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Served By Leased Wire Of The ' +4 . ^ a - 5555 tlmtngintt iUnntttuj Btfttt* •Sr 1°[" ~ “---— _WILMINGTON, N. C., MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1943 FINAL EDITION ESTABLISHED 1867. Shoes suddenly Put Under Ration Plan By U. S. Government SALES TO CEASE Actual Dole Of Apparel To Begin Tuesday Over Entire Nation 3 PAIRsTeACH YEAR Members Of Family May Pool Coupons To Pro vide For Emergency WASHINGTON, Feb. 7. — ,/P) „ The government sud denly put shoes under ration ing today. Sales are prohibit ed tomorrow; the rationing starts Tuesday. The ration is three pairs a vear for every man, woman and child, but members of a familv may pool their cou pons so that some may buy more if others buy less. The rationing covers all shoes containing any leather and all rubber-soled shoes, but not slippers, soft-soled baby shoes or storm wear such as rubbers and arctics. Shoe repair work and second hand shoes are not rationed. Stop Making Some Kinds At the same time announcement was made that manufacturers will be ordered to stop making evening slippers, men’s patent - leather shoes, two-tone shoes and many tvpes of special sports wear in or der to make the best use of the leather supply. In contrast to advance publicity on previous rationing undertakings, the shoe order was promulgated from the White House, without ad vance warning either to the public or businessmen, at 2:30 P. M., Eastern War Time, today and went into effect a half hour later. When rationed sales start Tues day, the Number 17 stamp of sugar-coffee ration books will be used. Every such stamp will be good for one pair of shoes until June 15 when a new stamp will be designated. Officials said that the nation still has a large stock of shoes and ra tioning was instituted to prevent hoarding and to provide as liberal a ration as possible. First announcement was made from the White House by James F. Byrnes, director of economic stabilization, who said that shoe I rationing was inevitable because I the submarine menace limits im ports of hides and because the armed forces are taking about one-third of the available supply of sole leather. One hundred sol diers, he explained, wear out 17 pairs of shoes a month. Besides rationing, he said, the supply of leather will be conserved by limiting manufacturers “to the most essential types of shoes;” by eliminating all colors except white, black, town brown, and Army rus set: by eliminting decorative straps and other wasteful leather styles; limiting the use of heavy duty leather to work shoes; limiting ladies’ heels to not more than 2 5-8 inches in height; and prohibiting civilian boots more than 10 inches high. As specific examples of “less essential shoes” slated for discard f°r the duration, Byrnes listed “many sport shoes, men’s patent leather shoes, women’s formal evening slippers, men’s sandals, metal spike golf shoes.” While promising the public a vide selection of all “more essen fial” types of shoes, Byrnes said Ibe shoe industry was being ask ed to develop “war model or util ity types of shoes of standard qual ity and pleasing design at a rea sonable price.” In addition, the industry will be urged to seek a new model using « (Continued on Page Five; Col. 6) -V WEATHER FORECAST! Mond- N°rth Carolina—slightly warmer WASHINGTON, Feb. 7—(IP)—Weather bureau records of temperatures and rain ;?u *°r the 24 hours ending 8 p. m. in Principal cotton growing areas and bh-'where: Ration High-Low ft’fall Asheville_ 46 30 0.00 Atlantic Citv_ 43 37 0.00 "°ston__*_ 40 35 0.00 Burlington_ 35 31 0.00 Cincinnati_ 44 28 0.00 ver_ 67 37 0.00 B'uluth _ 24 3 0.00 Galveston _ 65 48 0.00 Kansas City_ 65 37 0.00 Rock_ 72 34 0.00 ;jemphis _ G6 36 0.00 •■“ami _ 67 49 0.00 M°bile _ 66 39 0.00 York_ 38 35 0.00 B'ttsburgh _ 26 24 0.00 Portland, Me._ 40 32 0.00 Louis_ 62 30 0.00 ■Hannah _ 61 46 0.00 Vicksburg _ 68 29 0.00 (Continued on Page Three; Col. 3) Solons Look To Hoover To Help In Fight Over Controlling Army Size WASHINGTON, Feb. 7.