The Daily News Leader from Staunton, Virginia • 1

he Evening Le THE WEATHER The PUBLIC Interests FIRST Cooler this afternoon and tonights light rains tonight or Saturday morning. I 1 VOLUME ISO. 78. NO. 87.

ASBOCU.TX9 FUSS STAUNTON, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1943 mm or tkm audit BCTLBAV 07 PRICE THREE CENTS txatttm mricii KEY CITY BURNED AND LOOTED BY NAZIS Corsica's Conquest Looms When Allies Intercept Nazi Air Fleet ader ft i 1 1 mm Push Nazis Back American Rangers Fight Side by Side With French NEW PROVIDENCE CHURCH HAS CALLED THE REV. LOCKE WHITE in Corsica; Russians Continue to Acid to German Debacle; German Plants Battered. By ROGER GREENE (Associated Press War Editor) f1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Pal' otonnln nref nn a fr flio PronpVl mainland appeared imminent intercepted a German air fleet i ii i i i roops irom tne lsiana, ana plane3. i BOCOONANO 1 -CCHIC P.Droral TTonri fliraiirl'a 'PYpnPh trnnns from North Af- iivnn a (- rica, supported by American Rangers, had already driven battered remnants of the Nazi garrison into the 'northeast corner of the island, while Allied warships maintained a tight blockade to cut off escape by sea. Naooleon birthplace.

Corsica lies oniy nu nines irom the southern coast of France. Af ToQof fourteen Ma7i tvnnsnnrt tilanes. mcludmi? D1Z THIS A VtEW of the great Italian port of Naples, which has been put to the torch and looted by the Nazis. Late reports indicate that the Germans have established strong defenses at the south and east approaches to the city, parts of which are dominated by Allied guns the Sorrento Peninsula bills. (hntemativaal) RAF Blasts Four Great Nazi Industrial Towns In Big Raid KRUCnONS New Providence Presbyterian church, near Brownsburg, has is sued an unanimous call to the Rev.

Locke White, D. of Richmond, to become its pastor. That church has been vacant since Dr. D. B.

Walthall left in July to be come a chaplain in the United States Army. New Providence was organized in 1746 and has a membership of 755, with a Sunday school enrollment of 525. It is the second largest country church in the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, S. Dr. White received his grammar and high school education in Char-lottee, N.

C. He was graduated from Davidson College with the degree of A. and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He was graduated from Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, in 1917 with the degree of B. and received his D.

D. degree from U. T. S. in 1929.

SASYEIS TO CHURCH As a result of appointments made at the closing session of the Vir ginia conference, United Brethren church, the Rev. John R. Sawyer returns to St. Paul's church here for his second year. More than thirty members of his congregation were present Thursday at Martins-burg, W.

First church where the 144th session of the conference was conducted by Bishop G. Batdorf. The conference officially adjourned today noon, with the next session to be held at Singers Glen in 1944. The Rev. Mr.

Sawyer, recently elected president of the Staunton Ministerial association, has had a successful pastorate this past year in promoting the program of the church. A menroer of the covgrega tion said. Mrs. Sawyer, too, "de serves a great deal of credit for her devoted efforts in many different phases of work." A num ber of improvements have been made in the church building, as well as the former parsonage being converted into Sunday school rooms. Other activities including a new heating plant that is to be installed shortly and a cement sidewalk to be placed around the property.

"Church officers have been elected for the coming year and all organ! zations have been set up, thereby giving the pastor and members of the church great hope for the most successful year in the history of St, Paul church, which is completely out of debt with a very nice balance in the treasury," a member com mented. This church's influence extends beyond the boundry of Staunton, due to the fact that it carries on an unlimited correspondence with boys in the service whose names and addresses are available, whether members or nonmembers, who are serving their country on every front, (Iceland Hawaii, Sicily, Airica, Eng land, South America, Australia, New Guinea, and Italy.) "If you wish your boy placed on this mailing list you are requested to give the name and address to the pastor or J. Parker Horn," is St. Paul's invita tion. Among those who attended con ference from St.

Paul's were G. A. Kyle, delegate; E. L. Bragg, alter nate and Mrs.

Bragg; Me. and Mrs, Albert Bragg, Mr. and Mrs. E. F.

