WEATHER FORECAST Moderately warm; prob. able showers. For complete weather report tea Taf Fourteen. Temperature Yesterday 74; 52 Same Date Last Year 70; 60 Thursday, September 5. of last yean Max.
69; Mn. 42. McGILL OBSERVATORY READINGS. VOL. CLXX.
No. 212 MONTREAL, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, PAGES PRICE FIVE CENTS Japan Massing Vast Army for So Tl i benae Three Killed, 13 Hurt in Blast At Big Welland Chemical Plant SHANGHAI HEARS TROOPS, SUPPLIES NOW CONCENTRATED IN MANCHUKUO; REDS KEEP LENINGRAD AIR CONTROL SLO WD OWNERS COMPEL TIE-UP OF BIGJUj. MINE Dominion Coal's No. 12 Pit Ceases All Production FURTHER UNITS OF 3RD DIVISION REACHJRITAIN Districts Across Entire Dominion Represented by Arrivals GREETED BY GEN. PRICE AWAIT HITLER CALL Frankfort and Berlin Hard Hit In Raids by Big R.A.F.
Bombers In the village of Port Robinson, three miles from the scene, were shaken. A huge column of smoke was seen from Port Robinson shooting into the air. The Injured receiving hospital treatment were identified by the Munitions and Supply Department as Louis Smith, J. M. McKee.
Sam Osteposki, B. Chisholm, Donald Schnieder. George Turner and Joseph Haslam. Firemen, doctors, ambulances and police were rushed to the scene from Niagara Falls and the fire wai extinguished within a half hour The department's announcement said the exDlosion. apparently "purely of accidental nature." would not interfere with production.
McDonald, 22. is survived by hie widow and a I7-months-old son. He had worked at the plant less than a year. Cahill also was married Construction of the plant, covering about 1.500 acres, started August. 1910, and production began last December.
About 2.000 are employed by the company. Turner, a veteran of four wars, was said to have saved his life by crawling from under a steel beam. One eyewitness said that the building in which the explosion occurred seemed to bulge out and the explosion followed, wrecking the building and tossing debris high into the air several hundred feet. Sergeant M. Bella of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police too charge of the investigation and an (Continued on Page 10.
Col. 2.) "The rear gunner could see it for 15 minutes afterward," the captaia said, "Somebody else must have bombed our fire (a device to spread the flames), because we saw more explosions in it. "Then, after a time, we saw a hell of a great explosion and another fire started." The captain said anti-aircraft fire "thrown at us not long after we'd crossed the Dutch frontier" caused trouble with the inner port engine, but the plane kept going. "Oil poured out of it," he said, "You could see it running over the cowling. We carried on like that until we got to Berlin, where we saw other bombers being engaged by searchlights and guns.
The guns were shooting into the main cones of the searchlights. "We slipped in while others were being engaged and got very little opposition except when we were coming out." The smoking engine was cut off vhcn its oil pressure fell and "we came the rest of the way home with three engines." Sir Archibald Sinclair, the air minister, said the bombers had "hit the city of Berlin hard." Railways, communications and industries were struck in force at Frankfort and other waves of raiders which droned from British fields soon after dusk, battered at (Continued on Page 10, Col. 5.) Niagara Falls, September 3 4.h Three men were killed and 13 injured, seven of them so badly they were in hospital tonight, when one building of the huge Welland chemical works was destroyed by an explosion and fire today. J. L.
Cahill.of Niagara Falls, and Leslie McDonald, of nearby Port Robinson, were killed Instantly by the force of the explosion. Jame3 Martin Dcsjardins. of Niagara Falls, died later from burns at Niagara Falls General Hospital. An official tatement issued by the company Innight wiid; "In the early afternoon today ap accident occurred in one of the smaller manufacturing buildings of the Welland Chemical Works at Niagara Falls. The cause has not yet been fullv established, but It is believed a pressure vessel failed, causing damage to building and some machinery and also setting fire tf orne materials in the building.
