Wilkes-Barre Sunday Independent

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A Paper For The Home
SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
Weather
Sunday.   Fair, warmer. Monday; Cloudy, warmer.
33RD YEAR, NO. 9—SO PAGES
VVILKES-BARRE, PA., SUNDAY, MAR.CH 19, 1939
PRICE TEN CENTS
RUSSIA MASSING TROOPS
United States Moves to Kill Germany's Import Trade
Qiant Plane Crashes in Test, 10 DieD.S.SfANDS
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Wing Falls off Stratollner; ^   Two Royal Dutch Officials Victims; Stop Clipper Work
Alder, Wash., March 1«. (UP) — A ,'!.1-pasaenger airplane, built to fly in Ihe substratosphere, 20,000 feet above the earth, rrashed to¬ day while on a test flight, killing all ten men aboard.
Two of the victims were repre¬ sentatives of the Royal Dutch Air¬ lines.
The others were eighl employees of the Boeing Aircraft Company of Peattle and a Transcontinental A Western   Air  Lines  test  pilot.
The dead: Earl Ferguson, 31, Boeing chief test pilot: ,Iulius Rarr, ro-pilot, who was believed al the rontrols; Harry T. West, flight engineer: Ralph Cram, engineer; W. C. Doyle, engineer; .1. Kylatra, engineer: Harlan Hull, TWA teat pilot; Benjamin ,F. Pearson, assis- rsWia.c!. n.A,'.Ag.r; r. G.;.:i)r:kfi. iiihnafvr nf tiie Royal Dutch Air¬ lines, Amsterdam, The Nether¬ lands; A. C von Baumhauer, Royal Dutch Airlines, Amsterdam. .Itop Work on Clippers
Eye witnesses differed as to the cause of the crash but most agreed the stratollner, a streamlined, low- wing monoplane powered by four Itno-horsepowcr.Wright cyclone en- gine.s, lost its tail, right wing tip and one motor while il was plung¬ ing  Into  a  ravine.
At the Boeing factory in Seattle ll was announced thai conslruclion of aix !l.S-passenger straloliners be¬ ing built for Psn-Amsrlcan Air¬ ways at a cost of $,')00.000 each would he stopped until fhe cause of the erajJj^JigiJi^imsuiied.
The stratollner made Its flrst flight Dec. 31, \93H. with Test Pilot Edmund T. Allen of New '^ork City at the controls. Allen has test- flown sll Boeing plane develop¬ ments of recent years including the T4-passenger trans-oceanic clippers, the four-motored army "flying fortresses" and the army's "super bomber."
The stratollner, with Its tear¬ drop cabin, had a wing span of 107 feet, 3 inches; a length of 74 feet, 4 Inches and an over-all height of 17 feet, 3 Inches. Wing Fell Off
Stanley Soiirlock, ,'!«. Alder, rancher,   saw   the   crash.
"It didn't look like it waa fall¬ ing at first," Pourlock said. "It rame down In kind of a dive. Then It seemed to go into a vertical rnll and the pilot seemed to be bringing It out. Then all of a sudden It went Into a straight power dive. I guess It went that way for seven or eight; seconds with the motors wide open. The pilot pulled the ship out of the dive all right and then the right wing came off. That darned plane •farted to do  funny  things.
"Right after that pilot made the power dive " Soiirlock continued. "little piece.s of green and silver stuff came off all over the plane. For a serond it seemed like there was a hig explosion In the tail end of the ship." Motor Kept Running
Another witness, )4-year-old Arn- don Haynes, said;
"The piece of wing seemed to drift aw.iy from the ship. Then everything fell. The motor on the brcken piece of wing continued to run as it   fell.
The ship look off In perfect weather from Boeing fleld in Seattle at 12;.^ p. m. (PST) and cra.shed a half hour later. II ap¬ parently waa being pul Ihrough strenuous tests when the left out- hoard motor and the lip of the left wing broke off.
Barr recently was a pilot for Madame Chiang Kai Shek, wife of China's leader. There was a report that von Baumhauer might have heen  at   the  stratoliner's  controls.
