Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 1943)
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS Victorious Russian Drive Sweeps On As German Army Faces New Threats; Political Situation in North Africa Inflamed by Peyrouton Appointment (EDITOR'S NOTE: When opinions are expressed In these column*, they are those of Western Newspaper Union's news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.) Released by Western Newspaper Union. . MALTA.—After beating off Axis attacks, a convoy laden with the necessary sinews of war drops anchor in harbor at Malta. The Axis does everything possible to halt the stream of supplies pouring into this vitally important British island base, but the convoys are getting through. This photograph was made from on board an accompanying British six-inch gun cruiser which helped escort the ships through the Mediterranean. INSPIRATION: For the Russians There were reports of later Rus sian successes following the break ing of the siege of Leningrad but that story carried more drama for the Russian people themselves than the reports of all the rest. For Len ingrad is Russia's second city and it had been almost a year and a half since there had been any land communication between it and the rest of the country. As the Red army battled to widen the five-mile corridor through which the siege was first broken there were dispatCkes from all along the 1,200 mile front reporting new losses for the Nazis. At all points the German lines were sagging before the newly found power of the Russians. In spired by the news from Leningrad, named for their revolutionary lead er and considered the home of the revolution itself. Red soldiers re ceived a real boost in morale which aided in maintaining a high degree of momentum in their offensives. Immediate objectives that loomed closer now were the Latvian border, southwest of Velikie Luki, Rostov on the lower Don, complete annihilation of the armies before Stalingrad and added progress in the direction of Kharkov, the Pittsburgh of the Ukraine. NORTH AFRICA: DeGaullists Object New flames were Ignited under the bubbling cauldron of political dissatisfaction in North Africa when Marcel Peyrouton, veteran French politician and former Vichy minis ter of the interior, was named gov ernor general of Algeria. The appointment rekindled the popular alarm which was felt when Darlan first took office. The Fight ing French at once jumped on the appointment, terming Peyrouton a former Fascist sympathizer. Head quarters of the DeGaulle forces re called that in April, 1941, Peyrou ton said that "Only madmen believe in a British victory." The London Daily Herald called it a "political blunder of the first water. Peyrouton is distrusted by Frenchmen of all parties . . ." Added to this confusion was the fact that the Allies soon must decide on a supreme commander for the showdown with the Axis in North Africa. The decision probably will be hastened by the rapid telescoping of the Tunisian and Libyan fronts. NEW LEADER: For Democrats While congress was huddling over Edward J. Flynn’s qualifications to represent the United States and President Roosevelt in the South Pacific diplomatic front. Democratic party chieftains assembled in Chi cago to select Postmaster General Frank C. Walker to be his successor as chairman of the Democratic na tional committee. In his acceptance speech Walker expressed a “distaste for oratory as a substitute for ac tion” and further avowed that he was a “firm advocate of the two party system.” NEW GUINEA: Victory in Papua Climaxing a series of attacking movements by American and Aus tralian infantry units. Allied ground forces captured Sanananda Point and Sanananda Village on the north eastern coast of New Guinea. The capture of Sanananda Point— between previously captured Gona and Buna—took the last remaining strong Japanese point in that area. The remaining Japs were left in pockets about a mile west of San ananda, faced with nothing more than suicide action. Aerial action saw Allied bombers sink an 8,000-ton Japanese cargo ship in the Bismarck sea and blast enemy airports and installations over a wide area of the Southwest Pacific. Jap forces were cut into bits by Australian and American patrols reaching almost every corner of the swampy area. Japan’s last remain ing strength in Papua had been deci mated. Enemy outposts were little more than handfuls of troops, wait ing an almost certain end. LIBYAN DRIVE: Attack Tempo Increased As aerial activity flared over a wide area of the Tripolitanian front the British eighth army continued its headlong assault against Field Mar shal Rommel’s fleeing but still intact forces. An early British advance carried one of two attacking columns to within less than 50 miles of Tripoli —closer than Rommel came to Al exandria last summer. Gen. B. L. Montgomery’s most ad vanced column had driven Axis forces from Beni Ulid and was in contact with the enemy near Tar huna, only 40 miles southeast of Tripoli. The second British column drove along the coastal road, reach ing a spot 90 miles east of Tripoli. Even as the British pushed on, many observers were of the opinion