Olean Times Herald (Newspaper) - January 15, 1941, Olean, New York WEATHER FORECAST Light snow with temperature tonight Snow or freezing rain Thursday Warmer Thursday Sun sets Sun TI ME ERALD Edited for New md TRAFFIC RECORD 1 Total To 3 p.m CUT Accidents 3 0 3 Dead 0 0 0 Injured 5 0 5 Accidents 10 0 10 Dead 4 0 4 Injured 12 0 12 VOL 12 Entered aj Second Class Matter Postoffice Olean N Y WEDNESDAY EVENING JANUARY 15 1941 PRICE THREE CENTS ares ermans ross e Th c Ocean If Great Britain Loses In War Greek Sol JL W Jx 0 Britons Ancient tomb makes ideal quarters for desert unit A British battalion in the western Libyan desert finds this old Roman tomb ideal for headquarters well protected from the shells of enemy Italians whose ancestors provided it Niches formerly 1 housing coffins are now used as bunks each dedicated to one of the Seven Photo passed by British censor TT I coffins are now used as bunks each mmm I m dedicated to one of the Seven Photo passed by British censor J Against Foe Secretary Of State Says Nation Not To Be Deterred By Threats Moves In War Today An understandable explanation of what operations at the front mean and what they portend by a dis- military critic By J W T MASON Tress War Expert British control of the Mediterranean has not been interrupted by the battle off Sicily between the escorting warships of a convoy en route to Greece and a com- air force Although three British ing vessels were damaged the convoyed merchantmen reached Greece safely indicating that the attacking airplanes were unable to follow through It is more than 600 miles from the scene of the engagement to Greece If the enemy planes had been victorious in putting the warships out of commission they should have been able to overwhelm the unprotected merchant vessels preventing their war materials from ing Greece That they did not do The British air arm which was working in association with the convoy apparently drove back the Germans and Italians after the latter had lost twelve planes with others It is im- possible therefore to claim that German dive bombing support for the Italians threatens to turn the naval scale in the Mediterranean NARROWEST FART The area of combat was the Mediterranean's narrowest part between Sicily and the coast of French Tunis The distance is less than 100 miles Passage through this strait must always be somewhat hazardous for Brit- ish ships because of the for submarine as well as airplane attack The risks however which have prevailed since Italy entered the war have not prevented the gradual seizure in the Mediterranean by the British fleet A single engagement such as the one now reported cannot change the situation Indeed there is no possibility that air attacks alone will the German and Italian combined air forces to wrest Mediterranean control from the British That could happen only if the Italian fleet went into battle with the British and won XOT CHALLENGING The Italians showed no desire to offer naval battle when the British fleet was less powerful than it now is Recent ments have given the British such superiority coupled with the damage done to Italian ships at Taranto that the cists can have no hope ever of challenging Britain's supremacy in the Mediterranean At the time of the Italian war in Ethiopia when the British con- heavy naval units in the Mediterranean some naval authorities were uncertain about the possibility of conducting operations against the Italians The narrow waters were thought in some quarters to make the Mediterranean a dentil trap because of assumed advantages to defensive strategy based on the use of submarines and airplanes CAUTION After Italy became a ent the British admiralty cised much caution in directing Mediterranean activities New theories of operations in the con- fined limits of the sea to be tested By BEX AMES United SUff Correspondent ATHENS troops edged closer to the vital Albanian port of lona today with the Italians bitterly contesting every yard The official Greek radio cast reports that were evacuating both Valona and Berat thirty miles northeast of Valona but there was no cation here of any major through Reports at Struga on the Jugoslav border said that six Greek and British planes bombed Valona again yesterday morning heavily damaging the port and the northern part of town ing six and wounding eight persons The planes also bombed an Italian military camp at Kanina near Valona killing two twenty-three soldiers wounding fifty soldiers it was reported ATTACKS REPULSED According to Struga the Greek left wing in the al sector below Valona repulsed three Italian in the mountains while the right wing aided by ian rebels from the district started from the village of eleven miles west of and advanced a mile and a half northwest into the mountains to within eighteen miles of Valona There was only localized fighting in the and Elbasan sectors according to Struga reports An official spokesman said Greeks had repulsed two local but he did not say where In the first he said the Italians were thrown back quickly In the second waves of infantry advanced into the Greek lines behind tanks and under cover of a barrage from mortars and artillery They were thrown back after a fierce fight and the battle field was strewn with Italian dead the spokesman said The Greeks captured four light tanks some with their crews still alive and immediately put them into action against the Italians the spokesman said The Greeks keep reserve tank drivers at the front cooperating with anti- tank squads and are always ready to man captured tanks PLANE SHOT DOWN The spokesman said Greek machine gunners shot down a Italian fighting plane which was the Greek lines A War Ministry communique There was limited action We captured some prisoners The Public Security Ministry Enemy planes bombed Tuesday but there were no victims and damage was slight although a church was destroyed A deserted region around Kozani and also was bombed and there were a few