North Carolina Newspapers

The Alamance Gleaner . . _ ? V' Vol. LXVIII GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 1943 No. ? WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS Jap Armada Repulsed in New Guinea; Russians' Rostov-Caucasus Offensive Wins Back Vital Areas From Germans; FDR Cites 'Miracle' of War Production (EDITOR'S NOTE: When opinions art uprtiicd In these columns, thsj art U?m tf Western Newspaper Union's newt analysts and not neeeasariljr tf this newspaper.) Relented by Western Newspaper Union. . ? First picture of an American offlcer questioning German prisoners is shown above, as Maj. William Yarborongh (bareheaded) of Seattle, Wash., interrogates two German prisoners taken in Tunisia. Fighting French troopers look on. Major Yarborough is liaison officer between the ad vanced U. S. forces and the French in Tunisia. ROOSEVELT: Better World Ahead Bad news for the Axis, good news for the United Nations and the as surance of victory followed by post war economic security were the three most significant eAments in President Roosevelt's annual mes sage to the 78th congress. In delivering his bad news to the Axis on all fronts, the President bluntly announced: "Now our aim is to force the Japanese to fight. Last year we stopped them. This year we intend to advance." In the African area he promised that the last vestige of Axis power would be driven from the south shores of the Mediterranean. Concerning Eu rope, he said, "We are going to strike?and strike hard." The good news for the United Na tions was contained in Mr. Roose velt's enumeration of the "miracle of production" at home, as well as the evidence of close co-operations between all Allied leaders. In his summary of accomplishments dur ing the last year, the President list ed the production of 48,000 airplanes, 56,000 tanks and self-propelled ar tillery weapons, and 10,431,000,000 rounds of ammunition and the trans porting of 1,500,000 men of our 7,000, 000 armed forces overseas. Signif icantly, he revealed that more sup plies are now being flown by Ameri can planes to China than were ever transported over the Burma road. In his approaches to postwar plan ning and domestic policy, the Presi dent succeeded in promoting good will for the administration in a con gress now closely balanced in po litical faith. He suggested princi ples rather than specific recommen dations for legislation that might ^tir up factional disputes. tfORTH AFRICA: *i!lies Coil ive and take* operations contin ?Zf I on the Tunisian front, with the ^Bied forces steadily recruiting their Hpength until superior air and land ?Jower aided by more favorable leather would enable them to smash . ahead in the all-out assault for Bi zerte and Tunis. As American troop concentrations were speeded in the new U. S. fifth under Lieut. Gen. Mark Clark, Brit ish infantry units wrested important heights from the Germans west of Bizerte. The British, however, were dis lodged from these positions by fierce German counter-attacks indicating the enemy's determination to contest every remaining foot of African soil. British and American bombers were active in the air, while Allied submarines harassed Axis shipping in the Mediterranean, sinking two enemy ships believed to be carrying troops to Africa. In the east. General Sir Bernard Montgomery's British eighth army had been sparring for an opening for a new push on Tripoli. On the diplomatic front it was re ported that Gen. Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Fighting French, and Gen. Henri Giraud had agreed to a discussion of North African problems designed to speed French action against the Axis in collaboration with their Allies. Jfc. SOUTH PACIFIC: Japs Are Stubborn Although General MacArthur's forces had cleared the enemy out of the Papuan peninsula, the Japs still held an area in New Guinea as large as Texas and Oklahoma combined. That the Nipponese intended to stub bornly hold this area was evident from their naval operations to re inforce it. First Jap efforts in this direction were frustrated when United Nations bombers attacked a convoy of 10 enemy ships off Lae, 160 miles up the eastern New Guinea coast from Buna. The Allied airmen sank two ships, one a 15,000-ton vessel loaded with troops, scored hits on a third and shot down 18 Jap planes, accord ing to a communique from General MacArthur's headquarters. Meanwhile other Allied airmen roved as far as Gasmata and Ra baul in neighboring New Britain, where unusually heavy concentra tions of Jap troop and supply ships and war craft had assembled. In the Solomons, American fliers continued to assert Allied air su premacy by attacking Jap airfields at