davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1939-04-27
Grasshopper Plague
Menaces 100000
Potato Crop
One California Town
Overrun and Another
Is Threatened
Sy the Associated Press.

Sy the Associated Press.
COALINGA. Calf, April a.
Kern County's SO 00O, 900 potato crop
was menaced today by the grass
hopper plague which already has
overrun one town and threatened
this city.
Authorities declared the potato
crop around Shafter would be dam
aged materially If the insect march
was not halted Immediately.
Modified pest control experts,
spreading 200 tons of poisoned bran
in the worst-infected area east of
here. reported progress. but the
United States ordered so C. C. C.
enrollers to the aid of farmers bat
Ting heavy concentration of grass
hoppers on the Pleasant Valley Co.'S
acreage miles northeast of here.
Another so c. c. c. workers were
sent to Mendoza, 20 miles to the
north, where intensively- cropped
land was being overrun by the pests.
simultaneously there was an
exodus of seagulls from San Fran
cisco. Prof. C. A. Kofoid, University
of California zoologist, said the birds
might have gone inland after grass
hoppers or other suddenly discovered
feed supplies. None appeared in
this area, however.
Avenal, an oil town, abandoned
efforts to stop the grasshoppers with
ring Of poisoned mash. The pests
already were crawling over the west
half of the town and residents were
using the lethal bait on lawns and
gardens.
j. E. Guthridge reported the grass
hoppers ate the paint of his garage
in few minutes. Other townsmen
expressed fear the insects would at
tack the walls of their houses.
Evening star., 1939-04-27
SocioIoqist to Speak

Frank N. Haskins, professor Of
sociology at Smith College, will
lecture tomorrow at 5 pm. at the
Graduate School of the United
States Department Of Agriculture
on Changing Standards in Mar
riage."
He will discuss the influence and
famifcations of the liberalistic
philosophy in it's relation to various
aspects of marriage and the family.
Evening star., 1939-04-27

william T. McCloskey will be of1lcer
Of the day and some $50 Scouts ana
40 leaders are expected to attend.
The boys will have the use of the
armory every second and fourth
Thursday in the month, it was
stated.
Evening star., 1939-04-27
Trinity Alumni Dinner

Alumni Of Trinity College Of
Hartford, Conn.,, will hold q dinner
at the Cosmos Club tonight at 7
o'clock. The Rev. r. B. Ogilby,
president of the college, will be
among the guests.
Evening star., 1939-04-27

Bokss A'borvitos, 8 to feet high
Exee'so Arborvitoe. 3 to 4 feet high
Ptitzer Juniper, ! 5 to Is inches high
Irish Juniper, to 4 feet high
Greek Juniper, Z to 212 feet high
Meyer Juniper. l8 to "a inches high
Evening star., 1939-04-27

ssrkmon Golden A'borvites. ~ to IS inches high
Baker Arborvites. Z to 2A feet high
Exee'so Arborvitae, z to 2R feet high
Irish Juniper. 2h to feet high
Evening star., 1939-10-18
French Troops Fall Back
To Prepared Positions

PARIS. Oct l8 (P).-Sharp fighting
accompanying a German offensive
along the northern part of the west
ern front since Monday already has
cost the Nazis more than 5000 cas-
ualties, French sources estimated
today.
The French said their own losses
were slight as their troops fell back
to previously prepared positions and
met the advancing Germans with
heavy blasts Of artillery fire.
Raiding parties from both sides
fought a series of localized engage
ments during the night, the general
staff reported in its morning COM
munique. These actions were de-
scribed as "ambushes and trench
raids"
The general staff also noted ''in-
tense movement of troops and ma
terials by both highway and railway
behind the German lines.
Military commentators said the
greatest activity during the night
centered on small wooded area
southeast of Saarbruecken which the
Evening star., 1939-10-18
Powder Plant Blast
Kills al Least Five,
Wrecking Building
As Other Workmen
Believed Unhurt in
Heavy Explosion
BY the Associated Press.

