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Editorial
Reuther Answers
Attack On ReutherPln.
Plan ..
VOL. LI. No. 136 ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 1942 Z-323
PRICE FIVE CENTS
OPA May Fix
Price Ceilings
On Consumer
GoodsShortly
Inflation May Be Curbed
By Pending Legislation;
Present Act Will Affect
HouseholdAppliances
March 30 Level
Used As Standard
WASHINGTON, April 3. -(P)-
Price ceilings were imposed on 44
household electrical appliances to-
night, while Office of Price Admin-
istration officials disclosed they had
under discussion a sweeping price-
freezing plan to apply to all con-
sumer goods not already under ceil-
ing orders.
The electrical appliance ceiling ap-
plies to retail, wholesale and manu-
facturers' prices, and freezes them
at the levels of March 30.
It covers electric toasters, waffle
irons, shavers, curling irons, and virt-
ually all other commonly used house-
hold electrical equipment.
Rationing Not Contemplated
Acting Price Administrator John
E. Hamm said rationing of the articles
was not contemplated, there being
sufficient stocks on hand or in pro-
cess of manufacture to last through
most of this year.
"This action has been taken to
prevent runaway prices in view of
the War Production Board's order of
March 30 halting production of these
and other electrical appliances on
May 31," Hamm stated.
The price order is effective April
7, Hamm said, and will remain in
force until June 5 unless superceded
by a permanent schedule of maxi-
mum prices.
This action came as OPA officials
confirmed that a proposal for verti-
cal price ceilings on all consumer
goods, at both retail and wholesale
levels, was being studied. They em-
phasized, however, that no such ac-
tion hAd been deided upon finally
and that several other plans to sharp-
en OPA's assault on inflation were
under discussion also.
Effective Control Sought
Behind all the schemes is a gen-
eral intent of attaining more effective
control than the present techiique
of clamping price lids on each com-
modity, one by one, as each soars
beyond reasonable levels. One sug-
gestion calls for imposition of price
ceilings by entire groups of com-
modities, instead of by singleitems;
another proposes arbitrary limita-
tions on dealers' mark-ups.
If a decision finally is made in
favor of the over-all ceiling, an OPA
spokesman said, it would be a perma-
nent one with maximum prices peg-
ged at the level of some arbitrarily
chosen date in the past prior to the
sharply accelerated price movement
of recent weeks.
Opinion on whether this or some
other method was the proper ap-
proach was divided within OPA, it
was said, and the view of Price Ad-
ministrator Leon Henderson, who re-
turned to Washington from a vaca-
tion trip only yesterday, could not be
ascertained immediately.
Jap Attacks
In Philippines
Are ,Re pulsed
WASHINGTON, April 3,-(U)-
The defenders of the Philippines'
Bataan Peninsula repulsed several
light Japanese attacks last night, the
War Department said in a communi-
que today, and inflicted "considera-
ble enemy losses."
For the eleventh conse cutive day
the Manila Bay forts were attacked
by enemy bombers but the raids were
described as light, An artillery duel
took place meanwhile between the
forts and Japanese battcries on the
south shore of the bay.
The comunique said a Japanese air
attack was reported to have been
made on Good Friday on a church at
the village of Mral. Nearby Digos was
the scene of a raid two days ago in
which 22 Japanese military ware-
houses were destroyed.
The text of the communique, No.
174, based on reports received here
until 4 p.m., EWT:
"I. Philippine theatre:
Imperials Withdraw From Prome
Under Force Of Japanese Attacks
DACCABURMA
INDIA R a
*xLASH O RA
CALCUTTA MANDALAY 'o
CHITTAGONG
., ~SHAN e
BALASORE -- - -AE
B UR M A
PUR I ii~ii:.......... .................... O N Q
CUTTACK Y
.:::::RA M
..,..:::: ...... ...................... ...........
A report that ar sew-borne Japa ~ Beng-...EG....
............ PEGIJ O
.. ...............
:.' ,,.;: :; ... ........... .....
ncse troop detachment had land-..................
A rpor tht p sa.-ore.........en a .........'r..i ..
. . ....:::....:.:....:b
nes toopdeacmenhd.lnd.... ... .......u°.'M
ed at Akyab (1) (black yaarrow} , RAN ON",....,.
