The Herald-Palladium from Benton Harbor, Michigan • 1

illil WEATHER FORECAST, Occasional light snow, continued cold tdnight; snow flurries, continued cold Wednesday. TEMPERATURES: 1 Readings frem Monday 12 a. S7 3 p. m. d.

m. 36 to Tsea. bom: Michigan's Biggest Buy For Reader And For Advertiser m. ..29 a. m.

...5 a. 24 Back the boys with war bonds! FINAL EDITION 1 Win larriM BENTON HARBOR, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1943 10 PAGES FOUR CENTS 12 m. J2 12 n. .17 Of i i 0) Wanted Tomorrow Wastepaper! War Production Parachnte for food dropped to troops Allied Staffs Are Ready For Russ Driving Toward Poland And Rumania 2 Local Men Missing; Foul Play Hinted Guilty Plea Is Mode In Arson Case I Map Case) i ill' N( s.x Ration Cartons TNT, ft I Pictnred above are just a few of the vital products that are made from wastepaper. Tomorrow Benton Harbor has its first city-wide pickup of wastepaper products In answer to the government's appeal for paper stocks to keep the paper mills going.

Army Takes atib President Orders Government Seizure After Huge Gaps Are Torn In Nazi Lines, Enemy Supplies Cut BT HENRY C. CASSIDY Dec. 2-(AP)-Gen, Nikolai Vatutin's First Ukraine army swung southwest of Kiev today in a new plunge toward Rumania and the.old Polish border, cutting two raiiroaeu out or tne Germans' fast-dwindling network of com- municatlons and threatening the pflank of the enemy forces along the Lower Dnieper river. Vatutin't spectacular1, advance through the town of Andrushevka, 130 miles from the Rumanian froh tier, was preceded by terrific ar tillery barrages. It carried his troops forward approximately 40 miles from the starting point of his offensive In the Brusilov sector to Within 15 miles of the Zhftomir- Oflessa lateral railway line.

This strategic railroad, which Nasi Marshal Frits von Manns te In clear ed at heavy cost by his ill-fated No vember tank onslaught, was again in Imminent danger, according to dupatcnes rrom tne front. Capture of Andrushevka put the Russians SO miles northeast of the key rail city of even closer than they were last month before Von Mannstein's atack pushed them back from the Zhltomlr-Korosten sector. Berdichev Is on a major Axis railway feeding German -forces in the Ukraine from The Soviet forces, turning southwest from Brusilov, crossed the east-west Fastov-Zhltomlr railroad and another line running southwest from Kiev to Vinnitsa and Zhmerinka which controls the eastern web of the vital Warsaw-Odessa rail network. They passed Vcheralshe, a town 70 miles southwest of Kiev. -Only One Escape Route Vitebsk, the White Russian fortified tone which is the goal of the other current Red army offensive under Gen.

Ivan C. Bagramlan, has been virtually isolated, following sev-erence of the Vitebsk-Polotsk railroad yesterday. Germans in the VI- tebsk sector now have a single es cape rail link, leading south to Orsha and then southwest through Minsk to Poland. Bagramian's troops killed 2,000 Germans In their drive toward Vitebsk yesterday, the Russian communique said, and were reported to be within five miles of the city itself. Thirty smaller towns and villages were liberated during the day and Soviet spearheads were reported within 10 miles of the Vitebsk-Orsha rail link.

In Vatutin's drive southwest of Kiev toward southern Poland and Rumania, Russian guns tore wide gaps In the enemy lines, and the Russian war bulletin said that at least 6,20 Nazis were slain during the day, boosting Axis casualties on all fronts in four days to more than 26,000. i (Berlin said that nearly 500.000 Russians were slashing at the Ger man lines and Axis broadcasts -reflected anxiety over what the new Soviet drive may portend.) Failure Of Conferences Called To Avert Operating Strike December 30 By JOSEPH A. LOFTVS WASHINGTON, Dec. 38-(AP) -America's entire railroad system went under Army control today, taken over by order of President Roosevelt to avert a strike that threatened to Interfere with "major military offensives now planned." The President's action, announced at 7 o'clock last night (Eastern War. Time) and effective took most of the capital by surprise because the wage controversy appeared to be well on the Crisis Averted As Men Return Retroactive Pay is Guaranteed, Under WLB Ruling Strike Epidemic Sets War Record LANSING, Dec.

