St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 1

PATC I NAL ON TODAY'S EDITORIAL PAGE A Tragedy for St. Louis: Editorial. Tze Only Evening Newspaper in St, Louis With the Associated Press News Service Vol. 95. No.

331. (65th Year). ST. LOUIS, MONDAY, AUGUST 26 PAGES TT5 TrTf -i Grter Bt. Louis YANKS TAKE KEY SIXTH GRAND JURY CITY MOURNS FOR MAYOR BECKER, 9 OTHERS KILLED IN GLIDER CRASH; ALOYS P.

KA UFMANN IS NEW MA YOR TO AXIS LINE AND 10,000 PRISONERS 20 of 175 Liberators Lost Before Fatal Flight; Glider Smashed Mil TARY RflARfl K. BEGINS ENQUIRY; IF 'imrrr. congress to send r-4- SJ far 1 -A- n' Vf jr4 bmniiil inw iwmimtnilllinHlflT.rininiiii miliia i t. tMmmmmmm i( i 1 Hy Hu.l a I'nut-lXnpRtch Ptnff rhntopraplier. From Mtt CHARLES L.

CUNNINGHAM. MAX II. DOYNE. LT. COL.

PAUL II. HAZEL-TON, MAYOR WILLIAM DEE BECKER, THOMAS N. DYSART. MAJ. WILLIAM B.

ROBERTSON, HAROLD A. KRUEGER and COUNTY JUDGE HENRY L. MUELLER seated in the troop and freight carrying glider as it took off on a flight that ended in disaster. The take-off started immediately after the Post-Dispatch photographer had snapped this picture. in Raid on Ploesti Oil Fields in Rumania Heavy Attack Made at Smokestack Level.

GREAT FIRES SET AMONG REFINERIES U. S. Airmen Make 2400-Mile Round Trip, Drop 300 'Tons of Explosives 51 Enemy Fighters Are Shot Down. CAIRO, Aug. 2 (AP).

An armada of 175 Liberator bombers of the United States Ninth Air Force flew a 2400-mile round trip yesterday to dump 300 tons of explosives in a low-level attack on the Ploesti oil fields in Rumania, one of the chief sources of the Axis fuel supply. Announcement of the raid, described as the "biggest low level mass raid in history," was made last night by MaJ. Gen. Lewis H. Brereton, commander of the Ninth Air Force.

20 U. S. Bombers Downed. A communique issued by the Middle East air command today said that "20 of the Liberators are reported to have been shot down over the target area and a number have not yet returned to base." At least 51 enemy planes, Including Messerschmitt 109s and 110s and Focke-Wulf 190s were reported destroyed, the communique added. It described enemy opposition over the target area and on the return journey as heavy.

(The German communique asserted that 36 four-engined "bombers were shot down. It said that 12J planes participated, but that only 60 to 70 were abje to make "a coherent attack" on the oil district. (The Rome radio in a broadcast recorded by Reuters news flEency said 60 United States airmen who hulled out when their planes were shot down were captured by German and Rumanian troops.) Force Uses Special Sights. The rioesti area, 35 miles north of Bucharest, Rumanian capital, supplies about one-third of the Axis oil requirements for the Russian and Italian fronts, and according to Gen. Brereton has a daily production capacity of about 18,000 tons.

The big bombers, using special sights, swept in at smokestack height 100 to 500 feet to drop their cargo on seven huge refineries and other installations. Long after the first planes attacked great fires were reported still rag ing in the oil fields. Brig. Gen. Victor H.

Strahm, chief of staff to Gen. Brereton, praised the 2000 specially trained airmen who took part in the attack and predicted that the raid would "materially affect the course of the war." "We bombed the refineries, storage tanks, distilleries and cracking plants," Gen. Strahm said. "Between 150 and 200 big Liberators went over their targets and dropped high explosive bombs and wrecked installations with ma- chine-gun fire. They left Ploesti's big refineries burning.

