WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS
U. S. Capture of Palermo Pockets Axis
Army in Sicily’s Northeastern Comer;
Allied Activity in Pacific Is Intensified;
Nation’s Employment Tops 38 Million
■ , - . — ...—i - —
(EDITOR’S NOTE: When opinion* nr* espressed In these columns, they are these ol
Western Newspaper Union's news analysts and net necessarily el this newspaper.)
__ . Released by Western Newspaper Union. .
American fliers moved closer to the Japanese mainland when they
bombed Paramushlro, which lies below the Kamchatka peninsula of
Siberia, 1.200 miles from Tokyo. Hits and near misses were reported
•n Jap ships lying in the harbor.
SICILY:
Pocket Axis
The second stage of fighting in
Sicily found the Axis forces retiring
from the western reaches of the
island as the Seventh American
army of Gen. George S. Patton
moved into rapid occupation of the
territory.
The Yanks’ seizure of Palermo
sealed off the Axis troops in the
northeastern comer of Sicily. As
Patton’s army hemmed the re
maining Axis forces of approximate
ly 100,000 men in from the west,
Gen. Bernard Montgomery’s British
Eighth army pounded at the en
emy’s line on the southern extrem
ity of the trap, at Catania.
Units of the celebrated Herman
Goering division put up a stiff fight
on the outskirts of Catania. In Oils
section, the broad Catania plain is
criss-crossed by several rivers, mak
ing tank and motorized operations
difficult; and many shallow creek
beds and thick grain fields gave Ger
man machine-gunners good cover
for defensive fire.
While the fight raged in Sicily,
British naval and air units bombard
ed the sole of the Italian boot at Cro
tone.
CIVILIAN GOODS:
Increase Possible
The government's effort to get a
more effective production for the
war might result in a reduction of
certain programs and free materials
for civilian goods. War Mobilization
Director James F. Byrnes said.
That, however, is a hope and not a
prediction, Byrnes cautioned.
Byrnes* statement came on the
heels of a revelation that the muni
tions program was being cut down
in some lines because our growing
air power was amply protecting Al
lied industries abroad from destruc
tion from bombing, and thus reduc
ing their demands on U. S. plants
for material.
According to Byrnes, the various
war agencies are studying their pur
chasing programs, to confine pro
curement to articles most useful in
the light of recent combat develop
ments. Where cancellations or re
ductions in orders may be feasible,
the possibility exists that material
spared will be used for civilian
goods.
EMPLOYMENT:
38 Million at W ork
As the labor department an
nounced that over 38 million people
were currently employed In non
agricultural establishments, the war
department revealed that it had
authorized the release of 4,500 men
from the army for work in copper,
zinc and molybdenum mines.
According to the labor depart
ment, current employment was
1.663.000 over that for the same
period a year ago. Despite the fact
that the manufacturing and public
utilities and transportation indus
tries put on 162,000 workers recent
ly, total employment was only
66.000 more than in May of this
year. Since May, the construction
Industry has laid off 99,000 men.
The war department said failure
of the metal mines to secure the
necessary amount of workers left
only the army as a reservoir of
men with the requisite skills for the
pits.
SOUTH PACIFIC:
Range to Dutch Indies
Ranging 1,200 miles to the west,
American heavy bomber formations
struck at the Japanese naval base of
Surabaya in the Dutch East Indies.
Tumbling down on an oil refinery,
docks, warehouses and railway in
stallations, 500 pound bombs caused
heavy damage, Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur’s communique said. The
action marked the first air raid on
Surabaya since that former Dutch
base was pounded by the Japanese
early in the war.
The raid on Surabaya was part of
intensive Allied activity in the South
Pacific area. As American troops
worked closer through heavy jungle
to the Japanese air base of Munda
on New Georgia islands in the Solo
mons, medium and dive bombers
and fighter planes kept up a rain
of explosives on the embattled en
emy troops guarding that strong
hold. In one day alone, American
airmen made 250 raids on the Jap
anese positions.
ROME:
‘Priceless Treasures’
Declaring **. . . Despite the pre
cautions that may be taken it is al
most impossible to avoid, on this
sacred soil of Rome, the destruction
of venerated edifices," Pope Pius
XII deemed it . . our duty once
more to raise our voice in defense
of the priceless treasures that con
stitute the ornament of Christian and
human endeavor,” following the Al
lied bombing of the Eternal City.
