davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1940-08-17
Reich Orders Total Blockade
OF British Isles as Two Ships
Are Reported Sunk by Mines
Germany DiscIoims
Any Responsibility
For Domo9es
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
BERLIN, Aug. ia total block
ade" against England-interpret
by authorities to mean an "unlimit-
ed" sea and air war will now be
waged in the German British war
zone-Was proclaimed by Germany
today, an announcement that was
followed quickly by a report of mine
sinking Of two large steamers near
the Isle of Man.
The official German news agency
DNB reported third steamer was
listing badly after striking one of
the floating spheres.
Private sources in New York
said the ships sunk today may
have been carrying German and
Italian interneeS, inasmuch as
the Isle of Man is the site of
several concentration camps and
arrangements have been made to
transfer thousands of internees to
Canada and Australia)
With Germany launching air at
tacks on England with new feet
of bombers designed to carry bigger
loads of explosives, DNB said Ger
man airplanes Thursday night and
last night laid mines in great
radius around the British Isles, ex-
tending their operations from har-
bors and river mouths to the big
steamer lanes of the open sea.
Irish Sea Channels Mined.
st. Georges Channel and the
North Channel, south and north en-
frances, respectively, of the Irish
Sea, were among the regions sys-
tematically sown with these under
sea bombs, the agency said, and the
Irish Sea ITSELF so thoroughly mined
that approach to British west coast
ports was extraordinarily jeop-
ardized."
Crhe british admiralty an
nounCsd tonisnj nat tnc Ens-
1-n Cnannsi and tns Fay OF Sis
cay w"r. oangcrous 70 nsries-
ION rl.doUt ToiiJing insaucaone
flonl British oticcrs.)
Apparently it was some Of these
newly-laid mines which the three
steamers struck today.
In announcing the new "tota1
blockade" a German communique
marshalled numerous instances of
what is called illegal acts by Britain
on the seas.
Germany is convinced that with
announcement of a total blockade
of the British Islands, she is
taking another decisive step to-
ward ending the war and removal
Of the responsible contemporary
British rulers" the statement said.
German armed forces will utilize
fully their strategic position from
the Bay of Biscay to the North Cape
Of Norway, as we'll as their suprem-
acy on the sea and in the air around
England, it was emphasized.
rhe German note was sent tn al
'See BLOCKADE, Page Az
Evening star., 1940-08-17
West Coast Aircraft
Strike Plot Barred,
Dies Reports
Communists and Nozis
Working Hond-in-H Hond ,
Probe Chief Asserts

-
JOS tNG y Is. tus. 1,.--Cns Il :
ms n n.s o. tne -oll.. CommI-.:s
Investigating La-.n.iIcAn 1ct.vi-
la: declares lie Las uncovered .
plot to bring about general strike
In Southern California aircraft fac
tories, working at capacity on MILL
tary orders.
Seven aviation plant employees, he
reported last night, described the
scheme as having double objective
Of crippling the national defense
program and bindering American
aid to Great Britain.
Communists and Nazis have been
working hand finland ever since
the Hitler-Stalin accord Mr.. Dies
declared.
He added the investigation here
is providing more information on
Nazi and Communist activity in
Hollywood, the shipping industry
and aircraft unions than he had
obtained in the last two years.
List Of Sympathizers.
A list of 1000 sympathjzers on
tajned from the German-American
Burd was declared to contain 900 in
Los Angeles County, among them z
former sheriff, high school, college
and university teachers, aircraft
and metal craftsmen, mechanics and
oil workers.
"Those found in key positions in
defense industries will be examined
under oath to find out just how deep
their sympathies are" Mr.. Dies said.
Meanwhile, at the request of the
Motion Picture Producers Associs-
tion and the Screen Actors Guild,
Mr.. Dies announced that every one
in the film industry who has been
accused of being a Communist or
sympathizer would be given a hear
ing.
IF they do not volunteer before
the conclusion Of the investigation
they will be subpoenaed and required
TO testify he added.
The name of every actor or ac-
tress, no matter how popular or
wealthy, will be announced to the
public as cleared or found guilty"
Evening star., 1940-08-17
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Aug. 17.-Germany's
bombers thundered against Britain
in new destructive raids today,
blasting a wide area of Wales in
long pre-dawn moonlight raids,
roaring through British defenses
over an inland town in Southeast
England this morning and swarm
ing over the southeast coast at two
points this afternoon.
Many already were homeless as
the Nazis went into their seventh
successive day of intensive mass at
tacks on harbors, airports, factories
and warehouses.
Even as funds were being col
lected for the relief of the homeless,
other homes were destroyed by de-
layed action bombs exploding this
morning in a Southwestern Lon
Evening star., 1940-08-17
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
star Staff Correspoudent,

