North Carolina Newspapers

The Alamance Gleaner Vol. LXIX GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1943 - No. 39 WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS Muddy Terrain Slows Drive in Italy As Nazis Strengthen Mountain Posts; Germany Rushes Troops to Bolster Broken Defense Lines on Red Front (EDITOR'S NOTE: When opinions are expressed In these columns, they are those ef Western Newspaper Union's news analysis and not necessarily of this newspaper.) Released by Western Newspaper Union. Marines are shown hauling 155 mm. rifle through mud to new posi tion on tropical Rendova island in the central Solomons. Known as "Long Toms," these 155 mm. field pieces soon went to work to hurl shells into Jap posts seven miles away. ITALY: Yew Difficulties To add to the Allies' difficulties in Italy, heavy rain has slogged the countryside, and new burdens have been imposed on the lines of com munication bringing supplies to the front. Because of the inability of motor vehicles to operate over the muddy and mountainous terrain, the Al lies are relying increasingly on horses, burros and mules. But they are finding it hard to obtain them since the Germans took most of these animals out of southern Italy or shot those they could not take, and the Fighting French have been unwilling to give up the horses, etc., they have in North Africa for fear of breaking up their mounted units. Encouraged by Allied difficulties, Nazi Marshal Kesselring reportedly has reinforced his army fighting a dogged delaying action in the rugged country. After retreating from the Volturno river line, the Germans took up positions on the 2,500-foot high Massico ridge, where they were expected to make another stand be fore dropping back to the mountains farther north. Try to Maintain Morale On October 17, 1918, Germany's General Eric Ludendorff declared: "The tension of the individual man has reached a degree which cannot be increased." Not long after Germany cracked under the strain, and steely, dynam ic General Ludendorff fell apart with the rest. Today, Germany's Hitler, Goebbels and Goering remember 1918, and the Nazis are working feverishly to hold up the people's morale against the Allies' shattering air attacks. Hitler has ordered the construc tion of underground concrete hospit als in battle zones, as well as first aid. posts and auxiliary hospitals in the cellars of the most solid build ings. Newspapers are carrying on a concerted campaign to educate the people in treatment of eye injuries caused by the heat, smoke, dust, glass-splinters and phosphorus clouds generated by bombing raids. HOME FRONT: FDR Meals Labor Leaders Answering labor's complaint against the stabilization of wages in the face of S per cent increase in the cort of living since last year. President Roosevelt promised AFL and CI<} leaders that the retail prices would oe rolled back through pro ducers' or processors' subsidies. FIy\ met with the labor leaders even as there were rumblings of discontent among the railway unions over wage raises. The non-operat ing Railway union was kicking be cause Economic Stabilization Direc tor Tred Vinson had set aside an eight-cents-an-hour pay boost rec ommended by a government media tion board, while the operating rail way unions claimed they were "in stated" by another mediation pan r s award of a four-cents-an-hour increase after they had asked for three dollars a day. In hearings before the War Labor board, Alabama and eastern coal operators objected to a new contract between Illinois operators and the United Mine Workers, which would boost daily wages between $1.80 and $1.73 by increasing the working day to 1\4 hours, including all travel time to and from the pits. RUSSIA: Nazis' 'Darkest Hour' As Russian troops poured across the Dnieper river and promised to trap 1,000,000 German soldiers lrom the rear, word came from Berlin that the Nazis admitted they faced their darkest hour. Upon the* shoulders of Hitler's army fell the gigantic task of blunt ing the Russian drive before it could roll southward across the southern Ukraine's broad plains and trap the Germans from behind while they held the line against other Red forces attacking from the front. As the German lines sagged, the Nazis were reported rushing thou sands of troops from the Crimea, immediately to the south. In Melito pol, German and Russian soldiers fought in the streets of the ruined city, with enemy machine gunners operating from charred buildings to delay the Reds' advance. , Both sides sustained heavy losses in men and materiel. Big Three Meet Behind the high walls of Russia's forbidding Kremlin, U. S. Secretary or state Cornell Hull, British Foreign Minis ter Anthony Eden and Soviet Foreign Commis sar Vyacheslav Molotov started conferences de signed to bring their countries closer togeth er in the military, po litical and economic fields. While Molotov was expected to raise the is sue of the U. S. and Britain opening a sec ond front in western Europe to draw off some of the 200 Ger man divisions facing Russia in the east, it was said Hull and Eden would attempt to per suade the Reds to re consider their demands for postwar annexation of the Baltic states and parts of Poland, Ru mania and Finland. As the conferees met, it was announced the U. S., Britain and Can ada had entered into a new lend-lease agree (Top to bottom) Hall, Eden Molotor ment witn rvussia, pruiuismg uc? au ditional food and military supplies this winter. 