that Rommel had decided or had been ordered, to forget Tripoli and attempt to get into Tunisia to join Col. Gen. Juergen von Arnim in a stand against the Allied assault from both sidoe. ARGENTINA: Stands Alone After Chile's senate had voted 30 to 10 to break off diplomatic ties with the Axis, Argentina remained the only American country retaining relations with Germany, Italy and Japan. Chile’s action came after weeks of wrangling over the issue and fol lowing the vote, Foreign Minister Joaquin Fernadez left immediately to notify President Juan Antonio Rios of the action. President Rios fol lowed this with a radio broadcast to his people. Chile's army and navy had ear lier taken over control of strategic areas which had been colonized by the Germans. These were mostly in the southern part of the country and included ports, mining centers and I other vital areas. HIGHLIGHTS • • • in th• week's news ELIGIBLE: Washington officials revealed that boys who have reached the age oi 17 are eligible to enlist in the army enlisted reserve corps and air corps enlisted reserve—provid ing they have the consent of their parents. Not until they are 18. how ever, will the 17-year-old enlistees be called to active duty. Until this new ruling boys were not accepted in the army until they were 18. PROBE: Among other subjects be ing reviewed by the new congress is the matter of war contracts and the house rules committee has decided to call before it high army and navy officials to explain why some such contracts were authorized. Those in question are contracts, which, it is charged by the house naval and military affairs commit tee, permitted huge fees and profits. FARM LABOR: And the Draft In an effort designed to keep more workers on the nation’s farms the War Manpower commission has put into effect a broad liberalization of agricultural deferment requirements. Draft boards are now to be guided by a “new criteria” including lib eralized application of the war unit production standard and the addi tion to the list of essential crops for which workers may be deferred Heretofore farmers have usually been required to be responsible for 16 “farm units.” Now as few as eight “units” could result in hold ing off induction. (A unit, for exam ple, is one dairy cow, or 20 acres of wheat, or 20 feed lot cattle, among other items deemed essential in the war food program.) BIRTH-TO-GRAVE: Social Security President Roosevelt is scheduled to receive from the department of labor a greatly broadened—birth-to grave—social security plan. This was revealed by Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins at a New York Town Hall meeting. She said adop tion of such a plan would provide larger benefits including greater old age pensions, payments for all em ployment interruptions and mater nity and funeral benefits. Premiums would increase pro gressively to an amount equal to 10 per cent of the worker’s paycheck. During the first stages of the plan’s operation these premiums would be paid jointly by the employer and em ployee, much like the present social security program. Then as the num ber of old age benefit recipients in creased beyond the amount collected the government would step in to pay a share of the benefits. POINT RATIONING: System Explained When Office of Price Administra tion officials began explaining the system of point rationing it became immediately evident that points will vie in importance with dollars and cents in the minds of the nation’s housewives. Here is how the system will work: The sale of processed foods in cans and bottles will be stopped in retail stores a week before the rationing begins—some time in February. This will allow grocers to fill their shelves. On registration day, house wives will take the family’s No. 1 war ration books to their local boards and apply for book No. 2. The consumer will have to declare the actual number of cans, bottles and jars of eight ounces or more of RATION DATES Feb. 7—Period 4 fuel-oil cou pons, good to March 26, become valid. Feb. 8—Final date on which No. 28 coffee coupon is valid. Feb. 20—Expiration date for Period 3 fuel-oil coupons which became valid Dec. 23. Feb. 28—Final date for first in spection of tires for “B" or “C” passenger car card holders and for commercial vehicles. March 13—Period 5 fuel-oil cou pons, good to Sept. 30, become valid. March 31—Final date for first inspection of passenger car tires for "A” card holders and motor cycles. the rationed foods on hand. Home canned foods are exempt. Each per son will be allowed to have a certain number—probably between 8 and 12 —on hand without penalty. For more than that, stamps will be removed. Each consumer will be allowed 48 points during each rationing period, which will probably be one month. New War Poster This dramatic poster depicting the enemy’s ruthless intention, teas entered in the national war poster competition conducted by the New Museum of Modern Art and teas chosen as the best. Duane Breyers, artist, who drew the winning entry is currently awaiting induction into the army. MORE ACTION: Striking at Japanese shipping in the Pacific and Far East, U. S sub marines have sunk 