Washington, D. C.
, GREEN C. S. COMMANDERS
I BLAMED FOR SETBACK
' Those in the know inside the Pen
tagon building say that if there is
ever a thorough army probe it will
show that U. S. intelligence fell
down even more badly than former
Chief of Staff Gen. Peyton March
Indicated regarding advance prepa
rations for the German break
through. Even American news dis
patches told of German activity be
hind the lines and lights burning
at night.
Military experts also say, how
ever, that other factors contributed
to the serious setback, one of them
being failure to have experienced
colonels and lieutenant-colonels as
field commanders. They trace this
back to a ruling by the late Gen
eral McNair, commhnder of the
ground forces, that no colonel over
4B could serve in combat overseas.
This meant that many of the regu
lar army, national guard and re
serve officers who had been under
fire in the last war, trained their
men in the United States, went with
them to the port of embarkation,
then were left behind at desk jobs
in the U.S.A. Youngsters, who were
only lieutenants or captains in 1941,
took their places. These youngsters
had all the courage and vigor in the
world, but they lacked one thing so
all-important in battle?experience
under fire.
1KTH DIVISION CAVED FIK8T
Military experts point out that the
division reported to have caved in
first when the Germans counter-at
tacked was the 106th. It had just
gone into the line and not one hostile
shot had ever been fired over its
head. This division gave way like
straws before a tornado.
If a comittee of congress
should ever take the trouble to
look up the officers of the I06th
division it will find that just be
i fore tt sailed all Its older field
| officers were removed, and
younger, but very green officers,
put in their places. Had the
, lfifith division held for only a
few hours It would have made
an the difference in the world
to the rest of the army and to
the length of the war. .
' Military experts say somewhat the
same thing happened at Kasserine
pass and Salerno. At Kasserine |
pass, green field commanders ig
nored the first rudiments of defense,
namely that a halted regiment
should dig in and prepare field forti
fications in enemy territory.
Maj. Gen. Lloyd Fredendall was
made the goat at Kasserine pass
and transferred back to the U.S.A.,
just as Maj. Gen. Ernest Dawley
was made the goat at Salerno. How-!
ever, high-up officers, who have
studied these battles, say the real
fault was not theirs, but that all
colonels of the 34th division which
lost so heavily at Kasserine were
replaced by green field commanders
just before the division saw action.
To get the entire picture, it is neces
sary to recall that after Pearl Har
bor the army collected the majors,
lieutenant - colonels and colonels
from the regular army, national
guard and reserves who had battle
training in World War I, calling
many from civil life, and put them
in charge of troop training. As a re
sult the army had a sizable group
of experienced field officers not
easily stampeded.
McNair Copies British.
Then in June IMS, Genera] Mc
Nair, commanding the ground
forces and an A-l general in moat'
respects, suddenly decided to copy
the British. He found that British
colonels were around 45 years of
age, so gave verbal orders that no
American colonel over 48 could
serve with combat troops.
Army experts say that undoubted
ly, some colonels and lieutenant
colooela needed to be weeded out for
physical or other reasons. The army
has been too lax with its physically
unfit during soft and easy years of
peace. However, they believe that
General McNair swung far too far
In the other direction.
Feetanataty a let a( the treeps .
; landtag In Nermaady were sea
Maifc Clark has laa^a great
Jab there sf baptising treeps.
I Others, sach as General Patch's
?Npmadaleanal. bat obviously
' sawed treeps to man the hag
treat srtendiag all the way from
Mill ta the Alps, and the
, attar another satil they food
the aeltn< part of the treat.
Perhaps their intelligence even
? e ?
CAPITAL CHAFF
C One of the last acts of the 78th
senate was to cancel from the fed
eral government's list of a as its,
money borrowed by four southern
cities ta 1861, )ust before the Civil
war. These have been listed as "un
available cash" since that date.
New Orleans owed *31.164.44. Little
Rock, Ark.. *5,833.50; Savannah,
Gt., *305 76, and Galveston, Texas,
G.I.s and Jumbo Make Good Team
Capt. Stanley K. Hall, post exchange officer of the Sooth East Asia
command, moves a 2,600 pound electric refrigerator into the PX with
the help of a group of G.I.s and a 35-year-old elephant. Jnmbo, or
Karunavathi, was rewarded with a quarter stalk of bananas and a few
slices of bread. The G.I.S will share contents of refrigerator.
