The Brooklyn Daily Eagle from Brooklyn, New York • Page 1

CI 656317 nrr 20 WEATHER Partly cloudy, cold tonight; fair, warmer tomorrow. COMPLETE HEWS 2fAtf Entered ftt tne anocijra Postoftice 3d CUm Mali Utttr lOoprrttht 1944 The Brooklyn In.) DAILY AND SUNDAY BROOKLYN, N. TUESDAY, mil rnium 29s Jp Wot Ciffy Q) BOTH SIDES POUR REINFORCEMENTS INTO BIG BATTLE By JAMES McGLINCY Paris, Dec. 19 (U.R) German armored columns plunged recklessly through a storm of Allied bombs and shells today In a still-developing offensive that carried more than 20 miles into Belgium and forced the American 1st Army back to or behind the Nazi border at many points on a 70-mile front extending into southern Luxembourg. Rigid military censorship blacked out details on the progress of the German counterblow, but field dispatches said probably the greatest land and air battle of the west-em war was under way and growing hourly in fury.

White Christmas Hopes Are Dashed As Snowfall's Quick End Is Seen 4 is. DECEMBER 19, 1944 4 Men From Area On Casualty List The Navy Department listed two Brooklyn and Queens men dead and two wounded. The list is on Page 4. Call the Brooklyn Chapter American Red Cross and arrange to donate a pint of blood NOW. TRiangle 5-8040.

CHURCHILL PUTS OFF STATEMENT ON EUROPE Blames 'Great Battle' In Europe for Delay Until Mid-January London, Dec. 19 (U.R) Prime Min lster Churchill told Commons today the situation In revolt-ton Greece was much improved, but postponed until mid-January at the earliest any full-dress statement on European military and political develop ments because of the "great battle" raging on the western front. Though he stubbornly rejected all demands for a Commons review of the Greek situation and the progress of the German counteroffensive in the west before the Christmas recess, there remained a possibility he might make a world radio broadcast on the subjects before the House reconvenes Jan. 16. Agrees to Limited Debate He also agreed to limited debate of the Greek question on an adjournment motion Thursday.

Churchill appeared weary and his mumbled replies to a Laborite barrage of questions regarding Greece at times were hardly audible to the crowded House. The oratorical fire he had flashed while defending his Government twice previously in the past 11 days was missing. Cites Great Battle "A great battle is proceeding now." he said in revealing his decision to postpone the strong statement he was known to have been considering. "I should certainly think that when we meet again after Christmas it would be appropriate that we should review the field, not only In one theater, but widely." It was believed Churchill's de cision to delay his statement was based primarily on the extreme fluidity of the western front and the failure to achieve peace in the Greek civil war. Alexander Receives Field Marshal's Baton London, Dec.

19 (U.R) Field Mar shal Sir Harold R. L. G. Alexander, commander-in-chief of the Mediter ranean theater, received the field marshal's baton from King George VI at a secret audience in Buckingham Palace recently, it was closed today. His promotion from hte rank of general was announced when he took over the Mediterranean command Nov.

26. Field Marshal Bernard L. Mont gomery received his baton in a similar manner recently. home, but did not find him. A city-wide search for him was going on Officials said the ELAS unite were believed to be searching for Rallis "with the object of assassination." Lt.

Gen. Ronald Scobie, commander of Allied forces in Greece announced in a communique that further progress had been made in clearing areas astride the road be tween Athens and the Faliron Bay area below Piraeus, Officials said the prison held 475 men, 135 women and 30 children, Mast were alleged collaborationists, but a few were criminal prisoners, including ELAS members. The British now hold only 205 miles and 3rKUTl IN KEW TORX CIT? tlN 15 UBWHBM 4 CWTi JV known to have carried at least 21 miles since the takeoff from Uden-breth, Germany, four days ago, and a front dispatch said the 1st Army lines still were swaying back at most points on the attack front from the Monschau Forest to Luxembourg. There was no word on the German penetrations of Luxembourg around Viaden, 35 miles south of Stavelot, and Echternach, 13 miles farther south. Belgians Alarmed The pace eof the German advance Into Belgium, however, rivalled that of the best American progress across eastern France last Summer, and suggested strongly that the 1st Army's resistance still was extremely light.

