Mount Carmel Item from Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania • Page 1

CARMEL ITEM GOOD EVENING The only successful substitute for brains is silence. WEATHER Fair tonight and Saturday, warmer Saturday. EXCLUSIVE LEASED WIRE DISPATCHES OP THE UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION 3 VOL. LIII. NO.

112. MOUNT CARMEL, FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 1941. PRICE THREE CENTS, MOUN Record AO ftasnty HOPE TO STEM Unprecedented Number Of Giant Bombers Hurled Into Combat By Both Germany And Great Britain jreWII mill I Ill I Liverpool Chief Target Of Nazi Attack While English Planes Smash At Hamburg; Turks Still Keep Hitler Guessing; Three Times As Many Planes Used By Hitler As In Last Year's War By Harrison Salisbury (United Press Staff Correspondent) Night air war between Britain and Germany neared record intensity today, and events in the Balkans appeared to be moving toward a swift showdown. The roars of bombs, the crackle of incendiary-fed flames, the smash-smash of anti-aircraft guns and the drone of planes echoed for hours last night and early today in some of the world's greatest shipping centers, both British and German. The reports from both Berlin and London indicated that unprecedented numbers of night raiders were hurled into the combat by both sides.

The chief targets of the German attack were Liverpool and the great Merseyside industrial area, Glasgow and the world's greatest shipbuilding yards of the Clydeside and Hull, the key northeast British port. With 29 strikes already under way in defense Industries and more brewing, Washington is seeking a means to settle such disputes -A quickly. OPM director William S. Knudsen, left, Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, and OPM director Sidney Hillman are shown 1 at the White House, where they made Joint recommendation for establishment of a super-mediation board. DEFENSE STRIKES McGrath Jury Hears Stories Of Men In Bar Give Testimony In Connection With Schuylkill Case For the second time during the trial of William Jerry McGrath the District Attorney was yesterday morning, compelled to plead surprise when John Hoar, of 107 Main street, Girardville testified.

According to a signed statement made by the witness to the District Attorney on October 10th it is claimed he said that he heard the argument between Chief of Police Kelly and the defendant McGrath while on the witness stand yesterday morning he said he did not hear the argument. The witness, as contained in his signed statement, It is said told County Detectives that he heard the fatal shot fired while on the witness stand yesterday morning he testified that he heard a report which he described as the back fire from an automobile. The witness was cross examined relative to his statement about the argument between McGrath and Kelly and said that while the argument was going on he was engaged In conversation with James Purcell and that although they stood at the bar close to Kelly and McGrath he did hear that an argument was in progress but that he paid no at tention to it and heard no portion of it other than he did hear Kelly offer to take McGrath out Into the street. He explained the alleged discrepancy in his testimony rela tive to the firing of the fatal shot by saying there was considerable noise in the bar room and that while he did hear the report he was unable to say whether it was a shot from a firearm or the back fire from an automobile. Hoar was on the witness stand at the time of the noon adjournment.

LOST CREEK MAN TESTIFIES Anthony Conroy, New Road, Lost Creek, Wednesday afternoon, told the Jury that he witnessed the fatal shootine. Conroy told the jury that he first entered the Cant-well Hotel at about 11:30 o'clock. He remained there 20 minutes, departed and Returned about 10 minutes later. As he approached the taproom he said that Edward Cantwell. the proprietor, was standing in front of the building.

Conrov talked to Cantwell for a few minutes when Barnhardt came out of the saloon and Joined them. After conversing a few minutes Conroy and Cantwell went in. Cantwell Invited Barnhardt to return but the latter declined and bid them goodnight and said, he was going home. The witness said that while stand ing in front of the hotel he observed a car pull up In front of the building. He said Jerry McGrath was in the front seat but not driving.

He testified the car was owned, by the defendant. Conroy said that after he and Cantwell entered the building, he neened through the slats Of the blinds and that he saw McGrath get out of the car. "He staggered, went to the rear door, opened it and took out a rifle. I heard a shot fired and (Continued on Page Six) Trainees Eleven To Be Sent By Board No. 5 And Twelve By Board No.

1 Twenty-three trainees, Including eleven from Draft Board No. 5, (Mount Carmel, 1 and Marion Heights), and twelve from Draft Board No. 1, (Townships of Coal, Mount Carmel and East Cameron), will leave tomorrow morning for military duty. The men selected for induction by Draft Board No. 9 follow: Maurice Procopio, 1230 Scott street.

