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BLIMPS FOR DEFENSE—At Moffett field, San Francisco, the Navy commissioned its first blimp to form an lirship patrol squadron. The lighter-than-air craft will prove useful in detecting submarines.
Normandie May be Useless for Duration of War on Axis
NEW YORK, Feb. 10.—(U.E)—The 1 burned hulk of the $60,000,000 former luxury liner Normandie, lying on her side in Hudson river mud and lost to the nation perhaps for the duration of the war, was a victim of “carelessness as effective as enemy sabotage,” District Attorney Frank Hogan said today.
Kogan, navy and fire department officials agreed that a spark from a welder’s acetylene torch touched off the blaze which swept the upper decks of the 84.000-ton liner yesterday, blocking for untold months the task of converting her into ^he naval auxiliary Lafayette.
NO SABOTAGE
“There is no evidence of sabotage,” Hogan said. “Carelessness has served the enemy with equal effectiveness.”
In denying sabotage, Hogan agreed with Rear Admiral Adolphus R. Andrews, commandant of tl\e third naval district, who previously
Music Instructors to Present Recital
A program of contemporary American music will be given at' a faculty recital of the School of Music, Suflday at 3:30 p.m. in Hancock auditorium.
Solcdsts on the program will be Loyd Rathbun, oboist, assisted by Dorothy Bishop, pianist, and Mary Lou Perry, mezzo-soprano. Works to be presented include:
"Sonata Pastorale, opus 43,” David Stanley Smith; “The Half-Ring Moon,” Charles Griffes; “A Memory,” Rudolph Ganz; “At the Well,” Richard Hageman; “Three Ostinati with Chorals,” Henry Cowell.
Suite, Walter Piston; Three Songs for Voice and “Oboe d'Amour,” Mabel Woodworth, assistant professor of music at SC; and Incantation and Dance, William Grant Still. The latter two compositions are having their initial performance at the faculty recital.
The Federal Bureau of Investi-had reported that “nothing in our inquiry indicates sabotage.” gation was conducting an inquiry but has not published its findings. RAISE TO EVEN KEEL
As investigators sought the cause of the fire, navy engineers began estimating what must be done to raise the Normandie to an even keel and restore her to use in the navy.
Exact estimates of damage were not revealed, although a navy spokesman said “it’s not the loss in millions of dollars but in days that counts now.”
TORCH CAUSES FIRE
Hogan said witnesses were “in agreement” that an acetylene torch, being used to cut stanchions in the main salon of the promenade deck, started the fire. He said three had been cut down and a welder was working on a fourth which was partially surrounded by a large number of burlap-covered bales said to contain Kapok-filled life preservers.
“Alphonsus Gately, who was employed by the Robbins Drydock and Repair Co., and who was in charge of the operation, directed the removal of these bales. The testimony is that they were moved only two or three feet,” Hogan said. WATER NEARBY
“Clement Derrick, who operated the burning torch, stated that his body as he worked, touched the pile of bales. Gately said there were two palls of water and a hose within a few feet of the torch; the usual metal sheet and asbestos boards used in connection with a cutting operation were present.
“The stanchion had not been completely cut when the fire started. Flames were seen to spread from bale to bale with great rapidity. Twenty to 25 workmen attempted to stamp out* the flames. The smoke and fire forced them from the salon.
FIRE HOSE FAILED
“Gately backed up to the port deck with the inactive fire hose, turned on the water, and directed a stream of water thorugh a window at the burning bales. He testi-
fied that the pressure was such that the stream carried only about 10 feet.
“The salient fact developed is that a flame, causing sparks to fly, was used within two or three feet of hundreds of bales of inflammable material.”
WATER TILTS VESSEL
Admiral Andrews had hoped to keep the vessel upright at its pier to aid the work of reconstruction, but the weight of water poured into the vessel to check the flames in her three upper decks capsized her early today after the support of hawsers and tugs was withdrawn.
