Wilkes-Barre Sunday Independent

              A Paper For The Home
SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
The Weather
Sunday:  Cloudy, warmer,
followed by rains, Montlay: Rains, colder.
35TH YEAR, NO. 2-48 PAGES
WILKES-BARRE, PA., SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1940
PRICE TEN CENTS
ITALY USING PARACHUTISTS; FRENCH ATTACKED IN AFRICA
Trying to Rescue Lost Battalion' In Creek Hills
Nazis Again Challenge British Mastery of Sea
Bitter War Raging From North Atlantic To South Pacific; Must Tracl< Down German Raiders
By I'NITED PRESS
G»rmsn surface raiders, under¬ sea craft, alrplanea and mines challenged Great Britain's tradi¬ tional mastery of the sea tonight. Sea war raged from the North Atlantic, where an SOS from the crack 2B,032-ton liner. Empress of Jspsn, was reported, to the South Pacific, where the first United States ve.sscl of the war, the .^,883- ton freighter. City of Rayvillc, went down,  victim   of  a  mine.
The German high command claimed Stuka dive-bombers had sent to the bottom eight or ten more British merchantment, dam¬ aged another nine and Inflicted severe if not fatal damages upon two British cruisers, one of 10,00<) tons. CnmpleUi Loes  Denletl
Thi.? followed Friday's claim of the German high command thnt surface warships had destroyed -> British convoy, sending down 86,0t>1 tons. The raider is believed to be a pocket battleship, either the Leutzow or the Admiral Schecr, or both.
The British admiralty admitted both the attack by StuUas and by H surface raider. However, it claimed that a number of British merchant ships successfully es- ciped   the   surface   raider.
In the Sluka attack, made in the Thames F^sluary yesterday the ad¬ miralty said a 1900-ton merchant¬ man was sunk, A 1,200 ton mer¬ chant ahip damaged «nd that a British warship sustained ,'omp damage but no casualties from "near hits." ,Mlne-Li»yer at Work
The lo.i« nf the City of RayvlUe. with one casualty, was announced by Australian authorltie.s. It went down 120 miles from Melbourne near the point  where an  unidenti
Poles in Egypt
New Axis Move is Awaited; Turkey.May be Next Target
By I'NITED PRESS
There were Indications, In an Impending visit hy Soviet Premier V. >I. .Molotov to Berlin, that s new Axis diplomatic offensive may be In  the making.
Berlin was vague about the purpose nf Molotov's trip—he I* expected to arrive Tuesday—and Moscow was uncnmmunlcatire hut some Nasi sources suggested Turkey as a lilieiy subject ot discussion.
Turkey bars the path to the oil lipids of the Near East and Is squarely In the line of Axis pnnetrntion souttieastward thrnugh tirecre and from Rumania. Turkey also Is an nlly of Great Britain and a friend of Soviet Rusitla.
I.,ondon thought Adolf Hitler might be seeking a simultnneoos
I     prnnounrenient  by  Russia.   Frnnrn  and  Spain   favoring   his  "new
order in Phirope" and suggested, also, that Germany may be easing
the way  for a Riisso-.Iapanese non-aggression  pact  to  fll!  In  the
missing  links  of the Berlln-Rome-Tokyo  military alliance,
Vichy Says French Caobon Shelled hy British Ships
Berlin
Awaiting
Molotov
To 'Intensify Exchange of Idcao' With Soviet Russia
LONG RUMORED
Want Materials for Hitler's Boast of Speeded Production
i
These are members of Polish motor scouting unit serving with British in Kgypt, as might be expf ted from Iheir garb. Locality not   given   by  British  censor.    They arc eager  lighters  for British.
Vandenberg favors Unity But Not Rubber Stamping
H
fied British merchr.nlman was sunk by a mine yesterday.
