Ventura County Star from Ventura, California • 1

i-'ticr Cj. Czli; County Yentnrans Ye nturCo UNTY- vln The Fight THE WEATHER Fair today, tonight and tomorrow; little change in temperatures; dry, gusty winds in exposed locations today and tomorrow. Temperatures: yesterdays high, 69; last night's low, 55. A fa Inst the Axis GOOSS RELEASED FROM ACTIVE DUTY Because of illness, Lt. Harry Lowell Gooss of Ventura is being released from active duty with the army, but will be on the officer reserve list.

His orders will be effective as of April 13. Lt. Gooss now is in Ventura with his wife. He has been serving at Fort Ord, Monterey. A former Star-Free Press employe, Gooss has been in service since January, 1941.

He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Gooss, 249 E.

Vince street. SIXTY-XINTII YEAR, No. 120 VENTURA (Official Name San Buenaventura), TUESDAY, MAR. 28, 1944 (COUNTY EDITION) PRICE FROM NE1VSBOYS, FOUR CENTS fa) an LfU IA VJ flfl InJ WILLIAM LEE HOME FOR VISIT Getting his first view of his small son is Pvt. William H.

Lee of Oxnard, now home on a 15 day furlough from the army air forces. Lee is the husband of the former Jean Henrie of Ventura and the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Lee of Oxnard. He will report back to duty at Salt Lake City, Utah, having been transferred from Buckley field, Colo.

CITY MAY ABANDON CEMETERY 27 Other Persons Injured IIE STICKS TO THE JOB Wary of booby traps, war-wise Pvt. Rufe J. Hook of Chattanooga, plays safe by using long stick to push open door of Italian house recently vacated by Germans. With him is Pfc. Leroy Rueckert of Air, N.

D. GUTIERREZ WINS CONDUCT MEDAL Pfc. Jesus M. Gutierrez of route one, Ventura, has been awarded the Good Conduct medal, the army announced today. He is serving at the 55lh field hospital at Camp Atterbury, and is the husband of Juanita Gutierrez of Ventura.

LEE HOME FROM MARSHALL ISLANDS After participating in the sion of the Marshall islands. Fireman 2c Warren Lee is home on a 10 day furlough, visiting in Port Hueneme. A member of the coast guard, Lee was with the first force which made the invasion. ERICKSON RESTS AFTER ITALY BATTLE After serving with the army find artillery in Italy, Lt. Arthur Stanley Erickson is now in a rest camp where he is well and enjoying a good rest, he has informed Fillmore friends.

Lt. Erickson is a grandson of Mrs. M. L. Sackctt, Fillmore.

HECK FIGHTS ON ANZIO BEACHHEAD Car t. Bill Heck, who played center on the Oxnard high school football team in 1931-32 is now lighting in Italy, and at last reports was stationed at the Anzio beachhead, Oxnard friends have learned. CAPPED RECEIVES NAVY PROMOTION A promotion to the rank of radioman third class was awarded recently to John David Cappel, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Cappel, Fillmore.

Cappel is now serving with the navy reserve in Hawaii. SGT. BERNHARDT IN HOSPITAL Sgt. w. W.

(Bill) Bernhardt of Ventura, marine who was injured in the fighting on Tarawa, now is in ward of the naval hospital at Yosemite national park, it was learned here today. TWTTCIIELL PICTURED IN LIFE MAGAZINE Lt. (jg) David Twitchell, Ojai, received nationwide publicity recently when he was pictured in Life magazine piloting a PBY in the Aleutians. Lt. Twitchell, son of Mr.

and Mrs. B. P. Twitchell, Ojai, and New Haven, spent a recent leave in Ojai before resuming active service. He had been hospitalized previously on his return from the Aleutians in order to undergo an operation on an old knee injury.

Japanese Score Gains NEW DELHI (U.R) Japanese invasion forces have broken across the Somra hills tract into the Ukhrul area of eastern India and are battling strong British units defending the frontier, a communique disclosed today. Striking southwestward toward the Manipur valley highway and the provincial capital of Imphal, the Japanese apparently had driven a dozen miles or more across the Burmese border to reach the Ikhrul area. Japanese pressure has increased, the communique said. Heavy fighting is in progress, in which Japanese are making determined attacks. TWO FORCES REPULSED British units farther south were reported making satisfactory progress in clearing Japanese raiding parties from the Tiddim-Imphal highway and it was indicated that the main enemy force in that area had been stalled, at least temporarily, about 25 miles south of the Indo-Burmese frontier.

