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The Alamance Gleaner foLLXIX GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 1943 No. 28 WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS Catania's Capture Marked Beginning Of Axis Last Stand in Sicily Battle; Red Offensive Crumples Nazi Flanks; Yanks Continue Gains in Pacific Drive (EDITOR'S NOTE: When epialens are expressed In these telanni, they are these ef Western Newspaper Union's news analysts and net neeessarUy ef this newspaper.) _______________ Released by Western Newspaper Union. TEttfACT WHERE THE AVERAGE CIVILIAN INCOME WENT PER CAPITA JgJ ^ 1941 ? $661 Ed ? 1942 t $817 ? I n?V a fe IsB ^ 89 >941 ?42 '941 >942 1941 1942 1941 ^ 1942 li^l 30 fiSfl PERSONA!. TAXES SAVINGS GIFTS CONSUMPTION SICILY: Last Stand Forty thousand Axis troops were all that were left to stand between the Allies and complete conquest of Sicily as the last phase of the battle developed. Of the 40,000, it was estimated that 35,000 were German and the rest Italian. Although heavily outnumbered by the 10 Allied divisions reported in action, the Axis relied on strong natural entrenchments hewed into the rugged mountains to hold up the British-American drive. The ad vance against these positions was difficult, with the infantry slowly picking its way up the craggy but barren slopes in the face of stiff mortar and machine gun nests which had held their ground even after fierce Allied artillery barrage. After being stalled for two weeks in front of Catania, the British 8th army spilled into the city after over coming strong Axis positions set up along the several rivers winding through the country and in the tall . fields of grain. Aided by the navy's bombardment of the enemy's coast al positions along the Tyrrhenian sea, the U. S. 7th army's drive point ed eastward to Messina, the Axis' last communication link with the Italian mainland. MINERS: For Travel Pay Pride might cometh before the fall, but in John L..Lewis' case, it was nia uucresi in drawing under ground pay for his 500,000 United Mine Workers that accounted for his appearance before the War Labor board which he had so often berated in the past. Occasion was the WLB's hear ing on the Illinois Coal Operators' and UMW's agree ment for pay uicut ui a aay xo xne mineia for the time spent in traveling un derground from the mine's entrance to the diggings. Lewis told the WLB that American coal miners are the only miners in any civilized country who receive no compensation for un derground travel. The agreement also calls for an eight instead of a seven hour day and a six-day work week, which, with the underground travel pay, would increase miners' daily checks by $3. Stating that 1,482 miners died from risks in the pits last year and 72,000 were seriously injured, Lewis said the extra working hours would increase the men's exposure to such accidents. Furthermore, he declared, the ? miners received just $37 more a year than the lowest classification of government clerical workers. GRAIN: Going East Six hundred million bushels of corn were used during the second quarter of 1943, the department of agriculture reported, with supplies as ot July 1 totaling 872 million bush els. Of this amount, 842 million bushels remained on farms. As of July 1, the department stat ed that there was a supply of 290 million bushels of oats; over 200 mil lion bushels of barley, and 46 million bushels of rye. Approximately 300 million bushels of wheat were found available for feed. In relation to livestock, feed sup ply is reported to be 20 per cent smaller than last year and 14 per cent below average. RUSSIA: Offensive Climax The height of the Russians' sum mer offensive was reached with the r\?i a iau ui vici. mici a month of hard fighting, Marshal Timoshenko's forces swept into the city, even as the bulk of 250,000 Germans was be ing withdrawn to new positions to the west. Held by the Germans since October, 1941, Orel stood in ruin as the Russians moved in, with Nazi rear-guards tackling the Reds in hand-to-hand fighting in delaying ac tion in the streets of the city. In taking Orel, the Reds threw the full weight of their artillery, planes, tanks and infantry into the battle. Slowly, they ground down German resistance on the north, south and east sides of the city. On the other end of the central front, the Reds announced capture of Belgorod. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC: At Munda The American attack on Munda in the Solomons stands out as a classic of military strategy. In the final stages of the battle against a fanatical enemy resisting to the death, American forces drew a tight noose around the Japs, with one column moving to the west of the defenders' line while two other columns hammered in from two ends on the east. When American planes failed to sufficiently reduce the Japs' hidden pill-boxes hewed in the jungle brush, 13-ton tanks were called into the fray, and these crackled through the dense foliage to advance on the en emy's well-concealed positions and draw their fire. Their gunrfire guid ed the tanks to their entrenchments and these were quickly subdued with point-blank barrages. With strong Jap points overrun on the east, American warships and airplanes then moved in along the coast to the west and laid down a thunderous volley into the enemy's positions. As this combined barrage shook up the Japs in their pillboxes and caves, American troops picked their way northward, to ring the en emy from the west. TAXES: Corporations' Share What is the corporations' share of the nation's tax burden? Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau revealed that prelim 'nortr show that 309,062 corporations filed returns for 1941. Except for 40,160 which were in active with no in come data, these corporations paid over seven billion dollars in normal, surtaxes and ex cess profit taxes. The government collected nearly 13 billion dollars in revenue for 1941, which would indicate that cor '? -i??t an porauons accoumeu iu& auuwat ? per cent of receipts. Morgenthau reported that of the corporations reporting for 1941, 264, 625 showed profits, with net income of 18 billion dollars. Approximately 43,648 mire corporations made money during the year than in 1940. John L. Lewis Gen. Timoshenko Henrj Morgenthau Faster Than Sound To Lt. Col. Cass S. Hough of Plymouth, Mich., fell the rare distinction of traveling faster than sound, or more than 780 miles per hour, while undertaking two experi mental flights for the V. S. army air force. Last September, Col. Hough's P-38 Light ning climbed up to 43,000 feet. Then, he cooly nosed the plane into a powerdive and she zoomed downward at the record speed before being leveled off at 18,000 feet. Last February, Col. Hough took a P-47 Thunderbolt to 39,000 feet, and re peated the previous performance. According to the 36-year-old daredevil, he made his first flight on impulse. As his plane went screaming downward, he said, it felt as though a ton of bricks lay on his back, and he could barely lift his arms to write down the recordings of his instru ments. IP hen he leveled off at 18,000, every thing went gray, he declared, but he never lost consciousness. FARM LAND: Value Rising With the value of all farm land now above World War I level, gov ernment officials were becoming anxious over the possibility of an other realty boom which would col lapse with a disastrous drop in prices as in the twenties. Between March and July of this year, farm real estate rose another 3 per cent. The increase occurred throughout all of the geographical regions and in two-thirds of the states. In Indiana, farm property sold 40 per cent above the 1935-39 average. With commodity prices up one fourth within the last 12 months and farm income for 1943 expected to exceed 1942's record levels, farmers were said to be active buyers in the ! market. What with high commodity prices prevailing, speculators also were supposed to be purchasing property for resale. WAR ARSENAL: 80 Pet. Complete Of the government's planned con struction of 1414 billion dollars of war piani iacni ties, approximate ly 12 billion dol lars has been completed, Chair man Donald Nel son of the War Production board announced. That represents a com* pletion of 80 per cent of the pro gram compared with 61 per cent at the start of the year and 34 per cent at this time last summer. Greatest gains in the program were in the construction ot plants for guns, combat vehicles, aircraft and ammunition. Facilities for pro ducing ammunition are 95 per cent complete. According to Nelson, the records for other programs showed synthetic rubber, 61 per cent finished; 100 oc tane gas, 39 per cent; iron and steel, 75 per cent, and chemical products, 90 per cent. Production Lags Production of armaments and oth er goods needed by the army is lag ging seriously, Lieut. Gen. Brehon B. Somervell, chief of army supply services, warned. He said that 300 million dollars' worth of supplies have not been delivered according to schedule in the last three months. Output of factories has been going down steadily, he continued, with July figures "decidedly worse" than those of June. At the same time the treasury re ported that actual war spending dur ing July was half a billion dollars less than in June, this being the first month in which war costs have turned downward. Commentators say this decline is another indica tidn of lower production, rather than smaller needs. Urging all contractors to fulfill their contracts, General Somervell said; "If as a manufacturer, you are scheduled to produce a certain quantity of war material by a spe cific date, you have undertaken a specific military obligation." CARGO PLANES: Back to Metal New developments prompted the army's cancellation of contracts for all wooden transport airplanes and the return to metallic construction. The wooden craft were designed to operate from small, unimproved landing fields and carry 4,500 pounds of cargo at medium range. But partly because of Allied air domi nance, good airports have been put in use in distant combat zones, and the demand has