Pederal air safely men were on the way to the scene tonight.
Grand Jury Hearing State Highway Graft Charges
BY FRANCE, ENGLAND
Strongest Move 'Short of War' Is Invoked
SENATE TO ACT
Bill to Repeal Neutrality Act Appears Monday
Hitler Assured Grand \] elcome
Berlin, March Id. (UPI — Propaganda Minister Joseph Paul Ooebbels took nn chances tonight on (^.ermans not giving Fuehrer Adolf Hitler a trium¬ phal welcome when he returns to   Berlin   Sunday.
"The Fuehrer once more has as¬ sured peace in Central F.urope," an official proclamation hy Goeb¬ bels said. "The watchword for Sunday for the entire city of 4,.W0.000   Is;
"Out into the  streets,
"All houses should be be- flagged  and  decorated.
"Sunda.v evening ahould be devoted to joy and enthusiasm and thankfulness for the his¬ toric deed of the  Fuehrer.
"Long Ilve the Fuehrer, our people and our Greater German Reich."
SOVIETS,
RUMANIANS ON FRONTIER
200,000 Men Facing Hungary In Transylvania
ON WAR FOOTING
Pictured above is the grand lury hearing   witnesses   in   the   county'.s
I slate highway casein which nearly a million dollars Is alleged to have been  misspent.
[     Left  lo  right,  front   row;    Assi.s-
tant District Atlorney ,Iohn H.' Second row: Gus Roquisky. John Apichella, Stenographer Olln Evans. Dando, James Carroll, Ralph Jones. Waldo, William Ruane sr., Mrs. Fourth row: William Pritchard 2i''"'''"!i A^'l"'"? ^^"1 ^'^"^Y^^- Marjorie Ireland Mrs. Helen Draina. j^ jp,,„ Brldlng, George Swart- Edward A. Fen.slermacher sr., J. S. Third row: Frank Stooks, Wil- | , ,,, „ ,,, _. Behee, Thomas Howard. Assistant liam Sweeney, Dr. E. S. Walker, ! ^"""'' "illlam M. Watt, Thomas District Attorney Mitchell Jenkins i Foreman     Robert     Owen,     Joseph   Moors.
6,350 FACING
ENGLAND ASKS ALLEGIANCE OF U. S., FRANCE AND RUSSIA
Fund Shortage To Force Slash; 400,000 in Nation
Precedent Set As City Native Heads U. S. Navy
Extraordinary Cabinet Session Gives Approval to Plan; Army Conscription Considered; Seek Intentions of Smaller Nations; Anthony Eden May Return
Unless Congress gives President Roosevelt the extra SLIfl.OOO.OOO he Is asking to continue WPA until June 1, Luzerne county will suffer a slash of one-third In number of workers and wages paid, it wa.'^ revealed  yesterday.
Luzerne couniy at present has 19.000 men employed, who receive a monthly payroll of .l;i.2,W.0O0. If Congress refuses President Roose¬ velt's request, a cut of one-third will be placed into effect. This means dismissal of about fi,.'?.S0 men In all and a payroll slash of about $416,000.
Sixty per cent of the cut will come on April 1 and the remaining 40 per cent on May 1. .Still an¬ other group of dismissals will he made on June 1, but the extent ot thi.s   is   not   known   as   yet.
Congress appropriated $7'2.'^,000.- OOO for work relief when il opened its se.ssion In .lanuarv. Half of this sum will have been spent by April 1. Fund (Hit in Half
This means that WPA nationally will have to operate on the one- half of thla sum In April, May and June. The next biennium, for which new funds will he appro¬ priated,  will  start July   1.
