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The Alamance Gleaner VoL LXX . GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1944 No. 39 WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS Allied Invasion of Yugoslavia Poses Another Threat to Reich; Plan for Small Standing Army Ky TT"'"" ???????? tBDITOR'S NOTE: When opinion* are expressed In the** etlino*, they ar* those ot Western Newspaper Union's news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.) Entering Chambois, France, the Allies found abandoned, wrecked and burned German equipment, common sights along the enemy's battered retreat route to the Reich. EUROPE: New Front For the little man with the clipped mustache, there seemed to be no end of trouble. Although his broken armies in the west were reorganizing for a stiffer stand against the U. S. and British onslaught, and although his bat tered armies in the east were slow ing the Russians from the Black sea to the Carpathians, the Allies posed still another threat to his narrowing defensive circle by an invasion of Yugoslavia. As Russian troops tore across Romania onto the eastern Yugoslav border near the capital of Belgrade, U. S. and British forces landed on the western coast for a drive in land. As the two Allied armies worked forward for a junction. Mar shal Josip Tito's Partisans were ac tive in harassing German troops and sabotaging communication lines. The twin offensive in Yugoslavia doubly Imperilled the harried le gions of Adolf Hitler. First, the D. S., British and Russian drives promised ,to link the Allied srmies for a con certed attack against southern Austria and Hungary, and, also to outflank the Nazis manning the Gothic line in Italy to the west; and, second, an Allied Junction would cut off an esti aaated 260,000 enemy troops re maining in lower Yugoslavia, Greece and the Aegean Islands. Stiffen at Border Bleated the German radio to fanatical Nazi rearguards resisting the U. S. and British drives to the Beich's western frontier: "Every day gained now amounts ts a reinforcement of our national strength for the defense of the Reich itself. . . Partly because of such resistance, partly because the fast-moving Al lied armies had outrun their length ening supply lines, the U. S. and British thrusts in the Lowlands and France temporarily lost their whirl ing momentum. Fighting was particularly heavy in northeastern Belglnm before the fortress city of Liege and in the ragged Ardennes for est, and directly to the east of Paris, where American troops drew up along the Moselle river lor an assault on Nasi defenses guarding the rich Industrial Saar basin. Mounted thickly in the precipitous, wooded heights east of the Moselle, the German artillery maintained a steady drumfire against doughty O. S. troops seeking to establish Mm bridgeheads across the river. Farther to the south, Lieut. Gen. Alexander Patch's Seventh army, driving up from the Mediterranean he a juncture with Lieut. Gen. George Patton's Third army along the Moselle, drove on the Belfort . C*P> the low-lying plane between (the Vosges mountains of France and Swiss border leading into Germany. Costly Fighting Reflecting the strong pressure the Rassians were exerting to the north east of Warsaw, the Germans ac knowledged their withdrawal across the Narew river,V'. . . to avoid the danger of a Russian breakthrough oa the southern border of East Prus N In withdrawing across the Narew, the Nazis continued their policy of economizing their forces by giving ground when the superior weight of heir opponent promised to grind down their manpower. Because of the proximity of the Bnseiant to German eoil, however, ?? Nazis no longer were free to make wholesale withdrawals, but aaw faced bloody front-lina ttghting CIVILIAN GOODS: Postwar Formula Manufacture of civilian goods will begin in earnest with the fall of Ger many, with war output due to drop about 40 per cent, and 4,000,000 work ers freed for other jobs, the War Production board revealed. At the present time, a limited re conversion program has been insti tuted, with emphasis placed upon preparation for the eventual resump Becanse of the D. S.'s record breaking production of 79,350,000 tons, world steel output rose to 146,500,000 tons in 1943. While production increased here, it dropped from 38,000,000 to 30, 000,000 tons in Germany and from 18,000,000 to 13,000,000 tons in Russia. tion of civilian production. Under current regulations, manufacturers are permitted to develop working postwar models and order machin ery for civilian output. In allowing those manufacturers not engaged in war work to start turning out civilian lines after the Nazis' downfall, the WPB will main tain priorities for military produc tion alone and will relax most of its controls over materials. Further more, it will provide assistance for manufacturers in switching over to civilian work. DEMOBILIZATION: Discharge Plans Total length of service, time served overseas, combat