17 Oct 1939
Page 1
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Newspaper
Cedar Rapids Gazette
Location
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Oct 17, 1939
Page
1
A reader letter echoes wartime propaganda warnings as Germany and Britain clash in Europe while U S Senator Gillette defends American security and neutrality. A separate local note recounts barber James H Harris at the state training school aiding a burglary ring, trapping inmates with stolen goods and facing prison.
Senate opposition presses to strip presidential discretion in designating combat zones as sections of the administration arms embargo repeal bill faces resistance. Senator Gillette offers two amendments to curb credit to belligerents and restrict old securities while critics warn a cash and carry rule could harm allies and aid aggressors.
After two youths from Polk county jail were sentenced, a list of stolen loot showed a ring and watch missing. Harris, questioned by authorities, denied ownership but later confessed after the items were mailed to the Hardin county attorney. He paid an $800 fine and was released.
The report outlines penalties for breaking and entering with a maximum ten years for standard cases and life if a gun is used. It notes daytime larceny at five years and nighttime larceny at ten. The two boys are described as having bad records and former training school status. The superintendent and sheriff testify to good character, while prosecution recommends imprisonment to avoid harming training school outcomes.
Izvestia in Moscow says the Soviet Union remains neutral in Europe but reaffirms its pledge to supply raw materials to Germany. It notes that expanding European naval warfare has prompted a substantial strengthening of the Soviet fleet, with unclear implications for Baltic fleet cooperation with Germany.
A Norwegian coast guard ship searched for a stricken vessel after a sea fire and explosions but found no sign of any ship or survivors. The search concluded early Tuesday with no evidence of distress or ongoing danger.
The statement argues that a state employee tasked with teaching lawfulness commits a gravest offense by breaking the law, regardless of technicalities. It emphasizes clear moral stance against abuse of power and upholds strict accountability for officials.
Dr Newton reflects on living one day at a time drawing from scripture and poets. He cites Jeremiah Martin in Song of Years, George Herbert, and Jesus to urge dropping today and embracing a new day tomorrow with faith and trust in God. The essay promotes daily mindfulness and faith as a path to peace.
Former U S Senator James A Reed of Kansas City told the Mississippi Valley association dinner that the United States acts as an international coward in current and proposed neutrality laws He challenged proposals to curb American shipping in European war zones and urged the nation to sail the seas with confidence and resolve He framed shipping as essential to the country’s growth and strength.
The air ministry said several British planes completed daylight reconnaissance over western and northwest Germany on Monday and one aircraft did not return.
War talk fills the air as Arthur Baer notes the loudest fog horns fail to clear fog. The commentary questions European efforts and likens the scene to a gymnasium brawl in a sharp, opinionated column.
A brief cartoon caption mocks a general by showing him jabbing pins into a war map. The caption wryly suggests he would use an ice pick if angered, reflecting satirical wartime humor.
Paris dispatch reports Hitler’s forces mass along the Dutch Belgian and Luxembourg frontiers totalling about sixty five divisions with a substantial reserve. Observers say the attack on the Maginot line is a prelude to pressing into Holland Belgium and possibly beyond as part of a long awaited western offensive.
Several planes crossed the frontier toward Emden in Germany with heavy explosions heard nearby. Observers speculated the craft were British bombing planes in retaliation for Monday’s Nazi raid on the Firth of Forth.
Harold Eggleston 37 of 3513 First Avenue E was appointed Cedar Rapids streets commissioner to replace the late Walter E. Marile. The temporary appointment, made under civil service rules, lasts up to 90 days or until a new eligible list is prepared. Eggleston has five years as foreman and prior sales experience. the move was approved by City Commissioner Dave Williams and the city council.
A clear day followed a cold night in Cedar Rapids. The low was 26 at 3 30 a.m. and the temperature rose to 52 by 2 30 p.m. The day's high mirrored Monday's 52 at 2 30 p.m. before falling to 39 at 7 p.m. and 30 at midnight per Chambers Inskeep readings.
Three Cedar Rapids men were chosen for high Masonic honors by the supreme council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in Washington. Harry A. Palmer M M Thompson and Fred Killen received honorary thirty third degrees and the knights commander degree went to William Joseph Kueman of North English.
The German news agency DNB reports a German delegation has arrived in Moscow to discuss the repatriation of Germans living in Russia. The move follows ongoing postwar diplomacy and aims to address citizen return arrangements.
The German command said French troops evacuated most territory outside the Siegfried line and crossed the border. It claimed English ships were hit in Firth of Forth raids, and that Royal Oak and Repulse sinking reports arose from Scapa Flow. Also cites mercantile losses and a Rosyth air strike.
DeWitt Clinton Cook, 20, a parolee from an Iowa reformatory, was sentenced to die in the gas chamber at San Quentin for the murder of Anya Sosyeva, a former Follies dancer, beaten on the Los Angeles City College campus on February 24. The judge also imposed 23 years to life for assaults on two other women.
J. C. Estreicher argues Britain delays retaliatory strikes until civilian morale is seriously harmed. He notes Edinburgh residents watched raids calmly, air raid sirens not driving crowds underground, and a blackout policy debated but soon dropped.
French war officials say a German advance across a 20 mile sector east of the Saar has been checked by French artillery and defenses. Reports place at least six German divisions in action with some incursions into French soil near Apach, while French outposts retreat to prepared positions. War ministry says older conscripts and officers may be released as the situation stabilizes.
Elmer F Andrews resigns as wage hour administrator effective Monday. Colonel Philip Fleming of the army engineers will be detailed to the secretary of labor and head the agency for a transitional period. Congress will be asked to change statutes to permit Fleming to become administrator.
Col. Philip Fleming, appointed to succeed Elmer Andrews, is son of Mollie Fleming of Burlington and widowed J. J. Fleming. The late banker was active in Knights of Columbus circles in Iowa and served as state deputy. Fleming was educated in local Burlington schools.
Paris dispatch says Soviet forces are massing along the Hungarian frontier and Russian engineers are fortifying the Russo German border in Poland, according to reports from Bucharest received in Paris on Tuesday.
In Edinburgh, after Monday's Luftwaffe raid, thrifty Scots rushed to bomb sites where German bombs struck the sea. Fishermen gathered in fish killed by the explosions, turning the incident into a local salvage effort.
London reports a second air raid over the Orkney islands between 12 30 p m and 2 30 p m Tuesday with no British casualties and one German plane destroyed The Iron Duke naval training ship suffered damage at Scapa Flow where the Royal Oak was sunk by a submarine last Saturday Four enemy planes reportedly took part in the Tuesday attack at the Orkney base
London reports Lord Chatfield lauds the German U-boat commander as a worthy foeman for piercing Scapa Flow. He calls the attack a remarkable exploit of professional skill and daring.
Lord Chatfield recounts the sinking of HMS Royal Oak at Scapa Flow after a U-boat breached harbor defenses. He cites torpedo strikes, a muffled explosion, and flooding of flammable stores with many officers and men drowning. A board of inquiry is convened.
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