OGDENSBURG, N. Y, Aug. IT,
Nearly 100000 soldiers with tents,
trucks and cannon only make brown
splotches here and there on rocky
hillside of q lake-strewn land,
where the air is snowy with the
thistledown of late summer.
The booming of big guns and
rattle of blank-loaded rifles, the
brass insolence of reveille and the
soft sobbing Of taps hardly disturb
the placidity of grazing Holsteins
in goldenrod-filled pastures beside
the st. Lawrence, which to the
northeastward is laden with COM
merce for the grimmest sort OF war.
1t is a tribute to the stah work
of the 1st Army that the st. Law
renee County farmers whose stone
Evening star., 1940-08-17
Gayda Says Italy
Considers Battle for
SomaIiIand Won
Tells Five Reasons Why
Victory Is Important;
Foe in Full Retreot'
BULLETIN.

LONDON (n.--nc .on'.sLy
announced tooay tna. s.long
1o-cs c. British oattieSIps snd
cruisers nomdzgosd SSrGi1, togs
CapuHzo and otncr oojectives in
italian Libya this morning.
BY the Associated Press.
ROME, Aug. 1.-THE baItie for
British SomaliIand now can be con-
sidered won, the authoritative Fas-
cist Editor Virginio Gayda declared
today.
While official Italian communicates
reported a full British retreat in
SOnaliland, Gayda wrote in the
newspaper II Giornale dItalia that,
within few days, the colony would
cease to form a part of the British
Empire and would be combined in
the economic and military organi-
zation of Italian East Africa.
Gayda gave the following rea
why an Italian victory is important
IN British Somaliland:
J. Liberation" of the entire front
and the release Of troops for service
elsewhere"
2. Elimination of the possibility OF
British attack in this sector.
More Strategic Position.
3. Placing of the Italians in a
more strategic position for a pos
sible attack on Britain's Alden Pro-
tectorate, across the Gulf of Alden
in Arabia.
4. An increase in Italy's economic
resources, especially by making
available 100000 head of cattle.
S. Impress upon the Near Eastern
peoples "the fateful decline of the
British Empire" and the encourage
ment of rebellion against Britain,
especially among the Arab pOpula-
tionS.
Retreat All Along Front Reported.
British troops are retreating all
along the British Somaliland front
after five days of bloody fighting, the
Italian high command reported.
British warships anchored in The
harbor of Alexandria, Egypt, were
reported to have been subjected to
violent bombardment by Italian
Warplanes.
The Italian government withheld
Evening star., 1940-08-17
Windsor Takes Oath
As Bahama Governor
Cheered by Throngs
Former King Pledges
Aid in Reooneiline LocoI
Interests With Wor
5? he AsGoc,s.co rre. :,

- Iie <-S-SStos-S -~A--
NASSAU. Bananas. Aus. 1.-the
Duke of Windsor took the oath OF
Office as Governor of the Bahama
Islands today and promised his best
efforts to help the colony reconcile
its local interests with changed
conditions imposed by the war.
The former King Edward and his
American-born Duchess, the former
Wallis Warfield of Baltimore, Nd,
were given q great ovation when
they appeared briefly on balcony
Immediately after the Inauguration
ceremony.
Stepping ashore at 9:15 am. from
the camouf1aged vessel which
brought them here from Bermuda,
the new governor and his wife
walked through cheering crowds to
the nearby Legislative Council
chambers of this colonial capital.
The Duke wore the uniform of a
major general, and the Duchess a
pink dress under a royal blue wool
redingote, with a tiny turban of
pearly beads.
Duke MQps Brow.
Seated on a dais two steps above
floor level, with his wife at his left
and one step lower, the Duke
mopped his brow repeatedly while
he listened to three addresses of
welcome and repeated two oaths
pledging his loyalty to his brother,
King George vi, who succeeded him
on the British throne-the throne
Edward left so he could wed "the
woman love-"
1t was sitting hot in the cham
ber, where only few high oficials
(See W;NDSORS page Al
Evening star., 1940-08-17
Many Homeless as Bombers
Blast at England Seventh Day
Aviotion Fuel Pont Bodily Damaged
In Retoliotory Raids, London Says