In citing the historical, cultural
and religious importance of Rome,
the pope said . . All that we put
before competent authorities on sev
eral occasions in clear terms, rec
ommending to them in the name of
human dignity and of Christian civ
ilization the inviolability of Rome."
Then stating that he had hoped the
papal authority would have proved
sufficient in addressing a plea for
the immunity of Rome, the pope
said . . But alas, this so reason
able hope of ours has been disap
pointed."
RUSSIA:
Reds W hittle Bulge
Throwing the full weight of their
might into the drive, the Russians
bore down on Orel from three sides,
while embattled German troops
fought desperately to prevent being
cut from the rear.
While the battle of Orel raged, the
"Anti-Nazi German National Com
mittee” in Moscow appealed to the
German high command to overthrow
Hitler and negotiate a peace with
the Russian government. Although
presumably composed of former
German army officers, the "nation
al committee” bears a liberal sprin
kling of former leaders of the Com
munist party of the old reichstag.
At Orel, the Nazis were holding a
big bulge eastward, from which they
could strike Out against the rear of
the Reds’ northern or- southern
armies. Russian troops made nota
ble progress cutting across much of
the bulge in the north, but the Ger
mans were offering stiff resistance
on the southern fringe.
For their part, the Germans made
no effort to minimize the power of
the Russian drive. They contended
their strategy called for a continu
ation of the struggle so as to wear
down the Reds’ strength.
HIGHLIGHTS ... <» <*• week’s news
NEWSPRINT: The price of news
print paper on which newspapers are
printed, will be raised $4 a ton,
on September 1 by order of the Of
fice of Price Administration.
• • •
“INVASION” MONEY: Govern
ment printing presses are turning
out specially designed paper money
for use of American servicemen in
countries they occupy.
BABY CARRIAGES: Baby car
riages (“prams”) are scarce in
England. Women are advised to use
them only for airing the baby.
• • •
FIGHTING FRENCH: Allied vic
tory will bring about dissolution of
the "Fighting French,” Gen. Charles
de Gaulle stated recently. A lib
erated France will mean the end of
the mission of his organization.
FARMS:
1.3 Per Cent Idle
A total of 76,704 farms with an
acreage of 6,484,292 lay idle in the
United States when the decennial
census was taken in 1940. The num
ber represented 1.3 per cent of all
farms in the country.
New England and the Middle
Atlantic states showed the greatest
percentage of abandonments, with
one out of every 20 farms idle. This
compared with Iowa’s report of one
out of every 2,000.
Abandoned farms averaged 85
acres against the 174 acres for op
erating tracts. Depleted soil and
crop failures accounted for one-third
of the vacancies, and there were
many departures for employment in
industry.
Almost 57 million acres of land
lay idle on producing farms, census
figures also showed.
CASUALTIES:
Light, So Far
War and navy department casual
ty lists issued for the first year and
half of the war totaled 16,556 men
killed in action or from wounds, and
31,343 missing. The missing, it was
explained, may either be dead or
prisoners, but final tabulation must
await the war’s end.
Casualties were almost equally di
vided between the services. Of the
known dead, 8,412 are navy, marine
and coastguardsmen, while 8,144
are army men. However, the army’s
record of 21,076 missing doubled the
navy, marine and coast guard’s fig
ure of 10,267.
As the services’ casualties were
announced, word was received of
the death of Maj. Gen. William P.
Upshur of the marines and Capt.
Charles Paddook in the crash of a
naval plane near Sitka, Alaska. Gen
eral Upshur was commanding gen
eral of the marines fqr the depart
ment of the Pacific, while Paddock,
who had served on General Persh
ing’s staff in the First World war
at the age of 18, was world famous
as a sprinter, having set 94 records
from 1920 to 1929.
POULTRY:
Army Takes Over
Under the second war powers act,
the Office of Price Administration
ordered the detention of poultry
truckers on eastern highways and
the requisitioning of their stock for
the army. ,
OPA took the action, it said, after
black market operations had inter
fered with the army’s purchase of
poultry in the Delaware, Maryland
and Virginia area, largest fowl pro
ducing section in the East. Accord
ing to OPA, much of this meat was
being sold to dealers over the price
ceiling.
Dealers from whom the poultry
was requisitioned, were paid the pre
vailing ceiling price.
MINERS:
Seek Contract Approval
With the War Labor board rested
the task of determining the fate of
the new wage contract entered into
between Illinois’ United Mine Work
ers and bituminous coal operators,
providing for a daily payment of
$1.25 for time spent traveling under
ground, Differences over such com
pensation was the chief cause of
three walkouts, leading to govern
ment seizure of the pits.