BY tne Associated PIeSS.
ELDRED, Pa, Oct. 18.-An ex-
plosion today shattered the explosive
mixing plant of the National Powder
Co. near here, killing at least five
men.
Forty-five men were employed in
buildings clustered about the gela-
tin pack plant where nitroglycerin is
made. but preliminary survey dis
closed that no others had been in
jured.
All communication with the plant
was cut off by lines of guards after
the blast, but Justice of the Peace
Jack Lotus said he understood the
five victims had been working in
the mixing plant, a stone structure.
The plant, located on the out
skirts of this community of 1000
persons, is one of the largest of its
kind in Northwestern Pennsylvania
and probably the only one manufac-
turing both dynamite and nitro
glycerine.
The blast ripped through the
plant at 8:55 am, shaking scores of
buildings in Eldred. There was no
report of serious damage here.
The company identified the dead
as Merle Eldridge, 19-year-old son
of the publisher of Eldred's weekly
newspaper, the Eagle; John T. Dev-
ling, 25; Clair Wise, Cyril Lewis and
Leo Davis. All were residents of
Eldred except Davis, a resident Of
Portville, N. Y, and Lewis, who lived
in Emporium, Pa.
Evening star., 1939-10-18
Insurance Murderer
Sentenced 10 Chair

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. ls.-Her-
man Petrillo. first person convicted
in Philadelphia widespread MUIR
der-for-Insurance cases, was sen.
fenced today to die in the electric
chair for the poisoning of Ferdi-
nand Alfonsi, a w. P. A. worker.
The diminutive 40-year- for.
mer spaghetti salesman was visibly
shaken as sentence was pronounced
by Judge Harry S. McDevitt. The
prisoner stammered:
Thank you, Judge. I still have
God
Alfonsi's death three years ago
was one of the first links in chain
of evidence that led to discovery
OF the fantastic operation of the
murder for insurance syndicate,
blamed by investigators for so to 100
deaths in 10 years.
Petrillo is one of five defendants
convicted. Eight others pleaded
guilty. Ten await trial.
Evening star., 1939-10-18
Dies Hears Of Navy Yard
Discharges for Communism

Chairman Dies of the House
Committee on Unamerican .Activi-
ties said today he had received a
report "a number" of employees at
the Washington Navy Yard had
been dismissed because of suspected
Communist activities.
He declined to reveal the source
Of his information, but predicted
there would be "other dismissals"
in other Government services as a
result of the committees investi-
CATION.
At the Navy Yard, however, off,
GERS denied knowledge of any dis
missals there for alleged Communist
activities.
Il do not know that any employees
here have been discharged for such
a reason or as result of any dis
closures before the Dies committee"
said 1t. Comdr. William R. Terrell,
aide to the commandant. "I do not
see how such dismissals could have
occurred without my knowing about
them"
Comdr. D. H. Stuart, personnel
officer at the Washington Navy Yard,
also denied there have been dis
missals as a result of Dies commit
tee disclosures.
The Navy Department said it had
no information concerning any dis
misSalS.
Evening star., 1939-10-18
Wall Street Sees Soviet Gold
Poyinq Trade Balance

NEW YORK, Oct. 18 R.-Omcial
support by a British government
spokesman of reports of substantial
shipments of gold by Russia to Ger
many caused renewed speculation in
Wall Street as to its significance.
Unconfirmed reports in the finan-
cial district recently indicated that
about $16,OO0,OOO of the precious
metal had been transferred, or was
being transferred. Russia, it was un-
derstood, owed Germany large trade
balances.
Settlement of these balances in
this way, one important interna-
tional banking source surmised, in
dicated that Germany was in urgent
need of materials which Russia
could not Immediately supply, and
that Germany could not wait for
Russia's leisurely transportation sys-
tenn to function.
Confidential advices to leading
financial sources in Wall Street in
dicated that Germany might use
this Russian gold for two purposes:
To pay for large immediate
shipments of steel and iron ore
from Sweden;
To purchase oil and gasoline
from Italy.
The Italian oil under purchase
according to these same financial
advices (Which are not necessarily
accurate) is being shipped, largely
in originally German-owned vessels,
from Mexican ports
Evening star., 1939-10-18

Germans tried to capture French
machine gunners forced the attack
ers to withdraw, they said, without
ceding the positions.
The fighting has been centered in
the region just across the Moselle
River from Luxembourg, and in the
sector between Saarbruecken and
Pirmasens further east.
Positions Voluntarily Abandoned.
French reports said their troops
had voluntarily abandoned positions
on German soil near the Borg Forest
and Perl, leaving only advance look
outs on Schneeberg Heights close to
the border.
When the German advance
reached that point, they said, these
lookouts reported back to artillery
units, which already had calculated
the range and cut loose at once with
their guns.
The German offensive along a 90
mile front east of the Saar River
appeared to have been designed to
break the French grip on the rich
Saarland industrial region, vital to
Nazi war industries.
There was no official statement
as to whether the French still
claimed to dominate the Saar VAL
ley. Semi-official reports, however,
which said the French still were
fighting on German soil in this
area. indicated they had not greatly
relaxed their grip.
The exact line of the new French
positions, which were established
some time ago in expectation that
Germany would launch an often
sive after mopping up in Poland,
was not disclosed.
Reports of French advances in
the early weeks of the war indi-
Gated they had penetrated so far
as seven miles into German terri
tory, cleaning out scattered Nazl
Evening star., 1939-10-18
Scandinavian Rulers
0pen Conference
On Neutrality
Welcoming at Stockholm
Is Devoid Of All
Military Display
BY the Associated Press.