112 enemy ships since Pearl Harbor. The latest com munique issued on this subject by the navy department showed the sinking of one destroyer, one large cargo ship, one medium sized trans port. one medium sized cargo ship and one small patrol vessel sunk to reach this 112 total. Twenty-two other ships are listed as probably sunk and 29 others are reported as I "damaged." Opinions Vary on Success Of Mexican Labor Plans West, Southwest Farmers Reported Object ing to Minimum Wage Clause; Many Prefer Familiar ‘Padrone’ System. By BAUKHAGE News Analyst and Commentator. WNU Service, 1343 H Street, N-W, Washington, D. C. What has happened to the scheme for bringing Mexican labor into the United States to help fill the gap left by the drain which industry and the draft have made on the farm? In trying to get an answer to that question I turned up some rather interesting data which I wish to sub mit as an answer to that slur on our fair city that you hear frequently these days: “Washington is a mad house.” It may at least explain what makes the wild cat wild. I first went to an official in one of the war agencies with my query about Mexican labor. He is a very energetic, sincere worker, an anti New Dealer, who is here trying to do his share to win the war. I am not permitted to use his name. He said: “Somebody in our government with a lot of high ideals went to the Mexican government and made an agreement to send Mexican laborers to the United States. They arranged to have a contract which would deal with each laborer as a free agent and put in all sorts of conditions which the farmer who had to hire him had to agree to, including hous ing, transportation, and a minimum per diem rate. “But instead of sending over ex perienced farm laborers the Mexican government gathered together a lot of ne’er-do-wells and hoboes. It didn’t work. In fact, the farmers got less help than usual. The trouble was that before the social-conscious officials took a hand the American farmers had been making contracts with padrones (bosses) who got the money and the workers, established the working conditions and paid the workers as they saw fit. They brought in trained workers and they made them work. But the starry eyed members of the Mexican and American governments wouldn’t hear of making use of the padrone system.” That sounded very bad to me, so I called up the offices of Senator Downey of California and Senator McFarland of Arizona, who are members of a special committee holding hearings in California and New Mexico on this question of im ported farm labor. Success Reported Senator Downey was still in Cali fornia but his office was enthusiastic. I was told about how successful the use of this imported Mexican labor had been under the government’s plan, in the beet industry, how it worked in th# great guayle rubber fields of whioh 500,000 acies have been planted as part of our home grown rubber program. How the senator was arranging with the state department for the admission of more foreign labor. Then I talked with Senator Mc Farland. He said he would go along with Senator Downey in some of the things but not all. He said the farmers’ complaint in Arizona was that they got neither the quantity nor the quality of workers they want ed. Cotton and dairy workers are their chief needs. He said that some of the farmers wouldn’t sign a con tract which the American govern ment required. All protested against it. The objection was to the clause which established a minimum daily wage. The farmers said that the worker came out to the field in the morning, picked until he wanted to quit and then weighed in. But in order to be sure he had worked his minimum hours it was necessary to have a timekeeper and a book keeper to check on his time and the whole process was too expensive. Long-Staple Cotton He said, on the whole, that the Arizona farmer didn't get as many I workers as needed and didn't get as good ones as he had expected. On the department of agriculture's program for the next year there is a quota of 160,000 acres of long staple cotton. One hundred thousand acres are allotted to Arizona. Nor mally, we import most of our long staple cotton from abroad. Senator McFarland said that unless some solution of the farm labor problem was reached, unless the ! present contract was modified and the Arizona farmers were assured more and better hands at a lower j cost, they wouldn’t be able to invest their money in planting the long staple cotton the government wants. Neither Senator Downey's office nor Senator McFarland’s had any comments on the padrone system. Then I talked with a department of agriculture official. He was of the opinion that the contracts had worked out fairly well, and he point ed out that there was an “ide ological" as well as a practical ob jection on the part of the farmers to the contract—the objection to es tablishing a minimum wage for farm labor. Here are three quite different view points. They represent a tiny frac tion of the tangle which Washington has to untangle, has to reconcile. If Washington is a madhouse, who made it mad? MacArthur Lauded For Leadership When the chapter of war history