Long after the bombers passed, delayed action (Continued on 1'age 8, Column 4 I IN MELENDES CASE REPORTS; FAILS TO INDICT ANYONE Hennings, Hewitt Indicate Official Inquiry Is Ended Jury, Recessed Till Sept. 7, Could Take Up New Evidence. The State grand jury returned a report today finding no indictment for any law violation in the death of Edward Melendes in a police cell a 'year ago, but it declared its ac tion did not mean there was no evidence that police "exercised at ail times iorebearance and re straint, as well as vigilance and care" in the treatment of prisoners in their custody. Circuit Attorney Thomas C. Hennings Jr.

and Assistant State Attorney General Covell R. Hewitt, who worked on the case with the grand jury, did not make any statements in the courtroom when the report was turned over to Circuit Judge Edward M. Ruddy. Later, however, they indicated to reporters that this grand jury Investigation the sixth to be con-! ducted into the death of Melendes wound up the case, as far as official inquiries were concerned. After the report was submitted, the Jury recessed until Sept.

7. It was pointed out that, if new evi dence in the Melendes case should be uncovered during the recess, the jury could again take it up. Obligation of Police. In its report, the jury said that in it sopinion a Police Department "owes the duty, consonant with ehe high power of custodianship, to all persons over whom they may have domain, to protect them from violence or mistreatment whatsoever, as well as to see to it that adequate medical care and hospitalization facilities be rendered and accorded to them, should the need of such treatment and care be evident or suspected." Wanita Johnson and Andrew Brinkley, two witnesses against the police in previous inquiries into Melendes death, had made statements that medical attention was refused Melendes and that he was given only an aspirin tablet when his face was swollen almost beyond recognition and he was moaning with pain from a severe beating he had received. The report continued: "Citizens of St.

Louis have the right to demand that law enforcement offi cers comply not only with the statute law (concerning the responsibility of the care of prisoners), denouncing physical violence, but that they be animated by the dictates of decent, humane conduct." Recommendations, With this In mind the jury made the following recommendations to the Board of Police Commissioners: "Whenever a suspect is taken into any of the police stations for questioning, it would be desirable, we believe, to have all questioning carried out only in the presence of the commanding officer, or any other superior officer in authority. "That practice would have a two-fold purpose: (1) It would act as a restraint upon any police officer, who, in his zeal in performance of duty, might be tempted to exercise force in gaining confessions; (2) The present of a superior officer will tend to reduce to a minimum unjust accusations leveled at any officer for conduct displayed in the course of the questioning of a suspect. "If, in the arrest of a suspect," the report continued, "there is Continued on i'age Column 1. than half the island In record um" We are proud to fight beside our American Allies. "The beginning has been very good, thanks to your splendid fighting qualities, hard work and the devotion to duty of all those who work In the ports, on the roads and In the rear areas.

We must not forget to give thanks to 'the Lord, mighty in battle, for giving us such a good beginning toward the attainment of our ob ject. "And now let us get on with the job. Together with our Amer ican Allies, we knocked Mussolini off his perch. We will now drive the Germans from Sicily. Into battle with stout heart.

Good luck to you all." Gen. Montgomery narrowly es caped iniury last Tuesday on a visit to Lt. Gen. George S. Patton Jr.

when his Flying Fortress ground-looped on a short runway. liX TASTK ANII HFNTIMENT Send i Ull-ri "Bwcets-f rom-Hom." I.ctrd randi.s In a paokajc. approvM for overseas mail, 30c at ilavrakoj. of of the glider on Lambert-St. Louis Field.

FUNERAL FOR 'Offensive Has It 1st Announced i Americans Capture San Stefano, British Begin Big Push. ALLIES RESUME RAIDS ON ITALY Naples and Capodichino Airdrome Bombed Warships Bombard Two Harbors on Mainland. By BELMAN MORIX ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN KORTH AFRICA, Aug. 2 (AP). The American Seventh Army has eaptured San Stefano to crumple the north end of the Axis line in Mcily and has taken 10,000 more I prisoners, moiitly German, at the I innlion (dtatn I nx miles to the outh, which also fell to the troops of LL Gen.

George B. Patton Jr. On the Catania front, where Stubborn German defenses have held up the British Eighth Army for two weeks, Gen. Sir Bernard I. Montgomery was reported to have opened his big push and German and French radio reports admitted the British had seized Important positions near the city.

An official statement declared that Allied forces in Sicily "have started an offensive." The American, Eritish and Canadian ground forces obviously were trying for a knockout and they were being given strong aerial and naval support. Flying Fortresses made good the Allied threat to resume bombing of the Italian mainland unless Italy quit the war. The big bombers delivered a heavy assault on Naples harbor and the nearby airdrome of Capodichino. Allied warships shelled two harbors in Italy in an acceleration of land, sea and air blows intended to hasten the capitulation of the Italians. San Stefano was the north const anchor of the enemy's Etna line.