No dismissals will b»' made on locally sponsored projects such as thoae for which the cost of male- rial is paid by local municipalities. The cuts will he made on white collar and sewing projects spon¬ sored by Department of Public Assistanre and on other state- (Continued  on  Page  A-18)
City Freezes Again on Spring's Eve But it's Tair and Warmer' Ahead
Wuite in keeping with the rest of the reversible weather we've heen having, the valley yesterday pre¬ pared lo welcome spring wilh high winds, low temperatures and a sprinkle of snow. ^ Furthermore, and strange as il m seems, the mercury was read al a colder polnl here in the valley than «t such places as Harvey's Lake, Hazleton and Penn Haven. The Airway Communications Service re- ported it at 16 al 11 oclock and 13 Jt midnight al Forty t'ort. At Hazleton ll was 19 and. al the lake, '^ which ought to prove some- "ning. At any rate, ll was the '¦oldest weather of the week, cool all day. It started to get cold
.seriou.sly about .") and I hen. from 7:30 on. the temperature dropped about three degrees an hour. There was far mere room than usual on the aidewalks as the people stayed indoors.
Highways were icy and bad. wilh just enough snow having fallen to make them slippery. To watch oul for the barricades around excava¬ tions on Public Square, cily police stayed on duty two extra hours last  night.
riowever, hope Is held out for to¬ day, the weather man reporting "fair and warivcr." In addition, he says It will crntiniie to grow warmer on Monday. Bul It will have to get a whole lot warmer he¬ fore It's hot.
AD.MIRAL HAROLD R, STARK
When Pre.sident Roosevelt reach¬ ed far down the list to make "an unprecedented selection" of a young man tn put in control of America's naval forces, he named a Wllkes- Barre native. Rear Admiral Harold B. Stark, as next chief of opera¬ tions, top post in the United Slates Navy.
With only two years of flag rank. Admiral Stark has eight years of service ahead before he reachea the age of compulsory retirement. It wa.s in this selection of such a young man thai precedent was shattered for the modern navy.
Admiral Stark, now 5fi, has been commander of the battle force cruisers and aide lo both Secre¬ taries Swanson and Adams. He will succeed Admiral William D. Leahy who will retire June 1 when he reaches the slaluatory age of 64.
Born In this cily, the admiral is Ihe son of the late Col. and Mrs. Benjamin M. Stark, (^^ol. Stark was a Civil War veteran and prominent city husine.ss man. Admiral .Stark, whn graduated frnm the U.S. .Naval Academy al Annapolis in 1903, re¬ cently presented Cha.se Hall, South River street, lo Bucknell Junior College.
.MINE CAVE STOPS SERVICES IN Dl'RYEA
A mine cave on New slreet. Dur¬ yea, Friday night, disrupted electric light and water service lo people of that vicinity. The cave was 30 feet long and !,'> feet deep. A part of a .sidewalk dropped into the earth and foundations of two bulldlng.s were endangered. There have been several caves in that vicinity In the past five years, one of which claim¬ ed the life of Michael Evancho.
London, March 18. (UP)—Great Britain was understood tonight lo have decided lo consult France, the United Stales, Soviet Russia and the British dominions on a united front against Germany's "March to the East."
The British program was said on high authority to have been ap¬ proved at an extraordinary session of the cabinet at which the three ministers of Britain's armed forces gave expert viewpoints on the strategic factors Involved In a pos¬ sible stand against German aggres-
] slon In Central Europe, Seek Russia's Intention
j     Prime Minister Neville Chamber-
j Iain and Foreign Secretary Viscount Halifax reported in detail on their
¦' conversations with the French, American and Russian ambassadors while similar ambassadorial con¬ ferences were underway in Paris ¦ directed particularly al sounding out  Soviet Russia's  attitude.
1 British cabinet ministers ex¬ pressed desire to know whether and in what form and to whal extent Russia would intervene if (Germany should thrust at Rumania, which is the last barrier to the Soviet Ukraine.