A third Japanese force moving westward into India from Tamu was repulsed after a brief clash in which the enemy brought some field artillery into action. There was no word on the whereabouts of a fourth invasion force reported striking northwestward through the Naga hills toward Kohima, some 40 miles above Ikhrul. PLANES RAKE ROAD Allied dive bombers and other attack planes raked at the road lines in the rear of the advancing Japanese columns. On the north Burma front, Chi-neces forces were reported firm ly astride the upper Mogaung valley after capturing the river town of Hkawnglawyang and killing an undisclosed number of Japanese. The communique made no mention of British and American columns known to have been striking southward along the flanks of the Chinese toward the main enemy base at Kyitkyina, 50 miles below the upper Mogaung valley.

Allied heavy bombers yesterday blasted enemy supply dumps at Kamaing, less than 20 miles south of the advancing Chinese, following a heavy raid on that area by formations of medium bombers, dive bombers, fighters and fighter bombers Sunday. The raiders swooped down to rooftop level in that attack to machine gun enemy troops in the streets of Kamaing A communique issued from Japanese imperial headquarters today said Japanese forces were attacking two divisions of Chinese troops and two regiments of British and American troops in a sector northwest of Myitkyina. The communique, recorded by United Press at San Francisco, said the main Japanese forces were advancing toward Imphal plain in the central Burmese area. Last Rites Tomorrow For Earl Hinckley Funeral services for Earl Wayne Hinckley, 58, Ventura, who died last night at a local hospital after a long illness, will be conducted tomorrow at 2 p.m. from the Mayr funeral home, with the Rev.

E. P. ORear officiating and Mrs. Margery Eggert as organist. Cremation will follow at Ivy Lawn.

Hinckley, who was bom in Oxord. had lived in Ventura for eight years. He is survived by his mother, Mrs. Anna Hinckley, Los Angeles. '2nd four sisters, Mrs.

Doris Broadbent, Pismo Beach, Mrs. Armada Wallace, Los Angeles, Mrs. Lois Kelley, Los Angeles, and Mrs. Beth Kaiser, Plymouth, Ind. Nikoiaev Captured By Russ I ONDON.

U.R The Red army captured the big Black sea port of Nikolaev today, unhinging the last German salient in the Ukraine, and Berlin said the Russians tried to take the Rumanian stronghold of Iasi by storm in an apparent drive into Rumania proper. Premier Josef Stalin issued an order of the day announcing the capture of Nikolaev, describing it as an important rail junction, one of the most important of the Black sea ports, and major German defense base at the mouth of the Bug river. PRUT RIVER CROSSED? The fall of Nikolaev, anchor base of the 100,000 German troops clamped down against the Black sea coast, opened the way for a Soviet push 62 miles westward to Odessa and the swift ejection of the last Nazi invaders from the Ukraine. Meanwhile, Berlin radio reported that Russian troops 350 miles northwest of Nikopol had smashed across the upper Prut river, apparently cutting the Lwow-Buch-arest trunk railway, the last direct link between the now divided German southern army group. Hinting broadly that other Soviet units had charged across the middle Prut into Rumania, Germans said an attempt had been made to storm Iasi, Rumanian base, once the site of Marshal Fritz von Mannsteins headquarters.

Gen. Rodin Y. Malinovskys Third army of the Ukraine crushed German resistance at Nikolaev, city of 167,000, after a tough mile by mile advance against it. Nikolaev fell after fierce battles, Stalin said, reflecting the desperate resistance put up by the Germans in defense of the easternmost base of their imperiled salient. The fall of Nikolaev was foreshadowed by Moscow reports of street fighting there for some days, as well as a Berlin admission that the Russians had forced the Bug above the city and were in position to wheel against it from the rear.

