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VOL. LIV No. 19-S
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN SATURDAY, JULY 29, 1944
PRICE FIVE CENTS
REDS
Truck,
01
E
TO
20
77
FRO
Tram Crash Hurts
Three)
Yanks Gain
On Guam;
A WARSAW
Other Red Forces
Close In On Riga
Brest Litovsk, Przemysl, Jaroslaw
Fall; Russians Threaten 300,000 Nazis
v
Passengers Escape as Two
Cars Are Destroyed by Flames
By JENNIE FITCH
Flames and violent explosion, resulting from collision of an Ann
Arbor Railway train and a gasoline truck at the South State Street
crossing at 4:15 p. m. yesterday, injured three men, endangered the lives
of nearly 50 passengers and completely destroyed two cars.
Showers of burning gasoline swept into the engine cab inflicting
second degree burns on fireman Clyde Brown and engineer John Cum-
mings, both of Owosso. Ben Stillwell, driver of the Rex Transportation
Co. truck, was thrown clear and crawled to safety, suffering burns about
face rnd arms and lacerations of both knees. Doctors at St. Joseph's
Hospital reported all three men to be in "good" condition late last night.
Passengers Rush From Burning Cars
Passengers rushed to safety as flames leaped over the steel engine
and mail car, instantly firing the two wooden passenger cars. Conductor
Ben Belcher of Toledo and a brakeman disconnected the passenger cars
and helped occupants to safety.
Wreckage of the gasoline truck was strewn 25 feet when the train
engine, southeast bound for Toledo hit the back end of the truck trailer.
Stillwell stated that high weeds on either side of the tracks prevented
him from seeing the approaching train in time to avoid accident.
Child Returns to Get Doll
"It seems that the engineer slowed up suddenly; in 15 seconds flames
were up to the window sills of the car," a passenger, John Schmidt of
Cleveland, O. said. Another passenger, Miss Nancy Lee Fisher of Wash-
ington, Pa., said that as she left the smoke-filled train she could feel the
heat of the fire, and although there was no time to claim luggage one child
insisted on returning for her doll.
"The truck and train were completely enveloped in clouds of black
smoke and flames 100 feet high almost instantly after the collision," Bill
Mullendore, '46, a spectator said.
"Fire jumped to adjoining telegraph poles and threatened the rapidly
gathering throng of spectators. The driver of the truck was propped
against the trunk of a nearby tree. He seemed dazed and not much in
pain although his face and arms were badly burned. He was trying
to talk, but wasn't able to make much of a statement."
Bystanders Help To Fight Fire
Sailors, marines and other bystanders volunteered to help fight the fire.
Damage to poles and wires of the Detroit Edison Co. cut off electric power
in the surrounding area. Spectators were warned that telegraph poles
adjoining the tracks were charred and might topple.
The collision was the second one in a week for the Ann Arbor Railway.
In a previous accident Tuesday at the West Summit Street crossing, Isidor
Sjostrum suffered minor injuries when he drove his car into the path of an
approaching train. Neither crossing is equipped with a safety gate but
both xely on warning blinkers and whistle signals.
Fate of State Organized Labor
Rests with Convention Leaders
Fry, Gubernatorial Nominee, Reasserts
Friendship of Democrats with Union Labor
Kill
2,
000
--A. P. Wirephoto
DEWEY AND BRICKER ANNOUNCE 15-POINT PROGRAM-Gov.
John W. Bricker of Ohio (left, facing camera), Republican vice presi-
dential nominee, and Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of New York (right, facing
camera), presidential nominee, gather press about them on veranda'
of Albany, N. Y., executive mansion. For story on Dewey see Page 4.
AIDING WAR EFFORT:
Admiral Hart Will Address
Graduating Medical Students
{ )
1
GRAND RAPIDS, July 28-(AP)-
How much influence organized labor
will exert in tomorrow's Democratic
State Convention remained proble-
matical tonight, as the convention
leaders settled into hotel room hud-
Experts Believe
Hitler's Escape
? Will Extend War
LONDON, July 28-(AP)-British
military experts still studying the
cloudy picture of internal Germany
, voiced the belief today that Adolf
Hitler's escape in last week's bomb
plot probably will lengthen the war,
but will make the Allied victory more
decisive when it comes.
