WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS
Senate Group Votes Farm Deferment;
Rout of Jap Armada Near New Guinea
Shows Rising U. S. Power in Pacific;
RAF Europe Drive Forecasts Invasion
(EDITOR'S NOTE: When opinion* *r# expressed In these columns, they are those of
Western Newspaper Union’s news analyst* and not necessarily of this newspaper.)
_________ Released by Western Newspaper Union. ..
MaJ. Gen. Lloyd Fredenhall, rommander-ln-ehief of Allied forces in
southern Tunisia, is pictured in a map discussion with French officers.
Clockwise around the table are: Capt. Charles Ciarlet, French operations
officer (light cap); Brig. Gen. Raye Porter (standing); General Freden
hall; Gen. Eduard Welvert; Lieut. Henri Thewcs, interpreter to Gen
eral Welvert.
JAPS PERSISTENT:
In South Pacific
The South Pacific had returned
dramatically to the fore when the
news was disclosed that the Japa
nese had marshaled great forces in
their island bases north of Austra
lia.
The approach of a powerful Japa
nese convoy of 14 vessels toward
New Guinea under the protection of
foggy weather, had lent weight to a
previous warning by Gen. Douglas
MacArthur that the enemy had been
concentrating huge quantities of
planes, shipping and men in their
far-flung island strongholds ringing
Australia on the north.
Allied warplanes were on the alert
and in the decisive action that fol
lowed, they sank or damaged four of
the enemy ships and scattered the
rest of the convoy over a wide area.
Among the Jap casualties were one
10,000 ton transport left sinking, an
other transport split asunder, two
other vessels damaged and escort
ing warships hit.
This latest Jap offensive bid was
apparently aimed to reinforce en
emy forces in the Lae area of New
Guinea.
PAY-AS-YOU-GO PLAN:
W ould W ithhold 20%
The new pay-as-you-go tax pro
gram was not the Ruml plan nor
the proposal advanced by the treas
ury department. Somewhere be
tween both, the new congressional
plan would withhold 20 per cent of
taxable income from the pay en
velopes of the nation’s 31,000,000
wage and salary earners beginning
July 1.
Sponsored by Chairman Cooper of
the house ways and means commit
tee s subcommittee on pay-as-you-go
taxation, the plan would provide for
weekly, semi-monthly or monthly
deductions from income which
would be accumulated and applied
to actual taxes computed at the
year’s end.
The proposed withholding levy
would not change any person’s tax
obligations for 1942. 1943 or any year.
It merely sets up a system for de
ductions from wages and salaries
for accumulation against actual
taxes to be computed at the end of
the year. Taxpayers who paid their
first installments March 15 would be
e-pected to pay their second install
ment as usual June 15. Then in
July, the withholding provision would
be undertaken.
MANPOWER:
Sendees Need 12,000,000
Upwards of 12,000.000 American:
may have to don uniforms befort
the war is over in order to main
tain an armed force of 11,000,000
congress was told by Col. Lewis
Sanders, chief of the re-employmen
division of the selective service.
The 1,000,000 loss in manpower
he said, could be charged up to nor
mal attrition, exclusive of batth
casualties. In explaining his para
doxical set-up. Colonel Sanders said
“You would put into sone pictun
an armed force of 11,000.000 anc
then 1,000,000 men to replace the at
trition of that armed force. In oth
er words, it looks as if you havi
12,000,000 men in service, but yoi
don't. You always have 11,000,000.'
FARM WORKERS:
Senators Vote Deferment
Forecasting deferment of farm
workers from military service for
the remainder of this year, the sen
ate military affairs committee had
voted approval of a measure ex
empting such workers from the draft.
Viewed as a stop-gap to relieve
the current farm labor and food
shortage, the committee’s action
took the form of a proposed amend
ment to the Selective Service act.
The amendment provides that "ev
ery registrant engaged in an agri
cultural occupation . . . shall be de
ferred from training and service"
under the Selective Service act, and
that "no such registrant shall leave
such occupation" without special
permission from his local board.