—(/P)— Senators determined to keep the size of the fighting forces in scale with the nation’s abil ty to feed and supply them looked hopefully today for sup port from Herbert Hoover. The former president is to testify on the problem tomorrow before a Senate Appropriations sub committee. “I think that whatever Mr. Hoover says will carry a great deal of weight throughout the country,” said Senator Thomas (D-Okla) of the subcommittee. “He studied the problem of sup plies very thoroughly when he was food administrator in the last war. And he’s not involved with the government now. Most of the testimony we have received so far has been from men who are taking orders from the government.” NEW CRISIS SEEN IN LIVING COSTS Government Experts Be lieve Trouble Coming In Inflation Fight WASHINGTON, Feb. 7— m — Some government economists ex pressed belief today that the na tion faces a new crisis in the fight to hold down the cost of living. These experts, whose views might not necessarily jibe with those of superiors who actually administer the anti-inflation pro grams and who prefer to remain anonymous, make these points. 1. Labor is actively demanding higher wages. 2. Farm groups are organizing to demand higher prices for farm products. 3. Enforcement of price controls has not been fully effective. 4. Tax and savings legislation is being delayed. Those who cite these claims want a general tightening up of admin istration policy, preferably by in tervention of President Roosevelt who, they said, has been too busy with military and international af fairs to give much time to the prob lem. Labor’s demands were voiced re cently when CIO President Phillip Murray and AFL President Wil liam Green said at the White House that their men needed higher wag es because the cost of living was rising. About the same time, John L. Lewis demanded a $2 a day in creases for his miners, and the railroad unions spoke up for more pay. Smaller labor groups have petitioned for increases from the War Labor Board and in some cases obtained them. As for the farmers, after a bit ter fight in Congress the Office of Price Administration got au thority to put ceilings on farm prices at parity levels. There then arose a controversy about the meaning of parity. The administra tion insists that the amount of government benefit payments must be deducted in figuring parity. Farm groups say that should not be done and moreover there should be something extra for the unusual ly high cost of farm labor. Ques tions over subsidy also are in volved. On Capitol Hill, gloomy reports from the farm belts over pros pects for meeting 1943 food pro duction goals brought a renewal today of pleas for higher agricul tural prices to enable producers to complete for manpower. Senator Aiken (R-Vt) advocated continous meetings by an Agri cultural subcommittee to create sentiment among city consumers behind a program “to raise prices, (Continued on Page Three; Col. 3) Tax Return) Filing May) Be Removed House Committee To (q sider Proposal To Eli 4 nate Process s* _ ^ NO MORE CALCULATK/i. Pay As You Go Plan Would Stop All Trouble some Figuring WASHINGTON, Feb. 7. — (fP) — When the actual writ ing of pay-as-you-go tax leg islation begins, probably late this week, the House Ways and Means committee will consider a proposal to remove the necessity for millions of taxpayers ever again, after this year, to file federal in come tax returns. Their remittances would be made through current earn ings deductions representing their exact tax obligations with no involved calculations on their part. Opposition Indicated Arguments on the Ruml plan to cancel 1942 tax obligations over shadowed other phases of pay-as you-go during the first week of public hearings. A majority of the 25 committeemen indicated opposi tion to all-out cancellation but ’e finitely indicated a willingness to compromise by granting some abatement on last year’s obliga tions in arriving at a current pay ment principle. No witness got a more cordial reception before the committee than a young, tall, black-haired lawyer from Philadelphia, Clement J. Clarke, Jr. Clarke, who said he reprensented no organization, proposed a plan “which will make it possible for approximately 20,000,000 taxpayers not to bother with filing an in come return after the return for the taxable year 1942.” This could be done, he explained, by weekly, semi-monthly or month ly deductions from earnings under a “lump-sum allowances” system by which every taxpayer would be given a $240 minimum deduction in lieu of deductions for taxes, in (Continued on Page Five; Col. 5) BRAZIL JOINS ATLANTIC PACT Does Not Declare War On Japan But Breaks Relations RIO De JANEIRO, Brazil, Feb. 7. _(jp)_Brazil joined the United Na tions as a full partner in the war against Germany and Italy