This view is based on the convic-
tion that the armies Hitler now re-
fuses to withdraw can be smashed.
Behind the flood of words from
dles expected to last until dawn, to
determine an "organization slate"
from which the delegate body will
make its selections.
Leaders of the Congress of Indu-
strial organizations (CIO), which ex-
ertpd unusual influence at the last
Democratic State Convention and
had powerful voice among Michigan
delegates to the Democrats' National
Convention, told their followers they
would be wise to refrain from efforts
to dictate the slate.
Richard T. Frankensteen, Interna-
tional Vice President of the United
Automobile Workers Union-CIO,
told members in caucus that labor,
both CIQ and Michigan Federation of
Labor, might better get together and
demand the right to veto the candi-
dacy of any person whose record
stamped him as unfriendly to labor.
Some dissenters urged a more vigor-
ous stand.
Gubernatorial Nominee
In a preconvention banquet speech,
Edward J. Fry dwelt at length on
the friendship of the Democratic
Party and organized labor as being
nothing new for Republicans to
criticize.
Republicans, he asserted, "used all
their money, all their influence and
their power to win labor to the Re-
publican side. There is not a labor
leader in this country who has not
been threatened, flattered, who has
not been taken to the top of the
mountain and shown the richest pas-
tures, which were his if he threw his
influence and support behind the Re-
publicans, betraying those who elect-
ed him in the meantime."
Adm. Thomas C. Hart, USN Ret.,
will deliver an address today at Rack-
ham Amphitheatre at the commence-
ment exercises of the first Medical
School class to be graduated under
the accelerated program.
Eighty-five of the 114 graduating
students will enter the armed forces,
the largest proportion of graduates
ever to join the armed services from
the Medical School.
26 To Enter Navy
The 26 students entering the Medi-
cal Corps of the U.S. Naval Reserve
as lieutenants, junior grade, will be
sworn in by Capt. Richard E. Cas-
sidy, commandant of the Navy, unit
here, while Lt.-Col. Reginald C. Mil-
ler, Judge Advocate General's School,
will administer the oath to the 57
students in the Army's training pro-
gram, who will receive commissions
as first lieutenants in the reserves.
Ten graduates will see active duty
as Navy internes, while 17 will be-
come civilian internes.
An academic procession will pro-
ceed from the Medical Building at
9:30 a.m., to reach Rackham at 10
a.m., when commencement exercises
will begin. President Alexander Ruth-
ven, who will introduce Admiral Hart,
will preside at the graduation. The
Navy V-12 Choir will sing.
Hart To Review Parade
The entire Navy V-12 unit sta-
tioned on campus will participate in
a review parade on Ferry Field in
honor of Admiral Hart following the
exercises.
Now directing government investi-
gation of the Pearl Harbor attack,
Admiral Hart was supreme comman-
RAF Bombers
Hit Oil Centers
LONDON, Saturday, July 29-(AP)
-Heavily loaded RAF bombers struck
out toward the continent in a long
procession last night after giant day-
light raids by 1,500 American bomb-
ers on two Nazi oil centers-Ploesti
and Merseburg.
The German Radio reported the
RAF heavies were over the Reich for
the fourth night this week.
In addition to the blows of the
American bombers against Germany's
ebbing oil supply, Allied fighter
bombers swept across the Normandy
battlelines yesterday to support the
fighting troops and improved weather
permitted the greatest number of
sorties in four days.
der of the United Nations naval for-
ces in the Pacific following Pearl
Harbor. Admiral Hart received dec-
orations from the Dutch government
for his Pacific service.
Admiral Hart served in the Navy
in the Spanish-American War and
World War I, after training at the
U.S. Naval Academy.
After World War I Admiral Hart
served in several governmental ca-
pacities and from 1937 to 1939 was
chairman of the Navy general board,
being given command of the Asiatic
Fleet in 1939.