STOCKHOLM, Oct. 49, The
Kings of the three Scandinavian
states and the President of Finland
opened their conference today on
problems which face the northern
neutral countries as the result OF
the European war.
The visiting heads of state, King
Haakon of Norway, King Christian
of Denmark and President Kyoesti
Kallio of Finland, were welcomed in
brief ceremonies devoid of military
display in harmony with the peace
policy long associated with the Scan
dinavian nations.
King Gustaf. Swedens venerable
monarch. at whose instance the con-
ference was called, presided at the
meeting, which was attended by the
foreign ministers of the four states.
The 81-year-old Swedish King
himself and members of his cabinet
were at Bromma Airport to meet
President Kallio and the Finnish
foreign minister, Elias Errko
Few Uniformed Greeters.
There were so few military uni
forms at the airport they colu'd be
counted-five officers among the
welcoming group, and two steel-hel-
meted soldiers.
King Gustaf, who had taken Pres
ident Kallio to the royal castle, re-
turned to meet his royal visitors
and embraced them as they stepped
from the train.
The formal opening session of the
conference was held in a reception
room Of the Capitol After a half
hours discussion, the foreign min
listers adjourned to the foreign Of
flee to continue deliberations.
How to preserve the neutrality of
their nations while maintaining
normal trade relations was the ques-
ton facing the monarchs of Swe-
den, Norway and Denmark-just as
it was during the World War.
To that problem was added the
situation of Finland, which existed
during the first part of the World
w "a oAlly q Nj dllo OuSllS VI lllC
Russian Empire and which now is
engaged in negotiations with Soviet
Russia which Firms may threaten
their independence.
Peace Movement Urged.
An appeal 10 the northern states
and their ministers to widen the
scope of the conference and make
it starting point for a general
European peace move was published
in Stockholm afternoon papers.
1t was in the form of full page
advertisement signed by Repre-
sentatives of Swedish industry and
trade
The reaffirmation of the northern
states neutrality and earnest de-
sire to remain at peace is good, the
appeal said, but not enough
They must also watch for every
opportunity to promote peaceful
contacts between belligerent powers
before 1t is too late.
In this hour the influence of the
northern states is not small.
I'VE appeal to the heads of the four
states and their ministers to broad
Ell the demonstration of the north
ern counties desire for peace and
to discuss all possibilities of bring
ing about negotiations which might
result in averting world disaster -
the appeal stated.
1t followed a petition couched in
similar language addressed to King
(See SCANDINAVIAN, Page A-4)
Evening star., 1939-10-18

CTOWuS OH llle way W llle SildlitCl-
lery with his submarine crew.
From a band around his neck
Comdr. Prien proudly wore the high
est order of the Iron Cross.
With him were 81 other officers
and men from the submarine which
landed yesterday. Each of the young
men, all around 20 years old. wore
simple Iron Crosses pinned to their
sailor blOuSes.
In strident tones Comdr. Prien
asserted he had entered Scapa Flow,
Britain's naval base in the Orkney
Islands off Northern Scotland, on a
night when the northern lights were
the strongest he had seen in Is
years at sea.
Dimmed Lanterns at Buoys.
The British ships could not be
seen distinctly, but we could de-
termine the location by dimmed
lanterns at the anchoring buoys,"
he said
Comdr. Prien reiterated the Ger
man claim that his submarine badly
Evening star., 1939-10-18
U. 5. and 200ther
Republics Support
Stockholm Farley
Roosevelt Addresses
Personal Peace Note
To Sweden's King
Ry John C. HENRY.

