davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1940-03-17
19 Ships Reported Lost
In 28th Week Of War
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press.
Adolf Hitler's favorite month
for decisive action passed the half
way mark yesterday with only minor
signs of activity in sea warfare.
Nineteen ships were reported lost
during the 18th week of the Euro
pean conflict, but five Of them went
down earlier in the war. Sixteen
sinkings were reported in the pre-
vious week, compared with the peak
of "a ships sunk during 7-day
period four months ago.
No sinkings by U-boats were re-
ported last week. Paris naval ohci-
ais said this was due to the return
Of the undersea raiders to their Ger
man bases. A new submarine flotilla
has been dispatched, the French
said.
The weeks tonnage loss stood at
52,846 plus, sending the total for the
war to date to at least 1899 ,942 tons.
At least 473 ships have been sunk
and 3,735 persons killed or drowned.
Evening star., 1940-03-17
STAR WASHINGTON D. c. MARCH H. 1g4o-pARr ONE
Senaie Farm Bloc
Sees Need Of Funds
Due 10 War Blockade
Allies Squeeze Play
Against Reich Held
Pinehins U. S. Formers
y the Associsted Prsss.

~ the Associated Prsss.
Farm-minded Senators collected .
mass Of evidence yesterday intended
to show the British French eco
nomic squeeze play against Germany
Is pinching the American farmer.
This data will be used on the Sen-
ate door this week In m attempt to
win approval for . multi-million-
dollar increase In the farm funds
voted by the House..
The Senate Appropriations Com
mittee approved . bill carrying $o22,-
S64, ,668 In new funds and also di-
rected that Government lending
agencies make 900, 900 900 available
for agricultural purposes. The
House-approved farm bill carried q
total Of $713 3,S96,0S4.
Secretary Wallace directed atten-
ton Of Senators to the effect of
Great Britain's economic warfare on
American Agricultural exports.
Great Britain is doing more than
to buy all the food she can from
within her own empire 80 Is to con-
serve her dollar exchange for other
purposes" Secretary Wallace told
the Senate Appropriations Commit
tee. "She is buying large amounts
Of agricultural products In countries
which normally sell to Germany,
and she Is doing it vigorously as q
part OF her economic offensive"
As a result, the Secretary said,
"the tobacco farmer here 1T home
and the producer Of raisins and
prunes and apples and winter pears
has each lost his best customer. His
exports have been severely cur
tailed.
Only quick and heavy Govern
ment purchases, as well as loans,
have kept him from fully realizing
just how serious q blow has been
dealt him. From the information
now available to US, 1t looks rs
though this situation will grow more
acute during the coming fiscal year. !"
The Senate Is scheduled to take
up the Farm Bill late tomorrow after
completing action on the "anti-poli-
tics measure that has produced two
weeks Of the bitterest debate of this
session.
Evening star., 1940-03-17
attacked repeatedly" but finally es-
capped in the clouds" after being
slightly damaged.

attacked repeatedly" but finally es-
capped in the clouds" after beng
slightly damaged.
Men Over n May Be Called.
Meanwhile Britain's drive to have
half million troops In France by
fall gathered impetus as it was dis
closed that men over n years of age
probably would be called up in May
A call issued yesterday, expected to
boost Britain's army over the 2O00,-
600 mark, directs men who became Is
during 1889 to register April 6, and
those who turned 2e last year to
register April n. srls
Youths who have turned 20 since
the last previous call, on March 8,
also will be required to register on
the latter date.
Figures issued today by Lloyds
Gazette listed total allied and neu-
tral merchant shipping losses to date
at 383 ships aggregating l,l99 ,93s
tons as compared to German losses
of "a ships with a tonnage Of 1884,
641. The German losses did not in
clude n vessels captured.
The Gazette said Britain had lost
16S ships, France 16, Norway q,
Sweden 80 and Poland one.
Evening star., 1940-03-17
Venezuela Won't Join
Inter-Americun bunk
BY the Associated Press.

