Weather
Cloudy, Scattered Showers
iglr~
Official Publication Of The Summer Session
i3aitt
Editorial
Selfish Panics
And Shortages.. .
VOL. L. No. 33 ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 1941 Z-323
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Germans Report
Infantry, Panzer
Ring About Kiev;
Russian Troops in Region
Are Surrounded, Face
Destruction, Nazis Tell
Reds Say Armies
Are Holding Own
BERLIN,,Ag. 7.-(P)--The German
radio tonight broadcast a report from
the Russian front that German
troops had encircled Kiev, the in-
dustrial capital of the rich Soviet
Ukraine.
The dispatch, from a propaganda
company of journalist reporters
which travels in the front lines, said
infantry units now had reached the
most advanced lines of panzer troops,
which were said to have approached
within 12 miles of Kiev some time
ago.
It did not say specifically how
tight the reported circle was drawn.
The High Command contended
yesterday the Germans had driven
a wedge to the gates of Kiev.
Russian Troops Surrounded
DNB reports had declared Russian
troops surrounded in the Kiev re-
gion faced destruction after failing
in repeated attempts to break
through the German traps.
Germany's High Command re-
counted at length today the past
phases of the battle of Smolensk and
again listed Russian manpower losses
in six figures, but kept its silence on
what the reported victory cost the
Germans or precisely how it will
weigh in the scales of this bloodiest
of all Nazi campaigns.
Losses Moderate
"Our losses were moderate, those
of the opponent extraordinarily
high," was all the communique said
of the price the Germans paid.
An authoized military commen-
tator, ridiculing British reports that
a million Germans had been slain on
the eastern front, said the Nazi losses
"proportionately averaged what they
were in the western and southern
campaigns."
German sources have placed the
number of Russians killed and cap-
tured on the entire front at more
than 4,000,000.
Declaring again the battle now has
been "victoriously completed," the
communique repeated that Smolensk
itself was taken July 16, saying it was
done by "a motorized infantry divi-
sion in hand-to-hand fighting" and
that the city "was held against con-
tinuous furious enemy attacks."
Russians Call German
Claims Fairy Tales
MOSCOW, Friday, Aug. 8.-()-
The Soviet High Command today in-
dicated Red armies are holding their
own on all sections of the front and
called German communiques claim-
ing great successes "Arabian fairy
tales."
The early morning communique
reported continued fierce fighting at
Kakisalmi, Kholm, Smolensk and
Bel-Tserkov-all regions which had
been mentioned in previous commu-
niques as centers of fighting. Russian
troops were pictured as having
counter-attacked the Germans on
the Smolensk front before Moscow
with super-heavy tanks which de-
molished smaller German machines.
Last reports said Red troops still
held at least part of strategic Smo-
lensk despite attempts of air-borne
light tanks and German parachute
troops to take it.
t "The German High Command's
reports on the results of six weeks
of war are Arabian fairy tales," the
Soviet Information Bureau commu-
nique said.
It pictured the German people as
plunged into "despondency and con-
fusion" from reports penetrating
Germany about tremendous losses at
the front, from the food situation
and from dislocation of German in-
dustry.
"Fascist propaganda endeavors by
false reports of military operations
on the eastern front to raise the
spirit of German soldiers and popu-
lation," it said.
"Concealing from the German
population the real losses suffered
by the German army in the war
against the U.S.S.R., Hitlerite propa-
ganda is treating the population to
Stamp Sales
To Fit Needs
Of Investors
(Editor's Note: This is the second in
a series of articles describing various
aspects of the current defense sav-
ings drive.)
A layaway defense savings plan
designed to fit the needs of the small
investor: that is the nature of the
savings stamps drive now being spon-
sored by the government.
Obtainable in denominations of
10, 25 and 50 cents and one and five
dollars, the savings stamps may be
purchased at face value from any
bank or post office or at the cashier's
office in University Hall.
These savings stamps do not carry
interest, but they may be redeemed
for defense savings bonds that yield
from 2.5 to 2.9 percent interest.
To aid small investors in building
a savings fund, the government has
issued cards and albums on which
the stamps may be pasted. When
these cards are filled, they may be
exchanged for stamps of a higher
denomination or for the smaller sav-
ings bonds.