Gen. Arnold Welcomes Bong Home
Gen. H. H. Arnold, commanding general of the U. S. army air
forces, is shown as be welcomed Maj. Richard Bong, who has Just
returned from the southwest Pacific. This is first photo of General
Arnold wearing his new five star insignia, denoting his rank of "Gen
eral of the Armies." Bong is still leading aee of war.
Hold Italian Mule Lottery
Italian farmers, in liberated areas ef Italy, whs had tort ranch af
their llTestock as a result ef the war, are being afforded a chance
to acquire males and horses. Drawings are held aad the tacky winners
are fivea a chance to purchase the HTestock. The drawing! are held
under the direction ef the Allied amies.
Bombing Plays a Strange Trick
One of the freak effect* sometimes achieve* by hlfh explosive bombs
I* eeea la this photo, of a town h Fraoee, oo the U. 8. Third army
front. The U? baildiaf at the e?* el the street took a direct hit aa*
was spht *ewa the center. One half effjho baUdia* disiate(rated Me
Aids FBI Spy Hunt
Harvard Bodkins, 17 - year - old
school student, spotted Gimpel and
Colepangh, German spies. He fol
lowed their snow tracks and discov
ered they came from the ocean. His
report to his father, a sheriff,
brought the FBI and the arrest of
the Nazi spies.
Hand Grenade Yank
Trained (or rough hand-to-hand
battle, this coastguardsman of the
j rugged Greenland patrol, yanks the
fnse of a hand grenade with his
teeth and prepares to let it fly at
the enemy. Even on Greenland he
secured practice against Nazis.
Polish War Orphans
An excited bench of kidi. little
Polish wsr orphans, pile down the
(UfiriT of s troop transport far
from war's dancers. They had em
barked at Bombay, India, to find a
I new borne thousands of miles from
their ravaged homeland.
Mike's Life Saved
The dollar* and dimes contributed
to the March of Dimes, January 14
Sl, will to save others as they
did two-year-old Michael Solliraa at
St. Loots hospital, operated for to
laotBo paralysis oases.
By PaulMal^^^^
Released by Weetern Newspaper Union.
FREEDOM OF THE
PRESS AND RADIO
WASHINGTON. ? The magpies
limb has been rather contentedly
quiet since election. What few yipes
have emanated therefrom have,
however, disclosed that some curi
ous ideas about democracy and free
dom are developing in this coun
try.
For example, it is the radio that
is free and the press is shackled
says an unfriendly reader from a
small Wisconsin community. He
reasons it out that the radio gen
erally does not take sides in politi
cal arguments, does not criticize
group actions of a political nature,
and, therefore, is "free," while the
newspapers, with their various edi
torial policies, express preferences
and criticize political groups and,
therefore, are unfree.
The radio is not primarily a pub
lic service. It is an amusement
business. Its character is more that
of a theater than a newspaper. It
handles news only as a minor side
line. Also, it gets practically all its
news from the same sources as most
newspapers, the press associations.
Chosen as its commentators are
many men who have a theatrical
delivery style, not always those who
know most about news.
My Wisconsin friend is factually
wrong also in assuming radio com
mentators did not represent both
sides in the last election. They did.
and I hope will always continue to
represent both sides strongly. To
keep political discussion free of
criticism would bring a weak-ton
gued nothingness in popular expres
sion and further enable selfish poli
ticos to work the people for them
selves.
Here is the point where my Wis
consin friend, and so many who be
lieve as he does, have fallen into
undemocratic delusions.
"Without controversy," says
Churchill, "Democracies cannot
achieve their healthening proc
esses."
Freedom is not one-sided. Poli
tically, it may be that in Russia,
and perhaps other spots in the
world, but in this democracy, free
dom of expression means the right
to be in a minority. Oppositions are
not extinguished or purged after
elections. Indeed, it means the right
to be vitriolic, or even the right
to be wrong. It requires criticism
of all forces in politics.
Business Reasonable.
Generally, most people in the
commentating?far more than in the
political ? business strive to be
reasonable and factual, but they
have the right to be unreasonable
and humorous. There are all kinds
of people on all sides of every ques
tion. The very nature of democ
racy assumes that they will express
themselves freely in their own way,
and, from their debate, hot or cold,
decisions will come.
The press is far more free than
radio. The air waves are under gov
ernment supervision, supposed to be
tpohnirnl but vnu mnv hnuu nnticprl
the Democratic campaign pub
licity director, Paul Porter, has been
given the radio (communications)
commission chairmanship.
Certainly radio has a constant
light on its hands to keep Itself
free, as licenses mast be fre
quently renewed and the radio
commission can at any time
drive a station oat of business.