record and dependency will govern the demobi lization of soldiers following the de feat of Germany, the army an nounced. uuuer me array a plana ior releas ing surplus men, each of the first four mentioned factors will be worth a certain number of points, with re lease going to doughboys with the highest ratings. However, it was pointed out, men with qualifications needed for the war in the Pacific will be transferred to the Far East regardless of their status. Because the war in the Pacific will receive first call on shipping, it may take many months for men eligible for demobilization to return to this country, the army said. Since men in camps here are expected to have the lowest priority ratings, they will constitute the principal pool for replacements. Since the U. S.'s full seapower will be needed in the all-out war against Japan, there will be no de mobilization of the navy when Ger many falls. Future Army Declaring that ... "a large standing army has no place among the institutions of a modern democratic state," Gen. George C. Marshall told of ficers planning the postwar military or ganization to work on a small, efficient force with a re serve of well trained citizens. In issuing his di recuve, ueneral Marsnau assumed that congress would pass legislation requiring every able-bodied Amer ican youth to undergo training be fore placement in the reserves. By advocating a small, efficient force with a large pool of reservists, General Marshall said that there was more opportunity for advance ment In such an organization than there eras in a big standing army, where the size made it necessary to maintain a large, professional officers' cut it iQ timet. Gen. Marshal] PACIFIC: Tougher Going With U. S. forces edging closer to the Philippines and Japan itself through intensive operations against the Bonins lying 000 miles from Tokyo, Navy Secretary James For restal warned the country that the going would become increasingly tougher as the enemy concentrated his forces for a fight on a shorter front. In speaking of the enemy's air force, Forrestal said: "The Japs have obviously been saving their planes for the engagement to come. Except for the battle of the eastern Philippines, they have not risked a big aerial battle for months." In addition to concentrating num bers, the Japs have also been im proving the quality of their planes, Forrestal revealed. Said he: "Jap planes of every type.. . . now have greater fire power, armament, speed, range and load capacity. United States navy planes have been improved, too, but we don't now have as big technical advan tages ... as a year ago." CANNED FOODS: Remove Rationing Because War Food Administrator Marvin Jones advised that available and prospective supplies justified the step, the government removed from rationing all canned and processed jams, jellies, fruit butters, aspara gus, lima beans, corn, peas, pump kins, squash, mixed vegetables, baked beans, tomato sauce and puree and all varieties of soups and baby foods. Af the same time, a WFA spokes man declared that heavy runs of cattle may permit the removal of commercial grade beefsteaks and roasts from rationing in October or November. At present, sizable mar ketings of grass-fed stock have re sulted in ample point-free supplies of utility grade meats. Lighter runs of prime cattle, on the other hand, will make continued rationing of top cuts necessary. Charts Quake Using a cross-sectional model of the globe, Rev. Joseph Lynch, director of the observatory of Fordham university, charts course of recent earthquake which shook northeast corner of U. S. and extended as far southwest as Wisconsin. According to Reverend Lynch, disturbance centered near eastern end of Lake Ontario. CATTLE: War Prices As the war entered its sixth year this month, price levels of meat ani mals were from 49 to 109 per cent higher than they were in September, 1939. On the Chicago market, cattle that brought $11 per hundredweight six years ago sold at $18.39. Steers that averaged $10.30 then drew $19.89. The rise was equally marked in hogs, with head under 240 pounds, which brought $8 per hundredweight six years ago, selling for the $14.79 ceiling. As a whole, the average of $7 of 1939 was fat below the 1944 figure of $14.39. Against the top of $10 in 1939, lambs drew $14.69 per hundred weight, with the $9.90 average of six years ago below this month's mark of $14.29. FURLOUGHS: Shipping Factor As a demand was made in con gress for an investigation of the war department's handling of furloughs, especially in the Pacific, a letter from Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur stated that the scarcity of shipping hindered a more liberalized policy. Citing the shipping shortage. Gen eral MacArthur said: "The return to the United States without replace ment of all men who have served a specified length of time would, of course, halt our offensive sgainst Japan and might indefinitely pro long the war." While the demand was