The bonds are available in denom-
inations as low as $18.75, and ma-
ture in 10 years to $25. Other bond
series, as described in the last article
in this series, may be bought for $25,
and pay interest at the rate of 2.5
percent per annum.
Thailand Asks
No Protection,
Only Materials
. I
No Names Are Mentioned
By Radio Commentator
In Official Broadcast
BANGKOK, Thailand, Aug. 7.-(A')
-"Thailand is extremely grateful to
those offering her protection, but
begs to decline same with thanks,"
the official Tahi radio commentator
declared tonight in apparent refer-
ence to Japanese allegations of Brit-
ish-American machinations aimed at
Thailand.
The commentator, without naming
names, said that as for reports of
possible occupation of strategic bases
in Thailand "on the part of those
offering protection," Thailand pos-
sesses adequate officers and men to
look out for its own base, but would
appreciate thesassistance of friendly
powers in the form of war materials
which it needs.
(This cryptic comment apparently
was both a bid for U.S. and British
material aid and a slap at Japan,
which had been reported seeking
bases in Thailand.)
Only today a high Thai official
said the United States understood
Thailand's position in view of Ja-
pan's southward expansion and that
an excellent understanding had been
effected in a meeting between U.S.
Secretary of State Cordell Hull and
Mom Rajawongse Seni Pramoj, Thai
minister to Washington.
Britain's Aid
To Thailand
Is Indefinite
Full Extent Of Economic
And Military Pressure
Hinges On .S. Attitude
London Considers
Stand On Far East
LONDON, Aug. 7.-)-The extent
of British military aid to Thailand in
case that little country is attacked
by Japanese forces massed in neigh-
boring Indo-China will be governed
by the willingness of the United
States to cooperate with action
stronger than economic blockades, it
was stated authoritatively today.
Moreover, it was added that this
policy for a collaboration beyond
both diplomatic and economic meas-
ures applies not only to Thailand,
but to the whole of the Far East.
Thailand Expected To Fight
Thailand itself is expected by the
British to fight if invaded, but Brit-
ish informants are not able to see
such resistance in an optimistic light.
The Thai air force, it is felt here,
would worry the Japanese and the
Thai army could offer only brief,
though spirited, resistance.
Japan's probable alternative to
military invasion, which would put
Japanese troops on the frontiers of
British Burma and the Malay States
above Singapore, was said here to be
infiltration by "tourists' and econom-
ic domination on the German pat-
tern.
Imperial Forces Prepared
While British diplomatic quarters
seek to avoid mention of British mili-
tary measures, dispatching from
Singapore indicated the Imperial
Forces were preparing for any Jap-
anese thrust into Thailand.
The Singapore office of the Min-
istry of Information said these dis-
patches, declared that in both Brit-
ish Burma and South China "all
preparations are ready to smash any
Japanese attempt to cut the Burma
Road (over which supplies move to
the Chinese government) or move
further westward."
Reserve here concerning Thailand
also is in marked contrast with the
statements of Australian leaders,
who view that dominion is concerned
as deeply by Japanese moves as are
Singapore and the Maly States
themselves.
Many Look To Pearl Harbor
Many Australians here believe that
unless a stronger policy is formed in
London, Australia will begin to look
to Pearl Harbor (the American Pa-
cific base) rather than to Singapore
for aid.
Bangkok dispatches stressed that
Thailand would welcome assurance
of the Anglo-American attitude, as
it counter-balances the Japanese
policy and aspirations.
The statement of U.S. Secretary
of State Cordell Hull of increasing
American concern over Japan's in-
tentions toward Thailand was inter-
preted in Bangkok as stabilizing
Thailand's position.
In Tokyo the Japanese Board of
Information stated Japan wanted to
maintain friendly relations with
Thailand, and considered the Hull
statement, and a similar and stronger
one by the British, to be unwar-
ranted.
Increasing concern over Japanese-
Russian relations was indicated to-
day by the fact Soviet Ambassador
Constantin Smetanin held his third
conference in as many days with a
member of the Japanese Government.
18 Months
To
Term Of Service;
Ickes Warns Of Air Gas Shortage
Senate Passes Draft Bill To
Add
Demands Of England And
Russia Plus Expanding
Air Force Are Causes
Russia Given Four
American Tankers
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7.-(A)-The
mounting demands of embattled Bri-
tain and Russia, combined with the
expansion of America's air force,
brought from Secretary Ickes today a
warning that the United States faces
a possible shortage of vital aviation
gasoline.
