Newspapers / The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, … / April 20, 1944, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
j^h| The Alamance Gleaner Vol LXX GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1944 No. 11 - wfFKLY news analysis U. S. Heavy Bombers Blast Balkans, Hammer German Industries in France; Jap Forces Advance in India Theater; Congress # Studies New Draft Problems (EDITOR'S NOTE: Wk" ??!?!? ?? m IIHIMI In Ik... enlamu. tk.y ... Eeat.r. U?'??'. nnnly.U mat -t MMMrU, *f R.leannd to Weitern Newman*. tini? ' | ???? EUROPE: Aid Russ With Allied troops in Great Brit ain poised for the jump into western Europe, U. S. bombers took to the fir to blast the Balkans in conjunc tion with the Russian armies ad vance into Rumania. In the English Isles, an electrical tenseness was reported as Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's high com mand was said to have set the zero hour, and Allied planes continued to roar over the channel to blast Nazi defenses and industries in France end Germany. As the Russians edged toward the vital Rumanian oil fields of Ploesti, U. S. bombers thundered over the city from the south to blast railway tank cars filled for the long haul to western Europe. U. S. bombers also dropped explosives on aircraft fac tories and railroad yards of the Hun garian capital of Budapest. In Italy, heavy artillery bombard ments punctuated bitter ground iparring below Rome at Anzio and Cassino. Psychological War Leaving no stone unturned, the Al lies have been showering Axis Eu rope with propaganda leaflets as well as bombs in an effort to undermine German morale and encourage un derground resistance in occupied ? countries. Flashy leaflets have told the Ger mans that their surrender during the last war left most of their in dustries intact, while continued re sistance in this war will only result in the complete demolition of their factories. Other leaflets have con demned Nazi officials for failing to provide for evacuation of the civil ian population from bombed areas. Small newspapers dropped in France have informed the people of guerrilla activity, and of the Allied objectives in bombing Nazi targets in the country, while similar publi cations dumped over Holland have pointed up America's war effort and the heavy assaults on Berlin. AGRICULTURE: Egg Supports Co bolster sagging egg markets, ar Food Administrator Marvin ^ Jones told a erouD of mid-western sen ators led by Sena tor Wherry (Neb.), that WFA planned to support prices by purchases of; from 27 to 32 cents per dozen in distressed areas where han dlers paid produc ers a minimum of 28 cents a dozen. r\ ? ? . .< ... Sea. Wherry uecianng mat tne WF.Vs biggest problem was disposal of the eggs, Jones called upon the cor.gressn-.en to support legislation lor sale of perishable commodities below parity levels. At present, per ishables cannot be sold at such Prices until they evidence deteriora ton, with the result that rot often sets in, Jones said. If the civilian Population would eat one more egg per week per person, the surplus problem would be largely salved, Jones added. Although adequate storage space has been found for frozen eggs, Jones said, production has been in fluenced by manpower problems. *herever possible, the government has increased its contracts for the product, he said. ? Conadmn Oats Seeking to relieve the tight feed situation, the War Food administra tion has arranged for the importa tion of 20,000,000 bushels of Canadian oats by May 15 via rail and the Gt*at Lakes. Under the plan, U. S. railroads *ould immediately send 75 cars daily into the Canadian interior for the train, with 25 more to be sent later, domestic needs for the cars are rot pressing. The rails would carry be oats to Duluth, whence they ould be routed to Chicago and To ? o oy boat. From 15 to 20 days tenerally would be requird for the roUT,<' trip, officials estimated. Because competitive bidding be wten the two cities would bring ^?anadian grain above the U. S. price rrij'ng, the Commodity Credit cor poration might purchase the oats -Wectly from Canada for resale at "?or Prices in the U. S. GOP Favorite?R epublicans boom Got. Tom Dewey (left) ti Wen dell Willkie steps out. GOP: Willkie Quits Stormy petrel of the Republican party since 1940, big, blustery Wen dell Willkie withdrew his bid for leadership of the GOP, while New York's Gov. Thomas E. Dewey was assuming the position through a pop ular draft. Willkie's sudden demise and Dew ey's ascension were occasioned by progressive Wisconsin's elections for delegates to the Republican national convention in Chicago, June 26. Al though Willkie actively campaigned through the state, he failed to win even one delegate, while Dewey, who had asked that his name be with drawn from the election, won 18. Since Wisconsin has long been not ed for its liberalism, Willkie delib erately selected it as the grounds for a test of Republican sentiment, basing his bid for delegates on a program for heavier war sacrifices and extensive U. S. cooperation in world affairs. DRAFT: 26-29 Next Both selective service and con gress struggled over the problem of supplying the military services with younger men and maintaining rec ord war production, with continued emphasis on shifting 4-Fs in unim portant work to