening to the GMC representatives for an hour, Chairman George of the senate finance committee, who had been a spectator, asserted publicly that their "job" appeared to be "most thorough." Senate Subcommittee Drafts Labor Legislation WASHINGTON, April 16. (JP With strong sentiment evidenced in congress for new labor legislation, the senate floor committee abandoned its months' long opposition today and at its direction a sub committee drafted legislation restricting extension of closed shop agreements and increases in wages and salaries. The sub-committee's bill, a revised version of a measure by Senator Ball will be sub mitted to the full committee Monday morning and, if approved, will be immediately laid before the senate.

The bill would continue, as agencies for handling 'labor disputes, the present conciliation service and war labor board, and, in addition, create a three-member arbitration commission to be appointed by the president. These agencies would be forbid den to approve or recommend a labor contract making membership in a labor organization a condition to employment unless there had been: 1. A previous agreement to that effect. 2. A finding by the national labor relations bo'ard that the employer had engaged in unfair labor prac tices within the two preceding years.

Would Transport Oil By Inland Barges MEMPHIS. April 16 Maj. Gen. Eugene Reybold, chief of the U.S. army engineers, said today transportation of oil by in land barge line "is the only thing to do" to offset the German sub marine menace off the Atlantic coast.

"It's just plain foolishness to send ocean-going tankers around the Atlantic coast to be sunk by German submarines when we have the inland waterways," he said in an interview here. "They are safe and they can carry all the oil and gasoline we need to haul." General Reybold passed through Memphis en route to Corpus Chris-ti, where he will make an address Saturday night. RAF Has Shot Down 10,000 Nazi Planes DALLAS, April 16. (JP) Lord Halifax said tonight the Royal Air Force had "torn out of the skies 10,000 enemy planes" since the start of the war and that 80 per cent of all British war pro duction was being sent out of Brit ain. MOSCOW.

April 16 UR The Mos cow radio broadcast a report today by Red Star that the Germans had lost 38,000 fliers in the first nine months of the German-Russian war. The Star report said the Ger mans lost more than 7,200 airplanes from June to September, 1941, and 5.500 to 5.700 more up to December of that year. Hit Power Station The Bostons scored four direct hits on Le Havre power station, the air ministry said, and their bombs also hit dock gates, barges and a warehouse in operations described officially as "superb." Spitfire fighters made a final sweep over the channel just before dark and probably destroyed a Focke-Wulf 190, in addition to the five Germans destroyed earlier. People on the Kentish coast said the roar of the British planes eclipsed that of the German air force at the height of the battle of Britain a year and a half ago, when Germany sent more than 500 fighters and bombers hurtling toward England in a single day. Please turn to page 17, col.

3 With the assault on Panay the Japanese now have landed troops on seven of the major islands. Luzon, on which Manila is located and where the battle of Bataan was fought, was the first objective of the invasion. Others on which the enemy have established themselves are Mindoro and Masbate, immediately south of Luzon, Cebu, like Panay one of the central group of islands, and Mindanao and Jolo in the south. On some of these, however, notably Mindanao, their control extends only to a limited coastal region. Please tur nto page 17, eol.

1' Coast Guard Plane Falls; 1 Dead; 2 Missing NEW YORK, April 16. (JP) The third naval district announced tonight that one man was killed and two were lost when a United States coast guard amphibian plane from the Brooklyn coast guard air station crashed into the sea in the vicinity of Gay Head on Martha's Vineyard. proposed in a bill introduced today by Republican Leader Martin of the house. Pacific Ocean YAP t' PALAU EQUATOR" 3SV3a new! GUINEA Protected by gunfire from war ships and supported by aircraft, an invasion force of about 8,000 men poured ashore from eight transports near Iloilo and Capiz, the war department announced in a late day communique. Panay, fourth island of the archipelago with an area of 4,448 square miles, also is one of the richest.

Its capital, Iloilo. had a population before the war of more than 88.000, making it the fifth city of the Phil ippines, and one of the seven ports of entry for the commonwealth. Iloilo was, too, about the last im portant Philippine city not occup ied. H. G.

Smith, Rutland Banker, Dies at 73 RUTLAND, April 16. (JP) Henry George Smith, 73, of Rut land, former Vermont banker and in the early 1900's a member of the New York stock exchange, died tonight in Doctor's hospital in New York city after several weeks' illness. WASHINGTON, April 16. (JP) Machinery to facilitate absentee voting in the November elections by men in the armed services is TELLS OF RAID "We smacked hell out of 'em," said Lieut. Col.

J. H. Davies (above) of Piedmont, when he returned to Australia after leading: one group of U. S. bombers on a raid on Jap positions in the Philippines.