dealing with the Battle of New Guinea is written, it will be one ol the most important in the whole book. That is what military men here tell me. They began telling me that bit by bit just before the second front in Africa opened. Then the African story wiped everything else off the first pages. Recently they have been talking about New Guinea again. They keep saying to me a little re proachfully, “the American people don’t realize what MacArthur has achieved down in that jungle coun try.” These aren’t the “MacArthur men”—there are such in the army, a little group of hero worshipers who perhaps worship a bit more fervently than logically. But the men who have watched the New Guinea cam paign from Moresby straight up over the Owen Stanley range and down the other side and up to the eastern coast of the island tell me that Mac Arthur and the leaders he has about him have done a great and a sig nificant job. It is grgat because he has accom plished what it was freely predicted the Japs could not do (and didn’t). It is significant because it has proved that Australians and Americans, giv en the training, can beat the Jap at his own game. They can (and have) beaten him with less training, with out the fatalistic quality of the Jap, whose religion is to die rather than surrender even when dying isn't a military necessity. There are two reasons, which mili tary men put forward why the battle of New Guinea has not been painted in its true colors—represented in its true importance. One is the fact that MacArthur leans backward in his communiques. Another is a peculiar copy-desk prejudice oi American newspapers, which causes them to play down reports from the distance and play up the reports from the war department in Wash ington. There are two reasons why Mac Arthur's reports are given out from his headquarters in Australia instead of by the war department in Wash ington. One is that the Australians (and perhaps MacArthur) want it that way, and another is because American newspapers, who pay a lot of money to keep correspondents in that area, don't like to have their men scooped by Washington. Why He Is Winning MacArthur may have another rea son for not ballyhooing his achieve ments. He was beaten in Bataan. He may feel that until he has a complete victory to his credit, he doesn't want to sing too loudly. But MacArthur has won so far in New Guinea oecause the men under his command were able to do what they never had a chance to do on Bataan because of lack of numbers, supplies and food. On New Guinea they were able to do better than the Japs could, the very things which the Japs could dc best. And they did it in the kind ol jungle country in which that “best” was even better. They were able to adapt themselves to the environ ment which required a kind of fight ing and a kind of endurance for which the Japanese had spent years in preparing. The kind of fighting that resulted in the fall of Singapore and the kind which the conventional British soldiers—even the Far East ern experts—said was impossible. briefs.. . by Baukhage "An Idle Ship Is a Crime Against the Public Interests."* -so reads a ! sign over the door Cl John H. Lol land, Co-ordinator of Ship Repair and Conversion. • • • Officers of ships sailing the inland waters of the United States are li censed to sail their ships on a river where no ships sail—the Red River of the North. The ships being built in American shipyards today have more speed, greater fuel economy than the ships built in the First World war. The speed increase means that three ol these will '‘outrun*’ four old ones. • • • The Red Cross has designated tbe week of January 18-24 as the Second Red Cross Benefit week of the Bowl er’s Victory Legion. Production Now Is Farmers’ Weapon Survey Shows Good Crop Lands Limited Generals know that this war can’t be won just by relying on luck. Vic tory will be achieved by careful strategy and relentless action. Neither can farmers win their share of the war on a gamble. Production is their weapon. Pro duction must be planned for vic tory. Farm strategy is based on balancing output so as to turn out the right things at the right time through efficient use of American farm resources. Many believe America has plenty of good farm land. But surveys show that good crop lands are sharply limited. Of the present area of 530 million acres available for crops, only 340 million acres can be classed as really good land. The rest is too steep, too rough, too shallow or too infertile for profitable cultivation. Labor, machinery and materials are short now, too. These conditions make it imperative for wartime agri culture to adjust itself to producing needed crops with maximum ef ficiency. U. S. farmers can’t afford to grow large quantities of crops not vitally needed. With present acreage and the large carry-over in storage, there is an abundance of wheat, for in stance. Boosting the wheat output now would not be a contribution to the nation’s war effort. Consequent ly production goals for wheat called for a 12 per cent decrease in acre age. Land thus released from wheat Dairy products, especially milk being hydrated for shipment all over the