davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-09-23
Current Political Activities

Democratic State Chairman John T. Mccarthy, of Newtown, will be given a testimonial dinner September 30 in his home con- munitS by Fairfield County Demo- cratS. The entire state ticket is expected to attend the gathering, along with party leaders from all sections of the state.
 U. S. Senator Robert A. Taft has been secured by the Fairfield Republican Club to deliver an ad- dress at Fairfield October IA.
 A new organization, the North eastern Republican Club, has been formed to support the candidacy of George L. McGrath. of North Main street, for the nomination for state senator in the 18th dis trict. William Cianciolo is one of the founders of the organization
 
 stephen A. Ulman, of StratfOrd, who says he is the "0fficiaT' chairman of the Union Party, de- nies that an endorsement has been given by the party to Robert A. Hurley, Democratic candidate for governor. The endorsement was announced by a group headed by Francis F. COrio, of Hartford. who said he spoke for the party organization.
 Mrs. Frederick Faust, president of the Waterbury League of Wo- men Voters entertained members of the board of directors at lunch con at her home in Woodbury Saturday. The leagues monthly meeting will be held Friday after noon at the Waterbury Wonnen's Club. A talk on Making Dem ocracy Work in a World at War will be given by John s. Custer at 2.p. m.
 Every effort must be devoted to national defense, declared Lucien Maciora, Democratic candidate for congressman-at-large, in a radio broadcast Saturday night. He praised the preparedness accom- plishments of the Roosevelt ad- ministratiOn.
 The Republican congressional convention for the fifth district will be held Saturday at The Elton.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-09-23

There exists in Africa, a species of elephant whose tracks measures % inches in diameter.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-09-23

Artificial rain nprInklers aro be- lng introduced on farms ln Russia,
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-09-23

Almost all of Iceland,s water power, estimated at 2,5OO,OOO horse- power, remains unharneSsed.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-09-23

The Republican congressional convention for the fifth district will be held Saturday at The Elton.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13
Former British King
 May Be Ambassador
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The plane will leave from the Pan- American air base here.
 Sources close to the Duke said ehat they had ''no knowledge what soever" regarding the reports that the Duke would be offered the Rmbassado dorship.
 The Miami Herald said it had learned in Miami that the Duke twill be given the opportunity of &C., cepting or reclining the appoint ment" before the post is offered to anyone else.
 There was leSsening of tension an the ducal suite at St. Francis Hospital. One z. M. today ends the 72-hour post operative period during which there would be a slight possibility of complications in the Duchess condition after a major dental operation.
 Churchill Seeks Man
 London, December 13. - CUP) - - Prime Minister winston Church i'll started looking today for man to succeed the late Marques of Lo- thian as Ambassador to the United States "a man who can both in- crease and speed American aid to Great Britain.
 It was learned that one of the most urgent duties of the new am- bassador would be to speed deliver ies of American fighting airplaneS
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13
Nazi Bombers Smash Sheffield, England
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were some small scattered incidents in the rest of the country but that there was little damage and few casualties.
 Bigger Than Coventry
 Berlin, December 13. = (UP) = Witnesses of last nights German air raid on Sheffiedr, Great English steel city, were quoted by well in- formed German quarters today that from the standpoint of striking power the attack was greater than the utter destruction" rai1 M Coventry.
 Witnesses described numerous full hits on steel mills and other industrial plants
 Fires could be seen as far away as the Wash, on the English coast, 75 miles away.
 An "all out" raid on Coventry last month inaugunated a series of utter destruction" raids on Birm- ingham, Portsmouth, Bristol South ampton and now Sheffield. The Coventry raid had been considered by the Germans as their peak.
 Several Hundred Planes
 Several hundred" planes partici- pated in the raid on Sheffield and all returned, informed quarters said
 Sheffield was attacked with bombs of the heaviest caliber". Re- turning pilots reported extensive fires. The attackers were not hampered, even by unfavorable weather.
 Informed quarters declined to dis close the exact number of airplanes participating or the amount of ex- plosive and incendiary bombs dropped, but, it was said, each of several hundred' planes carried a minimum of a ton of bombs.
 It was claimed that the defenses were "very weak"
 Three British planes, including two Spitfire fighters, were said to have been shot down by German reconnaissance planes yesterday.
 The Official News Agency said a German submarine returning to its base reported sinking of 27,O0O tons of enemy merchant tonnage. British Attacks
 London, December 13. - (UP) - Royal Aair Force coastal command planes last night bombed docks at Brest, the air ministry said in a communique today.
 While on patrol off the Dutch coast last night a coastal command plane attacked an enemy supply ship, obtaining 8 direct hit," the ministry said.
 Bad weather kept RAF planes from their usual nightly raids on Germany.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13
Warship Fire Heard

