17 May 1941
Page 1
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This newspaper page contains 21 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Syracuse Herald Journal
Location
Syracuse, New York, United States of America
Date
May 17, 1941
Page
1
Widespread belief in London that Adolf Hitler anticipated Rudolf Hess's secret flight and plans. British officials and observers weigh evidence from wreckage and intercepted communications while noting uncertainties about how much top German leadership knew. The debate centers on Hess's motives and the potential disclosure by German authorities.
Berlin dispatch reports Nazis view Rudolf Hess as a most unwelcome and embarrassing guest for Britain. They claim his weight and health are deteriorating while praising continued war aims and denouncing Britain for delaying an end to hostilities. Hess aides and German officials are scrutinized as Britain weighs the case and potential political fallout.
The jury quickly convicted Aitken for the September disappearance and murder of her 14 month old niece Sertha Lortite Aitken. The verdict, reached after about two hours, fixed punishment at 21 years imprisonment. The body was found beneath a railroad trestle. The defendant admitted through a confession that she accidentally smothered the infant and then mutilated the body to hide the crime, later recanting the confession. A motion for a new trial was denied.
Reports from Istanbul and Beirut claim skirmishing between British and French forces along the Syria Palestine frontier. Turkish authorities indicate aggressive postures on eastern and southern borders as German and Russian diplomatic activity grows. Istanbul watchers note German planes into the Levant and possible moves toward Baghdad and Beirut, with Iraqi and Iranian diplomacy seen in Ankara.
Reported clashes near Basra as Iraqi and British forces engage along the Persian Gulf. Telegraphic dispatches note shifting tactics and contested control, with later communiques promised on the engagement details. The conflict broadens amid regional tensions including Syria and oil routes.
In Wilnew Basse May 27 two boys described as young collectors saved keys left in cars across several lots. They explained later to police how the keys were retrieved and guarded during the incident, while bystanders looked on. The report also notes unrelated local notices and a speeding discussion involving William E Mahoney during the period.
The article reports renewed walkout threats in soft coal areas affecting Southern Appalachia producers and workers. It notes union leaders from the CIO United Mine Workers urging a new agreement, otherwise pit actions could intensify. It also mentions wage disputes, cross-industry labor actions, and government statements on supply and demand dynamics shaping possible strikes.
The Federal Housing Administration reports 158 277 insured mortgages built since last July to May 30. About 85 percent of men in the area work in defense industries. New home completions for the week show a record pace, with 4 934, surpassing the prior high. Applications for rough insurance also climb to 808 new home applications that week.
Chicago May 17 Four premature quadruplets weighing about a pound each died within ten hours after birth at Mercy hospital. Their mother Mrs. Frances Adams, wife of Edward Adams, was recovering. Doctors, led by Dr. Rob in A. Bick, had placed one baby in an iron tub and the others in incubators after deliveries by Drs. Janet Towne and William J. McCratey, all within two minutes starting at 8:26 PM.
The freighter Farnk Billings Jaulen with Tron rammed 2 breakwaters near Indiana Harbor and was driven onto the shore after a cross current pushed it against the breakwater. Water flooded cargo holds as the captain ordered abandonment and the ship, owned by Pioneer Stampship Lines of Wilmington, Del, will be repaired and relaid after cargo removal. Coast Guardsmen reported the incident and noted the vessel’s grounding near Calumet Harbor.
A German spokesman highlights ambitions to source wool and cotton from Middle East districts for its textile industry. Report notes rising German demand and production shifts toward wood fiber substitutes while Britain faces strategic pressure amid wartime context.
Reliable sources report the US high commissioner's office may urge the Philippine Bureau of Customs to withhold scrap iron export permits to Axis powers until licensing control is enacted. The measure would extend US deport control to the Philippines, as informants note recent scrap purchases in Manila and provinces mainly aimed for export to Japan. Sayre declined comment on the report.
A Croatian delegation arrives in Rome tomorrow to offer the throne to a Savoy prince. Italy’s Duke of Aosta is considered as a potential king for Croatia, with King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia possibly assigning the crown to a Savoy member. The Croatian throne was declared independent after the fall of Austria.
In a chaotic wartime outline, delegates at a Western Hemisphere conference discuss provisional administration over French, British, and Dutch possessions in the Caribbean and South America. Plans envision temporary control of Martinique, Guadaloupe, St Pierre and Stiquelon, Trinidad, and other islands to safeguard supply routes and neutralize German threats, with U S bases in Greenland and intensified inter-America coordination.
May 1 in Destin, Bertin denounces Roosevelt for meddling in European affairs and warns of uniting Europe against the United States. German spokesmen call Roosevelt likely to stir further, citing his stance on warships and the Vichy regime. Reuters dispatch notes cautious progress in French German talks.
British forces have occupied a gate of the route to northeastern Italian Somaliland as Ethiopians capitulated on their approach. The advance pressed on with Besteh Bow in possession of Gibis and 12 miles north of Alghe, per the communique released today.
Fragmentary dispatches describe French efforts to prevent a direct breach with the United States as negotiations with Germany intensify. Reports cite Admiral Jean Darlan, Joachim von Ribbentrop talks, and plans for a European order, with references to Briand, Napoleon, and the idea of a United States of Europe amid Allied tension.
In Ohio, seven Army airmen perished when two training planes collided during a night cyclonic storm. The wreckage, scattered across hills near Nelsonville, halted nearby residents with a loud explosion. Investigators from Dayton and state patrol officials examined the site as crews searched for missing occupants.
Czech pilot Linaticky describes a bold night fight over the English Channel in which he shot down three Heinkel bombers. Despite engine trouble his guns kept firing as one plane crashed and a second fell behind. he was later warned by a gunner and watched another enemy go down after flares. He continued pursuit for miles, finally seeing the last craft vanish into the sea.
Utica Mohawk workers voted last night to forgo a portion of their summer vacations in exchange for an additional week’s pay. The action follows national defense orders and a mediation board contract calling for staged wage adjustments and new workload rules.
Dr. Arthur W. Burwell, technical director at the Alex corporation, is chosen to receive the Sacou F. Schorlikop gold medal from a Western New York American Chemical Society station for outstanding work in resin chemistry. His efforts in producing Ally acids lactones and related chemicals aided national X ray machine development and defense research. The medal will be presented on Tuesday in Magara Fate.
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