The Wilmington morning star. [volume], February 25, 1943, FINAL EDITION, Image 1

About The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990

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fOL.*£2------- WILMINGTON, N. C., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1943 FINAL EDITION ESTARTXQUim tot*
City Councilmen Want
Adoption Of Extension
Bill In Original Form
SEND MESSAGES
Tflecrams Sent To Wade
An(j Kermon Urging
Action On Measure
GROUP NOT SATISFIED
Council Feels Revised Pro
posals Not Fair To
Intent Of Plan
The city council Wednesday
forwarded to New Hanover
county’s representatives in
general assembly, Senator J.
| l Wade and Representa
tive R. M. Kermon. telegrams
Hiving adoption and introduc
tion of a bill for extending
the city limits as^ drawn up
by City Attorney W. B. Camp
^ Discuss Limit Problems
I Ty,^ telegrams wete formula ted
at the end of a two-hour session,
devoted chiefly to discussion of the
limns extension problem, during
which cotmcilmen declared time
aiid again that the extension plan
lias the most important matter now
under consideration by the city.
"Industries all over the nation
are expanding. Other leading North
Carolina municipalities are extend
ing their limits or have extended
them in the past few years while
we continue to labor under the
handicap of our present size,”
Councilman R. S. LeGwin com
mented during the discussion.
“The city council urges passage
c! city extension bill as prepared
by city attorney and prepared by
you.” The telegram to the two
iegislators, signed by Mayor Ed
gar L. Yow and the full member
ship of the council, said.
“We feel extension at this time
most important to enable the city
lo include the new area in post-war
planning.
“In our opinion neitner dui as
row submitted by you can be con
strued as reasonably approaching
the intent of the plan we submit
ted nor will there be any extension
under the terms of either of our
plans.
"We urge you to get together on
the simple, workable plan which
we have submitted and secure its
passage.”
The extension bill, as drafted by
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 4)
iYORRECEiVES
MOTE FROM INDIA
Sender Expresses Wish For
Defeat Of Nazi-Jap
Tyrants By Allies
Mayor Edgar L. Yow was the
recipient of a most unusual letter
this week. It came all the way
|rom Poona, India, and although
the mayor has not the faintest idea
why it was sent to him, he appre
ciates it just the same, for it in
corporates an Indian prayer for an
Allied victory written in the native
characters.
Mo one could be found in Wil
roilngton who might be able to de
cker the strange words of the
Kama Nama” prayer in the ori
8‘nal, but fortunately, the author
also included in his letter an Eng
lstl translation in part which
reads:
My family’s Rama Nama pray
p for rhe success and safety of the
Wish Empire, the King Emperor
and the U. S. A.—From Sirder
attatraya Vasudes Gohale, M. A.,
| .e most loyal and obedient servant
“ls most excellent Britannic Ma
5’’ belonging to most exalted,
. e and glorious martial maha
bouse of Sirdar Gonhale of
, Sudashis Peth, Poona City, In
'The Rama Nama is our high
| Prayer and is believed by us to
8 a complete victory to the
inStLCause’ and we firmly beReve
‘ , justice of the British-U.S.A.
j,;ra'w~P°wn with the Nazi-Jap
senrf6 mai0r said he intended to
,• a a message of cheer back to
sender of the letter.
—-v
WEATHER
Vnrtu „ FORECAST:
in Carolina: Colder Thursday.
TIDES FOR TODAY
Wilmington Hi*h Low
81011- 1:11a 8:24a
Masonbor Tni ^ 1:28p 8:36p
or° Ir|let-10:56a 5:09a
Moore’s t-i * ll:33p 5:20p
s inlet -11:01a 5:14a
•W , 11 :38p 5:25p
Cr1 i,uet —u:otia 5:193
, -- ll:43p 5:30p
ClD. , Tlmes Eastern Standard)
Wfdnevrf tar River stage at Fayetteville
'"'"Hay at * A. M 10 95 feet.
Continued on Page Five; Col. 4)
Registration For Ration
Book 1 To Run Two Weeks
Big Increase Noted
In Industries Here
During Year Of 1942
During the year 1942, manu
facturing plants in the city in
creased production by 450 per
cent over the previous year,
and increased the number of
their employes by 375 per cent,
a report by F. O. Fockler, ex
ecutive secretary of the Great
er Wilmington Chamber of
Commerce, said Wednesday.
According to the business
survey, retail firms experienc
ed a 22 per cent increase in ac
tivity, and 18 per cent raise in
number of employes over
1941.