................RAGO
chief western Burma port, was de--........... .......
nied, while British forces (brokenA E...N..MA....A..AN..N
line) fell back north of r
The Japanese were reported to be-:- :--.-. --.--------
....................
advancing northward from Toun- - .:.:...Gulf.of;.:
goo (2) ............... :*:... ...............:;
.o::(2).: ::: ::..........::~: ., .Martabanf
.. :: ::: ::::: :: .... .... ...................::::::.... .. ::.. .....
_______________________,,_.._._.
:: . ,{.................................,~t......t.,i: ,Y.s.....,..!..................
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................,..,.................,#..,,.,.., .. .,... :: ........
Western Front's Air War
Spreads Flame And Ruin;
Reds Smash Nazi Troops
,jr-<1
NEW DELHI, India, April 3.-'--
Extreme Japanese pressure in aI
night-long battle in the jungle coun-
try along the Irrawaddy River forced
the British to withdraw northward
today from Prome, heretofore the
western strong point of the Burma
defense lines.
British headquarters said the Brit-
ish Imperial "covering force in
Prome" had pulled back northward
to "the main defense" Thursday. This
suggested that the rail and river city
never had been counted upon as the
place to make a decisive stand for the
defense of the oil fields, 40 to 80
miles to the north.
Prome at the moment apparently
was unoccupied, a military spokes-
man saying that the Japanese had
advanced only to the outskirts. al-
though holding heights to the south.
Line Unidentified
The present British main line was
not identifietbut probably as be-
tween Prome and he Ma on river,
20 miles north.
A spokesman denied reports from
Chungking that the Japanese had
landed at Akyab, a west Burma port
scarcely 100 miles from India.
"General Headquarters have been
in direct contact with Akyab this
morning," he said. "We were in-
formed by authorities at Akyab that
there was no sign of Japanese any-
where."
(A Chinese Army spokesman at"
Chungking said that his report yes-
terday of a Japanese landing at Ak-
yab March 27 was based on intelli-
gence reports from American sources,
but that the New Delhi announce-
ment now showed this report was in-
correct.)
The British also announced that
on the Sittang front, on the east side
of the Burma defenses, Japanese
vanguards at Toungoo were advanc-
ing west of the railway and had
reached a point southwest of Ye-
dashe.
(A Chinese communique said the
Chinese on April 1 attacked the Jap-
anese south of Kyungon, which is 10
miles north of Toungoo, and cap-
tured a great deal of booty. Kyungon
was recaptured by the Chinese on
March 29.)
Chinese Hold Section
The Chinese hold that section of
the line and were declared to retain
command of the railway from Ye-
dashe to just north of Toungoo.
(With the Chinese out of Toungoo
and the British having abandoned
Proine, military quarters in London
forecast the next Japanese steps in
this fashion:
("The Japanese will continue to in-
filtrate around our flanks and estab-
lish road blocks at the rear. If they
succeed, our troops and the Chinese
will have to fight back through the
blocks.")
Chiaig Kai-Shek Appeals
For Indian Aid It Crisis
NEW DELHI, India, April 3.(/ -
Generalissimo Chiang Kai - Shek,
leader of Free China, was understood
today to have appealed to India's
leaders to reconsider the formula by
which Britain is seeking that sub-
continent's full cooperation against
the Axis in return for Indian inde-
pendence after the war.
The precise nature of the Gener-
alissiino's intcrvention was not
known; specifically it was not dis-
closed whether he had urged India's
acceptance of the most controversial
point-Britain's insistence that she
retain control of Indian defense for
the emergency period.
At all events, however, he was said
to have sent a special messenger to
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, former
president of the All-India Congress
and perhaps the most powerful figure
on the Indian side of the table, and
this alone threw the immense weight
of his influence behind the hopes of
the uncounted millions among the
United Nations that, the conference
not be torpedoed.x
Rutliven ksked
To Admit Jap
Students Here
Pacific Coast Universities
Question Deans' Opinion
On Possible Admission
President Alexander G. Ruthven
revealed yesterday that he had re-
ceived letters from Pacific Coast uni-
versities inquiring if the University
would be willing to open its doors to
Japanese students who have been
ordered out of the West Coast area.