Kulpmont; Peter Albert Seckan, 316 south Maple street, Mount Carmel; Joseph Leonard Perginski, 219 west Fifth street, Mount Carmel; Edward Francis Kapushlnskl," 408 west Fig Mount Carmel; Joseph A. D'Amlco, 823 Spruce Kulpmont; John Vincent Carroll, 951 Spruce street, Kulpmont; Chester Friday, 1449 Poplar street, Kulpmont; Michael Charles Bush, 414 north Market street, Mount aCrmel; Joseph Bos-lego, 738 Pine street, Kulpmont; Alexander Joseph Daya, 424 east Sixth street, Mount Carmel, and James Joseph Pupo, 221 west Fifth street, Mount Carmel. Of the twelve men selected for Induction by Draft Board No. 1, the following are residents of Mount Carmel Township: John Francis Kovalovich, 112 west Saylor street, Atlas; John Jos- eph Hynoshock, 1 Natalie; Leon Francis Hlggins, Railroad street, Locust Gap; Frederick Wagner, Mount Carmel Junction, and Leon. (Continued on Pace Nine) Conference On Hard Coal Rail Rates Scheduled PUC And ICC To Take Up Complaint Of Anthracite Cos.

HARRISBURO, March 14 (ll.R) Three Public Utility Commissioners will confer with the Interstate Commerce Commission In Washington next Tuesday on pending pro ceedings growing out of the com plaint of 20 Pennsylvania anthracite operators against railroad freight rates on hard coal. The conference was called, PUC Chairman John Sigglns announced, at the suggestion of ICC Chairman Joseph B. Eastman for study of the extent to which the two agencies might cooperate In the proceedings. The PUC members to be sent to the conference are Richard J. Beamish, Thomas C.

Buchanan and Ralph W. Thome. Complaining operators requested Joint ICC-PUC hearings on their petitions filed Jan. 15 attacking reasonableness of Intrastate freight rates and the railroad charges for hauling anthracite to New York, New Jersey and Delaware. They asked that the ICC restore to the State Commission Jurisdiction over Intrastate rates which was removed by the ICC's Jan.

4, 1939 order imposing Increases opposed by the PUC. Operators Joined In the Complaint are these companies: Jeddo Highland, Cranberry Improvement, Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Coal, Hazle Brook Coal, Jermyn-Anthracite, Jermyn-Green, Lehigh Valley Coal Sales, Moffat Coal, Payne Coal, Penn Anthracite Collieries, Philadelphia and Reading Sol and Iron, Pompey Coal, Primrose Coal, Reppller Soal, St. Clair Coal, Standard Preparation, Supreme Anthracite Coal Mining, Susquehanna Collieries, and Westwood Colliery, Inc. Earl Adams Enters Wills Eye Hospital Earl Adams, well known plasterer of 338 east Second stret, this city, is a patient in the-Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia. He is scheduled to' undergo an operation for an eye infection which developed after some plaster fell In his eye while he was To Leave Tomorrow Soft Coal Operators Reject Lewis' Oiler NEW YORK, March 14.

(U.PJ Representatives of soft coal operators and of the United. Mine Workers meet in executive session today to start discussions on a new contract for 450,000 miners of the eight State Appalachian region. Each side named sub-committees yesterday for the detailed negotiations now under A prolonged conference was In prospect as the result of the flat rejection by op erators of the union's demand for $1 a day wage increase. The operators also rejected a proposal by John L. Lewis, head of the union, that If no contract Is signed by April 1, the date the present contract expires, work will continue without interruption.

Charles O'Neill, spokesman for the operators, said Lewis' suggestion was rejected because it provided that any wage Increases be retroactive as of April 1. Lewis said the miners would "use all their economic power" to enforce their demands. Nature Of Clues In Robbery Case No Developments In Thefts At Centralia; More Detail Learned Privates Joseph Baranauskas and Richard Tracey, of the Blooms-burg detachment of Pennsylvania State Motor Police, today were said to be following up several clues in the sensational Centralia robbery of night before last but no new developments were reported In the case. Places entered, as reported yesterday, were the Zimbo Cafe, where about $1,000 in. cash was removed from an old safe, and the general store of Philip Llpp-man, a few doors away on Locust Avenue, where $25 was taken from a register along with about $20 in clothing, the latter later discard ed in a neighboring yard.

Mrs. Victoria Zlmpo, proprietress of the cafe, lives overhead with a daughter, Estelle. The latter was awake until 1:30 o'clock Wednesday morning, but neither heard anything. Likewise, the Uppman fam ily, residing over the store, was not disturbed by the burglary. The money at the Zimbo cafe was kept In an old safe back of the bar.