Battle for Pisa
Begins in Duel
Across Arno
ROME, July 28.-VP)- American
and German artillery duelled across
the Arno River tonight in the open-
ing stage of the battle for Pisa, and
the fate of the historic city and its
cultural monuments hung in the
balance.
There had been no official reply
from either side to a plea by the
Vatican City newspaper Osservatore
Ramono that the belligerents "re-
flect seriously upon the moral conse-
quences of deliberate destruction of
Pisan monuments."' Nazi artillery
observers were reported using Pisa's
famout leaning tower, where Galileo
conducted his experiments on the
laws of gravity.
Florence, great art center whose
lights already were within sight of
British forces fighting through the
hills seven miles away, appeared safe
from war's destruction, as the Ger-
mans had declared it an open city
and were expected to withdraw in
orderly fashion once its defenses
were breached.
There was no immediate indication
whether the open city declaration
would prevent the Nazis from de-
stroying the six famous old bridges
which span the Arno River inside
Florence in an attempt to impede the
Allies' progress.
New Zealand, South African and
British troops closed in relentlessly
on Florence, leaving hills south of the
city strewn with German dead and
burned-out and abandoned equip-
ment. New Zealanders pushing up a
main highway from Poggibonsi cap-
tured the town of San Casciano with-
out a fight, and from nearby heights
could see the twinkling lights of
Florence seven miles away.
Invasion of Tinian
Turnedi Into Route
By The Associated Press
U.S. PFC, PEARL HARBOR, July
28.-Yank invaders of Guam, after
nearly doubling Jap losses by slaugh-
tering 2,000 counterattack enemy,
have advanced 800 yards to two miles
along the entire beachhead and have
turned the invasion of Tinian into a
route, capturing eight more square
miles.
The victories were announced to-
night by Adm. Chester W. Nimitz in
two communiques.*
Japs Flee in Disorder
Front line dispatches from Tinian
said the Jap garrison on that island,
nearest conquered Saipan, are fleeing
in disorder and that Tinian is likely
to prove the biggest American prize
in the entire Marianas.
On Guam, the Third Division Ma-
rines drove Thursday within one-
third of a mile of Agana, Guam's
capital in the sector where Jap coun-
terattack was broken up.
The greatest gains were made in
the central sector opposite Orote
Peninsula where 77th Army Division
troops and the First Provisional Ma-
rine Brigade pushed as much as two
miles inland. They captured Mt. Cha-
chao, Alutam and Tenjo.
In the southern sector, the same
units pushed east for more than a
mile.
Capture Scond Airfield
The fast-moving Tinian invaders
added a nearly-completed airfield to
a 4,500-foot 'drome previously seized
on that island.
Nimitz reported that 21,036 Japa-
nese dead have been buried on Sai-
pan, first Marianas island to be
wrested from the enemy. These were
added to 4,700 known to have been
killed to date on Guam and more
than 2,000 slain on Tinian-a total
of more than 27,000 since June 14.
More than 5,000 wounded Yanks have
returned to action, many of them on
Tinian.
The occupied territory on the for-
mer U.S. outpost of Guam now ex-
tends from a point along the west
coast 800 yards from Agana south for
800 yards, then southwestward fol-
lowing a line approximately two miles
from the coast to a point opposite
Anae Island.
Gain on Orote Peninsula
On Orote Peninsula, the Yanks
fought forward another 500 yards
against an estimated 2,000 Japs trap-
ped there while defending an airfield
and naval base.
Coeds Fill Half
Of Blood Quota
Union To Open Drive
For 200 Men Monday
University women filled half their
quota for the forthcoming Red Cross
Blood Bank on the first day of reg-
istration, according to Pam Watts,
'45, War Council secretary-treasurer,
who said yesterday that the coeds
have every hope of topping the quota
of 75 set by the local Red Cross.
The Union will begin its drive for
registrants Monday, and civilian men
may sign up for the Blood Bank be-
tween 9 a. m. and noon and 1 and
2:30 p. m. on the Diagonal, accord-
ing to Sandy Perlis, chairman of the
Union campaign for 200 blood don-
ors.