The fire was completely out within half an hour. The occurrence appears to be of a purely accidental nature and will not Interfere with production. "So far as Is known at the present time, three workman were killed and In addition seven received hospital treatment and six were treated for minor injuries." Earlier an official announcement by the Department of Munitions and Supply was issued at Ottawa before the death of Desjardins. The blast ripped throuRh the building with such force that houses CUT IMMINENT IN GASOLINE USE Cottrelle Says Curtailment to Go Very Far Yet Oil Controller Tells Toronto Gathering Only Few Da'ys' Supply Left Toronto, September 3. KB Canada is on the verge of serious curtailment of gasoline.
George Cottrelle, Federal Oil Controller, told the annual meeting of the Canadian Automobile Association today. "How far we have to go In the curtailment of non-essential use of gasoline I'm not prepared to say, but 1 will say we will have to go a long way yet," the Oil Controllei said. "1 could tell you how many days supply we have on hand and 1 may say it isn't very many" Mr, Cottrelle also said he did "not know to what extent we will have to go to ask users of fuel oil for heating to convert to coal." He said that if Canada had not curtailed oil consumption It would have to Import 55.000.000 barrels of oil. "If control had not hern imrw. ed," he said.
"Canadians would have used 63,000,000 barrels of oil this year." Speaking on the difficulty of Importing oil, he said that although Canada is the second largest per capita consumer of petroleum products in the world, and fifth largest in total consumption, her tanker fleet is exceedingly small and badly needed for transport to Britain. "There fcm't any doubt that practically every tanker in this country will go to the combat zone." he said, adding that one of the nine tankers flying the Canadian flag had already been sunk by enemy action. He predicted Montreal would be left "high and dry" if the pipeline from Portland, now being constructed is not rapidly completed. Concerning Canadian- production of oil, the Controller said production in the west will be short about 1.000.000 barrels in spite of an in creased number of wells. He denied that Canadian oil wells had been "kept in," and said that "we have 161 wells producing this year where we had 120 last year." Maintaining that every encourage-ment short of financial aid from (Continued on Page 10.
Col. 7.) London, September 3. (( Berlin was shaken by enormous explosions and lighted by the glare of many fires in a long attack delivered overnight by strong Royal Air Force units. Giant four-motored craft participated in the foray. "Some of the heaviest bombs" probably in the one-ton class were dropped on the German capital, the Air Ministry news service said, reporting raids from Frankfort to the Norwegian coast.
"There were enormous explosions when some of the heaviest bombs were, dropped," the service said in describing the thrust at Berlin, "and a very large fire was seen near one of the main railway stations." A returning pilot said the ra'a-ers encountered thick clouds over the North Sea. the Netherlands and northern Germany and "we thought we were going to be disappointed but then they flew into a clearing area. "We dropped our bombs," he said "saw them burst among industrial buildings and left with fires buru-ing." The captain of a four-motored bomber which was partly disables even before it reached Berlin but went on to unload its destructive cargo and returned to its base safely, sid the bombs dropped by his crew created "a very good fire" in the centre of the city. 4 ARE INDICTED IN U.S.SPY PLOT Three Plead Guilty to Furnishing Nazis With Vital Data Trial of 16 Others Previously Arrested Opens in Brooklyn Court New York, September 3. iff) The federal Government, moving on two fronts to smash German spy activities in the United States, indicted four more persons today on charges of conspiring to send vital defence information to Germany, and immediately obtained guilty pleas from three of them, including an 18-year-old girl.
Simultaneously, 16 persons arrested in June in the Government's nation-wide round-up of spy suspects went on trial in Brooklyn Federal Court after three others pleaded guilty to being unregistered agents of a foreign power. There was no connection, authorities said, between the quartet indicted today and those who went to trial in Brooklyn. Shortly after their indictment. Lucky Boehmler, of New York City; Hans Pagel, 20, a Brooklyn brewery employee who came here in 1931 from his native Wunstorf, Germany, and Frederick Edward Schlosser, 19, a native of New York, pleaded guilty. Miss Boehmler, a native of Stuttgart.
Germany, who came to the United States in 1929, was held in $10,000 bond, and Pagel and Schlosser in $25,000 bond each by Federal Judge John Bright, who set September 24 for sentence. The maximum penalty is 20 years' imprisonment. They were charged with conspiracy to violate the Federal Code by secretly transmitting to the German government through unidentified colleagues in Spain, Portugal (Continued on Page 10. Col. 5.) MASS ATTACKS FAIL Soviet Fighter Planes Counter Nazi Blows at City REDS GAIN ON 2 FRONTS Advance Three Miles in North and 30 Miles on Central Sector Moscow, September 4.
