WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS
Nazi Counter Drive in Kharkov Area
Wins Back Part of Russ Winter Gains;
Wallace Warns of Future War Menace;
Allies Tighten Ring on Rommel Armies
(EDITOR'S NOTE: When opinions «re expressed In these columns, they ore those of
Western Newspaper Union's news analysts and not necessarily si inis newspaper.!
. Released by Western Newspaper Union. ■ - —
NORTH AFRICA:
Rommel Rapes
Like a wild animal in a cage, Mar
shal Rommel had struck out at the
forces hemming in his 250.000 army
in Tunisia. His principal offensive
had been a heavy thrust at Gen.
Sir Bernard Montgomery’s British
Eighth army before the strategic
Mareth line in Southern Tunisia.
But the wary Englishman had an
ticipated the German move and his
deadly artillery fire had repelled re
peated Nazi attacks with “very
heavy losses.’’
Rommel, a master of tank war
fare, had attempted to break through
the British lines with his heavy
mechanized equipment, but when he
was forced to withdraw wrecked
German tanks were strewn over the
battlefield.
In the north the British First army
had regained the initiative and was
pressing the enemy, while on the
central front the American forces
were moving steadily to hem the
Axis in.
DRAFT:
Plan to Save Farmers
Plans of the administration to take
the pressure of the draft off the
nation’s shortaged pool of farm la
bor apparently contemplate the in
duction of unmarried men over 38
or those in that age group without
dependents. This, at least, was the
interpretation of Washington observ
ers concerning orders by the War
Manpower commission to the selec
tive service to reclassify such men
1A beginning May 1.
The Manpower commission’s ac
tion followed the announcement of a
four-point plan for the deferment of
essential farm labor. It came at a
moment, too, when the congression
al farm bloc had launched a drive to
clarify the farm labor confusion.
Local draft boards were under or
ders hereafter to place no more men
in Class 4-H and to reclassify out
of 4-H into 1-A all such men now de
ferred because over the military age
limit. At the same time draft
boards were ordered to begin re
classification immediately of all
men over 38 who may become eligi
ble for class 2-C or 3-C because con
nected with farm work.
U. S.-RUSSIA:
Need More ‘Trust'
Although the storm over Ambas
sador-Admiral William H. Stand
ley’s complaint concerning Russia’s
failure to inform its people fully
about the great extent of American
aid had subsided and future lend
lease shipments on an ever-bigger
scale were assured, the need for
greater mutual confidence between
the two Allies continued.
This need was stressed by Vice
President Henry A. Wallace in a
speech which coincidentally enough
was delivered at the time Stand
ley’s statement was made public.
Mr. Wallace had stressed the fact
that a third World war might re
sult unless the western democracies
and Russia reach a satisfactory un
derstanding.
“War will be probable in case we
doublecross Russia,” Wallace said.
VICE PRESIDENT WALLACE
. . . beware fl orid H'ar III.
"Such a war would be inevitable if
Russia should again embrace the
Trotskyist idea of fomenting world
revolution, or if British interests
should again be sympathetic to anti
Russian activity in Germany and
other countries.”
RUSSIA:
Nazis Uncoil
Three reasons were cited by mili
tary observers tor the initial success
of the sudden German counter
offensive west of Rostov and south
of Kharkov which in its early stages
had swept forward 100 miles and
resulted in the capture of eight key
cities in the Donetz basin which had
been taken earlier by the Soviets in
their great winter drive.
One reason was the use by the
Nazis of 25 fresh divisions. Twelve
of these had been rushed from west
ern Europe and the others replen
ished after previous action. A sec
ond reason was the draining of
troops from this southern sector by
the Russians to supply momentum
to their drive on Orel and Vyazma
to the north. The third was the su
periority of Axis supply lines and
communications in the Donetz area.
The serious extent of these early
German successes was evident in
the fact that Russian official com
muniques had admitted the loss of
the cities the Germans had claimed.
Russ reports disclosed that the Ger
man move had actually started late
in February.
The setback in the south had not
prevented the Russians from con
tinuing their drive on Vyazma. Red
communiques had reported the cap
ture of Tiomkino.
