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VOL. LIII, No. 15-S ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, SATURDAY, JULY 17, 1943
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Soviets
Drive
on
Orel
in
Fierce
Attack
Allies Give
Italy Chance
To Save Honor
Roosevelt, Churchill
Offer Alternatives of
Surrender or Defeat
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, July 16.- On the
point of a sword, President Roosevelt
and Prime Minister Churchill today
offered harried Italy thechoice of
"honorable capitulation" or utter de-
feat-and the world watched eagerly
tonight for any sign of a crack-up
in Mussolini's regime.
Few expected an immediate gen-
eral uprising in a land ridden by
Black Shirt militia and German
gestapo. But as time goes, on and
Allied armies drive closer to the
heart of Italy, the high command
hopes the Roosevelt - Churchill
words will bear fruit among a peo-
ple already bereft of empire,
pounded by blockbusters and re-
treating before invasion.
Ultimatum Broadcast to Italy
The Roosevelt-Churchill message
to the Italian people was beamed to
the beleaguered peninsula from ma-
ny broadcast stations and showered
in printed leaflets upon Italian cities
from Allied planes.
"At this moment," the message
began, "the combined armed for-
ces of the United States and Great
Britain under the command of
Gen. Eisenhower and his deputy,
Gen. Alexander, are carrying the
war deep into the territory of your
country.
"This is the direct consequence of
the shameful leadership to which
you have been subjected by Musso-
lini and his fascist regime."
Almost as the message went out,
Allied bombs were laying the Italian
cities of Nai les, San Giovanni, and
Foggia in ruins.
Huge-aerial'biombs drove-home 'the
words of the Allied leaders :
"Mussolini carried you into this
war as the satellite of a brutal de-
stroyer of peoples and liberties.
"Mussolini plunged you into this
war which he thought Hitler had al-
ready won. In spite of Italy's great
vulnerability to attack by air and
sea, your fascist leader sent your
sons, your ships, your air forces, to
distant battlefields to aid Germany
in her attempt to conquer England,
Russia and the world."
The spokesmen for the armies of
democracy reminded the descendants
of the Romans:
'This association with the designs
of Nazi-controlled Germany was un-
worthy of Italy's ancient tradition
of freedom and culture-traditions
to which the peoples of America and
Great Britain owe so much.
"Your soldiers have fought not in
the interests of Italy but for Nazi
Germany. They have fought cour-
ageously. but they have been be-
trayed and abandoned by the Ger-
mans on the Russian front and on
every battlefield in' Africa from El
Alamein to Cape Bon."
There was no indication of Italian
reaction as Roosevelt and Churchill
described the hopelessness of Italy's
position:
"Today, Germany's hopes for
world conquest have been blasted on
all fronts. The skies over Italy are
dominated by the vast air armadas
of the United States and Great
Britain."
Desperate Battle Rages
Near Strategic Gatanict
British Tommies Pass The
Ammunition
Ashore In
Sicily
/
Reds Advance
12 Miles, Nazi
Losses Heavy
Stalin Organizes Vital
Drive; Orel-Bryansk
Railway Threatened
City's Fall Will Give Allied Troops
Of Much of Sicily Without Need of
Control
Occupation
<+?
By The Associated Press
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS, North
Africa, July 17. (Saturday)-A des-
perate battle raged late yesterday
within 13 miles of strategic Catania
whose fall would give the Allies con-
trol of much of Sicily without the
immediate necessity of occupation,
and threaten the Axis defenders with
another Cap Bon disaster.
Catania was reported in flames.
Twelve more towns had been over-
run by the Allies, six of them by the
hard-driving Americans in the in-
Yanks Drop 82
Tons of Bombs
On Mrnda Base
Heavy RainsSlow
Push as Americans
Drive for Salamaua
By The Associated Press
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC, June
17, Saturday-More than 100 Ameri-
can planes unloaded 82 tons of bombs
on Japan's defense of the Munda Air
Base Friday in one of the largest and
heaviest air attacks delivered in a
single day against one area since the
opening of the New Georgia cam-
paign.
Strong formations of Avenger tor-
pedo bombers and Dauntless dive
bombers rained high explosives and
fragmentation bombs on enemy po-
sitions around Lambeti, two miles
east of the airdrome.
Munda Airfield Bombed
In the afternoon, anothen large
formation of raiders struck at the
Munda airfield, key point in the Cen-
tral Solomons.
The absence of any reports on the
further progress of American jungle
fighters bearing down on Munda led
to the belief that heavy rains may
have slowed the pace of the land
drive. Last reports indicated the drive
was settling down to the methodical
liquidation of enemy strong points,
which are made up of foxholes and
log bunkers.