6y the AhaOCleCeQ FEe8S.
CARACAS, Venezuela, March IS
The Venezuelan foreign ONCE to-
day instructed this country's rep
resentative on the Inter-American
Economic Committee at Washing
ton to abstain from signing an agree
ment to establish an inter-Amer-
lean bank.
An announcement said Venezuela
was not in agreement with the eval-
uation Of her foreign trade made
by the committee as q basis for
proposed subscription to shares In
the bank.
The committee, including repre-
sentatives Of the 21 American re-
publics, has invited the respective
governments to subscribe to shares
in the proposed $100, 900 900 insti-
tuition.
Evening star., 1940-03-17
Chamberlain Facing
First Challenge 10
War Leadership.
list Birthdoy Tomorrow;
Prepares Defense Of
Policy on Finland
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
LONDON, March 16.-Prime Min.
lister Chamberlain will reach his
list birthday Monday with his war
time leadership subjected to its first
serious challenge. =.
During the weekend, he Is draft
Ing q comprehensive defense of his
conduct Of the war, to be delivered
Tuesday In the House of Commons
In reply to charges that the govern
ment hesitated until it was too late
to give Finland the help she needed
to fight of Soviet Russia.
He also faced q review OF the war
time administration of the ministry
of supply amid growing demands for
the resignation Of Minister of Sup
ply Leslie Burgin as the result Of
charges of improper influences in
the acquiring of war contracts.
Until the storm blew up in Par
Lament this week over British de-
lay In offering large-scale help to
Finland, Mr.. Chamberlain appeared
to be more firmly entrenched than
eve IN the position ne has held
throughout the most critical period
in Europe since the World War.
Little Prospect Of Change.
Even today informed political OBJ
servers saw little prospect Of any
early successful effort to change
leaders.
The reason for this lay in the
desire Of the chief political parties
to show T. united front in fighting
the war and IN the description of
Mr.. Chamberlain by his one-time
most severe critic, Winston Church.
hill, now his most important neu-
tenant:
He is as obstinate for victory as
he was for peace"
The British public knows well
how stubbornly he pursued his
.nuch-criticized "appeasement" pol
icy through which he sought to
avoid war. When he failed and
war came-Mr. Chamberlain called
1t the saddest day Of his life-many
thought he would step aside. In
stead he plunged into the war work
with a vigor that surprised friends
and foes alike.
Soon people were saying that Ne
vile Chamberlain was out to square
accounts with Adolf Hitler-there
was that piece of paper he waved
when he came back from Munich
after the -Slovak crisis OF
1898 and asserted 1t meant peace
in our time"
No longer the great appeaser,
he was the organizer and granite
like leader of a vast empires war
activity. He had brought into his
war cabinet Immediately on the out
break of hostilities the most out
spoken critic Of his "appeasement"
policy and probably his most popu-
lar rival, Winston Churchill.
Heavy Losses ut Sea.
Now the war is nearly seven
months old. The lightning air
raids on London and other large
cities that many expected did not
materialize. and the Chamberlain
government was criticized for too
complete q job Of removal of civil
ians. -
Heavy British losses occurred at
sea. The British naval blockade was
frightened to try to starve Germany.
British planes dropped leaflets in
stead Of bombs over Germany and
when enemy bombers raided the
English and Scottish coasts with in
creasing frequency some of the pub
lie clamored for bombs, not leaflets.
Evening star., 1940-03-17
bIost
Continued From First Page.)

Ireland. A Cleveland resident, he
was in st. Clairsville on business and
Immediately upon being notified Of
the explosion entered the mine.
which employs from 500 to 1000
men.
Mr.. Richards, Mr.. Sanders and
four other men plunged into the
rescue work without gas masks and
we're overcome after going only $50
feet. The others were revived.
Rescue Cars Sent to Scene.
Both the Ohio division of mines
and the United States Bureau of
Mines at Pittsburgh sent specially
equipped rescue cars to the scene,
located in a hilly district. The mine
is known as a drift" working be-
cause its entries are made into coal
veins from the side of q hill.
e. w. Grove, in charge Of the Fed
eral mine rescue crew, said after
talking with mine officials that the
explosion may have been caused
by either gas or coal dust.
Howoroski, who had been work
ing in the west entry, said the blast
occurred about 11:10 am. He said
the fumes were heaviest near the
main entrance, where Mr.. Rich
ards and Mr.. Sanders were over
come.
Nurses from Bellaire, Martins
Ferry and Wheeling aided with the
frst-aid work. The Red Cross and
Salvation Army set up emergency
stations.
Thousands of persons tried to
reach the scene by automobile,
snarling traffic on the narrow roads.
County police and extra highway
patrolmen, some of them flown by
plane from Columbus, were kept
busy far into the night handling
the crowds.
Evening star., 1940-03-17
Protest
Continued From First Page.)