Axis Will Stake Fate In Spring Drive WASHINGTON, April 16 UR The Nazis are gathering their resources, after a morale-shaking winter, to "stake -the fate of the Axis on a final grand offensive before cold weather sets in again," the office of facts and figures reported tonight. This picture of the spring and summer of 1942 was fitted together, the agency said, from European broadcasts recorded by the Foreign Broadcast Monitoring Service. Through the controlled radio and press. Hitler is conducting "high pressure recruiting campaign for soldiers for the new it was said, and is forcing the Axis partners and satellites to do the same. Ranks of the storm troopers, Hitler's elite corps, have been open ed to 17-year-olds and to recruits of "unproven political reliability." Other signs of the preparation picked up by short-wave were "the stern tone of Goebbels' articles in 'Das in the Nazi-inspired protestations of loyalty by satellite nations, in the extreme political activity of Nazi diplomats, in news of transportation shortages, tightened control over food, raw mate rials and labor, and in the stream of propaganda pressure directed at neutral countries." Undertones of irritability and a theme of "victory or annihilation" mark the Nazi propaganda for home consumption, the agency saia.

Cut in Gas Consumption Is Now in Effect WASHINGTON, April 16. UD The government called upon the American people tonight to exercise "foresight, cooperation and a spirit of willingness" in connection with the one-third cut of gasoline consumption in the east and Pacific northwest. A joint statement signed by WPB Chairman Donald M. Nelson Petroleum Coordinator Harold Ickes and Civilian Supply Director Leon Henderson said "we are sure the Amefican people prefer to see their own bombers in the air to unnecessary use of their cars." The 33 1-3 per cent cut under normal gasoline consumption became effective today in 17 eastern states, the District of Columbia, Oregon and Washington. Petroleum industry sources said millions of motorists would have to get along with 40 to 50 per cent less than their normal use of gasoline.

issued each citizen will be good for a two week period and each will permit purchase of one pound of sugar. After these four stamps have been used, OPA may or may not alter the size of the weekly ration arid the period of time by- each rtamp, it was explained. Making public' official instructions for registration of citizens and operation of the nation's first food rationing system, OPA declared that prsons possessing more than two pound- of sugar at the time of registration would be penalized as hoarders, while persons possessing more than six pounds would be permitted to register but would be denied ration books until theif "hoard" is exhausted. Please turn to page 17, col. 6 Freshly arrived from the Egyptian frontier, where the war has made itself more intensely felt, I found New Delhi more curious than disturbed over the fact that the Japanese fleet had swept along the eastern coastline, sinking British merchantmen and several American ships and sending airplanes in savage, although costly, attacks on Ceylon.

Submarines Off Ceylon As a prelude to worrisome days ahead came reports that sub Board Is Established To Assist Landis WASHINGTON, April 16. WV-President Roosevelt established a board today to advise and assist James M. Landis in the direction of civilian defense activities. Landis, who has headed the office of civilia'n defense since the resignations last February of Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia of New York and Mrs.

Roosevelt as director and assistant director of that agency, will serve as chairman of the board. To the board, the president named Secretary of War Stimson, Secretary of the Navy Knox, Attorney General Biddle, Director Paul V. McNutt of the office of defense health and welfare. Mayor Maurice J. Tobin of Boston, Earl D.

Mal- lery, of Chicago, executive direc tor of the American Municipal association: Norman H. Davis, chairman of the American Red Cross, and Governor Harold Stassen of Minnesota, now serving as a lieutenant comnander in the navy. The step was revealed in a White House statement which said the board was intended to integrate OCD activities more closely with those of other war agencies and to gear its program to the war effort." Newspaper Editors LUZOnJI PHILIPPINE ISLANDS ISLANDS BATANGAS rV INILM China Sea nS A. tlW Tfa PALAWAN qV 4 Of the Press Is Right Now on Trial For Two Months Sugar Sales Limited To Half a Pound Per Person a Week NORTH BORNEO SARAWAK (CELEBES Indian Ocean AdmiraNu vuir 500 MILES AT EQUATOR Pi" T. I "ST ill i i VT MERAUKEJL All By SCOTT HERSHEY EW YORK.

April 16 The editors of many of the nation's leading newspapers trustees of the freedom of the press were told tcday that that freedom was now on trial through the invocation of wartime voluntary censorship. Meeting in their 20th annual con vention, the American society of Newspaper Editors heard Byron Price, censorship chief; representatives of the army and navy public relations offices and others discuss the role of newspapers in a nation at war. Faces Supreme Test They heard their president, Marvin, editor of the Troy (N. Record, declare that "our profession faces the supreme and urge them to be certain that "the news we print be the un varnished, unbiased truth and that editorials and comment be unpur jmrii rYNDHAMliliillB WASHINGTON April 16 LP) Sugar sales will be limited to a half pound a week per person, during the first two months of government rationing, the OPA disclosed today. Decisions as to future allowances will depend largely upon the sup ply picture, officials indicated, leaving the entire program flexible and subject to prompt alteration by the office of price administration.

Original Plan Changed When plans to ration sugar were announced originally, OPA said the weekly allowance probably would be 12 ounces. Since then, increasing shortages of supplies forced a reduction to eight. Each of the first four stamps in the 28-stamp ration book to be can be effeenve." Not Determined By Censors He cautioned that the success of the experiment to make voluntary censorship work would not be determined by the office of censorship but "by the publishers and editors who control the policies of the individual publications." Pleas turn to pago II, ool. BOMB JAP BASES FROM AUSTRALIA Thirteen American bombers smashed at Japanese bases and shipping at Manila (1), Batangas (2), Cebu (3) and Davao (4) in. a flight from Australia to the Philippines (broken lines).

It was a round-trip for the planes. chased and unpurchaseable.".