Stover, Mr. and Mrs. Weldon Hol- singer, Mr. and Mrs. Swacker, Mr.

and Mrs. Roscoe Snyder, Mrs. Eliza beth Buchanan, Mrs. A. Guy Clem- mer, Mr.

and Mrs. Harry Glovier, Mrs. Eldridge Miller, Mrs. Russell (Continued on Page 3, Col. 2) REASSIGNED Junkeds 52's, were involved in ol VALLEY MEN WOUNDED FOREIGN SOIL TSirpB Vallpv soldiers have been wounded in action in the North African area, according to a War de partment casualty list of 352 names released today.

They are Pic. John Foley, brother of Oliver C. Foley, Park Station, Waynesboro; Pvt. Luther W. Nuckols, son of Mrs.

Hallie Nurknls. Brownsbure: and Pfc. Her man C. Hollar, son of Mrs. Charlotte T.

Hollar, route three, Harrison hurS. Other Viremians wounded in the same area of action are Pfc. Walter R. Hall, son of Mrs. Alice J.

Hall Amelia: Pfc. Roslvn B. Hannah husband of Mrs. Lorene H. Hannah Natural Bridge; Tech.

4th Gr. Roy WtrnHprsnn snn or Mrs. oertie Henderson, Abingdon; Pfc. Edward Mnlen. husband of Mrs.

Lucille T. Nolen, Floyd; and Pfc. Edwin Perdue, son of Mrs. Pauline v. perdue, Richmond.

Another Virginian, btan Frnnrfs T. Grav. son of Mrs. Fran ces Gray, Alexandria, was wounded in the Southwest Facinc. The list, which also includes Tinrnps nf soldiers wounded in the European, North American, and Pacific areas, has been posted on a window at The Leader on ice.

0 PLEDGE AID Merchants and Business Men's association this morning voted full cooneration with the Chamber of and all others in help ing the big War Bona auction rany to be held next Wednesday at the Fairerounds. The special meeting was canea by is. I. Davis, president of. the association to discuss with mem bers and other merchants the Bond drive in the city and coun ty, going slowly now.

All stores and nlaces of business will be asked to close their stores Wednesday, Sept. 29, so that everyone may participate in the rally at the Fairgrounds. They will be asked to close at two p. m. that dav.

Mr. Davis announced Attending today's meeting were S. Glenn Clme, s. M. Dlngledlne R.

L. Stricklen, Sidney Matthews, Irvin Weinberg. Gus. Scharwzs- child, George H. Rhodes, C.

K. Jones, and Mr. Davis. "FREE" GASOLINE NEW YORK, Sept. 24 (IP) Gasoline at a premium? Samuel Hazelcorn has given away 2,500 gallons this week and has a like amount still to dispense.

Hazelcorn, who operates a fleet of taxis, pumps Ave gallons of gasoline into the tanks of all motorists who buy a War Bond from him. MERCHANTS LONDON, Sept. 24. (IP)-In their second heavy blow in twen ty-four hours against Nazi in dustrial and transportation centers, a fleet of big RAP bombers blasted four. Qerman cities last night, heavily bombing the twin cities of Mannheim-Ludwigshafen, and hitting Darmstadt, thirty-five miles northeast of Mannheim, and Aachen, near Cologne.

Thirty-two bombers failed to return. The twin cities at the junction of the Rhine and Nekar rivers shuddered under the impact of 1,500 long tons (1,730 U. S. tons) in forty-five minutes seventeen tons a minute less than the record load dumped on Hamburg in a sequel to the Wednesday night attack on Hanover. It was the second big attack in less than three weeks on Mann heim Ludwigshafen, Germany's second largest inland port, through which large quantities of coal and other vital supplies are transshipped to Italy.