FDR Warns
of Dangers
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10—(U.E) — President Roosevelt declared today that whether this country likes it or not, the American people are faced with a world-encircling war.
The President told a press conference that the first objective of the united nations obviously is to prevent a break-through and cause as much damage to enemy resources as possible while we build up overwhelming superiority necessary to ultimate victory.
He was confident that such overwhelming superiority will be forthcoming.
He had been asked about reports from several quarters .that this country is suffering from extreme complacency in hte face of bad news about'the Pacific.
Roosevelt said he thought the nation is becoming increasingly realistic about the existing situation.
He reminded his press conference that he was talking in terms of basic* realism, and stressed again that while we must stand * fast against the possibility of an enemy break-through, we must also destroy as much of the enemy’s materials and resources as possible.
He did not elaborate on what he considered a break-through.
He said in response to a question that plans for mobilization of manpower to help speed up essential war production have been under study but are not near completion yet.
British Troops Leave Martaban, Report Says
LONDON, Wednesday, Feb. 11— (U.E)—British troops are believed to have withdrawn from Martaban, southern anchor point of the Salween river defense line in Burma, the Daily Mail said today in a Rangoon dispatch.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.—(UE)— The United States and the Vichy French government tonight were embroiled in another grave dispute over Franco-German collaboration which may influence their future relations.
The clash was precipitated by shipment of French supplies from North Africa to the Axis armies in Libya. The United States demanded an explanation from Vichy after Britain confirmed that the shipments had reached Libya and had been partly responsible for the success of German Col.-General Edwin Rommel’s counter-offensive in that area.
REPLY UNSATISFACTORY
The reply from the administration of Marshal Henri Philippe Petain did not satisfy this government, and it reportedly has called for further explanation. This demand was said to have been made at a 45-minute conference today between Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles and French Ambassador Gaston Henry-Haye.
Welles would not discuss the conference, but Henry-Haye said he and Welles would have further conversations. He confirmed by implication that his government had been asked to give a more complete explanation.. AMBASSADOR WAITS
“I’m waiting for the time when we can present all the facts,” he told reporters. “I am trying to justify the position of France, which is far from being as guilty as charged.”
A stiff er U. S. attitude toward Vichy was demanded today in congressional circles. It was considered significant that even among Petain’s stoutest circles no demands were made for a complete break in relations.
Sen. Caulde A. Pepper, D., Fla., frequent bell weather of administration foreign policy prior to United States entry into the war, said the French shipments should lead to a showdown with Vichy but not necessarily to a diplomatic break. Sen. Elbert D. Thomas, D., Utah, said “We’ve got to take action,” but he did not propose that U. S.-Vichy ties be snapped.
IMPRESSION CONFIRMED
Sen. Josh Lee, D., Okla., confirmed the general impression among diplomats that' there would be little point in severing diplomatic relations.
As long as Admiral William D. Leahy, U. S. ambassador to Vichy and close friend of Petain, is allowed to remain there, this country has representation at' an important European listening post. And maintenance of relations with Vichy, however fragile, is considered important in stiffening Petain’s will against further surrendering to Axis demands.
iy united tress
European reports indicated last night that secret conferences were going on among the top flight leaders of Prance, Spain, and Portugal, possibly foreshadowing some major war development in the western Mediterranean.
The Italian radio said France’s Marshal Philippe Petain
has left Vichy “in a sleeping car, j	■ -1-11
Dr. von Kleinsmid Addresses School Administrators
Attending a conference of the American Association of School Administration next week in the St. Francis hotel in San Francisco, President Rufus B. von KleinSmid will make several addresses to participating organizations.
The first group to hear him will be Phi Delta Kappa, national educational fraternity. On Feb. 23 he will talk to the National Society of College Teachers on “Education: War and Peace.”
President von KleinSmid has a luncheon engagement scheduled for the same day, and on the following night he is to address the national allied youth movement.
his destination Madrid by way of Cerebere and Barcelona.”
REPORT CENSORED
A United Press request to its Vichy bureau for a clarification of that' report elicited the information that 650 words were filed at Vichy in reply but the dispatch wTas
“wholly censored.”
