The midland journal., February 12, 1943, Image 2

About The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947

Image provided by: University of Maryland, College Park, MD

                
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS
Allied Command Moves to Clear Africa
And Secure Control of Mediterranean;
Hitler Decrees Added Nazi Sacrifices
In Effort to Bolster Failing Manpower
(EDITOR’S NOTE: When opinions sro exprmed In theoe eolnmno, they nre those of
Western Newspaper Union’s news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.!
Released by Western Newspaper Union. ■
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How the U. S. task forces apply what the high command describes
as “Swift Massive Strokes” against the enemy is illustrated by the above
photo showing troops going aboard an air transport in New Guinea,
equipped for marching or fighting or both when the plane reaches a
destination in front of the Japs.
TUNISIA:
Activity Stepped Up
Indications that the long awaited
offensive to drive the Axis out of
North Africa might be near, were
seen in reports of the recapture of
several central Tunisian positions
with which the enemy had sought to
form a line of protection for the
flanks of Marshal Rommel’s army
retreating into Tunisia from Libya.
Conferences of top American and
British military chiefs in Casablanca
even after the departure of Presi
dent Roosevelt and Prime Minister
Churchill had emphasized the impor
tance of the next Allied moves.
Lieut. Gen. Dwight Eisenhower’s
American forces had driven the Ger
mans back from six to nine miles
in the Ousseltia Valley and had
pressed steadily toward a pass
through which Rommel’s troops
must pass in their effort to join Ger
man Gen. Von Arnim’s army.
Rommel’s widely strung out rear
guard had been constantly under at
tack by General Montgomery’s Brit
ish Eighth army.
the heartening features of
the American activity was that this
drive had recaptured several posi
tions of tactical importance previ
ously lost by the French when Ger
man armored units had smashed
through their lines.
AIR BLOWS:
By ‘All-American’ Team
Ominously prophetic of more and
deadlier blows at the heart of Ger
man industries and naval bases
were the first “All-American” day
light bombing attacks in which
swarms of unescorted Flying For
tresses and Liberators smashed at
the naval base of Wilhelmshaven
and industrial installations at Em
den.
While three of the unescorted
American bombers were lost on the
Wilhelmshaven-Emden raids, United
States headquarters said that a
“number” of enemy planes were de
stroyed.
Hitler’s northern flank was given
a pounding when the shipyards in
Copenhagen, Denmark, hitherto un
scathed, were bombed by the RAF.
The principal targets of this raid
were U-boat engine factories which
are working for Germany.
RUSSIA:
Cause for Rejoicing
With: President Roosevelt and
Prime Minister Churchill’s joint note
in. his hands promising decisive
blows in the West, “Uncle Joe”
Stalin could look with considerable
satisfaction on affairs in the East.
How well the Russian offensives
were going was indicated by a
steady parade of Soviet communi
ques reporting successes all along
the line. The Red army had driven
forward to within 60 miles of Rostov,
with the recapture of the railroad
towns of Ataman and Yegorlyk. To
the north, the Ukrainian offensive
westward from captured Voronezh
had pressed on to within 80 miles of
the big Nazi base of Kursk, with the
reoccupation of Gorsehechnoye.
The Russian Stalingrad trap had
closed its jaws on all but a few
scattered remnants of the 200 Axis
divisions of 200,000 men who had
besieged that industrial stronghold.
HIGHLIGHTS . • . *b the week's news
CANBERRA: Prime Minister John
Curtin toldj>arliament that from the
outbreak of the war to the beginning
of 1943, total Australian battle casu
alties in all combat theaters were
52,148. The number comprised.?,B26
killed, 23,892 missing, 9,059 known
prisoners and 12,371 wounded. Aus
tralian casualties date back to early
1941 operations in North Africa un
der General WavdD.
HITLER:
Produce or Die
Significant of even sterner meas
ures ahead on the Nazi home front
was Adolf Hitler’s decree imposing
compulsory labor service on all Ger
man men from 16 to 65 and all
women from 17 to 45 and hinting
the death penalty awaited slackers.