48-HOUR WEEK: For More Production To meet the demand for record production, the War Manpower com mission ordered 71 different areas to go on a 48 hour week, and advised 112 others to prepare to shift to the longer work period. To make up for the shortage of manpower, the WMC determined on the 48 hour week to get more pro duction per person. Previously, the 48 hour week had been in effect in 40 out of 71 areas where the WMC had declared a labor scarcity exist ed. Now, the remaining 31 areas must go on the longer week. ' In the other 112 areas, the WMC saw the possibility of a labor short age. If such a shortage impends, preparations will be made to meet it before it occurs to interfere with production. The 48-hour week already has been instituted in such industries as log ging, non-ferrous mining and smelt ing, and iron and steel. In the Headlines . .. Accustomed to returning to darkened cells, incorrigible! of . Georgia's state pris on were surprised to find their quarters ablase with light one night and radios available. The changes were in line with Gover nor Ellis Arnall's sweeping prison re form, marked by legislative action to ban whipping and shackles, and llqui Ellis Arnall dation of the dreaded chain gang camps. ? * ? When 93-year-old Civil war vet Frank M. Frary died in Denver, Colo., recently, it was discovered that he had been carrying $81,610 in his vest pocket for the last two years. A retired conductor from the Burlington railroad, Frary had converted securities into cash two years ago, and kept the money wrapped in brown paper in his vest pocket up to his death. Twen ty-six relatives share in his estate. _l SOUTHWEST PACIFIC: Japs Build Air Bases While they are slowly being squeezed out of the Solomons and central New Guinea, the Japanese are feverishly constructing a string of bomber and fighter bases on the Celebes islands and the Dutch East Indies to the west. Reconnaissance by Allied planes reveals that the Japs have laid many new concrete runways in these ter ritories, and are laying up stores of supplies in warehouses spread around these air centers. Apparent purpose of these air bases is to thwart any move Gen eral MacArthur might make against the rich oil, quinine and tin lands of , the Indies from Australia to the east, or Lord Mountbatten might make from India to the north. WORLD WAR II: Toughest Yet Japan is building more planes than we are destroying, and she has not as yet called all of her eligible draftees or young men between the ages of 17 and 20, U. S. military ex perts told congressmen in secret ses- I sion. Because thfi Japs have 500,000 sol diers massed within striking dis tance, the Allies would be confronted with difficult problems of defense in case Russia granted the U. S. bomb ing bases in Siberia, the congress men were told. The military experts declared that the Germans were concentrating their fighter planes on breaking up Allied bombing formations, and that, in many cases, the German pilots were purposely colliding with our big sky fortresses. GOLD: U. S. Holds Tivo-thirds Of the world's gold supply of 33 billion dollars, the U. S. holds 22 bil- : lion dollars, or two-thirds, while the British Empire controls almost four billion dollars. Of the remaining gold supply, over four billion dollars is in the hands of Germany and Japan as a result of their conquests. Germany itself pos sesses no more than 29 million dol- ' lars of gold, while Japan has 164 million dollars. South American gold I stocks approximate one billion dol lars. Interest in the gold supply height ened with indications that the U. S. and Britain intended to make the precious metal the basis for world currency after the war, with the value of all money being founded upon the gold reserve behind it. SCHOOL BILL: Killed in Senate Following adoption of an amend ment by Senator William Langer (N. D.) against ra cial discrimination in the use of funds, the senate killed the 300 million dollar public education bill. Under terms of the bill, states would have received 200 million dollars in federal funds for school uses during the war, and 100 million dollars in Beaator William Laager additional permanent grants. Ma jor portions of the money would have gone toward increasing teachers' salaries. In introducing his amendment, Senator Langer said some states would not apportion the money equitably for the benefit of all races. Despite Senator Lancer's