Seven hundred miles to the south-
west where Australians and Ameri-
cans were last reported moving on
Komiatum, within seven miles of the
enemy air base at Salamaua, Nev
Guinea, Boston attack planes struck
at Japanese positions around Bob-
dubi, two miles nearer the base.
Taberfane Is Bombed
Above Australia on the Aroe Is-
lands, Hudson bombers started large
fires at the enemy seaplane base of
Taberfane.
The night raiders on Taberfane
were followed in daylight by long
range fighters who strafed barges
and villages in the area. One enemy
floatplane tried to intercept, was
damaged, driven off and its rear gun-
ner was believed killed.
The air raid on Munda, virtually
a daily performance in the Solomons
sector, exceeded in extent even that
of July 10 when over 100 American
planes plastered the air base defend-
ers with 70 tons.
terior, more than 20,000 prisoners
had been bagged, and gains were
scored all along the front from the
Agrigento area on the American left
flank to the Lentini sector 13 miles
below Catania where the British col-
lided with the Nazi Hermann Goer-
ing Division and repulsed it with
severe losses.
(A Vichy radio broadcast said Ag-
rigento, an important Axis troop cen-
ter, had fallen; Rome radio, heard
by NBC, also said that the Americans
had reached that city in a 10-mile
gain in the extreme west; and Rome
radio also said the battle of the
Catania plan probably would decide
the issue in Sicily.l
Allies Pour Into Catania Plain
(In London, the Daily Express said
that it had learned that American
and Canadian troops were pouring
into the Catania plain after the cap-
ture of Vizzini to attack the main
Axis flank defenses while the British
Eighth Army continues its frontal
assault.)
Virtually all German forces ythus
far officially identified as being in
Sicily now are concentrated on the
Catania plan, seeking to stave off
the strategic catastrophe that would
be implied by the quick fall of the
city itself.
After dumping hundreds of tons
of high explosives on Sicily and the
Italian mainland, Allied planes today
dropped leaflets bearing the message
of President Roosevelt and Prime
Minister Churchill, who told the peo-
ple the time had come "to decide
whether Italians shall die for Mus-
solini and Hitler-or live for Italy
and Civilization."
Leaflets Dropped From Plane
Hundreds of thousands of the leaf-
lets, carrying to the Italian people
the virtual ultimatum of the Allied
leaders to surrender honorably or be
blasted out of the war, fluttered
down from skies now largely domi-
nated by Allied air forces.
Observers, who believed the enemy
had staked everything on the suc-
cess of a counterattack, were confi-
dent that the Allies, with an "ap-
preciable number of tanks" already
in Sicily, could deal successfully with
the armored forces sent by Hitler
to help the Italians resist invasion.
* * *
Allied Planes
Blast Naples
By The Associated Press
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, July 16.- Adopt-
ing the RAF's tactics of crushing and
burning one Axis industrial city at a
time, the great Allied North African
bomber force yesterday turned its
fury against Naples, Italy's chief
seaport, and transformed it into a
blazing inferno-possibly knocked it
out as a factor in the waning Italian
war effort.
Four huge waves of American Fly-
ing Fortresses deluged the stricken
port with thousands of explosive and
incendiary bombs, shattering the
royal armory, demolishing acres of
harbor 'and industrial installations
and wreathing the city, famed for
its one-time beauty, in smoke that
billowed 20,000 feet into the air.
Allied headquarters estimated the
damage done by the staggering blow
to be as great as that inflicted upon
the Sicilian port of Messina during
the previous day and night, when an
area two miles long and one mile
wide was gouged from the heart of
its harbor section.
Although British gunners had
smashed the first-line tanks of the
Goering division, the 15th German
armored division was believed being
held in reserve for further attempts
to oppose the onrushing British col-
umns.
Identification (cards
Available at 'U' Hall
Students will learn the awful truth
when identification cards are dis-
tributed Monday in Room 2, Uni-
versity Hall.
The rogue gallery photos must be
shown for admittance at football
rameand at. nther athletie events
British Tommies form a long single chain in th e surf to pass ammunition ashore hand to hand
somewhere along the coast of Sicily. Farther out in deeper water, a tank lumbers toward the shore from
the gaping mouth of a large landing craft whichis visible in the background. Rapid landing of troops
and supplies by the Allies has largely been carried o ut by such methods from landing craft which are
sent toward the shore and unloaded just off the coa st. This is an official British photograph. (Associ-
ated Press photo via radio from Algiers.)
Theatres Open
To All Navy,
Army Students
Managers of Local
Movie Houses Clarify
Low Rates Question
All men in uniform of armed forces
will be admitted to Ann Arbor the-
atres at reduced prices.
This issue was clarified yesterday
by concurrent statements from man-
agers of the local Butterfield movie
houses.
"We will admit at reduced rates
all men in easily identifiable uni-
forms," Jerry Hoag, manager of
the Michigan Theatre, declared.