FOOD SUPPLY:
Nutrition Level Dips
That the food situation in the Unit
ed States is rapidly bringing the
American people down to the Ca
nadian and British level of nutrition
was the opinion voiced by Secretary
of Agriculture Claude Wickard.
Mr. Wickard likewise disclosed
that the amount of food available for
civilians “is going to be something
CLAUDE WICKARD
. . . more vegetublet, lest meal.
less than it is at the present time,"
in testimony before the senate ap
propriations committee.
Because of the increasing demand
for proteins and fats —- including
meat, dairy products and some oil
crops—from our military forces and
our Allies, Mr. Wiekard said the
American people will probably have
to live more on vegetable fats and
proteins than they formerly did.
“We have about reached the place
now where we cannot expand our
meat production any more," he said,
“because we are not going to have
enough of the basic element—feed—
to support much more increase."
LABOR MANHUNT:
Franch Fight Nazis
Adolf Hitler’s desperate need for
manpower had caused the Nazi to
put more than usual pressure on
the collaborative Laval regime for
more French workers.
The German demand had been
for 400,000 men. When Nazi sol
diers abetted by the Vichy govern
ment set out to meet this goal, the
trouble started.
Street fighting, guerrilla tactics
and sabotage were the French Pa
triots' answer to this effort to boF
ster Germany’s waning manpower
resources. Reports received by the
Fighting French in London indicat
ed that in a single 72-hour uprising,
more than 350 German soldiers had
been killed.
Swift and cruel were the reprisals
taken for this insubordination. But
the repressive measures only served
to fan the flames of French hatred
against the German conquerors.
HIGHLIGHTS .. . in the week's news
CHICAGO: With an abundance of 1
billing and cooing. 5.605 fast-flying
doves were drafted in Chicago for
the army, reducing the city’s peace
time pigeon population by one-sixth.
The war first drafted a big group
of racing pigeons from the city a
year ago. These traditional sym
bols of peace were reported in ac
tion from Bataan to Britain, ac
cording to a report received here.
WASHINGTON: How Lieut. Ches
ter W Nimitz Jr., son of the Pa
cific admiral, won the silver star
medal was disclosed in a navy re
port. The citation made public here
says young Nimitz served with "con
spicuous gallantry and intrepidity’*
as torpedo and gunnery officer and
later as executive officer on two war
patrols. During a third patrol near
Java, he also won distinction.
I _. ,
COUNTRIES AT WAR
iiiilis
Br. Implro ########
u.u. ••• ••••
U.S.SB. ••
China ••••••••
Cteche>S. 00000000
• • • • t
Belgian! • • #
Holland 000
Graeco 0 0
Boland 0 0
Norway 0
luaemburg 0
■ thiopia # # #
Braill • •
Cotta Rica 00 0 00
Cab. •••
Dam. Rap. # Q #
Guatemala 000
Haiti • • • • • •
Hondurot 00 0
Meaice 0 00
Nicaragua # • • # # #
Btnama 000
Salvador # O #
THI FOUOWINO STATIS HAVI
SIVIRiO RIIATIONS WITH THI AXISi
Venetuela, Colombia, Icuodor, Bara,
Bolivia, Boroguay. Uruguay, Igypt,
Saudi Arabia, Chile.
The above chart shows at a glance
which nations of the world have de
clared war against the others. Of
all the United Nations only three—
Britain, Czechoslovakia and China
—have declared war on the entire
Axis tribe. The United States ex
cepts Finland which yet may be in
duced to quit the Axis.
PACIFIC FRONT:
Jap Power W anes
In the Far Eastern war theater,
reports from China disclosed that
the main Japanese offensive in
Western Yunnan province along the
old Burma road had been halted on
the west bank of the Salween river.
Waning enemy air power in the
Burma-China area was indicated by
Allied reports that repeated attacks
by American and British fliers on
Jap objectives had failed to lure any
Nipponese planes into battle.
On the Solomon Islands battle
front. American planes roved to the
northward raiding Kahili, Buin and
Ballale in the Shortland Islands area
and Viru Harbor in New Georgia.
The Japs retaliated with a raid on
Tulagi close to Guadalcanal.