essential occupa tions. Referring to the decision to only defer key industrial and agricultural workers in the 18 to 25 age group. Draft Director Lewis B. Hershey de clared that the same policy would next be extended to the 26 to 29 class. In seeking to channel 4-Fs into necessary work, the house military affairs committee called upon selec tive service to obtain a list of essen tial occupations and manpower short age areas for use in guiding the employment of 4Fs, who would face induction into a labor battalion if failing to take vital jobs. State Inductions With 1,265,000 men, New York is scheduled to lead the states in the number of soldiers and sailors to be inducted by July 1, with Pennsylva nia with 904,000, and Illinois with 700,000, ranking second and third. Other states with high totals in clude California with 667,000; Ohio with 610,000; Texas with 554,000, and Michigan with 452,000. Nevada with 11,000 is scheduled to contribute the smallest amount of men, with Wyoming and Delaware with 23,000, the next lowest. PACIFIC: Eye Stilivell While U. S. bombers continued to pummel Jap defense outposts in the Pacific, British troops strived des perately to check the enemy's stub born advance toward the American operated Bengal-Assam railroad, 80 miles within India. Working over the whole Jap out post system in the Pacific, navy fli ers pounded the enemy's storage and defense installations on Truk in the Carolines, while army airmen re peated heavy attacks on the Nips' supply base of Hollandia in New Guinea, feeder point for barges op erating along the coastline. Seeking to cut the Assam-Bengal railway feeding Lieut. Gen. Joseph Stilwell's U. S.-Chinese troops fight ing to carve out a new supply road to China in northern Burma, the Jap attack in India was concentrat ed in the rugged hills above Imphal. SOUTH AMERICA: 'Money to Burn' South America's huge accumula tion of gold and foreign exchange, of which dollars form the greatest part, looms as another factor in the promotion of economic activity in the postwar world. Because South American countries have been sending the U. S. and other nations more goods than they have been able to buy back, the U. S. department of commerce re ported they have built up a cash balance of over 2 billion dollars, which will be available for foreign trade when warring powers return to civilian production. In 1943, the department reported, the U. S. bought $1,300,000,000 worth of goods in South America, while selling only approximately $800,000, 000, thus leaving the Latin countries with a cash balance of nearly $500, 000,000. PENICILLIN: New Plants Costing $20,000,000, 21 new penicil lin plants in the U. S. and Canada soon will go into the production of sufficient quantities of the magic drug to meet the needs of 250,000 severe cases and 2,500,000 milder ones of the armed forces. Despite the increase in production, penicillin only will be available to civilians who cannot be treated with the sulfa drugs. New methods have been developed for making penicillin and costs have dropped 84 per cent within a year, but because the drug is derived from a mold which still must be grown and only small quantities can be re fined at a time, demands continue to surpass supplies. GREAT BRITAIN: Act Against Strikes Plagued by strikes which resulted in a loss of 1,000,000 working days in March, the British government draft ed an order under which incitement of labor unrest would be a criminal offense. Even as the government consid ered drastic action, 70,000 miners in Yorkshire remained idle over deduc tions from their wages for coal for their homes, and over 20,000 ship yard workers were on strike in Bel fast in protest of the jailing of air craft shop stewards for participating in unauthorized walkouts. While the government moved to check the strike wave, the Trades Union Congress warned British la bor that continuance of work stop pages would imperil an Allied vic tory. A. - S THE FACT I ???????WWII IT I Nine of !? Brill.h women In Ike I IMS aye rronp are in the armed forces or war work. ITALY: Political Unanimity Liberated Italy's six anti-Fascist parties were prepared to participate in a new government when King Victor Emmanuel abided by his re ported decision of retiring as actual ruler and designating his son. Prince Humbert, as his lieutenant to repre sent his interests. In settling this knotty problem of at least temporarily preserving the institution of the monarchy while still satisfying the demands of the anti-Fascists that the king get out, the king's advisors fell back on an old precedent in Italian history. Although the Communists who are reportedly vying for control of the defense and police ministries in any new Italian government, recently de clared their intention of cooperat ing with the king, other anti-Fascist elements held fast to their conten tion that his removal was requisite to the establishment of a strong democratic administration in the state. U. S. TREASURY: Record Receipts Boosted by receipts of $5,161,000,000 for quarterly income tax payments, the treasury collected $6,573,000,000 in March, but expenditures also were at a record level of $8,525, 000,000, leaving a deficit of $1,952, 000,000. Of the heavy expenditures in March, $7,726,000,000 went directly for war activities, topping the