A report also was received from Sir Reginald Hoare, British minis¬ ter   at   Bucharest,   explaining   the
• German economic demands on Rumania,
Hoare was understood to have reported, afler a talk with the Rumanian foreign minister, that Germany made proposala fnr close Rumanian   economic   collaboration
I with the Reich which the Bucharest government found it impossible to accept. He asserted however that the Reich haa not presented any ultimatum.      • i
Consider Conscription j
i     The   cabinet   also   discussed   the
' possibility of introducing army con¬ scription in Britain a radical de¬ parture indicating the gravity nf the situatlon-hul no decision was reached,  it was  reported. j
Following the cabinet meetings, some diplomatic sources circulated
; a  alory   that   the   government   had
I definitely decided to resist German encroachment on Rumania, Poland, Greece or Turkey If it should be attempted, but official sources strongly discounted the report, as¬ serting that the cabinet endorsed the policy of consultation which, in facl, has alerady been started. The government also was under¬ stood to be attempling to learn whether Greece, Rumania, Jugo¬ slavia and Turkey would have a united front in event of sn emer¬ gency caused by German expan¬ sion.
The extent to which BnlalnVill go  In  aiding  them   will   probably
depend upon their own unity In a
crisis,
"Appeasement"  Ended
With Germany defiantl.v pre¬ pared to "go ahead" and Italy ex¬ pected soon to demand greater power In the Mediterranean, the Brillsh-led "Slop Hitler" offensive look form amid a flurry of Inter¬ national developments that marked the end of Britain's famed "ap¬ peasement" program for living at peace with ths dictators.
Britain and France protested to Berlin against the s*izurs and dis¬ solution of Czechoslovakia, refusing to recognize ths Nazis' armed con¬ quest
Prims Minister Neville Chamber¬ lain met with his cabinet in an extraordinary session to map re¬ .sistance lo the dictators.
Hiller named Baron Konslantin von Neuralh, skilled diplomat and president of his secret cabinet council, to hs "Reich Protector" over Bohemia and Moravia In a move to alleviate foreign criticism,
Berlin prepared a mighty tri¬ umphal welcome for the Fuehrer when he returns—probably Sunday night—from Czechia and Vienna. Hiller Is expected to deliver an im¬ portant speech to the Reichstag next week.
Nazi Marshal Hermann Gocring took over the former Czechoslovak air force and announced a new air command, at Vienna, for all of the eastern territory- spreading Nazi wings over a vast Central European area.
Italian  Ambassador Dino Grandi left London   for the  continent,  ap¬ parently en route to Rome. .May Bring In Eden
The possibilily that Chamberlain (Continued on Page A-IS) /¦  —
Boy Impaled on Spike 30 Minutes
New York, March 18. (UP) Nine-year-old Bobby fardy was In .St. Mary's Hospital today recovering from a harrowing accidenl In which he lay im¬ paled on a steel spike for 30 minules.
The boy fell while sliding down a bannister and tumbled on to a steel picket fence. One of the spikes penetrated four Inches Into his abdomen.
Ambulance physicians decided against lifting him off the spike and a police emergency squad .sawed il loose. II was removed at the hospital.
.Nurses praised the courage of the hoy, who did not shed a single tear.
Washington, March 18 (UP)- The United .States today Invoked strong economic and diplomatic .'n<»,isii;en "-'-•-is '* -va^" t" "r- demn Nazi aggression In Cenlral Europe.
The Treasury Department Im¬ posed penalty duties on German imports to this country while ths Stale Departmenl drafted a strong formal note expected to condemn in plain language the "wanton law¬ lessness" of Germany's "temporary extinguishment" of the post war Czechoslovakia democracy, lust "Short of War"
The dual action placed the United States   in   line   wilh   Great   Britain ' and   France   In   condemning   Nazi j expansion   In   defiance   of   Interna- 1 tional  pledges.   II strained  further ! relations between the United Stales and   Nazi   Germany   and   appeared to   approach    the    full    extent   of peaceful    protests   against   aggres¬ sion suggested h.v Presidenl Roose- ¦ veil   when   he   told   Congress   that ¦"there are many methods, short of war, hut strong and more effective than mere words, of bringing home to  aggressor  governmenla   the   ag¬ gregate  sentiments  of our people." Coincident  with  the  twn  admin- ' ialrallon    moves,    Chairman    Key : Pittman  of the  Senate  foreign   re- ! lations   committee   announced   that he will Introduce a bill Monday to repeal  the  present  Neutrality  Act and  substitute  a  measure  permit¬ ting the United States to sell muni¬ tions on a cnsh and carry basis lo (Continued on  Page A-IS)
NAZIS REJECT ALL PROTESTS OF DEMOCRACIES
Berlin, London j    Recall Ministers; 'Mystified' by U. S.