COORDINATED ASSAULT Stalins order indicated that the city was captured by a coordinated assault involving all branches of the Soviet armed forces. He paid tribute to troops under eight artillery officers, four of the tank corps, one of the air force, and a unit of marines. Moscow dispatches said forces fanning southeastward through Bessarabia seized the Prut crossing before Iasi. Marshal Ivan S. Konevs drive down the Prut valley brought the rail junction of Iasi under artillery fire and cut one of the few remaining roundabout rail lines of retreat for 100,000 Germans in the 200 mile long enemy salient along the Black sea.

Storming in against the Prut crossing six miles east of Iasi, the Soviet vanguard of tanks, mobile artillery and infantry slaughtered thousands of German troops as they scrambled in panic for the Rumanian bank of the river. EVACUATION READY (A Turkish broadcast quoted by the British radio said Rumania had taken measures for the immediate evacuation of Bucharest, according to CBS.) To the northwest, other Red army units massed along the upper Prut across from Cernauti, biggest city of Bucovina province, after a spectacular advance of 24 miles at a speed of one mile an hour. Pounding forward in concert to clean up the entire bank of the upper Prut and clear the wray for a grand scale surge into Rumania, (See RUSSIA, page 2) Storms Harass South, Cause Five Deaths ATLANTA. (U.R) High winds, hail storms and rains which sent some rivers near flood stage harassed the south today, causing at least five deaths and thousands of dollars in property damage. A freak tornado lashed the Lu-cana section of Wilson county, N.

demolishing several tobacco barns and killing Charles Stanley Crumpler, 33, tenant farmer. A hail and windstorm struck Talbor county, where the Red Cross reported that approximately 100 houses were damaged in varying degrees. At Lynnville, four children were killed when their home collapsed yesterday, and two others were injured. CHAPLIN MOVE MISSES FIRE HOLLYWOOD. (U.R) Charlie Chaplins attorney today failed in his second attempt to question red haired Joan Barry about her background and associations with men other than the multi-millionaire comic being tried on white slavery charges.

Federal Judge J. F. T. OConnor ruled out all but four or five questions from a 14 page list submitted by Chaplins attorney, Jerry Giesler, designed to bring out Miss Barrys character and background. The action reinforced Judge OConnors stand of 'last Friday in which he ruled that Miss Barrys past life was not germane to the present case and that the only thing that mattered was whether Chaplin transported her to New York and back in the fall of 1942 for immoral purposes.

U. S. Attorney Charles Carr said Miss Barry would take the stand again after the luncheon recess to be cross-examined by Giesler but would remain only about 10 minutes. Carr refused to say how many questions Judge OConnor allowed from the lengthy list but suggested that reporters compare his own jubilant expression with that of Giesler, anything but happy. The defense attorney admitted only four or five queries remained after two hours of argument before Judge O'Connor.

Miss Barry and the jury of seven women and five men were excused for the debate, which took place before a packed courtroom. Aherne-Fontaine Model Marriage Ends HOLLYWOOD. (U.R) The model marriage of Briane Aherne and Joan Fontaine was at an end today with her announcement that they had been separated so much they might as well make it legal. The beautiful Mrs. Aherne, talented academy award winner and sister of Olivia De Havilland, said she would file for divorce as soon as her lawyer gets back in town.

Regrettable misunder standings and constant separations were blamed. Mrs. Aherne, aged 25 and 16 years younger than her British actor husband, said they had been separated by circumstances more than they had been together during the past year. They were married five years ago at Saratoga, Cal. She once called him the finest husband in the world.

She won a gilded Oscar as the finest actress of the 'year in the film Suspicion, and was nominated in other years for the same honor for her work in Rebecca and The Constant Nymph. Gas Ratian Increase Depends on Supply WASHINGTON. (U.R) The gasoline ration will be increased only when and if there is enough gasoline to spare. Col. Bryan Houston, office of price administration rationing chief, said today.

Eventual abandonment of the Ventura City cemetery on Main street, where timeworn headstones mark the graves of many of Venturas pioneers, was considered by members of the city council at their meeting last night. Looking toward future transformation of the property into a city park site, the council last night instructed City Attorney H. F. Orr to study the possibility -of terminating burials in the cemetery. It was pointed out that many graves already have been voluntarily removed from the site, and that at the present time there are more removals from the cemetery per year than there are burials within its bounds.