assertion, the Negro teachers' association and the National Association for the Ad vancement of Colored Children sup ported the bill. m hmmi Notes of an Innocent Bystanders The Marie Lanterns: Mary Mar tin, already topping the newest stage hit, "Venus," presides over a daffy diily on the screen called "True to Life" . . "Phantom of the Opera" gives you more opera than phantom this time, with Nelson Eddy, Susan na Foster and Jane Farrar pouring it on vocally. Claude Rains is the head skulker, but his chills run sec ond to the trills . . . "Behind the Rising Sun" is grim stuff about the war against the Japs. Its barbari ties were authenticated py Corre spondent James Young, who lived among the beheaders for years. Margo and Don Douglas are the pair who stir up the Japs' furies. The Dials: The AFL urged NBC to muzzle Kaltenborn because of his severe jabs at labor unions. The network, however, permits him to continue expressing his opinions freely, even if they irk you or me . . . The best answer to any oral attack, as the AFL probably will agree, is not suppression, but facts. When civil liberties go down the drain so will labor's . . . We thawt only columnists took bows for scoops. But every hour, via its radio offerings, the N. Y. Times announced its beat in reporting that Italy would declare war on Germany . . . Fred Waring likes to hurl numbers around on his show?how many perform ers, etc. He announced 176 piano keys for a selection. How many pic colo holes? . . . Jack Benny's new corps of writers caught his style admirably on Jack's first out and added a little more lunacy . . . The other night a band came on the air unaccompanied by that claquey hand-clapping and synthetic cheer ing. Or could I have just dreamed that? Memos of a Midnighter: MGM has junked "They Were Expendable," a best seller! . . . Jockey Nick Wall and his wife have reconciled after a long sep . . . Insiders think that if Durocher is dropped as Dodgers' pi lot?his successor may be the gent who once said: "Is Brooklyn still in the National League?"?Bill Terry . . . "Lassie," the dog star (of the film by that name at the Music Hall), is a him?real name is Pal. The owner sold him for $10 . . . After seeing the preview in H'wood he came out muttering: "I've thrown away a fortune 1" . . . Garbo has given in to Ernest Pascal's pleading to go to London and star in Shaw's "St. Joan." From tha Irish Echo: "Premier De Valera of Eire succeeded, after considerable time and effort, in mak ing Hitler pay for the restoration of a synagogue in Dublin which had been destroyed by Nazi airmen when they bombed the city a couple of years ago. Mr. De Valera acted in fulfillment of a promise to the Jews of Eire that their lives and property would be protected by the govern ment against the acts of any enemy of the country." Quotation Marksmanship: A. Mur ray: She's the only one I know who always seems to rhumba into a room . . . Mere: Beauty is the first pres ent nature gives to woman and the first it takes away . . . Denham: Ambition is like love?impatient both of delays and rivals . . . Moore: Playful blushes that seem but lumi nous escapes of thought . . . E. Cu neo: Hitler's One-World?Unanimos ity . . . H. Klurfeld: Duce gave Italy roads, but the Allies are giving it hot and cold running Nazis . . . E. Gilligan: The village went to sleep?window by window . . . H. Broun: She balanced her dignity on the tip of her nose . . . Confucius: If you lose your temper, you've lost the argument . . . Anon's definition of intoxicated: To feel sophisticated and not be able to pronounce it. Private White Boose polls show Wallace has twice the support for the vice presidency as the combined vote of all his opponents, including J. Byrnes, P. McNutt, Mr. Justice Douglas and J. Winant ... A Capi tol correspondent is in a jam with colleagues for supposedly making re marks to their wives . . . The Stork Club has gone high-toned. Last night its guests included America's fa mous poet, Joseph Auslander, and Assistant Secretary of State Adolf A. Berie Jr., and his wife ... In the film, "'Spitfire," the late Leslie Howard (who perished in a plane) says: "What's the use of inventing planes? They only kill people!" . . , L.H.R. of the Times records this nifty: "Washington is a place where everyone is welcome but no one is missed." > 'We Fight Our Country's Battles,' Sing Marines; Combat Correspondents TeH How They Do Itj 1 ' Leatherneck Scribe Dodges Ack-Ack, Mans Waist-Gun (The following story uas written by Technical Sergt. Harry Bolter, Louisville, Ky^ a marine corps combat correspond ent.) I admit now that I wiped beads of perspiration from my brow a few seconds after I was told that I would fly that night in a United States Army Liberator bomber on a mis sion deep into Japanese territory. A trifle nervous. I quit my type writer and gathered up my flight gear. Two hours before the desig nated take-off time I was walking restlessly from one