Summarizing the situation in the
Pacific, Secretary of the Navy Frank
Knox said that American forces are
stronger than ever before in the
Solomon Islands sector while
throughout the South Pacific, the
Japs are having increasing difficul
ty in supplying their island bases.
Without adequate shipping, the
secretary explained, the Japs cannot
maintain their South Pacific bases
and face further retirement.
ANTI-VICHY:
Action in l\o. Africa
Increasing evidence that Gen.
Henri Giraud’s North Africa regime
will move steadily further away
from Vichy influences and ever clos
er to the democrat.c methods of
the United Nations was seen in the
high commissioner's summary ac
tion in repudiating all Petain de
crees relating to African colonial af
fairs and liquidating the entire gov
ernment bureau concerned with re
strictions on Jews.
“A decree signed in Vichy has no
effect in North Africa." was Gi
raud’s terse explanation. “The Ger
man occupation interrupted the free
exercise of national sovereignty.”
General Giraud's action followed
that of Governor General Nogues of
French Morocco reinstating govern
ment workers dismissed under
Vichy's orders and repealing the ban
on listening to certain foreign broad
casts. In repealing the Vichy anti
Semitic decrees, High Commissioner
Giraud ordered General Bounty, who
dealt with Jewish problems, to be
removed from office.
CHINA:
Destiny's Crossroads
A 10-year reconstruction program
for China, including the building of
20,000 transport planes, was pro
posed by Generalissimo Chiang Kai
shek in his book, "China's Destiny."
While his wife, Madame Chiang,
was busy winning friends for China
on her visit to the United States, the
Generalissimo disclosed plans call
ing for 2,460,000 graduates from va
rious grades of technical schools to
aid in developing postwar China.
_I
Hitler in Mental Decline?
Close Observers Say Yes
Reliable Reports Indicate Fuehrer Subject to
Uncontrolled Emotions; German Physician
Believes He Will Have Mental ‘Explosion/
By BAUKHAGE
Neus Analyst and Commentator.
WNU Service, Union Trust Building,
Washington, I). C.
Where is Hitler?
That question can’t be answered
with any certainty at this writing
and nobody seems to care. For more
than a month, the communications
from the German High Command
have not borne the Fuehrer’s signa
ture. The anniversaries of two of
the great events in Nazi history have
come and gone, the celebrations
were held with very little display
in comparison with other years and
entirely without appearance of the
No. 1 Nazi himself. Hitler has made
no public appearance for months.
It is true that communications
supposedly from the Fuehrer have
been made public but always
through a second party, notably the
speech on the anniversary of the
founding of the National Socialist
party. The set excuse is that Hitler
is with his troops in the Russian
front. But at the rate that front is
moving these days, it is doubtful
if he is very near it. It is quite pos
sible that he is elsewhere or even
nowhere but the interesting thing is
that this man, who has managed to
turn the world upside down, does not
seem at all essential to the great
political and military machine he
has built up. It may be functioning
without him and this would seem to
indicate that if he is not dead, but
should suddenly die, it wouldn’t
make much difference.
Some time ago, a report received
from underground sources was re
ceived in London. It said that “Hit
ler either has been given an ultima
tum by his generals, who pointed
out his military blunders, or he is
suffering from one of his hysterical
fits and is in ill health as a result
of his Russian reverses.”
Recent Developments
What about these fits? They are
no fiction but well-authenticated
events. Before several witnesses
he has frequently burst into tears,
and in other ways given vent to ut
terly uncontrolled' ^motions. But
these fits are of less importance than
certain other likewise well-substan
tiated but not widely known devel
opments which have taken place
within the last year or two.
There are several stories which
I heard from the lips of a man who
has closely watched Hitler’s career
from its earliest beginning. The
man is Fred Oechsner, a former
colleague of mine. In fact, I was
instrumental in having him sent to
Berlin as correspondent for the Con
solidated Press just about the time
Hitler was beginning his political
career.
Long before anybody else took
Hitler seriously, Oechsner wrote to
me: “This man is some day going
to be the bull in Europe’s china
shop.” Oechsner, who is now in
Washington, told me the following
story which he also repeats in his
excellent book, "This Is the Enemy.”
