U.S. troops toughen up at Aussie training base
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French envoy asks U.S. view on Martinique
Freedom of island from Axis influence sought by Washington
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Background of news –
Ceylon, gate of India
By Editorial Research Reports
After two heavy attacks on Ceylon, off the southwest coast of India, the Japanese have left the island in peace. This may mean either that the enemy forces are being reinforced for an even stronger attack on Ceylon, or that any Japanese invasion of India will ignore Southern India for the time being and move against Calcutta, not far from Burma.
The power holding Ceylon dominates the southern tip of the great Indian peninsula. Ceylon in places is only 35 miles from the mainland, and at one point a chain of sandbanks and reefs, known as Adam’s Bridge, gives almost complete land connection between Ceylon and India. No islands lie in the Bay of Bengal between Ceylon and the Andaman Islands, 800 miles to the east. The Andamans were occupied by Japan on March 23, after being evacuated by the British.
The power holding Ceylon might control also the Arabian Sea and the sea route to Iran through the Arabian Sea. For west of Ceylon, in the Arabian Sea, are the Maldive Islands, about as close to Ceylon (400 miles) as to India. And north of the Maldives, nearer to them than to India, is another group of coral islets, the Laccadives.
On April 13 Prime Minister Churchill announced that Japan had in the Bay of Bengal, ready to strike at either Ceylon or India proper, a formidable naval force of at least three battleships, five aircraft carriers, a number of heavy and light cruisers, and several flotillas of destroyers. Planes from the carriers had sunk the British heavy cruisers, Dorsetshire and Cornwall.
On April 5, scores of Japanese planes bombarded Colombo, capital of Ceylon and a British naval base. Four days later came an attack on Trincomalee, the other British naval base on Ceylon. The dispatches did not make clear whether the attack was delivered from the surface as well as from the air. London announced that heavy punishment had been inflicted on the enemy air force. Tokyo claimed a victory, saying that many more British than Japanese planes had been shot down, and that much British shipping in the harbor had been sunk or damaged. Mr. Churchill admitted to the House of Commons that “practically all our aircraft taking part in the attack were knocked out, or seriously damaged, or became unserviceable.” On April 10, the British aircraft carrier Hermes was sunk 10 miles off Ceylon.
Ceylon, with a length of 260 miles and an average width of 100 miles, is about as large as West Virginia, with a native population of some six million. Of recent years the growing of rubber has increased, and in 1939 rubber exports amounted to some 50,000 tons, equivalent to eight percent of the normal annual consumption of the United States.
For centuries Ceylon had a rich civilization, and the ruins (completely overgrown by jungle until 100 years ago) of the temples and gardens at Anuradhapura, the ancient capital, and Polonnaruwa, the medieval capital, are elaborate and extensive. At the end of the 18th century, the island was taken over by England in the war between England and holland. The severity with which the British put down native riots during World War I left considerable animosity among the natives.
Chinese crush Japs on Burma Road, kill 4,500 in trap
Stillwell clamps vice on Mandalay and foe is forced to evacuate town on border
By Robert P. Martin, United Press staff writer
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Senate Chaplain dies of heart ailment at 67
Washington (UP) –
Rev. ZeBarney Philips, Chaplain of the Senate and Dean of the Washington National Cathedral, died last night of heart disease after a brief illness.
The 67-year-old rector, a lifelong Republican, had served in the Senate since 1927 and had conducted many memorial services for deceased members.
Mr. Philips was installed as Dean last Nov. 26, giving up his post as rector of the Church of the Epiphany here after 17 years.
Sentiment for sales tax seen growing in Congress
Passage of levy expected because of opposition to increase in individual income taxes
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On the home front –
Army will ‘bust’ reserve officers physically unfit
Those with 15 years service will be transferred to inactive reserve or be permitted to resign
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The Pittsburgh Press (May 12, 1942)
The transportation headache –
Railroads await order to install preference rating
Company officials, watching increasing traveling congestion, sees needs for action giving prior rights to those on war missions
By Dale McFeatters, Pittsburgh Press staff writer
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Women’s Army Corps approved by Senate
Washington (UP) –
The Senate, by a vote of 38–27, today passed a bill to set up a Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps. It rejected attempts to restrict the women to service in the United States.
The measure, which has been approved by the House, now goes to the White House for President Roosevelt’s signature.
It would permit the Army to enroll a maximum of 150,000 women in the auxiliary for non-combat service with the Regular Army.