Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 1

IU1 EDITORIALS PAGE 8 Nothing Will Come of It Ir Game Can Kermit Get Then IB Time? The Worst, it True. in tffTY -NINTH YEAR 20 Pages Decatur, Illinois, Thursday, May 2, 1940 THREE CENTS rtn Ml TIME DIFFERENCES Qaemtuf London prlj pM p- m. ido jelslnkl Brlln Mokow 3: p. a. :30 p.

p. gj. EFiAlO MM Ml lie de France Sails, Loaded With Tools of War VESSEL SUNK IN KATTEGAT NEAR SWEDEN Stockholm, Sweden (AP) British navy raiding units, varying their submarine attack on Germany's supply and transport line across the Kattegat to Norway; brought planes and warships into play in a large-scale naval engagement off the Swedish west coast yesterday. Observers at Goteborg, Sweden, said they saw one German ship set afire and another sunk during a two-hour battle about 10 miles northwest of that important Swed NAZIS CLAIM HITS ON 13 WAR VESSELS Berlin, Germany (AP) Furious airplane attacks which sank or damaged 13 British warships or transports and the continued advance of Nazi warriors in Central Norway despite dogged Allied resistance were reported yesterday by the German high command. Indicating that the British are pouring reinforcements into Norway in an attempt to stem the German tide, the high command asserted that one cruiser, one destroyer and five transports were sunk off Namsos.

Allied landing place about 100 miles north of German-held Trondheim, and that five other transports and a cruiser in that sector were damaged by air raiders. Follow British Retreat The communique touched only briefly on latest developments, reporting that fighting "still went on GERMAN BOMBS HIT VILLAGE i iiMWx bombers steamed down the bay here yesterday for an unnamed destination. The two passengers aboard were des cribed as a French general and the 16-year-old daughter of a French army officer. The ship had been stripped bare of her American Newsman 'On from a house hit by one of the bombs. Germsns later captured Rena.

This picture was transmitted last night by radio from London to New York. (AP WIREPHOTO) Leaps From Auto to Dodge Persistent Nazi Air Raiders By J. NORMAN LODGE Of 'The Associated Press Namsos, Norway Their appetities whetted by the destruction of the British escort vessel Bittern, German war-planes returned with machine-guns spouting yesterday to strafe this Norwegian country-side with clock- 'like regularity at 30-minute inter vals. With the first crack of dawn, the Nazis took up where they left off Tuesday and ranged from this British landing place, where the Bittern was blasted to pieces by a power-diving bomber with heavy loss of life, all the way to the Swedish frontier on the east. Catch Prey Unawares Virtually everything moving on i the ro; ds from Namsos to Grong.

25 miles on the east, and in the I mountain pass between Formofoss and Gaddedc, on the Swedish bor- der. came in for bursts of ma-; chine-gun fire from the canny Nazi I airmen. They zoomed, they dived and slipped up from behind with mo-j tors cut off to catch their prey I unawares, and were off again to re-, peat the performance further down the road. I was rolling along serenely from Namsos to Grong when all of a sudden a single-motored pursuit job swept down silently from the rear; sped over my car at oO or i 100 feet then turned and came back with guns blazing. Take Refuge In Ditch Mv chauffeur and I got to rlitrh in nothing flat and escaped ish naval base.

German warships convoying transports and supply ships return ed the British fire. Germans Retreat From Roroc This sea fight came almost sim ultaneously with an announcement by Norwegian authorities that Ger man troops, composing an excellently equipped tank unit of about 150 men, retreated southward from Roros. key point in the Osterdalen (valley), and also had withdrawn from Tynset 25 miles farther south. The Norwegians said Norse troops with "foreign volunteers" had reoccupied the area around Roros but not the town itself because the Germans had threatened to subject it to aerial bombardment if they did. The "foreign volunteers" possibly could have included Swedes.