(Thursday) T7 The Red Army reported today that its fighter planes in great air battle had beaten off German attempts to knock out Soviet air defences and gain command of the skies in the Leningrad srea. The report, contained in the early morning communique, was issued as military dispatches said Germax. troops had been thrown back three miles from their advanced positions before Leningrad and more than 30 miles along the central front by major Russian counter-offensives. The communique itself gave no details of the land warfare beyond an announcement that stubborn fighting continued along the entire front. It said, however, that Soviet fliers "keep on smashing enemy aircraft" at the approaches to Leningrad, and told of one encounter in which 11 of 70 German planes raiding a large airdrome were shoi down.
One pilot was credited with-destruction of five Junkers 87 dive-bombers and another with two dive bombers and a Messerschmitt. Upon a great battle line erupting violently from the Baltic to the Black Sea, the charges of the Nazis and allied Rumanians trying to smash into besieged Odessa in the far south were declared to be breaking before a strong defence thrown up both by Red troops and by sailors from the Soviet Black Sea fleet landed to raid the invaders" rear positions. (The Germans also reported heavy action by Soviet warships and shore batteries in the Baltic region in what Berlin called an effort to "hold up a further German These reports of vital Russian successes were accompanied by an official declaration that enor-mous Nazi losses plus the approach of the cruel Russian winter, were visibly injuring the invaders' morale, Yamelyan Yaroslavsky. a member of the central Communist Party, asserted that in the whole course of the war. including the campaigns in the west, the Germans had lost 2,930.000 men dead, wounded and captured more than 2,000,000 on the Russian front alone and declared that from bases inaccessible to the Germans millions of Russians were now laboring to throw "forceful reserves into battle." MARSHAL AT LENINGRAD.
Before Leningrad, Marshal Kle-ienti Voroshilov. commanding the Red armies of the northwest, personally led his troops and those ol the city's "People's Army," the army organ Red Star, and wirn an artillery barrage and bayone' charges drove the Nazis from the not otherwise identified strategic town of Standing in the front lines during the night, said this official account the Marshal prepared his plan and launched it Just at dawn, swearir.g his men to advance at whatevei cost. The Germans, it was added, suffered enormous losses. Russian casualties were not given. It was said that the German mortar and machine-gun fire weakened progressively as the Russians advanced At the centre.
Marshal Scmeon Timoshenko's armies of the west, (Continued on Page 10. Col. 8.) THE NEWS Page Thirteen Council sets up dual revision board. C.T.C. takes over Beardmore house.
$752,000 is goal for Charities drive. Page Fourteen Obituaries CIO. secretary loses union post. Health league seeks $40,000 in city. Page Fifteen Social and personal.
Sixteen Royals bow; to Herd, 4-0. Robert beais Koverly. Up? et in Stuart tennis. Casual Close-ups. Page Seventeen Dodgers split with Phils.
Yanks near pennant. Cornwall wins lacrosse playoff, 13-8. Between the Lines. Page Eighteen Redding wins ConfederStion purse. Page Nineteen McNeill bests Sabin.
Hooks and Slices. Page Twenty Rail gross has wide gain. Can. Breweries 3rd quarter ahead. London market closes lower.
G. Weston half-year up shade. Page Twenty-one Stock and bond tables. UNION BLAMES COMPANY Miners' Leader Wires La-pointe Claiming Lockout, Asking for Prompt Action Waterford, N.S., September 3 jPA complete tie-up of Coal Company'! big No. 12 colliery here developed today as the vrr.rr.y aunpended more men for low-down activities, and Douglas MrDonotd.
member of the Nova Scotia and a miners' on officer, wired Justice Minis-iff I.apointo thrft a lockout was in -r The Co-operative Commonwealth Frrir ratirn member, who also is board member of the United Mine Worker of America New Waterford, telegraphed Mr twipfinte: "Management of No, 12 rollicrj Yt locked out from thru work men TnU action is direct viola-t cm of Industrial Dispute Investigation Act," Mr. McDonald, who said the wire rr.t on own Initiative, de mahded "immediate action" agaii.l the company which in the last verk ha tuspended about 300 men from four of iU 10 nlowdow mines. Of this number ferret srv Joe Campbell of the No iZ W. local laid tonight 140 had brr! at th.J pit. Wft.it company pokemen refrained iilcni tonight, Campbell gsve Uiia version of the tie-up: of the miners left ihre the pit acven "wans without mfn to work them.
