Wilkes-Barre Sunday Independent

              A   Paper  For The  Home
34TH YEAR, NO. 26—^2 PAGES
SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
The Weather
'       Sunday:   Fair.
Monday: Cloudy, wartner.
WILKES-BARRE, PA., SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 1940
PRICE TEN CENTS
PLANES BOMB 3 BRITISH CRUISERS
ANO
TRANSPORTS. NAZIS CLAIM
Mechanized German Columns Continue to Advance
r
Change
House Set
To
Wage-Hour
Supporters Gain Despite Roosevelt's Threat of Veto
GOING 'HOG WILD'
(UP)- Waga-
Senate to Oppose Lengthening Work And Cutting Pay
WaahinKton, April 27. House supporter."! of the Hnur Act tonlRht believe that broad jxemption.^ from the law will be voted in the Hou.ie next week, de- ipite indications that President Roo,sevelt would veto drastic '^hanges .lUch as proposed by Rep. Iraham A, Barden, D.. N. C.
Barden's bill would lift the maxi¬ mum 42-hour week and remove the requirement of the .'iO-cenls-an-hour
Here's a Question of Neutrality
War   l^iiiiiitiarT
ENGLAND BRANDS NAZIS' CHARGE 'DESPICABLE LIE'
Ribhentrop's Speech Called Plan- To Cover up German Aggression,' Promise to Throw All Resources Into Spreading Campaign in Norway
London, April 27, (UP)—British government officials tonight charged Carman Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbcntrop with a "de.spicabic lie" designed to cover up German aggro.^-'iion in Norway and promi.^'ed that the Allied powers would.throw all their resources into war agaii;st Germany  in  the north.
Leading the British counterattrtck on Ribhentrop's charge that the Allies and Norway plotted to attack Germany from Norwegian terri¬ tory.  Air  Mip.istei   Sir  Samuel  Hoiire  .¦<aid  in  a  broadcast  speech  that
French Fighting, Not Talking
Air   view   shows    three    British   Report arose  that  ships were  be-1 circle   on  the  middle  ship  was merchantmen   in   Bethlehem   Steel   ing  armed   in  violation   of United   place   when   the   ship   arrived minimum wage from workers hand-   shipyards at Hoboken, New Jersey.   .States   laws.    One   gun   shown   in   Hoboken.
ling   16   kinds   of  agricultural   pro- [ _^	
ce.«ing in interstate commerce. j
Opponents of the measure con- .fded privately, however, that the Hou.se had given indication in pre¬ vious tests on labor appropriations j Ihat it will vote for amendments 1 nnsirterably beyond the scope of Ihe limited revisions proposed hy Rep. Mary Norton, ohairman of the Iflhor committee and poaaibly accept in» Barden hill. Hopes for Reaction
Rep. Raymond .S. McKeough, D„ III. nne of the administration sup¬ porters, said he believed the advo¬ cates of revision vrerf so strong Ihpy were likely to go 'hog wild" and load the bill with numerous exemptions,
"I hope they do," he said. "It will give us more aupport for a move to recommit it to the labor committee."
Mrs. Norton, although seeking amendment of the existing law to exempt better paid white collar worker.s and a few more processing workei.s than are now exempt, said that if many of the Barden amend- f ments were adopted, ahe will vote lo .«end the bill back to committee. Senate Will Balk j
lust as tests on lahor appropria¬ tions indicated Wage-Hour revis¬ ions in the House, similar tests in the Senate indicate determination to tiave no revi.sion.
The House will reaume consider¬ ation nf amendments Monday.
In defense of his administration, Wage-Hour Administrator, Philip B Fleming tonight issued a sum¬ mary of accomplishments during his six month tenure. Three times as many court actions were begun and successfully concluded in these last six months as in the entire first year of the act, he said, add¬ ing:
"Every federal district court be¬ fore which the con.stitulionality of the act has heen challenged has "iVtained it was a valid regulation of interstate commerce by Con- gres.s."
the  Nazi   foreign   minister   was   a "sinister adventurer."
"We know thi.s mun," he dei lared. "He is dangerous adventurer who played a sinister part in public affairs. No honest man trusts his word. No impartial neutral believes what he says. "By .Murderer of ()»ech»"
"I need only say It is a despic¬ able lie to say that we ever plotted against any neutral country and it is sickening hypocrisy when this charge is made by the murderer of Czechoslovakia and Poland,
"Let me leave this man to his lies nnd come to the crime Adolf Hitler and he are committing in Norway.
