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
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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.
