Chester Times (Newspaper) - December 26, 1942, Chester, Pennsylvania THE WEATHER Eastern Pennsylvania Snow and colder today Last City Edition 20362 Dally leased Wire Reports or United Press and Service INS CHESTER PA SATURDAY DECEMBER 26 1942 EVERY EXCEPT SUNDAY PRICE THREE CENTS KILLER SHOT BY ARMY MEN LEADERS FUNERAL HELD Swift Retribution Comes to Young French National Who Assassinated Admiral in Africa Giraud Likely d Successor in Future Military Operations with Pay Tribute to Former Aide of Petain Allied Headquarters in North Africa INS retribution at the hands of a came today for a national still unidentified to the world who assassinated Admiral Jean Francois Darlan and plunged into uncertainty the future military operations of North Africa The murderer was put to death only a few hours after a hurriedly assembled court martial voted the death sentence in a brief session Christmas Day Almost simultaneously with the execution formal funeral services were held for Darlan the onetime chief of all the armed forces of France whose sudden and overnight alliance with the United States so greatly facili American and British liberation of Morocco and Al giers from Axis domination All leaders of the Allied forces turned out to pay their last respects to the slain admiral They included Lieut Gen Dwight D Eisenhower Chief of Allied Troops in the Euro pean theatre of operations and his chief deputy Lieut Gen Mark W Clark Services were held in the cathe dral of Algiers and body then was taken to the mer palace scene of his assassina tion by a young French National mother is an Italian and who in Italy in State At Palace At the palace body lay in state for many hours As French military and civilian officials stood fay the bier together with Eisen hower and other American and British leaders troops filed steadily past in last obeisance body later was taken to the private chapel of the palace to remain until interment All members of the North African Imperial Council formerly headed by Darlan arrived at Algiers during the day for an emergency session to name the admirals successor council includes Gen Henri Honore Giraud generally regarded as the most likely choice as new leader Pierre Boisson Governor General of French West Africa Gen Charles August Nogues Gov ernor General of Gen Jean Marie Bergeret former Air Secretary in the French Cabinet and a close associate of Darlan and Yves Chatel Governor of Algeria The young slayer was reported to have made a confession in which he denied that the assassination was part of a plot but informed circles in Algiers were dubious It was gen believed that the murder of the French leader who unexpectedly shifted allegiance to the Allied cause had been inspired and pos sibly engineered by Axis agents Probing His Background French authorities were making a thorough investigation of the back ground of the youth described as being about 20 years his Turn to Page 2 Number 2 FOR AFRICA POST SEEN TEMPORARY PROGRAM AT SHOLOM The Senior Hadassah will sponsor a mother and child donor luncheon on Tuesday Dec 29 at 12 noon at the Sholom Community Cen ter Proceeds of the luncheon will be used to aid the child welfare work now being carried on in Pales tine for the relief of child refugees from Europe who have found a haven there Rabbi Max L Forman will give the invocation The childrens pro gram will feature a magician while Mrs Henry Friedman noted educa tor and traveler now residing at North Bergen N J will address the mothers Mrs Martin Kuberman is chair man ofthe luncheon assisted by Mrs Jacob Davis as cochairman HELD IN BAIL At a hearing before Magistrate Albert Berman this morning John J Cowan 2417 Upland street plead ed guilty to charges of assault and battery brought by his wife He was held under bail for the next term of court Three Brothers Die In Solomons Three nephews of a Chester resi dent were instantly killed during a naval action somewhere in the vicin ity of the Solomon Islands Charles A Taylor of 1314 Morton avenue received a letter this morn ing from his sister Mrs G B Rogers of Birmingham Ala stat ing that her three sons Jack Keith and Charles who were aboard a heavy cruiser were killed Dec 6 during a battle with Japanese war ips j Mrs Rogers told of receiving a let er from the captain commanding the cruiser which stated that the three brothers were killed instantly and without suffering and that they were buried ashore with full military honors Taylor said he had not seen the boys one of whom was his name sake since he visited his sister in Birmingham three years ago Washington possible appointment of Gen Henri Giraud to Admiral Jean Fran cois Darlan was believed here today to be planned as a temporary ex and the question of who will take over the assassinated French leaders political power in Africa was still open Giraud is believed to be accept able to the Fighting French organ and to some of the pointed colonial officials who swung to the Allied side with Darlan But other of the officials have never pro claimed their allegiance to Giraud although they apparently did not protest his military leadership of French forces Fighting French headquarters here remained silent on the developments in the confused North African pic ture since Darlan was killed