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Newspaper
Cedar Rapids Gazette
Location
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States of America
Date
May 04, 1942
Page
8
Mild Sunday highs and varied overnight lows are listed along with a births section from Mercy and St Luke's hospitals naming numerous new arrivals from May 2 to May 4. Obituaries note William Mercer and Rose Ann Leftwich among others with ages and last known addresses.
James R Murphy of Cedar Rapids 43 fined $50 and costs for drunkenness. Irving Finger of Marion fined $10 and costs for speeding 45. Robert Bechlin of Solon fined $10 and costs for failing to have car under control.
Mildred L. Seeger and Warren B. Zier of College Park Maryland obtained a marriage license.
Police hold John A. Scott, 18, of Aurora on an open charge after arrest at 1 05 a m by Patrolmen Glenn Walters and Frank Mackey. Scott allegedly planned to steal a tire and fog light from Leonard Kohl s car on Third Street SW near the station. He was stopped for driving without lights and followed until he parked. Scott said he had served time for car theft in Illinois. Officers are checking ownership of the car he drove.
The Brazilian freighter Parnahya was torpedoed and sunk near the Island of Trinidad. A Spanish liner rescued 23 survivors from one lifeboat. The loss marks Brazil’s sixth vessel sunk in three months, apparently by Axis action. The Parnahuba went down May 1 while bound for New York. two lifeboats with unknown numbers of men remain missing.
A two hour parking petition on Third avenue SE from Eighth to Tenth street was referred to the police traffic department. The council heard a petition signed by Beatty and eight others. April fines and fees totaled 1,311.50. Beer permits renewed for W H Workman and Mrs Olga Cambridge. Y M C A drum and bugle corps granted a tag day request with May 16 as proposed date. Gas company supply value reported at 1 042 British thermal units.
United Press reports mounting army and conservative opposition to Falange ties with Germany. Incidents between the army and Falange rise, an assassination attempt targets labor minister Jose Antonio Giron. Serrano Suner may lose post, Rome ambassadorship eyed. Franco remains popular but Falange criticism grows. blue division casualties cited with most men sent home.
City building department reports April home construction at 15 units, down 25 from April 1941. Valuations fell from 4000 to 3000 per home, with total permits 277, up five from last year but total value 116,947. Fees amounted to 1,049.85, a 362 decline. Commercial, garage and barn projects remained strong.
Waterloo AP The Iowa Restaurant Owners association sugar rationing committee opened a three day convention urging patrons get one teaspoon sugar per cup coffee one teaspoon for grapefruit or berries and two teaspoons for cereals The group headed by L M Bolton Des Moines also asked the Office of Price Administration to raise baking sugar allotment from 50 to 70 percent of 1941 consumption Delegates around 500 plan to attend the session urging sugar bowl removal and uniform serving practices.
Chicago reports a nationwide Retailers for Victory clinic where about a thousand retailers and sales staff explored selling more war savings stamps. The plan lets customers convert change into stamps and then buy a $25 bond for $18.75, with $6.25 gained at maturity. Major Benjamin H. Namm opened the clinic, citing a pledge to mobilize merchants to sell a billion dollars in stamps and bonds during the year.
London observers quoted on BBC radio say Hitler overruled Hermann Goering by ordering the Luftwaffe to attack English cathedrals. Goering’s Essen newspaper reportedly stated Luftwaffe ops serve only immediate military needs. The same night Hitler ordered the raid on Exeter Cathedral.
Two French generals unable to support Vichy reach Gibraltar to join the Free French. Vichy reports sabotage by Nazis in France and claims trains wrecked near Caen and Bretigny causing casualties. Lille executions of 55 hostages are alleged in reprisal for German deaths. Giraud meets with Laval at Moulins as Abetz presses loyalty demands. Laval rumored to seek fleet cooperation with Germany. Japanese admirals visit Vichy amidLavals hospitality as talks continue.
Maynard Gates, 25, jailed in Linn county on failure to report for induction. A Jehovah’s Witness since 1940, he cites the Bible’s Thou shalt not kill and says he will defend only his life. He registered for the draft but says he will not follow induction orders. His wife, married December 19, 1941, shares his beliefs.
Cedar Rapids auxiliary police mobilizes twenty six motorcyclists and fifty two Legionaires for emergency service. Captain Gordon Hughes outlined 14 week war traffic training and convoy support roles at the Rotary club briefing.
Melbourne based Air Minister Arthur Drakeford says the Royal Australian Air Force is in Iceland under American command. He states the R.A.A.F. protects British and Russian supply lines, destroys enemy raiders, and aids Allied operations.
Australian flyers bombed an airdrome and barracks at a fortified position near Kristiansund on the Norwegian coast. They started six large fires visible from 50 miles and are believed to have struck an ammunition dump. The air ministry gave no base location for the attacking planes.
Claudia Odegaard a six year old Manchester girl daughter of Olaf and Mrs Odegaard sustained a laceration on her right leg after a bicycle fall near her home Friday. Twenty two stitches were required for treatment.
Washington AP reports the Office of Price Administration will grant subsidies to manufacturers if needed to keep retail prices within the universal ceiling. Two items sugar and coal in North Atlantic states already show subsidy actions, with moves to cover higher transport costs. Clothing and canned fruits and vegetables are under study for subsidies, while aid would target industry-wide relief and avoid rewarding inefficient firms.