He said the letters presented no
specific plans but rather requested
information indicating whether the
University would accept Japanese
students if Federal authorities grant-
ed them permission to study here.
The letters were discussed at a
Deans' Conference, the President
said, but no specific stand was taken.
Although the plan is as yet noth-
ing more than a proposal, it was re-
ported that some of the Deans regis-
tered disapproval, pointing out that
the University was in close proximity
to a vital war area.
No details as to the responsibility
the University would have to shoulder
for the conduct of the Japanese stu-
dents, if they were allowed to enroll,
were made in the letters.
"Whether or not they will be
moved here," President Ruthven as-
serted, "is pure speculation. The en-
tire matter is up to the War De-
partment."
Vital German Equipment
Near Smolensk Sector
Destroyed By Russians
Reds Strike Nazis
West Of Moscow
LONDON, April 3.-(P)-Russian
guerrillas striking in the Smolensk
sector 230 miles west of Moscow were
declared officially tonight to have in-
flicted heavy losses on German
troops, and to have destroyed 36
bridges and vital equipment stores
needed for Adolf Hitler's spring push.
'Soviet announcements in Moscow
indicated that the sharpest fighting
along the front still was in the north-
west. A communique said one Red
Army detachment killed more than
450 Nazis in a single day's fighting
in that area, presumably near Lake
Ilmen
The Germans also were reported
thrown out of several popula ted
places along the front, but these were
not identified by the Russians who
early today reported a 13-d toll
of more than 25,000 German dead.
Patrol Forays Reported
Official announcements in Moscow
and Berlin indicated only sharp pa-
trol forays elsewhere along the vast
front where b9th sides are gathering
huge reserves for the supreme 1942
.test.
After days of reporting virtually
unceasing Russian attacks, the Ger-
man High Command said that though
"heavy local thrusts" were encount-
ered, "on the whole a lessening of
enemy activity in the east is'notice-
able." The Gemans said_"a fairly
large number of villages was taken."
A late German radio report indi-
cated the heaviest fighting of the day
was going on northeast of Lake Il-
men, where violent Russian attacks
under artillery cover were said to
have been repulsed, and on the cen-
tral front, where German dive bomb-
ers attacked Red Army communica-
tions in waves, purportedly destroy-
ing six supply trains and damaging
eighteen.
Fresh Nazi Troops
The Russian communique spoke of
attacks by "infantry freshly arrived
from Germany" and said there was
"no essentail change" in front line
positions.
Although it seemed from this that
the thousands of fresh units drained
from every corner of Germany and
her satellites had begun scattered at-
tacks, observers in London regarded
these as only preliminary activity to
consolidate jumping off places for
the big assault.
The Russians appeared to be cen-
tering their efforts on harassing these
preparations as much as possible by
raids to blow up ammunition dumps
and knock out artillery batteries.
Much of this work, as well as dis-
rupting communications and raiding
supply lines, is the job of guerrillas
who have operated for months deep
in territory which the Germans
otherwise could regard as conquered
land.
Maj. Brewer
Will Discuss
RaidDuties
County Residents, Campus
Requested To Attend
MeetingTuesday
Major W. A. Brewer, of the Na-
tional Office of Civilian Defense will
come from Washington Tuesday to
tell students, faculty and townspeople
just what to do when and if air
raids come to Ann Arbor.
He will speak at 8 p.m. Monday in
Hill Auditorium on the topic, "The
Nature and Purpose of Civilian De-
fense."
First in a series of lectures which
will bring eminent authorities here,
Major Brewer's talk will be de-
signed to acquaint the public with
methods of self-protection against
enemy air raids and sabotage,
All residents of Washtenaw Coun-
ty, as well as students and faculty,
are urged to attend the course, which
is being given free of charge by the
University War Board and the Coun-
ty Defense Council,
Goal of the course, according to
Prof. Glenn L. Alt, is to give as many
persons as possible basic knowledge in
methods of passive defense against
enemy air raids,
"The enemy," he said, "wants to
cripple defense production, disor-
ganize communication and to break
down our morale. We can frustrate
the enemy by training and organ-
izing our civilians.".