made for the investigation. Rap. Carl Hinshsw (Calif.) urged that soldiers stationed in Alaska he rotated by units to other poets. Man About Town: Erie Johnston, Chamber of Com merce chief, has been cracked down by his superiors over the Russian boosts. They feel he was too pro. As of today, no postwar trade agree ments between U. S. industry and Russia have been set up. One of the biggest shipping deals, however, is being readied without their help. . . . Paul McNutt's receptionist at the WPB has become the hottest model on the Conover list. She is Ann Bell. . . . The newsprint short age may be over by mid-December. Wood pulp is waiting for shipment from Scandinavian ports. . . . Pals of Steve Early hear that his sinus agony (caused by Washington's cli mate) may force him to quit against his wishes. Panlette Goddard and her groom. Buz Meredith, have asked the FBI to probe the poison-pen writers who have landed divorce rumors in va rious columns. . . . The reason the planned new mag Pageant has been held up is that it planned to ape Coronet and then decided not to. After spending a mint, too. . . . Overheard at the White House: "Clare Luce is the Aimee Semple McPherson of the Stork Club." . . . John Edgar Hoover was so ill re cently he thought he would die. "Going My Way" will gross 8 mil lion. Producer Leo McCarey will get about two million dollars for his bit. . . . Sec'y of War Stimson is mending now. He went to the Adi rondacks recently where a nurse re mained in attendance. . . . Jesse Jones, whoso condition worried pals, is better. Notet of a Newt pa per Man: Damon Runyon and a New York newspaper apparently disagree on the hobby of some Americans who enjoy telling quips on well-knowns. . . . Mr. Runyon, in his column, complained: "It is always bad taste for people to sit around and make odious remarks about any national leaders of respectability and integ rity." . . . The same morning a respectable New York newspaper featured a report (in a box) quoting a Washington columnist. . . . The story dealt with the argument: "Who Was the Strongest President?" . . . One arguer said Lincoln?because he split rails. Another said Washington ?because he tossed a dollar across the Potomac. But FDR was de clared the strongest. "He threw the U. S. Treasury across both oceans]" Now that is a pretty good gag. But it is also pretty stele, too. ... It was used often during the second campaign of Woodrow Wilson in the war debt issue. . . . The quipe and barbs about Mrs. Roosevelt are still being swapped by anti-4th Termers, and the President is often the butt at devastating jokes. . . . We do not recall hearing that they complained. . . . Mr. Runyon probably will ad mit that It isn't so bad to tell a joke as it is to elect one. Governor Dewey Isn't immnne from the Jokesmiths these days. . . . The current quip has him suffering from fierce insomnia which "keeps him up all night pacing up and down under his bed I" . . . The New Dealers go into spasms over that one. But it was funnier 20 years ago when A1 Jolson told it after an ' overnight trip from Boston. ... "I didn't sleep a wink," he groaned. "One of Singer's Midgets drank some coffee and paced up and down bis upper berth!" Col. Carlo* Rotnnlo, who helped Mac Arthur and Quezon escape to Australia, didn't know that persona addressing Congress must not do so in uniform. He has been in his army uniform for years. ... An hour bo fore he spoke In the House the other day Romulo was Informed that be must wear civvies for the event . . . His staff hastily borrowed ci vilian apparel. ... On the way to the Capitol he realized ha was wear ing his army sox. ... He paled. ... "I am wearing the wrong soil" he exclaimed. "Oh my good ness, wot'H I do?" ... His Girl Friday solved matters right there on the Capitol steps. ... He wore her bobby sox I A New Yerker lust back from Argentina alleges that the majority of the people there are not an ti ll. 8. or pro-Nazi. . . . llost of the people, said our Informant, do not even take the government leaders seriously and openly quip: "If I thought my son would ever grow up to be President of Argentina, I'd have sent him to school I" ? Have You Any Ideas for 'Secret Weapons'? ? Inventors' Council Wants To Know Them Many War Machines Were Developed by Civilian Amateurs Want to help finish winning the war? Well, just settle down some night in that favorite easy chair, light up the old pipe, take out pencil and paper and figure out an easy way of generating an artificial fog?one that can be laid just where you want it and really do the business. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But the army would give a great deal for a practical solution to the problem of covering advancing troops this way. It can be done. A number of meth ods have been tried out; but most of the equipment is too big and cumbersome^ for effective action at the front. Tlie army is still looking for a simple, effective way of pro viding this cover. And while it is looking for a way to create an artificial fog, it is also on the alert for any new methods of dispelling such a fog laid down by the enemy. Here, too, a number of methods have been suggested, some have been tried with a degree of success; but the problem hasn't yet been really licked. This is where the National Inven tors' council comes in. It was set up within the framework of the de partment of commerce in 1940 to serve as a clearing house for just such ideas that military men might And valuable. Headed by Charlea F. Kettering, a past president of the society of Automotive Engineers, and composed of the nation's lead ing scientists and engineers, it serves as a funnel between the American ingenuity of the man in the street and the proper military authorities. The council is dedicated to the principle, widely accepted both within government and outside, thntyall modern warfare is largely a battle of inventive ideas. The heavily gunned and armored tank, the superbomber, the aircraft car rier and the robot bomb?all have been responsible for major changes in strategy as well as tactics in the battles of this war. Civilian Contributions. Another thing the council keeps firmly in mind is the fact that many of the weapons of modern war, or the key principles which go into them, were the product of the civil ian mind ? the submarine, the torpedo, the motor driven airplane, the internal combustion engine. Naturally, most of the major Improvements on the weapons of war come from expert technicians or outstanding engineers, thorough ly familiar with the particular field in which they lie. But many of the 200,000 Ideas or inventions that have been submitted to the council since its inception have come from the rank and file of the people. From farmers, teachers, factory workers, business men, youngsters in school, and even a few women, have come suggestions that have proved of considerable assistance to the armed force*. And theae inven tive suggestion* follow a definite pattern in volume with each new phaie of the war or Introduction of new weapons by the enemy. For example, when the submarine menace was at its height, t)>e coun cil was receiving an average of 100 letters a day describing how tor pedo nets could be used to keep the "tin-Sab" from blasting the sides of merchant ships. Now that the sub marine menace has been licked, such suggestions are rare. Right now, suggestions for combatting the robot bombs are an the upswing; but none as yet has furnished the complete solution. When the soldiers and marines first began landing on Pacific beaches in the (see of heavy enemy fire there were scores of suggestions that infantrymen be equipped with shields. This idea had to be dis carded, the council says, because the weight of such a shield, if it were to prove capable of stopping a military projectile, would be too great for a fully-equipped infantry man to handle. Ideas from Soldiers. Some of the suggestions, too, come from men at the fighting fronts and in army camps, A lieutenant-colonel on duty in Italy wrote in with an idea for equipping tanks to blow up enemy mines with out danger to the tank-crew. His suggestion was equipping a heavy tank with a gigantic explosive ab sorbing roller, to be pushed ahead of the vehicle as it waded through the mine field. An army sergeant, Lauren N. El kins Jr., figured out an improved design for a field kitchen, tested it himself on maneuvers, found out it worked and submitted his idea to the council. Within 24 hours it had won acceptance of the army quartermaster corps and test mod els were constructed. Along with the new type field kitchen, Sergeant Elk ins submitted an idea for a ship ping case for the kitchen, which broke down into two benches and a table. Another invention which has ssved scores of lives is a simple signaling mirror which can be di rected straight into the eyes of pilots searching for crews of sunken ships or airmen down at sea. This mirror, cheap, light and easy to construct has been known to send a shaft of sunlight into the eyes of a pilot up to 10 miles away 36 times in a single minute. And there is no trick to focusing it. Valee of Milkweed Floss. r rora uie DOM oi tne common milkweed, the researches of a civilian scientist filled one of the most pressing of military needs at the outset of the war. Supplies of kapok, used in the heavy jackets of high altitude fliers and in life belts, had been shut off by the advancing Japanese. This scientist showed that milkweed floss could do the job bet ter and that it could be used, too, for insulating and soundproofing. Many of the ideas adopted, the council's records show, have served to speed up quick repairs in the field, to get planes and guns back into the battlelines faster than they could have been readied previously. But not all of the inventive and mechanical problems of the armed forces have been solved. Many new ideas still are urgently needed, even in fields where considerable im