victims and a little damage avy Asks For Needed Funds Bomb Sights Of Nazis Inferior WASHINGTON Three ferent types of German sights obtained from captured in Great Britain have been examined by United States military experts and found ior to our own it was learned today The sights designed for ferent types and altitudes of bombing raids were reported to have been given to the United States defense chieftains by the British as part of their policy of keeping our army and navy abreast of development of war equipment The exchange of in- formation is carried out in re- turn for release of type equipment to Britain The German were sent here for examination quarters said our experts pronounced them exceptionally but ior to our own French Ship In Another Effort To Pass Blockade MONTEVIDEO The French steamer Mendoza with a cargo of Argentine meat and wool for Marseilles made another at- tempt to pass through the Brit- ish blockade today when it sailed from the port of Punta Del Esle near here The Mendoza anchored off Punta Del Este last night after having left Montevideo atc It was watched out the night by the British merchant cruiser which had twice turned the Mendoza back to Uruguayan waters after an attempt Last Sunday to reach safety in the Atlantic It was believed today that in addition to the the British cruiser Enterprise was patrolling off the coast of guay The crew of a British seaplane forced down off Punta Del while watching the was held today for while authorities debated er to intern the crew Veteran Finds Bullets In Blanks At Fort Dix FORT DIX N Gen Ralph K Robertson acting com- mander of the 44th Division an- today that live had been discovered among blank ammunition Issued to a regiment starting out on night maneuvers He said an investigation was under way and it was indicated that a mistake rather than tage was Involved The Infantry commanded by Col Grant was ting ammunition for maneuvers scheduled for 2 when Sergeant William P Richey a veteran of twenty-five years in the army noticed that some cartridges were heavier than others An Investigation dis- closed that mixed in with the blank cartridges were guard that have lead pellets in- side the casings It is difficult to distinguish between the two types at a glance Both are dis- different from the steel jacketed cartridges used in com- bat The ammunition was recalled new were made and the maneuvers proceeded on schedule An investigation was started by Lieut Col John J Williams the 1st Infantry Regimental staff If the mistake had not been dis- covered the two umpires of the r s Copts William Coober and Alexander would have been endangered authorities said because in Sng a theoretical maneuvering troops frequently aim at the umpires who arc nt the head of the formation Coast Workers Threaten Strike SAN DIEGO Em- ployes of the Ryan Aeronautical Company working on SI 000 worth of military training planes for the United States and Great Britain today were pre- pared to strike if their wage demands were not satisfied Members of the United Auto- mobile CIO Workers ing agent in the Ryan plant voted 731 to 21 to strike if it became necessary The strike authorization did not carry a time limit and the union said it was ready to resume tions H C Labor ment conciliator said he would confer today with Ryan officials then with the union and at- tempt to bring them together Wage demands were said lo foe the only issue over which negotiations were broken Record Set For Atlantic Flight new tic speed record has been set by Capt of London in ing an American bomber to land it was announced today No details were given except that Capt Eves had breakfast before hla take-off and tea on his ar- rival in England The fastest Atlantic crossings on record were those of Howard Hughes who in July 1938 went from New York to Paris in IT hours and 35 minutes and of the Pan American Airways Atlantic Clipper which flew from New to Lisbon in 18 hours and 35 minute last April It was that Capl look off from Newfoundland If he left there by 5 A M an early fast time and reached for the 4 to P M tea hour lie would have flown miles in seven hours allowing for the lime differential Donor Of Speed Trophies Dead r count Wakefield eighty-one the angel of died today It was estimated that field had given more than to hospitals and other charitable institutions He was the donor of the Wakefield Cup for land speed records which was won by Sir Henry at Daytona Fla in 1030 Practically all of Britain's at- tempts for speed records in the air land and water have been by Lord Wakefield He owned the famous racing Blue Bird cars and the Golden Arrow find speed boats the Miss record breakers In their time He became inter- ested In aviation In 1009 VAX Press Correspondent WASHINGTON Rear Admiral Samuel M son chief of the Navy's reau of Ships said today that the Navy is asking Con- gress for money and ity to build 280 submarine chasers minesweepers and motor torpedo boats He said most of them could be built this year on the Great Lakes He made Unit announcement before the House Naval Affairs Committee which earlier in the session promptly approved a the Navy to spend to provide warships with bettor de- fenses The acted speedily after Robinson testified Unit the is a very serious threat to the fleet He said that even with the new money it would tuke two to three years to equip U S warships with topside shields JUKI more anti- aircraft guns ACTION Robinson said that the Navy hail asked the Appropriations Committee to speed the for additional small vessels ahead of the regular budget He accepted a suggestion by Naval Committee Chairman Curl Vinson that it be Included in now before the tee In the new budget Kobinson explained the Navy asked for 400 of these small craft H is requesting im- mediate appropriations for only Robinson to explain the Navy's reasons for wanting tional funds for shipbuilding He said that would bo used to expand private shipyards to build the small vessels