Newspapers / The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, … / Jan. 11, 1945, edition 1 / Page 2
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
Washington, D. C. NO MILITARY ERROR Those close up to the war picture ?re convinced that aside from faulty Intelligence, there was no one single military error which brought on the swift and disastrous German break through. Undoubtedly some Intelligence of ficers will be disciplined or broken for failing to evaluate the concentra tion of German troops opposite the First army about a week before hand. But there were other factors contributing to the reverse, none ol which can be laid at the doorstep of a single commander. Basically they are factors which only Genera) Eisenhower and General Marshall themselves could properly evaluato and act on. Here are some of the inside, basic factors involved; 1. General Marshall himself ordered the D. S. offensive which began November 8, and which eontinned with battering-ram tactics until Von Rundstedt turned the tide against us. Mar shall, visiting the battlefront in October, said that during the winter the Germans conid mo bilise 1M new divisions, so It was ?rise for as to clear them off the west bank of the Rhine before - winter closed in. 2. There was and is no disposition to doubt the wisdom of General Mar shall's decision. However, these battering-ram tactics cost men, also tire men out. The American system is to keep divisions on the front line, bringing up fresh men only for re placements. Thus the divisions now at the front have been fighting stead ily since the landing in Normandy last June?with, of course, a lot of men coming up as replacements. Germsns Bested Troops. 3. This is considered an excellent s system and gets results. However, the Germans Immediately took out their battle troops after Normandy and sent them to rest behind the lines. The Nazi boys and old men we encountered in the Siegfried line made us think the German army was shot to pieces, but it wasn't. The experienced battle troops, now refreshed after a long rest, are tak ing the offensive against us. 4. The war department itself was responsible for a lot of the favorable news which gave the public a gen eral feeling of overconfldence. One of its most important indications was that some 800,000 German troops were killed or taken prisoners during the clean-up of France, mak ing a sizable hole in the Nazi army. Of these, however, about 400,000 were Russian-Ukrainian labor bat talions. Thus the American public had reasons to believe that a large slice of the German army was deci mated. 5. Germany's new Royal Tiger tank is superior to oars and wo bass known It. It Is extremely di(Dealt to knock oat of eemmls - stta. However, wo thought the war was going to be over soon - and that wo eoold finish ap the Job with the tanks already on hand?of which we had tremen - dons quantities. More recently, . however, wo have started hoild tmg a big tank which can equal ? or better the Royal Tiger. mhu Deat Airplanes. 8. Robot bombs and rocket bombs can Bp in any weather whereas air planes can't. Also they don't re quire men. Thus the Germans have been able to bomb us from the air by robots and rockets?while be cause of bad weather we couldn't bomb them. The Nazis lay out a square of territory in and behind our lines, then systematically pep per it with rocket bombs. They can aim them well enough to hit within certain areas. ? 7. The German system is to at tack suddenly with tremendous force and heavy armor in one small area; they concentrated hundreds of tanks in their first attack. Once they broke through, they spread out Also the Nazis had little to lose. S. However, it remains a fact 1 that we bad advance Information of great Nasi activity for about a week before the attack came, ? though apparently we sized It up i as preparation for retreat rather than attack. ? Note ? Gen. Courtney Hodges, against whose First army the blow was launched, is regarded as an average American general. He was not able to make the grade at West Point, but immediately enlisted in the army and has worked his _way up. He was a major in command of infantry in the last war, one rank higher than Marshall, who was then a captain, and has commanded in fantry all his career since, having risen to be chief of infantry shortly before we entered the war. ? ? ? UNDER THE DOME C The expansion in the tire industry, announced by WPB, inspires no cheers from anyone in the tire in dustry. Labor is unhappy because manpower difficulties rule out Akron as the site for the new plants. Akron is a strong union town, and organi zation there is fairly simple. . . . The big rubber companies are m> happy because they have no aasur ance that the new tire plants will be ripped apart after the war. Thej ace afraid of new postwar competi - 1 Life-Saving U. S. Pilot Uniform These pneumatic pants prevent U. 8. fighter pilots from blacking ont in aerial maneuvers by applying pressure to the pilot's abdomen and legs during a pullout or turn, preventing the blood from pooling in the lower extremities and aiding the heart to maintain circulation to the brain. They are infiated by lung power or by mechanical devices. Many civilian accidents as well as military resulted from blacking out. The new pneumatic pants will largely do away with the condition, often fatal in war as well as peace. Camouflage Used Against Nazis Sergeant Marvin C. Hans Jr. of Owensboro, Kj., demonstrates new snow cape being used by U. S. infantrymen battling Nasi winter offen sive In Belgium. The one-piece cape, which ties in front, provides quick, easy camouflage for soldiers fighting on snow-covered ground. White rags around rifle give additional protection. Sends Penicillin to Italy Penicillium uotatum mold* are Inspected and crated at St. John's university, Brooklyn, N. I? preparatory to shipment to the V. 8. medi cal corps In Italy. From this mold pore penicillin will be developed and extracted by onr medical corps for the treatment of the war wounded on the various European fronts. Man at Work?An Observer ? Taklnf HI* u easy u possible ander the elreuastaaees, Carp. Loots | C. Begfio el WuktaftM, D. C., a radio operator at a forward artillery sheer-ration peat to Border!, Germany, tends book resolta to a IM-aaas. ' ?onttaei battery pssmdlm a German eommand post en the other side el the Boor river eppoaite the Ninth army front. Radio's New Chief Paul Porter, above, publicity chairman for the Democratic nation al committee during the recent cam paign, has been given an interim appointment by President Roosevelt, as chairman of the Federal Com munications commission. Movie Star Flier Lieut. Bert DeWayne Morris, CSNR, better known to movie fans as Wayne Morris, is sbown in his Hellcat (oliowine a series of mis sions in which he shot down seven Jap planes. He has been reported several times in dispatches from the Pacific. Five-Star Insignia Pictured above Is the live-star In signia to be won on the shoulders ol Generals Marshall, Arnold, Eisen hower and MaeArthur, denoting their rank of "General of the army." Below, the five-star flag of Fleet Ad miral Ernest J. King. Medal for B-29 Ace Gen. Henry H. Arnold, cm mender of the army air fereea, makes bedside preseatatfea of the Leclea of Merit to Brlf. Gen. La rerno G. Saunders, eemmander ef (he Mth bomber iwiaf ef Mho. Ntews/Jjx By* Released by Western Newspaper Union. MUST BE A MILITARY, NOT A MILITARISTIC NATION WASHINGTON.?A strong, gener ally thoughtful editorial writer who is against the Roosevelt, particular ly Mrs. Roosevelt, regime spoke out in several metropolitan papers re cently (Note, I think the radicals called him fascist-minded during the last campaign although the charge was of a political nature and there fore not intended to be believed lit erally) : "There Is only one way to as sure ourselves of military , strength, whenever needed. That way consists of a system of com pulsory military training." That is simply not true. There are many ways of assuring our selves of military strength, when ever needed. A logical, straightfor ward way consists of putting mili tary training into the high schools and colleges to develop, and keep trained, the necessary officer per sonnel, and enlarging and moderniz ing the national guard, giving it weapons, including airplanes and tanks, artillery, ammunition and commissary to develop a private personnel. That would be the more efficient way, because it would be constant, always up-to-date, always ready to handle the latest implements of war fare scientifically and efficiently, al though there are of course many other things which must be done, including the maintenance of a greater permanent military inven tors' council with laboratories, con tinuance of West Point and Annapo lis at war size or larger, and an alert, ever watchful and efficient war department to see that we do not fall asleep to dangers from with out. These are democratic ways. The taking of a boy from his home, work and career for a year of service in the army is a Prussian method instituted by the Prussian militarists after the war of 1870. It most be an inefficient way of developing an army because the Prussians have never won with It, nor has it produced results in France and some other nations which took it np. A RADICAL VIEWPOINT On the opposite side of the same fence a radical editorial writer in a metropolitan daily (I think he is the very one who called my above friend "fascist-minded" and certain ly he thinks the Roosevelt regime, and particularly the Mrs. Roosevelt regime, is just about right on ev erything) wrote recently: "The only