Ellsworth Hamer, manager of the
three downtown theatres, yesterday
reversed his policy of not admitting
at reduced rates members of the
NROTC.
Downtown movie houses will follow
the policy of campus theatres in ad-
mitting all men in easily identifiable
uniforms, Hamer said.
L. E. Mull, manager of the State
Theatre, said, "We are very anxious
to do what is right. We understand
those in the NROTC are part of the
Navy. They will be admitted at re-
duced prices."
"More than 200 uniformed men
have entered the Michigan at re-
duced rates this wee'k. We are very
careful to see that everyone in uni-
form gets that courtesy," Hoag
said.
"However, we cannot lower the
price to those wearing dungarees or
fatigue clothes as we cannot distin-
guish them from civilian working
clothes. Nor can we take men on
their papers alone," he explained.
Swiss Hint at
Fascist Policies.
FDR Takes Stand onI
French Poli~cy Critics
Roosevelt Claims U.S. Followed Consistent
Plan; Calls Attackers 'Vicious Propagandists'
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, July 16.- President Roosevelt, today accused critics of
his French policy of spreading vicious propaganda. He said the United
States has followed a steadfast and consistent policy-one of working with
Frenchmen everywhere who are patriotically resisting the Axis.
It has kept aloof from French internal affairs, he added at his, press-
radio conference, and has not taken sides with any personalities.
The chief executive's volunteered statement was the second time this
week that he emphasized the view that where France is concerned questions
of personalities must be submerged in the general aim of beating the Axis
and freeing French soil from the
4
enemy.
On last Tuesday, he issued a state-
ment in honor of Bastille Day which
said: . I
"There can be one symbol only for
Frenchmen- France herself. She
transcends all parties, personalities
and groups: they live indeed only in
the glory of French nationhood."
Mr. Roosevelt brought up the sub-
ject today by commenting that a
difficult problem had been disposed
of with the capitulation of Admiral
Georges Robert, who so long main-
tained allegiance to Vichy, as admin-
istrator of Martinique and Guada-
loupe, and his replacement by Henri-
Etienne Hoppenot, representing the
French National Committee of Lib-
eration.
He went on to say there had been
a great deal of criticism of this gov-
ernment's French policy, much of it
unfair, incorrect and vicious propa-
ganda.
-p
Yank Bombers
Smash French
Railway Yards
LONDON, July 17, Saturday-(P)
-United States medium bombers
smashed at the railway yards at
Abbeville, France, yesterday, while
reports of a Swiss air alarm early
today indicated another RAF night
attack on Italy.
Moving in at dusk with a thick
blanket of Allied fighters, the Amer-
ican bombers started fires in the
German-occupied railway area as
British and Dominion fighters en-
gaged German interceptors, a com-
munique said. Three Focke-Wulf
190's were destroyed by the Allied
fighters, while one bomber was miss-
ing.
The Swiss alarm was reported in
a Reuter dispatch from Zurich.
The bombardment of Abbeville fol-
lowed a night attack by the RAF
which cut an arc of destruction
through occupied territory from the
low countries to northern Italy.
The RAF's big bombers, which
have been following a practice of
FDII Claims
Congress Is
Ambiguous
Roosevelt Points Out
Double Meaning of
CCC, Labeling Bills
WASHINGTON, July 16.-(x)-a
President Roosevelt took Congress to
task today for passing laws so am-
biguous, he said, that their meaning
is uncertain. He signed a bill extend-
ing the life of the Commodity Credit
Corporation (CCC), but with the ex-
pressed understanding that it means
what he thinks it does-
That the Office of Price Adminis-
tration (OPA) can set standards for
a commodity where it is essential to
an effective system of price fixing.
Another Measure Concerned
The President's perplexity arose
from the fact that Congress dealt
with OPA fixing of standards not
only in the CCC measure, but also in
another bill
Price Administrator Prentiss Brown
in his own interpretation had said
earlier that, as he understood, Con-
gress had outlawed grade labeling of
hosiery, which OPA once planned to
order, but had not closed the door to
price-fixing by grades on such things
as lumber and meat.
The President in a formal state-
ment said the language in the mea-
sure relating to restrictions in the
use of standards in maximum price
regulations was so ambiguous that he
felt it necessary to give his own in-
terpretation of it to prevent further
misconceptions.
Standards Questioned
He said another bill appropriating
funds for the OPA had been con-
strued as prohibiting the administra-
tor from making use of standards in
any case regardless of how essential
they were to price control, unless
such standards had been previously
established by industry acceptance or
by government action.
"Such a construction," he said,
"would cripple price.control because
trade standards are frequently lack-
ing or, as in the case of the grades of
By The Associated Press
LONDON, July 17. (Saturday)-
mashing through new German re-
erves hastily rushed into the threat-
ned Orel area, Russian forces added
ix to ten miles yesterday in their
idvance on the vital city which the
. ermans have been fortifying for a
ear and a half.