and the rest to pay for the ships M KNACK Robinson and Rear Admiral W R Furlong gave the tee their views on the ability of warships to withstand bomb it- tacks arc very real menace to warships and no one has been able to devise against them for Robinson testified Thu necessary additional armament would too heavy for ers said Rapid fire inch guns can he said and added that U S anti-aircraft protection measures included topside shields to tect crews from bomb splinters Furlong testified that only are strong enough to withstand direct bomb hits Dive bombers he testified un- questionably could sink U S and lighter vessels knows her rights Because she I know my rights and refused to honor a Dies Committee subpoena Mrs Sarah V Montgomery urer of the Washington Pence Mobilization set up to block conscription defense measures and aid to Britain faces a con- tempt charge Her husband ald E Montgomery is ers counsel in the Agriculture Department Flames Destroy Business Block early today quenched the last sparks a blaze that destroyed i brick ing business establishments and than dwellers in the downtown dis- v Members of six fire companies flames in weather used a foot aerial ladder to evacuate many of the men women and children Mrs Mary Rouse ninety-six suffered exposure md shock necessitating her re- to City Hospital There verc no other casualties Downey To Ask noy the singer flew homo from New Orleans to plead with his wife Barbara Bennett for another chance Miss Bennett who has been married for twelve years had announced she would file suit for divorce or separate she has not de- elded which American Leaders To Study Health Conditions American commission to study health con- ditions epidemic control trans- and evacuation of dren in Great Britain will leave New York Saturday it learned today It seek information for use in preparing a civilian home defense mobilization plan for the United States The commission includes Dr Thomas Director of the Public Health Service Maj Eu- gene W of the War De- General P C transportation ant to the Defense Commission and an as yet undisclosed export on children's problems from the Social Security Board They will be accompanied by a staff of technicians The commission which sails for Lisbon Portugal on the S S will also try to visit other war-torn countries ing France and Germany It ex- to stay In London a month The appointment of the com- mission requested by the War Department was revealed at a banquet hen lost night when forthcoming departure was mentioned during his duction Pressed for details ran and other officials revealed them An official announcement is expected soon Parran said the mission would try to find out what happens to civilian populations hospitals and sanitation facilities schools anil education transportation and other public utilities under constant Also to be studied arc special problems ated bv evacuation of women and children from cities and the crowding of hundreds of persons each night Into air raid shelters Ily JOHN K HEAL Staff Correspondent WASHINGTON tary of State Cordell Hull declaring that Germany could easily cross the At- if Great Britain falls today urged speedy ment of the Administration's to defeat aggression and tyrannical rule He told the House Foreign fairs Committee that a German move against this hemisphere particularly across the South At- would be an easy matter unless we are prepared to do what Britain is doing now Hull was the first witness as the committee opened hearings on the historic measure in an at- surcharged by the sonal exchange yesterday be- tween President Roosevelt and Sen Burton K Wheeler D Mont leader of the opposition forces MORE UNITED Hull told the committee that the American people were more united on aid to Great Britain than on any other subject He said that this nation must not be deterred or diverted by man threats from giving aid to the victims of aggression He condemned Germany's and cynicism in ing the proposed measure violated international those ions which would permit British Crock or Chinese warships to be serviced and outfitted in can and outlying bases Asked at one if he con- the pending measure ab- necessary for the defense of the United States Hull re- I have been unwillingly driven to the consideration to which you refer IN HOUR'S In his prepared testimony Hull told the committee that German forces could cross the English Channel in an hour's time were it not that Britain is well armed and fighting every hour of the day to prevent the crossing If Germany wins the Atlantic would provide little barrier Withholding aid to Britain Hull said would not bring about peace but would consolidate the position of the Axis powers and allow them to prepare for The he added would make it possible for the United States to allocate its resources in ways best calculated to provide for the security of this nation and this continent We nre in the presence of forces which are not restrained by considerations of law or principles of morality he said Which have no fixed limits for their program of which have spread over large areas on land and are desperately cling now to seize control of the oceans as an essential achieving and maintaining their conquest of the other continents CONTROL IS KEY Control of the High Seas by law-abiding nations is the key to the security of the Western Hemisphere in the present world situation Should that control be gained by the ners of the Tripartite Pact Germany Italy the danger to our country great as it is today would be multiplied manyfold Hull said the Johnson barring credits or loans to war nations would not appear to be in wived by because the Act does not apply to this government or a public corporation or a public corporation in which the has a major The would supersede provisions of the Act Hull said the authority that be given the allow outfitting and of ships In American ports The Convention barred V such practices Hull said but held that it was not