The outside door of the safe was not working but the in side door was locked. This had been jimmied and the cash, in two cigar boxes, removed. There are indications that if more than one burglar "pulled the job," distribution was made In a back room at the cafe, for the cigar were found there. Entrance was made through a rear transom. At the Llppman store where entrance was made through the transom over a side door, a number of articles of clothing were taken, In addition to the money.

This merchandise included lumber Jackets, (Continued on Page Nine) Two Die In Fire At Harrisburg HARRISBURO, March 14. (Um pire destroyed two shop-apartment buildings here early today, killing two persons and injuring 10 others, Including five firemen. Mrs. Carrie Schreck and Carl H. Fraunfelter, tenants in one of the buildings, were found dead in their rooms by firemen.

They had suffered body burns, but physicians at the Polyclinic Hospital said death apparently was caused by suffocation. Those injured were: John L. Smith, 48; Mrs. Mary Smith, 44; Robert Smith, 19; Jesse Smith, 12; William R. Stewart, aU occupants of the apartments.

Harry Winnand, Robert Burris, Walter Brown, Charles Barbush and Paul Butina, all firemen. Members of the Smith family were rescued by firemen from a third floor window when their exit by stairway or fire escape was cut off by the flames. John Smith told authorities the fire apparently started beneath a fire escape In the rear of one of the buildings. It spread' rapidly through the frame structures. The first floor of one of the buildings was occupied by a tire and battery shop and a shoe repair shop was housed in the other.

There were several dwelling apartments on the second and third floors. Cops Silent On STAR AT READING READING, March 14 Helen Gahagan stage screen and radio star and wife of Melvyn Douglas, screen star, will be the featured speaker at the annual, convention of the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women here May 7 to 9, Mrs. Kath-ryn S. Flohr, announced. NO CAR, BUT TICKETED HARRISBURG He doesn't own a car but he gets parking tickets just the same.

Gilman Erkelens, Harrisburg, told city police today he has not operated a car since October despite numerous summons for parking violations. Now police are looking for the Individual who evidently picked up Erkel ens discarded license plates and Is using them injudiciously at least as far as police parking tones are concerned. MEASLES AT FlIIILA. PHILA. The Department of Public Health reported today that a widespread epidemic was sweeping the Philadelphia area.

More Fire Lanes Will Be Cut In This District Forest And Waters Dept. Centers Interest On Spring Program Winter activities of the Blooms-burg headquarters of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters have largely been devoted to the supervision of NYA pro jects in the area. Attention has also been centered upon the Spring program. The department is sponsoring two NYA projects in Columbia county with ten men employed. In the Arlstes section about three acres of ground are being cleared, and a demonstration area will be laid out.

A number of evergreen plants will be placed. Plans call for the construction of numerous fire lanes. The other county project is the relocatiSh of part of the road leading to the Catawissa fire tower. A group of ten young people are on the project, and in the Spring their duties will be patrolling. At the Shlckshinny Aire tower diseased trees are being removed, with the timber being cut for use by the tower watchman.

There is also being reconstructed a road from the Shlckshinny tower to Hunlock Creek, a distance of five miles over the mountain top. This will enable fire wardsns to reach the scene of fires more quickly. In Northumberland county, included in the Bloomsburg area, NYA projects are centered on constructing safety strips along railroad lines and of. constructing lanes and trails. A fire line has been made around the dump at Mount Carmel.

Some fifty men are employed at this section. A project has been approved for the construction of an additional (Continued on Page Nine) Man Is Jailed For Theft Here John Stripay, 29, of 120 east Seventh street, was a prisoner today in Northumberland County Jail at Sunbury to await action at the next term of criminal court on a charge of burglary at an automobile service station operated by Rudolph Varano at Seventh and Oak streets. He was committed to prison without bail following a hearing before Justice of the Peace Joseph O. Zecoski yesterday afternoon. The young man had been picked Up Wednesday morning by borough police, state troopers and County Detective Donald Zimmerman, who cooperated in the investigation.