Brussels dispatches said alarm was spreading through Belgium as the ficrman tide rolled westward. DTO- vnkinir clamor in some ouarters for remobilizatlon of the country's dls-- armed resistance forces. There ap peared little likelihood, however, that the Allied High Command would have to call on the patriots for aid. All non-combat personnel were being evacuated hurriedly to the west over roads lined with silent, sullen Belgian townspeople who made no effort to conceal their resentment at being left again to he mercy of the Nazis. Franklsh reported, however, th troops and equipment were moving up meet he advancing Germans and emphasized tha he enemy has not yet achieved a breakthrough.

"Penty of doughboys are slugging it out toe to toe with the best the Germans have to offer at this moment" he wrote. "Along every road American engineers are laying mines, cutitng down trees for road blocks, emplacing machine guns and digging in tank destroyers to meet the Nazi push." The biggest and best Allied effort. however, came from the American 9th and British 2d tactical air forces. The Ailed filers blasted the German armored columns everywhere they appeared on the twisting hill roads and took on swarms of Continued on Page I WOMAN FINED $10 FOR SHAKING MOP OUT OF WINDOW Shaking a dusty mop out of tht window is as annoying to people in Winter as Summer, especially when a policeman lives underneath the window, Mrs. Ruth Hymowits of 964 Utica Ave.

discovered -when arraigned before Magistrate Gle- bocki In Flatbush Court. The policeman, Albert J. Ott, had com plained numerous times, she admitted, but added she didn't think he'd mind the dust during December when people usually keep their windows closed. The Magistrate fined her $10, which she paid under protest. the German threat to Soviet and Finnish shipping in the Baltic.

The Admiral Scheer and Lutzon were sister shops of the Admiral Graf Spee, which was scuttled off Montevideo Dec. 17. 1939, after an encounter with British warships. The Lutzow was torpedoed by British aircraft in Norwegian waters in 1941 and by British midget submarines in 1943. but subsequently was repaired and returned to the Baltic.

WHERE TO FIND IT Paqe 12 Pago 4 12 IT 11 Bridge Our Fiqhtr Patterns Radio Society Comics Crossword Dr. Brady Editorial Helen Worth Horoscope Mary Haworth Movies Music Novel Obituaries Sports 13,14 12 12 11 6,7 7 15 9 Take My Word 8 Theaters 6, 7 These Women 17 Tommy Holmes 1 3 I Uncle Ray I Want Ads I Women 17 15, IS 11 I04rh YEAR No. 347 FBI SEEKS BRIBE TAKERS AT ARMY BASE Kickback Racket Ringleaders Held In High Bail Here The Federal Bureau of Invest! Cation, having broken the back of an alleged kickback racket said to have exacted more than (150,000 In trib lite from workers at the Brooklyn Army Base, today continued its probe in an effort to uncover lndt viduals at the base who might have accepted bribes for permitting the racket to flourish. According to E. E.

Conroy, special agent in charge of the metropolitan FBI office, the 15 Brooklyn and Manhattan men arrested yesterday and held in from $1,000 to $10,000 bail for the Federal grand Jury, were charged with "conspiracy to violate the Federal bribery statutes and the kickback racket act." Conroy said the 15 men were ring leaders of a pair of rival gangs which used mobster methods to silence workers who complained about being forced to make payments ranging from $20 to $200. Twelve of the men live in Brooklyn, including Luigii (Lou) Salica, 32, 1940 world champion bantam weight fighter, of 1979 W. 10th whose bail was set at $5,000. Highest ball $10,000 was set for Robert White, 55, of 1361 Nostrand assistant general superintend ent of carpenters at the base, said to be one of the leaders of the gang: Artnro EmT) Arnedo Valerio, 43, of 1058 69th dock boss of carpenters, and Joseph Canale, 41, of 727 Washington Manhattan, night assistant superintendent of Was Contact Man White is said to have "served as contact man between certain official at the base and the foremen of various carpenter gangs" Conroy said, collecting money, paying bribes and obtaining Jobs for others. Vaierio is charged with serving as "a medium through which money was collected" and paid to superiors," Conroy said, while Canale, who has served a two-year, eight-month term In Sing Sing for robbery, was said to have collected money from employes in his department.

Other arraigned before Commissioner Fay in Brooklyn Federal Court yesterday were: Frank W. Laaksonen, 34, of 2639 E. 11th charged specif icallly with attempting to bribe Lt. Chester H. Fletcher of the Army Transport Corps and with attempting to take money from civilian workmen under threat he would have them dismissed.