The proposal also was considered in the light of its effect on the Catholic cemetery adjacent to the City cemetery. noteFwrTter DIES HERE Zoe Kincaid Penlington, internationally known writer, died early this morning at a Ventura hospital from complications of an illness with which she was 'stricken last Week in Seattle. Mrs. Penlington, widow of the late John Penlington, English journalist who represented Lord Northcliffe in the Orient for many years, arrived in Ventura Friday to visit her sister, Mrs. Roy Pinkerton.

FOUNDED MAGAZINE Born in Peterborough, Ontario, March 2, 1878, Mrs. Penlington came to the United States as a child, was educated privately at a convent in the northwest and at the University of Washington. She was one of the pioneer newspaper women in the northwest. In 1909 she went to Japan to teach at Waseda university; stayed on to found the Japan magazine, the first to be published there in English. After her marriage to John Penlington they established the Far East, a weekly English magazine of comment and review which continued publication until the Japanese earthquake in 1923.

THEATER AUTHORITY Mrs. Penlingtons interest in the dramatic arts led her to research and study in the theater of the Orient and she became an ut-standing authority on the Japanese theater. Her book Popular Theater of Japan, is a reference book for all students of Oriental drama and her Tokyo Vignettes caught the daily drama of the common folk and scenes of pre-war Tokyo. Her familiarity with the government, the people and the language of Japan made her one of a small number of men (See WRITER, page 2) McNutt Recommends Tighter 4-F Control WASHINGTON (UR). -War Manpower Chief, Paul McNutt, reiterating personal opposition to national service legislation, proposed today that crushing manpower demands of the future be met in part by tightening control over 4-Fs so that not even a small minority will be able to evade their duty.

McNutt told a house military affairs subcommittee investigating draft deferments that a national service law would have been helpful 18 months ago, he feels now that the job has geen done. Why undo it? he asked. McNutt added, however, that if the armed services want national service, Who am I to object? STARGAZER SAW JIM JEFFRIES, former worlds heavyweight boxing champion, paying a visit to Ventura. GAIL STEPHENS and JOE CARDONA giving friends some home made butter at a lodge meeting last night. TED (SINATRA) HALLOWELL on the golf course, humming Lam, Lam, Lam which he will sing in the Kiwanis minstrel show.

MARY BElA. DESERPA LAN- FORD surprised at seeing her name in print as MaybeUe. THE CITY COUNCIL in an alas, poor Yorick mood. EUNICE DOWNEY winning a chicken when voted the hungriest looking. i AN FRANCISCO.

A pyromaniac was blamed officially today for a flash fire that reduced the interior of the New Amsterdam hotel to a heap of ashes, killing at least 22 persons and injuring 27 trapped by flames in the bedrooms and hallways. It was San Francisco's deadliest fire since the great earthquake and fire in 1906. Hours after the blaze burned itself out, firemen still dug through the embers in search of more bodies. The dead were burned beyond recognition and the process of identification was slow and uncertain. Police and fire department officials questioned William Bern-hoff, 33, tenant of the hotel, at San Francisco hospital.

He was picked up at the Palace hotel, seven blocks from the scene of the fire. His hair was singed and his knees bruised. He was examined by physicians at the hospital psychopathic ward. FEW ESCAPE A few lucky occupants eluded) the flames that roared through the three story frame building. Screaming men and women jumped from window ledges into life nets manned by firemen, sailors and coast guardsmen.

Others were brought down rescue ladders, snatched literally from death as puffs of fire drove them to the windows. Some were carried out suffering serious burns, or unconscious from smoke inhalation. They were taken to emergency hospitals. The New Amsterdam, located in the skid row district south of Market street, burst into flames shortly after five other hotel fires had been reported in the same area within a four hour period. Police began a hunt for an arsonist believed responsible for not only the San Francisco fires last night, but also for a series of blazes that broke out in Oakland hotels last weekend.

Authorities noted an odor of kerosene or gasoline about last nights fires. Veteran firemen said they had never seen a crowd gather so quickly as it did at the New Amsterdam holocaust. They seemed to sense instantly that there was death throughout the building, one fireman said. A lot of them had just come from dwellings where death might have struck just as suddenly. ROWS OF BODIES When the blackened bodies were carried from the building in tarpaulins, the crowd fell silent.