He confessed and entered a plea of guilty at the hearing, police said. According to authorities, Stripay, who had only recently returned here from New York and procured employment at the service station, admitted that he visited the place at midnight Tuesday, broke glass in the front door, couldn't get through the opening, then used a key to gain entrance and took $15 in change from a money bag, knowing where It was kept. WAR IN BRIEF (By United Press) LONDON Hundreds of German bombers hammer Liverpool industrial area, Glasgow, shipbuilding yards, and Hull in widespread attacks aimed to sever Britain's ocean communications; British claim record night bag of 11 German planes; RAF smashes bask with heaviest British raid of war on Hamburg, also pounds Bremen, Em-den and German north coast. BERLIN High command acknowledges damage to factories and harbor works at Hamburg and number of Northwest German towns; 50 persons reported killed as two Hamburg hospitals hit; claim destruction of nine British planes; Glasgow reported left a "sea of flames" as Luftwaffe concentrates on docks, raw material warehouses and foodstores; claim Glasgow and Liverpool raids put big Coventry attack "in the shade." ROME War communique says British and Greek planes driven off in attempted attack on Italian steamers in Valona harbor, admits damage to one steamer; claims heavy Italian bombardment important Greek naval base. CAIRO RAF reports destruction of 14 Italian planes In big air battle over Tepelini sector; says "consnderable" air activity in Eritrea, particularly In Keren area.

BELGRADE Diplomatic quarters believe Jugoslav-German deadlock broken; expect Cincar-Markovitch to leave momentarily for Berlin. ISTANBUL Turkish political expert says Turkey will come to the aid of Jugoslavia and Greece if Jugoslavia resists German aggression. SEVILLE Powder magazine in Seville suburb explodes, killing 25, injuring more than 300. County To Ask Bids On Voting Machines Commissioners of Northumberland County today had steps underway in an effort to obtain some reimbursement on voting machines which were discarded after having been used for only a short time in the early 1930s. The officials, at a meeting yester day afternoon, decided to advertise for bids on the devices, the bids to be opened March 27.

Under a Federal Court order at LCwisburg several months ago, the county was directed to pay the Com mercial Credit Company oi Baltimore for the machines. Countv officials had claimed the devices were unsatisfactory. "Tom The Peeper" Is Arrested Here Borough police last night solved another "Peeping Tom" case here. They arrested a 24-year-old man, a resident of south Market street, while in the vicinity of a home on Plum street. He was taken this morning be fore Justice of the Peace Joseph G.

Zecoski, where a number of witnesses testified against him In previous escapades, and he was sentenceil to five days in Northum berland County Jail at Sunbury. Authorities withheld the young man's name because, they said, he "has a good mother." A year ago, a similar case In volving another youth was cleared up by the police. Anthracite Shipments Increased In February Shipments of Anthracite for the month of February 1941, as reported to the Anthracite Institute, amount ed to 3308,336 net tons. This is an increase as compared with February 1940, of 645,734 net tons. Shipments for February, this year.

show a decline of 401,820 net tons, when compared with the preceding month of January. The highways of the United States" have been largely built with about 16 billion Jollars paid in special au tomotive taxes during the last three decades. The Royal Air Force attacked Hamburg, Bremen, Em den and the German north coast with terrific fury which caused the German high command to make one of its rare admissions that port works and factories were damaged. There was no accurate estimate of the umber of planes involved in these huge attacks. But it seemed plain from their scope that two or three times as many night bombers were employed by the Luftwaffe as during the heavy attacks of last Autumn while the RAF appeared to be using at least double the number of planes customary in last year's air war.

The tempo of tha-air war appeared to be moving swiftly toward the blitzkrieg stage and events in the Balkans indicated that the curtain might shortly go up there on a new trajor battle front. Diplomatic sources in Belgrade heard that the British have landed 30.000 troops at Piraeus, the Port of Athens. The United Press heard through private advices from abroad two days ago that a British expeditionary force had arrived In Greece. If the British have landed In Greece, it was not expected that German troops, now massed to the number of 200,000 or so in South Bulgaria, would long delay action. A possibly significant report came from Turkey today.

It said that British engineers have been busy aiding the Turks in construction of airports and strategic roads and that the British are most ac- tive in Iraq, a teritory through which supplies probably would f'ow to Turkey if she enters the war. The Turks were continuing to play their cryptic game of keeping the Germans guessing as to their intentions. However, if reports of landing of a British ex peditionary force in Greece are correct, It seemed axiomatic that the British have full assurances of Turkish support to protect their flank and rear. The Turks hinted today that if Jugoslavia resists Axis blandish ments Turkey may not only support Greece but also the Jugoslavs against aggression. London heard that Russia has assured Turkey that she will abide by a 1925 treaty Insuring her neutrality in event of a German or Itala-German attack on Turkey.

Belgrade heard that Italy had massed 60,000 troops in the neighborhood of Scutari, North Albania, close to the Jugoslav border, poss-bly for pressure purposes. Rome itself said only that an attempt by British torpedo-planes to attack shipping In Valona Harbor was -beaten off. The toll of the British attack on Germany last night appeared to be near a new record. The Germans said British bombs fell on two hospitals In Hamburg, killing or bury.ng more than 50 persons. The British said the attack on Hamburg was the biggest of the war and it seemed from reports to have been as heavy as many of the big Nazi attacks on British cities.