2-(AP)-Th state labor mediation board reported today that strikes hi Michigan factories during November reached their highest, point since Pearl Harbor, exceeding the previous set in October. The board said November strikes totaled 47, compared with 44 In October. However, the November total covered only 47,095 employes, compared with 20,413 in October. The board said 117 new dispute, which did net reach the strike stage, were reported in November, compared with II in October. The November total waa larger than to any recent month, it was said.

AWWW4vU4, SJVMi M'UU" Striking workers began returning to the mills today, signaling an end to) the big steel, strike that threatened a crisis in the nation's war pro duction. A back-to-work movement was set in motion quickly by officials of th United Steel Workers Union (CIO) after the' War Beard in pay retroactive to the union in exi plring contracts affecting 500,000) workers in 500 companies, Prom all sections of the great steel producing areas came reports' showing workers were preparing to resume production. Many hundreds worked on midnight shifts this? morning, entering the mills less than two hours after the sudden termination of the deadlock, After hearing of the Labor Board's action. President Philip Murray is- bucu uirauuui HJ UIO UUIUU CUO" tinue "uninterruptedly the production of steel," calling off, in effect, the walkout which had spread to more than 170,000 workers in nine states. The break In the crisis came Just as steel production dropped to, Its lowest rate since 1940 when America's defense program began its "all-out" production campaign to win the war.

Beard Reverses Stand The Labor Board. In agreeing to retroactivity by an 8 to 4 vote, reversed the stand labor members of the board took last Wednesday when they voted down a virtually identl-. cal proposition made by the public members. It was this refusal by the board which on Christmas Eve caused Murray to announce the board's action created "a grave situation," nVlv t-Bf1tAi In vnlkniits thft next day at major steel, mills In Ohio. The WLB anounced it acted be-miim nf the manv work stoDoaffea i that "may lead to substantial inter ference with the war No -specific reference was made to the stabilization program, but the WLB announcement asserted any, wage negotiations should be "in accordance with the telegram addressed-by the President of the United States to certain of the parties under date of December 3." In that telegram.

President Roosevelt appealed for a return to work and held out a promise any negotiated wage increases would be made retroactive. The strike which began Christmas Eve nulled 81.000 men out of the mills in Ohio; 40,000 in Pennsyl vania. 20,000 in West Virginia. i-000 in Michigan and other thousands in Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Illinois ana new jersey. Some regional leaders reported thjy did not receive Murray's notice in time to restore midnight shifts, Seek 17-Cenf Increase -1: The steel workers' union seeks a 17-cents-an-hour pay raise from a basic hiring rate of 78 cents an hour.

Negotiations between the union and five subsidiaries of the Unit! States Steel re expected to be resumed here soon, being In recess now. The agreement reached by "Big Steel" usually serves as pattern for toe industry. Industry members dissented from action by WLB last night, adheiiny to their position taken last week when they voted with labor members against the public proposal. MOTORIST JAILED Arraigned for the wennd cf frr -1 on drunk tnd disorderly cond t. James A.

Sutherfield. of rwif'. street, vj int-ertced to -days to tbs eennty jail. a --i raigned today ia MunU following his arrest it tr x-. Monday on Water DAY AND NIGHT-? Jan.

3, 1844. Tv CoUcp. Adriatic Port Seized After Week's Battle 'Little Stalingrad' Falls To Canadian And Indian Forces LONDON, Dec. 28-(AP)-The Germans have evacuated the "ruins of Ortona," Adriatic port of 9,000 Inhabitants which has been the scene of bloody street-fighting for, more than a week, the German communique said today. The communique was broadcast by the Nazi DNB news agency.