The Soviet midnight communique
nd a special bulletin earlier said the
advancing Soviet troops met 11 coun-
terattacks with concentrated fire
ower and repulsed the Germans
vith heavy losses.
Reds Advance 12 Miles
Previous announcements had told
f gains of 12 to 28 miles on the
)rel front, and one Russian broad-
ast, recorded by Reuters, said the
Soviets had reached a point within
'5 miles of the city as they pushed
in from three sides.
(The British radio said that the
plight of Orel was so desperate the
Germans were forming a "taxicab
rmy" using every type of truck and
utomobile to rush troops northward
nd eastward of Orel in an attempt
to stem the Russian drive. The broad-
ast was heard by the United States
foreign broadcast intelligence serv-
ice.)
The Germans were reported fran-
tically strengthening their lines on
the Orel-Bryansk railway which also
was menaced by the Soviet counter-
offensive.
Stalin Visits Front
The Reuters Moscow correspondent
aid that Premier Stalin made a spe-
ial visit to the Orel front recently
where he personally directed the'
plans for the present Soviet drive.
The midnight bulletin recorded by
the Soviet monitor said that in onE
section of the Orel area the Red
Army shattered 36 of 80 tanks flung
at them by the Germans and routed
two enemy regiments.
An "advance to some extent" in
the Kursk area south of Orel was
reported in the special bulletin while
the midnight communique said the
Germans lost 2,000 men in a Russian
attack that resulted in the capture
of an enemy defense sector.
Twenty-five German tanks were
disabledror hit by the attackers while
prisoners were taken and war ma-
teriel captured in this thrust.
Sherman Tanks in Drive
American Sherman and British
Churchill tanks were reported spear-
heading the Red Army drive.
It was presumed that the midnight
bulletin's total of 2,000 Germans
killed, 61 tanks disabled and four
planes destroyed were in addition to
tabulations given in the earlier spe-
cial communique. This would boost
overall German losses in 12 days to
about 62,000 men, 3,242 tanks, and
1,766 planes.
In the Belgorod direction where
the earlier German offensive had
been smashed there were only "in-
tensive reconnaissance activities,"
the communique said.
The German radio said Marshal
Semeon Timoshenko was directing
the Russian attack which "is now
extended to the whole Orel bulge."
The broadcast by Transocean's mili-
tary correspondent, Capt. Ludwig
Sertorius, recorded 'by the Associated
Press, admitted that the Russians
had begun counterattacls in the sec-
tor south of Orel.
Senate Group Asks
For Drafting of Japs
WASHINGTON, July 16.-- -
The Senate Military Affairs Com-
mittee recommended today that Jap-
anese be drafted "in the same man-
ner" as other residents of the United
States.
In a report based on findings of a
subcommittee headed by Senator
Chandler (Dem.-Ky., the commit-
tee quoted Army spokesmen as say-
ing, "We would like to use these peo-
ple as soldiers," It also said the War
Department has satisfactory meth-
ods for "screening out the bad ones"
and that already more than 7,500
Japanese are in the Army.
Bus Drivers Ignore
'Return to Work' Plea
ARMY CATCHES UP:
Repertory Group Loses Three
Of Its Leading Men to Draft.
The Army has caught up with
Michigan Repertory Players of the
Department of Speech-they have
lost two of their leading men in the
last two weeks.
John Babington will give the last
performance of his University ca-
reer, at least for the duration, when
he appears in "Alice-Sit-by-the-
Fire" tonight at the Lydia Mendels-
sohn Theatre.
Next Tuesday he will be inducted
at Fort Custer for limited service in
the Army.
During his three years at the Uni-
versity, Babington has appeared in
a score of plays, including "Hay
Fever," "Sun Down," "Stage Door,"
"Hanrt of the City. Caste," and "The
way, Lillian Moeller, Opal Motter
and' Blanche Holpar.
Last week's leading man for "La-
Italian Writer Claims
Morale Is Not Weak
BERN, Switzerland, July 16.- (P)
-Informed circles in Rome hinted
tonight at unexpected political de-
velopments as the Fascist News
Agency, at a late hour, announced
the Roosevelt-Churchill appeal to
the Italian people to abandon the
struggle.
What these developments would
be was not suggested but a Swiss
telegraphic agency dispatch said
there was much discussion about
"non-military surprises." Foreign
observers believed it would involve
at least dome rearrangement of the
regime in an effort to bolster na-
tional morale.
A political writer for the Italian
News Agency Stefani, in an answer
to the Roosevelt-Churchill message,
declared, "Feeble morale doesn't ex-
ist," but that the people regretted
the lack of a greater quantity of
____________________________________________ ..x...