Only by quickly increasing high oc-
tane refining capacity, he said, could
this threat to the flying forces be
erased, and he declared remedial
steps were being considered.
The Interior Secretary, who is also
defense petroleum coordinator, dis-
closed at his press conference that
four American tankers plying West
Coast waters were being turned over
to Russia, to increase the flow of
aviation fuel to the Soviet.
Such transfer of tankers, he said,
might cause a scarcity of petroleum in
Pacific Coast areas but he added the
"pinch" there probably would not
approach in severity the shortage pre-
dicted for the Atlantic seaboard.
Silk Industry Problems
Under Consideration
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7.-(A')-The
problem of shifting the silk hosiery
industry to rayon and other fibers
was explored by manufacturers, labor
leaders and government officials, but
no answers were obtained to many of
the puzling technical questions in-
volved. The discussions will be re-
sumed tomorrow. I
Some shift is necessary due to the
cessation of silk imports.
A representative of the DuPont
company, which manufacturers ny-
lon, a synthetic fiber, said that the
company had removed limitations on
the use of nylon in combination with
other fibers.
Officials said this would help re-
lieve shortages. The use of nylon
along with other fibers, they said,
would increase greatly the number of
pairs of hosiery that could be made
with present supplies.
U.S. Withholds Full Acceptance
Of Vichy French Assurance's
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7.-(P)-The4"was substantially along the lines in-
United States withheld full accept- dicated unofficially in Vichy. The
ance of assurances from the Vichy note was reported to have said
government today until it was clear France was determined to defend its
the French were as determined to empire in its own way.
protect their territory from the Axis Hull appeared to regard the assur-
as from the British. ances as somewhat encouraging but
Secretary of State Hull said he not sufficiently final to relieve all
had received a French note which concern here over the French terri-
tories.
Before classing the note as defi-
I Truce' S on nitely satisfactory, he said he wanted
to know more about what was going
" eon in Vichy. Things move so fast,
Bruno Victim he said, and more or less foggily in
some localities that it is important
Air rash to see the general trend of conditions
before discussing them frankly.
Internal political struggle among
Italian War Pilot Is Killed various elements in France made
some quarters uncertain whether the
In Wreck Of Bomber Vichy assurances would have long-
Being Tested By Army binding effect. Hull's remarks indi-
cated the American government still
ROME, Aug. 7.--(R)-Bruno Mus- was %more concerned with Vichy's
ROME, r~nAug. 7.-P)-Brun -acts than with its promises.
Pay Would Be Raised Ten
Dollars At End Of Year
For Men Under Arms
Must Be Approved
By Representatives
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7.-(P)-The
Senate tonight approved legislation
prolonging the active service of draf-
tees, militiamen, reservists and Army
enlisted men by 18 months with a pay
raise of 10 dollars a month for all men
after they have completed one year
in the Army.
The bill, hotly disputed for more
than a week, went through by a vote
of 45 to 30, and now goes to the
House where its fate is uncertain.
Many House members are reported to
favor a less drastic extension of serv-
ice than the 18 months provided in
the Senate measure.
Until the last minute, Administra-
tion forces were in secure command
of the situation. After .defeating
proposals for a six-month and a 12-
month extension, they obtained ap-
proval today of the 18-month period
by a vote of 44 to 28.
Write In Amendment
But then, just before the final bal-
lot, the Senate disregarded the de-
sires of the Democratic leadership
and wrote in an amendment provid-
ing for the $10 monthly pay raise
after a year of service. (The present
basic pay is $30).
The amendment, offered by Senator
Mead (Dem.-N.Y.) was adopted 39 to
34. Just previously an amendment by
Senator Johnson (Dem.-Colo.), call-
ing for a 25 per cent pay increase,
was rejected 37 to 36.
There were some questions as to the
effect of the Mead amendment. Some
War Department attorneys expressed
the opinion that as it passed the Sen-
ate it provided for retroactive in-
creases for men who have already
completed more than one year's serv-
ice in the Army.
For example, it was felt that an
Army old-timer who had been in
service for 20 years might be entitled
to back pay at the rate of $10 a
month, for 19 years.