The area-the Bass Straits be¬ tween the Australian mainland and Tasmania - ha.s been closed to .ship¬ ping until it can be .swept free of mines. The mine.i presumably were
own by a secret German ,"<urface raider operating in that far-flung srea or by a lnng-di,'(tance, mine- laying submarine, presumably re¬ fueled en route po.ssibly by Ger¬ man merchanl vessels such as those which from time to time slip nut of neutral port.s where they were sheltered at the outbreak of war. British Troop Ship Helpless
The distress call from the Em- pres.s of ,Iapan was reported by a correspondent of the Japanese newspaper Nichi Nlchi aboard the .lapanese steamer Fushimi Maru, which left Galway, Ireland, Thurs¬ day with Japanese refugees for Bermuda,
The correspondent reported that the Japanese vessel had picked up three distress messages from the Kmpress,
The messages said the ship's en¬ gines were nut of commission as a result of a German air attack. The ^ Nichi Nichi correspondent said it was helieved the Empress was carrying troops and war supplies from Canada. The position of the (Continued  on  Page A-10)
Congress to Resume With Democrats Seeking Adjournment
i By UEURUE E. REEDV .IR.
j Washington, Nov. ». <UPi Sen Arthur H. Vandenberg, R„ Mich , urged his Republican colleague' tonight to promote national unity but at the same time he dcclarci the minority party would not he a  mere  rubber  stamp.
As evidence of their determine• tion to be an effective party o( oppo.sition, GOP congressional lead¬ ers were mustering forces to pre¬ vent sine die adjournment next week. Both houses resume busi¬ ness sessions, interrupted hy tin- campaign, and Democratic leaders hope to adjourn the 10-month old session on Friday. The House meets Monday; the Senate Tues¬ day.
"Rubber stamp unity would be very dangerous for everybody." Vandenberg said In a post-election statement. "That type of unity would be a disservice to the admin¬ istration." Totalitarian Unity I'nwanted
"I agree cmphHtically lhat we want unity of objectives in re¬ spect to the swiftest pos.sible achievement of total preparedness and in respect to keeping America out of these foreign wars. On this ba.sis. the world shall sec Amrrica united aiyl invincible. But we dn not want unity al the expense nf constructive criticism  becau.se that
Sense of Humor Also Needed
Woman Who Knows Big City Slums Cets Scare in Central City
An attractive social worker, ac- c\istomed to walking unmolested ' through what are considered the toughest districts of the nation, fnund Wilkes-Barre's central city unsafe for women, when a purse anatrher gave her 'he fright of her life and ran off with her personal belongings on West Union street, jusl east of North River streei, lasl evening ahout 8 orlock.
Arriving in Ihe city only a few minutes previously on her way from Sew York City to visit local elalives, she had just passed tho " lidence of Judge Thomas F, Far- when a sulking figure lurched W her, tore her nurse from her trm, scurried through a driveway.
In Today'a laaue
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vaulted   a   fence   and   waa   away
: along the Laurel Line tracks before her screams attracted occupants of a home nearby.
i Two policemen, watching on Norlh Franklin street for just such an incident, were but two hundred yards away at the time bul heard and saw nolhing. Thn young woman, howevsr, was able to give thom, when called, the first ade- quatf description of the thief they said they have had to date. They believe he is the individual who has been operating within a few blocks of Public Square for some time pasl.
Contained In the stolon purse was a fairly large sum of money, the young woman reported, plus a number of valuable personal be¬ longings which she said could be of no value to the thief. It is these she hopes to recover plus a composure   that   has   carried   her
i safely through slums for several years,    often    with    hundreds    of
I dollars in currency on her person belonging   to   social   agencies   she
¦ serves in the New 'V'ork metropoli¬ tan area. ,She asked that her name be omitud (or publication.
New Vork, Nov. 9. (UPi Life with Father, the Broadway play, ended its first year tonight and a celebration  seemed  in  order,
A three-way broadcast involv¬ ing New York, Chicago and Boston louring companies are playing In tho latter two cities-- was sjionsored by the Alka- Sellzcr  Barn  Dance.
To the microphone In Chicago .stepped Ashton Stevens. Chicago critir,  to make a little speech:
"Thanks to the Bromo-Seltzer Barn   Dance. . . ."
Sponsors were reported using ample supplies of a certain head¬ ache remedy.
is not the aafe road to results. We do not want unity In the sense of totalitarian government In which the voice of all opposition ia silenced."