INVASION PRELUDE:
RAF Softens Nazi land
As Allied bombers had continued
their unprecedented aerial attack
against western Europe and had
wrought destruction in Berlin out
distancing even the havoc of 1940
Nazi assaults on London, this offen
sive appeared to be taking a major
place in the overall Allied war plan.
Night after night the bombers had
droned in an ever-rising crescendo
over Berlin. In a single attack more
than 900 tons of bombs—twice the
weight of anything aver dropped by
the Nazis on London—plummeted
down on Hitler’s capital. Returning
fliers reported mountainous con
flagrations in Berlin.
At the peak of the bombing at
tacks, Capt. Harold Balfour, British
undersecretary of state for air, said
the Anglo-American air offensive
was "preparing the day for our
united forces to invade Europe."
"I look forward to the time when
there will be no hour of the day or
night when the Axis can rest from
the swoop of Allied aircraft,” he
said. "In the long view, the pres
ent raids are but the opening bars
which will rise to the crescendo of
a march on Europe."
RUSSIAN FRONT:
'Follow the Weather’
Although the thaws of spring had
slowed down their offensive in the
south, the doughty Russians were
still on the march in the northwest.
Into the headlines once more came
Marshal Timoshenko, ace Russian
commander, for his armies on the
move between Moscow and Lenin
grad had recaptured 302 towns and
settlements, freed 1,000 square miles
of territory and had menaced Ger
man positions by the seizure of key
points near Staraya Russa. The
Reds had killed or captured 11,000
Nazis.
The timing of this newest offen
sive—the eighth launched by the
Russians since last November—in
dicated the persistent character of
the Russian strategy. Summed up
it meant this: Shift the center of
operations to follow the weather. If
It thaws in the south, then attack
in the north. But do not permit the
Nazis a breathing-spell anywhere.
In the Donets basin the Nazi
■ forces had retained the initiative in
I their counteroffensive. Moscow had
admitted some local German suc
• cesses, but had not confirmed a Nazi
: claim of the recapture of Barven
i kiva. 82 miles southeast of Kharkov
’ on the Kiev railway.
ET
WASHINGTON: Lieut. Com. Le
roy C. Simpler of Milton, Del., whose
navy fighter squadron is known to
have shot down 77 planes and is said
to have accounted for 16 more in
operations in the Solomon Islands,
will receive a third decoration, the
navy reported. Already the recipi
ent of the Navy Cress and Distin
guished Flying Cross, he has been
voted a Gold Star.
ZURICH: Following a tour of It
aly, a Swiss newspaper correspond
ent reported that United Nations'
bombing planes had caused wide
spread damage and a majority oi
residents had evacuated large cit
ies. In Milan, only one-third of the
normal 1,200.000 population remains,
he said. In Genoa, most of the
city's important thoroughfares have
been badly wrecked.
TUNISIA:
Axis Tries Diversion
As American pressure was inten
sified on Marshal Rommel’s retreat
from the Kasserine Pass region, oth
er Axis forces had headed an attack
toward Beja, 40 miles west of Tunis,
in an effort to create a diversion
and remove Allied attention from
Rommel. The British, against whom
this drive was launched, had suc
cessfully held the Germans off and
the Axis attacks lost their momen
tum.
Meanwhile, the Allied forces’ ad
vance in central Tunisia continued
with the capture of Sbeitla, 18 miles
from the town of Kasserine. In the
far south, too, war bulletins said,
the British eighth army under Gen.
Sir Bernard Montgomery had at
tacked objectives on the Mareth line.
As the Allied air strength in North
Africa had continued to grow, bomb
ing raids against enemy positions
gained in momentum. Widespread
activity included raids on Palermo,
Sicily, western terminus of the Axis
supply route shuttling men and mu
nitions to North Africa. The air as
saults likewise concentrated on the
docks at the Axis naval base of
Bizerte and on railroad bridges be
tween Sfax and Sousse.
ANTI-JAP OFFENSIVE:
‘Prospects Are Bright'
From both sides of the Pacific
came indications that more effective
American offensive action against
the Japs was drawing nearer.
In China Brig. Gen. Claire L.