world, is figuratively “pouring” from millions of U. S. farms. can be used for food and fiber more urgently needed. More milk products, eggs, and meats are vitally necessary for war needs now. The goal for milk is an 8 per cent increase. Reports from farmers indicate they will probably meet the pro duction goals based on anticipat ed needs of the United States and the United Nations. Some plant ings may fall below goal levels, as in the case of peanuts and flaxseed for oils. But this is partially offset by soybean plant ings in excess of goals. This adjustment to wartime needs is being accomplished through acre age allotments, marketing quotas, farm program payments, commod ity loans, and farm price supports provided by the department of agri culture. After the war, the farm program machinery must be geared to the post-war problems of agriculture to protect farmers from the gigantic surpluses, depressed prices, and wholesale bankruptcies which fol lowed the First World war. Through adjustment, farmers will marshal their forces for abundance in peace as they are doing now for victory. Treatment for Grubs Cattle infested with grubs (some times called “warbles” or “wolves”) should be treated in the following way: Mix a powder containing one part of 5 per cent rotenone content derris or cube powder and two parts of wettable sulphur. The powder should be applied to the back of the infested animal with a shaker and rubbed in lightly with the hand. Oth er methods of control are a derris or cube wash, or the use of a power sprayer in distributing a rotenone sulphur mixture over the backs of the animals. Keep Brood Sows Gaining Brood sows should be kept gaining at the rate of about one pound per day up to farrowing time. Difficulty in farrowing, pig eating, and poor milk flow are i often traceable to inadequate ra tions. A good ration includes a pound of oats per sow daily, a small amount of protein supple ment such as tankage or soybean meal, free access to legume hay and enough corn to put on the desired gain. Gems of Thought T'HAT spot of ground pleases me in which small posses sion makes me happy, and where slight resources are abundant.—Martial. If you can be well without health you may be happy with out virtue. He that climbs the tall tree has won right to the fruit; He that leaps the wide gulf should prevail in his suit. —SCOTT. The symbols of the invisible are the loveliest of what is visible.—Byron. His own estimate must be measure enough, his own praise j reward enough for him.—Emer- ! son. * • I ■ II ■■ III MW ——— • Bird Playground A unique habit among birds is the building of a bower or play ground by the bowerbird of Aus tralia, says Collier’s. Unique also; is the habit of decorating it with stolen articles, all of a certain color. , One such bower, evidently con structed by a bird that liked blue, contained, among many other blue articles, a blue hair ribbon, a blue railroad ticket, a string of blue glass beads and 178 blue bags, belonging to a near-by laundry. All this—and even serions illness— may be due to B Complex Vitamin deficiency. Play safe! Take GROVE’S B Complex Vitamins and get all the medically recognized B Complex Vita mins. Quality — potency absolutely guaranteed! Unit for unit, you can’t get finer quality at any price. Yet GROVE’S B Complex Vitamins are only 29 cents for regular size... only a dollar for the large size—over a month’s supply. Get GROVE’S B Complex Vitamins today! GROVES When the soldier talks about "the skipper” he means his cap tain, the head of his company. And that’s just what the title "cap- | tain” means. It comes from the Latin word “caput” meaning "head.” Another leader high in Army men’s favor since ’18 is Camel Cigarettes. (Based on ac tual sales records from Post Ex changes and Sales Commissaries.) It’s the gift they prefer from the home folks. If you have a rela tive or friend in the service, send him a carton of Camels. Your dealer is featuring Camel cartons to send to service men.—Adv. —^i ■ i. i i. ii - i. i in COLD 6&V TABLETS. SALVE, NOSE DROPS, COUGH DROPS. try "Rub-My-TUm" — a Wondarful Liniment ' Miss Liberty’s Book The book held by Miss Liberty in her statue in New York harbor represents the law. On it in block letters is the date, July 4, 1776, as meaning “liberty based on law.” ! SNAPPY FACTS ABOUT RUBBER --it The first known rubber hoso wos manufactured in England in 1827. y Collapsible rubber boats equipped with paddles, bullet-hole plugs, sea anchor, water, etc., aie being pro duced for fighting U. S. airmen. In flated in 10 seconds, this boat forms part of the pilot's seat and stays with him when he hits the water. An Omaha, Neb., tiro salesman hauled into court before ration ing for parking his car near a hydrant first tolkod himself out of tho $2 fine, fhen sold two now fires to tho fudge, two to the cop who orrested him and two to tho court attendant. Production of War tires is definitely tied to the production ot reclaimed rubber. It is estimated that the coun try has refining capacity to process 360,000 tons of reclaimed a year. Rubber authorities estimate that 900 million tires have boon •cropped since World War 1.