Vandenberg, only major office¬ holder in his party to survive the Michigan elections, said that the Republican party muat ungrudg¬ ingly accept President Roosevelt as the "chosen leader of our whole people." Political sniping on either side, he said, would be an offense. He outlined points which he be¬ lie ed the Republican party should advocate an economic defense council, a financial plan to prevent inflation and bankruptcy and greater procurement power for the National Defense Council. GOP Fights Adjournment
Demo( ratii- leaders contend that the unfinished cnngrrsaional busi¬ ness can be disposed of quickly barring another international crisis, and weary congressmen can return to their home states for a rest from one of the longest sessions since the World War, |
Republicans, however, asserted that Congress should remain in Washington to keep a check on the President. House Republican Leader Joseph W. Martin suggested lhat his colleagues stay here until Chrislmas.
FOUR CARS CRASH ON DALEVILLE ROAD
Claim 'Free French' Forces Were Landed; Town Is Resisting
By RALPH HEI.NZEN
I Vichy, France, Nov, 9 i JP) — I Loyalist Iroops at the / 'rican I equatorial port of Llberville were reported officially tonight tn have furiously resisted naval ,alr and land attacks by British and "Free French" forces in a hitler battle for the capital of French Gaobon. The outcome of the battle was un¬ known,
Liberville la about mid-way on the we.st coa.st of Africa, some 2.000 miles by air line south of Dakar and aboul the same distance north of Cape Town.
An official statement by the gov¬ ernment of Premier Marshal Henri Philippe Petain said lhat a Brilish naval squadron had shelled Libre¬ ville, lapitnl of Gaobon, to cover the landittg of Infantry of General Charles DeGaulle, leader of the "Free France" movement In Lon¬ don. Tlie infantry landed on the coast nn each side of Libreville and. with aviation support, attack¬ ed the bitterly resisting French garrison, Cs* Planes, Warships
French officials expressed belief that hard fighting was In progress along the Equator on the West African coast because the Libre¬ ville garrison previously had ex- pres.sed its determination to hold out, as did the pro-Vichy garrison at the West African port of Dakar, where a "Free France" attack was repulsed.
The action at Libreville began with an air raid on the nearby air fleld, although previously It had been announced here lhat French colonials had evacuated Lambarene in the heart of the Gnhon forest afler a siege by Free France forces under  Colonel  Larmlnat
Then     Brilish     light     cruisers, patrolling off the coast for several days,   opened   long-range   flre   on Libreville, The  Vichy  forces  there were described as smaller than the [ defense forces at Dakar, but they | replied     with     coastal     batteries, i There were no French warships at Libreville,  however,   to  aid  In  the I defense as th*y did at Dakar. !
The British shelled the port for several hours, the statement said, before DeGaullist troops landed In launches on both sides of the cap¬ ital and a few miles away. Resisting  Furiously
Governor General Masson, re¬ porting the attack, said that the defense forces remained loyal and were   resisting  furiously.
"Assurances recently given by Governor Masson regarding the determination of the Frenchmen Ht Gaobon to defend themselves against dissidents makes It most likely that hard fighting is In progress in that part of Equatorial Africa which until r.u-.v has been (Continued   on   Page   C-8)
British Report Submarine Lost
London, Nov. 9. (UP)-The ad¬ miralty tonight announced thai the 410-ton submarine H-49 was overdue and "must be consider¬ ed lost."' Next of kin of the members of the crew have been infbrmed, the communique added.
The H-«, one of the small training type shlpa built at the close of the last war under the emergency program, had been used solely as a training ship prior to the outbreak of the present war. Only 170 feet long, she carried a complement of 22 officers   and   men.
BELIEVE ITALY NEVER EXPECIED GREEKS TO RESIST
Captured Officer Tells of Surprise; Column Surrounded
By BEX AMES
Athens, Nov. 9 (UP)—Greek forces were reporled tonight to have surrounded an Italian column in the mountains just soulh of Koritza and lo have taken many Italians  prisoner,
(Belgrade heard an unconfirmed report that an "Italian division"" had surrendered In the mountains when its supplies of food and mu¬ nitions were exhausted,) Column Cut Off
The Italian column was said to have been cut off from communi¬ cations with the main Italian forces by Greek infiltration In the surrounding mountains and by heavy snows which blocked the few mountain trails out of the region.