But fighting French leaders were ex to protest if any of the Vichy a3 Resident Com missioner Gen Auguste Nogues of Gen Pierre Boisson of French for the post of high commissioner Statement From Dakar The only statement from a French source on the situation came from the Dakar radio heard here by the Federal Communications Commis sion The radio quoted a statement made by Darlan only a few days be fore he was killed in which he said It is to be honed that all French men will unite for liberation of France No dine is my enemy who fights against Germany whether this unity be achieved under my leadership is unimportant That this union be achieved immediately is now essential In Congress the few members re maining here between sessions ex pressed regret over assas but most cautioned against conclusions before full details are known Senate Democratic Leader Alben W Sarkley said the killing was un fortunate but that the identity and nationality of the assassin must he determined before any conclusions can be reached HELD IN GIRLS DEATH Robert Cross 24 a Philadelphia trolley motorman faced ter charges today following the death of Lois Berchtold 19 a war worker Miss Berchtold was struck by trolley car last week BOMBER OVER ENGLISH COAST London enemy bomber appeared over a northeast coast town today but was driven off by British fighters before it could drop bombs LAST MINUTE NEWS U S PLIERS BOMB HARBOR OF RABAUL Washington Navy announced today that Army Flying Fortresses based on Guadalcanal have bombed enemy ship ping in the harbor of on New Britain Island scoring three direct hits on at least one large Jap transport Text of the communique follows South Pacific All dates are East Longitude On Dec 25 a flight of Army Flying Fortresses from the air field at Guadalcanal bombed enemy shipping in the harbor of Rabaul on the Island of New Britain Three direct hits were scored on a large transport or cargo ship and several near hits fell close to three small cargo ships A force of enemy fighters took off but did not attack our bombers HULL SCORES KILLING Washington of State Cordell Hull describing the assassination of Admiral Jean Darlan as an odious and cow ardly act said today that the all important consideration now is that we be not diverted for a moment from the supreme objective of gaining control of the African continent CITY OBSERVES QUIET HOLIDAY PLANTS CLOSED Church Services Home Gatherings Mark Christmas Delaware Countys busy war production machinery paused for the first time in 1942 yes as residents of the county joined with Christians throughout the world to honor the birthday of the Prince of Peace Special services in churches throughout the county mark ed the Christmas season Can services were held on Christmas Eve by many con while groups of carolers sang to many homes and inthe county Children were not forgotten on the anniversary of the birth of the Holy Child Santa Glaus visited every home in the district and lappy children awoke to share in the joys of the Christmas tree presents and the dinner Rain In Evening Despite the pleas of Bing Crosby Smith and other notables hester did not have a white Christ mas The day was warm and dry with a shower of rain in the late New sleds and skates were put away to await colder weather and express wagons and an bicycle were proudly exhibited to envious friends All war production workers with the exception of necessary ance crews had a full holiday yes erday and many celebrated by spending Christmas at home Rail road officials reported heavy travel on Dec 24 with a more normal volume of traffic on Day itself The less fortunate members of so ciety were not forgotten with the Salvation Army distributing over 100 food orders to needy families and other charitable organizations also active The need for assistance was less than in previous years with nearly all employables in this vicinity now hard at work n war industries Inmates of the Chester Rescue Mission Sixth and Crosby streets have chicken for dinner again Officials at the mission stated only 81 men showed up for he annual Christmas dinner al hough preparations had been made over 100 In addition to a chick en dinner and gifts to all present a social service was held at 11 a m with the Bethany Presbyterian hurch in charge and Lee Heinz bringing the gospel message Scores of parties were held the city as employes who had worked together through out the year paused to mark the end of a busy shopping and business Family dinners were also nu merous although hindered some what by transportation difficulties Giraud Plans Army for Allies in Africa Editors note About the time Adm Jean Francois Darlan was assassinated Christmas Eve Gen Henri Gonore Giraud command of the French fight ing forces in North Africa gave United Press correspondent an exclusive interview pledging co operation or actual consolidation with the Fighting French interview assumed additional importance because with death he became French leader in Africa By WALTER LOGAN Allied Headquarters North Africa Delayed Henri Honore Giraud heroic leader of the French Fighting Forces in North Africa pledged himself today to work for cooperation or consol with the Fighting French He promised the Allies a French African Army of 300000 men and a