I I. 4- I w fritrn 4h. Weather~.-4 Colder VOX.L LM, No 1Z 1 ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1943 PRICE FIVE CENTS Reds Gain on All Fronts; Germans Counterattacking Russians Rapidly Nearing Smolensk; Advantageous Position Retaken Near Kharkov as Germans Mass on Donets By The Associated Press LONDON; March 18, Thursday- Russian troops have regained ground at one point in the savage Donets River battle below Kharkov, captured dozens more h.amlets in the sweep toward Smolensk, and driven new holes in Nazi lines near Lake Ilmen, Moscow announced today. For the first time since the Germans sprang their, great counter-offen- siVe which retook Kharkov, the Russians told how their troops on this sector going over to the offensive "captured advantageous positions" near Chugu- yeV,-22 miles southeast of Kharkov, anid beat off six German counterattacks. This was the only action mentioned on the long Donets River line which extends from near Kharkov to a point below Voroshilovgrad, Donets insln ind'uitrial center. Most of the' .' Russian troops on this 170-mile frbnt are fighting defensively on the W ork Or Fight' uper bank - of the river against InAssed German tanks and infantry. ChUguyev, however, is on the lower ill Approved bank of the river. The midnight communique, re- By House Group corded by' the Soviet Monitor here, y r u said 19. German tanks were knocked Joit, 90 trucks, and four guns de- Absenteeism Issue stroyed. and two battalions of ap- D sL proximately 1,600 men wiped out. iscussed; Lewis on the central front .Red Army Attacked as 'Tyrant' vanguards were be1evbd .to.be 40 or 5 miles from the Smolensk strong- iodThe .commuunique s.,aid -the". SI OMrh 7() lgd.. r he ad o t~nqe b .si h Work or igt legislation aimed at Dnieper. Rive' headwaters had been war plant workers who habitually lay oed agn with the Russians to ob without good cause was Oling. several enemy strongholds and capturlig dozenis of populated i- approved, by the House Naval Com- cs -do Cos."mittee today,:17 to, 9. One Soviet unit, killed 500 Ger- 'Elsewhere on Capitol Hill there mianani captured 10 guns, 60 z.- were these developments bearing on -ifkeguns and 60 supply - laden the labor situation: trus, the communu e said. 1. In the .House, Rep. Gossett . arn.itanks and infantrymen (Den.-Tex.) denounced John L. wxe counterattacking oil this front Lewis, head of the United Mine without success, the Russians said. Workers, as "an economic tyrant," n.,rsi A -r ld L ic wmild "brhannr -7 Volunteer Aid To 'Hospital, Ir_ answer to'the Manpower's ur- gent plea for help, ten Chilean engi- fi ts who are studying at thq Uni- ersity for their masters under a Zellogg grant have volunteered their services to the corps. 'It is the least we can do," Carlos Plaza, one of the*-students, said yen terday., "We are vitaily interested yiAmerica's part in the war, and we are grateful for the little we can do * help." Nicanor Rojas, who is doing gen- eral work in the Health Service with Plaza, said, '"America is giving us an opportunity to finish our education, and we are simply trying to express Vui thanks." Three of the engineers are work- ing as orderlies in the hospital. They are Ernesto Gomez, Raul Cirda and Carlos. Rodriquez. Jorge Cerda is working in the West Quad. The other students, Raul Vignola, Jose MacCourtney, Luis Albarez and Juan Dittillo, are doing general work in the Rackham Building. All ten students average sixteen hours' work a week. Each of the men has also donated to the Red Cross 'Blood Bank. "Oh, but that is nothing!" Plaza said. TinCan Pickup Will.Be today City Trucks To Aid in Victory Salvage Drive Tin Can Alley might be the refrain for the day. Warren Watts, chairman of the C.V.D.O. of the Manpower Corps, announced yesterday that all fraternities and sororities and other campus houses should pile their ready tin cans on the curb so they may be picked up sometime today by City trucks. The campus contribution is being collected to add to the Washtenaw County quota of 200 car loads of cans per month in an all-out "salvage for victry" drive. The paper labels and ends should be remnoved from the cans, and they should be washed and flattened to prepare them for their journey in a City truck on their first trip of the un (eciarea Lews wui -ecome the Benedict Arnold of 1943'' if coal miners quit work April 1. Lewis, ne- gotiating:in New York 'for a $2 a day wage increase, for mmiers, has de- clared they will not work unless they ge a new contract by. April 1. 2.:William Green, AFL president, engaged in a sharp clash with Sena- tor Holman (Rep.