JNN 4 Weather Slightly Warmer VOL. LIV No. 40 ANN ARBOR, MICTITGAN SATUR1~DAY. DEC. 18, 1943 PRICE FIVEENTS Marshall *To Stay in Capital Army, Navy Register Reports Eisenhower As Invasion Leader By The Associated Press- WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 - In a story credited to "well informed sources," the Army and Navy Regis- ter will say tomorrow that Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower will direct an invasion from Britain and that Gen. George C. Marshall will be retained in Washington as Chief of Staff. The Register, unofficial but usual- ly authoritative service weekly, ob- serves that "this is a reversal of the previou intention to send him (Mar- shall) to London, sometime this win- ter, to take command of Allied forces to' invade the continent of Europe from the British Isles." (Similar reports have been circu- lating in Washington. However, a careful check has failed thus far to disclose any substantial basis.) The Register's article says that the same sources report that Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower will go to London to assume command of the invasion for- ces and "it is indicated that Gen. Sir Harold Alexander of the British Ar- my will succeed to command of the Allied forces in the mid-Mediterran- ean." Alexander has been Eisenhow- er's deputy. The story adds that shifts in the High Command, both in the combat theaters and in Washington, may be expected after Marshall's return to Washington. Russians Gain Ground in Fight For Kirovo grad Ay The asse t4Press LONDON, ec. 18, Saturday-Rus- sian forces locked in a swaying battle for the Ukrainian industrial town' of Kirovograd gained ground in one sec- tor Friday and absorbed strong Ger- man attacks in another, Moscow an- nounced today, while GerIna reports told of Soviet assaults in White Ru- sia that imperilled the German hold on the rail junction of Zhlobin and gained ground in the Nevel area. In an unusually short communique limited only to the Kirovograd fight- ing, IVoscow said the Germans at- tacked in one area with two regi- ments of infantry and 70 tanks. Fif- teen tanks were lost but the Germans broke through Russian lines. In the depth of Russian defenses they were attacked by Soviet tankmen from ambush and thrown back with furth- er losses of 12 tanks, six self-propell- ed guns and 800 men. Other Russian units improved their positions and took prisoners and war materials on another sector, the om- munique, -recorded by the Soviet monitor, said. Soviet planeswere ac- tie despite poor weather, damaging 10 tanks and 150 trucks. Berlin reported terrific battles in White Russia, which, if they are on the'scale described by the Germans, are as important as any the Russian front has seen in nonths-operations which may be the beginning of a Soviet winter offensive. Lewis Signs No-Strike Pact WASHINGTON, Dec. 17. -(I)- President John L. Lewis of the United Mine Workers signed a two- year, no-strike agreement today with more than two-thirds of the soft coal industry and submitted it to the War Labor Board. Lewis signed the document at his home, where he is ill with a cold, after' a joint conference of the union and operators had approved it. It provides that no strike- shall be called-or-maintained during the peri- od of the agreement. The base date is last April 1, which means that the agreement may be opened on March 31 next, the end of the first year, if either party wishes to negotiate gen- eral wage terms. It also may be re- opened if "a significant change" oc- curs in the government wage policy. Tito Reports Balkan Defeat U. S.Bombs Sever Nazi Rail Lines German Munitions Cut From Troops ii Italy In the Air... By The Associated Press ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, AL- GIERS, Dec. 17.-Heavy bombers of the 15th American Strategic Air Force have severed-temporarily, at least-two more important rail links between Germany's munition foun- dries and her troops fighting on the Italian front, it was announced to- day. Fighter-escorted Flying Fortresses and Liberators loosed strings of high explosives on rail yards at Padua, ancient university city 18 miles west of Venice, and on a railway tunnel and bridge at Dogna, just south of the Austrian border, about 25 miles from Udine, in an attack yesterday on Germar communications in nor- thern Italy. Lighter Allied aircraft also were very active, their targets including German positions, motor transport and communications on both the Fifth and Eighth Army fronts and shipping off both coasts of Italy. The harbor at Civitavecchia northwest of Rome again was bombed and hits scored on ships and warehouses. Light bombers ranged across the Adriatic in support of Marshal Josip Broz's Yugoslav Partisans and made attacks on Nazi communications in the Sibenik and Dubrovnik areas. In all the days operations 11 enemy planes were destroyed. On the Land ... ALLIED HEADQUARTERS,, Al- giers, Dec. 17.