The Alamance Gleaner 1
VoL LXVIII GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1942 No. 26
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS *
i
International Court and Police Force
For Postwar World Envisioned by Hull;
Nazi Drive Increases Russia's Peril;
Rommel Stymied by Allied Air Power
(EDITOR'S NOTE: When opinions in tipniMi In then* columns, they in thooo of
Western Newspaper Union's nowi analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.)
i i. Released by Western Newspaper Union. ??????J
Maj. Gen. Carl Spaati, chief of the American air forces in the Euro
pean theater of action (left), pins the Distinguished Service Cross on Maj.
Charles C. Kegelman. Taking part in a recent bombing raid on enemy
airfields in Holland, Kegelman bronght his ship back safely after one
motor was wrecked and a wing damaged in fighting with German air
forces.
POSTWAR WORLD:
Hull Envisions
When silvery-haired Cbrdell Hull
broadcast an appeal for a safe and
saner postwar world, it was clear
that a majority of Americans
agreed with his thesis that the peace
as well as the war must be won
by the United Nations if future
chaos is to be avoided.
In an address heard around the
world, the secretary of state made
these points:
1. The United Nations' immedi
ate problem is to win the war?de
cisively.
2. After the war surveillance must
be exercised over Germany, Japan,
Italy and their satellites by the
United Nations until the aggressors
prove their willingness and abil
ity to live at peace with other
nations.
3. Disputes must be settled by
peaceful means. An international
court of justice would provide re
spect for law and obligations.
4. Freedom is to be assured by
removal of economic and political
shackles. Errors of extreme nation
alism that caused the present war
must be avoided.
EGYPT:
Air Power Tells
It had become increasingly clear
that air power was assuming a de
cisive role in the fight for Egypt.
Steady reinforcements of the British
air arm had enabled the Imperials
to launch an offensive along the 35
mile front from El Alamein on
the Mediterranean to the Quattera
marshes, paced by an RAF on
slaught that drove Nazi planes from
the sky.
The British drive dislodged the
Nazis from oft-disputed Tel el Eisa
(Hill of Jesus) in the north and suc
ceeded in making considerable head
way along the center.
Activity by the Allies had followed
a week-long assault by American
and British planes and British war
ships on the North African coastal
highway on which German Marshal
Rommel had rushed reinforce
ments to offset the capture of 0,000
Italians on the Egyptian front in
previous engagements. In raids
covering 275 miles of Rommel's ex
posed supply route, British planes
virtually wiped out the El Daba air
port near the Egyptian lines.
REQUIEM:
For U-Boat Crew
Burial with military honors is the
hope of friend or foe alike, if death
in battle is the fighting man's lot.
Thus a tradition sanctioned by the
ages was followed when the bodies
of 29 German submarine crew mem
bers were buried in Hampton, Va.
The victims were the first enemy
dead to be landed on American
shores since the beginning of the
war.
The bodies and a few empty life
jackets were all that remained afloat
after a destroyer on Atlantic patrol
sank the U-boat. The same honors
were accorded the enemy as Ameri
cans might wish for their own dead,
if the circumstances were reversed.
Navy chaplains read the requiem.
A navy firing squad fired a salute of
three volleys. A navy bugler sound:
ed tape.
RUSSIAN FRONT:
"Terrible Days'
The gravity of the Russian situa
tion - could not be underestimated
and no attempt was made to belittle
its seriousness. Germany's report of
the fall of Rostov emphasized the
crisis.
As the sorely pressed Russians
guarding the approaches to the
Caucasus and the Volga river had
fallen back before the million-man
German army smashing its way
southeast down the Don river valley,
the Soviet army organ, Red Star,
said frankly: "Terrible days face
the country." It called upon the
fighting men of Russia to emulate
the example of 28 Red soldiers, who
in the defense of Moscow last win
ter, died fighting a tank charge with
little more than their bare hands.
The speed of the new Nazi drive
against the Reds' celebrated de
fense-in-depth technique was be
lieved to be due to the Germans'
use of a crushing, mass maneuver
which employed monster tanks, ar
mored trains, heavy mortars and an
unprecedented concentration of air
power.
Only comforting note in the bleak
picture was the success of Russian
soldiers in regaining ground far to
the north in their counter-offensive
around Voronezh. By turning the
Nazis back here, Marshal Timoshen
ko might be able to take some of
the pressure off Red forces in the
deep South who had fought with
their backs to the wall in defense
of Rostov.
U. S. CASUALTIES:
Show War's Trend
Casualty figures released by the
Office of War Information revealed
that the navy's losses since Pearl
Harbor were 15 times greater than
for the entire span of World War I.