provements have been made since the start of the war. For example, there is a crying need for some means of controlling fires in tanks until the personnel have had time to evacuate. At pres ent, the council's records show that carbon dioxide under pressure in a small metal container Is being used with soma success. But the carbon dioxide treatment doesn't serve to prevent the live oxygen-carrying ammunition from exploding within the tank as the fire soars past the burning point of TNT. An improve ment over this method would be widely welcomed if adapted to the peculiar needs of the tank, where interior space is so limited. Tanks Need Improvements. The cramped quarters of the pres ent-day tank make it a fertile field for Improvements. The operator's vision is extremely limited when the tank is "buttooed-up" for battle. He can see only ahead. Performance of gyroscopic compasses and other instruments on the control penal could be stepped up. Improvements I already have been made, through ideas submitted to the council, in methods of ventilating the tanks to reduce the extreme heat undes which its crew must operate. At present a roof-suspended unit that takes in air through a bullet-proof enclosure is in use in many types. But the field for improving the com fort and fighting ability of the men who man the tanks has by no means been exhausted. Another invention the council would like to put its handg on is n voice-transmitting gas mask which would permit its wearer's voice to be heard clearly. At present the new type masks are using a flexible dia phragm. Others combine the fea tures of a lip microphone and a portable transmitter. But the field is still wide-open for improve ment. Keenly needed, too, as a protec tion to fliers, is a means of inflat ing carbon dioxide life rafts more speedily at high altitudes. Fliers forced to bail out in cold North At lantic areas at 30,000 feet And that their carbon dioxide supply has been burned to dry ice by tempera tures ranging as low as 00 below. In the rapid parachute descent, the car bon dioxide doesn't have time to re sume its gaseous state and shock of the icy water, if the life raft isn't immediately available, is often fatal in far northern latitudes. Range finders, too, are important factors in directing artillery fire at enemy positions. Delicate optical in struments, they are subjected to hard usage in the field and reflect sudden temperature changes. A method of providing more sturdy construction and at the same time reducing the width without reduc ing the accuracy of operation is a real need. Right now,' the council is particularly interested in homely ideas that might aid in destroying or removing obstacles to landing op erationi that have proved eo costly in lives in the far Pacific and on the beachea in Normandy. A simple idea from a mechanic or a farmer might develop a technique that would preserve the lives of the men who must go out ahead of the main landing parties and clear the way. Japs Clever, Tee. The council cited the report from Saipan that men, clad only in bathing suits and armed with rifles and detonating charges, had to swim to the obstacles off shore and blast them individual^ from the path of the oncoming troops. The Japanese, too, have shown themselves Ingenious in adapting simple decoy devices to battle-front use in attempting to confuse or mis lead attacking forces. One Japanese sniper had rigged up an over-sized "puppet show" to harass American landing forces. He concealed six dummies in trees surrounding his position and at tached them to his own station with ropes. When his shots attracted American fire in his direction, he would Jerk the cord, let one of the dummies fall from a tree. Each time the American troops were confident they had eliminated his sniping post. Then he'd wait his chance and open fire again. Some ideas along that line, de veloped by Yankee ingenuity from close experience from hunting and fishing, from work around farm machinery, or from bench and lathe, the council believes, might go a long way in saving the lives of our fight ing men and give them opportunity to develop tactics of surprise that could come in handy in many a close encounter. The American people have re sponded tremendously to the need for wartime inventions of all aorta and character, (he council believes, but there are still hundreds of stays In erhicfc Afherlcan "know-how" can be applied to the problems of a me chanized war. m Tho army la (tin laokiac for a simple method of generating artl flelal fof to eorer advancing troofe. Can tanks be equipped with ex plosive-absorbing rollers to lessen the effectiveness of minefields? This signalling mirror eaa be di rected Into the eyes of pilots who are searching for crews at matin ships or airmen dessa at sea.
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
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Sept. 21, 1944, edition 1
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