Some businesses, it was re
vealed, showed percentage de
creases—such as the automo
tive field, where rationing and
material shortages have had
effect.
“These figures will be used
to further substantiate proof of
the increase in the size of Wil
mington,” Mr. Fockler de
clared.
-V
SUPPORT HEARD
FOR_RUML PLAN
Modified Method Of Pay
ing Income Taxes Is
Gaining Favor
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24. ——
Advocates of the Ruml plan were
cheered today as strong Republi
can support appeared to be gath
ering behind the proposal to abate
all of one year’s individual in
come taxes to put taxpayers on
a pay-as-you-go basis.
An informed Capitol Hill source
said that when the House Ways
and Means committee passed on
a modified form of the plan orig
inated by Beardsley Ruml, chair
man of the Federal Reserve Bank
of New York, all 10 Republican
committeemen voted for it.
However, the plan was put aside
for the time being when the 15
Democrats on the committee voted
against it. The vote was taken
last Friday in a secret session
but not disclosed until today.
The committee rejected all pend
ing pay-as-you-go proposals, in
cluding the modified Ruml plan,
and turned over to a sub-commit
tee the job of drafting a compro
mise.
Rep. Carlson (R.-Kas.) has mod
ified the Ruml proposal to pro
vide that each taxpayer would re
mit on the one of the two years,
1942 or 1943, in which he had the
largest taxable income. The orig
inal Ruml plan provided directly
for by-passing the 1942 tax year.
Reports circulated that the Re
publican members of some state
delegations, including New Jersey
and Missouri, might vote solidly
for the Ruml proposal when the
tax legislation comes up in the
House.
Rep. McLean (R.-N. J.), a com
mittee member, told newspaper
men he had contacted the 11 House
Republican members from his
state and “in my judgment all
favor some plan along the line as
suggested by Mr. Ruml.” He took
issue with the Treasury’s conten
tion that the Ruml plan is “a
rich man’s plan,” saying “It’s ev
ery man’s plan, poor as well as
the rich — and the government
would be the principal benefici
ary.” . ,
Rep. Bennett (R.-Mo.) similarly
expressed the view that-the seven
Republican members from Mis
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 5)
many persons wait
About 2,500 Make Appli
cation For Coupons
Here Wednesday
The New Hanover War Price and
Rationing board, swamped with
applicants for War Ration Book
No. 1 Wednesday, announced
Wednesday night that individuals
not yet serviced will have two
weeks in which to secure the orig
inal ration book, used currently for
sugar, coffee, and shoes.
According to O. H. Shoemaker,
board chairman, provision will be
made during the coming two
weeks’ period for non-registered
citizens to obtain War Ration Book
No. 2 along with their No. 1 book.
The measure has been taken to
alleviate the congestion occurring
at ration headquarters for the past
tw~ days. The constant flow of
applicants for War Ration Book
No. 1 has seriously crippled other
ration activities, Mr. Shoemaker
declared.
It was estimated that no less
than 2,500 persons visited the New
Hanover War Price and Rationing
board yesterday for the purpose!
of registering for the No. 1 books.
Lines formed down Front street
from Walnut to Red Cross, and
from the corner of Front almost
to Third stfeet.
“We are begging for a little con
sideration in the matter,” Mr.
Shoemaker pointed out. .
No. 1 books are a must before
consumers can obtain their point
rationing coupons.
All schools have abandoned the
alphabet system of registering ap
plicants for War Ration Book 2,
and citizens of New Hanover coun
ty should proceed immediately to
school ration-book centers to_ ob
tain their coupons, the New Han
over War Price and Rationing
board warned the public Wednes
day night.
Almost without exception the
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 6)
--V
CAFES WILL NOT USE
PATRONS’ COUPONS
Persons Can Eat At Res
taurants Without Giv
ing Tickets
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24— —
You can eat at restaurants without
ration coupons, the OPA said today,
but the restaurants will serve only
about half as much canned and
other processed foods as they had
last year.
Rationing allotments for restau
rants will be determined by a se
parate' formula,, but OPA intends
to restrict consumption by their
patrons “on about the same basis
that the individual is restricted on
his meals at home.”
The home ration of processed
foods has been described by OPA
head Prentiss M. Brown as "less
than half” of last year.
Restaurants must use ration
points the same as householders.