The bodies were laid in rows along the curb while the morgue wagon moved back and forth. Father Leo Powelson, pastor of nearby St. Patricks chun, walked among the dead, giving conditional absolution. The first of three alarms was believed given by a sailor who had just paid for his room and taken off his shoes when the fire broke out. Asked for his name, he shouted: Hell no, man! Ive got another guys liberty card.

The other hotel fires last night were extinguished before serious damage was done. The district in which the New Amsterdam is situated is one of pawn shops, saloons and cheap rooming houses, nearly all of wood construction and ready tinder for a blaze. The Amsterdam fire broke out in all four floors at the same (See FIRE, page 2) Nine Jap-Americans Face Prison Terms PHOENIX (U.R) Nine Japan-ese-Americans who failed to report for a selective service physical examination because they did not consider themselves American citizens today faced three years in federal prison. Federal district court Judge Dave W. Ling sentenced the Pos-son, relocation center internees yesterday.

Seven said they felt they had given up American citizenship when they applied for repatriation to Japan, and two said they could not consider themselves Americans because of the treatment they had received in internment. BERLIN IN NAPLES NAPLES. 0I.R) Irving Berlin arrived today to prepare for the opening performance of his allsoldier show This Is the Army on April 3. HELIOCOPTERS MAY AID LOS PADRES FIRE FIGHTING Helicopters may be used for fire prevention and fire fighting in Los Padres nation forest, according to an announcement made today by S. A.

Nash-Boulden, forest superisor. Plans for use of the planes have been completed and will be placed in operation as soon as final approval from Washington is received, he declared. Extending north from Ojai to Santa Maria, the territory chosen for the first tests lies between Matilija road and the Maricopa highway and between the coast and San Joaquin values- The advantage of using helicopters lies in the fact that fresh fire fighting crews can be landed quickly without having to undergo long tramps through the forest, the supervisor explained. JAP KURILE BASES RAIDED AN ADVANVED ALEUTIAN BASE, March 26 (U.R) Army and navy bombers dropped tons of explosives on the northern Kuriles again last night, hitting for the first time the small island of One-Kotan, 29 miles south of Para-huchiro. As in previous raids this month, the Japanese sent up no aerial resistance.

They waited out the raid while bombs crashing into garrisons on Paramushiro and Onekotan illuminted the bleak, snowy islands with 5,000,000 can-dlepower flashes. Valuable reconnaissance photographs were obtained. Among the pilots participating in the mission were Lts. Niles Bradshaw, Mesa, Elliot Wolfon, Hartford, and Joseph Wol-ferman, Spokane, The bombers course on Kurile raids takes them from one hemisphere to another. In the latest attack, they took off from their Aleutian base on Saturday, dropped their bombs on Sunday after crossing the international dateline, and returned to their base Saturday.

One army plane making a special flight westward yesterday failed to return and no trace of it has been found, it was reported here. Nazi Reinforcements Arrive in Finland LONDON (U.R) Stockholm dispatches said today that German reinforcements have arrived at Turku and Hango in southwestern Finland, and Swedish quarters feared Germany may be contemplating occupation of her northern partner. Supporting the belief that a new crisis was brewing in Finland, the Stockholm newspaper Svenska Dagbladet carried a heavily-censored disDatch from Helsniki predicting that events which will interest the whole world were likely shortly, causing domestic problems to recede in the background. The dispatch guardedly mentioned growing diplomatic and military activity behind official taciturnity. 8 British Battleships Believed Near India LONDON.

(U.R) The Evening News today interpreted Prime Minister Winston Churchills report Sunday that a powerful battle fleet is in Indian waters to mean as many as eight British battleships might be in that theater, with a full complement of lighter craft. MURDER TRIAL OPENS HERE Questioning of prospective jurors today filled the opening hours of the murder trial of 41 -year-old Earl Russell, Casitas Springs oil-worker. Russell is being tried for the murder of his son-in-law, James Stewart of Santa Paula, wrhom he is suspected of having killed on April 25, 1942. The superior courtroom was crowded this morning as Burton L. Rogers, attorney for the defense, and District Attorney M.