When the company wanted miner normally employed at other duties to work on these walla, they refused 1 production was halted. lie ud the men had not walked off and that the toppage was due i the company action in halting l-xri of the 140 men. Ife added a dumber went down tf their place in tne pit tonight, but no cowl was because an insufficient number were available at the coal fare where the lamps had been i Tonight, members of the UM I-tcaU for No. 12 and nearby No. 16 pit met 1rmtlv and reaffirmed their eMoraton of the production program.
There was no Indication as to hen production micht be resumed the pit. one of Dominion Coal rrvjcr producers. In his telegram to the Justice raster. Mr. McDonald declared the company's action was "detrimental to Canada fight against He continued: "Feeling becoming prevalent here that tt is useless to f.Bht Fascism on foreign soil while home government encourages growth of Fascism while consenting and approving of the brutal method adopted by employers in their doling with their woikers." The storpaee at the pit.
which employs about 1,400 men, was the f.rst to develop cut of the slow ion s.rce the program was started f-iiir mcnihs ag by an "outlaw" convention of miner seeking higher pav and removal of their United M.ne Worker of America district executive, Meanwhile, the number of men rvtcd by the company In its tieirpt to ton the slowdown rose about 300, The miners have been if fjwd work at four of the 10 collieries affected by the curtailment program. Figures released bv the company snowed the affected pit yesterday hosted the lowest full day' tnrnage of coal since the movement rwjran. Only tons left the a normal average of IS.noo tons daily, S.nce the slowdown started, the esmparv has been turning out between 10.000 and 12,500 ton daily. Steel Workers Pledge Aid Sydney, September 3. Kf Th- Sydney Stel Workers Union vctf-d tonight to "suspend opera- Continued on Page 10, Col 7.) Bader Parachute Fall Guarded by Spitfires London.
September 4 (Thurs-! P. Cable) The Daily Ex-r re', calling the episode the "most ctrnmatir five minutes of the war," i-cuv told how the Spitfire planes rf the 'Sles Wing Commander, iJougl.i It. Bader squadron, cover his parachute Jump ever- German territory last month. Hjd-r told his squadron he munt 2've hi plane and hi second in command promptly gave the order tit "see him afly to the ground else matter." "So he flouted down, the Spitfire p.rilied around him in a protective coil their circles ever hitting as he drifted with the wind, 2aer and lower until he had only a few hundred feet to go," the a d. "They watched him come to tartn.
They could do no more." By agreement with the Nan, ho raptured Bader, the R.A.F. dropped another artificial leg to re-place tne one he damaged in th' -rat hute landing. 'There has been no Indication so far as t- whether the limb has renrhed Bader, who formerly rorr-rrmnded tne so-called All-Canadian fcquadrfn of the R.A.Fj Japanese Held Unlikely to Move Until Command Given K0N0YE WARNS OF CRISIS Tokyo Premier Calls for Full Mobilization in 'Gravest' Hour By DOUGLAS ROBERTSON. (Wireless to The New York Times and The Gazette.) Shanghai. September 3.
(Wednesday) While Europe is locked in a death struggle and Japan and America are bandying platitudes. Japan's Kwantung army in Man-chukuo is rushing preparations for what seems likely to be all-out war against Soviet Siberian forces. Reliable reports reaching Shanghai declare the Japanese army is concentrating the mightiest force ever assembled in the Far East along the strategic South Manchuria railway, especially southward of Hsinking. The reports declare that mile after mile along the railway is covered with hastily erected shelters for tanks, airplanes, plane parts, artillery, small arms, and bombs, shells and other ammunition of every calibre. In addition, there are said to be vast reserves of food, especially rice and dried vegetables, and large stores of medical supplies.