Observers who had been puzzled
for weeks over Nazi radio propa
ganda stressing the seriousness of
the military situation in Russia now
readily saw that this device had
been employed to prepare the Ger
man people for new sacrifices of a
most bitter and stringent nature.
Clearly Hitler was trying desper
ately to solve his manpower prob
lem. Allied military experts esti
mated Germany must recruit at least
1,000,000 new men to fill the gaps in
her army.
DRAFT CALL:
Faces Fathers in ’43
Evidence mounted that the draft
ing of married men with children
would be under way before the end
of 1943, following the U. S. high
command’s announcement that the
nation’s armed forces would total
10,420,000 this year.
Observers recalled a statement
some time ago by Maj. Gen. Lewis
B. Hershey, selective service chief,
indicating that the supply of child
less married men would last only
about 10 months. The statement in
ferred that drafting of men with
children would begin around next
October if 10,000,000 or more were
to be called without drafting 18 and
19 year olds.
Since General Hershey spoke, the
minimum draft age has been low
ered to include those age brackets,
but the gain thus made in the num
ber of draft eligibles has been off
set by deferment of all men 38
years or older, apparently reinstat
ing his forecast.
NAZI PEACE:
Offensive Is Nipped
As political observers viewed in
perspective President Roosevelt’s
historic North Africa conference
with Prime Minister Churchill, the
conviction grew that one of the most
significant but unheralded results of
that meeting was the forestalling of
a prospective new German peace of
fensive.
For several months it had been
evident m world chancellories that
Hitler would offer a compromise
peace as part of his 1943 plans. Re
ports had indicated that his pro
posals would be made through non
belligerent Spain and would include
an offer to withdraw from Western
Europe while still retaining territo
ries occupied in Poland, Russia and
the Balkans.
In the light of these disclosures
the Casablanca declaration that the
Allied nations would be satisfied with
nothing short of the unconditional
surrender of Germany, Italy and
Japan, definitely destroyed this spu
rious peace offensive.
President Roosevelt’s visit with
President Vargas of Brazil at Natal,
en route home, was significant of the
solidity of South America’s adhesion
to the Allies. Observers, believed
Axis peace moves would'make no
dent in Latin America, even if made
through still-neutral Argentine.
NEW YORK: Pearl Buck, author,
expressed the fear that “through
political domination an international
Fascist government may follow this
war and seize the peace in the name
of world order.” Speaking at an In
dia independence celebration here,
Miss Buck said: “There are men
of many nations who are thinking of
world organization in terms of world
military power."
MIDLAND JOURNAL, RISING SUN, MD.
SOUTH PACIFIC:
Jap Casualties Heavy
From New Guinea came Gen.
Douglas Mac Arthur’s consoling an
nouncement that American casual
ties in the victorious Papuan cam
paign were less than half the Japa
nese losses. Previous statements had
said that a Japanese Papuan army
of 15,000 had been wiped out. This
indicated American casualties might
have totaled 7,000, including those in
capacitated by sickness.
As General Mac Arthur consolidat
ed his forces for the drive to clear
the enemy out of the rest of New
Guinea, military activity was limit
ed to continuous bombing of enemy
bases. The raids included a heavy
concentration on Lae, which is ex
pected to be the next target of Mac-
Arthur’s offensive operations.
The navy department disclosed
that a new Jap air base established
within easy raiding distance of
Guadalcanal in the Solomons had
been strongly attacked by American
bombers. The new Jap airfield is on
Ballale island, about 300 miles north
west of Henderson airfield on Guad
alcanal.
The navy likewise announced that
in air action over Wake island, a
number of Jap Zero planes had been
shot down, while all United States
aircraft had returned safely to their
fields.