Chennault declared that the pros
pects “are definitely brighter’’ for
carrying the war to Japan, adding
that the Allies can defeat the Nip
ponese in a comparatively short
time when they turn their whole ef- 1
fort into the Pacific, and “there is
an outside chance the job can be
finished this year.”
Emphasizing the possibility of
eliminating Japan this year, the
blunt-spoken Chennault added: "I
think there are some men in high
position who already realize this.”
In Washington, Adm. Chester W.
Nimitz, commander of the Pacific
fleet, said the navy was ready to
start a drive toward the industrial
heart of Japan.
OIL FOR SPAIN:
No U. S. Deprivation
Diplomacy is the business of Act
ing Secretary of State Sumner
Welles and he showed he was well
equipped for his job by the manner
in which he smoothed over the con
troversial subject of shipments of
American oil products to pro-Axis
Spain.
Loud had been the outcry in the
oil-scarce eastern states when the
SlIMNER WELLES
. . . oil, on troubled waters.
news of the shipments to Spain were
made public. Quick to mollify the
complainers was Mr. Welles who de- j
dared that such shipments were in 1
line, with the interests of the United
States and “have had no eifect
whatever on the quantity of petrole
um available to *l»ny consumers in
the United States."
RATIONING PICTURE:
Regulations Expanding
As Mrs. Average Housewife got
used to buying her canned goods on
a point rationing basis, a survey of
the rationing picture as a whole re
vealed the following regulations in
force:
Coffee — one pound every six
weeks; sugar—five pounds every 11
weeks; shoes—one pair between now
and June 17, obtainable with Stamp
No. 17 in War Ration Book No. 1;
Tires—still closely rationed, but re
•aps obtainable; gasoline—all pleas
ure driving banned in 17 eastern
states and the District of Columbia.
A, B and C coupons worth three
gallons weekly in the eastern area,
four gallons in the rest of the na
tion; fuel oil—Period 4 coupons valid
until about April 12.
Imminent on the ration schedule
were meat and butter. Restrictions
on clothing expected by many au
thorities before summer.
GANDHI:
Success and Failure
Weaker in physical strength but
not in spirit. Mohandas K. Gandhi
had successfully completed his 21
day protest fast.
While the fast had failed in its
mission of forcing the Indian gov
ernment to release Gandhi from
custody, it did however, refocus the
world’s attention on the Indian strug
gle for independence and cause the
British authorities some moments
of anguished embarrassment.
Pennsylvania Turnpike
Aids 'Flight Strip' Boom
Super-Highway Serves as Ideal Emergency
Landing Field for Planes; Postwar Ad
vances to Emphasize Need for Runways.
By BAUKHAGE
News Analyst and Commentator.
WNU Service, Union Trust BuiVling,
Washington, I). C.
The great bomber was in trouble.
The pilot knew it. One engine was
coughing like Camille in the last act.
He looked down. Below him lay
sleepy Somerset country, Pennsyl
vania. On the far horizon was a
smoky blur he knew was Pittsburgh.
He had been following the long,
brown ribbon, wide and straight as
a string for many hundreds of yards
before it gently curved with hardly
a grade—the Pennsylvania Turn
pike.
The pilot picked a wide green field
beside this highway, dropped down,
made his landing and his repairs.
A quick call to the state police and
the road was ready, for it is a de
fense highway now, a vital part of
the arteries of transportation of war
supplies. But here was a new use
for this wild dream that has be
come a stern reality.
Traffic was stopped, the great
bomber taxied out of the field and
onto the highway. The pavement
made a perfect runway. The
straight-way was of sufficient length,
the cuts were low and the wing
spread passed over all appurte
nances. The good ship rose and
was on its way.
This was no flight of the imagina
tion. It was a real flight which took
place and was described a little
over a year ago by Representative
Jennings Randolph of West Virginia,
one of Washington's air-minded con
gressmen.
And so a super-highway becomes
an adjunct of what is to be Amer
ica’s super airways. More than 35
planes, Mr. Randolph tells me, have
taken advantage of this emergency
landing highway.
