davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
Seven Jops Give
 Red Cross Blood

Boston, Feb. 6.-CUP)-Charles w Fracotti of Milford, state com mander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and father of soldier killed on D-Day. today protested against the donation of blood to the Rec Cross by Americans of Japanese an' cestry.
 T personally disapprove of the action and I believe the association as a whole would disapprove too. he said. My son. It. Robert Fras' cotti, @ Mustang pilot with the Eighth Air Force, was killed re- turning from a mission on D-Day I wouldn't have wanted him to have had any job blood in him"
 Frascotti said the organization would consider the matter at . meeting in Boston tomorrow. 4 Milford school employe. Frascotti served in France as an infantry sergeant in World War l.
 The VF'W commanders protest came as result of & blood donation in Boston yesterday by seven Amer. ican-born young men and women or Japanese ancestry-the first occa' sion of its kind in New England.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
Fifth Takes
 Towns

Rome, Feb. (UP)-Fifth Army troops have occupied four more towns in advances along the Serchio river in the west sector of their lines, headquarters said today while i'm proved weather brought an increase of patrol activity along other sec- tions of the front.
 Castel Vecchio, east of the river, was occupied Sunday night by forces which later occupied Albiano. Lami Di Sotto and Calomini. west of the Scrchio Valley, were recaptured Monday.
 Fifth Army patrols encountered slightly increased enemy resistance along sectors to the east
 Activity on the Eighth Army front in the Adriatic coastl secor was re- ported light.
 Planes of the Mediterranean Allied Air Force continued to pound the Brenner route and communica- tions in northeast Italy.
 Reconnaissance photographs show cd that the Brenner and other main rail routes out of Italy to the north east had been blocked thoroughly despie eorts of German repair crews,
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
Citrine Claims Allied Big 3 Meeting "At This Moment

1 some sessions at least were being held aboard warship, perhaps American with President Roosevelt as host.
 The Japanese betrayed increasing ccncern that Premier Stalin may align Russia with the United States and Britain against Japan at the conference.
 They obviously feared that Stalin, wlushed by victories over the Ger man army, will give President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill a definite promise to throw at least part of the Red Army against the Japanese after Germany has surrendered.
 The influential Tokyo newspaper Asahi, as quoted by the German Transocean Agency, said the ques- ton of Soviet participation would most certainly be raised" since the Pacific war situation was nearing the decisive stage."
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
Zukauskas Claims Devil
 Handed Him Murder Guns
(By ANNE ZEMAITIS)

Francis P. Zukauskas, who claims the devil handed him the guns he fired at Mrs. Stephanie Plungis the night of Nov. 1, started his fight for his life at 12:30 today, when the state rested its case in the first de- gree murder trial.
 Comments by Zukauskas that he was guided by the devil the night he riddled Mrs. Plungis' body with bullets from two guns were intro- duced as states evidence by County Detective Thomas F. Laden, last witness to testify for the state.
 Brief testimony by Deputy Police Superintendent Fred Hickey and by Robert Platt, manager of the South ern New England Telephone Com pan, featured the opening of the defense.
 Ladens testimony, based on statements Zukauskas made to him shortly before 10:30 the night of Nov. 4, was filled with revelations of the state of mind of the de- fendant at the time he obtained the death-dealing guns and killed Mrs. Plungis. The states witness read the statements from transcript made by a court stenographer.
 Wife Breaks Down
 Reading of the transcript of zu- kauskaS' statements raised the high est pitch of emotion noted yet iE the eight-day- trial.
 Mrs. Edna Zukauskas, wife of the accused, who remained unruffled by states evidence of her husbands fervid infatuation for the slain Wo- man, lost her composure completely today. She sent sobs across the courtroom, and appeared on the verge of collapse when Sheriff Chris Olsen and PoliceWoman Mary Nor gren led her sobbing uncontrollably from the courtroom into the wait ing room outside.
 Tears streamed from the eyes of zukauskas who appeared ready to run to his Wife's side and many handkerchiefs were raised in the spectators section of the courtroom.
 The statements of Zukauskas were introduced in an evident move to clear up the question of pre- medita ation, as the state began to wind up its case of first degree murder against Zukauskas.
 In those statements Zukauskas told of his decision to get his guns and traced the moves he made from the moment he met Mrs. Plungis Nov. shortly after 10 o'clock on Poplar street to the time he riddled her body with bullets and then jur- rendered to police.
 But in those statements also zu- kauskaS told of being crazed with rage at Mrs. Plungis, who allegedly spit and swore at him and accused him of talking about their relations to other men.
 Perpetual fear of ZuEauskas that his wife might be drawn into the case were evident in the statements he made to the detective. Through (Nnpticuad nm poUa ON
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
Army Private To Exchanged