fleet which would include the squad rons at Alexandria Egypt and else where Giraud said that he expected by January to be receiving from the United States the planes and tanks which the French need above all to take their full part in a fight to which he proposes to take his Army along with those of the Allies into Europe for final victory Asked if there was any comment he would like to make regarding the political situation in France or Africa he replied I am a soldier Then in a special message to America he appealed for the arms needs and said that America would be shown that the French army us ing those arms would be able to ad vance the day of Allied victory Confidence in America France has the fullest confidence in America he said I pray that America will have the same confi dence in France Giraud took out time from his end less military duties which include not only the active direction of the French forces now fighting beside the Allies in Tunisia but the organ of a new and powerful army to write down himself in blue pencil the answers to questions submitted by the United States Several questions and an swers follow many French troops can Turn to Paf e 2 Number 3 PROBE THEFT OF 750 GAS RATION BOOKS Board at Ridley Park Is Robbed Over Holiday Police and OPA officials launched an immediate probe this morning following dis covery of the theft of an esti mated 750 gasoline ration books from the Ridley Park board headquarters The theft discovered as chief clerk Mrs Helen Quinn opened the office at 21 East Hinckley avenue this morning is the second and largest yet reported in Delaware County The Chester Ration Board of fice was burglarized last fall An inventory of the ration books on hand at the Ridley Park office was underway today in an effort to determine exactly the number miss ing from a metal filing cabinet on which the lock was broken Prelim inary estimates given police by board clerks were that 750 books of the C and T classification were stolen Entry into the ground floor offices ofthe ration board was gained over the Christmas holiday by forcing a rear window in the building The intruder apparently went to a locked metal filing cabinet in which the ration books were kept broke the lock and took a quantity of the books As soon as the theft was ered by Mrs Quinn Ridley Park police were notified Office of Price Administration investigators were also called in this morning and be gan a survey of the scene of the Time Gasoline station operators will be furnished with serial numbers of he stolen books as soon as possible and warned not to sell gasoline on coupons from books The Ridley Park office was closed late afternoon and re opened early this morning The heft occurred either Thursday or Friday night police believe WOMAN HURT IN FALL FROM SPAN Mrs Angelina Beale 48 was in a critical condition with a fractured today after a fall from a Limekiln Pike Bridge to the tracks of the Reading railroad at suburban Edgehill yesterday A passing motorist dragged her from the path of a train Police said she lost her footing when she stepped into a depression n the highway at the edge of the Bridge to avoid an oncoming auto mobile U S Warning on Revealing Units Armed Forces Washington battle ronts every day men risk their lives to discover the location and strength of the military units of the enemy Yet at home too many of us are pre the enemy with information of the same military value the Of Ice of Censorship says in a state ment This is the Information which newspapers and individuals are ask ed not to ten the enemy Do not tell the names of ships upon which sailors serve Do not tell the troop units in which soldiers serve overseas There is no objection to revealing that Pvt John Jones is in Australia or that seaman Tom Brown saw ac ion in the Atlantic but there is military information which endang ers the lives of American fighting men in stating that Pvt John Jones Company C Infantry is in Australia or Seaman Tom Brown Aboard the USS Wisconsin is in the Atlantic The Office of Censorship says ask editors not to publish these roop identifications and we ask par ents and relatives not to reveal hem Dont give the enemy any thing that may lengthen the war 0 ROSTOV Area SOVIET RUSSIA Main line to Moscow 350 miles Koloch Nazis holding this Caucasus area may be cut off by Red drives on Rostov DOWN THE RAILROAD to Rostov Russian troops are rolling in an offensive aimed at cutting off German troops in the Stalingrad and Caucasus areas Map shows how twin Soviet thrusts to Rostov might chop up the area BASIC PROFIT SET ON GAS FUEL OIL PRICE UP Washington Office of Administration moving to oil dealers and filling sta ions throughout the nation today established a minimum profit on and granted an increase in he price of fuel oil A regulation establishing a mini mum operating margin of three cents a gallon for retail gasoline sales was extended to filling stations Officials said the order was part of Jie OPAs program to aid small business establishments to with tand the impact of war At the same time Price Admin Leon Henderson authorized an increase of of a cent per gallon in the price of fuel iil delivered to coupon holders in he 30 east and midwest rationed tates The price advance which becomes effective