A 20 minute blackout hit several city sections Sunday evening from 5:30 to 5:50 p.m. due to a switch defect at the Iowa Electric Light and Power plant. Charles Herbeck reported the switch for fans coal pulverizer and feed water units tripped without warning. Emergency switches burned out and idle boilers were fired up while Marshalltown and Tama plants increased pressure to offset the loss. Plant officials could not determine the cause of the switch opening or why auxiliary switches burned.
Cedar Rapids wholesalers study a new ODT ruling requiring trucks over 15 miles from base to be loaded to 100 percent and return trips to at least 75 percent. The June 1 order affects bread, fruit and grocers wholesalers serving surrounding towns with exemptions for farmers. Livestock haulers are not exempt.
The War Department announced portable radio phonograph library kits for American troops overseas. Each kit includes a long and short wave radio, phonograph turntable, 50 records, 25 half hour radio transcriptions, song books, harmonicas, 100 paper bound novels, plus spare batteries and tubes.
William Mercer died at his son Ralph D. Mercer’s home in Cedar Rapids after a brief illness. Born October 30, 1863 in Orion Illinois, he formerly lived in Ottumwa and was 5 years in Cedar Rapids. A former salesman, he retired in 1917 and held roles with Davis Street Christian church Ottumwa, Masonic lodge 16 Ottumwa, United Commercial Travelers and the Baymen. He is survived by son Ralph and Frank G. of Washington DC, daughter Ruth Howe of Santa Barbara, five grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Funeral arrangements to be announced. friends may visit at the Barta chapel.
Charles W Smith 82 of Cedar Rapids died at his home Sunday after a long illness. Born December 12 1884 in St Paul Minnesota he moved to Cedar Rapids as a child. He married Hilda Holets October 5 1915 in Boone Iowa and is survived by wife son Edward C Smith three Dubuque daughters two Cedar Rapids sisters and four grandchildren. Funeral 2 pm Tuesday at Moon chapel with Rev Thomas C Collister. Burial Shiloh cemetery. Friends may call at the chapel.
Mrs Rosa Ann Leftwich of Springfield Missouri died in a Cedar Rapids hospital after a short illness. She is survived by sister Mrs Catherine Delay of Cedar Rapids and several nieces and nephews. Burial in Calvary cemetery at Ryan Iowa follows a Rosary at Monahan funeral home. Also Charles Fritz 68 of Little Rock Illinois died in Enid Oklahoma with wife Jennie and two daughters Elsie and Clarice Grimes plus son Russell. Burial in Little Rock.
The Associated Press reported General MacArthur's HQ saying Corregidor in Manila Bay endured intermittent artillery and aerial bombardment while its heavy guns answered the siege. In Mindanao, Japanese reports claimed landings at Cagayan and Tagoloan with about 30,000 US and Philippine defenders still holding out.
An Army board investigated the burned B 17 bomber wreckage two miles north of Meachim Oregon after a Sunday training flight. Six of eight crewmen were killed including Leacock Brown Forrest Cameron Carmichael Nowack. Wallace and Starr survived with serious injuries. Starr listed critical.
TACOMA Washington UP three officers were killed and a fourth seriously injured when their army bomber crashed at McChord field. The dead are First Lieutenant William E Comber of Frankfort Pennsylvania Second Lieutenant Adolph T Frerisch of Fairfax Missouri and Corporal Frank W Irwin of San Benito Texas Sergeant Randolph T Correll of Perryton Texas was injured seriously
Six army airmen were killed when a U S Army plane crashed in the Oregon hills a mile south of Pleasant Valley two months after takeoff. Gowen Field authorities reported the fatalities Monday as investigators began work at the scene.
April 1941 registrations in Linn County show 464 new cars and 46 new trucks. The Linn County Abstract Company reports 24 cars and 3 trucks registered in April, up from 18 cars and 2 trucks in March and 12 cars and 3 trucks in February, despite regulations.
The House Ways and Means Committee voted to raise the surtax on small corporations earning 25000 or less from 6 to 10 percent. They also kept declared value capital stock and excess profits taxes but require capitalization declarations for only one year in advance.
The German high command says German warships submarines and planes fought days of fighting off Europe’s far northern coast against Allied convoys bound for Russia. They claim a 10 000 ton British cruiser was sunk and six convoyed ships totaling 37 500 tons were destroyed, with several destroyers and four supply ships damaged. A German destroyer reportedly received serious damage after engaging a superior enemy force.
London dispatch says official off ice floes in the Arctic allow stronger sea and air operations along the supply line to Russia but no verification of German claims of a battle with Allied convoys reached the capitals.
Senator La Follette urged a resolution designating June 13 as Douglas MacArthur Day. The senate judiciary committee approved the measure unanimously noting June 13 marks MacArthur’s West Point appointment anniversary.
Soviet dispatches say Timoshenko’s forces skirt Kharkov and push 100 miles beyond toward the Caucasus oilfields. Dniepropetrovsk to Poltava battles reported with gains. Len ingrad area sees heavy German losses. Stalin’s oath to make 1942 the year of final defeat is noted by Pravda alongside calls for greater weapon use. Yugoslav partisans claim to have surrounded and defeated an Italian infantry unit, capturing weapons.
The Office of Price Administration said investigators will move into 20 defense rental areas designated March 2 to verify rent reductions in line with federal orders. If communities fail to lower rents to recommended levels, federal rent control will be imposed starting with June rents. The 20 areas include Burlington.
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