The OWI's statistics disclosed na
val casualties thus far totaling 12,
143 compared with 871 in the first
World war. The current casualties
included 3.420 killed; 1,051 wounded
and 7,051 missing. Those of World
War I included 356 killed in action;
58 died of wounds and 456 lost at
sea.
The army's losses in the present
war, were placed at 19,767. These
included 902 killed; 1,413 wounded
and 17,452 missing. That the Phil
ippine Scouts trained under General
MacArthur had given a heroic ac
count of themselves was indicated
by casualties listing 479 killed; 754
wounded and 11,000 missing.
Casualties for all services were
placed at 44,413.
"The bulk of the army casualties
fall into the category of missing,"
the OWI said.
FEMININE ARMY:
WAAC Trains Hard
Every morning at 5:45 a. m. from
now until next November 9, 800
members of the newly organized
Women's Auxiliary Army corps will
leap from their army cots to begin
a crowded day of drills, lectures
and training at their camp at Fort
Des Moines, Iowa.
By November 9, America's first
feminine army of occupation will
begin to spread out to 19 forts
throughout the country to relieve
men in the armed forces for active
combat duty.
JAPANESE:
Mixed Tidings
Taking their first offensive action
in the southwest Pacific since their
disastrous defeat in the Battle of
the Coral Sea last May, the Japanese
landed an invasion force at Buna,
100 miles directly across the east
ern arm of New Guinea from Port
Moresby, last Allied outpost of Aus
tralia.
A Melbourne communique report
ed that United Nations planes had
attacked the invasion fleet and sank
a large transport and barge, but
did not prevent the landing.
On the Chinese front the Japs did
not have such happy tidings to re
port to Tokyo. First item of bad
news was the recapture by Chinese
armies of Kienteh, a key point south
west of Hangchow. Second item
was a report that United States
bombers had sunk two Japanese na
val craft on the Fu river in Kiangsi
province.
Meanwhile along the Hangchow
Nanchang railway the Nipponese in
vaders were being constantly har
assed by Chinese guerillas. The
official Central News agency dis
closed that Chinese farmers had been
armed with 30,000 rifles in each
county of western and southern Che
kiang province. They are organized
into units strong enough to destroy
small enemy detachments. If su
perior Japanese forces approach,
they withdraw, leaving their villages
stripped.
ANTI-INFLATION:
OP A Gets $120,000,000
Price Administrator Leon Hender
son was given $120,000,000 with
which to fight inflation, when the
house of representatives agreed to
adopt a conference committee's rec
ommendations to compromise its
differences with the senate.
The outspoken Henderson thus got
$75,000,000 less for financing his op
erations than he had originally asked
for, but actually $45,000,000 more
than the house had first voted. Po
litical wiseacres observed that the
result was simply an illustration of
the old game of give and take. Hen
derson had first asked for more than
he expected, the house first voted
less than he actually needed. The
finale was a compromise satisfac
tory to all.
WAR PROFITEERING:
Halted by House
Drastic steps to curb wartime
profiteering were taken when the
house of representatives passed a
bill outlawing commission fees on
government contracts, after Chair
man Carl Vinson declared that
agents, obtaining war contracts for
manufacturers were "fleecing Amer
ican taxpayers."
Testimony presented previously to
the house naval committee had dis
closed that three Washington firms
of so-called "sales engineers" had
earned close to $2,000,000 in com
mission fees on government con
tracts in the past six months.
LEAHY:
'Eyes and Legs'
Called from retirement to the
newly created position of chief of
staff to the Commander in Chief,
was Adm. William Daniel Leahy,
former chief of naval operations and
more recently ambassador to Vichy
France.
With all the world discussing the
prospects of the United States and
Britain opening a second front in
Europe this year, the appointment
of Admiral Leahy to the new posi
tion was hailed as significant of su
preme efforts ahead. Regarded as
an able strategist, Admiral Leahy,
in the words of President Roosevelt,
will serve as "his eyes and legs and
relieve him of many detail duties."
The Chief Executive, however,
made it clear that Leahy would not
be supreme commander of the Unit
ed Nations' forces, or even of Amer
ican forces. Although Ur. Roose
velt did not use the term, it ap
peared that the admiral would be
come an assistant commander in
chief, ranking all naval and mili
tary officers but the President.
ADMIRAL WILLIAM D. LEAHY
New Unity Given French
As U. S. Pledges Its Aid
State Department Declaration Gives Added
Hope to Struggling People in Resisting
Nazi Oppression.
By BAUKHAGE
JVetcs Analyst and Commentator.
