Lebanon Daily News from Lebanon, Pennsylvania • Page 1

GOOD EVENING AVhat this country needs to solve the C-boat menace is a half dozen Joe Palookss. i 19A Copy Two Cents; Per Year $3. 11W. Published Every Evening Except Sunday. LEBANON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 3, 1942.

KnKred us KCconil class matter at the Lebanon, Act of March J. 1S79. THE WEATHER Eastern Penan. Continued this afternoon and tonight, with dliuJnlshins winds. 10 CENTS Movement By Allies Now Under Way :1 (Reproduction in whole or in part Washington, British could UM a Rommel or two.

No wonder Is expressed here that HI tier-has nude his Libyan commander A field marshal (second class.) He duped the British out of Immediately after'getting his promotion. The Nail sent a feinting force straight east from his base south of Bengazi aa if he were- going- on a wide arc, the same stratagem he used when he swept around and isolated Tobruk last year. The British sent strong force out to meet him, leaving Bengazi lightly defended. But Rommel cut his eastward procession, turned his main force north toward the city and captured it The launching- of his whole counter-drive out of defeat was just as well screened. Two or three ago Hitler started concentrating planes in Sicily and Sardinia, simultaneously opening an air attack on Malta.

Naturally the British expected a Cretian blow at their tiny Island fortress, sent a good portion of their Libyan planes to defend it. The Nazis continued their dally air menacing to keep these British planes occupied. BUT INSTEAD OF ATTACKING MALTA. THEY SLIPPED TEN TRANSPORTS (10,000 TONS EACH) LOADED.WITH TROOPS AND SUPPLIES ACROSS TO TRIPOLI TO flAttlNPOKCE) ROMMEL FOR THIS DRIVE. thfr Nazis and Japs get away with these swift moving deceptions because they arc attacking from the center of a circle while the United Nations nirvt run around the outer arc.

The shorter radius of center llncH enables the aggressors to shift troops and planes with great from Formosa, for Instance, sent their bombers against MacArtliur one day, Malay the next. This basic defect will be met when we art able to take the offensivt. choose our place of at- (nek and marshal superiority of force at that point. All kinds of stories nrn going ihe rounds about Agriculture Scc- retury Wlckard's change of mind njrMnsl Inflating farm prices to the limit. One told to senators Is that Wickard did not write the back-tracking part of his Atlanta speech, that It was worked over by others, that he did not notice tho line that'caused all the trouble.

Be that as It may or may not be, Mr. Wickard is Mr. Roosevelt's Singapore Troops Asked To Hold Japs Delay Will Permit Massing Of forcements TELLS OF PLAN Says Big Movement By Allies Is Under Way (By The Associated Press) Army Minister Frrn- cls M. Forde declared todmy that "a big movement by the Allies Is under way" to counter Japan's sweep In the far Pacific, even as Japanese dive-bombers struck violently at Singapore and a Tokyo military spokesman said that- a. direct assault on the island stronghold was imminent.

In a message sent to the Australian imperial "force at Singapore, Forde declared that each hour Japan's siege armfes were held at bay permitted the massing and deployment of more reinforcements and the accumulation of more weapons. "It does, not need my words to Impel you, therefore, to hold on," be said, Forde did not specify the nature or direction of the big new allied movement. High-reaching flames, destruction and some casualties were reported in Singapore as Japanese bombers pounded the city with Its 750,000 population and outlying sections. Singapore's big defense guns, ranged along the mile-wide Jo- iore Strait, thundered intermittently above the of air- raid sirens at Japanese' troops in the jungles on the opposite shore 01 the Malay Peninsula. K.A.F.

scouting planes reported heavy movement of Japanese troops southward. Sir Shenton Thomas, governor of the' Straits settlement, work- I ed In shirt sleeves alongside na- I tlve coolies, laying hose to battle THE WAR TODAY By UeWITt MACKENZIE Those who are looking for developments which will give the war a decisive turn in our favor will do well to check up again, for the signs seem to indicate that we are In for a considerable spell of dirty weather, especially In the battle of the Pacific. That doesn't call for peessimism. But as this column emphasized yesterday, over-optimism Is bad for the blood we certainly must expect some upsets before things get a lot bet- PALMYRA BORO FIND AIR RAID TAX RATE CUT TO NINE MILLS Ordinance Passed At Council Meeting Monday Night SALARIES FIXED ter. We of the general' public are (Continued on Pagf Four) ADOPT BUDGET FOR YEAR 1942 AT ANNVILLE Tax Rate For Township Same As Last Year Annvllle, Feb.