Future lectures will draw such
speakers as Owen J. Cleary, state air
ratr-warten ; -Cpt.~Donald Leoriard,
of the Michigan Council of Defense,
and John Bugas, head of the Detroit
office of the Federal Bureau of In-
vestigation.
Dates for the later lectures will
be announced as soon as possible,
Alt said.
Jap Air Force
Bombs Three
NavyVessels
More Than 700 Officers
And Men Lost As Ships
Lose To Greater Force
WASHINGTON, April 3.-(P)-De-
struction of three United States naval
vessels by Japanese aerial bombard-
ment with an estimated loss of more
than 700 officers and men was dis-
closed by the Navy tonight in a
tragic account of bitter battling
against overwhelming enemy air su-
periority.
The ships were:.
The historic, 11,050-ton aircraft
tender Langley, once converted from
a collier to become this country's
pioneer aircraft carrier, and recently
converted into a tender to serve sea
as well as air planes; sunk off Java
in late February.
The 1,190-ton destroyer Peary, oft-
bombed unit of the Asiatic Fleet
which was attacked in harbor at
Darwin, Australia, about Feb. 19, and
fought by her men until her old-
fashioned flush deck was awash. Loss
of life was understood to be light.
The 5,400-ton tanker Pecos, which
was heavily bombed and finally sunk
in March, a few days after the loss
of the Langley, survivors of which
she was carrying to port.
What made the loss of the Pecos
doubly bitter was the fact that she
was loaded with several hundred sur-
vivors of the Langley. The one-time
aircraft carrier, converted to a tender
so that she could fuel and service sea-
planes, had gone down with the loss
of only 14 men.
Destroyers picked up the hundreds
of others, and, presumably having
combat duties ahead, later trans-
ferred them to the Pecos and that
vessel, normally employed in fueling
fleet units in the southwestern Pa-
cific, then was attacked and sunk.
- --~* ~- - - - - -- i
Reawakened Fury Strikes
From Southern England
To Seine River District
Aerial Bombings
Fiercest In Months
(By The Associated Press)
LONDON, April 3. -The reawak-
ened fury of the western air war left
flame and ruin tonight from the
Seine to England's staunchly guard-
ed southern coast.
The Germans were over the south-
east coast, one of last might's targets,
again tonight but in considerably less
force, violent anti-aircraft fire kept
them high and there~ were no imme-
diate reports of bombings.
Overnight battle and bombardment
in the light of an April moon brought
the fiercest exchange of blows in
months as the RAF delivered its third
assault on the Matford truck plant
in the Poissy suburb of Paris and the
German air force gave a south coast
British center one of its worst raids
of the war.
English Town Hit
A southeast English town also was
hit. The English targets were identi-
fied by the Germans as Portland,
(south coast naval base adjacent to
Weymouth) and Dover, southeast
England's "hell corner" on the nar-
row strait across from France.
Portland is one of the bases from
which the recent British commando
raids on St. Nazaire and Bruneval
may have been launched, and a Ger-
man attack there could mean the
Germans are trying to stave off other
such invasion stabs into France.
So closely locked were the Qppong
air forces that the German bombers
returning from England were en-
gaged and damaged by British fight-
ers hovering over airdromes in Ger-
man-occupied territory. One RAF
squadron leader reported hits on two
Nazi planes which approached their
base with landing lights ablaze.
RAF Loses Two
Although they ranged from Bel-
gium to Brittany, the, RAF lost but
two planes compared to Wednesday
night's fifteen. Pilots reported heavy
new damage to the Matford plant,
which is producing trucks for the
Germans. Vichy reports said one
child was killed and six persons
wounded at Poissy and that bombs
also fell at Andresy and Marly in the
Paris area.
Docks at Le Havre again were
raided and RAF fighters swept a
number of Nazi airdromes.
. Casualties were heavy and civilian
property considerably damaged in the
British south coast town, authorized
reports said. RAF night fighters pre-
vented heavier casualties.
The raiders came in low under the
balloon barrage protecting the Eng-
lish coast and dropped their bombs
"hit or miss," residents said.
This afternoon the RA' shuttled
across the channel, apparently blast-
ing at Boulogne and Calais across
from Dover and at other areas far-
ther north.