Munda and Kahili on Bougainville island. Meanwhile in Burma, Brit ish planes strafed the area northwest of Akyab and damaged enemy ship ping off Burma's west coast. RUSS STEAMROLLER: Gains Momentum Best news for the United Nations' cause continued to come from the far-flung expanses of south and cen tral Russia. The Reds' two-pronged threat aimed at Rostov, vital city at the mouth of the Don, grew more men acing to the Nazi defenders, as both the northern and southern arms of the pincers continued to make new gains, capturing 61 villages in the Middle Don and rolling up impres sive advances in the Caucasus. The Caucasus offensive was espe cially significant, for after expelling the Nazis from Mozdok, gateway to the Grozny oil fields, and from stra tegic Nalchik, the Russ pressed the retreating Germans hard, advanc ing toward Mineralne Vody, center of a network of Caucasus railroads. The capture of more than a dozen Caucasus towns indicated that the Nazi front in the area was breaking up faster than in any previous bat tles. The seriousness of the German plight in the Caucasus was empha sized by the fact that for the first time the Berlin radio conceded that Axis troops were retreating in the east Caucasus, explaining that their troops had carried out "a shorten ing of the front, according to plan by giving up advanced strong points." PETROLEUM RATION: East Curbed Again The OPA cut deeper into the use of rationed petroleum products in 17 eastern states, when an order banned pleasure driving and slashed the amount of fuel oil that schools, stores, theaters and non-residential establishments may consume to 25 per cent below present rations, giv ing them about 45 per cent of normfc] requirements. CONGRESS: Farm Bloc Program Increasing strength of the farm bloc's influence in the 78th congress was evident as leaders mobilized their forces in both houses to modify administration farm policies and to seek release from the armed forces of drafted farm yonth as a means of relieving the agricultural manpow er shortage. That the farm bloc had support for its efforts in rural America was indicated by the action of five major farm organizations in uniting be hind the program. These groups in clude the National Association of Commissioners, Secretaries and Di rectors of Agriculture; the American Farm Bureau Federation; the Na tional Grange; the Milk Producers Federation and the National Co operative Council. Speaking for the farm bloc, Sena tor John Bankhead of Alabama said that preservation of the farm labor supply should figure in a complete redistribution of manpower. Indicat ing the farm bloc's support of the farm organizations' appeal for re lease of drafted farm youth, he as serted that the estimated 3,000,000 to 3,500,000 men scheduled to be drafted in 1943 might well be diverted to production of both weapons and food. CONSUMER GOODS: Fewer Purchases Ahead Purchases of consumer goods and services by American civilians will register declines of 10 to 15 per cent in 1943, while production of goods will show a 15 to 20 per cent dip, according to a prediction by the Office of Civilian Supply of the War Production board. The OCS estimated that the lag in production would be offset by the ab sorption of 25 per cent of the inven tories on hand at the beginning of the year. Largest drop in buying is effect ed in durable goods, continuing a trend started in 1942 when purchases by civilians declined 45 per cent be low 1941. This year's decline is es timated at 35 per cent below 1942. The OCS said that production of con sumer goods from steel would virtual ly stop. VICTORY PREDICTIONS: Premature, Says Davis White-haired OWI Chief Elmer Davis, who prides himself on being realistic, exercised that trait when he took exception to Admiral Wil liam F. Halsey's prediction of a United Nations' victory this year. Commenting on the naval officer's forecast, Davis said: "I have no information to support such a pre diction, although I have been trying to get some." Davis pointed out that the Ger mans are still building submarines faster than the Allies are sinking them and the U-boats' toll is creat ing "heavy losses in ships and the cargoes that go with them and some times trained men on them." The director of war information tempered his pessimistic views, how ever, by stating that the Allied na tions, particularly the United States, for some months past have been building more ships than Axis sub marines have been sinking. POSTWAR CARS: To Cost $400 Radically new light-weight passen ger cars that may sell for as little as $400 were envisioned by P. C. Crawford, president of the National Association of Manufacturers, as a postwar