-(P)- For the first time since Nov. 11, 1918, troops of the four great Allies of the first World War-America, Britain, France and Italy - are fighting side by side against the Germans, in the rugged mountains of Italy. Splendidly equipped with the most modern American weapons, crack fresh units trained in North Africa have been in the battle line for some time and have scored - outstanding successes, capturing several import- ant Nazi hill positions and seizing prisoners, the Allied command an- nounced today. This first appearance of French troops in European mainland fight- ing since the fall of their homeland in 1940 created a sensation among the Italian peopele. The quick, incisive successes scored by the highly mobile French striking force contrasted sharply with the de- bacle . suffered recently by Italian militia in its first offensive gesture in the Mignano area. The French, how- ever, are much more highly equipped and trained than their new Italian Allies. U.S. Subs Sink Eight Jap Ships WASHINGTON, Dec. 17.-()- Eight more of the cargo ships which Japan needs so badly to keep her swollen empire a going concern have been sunk by United States subma- rines. This was reported today by the Na- vy in a brief communique which brought the score of our submarines in the Pacific to: Japanese ships sunk 374, probably sunk 36 and da- maged 114, a grand total of 524 as against the announced loss of 15 subs. I --mmmo 'Roosevelt Discloses Teheran Plot; U S. Planes Repulse Jap Air Attacks Airmen Down 14 Nipponese At New Britain By The Associated Press GENERAL MacARTHUR'S HEAD- QUARTERS IN NEW GUINEA, Dec. 18, Saturday-Alert American planes, providing all-important protection for ground forces securing the inva- sion beachhead on New Britain, have broken up repeated enemy air at- tacks, shooting down nine bombers and five fighters, it was announced today. Patrols Ready for Retaliation Ready for the expected retaliatory air blows, which quickly followed the smoothly won position Wednesday at Arawe on the southwest coast, these vigilant patrols took on the invaders in a constant series of sky battles. Three other raiders probably were downed. No mention was made of Allied air losses. Beneath this effective air umbrella, the peninsula, which was taken under naval and plane bombardment at a low cost of lives, was strengthened against any counter move. Today's communique made clear that every position seized has been retained, saying "territory won in our landing operations is being consoli- dated by our ground forces"-units of the Sixth U.S. Army. Cape Gloucester Bombed At the same time the American fighters were turning back the Jap- anese airforce before Arawe, Liberat- ors were making two heavy assaults with 232 tons of explosives on Japan- ese positions some 85 miles northwest at Cape Gloucester. That position, nearest to the New Guinea coast from which the invasion of New Britain was made, now has taken a pounding by more than 1,100 tons of bombs since late in 'ovember At the invasion scene of Arawe, which is 260 miles southwest of the fortress of Rabaul on the same island, the Yanks were reported to be hold- ing almost all of the nearly three- mile-long peninsula. Prime Minister Directs War From Sick lBed LONDON, Saturday, Dec. 18.-(RP) -With the old tenacity that lifted Britain from the brink of defeat to an assurance of victory, Prime Min- ister Churchill has insisted on direct- ing the country's war effort from his sick bed in the Middle East where he is fighting lobar pneumonia, it was reported today. The Prime Minister has been in communication with the war cabinet since he became ill, the Daily Mail said, and is keeping in closest touch with the war situation and "trans- acting urgent state business." Official reports of the Prime Min- ister's improvement cheered every- one, but it is felt here that it will be a few days before he passes the crisis. Churchill was allowed to read im- portant war dispatches, the Daily Mail said, and "is said to have in- sisted that nothing-least of all the operation of agreed war plans- should be delayed for one moment by his illness." Allied Ships Li, Aflame in Bari Harbor after German Attack Allied vessels lie aflame in the Italian harbor o f Bari after a dawn raid by 30-odd German planes Dec. 2. Secretary of War Stimson said the raid cost the Allies 17 ships, five of them American, and 1,000 men killed or wounded, including 37 American naval men. Any losses to the Nazi air force which made the attack could not be determined, as Stimson's report dealt only with Allied losses. This is prob- ably the greatest Allied shipping defeat suffered in a protective harbor, yet in the war. Stalin Suspects German Spies in Iranian Capital By The Associated Press WASHINGTON, Dec. 17.