Dubrovnik, Jugoslavia, Dec. 13- (UP)-Heavy cannonading was heard today of this Dalmatian port and it was believed British warships might be attacking Italian trans ports enroute to Dan Giovanni di Medua, northernmost port of AL bania.
 Jugoslav scout planes took of and flew over the sea in the direction from which the gunfire was heard. They found no ships but sighted an oil patch on the surface of the water.
 It was thought possible that the gunfire might have been anti-aircraft guns on Italian snips, attempting to drive of British or Greek planes.
 The Italians, it was said, are us- ng San Giovanni di Medue as theff maiog port of entry into Albania now hecanse of heavy bombing of Valona and Durazso by the British.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13
Port Palermo Is Taken By Forces Of Greece
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front in an attempt to check the Greek advance on Elbasan.
 The ski troops, trained in the great Alpine ranges along Ttaly's border with Germany and France, counter attacked the Greeks in the MoaEra Mountains northwest of Po- gradec. Today, after a three-day battle, informants here said the Greeks still held the peaks and were in position to descend into the Shkambi River Valley leading to ElbaSan, the Italian stronghold in the center of Albania.
 The newspaper Esttia here said Greeks had captured several vil- lages near the Shkumbi, including Dounitsa and Malina. A goverri- ment spokesman said there were no major obstacles left between the Greeks on the Mokra Heights and the Shkumbi Valley, where the "Soddu Line" named for the Italian commander, General Ubaldo Soddu, protects Elbasan, 3 vital cotnmuni- cations center.
 Snow Ground Planes
 Snow in the north sector had grounded Italian planes and the Italian infantry, partly trained in Libya to advance with air and tank support, was said to be at a loss for independent maneuvering.
 Tn the south, the Greek advance on the port of Chimara continued. There were, unconftrmed reports here that empty cargo ships had arrived at Valofa, one of the main Albanian ports 30 miles above Chimara, presumably to evacuate Italian troops there. Valona was said to have been rendered virtually unless as a disembarkation port because of the constant British and Greek air raids. Airports at Dur ago and Tirana also were said to have been badly damaged by Brit ish and Greek bombs.
 The Greek advance up the coastal road was said to have been slowed by the destruction of two more Bista River bridges by the retreat ing Italians. The Greeks proceeded, however, by hauling men, guns and horses across the stream with TOE ss.
 Around Tepelini and Klisura, to the northeast, the famed Italian Centaur armored division has peti- tioned much of its motorized equip ment in tse Viosa River raivnes to keep the Greeks from capturing 1t, according to reports to the news paper Acropolis here. The Greek advance in that sector also was re- ported slowed when the Italians blew up three stone bridges and flooded rivers washed out two wooden ones.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13
"AH Right With
 Me" Says SilUa
 Bound For Jail


 Joseph Silva, cClored, of An sonia, was sentenced to 30 days in Jail after he was adjudged in contempt of court for failing to contribute to the support of two minor children by Judge Alfred c. Baldwin in superior court today.
 When he heard the sentence Silva said it was "all right with me-" He answered the judge back several times during the proceedings and had to be warned.
 The action was instituted by his ex-wife, Victoria A. Silva, of Ansonia, who charged that he owed the sum of S1146. She was granted a decree on the grounds of intoIerable cruelty in 1S3S and custody of the minor chill dren, for the support of whom Silva was ordered to pay S6 weekly. His ex-wife alleged he paid only $10O.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13
EDWARD J. FLYNN
 WILL TESTIFY