don suburb which the Nazls ralded
late yesterday.
While British pursuit planes
fought new SWarms of invading war
planes, the Air Ministry revealed
that British bombers raiding Ger
many last night, had struck heavily
at the Nazi air-fuel supply, wreak-
ing very large damage" on a great
synthetic fuel plant at Leuna, near
Leipsig, where coal is transformed
into gasoline
The Air Ministry said hundred
bombs dropped on the Leuna plant,
which normally produces 100000
metric tons of synthetic oil an
nually," set off chain of fires mark
ing almost the entire area of the
main plant.
Two bombers failed to find their
mark, the statement said. One re-
turned home with its bombs; the
(Cee IONDON Jpaoe AC)
Evening star., 1940-08-17

ROME, Aug. II (P-Italy pub
lished casualty list today showing
2,052 killed since she entered the
war. In the second half of July Al
men died of wounds from the fight
ing in France and 95 were killed
in Africa.
Evening star., 1940-08-17
Dublin Phone Restricted

DUBLIN, Ireland, Aug. II R.-
Telephone communication between
London and Dublin was placed under
severe restrictions today without
explanation. Telegraph services
continued subject to strict censor
ship.
Evening star., 1940-08-17
Army Heads Will See
'ComouHoged' Pigeons
3y the Associated Press.

ONTARIO, Calf, Aug. l7.-Capt.
r. r. Delhauer, former director of
homing pigeon activities in the
United States Army, is en- route to
Washington, d. c., to show Army
officials "camouflaged" pigeons he
has bred. He will confer with the
chief signal officer on the use of
pigeons in the national defense pro-
gram.
Evening star., 1940-08-17

LONDON, Aug. II (R-Fifteen
parachutes believed to have been
released from a German plane were
picked up today in the northeast
coastal area. There was no evil
dence that they had been manned.
Evening star., 1940-08-17
Summary Of Todoy's Star

Page. Page.
Amusements, Lost, Found B-7
B-1i Obituary ---A-10
Church News, Radio Bib
A-10-11 Real Estate,
Comics -B-12-13 B-1-6
Editorials ---A-s Serial Story A-1o
Finance ALL Society ----A-7
Garden Page b. Sports - A.14.15
Foreign
Reich proclaims total blockade" of
Britain. Page Al
Windsor takes oath as Bahama Gov
ernor. Page Al
Nazis blasting at Britain for seventh
day. Page Al
British-owned Trinidad seen as de-
sirable for u. S. base. Page Al
Reich uses powerful new Dornier
bombers. Page Al
Gayda says Italy considers battle for
Somaliland won. Page Al
Reporter tells of death and destruc-
tion in London suburbs. Page AS
National
Roosevelt sees Mackenzie King to-
night on defense. Page Al
Willkie finds thousands at Elwood,
awaiting speech. Page Al
Ford accepts u. S., order for 1000
airplane motors. Page AS
Preparations made for work on new
Panama Canal lock. Page AS
War Department orders $50 planes
in two days. Page AS
Evening star., 1940-08-17
Nozis Call Bombing
OF Von Goethe Home
Cultural Disgrace
B. the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
BERLIN, Aug. 17.-Germans
declared today the British had
bombed Weimar, the home of
the famous poet Johann Wolf
gang Won Goethe, and described
the attack as a cultural dis
grace"
They said British bombs fell
m tae fton5 o. ros- Gosrhs
noI'Ss. &C isC: o. q Gee n. ,nlr.,
snd On ? I'D Crcss -. lon.
Da nScs o.sc,i oed ss sii3nt
and apI4 entity no lives were
lost.
They said there were no mill
tary objectives within the en-.
virons Of Weimar.
Evening star., 1940-08-17
Reich Renews Attack
With Powerful New
Dornier Bombers
Berlin Admits Domoqe
BY r. A. F. Raiders
In North Germany
By tbe Associated Press.