that on February 18th last, the Ger
man freighter Wakama was sunk
by its own crew about Is miles from
the Brazilian coast when hailed by
an English war vessel, obviously for
purposes Of visit and capture. AS
from the procedure of the English
war vessel there results q hostile
act classified as such by the Thir-
teenth Hague Convention and COM
mitted in waters adjacent to the
American continent which the
American republics have the right
to keep free Of any hostile act on
the part of any belligerent nation, I
desire to request your excellency
to be good enough to consult with
the other American countries in the
manner Of the precedent already
established on the suitability of q
collective protest against this new
violation Of the maritime zone which
we undertake to preserve from the
evils Of war;
THE American republics, which
have been consulted through me
regarding this communication, have
agreed that the fact referred to by
the Brazilian government consti-
tuted q violation Of the principles
which they established in Panama
for the purpose Of keeping the war
from continental waters, and at the
same time have authorized me to
present to your excellency the
unanimous protest of the American
republics as the result Of this fact
and to reiterate their appeal that
the war be kept away from the
waters which the declaration o1
Panama contemplated preserving
for the pacific use Of intsrconti.
mental oommerco.s
Evening star., 1940-03-17
Police Squads
Continued From First Page.)

"dives" and other places where
criminals loiter, and arrest them on
charges of vagrancy or suspicion, II
they have no money or cannot offer
satisfactory explanation of their
activity.
That's what we need here in
Washington" he declared. "Give
us at least two squads of strong
arm men who can go around and
handle the 'toughs' as they should
be handled, and we will have little
trouble from the criminal element.
My psychology is to keep the GRIM
inals on the run keep them
scared-and that's what the strong
arm squads are doing In the other
cities"
Representative Schultz said Mai.
Ernest w. Brown, superintendent Of
police. has complained repeatedly he
has q force that is inadequate to
patrol the city properly, because Of
special assignments that take the
time Of his merchandising trafnc at
private parties and at diplomatic
receptions and balls.
That sort of thing should be
stopped" he declared, "and it can
be stopped, If the plan have in
mind is adopted"
The Plan.
Mr.. Schultz said the policing of
diplomatic functions should be
handled by the Federal Government
and that the park police rather than
the metropolitan. police, should fur
nish the men. When a big" private
party is held, he declared, those
sponsoring it should hire at their
own expense = special ofIicer to di-
rect trafnc.
The Alcoholic Beverage Control
Board, which now Is using 10 met
ropolitan policemen to aid it in en-
forcing the A. B. G. law, he said,
should release these men for regular
police duty and seek funds for its
own inspectors. The beard now has
only two regular inspectors on its
pay rolls.
Mr.. Schultz said he intended to
call on Maj. Brown for a report
showing the number of policemen
given special details at embassies
and legations, private parties, etc.,
and other special functions since
January /.
I don't know how many police
men are assigned to these special
duties" he declared. But I am sure
If they were taken OF such work and
assigned to patrol duty for which
they were appointed, there would not
be so many holdups and robberies
in Washington.
Baltimore Cited.
Maj. Brown has said he needs
more policemen in Washington, but
am constantly reminded of the fact
that Baltimore, much larger city,
has fewer policemen per capita than
Washington, and 1t Is not in the
throes Of crime wave"
Mr.. Schultz explained the strong
arm" squads he proposed should be
composed Of four men each who
would cruise about Washington visit
ing pool rooms, tap" rooms and
other places at random, checking on
the patrons in such places. In addi-
ton, he declared, these squads could
| be pressed into service to assist
Evening star., 1940-03-17
regular policemen ON a beat when 6

regular policemen on q beat when q
crime is committed.
For instance" he declared, II was
on my way home Friday night when
a man was held up at Tenth and NJ
streets NV, and I stopped to see
what the excitement was all about.
I learned the police squad car as
signed to the holdup had picked up
the victim and taken him to the
precinct station. There were no
other policemen available to make a
survey Of the neighborhood, and
search for the robber. My idea is
that In case Of this kind the strong
arm squads could be sent In to
augment the regular men and do
effective work."
Evening star., 1940-03-17