Dec 29 is intended to de ray added costs to dealers resulting rom emergency contingencies Henderson said In explaining the minimum guar antee on gasoline officials said prior o rationing many stations had a of business permitting pro itable operation with a profit of less han three cents a gallon Their rices were frozen at these margins y the OPA Rationing Reduces Sales With sales reduced by rationing authorities said this group of sta ions has been hard pressed to make expenses Henderson cautioned fuel oil con that recent orders advancing he date of validation for ration did not result from any in rease in available supplies but were issued only to offset abnormal de mands because of cold weather The validation date for coupon No Jn the eastern area was from Jan 6 1943 to Dec 8 1942 A similar advance was an some time ago for the mid west and was followed by a 10 per ent increase in the value of cou ons for that area to offset a pro cold wave We may set the dates of the cou pon validation forward Henderson aid We may make a number of special provisions for meeting emer so far as the mechanics of he rationing system are concerned ut none of things produces more oil In fact some of them are n effect a means of borrowing gainst the future and that future s not bright I therefore appeal most sincere y to every consumer of home heat ng fuel oil to use the absolute mini mum of the supply which he gets with his coupon EARTHQUAKE NEAR ISTANBUL New York Berlin ra lo today reported a heavy earth in the vicinity of Istanbul he second within a week There were no reports of casualties SUN WORKER IS KILLED BY HITRUN DRIVER Police are searching today for the driver of a truck and trailer be to have struck and killed Stanley Jankowski 33 of 927 Engle street as he was crossing Crosby street between Second and Third streets early yesterday morning The body of Jankowski a Sun Ship employe was discovered at 425 aon by William of 725 Green street and Marian ski of 807 McDowell avenue as they were driving past the spot They notified police and Officers John Hager and George Pierce took Jankowski to Chester Hospital where he was pronounced dead by Dr Friedman Coroner John L Clancy said that death was due to a fractured skull and other injuries Jankowski is survived by a wife Katharine of Pa CHILD STRUCK BY AUTO Valaida Draper six years old of 1722 Attocks terrace was admitted to the Chester Hospital on Thurs day suffering from a fractured right clavicle and laceration of the fore head She was struck at Sixth and Flower streets by an automobile driven by Clemens Cedrone of 713 Mifflin street Philadelphia who with the childs mother took her to the hospital for treatment Ches ter police were notified REDS OPEN 5th OFFENSIVE IN STALINGRAD Factory Center of City Attacked During Night in Fighting Russians Press Enemy Before Gun Emplacements and Pill Boxes Slashing Foes Rear in Ukraine Moscow Red Army opened a fifth major offensive today in the bloody streets of Stalingrad While powerful Red armies drove the Germans before them in the middle Don southwest of Stalingrad in the Cau casus and on the central front west of Moscow the Russians opened their fifth drive in the factory center of Stalingrad scene of The Red Verdun Shock troops of the famous guards attacking with bay and hand grenade house by house opened their attack during the night the noon communique revealed In the first phase of their attack they captured or destroyed 12 gun emplacements and 57 pill boxes They stormed a big heavily forti fied factory and wiping out 500 Ger mans in a fight to the death took the building and with it 22 machine guns 108 rifles and 400 hand gren ades In addition to their major drives the Russians continued on the of fensive northwest of Stalingrad and YANKS PUSH ON IN GUINEA MAY CUT BEACHHEAD Americans Intent on Capturing Buna Mission Position Gen Head quarters in Australia American forces have made a advance in north eastern New Guinea and now threaten to cut the Japanese Buna beachhead in two spokesman for Gen Douglas MacArthur revealed today The American advance wa on the western end They d r o v the coast through government gardens the Buna Mis sion on Thursday Gen MacArthur activity yesterday in one of the shortest communiques he has yet issued in Australia On Christmas Day our activ were limited to routine safety precautions Divine services were held throughout the command where possible The importance of the advance is that it secures a bigger bridgehead across the entrance of the Creek and threatens to cut off Jap anese positions at Buna Mission from those at point and the coconut grove dispersal bays at the northwestern end of the main air strip the spokesman said The Japanese have been com pressed into a small coil a mile long and 500 yards wide centered at Point just east of Buna Mission More Airstrip Seized United Press correspondent Don Caswell reported in a dispatch from the front that Australian and Amer ican forces seized another 400 yards of the airstrip on Thursday and now control both sides three quar ters of the way east and west The Japanese however clung to strong defensive positions at the western end Caswell said American light tanks crossed a bridge over Creek Thursday morning but met stiff re