Northern anchor of the German winter front in Italy, Ortona was set afire Dec. 14 by the Germans leading to speculation that an enemy withdrawal was imminent. The port is 11 miles southeast of the Important Ehtnxarmy objective of Pes-cara. Canadian troops forced their way into the city Dec. 30 in the face of German bayonets, flame throwers and X.

Both Canadian and Indian troops of the Eighth army took numerous prisoners in the bitter fighting for the port, a city of 9,000 situated 11 miles below Pescara. Fifth Army Gains Meanwhile American troops of the PtfthvArmyf with the capture two more heights, tightened weir hold on the Important Samucrd moun tain range overlooking the Germans' strongly-held San Vittore backdoor to Casslno and On both the Fifth and Eighth Army fronts intensive Allied patrol activity was reported. American pa trols, completing the consolidation of their Samucro positions a mile and a half east of San Vittore, were sent aown tne souuiwest slopes vo find the village strongly held by the Southwest of Castel San Yincenzo in the center of the Italian front, fierce local battles were raging for a ridge called Catenella Degll Mal-nardl. while other Allied forces captured a high point in the Monte Marrone range. French Moroccan troops were attacking an important height "to which the enemy is clinging tenaciously" the communique said, but did not identify the location of the hill.

Bombers Strike North Of Rome Fighter activity over the Fifth Army front increased with slightly better weather and fighter-bombers blasted Civitavecchia, northwest of I Rome, hitting shipping, the railway yard and harbor Installations. Medium bombers ranged far north to attack viaducts at Recco, and Zoagli, south of while other bombers crossed the Adriatic to bomb shipping near Zara in Yugoslavia. Rail targets were destroyed on the line and a factory and railway yard bombed at Anagni, The raids were carried out with' OUt. lOSS. Lt Vm.

Prater Killed In Action, Widow Informed PAW PAW, Dec. 58 Confirmation was received Monday afternoon by his wife, Clara, that her husband, Lt William Prater, re ported on Dec. 16 as missing in ac tion in South Pacific was kil led in that action. A dispatch from the War department at Washington, came to Mrs. Clara Pra-ter.

advising that bar husband was shot down by the Japanese in the Sidney Islands on Dec. 16. The lieutenant was a Paw- Paw high school grad- Li. Prater uate, also a graduate of Western Michigan College at Kalamazoo, was a son of the late Leo Prater and grandson of the late William A Prater, Sr, long active in Paw Paw village circles where he waa Justice of the peace and. court conunissiober.

Lt, Prater got his basic training in four Texas camps, and was a transport pilot to the South Pacific war zone. He was killed only a month after arriving in the South Pacific. His wife is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Castle, residing near Lawrence.

Mrs, Prater makes her home in Paw Paw and is employed -J-: f- sv- i i AsphaJt Cardboard Cases for Shells rm 1 I lb. Oyer Control VR a i I a Mrs. Burridge Is Dead At 85 Life Of B. H. Pioneer Ends Early Today; Mrs.

T. Burridge, pioneer rest' dent of Benton Harbor, died at I o'clock this morning at the Bur ridge home, 269 Pleasant street Her death mm jwwivmwm-n broke f.a 63-S I year union between herself 'and Mr. Burridge, early-day shoe merchant and in late years a fruit grower, who survives her. Mrs, Burridge suffered a broken hip some months ago and; the I effects of that injury were a i b-uting factor Mrs. Burridge For the past few in her passing.

days she had been in a coma. The deceased was 85 years of (Please Turn to Page Eight) ager emphasized that the bundles, tightly tied, should be piled on the tree lawns. "No paper will be picked up in the alleys," said Manager Null. Separate bundles should be made of the magazines and other paper stocks, especially the This will be the first of several monthly pickups, now under way all over the country, until the paper stocks at, the nulls are sufficiently large to insure continuous paper mill operation, i a- Proceeds from the sale of the wastepaper will be allocated to the local fund, as were the monies obtained in last year's big 1 scrap iron drive which Benton Harbor staged. The money will be expended for local Army and Navy 'relief purpose.