As you know. Hitler was always
a teetotaler. He never drank any
thing bu* some very weak beer es
pecially brewed for him and he only
took sips of this pale beverage.
Recently his habits changed.
“Persons who visited him at his
headquarters early in the winter told
me.” Oechsner says, “that he was
becoming grave and irritable and
that it was not uncommon for him
on a cold night to drink three or
four glasses of grog. He also took
occasional drinks of a Bavarian
liquor called Enzian which is not
unlike gin."
Now Oechsner is an exceedingly
reliable reporter and when he says
the Fuehrer finished three grogs in
an evening. I believe it—also I be
lieve that a man unused to taking
alcohol must have been higher than
Berchtesgaden when he went to bed.
Oechsner also said: “There is a
German physician of international
repute who believes that some day
i Hitler will have a brain disturbance
of a serious nature. This physician
has treated Hitler since 1921 and
knows his physical condition as well
as his personal life. It is his opinion
that Hitler is an outstanding exam
ple of a half-trained, half-educated
person with a phenomenal talent for
absorbing and co-ordinating infor
mation and detail gleaned from oth
er sources. This attention to detail
and pattern, he says, is obvious in
Hitler’s drawings, in his speeches,
his military campaigns. It is a phe
nomenal mental power but some
day it is going to explode.”
Suicide the End?
Without revealing the source, I
have heard the opinion expressed by
a man who has seen and met with
Hitler many times and is exceeding
ly familiar with his life, that it is
quite possible that a mental decline
has started which, he believes, may
end in suicide.
On my own score, I may say that
when I heard Hitler deliver his fa
mous speech at the start of the war
in 1939 in which he said that he was
going to the front and would lead
Germany to victory, that he would
not take off his uniform until this
had been achieved, and in the next
breath named his successors, I
thought he was preparing for suicide.
I doubt if he is now dead. He may
not even be ill but the thing is, there
has been no report of any public
appearance for a long time.
That, of course, is hearsay evi
dence—or long-distance diagnosis
but what Oechsner reports comes
from first-hand authority.
So Hitler may already be in a
padded cell—and nobody seems to
care!
• mm
Fourth Term—
Does FDR Want It?
Will the President run for a
Fourth Term?
A number of cross currents are
definitely in motion, some directly
moving toward an attempt to draft
Mr. Roosevelt as candidate in ’44;
some which at present seem to be
carrying him in the opposite direc
tion.
One thing that many people fail
to realize is the fact that when the
precedent against a man serving in
the White House for more than two
terms was broken, the first olive was
out of the bottle and the chief ob
stacle to a fourth term was re
moved. As has been pointed out, the
American people never before want
ed a man for a third term candi
date, although twice before candi
dates would have made the attempt
—Grant and Theodore Roosevelt.
When the first whispers for a pos
sible third term for Franklin Roose
velt were heard, I talked to a sea
soned political observer. He said:
the President doesn’t want to run
again but he will be persuaded to by
his friends.
I make bold to state at this junc
ture that exactly the same state
ment can be made today with one
modification: The President doesn’t
want to run for a fourth term but
his friends are trying to persuade
him to.
I feel sure that the President does
not want to run again. I do believe
he passionately desires to preside
at the peace table. But some of his
friends have a different view. As
Joseph Tumulty, secretary to Pres
ident Wilson, once remarked about
the White House: “It’s a nice board
ing house, you hate like the dickens
to move out.”
Friends Demands
Two things are acting in favor of
persuading the President: One, this
earnest and insistent demand of his
“friends” who don’t want “to move '
out” and some of whom honestly be
lieve that it would be for the general
good if the President stayed on.
Their arguments are many.
The second factor and the one
which could elect Mr. Roosevelt for
a fourth term, if he does run again,
can be expressed in the well-known
slogan, “Don’t swap horses while
crossing a stream.” It is the rea
soning behind this homely expres
sion which, of course, provides the
most persuasive argument to any
President.
On the other hand, if by 1944 Hit
ler has been defeated, the President
might feel that he could serve even
better at the peace table if he were
not the head of a political party, if
he were not bound by certain do
mestic policies which the head of ;
an administration must administer
with one eye on the votes in the next
election.