However, instead of flat ration am
ounts, such as the 48 points per
person allowed householders for
March, restaurants will get three
fifths of a ration point for March
and April for every person served
last December. Figured on a corres
ponding basis, householders are get
ting half a ration point for every
December meal. OPA said the dif
ference is due to higher waste and
fluctuating patronage in restau
rants.
For hot dog stands and similar
establishments which use relatively
(Continued on Page Three; Col. 3)
Local Hospital Reported
To Be Seriously Crowded
“The most crowded conditions X
have ever witnessed in any hos
pital during my 25 years of ex
perience exist at James Walker
Memorial hospital,” M. E. Win
ston, superintendent of the local
institution, commented Wednes
day.
In making the public statement,
Mr. Winston urged that citizens of
Wilmington and New Hanover
county take advantage of every op
portunity to learn nursing and first
aid methods that will take some
of the load off the local hospital.
“I cannot too strongly urge our
citizens to learn how to care for
themselvses and for the sick mem
bers of their family. We are not
prepared to accommodate persons
who are not critically ill.
Not only is space an issue at
the local institution, where com
pletion of an annex now under con
struction will only partially alle
viate the situation, but the short
age of competent nursing help is
serious, he declared.
Mr. Winston reported an un
usually large amount of‘illness in
the city at the present time. He
emphasized the impossibility of
securing the service of a register
ed nurse.
Persons are being sent home con
stantly in conditions far from re
covered, it was said.
(Continued on Page Ten; Col. 3)
Churchill Df^ <$*
Gandhi J
& a® A
I-i? A <—
(By ' 9- <5 Ar v ^ss)
NE’ <W 24.—
Prtr op A. ill made
it. iS1 the India
gov ^ •> continue to
hold iu it Mohandas
K. Gandhi, iow is expect
ed by his do,. <rs at Poona to
live through his 21-day hunger
strike against detention.
It was a matter of one emi
nent invalid dealing with the
case of another. Churchill's
message apparently came from
his sick bed. (It was announc
ed in London that he has been
suffering from pneumonia but
is improving.)
Churchill, in a message sup
porting the India government’s
determination to keep Nation
alist leaders under detention
during wartime, stressed se
curity as a prime considera
tion and said that India “still
is menaced” by the threat of
invasion.
The previously held fears
that Gandhi might die a pris
oner in the Poona palace of the
Aga Khan were dissipated in
the 15th day of his fast by
authoritative medical opinion
that “there is no reason why
he should not manage six days
more.”
-V
AA SCHOOL HEAD
TO LEAVE DAVIS
Brig. Gen. Spiller To Be
Commander Of Unit
In Georgia Soon
Having served as commandant of
the Antiaircraft Artillery school at
Camp Davis since April 7, 1942
Brigadier General Oliver L. Spiller
has received sudden orders to re
port as commanding general of the
; Antiaircraft Artillery Training Cen
ter at Camp Stewart, Ga. He fin
ishes up his duties at Camp Davis
today prior to leaving for hiB new
post.
His unexpected departure comes
as a surprise to the officers and
enlisted men of the Antiaircraft Ar
tillery school who have been under
his leadership. These men will miss
him for he has gained the respect
and admiration of all who have
served under him.
Evidently the order came as a
bit of the surprise to the general
himself who said yesterday in a
statement concerning his depar
ture, “The order came so unexpect
edly and requires me to leave so
quickly that I have hardly had
time to consider my reactions to it.
Since a soldier has no choice but to
go when bidden, I might as well
say I am glad to go.”
“I have enjoyed, ’ he continued,
‘‘my tour at Camp Davis very
much. The work has ben very in
teresting and of the type that con
tributes directly to the success of
troops in battle.”
General Spnler has lived with his
family in Wilmington during his
assignment at Camp Davis. His tall
military figure has become a famil
iar sight each Sunday as he at
tended the First Presbyterian
church on Third and Orange streets.
Here tile general’s height was out
standing as he was surrounded by
soldiers, sailors and officers of the
armed services.
An active individual, General
Spiller will be missed at the school.
(Continued on Page Ten; Col. 5)
M’NUTT’S FUTURE
NOW IMPERILLED
Appropriations Group Of
House Refuses WMC
Head’s Request
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 — UP)—
Paul V. McNutt’s future as War
Manpower Commissioner was im
perilled today as the House Appro
priations committee refused his
request for $2,454,000 which he had
proclaimed essential for his agen
cy to discharge its duties.
The turndown, coming while Mc
Nutt was undef fire in some Con
gressional quarters, virtually chal
lenged him to battle for continu
ance in the post he has held for
ten months.