sistance from antiaircraft guns the desperate Japanese were using for tank defense Main centers of Japanese resis tance now were among the dispersal bays at the northwestern end of the main air strip at Point at the Mission itself and in a triangle about 1500 yards south of the Mis sion which the Allies bypassed a few days ago he said He said Japanese depth defenses included dugouts protected by logs Turn to Page Z Number 1 Reich Seen Weaker in Strength and Manpower Washington is showing definite signs of weakness in air strength and manpower ac cording to informed diplomats who today that the Allies will go into 1943 in a far better position for eventual victory than they occupied a year ago Diplomats with access to reports coming out of Europe from under ground sources in occupied countries as well as from Allied or neutral centers say their information indi cates a growing Allied air superiority and an apparent crisis in Hitlers manpower problem Allied bombings of Axis industrial and shipping cities have been ex remely effective it was said One diplomat who preferred not o be quoted directly said he thought Sitler would get little result from ef forts to force Frenchmen into armed or industrial service for the Reich German occupation of the whole of France will Intensify French hatred of the Nazis as they see them at loser range according to this view The Frenchmen of the Pierre Laval type can not swing any sizeable number of their countrymen Into active collaboration with the Axis he said It was recalled that a year ago today Prime Winston Churchill addressing Congress here said that forces would be able to undertake a worldwide of fensive in 1943 That prediction has come true ahead of schedule The present situ ation is regarded as highly aging and a welcome contrast to the bleak note on which last year ended Last year at this time Manila was falling Wake Island already had gone Some 1200 Americans were caught in Hongkong when the Jap anese captured the British Crown colony The valiant Russian resistance was about the only bright spot in the picture Foreign Secretary An thony Eden had arrived in Moscow for conferences with Premier Stalin Churchill in Washington coupled his prediction of an eventual Allied offensive with a warning that many disappointments and unpleasant sur prises await us Allied officials still see the pros of setbacks ahead But they be lieve they will not be as serious as the blows which the Allies have suf and survived in the past i made further progress during the weekend in addition to beating off German Counterattacks The noon communique disclosed that in the great middle Don offen sive where they had penetrated to the Ukraine the Russians were now slashing into the rear of bewildered German detachments The captured 560 men in a single unit in one of these forays the noon communique said On Middle Don Front Yesterday the Russians on the middle Don front had captured 4000 prisoners in a single group in addi tion to 3000 others and a special communique reported that the enemy were now abandoning new heavy guns just arrived at the front They had brought their total of prisoners to 49700 and yes alone they captured 78 guns in the middle Don fighting Their gains up to midnight totaled from 84 to 118 miles From Moscow the Ukrainian gov Premier Josef Stalin the cabinet and the Russian Communist Party informing the Ukrainian peo ple of the break into Hitlers Euro pean fortress appealed to men and women to intensify guerrilla activ ity preparing for the complete liberation of their native land The noon communique reported that in the Kharkov area 150 miles west of the Red Arrays bulge intc the rich Ukraine guerrillas in a raid on a German battalion ters killed 11 enemy staff officers and 70 men Attacking tirelessly through the night southwest of Stalingrad the Russians captured a fortified point in one sector and knocked out 30 German tanks and killed 600 men in another A special communique had re that after breaking German counterattacks which started Dec 12 and had steadily increased in ferocity the Russians went over to the offensive made gains along a wide front for from 12 to 15 miles liberated up to 1000 square miles of territory and drove the Germans across the river to a point 60 miles southwest of Stalingrad and only 30 miles from the city of Kotel on the main railroad to the Caucasus In their Caucasus drive In the area southeast of Nalchik where the Turn to Page 2 Number 4 Topics of Times A political platform is for one party to stand on and the other party to jump on Reformers are the only ones who seem to thoroughly enjoy a misera ble time The annual honey crop of the U S is about 250000000 pounds Mighty sweet of the bees Someone ought to invent an extra leg to stand on when a proud father starts telling about the babys cute tricks The skeleton in a lot of is in the basement In Todays CHESTER TIMES Page Amusements 11 Answers to Questions 6 Bedtime Story 13 Bridge 7 Churches 16 Comics 13 15 Crossword Puzzle 13 15 Editorials 6 Financial 4 5 From The Times Files 6 In Hollywood 7 Marriage Licenses 8 Obituaries 2 Radio Time Table 14 Real Estate Page 14 Serial Story 7 Society News 8 Sports 10 11 Sunday School The Brighter Side 6 With Our Service Men 3 Womens 9