November, 1943, peak of $7,541, 000,000. During March, $268,000,000 in war bonds was redeemed, representing 38 per cent of the month's sale of $708,000,000. Plans for the Fifth War Loan drive to get under way June 12 call for a goal of $16,000,000,000, about $730, 000,000 less than was actually raised during the Fourth campaign. Of the total, individuals will be asked to purchase $6,000,000,000 worth of bonds, more than they bought dur ing the last drive. Springfime in Manhattan Streets coated with glistening rain while puddles are polka-dotted with raindrops . . . Baseball gab invad ing war dialogues . . . The well sharpened notes of warbling birds giving happiness a sound track . . . Islands of defeat scattered around town where sunshine only magnifies its poverty ... A gray-eyed sky clearing the thunder in its throat and displaying its white-fanged lightning . . . Playful breezes juggling the an cient weathervane atop St. Paul's Cathedral . . . The shy rustle of balmy winds caressing faces with invisible baby fingers. The Hudson River cobwebbed with streaks of gleaming sunlight . . . Shop windows glowing with Spring finery composing visual poetry of vivid hues . . . Sunrise lighting a fiery dawn on the stub of a warm night . . . Brisk winds brushing the last few dead leaves from trees as nature weaves its annual green gown around them . . . Relaxed humans anchored to park benches allowing contentment to find a home in their spirits ... A soldier stroll ing with his girl . . . Workers eagerly sipping lungs full of anti septic air before plunging into sub way dungeons . . . The everlasting beauty of twilight balanced on the fingertips of a departing day. The Magic Lanterns: "See Here, Private Hargrove" is loaded with familiar comedy gags, but it's got so doggone much good feeling that you skip the stencils. Besides, it's got a pair of likable lads?Robert Walker and Keenan Wynn?as the rookies, and Donna Reed as the lookie . . . "The Fighting Seabees," means to be a back-slap for that useful arm of the military, but some times the praise gets gibbery. The thing is too Hollywood-flavored to look like war . . . "The Heavenly Body" does not refer to Hedy La marr, who's in it. The title comes from Wm. Powell's monkeying with the stars. Sometimes the going gets funny, but too often you can almost hear Powell's suspenders give from the strain of carrying the frail tale . . . "Tunisian Victory," action shots by the USA and British cam eras, records some lovely shots of the Rats on the run, than which there is nothing more entertaining. It's simple to spot a debater on a radio forum who has lost the argu ment . . . He's the first to lose his temper . . . Have a nifty innova tion: The recordings of Dorothy Parker's witty monologs?by stage stars . . Seme critics objected to a fine film, "The Purple Heart," be cause, they complained, it made us hate Japs ... All right, doctor. I'll go quietly . . . Add invitations to murder: Swingsters who mangle the gay "Oklahoma" lilts . . . The war film, "Tunisian Victory." Is the best yet. Keeps you sitting on the edge of your suspense . . . Variety reports that Movieburg is losing in terest in bandleaders "because they lack acting ability" . . . Sure took H'wood a long time to find it out ... If the film biz depended on act ing ability?Hollywood would have only one actor?Spencer T. Good to see Fred Allen climbing in the popularity surveys . . . He's one radio jester who makes an hon est stab at trying something original . . . Gamblers about midtown are wagering the war'll be over in Yur rop by July 4th . . . Might be a good way to win the bet?by getting into the fracas and helping fight it . . . Here's a repeat boost for Ben Hecht's exciting book: "A Guide for the Bedevilled" . . . Don't miss it ?it'll make you a better American . . . The jokes that helped kill vaudeville are now making radio writers wealthy and famous. Elastic fingers of sunlight reach ing into shadowy skyscraper can yons . . . Children bubbling with happiness?finding thrilling adfen tures in the fairyland of youth . . . Fresh air fiends draped across park lawns getting a kick out of breathing ... Romancers driving out fears of insecurity around them with a personal fortress of blue skies and rainbows . . . The cool kindness of Spring mornings that drain the ache from people's souls and inspire them to attack problems of the day like a conquering hero . . . Spring busily nursing the trees and flowers that patiently waited for her during the bitter Winter months . . . The for est fire of noise that blazes aleng the Main Stem, destroying the silky calm the season brings . . . Lovely stenogs discussing their sweethearts during lunch hour, putting a period at the end of each sentence with a ^ dimple. Performance of U. S. Fighting Planes Best in World, \ Thanks to Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) Tests and Research Keep America Ahead In Grim Competition By BARROW LYONS WNU Washington Correspondent American facilities for devel oping new models of military airplanes are being enlarged, and new personnel is being added to avoid a tragic thing that has happened on several occasions. New models of planes have been sent into battle before they were thoroughly tested in the laboratories of the national advisory committee for aero