and an nounced her adherence to the At lantic Charter following a meeting yesterday of the entire cabinet with President Getulio Vargas. (The Associated Press, through faulty interpretation of a cable dis patch from Rio de Janeiro, report ed incorrectly last night that Bra zil’s new status included a state of belligerency with Japan.) Foreign Minister Oswaldo Aran ha said today: “Brazil’s adherence to the Atlan tic Charter and the United Nations pact does not mean declaration of war on Japan. Our position is com parable with that of Soviet Russia in relation to Japan. “We are not at war with Japan because we have not been attacked by Japan. But if tomorrow Japan attacks us, we will fight her im mediately. (Continued on Page Three; Col. 8) Walter Lippmann Says: Stalin Seems Favorable To Casablanca Meeting By WALTER LIPPMANN The question whether Stalin is in agreement with the plans made at Casablanca is effectively answered by Mr. Churchill’s visit to Turkey. The Prime Minister took with him not only his principal staff officers, but also , high diplomatic officials, and then announced, among other things, that ‘‘consideration also was given to post-war problems, on which agreement was again reach ed.” We may take it as absolutely certain that Mr. Churchill, speak ing also for the president, could not have announced such an agree ment with Turkey if Russia had not been consulted and were not ' satisfied with the agreement. For Turkey is the most important of all Russia's western neighbors, and no agreement about the settlement of the war in that part of the world would be conceivable without Rus sia’s approval. Mr. Churchill’s mission proves also, if proof were needed, that a strategical plan of action was in fact worked out at Casablanca. What plan, it will be better not to speculate about. The president returned to the sub ject of the future of Dakar which he had already raised after his talks with President Vhrgas of Brazil. It might just as well be un derstood, he said, by those who hold Dakar and the West African (Continued on Page Three; Col. 1) I Allies Hammer Rommel Escape Corridor ALLIED FORCES O_50 STATUTE MILES Allied attacks (star symbols) involving French, American and pos sibly British troops have failed to dislodge the Germans from Faid Pass but are reported to have gained ground , near Ousseltia. A French communique reported fighting between Ousseltia and Kairouan. Farther soiuth, U. S. troops singing “From Maknassy to the sea” have cut the Gafba-Mahares railroad hear Sened. Meanwhile, London heard that Britain’s Eighth Army might by-pass the Mareth line (broken arrow). Allies Harrass Germans By Land, Air In Tunisia LONDON, Feb. 7.—(/P)—Allied forces in Tunisia har assed the Axis with short jabs by land and air in spite of continued bad weather today as the British Eighth Army, closing in from the east, was reported readying its#!f to deliver a knockout blow against Marshal Erwin Rommel’s African Corps. Near Djebel Mansour, an important height 20 miles southwest of Pont du Fahs which the Germans recaptured Friday after losing it in midweek, British troops dug in and checked a further German advance. While the weather limited air ac-i tivity to brief strafing sweeps, both British and American ground pa trols continued small sorties all along the western Tunisian front RAF Hurricane bombers, escorted by Spitfires, shot up a number of German trucks in a low level at tack southwest of Pont du Fahs while American fighter planes si lenced an Axis anti-aircraft gun po sition 15 miles northeast of German held Paid pass and burned two ve hicles on a road in the same area. The Algiers radio reported that Gen. Sir Bernard I* Montgomery was piling up gTeat stores of war equipment and resting the striking force of his Eighth Army for anoth er thrust such as those which anashed through Rommel’s army at el Alamein and el Aghela. An Algiers broadcast yesterday unconfirmed by other sources, said Montgomery’s troops were “a good 60 miles inside Tunisia,” very close to the Mareth line, behind which many of Rommel’s troops have tak en refuge. Axis commentators asserted today that a new thrust by Montgomery was imminent, while British obser vers expressed the belief that such a move would be a signal for the British and American army in Tu nisia to start a simultaneous drive eastward. Military observers closer to the front, however, were of the opinion that crucial engagements might he delayed by the rains which have turned the Tunisian plateau battlegrounds to mud. At virtually every point on the west front the Germans still con trol the mountain heights dominat ing passes which the British and Americans must regain before they can strike toward the sea. Other reports of action In the Mediterranean theater came from Axis sources. An Italian high com mand communique said there was lively artillery fire along the Libya Tunisia border by opposing ele (Continued on Page Six; Col. 1) RAF Raiders Range Over Burma In Big Attacks On Japanese NEW DELHI, Feb. 7.