February meeting the board ot township commissioner)! of Annvllle was held, Monday evening, with John F. Batdorf. president in charge. Final passage ot the budget ordnance and tai ordinance were approved. The budget for the year Is as follows prior year's Indetednoss.

1100.00; water fund, light fund, health fund, 1160.00; general fund, IS.000.00; highway fund, sinking fund, fire company donations, (Continued nn Page Ten) WOMAN, BEATEN BY MEN, IS HOSPITAL PATIENT Mrs. Wallace VVJge, of 30 WCB(. Main Street, Annvllle, Is a patient. In.the Good Samaritan Hospital, suffering from a possible brain concussion, contusions of the scalp ami Hospital reports said xhi! wan bpatun up by two men last evening. Justice of the Poaco John A.

Witiiicycr cf said the 20-year-old woman staggered bleeding Into the Pennway Jlext- aurant, from whcro the; Clood Samaritan ambulance. wax called. nvu He said an Investigation Is being personal agont and he must have I Japanese on their right conducted by Chief of Police noted F.D.R.'s hint that he had' better be good In his newly legalized position as arbiter ot farm prices. In short, Mr. AVIckard may have established himself as arbiter for tho farmer (meaning In this Instance the cotton senators and Rome farm organizations) but he Is working for Mr, Roosevelt.

IN HIS DUAL CAPACITY HE WILL HENCEFORTH TAKE THE RAP FROM BOTH SIDES. AS HE HAS NOW SO EFFICIENTLY STARTED TO DO. One thing Churchill said In his speech is not understandable to anyone here. According to one transcript he said: "The arrival of well-equipped troops here will enable the U. S.

to send direct to Australia and Now Zealand, weapons and munitions now being made in the United Stales." Another published version: "The fact that well-equipped (Continued on Page Kucht) JAPS AGAIN FAIL TO LAND ON PENINSULA Washington, Today, Two attempts by the Japanese to land troops on the west coast of Catan Peninsula the night of February 2 were repulsed with heavy enemy losses, the war department announced today, and General MacArthur's forces also successfully counter-attacked the Japanese on their right flank, overrunning three lines of enemy I Charles Rlslenbatt. trenches. The landing attempts on MacArthur's left consisted of a first raid by Tatorl special shock troops which were repulsed by artillery (Continued on Pntct Eight) DEMOCRATS'TURN OVER BIRTHDAY BALL FUND At the meeting of the Lebanon County Democratic Club, Seventh and Cumberland Streets, on Monday evening, thirty-five new members were elected, and announcement was made that March 2 will mark the nomination of officers for the new year. President Harry Dearwechter presided. Club members were advised that the gross receipts of the President's Birthday ball held last Friday evening in club quarters have been turned over to the Dr.

Howard Haln gave the woman first aid treatment before the arrival of the ambulance. LINCOLN CLUB ROLL REACHES 1902 MARK Budget Of $46,617 For Year 1942 Is Adopted Palmyra, Feb. Ordinance 160 fixing the boro tax rate for 1942 at nine mills, adoption or the 1942 budget ot $46,617.33, and passing of an ordinance fixing the salaries, compensation, and duties of boro employes featured the February meeting of the Palmyra Boro Council Monday night, Itf tho council chambers of the Citizen's Fire Company hall. President A. D.

Gruber presided. The new tax rate is a reduction of one mjll over last year's figure. In the adoption of the ordinance, motions were made that tho regular rules governing the passing of boro ordlnlONM be suspended, and that be called for final nance 167 Included ot the boro employes a monthly increase of twqnty lars for the chief of end ten dollars for other regular em- ployes, including the secretary and treasurer. Bids were opened for the purchase of a truck for the highway department. Bids wore received from Gingrich Motor Company, and Miller Chevrolet Company, ot -The -flJiimee-com- mittee, Charles Manwlller, chairman, was requested to Investigate and report at thn next meeting- Secretary T.

E. Lcrch wos authorized to ttflverttoe for bids for stone and oil for rond purposes for 3942, also for bids for gas nnd oil for boro vehicles. Motion was mitdo Hint compensation insurance for boro em- ployes be renewed. At the request of Ihe niirgotm II. U.