development resulting from amazing strides in metallurgy. Mr. Crawford said that motorists in the coming peace era will have better gasoline than the 100-octane fuel now used for combat aircraft. The superior gasoline, plus greater use of light metals developed during the war, will give the American peo ple far greater mileage on their cars and the cheapest all-around automo bile transportation in history. The NAM president said automo bile companies expect to start pro duction on some cars immediately after the war, but that the new post war models probably will not appear for 19 to IS months afterward. ELMER DAVIS 1943 Will Test America's Production Strength As Axis Armament Plant Capacity Is Left Behind Before this year ends the present 15,000,000 war workers will be in creased to 20,000,000 or more in the nation's all-out, every body-aboard war effort that will produce something like 125,000 planes, 75,000 tanks, 35,000 anti-aircraft guns, and over 10,000,000 tons of shipping to put Adolf, Hirehito and little Musso in their respective places. mis is tne year wnen American industry and laDor will snow that it can do next to, or even, the impossible in turning out the weapons for victory over the Axis. ror some time the gigantic ma chinery of American industry was slowly gaining speed. There was temporary confusion. Soon, though, the might and power of America hard at work began to be felt as the armed forces of the nation began to make glorious use of weapons rolling from unusual pro duction lines, steel mills, automobile plants, and converted peace-time manufacturing plants. Today there is hardly a person whose work is not at least closely tied up with the na tional armament production plan. Speaking in the nation's Capi tol, Secretary of Commerce Jesse Jones said: "We are al ready outproducing our Axis enemies and are only now ap proaching peak production in certain essential military catego ries. While 1943 will be a real test of the ability of American productive genius to supply our own armed forces and those of our Allies, past performances give us every ground for con fidence that the high goals fixed by the President will be achieved." That program, which was shown in part at the beginning, calls for a total expenditure of at least $53,000, 000,000 by June 30, this year. Where 5,000 planes a month was the schedule for 1942, the 1943 output will be more than twice that. (In 1940 only 500 a month were pro duced.) During 1942 the shipbuilding indus try produced over 8.000,000 tons of shipping. The goal for 1943 is twice that amount. A total of 16,000,000 tons would be equivalent to 25 per cent of the entire merchant marine of the world when the war broke out. Over a year ago it took almost 180 days to construct a "Liberty ship." American inventiveness, ingenuity and efficiency have whittled that time down to 56 days, and there is no doubt even that time will be fur ther cut down. Not so long ago Donald Nelson spoke before the National Associa tion of Manufacturers and said: "At this moment the United States is producing combat armaments in as great a volume as all the Axis pow ers combined. A year from now (this year, '43) it will be producing twice as much; and the United Na tions as a whole will be out-producing their adversaries by a margin of three to one." The automobile industry, after re-tooling for war production, be gan to get in its main stride luwiry inc m muic oi int. E.TC11 then, before it woo in eompieto working order, it turned out war equipment valued at 96,999,909, 000, equivalent to 9,999,909 pas senger cars and tracks, or 3,009, 000 more than It turned out In the historic, prosperous pear 1029. Farmers of America, aa Secretary of Agriculture Wickard said else ! where on this page, are making superhuman efforts to make 1043 a I greater production year than was the giant 1942. [ This year farmers will have fewer farm hands than last year; more of his family will be helping. Labor shortages have already shown in va rious sections of the nation, but Man power Commissioner McNutt has come to the aid by bringing in tran sient farm help whenever and wher ever possible. About the only com modity farmers are not asked to produce more than they did in 1942 are grain cereals for bread and food stuffs. The granaries of America are filled to the overflowing. There will be plenty of bread, and similar prod ucts not only for Americans, but neighbors who need it. Allies and lend-lease friends. Production tor Victory Even though over 30,000,000 farm ers worked from before dawn until far late into the night during 1942, they still were unable to keep up with the demand for some products, such as