Aachen, hit sixteen times berore, is a key railroad and highway point through which moves much of Hitler's supplies and reinforcements for the west wall. The three-nroneed attack round ed out smashes by. American fcFly ing fortresses ana medium Allied bombers yesterday to make the twenty-four raids probably the heaviest day and night operation of the war. v. Nantes, French Atlantic port, was.

raided twice in daylight yesterday by the big American bombers, their first repeat raid within twelve hours of the war. Intruder aircraft, joining the RAF's big bombers in last night's raiding, swept Northern France and Germany, and shot down four enemy planes, the British "announced. Fortifications along the French coast shook in ejmlosions reminiscent of earlier days of the war. The Vichy radio, in a report not confirmed by any Allied source, said that "American nlanes" attacked Paris last nieht starting a fire in the Magasin du Miai store. It said one of the raiders was shot down.

The British Air Ministry reported slight enemy activity over Brit ain last night, mainly over the coastal dstricts of eastern Eng land. Bombs were dropped, but the ministry report said no dam age or casualties had been report ed. EDUCATORS ASKING FOR MORE FUNDS iRJCHMOND, Sept. 24 (Jf) The governor and his budget advisory commission will conclude hearings today in order to digest the bien nial requests of state departments and institutions already submitted before opening another round of hearings on Oct. 5.

The four main state supported Institutions of higher learning yes terday requested capital expendi tures of more than $7,000,000, plus other construction whose cost was not estimated for future building, University of Virginia sought the lion's share of the projected ex penditures with President John Lloyd Newcomb asking for 000 to carry out capital outlay plans. The request had the sane tion of the governor who observed that "this capital outlay is imperative if the University of Virginia is to be what Jefferson intended it to be." Virginia Polytechnic Institute U-dught through its president, Dr Julian A. Burruss, a biennial budget $790,089 larger than the cur rent one of which $559,145 was for capital outlay. Virginia Military Institute sought $700,000 of which more than one third was a re-appropriation and the medical college sought an un determined amount for construe tion of a nurses home, a dental building, and a conference building, William and Mary submitted a budget calling for some $800 less in general fund appropriations, but President John E. Pomfret said the total budget of $2,840,000 rep resented a net increase of about $79,000 from both special and gen eral funds.

The Army, Navy and other Federal agencies, will pay much of William and Mary's operation and maintenance costs this year, due to their training programs. FLEE ITALY BERN, Switzerland, Sept. 24 (IP) Some 20,000 Italians, both soldiers and civilians, have crossed the bor der into Switzerland since the Italian capitulation, it was announced officially today. A special committee has been or ganized in the Italian-speaking section of Switzerland to aid the refugees. Dr.

White has had pastorates at Maysville, Ky, Blacksburg, First Presbyterian church, Staunton, (assistant to the late Dr. A. M. Fraser), Montgomery, W. and First Presbyterian church, Richmond, Ky.

He also served in the United States Army in World War I and was for six yeaVs a missionary of his denomination in Suchowfu, China. Dr. White has signified his intention accepting the call, subject to Transylvania presbytery's action. He expects to take up his new work about Nov. 4, if released by his presbytery.

New Providence church, at the congregational meeting in which the call was issued, Sept. 19, also took action to remodel the manse and make it more comfortable by redecorating the interior as well as remodelling some parts of it, and also the installation of a modern heating plant. DIFFICULTIES COUNCIL VOTE In commenting on city council's decision last night not to allow cat tlemen to sell purebred stock at the fairgrounds. County Agent J. M.

Gorsline today saw possible friction between city and county people from the way the city fathers' pronounce ment is construed. He said: "The livestock farmers of Augusta county feel that the City coun cil took the step they did after due consideration and they feel it is lair to everybody concerned if the City council enforces their ordinance, which must have been drawn to con form with a petition presented them stating livestock selling and com mercial enterprizes are barred from the fairgrounds. "If the ruling is construed to mean only livestock sales, then there will be feeling between the county and the city, because of discrimination and not following the letter and in tent of the petition. "Livestock farmers are wondering under what classification baseball games, horse races and shows, car nivals and fairs fall. If they are not commercial enterprizes, then most farmers feel that discrimination has been practiced." IT'LL BE LONG TIME BETWEEN SHOE STAMPS WASHINGTON, Sept.

24 (JP) Take it easy with the brogans, boys. It's going to be a longer time between pairs. Six months was the period set by the Office of Price Administration last night for stretching the next new-shoe ration stamp, which be comes valid Nov. 1. Heretofore, it's been four months between coupons.