"They have challenged us to fight this war on a new front and they have made Norway the battlefield. We take up the challenge and there we must meet them with all the resources we lan develop and all the power we can muster for the fight."
SPCA Unworried as Boasters Move On Buffalo with Spear and Arrow
>
Brookfleld, Mo„ April 27. (UP' The Missouri matadors, Dr. John T. McLarney and John Latta, who have a date to fight buffalo, thumbed Ihrough juvenile tales of Hobin Hnod today m search of 'Ips on the use of the longbow and the spear.
Each has boasted that he is a Head-Eye Dick with his favorite primitive weapon, Latta likes the how and arrow and McLarney says he was a great one in his youth With Ihc spear. Their boasts while attending a social function of the Missouri Anti-Horse Thief Assnci- "lion resulted In arrangements for the buffalo fight. Bluffs Are Called
"It is plain.' Glynn Dowcll, presi- Ifnt of the organization, told them, 'that when armed with your favor- 'te weapon neither of you would 'ear man nor beast. I propose that •'e get a couple  jf buffalo, have a
'n Today's Issue
Witurial (>-!
<laH»ine,|    A—2.1
'¦"lltlos    (>-i
 lovlen     B—!»
'''tory    A—'IS
Sporta   B—l
'>««-ial    A—16     ,
barbecue and invite everyone in the slate to come and see you dis¬ patch  the beasts,"
That's how it started and the date for the fight is May :!5, The place Is the county fair grounds. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has promised to intervene, but there seems to be strong belief that the buffalo are not in danger and that no action will be taken.
"I know that Little John used a pike and not a spear,' .said Latta, "but he had ,\ technique that rattled his adversaries and it. may be I can adopt it but I am lold the buffalo arc wily creatures," Nn NhillalahH
.McLarney denied that he 'had asked permission to carry a shil- lalah as well as a spear into the bull ring.
"It is true that I am a fine hand with that weapon, too, but in this case I shall not need it," he said. "I will run this fellow through with neat dispatch, and that will be that."
Mrs. Latta said <hc was not im¬ pressed with the talk
"The .SPCA hasn't anything to worry about." she said. "I don't believe either nf Ihem could hil one of those cowv with a hllll fiddle, let alone a spear or an arrow." I
Taking up the speech point by point, the statement said that the German fleet was seen by the Brit¬ ish destroyer Glowworm in Nor¬ wegian waters on April 8, whereas Rihbentrop claimed that the order for the fleet to depart was not given until that date. The British also poinled oul that the Germans landed al Narvik l.oon miles from their base—just afler midnight April 9.
"There   was   no   reason   for   the war, Ribbcntrop said,' the British statement, wa.s a deliberate German attack on Poland.    There is no truth in Rib¬ hentrop's  a.ssertion  that  the Allied plan  is to dismember the German nation.   The prime minister haa de¬ scribed this as malicious mis-state¬ ment, British Facts Given
"Regarding so-called British plans to invade Scandinavia, Ribbcntrop bases his charges on alleged state¬ ments by Mr. Churchill (Winston Churchill, first lord of the admir¬ alty) and others. The facts are as follows;
"1,    It is true Hi:i Majesty's gov¬ ernment   and   the  French  govern¬ ment,   as   Ihey   openely   declared, were   determined   to  atop   German j abuse    of    Norwegian    territorial I waters.    Hence the decision to lay mine fields lin Norwegian waters.i "2.    The    Allied    governments sought  permission  to  send  help  to Finland   by   way   of   Norway   and Sweden.     When   this  was   refu.sed they did not press the plan,
"3. The Norwegian government, far from deciding to enter the war on the Allied side, refused consist¬ ently to agree even to pas.sage of troops to Finland. ' "4. If troops had been ready for landing in .Norway as Rihbentrop alleges there would have been no delay in coming to the aid of Nor¬ way Such delay as occurred was due to the necessity of as.scmbling a force.
".5. Had the laying of minefields heen merely a preparation for land¬ ing as alleged by Ribbcntrop, the Allies would not have announced il. They did so purely out of re¬ gard for neutral interests, whlcn Germany has so shamefully dis¬ regarded. .Nniza Sailed Days Before
"6, The Orman expedition, as subsequently admitted by the Ger¬ man wireless, sailed many days be¬ fore   the   minefields   were   laid,
"7.    It is notorious that  the Ger¬ man landing in Norway was made possible   by   activities   of   (iernian secret   agents.   It   ia   impudent   lo (iJontinued on Page A-OJ
Paris, April 27, (UP) French officials tonight refused tn com¬ ment on charges in the German while book that the Allies had planned to invade Norway in an effort to widen the war.