Norwegian sources said, but they de clined to be positive about it. Norwegian authorities quoted a German officer as saying that "our retreat is necessary because our communications have been cut." Heavy Air Fighting An Allied-Norwegian communique issued from Grong. back of the Steinkjer front, said there was lit tle ground activity but much warfare in the air in that sector. The Norwegian troops entered Roros suburbs about 5 a. after the Germans had withdrawn during the night, and established communication with Sweden.

Norwegian military sources indi cated reorganized Norwegian force, now geared to shift quickly. were harassing the Germans' rear, making necessary their retreat from their northernmost posts and were interfering with their supply lines. It was not yet clear whether the German withdrawal was only a temporary tactic to await rein forcements. This strategy is a fav orite one with the reichswehr. It also was not yet clear whether the Germans' retreat would vitally affect their position at Trondheim, on the west central coast.

British Quit Dombas The Osterdalen is the easternmost of two valleys used in their "blitz" campaign to establish a connection between Oslo and Trondheim. The Germans Tuesday reported this connection completed in the Gudbransdalen, the valley to the west, the eastern line would be of less importance to them if the Gudbransdalen line is secure. It appeared that the British had withdrawn from Dombas, in the Gudbransdalen, though not until ater a valiant fight, possibly leaving the Gudbrandsdalen completely in German hands. Despite the German retreat, foreign military observers expressed doubts whether the British and Norwegians were equipped to cope with the Nazi methods. BERT RAND RUSSELL BAN REAFFIRMED BY N.Y.

JURIST New York AP) State Supreme Court Justice John McGeehan, who some time ago barred Bertrand Russell from teaching in City college, yesterday refused all motions designed to reopen the case. He denied permission to the city board of higher education to substitute its own counsel for Corporation Counsel William C. Chanler. who had refused to appeal, and likewise refused to permit members of the board to intervene in behalf of Russell. The British earl was found by Justice McGeehan to hold views upon morals which might 'be against public policy.

COHAN GETS MEDAL Washington, D. C. (AP) Actor George M. Cohan received from President Roosevelt yesterday a gold meda! for composing the patriotic songs "Over There" and "A Grand Old Flag." Congfess authorized the medal four years ago. but it had been kept in a White House safe until Cohan could be here to receive it Tuesday" on the Trondheim front and that the "Greman advance in Norway continues." The Germans Tuesday officially announced the capture of Dombas, key railroad junction town on the Oslo-Trondheim railroad, and said that their Oslo and Trondheim forces had established contact.

German authorized sources, as on Tuesday, again said they under stood the German troops were pushing after retiring British and Norwegian forces west of Dombas, toward Andalsnes, 60 miles further west and the British landing point in that area. There were no indications, however, as to what progress was being made. Airfields Bombed Britain's bombers hurled new attacks at three German airfields during the night, those at Stavan-. ger, on Norway's Southwest coast, Fornebu, near Oslo, and Aalborg, in Denmark, but the Germans said the raids were costly and did no real damage. The high command said nine British planes were shot down; DNB, the official German put British losses at Stavanger alone at 11 planes.

An authoritative German spokes man, evidently pleased at what he considered an evidence of British weakness, said of the order keeping British through shipping out of the Mediterranean, "it's the greatest news of the day by far." May Day Celebrated Germany's celebration of May day, known in the Reich as "Na tional Labor day," was led by Rudolf Hess, No. 2 Nazi and Adolf Hitler's party deputy, who told an audience of Krupp locomotive workers at Essen that the German people were celebrating the day "with the certainty of victory as never before." In its report of the air raids off Namsos, the high command said the cruiser which went down before German bombs bristled with antiaircraft guns. (Britain has six warships, formerly cruisers, converted to anti-aircraft vessels.) The number of British transports at Namsos, indicating extensive troop landings, led military observers to express belief that the British hoped to relieve the pressure on their troops south of Trondheim by smashing at the German flank in the Steinkjer district, about 50 miles north of Trondheim. The high command said Germany had taken more than 4.900 prisoners and a quantity of guns and munitions in Norway. The prison ers were said to include 40 Britons captured northwest of Lillehammer about 140 miles north of Oslo on the road to Trondheim.