shifted to faster, longer-range planes. Furthermore, it was reported, aluminum production has increased in a volume sufficient to take care of additional plane building, ^lile certain woods suitable for the type of transport designed are growing scarce. Donald Nelson Mussolini's Meteoric Career Recalled as He Makes Exit * : How Italy's Master Rose to Power and Why He Collapsed ' By ELLIOTT J. PINE On July 25, 1943, Benito Mus solini, dictator of Italy for 21 years, tearfully resigned his of fices, and turned his govern ment over to King Victor Em manuel. The immediate reason for the dictator's relinquishing of power is said to be his inabil ity to obtain greater military aid from Germany. The Fascist council voted 19 to 7 against ac cepting his plan of .abandoning more than half the country to the Allies, and of establishing a defense line in the north. When Mussolini realized that he could not enforce his will as he was accustomed, he stepped out, or according to other ac counts, was forced out. More basic than this dispute on war plans, however, was the in creasing and bitter distrust of Mus solini. and the Fascist party he head ed. The Italian people, most observ ers say, never wished to enter World War II. Defeats, losses and hard ships have turned the people of Italy away from Fascism, and re volt was brewing ever hotter. When Mussolini went, Fascism ended too. King Victor Emmanuel, who has ?always retained the shadow of au thority, has given the official version of the situation in this statement: "His Majesty, the King-Emperor, has accepted the. resignation from the offices of chief of government, prime minister, and secretary of state, which was tendered by His Excellency, signor Benito Mnssolini, and has appointed as chief of gov ernment, prime minister, and secre tary of state. His Excellency, Mar shal of Italy, signor Pietro Ba dorlio." At the time this statement was made public, it was pretended that Mussolini's ill health was the rea son for his leaving office, but this rather weak excuse was soon j dropped. The new government thus estab lished by the king and Marshal Badoglio is generally considered to signify the end of the Fascist party. The structure that held Italy tightly for two decades apparently has col lapsed by the removal of one man. Actually the party has been crum bling from within for years, say in formed correspondents. Fascism Began 24 Tears Ago. "Fascism" as a name dates from March 23, 1919, when Mussolini and 145 others organized the "Fasci Italia no di Combattimento" mean ing, "Italian fighting groups." The" word "Fasci" comes from the old Roman symbol of authority, the "Fasces," a beheading ax with a bundle of scourging rods bound on the handle. It can be seen on the reverse of an American dime. During the following two years, this little party increased rapidly. While Mussolini did not actually found it, perhaps, he at least was one of its earliest and strongest lead ers. He soon came out in front, a vigorous man of 38, with a com pelling manner and oratorical per suasiveness. He was born in 1884, the son of a village blacksmith and country school teacher, in Predappio, Ro magna province. When he complet ed grade school, he became a teach er in a neighboring village, and soon took to stump speaking for the So cialist party. His political activities brought him into several clashes with the law. He became a writer, and rose to be editor of the Socialist organ, "Avanti." During World War I, he served as a corporal, and he participated in the Fiume campaign of 1919. Soon I after being discharged from sdrvice I be met a few kindred spirits, and began the organization of the Fas cists. . It was a time of great Barest and naemploymeDt. Although victorious in the war, Italy had snfferod heavy losses, and was oppressed hy a pon derous war debt. Being a eoantry naturally poor in resoarees and only slightly tadastrialixed at tho time, the post-war depression here down more weightily than oa ether aa tions. Many were embittered sbont their frastrated hopes for territorial gains throngh the Versailles treaty. They blamed Britain and France for leaving Italy eat. The wealthy and eooservstivs class feared the spread ef commu nism, and many ehnrehmen added their raises to the clamor. The as tional assembly was divided into nn merous bickering and log-rolling (actions, and the premier, signor Facta, was not a strong enough man (or a crisis. The March on Rome. Assembling the Fascist militia, the party's private army,, in Civita vecchia, on October 27, 1922, he be gan the famous "March on Rome." When he approached the capital with 250,000 armed men. Premier Facta, and Marshal (then General) Badoglio begged the king, the same Victor Emmanuel, to stop the marchers with machine gun fire and the bayonets of the'regular army. The king, who hated bloodshed, re fused to give the order. Three days later, he acceded to Mussolini's de mands, and appointed him premier. From that day onward, Mussolini has been continuously in complete control of Italy, until the other