Vancouver, Wash, Feb. 6-(UP)- Political convictions against war im- pelled Pvt. Henry Weber, 27, to dis obey his officers at Camp Roberts, Calf, and brought about his sent ence to be hanged, his wife, Grace, said today.
 She said the Army was aware or Weber's beliefs against killing be- fore his induction last July, and, in fact. she said, one officer advised him to object whenever ordered to carry gun.
 The condemned man was held at the Camp Roberts guard house pending final review of his general court martial sentence, allegedly precipitated by refusal to drill with his squad. Camp Roberts officials said the sentence was imposed for violation of the 64th article of war, (COntinued on Page A
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
Nozis' Fate
 Up To Big 3
By LYLE C. WILSON

Washington, Feb. G. CUP) The big three conference apparently must decide whether to put Ger many publicly on a par with Japan for point punishment as an outlaw disturber of the peace.
 Severe punitive commitments al- ready have been jointly made with respect to Japan by China, great Britain and the United States. There has been as yet no similar oint undertaking by the Soviet Union, Great Britain and the Unit ed States to impose specific penal ties on Germany.
 When President Roosevelt. Prime Minister Churchill and Generalis- simo Chiang Kai-shek met in Cairo in November. l943. they let Japan have a big bundleof specific bad news
 Their communique, dated Dec. l. provided, among other things: 1. Japan shall be stripped of all Pacific islands seized or occupied since the beginning of World War August 1914.
 ?. Territories stolen" by Japan from China shall be returned. specifically mentioned were Man. churia, Formosa and the Pescadores ! islands.
 3. Japan shall be expelled from all other territories taken by violence and greed"
 A. Korea, Japanese vassal state, shall be freed.
 The Roosevelt Chiang Churchill communique also specifically pledge
 (Cnntinned on Page Al
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
REDS SWARM ! WELL BEYOND
 ODER RIVER
BY ROBERT MUsEL

London, February 6-CUPyl The Germans reported today that the Red Army had seized three bridgeheadS across the Oder, 32 to 35 miles from Berlin, and had captured the Silesian citadel of Steinau west of the Oder.
 Marshal Gregory Zhukov's shock troops stormed across the Oder south of Frankfurt and "have been able to build up two rather small bridge heads" while a third was established at Kienitz, 10 miles northwest of Kustrin. A German military Spokes- man said.
 The unconfirrned NaI reports in- dicated that in smashes through tha Oder River line the Russians hacl been able to grab more or less solid footholds which, If developed, will serve as springboards for a plunge over the last lap of the road to Berlin.
 The two new bridgeheads across the Oder on the Berlin front-the one at Kienitz was reported yester- day-were between Frankfurt and Furstenburg, the military spokes- man was quoted by the Berlin radio.
 They were located as two or three miles south of Frankfurt, the last great citadel before Berlin, which was threatened by any flanking drive Zhukov is able to develop from these reported crossings.
 The Nazi spokesman said the Main moviet masses" already were fighting on the Frankfurt-Kustr1n line of the Oder, suggesting that Zhukov's major units had moved up to the river and were ready to re-. sume the push on Berlin, tempo rarily checked by the Oder defenses. Defense Crumbles
 The entire Oder River defense line through Silesia appeared to ba CIuIIlDllIlB uLlOCL ULlC OAAPlAdALlAAACI blows of Marshal Ivan s. Konev'a First Ukrainian Army.
 Farther northwest, Marshal Gre gory K. zhukovs first White Russ sian Army was storming the Oder line in front of Berlin. The Ger mans reported he had forced cros- sing 32 miles from the capital. Mos- COW dispatches said his hsock troops were believed to have reached the west bank at some points.
 The fall of Steinau, Key City l3e miles southeast of Berlin and 3A northwest Of Breslau, was reported in a supplement to the German communique, issued from Adolf Hit ler's headquarters. It indicated that Konevs forces were well be- yond Steinau in reporting that the city's garrison had fought its way through to the German lines.
 The troops defended Steinau in (Continued on Page D
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
Priests Venolity Conde emned
NEA Telephoto from U. s. Navy.