Washington, Dec. 13- (UP)- Chairman Edward J. Flynn of the Democratic National Committee has been subpenaed to appear Monday before the justice departments cam paign expenditure investigation.
 Special investigator Maurica Mul- lgan made the announcement after former CIO president John L. Lewis, as chairman of labor's non-partisan league, had described to a Grand Jury his activities and accounted for the cost of the three-network radio broadcast for Wendell L. Will lkie the week before the election.
 Republican Chairman Joseph W. Martin. Jr., has been in Florida, but is to return soon and will be ques- tioned. Today the Grand Jury ex- amines the expenditures of the minor parties.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13
MORE ITALIANS
 ARE PRISONERS

CContinued from Page D tier, were reported to have resulted in seizure of huge quantities ot modern war equipment from thu Italians. CIn London, military ex. perts said that the British advance might be expected to slow down be. cause of sand storms and the neeS for overhauling mechanical equip. ment used in the desert. Tn Rome the Italians reported severe battlel in progress on the road to Sollrn and in the desert area southeast ot that border point).
 Retreat Rapidly
 The Italians, retreating so rapidly that even mechanized forces are hard put to keep in contact with them, are abandoning equipment oi every sorS, it was asserted.
 There was growing belief that the British forces were now approaching the Libyan frontier. If they reached it, it would mean that they had covered the 75 miles between Sidi Barrani, the Italian advance base and the border in about the same time 1t took the Italians to march in--unopposed-three months ago.
 It was intimated here that the announced figure of 10000 Italian prisoners was most modest and that actually the total already far ex- ceeded that number.
 Many crack units of Fascist Black shirt militia, Mussolinis pride, were reported to have been captured al- most intact.
 News reached Cairo that the Brit ish attack in the Sidi Barrani area was made at the bayonet point over an arc of some 45 miles.
 Many Nations In It
 British, Australian, New Zealand and Indian troops stormed the Ital- ian fortified camps screening the Sidi Barrani area Cne by one. As the camps were overwhelmed, the British empire forces closed in, in an r-dimini-hing arc, until the Italians, surrounded on three sides were hemmed in with their backs to the sea, from which the British fleet, in complete control of the Mediterranean, shelled them.
 The Italians made a fierce stand according to reports, and there was savage fighting before the British empire troops entered the town.
 Now the greater fight, or what seems really great Italian retreat. is proceeding along the whole coast al strip to the frontier.
 Gen. Sir Archibald Wavell, Brit ish command CT in chief in the mid- dle east, visited the British advance headquarters in the desert yester- day and conferred with Gen. Sir Henry Wilson, commander in chief of the army in Egypt. Wavell was said to have been impressed by the enthusiasm and morale of all ranks in the Empire forces.
 Egypt Is Jubilant
 Egyptians themselves are jubila.lt over the British victory. They felt that the Italian threat to Egypt had been averted for a long time if not for good.
 Newspaper sales here touched a
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13
City Tax Rate Of 31
 Mills Wins Approval
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works, he said, by allowing the meters to be placed on the side walks.
 I'm not objecting to the meters but to the way this matter has been handled" said MT. Kingston. For one thing the city could have got- ten a much lower price if the thing had come before us openly.
 President Monagan retorted: "The police board tried to get the per- mission of this board in orderly fashion" He referred to a proposed city ordinance on parking meters, which the Republican aldermen succeeded in tabling after it was submitted.
 Bitter Discussion
 The most bitter discussion cen- tered over a move by Alderman Walker to have Capt. Bloomfield's $ salary raised from $2,500 to $3,500, on the ground that he serves as act ing deputy chief. MT. Walker declared that an item for the raise had been recommended by the fire board, of which Alderman Pat rick Shea, Democratic leader, is a member. MT. Shea and Alderman c. Arthur Dubois, Republican, member of the finance board, said that the $1,000 item had not been for any specific raise.
 Are you for or against a raise for his man?", MT. Walker asked MT. Shea.
 whats the question?", inquired MT. Shea.
 You're afraid to say what you think" commented MT. Walker.
 MT. Dubois and Budget Director Thorvald E. Olsen suggested that
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13

the problem could be solved by hav- ing other captains beside Capt. Bloomfield act as deputy chief hereafter.
 Give All a Raise
 Shall we give all the captains $1,0O0 raise?", asked Alderman Shea.
 The heated argument continued until President Monagan said: Lets stop this; we're not getting anywhere"
 In the vote on the budget and the tax rate, Aldermen Dubois, Will liam Gerardi and James Abercrom- bic, Republicans, joined with the eight Democrats in balloting affirm atively. During discussion of the motions on adoption of the budget and the tax rate, there was more argument.
 The 31 mill tax rate is a reduc- tion of mill and half from the current rate of 32 1-2 mills.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13