McNutt has declared his organi
zation needs strenghtening to per
form difficult tasks just ahead.
One of these deals with the trans
fer of works from jobs classed as
non-essential to war work. He
has decreed that by April 1:
1. Men in work called “non-es
ferrable” must have registered for
war jobs or, regardless of depen
dent wives and children, risk
speedy induction into the armed
forces if they are of draft age and
physically fit.
2. Employers in 32 areas of “cri
tical labor shortage” must gear
operations to a 48-hour minimum
work week so they can get along
with fewer works and release some
of their employes for war jobs.
Because he grounded these or
ders on the necessity for providing
manpower to meet the labor needs
of war industry, McNutt will be
under tremendous pressure to place
(Continued oh Page Two; Col. 5)
-V
SOLON CENSURES
MADA PERKINS
Lawmaker Says Secretary
Concerned Over ‘So
cial Gains’
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24.—(#)—
Secretary of Labor Perkins, asking t
the House Appropriations Commit
tee without success for $337,000 to
combat absenteeism, came in for
some frank talk, it was disclosed
today, with one member saying a
great many citizens feel she is
.‘more concerned about ‘social
gains’ than winning the war.”
The secretary’s testimony a week
ago was made public today when
the committee reported a deficiency
appropriation bill without including
the fund she had asked.
She said she proposed to spend
the money on “advisory services”
to labor and management in war
industries with the view particu
larly of curbing absenteeism. In
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 8)
Walter Lippmann Says:
White House And Solons
Cannot Work Separately^
By WALTER LIPPMANN
In the relations between the new
Congress and the old administra
tion much will depend upon wheth
er there is a sufficiently large
body of independent citizens who
are able to make them work to
gether. Congress and the Admin
istration shown in the election will
grow more acute because the
causes of dissatisfaction have not
been removed. But Congress will
not become more popular because
the Administration is more unpop
ular. On the contrary, the failure
of Congress to remedy the causes
of dissatisfaction will merely make
Congress unpopular as well. Thus
we shall not deal with our prob
lems, and the whole government
and all public men will find them
selves disliked. That will not be
a healthful atmosphere in which
to wage war, make peace and to
demobilize.
The legitimate grievance which
Congress expresses is that the
Administration has used its vast
powers sometimes excessively,
often confusedly, often wastefully,
and not always impartially. But
the executive branch of the gov
ernment also has a grievance
against Congress, and it is a griev
ance which almost every adminis
tration has had against almost
every Congress. It is that Con
gress uses its power to obstruct
necessary measures, to further the
interests of pressure groups, to
harass hard-working officials.
Both grievances are real. The
war superimposed upon the new
deal has unquestionably inflated
the bureaucracy and brought in its
train a mass of executive orders
and directives which are often con
flicting, ill-conceived, and of very
doubtful legality. But the very
vices which Congressmen declaim
against are also the vices of Con
gress itself. Congress throws stones
and lives in a glass house. The
Congressional method of conduct
ing its investigations is often in
the highest degree unjust. The
committee system is archaic, in
efficient and scandalously waste
ful.
Thus, for example, a few days
after General Marshall had labor
iously explained to one committee
why the Army wants the Army it
has decided it needs, another com
mittee, concerned with agriculture,
said it wished to hear General,
Marshall explain why the Army I
must be as large as he says it!
must be. Now wasting the time
of the chief of staff is more waste
ful than having too many clerks
in a government bureau. General
Marshall’s time is worth more
than money: if he has to spend his
time telling the same story to a
series of Congressional commit
tees, he has just that much less
time to direct the Army.
Moreover, the committee system,
which is based on seniority, throws
(Continued on Page Ten; Col. 2)
ROMMEL IN FULL FLIGHT
FROM AMERICANS’ FURY
More Axis Strongholds
Toppled By Soviet Army
LONDON, Feb. 24—(IP)—The Red army surging west
ward over a 300-mile front in a race against spring mud
was reported early today to have toppled several more
Axis strongholds in the drive toward Poltava and Konotop,
Ukraine rail junctions guarding the approaches to the Nazi
Dnieper river line.
The regular midnight Moscow communique recorded by
the Soviet monitor said another large populated place west
of Kharkov had fallen, reported fresh gains in the effort
to encircle Orel, hinge of the southern and central fronts,
and told of the trapping of two German battalions (ap
proximately 1,600 men) In the -west-"
ern Caucasus.