Moscow, Feb. 6.-CUP)-Soviet newspaper today displayed prom inently an appeal by the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox church to world Christendom urg- ing prayers for speedy victory and advocating stern sentence against the Fascist criminals.
 With the bishops appeal the gov- ernment newspaper IZvestia printed pastoral message condemning the growth of the anti-religious senti- ment, neglect of the church ritual, and venality of certain priests.
 Such matter had not been pulp lished in an official Russian organ since the Bolshevik revolution.
 Brothers and Christians of the whole world, 1t now is clear whose arms the Lord Jesus Christ blessed, and whose arms He did not bless" the bishops message said
 Our Red Army is bringing and already has brought liberation to many neighboring countries. We be- lieve that the one and only ruler of heaven and earth. Who quilted the wind on the Sea of Galilee, soon will quiet the world storm.
 We will see the intervention of divine justice when the blessed hands of the victors write on the pages of history a stern sentence against the Fascist criminals"
 The pastoral letter said there had been q great religious revival and unification of practically all non- conformist sects under the dominant Russian Orthodox church. It ended with the invocation:
 Let now, as in times past, the glory of the holy name of the Father and Son and Holy Ghost prevail over our land"
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06

Washington. Feb. 6 -- (UP) -- Senator Harlan J. Bushfield. R., s. D., demanded to day that the sea- ate be given an eplanation of how Colonel Elliott Roosevelt's dog Blaze got an "A' priority on an army car- go plane before 1t votes on promo ton of the Presidents son to Brig adler general.
 BuShfield late yesterday forced postponement of a senate vote on the promotion for one week He told reporters he was "hopeful' that a Senate Military Affairs Committee Investigating alleged air priority abuses could meanwhile turn up some evidence on the Blaze incident.
 The subcommittee on priorltios was appointed after 1t was disclosed that Blaze, a bull Mastitf, held an "A" priority on a flight from Wash
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
3 Deod In Maine Fire

Lewiston, Me, Feb. 6 - (U.PD - Tn this areas second flash fire In six days, an 18-year-old brother and two teen-aged sisters were burned to death or suffocatd early today and their parents and another sls- ter were hurt when flames leveled their home here.
 A fourth sister escaped unharmed from the general alarm fire only a mile and a half from the scene of q tragic nursery fire in neighboring Auburn which took IT lives Wednes- I day.
 The dead were:
 Henry Lamarre, l8.
 Noella, 16. V Dorothy, IA. V Hospitalized, but said not to be in critical condition, were, MT. and Mrs. Antonio Lamaree and Jeanne, 2l. while 17-year-old Blanche fled uninjured.
 Firemen said the 1-2 story wooden house on Rosedale street was enveloped In flames when they answered the first alarm shortly after midnight and 1t was impos- sible to aid the victims who appar- ently were trapped in their rooms.
 Frozen hydrants further handi- capped the f1remen, many of whom had gone to the aid of the Auburn Department at the nursery holo- caust across the Androscoggin river last Wednesday.
 Even as this second fire caused multiple deaths in the twin mill cities of Lewiston and Auburn, a secret inquest was being held in the latter city to investigate the nursery fire.
 Last night, Lewiston health au- thorities ordered all baby homes in (Continued on Page 4)
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
Gouern0r's Choice
 MayBreak Deadlock