1 Invasion Hour Gen. Eisenhower Aides Complete Plans For Blow At Hitler The Lineup LONDON, Dee. 28- AP) -With election of Air Chief Marshall Sir Arthur Tedder as deputy to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the main Allied, invasion armies, the lineup of Allied land and air commanders for aa encircling assault from the west or north and south waa virtually complete.

Besides Eisenhower and Tedder, it includes: Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery, chief of British land armies. Gen. Carl peats, chief of all the American strategic air forces that will hit Germany from west and south.

Gen. Sir Henry MalUand Wilson, commander of the Mediterranean theater. 4 Gen. Sir Harold Alexander, commander In Italy ander Wilson. Gen." Sir Bernard (Tolly) Paget, commander In the Middle East ander Wilson.

No naval commander tor the British-based invasion have yet been named. LONDON. 28-(AP)-In a move which clearly foreshadowed the mighty role air power will play in the main invasion of Europe, Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, Britain's master air strategist, today was appointed deputy to Gen. Dwight D. Elsenhower, supreme commander of the Allied Invasion armies." Selection of Tedder, who cleared North Africa's skies of the German air force and directed air cover for the invasions of Sicily and Italy, was greeted with approval in London and his appointment was regarded, as assuring that the building of air strength would gain new momentum.

It was announced at the same time that Gen. Sir Bernard (Tolly) Paget, who fought a grim battle of withdrawal in Norway and for two years was commander-in-chief of the British home forces, has been appointed commander-in-chief in the Middle East at Cairo. Lineup Complete Thus the lineup of commanders for an encircling assault from west north and south was virtually complete. Although no naval commanders for the British-based invasion have yet been named, Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser, commander-in-chief of the British home fleet and herd of 'the Schamhorst sinking, was regarded as a possible leader. It was also announced last night that Capt.

M. R. Holcomb of Pasadena, Calif, had arrived at Londonderry, North Ireland, to become chief staff officer of the TJ. 8. Naval (Please Turn to Page Eight) success which is Impossible to over We cannot blame the British for celebrating, this feat as a major victory." (The Dakar radio quoted a Stockholm report that the Schamhorst was put out of action by an aerial torpedo and then sunk by intense shellfire from large Briti4i units.

This broadcast was recorded by CBS in New York.) The Stockholm newspaper Social Democraten, quoting the German underground radio, gave this account of the sea fight. The with her destroyer screen put to sea Sunday morning when. a British. escorted convoy was reported along the route to Russia. Schamhorst Trapped About midday German destroyers contacted British destroyers, then withdrew to reconnotter after flashing a silhouette description of the convoy to the Scharnhorst.

The Nazi battleship quickly sailed up to (Please turn to Page Three) NEW YEAR'S EYE, to be sure of a good time make your reservaUon at tea Air Cwtlt early. Berrien county authorities have been joined by neighbors and friends in the search for Virgil Strunk, 49-year-old Benton Harbor foundry worker who has been missing since late Christmas night and for whom hunt was started Monday afternoon. According to Sheriff Al J. Hast ings, Strunk was last seen in the Barrel House, a Territorial road tavern in Benton Harbor late Christ mas night and his hat was found in a ditch beside the road on Paw Paw avenue near the bridge Monday. This led authorities to believe that Strunk may have fallen down the ditch while en route to his home on Maiden Lane some three blocks east of where his hat was found.