The reports say that, although the main contingents of the Japanese forces moved from North China are at present based in the region northward of the railway from Harbin to Manchbul. virtually all the military supplies, including everything necessary for the movement of the army, have been concentrated southward of Hsinking along subsidiary railway lines. Observers here believe that Japan is waiting for an opportune moment to launch an attack on the Siber an maritime provinces, but hold that Japan will not move unless and until Adolf Hitler gives the commend. Konoye Warns of Crisis Tokyo. September 3.
JP) Tensely awaiting the approach of a United States tanker with gasoline for Russia, the Japanese nation heard a solemn warning from Premier Prince Konoye tonight that Japan faces the gravest crisis in her history. The Premier coupled his warning with a call for total mobilization of the nation's power. His statement was made to a round table conference of representatives of government and war industries, assembled to develop economic resources to the highest degree. It was the first public statement of the Premier since July 30 and came as leaders of Tohokai. extreme nationalist political group, threw their support to proposals for establishment of an ocean safety zone around Japan.
As advocated by extremists such a safety zone could shut off Vladivostok from American shipments. Konoye is said to be considering the plan. The first United States tanker bearing aviation gasoline for Russia is due in the Sea of Japan some time this week, and American reaction to Japan representations (Continued on Page 10. CoL 6.) Official Communiques RUSSIA: A Soviet Information Bureau communique early Thursday: "During September 3 our troops stubbornly fought the enemy along the whole front. "Thirty-nine enemy aircraft were brought down in air combats and destroyed on airdrome on September 1.
We lost 17 planes. "At the approaches to Leningrad Soviet fliers keep on successfully smashing enemy aircraft. About 70 enemy planes taking cover in the clouds raided a large airdrome. A group of oar fighters met the 'enemy. In the course of the air combat which ensued 11 Fascist planes were brought down.
"Senior-Lieut. Laiarev showed especially high skill and courage in this combat. Boldly attacking a group of enemy planes he destroyed five Junkers 87s. Junior-Lieut-Novikov brought down two Junkers and one Messerschmitt. "Next day our fliers attacked enemy land troeps from height of between 150 and 300 feet and destroyed two German tanks, 20 trucks and many wagons." A Soviet Information Bureao communique Wednesday: "During the night of September 2-3 our continued to fight the enemy on the entire front.
"Our air force continued to deal Mows on motoriied and mechanized forces of the enemy and hi infantry and artillery, and (Continued ca Page 10. Col. 3.) Men Report Uneventful Trip Message from Mackenzie King Delivered Somewhere in Britain, September 3. (CP. Cable.) Weary after a long sea and train journey, units of the 3rd Canadian Division settled down in barracks today after unpacking their kits and getting acquainted in their new quarters.
The first units of the latest contingent to land in Britain and join the Canadian Corps, reached camp late yesterday, and the others trickled in during the day. starting at 4 a.m. when trains with a British Columbia infantry battalion pulled in. The 3rd Division Was raised almost to full strength by the arrival of the troops, who represented all parts of Canada from Halifax to Victoria. They were greeted on arrival at a British port by C.
B. Price, divisional commander, and by Rear Admiral Sir Arthur Bromley, official greeter of the Dominions Office, who read a message of welcome from Prime Minister Mackenzie King. The convoy was guarded across the Atlantic by Canadian and British warships. Deptn charges were dropped once, but there was no evidence of submarines in the vicinity. The voyage was a foggy one.
The contingent Included a West Coast infantry battalion, a Western Canada regiment, a Quebec reconnaissance regiment, an Engineers' detachment, anti-aircraft units, an ambulance unit recruited mostly from Ontario and a mobile laundry detachment composed of French Canadians and Western Canadians who gave up all sorts of civilian jobs to keep army linen clean. When the men arrived in camp they started right in to settle down. Trucks loaded with duffle bags and equipment trundled through the camp, with groups of soldiers waiting to collect their belongings. The men soon were at home and it was not long until lines of laundry were hanging from the verandahs of the barracks, a thoroughly domestic scene. At some barracks the men first tried the bed.springs, claiming they were better than they had in Canada.