A spokesman said the French government has no intention of engaging in polemics with Ger¬ man Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbcntrop over his "indi- Sogne Fjoi'd vidual, original interpretation of history."
"Germany wanted a test of force. She is amply served," the spokesman   added.
Nazis Near Railroad Vital to Allied Forces
By UMTKD PRESS
I Mechanized Geiinan columns carried the fijiht to the Allie.s in Norway tonight as Germany opened a diphimatic offensive seeking to place blame on Great Britain and France for exten.sion of the war to Scandinavia.
The diplomatic offensive carried a warning to the remain¬ ing neutrals of Europe to beware of any action favorable to the .\l!ies le.«t the weight of German reprisal be felt.
On the military front, swift German mechanized columns were reported to be striking close to the vital Stoeren- Dombaa.s rail link, south of Trondheim, now held by the Allies.
Making Surprise Dash
Two mechani/.ed columns made a surprise dash through snow filled mountain passes against scanty .Norwegian re¬ sistance and were approaching the Stoeren-l)ombaa.s line. One was reported at Kvikne, 20 miles from ths railroad, the other at Foldal. about 2.') miles from the line.
Withdrawal of .Allied tioops from their advanced base at Stoeren, just south of Trondheim would be forced if the columns cut their way through to the rail line.
Two other (Jcrman moves also threatened the .Mlied position along the railroad. One was the threat of a con¬ tinued drive up the Roeros railroad direct to Stoeren. (Jcrman engineers were reported to have repaired a bridge at Myplass placing the line in condition for u.se.
Strong Columns Move North
The other was the strong Geiman column moving north from Lillehammer w hich was reported at Otta, about 2.") miles from Dom baas, after forcing Allied troops to retire from Kvam after vigorous fighting. j
A strong (Jerman drive to entrench in strength their gar-1 rison at Bergen wa.s also developing. The (ieimans claimed the capture of Voss, a strong point on the railroad outside of Bergen which had been held by a .Norwegian force. .\ (ierman column from Oslo was reported at (Jul.svik, about l.'iO miles from Bergen, and driving in that direction.
The German high command claimed two British cruisers and two transport ships were blasted by Nazi bombs off the Norwegian coast and that nearly ."idO British prisoners had been taken in central Norwegian fighting. Another British crui.ser was also said to have been put out of action in
300 English Troops With Staff Officers Taken, Says Berlin
Report Aerial Attacks at Narvik And off British Base at Andalsnes; \] ith Land Drive Nearing Trondheim To Cut Rail Line Serving Allies; Say Gas Shortage Retards Efforts
By RU HARD C. HOriELET
Horlin, April 27. (UP)—The high cnnmiand .<;aid tonight that two Briti.sli cruisers and two tian.^port ships had been blasted by Nazi aerial liomiis off tho .Norwegian coast and that ahuost 300 Kritisii pri.soners had been taken in fighting in Central Norway.
The prisoners included staff officers and men of "the King's own regiment," the communique said.
The aerial bomhardnient was directed against British ships at the northern port of .N'arvik, where a cruiser was reported "extensively wrecked," and off the British base al Andalsnes, where "a BrilLsh anti-aircraft cruiser received a number of hits or variou.? calibre and was pul oul of action," according to the communique. Blast4>d hy Plane*
'I'wo British transport ships of 10,000-tons received "direct hits and were set afire" in Moldefjord, off Andalsnes, the communique said.
Earlier in the day the high command hiid <lainied that a British cruiser in Sogne Fjofd, 2.') miles north of Bergen, was hit by four German aerial bombs and "pul out of action" when its munitions cargo
exploded.
First  reports  of success  of  our   and Tretlen area  By  surprise," the
communique   said,   "they   encounl-
THINK GERMAN SHIP SUNK OFF DENMARK
Malmo,  Sweden, A
April  27.    (Xirt
British Claim to Hold
The British high command claimed .Mlied forces were I holding in the Kavam area despite severe enemy attack and 'that Norwegian troops still held Voss. It said the positicms on the Namsos front, north of Trondheim. appeared to be stabilized and that some (ierman prisoners had been taken. There was no report from the Narvik front, where a heavy snow storm was reported.