SNOW PELTS MIDWEST By The Associated Press May came in like a lion in much of the Midwest yesterday. Snow pelted several states while chilling winds kept May day celebratory under heavy wraps in a number of others. It was the fourth time in 63 years that Chicago had a measureable snow fall in May. It was only a half inch deep but the storm was brisk enough to- plague thousands of folk who changed homes on the traditional moving day. Snow, light but unusual, was reported in Northern Illinois, Eastern Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, and Iowa, flurries were sighted in Minnesota and West-Centra! Missouri.

Temperatures ranged down toward the freezing level but fair and warmer weather was in furnishings and her cabins were crammed with 12,000 tons of cargo. (AP WIREPHOTO) ITALY PLANS NOMOYE INTO WAR Mussolini By RICHARD G. MASSOCK Of the Associated Press Rome, Italy President Roosevelt's ambassador to Italy, William Phillips, was understood last night to have received directly from Premier Mussolini an assurance that Italy contemplates no move into the war at present. The ambassador made a timely call upon II Duce. He wanted to obtain a clear view of Italy's foreign policy, at a time when the expressions of the Italian press and certain Fascist leaders have made it look as if Italy might be getting ready for war on the side of Ger many.

He found Mussolini fit and affable. Non-Belligerent Nazi Ally Details of this interview are not available, but II Duce was reported to have confirmed the widely-held impression that Italy, pending some important development, will re main the non-belligerent ally of Germany. Phillips" visit preceded Mussolini's attendance at a cabinet session at which heavy surtaxes on war industry profits were imposed. The interview took place in the premier's office in the Interior ministry and lasted for 45 minutes. Only Phillips and Mussolini were present Wrhile Phillips was so occupied the British charge d'affaires.

Sir Noel Charles, was explaining to Foreign Minister Count Galeazzo Ciano, the meaning of Britain's diversion of her through shipping from the Mediterranean to the long Cape of Good Hope route. British Envoy Sees Ciano This meeting was described as cordial and it was indicated there was mention of Britain's desire for Please turn to Page 2 "Italy" nesday morning for brief but turbulent sessions in which the pend ing bills were advanced to second reading and held there, despite efforts of Administration leaders to put them in position for passage. It is the strategy of the anti-Horner forces to prolong the session, since the authority of the. Searle committee will die at expiration of the present session. Apparently there is little controversy over the pro posal for increased old age assistance and the validating acts recommended by the Governor when he summoned the to meet Senator Harold Ward.

(D) Chicago, and Lieut Gov. John Stelle. presiding, engaged in spectacular arguments as Ward sought to push the bills more rapidly toward final enactment Mr. Stelle won his point, and the. bills were held on second reading, for another week.

New York Painted a wartime gray, the French luxury liner He de France her after deck loaded with American KEY GERMAN AIRPORTS DAMAGED London (AP) News-hungry, anxious England drew cheer last night from the assaults of Royal rir force bombers on three German airports in Nor-ay and Denmark and glum con-tern from the War office's terse acknowledgement of the British retreat from Dombas, Central Norway's hottest battleground. On the Mediterranean scene of tension, a neutral diplomatic source, viewing the British foreign office's to minimize the Government's action in getting British ship away from that sea. said "it ij jiut one more card in the poker gsme which they are plaving with In On Narvik Announcing the British with drawal before strong attacks in tile Dombas area, the War office wid. however, that the British had 'x'enried battle poistions in the fir-north Narvik area, where a f.r.g cf-fire is closing slowly on the ere port held by the Germans. As for other fronts, the War off-re said the situation at Steinkjer.