New Chapter Opens
And so a new chapter opens in
American roadbuilding. A new rea
son for the development of the coun
tryside that is to come after the war
—must come U#ve are to meet the
demands of tomorrow’s transporta
tion, of tomorrow’s demand for pub
lic works to take up the slack after
the war until industry can absorb
the returned soldier and the jobless
warplant worker.
In spite of the many pressing war
needs, congress is more awake to
day to the needs of the air and the
coilary developments on the ground
than it ever has been before.
Today, a Pennsylvanian, trans
ported to Washington, cons the press
and listens to the radio each day
the is retired from an active busi
ness life in which he has amassed
a modest fortune) for word of some
new benefit that child of his, the
Pennsylvania Turnpike, has given to
the country. He is Walter Jones.
The Turnpike was a peacetime ven
ture. He obtained funds from the
$29,250,000 federal grant and the
Reconstruction Finance corporation
purchased bonds amounting to
$40,800,000 The first issue was over
subscribed by the public by 60 per
cent. The Turnpike is a toll road
and the first year of operation, the
revenue was nearly three million
dollars.
No wonder. It was an engineer’s
dream come true—and a motorist’s,
too. As near a curveless, gradeless,
intersectionless, straightaway that
one could wish. When war came
with the overtaxed railways, it was
a Godsend for it opened a veritable
Volga of trucking from Pittsburgh,
its western terminal, to Harrisburg.
Dual Purpose
“I feel confident.” scys Represen
tative Randolph, "twenty years will
liquidate the RFC loan.”
So much for that highway which
may well be the father of many.
It has served another purpose. The
emergency plane landing merely
symbolizes what can be done by the
highway for the plane.
The answer is the "flight strip"
for which congress appropriated ten
million dollars as experimentation.
What is a "flight strip"? Official
ly defined, it is "an area of land
with clear approaches located to an
adjacent highway for use as an aux
iliary landing area for aircraft ”
The war advantage of this new
institution is obvious
We know what to expect in the
increased number of planes after
the war. We know the limitation
in matter of space of the airports.
We can guess what the men who
have talked “flight strips’’ for years
know, what the development of these
runways will mean.
As Fred Schiepfe, special en
gineering consultant to the adminis
trator of the Federal Works agency,
says: “The congress, the state high
way departments, and the contrac
tors are pulling together toward the
end that the projects will be built
in the shortest possible time.”
• • *
About Poached Eggs—
And the Awe of a Kitchen
Only recently, when my wife was
away for some time, did I learn to
poach an egg, and in so doing, at
last lost my awe of the kitchen. It
was my early training that gave me
that awe. Neither my grandmother
nor my mother would permit "men
in the kitchen” unless they had spe
cific masculine business there.
"No, you sit down in the corner
and read the paper to me. I can
dry the dishes quicker without you
helping. And there won't be any
streaks on the cups.”
Of course, there were times when
a man’s presence was permitted.
Naturally, when he was allowed to
eat there or when the kindling had
to be brought in or the coal hod filled.
But even then, only when Milana,
the young Scandinavian giantess who
was the hired girl, was otherwise en
gaged.
When I was quite small, I was al
lowed to play in the kitchen when
traffic was light. But that was a
special privilege. The bare scrubbed
floor was excellent for tops. And,
of course, was that much nearer the
cookies, and if I was present during
the early stages of cake-baking,
there were the odd pieces of sweet
dough that I loved, and sometimes,
a chance to “lick the pan” which
was not as unsanitary a practice as
it sounds. It really meant a chance
to scrape out the dish after the frost
ing had been mixed.
But there were bitter memories
of cake-baking time, too, the stimu
lant for which added to my respect
for the kitchen. Once, coming back
from school, I leapt into the room
and started to stamp the crisp snow
from my rubbers. There was (oh
culpa mea!) a cake in the oven. It
fell and soon my pride followed for
I was placed in a most embarrass
ing position — a horizontal position
I might add.