Sgt. J. A. Croft, Vancouver, who was supervising the unloading of equipment said he thought the men were going to like Britain. "It looks like a swell country so far.
and I haven't heard any squawks," he added. ALL AGREE FOOD IS GOOD. Pte. R. G.
Thorsen, a former Victoria newspaperman, backed him up and added: "The food's pretty good, too." Breakfast of cereal, baked ham, toast, jam and coffee was a good start for the day and the men were satisfied with the lunch as well-cold roast beef, potatoes, carrots, rice and tea. Credit for the good meals In this particular unit went to the cooks, Ray and Art Dallamore, 30-year-old twins from Vancouver. Bakers by profession, the twins, who are-also the unit's prize musicians, said they expected it would be "tough getting the ingredients for pies and doughnuts, but we'll see no one starves." Looking slightly weird were the members of one platoon who all had their heads shaved "We heard most of the Jerries cropped their hair, so thought maybe we would get a chance to fool them someday if we did the same thing." laughed Pte. L. C.
Buchanan of Vancouver. A Saskatchewan infantry unit was eating lunch of stew and took time out to praise the food and billets. "If things are as good as this all the time we'll have no complaints," (Continued on Page 19. Col 7.) INDEX TO Page Two Cattalo experiment succeeds. Radio news and reviews.
Webster cartoon. Page Three Theatre and music new. Under Gestapo Rule. Page Four Women's news and features. Blondie by Chic Young.
Culbertson on bridge. Page Five Women's news and features. Rural women's work lauded. Page Six "Ensol" for cancer endorsed. Gluyas Williams cartoon.
Page Seven Red victory vital to Britain. Europe's unrest growing. Page Eight Editorial Lippmann's "Today and Tomorrow." uazette cartoon. Page Nine Kent to attend Quebec dinner. Vichy hits black markets.
"The Neighbors" cartoon. Crossword puzzle. Page Eleven Feed situation improving. WAR TO ENRICH NO CANADIANS Ilsley Says Government Financing Takes Most ol Prolits Predicts More Widespread Economic Control as Materials Grow Scarce Edmonton, September 3. CB Finance Minister J.
L. Ilsley said today the Dominion Government is so financing the war that fortunes cannot be accumulated in Canada out of wartime profits. In the second address of a western tour in interests of the war savings campaign. Mr. Ilsley said Canada would be able to carry its debt burden after the war by keeping interest rates down.
He addressed a joint meeting of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Club. Yesterday he opened the tour with an adorers at Saskatoon. The Minister predicted "more widespread economic controls, more positive and direct controls." "We have now reached the limit of our productive capacity in a number of industries, and scarcities and shortages are becoming more numerous and acute. "More materials and labor must now be diverted to war purposes from civilian consumption of many things." The Canadian war expenditure in this fiscal year would be about $1,450,000,000. and in addition there was normal Dominion Government expenditure of about $468,000,000.
The Government will also need $900,000,000 to pay for war supplies obtained by the British Govern ment in Canada, and $2,700,000,000 or $2,800,000,000 must be obtained by the Canadian Government during the present fiscal year to cover these requirements. The Government had adopted the pay-as-you-go principle meet' ing war costs to a large extent be cause "in the first place, we do not want to delude ourselves by ininK-ing that we can escape the real cost now by borrowing. "We cannot, unless we borrow from other countries, shift our burdens to them. It is now. during the war, that we must work harder, deny ourselves luxuries, reduce our average national standard of living, to meet the needs of war.
"It is best to recognize these facts and to reflect them in our finance (Continued on Page 10, Col. 4.) A. CONROY Reporter.) ten carefully. As far as I recall the telegram read; "Am flying down immediately. Will be there tomorrow afternoon.
Would say you are being paid laborer's wages when you should be paid at foun-drymen rates (Signed) Campbell," said Menard. "Did he send it?" asked Aime Geoffrion, K.C., company counsel, in cross-examination. "I don't know," the witness said. "All I know is that it was read as coming from him." Major S. Campbell, federal Department of Labor conciliation officer, is the person referred to.