Investigators said they, learned that Strunk was drunk when last seen and was given some food by friend who said they tried to "sober him up." Report Mystery Car The sheriff's officers and the Benton Harbor police are also investigating reports that a strange car was seen near the point where the (Please Turn to Page Eight) Marines Score Establish 2 BeachVeads On Cape Gloucester By MORRIE LANDSBERG Associated Press War Editor American Marines have captured bbmb-pocked Target hill and have sent tanks Into' the battle for the Japanese air-strips on Cape Glou cester in the smooth-moving in vasion of western New Britain. The -f leathernecks quickly Con solidated their positions and moved inland from both beachheads wnere casualty-free landings were made Sunday east and west or cape Gloucester to establish a second al lied foothold on Japan's key Island in the southwest Pacific. The Japanese counterattacked by land and by air against the Arawe where a task force of the U. S. Sixth Army moved in Dec.

15. The Americans, however, neia firmly to their holdings 60 miles southeast of the Cape Gloucester front, and struck back. Bombers Blast Enemy Allied warplanes pounded anew at enemy installations on another Japanese-held territory under siege by Australians in New ouinea ana American troops on Bougainville. There was no report of further bomber flights to attack enemy bases in the Marshall Islands, tar get of almost dally raids recently. Front-line reports xrom cape Gloucester Indicated that the Jap anese were not prepared to fight it out on the beaches, possibly as the result of pulverizing naval and air bombardments which preceded invasion.

Capture of the Gloucester air bases would give the Allies still another weapon for the campaign to neutralize RabauL.the main Jap anese base on the northeastern tip of New Britain. The heavily- bombed fortress is 265 airline miles from Cape Gloucester, Gen. Rupertus, commenting an the ease of the Marine landings, said "we had the old Marine luck-perfect weather for our bombers and naval gunfire, ana a cairn sea. I guess we must live right." On the Arawe front, three Jap anese counter-attacks forced withdrawal of advanced American patrols to TJmtingalu village where they made such a firm stand that the enemy broke contact the next morning. The allied headquarters spokesman said the Sixth Army units are now fanning out again to the north and the east.

McCormick Says He Is INot Candidate CHICAGO, Dec. 88-(AP)-CoL Robert McCormick, editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune, has advised an Illinois Republican leader that he is not to be consid ered a Presidential candidate in the Illinois preferential primary next spring a Ben Berve, chairman of the Republican state central committee, announced yesterday that CoL Mc-Cormick expressed his views Mn a letter to him after he had sought his opinion. Berve said his reatueest followed distribution of 10,000 petitions by the Republican nationalist revival committee to enter Col Mccormick's name in the-primary. MtJSKRAT and other furs wanted Call H. Erownlow, 3-751X Fresh Triumphs Herbert 7n-vrw Coloma chief of police who confessed On Dee.

11. to npttlntr fiva Mir fires in Coloma during the past two years, pieaoea guilty to a charge of arson when he tu iminud h. fore Judge. Fremont Evans in Ber rien county circuit court today. Judge Evans Informed Winkler before he confessed that lie would not be sentenced until 1 a thorough investigation of his case is made by the probation officer to determine the exact mental status nf 'the aged police officer.

Returned Ts Jan Winkler was returned to t.h county jail by Chief Deputy Sheriff Erwin H. Kubath because he has been unable to post the $10,000 bond In each of the three cases lodged against him. Today he pleaded guilty to the charge of setting fire to the Michigan Shore' ft Lumber Rimnun property on April 22, 1942. The other two warrants charge him with set ting fire to the Loma Theater on April 35, 1843, and the Coloma Fruit Exchange, on la, 1843. xo.

setting tne above fires together' WUh mmtUna fir to the fruit exchange property at a prior time and also setting fire to J. (Please turn to Page Three) Hoffman Quizzed On Issues Of Day B. H. Club Men Ply Him With Questions "I don't know what fellows want to know. Ask me and try to answer your, questions." They did and for -40 minutes Monday afternoon Twin City Rotary and Kiwanis club members, meeting at the Vincent, plied Congressman Clare E.