WNU Features, 1343 H Street, N. W.,
Washington, D. C.
Half way between July A?*r"
ica's Independence day, and July
14, the anniversary of the accept
ance of the French constitution,
there falls a date that some day
may be celebrated as a milestone
in Franco-American history.
On July 9, 1942, the United States
government in a cautiously worded
statement "recognised' whatwas
described as "the Contribution of
General de Gaulle and the work of
the French National Committee in
keeping alive the spirit of French
traditions and institutions.
The announcement made by
Secretory of State HuU pledged
"the lending of all possible mill
tory assistance to the French
National committee as a symbol
of French resistance in general
against the Axis powers."
The important phrase in that sen
tence, perhaps in the whole docu
ment, is "resistance in general.
Packed into those three words is
the picture of a group of men who
until July 9 had been carrying on
one of the most tragic struggles in
the history of France, carrying it
on without much help or hope from
the Allies. New life, new hope be
gan for the French forces of re
sistance" against Germany.
It brought new unity to a move
ment of French patriots scattered
over the face of the earth.
Few people realised It, but
this guarded action of the state
department probably told the
first solid paving stone In the
road that will one day lead to
Berlin.
Of course, very little can be said
of what the "Free French" move
ment means where it is vitally im
portant?within France.
But it is claimed that an almost
perfect intelligence systemis now
operating within France. The Ger
mans know that what they do and
frequently what they plan cannot
be concealed from the French if
takes place in France.
Immediately after the fall of
France, Frenchmen spontaneously
began "resistance." That resist
ance has now been definitely or
ganized and is directed from Lon
don by De Gaulle although groups
in France work in separate chan
nels. There are three main organ
izations: Liberation Francais; Com
bat: and Frenc-Tireurs.
The first form of "resistance" to
the Germans was the appearance of
little printed labels on
automobiles, on boxes and lamp
posts. Just short messages attack
ing the Germans, calling for resist
ance. Then the courageous met and
found ways and means to bejp eac
other or help agents of toe Allies
to thwart toe Germans. The more
aggressive began to steal dynamite
and blow up shops and railways.
Labor Union* Unified
By this time General De Gaulle
had gathered bout him leaders mid
organizers. They were soonable
to get in and out of France and toe
organization work began.
I am Informed that for the
first time In history the French
labor unions have beeome uni
fied ?"* are working together
solidly. The old socialist party
has been reformed, the old toad
en have been displaced and too
group bean the name ef toe
young socialist party. Naturally
the communists are now co
operating fully.
The "resistance" inside Frmce ls
carried on by groups and tndhrUu
als of every social and political
stratum.
Even the recognition of toe Free
French as toe de facto govemon of
the Pacific islands, African posses
sions and the islands of Pierre and
St. Miquelon off Newfoundland still
left toe Free French movement as
a whole, outside toe pale of co
operation. All this time the repre
sentatives of Vichy remained in
their embassy in Washington IbutJhe
representatives of toe National
Committee (Free French) took
headquarters in an office building.
Indirectly they were aided financial
ly because an arrangement was
made whereby American lease-tond
supplies furnished to Great Britain
could, at the discretion of the Eng
lish, be advanced to the Free
French. But the French movement
lacked moral support, the organiza
tion within France still felt that it
was working with little British sup
port and almost none from the Unit
ed States. In fact we seemed to be
playing ball with the other side?the
Vichy side.
Hie preparation for the inva
sion of France has now begun
with new seal.
The Free French have compldfe
plans under way for establishing
civilian government in territory
which will be occupied by the Allied
forces. This is essential for when
the invasion comes a certain amount
of chaos is expected at first and
co-operation between an invading
force and the civilian population is
essential. Organization for this co
operating is beginning
The United States government did
not recognize General De Gaulle as
the head of the French state. But
according to representatives of Free
France in Washington the official
recognition of their group as "the
symbol" of "resistance in general"
was a powerful forward step-in giv
ing new sinews to the effective Al
lies of the United Nations inside
France, paving the way for a suc
cessful opening of the second front.
It brings the first real hope since the
fall of France for the rebirth of the
nation.
? ? ?
Easier Now to Look
Backward, Not Forward
Perhaps because a person can't
look very far ahead these turbulent
days a lot of people are beginning to
look backward. At least that is the
opinion of Conklin Mann, who re
cently traced the geneology of
Franklin Roosevelt and Winston
Churchill back to a common ances
tor who came over on the Mayflower
and then discovered that General
MacArthur was related to both of
them.
Mann was in Washington recently
and he had a number of interesting
things to say about family trees.