Not so with the press. Its primary
business is news and it is not under
government supervision, although
its newsprint is rationed and news
censored by government. Further
more, it has a heritage in news pres
entation, evident in the mind of any
young scoop reporter, anxious to get
all the facts no matter who they
help or hurt. Competition is faster
than in any other business I know.
The fight for exclusive presenta
tion, practical Judgment, better
written newspapers, more complete
coverage, is vicious and eternal.
Editorially, every shade of public
mind is presented. By and large, it
is the newspapers which keep the
intelligent people of the country in
formed. Radio cannot do it, lacking
a medium permitting thoughtful
story or financial incentive for news
development.
Only a few people seem interested
in preventing the expression public
I ty of any views except those with
which they agree. These people are
not only undemocratic but unwise.
They can never add to their own
understanding or store of knowl
edge by listening to those who
agree with them. They can learn
much from those who disagree.
A restless appetite for something
called "freedom" is loose in the
land. The youth wants it.
This is what war is being fought
for. Most of the internationally agi
tating societies in New York also
have the word freedom attached to
their titles?Polish, Russian, inter
nationalist, what not.
But what is this "freedom" for
which we yearn? It must be some
thing different from that freedom
which we have had. It is not alone
democracy, for we have had that,
still have K. We need a definition at
nteoom.
HOW WILL YOU HAVE
YOUR POSTWAR CAR?
The society of Automotive Engi
neers wants suggestions from tne
public on the construction of post
war cars. It has sent out the follow
ing list of questions, to which Elmer
Twichell has appended answers:
1?Should automobile bodies be
made longer or more compact so
they could be parked easier?
Ans.?Shorten them up, boys! And
how's about installing a swivel so
they can be folded in the middle?
?
2?What Is the better type of body,
the standard five-passenger, four
door sedan Or the model with two
large doors?
Ans.?That two-door buggy Is okay
only for gymnasts and contortion
ists. And when you open one of those
doors you are practically establish
ing a roadblock.
?
3?Should headroom be sacri
ficed for a low, rakish roof?
Ans.?Are you kidding? Lower
that roof another quarter-inch and
only a turtle can be comfortable in
it. You might keep the roof where
it is, but cut holes in it for heads
and hats.
? ? ?
4?Would an air-conditioning unit
for summertime be worth the extra
eost?
Ans.?It depends on the extra cost.
Personally I think it a mistake to
make the autoist any more com
fortable. He seems to be asleep most,
of the time now. Has he become too
lazy to open a window?
?
5?Does the windshield construc
tion and design permit vision clear
enough for safe driving?
Ans.?Now you're on a vital mat
ter, mister. The primary need is
a new type of windshield glass to
which no sticker can stick. A wind
shield should be a windshield, not a
combination filing cabinet, bill
board and wastebasket.
A driver should no longer be in
doubt whether what he sees direct
ly ahead of him is a pedestrian or
his tire certificate. And no sunset is
improved if the sun appears to be
setting behind his toll-gate sticker.
Federal auto tax and parking-space
stamp.
6?Has ornamentation gone too
far? Has too much attention been
paid to fancy hardware, fancy
shapes, contours, etc.?
Ans.?It is high time to draw a
line somewhere between automo
biles and nightclub bar fixtures. Ra
diator ornaments should seem less
like meathooks. And those door
knobs rip a lot of garments.
?
7?Should the new ears be so de
signed as to place the driver fur
ther front or further back?
Ans.?Further back! He seldom
. sees the red lights from where he
j is now!
? ? ?
THE PRIVATE PAPERS
OF PRIVATE PUREEY
Dear Harriet
Well Congressman Clare Luce
came to the front and fired a howit
zer, but them Germans is still re
sisting and it looks like we would
have to try something else. I was
very diserpointed by the results.
Miss Luce fired the gun okay. Her
form was good and her rhythm was
pretty fair. Also so far as we know
the gun was alright.
?
We all waited breatherlessly on
account of this was the first time
any gun with so much person
ality behind it had been used in the
war. Also never before had a
gunner been so perfectly dressed,
with no flaw in Hie style nowhere.
The lady wore a regulation officers
eoat and pants, with ski-shoes, wool
en socks, a dotted kerchief with
muffler to match and earrings. (It
was the first experiment with
earrings by either side so far.)
? ? ?