May Be Redrafted
solin, second son of the Duce, per-
ished today in the wreck of a new
four-motored bomber he was testing
in his third war. It was death at the
age of 23 for one who, in the creed
of his father, had "lived dangerously"
since he was a little boy.
With Captain Bruno at the con-
trols as squadron commander, the
new plane, which possibly was to be
used by the squadron against Russia,
crashed near the airport of San Ji-
usto at Pisa. Two others of the crew
were killed and five were injured.
A communique said the reason for
the crash was not yet known. The
plane was coming in for a landing
when it crashed.
The crash occurred at 10 a.m. Il
Duce took off in a plane for Pisa
immediately with General Pricolo,
chief of the air force general staff.
Crews at the field were drawn up
in mournful review as Il Duce hur-
ried past to the Santa Chiara Hos-
pital where, with Lieut. Vittorio Mus-
solini, his eldest son, he viewed Bru-
no's body.
Then he went to the scene of the
crash.
Later Bruno's mother flew to Pisa
from the Mussolini summer home at
Rimini.
The funeral will be held tomorrow
morning at the Fascist Headquarters
in Pisa, where the body, together
with those of Bruno's two comrades,
was taken tonight. The body then
will be taken to Forli and buried
Saturday ins the Cemetery San Casi-
ano at Pendino Predappio, near Il
Duce's birthplace.
Soon after Rome's radio had an-
nounced Bruno's "glorious death at
his post of combat," condolence
poured in upon the father: from
King Vittorio Emmanuele, from
Quene Elena, from his holiness, Pope
Pius XII.
Bruno was thrice decorated by his
country for war and peacetime flying;
he had driven racing automobiles,
and he was hurt once in a skiing
accident. One of his hobbies was
boxing.
Congress Told
Rigid Ceilings
Not To Be Set
Price Control Legislation
Will Be Administered
Fairly, Henderson Says
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7-(P)-A
promise that price-control legislation
would be administered fairly and
without rigid ceilings was given Con-
gress today by Leon Henderson, of
the Office of Price Control, who is in
line for appointment as chief of the
program.
Under questioning by Rep. Wil-
liams (Dem.-Mo.), Henderson told
the House Banking Committee that
if he were selected as administrator,
he would seek a staff that would "not
try to build a rigid ceiling," that
would "take the heat out of infla-
tionary situations" and that would
set prices under which agriculture
and industry could "go forward with
this great task."
"We have attempted to spell out
as many protections and standards
as we could," he added, noting with
a smile that the pending bill had more
guarantees than exist in totalitarian
states.
Henderson said that although a
price control, administration prob-
ably would have direct responsibility
for administering the program, the
powers President Roosevelt has asked
Congress to grant would be exercised
in many cases by other departments
or agencies of government. For ex-
ample, Secretary of Commerce Jones
might be "supreme" in the field of
special commodity purchases and the
justice department might have the
final word in enforcement problems.
Current Play
Traces Title
To .Early.Date
"Hobson's Choice," Harold Brig-
house's noted English comedy hit,
will be presented for the third time
at 8:30 p.m. today in the Lydia Men-
delssohn Theatre with Hiram Sher-
man and Whitford Kane in the fea-
tured roles.
The name "Hobson's Choice" was
first mentioned in a book by Thomas
Ward called "England's Reforma-I
tion." In Chapter IV the following
verse is printed :
"Where to elect there is but one,
'Tis Hobson's Choice,-take that
or none."
In 1712, Richard Steele wrote an
explanation of the phrase in "The
Spectator," No. 509 which runs as
follows:
"Mr. Tobias Hobson, from whom
we have the expression, . . . was a
carrier, . . . the first in this Island
who let out hackney-horses. He lived
in Cambridge, and observing that
the scholars rid hard, his manner was
to keep a large stable of horses, with
boots, bridles, and whips . . . .
"When a man came for an horse,
he was led into the stable, where
there was a great choice, but he ob-
liged him to take the horse which
stood next to the stable-door; so
that every customer was alike well
served according to his chance, and
every horse ridden with the same
justice. From whence it became a
proverb, when what ought to be your
selection was forced upon you, to say
"Hobson's Choice."