wall map to an other in the operations hut of the squadron on Guadalcanal to which I had been assigned. It was near midnight when a cor poral called across the room: "Lieu tenant, here's the marine sergeant who's, going with you." The' slender army officer, slightly grayed at the temples, crossed the room and extended his hand. "I'm Jerry," he said in an infor mal, matter-of-fact manner. "Glad to have you with us. You'll work the starboard waist gun." I gulped once and felt a lump form in my throat. My fingers squeezed tightly on a lighted cigarette. I turned in a circle and picked out a comfortable chair in front of a desk. The corporal who had introduced me to the pilot apparently had detected the sudden change in the color of my complexion, because he chuckled and shoved a map under my nose. "Here," he said, "You can com pose yourself by studying tonight's target." I said nothing, but I certainly < didn't appreciate his humor. Thirty minutes later I was shak ing hands with the crew members of our big four-motored bomber. | There acre the co-pilot, bombardier, , navigator, and four other gunners. { From 'Old Kentucky." i One of the gunners inquired: J "Where you from, Sarge?" When I replied "Kentucky," the diminu- ' tive, wiry bombardier shoved his ' hand out and said: "Boy, give me ' five. That's where I'm from, too. Louisville's my home." ' And so again, I was shaking the hand of the bombardier, Second Lieut. Jesse W. Crume, U. S. Army, ' from Louisville. We eased away I from the group, sat on the steps of 1 the operations hut and talked of mu- 1 tual acquaintances back in Louisville 1 until we boarded the .truck for the i field. J ] As we rumbled along the bumpy road toward Henderson Field, where < our plane awaited us, Lieutenant j Crume assured me Jerry was an ex- ? cellent pilot and that he would bring i us back safely. \ "But what about the Jap ack- 3 ack?" I asked. "Well," shot back Lieutenant ( Crume, "There's not much Jerry , can do about that. We can only hope , the Japs don't get us in their search- 1 lights tonight." ( In 45 minutes we were to take 1 off. Speaking to me. Lieutenant Crume ? said: "BoLser, we have a fine group j of boys in our outfit. They're regu lar guys. And you can see how they , reel about this thing. There are only | two things they give a damn about 1 now. One is bombing hell out of 1 the Jape, and the other is getting ] the war over as quickly as possible." 1 Jerry addressed the group. 1 "What'U it be this morning?" he 1 asked. "Will we bail out or stay , together and make a water land- 1 tog?" Lieutenant Crume explained to me that the crew decides before each bombing hop whether they will go down in their parachutes or make a forced landing. WW Land in Water. The decision that night was that if we get hit we would try to make a water landing. I concurred in the decision. Jerry said he felt we would have a better chance to survive if we made a water landing and remained together in the rubber boat with which our bomber was equipped. He 1 explained that the jungle surround- , ing the target was practically im- ? penetrable. We would stand little chance to survive if we parachuted 1 into the wilderness. I listened intently to the discus sion, but all the time I was saying ( to myself: "These guys think of the most pleasant topics." Suddenly the chatter was smoth ered by the crack of one plane motor | backfiring as it was started. In a few minutes we were deafened by the noise of all four motors. Lieutenant Crume poked me and ' shouted in my ear: "All aboard." j I followed the crew as they ( crawled through the belly door. I was the last aboard. TTie others J crowded forward. I found myself ( standing on the catwalk between the ( bomb racks. They were loaded to j In this Jungle cemetery under bine tropical skies, these marines who made the supreme sacrifice find peace. Comrades in arms bow their heads while the chaplain reads the funeral rite. (Official Marine Corps photo.) capacity with their lethal charges. Jerry raced the motors for the usual test. In a few minutes we were rumbling down the strip on the take-off. I felt I was In a precarious spot. I could only hope that the giant Lib erator cleared the cocoanut trees at the end of the field. I was relieved as I felt the wheels leave the metal strips on the field and rise into the darkness over Henderson Field. We gained altitude. Soon we were bead ing toward our target. Out over the water I was told to go aft to my station. I examined my machine gun. (The marine corps public relations section of which I im a member was trained in aerial gunnery before leaving the States.) rhen I fixed the communications set mi my head and plugged in for a test. Jerry, at the controls, was linging. I looked at my watch. We still sad a lot of flying ahead of us. Tnra as Oxygen. At 12,000 feet Jerry called over the phone suggesting that we start us ng oxygen. I welcomed the word 'or 1 was beginning to