The Russians said those two bat
talions now were being annihilated
after refusing to surrender.
Heavy German counterattacks
with tank'and plane support wfere
acknowledged in the Donets basin.
While claiming the repulse of most
of these, the Russians admitted
German units had driven a wedge
into their lines southwest of Kra
matorsk. This town is about 50 miles
above tSalino whence the Nazis es
cape railway runs out of the Donets
basin.
Thirteen German tanks were de
stroyed in the fighting, but the bul
letin did not tell of the final out
come.
The locality seized west of Khar
kov was not identified. The com
munique said 200 German bodies
were counted, and large quantities
of war material captured. This Sov
iet column was within 50 miles of
Poltava on the basis of Soviet dis.
patches, and another operating from
Krasnograd to the south was at
least 10 miles nearer.
Nor did the Russians mention the
progress of their troops driving to
ward Dnieperopetrovsk on the
Dnieper river bend. These units
had been reported about 30 miles
from the river in an effort to trap
the exposed Nazi forces in the
Donets basin far to the east.
In the Maloarkhangelsk sector 40
miles below Orel, the communique
said the Russians were fighting for
possession of another large populat
ed place, and had killed 200 more
Germans. Progress in this area was
also announced in yesterday’s mid
day communique.
Dispatches said a thaw was be
ginning in the Ukraine, and the
comparative vagueness of the Soviet
midnight bulletin indicated that mud
dy roads might have slackened Red
army operations.
West of Rostov in the push along
the Sea of Azov the Russians said
the Nazis "threw in mortoized in
fantry and tanks, and supported
(Contained on Page Ten; Col. 4)
Marine Commandant
Now At Camp Lejune
For Full Inspection
NEW RIVER, Feb. 24.—
Lieut. Gen. Thomas Holcomb,
commandant of the Marine
Corps, arrived here this after
noon by plane from Parris Is
land, S. C., for a general in
spection of Camp Lejeune. He
will leave Friday for a visit
to the Marine air station at
Cherry Point.
Gen. Holcomb declared Wed
nesday night that he noted nu
merous improvements here
since his last visit five months
ago, and that he was pleased
with the camp’s progress.
The General revealed that a
large contingent of women Ma
rines would be assigned to the
base.
Accompaning the visiting
military official were Col. Ray
A. Robinson, Lieut.-Col. Edson
Lawrence Lyman, and Lieut.
Col. Norman Hussa, all of Ma
rine Corps headquarters, Wash
ington.
Former First Lady Will
Sponsor Ship Here Today
Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, of Wash
ington, D. C., widow of the nation’s
World War I president, will spon
sor the Liberty ship named in his
honor at the yard of the North
Carolina Shipbuilding company
Thursday afternoon at 3 o’clock.
Arrangements for the ceremony
have been completed and Mrs. Wil
son will arrive from Washington
Thursday morning.
Matron of honor at the launching
will be Mrs. Frank M. Dillard,
of Alexandria, Va., and maid of
honor will be Miss Belle W. Ba
ruch, daughter of Bernard M. Ba
ruch, of Georgetown, S. C.
Members of the launching party
will be guests of honor at a small
luncheon at the Governor Dudley
before the launching.
Naming of one of the many Lib
erty freighters built here for the
country’s 28th president has cre
ated considerable interest because
President Wilson spent sometime
in Wilmington while a young man.
His father, the Rev. Joseph R.
Wilson, was pastor of the First
Presbyterian church for more than
ten years. He came here from a
professorship at the Presbyterian
Theological seminary at Columbia,
S. C., on November 1, 1874. At
that time Woodrow Wilson was a
college student and many Wilming
tonians came to know him. The
(Continued on Page Two; Col. 7)
AIR ACTION HIGH
IN SOLOMONS WAR
Aerial Slugging Match Is
Taking Place Between
U. S. And Japs
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24.—UP)—An
aerial slugging match has been
underway for three days with tor
pedo and bombing planes in ac
tion throughout the Solomon is
lands area, the Navy reported to
day.
Three times Japanese planes
struck at United States positions;
five times American planes hit
back, inflicting additional damage
on the much-bombed enemy base
at Munda and shattering a barge
loaded with Japanese troops.
Details are lacking on damage
in the raids.
The series of aerial attacks start
ed Sunday, the Navy reported,
with a Japanese attack upon the
United States air base on Esperi
tu Santo island.
That base in the New Hebrides
it part of a chain of American
position's in a rough semi-circle
of islands north and east of Aus
tralia and important supply lanes.