Arthur Waite, questioned the jurors in turn to insure their capa- bihties for service on the murder trial jury. It was expected that witnesses would be called to the stand sometime this afternoon if the jury selection was completed in time to allow testimony to be heard. Prospective jurors were informed by the court that if Russell is found guilty, a second trial on his alternate plea of not guilty by reason of insanity will immediately follow. On Feb. 1 Russell entered the insanity plea and the court appointed three alienists to determine whether he was insane at the time he allegedly shot Stewart.

Russell was returned to the county Dec. 30 from Mendocino state hospital where he had been pronounced sane by medical authorities, according to court records. Willkie Again Flays McCormick and Smith LA CROSSE, Wis. (U.R) Wendell L. Willkie said today that voters should consider his list of enemies as the best recommendation he could offer as to his fitness for the presidency.

I have the greatest and best list of enemies of any man in public life in America, Willkie told an audience of 1,200 in a vocational school auditorium where he urged Wisconsin voters to select a slate of 24 delegates pledged to support him at the republican national convention. The men who are opposed to me today are the men who said there was no great hurry about getting ready for war, despite the obvious threat to our very freedom. Those who opposed aid to Britain and preparedness are opposed to me the Gerald K. Smiths, and the Col. McCormicks.

Smith is leader of the America First party and Col. Robert P. McCormick is publisher of the Chicago Tribune. Junior High Teacher Submits Resignation William Thurlow, music teacher at Ventura junior high school for the past three years, has submitted his resignation to enter busi ness, Principal G. L.

Ogden an nounced today. Thurlow, who had been in charge of band and orchestra work at the school, will go into business in Westwood village following his resignation, which will take effect April 1, Ogden said. It Didn't Pay Not To Beat Train! SAN DIEGO. J.R) Oseas M. Cesina, 25, was in jail under $1,000 bond today because he didnt try to beat a train to a crossing.

Frank Sherman, Santa Fe engineer, testified in municipal court that his car was stolen March 16, and that the following day he was piloting his train in the San' Diego yards, he saw his car pulling up at a crossing. He said he stopped his engine directly in front of the car, jumped out and held Cesina until police arrived. NEWS OF LONSDALE BOYS RECEIVED Mrs. Alta Lonsdale, Santa Paula, received news of the activities of three of her sons now serving in the armed forces recently when she learned that two of them had spent a week together and the third was on maneuvers. After visiting his brother, Sgt.

Clifford Lonsdale and his wife, Micky, at Roswell, N. Cpl. William (Bill) Lonsdale has reported for duty at Camp Gruber, Okla. Pvt. Samuel H.

Lonsdale, who had been taking radio training near Tampa, is on maneuvers at Camp Forrest, Tenn. DUARTE REPORTS BACK TO TUCSON Following a visit of several days in Moorpark with his family, Cpl. Ernest Duarte has reported back to his army air forces station at Tucsoii, Ariz. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs.

Manuel Duarte, Moorpark. TWO VENTURANS SENT TO YUMA a Both 2nd Lt. Jack Rawls and YO Harry R. Van Delindfer of Ventura have been transferred from Carlsbad army air field, N. to Yuma, according to a news release received here today.

Van Delinder is the son of County Treasurer and Mrs. Harry Van Delinder of 1784 Marisol drive and Rawls is the son of Mrs. Jayne Rawls of 277 San Clemente street. Both fliers formerly attended Ventura junior college. Series Starting Today Explains Civil Service TO help give Ventura county voters a clearer picture of the proposed civil service plan for county employes.

The Star-Free Press today begins a series of articles discussing every phase of the measure which will be on the May 16 ballot. Written by Wanda Burgan, courthouse reporter for The Star-Free Press, the series will include five articles, the first two dealing with the ordinance recently approved by the board of the third outlining the cost of the program, and the last two presenting arguments for and against the plan. The first article of the series will be found on todays editorial page. TIPTON PROMOTED TO FIRST LIEUTENANT William Lewis Tipton, son of Mrs. Mattie Tipton, 270 Center street, had an eventful month in February, he reported in a recent letter to his mother from the Mediterranean theater of operations where he is serving as a pilot with a U.S.

medium bomber squadron. He was promoted from the rank of second lieutenant to that of first lieutenant, reached the age of 21 and received the Air Jdedal and several oak leaf ters, in addition to campaign ribbons. Tipton already has completed (See IN THE FIGHT, page 4).