The United States and the 2O
other American republics offered
their spiritual support to the war
menaced Scandinavian States to-
day in messages directed to the con-
ference of the four North European
governments convening at Stock
holm, Sweden.
In a personal telegram to King
Gustaf' v of Sweden, President
Roosevelt set the pattern for express
sion of the American hopes of peace
as follows:
"The Conference of the Nordic
States convened by your majesty
| in Stockholm will be followed with
deep interest by the Government
and people of the United States.
Under the circumstances which
exist this Government joins with
the governments of the other Amer
lean republics in expressing it's sup
port of the principles of neutrality
and order under law for which the
nations represented at the Stock
holm conference have, throughout
their history, taken a consistent
stand"
| Small Nations Thankful.
That Mr.. Roosevelt's efforts in
behalf of Baltic peace and neutrality
are being appreciated by the small
nations involved was indicated by
a telegram from President Kallio of
Finland to President Roosevelt, re-
leased this afternoon.
Acknowledging Mr.. Roosevelt's
efforts, President Kallio wired:
''In the name of the people of
Finland, I herewith beg to express
to you and through you to the great
American people the sincere graft
tude felt by the people of Finland
for the sympathy and moral support
you and the people of the United
States have shown us. Your per-
sonal valuable assistance and in
terest in FinlandS fate and diff
cult problems will never be forgotten
in this country"
The telegram was released here
after Hjalmar ]. Procope, Finnish
| Minister to the United States, had
paid brief visit to President Roose-
welt.
| Three Kings Participate.
Participating in the Stockholm
conference are three Kings, Haakon
or Norway, Christian of Denmark
and Gustaf, and President Koyesti
Kallio of Finland. Called together
by Gustaf when Russia's diplomatic
approaches to Finland seemed to
threaten Baltic peace, the rulers were
accompanied by their foreign min
listers.
It was understood that first Of
the message from this hemisphere
was dispatched by Argentina. That
from Washington was timed to ar
(see ROOSEVELT, Page A-5)
Evening star., 1939-10-18

Unidentified airplanes and war
ships were reported to have en-
gagged in a battle off the coast Of
the Netherlands today. Wit
nesses said six Warships were at
tackled by II warplanes. Air
raid warnings were sounded dur
ing the day at KirkWall in the
Orkney Islands and in Lille, in
dustrial city of Northeastern
France. In Paris it was said that
French troops on the western
front had fallen back to prepared
positions and that the Nazis had
lost 5000 men in their offensive
since Monday. page AID
Great Britain has made a
good beginning" in the war
with Germany, Prime Minister
Chamberlain told the House of
Commons in his seventh weekly
report on progress of the con-
flict. He minimized British losses
at sea and held that Germany
had lost more than quarter Of
the warplanes which have made
lightning raids on British naval
bases. page Al.
In Berlin a young submarine
commander honored by Chan
cellor Hitler with the Reich's
highest war decoration, told for
eign newspapermen a graphic
story of how he sank the battle
ship Royal Oak in Britain's Scapa
Flow naval base. He reiterated
German contentious that the
battle cruiser Repulse was dam
aged in the same attack. page
AID
The American liner Inde-
pendence Hall had rescued 800
survivors of two British ships, the
10,183-ton passenger ship York
shire and the 3,509-ton City of
Mandalay. The master of the res
cue vessel radioed that he was
taking the survivors back to Bor-
deaux, France, arriving there to-
morrow morning. page AID
At Stockholm the monarchs of
Sweden, Norway and Denmark
and the president of Finland
with their foreign ministers
Evening star., 1939-10-18
100000 Finnish Women Set
For Role of Molly Pitchers
Nearly Half Of This Number Is in Uniform
, And Assisting 100000 Modified Troops

daily but would 60 into regular mill
tary formations Immediately upon
the outbreak of war. All these wom-
en- belong to a national organization
known as Lolita" and the majority
of them have served in it from S to
20 years.
Lotta members are unpaid volun-
teers who have served their country
for years in ways designed to release
the greatest possible number of men
for service as soldiers. These Fin
nish women, of all ages and from
every class of society, serve as cooks
with the army, drive ambulances,
constitute nursing corps, provide
sanitary sections, mend soldiers
socks and clothing, collect and dis
tribute supplies and serve both with
the military units at the front and
behind the lines throughout the
country. All this is taken entirely
(see WOMEN, Page A-l2)
Evening star., 1939-10-18
U. 5. Ship Saves
300From Two
British Vessels
Battered LinerGets
Medical Supplies
From Coast Guard
BULLETIN.