The raid there was described as
light and no indication was given
whether the Japanese planes in
flicted any damage on the base,
535 miles northeast of Guadalcanal
airfield.
Four times before the enemy has
struck at Espiritu Santo in an ef
fort to break the hold on that
southeastern part of the semi-cir
cle. Twice last October shells were
thrown at the United States base
there, presumably from a subma
rine, but no severe damage was
caused. Last month the Japanese
struck twice by air, but no cas
ualties or damage to buildings was
reported.
The latest raid, last Sunday,
brought swift counter-attacks by
American planes, which a f e w
hours later dropped bombs on
Munda, the Japanese base on New
Georgia island, starting several
large fires.
The same day Japanese planes
raided Tulagi in the Nggela group
of the Solomon islands, 20 miles
north of Henderson field on Guad
alcanal. It was the first bombing
reported there. Damage if any
was not disclosed.
The bombing raids continued
Monday when a United States
plane on a reconnaissance mission
spotted a Japanese barge loaded
with soldiers near Choiseful island,
35 miles north of the New Georgia
group in the’ Solomons. The barge
was destroyed, for the Navy re
ported that two bomb hits were
scored. Presumably the soldiers
were lost
American fighting planes joined
in the assaults later in the day,
strafing enemy positions at Rekata
bay on the northern shore of Santa
Isabel island where the Japanese
have maintained a seaplane an
chorage.
The enemy struck at Guadalca
(Contiivied on Page Two; Col. 6)
BRITISH ACTIVE
Combined Allied Tank And
Artillery Attacks
[Turn Tide
ENEMY BOMBED HARD
Axis Columns Given No
Chance To Rest Or Con
solidate Their Ranks
ALLIED HEADQUAR
TERS IN NORTH AFRICA,
Feb. 24 — (iT>) — Combined
British and American forces
threw Field Marshal Rom
mel’s tank columns into full
retreat from the outskirts of
Thala today, handing them
their first defeat in Tunisia,
and tonight Allied artillery
lobbed tons of explosive steel
into German positions in the
narrow Kasserine pass and on
the beaten rear - guard col
umns withdrawing through it.
The big guns were giving
the G e r m a n tank columns
twisting through the pass no
chance to rest and reform,
and hundreds of Allied planes
racing overhead left a trail
of smoking Axis transport
and dying German soldiers all
the way from T h a 1 a ’ s ap
proaches to Feriana far south
of the opposite end of Kas
serine pass.
Hundreds of Allied planes
and Allied ground forces be
gan hitting Marshal Rommel
yesterday morning, inflicting
the first major setback on the
Axis troops since they lashed
out on their offensive 11 days
ago.
Artillery Hastens Flight
Then the Allied artillery hasten
ed the Axis retreat into the mouth
of the pass.
The American - British aerial
smash far overwhelmed the initial
German Stuka efforts in the re
jcent fight at Faid, and was con
jtinuing.
I Rommel’s retreat—and it was
i by field accounts a full retreat—
[began yesterday and by today at
least 300 Axis prisoners and large
quantities of German materiel had
fallen into Allied hands.
This, however, was believed to
represent only a small part of the
Nazi casualties and losses of
equipment inflicted when almost
every Allied bomber and fighter
on the front splashed tons of high
explosives on Rommel’s retreating
columns twisting through the hills
and out of the Kasserine pass
southwestward toward Feriana.
American armored iorces had
hammered back his thrust west
ward through the Kasserine to
ward Tebessa, which lies inside
Algeria; British and American
units together had inflicted heavy
I casualties in the battle for Thala.
Rommel had burst through to with
in three miles of that tactically
important point before his attack
began to collapse, and with it the
whole of his offensive to the west.
With the coming of daylight yes
terday, Marauders, Mitchells, Bos
tons, Hurribombers and even the
great Flying Fortresses began to
; strew explosives upon the retreat
ing German columns under cover
I of Spitfires, Airacobras and Light
i nings.
| Rommel had been badly mauled
| in an action which might well be
come one of the turning points of
the Tunisian war, and as he at
tempted to fall back toward Feri
ana there were reports here that
the veteran British Eighth Army
of General Sir Bernard Montgom
ery was attacking with increasing
power in southeastern Tunisia.
In central Tunisia, American and
British troops and armored forces
had proved themselves more than
a match for the Nazis.
The Allied communique thus de
(Continued on Page Five; Col. 2)
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