Lamlls, a motion was made, to purchase some additional equipment for (ho pollen oar. The finance committee was authorized to purchase a metal filing cabinet for pollco records, ro- on Five) WARNING SETUP HERE BIG FLOP Apparently Few Persons Hear Sound Of Signal Phone Calls Pour Into City Hall This Morning In the words of Serresnt Harry of the local pollco department, thia city's air-raid alarm system Is an "A No. 1 flop." In accordance with a ranged plan. Lebanonlans not hearing the test signal this morn- 'ng were supposed to report to city hall. Through advertisements In tho NEWS, citizens were told that the test alarm wai to come oil at 10 o'clock this morning.

And at 10:04,, telephone calls began pouring into the police headquarters switchboard through Its three trunk lines. Up until 11 86 calls came through and they were still coming In when the NEWS reporter left tho scene. During the first half hour, the three trunk lines were so busy Sergeant didn't havn time to catch his breath. Alter that the calls lo taper off, but Elchelborger was still plenty busy. Patrolman William Fairburn relieved him for awhile oil the switchboard.

When the first lady to phono told Ihe sergeant she didn't hear the, ala-iii. Klchelberger replied, "NeTlnerTniTTT" ailfl Ho wag right; for rot a single person In city hall including your rfiportfi' hoard tliu remotest sound resembling an air raid alarm. Thoru was a shifter In operatloji an Iho nearby Head- Ing Railroad and this may have had lomi'lhltiK to do with thu sound bloekout. From all Indications, cither the warning Is nbont powerful as Mussolini's Navy or tho patriots In thin city don't wanli their ears after their Saturday night rinse. A checkup on Sergeant, Klehelbcrgor's box score, showed that rails came In from I all of tin; city.

While- the lest Oils morning WKH nupposed to fContlmi-d on Dramatic Description Of Attack By Japs Given By Local Soldier (1 a it fc former Lrttmion Iml, letter IH piibllNlKil In isNtin of the Dully Xcm-H. TMx Idler, which will rank nn onr of (lie dramatic dwu- of l.lm xeconil world MM far MM Ijchitnon concerned, lives KrMplilr Nccount of tho bombing of Mlcknni Field the Jnpniiese on Itorcmttcr 7th. PAUL R. THOMPSON DIES TODAY; ASSOCIATED WITH LOCAL FIRM Paul R. Thompson, of 444 North Tenth Street, widely known In connection with this P.

H. Thompson's SOUK furniture and undertaking of South NMnlh Street, passed away at o'clock this morning, nt the Good Samaritan Hospital after an III-! ness of only a week. Although he! had been In a subnormal condition ot health for some lime. Ilif-re: were no symptoms to occasion I anxiety until last Friday when be' suffered a collapse and remained nt home. He was taken to the I hospital last Saturday and failed I lo respond to treatment and sank Htendlly thereafter.

The decedent was born and reared In Lebanon llic son of the late Pierre, and Kinnia (Haiti) Thompson- lie assisted his father at the furniture utoren and In the undertaking department an a and continued there after his father's death anri ever since. He became widely known In connection with the business, as well as on his own merlin an all-around fjood fellow, and congenial neigh- AARON EDR1S DIES ON MONDAY AT HOME HERE Owned Soft Drink, Dairy Products Stand Aaron Gingrich Edrls, proprietor ot the Mary Ann Rent an rant Holt drink and dairy products resort nt Klghth and Scull Streets, tiled suddenly at o'clock Monday afternoon it his hoiiin at ::41 North Ninth Stront. I In had been 111 and confined to tho houso for nonm l.ho result of heart condition hntj was able to bo tihnnt tho hollar-1 mom of the lime. Iln WIIH In bed however, when he suffered another attack yosterdny anil expired be- foro tin; family physician could be summoned. His death was a acttosi? (Contlncd on Ton) ENTRANCE STANDARDS FOR ARMY TO BE LOWER (Continued on Nine; into Islands GO easily and rapidly will enable substantial supplies of weapons and munitions now being made in the United States to be sent directly to the other side of the Australia and New Zealand, to meet new dangers to the home defense which are cast upon them by the Japanese war." These words suggest Churchill jxpects Britain to receive less war materials, but obviously our own troopt there will have to be supplied and nearly all our lend-leasc material has been going to Libya and the Far East anyway.