He also was accused of punching his time card in the morning, leaving for the day, and returning to punch out at night. He was held In $1,000 ball. Jack Zuckerberg, 43, of 1625 President charged with paying bribes for Job transfers; $5,000 bail. Salica, charged with paying bribes to "base officials," held in $5,000 bail. Thomas D.

Dorsa, 47, of 841 73d charged with conspiracy; $5,000 bail. Frank Salzillo, 44, of 2630 11th charged with collecting and paving bribes; $4,000. Patrick (Paddy) Haynes, 48, of 138 Continued on Page 9 Sfeinguf io Face Quizzing Tomorrow Abany, Dec. 19 Irwin Steingut of Brooklyn, minority leader of the Assembly, who was scheduled to appear today before the grand Jury probing legislative spending, will go before Special Prosecutor Hiram C. Tcdd tomorrow.

Steingut obtained the one-day postponement to attend a meeting of the Joint legislative committee on commercial rents in New York City. Todd agreed to defer the Brooklynite's testimony. Deputy Prosecutor Harris Steinberg yesterday insisted Deputy County Treasurer Donald Lynch has not offered satisfactory responses to uestions of the special grand jury Investigating Albany County crime. The prosecutor, urging that Lynch be held in contempt of court, hinted that the case involved William Shea, Cohoes Janitor charged with unlawful voting. According to Steinberg, Lynch did not satisfactorily answer ueries ss to an alleged meeting between Albany Democratic Leader Daniel P.

O'Connell and Supreme Court Justice Gilbert V. Schenck, and was also non-committal as to his part In an Appellate Division hearing on the Shea case. Counsel for Lynch was ordered to file an answer by Jan. S. I nw YOUTH HAS ITS FLING Brooklyn youngsters make use in the way snow was intended to be used by youngsters.

Both sides were reported pouring reinforcements into the big test of strength, but it was indicated the American 1st Army had not yet countered in full force and was still falling back slowly all along the line. Elsewhere on the long Western Front, American 9th Army troops carved out small gains at the edge of the Cologne plain above Aachen, and 3d Army forces continued their slow progress into the German Saar Valley above Saarlautern and Sar-reguemines. 7th Extends Foothold On the American 7th Army sector, Lt. Gen. Alexander M.

Patch's infantrymen extended their foothold in the corner of the Rhine Palatinate to as much as four miles on a 25-mile front, while farther south American and French troops scored of the French 1st Army local gains above Colmar and in the Vosges Mountains. But both sides were throwing their main effort into the blazing 1st Army front where the German high command appeared to be staking the Wehrmacht's best divisions on a desperate gamble to check the Americans west of the Rhine. Nazi tank destroyers, probably well bemnd their tank spearheads, were disclosed to have reached the area of Stavelot, 20 miles inside the Belgian border and about the same distance southeast of Liege. Front reports said Malmedy, five miles to the northeast, also had fallen to the advancing Germans and United Press war correspondent Jack Franklsh reported that the American 1st Army's press camp was being evacuated from an unnamed town northwest of Stavelot. Planes Rake Foe American and British warplanes raked the German assault front with bombs, gunfire and rockets yesterday in a dawn to dusk attack that knocked out 110 enemy tanks ano armored vehicles in what returning airmen described as the biggest mass slaughter since the Argentan-Falaise battle last Summer.

The Germans took their losses and kept coming, throwing their own fighter-bombeis against the Ameri can lines in considerable force and opening up with a blistering V- bomb barrage. One new weapon in the Nazi ar senal was revealed as a highly secret V-bomb which front correspondents were permitted to describe only as a rocket-type projectile. first Army spokesmen still were confident the German attack would be contained and blunted within a matter of days, and ridiculed Nazi propaganda boasts the drive would reach Paris by Christmas. Nevertheless, it was acknowledged that when the extent of the German advance finally Is revealed it will come as a rude shock to many who thought the Wehrmacht had spent its hitting power. The sweep into Belgium was Telling It Briefly SUPERFORTS POUNDOMURA, MILL CENTER Tokyo Admits Attack On City in Mounting Aerial Offensive Washington, Dec.

19 (U.R) China- based Superfortresses rejoined the mounting American aerial offensive against the Japanese homeland to day, striking in medium force at the war production center of Omura. The raid came only 24 hours after other B-29s from Saipan kin died fires visible for 70 miles in the important Kokukl plant of the Mit' subishi Aircraft Works at yagoya, 425 miles to the northeast, yester day. Tokyo said two or three Superfortresses from China flew over the Yamagudi prefecture area and the Sooban area. The former covers the southern tip of Honshu, and the latter includes the Kokura-Yawata district of northern Kyushu. The planes did not drop any bombs and fled after interception by Jap anese air defense units, Tokyo re ported.