—VB— RAF bombers and fighters rang ed over Burma yesterday and last night in widespread at tacks which caused heavy dam age to Japanese transportation and military installations, a British communique announced today. In the lower Chindwin valley, the communique said, Hurri canes destroyed three locomo tives and damaged 40 railway cars, eight locomotives, three fuel tanks and several small factories in low-flying sweeps. Bomber tarkets included rail way yards at Mandalay, villag es on Akyab island, enemy posi tions near Rathedaung on the Mayu peninsula and shipping off the western Burmese coast. All the British planes were reported to have returned safe ly. GERMANS C NEAR VH L Birtish Dig In Near Moun tain Of Djebel Man sour In Tunisia ALLIED HEADQUARTRS IN NORTH AFRICA, Feb. 7—UP)— British troops have dug in n°ar the mountain of Djebel Mansour, 20 miles southeast of Pont du Fahs and checked a German advance which drove them from the height after they had captured it in a stiff fight last Wednesday. Djebel Mansour, a thickly wood ed ridge also known as Hill 648, along with a neighboring ridge, Alliliga, has been the scene of sharp clashed between Allied and Axis forces for several days for control of the range of command ing heights before the coastal plains. While rain and mud slowed the ground fighting on the plateau. Axis troops appeared successful in their attempt to prevent Am erican and British forces from knif ing through the passes to the east coast to cut behind Marshal Erwin Rommel’s African Corps moving up the coastal road from the Lib yan border. British and American patrols continued small sorties along the Axis west front, however, while General Sir Bernard L. Montgom ery’s Eighth British Army pinch ed closer on Rommel’s southern defense line in the Mareth area. RAF raiders as well as ground pa trols struck at the Germans in the Mareth line area. RAF Hurricane bombers, escort ed by Spitfires, shot up German trucks in a low level attack south wes of Pont du Fahs, while Am erican fighter planes silenced an anti-aircraft position 15 miles northwest of Faid pass and burn ed two vehicles on a road in the same area, which lies northwest of Sfax. While air activity at the moment was limited, the Twelfth U. S. Airforce headquarters announced ed and 72 damaged in the week 80 Axis planes had been destroy ended Friday, against 38 American planes lost or missing. During the entire African cam paign 338 enemy planes have been destroyed and 264 damaged, the announcement said, while 162 Am erican planes were lost. Air attacks of Axis sTiipping in the Mediterranean during the Afri can campaign have resulted in 14 sinkings, eight ships severaly dam aged and 36 damaged to a lesser extent, the announcement said. -V RHINELAND ATTACKED LONDON, Feb. Scattered targets in the Rhineland were at tacked last night by RAF planes whose main mission was reconnais sance while the big bombers center ed their attention of mining Ger man-controlled waters — probably the Skagerrak, Baltic and I'rench channel coast. RUSSIAN JUGGERNAUT SMASHES FOR WARD TO PORTALS OF ROSTOV I I " -+ , ■■ — American Units Outflank JapaneseOn Guadalcanal WASHINGTON, Feb. 7.