NO ONE HKRE PROFESSES TO KNOW WHAT HE MEANT. 8en I Infantile paralysis committee. It was previously announced that the committee received only the net The costs of affair were paid by the club. the With the present fiscal year almost at an end, a total membership of 1302 was reported for 1941-42, at the meeting of tho board of directors held at the Lincoln Republican Club last night. M.

L. Margut, the president, was in charge. C. E. Halns, financial secretary and Arthur lilouch, treasurer, made their reports.

Announcement was made that election of officers will be held the last Friday ol this month. Directors will meet the last. Thursday of the month to conclude their work. I President'Margut said that thcj new club building would be coin-1 pleterNas soon as the steel ma-1 terlals arrive, unless priority or-1 dcrs prevent the steel from being shipped. I G.S.AUXILIARY IV.F.W.

LADIES HEARS REPORTS PLANDANCEFOR AT MEETING GAP SOLDIERS Washington, (lull. Lcwln H. Ilerslloy, selective Ke.rvicf; director, snld today that army entrance slamlurds Inevitably would be Itiwured BH tho need for manpower developed, and predicted that men with minor defects would be taken In for limited service "by the hundred thousands. 1 He appeared before special HOIIHI cninmlttoe Investigating migration of defense, workors and concentrating now on methods of mustering all available manpower for prosecution of tho war effort. A prepared statement Herphey brought with him nalil: "Allowance nnd allotment li-fils- LATE NEWS DEVELOPMENTS A notice came to the War Department from the Bureau of Internal Revenne, addressed to Major It said the major.

of the blood pl.isrna which is being stored from time to time. at the Gooil Samaritan Hospital, Lebanon, was used rlurlng the past month because of the large number of patlcntn requiring that; treatment, according to an an-1 nounccmont which was yes-j leniay afternoon when members ot the Good Samaritan Hospital Auxiliary held their regular meeting at the Woman's Club. The announcement regarding the blood plasma was made by Miss Godfrey, superintendent of the Good Samaritan Hospital. She said that tho blood through error or oversight, owed money on his income tax; rai Kussian breakthrough. ke tad paid.

The Bureau of REDS DRIVE TOWARD SMOLENSK (By The Associated Press) Russian troops dragging machine-guns and cannon on sledges at 40 degrees fahrenheit below zero were reported surging forward at several points today in a drive aimed i against Smolensk, 210 miles west of Moscow. i At the same time, a British source said German generals had demanded that Hitler send 20 fresh, picked divisions to i the Soviet front immediately, threatening that otherwise itj would be "very difficult if not impossible to prevent a gen-1 (Conttned on Page THREE CHILDREN DIE IN FIRE-SWEPT HOME Uirlfhsvllle. Today, (IP) Three children of Mr. and Mrs. Dans to cooperate with "United 'Service.

Organizations of I this city were ma'ie laxi when the members of the Keant Richard Hechlel Auxiliary, Veterans of Foreign Wars, held their meeting at the post home, 718 Chestnut Street. Juniors held their meeting preceding that of the senior group. Attendances at both meeting were good. Mrs. Mary Kcenan.

presided at the business meeting, during which several new members were announced. Mrs. Keonan appointed a com- Continued on Nine) MARRIED 30 YEARS Soviet dispatches said German air and tank reinforce- i received arriving on southern (Ukraine) front wert being! inMntteBaMtdjMdbyBcdarpK wwwoBfc i were John Ray 11, Paul and I Reverly fi. All were ss'eep on the) floor quarters. i i Special tip Mr.

and Mrs. William Spangler, of 42S Kast Cumberland Street, are observing their thirtieth wedding anniversary today. Mrs. Spanpler Is the former May H. Folmer.

They were married by tho Rev. H. Strickland, who was pastor of St. Mary's Church In th'i city at the time, now located aft Cornwall. The havft two Miss Spangler at home, and Mrs.

Isabel Arnold, mtf two leu.se for Induction in liny trants. now di-JVrrcd on the grounds of dependency." Ho noted nt oms poln, however, that dependency xtlll would remain "an outstanding condition of deferment." PLAN DEDICATION OF 1 S.O Plans am complete for the United Service Organizations building, Willow and Partridge Streets, In honor of the offices and men of the J04th Cavalry, Indlantown Gap military reservation. The hoiiw-warminp, which fs tho first soc-lal function to be given In the building, will pro- cede the formal dedication to takn place Infer. 1 Colonel A. II.