Japs Admit Omura Bombed The War Department identified targets hit by the China-based 20th Bomber Command today only as "industrial" Installations on Kyushu; southernmost of the enemy's home islands, but Tokyo conceded Omura had been bombed. Thirty to 40 B-29s participated in the attack, Tokyo said, but caused only "slight" damage. omura, 600 miles southwest of Tokyo, lies in western Kyushu and has been bombed four times previously, the last Nov. 21. Brig.

Gen. Haywood S. Hansell, commander of the 21st Bomber Command, told war correspondents at the B-29 base on Saipan that yesterday's attack on Nagoya caused "clearly extensive damage" to the Kokuki plant. 23 Direct Hits Scored Hansell said detailed damage could not be assessed until photo graphic reconnaissance pictures are available, but one element of the force alone scored at least 22 direct hits in the Kokuki building area. Pilots reported smoke rose over the Nagoya waterfront to a height of 5,000 to 8,000 feet.

As many as 50 Japanese fighters attacked the Superfortresses over Nagoya, but none was lost to enemy action. At least one and probably more of the intercepting fighters were shot down. Icing conditions and engine trouble prevented one B-29 from attacking Nagoya, but it went on to bomb the dock area south of Yokohama, scoring hits and starting fires. FPC Will Investigate Chicago Gas Rates Washington, Dec. 19 (U.R) The Federal Power Commission has announced that it will conduct a "comprehensive" Investigation of the natural gas rates of the Chicago corporation and its subsidiary, the Teennessee Gas and Transmission Company.

The investigation, FPC said, was necessitated by a request by three gas companies for rate increases otaling $6,000,000 a year based partly on rates they were charged by the Tennessee company, which supplies inem wun natural gas. Lupe Velez to Be Buired In Her Native Mexico Hollywood, Dec. 19 (U.R) Lupe Velez' mother was expected here late today to arrange for returning the body of her daughter to her native Mexico for burial. Mario Moreno, Mexican comedian! with whom Miss Velez played in aj Mexican film, said in Mexico City that final rites for the star would' De conducted there in about ten days. Meanwhile Mrs Josefina Anderson, sister of Miss Velez who came here from San Antonio, Texas, said she could not understand some terms of the actress' will and would contest it on behalf of the family.

Bong Bags 40th Jap Plane Allied Headquarters, Leyte, Dec. 19 (U.R) MaJ. Richard Bong of Poplar, No. 1 Anglo-American ace of World War II, shot down his 40th WOMAN HURT IN ESCAPING FIRE Mrs. Wilhelmina Fleming-, 24, was treated for internal injuries at Kings County Hospital after she jumped from a third-story window of her home, 366 Herkimer when fire broke out early today.

Other occupants left the building: without injury. The fire was confined to the basement, SCHAPPES FREED ON PAROLE FOR PERJURY TERM Morris U. Schappes, former English instructor at City College, who was convicted of giving perjured testimony before the Rapp-Coudert Legislative Committee in its 1940 investigation of subversive activities in New York City schools, is free today. He was released from Walkill Prison on parole after srving one year of a one-and-a-half to two-year sentence. Basle staff photo of the season's first snowfall VITAMIN SA1ES Soldier Can't Decide Who Gets His Allotment Newark, N.

19 (U.R) The Office of Dependency Benefits, which handles allotments to thousands of servicemen's dependents, was peeved today by a on-agaln-off-again soldier who requested six changes of beneficiary in 30 days as his affections for his wife oscillated between hot and cold. ODB wrote the boy's commanding officer: "Kindly have him make up his mind." COURT GETS PLEA TO WIDEN A suit to permit stores other than licensed pharmacies to sell vitamin products is on file in Supreme Court, Manhattan, today, in opposition to a recent ruling by the State Attorney General limiting sales to drug stores. The plaintiff Ernest C. Herrmann, secretary of the North Shore Food Merchants. Continued on Page I Boy Killed by Auto, All Traffic Delayed In ZVz Inch Snow A snowfall, the first of the Win ter season, fell in the metropolitan area last night and early today, laying down a white carpet averag ing Vk inches in Brooklyn.