CORN GROWERS:
Reap Big Benefits
Corn belt farmers and western
wheat growers will get the lion’s
share of the $595,500,000 in benefit
payments to be distributed among
growers for complying with last
year’s federal crop control pro
grams, it was indicated in a prelim
inary report of the department of
agriculture on 1942 farm subsidies.
Southern cotton farmers will get
the smallest amount since 1936,
largely because of the improved
price position of this crop.
The department’s figures disclosed
that payments to wheat farmers will
total $133,477,000, compared with
$107,353 for the 1941 crop. Corn
payments will amount to $188,219,-
000, which is the record for that
crop. Payments on the 1941 crop
totaled $130,186,000.
Cotton payments for 1942 will
amount to about $78,833,000, com
pared with $184,957,000 in 1941 and a
peak of $265,595,000 for the 1938 crop.
Until the 1942 crop year, cotton pay
ments exceeded those for any other
commodity.
YANKEE FOOD:
Aids Russ Offensive
That American lend-lease food
shipments have helped the Russian
armies deal their deadly blows to
Hitler’s Nazi legions was revealed
by Claude R. Wickard, secretary of
agriculture.
Food shipments to Russia which
rose sharply as the winter offensive
progressed went directly to the Red
SHSKhSk nK|Mn|
FOOD ADMINISTRATOR
WICKARD
army, Wickard disclosed. “In De
cember, for the first time,” he de
clared in a report to the war council
of the National-American Wholesale
Grocers association in Chicago,
“shipments to Russia were larger
than the combined shipments to the
United Kingdom and other British
destinations.”
Discussing the 1943 outlook, Mr.
Wickard said that “our armed forces
and those of our Allies will require
almost a quarter of all the food we
produce.”
RUBBER PROGRAM:
Green Light on 55%
While a house of representatives
naval committee ordered an investi
gation of charges made by Rubber
Administrator William M. Jeffers
that “army and navy loafers” were
interfering with war production,
WPB Chairman Donald M. Nelson
disclosed that he had directed that
55 per cent of the synthetic rubber
program for which Mr. Jeffers has
been battling vigorously be carried
through “as rapidly as possible.”
In testimony before the senate
rubber investigating committee, Mr.
Nelson defended his curtailment of
the rubber administration’s de
mands and declared he was aiding
Jeffers as much as possible without
serious interference with other ur
gent war production.
The 55 per cent rubber plant con
struction program means that 25
synthetic rubber plants will be com
pleted as early as possible, the WPB
chairman indicated. Mr. Jeffers had
been demanding right of way for
65 to 76 per cent of the original
Baruch program.
Nazi Submarine Menace
Is Allies' Chief Problem JHR
Pre-Fabricated U-Boats Said to Boost German
Output; ‘Vanishing Luftwaffe’ Puzzles
United Nations’ Military Observers.
By BAUKHAGE
News Analyst and Commentator.
WSV Service, 1343 H Street, N.W.
Washington, D. C.
“It will be a long and bitter war.”
That was the remark of the Aus
tralian minister of defense in a re
cent interview. Two days later,
I heard a general, who had visited
many fronts, make a similar state
ment. You have heard the same
prediction made from dozens of offi
cials. And the strange thing is, it
is usually preceded with an account
of Allied successes. Nothing but a
“but” stands between the enumera
tion of victories achieved and the
prediction of the long, hard road
ahead.
Since this perplexed me, I tried
to get a concrete answer from vari
ous persons as to just what lies on
the long, hard road. Out of the an
swers, two obstacles stand out, the
submarine and the story of the “van
ishing Luftwaffe.” Only recently has
it been definitely revealed that the
enemy’s greatest and most effective
weapon is the submarine. For a
long time, the British permitted only
the most general statements regard
ing the sinking of Allied or even
neutral ships by U-boats. Lately,
because it was realized that the peo
ple were in ignorance of the extent
of this menace, more detailed state
ments have been made, although
still no figures are given out.