NEW IOEh, OCC. 10 t4J.-1ne
storm battered liner President
Harding radioed the United
States Line Offices here today
that As passengers and % men,
bers of the crew had been in
jured and that a waiter had pre-
Sumably been lost overheard at
the height of the gale.
BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Oct 18-The United
States Maritime Commission said
today 300 survivors had been res
cued by the American liner In
dependence Hall from two British
ships, the l0,l83-ton passenger
liner Yorkshire and the 3,509-ton
freighter City of Mandalay, sunk
about 500 miles off the Coast of
France.
In London, operators of the City
of Mandalay said they had informa-
ton the ship had been attacked
and sunk.
The Yorkshire, which travelled be-
tween India and Liverpool, should
have left Rangoon September 7,
according to its latest available
schedule
The master of the rescue YES
sci, Capt. C. j. Mckenzie, radioed
that he was taking the survivors
back to Bordeaux, France, arriv-
ing there tomorrow morning
"a dispatch from Gibraltar said
the Independence Hall had 223
survivors of the YorkShireD
Supplies Put on Harding.
A United States Coast Guard cut
ter placed urgently needed medical
supplies aboard the 3,869-ton Amer
ican liner President Harding, ap-
proxlmately 20 of whose refugee
passengers were reported seriously
injured during a gale.
After a dash through stormy seas
the Coast Guard craft found con-
ditions too rough to contact the
Harding in small boats and 1t was
assumed the supplies were trans
ferred on a line shot aboard.
After receiving the supplies, at a
point about 800 miles from Boston
the Harding proceeded and the
Coast Guard craft advised she would
go to the assistance of the 3,509ton
British steamer Blairbeg, reported
in distress 100 miles off NeWfound.
land.
A message received by the Coast
Guard from the Harding stated:
Many seriously injured in heavy
weather. One seriously burned, four
fractured ribs, one broken leg, one
skull fracture, two fractured femurs
one fractured spine, several frac-
tured lower legs, two fractured
ankles, one fractured scapula, sew
eral fractured humeri, one avulsior
of the scalp
No Further Aid Needed.
After receiving considerable
quantity" of medical supplies and
splints from the Coast Guard craft
the Harding said she needed no fur
ther assistance.
The master of the President Hard
ing later radioed the United States
Line Offices here that he was now
proceeding to New York and that
the ship had suffered no structural
damage.
The President Harding, which last
week played a mercy role itself in
the rescue of 36 survivors from the
British freighter Heronspool 200
miles off the Irish coast. was en-
route to New York with many
American passengers from the Eu-
ropean war zone when she encoun-
tered the heavy storm near the New
England coast.
The plight of the S. S. Blairbeg
(See SHIPS, Page ABB
Evening star., 1939-10-18
Soviet Sending Gold
To Reich, British
Officials Believe
First 17h-Ton Shipment
Worth s17,000,000
Cited in Commons
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, Oct. ia British
government spokesman today gave
official support to reports that Rus
sia has been sending gold to Ger
many.
Sir Alfred Knox, Conservative
asked in the House of Commons
whether the government atten-
ton had been drawn Ito the fact
that a consignment, said to be a
first consignment of 1712 tons Of
gold, had been transferred by the
Soviet government to Germany"
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary r.
A. Butler replied:
Yes, sir. the foreign secretary has
reason to believe that this report IS
not without foundation"
The British press has printed re-
peated reports that Germany was
receiving Russian gold under deal
by which she ordered withdrawal
of Germans from the Baltic Sea.
The 17la tons of gold mentioned
in the House of Commons would
be worth sl7,024O0O at the United
States Treasury price of s35 an
ounce. or $15923.O40 at the Bank
of England's price of 168 shillings-
$33 3.85-an ounce.
Gold stocks of the Netherlands
Bank have increased about 8,000,-
900 guilders-s4 200 .0O0-during the
past month, and the Amsterdam
newspaper Die TELEGRAPH said the
increase was caused by gold ship
ments from IAN eastern country"
The paper said that it was known
Russian gold was being sent to
Germany and that therefore it was
presumed Berlin was sending the
gold to Amsterdam to establish
credit
Evening star., 1939-10-18
BY LELAND STOWE,
Chicago Daily News Foreign Correspond

Chicago Daily News Foreign Correspondent.
HELSINKI, Oct. 18-Finland is
probably the only country in Eu-
rope-perhaps the, only country in
the world-which has almost as
many women as men expertly
trained and equipped to go into war
service in defense of its independ-
ence. If Russia does what few peo-
pie here expect and rashly invades
this Czecho-Slovakia of the North,
400 900 Finnish women from the age
of 16 to 55 are ready to play roles
of modern Molly Pitchers with Fin
lands armed forces and to q degree
seldom approached in history.
Nearly half of this number Of
women are already in uniform and
actively assisting Finland's 800, 100
modified troops. The remainder Of
this Amazonian phalanx is now
working from i've to eight hours