BOMBER
SCHOLARSH IPS
New contributions to the Bomber-
Scholarship Fund, as announced
yesterday by' the Dean of Students
Office, are:
Senior Supper..........$ 2.41
Michigan Alumnae Club ..$50.00
Promised donations not previously
announced include $50 from the West
Quadrangle and $200 from Martha
Cook dormitory.
New supporters of the fund include
Delta Delta Delta sorority, Sphinx,
Rochdale Cooperative House, Wy-
vern, Michigan Cooperative House,
the Student League of America, and
Alpha Sigma Phi.
Refuting the opinion that Bomber-
Scholarships are only for Literary
New Student War Board Begins
Definite'A Atin At First Meeting
The new Student War Board, meet-
ing for the first time since its in-'
ception Monday, took the first step
yEst('rday towards setting up a def-
inite policy on camnpu; defene pro -
iccts.
Illustrative of the new body's func-
tions was its approval of the Bomber-
Scholarship Plan by a unanimous
vote. Bomber-Scholarships is only
one of the entire group of campus
war activities for which the board
performs a, "channeling" service,
While holding back approval on a
1Under Gasight'
Will EndTodMay
Current Drama Production.
Finishes Season Ruim
iHelpless Laura and her valiant hero
will regale audienes for he last time
at 8:30 p.m, todaty in Lydia Mendel-
ssohn Theatre when Play Production
of the Department of Speech will ring
down the curtain on their annual
winter season with Augustin Daly's
old-fashioned melodrama, "Under the
Gaslight."
Directed by Valentine B. Windt,
director of Play Production, the grip-
ping melodrama stars Helen Rhodes,
'42, as the heroine and William Alt.
man, '42, in the role of her brave
projected swing concert to be held
in May, the hoa rd passed a plan for
a rummai,e :ale April 25th in the
Ann Arbori Chaiber of Commerce
Building. This sale will he sponsored
by Scroll, senior sorority honoi soci-
ety, and will devote the bulk of its
profits to the Boibeir-Scholarship
fund.
The swing concert plan (not to
be confused with Charlie Barnet's
appearance here April 22) was held
up pending further information from
its sponsors. It proposes a concert of
campus bands to be held at, a local
theatre.
Faced with the ever-growing mues.
tion of outdoor or indoor senior con-
mencements, the Student War Board
voted to hold a referendum which
will give a cross section of senior
opinion on this question. The refer-
endum, to be conducted in the near
fui ire, will survey commencement
attendance, number of guests to be
expectd , and le most aveds : site
for the cermnis
Oterwr oadactioi saw a probe
ot a class election systrmu (1i51rulted
by the University's three-semesteri
basis, The board voted to keep juris-
diction on election dates within the
province of Men's Judiciary Council.
HOTC 'IoH~oh 1"'iv
In 4ddif - .O (hI a.1'InaJoI
In addition to the appointments
Lectures To a Moulders Of Men
Union 'w il Inaugurate Lourse
Designted To Produce Leaders
Realizing that the success or fail-
ure of the war effort may depend
upon the quality of leaders coming
out of our colleges and universities,
tle Student Offices of the Union will
offer a complete course - beginning
" xt week - in rit 'ii 111 aspects
(II l'adership.
Featuring Col, Wilhiai A. Qanoe,
commandant of the local ROTC unit,
the first of a series of lectures is
scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. in
tihe small ballroom of the Union. His
topic will be "Treatment."
Succeeding speakers are to be pre-
sented every Thursday thereafter un-
til the end of the course. The tenta-
tive schedule is as follows: L. J.
Carr of the sociology department,
his place of leadership in the na-
tional war effort.
In line with this purpose the course
will emphasize three basic points:
L. What needs to be done.
2. The best methods of coordinat-
ing group efforts.
3. The aspects of good leadership.
Time course will be linited to 50
students, 15 to 25 of which will be
women. Men may obtain information
by calling Holmberg and may register
in the Union lobby Tuesday from 2
p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Women who are interested in de-
veloping their knowledge of leader-
ship will be interviewed by the Wo-
men's Judiciary Council Tuesday
from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. For further
information they should call Lorraine