nautics, one of the government agencies least known because most of its work has been secret, but one which has made as great a contribution toward winning the war as any civilian agency. In a determined effort to gain mastery of the air and save thou sands of lives by hastening victory, by further improving the perform ance of American aircraft the NACA soon will increase its present staff of about S.000 technicians by 1,500 additional men and women. The staff at Langley Field, Va., which has the largest staff, will be in creased by about 790. The Cleve land laboratory will get about 960 new employees, and the research staff at Moffett Field, Calif., near Palo Alto, will be increased by about 290 more technicians. The nation depends upon the men and women who staff these labora tories more than any others to keep ahead of the Nazi scientists in de signing aircraft that will take and bold control of the skies. If the Germans were to design aircraft that could outfly and outshoot our own? and those responsible for American aircraft design declare that possibil ity exists?the war in the air over Europe might come to a stalemate. The army and navy have recog nized the supreme importance of these laboratories by giving their employees special draft considera tion. They are inducted into the army, and then transferred as in active reservists. They are always on call for active duty; but they do not wear uniforms and they receive civilian pay and United States Civil Service status. Junior Engineer! Needed. At present there ere needed aero nautical, mechanical and electrical engineers of junior grade. They re ceive $2,400 a year. Physicists, mathematicians and naval archi tects of the same grade are needed. Craftsmen, such as instrument mak ers, tool makers, electricians, met alsmiths, pattern makers and air plane mechanics are needed. They receive prevailing rates of govern ment pay on an annual basis. Women may qualify for a variety of positions. Those with skill in mathematics and physics are as signed to research projects, while those with training as stenographers, typists and clerks are also needed. But the committee is not looking today for just ordinary help. The projects which these people are working on are among the most vital to war success, and the committee is looking only for unusual young men and women, who can be ad vanced as vacancies occur?people whose loyalty and intelligence and ability can be depended upon. The committee was born in the last war from the necessity of our armed services for airplanes that could compete with those of the ene my. When war broke out in Europe in 1914, leadership in aircraft devel opment had passed from American hands. In March, 1915, congress au thorized an advisory body to be ap pointed by the President and to serve without compensation. Membership, Increased from 12 to 15 in 1929, included heads of mili tary, naval and civil aeronautical organizations of the government, of the bureau of standards, the weather bureau, and the Smithsonian insti tution, and specially qualified mem bers from civil life. The chairman is elected annually. The paid stall is headed by Dr. George W. Lewis, director of aeronautical research, and by John F. Victory, secretary of the committee, who directs its administrative work. The first appropriation was $5,000 a year for five years. With thaU meager start the committee set about regaining for America a posi tion of leadership in military flying. The NACA emerged from World War I with a research laboratory build ing at Lang ley Field, and with its first wind tunnel under construction. With appropriations of about $200, I 000 a year in the era of disarms ment and peace treaties, this lab oratory laid the foundation for the naw science of aeronautics, which a rain brought leadership to Amer ica. Nasi Research Expanded. But when Hitler came to power In 1833, he recognized that he must have the strongest air force in the world if he was to subdue the world. With foresight and intelligence, Ger many began by concentrating upon scientific research. German labora tories were expanded and multiplied, until at the time of the Pact of Mu nich the German aeronautical re search establishment had become A FIGHTER PLANE, the Brewster XF2A?I, la shews minntld ea strata in the fall seale wind tmmel, ready (or testing. The strata are con nected to instruments In the reem below the platform, which record the varioas stresses which the plane and cr roe a In this larfest wind tmmel In the world. (All pictures are ofleial photographs released by the National Advisory Committee (or Aeronautics.) nve times the size of that of the United States. But not until Ger many was convinced that it could make aircraft superior to that of any other nation did it go into mass production. The NACA recognized the men ace, and in 1937 started a study of the relation of its organization to national defense in time of war. The result was a doubling of the research facilities at Langley Fiekl, and the authorization by congress of two ad ditional major research centers? the Ames Aeronautical laboratory at Moffett Field in 1939 and the Aircraft Engine Research laboratory at Cleveland in 1940. These are operated in close team work with the military services and the aircraft industry. It works like this: Suppose the army air forces want a certain aircraft manufactur er to produce a new type of pur suit plane. The design engineers at the factory confer with experts of the materiel command of the ai> forces at Dayton, Ohio, and agree tentatively upon general design and specifications. Both groups then con fer with NACA experts at Langley Field to incorporate the latest knowl edge gained through research. NACA Checks New Models. The program calls for the factory to go into production by a certain date. The manufacturer assembles tools and material and makes con tracts for sub-assemblies. The army materiel command plans and pro vides the military equipment, in cluding instruments, armor and ar mament. The NACA responsibility involves, first, making of dynami cally balanced small flying models for experimentation in its free-spin ning wind tunnel and in the free flight wind tunnel. The free spinning wind tunnel is a vertical tube 20 feet wide with a propeller mounted on the top and - Oi THE SMALL wind tunnel, Iwu are made on new models, many of them highly secret. drawing air upward. Into the mid dle of this ascending column of air the airplane model is tossed with its controls set to continue to spin. The controls operated by remote electro magnetic force, are moved Just as a pilot would move them to bring the * plane out of the spin. ? > If the controls are effective, the j airplane recovers by going into a {dive and is caught in a net. If the controls are not effective, the model continues spinning. Adjustments are made in the control surfaces until satisfactory control is attained. In formation to revise the design of the controls is relayed at once to the I 4 army and to the manufacturer, and ia used to correct the design. A second model is prepared with similar care and is tested in the free-flight tunnel. That is a wind tunnel 12 feet in diameter inclined at an angle which will permit the model to glide forward through a moving stream of air. The model is equipped with delicate electrical mechanisms which operate the con trols, and which enable the research staff to determine what changes are necessary to assure, in advance of production, that the new design will be easily maneuvered and controlled and will have stability. When these teats have Men made, and the necessary information ob tained, the NACA makes larger and sturdier models with solid steel cores to M firmly mounted on re cording balances in wind tunnels op erating at air speeds up to 600 miles an hour. These tunnels measure the lift and drag, ss well as the pitch ing, rolling and yawing movements of the plane at various angles of attack. Add <0 Miles Per Beer. When the first full-sized plane is produced, it is placed on the NACA full-scale wind tunnel to determine how to increase further its speed by reducing the drag through better streamlining, or removing, or re shaping protuberances. In such full scale tunnel tests, the NACA has never failed to add at least 20 addi tional miles per hour to the speed of a plane about to go into produc tion. Special tests are provided for par ticular types of planes. For high speed fighters, aerodynamic experi ments are conducted in low air pres sures, such as are encountered at high altitudes. In a huge domed structure, pressures are created to simulate air conditions at altitudes up to 12,000 feet Taking off and landing abilities of seaplanes are tried out in a basin 600 feet long, containing seawater. A large scale model of a seaplane. or of Hie flo*ts only, is towed be hind an electrically powered crane, at speeds op to 80 miles per hour. Experimental planes are flight tested under carefully controlled conditions, and a record is made of its performance on movie film. The test pilot is given orders by radio telephone from the ground, and he performs the turns, loops, dives, climbs, and other maneuvers. One of the recent outstanding con tributions of the Ames laboratory has been the use of exhaust heat from airplane engines to heat the leading edges, wings, tail surfaces, and windshields of airplanes to pre vent the formation of ice. This has permitted safe flight under condi tions that otherwise would have grounded planes. The ice hazard has been eliminated. But the list of advances which have been made applies to virtually every component of the airplane. More than once the NACA labora tories have saved the commercial life of some aircraft company by giving it the necessary scientific in formation to bring into practical use advances in design the company had made, but which fell short of mili tary requirements. The success of the Flying Fortress design was made possible by scientific knowl edge developed in NACA labora tories. After the war, when America en ters an era of great commercial aviation expansion, the NACA lab oratories expect to continue to pro vide the basic scientific research upon which American air suprema cy is based. It now has a plant worth pome $70,000,000, which at least equals the research facilities of the Germans. It probably .will continue to be in competition with German scientists and facilities, but our armed forces hope congrai nev er again will let it fall behind in staff and equipment.
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 20, 1944, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75