day. Ironically, he turned his power over to Victor Emmanuel and Badoglio, who might have stopped him 21 years earlier. As soon as Mussolini found him self firmly in the saddle, he set about making himself and his party absolute. All political parties were banned except the Fascist, and many social, cultural and religious societies were closed down under the force of these laws. Party mem bers were placed in every position of authority in the civil and military administration. Business and pro fessional men soon found it to their advantage to join the party, or to get on good terms with some im portant member. For a time, the Fascist regime appeared to be a decided benefit to Italy. Domestic order was restored, business and finance stabilized and encouraged, employment atlmulated by public works, and a program at social benefits put into operation. The Fascist regime floated inter national lokns, built hydroelectric plants, opened mines, drained swamps, introduced new manufac tures, and in many ways brought temporary advantages and pros perity to Italy, accustomed to back wardness and poverty. Bat the Italians soon discovered the price ef these gains was the less at liberty, b IKS, Massollnt, or ? Dnee, "the leader," aa he liked to be called, had a law passed legalis ing his position as prime minister, and rendering him responsible to no one bat the king. This meant, in effect, that he could do as he pleased. During the twenties Italy shared somewhat in the prosperity ot the post-war world, but the great de pression (ell heavily on the nation, the more so because ot its reliance on international trade. Its artificial prosperity began to crumble, despite tight controls, and unrest and dis satisfaction began to fester hers and there, under cover. Land Hanger. Meanwhile Mussolini was thinking of expanding Italy territorially. The League of Nations had prevented him from undertaking any small wars of conquest, such as were com mon in the 19th century. In 1923, be had a "causua belli" against Greece, but he did not push the issue to open war. Nothing occupied his large army excepting patrol action in North Africa. In 1933, Adolf Hitler rose to power as chancellor of Germany, as head of the National Socialists, or Nazis, a party that had much in common with the Fascists of Italy. Musso lini soon welcomed his imitator, and began to plan international adven tures. Nevertheless, a year later, when Hitler began to threaten Austria. II Dues offered to support that weak state. Next year Italy declared war on Ethiopia, Mussolini's first openly imperialistic move, and a success ful defiance of the League. Italian and German policies were moving closer together through sim ilarity of interests, and Hitler and Mussolini began concluding a series of treaties and agreements that cul minated in the formation of the "Rome-Berlin Axis." Both Italy and Germany sent troops into the Spanish civil war. The Italian troops showed even then their distaste for fighting, but the officers gained valuable experience with new weapons and tactics, espe cially airplanes and tanks. Mussolini joined in signing the Munich Agreement that was sup posed to assure "peace in our time" as Neville Chamberlain put it. Know ing that a great war was around the corner Mussolini then turned his at tention to bringing his army, navy, and especially his air force to full strength. 'Stab in the Back.' When France was staggering to defeat in the spring of 1940, Musso lini thought he saw the long sought opportunity for important territorial acquisitions without much loss or risk. He entered to war on the side of Germany, hoping to get a few French islands. President Roosevelt characterized this move as a "stab in the back." From then an, Italy was in World War H. All looked rosy as long as the German blitz krieg continued to smash ahead, but in 1941 English troops defeated the Italians in two widely separated Af rican campaigns, and the Italian navy lost heavily in several actions. Last year Itqly went on the de fensive. Mussolini sent some divi sions to fight against Russia, others to North Africa, with the German Africa corps. Both sustained de feat and severe losses. The Italian people began to grumble ever loud er against Fascism and Mussolini. He pinned medals on bereaved mothers and wives, made his fa mous balcony speeches, and tried to whip up morale with posters, pa rades of the youth organizations, and every other trick in his bag. But It didn't work. Then same the North African cam paign, when the Italian seidlers sur rendered in large masses, plainly re vealing their war-weartness. The In vasion of 8ielly moved so swiftly, not only because ef the weight of arma ments, but because of feeble re sistance at many points. Every where the people welcomed the Al lied troops. When Rome was bombed, Musso lini's long hypnotic spell was broken. If ha could not even protect the capital, said the people, how could he hope for victory? The Italians were tired of war, tired of privations and restrictions. II Duce got out, Just in time, according