Dancing well will give an added sparkle to your
personality an added zest for living Learn two
or three new Fox Trot steps; add Rumba to your
repertoire see if you don't feel years younger
You'll 80 to parties with gay enthusiasm because
of your confidence in knowing you are a better
dancer. Why not ENROLL NOW?
Evening star., 1940-03-17

An Associated Press tabulation to-
day showed 473 merchant and naval
ships lost by all nations since the
war began. These included: Britain
2l7, Germany 43, France 20, Norway
So. Sweden 81, Denmark 22, Neither
lands "a and Greece 81.
Evening star., 1940-03-17
Republicans Bock Pensions

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.
March Is R.-The Colorado Young
Republican Convention shouted
down today q resolution calling for
repeal Of the States $45 old-age
pension program and deleted from
its platform all mention of the PEN
sion issue.
Evening star., 1940-03-17
Mexicuns Go to japan
For Trade Negotiations
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press.
MEXICO CITY, March 16.-A
Mexican trade commission of II
government officials and business
men will leave tomorrow for Toxic,
where they expect to negotiate COM
mercial commitments involving both
barter and capital.
Evening star., 1940-10-11
| Death Train Pilot
Poisoned, |. c. c.
Report Hints
Ry the Associated Press.

The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion reported today a finding that
the railroad engineer, whose failure
to obey an operating order resulted
in a head-on collision fatal to 43
persons July 81 near Cuyahoga Falls,
Ohio, might have been victim Of
carbon monoXide poisoning.
The accident involved a gasoline
electric coach and a freight train.
The I. c. c. said that from its in
vestigation lit is apparent that the
engineman was not In full posses
sion of his normal mental facul-
ties while his train was traversing
a distance of approximately 4 miles
approaching the point of accident.
The symptoms described and the
mental and physical reactions Of
the engineman just prior to the
time of the accident point toward
the possibility that he may have
been a victim of carbon monoxide
poisoning. Research reports state
that obese persons are particu-
larly susceptible to carbon monox-
ide poisoning. (Engineman Thom-
as l.. Murtough was feet inches
tall and weighed 1875 pounds"
The accident was on the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad.
Evening star., 1940-10-11

| scream made my wife clutch my
arm IN the dark close to the doctor S
home-not ours. Three members of
this household died in the kitchen,
which had seemed the safest place.
Half the house is a pile of jack
| StrawS.
I have just seen the nose of a
heavy bomb which hit the Associ-
ated Press Building in Tudor street,
just of Fleet streets newspaper
row" in Central London, finally dug
out of the basement debris. They
found it directly under my desk
but 30 feet down!
A woman friend of ours drives an
ambulance. Sometimes she says a
brief word about particularly bad
night. The other night she tried to
give water to poor souls lying
wounded in q dark place.
She put her arm under the
shoulders of a man to raise his head.
There was no head.
She was still trembling from the
shock as she rushed five of the
wounded to a hospital. When she
arrived, the hospital was gone
blown to rubble. Only two of her
passengers were alive when she
reached q second hospital.
A mb-shattered bus on a prin-
cipal thoroughfare yesterday was not
a pretty thing. It was my bus. Had
my subway train been on time, I
would have been on 1t.
The other day my wife and I sat
n . little restaurant when the air
(See THOAlPeON, Pare A.l2)
Evening star., 1940-10-11
Guffey-Lawrence
Truce High Lights
Roosevelt Trip
Pennsylvania Political
Developments Overshudow
Survey of Defenses
BY JOHN c. HENRY,
Star Staff Correspondent.