Joel Dolven To Present
Singing Program Today
Prof. Dale, In Speech Lecture,
Puts Fodder Down On Ground'
However, the attorneys indicated
that such was not the.real intent of
Senator Mead. There were indica-
tions that the amendment might be
redrafted, if not deleted altogether,
in the Housee.
The pay increase was written into
the bill with so little advance discus-
sion that there was no immediate
word as to the reaction of the War
and Treasury Departments.
It was apparent, however, that it
would alter the Army's present bud-
get plans and necessitate an addi-
tional appropriation if it should be-
come law.
The War Department reported only
today that the expanding Army now
numbered 1,531,800 officers and men,
including 69,500 selective service
trainees.
Cost $180,000,000 A Year
Assuming that 1,500,000 men would
receive non-retroactive pay raises, the
cost would be $15,000,000 a month,
or $180,000,000 a year.
With the draft extension out of the
way the Senate completed Congres-
sional action on two other defense
measures by accepting amendments
of the House to bills previously passed
by the Senate.
Most important of these was a bill
revising conditions for reenlistments
in the Navy, Coast Guard and Marines
to provide a $400 cash bonus for im-
mediate reenlistment, double the
present bonus.
A second measure extended bene-
fits of Federal Workmen's Compensa-
tion Laws to men employed on naval
bases or other defense projects out-
side of the continental United States.
Senate Impatient
The end of the long battle over re-
taining draftees and others in service
found the Senate in an impatient
mood. Shouts of "Vote . . . Vote,"
loud, prolonged and insistent, greet-
ed every member who arose to speak
or to present an amendment.
For the most part the issue of keep-
ing the draftees and others for periods
longer than those for which they were
Dances To Be Shown Sunday
Explained By Miguel Albornoz
n -i
Two elements that make up thev
Ecuadorian civilization today will be
portrayed by the dances to be given
during the program at 8 p.m. in the
Union ballroom Sunday celebrating
La Fiesta Nacional del lode Augosto,
the national holiday of Ecuador,
Senor Miguel Albornoz told in an
interview yesterday.
"San Juanito" and "Jota Espanola"
are the two dances to be given, Sd.
Albornoz pointed out. The first will
be presented by Senorita Teresa Bu-
eno and Dr. Alejandro Paz, and the
second by Senorita Clara Busta-
mante, all of the Ecuadorian dele-
gation to the Latin-American Sum-
mer Session of the International
to portray that civilization in Ecua-
dor.
The second dance represents the
Spanish element in Ecuadorian civil-
ization, Sr. Albornoz indicated. "Jota
Espanola" is,, a typical Spanish
dance, gaining its name from a posi-
tion of the legs in one phase of the
dance. Jota is Spanish for the let-
ter J.
The typical Ecuadorian dance has
elements of both the Indian and
Spanish dances in it, Sr. Albornoz
asserted.
Costumes used in these dances,
along with the recorded music and
a collection of books, maps and pic-
By EUGENE MANDEBERG
When a frontiersmanEcongratu-
lated a minister on his strong, yet
simply-worded sermon he didn't
dwell on the fine points of the talk,
he merely said, "Parson, you shore
did put the fodder down where the
calves could reach it."
And Prof. Edward Everette Dale of
the University of Oklahoma's history
department, speaking in the Rack-
ham Lecture Hall yesterday under
the auspices of the speech depart-
ment, really put the fodder right
down on the ground.
Speaking on "Speech of the Fron-
tier," Prof. Dale explained through a
number of examples the vivid and
picturesque speech of the old border
states. Those expressions, expressing
volumes in a few words cannot be
literally translated without appear-
ing meaningless or even ludicrous,
shotgun," in relation to the old muz-
zle-loading firearms.
Another basic characteristic of
frontier speech was exaggeration.
Not only was this tendency expressed
in telling stories, but it also found
its way into common descriptions.
A man recovering from a long ill-
ness might be said to look "like he'd
been pulled through a knothole," or
"like he'd been chewed up and spit
up"
Girls whose hair hung over their
faces looked like "a steer a-peekin'
through a brush fence," or a man
with protruding front teeth "could
bite a pumpkin through the fence."
A thin woman "had to stand twice
in the same place to make shadder."
And a horse was "so pore that you
had to tie a knot in his tail to keep
him from slippin' through the col-
lar."