Well, like I said we all waited for
big results but nothing special
happened. There was the same ex
plosion, roar and distant explosion
but no white flags. Sergent Moon
ey says the Krauts did not know who
was firing that howitzer and that
our side fell down in not notify
ing them. He says if the Krauts
had anybody a half as good looking
as Clare Luce behind a gun Goeb
bels would of been warning the
whole world about it for weeks in
advance.
?
I feel better about the whole war.
I hope Miss Luce sticks around and
that in the next campaign we get
Mrs. Lydig Hoyt and Lana Turner.
AD my love, Oscar.
? ? ?
Caught Napping
It never fails to ruffle me
! When neighbors do their carpentry
On Sunday afternoons the minute
The crib at last has "Junior" in It.
It may be they have tried, but can
Net tove their little feikrwmaa
Who blithely wakes them up at
dawn
Before they're even set to yawn.
Perhaps they fed the sprightly chap
Has proved he doesn't need a sap
By acting like Vesuvius,
CLASSIFIED
DEPARTMENT
AGENTS WANTED
LADY WANTED In every community, boCh
rural and city, to aell lino at houeohoAd
necessities to her neighbors. Our lien In
eludes such ocarce^ltema^aa _ehwojaj
Pretests Company (D4), Albany, fii-ib
BABY CHICKS
GOLDEN RULE big husky chicks, fraa
disease free flocks, profit by our SO yearn
flock improvement, standard breeds. Bte
early order discounts, folder tells alL Wi Da
GOLDEN RULE HATCHERIES
RU8HV1LLE - - DfR.
LAND FOR SALE
California Taz-Delinqaent Luda
Selling at fraction of true values: deeds
direct from State; inquire SAX LAND IB.
SEARCH. P. O. Bex 442, Eereka, California.
REMNANTS
MAKE LOVELY QUILTS: 500 Ooiortet
print percale Quilt pieces $1.00 PoetpaAdl
1100 $1.08. Sample 100. 25c Free Patterns!
Weeds Remnants. Dept. W. Bedford. Pa.
Shoulder a Gun?
Or the Cost of One
ft ft BUY WAR BONDS
?i?? n-it-r ua
nappy K6II6T v* not
You're Sluggish,Upset
WMW CONSTIPATION BtkM pna M
punk as the dickons, brines OB atfwiarh
opsot, soor tsste, jury discomfort, taks
Dr. Caldwell's famous medians to naicldp
sail the trigger on lazy "innards", sad
help pan feel bright sad chipper *p"
ML CALDWELL'S is the wondarfnl ssoaa
lszstiTs contained in good old Sjrop hp
sin to make it so easy to take.
MANY DOCTTHtS nee pepsin NI per .Hens
in prescriptions to makatha medians amn
palatable and agroasble to take. So be saw
poor lazatiTS is contained in Sprnp Paprin.
INSIST ON ML CALDWELL'S?thefaearita
of milhons for SO pears, and feel that vhele
eomerelief trom constipation. ?l in delihp
children lore it
CAUTION i Use only as directed.
DLCUDWEirS
SENNA LAXATIVE
?<?>-SYRUP PEPSDI
How To Relieve
' Bronchitis
Creomnlrion rellCTea promptly bo
cause It goes right to the sent of tha
trouble to help loosen and expel
germ laden phlegm, and aid natum
to soothe and heal raw, tender, la*
flamed bronchial mucous mem
branes. Tell your druggist to sell yam
a bottle ot Creomulslon with the un
derstanding you must like the way ft
quickly allays the cough or yon am
to have your money back.
CREOMULSION
for Coughs, Chest Colds, Broadntii
fW0MENmi'4lh
Do Ym Hate HOT FLASHES?
If you suffer from hot flashes, feel
weak, nervous, a bit blue at times
all due to the functional "middle
age" period peculiar to women?try
Lydla E. Plnkham's Vegetable Com
pound to relieve such symptom*.
Taken regularly?Plnkham's Oom
nound heir* build ud resistance
against sucn annoying symptoms.
Plnkham's Compound ts made
especially for women?it helps na
ture and thafe the kind of medi
cine to buyl Follow label directions.
LYWAE.P1NKHAMSSS3K
v >
IS YOU* BAIN A HOSHTAl?
It's only fair to your livestock
to keep rime-tested Dr. Porter's
Antiseptic OO on hand ifssyi
la your barn, for emergency
feet ion sources If neglected.
Soothes, aids natural healing.
Chances are your veterinarian
uses It. Nothing like It for mi
nor burns, bruises, cuts, saddle
and collar sores, etc. Use only
as directed.