-Ore.) before the Sehate Military Committee, with the Sendtor describing as "balderdash" the labor leader's arguments against legislation' permitting drafting of men i or women, when necessary, for farm and factory work. Green shot back that Holman's remarks showed his attitude toward organized labor. .3. The House Labor Committee, opening hearings on absenteeism, heard Harold J. Gibson, AFL repre- sentative of Pacific Coast aircraft workers, contend "dissatisfaction with pay scales" is the principal rea- son for workers laying off the job. He' argued many workers would pre- fer a military status and military pay in the aircraft industry, saying this would give them larger income than they now receive. * * * WHY ABSENTEEISM? Absenteeism I Serious, Says I By JANE FARRANT "Absenteeism, the failure of a worker to appear at the job he is scheduled to do, is a matter of grow- ing concern in war production indus- tries," Prof. J. W. Riegel, Director of the Bureau of Industrial Relations, said yesterday. "Rates of absenteeism have mark- edly increased in the past eighteen months," Prof. Riegel stated. "Late in January, 1943, the absence rate in 45 Midwestern war plants was said to range from three to more than six per cent." "Even an absence rate of six per cent understates the problem," added Prof. Riegel, "since absenteeism of that proportion can reduce produc- tion to a much greater degree when the absentees are specialists and their absences destroy the effectiveness of working groups. Furthermore, where operations are closely scheduled, ab- sences which cause a decline in pro- duction in one department may en- force idleness on the part of workers in other departments. The absence rate is in general high- IFC Council Presidency Nntminatian. 1Du-s Jv.irlq a Allied Planes West Quad British Assault Jap Will House Pacific Bases ROTC Men On Mari Gen. MacArthur's Men LatoAdnedCrs 111 Mop Up Enemy Nearorp Mabae ivr ouh Left CampusI Today A lie U For Reception Centers By The Associated Press ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN Allen Rumsey House of the West AUSTRALIA, March 18. (Thursday) Quadrangle is now being prepared to Army Bom bers -Allied airmen striking at the en-h-c ,emy's invasion bases over a broad house the Advanced Corps of the front blasted Rabaul in New Britain ROTC when they return to campus, Attack Kiska with 392 bombs and sowed destruc- Captain Roland Kolb of the ROTC tion in the Kai Islands Wednesday, announced yesterday. In H eavy while ground troops discovered an- The second group of the advanced other elaborate sign of Japanese of- comheftoday fo rect fensive plans, a communique said center to be processed and inducted Dawn-to-Dusk Action today. , . into the regular army. The first group In Aleutians Is Heaviest General MacArthurs New Gunea left yesterday. .nAetin sHevetb ground forces mopping up the Main- e ras ince June Occupation t bare River" mouth 50 miles above The 114 room Allen Ruisey House SneJieOcpto conquered Buna "have come upon will be converted into regular military t an elaborate and recently construct- barracks, and the ROTC men will WASHINGTON, March 17.-(/P)- i ed enemy defense system, including live under strict military discipline. The accumlated fury of months of A prepared positions, pillboxes, a hos- Their hours will be regulated as preparation by the United States Air pital and other installations for a are those of other military detach- Command in the North Pacific burst large force," the communique said. ments on campus. They will study over the Japanese base at Kiska Mon- "Signs of recent hasty evacuation as a group under supervision, day, the Navy disclosed today, when indicate a decisive blow dealt the There are 168 men in the advanced heavy and medium Army bombers enemy on the north front by de- company and after their current pro- raided the Aleutian Islands six times struction of the convoy in the Bis- cessing it is expected the seniors will by daylight. I marck Sea battle," the bulletin added, return to campus with the rank of This was the greatest number of at- "these positions having no doubt been sergeant while the rest of the men tacks delivered against Kiska in a constructed in preparation for their will bear the rank of corporal. single dawn-to-dusk period since coming for a probable future intend- Because the men will be permitted enemy forces occupied it last June, ed offensive." to resume their current studies, they and indications were that the number The Japanese were estimated to will not march to classes in military and weight of bombs dropped were have lost 15,000 troops when the 22- fashion, Captain Kolb said. They will, considerable. A Navy communique ship convoy bearing them in the Bis- however, drill as a group and take described the actions as "six heavy marck Sea was sunk recently. their physical instruction as a unit. bombing attacks." Prof. Marvin Niehuss, director of The communique also reported in- emergency training on campus, tensified offensive actions at the b Eddy Concert pointed out that the Allen Rumsey southern end of the long Pacific bat- arrangement is only temporary till tlefront. On Monday night (Solo- w June. The entire West Quadrangle is mons time) a light Naval surfacet BestAttendbeing reserved for the Navy for their force-probably a cruiser-destroyerq V-12 program slated to begin here task group-penetrated into enemy- A July 1. Solomon Islands and bombed the port Under the present Army plan the village of Vila with "good results," ROTC men will only remain in the Navy said. C Nelson Expresses His school through the current semester. ( Desire To Be Back in At that time the seniors will be Laz D r o kordered directly to Service School and Against School After 'M' Visit the juniors will be sent to basic training centers preparatory to being Jews