Principal cause, OPA explained is a critical shortage of leather due to heavy demands for military and industrial Uses and for shoe repairing. The manpower shortage is a contributing factor. Present production estimates in dicate, OPA said, that the new stamp will have to last until May 1, but if the outlook should lm prove sufficiently, the period will be shortened. A definite announce ment was promised as soon as studies underway are completed. CAMPAIGN HERE tion on an even keel and prevent the closing down of blast fur naces.

None of these furnaces have been closed down for lack of scrap since June, 1942, although thirty-nine Were down In February of that year. Blame for this was placed on the coal strike, ana that the ice on the Great Lakes was unusually late in thawing that spring. Here for the meeting was Alex F. Ryland of. the State In dustrlal Salvage Committee of Rationing for the War Production Board.

In addition to General Miles, other members of the Staunton committee are Flnley TyneS, sec retary; John D. Adams, Capt. Jos. A. Ast, Robert E.

Lee, Mrs. Joseph Nutt W. C. Parkins, Dr. Karl E.

Shedd, L. F. Shel-burne, and Mr. and Mrs. Sidney B.

Shultz. The local committee has been praised by the War Production Board lor its effort far. FORESEEN ON today as Allied warplanes attempting to evacuate Nazi l.i .1 i. snot aown seven the attempted aerial rescue, i wnicn was smasneu a ae ries of three attacks by RAF fighters. Allied headquarters announced that Ffth Army troops, victors in thp battle of Salerno, launched a full-scale offensive against German mountain defenses guarding tne route to Naples.

The Fifth Army overran tne mountain town of Oliveto-Citra, twenty-four miles east of Salerno, after a ten-mile thrust from newly- captured Acerno, while British Eighth Army columns stming up the heart of the Italian peninsula seized Matera in an eleven-mile advance. Battle In Streets whiin Gen. Clark launched his riimact.ir. offensive aeainst burning dynamite-wrecked Naples, Italian refugees said residents or tne once trrpat. nnrt were battling German troons.

in the streets ana nnng at tvio pnpmv trom the windows OI their homes. German firing-squads were re norted executing civilian "rebels and Italian army officers and soldiers who refused to collaborate, even as Nazi demolition crews destroyed the city of 925,000 population. Russian Front On the Russian front, the German riefcar-lfl mounted hOUrlV. A Berlin broadcastadmittea cnai German trooDS are now fleeing tne intur-pmhnttled Kuban bridgehead after bloody defeats at Novorossisk nnd AnaDa. thus collapsing AOOII Hitler's dreams of seizing the rich nil treasures of the Caucasus.

Nazi evacuation of the Crimea, just across the narrow Kerch strait from the Kuban bridgehead, was pvnprt.pri as an immediate sequel if the Germans hope to escape being cut off by Russian troops wno nave aleardy severed the last rail line of retreat from the peninsula. Along the entire -jsu-mue irom, stretching from Kerch strait to Smolensk, the Germans appeared incapable of steaming the Soviet Juggernaut at any point. Frontline dispatcnes saia me triumphant Red armies had reached Hitler's great "second wall" for tifications on the Dnieper river in force after a lisrhtning fifty-five mile sweep from the captured rail hub at Poltava. Fighting their way through seas of black mud as the fall rains bogged the southern battle arena, the Russians surged up to the Dnieper in the vicinity of Kremenchug, Dnepropetrovsk and several other key points. Neartng Kiev Red Army columns were less than ten miles from Kiev, the Ukraine capital, and only nine miles from the German keystone citadel at Smolensk, on the central front 230 miles west of Moscow.

Berlin conceded mounting peril to Smolensk, Kiev, Cherkasi, and other strongholds on the Dnieper. Other events at-a-glance: AIR WAR RAP blockbuster raiders pound German war foundries at Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, TVirmKtarit and Aachen: Vichv says TJ. S. planes set fires In attack on Paris. U-BOAT CAMPAIGN Uncon-formed Berlin broadcast claims Nazi submarines sink twelve de stroyers, nine merchant ships in convoy en route to America.