train collided as the car skidded on a wet pavement.
 The injured:
 William Neal, 21, (135O Kew road) Cleveland Heights, O., who doctors said had little chance of recovery from a ruptured spleen and other injuries.
 Charles William Roderus, 8, Churchill roaO Williamsburg, Pa., broken skull, fractures of both jaws, 8 broken nose and other injuries.
 Dwight McDuff, 23, 12O Regna street) Peekskill, N. Y, broken left leg and other injuries.
 All were hospitalized and emer- gency operations were performed. Last rites of the Catholic church were administered to Neal and Ro- derus.
 In Poor Condition
 Five hours after the crash, hos pital attaches said that all were in poor condition"
 Witnesses said the coupe, travelling toward Boston, skidded, went through red light at the Massa- chusetts-Avenue crossing of the Bos- ton & Maine railroad, and was car- ried 35 feet by the locomotive. Police said Patrick Stanford of East Bos- ton was the engineer.
 Neal, believed to have been driving, was damned in the wreckage. His wife Patricia was notified at their
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13

were bombing and machine-gunning day and night, the retreating Ital- ian troops, their bases in the rear, and Italian ai-dromes-and all the time the guns of the British eastern Mediterranean fleet were blasting the Italian line of withdrawal.
 The Italian position, it was indi- cated, was becoming more precari- ous hourly as the retreating troops neared the frontier.
 Their sole passage to Libya was through the Sollum- -Bardia bottle neck. With the prospect that thou sands upon thousands of troops would jam toward it, under unceaS- ing attack by land, air and sea forces confined in the last stage to two narrow passes through the gorge, be- lief increased here that the British drive might smash beyond the pos sibility of immediate repair the Italian army of north Africa.
 British military informants as serted today that they possessed in- formation that rebel activity was in- creasing in Italian east Africa which would be further serious blow to the Fascists.
 These informants intimated that the British offensive in Egypt might be halted or slowed at any time to consolidate communication and sup ply lines and give a rest to the men who have been on the march steadily since Monday.
 They said also that the tanks, op- erattng in a desert sand storm, re- Quired overhauling.
 Such factors as these, the inform ants said, must be considered es- pecially in a waterleSs country where the troops are far from normal conn., munications.
 For the present, 1t was said, the British forces were mopping up a battlefield which covered 500 square miles of desert, an area in which the Italians were disorganized and scat tered.
 If one put the whole of Albania into the western desert it would reach only from Sollum to Sidi Bar rani and the Siwa oasis" an inform ant said. If there is a pause or nothing more happens do not be sur- prised."
 He added that the thousands of Italian prisoners taken would be difficult to handle.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13
Italian Communique

Rome, Dec. 13-CUP)-The Italian high commands communique said today that a fierce battle continued in the zone between Sidi Barrani and Sollum, on the Libyan frontier, and in the desert region to the southeast.
 (The communique seemed to indi- cate that the British were now near ing the Libyan frontier).
 Italian troops, the communiQue said, were fighting with great valor against British armored columns at- tacking them.
 Despite sand storms caused by a ghibili, Ca wind which blowing from the desert carries minute sand par ticles), Italian chaser and bomber plane squadrons bombed British units from dusk to dawn yesterday, the communique said.
 On the Greek front the Italians repulsed small attacks of local char acter but there were no important developments. it was said.
 In east Africa the communique continued, Italian patrols aided by airplanes inflicted losses on British mechanical units.
 'The total number of enemy planes shot down since December g is 18. Since the same day 12 Italian planes have not returned"
 Yesterdays Italian high com mand communique reported fighting vest of Sidi Barrani, in the Bugbug .xae. Today's consequently, implied that the British were now engaging the Italians all the way to the from tier).
 During the fighting in Egypt, the communique asserted, Italian chaser and bombing plane squadrons flew without interruption throughout yes- terday, bombing British units.
 (This is in direct conflict with British reports of heavy bombing and machine gunning of disorgan- ized Italian columns).
 On the Greek front, the com- munique said, there were no new developments.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13