way this country can get away from maintain ing a very large army and de veloping a militaristic caste sys tem after this war is by com pulsory military training." Is this not the strangest collection of bedfellows upon any world mat tress? Radicals, conservatives, peo ple who think each other fascists or communists, Mr. Roosevelt and the chamber of commerce, PM and the N. Y. Herald Tribune, Mrs. Roose velt and "the fascist minded," all enjoying this same delusion?in sistently. r ui lucre is ng more rruui in say ing this is the only way to "avoid a large army" than that it is the only way to maintain an army. It would be a large army of more than a million youths 17 to 21 years old, a new large army each year. But it would hardly be what we would call a skilled army. We would have to maintain another one for older men for defense. We would have to have an air force constantly alert, a corps bent on nullifying the effect of rocket bombs, and what other new weapons, daily, a whole war department of just as much strength as if we did not have com pulsion in training. These trainees would only be re serves?reserves that might other wise be obtained more efficiently by a real national guard. As a friend of mine puts it: "We must be a military, but not a militaristic nation" and we need a national guard which literally must be "a guard of the nation." But a great many other people are saying daily in the papers a year of national service would cure juvenile delinquency, promote youth health, make better citizens. These are all nonmilitary excuses for a military step, which lacks sound mil itary grounds. ? ? ? This is a new element which has entered into the private discussions here. It will become important only as developments from Europe direct, and will simmer and die if those developments become more satisfactory. For the present, I would say con gress is dividing Into two camps: Those who say the Atlantic Charter was a war ideal which hardly could have proved acceptable to Russia. And those who suspect the people will be shocked to tad now war hopes have been taken so lightly. SENATORIAL CIGARETTE INVESTIGATION Senator Wibbie?A? I stand here doing my part in the great battle for the preservation of that thing which is so dear to America, the cigarette, I sometimes wonder if my colleagues hilly appreciate the part played by it in the life of our glori ous country. What, I ask, would civilization be without it? What would democracy be with no smoke-rings curling above it? What would a free world be with no ashes on the rugs? Senator Bnnkem?Does the Sena tor contend that the world could not survive on the old-fashioned clay pipe of our forefathers? Senator Wibbie?We have passed beyond the era of pipes. They are s relic of the days before mankind, and womankind, reached that stage of development where the very home was built around the cigarette. With the last drop of my blood I will hold the fort against those re actionaries who would plunge our wives, mothers, and sisters and kiddies back into those dark ages when nicotine-stained fingers were the privilege of princes and prelates, when the great blessing of blowing smoke through the nose was un known to the masses, and when that great blessing to all mankind, the ashtray, was almost unknown. o^uawi m. uvyatj in IUJ (iiuiu father's time they had to use old saucers for trays. Senator Btmkem?I remember my grandfather going around the old home looking in vain for something to empty his pipe into, and finally using grandma's ginger Jar. Senator Wibbie (resuming) ? My friends, this is one of the gravest hours in history. This country must face that great question, can our people get all the cigarettes they need, and upon which their lasting happiness depends. Deprive us of our cigarettes and you strike a blow at the very foundation of liberty. Would Thomas Jefferson stand idly by today and watch long lines of mothers and daughters waiting pa tiently before the store offering but one pack to a customer? Would Jackson submit to cigarette ra tioning? Would Lincoln, Cleveland, McKinley and the great Teddy Roosevelt have stood unmoved -by the suffering involved when thou sands of our school children were obliged to reduce their cigarette quota by as many as two smokes per day? ? Senator Toopsey (getting into the spirit)?The important place of the cigarette in our civilization is plain to all. With it we conquer, without it we fail. I have a few statistics here marking the extent of the crisis now confronting us. In 11 of the northern states 60 per cent of the women and children haven't been able to inhale in weeks. In 8 west ern states over 80 per cent of the wives and mothers do not know where their next smoke is coming from. In 4 border states the nico tine stains are fading fast." A strong Democratic