I believe that if the President felt i
positively that he would be allowed
to play the principal role in the
peace-making, even though someone
else were in the White House (per
haps a Republican), or if he felt
that as President, he would be less
effective as a peacemaker, he would
not consider a fourth term.
BRIEFS . . . by Baukhage
All rural women are being asked to
enroll in the national Victory Home
Food Supply program.
• • *
The brother of the king of Sweden.
Prince Oscar Bernadotte, has re
signed the chairmanship of tire
Swedish Young Men's Christian as
sociation. Reason—advancing age.
He has held the post for more than
50 years!
I
One reason Russia is not so ;
anxious to make peace with Fin
land is because 100,000 German sol
diers would be released for duty
elsewhere.
• • •
Twenty-two states have entered
into co-operative arrangements with
the Forest Service to develop a for
est products marketing service for
farmers.
-... - - -. .
Released by Western Newspaper Union.
SPEECH DEFECTS
A pupil at public school was a
member of a special group prepar
ing for scholarships. This class, of
which I was a member, remained
Dr. Barton
in the classroom un
til 5 p. m. and at
tended Saturday
morning 9 to 12.
When the results
were announced this
girl stood first de
spite the fact that
she stammered
so badly that
she was unable to
read in front of the
class. As she was
very brilliant I was
not surprised at her
beating the rest of us. but I figured
she would lose so many marks in her
reading that some of us might over
take her. The explanation was that
when she took her reading exami
nation she read before the teacher
only and read clearly and distinctly
without stammering in the slightest
Despite the fact that school teach
ers knew this fact that stammerers
did not stammer amid home or
familiar surroundings it is only with
in recent years that the general pub
lic and stammerers themselves are
learning that while some speech de
fects are due to some disturbance
of the structures that control speech,
most cases of stammering are due to
nervousness and self consciousness.
I am writing about stammering at
this time as I have at hand a hand
book of the Chicago Speech Correc
tion society. The society was or
ganized by a group of speech cor
rectionists in the Chicago area, its
purposes and qualifications being in
accordance with the standards and
ethical codes of the American Speech
Correction association. The purposes
of the society are to foster ethical
principles and practices in the field
of speech correction. To this end
the qualifications demanded for
membership are very high.
"The speech correctionist or ther
apist is one whose technical training
has been such as to enable him to
conduct the examination, make the
diagnosis (find the cause of the de
fect) and direct re-education of (1)
individuals whose voice or speech
problems call unfavorable and em
barrassing attention to themselves
and constitute an educational, so
cial, or business handicap; and (2)
individuals who suffer from voice
or rpeech conditions that are ab
normal to such a degree that they
are able to converse with others to
a very limited extent.”
My thought is that as the stam
merer or a sufferer with other
speech defects can now be helped,
he should look well to the qualifica
tions of the speech correctionist he
consults.
• • •
Why Overweights
Dislike Exercise
It is estimated that about nine of
every ten cases of overweight are
due directly to overeating, another
5 per cent to inactivity of certain
glands, and the other 5 per cent to
overeating combined with lack of
gland activity. This means that 95
of every 100 overweights should fol
low a reducing diet containing an
insufficient number of calories, the
extra calories really needed to do
the body’s work being made up from
the excess fat in and on the body.
What about exercise?
If overweights realized the bene
fits derived from exercise, they
would be more willing to take it
regularly. All that most of them
find is that exercise increases their
appetite and so little or no weight
is lost.
Why do overweights so greatly
dislike exercise? Exercise means ef
fort and there is less than the nor
mal desire for effort in overweights.
Every movement they make—walk
ing. jogging, bending—means the
lifting or carrying of much more
weight than for one of normal
weight. So, rather than use this se
vere effort, they are willing to do
without some of their daily intake
of food. They simply choose the
lesser of two evils.
If, however, they are willing to
take the exercise instead of doing
without the food, they will not only
use up the excess fat and so bring
their figure back or nearly back to
normal, but will get rid of their dis
like for exercise and be more will
ing to take it regularly As they
grow lighter and more "limber.”
they may actually develop a desire
for exercise.
Remember, exercise is useful in
reducing weight before middle age.
After middle age, cutting down on
food is the safest method.