The Blood Bank will be held by
the local Red Cross between 1:30 and
3:30 p. m. Thursday and Friday,
August 10 and 11, contrary to pre-
vious announcement, in the Women's
Athletic Building.
Women may still register at the
office of the League Social Director,
Miss Watts said. However, all ap-
pointments should be made by Tues-
day, August 1.
By The Associated Press
LONDON, Saturday, July 29-Russian troops swept across flat grain-
fields to within 20 miles of the Polish capital of Warsaw yesterday and also
captured Brest Litovsk and trapped three German divisions of perhaps
30,000 men near that Bug River stronghold, Moscow announced early today.
In the north other Soviet units of Gen.- Ivan C. Bagramian's first
Baltic Army plunged to within 50 miles of Riga, closing steadily on an
even richer prize-the German Baltic Army of possibly 300,000 men
imperilled in Estonia and Latvia now that the main Axis rail route to
German East Prussia has been snapped.
Jaroslaw and Przemysl Fall
Far to the south the German strongholds of Jaroslaw and Przemysl
fell to Russian Ukraine forces striking westward toward Krakow on the
main trunk highway to Germany,
Red Army troops also began ascend- 80-mile stretch of the east bank of
ing the Carpathian Mountain roads the Vistula southeast of Warsaw in
toward nearby Czecho-Slovakia. the Kazimerz-Pulawy-Deblin sectors,
With the battle of Warsaw likely and Marshal Konstantin K. Rokos-
to begin in the next 24 hours, a mid- sovsky's troops are expected shortly
night Moscow bulletin announced to cross the Vistula in a flanking
that everywhere "a battered and movement on Warsaw.
beaten enemy is rolling westward"
with Red armies in hot pursuit.
German units were being hurled U.S. Farces Hit
back into Praga, eastern suburb of
Warsaw which is across the Vistula f
River on the west bank, Moscow dis- outances in
patches said. The Russians were rac-
ing toward the city along a broad Tank O f n tv
highway,randduring yesterday's op-
erations they seized Kolbiel, 20 miles
southeast of Warsaw. Avranches Threatened
Polish Partisans Fight in Warsaw By New Yank Drive
Polish underground warriors al-
ready are fighting the Germans in- By The Associated Press
side Warsaw, dispatches said, and the SHEAF, Saturday, July 29-Two
great city was almost within artil- covering U. S. Tank columns smashed
lery range of Soviet guns. into the northern edge of Coutances
Besides Kolbiel, the Russians also yesterday and a third launched
seized Siennica, six miles east of southwestward to within 18 miles of
Kolbiel; Ceglow, 13 miles northeast Avranches at the base of' Breton
of Kolbiel and 30 miles east-south- Peninsula in a drive threatening to
east of Warsaw on the railway to cave in all the enemy's western Nor-
Siedlce. The latter town was being mandy defenses and open a route to
mopped up by Russians who broke inland France.
into the city Thursday. As suicide squads fought back
The Russians now hold about an from doomed Coutance-once the
1
E
F
C
Possible Fall of
Hitler's Balkan,
Front Foreseen
WASHINGTON, July 28-(AP)-
Adolf Hitler today faced the grow-
ing possibility of a collaspe on his
Balkan front.
Heavily censored reports from An-
kara indicate that Turkey may be
about to break relations with the
Nazis, a move which not only would
cut off all Hitler's economic and spy
activities in the near East, but which
might quickly lead to war.
At the same time, Ankara said that
Bulgaria is negotiating with the Al-
lies to get out of the war.
Bulgaria has been sitting shakily
on the Axis side of the fence with one
foot tossed over the top, by virtue of
maintaining peaceful relations with
Russia.
Nowthat the Red Army has pushed
into Romania, a strong Turkish move
towards the United Nations camp
would leave Bulgaria virtually encir-
cled.
Reports that Turkey was consider-
ing new steps against the Axis have
been current for several, days, and
disclosure that the Turkish Ambas-
sador to Berlin has been recalled to
Ankara made a break with the Nazis
seem imminent.