According to one report, two In¬ fantry regiments and one batallion of mountain artillery have already surrendered to the Greeks,
It was believed here that the Greeks would be able to wipe out the entire Italian force before any reinforcements could make their way over the difflcult terrain to assist  It,
The Italian troops were said to be part of a Benexia brigade, con¬ sidered one of the best Italian mili¬ tary units sent against Greece,
The Greeks were repored moving Into the wooded mountain slopes of the Mount Pindus region, mopping up scattered Italian detachments. The entire Italian force In this region was estimated 'o number (Continued   on  Page   C-8)
75 Rounded up in City's Biggest Raid
By FREDERICK C. OECTI.SNER
Berlin, Nov, 9. (UP) The Ger¬ man government announced to¬ night that Soviet Premier and For¬ eign Minister V, M. Molotov will come lo Berlin probably Tuesday —in order to "continue and in¬ tensify the current exchange of Ideas"' between Germany and Russia,
The announcement followed the suggestion by Nazi quarters lhat Adolf Hitler Is seeking to gear the vast economic strength of Europe into an unbeatable war machine against Britain and her allies.
The visit of Molotov to Berlin has been periodically rumored since the signing of the Russo-Gcrman non- aggression  pact  In  August,   1939,
It was understood here that Molotov left Moscow tdnlght and will arrive here Tuesday, I
The visit is being made at the invitation of the Reich, it was said officially. I
Wnn' Russia's Miiterlnis
The Nazi lcader"s program, re¬ porled to envisage an expanding flow of raw materials from Soviet Russia, was outlined in authorita¬ tive sources following Hiller's speech at Munich In which he said | that even American productive capacity could not overtake Ger¬ many and that the Reich would triumph over any combination of foes. j
(In    Rome    today,    the    Fascist | newspaper  editor,  Virginio  Gayda, warned    that    outside -obviously I American   intervention,    direct    or indirect,   on   the   side   of   Britain would not change the re.sult of the war but would risk  the destiny  of i any power that intervenes, i |
Nazi sources commenting on President Roosevelt's statement that half of American war produc¬ tion should go to Britain .said:
"That is an American affair. But It   will   not   be   so   easy   to   deliver goods.   Many   ships    that    started from   America  for  England  never 1 arrived there. |
"Furthermore,    we    would    first like   to   know   what   United   States | production   figures   are.   The   best . answer   to  such   utterances   Is   the . Fuehrer's speech at Munich."' Rich Industrial Booty, {
The Hitler speech. It was assert¬ ed, means that all the productive capacity that Is now at the dis¬ posal of Germany-virtunliy all of the continental economic power — would be mustered If needed to win  the  war.
In addition to the unoccupied European territories, it was point¬ ed oul, there are such important industrial plums as the French Schneider-Creusot works, the Neth¬ erlands Fokker airplane factories, the Belgian and French heavy in¬ dustries and the Norwegian ship¬ building yards, i
Wilh all these In Germnn con¬ trol, it was added, there has also been an intensiflcatinn of trade, especially in food stuffs and war ' materials, between Germany and Southeastern  Europe.
A   German   economic   de'egation now at Moscow Is seeking to speed up   and   expand   the   flow   of   raw (Continued   on   Page   C-8)
Planes Dropping Reinforcements and Supplies to Column Trapped in Snows; Defenders Claim Over 3,000 Prisoners As Result of Taking Offensive in War; British Bombing Planes Are Active; Report Advance of Italians Stopped
By LEON KAY
Belfcrade, Nov. 9 (UP)—Frontier reports tonight said the Italians are dropping; parachutists and supplies b} air to their beleaguered "lost battalion" on the snowy Koritza mountain front.