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 11.-Presi-
dent Roosevelt paid Western Penn
sylvania a "blitZkrieg" visit today.
bidding for an important 36 elec-
toral votes during parleys with
State Democratic chieftains, 10
mile back-platform ride on his spe-
cial train, an automobile tour
through industrial Pittsburgh, an
inspection of two giant defense
United States Housing Authority
project.
BY midafternoon he was speed
ing on Westward for an even more
crowded swing into Ohio, which has
26 electoral votes.
While the ostensible purpose of
the Chief Executives two-day jour-
ney is to make further first-hand
surveys of the progress of the Ma
tion's defensive preparations. this
aspect of the trip was overshad-
owed by other developments of the
day.
At Johnstown, for instance, first
train stop this morning, Mr.. Roose-
welt braved chill fog to bundle
himself in a heavy cape and make
his first real back-platform appear
ance of the campaign. A local school
band played God Save America"
and several thousands cheered and
applauded in acknowledgment of
the Presidents wave of greeting.
Guffey-Lawrence Truce.
OF greater significance, however,
was the fact that Senator Guffey
and Democratic National Commit
teeman David L. Lawrence, two
ranking party leaders who have been
feuding bitterly for two years. board
ed the special train together in
Johnstown. Making joint ap-
pearance at a party rally in Green's
burg, Pa. Last night, Senator Cuff
fey and Mr.. Lawrence apparently are
pulling together again for supreme
effort in November.
After a 10-mile back platform ride
from Johnstown to Seward for the
purpose of viewing an 100000
Conemaugh River flood control prof.
ect, the President re-entered his pri-
vate car for a talk with Senator
Guffey and Mr.. Lawrence.
At Pittsburgh came the real show
of the day, as local party leaders
turned out one of the biggest crowds
in the city's history to cheer the
Chief Executive along a 2O-mile au-
tomobile ride through the business
and suburban areas.
City and county employees were
given a half holiday, and nearly a
thousand police and firemen were
called to duty to handle the jam. At
least a dozen cars of local office
holders. candidates and others we're
included in the presidential caravan.
Visits Housing Project.
Mr.. Roosevelts only speech of the
day was delivered in suburban Pitts
burgh at the Terrace Village low
cost housing project of the U. S. H. A.
Occasion for the address was the
completion of the 100.00Oth family
unit under direction of the Housing
Authority.
Before visiting the housing project,
the President made his defense in
(See ROOSEVELT, Page A-5)
Evening star., 1940-10-11
Bill Signed Enabling U. 5.
To Take Planes for Sweden
By the Associated Press

By the Associated Press.
Under the authority of legislation
approved by the President today the
United States Government can re-
possess 100 airplanes originally con-
signed to Sweden and large supplies
of machine tools now lying on the
docks at East Coast seaportS for
shipment to European countries.
The 100 planes bought by Sweden
from the Republic Aircraft Corp.
are dive bombers and pursuit ships
which have been stored for some
time at the Republic companys
plant in Farmingdale, Long Island
Under the bill just signed the
planes can be returned to the
Republic Co., and it would them
be possible for Great Britain to
purchase them. Officials would not
comment, however, on this posi-
bility.
Delivery of the planes to Sweden
under a $l0,000,OO0 order placed
some time ago was believed to have
been delayed on advice from Fed
eral officials pending enactment Of
the bill signed today.
Evening star., 1940-10-11
YOU
And the DRAFT

The Star and the National
Broadcasting Co. cooperate
in the presentation of another
broadcast on Selective Service
over WMAL tonight at 10
o'clock. Questions will be put
to Star staff reporters and a
brief interview will be heard
featuring 1t. Col. William NJ.
Carter, Fort Meade, Md.
The Stars recent series OF
questions and answers on the
draft has now been printed in
convenient booklet form and
is available for distribution to
those who apply.
The series of questions and
answers presents, clearly and
accurately, information about
the draft as it affects those
soon to register. 1t was COM
piled from scores of queries
that reached The Star Office,
the answers being run down
through personal conferences
with officials at Selective
Service Headquarters.
The book is on sale every
day, for S cents, at the counter
in The Star lobby.
For mail delivery inclose 8
cents in coin or stamps, write
your address plainly and mail
to the Conscription Editor,
Evening Star.