j     Berlin,    March    18.     lUPi    Nazi I Germany atruck back al Ihe demo¬ cratic   front   tonight   by   flatly   re- i jecllng   British    and    French    pro-i : tests against annexation of Ciecho- ; Slovakia and by recalling her am- I bassador  to  London. [     By      sharply      repudiating      the charges    that    Adolf    Hiller    had 1 broken   his   pledges   and   that   in- I elusion   of   Bohemia   and   Moravia in   greater   (Germany   was    illegal, the governmenl added  to  the  tre¬ mendous   strain   nn   relations   with the   democratic   powers.    A   trium¬ phal   welcome   for   the   Fuehrer   Is; planned   upnn   his   return   Sunday, I night from the new protectorates.
Ambassadors   Recalled I
[     Wilhin an hour nfter Sir Nevlle '. Henderson,   the   British   ambassa¬ dor,   left   by   train   for   home,   the , government   announced    thai   Dr. I Herbert   von    Dirkson.    the   Reich | ! ambassador   at   r..ondon,   had   been called  home "for consultation."    It (Continued  on   Page  A-181 ]
Prepare Defense Along Line of Drive of Nazis
France Gives Premier Powers of Dictator
'Time for Palaver Is Over,' He Says; Rush Defenses
' Paris, March 18. (UP)-The Chamber of Deputies tonight voted Premier Edouard Daladier the powers of a dictator unlil Novem¬ ber to meet any threat that may come from Europe's totalitarian powers.
The premier rode down opposi¬ tion of the Socialist-Communist bloc In a series of votes of con- lidence In order tn win the approval of the chamber for special powers greater than any French govern¬ ment has possessed since the war¬ time cabinet of Georges (^lemen- ceau. Senate approval of the powers is certain sn that. In effect, France is now under a dictatorial regime   temporarily.
At the same time, the govern¬ ment called Roberl Coulondre, Ambassador to Berlin, home to re¬ port on developments in Germany, thus joining the Indirect rebuke which Britain gave the Reich by similar action. Time for Palaver Over
The chamber vote on dictatorial powers  was  321   to 264.
Daladier. beating dnwn every move lo limit the powers he de¬ manded, said Ihat the .Nazi con¬ quests in Central Europe and the expected demands In the Mediter¬ ranean by Italy made the situation grave.
"The   time   for   palaver   is   over.   I he   shouted   in   an   appeal   to   his Radical-Socialist   supporters.
"I am not Interested in how my majority    is    composed    becauae    I have  my  eyes  fixed  on  our  fron¬ tiers.    It is with a purely national ^ feeling that I want your continued •¦ confidence.
"I amlle wilh bitterness before the attitude of the .Communists when we are seeing the spectacle of Europe In the process of crack¬ ing up.
"My basis thought is unanimity." \ To   Rush   Defenses
The new dictatorial powers of the government will permit Dala¬ dier immediately lo convert France a vast workshop to speed up Industrial    war    production    and
strengthen defense fortifications, possibly by partial mobilization of some specialized troops or re¬ serves.
xThe question of calling up some technical or special reserves in France may be taken up when the Daladier cabinet meets on Sunday or early Monday to start enforce¬ ment of its plans for increasing military power of the nation.
II was believed that even partial mobilization would he technically avoided, but in effect the special¬ ists in the French army would be increased.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Georges Bonnet held several im¬ portant conferences with the Soviet Russian ambassador, Jacques Sour- ilz. presumably In an efforl to hring thc Moscow government into the united front against Hitler In Central  Europe.
The Premier considered the In¬ ternational situation so urgent that he waa studying a proposal lo summon the council of ministers for a meeting Sunday morning be¬ fore President Albert I,,ebrun and Minister Georges Bonnet depart for Important conferences in Lon¬ don.