The German diplomatic offensive took the form of a new- he r^Zl,T 'I'if rH,1'"?„''^h'' German "White Book," released by Foreign Minister .loachim be   German,   sank    today   in   the -»., .      . ... , mi *•       r»    i-
Oresund near the Danish coast ^'"" Ribbentrop w ith unusual Ceremony. 1 he entire Berlin iccnrding to after an explosion which was vial- ] diplomatic corps as Well as the German and foreign press was "The reason  ble  on  the Swedish side  of the summoned to the Chancellory, where Ribbentrop spoke for
32 minutes and then distributed the "\\ bite Book."
The gist of the charge was that the .\llies planned to invade Norway with tacit consent of the Norwegians and that this move was forestalled hy the (iernian invasion.
The charge wa.s ba.sed on documents, purportedly taken three days. It was not known f,.oni British pii.soneis, from papers from Hritish consulates whether the explosions were caused   ;_ x'„„..,„     „   j « j.L    i,.. ¦       r n-
I in Norway and from the Norwegian foreign of lice.
These documents purported to show that British troops were en route to Norway as long as IS hours before the (iermans landed.
The Ribbentrop documents were vigorously attacked by I the British who characterized them a "despicable lie." !
sound.
Wreckage waa observed flying high in the air abov* the ship, which   sank   rapidly. ,
It was the fifth shipwreck ob¬ served  in  the Oresund  in  the  past j
by mines or submarines.
VICE-PRESIDENT TAKES HOMER MARTIN'S PLACE
Detroit, April 27. (UPl Irvan Cary, vice president of the United Automobile Workers (AFLl will succeed Homer Martin, who last nighl announced his resignation from the presidency of the union.
It was said the union's interna¬ tional executive board had elected to favor an organizational drive at plants of the Ford Motor (.'o, and that the board would hold discus¬ sions tomorrow on stipulations to be incorporated in a new contract with   General   Motors.
ALLIED WAR COUNCIL MEETS IN LONDON; ITALY IS WATCHED
A  new  serial   begin*:
THE NEW FA( E
By RITA HA.N.SKN
Cathie Ryan could have packed up her beauiifui clothes and gone home, of cour.se, but what waited for her there wasn't very excit¬ ing. So she stayed in Miami and made some new friends - in a very irregular way had the time of her life and wound up'head over heels in love. The money problem wasn't solved.' but then il never is. One has lo have something to worry aboul . . .
Take thiiigo eau.N fur a «1iMe in the atory heglnning today on Page A-Zt.
By H. L. PKRCY
London, April 27. (UP) The Allied supreme war council met here today for decisions believed to concern the possibility of Italy's entrance into the war or some new German lightning stroke in the Balkans,
The council deliberated as latest reports indicated Allied troops in Norway were heavily engaged in their effort to maintain and ex¬ pand their foothold 'n Scandinavia,
In connection wilh Italy, the war-like speech of Dinn Grandi at Rome today was considered here of most significance since Grandi has been regarded as an Italian moderate and a good friend of Great Britain.
The council meeting was the second of the week ~ the first time two meetings had been held in one week and the third this month. Both Polish and Norwegian repre¬ sentatives participated,
(In Paris it was said that the couniil agreed that Great Britain and France would continue to re¬ inforce their troops in Norway to whatever extent neces.sary tn ob¬ tain control of the Norwegian i coastline.)
HAAKON GOING TO BRITAIN. ITALIAN PAPER SAYS
Rome, April 27. (UPi The news¬ paper Mes.saggcro in a dispatch to¬ day from Oslo said King Haakon is pieparing to go to Great Britain on a British cruiser.
The dispatch reported that Haakon had left a ; : untain retreat and had gone lo far northern Nor¬ way where he is expected lo board the crui.ser.
The newspaper also reported un¬ confirmed rumors that Crown Prince Olaf had suffered a bullet wound in the right arm and was remaining wilh members of the .Vorwegian government al a point close to the .Swedish frontier.
,WO,(m .More For British .\rmy
London, April 27, (UP) Three hundred thousand more Britons between the ages of 20 and 26 were registering for army service throughout the United Kingdom today.
The  empire's  tighling  force al¬ ready numbers more than 2,000,- 000   and   the   latest   recruits   will be   absorbed   into   the   army   in about aix weeks.
air force operations have jusl reached here," the communique .laid, "One British cruiser off Narvik waa hit by a bomb of the heaviest calibre and extensively wrecked.