50 miles north of Trondheim and in the adjacent Namsns area where tile Allies are entrenched "remains unchanged." Earlier sources tad described the Allied position as "good." There was no official British confirmation that the Nazis had taken Dombas. junction point of the Trondhe mi-Oslo railroad and about miles south of Storcn. Bomb Aalbor Air Field Cheering to a public which is "jerlv awaiting the war statement promised by Prime Minister Cham-fcrlam for today was the Air announcement that British Ambers Tuesday night had pound-i 'he Aalborg air field in Den-rk. a key point in Germany "rial troops-ferry to Norway, and frf German-held airports at on the southwest coast, and near Oslo. Aithoiijjh reporting the loss of planes, the British said their turn to Tage 2 "British" Furniture mart robbed of s2.s00 Chicago (AP) irking with split-second pre-fcsicm.

robbers raided the wond-floor "bank" of the Ameri-Furniture Mart Wednesday wring the spring sale exposition escaped with $2,843.05 in cash. The gunmen, headed by a youth, marched in at the cor-moment, terrorized seven men and five men in their weU-t'ined holdup. office operates a as a convenience for the of buyers and firm rep-ntatives here for the expos) 51- Checks are cashed and cur-ftsi? changed. Rena, Norway A low-flying German warplane, according to British-approved caption material, is shown bombing this village north of Elverum on the Glomma river. Smoke rises NUDELMAN GETS PAY Springfield (AP) State Finance Director S.

L. Nudelman and 1.100 other employes of his department received their monthly salary checks yesterday, one day after termination of the iStelle-Horner governorship dispute. Employes of most other state departments were paid two days earlier. When Lieut. Gov.

Stelle pro claimed himself acting governor April 8. he issued an order "dismissing" Nudelman, a primary election foe. Nudelman disregarded the order and statehouse observers speculated whether State Auditor Edward J. Barrett, a Stelle would refuse to sign Nudelman's check. Tuesday Stelle relinquished his governorship claim.

Sees Hitler Reward As Peace Threat New York (AP) Carl W. Ackerman, dean of Columbia university's graduate school of journalism and ex-war correspondent, declared yesterday that the offer of a $1,000,000 reward for the capture of Adolf Hitler was "calculated to contribute to the involvement of the United States in the present European While official Washington studied the offer in the light of U. S. neutrality legislation, Ackerman assailed the proposal in an open letter to Samuel Harden Church, president of the Carnegie Institute, who made public the offer, in behalf of an unidentified group of Pittsburgh residents. "To offer a monetary reward for the sacrifice of human life, which would be necessary to capture Herr Hitler, is a dangerous national as well as international proposal," Ackerman declared.

"The American people will never sanction a policy of kidnaping either at home or abroad. "In the last World war, the war makers were those who wished to profit by the war. In this crisis it appears that the new war makers in the United States are the intellectual leaders, who are too old themselves to fight but who are quite willing that young men should die in order that a few Pittsburgh millionaires may live in luxurious security. In Washington, state department officials declined to say whether the offer directly involved any sections of President Roosevelt's neutrality proclamation but pointed out several sections which they said might have a bearing on the situation. His Own' feet dumped the full load of bombs in its right wing.

French Aid in Rescue One bomb hit the Bittern's stern, where depth charges are carried, and there was a terrific explosion which rent the entire aft end of the little warship. The British managed to down two of the attackers, but the maneuver had succeeded. One German plane got away. An undisclosed number of dead and wounded were removed from the Bittern and the latter were placed in Namsos hospitals. French officers did heroic work in helping rescue their allied comrades.

STATE FUND PROBE BEGINS By SAM TUCKER Of the Herald Staff Springfield Representative Clinton Searle (R) of Rock Island, named chairman of a House committee to investigate state finances, lost no time in begin- ning his congenial task. Mr. Searle called his committee together Wednesday morning and within an hour obtained a subpena, calling State Finance Director Sam Nudel man to appear before the committee and to bring all the state records with him. The grand opening of the inquisi- tion is set for 8 o'clock next Mon incnim-is, i piuuu.s mm- mittee seem to hope that they can make a Roman arena out of it. Nudelman Unperturbed Mr.