-Presi- dent Roosevelt, just back from his long journey to war talks in the Mid- dle East, said at a press-radio con- ference late today that in Teheran he was told by Russian representatives of a German plot and that at the in- sistence of Premier Stalin he took up quarters in the Russian compound. He said personally he did not put much stock in the reported plot. But he added that he supposed there pro- bably were hundreds of German spies in the Iranian capital. Plot Aimed at Big Three Mr. Roosevelt did not say at whom the plot was supposed to have been aimed, but the inference was that it was 'against any or all of the "Big Three" conferees. (The third con- feree was Prime Minister Churchill of Great Britain.) The President said the conference area in the Middle East was within range of German planes and that air transports were like sitting ducks on the water. It was in an air trans- port that he journeyed to Teheran, he said. No Nazi Defeat Date Set To a question whether it was the "feeling at Teheran that it,w.uJldj.,e possible to bring about the military defeat of Gerany next year," the President replied that he was not setting any dates, but that all three leaders present there were working toward the defeat of Germany as fast as it could be accomplished Mr. Roosevelt said he would make a radio address at 3 p.m. (E.W.T.) on the day before Christmas, directed primarily to men and women in the armed forces around:the world. That address, he said, will include a report on his journey to the Middle East, and whatever is left over about the trip will be incorporated in. his ana nual message to Congress early in the new year. He described as significant the fact that between two-thirds and three-fourths of the world's popula- tion was represented at the Allied war councils in the Middle East. Army Offers Health Course : POST-WAR EDUCATION: President Ruthven Announces Discussion- of Lansing Meeting Declaring that "we are determined to give every service to returning ser- vicemen in education and guidance," President Alexander G. Ruthven re- ported last night the discussions he had ywith Governor Kelly and a com- mittee of educators in Lansing yes- terday. The meeting was called by Gover- nor Kelly to marshall state efforts to aid in t rehabilitation of discharged servicemen now and those returning after the war. Educators Discuss Problem The group included President Ruthven, President John A. Hannah of Michigan State College, Eugene B. Elliot, Superintendent of Public In- struction, the Governor and his aides. Stating that "the problem would be much more complicated than after the last war," Presid'ent Ruthven added, that it would not be true, as it was before, "that there would be lit- tle disruption of their careers." Michigan has been investigating the problem for several months, ac- cording to Dr. Ruthven, and the Board of Regents passed a resolutiony at their last meeting advising the "faculties of the University to inven- tory their facilities now with a view4 to postwar aid." According to Associated Press dis- patches from Lansing, the group agreed that the State of Michigan would supplement any services ren- dered by the federal government for educating discharged men and wo- men, and Dr. Elliot added "to do an ad4quate job of education, we must keep the channels open for all adults to get additional training." More Discharges Seen Kelly said that "already 30,000 soldiers have been returned to civil- ian life in Michigan and that a great- er impact of such discharges can be expected within 90 days." Discussing the work of the commit- tee Dr. Ruthven said that it will cor- relate its findings and present any- recommendations for legislative ac- tion if that is necessary. "No specific action is contemplated at the moment," Dr. Ruthven said, "but we shall continue to give problem our attention." the Flu Epidemic In Local Area Is Moderate Local doctors claim that the Mich- igan influenza epidemic, which health officers estimate has hit al- most 20 percent of the state's popula- tion, is only moderately severe in Washtenaw County. County Health Director, Otto K. Engelke, said that there had been many cases of flu of an unusually mild form in the county. He did not think, however, that it was necessary to close the schools at this time. City Health Officer, J. A. Wessing- er, said that about 10 percent of the! city has been effected, but that only three or four pneumonia cases have been reported so far. "The number of patients appears to be on the decrease," he said, "and we can handle these cases without difficulty if the present low temperatures keep up. "The epidemic has subsided consid- erably in the last three or four days," he stated. "It is hoped that the con- tinued cold weather will stave off any additional cases. There have been no fatalities in Ann Arbor to date." Dr. Warren Forsythe, Director of University Health Service, in a warn- ing to the students, said that the symptoms resemble those of an or- dinary cold, accompanied by temper- ature and a persistent cough. He suggests that all students suffering from colds go to bed and drink plenty of liquids. For those not yet affect- ed. he recommended regular hours of sleep and avoidance of crowds. 'Weather Causes Accident Rise Old Man Weather has been a lead- ing contributor to the traffic-acci- dent toll in Ann Arbor within the last week. City nolice authorities and the Berlin Is Left In Flames by British Bombers Fires Rage Throughout Nazi Capital After RAF Attack; 30 Planes Lost By The Associated Press LONDON, .Dec. 17.