to majority opinion, to avert a civil war. DON'T BOTHER THE PILOT?A piopuudi poster showing Musso lini at the controls of a big bombing plane (be is an amateur flier), warned Italians In ISM "not to dis turb the pilot, especially when he is engaged In tempestuous navigation; nor ask the way at every, turn." This appeal lor blind and unques tioning taith in the wisdom of the leader is the keynote at Fascism, as of all dictatorships. Mussolini "piloted" Italy into the war, then when the navigation really got "tem pestuous" ho "bailed out." IN HI8 SECOND YEAR of rale, 1923, Premier Massolini was ai ready showing his yearning to rattle the sword. He sent sneh a sharp diplomatic note to Greece on the murder of members of an Italian commission on the Greek-Albanian frontier, that world eaneeliories feared a war was near. 1 'Let Us Live Like Lions' FASCISM ON THE BON?A photo graph shewing Mussolini setting th. pace for hi* army officers daring guaeorcri in September, 1S3S, iron leally aymbollxea the hssty exit ef Fascism hi Jmly, 1M3. This time, tee, the nmalmg was ttthity led by n Deee. Who's News I This Week By Delot Wheeler Lovelace Consolidated Features.?WWU Belesse. VT EW YORK.?Official! counting the ballot* in the Sooth African general election hash the word that Prime Minister Jan Chriatian Smuts . - , ? .. and hia pro Htgh Scholarship war ^ And Grim Warfare hare gained Divide Smut's Life ? clear ma jority, and there ia rejoicing in all the Allied capital!. Back at the turn of the century no Boer military leader fought the British more bitterly than did this now bald and grizzled war rior ol 73. Often hungry, often shoe less, he waged guerrilla warfare of the toughest sort then. Since that fighting ended, however, he has bat tled steadfastly on the side at the Empire. It was be whs crashed a Beer ?prising at the start el WseU Germans in EasTAfriealud be come a British general. He saved Senfb Africa for the (Mt ed Nations, tee, In 1MB, i satin the pre-Nasi forces at Am late Gen. J. B. M. Hertseg at the for the strand time after a 15 year lapse. His latest victory keeps Sooth Africa firmly in the war. Son of a poor and tough Dutch farmer, who trekked across the veldt with a Bible in one hand and a gun in the other, Smuts had reached his teens before he could read. Later he wan high honors as a student at Cambridge university. Today with his pointed beard whit ened by age he is still a paradox, a hard and cunning and skillful fight er and a philosopher who dares dream of a peaceful world. What's more he plans and works for that world even as he fights. ? O ENNANTS have been flown for the WAVES' first anniversary and Navy Secretary Frank Knox button holed congressmen to win for She's the Old Man Of the Wave*, This lieutenant Feminine Gal of 43 commander a full cap taincy. This, he argues, is the least Miss Mildred McAfee deserves, par ticularly if the force is to be raised from 27,000 to 91,000. Commander McAfee's sum af record is Mildred Helen; bat usually it is pUia Mildred, the "Helen" being silent, as ia Troy these last JJN years. Ta Wellesley undergradaates she was Miss Mae. The WAVES, pertly apiag the real aavy, call her the Old Maa, a title that skirts the reefs af Ubel, siace the eammaader Is a mere 43 aad not mannish Trim, yes! Per haps even a trifle prim. Bat her hair Is black, short-cat aad eriakly; her cheeks pass inspec tion easily with aaly a pawde! pod's help?aad her ayes! Her smile is lively, wbea it comes. Aad from any compass point she Is not bad, not bad at all. On the day she was sworn in, her smile seemed a little ironic while beaming Secretary Knox adminis tered the oath. Maybe, however, it was only held in check by ber usual reserve. The commander la a preacher's daughter and was born in Missouri. She studied at Vassar and Chicago and taught through French, Eng lish, economics and sociology be fore she reached the presidency of Wellesley. In spite of the powder puff which is her limit, she wants her WAVES "to look human." ? \\l ORD comes out of Sicily that * * the jeep, that mechanical jack rabbit of the American army, is w DOW herding Presenting to Toa stampeded Dalmar G. Room, Axis armies Proad Dad of Jeep fromPaler. mo to Mee* sina, and Delmar G. ("Barney"k Root must be saying, "that's my baby." Mere than one mas is the automotive industry ess claim s good mark for the blue prints I from which was designed the I lew-slang combat car of Col. ! Robert Bowie's dream, bat if anyone deserves to be called f the Jeep's daddy it is probably I Bnraey. He was working en it I as early as the spring af IMS. Roos is a past president of the Society of Automotive Engineers and has had an adoring eye for engines of some sort ever since be cut classes to visit a roundhouse in . the Bronx. He eras born in New York 54 years ago, studied engineer ing at Cornell and won a hatful at | fencing titles.
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
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Aug. 26, 1943, edition 1
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