This marked the first time that Italy hiun employed parachutists in the war against Greece. .\ccordinK to reports reaching the frontier, the first Italian parachutists were dropped in the mountains yesterday and the aerial reinforce¬ ment continued through today.
The parachutists have been nent into the Gorbec mountain area, northeast of the Biklista-Koritza road, where the (iieeks in a surprise attack captured more pri,soners earlier today.
The parachutists weie said to con.stitute reinforcements for the most part but some biought orders to units which have been i,solated by (ireek infiltration and heavy snows from communication with the Italian command.
Ix)w-flying Italian planes were reported also to have drop¬ ped food and ammunition to .some Italian units.
A report reached here tonight—without confirmation— that .Marshal Pietro Badoglio had arrived at some unspecified point on the .\lbanian-Greek front. Reports have circulated
that he is taking over command of   to our  great  surprise  consisted   of Italian   operations   on   the   front,       light and heavy artillery units and
("iaiin Three Regiments
Were  Broken  up
By HENRY T. tiORRELI.
Salonika, Greece,  Nov.  9   (UP) —
two companies  of Alpine  troops,
"We  charged  Vernica  with   bay¬ onets and afler 15 minutes of fight¬ ing  the Italians gave up." This  Captain  said  he  had  been
Damages of more than 11,100 were caused in a four-car crash on the Daleville highway, in Mos¬ cow borough, yesterday afternoon A car operated by Grace Eichholt;. 61. of Newark. N. J., struck the vehicle of ,1. J. Van Brunt, Moscow, and also swerved into two other.< before   it   stopped.
Private J. A. Wroblewski of Ed¬ wardsville. who is stationed at Daleville, said that a passenger in one car sustained a possible frac¬ ture of the foot and ankle and facial cuts and bruises. The drivrr of the first car was fined for reck¬ less driving.
A raiding parly of 14 Wilkes- Rarre rity detectives and police officers swooped down on the Trav¬ elers' Hotel this morning al 1 orlock and by 2 oclock had ap¬ proximately 7,1 persons, male and female, under arrest and locked up for "frequenting,"
The raiding party, headed h\ Captain Edward Harkins, used the partol wagon and four cruisers to take the prisoners to the city lock¬ up. Il is believed to be the biggest raid   in   Wilkes-Barre's   history.
From reliable sources it was learned early this morning thai the officers were raking the hotel from top to bottom and the police ve¬ hicles made trip after trip between the Pennsylvania avenue pstahlish- ment and the jail on State street.
It also wa* hinted that the local raid may have some connection with a crime investigation now un¬ derway In Scranton. It Is certain thai a substantial number of those arrested today will face morals charges.
In the raiding parly were Detec¬ tives Olds, Koval, Burke and Officers F^edorczyk, Mugford, Pe- trosU, Oliver Saracz, Holland, Ken- worthy, Koseck, Allen, Kwochka.
As the officers were removing the prisoners to the city lockup, numerous friends visited the sta¬ tion house in an attempt to free those apprehended. Since the pris¬ oners weren't even being booked at the time, however, this proved fruitless.
Angry Italy Shouts Reprisals
Rome, Nov. 9. (UP) — Fascists promised the most severe re¬ prisals tonight against British and Greek airplanes that have bombed Italian war bases and war industries and reported lhat Italian submarines were starting an intense phase of attack on British shipping In the Atlantic Ocean.
An official communique said that one person was killed and seven were injured during an enemy raid on Turin where army barracks were hit and thai nlno were killed when a bomb hit a house between the villages of Moncalieri and Cambiano. An¬ other enemy raid against Cag- llarl, Sardlna, did nnt cause dam¬ age  or casualties,   it  was  added.
The communique said that Ital¬ ian forces wer(> strengthening bridgeheads beyond the Kalamas River in Greece (indicating no important advances) and had put British mechanized units to flight In North Afrlctu
Greek forces have broken up more told by Italians lhat they liked the than three Italian regiments and Greeks and considered them flne have captured more than 3.n(K) soldiers. The Italians which his Italian prisoners in the war thus company captured, said the Cap- far, wounded Greek officers and tain, were virtually without sup- Italian officer prisoners said here pHes and poorly equipped, tonight. I     Another   wounded   Greek   soldier
The exact number of Italian said that In the counter-attacks the prisoners was not known here but ' Italians used artillery and light it was said lhat about 3,000 had machine guns and only rarely em- been sent to Macedonia so far and ployed infantry for close quarters more were reported  en  route, fighting.