Nudelman, however, was unperturbed when he was told that a sergeant of arms was coming with the subpena. "It has always been IUI11C Oil. Ill J.ftti uiii Kiij ai- nariment and I shall give the com mittee of the House all co-opera t. I tion in my power." Ualninc 5oarfi 3 Vetera "anj for vears a ferVent; opponent of Horner adminis-i traUon are six other House mem-1 Ibers: Republicans David Swanson. Chicago: Frederick Rennick, Buda: Sam O.

Dale. Democrats Schaeffor" O'Neill, Al- quire concurrence of the Democrat- controlled Senate, and probably i will not be able to afford money ifor special attorneys or account-! ants out of the limited contingent: funds of the Houset Both House and Senate met Wed-: The Day In Washington (By the Associated Press) The House judiciary committee voted 14 to 10 to pigeonhole the Hatch bill banning political activity by state employes paid with federal funds, but Rep. Dempsey (D-NMl planned a fight to force it to the floor. The House, continuing debate on revision of the wage-hour law. tentatively adopted an amendment to broaden the agricultural exemptions.

Secretary Edison, returning from the fleet's Pacific war games, said that the navy was considering altering the designs of existing and future battleships to cope with developments of air power. The House passed and set to the White House legislation empowering the President to regulate transactions in foreign investments held here. The Senate debated the bill by Senator Townsend (R-Del) to terminate foreign- silver purchases. Supporters of the buying program contended that it promoted good yill and opponents said it had been a failure. The State department established consular relations with Greenland.

The Senate appropriations committee approved a 134 million dollar supply bill for the Interior department, boosting the House appropriations by 15 million dollars. The House committee investigating the Labor board heard that a Board investigator had worked with the C. I. O. in attempting to unionize the steel industry in 1936.

THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR ILLINOIS: Partly cloudy with rising temperature Thursday; Friday fair and warmer. LOCAL WEATHER Wed Tues Wed Tues 7 a. '36 61 Precip. 1.02 1.64 Noon 38 75 ThurWed 7 p. m.

38 57 Sun- Highest 57 77 Rises 4:59 5:01 Lowest 34 54 Sets 6:53 6:52 TEMPERATURES 6:30 p.m. High Low Boston 58 73 50 New York 55 63 53 Jacksonville 75 76 63 Miami 74 80 70 New Orleans 73 78 62 Chicago 34 41 40 Cincinnati 44 56 56 Detroit 38 51 55 Memphis 56 66 51 St. Paul 43 43 30 Oklahoma City 67 69 45 Omaha 53 54 36 Helena 73 74 41 San Francisco 61 61 53 Winnipeg 50 53 21 with onlv a bad scare. But evening when Mr. Nudelman car was 'not so luckv.

Its radi-: commanded to appear. The pro-ator was punctured and its top, ceedings will be open to the public iust above where wed been sit- ting, was filled witn Dunei noies. Twice the German pilot dived and raked the road with machine-gun fire while we held our breath. There is no air defense in the inland regions hereabouts and the nnnitltinn was Went hnsv I ih. the pohev of the Horner adminis-a 1 dav dashing in and out of the w.

u. jtration. he said, "to hold all mat- woods. Iters of state business open for pub- The persistence of the Nazi pilots i critich i lie inspection at all times. I wel- resulted in a warnins from Bntisn and iNoreS.Hn 1 ties that henceforth correspondents are "on their own." Old Trick Catches British It took the Germans six hours Tuesday to hit the Bittern and then they resorted to an old to do the job.

Observers who witnessed the per- formance from a hill overlooking the fjord at Namsos said the Nazis aimed their bombs all morning Edward Skarda. Chicago; andj the Bittern but were kept at a highly. O. Edwards. Danville, altitude by British and French anti-; Push Pension Bills aircraft guns.

The committee has no special Then a squadron of three planes aopropriation, since that would re- put themselves between the Bittern and the sun. Two of them dropped to about 9.000 feet to draw the at- tention of the anti-aircraft guns, The third plane, which had re mained high and out of sight in the sun power-dived and at 1,000.