We know that America is building
ships faster than American ships
are being sunk. We know that the
margin between launchings and
sinkings is very narrow. And we
know that launchings alone do not
really balance sinkings hull for hull
because the enemy sinks loaded
ships—valuable cargoes are de
stroyed—trained men not easily or
immediately replaceable are killed
or at least taken out of action for
long periods—gaps are left in the
war effort with each lost cargo.
When I was in Berlin covering the
outbreak of the European war in
1939, I heard a great deal of talk
about Germany’s counter-blockade,
how the Nazis could fill seas with
their U-boats. There was much talk
of the great numbers which could
be produced by the American meth
od of the assembly line. I had no
idea how much truth there was in
those statements. Then in the
months that followed, not much was
said about the U-boats. For a pe
riod when they were operating on
our coasts, America was conscious
of their presence but when they
were driven out of sight of our
shores, they were driven out of mind
as well.
• • •
Nazi Boasts
Largely Confirmed
Now we learn how great their dep
redations are on the shipping lanes
where they converge in the eastern
Atlantic, confirming to some degree
the German boasts which are sound
ing again. It is stated by British
naval observers that the Germans
are pre-fabricating the subs, mak
ing the parts in factories scattered
all over the Reich and assembling
them in great underground caverns
hewn out of the rock or covered
with concrete on the shores of the
Bay of Biscay in France.
Therein lies a clear and simple
explanation of the Allies' greatest
problem, the chief obstacle on the
“long, hard road.”
The second obstacle may be a
fancied one but it is real in the
minds of many. The unknown is
usually more terrible than the
known and perhaps this one is at
least partly a myth but no hard
headed realist can afford to under
estimate the enemy’s potentialities.
Those who believe this “obstacle”
exists, say it is hidden behind the
mystery of “the vanishing Luft
waffe.”
According to military men, there
are at present very few German
planes on the Russian front. I heard
a recent estimate of one-seventh as
many as a year ago.
There are not many German
planes over Africa—the Allies have
at least achieved parity in air pow
er. Where is the German Luftwaffe?
Its presence darkened the skies of
Europe once—has it really van
ished? Been used op? Worn ont?
The factories which turn out re
placements all destroyed by Allied
bombers? Is its necessary fuel and
lubrication exhausted? Some people
B R I E.F S • • • by Baukhage
The Swedish Labor federation re
ports that the number of strikes, and
workers involved, during 1942, was
the lowest ever recorded. Only 34
strikes, with some 1,922 workers in
volved, were reported. The number
of lost working days totaled 94,000.
Only three times before in the his
tory of Sweden’s labor, have there
been a less number of working days
lost through strikes.
think that this, at least to a large
degree, is true. But that explana
tion does not seem reasonable.
• • •
German Advances
In Synthetic Gas
We know that Germany has made
remarkable advances in the manu
facture of synthetic gasoline and
oils. We know that some oil has
been retrieved from the Maikop oil
fields in Russia, new ones developed
in Austria.
If Germany is not yet starved of
gasoline and lubricants, if the Luft
waffe has not really disappeared
from the earth, its absence from the
air may have another meaning. We
know that in spite of the heavy Ger
man losses in men and material in
Russia, Germany still has a large
and powerful army. Possibly over
300 fully equipped divisions—trained
men.
It is estimated that aside from
soldiers engaged in Russia and
North Africa, the garrisons in the
occupied countries, there must be a
striking mobile army of a million
men and more. Of course, these
are estimates but they are not over
estimates. And besides this army
there is the “vanished Luftwaffe."
The assumption is that this great
army like the airforce is resting,
conserving and building up its
strength for one of two things: ei
ther a long, last stand defense of
the borders of the Reich or one
more powerful offensive.
Meanwhile, we know that every
day that Japan is allowed to occupy
the rich possessions of her stolen
empire, she is nearer to the ex
ploitation of their resources, the de
velopment of which will make her
stronger. And every day she is left
undisturbed by a major attack, she
is able to increase her fortifications,
wear down the Chinese and spread
her “silver bullets” among the less
loyal war-lord followers on the
fringe of Chiang Kai-shek’s central
army.