A blazing barrage of anti-air- craft gun fire thwarted NaI planes which dropped many flares over a Thames Estuary town in prepar- ation for bombing.
 London's raid alarm period lasted until the early hours of the morn ing. There was gun fire sufficiently strong to shake buildings at inter- vals for hours but bombing was not heavy and many German planes which the guns fired at seemed on ;:s-sif way to the Mi6s.:>1A
 The air and home security min- isters' report fthe nights raids said that two German planes had been shot down and continued:
 Industrial Region
 'The enemy developed an attack on an industrial region in north England. The principal damage was done at one town Nater announced as sheffield) where a number ot buildings were destroyed and roads (streets) were damaged or tempor- arily blocked. Large numbers of incendiary bombs as usual were employed but the fire situation was soon well in hand. Reports are as yet incomplete but do not suggest unduly heavy casualties. Else where in the region casualties were very few"
 The communique said that there
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13
rooms in Gallatin Hall at the busi. ness school,

rooms in Gallatin Hall at the bus1- ness school.
 Infantry Capt. Hurt
 Franklin, Mass, Dec. 13-(UP)- Capt. James V. Rooney, 36, of the l8lst infantry, Massachusetts na- tional guard, returning from tes- timonial in his honor, was injured critically early today when he step ped from his auto to aid a stalled motorist and was struck by another car.
 Capt. Rooney, wire chief for the New England Telephone & Tele- graph Go. who was to start active duty next month, was hospitalized in his home town of Milford.
 Returning with his wife and friends from the banquet at Wrentham; Capt. Rooney spotted a motorist attempting to change flat tire. He was struck while standing with a flashlight at the rear of the halted auto.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13

which rises sharlily from the Voyusa Valley between Premedi and Klisura
 A United Press correspondent in that sector 1nessaged that the Ital- ians, apparently realizing the im- mense strategicai importance of Kli- sura, were counter-attaclzing re- peatedly at heights south of the town. He said the Italians were falling back to valona on the coast.
 ReinfOrceHnents Sent
 The newspaper Radini reported taht in the Pogradec sector, in the north, the Italians had sent in rein forcments by airplane in an at tempt to hold back the Greek ad- vance from the Shkambi River head to the Shkambi Ravine, which runs westward to ElbaSal1, 20 miles away, Elbasan is the main point in the Soddu line, defending central Albania.
 The Radini correspondent said one regiment of Alpini troops had been wholly destroyed in counter attack in the Pogradec Sector, after remaining on the front lines with out relief for II days.
 The main Greek advance, for the moment, however, was on the south Albanian coast.
 Palermo is only five miles from Chimara, the immediate Greek ob- jective on the coastal front. It is 20 miles above Porto Edda, cap- tured December 5, and is only 35 miles below Valopa, second largest Albanian port which is main base for supplies from Italy.
 May Evacuate ValOna
 There were unconfirmed reports that empty cargo ships had put into Valona, presumably to evacuate the Italians there. The port was said to have been virtually destroyed by incessant British and Greek eombing raids.
 The Greeks have been reported chasing Italians up the coastal road for week, hindered only by skirmishes with the Italian rear guard, or by river crossings at points where the Italians had de- Stroyed bridges behind them.
 The Greeks also claimed vic- tcry in their first encounter with Italy's crack Alpine ski troops, thrown into the north Albanian
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13
MANY FAvORITES CAST

Bringing another great classic to the screen, Gene Towne's presenta- = ton of Little Men" for RKO Radio, features such fayorites as Kay Francis, Jack Oakle, George Ban- croft and youthful Jimmy Lydon.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-13
new high in the last two days.

new high in the last two days. Al Ahram, commenting that Brit. ish communiques on the drive stuck strictly to truth and avoided exag- gsration, said: "1t IS obv. GUS ire T the bald facts of the communique that great vlc.ory nas l~-.- achieved. Egypt welcomes the Eews with enthusiasm as a stage toward the final victory of her ally and locks forward with confidence to a series of further successes"
 Balagh, saying that Italian hopes of an easy victory had collap4 sd, continued: England is now pas sing from glorious resistance to attack. The Italian army on the frontiers of Egypt is now experiencing the bitter taste of defeat"