the Red Star dispatch, "irom whence to some extent they could tie up the operations of. our troops who advanced to the Dnieper from the left and right." As th Red Army reached the great river, the Russian communique for the first time announced that Soviet forces were fighting in the direction of This is a large city on the east bank of the Dnieper fifty-eight miles southwest of Poltava and sixty-two miles up the river from Dniepropetrovsk. Thrown back to the Dnieper in force throughout this southern Ukrainian sector, it now remains to be seen whether the Germans are going to try to make a desperate bid to hold their positions up and down the river with Kiev as the center of the line. The Dnieper is considered to be an excellent defense line, especial ly when defended from the west THE AWES have cornered the Germans in the northeastern section of Corsica, while Allied planes are destroying Nazi ships leaving Bastia. By controlling Corsica, as they do Sardinia, the Allies will be within close striking distances of those key cities in Nazi hands shown on the map.

(International) 1IC PROBES GRID LEAGUE. CHICAGO, Sept. 24 (tfV-The War Manpower Commission today asked members of the Chicago Bears to submit written statements detailing their off-season employment as part of an Investigation which the WMO regional director, William H. Spencer, said would not necessarily spread to the other seven clubs in the National Football league, or to baseball and hockey. "There has been no formal com plaint filed against the Bears," Spencer emphasized, "but there have been inquiries since a publicity release about a week ago told of five men who left war work to play football.

We are acting upon these inquiries. This is a novel case." Primarily, the WMC investigation is aimed at discovering if the players have certificates of availability from their employers or if they were granted leaves of absence. Spencer implied they would have to return to their jobs if they had failed to follow WMC regulations. Elmer Layden, commissioner of the National Football league, met with, Spencer today to offer his fullest cooperation. "The WMC will make all statements," insisted Ralph Brizzolara, acting business manager of the Bears.

He preferred remain silent on whether the five players around which the probe is centeredTackle Al Hoptowit, End Hampton Pool, Center Bulldog: Turner, and Backs Dante Magnani and Harry Clark actually could produce their certificates. REPORTS HERRIOT DEAD NEW YORK. Sept. 24-4 The Finnish radio, quoting the Swedish newspaper, Svenska Dagbladet, said today that the former French Premier Edouard Herriot had died in a sanatorium in the "south c-f France." The broadcast was recorded by United States government monitors. Early In September, the Nazis announced that Herriot had fallen "incurably" ill of a mental ailment and was confined to a sanatorium, ern bank which looks down upon the 'lower eastern shore.

The key to the great Red Army advanced upon the Dnieper was the break-through at Poltava which was accomplished in dram atic fashion. Front dispatches related how the fall rains had made seas of black mud through which the troops and machines had to move. The heavy mud clung to the fighters' boots, to the tires of bkh tor transport, an even hampered the machines equipped with caterpillar treads. The crossing of the Vorskla river was accomplished with near-Her-culean efforts. Late on the afternoon of Sept.

22 the Red Army forces prepared to cross the water barrier protecting the city. Fog enveloped the river as Soviet engineers made ready, the rafts and barges and constructed temporary bridges In the cold water. I HARRISON CASE 6IYEN RICHMOND, Sept. 24. (IP) Hustings Court Part 2 jury will take the case of Walter Paul Harrison today after final arguments in his murder trial growing out of the quarry-death of his thirty-year-old wife, Mary Estelle Judge Willis C.

PuUiam gave his rinstructions' tothe jury at the con clusion of a three hour conference with opposing counsel yesterday advising them they could find Har rison guilty of murder in the first or second degree, involuntary man slaughter, or acquit him. The twenty-five-point set of in structions was drawn after the com pletion of testimony by twenty-five prosecution, and thirty-one defense. witnesses who pictured the thirty one-year-old defendant variously as a man of good character, and philanderer who neglected his wife and family, while carrying on an illicit love affair with a blonde eleven-years his junior. Harrison, himself, admitted his marital- duplicity in testimony Wed nesday but said he had confessed all to his wife, and had been lor given. Of the death of his wife in which connection he is being tried and their four young sons he reit erated his.

previous assertions that the five died, accidentally when the old family coupe rolled backward into the water-filled stone pit while he lay under the car seeking to re pair a faulty clutch. Commonwealth's Attorney Charles Maurice contended that Harrison did away with his family as part of a premeditated plan, and the girl in the case, Blennie Terrell, testified she had been given the impression Harrison was divorced, and that they had been planning to marry. AWARDED DSM Sept. 24 (IP) The Dis tinaruished Service Medal was awarded todav to Mai. Gen.