Other Reasons
There were many reasons why my
love of the kitchen was mingled with
a respect that has not quite gone
even though the graceful curves of
the range whose covers could glow
like a summer sun and whose isin
glass eyes beamed so cheerfully, has
long since gone. The kitchen table
with its white oilcloth, with only a
few scars at one end—another why
men weren't allowed in these sacred
precincts—“Now who has been cut
ting bread without the breadboard
again?"
I am not. of course, describing the
spacious room of the farmhouse
when I talk about my kitchen mem
ories for I lived “in town" although
the orchard began just beyond the
back fence and fields, an easy walk
beyond the place where the side
walk became two parallel planks
with a space between (perilous to
maneuver on a bicycle) and then
ended in a pathway.
No, mine was not the spacious
kitchen where half a dozen could
eat at once. But it took care of the
family with a little crowding on Sun
day nights around the remnants of
last night’s baked beans and the oth
er delicious leftovers.
Souvenir Calendar
We had room for the little rag rug
under the rocker by the window and
the Journal's bright “souvenir” cal
endar adorned the wall—that “annu
al gift" of the newsboy is about the
only thing left in today’s white kitch
en where you can’t tell the sink
from the gas stove or the cabinet
or the ice box. That and the dotted
swiss curtains in my kitchen.
But you may break, you may shat
ter my dream if you will, when you
open one shiny door, the scent of
the spices oling about it still. I have
lost my awe of the kitchen but lov
ing memories linger and latterly it
has. in a measure, increased my
self-respect. At long last, no one to
stop me, I have learned to poach
an egg.
BRIEFS.. by Baukhape
Eating out to boat rationing won’t
help, says OPA, because restaurant
supplies are being cut about in half.
• • •
American fighting men serving
outside the country now can say it
with flowers! Three dollars per or
der is cabled to the Red Cross and
the Red Cross selects and delivers
the flowers to Madame. No longer
"But of sight, out of mind."
About 25,000 books have been sent
from Sweden to prisoners of war
held in camps in Germany. They
are distributed through the Red
Cross and the YMCA.
• • •
Indications are that both hog and
cattle slaughter this year will sur
pass that of last year, while sup
plies of fed lambs this winter and
spring will equal the 1942 crop.
Farm Curves Aid
To Victory Effort
New Land Patterns
Making Appearance
_
Farming on the contour, following
the “curve of the land,” is helping
to win the war for the United Na
tions.
A revolutionary method, farming
on the contour not only is helping
produce bigger yields but also it is
saving soil and water to insure
a continued longtime productive
capacity. Cost of production, too,
has been cut as much as 70 cents
per acre by contour farming be
cause conservation methods save
fuel, fertilizer, time, machinery
wear and labor—all essential to a
wartime production economy.
Just as Columbus had faith in his
belief that the world was not flat
and proved it by discovering the con
tinent which now has become the
hemisphere of the Americas, men
today have proved that the land
can be farmed successfully and prof
itably on the contour. Just as Wash
ington and Jefferson saw in their
day a need for soil conservation
practices, men of the past half cen
tury also have seen the good earth
washing and blowing away, and
have developed the remedy.
Vernie Marshall of Texas is one
of the current group of men who
has seen the effects of soil erosion
Twelve-year-old son of J. C. Tay
lor, Coryell county, Texas, helps his
father improve the farm. Taylor
practices contour cultivation, strip
cropping and terracing. Well-vege
tated terrace outlets and reseeded
pasture complete the farm conser
vation program.
and who has assumed leadership in
helping to solve the problem. Long
a pioneer of the idea that farmers
must act to check soil erosion,
Vernie Marshall was largely respon
sible for enactment of the Soil Con
servation Districts law in the Lone
Star state. As administrator of the
Soil Conservation board he is pro
moting the cause of conservation
farming, and more than 70 districts
have been organized in Texas un
der supervision of the board.
"Straight” farming, with the
fence-rows and up and over the
hills and slopes, once was com
mon practice and resulted in im
mense erosion problems. In 1935
and 1930 there were six million
acres of land subject to erosion
in the Dust Bowl area.
During the past few years farmers
have worked co-operatively together
and have established erosion con
trol measures.