-Fires which spread black choking smoke through many quarters of Berlin gnawed at Germany's crumbling capital tonight in the wake of the latest RAF as- sault which stunned Berliners with 1,500 long tons of explosives includ- ing about 20 two-ton bombs. The strong force of Lancasters that hit the city last night in the sixth major attack since the "Battle of Berlin" began less than a month ago swept over the cloud-covered capital at the earliest hour they have yet at- tacked the city-shortly before 7 p.m. Thirty bombers-about average for a mission of its size-failed to re- turn, and at least five Nazi fighters were shot from the flame-reddened skies. The.German communique acknow- ledged that considerable damage had been done the city scarred and black-! ened by 40 previous raids this year. The Spandau district, named in reports to neutral capital as one area particularly well plastered, is the site of the immense Brandenburg aero-! engine works as well as other im- portant war industries. The city's governmental district- Germany's nerve center-was also re- ported to have been hit hard. For last night's attack the bomber command must have sent its four- engined aircraft into the skies short- ly before nightfall, as most of them had returned by midnight. ?esstah' Will Be Tomorrow The annual Christmas performance of Handel's "Messiah," featuring four guest artists and the 310 member Choral Union chorus, will be given at 3 p.m. tomorrow in Hill Auditorium under the direction of Hardin Van Deursen, acting conductor of the Un- iversity Musical Society. Solosist will be Agnes Davis, so- prano; Lillian Knowles, contralto; William Miller, tenor, and Wellington Ezekiel, bass; Palmer Christian, or- ganist, and a special 50-piece or- chestra will provide the accompani- ment. A limited number of tickets for the "Messiah" are still available and will be on sale until noon today at the University Musical Society office in Burton Memorial Tower and at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Hill Auditorium. j xpanaa e rogram: tor Officers To Start Soon In keeping with Michigan's leading role in specialized training, an ex- panded program in Public Healh Ad- ministration for Army officers will begin here soon, it was learned yes- terday. The new program is part of the Civil Affairs Specialists training pro- gram which has been in progress here since mid-summer. Michigan has been elected by the Provost-Marshall General of the United States Army as the second university in the country to give this type of training. The facilities of Michigan's new School of Public Health, the seventli such school in the country, will :be extensively used by the Army officer administrators and all academic work will be under the direction of Dr. George Ramsey of the school. Campus Sing Will Be Held The third annual all-campus carol sing sponsored by the Student-Re- ligious Association, will be held at 8 p.m. tomorrow on the library steps. Leading -the sing this year will be a group of the Navy choir. Music-will be furnished by a brass quartet froul. the Navy Band. Sheets of printed carol words are being furnished through the courtesy of the Ann Arbor News. Following the singing, refreshments will be served at Lane Hall, headquarters of the As- sociation. Police Search for ALIAS NORTH POLE: Ann Arbor Santa Is Busy By AGATHA MILLER Santa Claus doesn't have to come to Ann Arbor because he is already here in the guise of a 54-year-old slender, wiry man with gray hair and sparkling eyes, better known to his friends at Albert Warnhoff. For the past 33 years, Mr. Warn- hoff has been playing Santa Claus to the crippled and handicapped children of Washtenaw County. His workshop isn't at the North Pole, but in the basement of his home at 722 Packard, hemmed in between the furnace and the washing mach- ine. med under the rafters, and crowding the coal out of the bins. Santa started his workshop 33 years ago with a couple of hand saws, some basswood, and a determined spirit. He could only start by making a few toys. "When I look back over all my years as Santa Claus," he says with modest pride, "I figure I've made over 7,500 toys. This year alone I made 376 different toys." Santa's work starts right after Christmas, and continues until the following yuletide. All his time and energy are given freely. His pet neeve is having neople offer to pay All Year child, whom he happens to forget, write to him ,and he will see to it that there is something in his stocking at Christmas time. All letters address- ed to Santa will be forwarded to his home by the post office. Santa at North Pole has elves, dwarfs and fairies helping him. Ann Arbor's Santa has his helpers, too. Friends have furnished him with wood, screws and hardware. The ra- tion board - is also cooperating, by supplying Santa with sufficient gas coupons to make his Yuletide deliv- eries possible. The women of Ann Arbor helped Santa secure dolls for t