• • •
QUESTION BOX
Q.—Do nerves cause shortness of
breath; if not, what is the cause?
A.—"Nerves” can cause shortness
of breath. Other causes are: Blocked
nose, too much acid food; heart
muscle getting weak.
Q.—What type drug is hyoscyamus
and what are its uses?
A.—Hyoscyamus belongs to the
belladonna group. It is used as a
"quieting” drug and to relax tight
nerves and muscles. Used In bron
chitis also.
I I
UOUSEHOLD
ninnffi
Grease can be removed from an
iron by rubbing it with com meal.
* * •
Do not mix new milk with old,
except when it is to be used im
mediately.
• • •
An occasional application of oil
will keep leather in chairs and
suitcases from cracking.
It will help keep your shoes if
• • •
you put them on shoe trees or stuff
the toes with paper when they are
not being worn. Always wipe them
dry of moisture and dirt after ex
posure.
• • •
Rub over the inside of a cushion
with hard soap before you fill it.
Then the points of the feathers will
not come through.
• • •
Children’s Shoes should be plen
ty large when bought—but not
large enough to slip around and
rub the feet. When they get too
small, they should be passed on to
some one else, if they are not worn
out, for wearing too-small shoes
when a child may cause serious
foot trouble all through later life.
COLDS'MISERIES ^
PenetrQ
For colds’ coughs, nasal congestion, muscle
aches get Penetro— modern medication in a
mutton suet base. 25«, double supply 354.
Admirals may be admirable, but
that isn’t where the word comes
from. It comes from an old Arabfc
word “amir-al” meaning “com
mander of.” That’s what the Ad
miral is, the top-ranking officer in
the Navy. Top-ranking cigarette
with our Navy men is Camel—the
favorite, too, with men in the
Army, Marines and Coast Guard,
according to actual sales records
from their service stores. Camels
are their favorite gift, too. Local
dealers are featuring Camel car
tons to send anywhere to any
member of our armed forces. To
day is a good time to send “him”
a carton of Camels.—Adv.
Pull the Trigger on
Constipation, with
Ease for Stomach, too
When constipation brings on discom
fort after meals, stomach upset, bloating,
dizzy spells, gas, coated tongue, and bad
breath, your stomach is probably "crying
the blues” because your bowels don’t
move. It calls for Laxative-Senna to pull
the trigger on those lazy bowels, com
bined with Syrup Pepsin for perfect ease
to your stomach in taking. For years,
many Doctors have given pepsin prepa
rations in their prescriptions to make
medicine more agreeable to a touchy
stomach. So be sure your laxative con
tains Syrup Pepsin. Insist on Dr. Cald
well's Laxative Senna combined with
Syrup Pepsin. See how wonderfully the
Laxative Senna wakes up lazy nerves and
muscles in your intestines to bring wel
come relief from constipation. And the
good old Syrup Pepsin makes this laxa
tive so comfortable and easy on your
stomach. Even finicky children love the
taste of this pleasant family laxative.
Take Dr. Caldwell's Laxative Senna com
bined with Syrup Pepsin, as directed on
label or as your doctor advises, and leel
world’s better. Get genuine Dr. Caldwell’s.
I Millions of people suffering from simple
I ' Piles, have found prompt relief with
1 PAZO. ointment. Here's why: First,
1 PAZO ointment soothes inflamed areas
I —relieves pain and itching. Second.
1 PAZO ointment lubricates hardened.
I dried parts—helps prevent cracking and
1 soreness. Third, PAZO ointment tends
I to redace swelling and check bleeding.
1 Fourth, it's easy tu use. PAZO olnl
1 ment’s perforated Pile Pipe makes ap
1 plication simple, thorougli. Your doctor
I can tell you about PAZO ointment.
Terror Deafens
The man who is roused neither
by glory nor by danger it is vain
to exhort; terror closes the ears
of the mind.—Sallust.
VITAL ELEMENTS' TO HELP BUILD
RESISTANCE TO COLDS...
Good-tasting Scott’s Emulsion con
tains the natural A and D Vitamins*
often needed to help build stamina
and resistance! Helps build strong
bones, sound teeth too! Mothers—
give Scott’s Emulsion daily.
;; Recommended by Many Doctors
»