Bucharest, Rumania, March 18. (UPl —Rumania and Soviet Russia have massed troops along the fron- AiBf^ nf (.•'•'inftT. .il.iw.2.'S. .'hi pach of any German march tn the east, It   was   reported   tonight.
Although the Rumanian govern¬ menl denied that technical mobil¬ ization was under way. from au¬ thoritative quarters It was learned forces In Transylvania along the Hungarian frontier have been brought to full war-time strength of about 200,000 men.
Travelers arriving from Bessa¬ rabia and northern Bukovina re¬ ported that the Soviet was fortify¬ ing and manning In the Ukraine its own mighty "Maginot Line" along the Dniester River, the nat¬ ural boundary between Russia and Rumania. Prepare Defenses
They said troops were belnj transported inlo the lines during the night from Kanienets-Podetsk and .Moghiliev and during the day lime entrenchments were being hullt. The measures were nol be¬ lieved directed against Rumania hut as a defense against a possible German  attack.
In Transylvania, former Hun¬ garian princlpallt.v, Rumanian au¬ thorities took whal lhey called "precautionary military measures," increasing the strength of all units, including the air forces, to a war* time fooling.
In other parts of the country troops apparently were sllll at peace-time strength hul officials admitted that preparation had heen made for mobilization In ths event of an emergency. War  Scares  Fill   Nation
War scares filled the nation. Public nervousness Increased hour¬ ly fed by wild rumors. Clothing siores and shoe shops were almost sold out and food hoarding had started here.
Official quarters said Rumania was "fully able and ready to pro¬ tect her territory and under no circumstances will an inch bs ceded."
The government denied that ac¬ tivities in Transylvania amounted to mobilization and characterized them aa "precautionary measures of a  military  nature."
(Although technically no moblls- ation orders were Issued it was learned that the three army corps stationed in Transylvania had been brought up to war-time strength and together with technical groups. Including aviation and gendarmes, numbered about 200.000. i
Reports thai Dr. Hellmuth Wohl- Ihat, chief of the German economlo commission to Rumania, had pre¬ sented demands tantamount fo aa economic ultimatum, also were de¬ nied hy the government. Cabinet Ready  to  .Act
The Crown Council gave the presenl cabinet full authority, how¬ ever, tp carry out all measures "which might become necessary." Some political quarters said that Germany's political and economlo (Continued  on  Page  A-18)
Czech Patriots Are Rounded up By German Secret Police; Many Flee
Prague. March 18 i UP)—German secret police, warning Nazi adher¬ ents to stop "independent action" against suspected .Nazi "enemies." rounded up Czech patriots and olher oppositionists to the new re¬ gime tonight.
Throughout Moravia and Bo¬ hemia arrests were made at a rapid pace and hundreds of Jews, for¬ eigners and natives sought lo cross the  northern  borders  Into  Poland.
Newspapers printed a German geslapo decree ordering all Czech Fascists that "independent action must he slopped," Indicating that there had been a widespread settl¬ ing of privale grudges. Most of these  were  direcled al the .lews.
Arrests were mounting in Prague. Those taken into custody included Ihe iVhiniis feminist leader Mme Plaminkova. rlose friend of former Czech President  Edouard  Benes.
Long queues formed hefore mili¬ tary offices as Jews and others sought the necessary blue identity card to obtain permission to leave. Jews were instructed to apply to Gestapo headquarters for a special certificate.
Many of them were afraid to do
so.   They   feared   the   secret   police
would    confiscate    their    passports
and   aend   Ihem   lo   concentration
, camps.
All signs of resistance among the ; Czech population was gone. Even die hards now saw no hope in ths news that Prime .Minister Neville Chamberlain suddenly had shifted to outspoken opposition to Fuehrer Adolf Hiller.
A shirt salesman  in a dry goods ¦ shop, who actually wept sa.d finally, "That  IS  very fins,  but what fOM I doss  It do now 7"
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