He is really an advertising man but
his hobby has made him an expert
and he is now the editor of the
"Record," published by the New
I York State Geneological society.
"The United States has al
ways been pedigree conscious
about its cattle, horses, pets and
virtually all growing crops,"
Mann said to me. "Now, the
war is making as pedlgree
eonseioas about ourselves. With
countries and peoples involved
in the struggle or seriously af
fected by It, the whole country
is 'root conscious.' "
Mann believes that the reason for
the renewed Interest in the subject
of geneology is that the stupendous
turmoil through which the world is
going has sent people back to funda
mentals and, he says: "All roots are
fundamentals."
"Just having lived in this country
a lot of generations doesn't make a
man an American," said Maim.
"Two great influences have made
America what it is today.
"One is a philosophy of life that
I we define as the American Way a
broad, liberal, generous policy of
freedom of thought and action for
the individual. The second thing is
the flesh and blood man and women
who have had the stamina to build
up and defend the American Way.
"An American in the true sense
of the word is anybody who under
stands the American Way, lives by
it and supports it with his full energy
and life."
"Establishment of the blood rela
tionship of Churchill and Roosevelt,"
says Mann, "makes the charac
ters themselves that much more in
I teresting and bringing to light de
| tails of their family history makes
the nation's history that much
richer.
"And now comes the added dis
covery that the popular hero, Gen.
Douglas MacArthur, though a third
generation Scot in family name Is
also related to both Mr. Roosevelt
and Mr. Churchill through his New
England born grandmother."
Personally I agree with Mr. Mann.
Geneology is a good thing if we
don't take the part it has to do with
ourselves too seriously.
Food Abundant,
Wickard Says
Crop* Are So Good We and
Allies Can Get Along
With Few Curbs.
WASHINGTON. ? With another
year of record food production in
sight, the United States should be
able to feed her Allies and herself
with rationing in only a few excep
tional cases, Secretary Wickard said
after the first meeting of the new
food requirements committee.
The nine-man committee heard
from Chairman Wickard a depart
mental crop report indicating ample
supplies, and was assured that mili
tary needs would be considered first
in their apportionment.
At a press conference later Secre
tary Wickard said the committee
had discussed how army, navy,
lease-lend and civilian representa
tives might be brought together so
that the farmers could be told how
much to produce and the War Pro
duction board informed how much
material would be needed to process,
store and ship the crops. There
would have to be a compromise be
tween their respective wants, said
Mr. Wickard, but he believed that
by working together the food prob
lem could be met with "minimum
sacrifice" to all concerned.
Hopes to Avoid Rationing.
"I hope rationing can be avoided
with very few exceptions," he said.
"I believe we are going to have an
other year of record-breaking pro
duction. Cheese production has been
stepped up almost 50 per cent over
a year ago. There is a plentiful sup
ply now for the British and our
selves.
"As for meat rationing, I don't
believe it will be necessary to ration
pork. Occasionally some butcher
shop may not have every kind of
pork customers will like. But we
are going to have 10,000,000 more
hogs coming to market this year
than ever before.
"We are worrying about it. We
are asking the farmers to ship them
early. The time may come this year
when a farmer will have to get a
permit to ship his hogs. Any short
age of pork will only be temporary
and meanwhile we will have plenti
ful supplies of beef, lamb, poultry
and eggs, all the high-protein
foods."
Mr. Wickard said his department
was studying the dehydration of pork
and beef to permit shipping econo
mies.
As to wheat, the secretary re
minded reporters that there was an
enormous crop in prospect to be add
ed to a huge carryover. If it were
not for the fact that the law did not
permit wheat allotments totaling
less than 55,000,000 acres, the de
partment would allot only 21,000,000
acres next year.
sugar supply low.
Asked whether sugar rationing
was still necessary, the secretary
said that it would not be if there
were shipping enough to bring avail
able supplies from Cuba and else
where, but "you don't want to scrape
the cupboard bare when you don't
know what the shipping situation
may be."
He referred to a department of
agriculture report on the world sug
ar situation issued recently. Accord
ing to this, the world supply this
year is 3,500,000 tons smaller than
last. The supply of sugar in near
by, off-shore producing areas was
larger this year than in 1941, but
"because of the marine shipping sit
uation, lend-lease needs and diffi
culties in continental rail transport,
the quantity of sugar for use within
the continental United States is ex
pected to be the smallest in years."
Mr. Wickard said he hoped that the
food program would involve a mini
mum interference with the normal
distribution channels in the United
States.
??????