"Did Campbell mention it when he came?" "No." "Did he allude to it in any way during the negotiations?" "No" "Did that telegram mean a raise a reduction in wages to you?" After a short interval of questioning to set the point, the witness replied that he thought the new classification meant a wage increase. (Continued on page 10, Col. 1.) U.S. SHIPYARDS AHEADOFPLANS Will Launch 1,153 Ships in 30-Month Period Personnel of Mission to Moscow Announced by Roosevelt Washington, September 3. Jf) Admiral Emory S.
Land, chairman of the Maritime Commission, asserted today that the United Stales shipbuilding program was ahead of schedule, not behind, as some have claimed. From July. 1941. to lh2 end of 1943. a total of at least 1,153 vessels of 12,410,000 deadweight tonnage will slide off the ways he said In another shipping progress report the Navy Department announced that 213 vessels of all classes had been completed since January 1 and that keels had been laid for 4.16 others.
Only finishing touches ait needeC the navy added, to make 249 more craft ready for the two ocean fleet. Two battleships, nine submarines 12 destroyers and 42 patrol vessels are among the ships launched since the first of the year. The Treasury, at the same time, released figures for August, show ing $1,124,000,000 had been expended for defence in that month, and $2,084,000,000 for July and August, a sum more than five times that spent in the corresponding two months a year ago. Meanwhile, to set the program of United States help to Russia moving. President Roosevelt today appointed a five-man mission to confer with a similar British delegation and with Soviet officials at Moscow.
At its head he placed W. Averell Harriman who has been working on the lend-lease program at London and to its membership he named James H. Burns. George H. Brett.
Admiral (Continued on Page 10. Col 6.) York Times and The Gazette.) to British convoys is bringing supplies for the British at an unprecedented rate. American army men are teaching British crews to operate American tanks which are arriving in ever-increasing numbers; American-built aircraft have already played a large part in giving the R.A.F. mastery of the skies over Cirenaica and much of the Mediterranean. On the other hand so effective is the joint action of the navy, the Fleet Air Arm and the R.A.F.
that it is estimated that 80 per cent, of Axis shipping dispatched for Libvc. in August has either failed to reach port, was bombed to pieces in Libyan harbors, or was sunk when returning home. With almost its full strength of British, South African, Australian New Zealand and Indian troops, the Middle East command is now available for service in the Westeni Desert, and Britain stands to grov constantly stronger on that Until reinforcements are supplied by some new means the Axis force1; in Libya will grow weaker. There is even evidence to indicate tlnl (Continued on Page 10, Col. 1.) Day of Sweep Into Libya Hearing As British Striking Power Grows Fake Telegram Inciting Strike Is Revealed in Inquiry atArvida By LAWRENCE (Gazette Staff Chicoutimi.
September 3. Outside Interference from undisclosed sources in the strike at the Arvida Work of the Aluminum Company of Canada last July, was hinted in evidence brought before the Royal Commission here today. An allegedly false telegram to the vorkmen on July 24 and the presence of a stranger at the main gate a few minutes before the strike broke out, were described by witnesses heard during the session, which was featured by the testimony of workmen, members of various strikers' committees which dealt with the company and the labor officials. It was Henri Menard, 26, a carbon changer, member of the first strikers' committee of five which dealt with the company a lew minutes after the strike broke out. who testified concerning the telegram He was with the strikers, he said, when a man he did not recognize handed the telegram through the wire fence, "A man named Racine read it out loud.
I was too far to see it for myself, but I took pains to lis- or (Special Cable to The New Cairo, September 3. Although most observers fail to read any deep significance into the desultory patrolling, raiding and artillery fighting now going on around To-bruk and the Cirenaican border, they agree that there is at least one more really big battle due in the Western Desert. For Gen Sir Claude Auchinleck is almost certain to attempt to clear Cirenaica and Tripolitania of Axis forces before the- Germans win the Russian campaign or reach a stalemate which will m.ike it advisable to shift their striking forces elsewhere. The time when this battle for Libya will be launched is a point in question and even Gen. Auchin-leck may not know.
The proper moment will depend on three variables: The amount of men and material reaching the Axis forces in Libya, the amount of supplies, munitions and equipment mostly American reaching the British Middle East forces, and the progress of the Russian campaign. The supply stream for Libya is now dwindling to a trickle while the opening of the Mediterranean.