senator? Let as here and now plaee the blame for the cigarette shortage where it belongs, at the door of Herbert Hoover. a r _n ttt* ni^Lit n..a i.a . . _ a i_?eix winger?nigiui dui iei us not forget that the forces of re action as represented by Wall street, the capitalistic system and the United States chamber of commerce are also to blame. A Republican?There was no ciga rette shortage under Hoover! Senator Earake?There probably was, but it was concealed by the Tory press. ? Senator Bunkem?Are we sore there is a shortage? I listen to the radio and all the big cigarette com panies are filling the air with sales talks for their product. Why do they do this if they are ont of ciga rettes? Senator Earake?They are build ing up good will. ? Senator Duller?Would it be pos sible at this time for the senate to take up the arms shortage on the western front? It seems to me to be more important. (Cries of "Throw him out" and "No! No!) Senator Duffer ? Is it not ad visable that we look into the mat ter of getting more shells to Gen eral Patton, stopping the drift of workers from war factories and fo cusing the attention of the American public on the more vital aspects of the world situation? Chorus of Voices?What! And make cigarettes a secondary issue! I (The session ends in disorder.) ? ? ? The Gotham Taxlsts Don't See: To this writer's mind on* oj the sights of New York worth seeing, yet seldom men tioned by the guisles, is ITashing ton Mer keL A combination county /sir, food show. Elks picnic, cornivel end home Iown "gets oral store," it is one of the town's big shows. During the noon hour, when thou tends crowd into if to lunch el its unique clem, sandwich, fish end quiclolunck hurt, it it at lit best. fofs Chili Ber ... Hotloefs Seefood Bar ... Charlie's Oyster Bar ... The Hot loaf Bakery Bar ... end messy ethera ... with. In most caret, the fmt-caat cup of cafee still reigning Urn seasethin, out of bygone days/% CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT * AGENTS WANTED LADY WANTED In every community, both i rural and city, to aell line of household necessities to her neighbors. Our line in cludes such scarce Items as cheese laundry soap. Liberal commission. General Predaeta Company (U-S). Albany. Georgia. BABY CHICKS GOLDEN RULE big husky chicks, from disease free flocks, profit by our 20 years flock improvement, standard breeds. Big early order discounts, folder tell*sil. Write GOLDEN RULE HATCHERIES RUBHVILLE - - BCD. REMNANTS MAKE LOVELYX QUILTS: 500 Colorful print percale Quilt pieces $1.00 Postpaid 1 1100 $1.98. Sample loO. 25c Free Patterns! Weeds Remnants. Dept. W. Bedford. Pa. HOUSEWIVES: ? ? ? Your Waste Kitchen Fate Are Needed for Exploeivee TURN 'EM IN! ? ? ? tMW*sr\ %T0 WRS. GlUW ? Lo^aSplHtod Moottf And hUgn Am Often Symplsm Of Ceasripnttoe I For constipation take Nature's Remedy (NR Tablets). Contains no chemicals, no minerals, no phenol de rivatives. NR Tablets are different ?act different. Purely vegetable? ? combination of 10 vegetable in gredients formulated over 50 years ago. Unooeted or candy coated, their action is dependable, thorough, yet gentle. Get a 25^ Convincer Box. Caution: Take only as directed. N> TO-NIGHT/ TOMOnOW AlUGHt ALL-VEGETABLE LAXATIVE (ONE WORD SUGGESTION^ FOR AMD INDIGESTION? Beware Coughs fro* common colds That Hang On Creomulslon relieves promptly be cause It goes right to the seat of the trouble to help loosen and expel germ laden phlegm, and aid nature ~ to soothe and heal raw, tender. In flamed bronchial mucous mem branes. Tell your druggist to sell you A bottle of Creomulslon with the un derstanding you must like the way It quickly allays the cough or you are to have your money back. CREOMULSION for Coughs, Chest Colds, Bronchitis ^Tsraiisvt distress of MONTHLY^ Female Weakness (Mm Fine Stomachic Took) Lydla B. Plnkham's Vegetable Com pound Is famous to relieve periodic pain and accompanying nervous, weak, tired-out feelings?when due to functional monthly disturbances. Taken regularly?Plnkham's Com pound helps build up resistance against such annoying symptoms. Plnkham's Compound Is made especially for women?it helps na ture and that's the kind of medicine to buy! Follow label directions. (LYMA L PINKHAH'S WNU?4 1?45 iHFteriOH WORKS FASTI Don't taks chance*! Any cut or abrasion should be treated promptly by cleansing, followed by applications of Dr. Porter's Antiseptic Oil. This wonderful aid to nature's healing proc esses has been a stand-by tor years. In treatment of minor cuts, bruises, burns, chafing, sunburn, non-poisonous Insect bites, etc. Keep It on hand In your medicine chest efweyi for emergencies and us* only as directed. In 1 different else* at your druggist!
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 11, 1945, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75