SESLIN, tus. l..-Chs Ccrmar
49, ko.cA, disclosing trs Lss o.
o4sssr and more h:sBny aIm.o
oomoeT5 against Ens4and, aux
n..n.sd its aerial invasion Of tl.zt
island today with intensified pre-
dawn attacks while the high COM
mand recounted heAvy destruction
wrought in yesterdays great as
Sault.
With the ayowed purpose Of gain
ing complete mastery over Britain.
new waves of bombers and fighters
streaked out across the Channel.
Germans said the air warfare yes
terday cost the British SO planes at
a loss of only 81 Nazi craft.
At the same time the British
struck back with night raids in
Central and Northern Germany.
Damage to buildings and two deaths
were admitted.
CA Swiss telegraph agency re-
port broadcast by the British
Broadcasting Corp. and heard
in New York said an hours
air alarm was in effect early TO-
day at Munich and that heavy
explosions were heard west Of the
clty0
Destroyer Reported Sunk.
Reviewing yesterdays operations,
the high command reported the de-
struction of airports and balloon
barrages in the vicinity of London
and Southeastern England, the sink
ing of British destroyer and heavy
blows on the harbors of Cardiff,
Newport and Bristol, and armament
factories in Central England.
At sea Nazi U-boat was reported
to have attacked strongly pro-
tected convoy, sinking 25,700 tons of
British merchant ships, including a
5,70O-ton tanker.
Of the British planes destroyed
the high command said SO were
brought down in air combat, %
destroyed on the ground and in
night attacks by anti-aircraft guns.
(See RERIIN PAGE A.6)
Evening star., 1940-08-17
Weather Forecast

Cloudy, with light showers tonight: to-
morrow partly cloudy, slightly warmer;
gentle northeast winds tonight. Tenn
peratures today-Highest, 81, at noon;
lowest, 70, at am.
From the United States weather Bureau report.
Full details on Page Az.
Evening star., 1940-08-17

(See LONDON, Page A-2)
Evening star., 1940-08-17
Destroyer Reported Sunk.
More Porachutes Found

(See BERLIN, Page A-6)
Evening star., 1940-08-17
BY the Associated Press.

(See SOMALILAND, Page A-6)
Evening star., 1940-08-17

(See WILLKIE, Page A-6D
Evening star., 1940-08-17

(See WiNDSORS, Page A-2)
Evening star., 1940-08-17
Italy Lists 2,052 Killed

(See ROOSEVELT, Page A-30
Evening star., 1940-05-10

monarch in 1914, and he never
ceased his defiance Of the invaders.
The army then, the Ambassador
pointed out, amounted to only 130,-
600 men. Today it has $50 900, more
than 10 per cent of the countrys
population.
Air Strength insufficient.
In the air, the Ambassador re-
ported, his country has mot suf-
ficient strength" But the series of
Notifications across the kingdoms
borders, he feels, speaking as a nom
military man who has a deep interest
in the situation, are strong enough
to thwart as swift an advance as the
Germans made toward the North
Sea in 1914. The line of forts is less
a Maginot Line, he said, than a sort
of Mannerheim Line, a connected
link of pill-boxes and earthen works.
Count Ponthoz arrived at the State
Department shortly after his Dip
lomatic colleague, DR.. Loudon, paid
a visit to State Department officials.
DR.. Loudon arrived at $3.50 am. by
plane from New York City. from
where he spoke early this morning
by telephone with his government
in The Hague. The Belgian AM
said that though he had
been trying since am. he has been
unable to make contact with his
government in Brussels.
Loudon Sees Hull, Welles.
DR.. Loudon saw both Secretary Of
State Hull and Undersecretary
Welles and he had an appointment
TO talk with President Roosevelt. He
said he hoped later in the day he
would be able to get some sleep.
Word of the German stroke came to
him at midnight, and he had no
sleep except a cat nap on the plane
that brought him to washington
with his wife.
The Belgian Ambassador had an
appointment with the British Am
Lord Lothian, for noon,
and he was hopeful Of a discussion
Evening star., 1940-05-10

with his Dutch colleague for the
days end.
I'VE have been attacked" Count
Ponthoz said. "and, Of course, we
have asked the support of France
and Great Britain, in the light OF
the agreement Of April "a, 1887"
Under that agreement France and
Great Britain were pledged to de-
fend the integrity of Belgium.
Neither the Dutch Minister nor
the Belgium Ambassador would
give credence to the German claim
that the Nazi invasion was predi-
Gated on reports that the British
Evening star., 1940-05-10
Belgium's 5 Defenses
Better Than in n,
Envoy Here Says
Conquest Of Netherlands
Would Give Nuzis Claim
On Colonies Near U.
BY BLAIR BOLLES.