-WJ— Cnited States forces have out flanked the Japanese on Gua dalcanal Island, the Navy an nounced today, to establish a strong new position about five miles west of the enemy com mand center at Cape Esper ance. The operation, apparently carried out without Japanese resistance, was assumed here to have involved a 40 to 50-mile overland sweep around the enemy-held portion of the northwestern hump of the Is land. The communique made no mention of the widespread sea and air actions reported all last week between Japanese and American forces in the Solomons area. This left un answered the question ot whether the operations hail ceased or whether they were still moving toward the climax which Secretary Knox said yes terday was indicated by the nature of the maneuvers in progress. ’ Discussing the land action, a Navy spokesman described Ma rovovo as being five miles west of Cape Esperance, which is believed to be the center of enemy operations, and about 25 miles by air from Guadal canal air field, the base of the American forces. It is a sta tion of the Melanesian mis sion, situated on high ground and including among its build ing a church, hospital and sev eral dwelling houses. (Continued on Page Three; Col. 4) OPTIMISM LOW ON SUB FIGHT One United Nations Ship Lost During Week But More Expected By The Associated Press Although only one United Nations merchant vessel was announced last week as sunk in western Atlantic waters, there was no optimism that the Axis U-boats had been driven off vital supply routes to Russia and Africa. The lone sinking was the lowest seven-day total of announced losses for the area in 61 weeks of subma rine warfare since Pearl Harbor. The previous weekly low was five ships. The highest number of western Atlantic sinkings for a seven-day period was announced during the week preceding June 27 when Nazi undersea Marauders had sunk 28 merchant vessels off the coasts of North and South America. The latest sinking brought to 611 the Associated Press tally of an nounced Allied and neutral cargo ship losses in western Atlantic at tacks since Pearl Harbor. Secretary of the Navy Knox said recently the Nazis have more U boats at sea today than they had last June when the subs scored their greatest successes. The under sea craft remain this country’s (Continued on Page Three; Col. 3) Nazis Claim Sinking Of British Cruiser In The Mediterranean By The Associated Press A special German high com mand communique said today Nazi U-boats had sunk a Brit ish cruiser of the 5,450-ton Di do class in the eastern Mediter ranean and 20 Allied merchant vessels en route to various war zones. The bulletin, broadcast by the Berlin radio and recorded by the Associated Press in New York, was without confirmation in Allied quarters. The period covered was not specified. Of the merchant vessels, the high command said 16 were fully laden transports and tank ers totaling 102,500 tons and four were transport sailing ships "in convoys bound for England and carrying goods for the African and Russian fronts.” It declared that three addi tional vessels had been damaged by torpedo hits. 60 JAPS KILLED IN NEW GUINEA 39 Die After SkiAnishes Following Air Raid Over Wau Area ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN AUSTRALIA, Monday, Feb. 8—OP) —Sixty additional dead Japanese were counted in New Guinea yes terday, 39 of them after skirmishes that followed Saturday’s big air battle over the Wau area. The 29 others were “stragglers” in the Bakumbari area about eight miles northwest of Gona. Belated reports told of the ma chinegunning of two 50-foot barg es, each carrying about 75 Japs, in the Riebeck bay on the north side of New Britain island Satur day. Casualties there tvere re ported “substantial.” Japanese planes were inactive throughout the entire area and ex cept for some strafing by Beau fighters in the Lae area, Allied activity was limited to armed re connaissance with incidental bomb ing and strafing in Dutch New Guinea, the Celebes, and Cape Gloucester. -V CHURCHILL IS BACK AT HEADQUARTERS i Prime Minister Returns To Number 10 Downing Street After Trips LONDON, Feb. 7—UP)—In high spirits and glowing with health, Winston Churchill returned trium phantly today from his 10,000-mile air tour of North Africa and the Middle East and drove directly to number 10 Downing street to pre pare his report to the nation on his conference with President Roose velt at Casablanca and with Presi dent Ismet Inonu at Adana. Churchill landed at an English airport earlier in the day in an American-built Liberator bomber, the same type of four-engined plane in which he made virtually all the long 26-day trip which car ried him to French North Africa, to Cairo, to neutral Turkey, to Cy prus and to newly-conquered Tri poli. “I feel splendid.” He greeted friends. “It was a perfect flight.’’ (Continued on Page Three; Col. 5) Japs Lose Heavily: Attempt To Raid Wau Area Broken By U. S. SOMEWHERE IN NEW GUI NEA, Feb. 6.