Hoffman with questions about the war, subsidies, strikes and other current questions and issues occupying the public's current attention. Says Showdown Most Come The administration is approaching a showdown on its labor policies, Hoffman, told the clubmen. "John L. Lewis got away with the coal strike and higher wages for his miners and now they're all rushing in," the congressman said. The administration has got to meet this thing or we've got to get out of the war.

And why not? If the railroads are going to be tied up with a strike, how can we get the things to the front which the boys need? It's Hie same with steel, too. Close the steel (Please turn to Page Four) "After several of the fiercest action, the broadcast added, "the Schamhorst was encircled by enemy units." Sinking of the Schamhorst reduced the German navy's effective capital ships to two the pocket battleships, Admiral Scheer and Luetzow. Radio France at Algiers broadcast a report that the Luetzow was damaged in the battle, but neither German or British sources had anything to say on this score. Admiral Otto Schniewiad, commander-in-chief cf all a naval forces in northern waters, is believed to have perished with the Schamhorst, the Daily. Express said.

Major Victory While the German high command sought to alibi the naval defeat by stressing poor vistiility at the scane of tie battle which permitted Use BriUeh a surprise move" to bring up heavy reinforcements, the Kid-con trolled Paris radio did not minimise the import-acre of the battle. The British nary 'has irorei'g way settlement. said the President, "I can not wait until the last moment to take action to see that the supplies of our fighting men are not interrupted. am accordingly obliged to take over at once temporary possession and control of the railroads to ensure their continued operation. "The government win expect ev ery railroad man to continue at his post of duty.

"The major military offensives now planned must not be delayed by the interruption of vital facilities. 'If any em ployes of the railroads now strike, they will be striking against, the government of the United States." Three Unions Held Oat Seventeen of the 20 unions had withdrawn strike calls and accepted the President's proposal to let him referee, the dispute, and two more days remained before the Thursday strike deadline to Induce the other three to do likewise. iThese three-conductors, firemen, and switchmen represent about ,150,000 of the country's .1,450,000 railroad employes. Although the leaders of the three operating brotherhoods did not comment Immediately, the possibility of an Interruption of 1 railroad service appeared definitely past. It was believed probable that if the firemen and switchmen accepted- the President's decision on the merits of their demands they would do so with expressed unwillingness in order to preserve their future: bargaining position on the disputed points.

I Lieut. Gen. Brehon B. Somervell. (Please Turn to Page Eight) How Schamhorst Went To Arctic Sea Grave Story Of Nazi Battleship Last Fight; Crippled By Torpedo, Sunk By Guns City Trucks To Collect All Waste' Paper Tomorrow LONDON, Dec 28-(AP)-A Berlin announcement that several German surf ace.

units were engaged in the battle in which the British home Seet sank the Nad bat tleship Schamhorst raised the pos sibility today the royal navy still may be chasing other enemy warships which attacked a Russia- bound convoy. This belief also was supported by the' two brief statements released by the Admiralty which has followed the policy of witiiholding full details until an action is com An Admiralty communique last night ald: "It 1a not yet possible to give" a detailed account of the action in which the-' Schamhorst was sunk. It can, however, be stated that the convoy wss unmolested and only minor damage was sustained by two of his majesty's ships." A statement broadcast by EKS said that after toe action befan Sunday in the Arctic waters 'the easmy by surprise move which cwinf to the rAr vkiKUty could not at first be tjisc-enjei in 'lirtosfcf fcftarj-j Pile lt out on the tree lawn early tomorrow morning those old those long hoarded magazines and all the cardboard boxes, cartons and other wrapping material you can find in cellar, closets or title. -f Bright and early' Wednesday morning Benton Harbor's first city-wide pickup of wastepaper products will get Under way. Ifc is Benton Harbor's-, answer to the government's urgent plea that paper stocks must be collected and sent to the mills if the cartons and papers and other essential paper containers and wrappings are.

kept flowing to the military fronts, i I On Tree Lawns, Please City Manager John Null today completed arrangements for the fleet of municipal trucks which will start hauling the Wastepaper piles tomorrcrr The City man.