Count Robert van der Straten-
Ponthoz, the Belgian Ambassador,
told the press today after q visit
to the State Department that his
country is far more prepared for
resistance today than she was in
1914, when the Germans invaded
the little kingdom in their drive
toward Paris.
The nights attack on the Low
Countries, besides arousing fervid
memories of the invasion of Bel
gium in 1914, brought the war closer
to the neutral United States.
The reduction of the Netherlands
would give the Germans q theo-
retical claim to the Dutch colonial
empire. spread around the world.
Latin American Parleys Planned.
Secretary of State Hull indicated
today that consultations would be
held with the Latin American re-
publics concerning the status of
Dutch possessions in the Western
Hemisphere. The matter has not
quite reached the stage of discus
sidAs.
Naturally, he continued, the
United States Government will dis
cuss with the American republics
any and all questions that may arise
in which they are concerned.
On the northern coast of South
America the Dutch own Surinam,
64,291 square miles of jungle land
ceded by the British, who now are
the Dutch allies, almost 275 years
ago in trade for New Netherlands,
now New York. Later the French
got it under Napoleon, but the
Dutch have had undisputed title
since 1915.
In the West Indies the Dutch
own two groups of islands Jumped
together for colonial administrative
purposes under the name of Cura-
Gao. These are the islands of Gu
racao. Arubia, Bonaire, st. Martin
(shared by the French), st. Eusta-
titus and Saba.
st. Martin is only 200 miles east of
the United States possession, the
Virgin Islands.
East Indies Status in Doubt.
The status of the great Dutch East
Indies, rich archipelago stretching
Tor 1000 miles eastward from the
southeastern tip of Asia, is in doubt.
DR.. Alexander Loudon, the Dutch
Minister, said this morning there is
no change in the Indies status. The
Japanese, this government fears,
have designs on the East Indies.
In Washington itself, the Dutch,
1t has been reported, own a piece of
real estate-the Westchester Apart
ments, Thirty ninth street and Ca
thedral avenue NV, said to be the
possession of Queen Wilhelmina.
So far as the United States Is
concerned, officials regard the inva-
sion OF the Netherlands as a major
economic development. The Meth
erlands and their possessions were
the u. 8. AS sixth best customer
last year, buying $9s 1905, 900 worth
of goods.
Belgium has greater army and
she has stEonger fortif1cations today
than theIaP the Belgian Ambassador i
said at, his press conference, held
at the Embassy. He has a son
Charles, ~, at the front in q motor
lied cavalry regiment. Charles
van der Straton-Ponthoz was in the
United States until he was called to
the colors year ago.
And you will find," the Ambas-
eador said, that King Leopold is
truly the son of King Albert"
hlng Albert was the BELGIAN
Evening star., 1940-05-10

War was secretary Of the Belgian
Embassy In Paris.
Aside from whatever emotional
reaction may meet the invasion Of
Holland and Belgium, this country
has real interest In the move.
Two aspects Of the United States
foreign policy come into question
the Monroe Doctrine and the sup
port Of the neutral safety belt"
around the Western Hemisphere set
up at the Panama Ministers Confer
ence last October In order to in
sulate tho New World from the war.
The Monroe Doctrine puts this
country In the position Of being un-
willing to have transfers OF lands
made to new ownership In the Amer.
lean Continentc and their regions
and to have countries not now hold
in colonies in those regions to take
colonies.
Valuable Harbors In Curacao Isles.
So, for consistency sake, this Gov
ernment could be expected to make
at least vigorous representations to
Germany II she should assert claims
over Surinam and the Curacao
Islands.
The Curacao Islands, too, offer
harbors usable as submarine bases.
On April II Secretary Of State
Hull verbally committed this coun-
tory to . position with regard to
the Netherlands indies which could.
II followed to its logical conclusion.
involve us In war-although it Is
questionable whether Mr.. Hull and
the President would seek support for
the Secretary's words in action. This
Government often in recent years
has stated its views but done moth.
ing when those views were .disre-
garded-for example, the japanese
operations in Asia.
Huh Warned Japan.
Mr.. Hull gave q warning about
the Netherlands Indies when the
Japanese Foreign Minister, Alta,
expressed concern about the Indies
status quo in words indicating q
Japanese desire to intervene In the
islands. The State Department felt
that the Alta statement had q Ger
man inspiration. Mr.. Hull said:
Intervention in the domestic AZ
fairs Of the Netherlands Indies or
any alteration of their status quo
by other than peaceful processes
would be prejudicial to the cause
OF stability, peace and security not
only in the region Of the Neither
lands but in the entire Pacific area" Z"
The Indies are q large source Of
raw materials for the United States.