Lifted r By AL RAYMOND sent to Service School. Besieged by autograph hunters, * Nelson Eddy hurried from Hill Audi- Giraud Repeals Vichy torium last night to rush to Pennsyl- fstqi-4iiAriI I vania, and then New York, on the Force To Be Under Ganoe Retitions InI next leg of his extended tour of ' America. Pausing long enough to talk Col. William A. Ganoe, ROTC ALGIERS, March about Michigan, Eddy expressed a commandant, will be commander- Henri Giraud issued decrees tonight wish to be back at school again. in-chief of all Army training units formally lifting Vichy restrictions Smiling as he signed program after on campus except the Air Corps me- progam, ddyremakedovertheteorology detachment, the Sixth against approximately 30,000 Jews program, Eddy remarked over the Service Command announced yes- and restoring elective municipal as-0 pleasing and appreciative audienceterday semblies in a North African house-- in Ann Arbor, and declared it one of The ROTC unit, the language cleaning expected to resultin a uniont the best in America. group, and the Army engineers between Giraud and the Fi1hting Discussing his country-wide tour, scheduled to arrive here March 29 French Leader Gen. Charles De0 Eddy smiled as he spoke of the huge will be under his command. Gaulle. audiences wherever he went. He had In conjunction with this an- (The Fighting French group in thought, he said, "audiences would nouncement, Captain Roland Kolb London announced today that the be smaller this year due to war bond of the ROTC revealed the organiza- two generals would meet soon in campaigns, and higher income taxes, tional set-up that will'be instituted North Africa). but I was surprised and pleased at on campus. As a result of "suggestions" postage the unusual showing throughout the The ROTC men combined with stamps bearing Marshal Petain's like- nation. More and better audiences the language group which has been ness also were being withdrawn and seem to be attending the concerts studying here since December will pictures of the aged Vichy Chief of this year." form the first battalion under Cap- State who brought about the French- Besieged by women principally, tain Kolb's direction. German Armistice were being taken Eddy signed autographs by the hand- Captain Leonard Peterson, now on down from public buildings. fuls as he huried to catch a train out the administrative staff of the * * of Ann Arbor. ROTC, will be placed in charge of the engineers when they arrive. This DeGaulle, Giraud Will 1 unit will comprise the second bat- Meet for Conference0 talion. The meteorology studentsf will remain under the command of LONDON, March 17.-(A)-The 1 s Becom inclr Captain Cullen Coil who came here breach between Gen. Charles De1 SB with the group. Gualle and Gen. Henri Giraud ap- pearedto be closed tonight, and thev Prof. J. Riegel two supreme commanders of Frencht Senate Defers resistance to Germany were expectedc er for women than for men, and for to confer shortly in Algiers on af young men as compared to older men, F ~union pooling a potential army ofe while on the whole absenteeism seemsFarm W orkers nearly 400,000 men and almost theI to be concentrated among a minority entire resources of the French em- of workers in each plant, according Vote Overrides War to Prof. Riegel. Department, 50 to 24 "A number of recent studies of GOOD NEIGHBOR: absenteeism in this country and in WASHINGTON, March 17.- W)- England indicate that the following Moved to militant action by reports causes are common," continued Prof. of imminent food shortages, the T. R. Ybarra 0 Riegel. Senate overrode War Department The causes were listed by Prof protests today to pass, 50 to 24, aTton Riegel as illness, lack of interest, job bill denying any more agricultural shopping, household duties of women workers to the armed forces. employees, the seven-day week, night The measure, which now goes to "Latin-America Tomorrow will be work, inadequate housing and trans- the House, would direct draft boards discussed by T. R. Ybarra at 8:15 portation, the draft, ease of getting to defer all men employed substan- p.m. tonight in Hill Auditorium in Turn to Page 2, Col. 5 tially full time in production of es- the season's last Oratorical Associa- sential foods and fibres. It would tion lecture. replace the so-called Tydings Am- Ybarra is best known as the author S vcendment to the present law in which of the best-seller, "Young Man of Ap on Sunda/Er y.' deferments are authorized but not Caracas," the story of his youth, made mandatory, under a unit sys- spent partly in Venezuela's capital tem which requires minimum stan- and partly in Boston. It'll be "Strictly uG when the dards of production of essential This country should make every eight page tabloid supplement makes crops. possible effort to maintain its influ- its bow Sunday to a changed campus ence south of the Rio Grande, he be- of uniforms and women. lieves, and provide the Latin-Ameri- Designed to interest the khaki- Catholic Primateof cans with necessary markets. clad men and the boys in blue, The Ybarra, whose father was a Vene- Daily's newest addition will feature Great Britain Dies zuelan general, Cabinet Minister, and pictures, cartoons, news stories, governor of six of that country's sports yarns, and "humorful" squibs. LONDON, March 17. -(R)- The states, feels that most South Ameri- Launch Assault Eth Line; Major ffensive Started Rommel's Positions in Southeastern Tuniisia Menaced by Tanik, Infantry Attacks, German Radio Announces By EDWARD D. BALL Associated Press Correspondent LONDON, March 17.