Rtackpole, com- 1 Cavalry will and re- nn Paifo MM! Pafcm, Sergeant Edward Ovecka, Lebanon's Casualty In Second World War, Telk Graphically Of Brutal Aerial Assault By Japanese On Hickam Field In waii Local Soldier Saves Own Life Applying Tourniquet A harrowing tale of the death and destruction wroui at Pearl Harbor on December 7th in the sneak attack the Japs is dramatically told by Lebanon's only known ualty in that surprise bombing from the air by the yell men. The personal data of the action told in a letter ten some time thereafter by Sergeant Edward Ovecka, year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Ovecka of 1315 Bra wine Street, this city. The Lebanon soldier was wounded by the exploding bombs but is now recovering fr his injuries in a hospital in San Francisco where he waa moved along with many other wounded service men civilians sometime in December.

So far as is known, Sergeant Ovecka is war casualty. He was on duty an a mechanic with the U. Air Corps at Hickam Field, Honolulu, when the sneak wua made and in a letter, dramatic in its modest simpHcll the Lebanon soldier tells a soul-stirring tale of the hoi he experienced in a remarkably short time. The letter it explains his own narrow escape from death while hU 1 lost their lives all around him, A graduate of the Lebanon High School in the class? 1936, the Lebanon hero observed his 24th birthday only Monday, February 2, and local friends and relatives occasion to send hearty greetings to the soldier now pending from numerous wounds in California. He unlisted in June, 1038, and wan utationto at Hawaiian base for more than two before Japan's provoked attack.

First reports heard by his to the effect that their son was "slightly wounded," but fl now revealed indicate how close the Lebanon lad to rendezvous with death. In fact, it was his own mind, (lu.Mpitc intense suffering from pain and wounded, that probably saved his life when he appllsd makeshift tourniquet to check profuse bleeding whlk scly waiting for aid to remove him from center action. Ovecka himself in not aware of this publication of own recollections of his horrifying experience. Slftct it the first, authentic eye-witness account of the actual by one who was in the midst of it, let's let the letter tfct'j tale because it could not be unfolded in any better Jt as -fi "I would have written sooner but I wasn't sure they were going to send me. So I waited.

If I copld given you the facts from Honolulu it would have been sored, waiting everything. "Ifty fingers on my right hand are still a little stiff, I'm writing in pcnci 1 Please excuse it, "I'll try to give you the facts as they happened on cember 7. "All Base Engineering was called out to work on a rush job, a big bomber that came out from the states. I had job of putting up new mounts for tho bomber's guns. I worked until eight o'clock Saturday night, December 6, and Went out to work on Sunday morning, December 7.

My job was almost completed when the bombs started to fall. I was in nearby hangar and the doors were closed. The first bomb exploded outside the hangar. It made a direct hit on the bif bomber parked just outside. I was more surprised than scared because I really thought the gas tanks exploded.

I Klarted to run for the back of the hangar but I didn't go steps when a bomb exploded, it seemed right in my face. picked myself up and kept on going. This happened about five times and I was only halfway through the hangar. "I stopped to rest and then saw that I didn't have ft on my left foot, a bomb had torn it right off. I felt little dizzy but I still didn't know who was doing the bombing.

"I saw a couple of my buddies laying around and tried I could hear machine gun fire, but I still couldn't see planes. The was thick and smelled like concrete and gunpowder. I didn't know what I should do. I couldn't see anybody else standing but myself. My clothes were hanging on me in shreds, but I couldn't feel any pain.

I saw a gasoline truck bit by bullets right outside the hangar, and fuel began trickling toward me. I was afraid a tracer bullet would set it on fire so I again to get out into tho open. "I finally managed to crawl across the road into a vacant lot right next to a supply building. By that time I was about ready to die. I wanted to pass out because my foot and arm were hurting, but I couldn't.

I finally rolled over on my back and watched the rest of the raid. I then could see the insignia of the rising sun on the cockpits and wings of bombers, and only wished I had a gun so I could fight back, The planes kept diving and strafing the field with machint gun fire. "They seemed to get a big kick out of shooting at a running man. I even saw them shoot at men that were Thank goodness they were very poor shots. They shot aB around me and missed.

iV 1 1 "I laid there for about fifteen minutes, it seerndk an hour. I saw I was losing a lot of blood from my foot tied a piece of a leather thong I carried for the wound. It helped to stop the flow of blood and i colonel from Base Engineering came along up. On the way to the hospital wt i.