Its loss threatened to roll the Axis armies back rapidly into the dwin dling Messina bridgehead. It is 60 miles west of Messina. Th Allied communique, which announced the capture of San tiefano, also made official the pre viously reported fall of three other -towns, Assoro, Nissoria and Nicosia, In the central sector, but failed to mention the drive by the Eighth Army, reported in front dispatches. Steady progress was reported Officially all along tne oicuian front, and the Eighth Army was said to have repelled strong German counter-attacks with heavy losses. Canadians battling ahead in the central area were engaged in heavy fighting, but their advances continued.

Both American and Canadian forces were battling through high ground, frequently reaching altitudes of 2500 feet, studded with German machine-gun positions and covered by heavy artillery. The capture of San Stefano put the Americans in full control of a major road running from there southward through Nicosia and pave them a strategic artery for quick transport of troops and guns through the vital north central region. This news followed yesterday's announcement that the Americans had captured nine Continued on 1'age 6, Column 2. Today's War News AI.I.U.I) IIEAIHJUARTEKS IN 5UKT1I AFRICA Yunk take Sun St-fano. north anchor of Ger mans' Mt Ktna line In Sicily, as British Eighth Army opens big pu.h on Catania, on east; MIn- trttta, KOiith of Sun SN-fano, also fall to Va--' with prisoners; Naples bombed In resumption of Allied air attacks on Italian mainland; British warships shell Crotone.

CAIRO German-held oil fllls at I'hx-ftti, Ktimanla, heavily bombed hy 175 IJberators In a low level attack, large fires set; 20 of V. S. bombers missing; attack requires 2400-mile round trip. LONDON Italians reported flee ing from cities In anticipation of threatened bombings as Badogllo Government continues to delay re ply to surrender demand; Germans also reported evacuating civilians from Berlin; 108 Flying Fortresses lost In July raids on Europe, with JSO0 German fighters reported downed. MOSCOW Soviet command an nounces new advances of three and lone-half to miles, capture of 0 more populated place around f'rcl; atrong German attacks again epulsed in Donets basin.

EXECUTIVE FACES UNFINISHED TASKS, WILL SERVE TILL NOVEMBER '44 New City Leader, 40, Al- dermanic Head 3 Months, to Administer Merit System, Help Pick Airport Site. (Picture on Page 4-A.) Aloys P. Kaufmann, youthfal First Ward Republican leader, wlio had served as President of the Board of Aldermen for only a little more than three months, became Mayor of St. Louis automatically yesterday afternoon with the death Mayor William Dee Becker. Kaufmann will serve the unex pired term until the next general election In November, 1944.

Mayor Becker term would have ended in April, 1945. His automatic eleva tion to city chief executive and the length of term he is to serve are set out in the city charter as follows "Whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of Mayor, the President of the Board of Aldermen shall become Mayor, and shall hold such office until a successor is elected and qualifies. Such election, if for an unexpired term, shall be tt the first general city or State election held 50 days or more after such vacancy occurs." Expected to Take Oath Today. Although the city charter is silent as to whether an- alder- manic president must be sworn in as Mayor when succeeding to that office, the City Counselor's office rave an opinion that Kaufmann should take the oath of office in the regular manner, and that he should do so today. The new Mayor said he preferred to wait several days, but would take the oath this afternoon, if the Counselor's office so advised him in writing.

Kaufmann said he intends to make a statement within the next day or so as to his policies, and whether he will continue Mayor Becker's approach to the various problems confronting the city government. Among Kaufmann's early duties will be the appointment of a new Director of Public Utilities to succeed Max H. Doyne, also killed In Continued on rage 4, Column 2. Scattered Showers THE TEMPERATURES 1 a. m.

77 9 a. m. 79 2 a. m. 76 10 a.

m. 82 3 a. m. 76 11 a. m.

85 4 a. m. 75 12 noon 87 5 a. m. 75 1 p.

m. 89, 6 a. m. 74 2 p. m.

91 7 a. m. 75 3 p. m. 92 8 a.

m. VH 4 p. m. 93 Nor int maximum thla datt, 88; rjimal minimum, 70. Yehlfrtiay'a hluh, 84 (3:45 p.

m.l4 low, 69 (.1:30 a. Relative humidity at 1 p. m. today, 88 pr cent. Weather in other cities Page 5D Official forecast for St.