Rob ert W. Crawford for his services as commanding general of the United States Army Service Forces in the Middle East where he served until last June. He is now deputy commander and chief -of -staff of the Army Service Forces in the European zone. remained out of the service so Inner By putting uniforms "on this lost army ox leaerai worKers ana ewe-fully sifting the 4-Fs" the Army can be supplied all it needs, said Harness. The indianan said War depart ment figures given the committee ehnwed that more than sixty per- nt of the unmarried workers in the Air Forces depot at Middletown, have been delerrea ior aepena ency.

He said the situation "is dif flfiult to understand." In the senate a bill by Senator Wheeler (D-Mont) to postpone un til Jan. 1 the induction of pre-Pearl Harbor familv heads is expected to go back to the Military committee next week for lurtner stuay oi ine manpower question. An Administration Doll showed to day that Wheeler apparently could count on less than twenty votes, and there were indications hat even he privately had abandoned hope of obtaining action at inis tune. "Lost Army Of Government STEADY FLOW OF SCRAP METAL URGED AS PLANS MADE TO PUT Victorious Red Army Has Reached Dnieper In Force Sought For Service Workers WASHINGTON, Sept. 24.

JP) Abandoning the fight to outlaw the father draft, a Congressional bloc eought to cushion the impact on the nation's homes today by driving Into uniform what one called "a lost army" of thousands, of Government workers. Chairman May (D-Ky) of the House Military Affairs committee, said it would be futile to press for legislation to prohibit the drafting of pre-Pearl Harbor fathers. He announced also that his committee would ask Maj. Gen Lewis B. Her-hey to explain next week why an fsumatea juu.uuu araii-age, fathers in the Federal employ have not been inducted, although no official request was made for their de- lermeni.

One of May's sub-committees, Yheaded by Rep. Costello (D-Calif), said its investigation of government deferment policies indicated that srp-Jbroxlmately 300.000 Federal workers apparently eligible for the draft ON INTENSIVE At a meeting of the Staunton Salvage committee held in the Chamber, of Commerce office today, necessity for maintaining a steady flow of scrap metal to aid the war effort was pointed out, and plans laid for intensifying the scrap collecting in this area during, the next three months. Invasion in Italy and action in the Pacific point up the need for more steel for munitions and other materiel of war. Donald M. Nelson, chairman of the War Production Board, wired General Perry L.

chairman of the local committee that industry must furnish 9.3UO.0O0 tons of the 15,000,000 ton goal for the nation during the last half of this This is a fifteen percent increase over the first six months of the year, and he stated that "plans for ultimate victory hinge on this work." While there fa no critical shortage of this metal at present, the drive is designed to keep produc have not been called for induction. "I do not claim that all of these men should be in the Armed Services," Costello told reporters, "but certainly a lot of them should be." Half are Eligible With liberal allowances for physical defects and other deferment conditions, said, "at least half of them, it seems, could be put into uniform, and that' would mean pre-war fathers would not have to be drafted now. Assuming that it would take some time to get these men off the replacement lists, If they are on them, it still should be possible to put at least 50,000 of them in uniform this year, with the others being ready early next year." "This lost army of government workers is big enough to furnish all the men needed, without taking fathers," commented Rep. Harness (R-Ind). a member of the Costello committee.

"For the life of me I cannot understand how they have MOSCOW, Sept. 24. JP) The Red Army has reached the Dnle-1 per in force. A dispatch to the Army newspaper Red Star said Russian troops first reached this big objective through Novomoskovsk in the lower Ukraine on the (upper elbow of the river in a drive from Poltava. The capture of Novomoskovsk was announced yesterday.

Strong forces of Soviet troops have arrived on the banks of the Dnieper at other points, Red Star said. As the Russians reached the Dnieper from Novomoskovsk, the Germans threw In everything they had In an attempt to halt the Red Army drive west of Poltava, capture of which was the high spot of yesterday's Russian forward surge. Attempt Frustrated "The Germans attempted to protect the Poltava district," said.