meats of certain types and grades, and dairy products. The lat ter were being dehydrated in enor mous quantities for shipment abroad both to the armed forces, and to lend-lease nations. This year over 20,MM,MM milk cows will be utilised to supply the increased demand for dairy prodncts. The great amount of milk alone that needs to bo dairied during 1943 can be Imag ined when during 1941, a non-war year, the U. 8. per capita con sumption of all dairy products amounted to over 97 gallons. That figure includes such per capita amounts as 17 pounds of butter, S J cheese, Z.J ice cream. Food will write the peace after this war is ended, whether it be this year or during 1944. But food? and plenty of it?is needed right now for fighters and workers, and those not so fortunate in war-torn lands. Meat rationing will attempt to bring a fair allotment to each American. Even then the farmers will be pushed to supply the per person per year consumption of meats for this nation alone. In 1942 American farmers went over the quota set for them. That they can top 1943's quota is an almost certainty. One of the dangers?which Amer ican people have been careful enough to heed?arising from the increase in employment is that of an in creased income, without an accom panying supply of products which they could buy with their new wealth. That this danger will be no less dur ing 1943 when employment will in crease still more, and products for consumption will be less is under standable. Bond buying, Victory tax on payrolls, increased income taxes, and probably compulsory savings might take some of this excess spending power away. But the force of what remains will still be greater than it was in 1942. The record farm income of 1919, according to statisticians, was ex ceeded last year by over a billion dollars, with the 1942 gross income being $18,500,000,000; cash income, including benefit payments, being $15,600,000,000. The national outlay in salaries and wages was at least $80,000,000,000 in 1942, an increase of 80 per cent from 1939. It is as sumed, despite certain counteracting forces, that salaries and wages will be more than that in 1943. The consciousness with which the armed forces, rural and urban work ers, went about their respective jobs during 1942 gives an idea of the might which this nation will achieve during this present year. * , Poet Walt Whitman wrote, "I hear America singing . . This year Americans will continue to hear the nation's industry humming ? hum ming a tune of Victory which will soon?everyone hopes?break out into a mighty song celebrating the vic torious defeat of the enemy. Smoke Got* la Their Eye** CHiUerHirohiio-MustoJ 'Notch by Notch' Secretary of Commerce, (peek In* of what is ahead in '43, said: "Onr people have tlfhtened their belts and will farther tighten them notch by notch if and when war developments make it nec essary. They know that no mat ter what hardships we most en dure at home those suffered by oar courageous armed forces and their gallant Allies on distant lighting fronts will be inftnitely greater." Farm Production Job This Year Not Easy One, Says Sec. Wickard Because one-fourth of all the food that is going to be pro duced here during 1943 will go to U. S. armed forces, and out side of its boundaries to feed the peoples of the United Nations and those peoples in lands occupied' by the Axis which may be taken from the enemy, that doesn't mean that Americans won't be well fed or healthy. In Enfland, after the nation went en a point rationing plan and many of the frills of the diet were cut oot, It was found by public health officials that the average Englishman's diet was far more nourishing than before, and also that public health had Improved. The food goal for 1943 stresses the need of foods of most dietary values for wartime. Every effort will be made by the farmers of America to achieve them. A greater production of milk, meat, eggs, feed grains to support the Increased livestock pro duction is called for. Besides that there is an increased demand for p more dry beuii end peas to supple ment the proteins needed in our , diets, more poultry to supplement our supply of meats, and more of the vegetables so necessary and essen tial because of their high food value Speaking to the farmers of America, Claode R. Wiekard, secretary of agriculture, said: "The 1943 farm production Job will not be easy." Bat he added that "it was not easy In 1942 ... in general farmers met the goals, and exceeded by 12 per cent the previous high records set In 1941." For months food officials have* been at work figuring out how much the country can produce and have fixed what they believe to be attain