Finds Ground Feldspar
Extinguishes Fire Bombs
WASHINGTON.?A discovery that
ground feldspar, cheap and easily ob
tainable, is a highly effective mate
rial for extinguishing magnesium in
cendiary bombs was reported today
by the Geological Survey.
Sprinkled on a bomb, just as sand
has been employed, the feldspar
quickly melts and forms a protec
tive coating which cuts off the sup
ply of air and stops the bomb from
burning, the survey said.
"It is superior," the announcement
added, "to mixtures containing salt,
pitch, ashes or fine powders, as it
does not burn, give off smoke, blow
out or scatter appreciably from the
intense heat of the incendiary ma
terial."
The method was developed by W.
W. Rubey, geologist, and Michael
Fleischer and J. J. Fahey, chemists,
in experiments in the survey's lab
oratories and at the Edgewood (Md.)
arsenal.
Survivors Set Up
Floating Drydock
Couple Up Rafts in Effort to
Repair Lifeboat..
NORFOLK, VA Lashing three
slip-rafts together, 13 survivors of
a torpedoed medium-sized Norwe
gian merchantman set 'up drydock
in open sea and attempted to repair
their damaged boat.
The story of this novel operation
was told here on the arrival of sur
vivors, whose ship was attacked
and sunk in the Atlantic an June
1. The navy said 30 other survivor*
landed at New York.
Sverre Novik, first mate, said the
first torpedo struck suddenly at
about 3 p. m. "The submarine then
surfaced several hundred yards off
the port side," he said. "Our gun
crew went into action and we
thought we had scored a hit but are
were arrong."
Meanwhile, he said, the men got
into the lifeboats. The U-boat sub
merged and fired a second torpedo
which, when it struck, knocked sev
eral of the lifeboats high into the
air.
"Thirteen of us scrambled into a
boat. As it was damaged are got on
rafts drifting nearby and clung to
the boat," said Novik. "Later are
tried to repair it by lashing rafts to
gether and pulling the boat aboard.
We were still working on it with the
few tools available when are were
picked up 46 hours later by a navy
rescue vessel."
Novik said the submarine sur
faced again after the ship went
doam. It pulled alongside the rafts
and "the commander asked us
many questions," he said. "But wo
gave no answers."
"Then they went to work to repais
the wire running from the
tower to the after part of the U-boat
That was all the damage our gun
crew had done. Soon the sub cruised
away, still on the surface."
Maine Residents Build
First Air Raid Shelter
KITTERY, MAINE.?Under the
shadow of the Portsmouth navy,
yard, a group of Knight avenue resi
dents have erected Maine's first air
raid shelter, believed also first of
its kind in New England.
The shelter will accommodate 34
persons. It is 10 feet square, 6 feet
high inside and 14 feet high overalL
Pine logs 8 to 10 inches in diameter
were used in construction of the
shelter, which is reinforced by the
addition of 625 sandbags, each weigh
ing approximately 140 pounds.
Earl G. Pierce, 37, a pattern
maker employed at the navy yard,
directed construction of the shelter,
aided by 15 men and women work
ers.
iu ca^cujic ujc worn rierce erect
ed flood lights and the group often
worked until late at night. The town
of Kittery furnished IS truck loads
of sand. Boy Scouts cut the pine
logs on a nearby farm.
The shelter has been tested and
found to be sound proof as well as
air tight. Inside is a first aid cabi
net, fresh water tank, emergency
rationing cupboard, overhead rack
for clothes, battery radio, large drop
leaf table and three ventilators, two
at the top and one at the bottom.
The ventilators which will provide
either hot or cold air can be sealed
in case of poison gas attacks.
Captured German Tires
Sent to U. S. for Study
WASHINGTON.?Tires taken from
captured German airplanes and
tanks will be examined soon by rub
ber experts in Akron, Ohio, to give
the government the latest informa
tion on how the Axis is meeting its
rubber shortage.
The tires were supplied by the
British government at the request ol
American officials. They were tak
en from planes shot down over Brit
ain and from tanks and trucks cap
tured in Libya.
It was understood that the tires
were already in this country and
would arrive in Akron shortly. When
the experts have examined them
they will report to the War Pro
duction board.
Chickens Are Scarce
And Costly in Panama
WASHINGTON.?The goose that
laid the golden egg is called a chick
en in Panama.
There, the department of com
merce reports, chickens sell for as
much as $2.50 each. The price is
attributed to improved economic
conditions and defense expenditures
in the Canal Zone.
Panama, a poultry - producing
country whose domestic supply is
short of current demands, is trying
to set a maximum of $1.80 each by
lowering the import tariff from 50
cents to five cents a fowl and plac
ing a limitation upon the number im
ported.
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