Hartford. Conn, Feb. 6.--UP)- Democratic State Chairman Adrian w. Maher said today that speedy action will be taken" on Governor Baldwin's recommendation that Ad- miral Thomas C. Hart be appointed interim U. s. senator from Con necticut, after party members ir the state senate assure themselves that the admirals views "on the making of the peace coincide with those held" by the President, Sen Brien McMahon, and the majority of the electorate in the last cleo tion. a.-...,....- .a.a....
 Strongly indicating that the gov. ernor'S recommendation would enc the deadlock in the legislature over bill empowering the chief execu- tive to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Francis T. Maloney by direct appointment. Maher said:
 The Democratic party feels that It's stand on the filling of the va cancy has been vindicated by Gov Raymond E. Baldwin's submission of the name of Admiral Thomas C. hart
 Our chief concern always has been that the people of our state were entitled to know whom the governor intended to name to the U. s. Senate in event he was so empowered by the General Assem- bly,. He having publically an nounced in advance the selection, we now feel that the Connecticut Senate can intelligently consider the individual instead of speculating on possibilities.
 The governor, in a special radio broadcast last night. suggested Ad- miral Hart and said that If the general assembly found the high
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
2,OOO GERMANS
 BEHIND ALLIED !. LINES TRAPPED
BY BOYD D. LEWIS

Paris, February 6.-(UP) American Third Army troops broke through the Siegfried Line at a number of points in Germany's Schnee Eifel forest today and closed in on the west wall bastion of Prum along an eight-mile front.
 Twenty-Five miles to the north, infantrymen of the U. s. First Army were locked in a hard fight for the Roer river dams and the last belt of the Siegfried pillboxes covering the approaches to the Cologne plain.
 At the southern end of the front, American and French troops splint- cred the German pocket around Colmar into isolated groups and laid a curtain of shellfire across the enemy's Rhine river escape bridges.
 Thousands of Nazi troops were reported in full flight across the Rhine from Alsace under heavy ar tillery fire, leaving 1500 to 2,000 Of their number hopelessly trapped be- hind the Allied lines ill the high Vosges Mountains.
 MethOdicaI Advance
 Fled dispatches said the American First and Third Armies were grind ing steadily forward through the eastern fringes of the Siegfried line, bursting through that barrier at some points in methodical ad- vance that was beginning to threat en the entire German position west of hte Rhine.
 German resistance was stiffen- ing, however, particularly on the Third Army front where It. Gen George s. Patton's infantry division ran into increasingy-heavy coun- ter-attacks.
 Patton's troops hammered out gains of mile and more on ar eight front before Prum, cap turing Habscheid, seven mics west southwest of that communication center, and Schlausenbach, six milel to the northwest.
 Three miles below Schlausenbach the doughboys pushed to within 1-2 miles fo Prum after tWo-mie advance from Buchet, while still farther south they captured Brand scheid, only to run into a sharp | (Topt{puod m poun Al
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
Senate Wants Explanation On BLazes "A" Priority

ington to California and bumped three service men on leave en route.
 Senator Tom Stewart. D., Tenn, sub committee chairman, was du- bious about Bushflelds getting the information within q week but Sep- ator Styles Bridges, R., N. H., who proposed the investigation told re- porters he would press to meet the headline. Bridges Is a member or the sub- committee.
 Bushfleld said 1t was the dog incl dent which prompted him to de- mand a week delay on the Roose- welt promotion. Because Senate Democratic Leader Alben w. Bark ley of Kentucky refused to single out the Roosevelt promotion for delay action waos held up on the entire list of 78 nominations to Brigadier general.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
Superforts Rake
 Port Kobe Twice

Washington Feb. 6. CUP)-Lone Superfortresses bombed the big Jap anese port of Kobe twice early to- day, Radio Tokyo said, in a follow up to Sundays heavy raid.
 Two other B-29s flew over Kobe at 11:30 D. m., the broadcast said, but it did not indicate whether they, too dropped bombs.
 A dispatch from 2lst bomber com mand headquarters at Gaum said reconnaissance photographs showed one important industrial plant had been substantially destroyed by fire in Sundays raid.
 The raid as whole was consid- cred only moderately successful however, the bomber command said. Though 34 firse were left burning in Kobe, all had been put by the time reconnaissance photographs were taken "A hours later.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
 Cost Foe
 Big Toll
(NEA Telephoto)
By JAMES McGLINCY