The RAP, presumably, was throw ing more of its heavy, long-range planes into the fight. But the Luftwaffe was elueirfnir back blow for blow, while last year the German air force con fined its efforts to one big raid a night, it seemed now to have gont on a schedule of three big raids a night, leading to belief that -Today's War Moves- By J. W. T. Mason (United Press War Expert) Intensification of German air attacks on British centers is now in its longest nightly period of duration and must soon be moderated by seasonal changes.

At present there are approximately 12 hours between sunrise and sunset in the British Isles; but darkness will shortly begin to dwindle, until it reaches a summer maximum of scarcely more than five hours. The bad flying weather of the winter Is disappearing and the next few weeks will be the last of com paratively long nights and normally good aviation conditions. Therefore, lengthy visitations to Britain of the German flyers should show a marked decline. There is good reason for believing the official statements that the present attacks do not cause much destruction of essential war factories nor interfere seriously with productive capacity. The bombings take place in darkness when targets are obscure and both explosive and (Continued on Page Six) President To Outline War Aid Program To Address Nation Over Radio At 9:30 Saturday Night WASHINGTON, March 14 (U.R) President Roosevelt will outline the objectives and progress of the $7,000,000 war aid program in a radio address to the nation and the world from 9:30 to 10 p.

m. Saturday night. It will be Mr. Roosevelt's detailed presentation of his points on the Lend-Lease since he signed the bill and first ap- proved the first list of materials to be transferred to Great Britain and Greece. Secretary of War Henry Stim-son disclosed at a press conference that shipments of the war materials released already had starWd.

Mr. Roosevelt will speak from the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents Asso-iatlon at which he will be the honor guest Saturday night. The address will be carried on nationwide networks Of the National Broadcasting the Columbia Broadcasting System and Mutual Broadcasting System, and will be sent abroad by short wave. Mr, Roosevelt designated as inaccurate stories. that any specific numbers or types of naval vessels are being considered for dispatch to Britain.

He admitted that there might be ship transfers in the future, but said that it would be Impossible for him to write a story on this subject now because he has not given consideration to the problem. No consideration has been given yet to transfers of any type or numbers of naval vessels, Mr. Roosevelt said. In response to a (Continued on Page Nine) F. D.

R. Sounds Out Sentiment On Mediation Super Board Would Settle Disputes In Defense Industries By United Press President Roosevelt began sound ing out labor leaders today on a proposal to create an 11-man sup er-mediatlon board to handle labor disputes in plants producing the materials which are expected to make the United States the arsen al for the democracies, Sidney Hillman, associate director of the office of production management, was expected to lay the plan before the labor policy committee of the National Defense Advisory Commission and the com-mltee may go to the White House later to discuss the labor situation with the President. Thirty-two strikes affecting defense production were in progress, four of them at U. S. army projects.

Government officials Insisted the number was not alarming and Navy Secretary Frank Knox told a House Committee the situation "does not warrant the amount of excitement that Is raised over it." Two -strikes were in progress at Pittsburgh. One called by the Steel Workers' Organizing Committee (CIO) made idle 900 workers at the La Belle Works of the Crucible Steel where small arms are manufactured. The union declined to comment on the strike. AFL Electrical Workers are on strike at the Edwin L. Wle-gand Co.

plant, protesting the discharge of one employe and disciplinary layoffs of 18 others. Pickets claimed only 18 men were at work, but the company said over half the 380 employes were on the lob. Thirty-five AFL carpenters refused to continue work on new barracks and hangars at the Snohomish County Airport at Everett, where a $5,000,000 air corps base is under construction. They refused to work with lumber from a mill where strike is in progress. Work -on an estimated.

$240,000 worth of defense orders was disrupted by a strike of crane and hoist men at the Springfield, plant of Robins Myers, Inc. A company official said the dispute was between an AFL union with which the strikers were affiliated and the Meyere Employes Associa tion, which now represents workr ers in bargaining. Negotiations were scheduled to resume between the SWOC and executives of the Lackawanna, N. plant of the Bethlehem Steel apparently ending a threat of renewing the strike which shut down the plant 38 hours two weeks ago. The union had threatened to re sume the strike charging the firm declined to receive a union committee.

John L. Lewis, President of the (Continued on Page Six) 0 j1 (Continued on Page Six).