The large number of Italian An Italian pri,soner said that prisoners was attributed here to neither he nor his companions had the fact lhat the Greeks have any knowledge that war was about seized the offensive on the North- to gtart between Greece and lUly, east Koritza front and have re- His unit had been at Durazzo wait- pulsed relatively weak Italian ing to go back to Italy when It thrtits   in   the   coastal   sector. j was     suddenly     shifted     to     the
British Bombers Aiding ; frontier.
British bombing planes were said   200  Fasoists Surprised tn be collaborating closely wilh the      a Grefk sergeant who had been Greek army and air force, promoted to lieutenant for bravery
One wounded Greek captain told („ action said that fee and three me that the flrst Italian prisoners companions were holding an ad- taken comprLsed two entire com- vance post In the mountains when panics who were surrounded and ,„ Italian company approached surrendered at the village of Ver- their position. nica.   four  miles  within  Albania. "i  suggested  to  my  companions
The Greek captain said he led to let them approach and then his company into Albania "in throw hand grenades at them," the search of Italian.s." As he talked sergeant said. The plan waa suc- wlth the United Pre.ss correspond- cessful. The 200 Italians crawling ent nurses bandaged his hand, toward us were taken by surprise wounded   by   a   grenade, when    the    first     grenade    landed
"On the first day of the hostlU- «niong Ihem and we cul loose with ties," he said, "we were expecting our machinegun. Forty of them an immediate Italian attack. Our surrendered, thinking thev were troops were eager to come to grips fticfd by a whole battalion. The wilh  the  enemy  and  could  be  re-   rest retreated."
strained   only   with   difficulty.    But  ,
the Italians didn't come and Anally  Several Thousand
orders  were  given   for  my  unit   to   Italian Troops Captured
cross  the   border, |    Budapest,    Nov.    9.     (UP)—Tha
Went in After Them Greek   radio  tonight   reported  that
"We had to walk four miles be- several thousand Italian troop* fore   contacting   the   Italians,   who (Continued   on   Page   C-8)
Chief of Staff Finds Way Paved For United Defense of Hemisphere
Washington, Nov. 9 (UP)—Gen. George C. Marshall, chief of staff, said tonight that the recent inspec¬ tion tour of the United States by military leaders of the 20 Ijilin- American nations has welded a united front for hemisphere de¬ fense.
He made the declaration in a for¬ mal slatement s the huge national defense program whirled forward on   many   fronts.
He recalled lhat the visitors, who toured military and industrial cen¬ ters during October, were given a "clear-cul" picture of the army's latest training program and new¬ est mechanized and aid equipment without any effort being made to stage a "spectacular military dis¬ play."
"We were glad to show them the superior slate of training, the splendid physical condition and the high standards ot 'eadcrship which prevail throughout the army of the United States.'" he .^dded. ". . . We feel that their visit has heen ot great significance 'n drawing the peoples of the Western Hemisphere \ closer together In t, (iommon under¬
standing of tha problems of mutuml
defense."
Schooling 8,000 Oflirers
The army disclosed that It Is ac¬ celerating and expanding Its pro¬ gram to train more than 8.000 officers and 2,000 enlisted men an¬ nually al the Fl. Benning, Ga.. In¬ fantry School These men will be used to train National Guard troop* and selective service trainees. It is the largest special service school In the army. The usual nine months course haa heen shortened to 13 weeks, and the normal enrollment is being Increased 10 times.
A class of 406 officers finished the first 12 weeks course last WetJ- nesday. Other classes will ba en¬ rolled each  five weeks.
The courses provide specls* train¬ ing in heavy weapons, rifles, com¬ munications, motor mechanics and other subjects.
/>(8/Ki/r/tes from Euro¬ pean countrie» are now subject   to   cenaorthip.