Chicken Disease Control
Cecal coccidiosis, a disease par
ticularly destructive to chickens,
[ has been effectively prevented ex
perimentally and may eventually be
controlled by the use of a chemical
compound developed for this pur
pose.
Cecal coccidiosis is caused by
microscopic organisms known as
protozoa
which invade
and attack
the cell lin
ing of the ce
cal pouches
of poultry,
causing
stunting.
weakness, and eventual death.
While several sulphur compounds i
have shown some promise, tetra- j
ethyl thiuram monosulflde, when fed
experimentally in unadulterated
form, appears to be the most satis
I factory drug yet tested.
Decision to concentrate further in
vestigation on tetraethyl thiuram
monosulflde is based on the results
of preliminary experiments conduct
ed at the University of Wisconsin.
_
Farm Notes
To relieve fertilizer manufacturers '
of distress caused by rising labor
and other operating costs, permis
sion was recently granted them to
increase prices of mixed fertilizers
l and of superphosphate.
• • •
Cotton is of such great importance
in meeting military and civilian de
; mands that the United States is now
consuming more than 45,000 bales
|each day.
PenetrQ
Many users say “first use is CO 10 S'
a revelation.” Has a base of COUGHING,
old fashioned mutton suet, SNIFFLES'
Grandma's favorite. Genera MUSCLE-'
ous jar 261, double supply 35^. B.ruc»
Demand Btainlesa Penetro. at*ltga—
The new steel helmet just adopt
ed by the Army is no longer called
a “tin hat.” It’s a "head bucket”
and when you see one you’ll know
why. Our soldiers have changed
much of their slang since the last
war, but not their preference for
Camel Cigarettes. Now—as then
—Camels are the favorite. They’re
the favorite cigarette with men in
the Navy, Marines and Coast
Guard as well, according to actual
sales records from service men’s
stores. If you want to be sure of
your gift to friends or relatives in
the service being well received,
stop in at your local dealer’s and
send a carton of Camels.—Adv.
MPOTf','S“
• RELIEVE the stinging itch—allay
• irritation, and thus quicken healing
Begin to use soothing Resinol today.
RESINOU
Jp-X
I I WAS A SLAVE
I TO CONSTIPATION
Talk about being In bond
age ! I felt as If I were walk- j
j ing around In chains. Purges
only helped me temporarily.
Then I learned the cause
f of my constipation. It was
lack of "bulk” in my diet.
So I took a friend's advice
and began eating kellogg’s
j all-bran. It sure is a grand
tasting cereal—and did Just
what he said it would do. It
got at the cause of. my con
stipation and corrected itt
f. If your trouble is like
I mine, why don’t you try
r all-bran? Just eat it regu
|k larly, drink plenty of water j
and—“Join the Regulars”!
fj Made by Kellogg's in Bat
^ tie Creek.
>M ' 1 ~ ' ' ~ ■■ ..■■» V
JSujnr
| CLEARS STUFFY NOSE
H When a cold (tarts—spread
Mentholatum thoroughly inside
,1 each nostril. Instantly it releases
*1 vapor "Mentholations” that start f
I 4 vital acticns: 1) They thin out
t] thick mucus; 2) Soothe irritated
i I membranes; 3) Help reduce swol
II len passages; 4) Stimulate nasal
|| blood supply. Every breath brings
K quick, welcome relief! Jars 30c.
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May Warn of Disordered
Kidney Aetion
Modern life with Its hurry and worry.
Irregular habits, improper eating ana
drinking—its risk of exposure and infec
tion—throwa heavy strain on the work
of the kidneys. They are apt to become
over-taxed and fail to filter excess acid d
and other impurities from the life-giving *
blood.
You may suffer nagging backache,
headache, dizziness, getting up nights,
leg pains, swelling—feel constantly
tired, nervous, all worn out. Other signs
of kidney or bladder uiaorder are some
times burning, scanty or too frequent
urination.
Try Doom’s Pills. Doan's help the
kidneys to pass off harmful excess body
waste. They have had more than half a
century of public approval. Are reeon>
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Ask your neighbor!
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