"Off Andalsnes (south of Trond- heimi a British anti-aircraft cruis¬ er received a number of hita of varirus calibre and waa put out nf action. In Moldefjord, two Brit¬ ish transport steamers. Including nne of 10,000 tons, received direct hits and were set afire." Drive Near  Tronilhelni
The reports of new naval bomb¬ ing followed a high command statement that (Jcrman forces had driven to within 62 miles of Trond¬ heim in their double-edged offen¬ sives up Ihe Gudhrands and Oester valleys in Ontral Norway. The immediale objective of the Gud¬ hrands drive is Dombaaa railroad junction, which is about M miles from Kvams, where the main lines appeared  to be  al  present.
The Germans advancing through Roeros up the Dealer Valley are seeking tn reach Stoeren. about fi.S miles away, en route to Trond¬ heim.
According to the high commaniT statement, the German forces scored crushing successes against the British as well as the Nor¬ wegian forces and German quar¬ ters said that if the two drives reached their objectives It would be only a matter nf ten days or two weeks before the Allies were forced entirely out of Central .N'orway,
Some quartera said that only a shortage of gasoline had prevented the Germans from moving even faster than they have advanced on their dash from Oslo toward Trondheim. Clnim Prisoner*, l>orunient*
British staff ollicers and a num¬ ber of important documents were seized in dispersing Britiah troops southeast of Dombaas several days ago, the high commind said. Other prisoners were taken in fighting at Steinkjer. north of Trondheim.
The prisoners included men and officers from the royal regiment, the "King's very own" Yorkshire Infantry and the nh Lincolnshire Regiment, il was slated,
"When on April 22 an<l 23 our tioops    invaded    'he    Lillehammer
ered for the first time the English forces which had advanced from Andalsnes and dispersed them.
"They completely surprised thfl enemy, which fled in the direction of Dombaas, leaving arms and equipment   behind.''
"Almost 200 prisoners were made. Including English troops and staff with their commander, and with them a number of politically and militaril.v important orders and ; other documents. Additional I Knglish prisoners were taken on April 2.1. In the ."steinkjer sector, the enemy was repulsed and two English officers and 80 men made prisoner."
.lAP.S  E.VdRtXK («INESE   BASK
Tokyo, April 27. (UP)—Domei, ,Iapanese news agency, reported today that Japanese forces oper¬ ating south of the Yangtze River have encircled the strategic town of Chingynn, base nf operations for 200,000 Chinese troops under General   Ku  Chu  Tung.
SCALISE QUITS POST AS UNION LEADER: EXPOSED BY PEGLER
New York, April 27. (tTP)- Gcorge Scalise, president of the Building Service Employees Inter¬ national Union (AFL), submitted his resignation today "in justice to the members of the international union and to those who have sup¬ ported me." Scalise is under in¬ dictment on extortion charges.
His letter of resignation, released by his atlorney, John Kadel. added: "My job is lo be vindicated."
Kadel said he believed that Isidore Schwartz, union organizer who was indicted jointly with Scalise, would turn state's evidence at Scalise's trial, Schwartz pleaded not guilty today and the district attorney's office disclosed he wM under a 21-hour guar4>
(Note-Scalise's activities had been thoroughly exposed by West¬ brook Pegler, whose column il found every Sunday on the first page of the third section of th« Sunday Independent.)
White Slaters Used 'Talent Scout' To Lure Girls Seeking Movie Careers
Los Angeles, April 27. (UP) — Police said tonight that many young girls who arrived in Holly¬ wood in the hope of having movie careers had been the victims of while   slavers.
Captain (jeorge Conteras of the sheriff's vice squad accused an alleged vice syndicate of using a handsome 21-year-old "jitterbug," Bristol Barrett, as "come-on bail" in getting the girls into the white slave ring. Barrett, Charles Mont¬ gomery, 43, and Ann Forst, H?., known as "The Black Widow," were taken into custody and charged with pandering. "Talent Scout"
Police accused Montgomery and Miss Forst nf sending Barrett to dance halls and bars tn make love to girls  who  had  come  to  Holly¬
wood from the Middle Weet Md had been unsuccessful in realUlnf movie ambitions. Barrett took girls lo Montgomery and Mls« Forst, police charged, and the g^T\» al¬ legedly were "farmed" out as far east as Chicago.
"Young Barrett was a sort ef 'talent scout' for the ring," Con¬ teras said, "In his apartment wa found more than a hundrerd love letters he had received from all over  the  country."
Dispatches from Euro¬ pean countries are now subject    to   censorship.
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