—(Delayed)—Iff)—The Japanese attempted to raid the Wau airdrome with a large force of planes in daylight today and suffered one of the most crushing air defeats yet inflicted by the Al lies in this area. Of the attacking force, 41 Japa nese bombers and fighters were shot down or seriously damaged. The Americans destroyed five bombers and 21 fighters and pos sibly destroyed three more bomb ers and 12 fighters. Destruction of two of the bombers was officially credited to anti-aircraft gun crews. Fliers accounted for the rest. Of the large defending force of P-38’s, P-39’s and P-40’s, not one was lost and not a crewman was injured. Only a few Allied planes were damaged during the two-hour series of battles over the forbid ding mountains between Wau and the sea. (The size of the Japanese raid ing force suggests a desperate ef fort to impede the concentration of Allied fighting men in the sec tor of Wau, 35 miles southwest of Salamaua, which would menace invasion holdings at both Sala maua and the sister port of Lae. In view of the successful use of Allied air 'ransports for the move ment of men and supplies in the Paupan campaign, the full weight (Continued on Page Three; Col. 4j < LIQUIDATE ENEMY Last Axis Center Of Re* sistance Broken On Don’s Left Bank AZOV IS CAPTURED Siege Of Pivotal City Be gins As Other Russian Units Forge Ahead LONDON, Feb. 7. — (IP) _ Russian troops have stormed to the gates of Rostov from the south, liquidating the last enemy center of resistance on the left bank of the Don, and scored important contin uing successes on three oth er fronts, a special Moscow communique announced to night. Azov, on the Don 15 miles southwest of Rostov, fell in a decisive attack, “thus liqui dating the last center of re sistance of the enemy on the left bank of the river Don," the communique, recorded here by the Soviet monitor, declared. Even as the siege of the pivotal Caucasian city began, other Soviet columns captur ed Fatezh, 35 miles north west of Kursk, cutting the high road between Kursk and Orel, and stormed into Gosh tesheva to slice the railroad line between Belgorod and Kursk. Plunge Into Ukraine The Russians also plunged 125 miles into the Ukraine, occupying Kramatorskaya, 125 miles north west of Rostov, to sit astride the vital railroad between Rostov and Kharkov. Th« midnight communique re ported capture of a number of populated places north of Kursk, apparently in the same general area as the advance that carried to Fatezh. The Russians also were reported pushing in strength westward deep in the Ukraine, and the midnight communique announced the fall of a number of populated places, among them Protopopovka, Petro vskaya and Grushevakha, the lat ter two only 25 miles east of the Kharkov-Crimean railroad. In the fighting north of Kursk, said the war bulletin, the Ger mans launched a counterattack but it was beaten off with 300 Nazis killed and 280 taken prisoner. Olginskaya, about seven miles southeast of besieged Rostov, also was taken, the later communique reported. Elsewhere the Soviet offensives continued to smash forward, with more populated places encompass ed and losses inflicted on the German defenders. The German radio meanwhile reported that the ‘‘evacuation of the Kuban region between the Ros tov and Taman paninsula bridge heads was carried out without ene my pressure” and all war material was removed in time or installa tions destroyed. Capture of Kramatorskaya put the Russians on three sides of the large railway center of Slavyansk. Kramatorskaya is only nine miles south of Slavyansk, while Barven kova, 27 miles west of Slavyansk, was captured yesterday. The Russians thus were only a little over 50 miles north of the vastly important Donets basin in dustrial city of Stalino. The thrusts to Fatezh and Gosh tesheva established Soviet spear heads between three major bases which the Germans have held since the fall of 1941—Orel, Kursk and Belgorod. Orel and Kursk were threatened by gradual encirclement by Rus sians on either side of these plac es. Col. Gen Ifjkolai Vatutin’s col umns pushing across the Donets also threatened the encirclement of Kharkov and Belgorod from the south, but these forces had not (Continued on Page 3 Col. •) NOTICE! If your carrier fails to leave your copy of the Wil mington Morning Star, Phone 3311 before 9:00 a. m. and one will be sent to you by special messenger. „ I
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Feb. 8, 1943, edition 1
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