able goals. They also know what the minimum needs of this nation are, besides the minimum for United Nations countries, outside of what they can supply by themselves. What has them in doubt is the amount of territory recaptured from the Axis and the number of persons within such territories who will have to be fed. North Africa is a part example of feeding natives in terri tory wrested from the Axis. The point rationing plan which Is to begin next month is said to pro vide a means of manipulating pub lic demand and also compelling pub lic adherence to a predetermined balanced diet. Each month, or ev ery six weeks the OPA will announce various "point values" of various type canned goods. Current point value rates will be prominently post ed in all grocery stores and house wives can decide from an inspection of the list what are the best "bar gains" or "buys." The men behind the men behind the gnat, sneh *? these (hewn here I are the ones that are keeping the prednctien line hamming. I WHO'S I NEWS This Week Br Lwnl F. PaitM Consolidated Features.?wNU Balsaoa. XT EW YORK.?Effervescent Utopi 1 ans talk now and then of the day when homes will be traded la as freely as automobiles. Cheap, de is* ni. A mountable and Big Drift Away joying . re From Orthodox sale value ac H outing It Seen has been predicted, be swapped for new and slicker ones as owners tire of them or spurt up the economic ladder from the business coupe to the town sedan runs. When, if and as this happens, happy buyers will do well to toast the memory at John B. Blandford Jr., for it cannot happen without a strong drift away from present-day housing and Blandford is the lad whose bellows <s helping that drift nowadays. Thirty thsanad war workers move mti pabtic hssiisg accom modations each month. That's Blandford, the national hinting administrator. In the past 12 months Tltjm now warkanUng units hare (own the green sap That's^Blandford, too. * Ami'If plans now an the griddle cook to the right tarn there wih be then sands more. And the ltd fsih to raise and marry Us children in, and shelter himself U his slippered retirement will hare tough competition Blandford, only 43, is the gradu ate of Stevens Institute at Technol ogy, called by President Roosevelt a man of "amazing executive abili ty." A thick, solid amarrr with perky ears he smiles his way along as a man should under such praise. ? p VERY home could use a Dr. Walter H. Eddy these none too cheerful days. It is luck that he is only professor emeritus of physio c- j a? ? .. logical chem Ftndt a Bright ^ at Cotam Side to AllThis bia university. War Rationing theactic. hst, he has time on his hands as well as "a kind and gentle heart?to comfort friends and foes." War rationing will make us all pull in our belts but. Dr. Eddy says, we need no* worry because the health of Ameri cans should not suffer. Went May be "foes" carries the comfort far ther than even the doctor would have it go. The Nazis won't be comforted. Not much! A while hack Dr. Eddy was comfcrting a crowd only a Bttlo less needy than today's hwtlai meat - canned-goods - and - sug ar-shy cation. Ho told a imfn enee that both tea and safes made for rim and rigor and also helped as mach toward sleep as coasting sheep. Mb he said, were stimalatmg morn ing drinks but at sight trndrd to Indnce sleep, when taken in moderation. Them happy een elasions, and Us grand ana touching on war rationing, am not those of a Johaay-ceme-tato ly, bat af a fellow whose record la Us own leid almost mitt hoi Babe Roth's. Now the newly-appointed chair man of the Institute of Dietetics, Dr. Eddy was a major in the last war and is an expert consultant to the quartermaster general of the army in this one. ? COL. MERIAN C. COOPER k back from China, and Washing ton correspondents are left ta no Name a Place and 2***rimiraH CoL Cooper Know tion for his Tromc Cop Thoro *? ChennaulL Colonel Cooper knows Just what he wants to say, and says it. Twenty-odd years ago, while the rest of the newspaper reporters were wavering in front of the steam table at Harmon's restaurant in Min neapolis his mind was always clear. Roast beef! And a good dish, too. for IS cents. He has eaten better, and warms, since, and China, Hka Minneapolis, is jest another way station In a succession of bounces which kaVc taken Urn around the world and to spare. When he was in Abysstete, Halts Selassie gave him a palace and wanted to threw e hunting party far him, bet Cooper didn't have time. Before that he lew e Igfat iag plane In France with the I AEF, end later headed aw the I across Bsrape h boxes re to jah the Poles, then dghttag Red Rao aia. Afterward ha went exptar I teg In Asia and India. L