Meanwhile the German trans-ocean news agency announced in a Berlin broadcast that Spain’s Generalissimo Francisco Franco, accompanied by Spanish Foreign Minister Ramon Serrano Suner, was expected to leave Madrid Wednesday for Seville to meet President Antonio Oscar de Fragoso Carmona and Premier Antonio de Oliveira Salazar of Portugal.
SPECIAL REPORTERS
“In view of the expected political events, Madrid newspapers have sent special reporters to Seville,” the Madrid dispatch of transocean said.
That the various conferences had some common purpose or connection seemed evident.
One of the few known facts in the situation was that Gen. August Nogues, resident general of French Morocco, last' week met General Orgaz, the high commissioner of Spanish Morocco. EXPLOSION CAUSES RIOT
Another was the explosion of a bomb on the waterfront at Tangier last Friday night and subsequent demonstrations in which British property was damaged. The bomb was said to have been in British luggage. Tangier newspapers protested that the city across from Gibraltar was not in the war and did not intend for any phase of it to be waged in that city.
The disclosure at London that the United States and Great Britain were in “urgent consultation” oVer the shipment of French supplies tto the Axis armies in Libya, and various predictions that Adolf Hitler’s threatened spring offensive may be directed at Gibraltar, the western Mediterranean and North Africa also fitted into the general picture.
Jap Victories Rock Stocks
NEW YORK, Feb. 10. — (U.E)— Fears that Japanese conquest of Singapore is now but a matter of hours tumbled stock prices 1 to 5 points today to within striking distance of the lowest general level since 1938.
All sections of the list participated in the break and losses averaged the widest of the year although a late rally cut down extreme declines in many issues.
A total of 167 issues plumbed new lows ranging back to 1938, including many trading favorites in all of the leading groups.
There was only one cheering note in this dark day for Wall street. That comprised the fact that trading dwindled sharply late in the session, while prices steadied — indicating, perhaps, that securities already have discounted fall of Britain’s far eastern bastion.
Transactions approximated 640,-000 shares, the most since Jan. 13, and contrasted with 400,000 yesterday. However, volume during the first two hours alone—when the break was heaviest—equaled the turnover for the full previous session and only 240,000 were ex-, changed in the final hours today.
Students Asked to Reapply for NYA Work
All students who desire to work on the NYA program this semester are expected to make reapplications immediately, Mrs. Florence B. Watt. SC NYA director, said yesterday. Many students have failed to reapply, evidently believing that their appointments extend into the spring semester. Mrs. Watt said that this is not the case and that all workers must fill out new forms.
Jap Armada Lands Troops in Celebes
.BATAVIA, Feb. 10.—(U.E)—Forcing Macassar strait after an 18-day air, sea and coastal battle, a Japanese invasion armada has begun spewing troops ashore in southwestern Celebes, near the capital city of Macassar, and is approaching the southeast Borneo port of Banajermasin, to outflank eastern Java, it was announced today.
Dutch troops in Celebes are putting up “strong resistance” and have destroyed everything of value in the Japanese path, a communique said.
The Netherlands news agency reported the drive toward Bandjer-masin, which is only 300 miles from the great Soerabaja naval base, and it quoted an authoritative source as saying:
“It is realized that the garrisons of both Bandjermasin and Macassar are not strong enough to hold off the Japanese indefinitely or stand prolonged beleaguering.”
Emerging from the south end of Macassar strait, where they lost' some 35 ships sunk or damaged in battles with American and Dutch airplanes, surface warships and submarines since Jan. 23. the Japanese were now separated by only 300 to 500 miles.
SCHOOL FOR WRITERS
Distinguished instructors, professional writers of proven skill, conduct classes in screen, stage, radio, and fiction writing at the Hollywood School for Writers, a non-profit organization sponsored by the League of American Writers.
Courses open to university students are conducted on workshop principle, with attention to individual material. Evenin<
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