Louis and vicinity: Scattered thun-dershowers -night, with little change In tem ITALY OH AXIS? perature; not so warm tomorrow forenoon. Missouri: Scat tered showers and thunder stormn In northwest and extreme north portions tonight and in south west and east -central portions tomorrow forenoon; cooler in northwest and extreme north POSr.DISHAICM WEATHER BIRO -t or- portions; slightly warmer in southeast, little change in temperature elsewhere tonight; cooler in west and north portions, little change In temperature in southeast quarter tomorrow forenoon. Illinois: Thundershowers in northwest and extreme north por tlons this afternoon and in east and south portions tonight; cooler In north and central portions to night, cooler tomorrow forenoon; winds occasionally 25 to 35 miles per hour in thundershowers. Sunset, sunrise, tomorrow, 6:02. Stage of the Mississippi at St Louis, 12 feet, a rise of the Mis souri at St.

unaries, 17.9 feet, a rise of .7. 'All lta. Inrhidlna forr-t nnrt utlird by tinll.d Slate wcatner tirnu.) Foll.n count. Grata, 2. 24 bour I a.

MAN TO BE AT 2 P.M. TOMORROW INVESTIGATORS Craft Loses Right Wing on Test Flight at City Airport It Falls as Horrified Thousands Look On. THOMAS N. DYSART 1 AMONG THE VICTIMS iMaj. William B.

Robert- son, Max H. Doyne, C. L. Cunningham and Henry L. Mueller Also Lose Lives.

A military board of inquiry is meeting today to determine the cause of the city's greatest aerial disaster, the spectacular crash of an Army glider in a demonstration flight yesterday afternoon at Lambert-St. Louis Field, which cost the lives of Mayor William Dee Becker and nine others, including other public officials and Army officers. The crash, at 3:55 o'clock, was in full view of a crowd of several thousand which had gathered for a pleasant Sunday afternoon outing, and fctunned those assembled at the airport into shocked silence. List of Dead. The dead, besides Mayor Becker: Thomas N.

Dysart, president of the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce. Max H. Doyne, Director of Public Utilities. Charles L.

Cunningham, Deputy Comptroller. Henry L. Mueller, Presiding Judge of the St. Louis County Court. Maj.

William B. Robertson, founder and president of the Robertson Aircraft Corporation, which manufactures the gliders for the Army. Capt. Milton C. Klugh of Stout Field, Indianapolis, pilot of the glider.

Lt. Col. Paul H. Hazelton, supervisor here of the Army Air Forces Materiel Command Midwestern Procurement Division. Harold A.

Krueger, vic-president and chief engineer of the Robertson Aircraft Corporation. Pvt. J. M. Davis of Stout Field, mechanic of the glider crew.

Flags at Half Staff. Flags on city buildings, and those of many business establishments. were flown today at half staff in memory of the Mayor and those who died with him. The new Mayor, A. P.

Kaufmann, directed that the city's flags be flown at half staff until after the funerals of the city officials who died. An order grounding all gliders now at Lambert-St. Louis Field, of the type of the one which crashed, was issued today by MaJ. Ralph W. Page, in command of Army Air Forces operations at the field.

About 12 gliders, some made by the Robertson Aircraft Corporation, builders of the wrecked aircraft, and some by another concern, were affected by the order, which will be in effect until War Department haa completed its inquiry. Investigators for the United States Senate and House of Representatives are to participate in the Inquiry, and three officers from Stout Field, Indianapolis, headquarters of the First Troop Car- 73f -V. S. Navy rhotograph. MAYOR BECKER Services Will Be at Scot tish Rite Cathedral Rites for Dysart Are Planned for 2 P.

M. Wednesday. Funeral services for Mayor William Dee Becker will be held to morrow afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, 3637 Llndell boulevard. The Rev. C.

Oscar Johnson, pastor of Third Baptist Church, will deliver the sermon, while John S. Leahy, an attorney and long a friend of Mayor Becker, will give wil, be tne soloist th cere mony, which will be followed by the Rose Croix service of the Scottish Rite Order. Interment at Hollrfontnlno Cemetery will be private. Gov. Forrest C.

Donnell canceled a meeting scheduled to be held in Kansas City td come here for the funeral. Mrs. Lawrence H. Stern, only daughter of the Mayor and Mm. Becker, will arrive here early tomorrow from Wisconsin, where she had been vacationing with her husband.