German Ambassador Fritz Von Pa-
pen left his post in Ankara two weeks
ago to report on the situation to Ber-
lin.
How soon Turkey would be likely
to enter hostilities after a break with
the Nazis is a matter of conjecture,
depending on Berlin's reaction. How-
ever, if Turkey clearly abandons
strict neutrality, German forces in
the whole Balkan Peninsula would be
endangered.
Greece could be turned into a gi-
gantic trap for the Nazis, hemmed
there between the Allies in Italy and
tottering Bulgaria.
western Normandy transport hub- of
the enemy-squadron upon squadron
of dive-bombers hammered columns
of the fleeing enemy on the road
south, littering it with the burning
hulks of wrecked equipment.
Rommel Attacks
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
threw in a heavy attack, as one ar-
mored force in a lightning five-mile
lunge toward this escape route from
Notre Dame-De Centilly, pulled up
at St. Denis-LeGast, eight miles
southeast of Coutances and about
seven miles east of the road. The at-
tack was quickly beaten off.
A column apparently bound for
the Breton Peninsula farther east
over-ran Maupertuis-whose capture
was confirmed by the midnight com-
munique-and in an eight-mile gain
drove to within a mile of Percy, 18
miles northeast of Avranches, a field
dispatch said.
Enemy Positions Buckle
Enemy positions were buckling
along an 18-mile front from Tessy-
sur-Vire to Coutances.
On the coastal route, the commu-
niquedsaid, a tank column in a nine-
mile drive down from Periers met the
tanks which had spurted five miles
down the road from Marigny, site of
the breakthrough on, the first day of
the offensive Tuesday.
Atrthe other end of the line, a
powerful tank force in another five-
mile gain seized Tessy-sur-Vire, ten
miles south of St. Lo and halfway
to Vire, a good road center and the
old capital of lower Normandy.
Only a thin, 30-mile triangle form-
ed by Coutances, Vire and Avranches
remained in enemy hands on the
Normandy Peninsula and Lt. Gen.
Omar N. Bradley's tanks were plung-
ing unchecked into this territory.
Hetenyi Elected'
Club President
All honorably discharged veterans
on campus met yesterday to form a
Veterans Society, electing as their
chairman Laszlo J. Hetenyi, who had
been serving as temporary chairman
for a week.
Al Dylonko was chosen associate
chairman and Mike Stern, secretary.
Bob Lynch has been named publicity
director. The group will meet again
next Friday at 7 p. m. in the Union
to make further plans for recruiting
membership from the 100 veterans
nn in the TTniversitv
The Road to Berlin
By The Associated Press
1-Russian Front-337 miles
(measured from Kolbiel).
2-Normandy Front-630 miles
(measured from Troarn).
3-Italian Front-605 miles (meas-
ured from Senigallia).
Hitler, Propaganda Minister Goeb-
bels, Labor Leader Ley and other
Nazi functionaries lies a story not yet
clearly detailed, but these probabili-
ties emerge:
1. That there will be no change in
Germany.
2. It Hitler had been killed there
would have been a quick with-
drawal from the Baltic States,
from Northern Italy and from
Southern Poland.
3. Probably there would have been
a quick peace, because the Ger-
man generals want to retire
within Germany with the nu-
Far East Civil Affairs Program Will Begin at 'U' Monday
Army and Navy officers will arrive
at the University Monday for a
course in administration of civil af-
fairs in occupied territory in the
tinued in January, the new pro-
gr'am will last longer and will in-
clude naval officers as well as
Army men.
This and other civil affairs train-
pleted an intensive indoctrinational
course at the Army School of Mili-
tary Government at Charlottes-
ville, Va. Ooming from all branches
of military and naval service. they
dealing with area characteristics.
Military instruction and physical ex-
ercise will be in charge of three Army
and two Navy officers.
Prof. Willett F. Ramsdell of the
.fn~.rnet,.r ol-rhna 1,0 am aona r-n+n ,
Reserves. He was returned to Ann
Arbor under appointment as mili-
tary government instructor for the
Civil Affairs Training School, Eur-
opean Area.