Paris, Feb. - (UP0 -- The battle of the Ardennes was closed out officially today as a major Allied victory that stripped Germany of her last strategic reserves on the eve of the Rd Armys Berlin oden- sive. It cost the Nazis more than 220,000 casualties.
 Disclosure of the German losses almost 30. per cent of their attack ing force, coincided with the head quarters announcement that Lieu tenant General Omar N. Bradley has resumed full control of the 18th Army group, now comprising the U. s. First and Third Armies.
 Part of Bradley's command was shifted to Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery during the Ardennes battle when the German break through severed communications between the Third Army in the south and the American First and Ninth Armies in the north The Ninth army remains under Mont gomery's command. Headquarters sources said this shift was planned long before the German counter offensive and had no connection with the Ardennes campaign.
 It was indicated that additional American forces would be added to Bradleys command to bring it back to parity with Montgomerys.
 Bradley, it now can be revealed, resumed administrative and opera tional control of the 18th Army group at midnight January IS, two days after the First and Third Armies re-established contact at
 (COntinued on Page 4)
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
Bonk Group Okoys Bill

Washington, Feb. 6--UP)-The House Banking committee, respond ing to pressure from Democratic leaders, today approved the George Bill after rejecting three Republican amendments to Impose further re- strictions on the Department of Commerce.
 Supporters of Henry A. Wallace are seeking to push the bill to en- actment in its present form whereby It would divorce the federal loan agency from the Commerce de- partment. They believe its approval would lead to prompt confirmation of the former vice president of sec retary of commerce.
 The senate passed the bill last week. It then deferred action on Wallace's nomination until March l, pending developments on the Geo~ge bill.
 The house committee considered the measure for an hour. Then 1t voted unanimously to recommend its passage by the house.
 Rep. Jesse P. Wolcott, R., Mich ranking minority member, offered the three rejected amendments. Votes on all three were almost en- tirely party line divisions
 Wolcott's first proposal would have repealed the power granted to President Roosevelt under the sec ond War Powers act to transfer ex- ecutive agencies by executive order. It was rejected, Is to II.
 His second amendment would have broadened the George bill pro- vision requiering audits by the gen. eral accounting office of all corpor- ations wholly owned by the govern ment to include corporations owned
 (Continued on Page 4
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
Spies Trial
 To Be Secret

New York, Feb. 6-(UP)-A Ger man and 6 CoHInStttscut Yankee ap- pear before a U. s. Military com- mission today to be tried in secret on charges of espionage and sabo- tage on behalf of Adolf Hitlers Reich.
 William Curtis Colepaugh, the American, and Erich Gimpel, Nazi, faced their examiners on Governor s Island. Press and public were bar red, and the army planned to issue statements on trial procedure twice daily.
 Death was the maximum penalty If Colepaugh and Gimpel were found guilty of three charges of es- pionage and sabotage. The alleged spies were arrested in New York by the FBI less than month after they were landed on the Maine coast by German submarine last Nov. 29.
 Colepaugh, native of Mantle. Conn, will face former classmate at Admiral Farragut Academy. Toms River, N. J., during the trial. Edmond Mulcahy is a chief witness for the government. Colepaugh al- legedly visited Mulcahy before ne was arrested, and their conversation will be introduced by the prosecu- ton.
 Today's procedure duplicated the pattern for trial of eight German spies convicted in l942 before mil- itary commission.
 The prt -ecution was expected to use statements reportedly taken by the FBI following the defendants arrest in a midtown New York ho- tel The FBI described Colepaugh as a draft evader who, under pres- sure. enlisted in the navy only to be discharged Tor possible disloyal- ty.
 He joined the merchant marine,
 (Continued on Page D
The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-06
BY PHIL AULT

London. February 6. = (UP) - The Allied big three are in session at this very moment" Sir Walter Citrine, general secretary of the British Trades Union Congress, re- vealed today.
 He made the disclosure at the opening session of the World Trade Union Conference in explaining why Prime Minister Churchill could not address the meeting.
 Churchill had promised to speak at the conference, but instead sent message of greetings to the dele gates.
 He is at the conference of the three great powers taking place at this very moment" Citrine said.
 Speculation continued over the whereabouts of the Big Three meet ing, with most sources suggesting the Black Sea area or possibly stalingrad. One theory was that