There are two factors which make
the road ahead a hard one—the pres
ent successful operation and the
rapid replacement of the German
submarine flotilla and the probabili
ty that Germany is holding back a
powerful army and air force either
for another telling blow or to de
fend its strongly fortified terrain.
* * •
Ideologies —
Put Them on Ice?
As I go wandering round the town
taking a look in every quarter—with
apologies to Wan-Eyed Reilly —I
have acquired data' in the last few
days that have convinced me that
we will have to expunge the word
ideology from the bright lexicon of
war, if we are going to win.
I have observed three places
where the ideologies have gotten in
and done more damage than a buf
falo moth in an overstuffed sofa.
Of course in North Africa—it may
be the climate or the rainy season
—ideologies have done some of their
most devastating work. I have con
versed with an army officer, an offi
cial, who knows that terrain and
also what it produces, a newspaper
philosopher and a radical—all of
them look at the situation on the
shores of the Mediterranean a lit
tle differently. The official explains
that the politics are very impor
tant—the radical, happy over the
success against all Fascists, but in
furiated over using them even to
help defeat themselves, shouts—
“We should have shot Darlan the
day after he served his purpose.”
“Well,” remarks the official, “some
body did, didn’t they?” The army
officer calls the whole controversy
a backyard row that will be forgot
ten as ground dries up and the Al
lies get a few victories.
But the correspondent philosopher
paused to analyze.
He said: “You have heard that
one thing that greatly improved the
morale in the Russian army was
making the officers supreme and re
moving the authority of the com
missars which were originally
placed at their elbows. You know
the Russian officers could make no
move without the okay of the com
missar and yet the officer was re
sponsible if anything went wrong.
Now, the officer has the final word
many of the former commissars who
had military training have become
officers.
Feed grain supplies are 12 per
cent larger, hay supplies are 9 per
cent larger, and supplies of grain
and hay per animal on farms are
somewhat larger than they were this
time last year.
• • •
This year, civilians will probably
eat more peanut butter than ever
before, because peanut butter is high
in both protein and fat.
Rather Late Hour to Be
Changing Instruments
The street musician was tired,
and the motorist agreed to give
him a lift to the next town.
As they were racing at terrific
speed down a hill, the motorist
suddenly shouted above the noise
of the car: “What instrument do
you play?”
The musician shouted back:
“The violin!”
The driver crouched over the
steering wheel, peering ahead. He
yelled: “That’s a pity!”
“Why is it a pity?” demanded
the musician.
“It’s a pity you don’t play the
harp!” yelled the motorist. “The
brakes won’t work!”
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Noble Actions
Good actions ennoble us, and we
are the sons of our own deeds.—
Cervantes.
CLEARS STUFFY NOSE
When a cold starts—spread
Mentholatum thoroughly inside
each nostril. Instantly it releases
vapor "Mentholations” that start
4 vital actiontt 1) They thin out
thick mucus; 2) Soothe irritated
membranes; 3) Help reduce swol
len passages; 4) Stimulate nasal
blood supply. Erery breath brings
quick, welcome relief! Jars 3Or.
SNAPPY FACTS
ABOUT
fe) RUBBER
m
Reclaimed rubber la the product
resulting from the protecting of
screp rubber. It lc prepared from
used rubber articles that are
cleaned, purHled end node plas
tic for re-use in rubber manu
facturing.
Crude rubber In 1899 wes selling t
$2,200 n ton. At the 1925 high was
selling at $2,755.20 per long ten.
Inglneers hove designed the
tires for one of the army’s loops
to rssaatMa the seaiel's treed,
nature's provision far seppert
on shifting send.
A commercial user ol tires reported
that an Ameripol synthetic rubber
tire uaed on a light truck returned
over 35,300 miles before it was re
capped. This tire, with 51 others,
was placed In teat service early m
1941.
A 39,000-tOfi battleship required
Itf.OOO puunds of rubber.
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