- An assault which appears to be "a major attack" y the British Eighth Army against Marshal Rommel's Mareth Line posi- ions in southeastern Tunisia is under way, the German radio announced oday while field dispatches reported that the Allied forces were getting set [n the Tunisian North for the final coordinated blow to drive the Axis from kfrica. The Berlin radio, quoting militar USO Council Designates 3 USO Centers YMCA To Be Clearing Agency; Hillel, K of C Building Are Centers The YWCA, Knights of Columbus building and the Hillel Foundation were designated as official USO cen- ers and the YMCA as USO head- quarters at a meeting of the Ann ArborUSO Council last night. '- The YMCA will act as a clearing agency for all USO activities, Mr. Osias Zwerdling, president of the Council, said, while the other organi- zations will cooperate as official ac- tivities centers. The Council also approved the recommendation of the planning committee, under the chairmanship of Rabbi Jehudah M. Cohen, to ap- point' a committee of three- women, 'epresenting the National Council of Catholic Women, the Jewish Welfare Board, and the YWCA to have full authority over all USO activities in- volving women. More than 450 service men were served by the USO during the month of February with various activities including dormitory accommoda- tions at the YMCA and K. of C. buildings, councilling, dancing and other recreational facilities. Senate Raises Navy Budget, Knox Reports Warship Production Going Well WASHINGTON, March 17.-(P)- The Senate passed two bills today adding $5,557,000,000 in appropria- tions and contract authorizations to operate, repair and maintain a Navy for which $64,000,000,000 had already been spent or authorized since July 1, 1940. Before acting on the two measures without roll call votes and returning them to the House for action on changes, the Senate received a report from its appropriations committee disclosing testimony by Secretary Knox that production of every type of warship except escort ships is ahead of schedule. y circles, said four British tank and infantry divisions were being used in the assault on the Mareth Line. Available reports, the broadcast said, were that the British first line was formed by the 51st British Divi- sion with three infantry and one tank brigade, and the 7th British Tank Division. The second wave was composed, it said, of the 50th British Division, and the second New Zealand 'Division, which together consist of four infantry and two tank brigades. The Fifth British Division is being held in reserve, the radio declared, and other British forces were being reinforced for possible assaults on the German flanks along with the frontal attack. In another broadcast, the German International Information Bureau,. a propaganda agency, said British ar- tillery had "effectively shelled the advance field positions of the Ge*- man-Italian Tank Army," but that Axis forces had been "able to hold their advanced line in heavy batUes which inflictedlosses on the enemy." Many reports of intensified A1lid preparations for a North African offensive, which must be successful before a second front can be opened in Europe, were met with official silence in London., There were un- official suggestions that the big push was imminent. U Men Collect For Red Cross Manpower Corps Will Man 3 Booths Today Under the direction of the Man- power Corps, booths will be set up in the Engineer Arch, Angell Hall and the lobby of the Union from in a. dm. to noon and from 1 to 3 p.m. In order to receive contribution for the cur- rent Red Cross Membership drive. The men' of the University have now collected $920 in their campaign for $1,000 which is scheduled. A booth will be set up from 3 to 6 p.m. until the end of the drive by the com- mittee working from the Union. With a quota of $53,000, Washte- naw County contributions have now climbed to $49,462.09., The total amount turned in from Ann Arbor is $31,462.09, while out-county contri- butions stand at $18,000. Vill Lecture tin America > 1 0 'Splendid' Student Response To Help Shortage Praised'' Six more men registered with the Manpower Corps yesterday to give some of their time as orderlies and porters at the Hospital and Health Service. One of these is employed at the Health Service which now is com- pletely staffed with workers except for a few hours per week. The Hospit- al still needs more men, and any stu- dents who can should register through Manpower and then be in- terviewed -by Miss Katherine Walsh, volunteer director at the Hospital. Both institutions were "completely grateful" for the Manpower Corps' interest in their plight and in the students' "splendid" response, per- sonnel directors said yesterday. Local Transport Vehicles Frozen WASHINGTON, March 17.-(A')- The government "froze" local trans- portation vehicles to their present