The body, now at the Lupton undertaking establishment, 7233 Dclmar boulevard, will lie in state there until noon tomorrow, when it will be taken to the Cathedral, where a guard of honor of policemen and firemen will stand watch until (I. I Services for Thomas N. Dysart, president of the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce, will be in Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust street, at 2 p. m.

Wednesday. Interment will be In Bellefontalne Cemetery. MaJ. William B. Robertson, president of the Robertson Aircraft Corporation, will be buried tomorrow following services -at St.

Michael and St. George's Episcopal Church, Wydown and Ellenwood avenues, at 3:30 p. m. Arrangements for the funerals of Harold A. Krueger, vice-president and chief engineer for the Robertson firm, and Lt.

Col. Paul II. Itaxelton, of the Army Air Forces, are still lo he. made. Col.

Wreckage TELLS OF CRASH: GLIDER HIT NOSEJIRST Suddenness of Tragedy Stunned Crowd, Which Already Thought Dem-onstration a Success. Ferd ColtVwb, viembrr of the editorial page a to If of the J'vst-Dispatch, was an. eyewitness of the fatal glider crash at Lambert-St. Louis Field yesterday. His story follows: i PULSING roar came from the I twin motors of the transport plane, and it began to taxi along the runway toward the cen ter of the field.

Fifty yards behind it, the jd'der moved from Its position near the fence at the northwest corner of the field, drawn slowly by a slender white rope. This was the moment for which the huge Sunday afternoon crowd at Lambert Field had waited. Thousands of St. Louisans had read the newspaper announce ments of the military glider dem onstration, and they had turned out in such numbers that their cars packed the airport parking space and nearby roadsides. Peo ple filled the midway, jammed the steps of the terminal building and packed in all along the high wire fences.

Air-minded small boys, watching the scene with professional interest, perched atop the fences and on their fathers' shoulders to see the city's first exhibition of a glider in action. "Notice that the tow plane starts slowly, so there will be no undue strain on the rope," said the brassy loudspeaker, transmitting the voice of the announcer in the control tower as the two aircraft moved across the field. "The rope is made of nylon," he added, and the statement gave many a woman spectator a readily acceptable explanation of what had become of nylon stockings. Glider Takes to the Air. The tow pliine left the ground nn gradual and easy upward slant, Continued on I'age Column 1.

EYEWITNESS XantDoMuch When Our Time Comes to Die' Mayor Becker's Reply to Question on Flight Hazard. "When our time comes to die," Mayor William Dee Becker said two days ago, "there isn't much we can do about it." The Mayor was answering the question of a Post-Dispatch re porter, Saturday morning, as to his plan regarding the glider test, to which the Mayor had been invited for Sunday afternoon. "Oh, yes, I'm going up," Mayor Becker said, "and Mrs. Becker is going with me. he said in answer to another question, "I've never been in a glider, though I have flown In most of the other types of aircraft, including the helicopter." Asked whether he thought the glider might be hazardous, or whether it was prudent for several city officials to try it at once, the Mayor said he did not think there was any danger, and made the remark first quoted.

He said that, after the flight, he and Mrs. Becker planned to visit the home of Joseph Dcsloge, on the bluffs north of the airport. Mayor Recognized Hazard. When a reporter suggested to Mayor Becker at his press conference Saturday that it was hazardous to take tip so many officials Continued on l'age Column 6. PICTURES OF GLIDER FLIGHT, BECKER'S CAREER ON PAGE IC PICTURES of the fatal glider flight at Lambert-St.

Louis Field, from takeoff to crash, appear on Page 1-C, where there is also a pictorial record of the. official career ot Mayor William Dee Becker. 'We Knocked Mussolini Off Perch Montgomery Says; Praises Yanks WITH ALLIED FORCES IN SICILY. Aug. 2 (AP).

Gen. Sir Hernard L. Montgomery In a per sonal message to his Eighth Army troops declared today that "together with our American allies we knocked Mussolini off his perch" and "we will now drive the Germans from Sicily." His message was dated July 30. The text of Gen. Montgomery's message: "The Allied armies landed In Sicily, on Italian soil, on the tenth of July, magnificently supported by the Royal Navy and Allied air forces, and today they are in possession of the whole island except for the northeast corner, where the enemy is now hemmed In.

"I want to tell you soldiers of the Eighth Army that this has bpen a very fine performance. On your behalf I expressed to the command of the American Seventh Army on our left the congratulations of the Eighth Army for the way In which American troops captured and cleaned up more Continued on Page 3, Column 2..