feel groggy from lack of heavy air. I also felt the bite of the cold at that height ind wriggled into the fleece-lined eather suit. "Bolser," Lieutenant Crume called iver the 'phone, "just wanted to let rou know that when I say 'bombs iway* you might take a look down ind see how my eye is tonight. Jerry rill bank just after I let 'em go and rou should get a pretty good look." Thirty minutes away from the tar get Jerry called back to prepare the vaist guns. The other waist gunner ind I opened the windows. I fed the ammunition belt into the gun and tharged it. It was ready for action is I poked it through the window, rhe temperature at our height was 10 cold that my fingers were stiff jy the time 1 had adjufted my gun. A few seconds later I gat the scare rf my life. To the right of the plane a ball of fire.burst. At the ?am* tithe came Jerry's voice: "We're Just about over the target" t caught myself shying1 away aa a ?econd burst of fire cams nearer our plane. Jerry didn't have tP tell me ?re ware oeartng the target Tha laps were speWtag anti-aircraft ?hells tip at us. Two lights split tha sky and crossed. We were caught between two Jap searchlights. The co-pilot yelled: "They've got) us in the lights." I looked out the window Just as! another shell burst to our starboard' side. The Jap searchlights blind ed me and I jumped back, certain' that I had been seen. A second later' I felt silly. Enemy anti-aircraft fire was burst-1 Ing all around us. It was my first! trip aboard a heavy bomber on a night mission. Tes, I was a little scared. "Bombs away," Lieutenant Crumel yelled. I leaned out the window and lookedi iown as Jerry banked the plane. The' sky was illuminated by the search-, lights and the anti-aircraft fire. Hj seemed only seconds before the first] Muster of bombs landed squarely m' s Jap bivouac area. The Louisville bombardier's eye) was keen that night. Bomb after! ?mb landed on the target. Perfect Pasting. I was unmindful of the shells Dursting around our plane as I poked ny head out of the window. The emptation to watch those bombs as hey hit was too great. A feeling of 3ride engulfed me as each cluster bund its mark. Here I was in the lir watching a Louisville boy pasting he Japs. And he was doing a per fect job. As Lieutenant Crume cut loose with the last clusters I could see luge fires burning below. We didn't lose any time leaving he target after our bombs had been spent. Several miles away from the scene the Japs were still sending ip anti-aircraft fire. But we had ?scaped. Later I learned from the rear gunner that two anti-aircraft shells burst just under the tail of 3ur B-24. Most of the crew slept on the re turn trip. When we landed long aft er dawn that morning, I gave Lieu tenant Crume a lusty pat on the back and said: "You can bomb for my money." And as we walked into the med ical dispensary near the squadron's operations hut, I said: "Lieutenant, 1 don't suppose a marine has ever admitted the army is hot, but I want to say you boys have plenty on the ball." I left Lieutenant Crume a few sec onds later. I know he and his crew are still giving the Japs hell in die midst of the new Allied offensive in the Solomon Islands. Test for Army, Navy Training Courses Will Be Given Nov. 9 The Army-Navy College Quali fying Test (A-12, V-12), which will be held throughout the nation on November 9, will provide mean* for tens of thousands of young men to become immediately available for training for respon sible assignments in the armed forces as technicians, specialist* and officer candidates. The November 9 test will be open to those who have graduated from high school or are in their final term and who win be IT but not 22 years of age on March 1, 1944. Many young men are now fa college under the army and navy programs. Many of these were high school seniors last spring when they took the first test on April 2. Those who failed to qual ify on the April 2 test are also eligible for the test on November 9 provided they have not enlisted or been inducted in the armed services. Those between 17 and 20 years at age on March 1, 1944, who des ignate navy preference and qual ify in the test may be selected for the navy college program. They serve on active duty, in uniform and under military discipline and receive the pay of the lowest en listed grade. Seventeen-year-olds who desig nate army preference and qualify in the test are offered military scholarships in the army special ized training reserve program. Those between 18 and 22 who qualify and designate army pref erence are earmarked for special consideration for the ASTP after induction. Detailed information on the army specialized training pro gram, the navy college program and the qualifying test on Novem ber 9 has been prepared by the army and navy and forwarded by the U. S. Office of Education to high school principals, who will provide prospective candidates with the booklet, "Qualifying Tsst fas Civilians."