Thoughts that this might fore shadow a white Christmas In New York were pretty much discouraged by the Weather Bureau forecasters, who saw the storm fading out in slight flurries around noon. The temperature, which dropped to 17 at 7 a.m., was expected to con tinue cold today and tomorrow, with fair skies no snow and a low of 15 tomorrow. The snow slowed traffic and caused an increase in minor street accidents. In Queens, the death of Richard Smith, 11, of 89-25 Spring field Boulevard, Queens Village, was attributed to the weather. Hit by Automobile The boy was walking along the boulevard Just north of 89th Ave when he was knocked down by an automobile owned, according to police, by Jerome O'Orady of 86-45 178th Jamaica, and operated by the Rev.

Bartholomew Dean of the Monastery of the immaculate Conception, 178th St. and Wexford Terrace, Jamaica Estates. The boy was dead when a doctor from Mary Immaculate Hospital reached the scene. No arrests were made. Suburban bus traffic was partic ularly affected by snow on the roads, some New Jersey buses being an hour late.

The Sanitation Department took the snowfall In stride. At Commissioner Carey's office it was announced that the department's 7,500 regular men no extras were at work clearing main highways and crossings with the use of 50 sand spreaders, 125 trucks distributing sand, 750 other trucks and 300 cross-walk plows. 35 PROSPECTS PAINT. SPRAY MACHINE (imll), complete with gun md hose ton wheels). J.

roi. GLenmore 2-OOO0. 'Perhaps you may be interested to know that my ad brought at least thirty-five telephone response! ami the machine has been satisfactorily writes J. Fox, 516 Lexington Avenue. No matter what you have to sell, buyers are waiting to learn of it through the Eagle.

Turn no longer needed articles into- cash now. Lall Miss Turner, MAin 4-6200; place an ad and charge it. British eavies Blast Nazi Fleet at Gdynia Fear ELAS Seized 405 Political Prisoners President Returns From Warm Springs Washington, Dec. 19 (U.R) Presi dent Roosevelt, tanned and rested from his rigorous fourth-term cam: paign, returned to the White House today after a three-week vacation at Warm Springs, to deal with serious diplomatic, military and domestic problems. Although he kept up with his paper work on a daily basis while resting at the "little White House" on the Warm Springs Foundation, Mr.

Roosevelt came home to a wide assortment of official tasks a complicated foreign affairs situation, furtherance of plans for a meeting of the "Big Three," completion of the Administration's program for the new Congress, final drafting of the Government's new financial budget and his Jan, 20 inauguration. Mr. Roosevelt left Washington Nov. 27 and reached Warm Springs the next day. He left the Georgia spa, famous for the after-treatment of op'lo patients, on Dec.

17, stopped yesterday to inspect the marine corps training base at Camp Lejeune, N. and arrived here at 8:30 a.m. (EWT) today. (This was the first public dis closure of Mr. Roosevelt's whereabouts for the last three weeks.

He was accompanied on his trip by correspondents for the three press associations.) London, Dec. 19 (U.R) R.A.F. Lan caster bombers showered armor- piercing bombs on Germany's last major fleet units in their Baltic Sea hideaway at Gdynia, Poland, and blasted the enemy's Western Front reinforcement bottlenecks at Mun-ster and Nuremburg last night. More than 500 planes flew 1,600 miles round trip across Europe to blast the pocket battleships Admiral Scheer and Lutzow and submarines berthed at Gdynia. The crippled battleship Gneisenau also may be at Gdynia.

The subsidiary attacks on Mun- ster, northeast of Aachen, and Nuremberg, in southern Germany, presumably were designed to hamper German efforts to bring up supplies and reinforcements for their counteroffensives in the upper and lower Rhineland. German airfields behind the Western Front also were bombed during the night. One German plane was destroyed, while five R. A. F.

planes were last in all operations. The attack on German shipping at Gdynia, if successful, would ease Athens, Dec. 19 Former Premier John Rallis and 404 other political prisoners who had been held In Averow Prison were "missing" today and presumably in the hands of ELAS forces, who captured the institution by storm yesterday. An official announcement said British and Greek Government forces evacuated Averow Prison after ELAS assault units had shot and dynamited their way into two of the three buildings housing po litical offenders. Of its approximately 920 inmates held in protective custody or for other political reasons, 405 were described today "missing." British authorities searched Rallis' 30 females, the remainder having! Japanese plane yesterday over Min-escaped or fallen into ELAS hands.

doro, it was announced today. 1 Miiimm'iifM.