In addition to providing portal-to
portal pay, the new two-year con
tract outlaws strikes and lengthens
the 35-hour weok to 48 hours. Under
present conditions, the miners now
receive $7 daily for a seven-hour
shift, but the new pact would award
them time-and-a-half for the eighth
hour each day and for the full eight
hours on the sixth day.
Besides WLB approval, the agree
ment is dependent upon the Office of
Price Administration’s authoriza
tion of an increase in coal prices to
offset the wage settlements.
LABOR:
Demands Roll-Back
Meeting in the White House, or
ganized labor served notice on Pres
ident Roosevelt that it would not
continue support of his anti-inflation
program unless prices were rolled
back to the September 15, 1942,
level.
Charging Price Administrator
Prentiss Brown with having failed
to execute the government’s roll
back program, labor representatives
declared they would open a pres
sure campaign for his removal from
office unless plans were set in mo
tion to push current prices back.
The labor leaders said further dal
liance on roll-backs would lead them
to repudiate the wage stabilization
program, in which wage increases
have been limited to 15 per cent
over the January, 1941, levels. Liv
ing costs have jumped approximate
ly 21 per cent since that time, they
said, outstripping income by at least
6 per cent.
WAR BONDS
With 23 billion dollars already
raised from non-banking investors
since last December, the govern
ment announced plans for a new 15
billion dollar war bond drive to start
in September. Individuals, corpora
tions, insurance companies and oth
er non-banking sources will be eligi
ble for the purchase of the various
denominations of savings bonds,
notes and certificates.
In the two previous drives, banks
bought over 10 billion dollars of se
curities.
Fear of Farm Land Boom
Adds to Inflation Worry
Official Figures Show Agricultural Unit
Values Have Increased 20 to 24
Per Cent in Year.
By BAUKHAGE
News Analyst and Commentator,
TELEFACT
WAR RAISES VALUE OF FARM REAL ESTATE
(VALUE PER ACRE IN U S. A.)
Each symbol represents 5% of 1912-14 value
WNU Service, Union Trust Building
Washington, D. C.
For many months now, govern
ment offices and conference rooms,
no matter how they might echo with
glowing reports from the home or
the battle front, have never been
quite free from a gho^t. It hovers
in the comer and sends chills down
every spine—it is the ghost of Old
Man Inflation, trying to come back
to the scene of his crimes in the
roaring twenties.
The Office of War Information has
just issued a warning that this spec
ter may appear in his most fright
ful form if we are not careful. The
fat pay envelope is the inflation dan
ger you hear most about. But there
is a worse one, namely, a^ farm
land boom. So far, there has been
no spectacular rise in farm land
prices but a dangerous trend has
been discovered in some states and
the bureau of agricultural econom
ics is decidedly worried. Here are
some figures.
Up 20 Per Cent
As of March 1 of this year, in
creases in farm land values over
those of the preyious year were 20
to 24 per cent.
In September, 1941, } wrote in
these columns.
"Money to burn!
"And the burning question is how
to stop the conflagration before it
starts. The chief danger is another*
prairie fire of farm land speculation
such as started in Iowa in World
War I . . . Today, two years after
the present war started, farm land
prices are up 1 per cent . .
Remember, that was written in
September, 1941. Well, steps were
taken to prevent speculation then
and they met with success. How
ever, as we have seen by compar
ing figures, land prices in some
states have now increased consid
erably. That is natural for much
has happened since 1941. In 1942,
as the Office of War Information
points out, "for the first time in 20
years, the annual average of farm
prices reached parity with other
prices.” Since the outbreak of the
war, the average of farm prices
has risen more than 90 per cent,
and farm income by about 80 per
cent while the average prices paid
by farmers, including interest and
taxes, has increased about 25 per
cent.
Farm income was around 19 bil
lion dollars in 1941—it will be about
22 billion for 1943.
That means, of course, that the
farmer has money to spend and it
is natural that land values would
rise to some degree. As I said, they
have gone up as high as 24 per
cent in some states and less than 6
per cent in only six states. Those
figures, says the bureau of agricul
; tural economics “bear watching"!
It is also reported that bankers in
some parts of the Middle West be
lieve that in some cases, the land
values have risen beyond their real
worth based on the long-time earn
ing capacity of the land. That, if
it is true, of course means that
right now some farmers are buy
ing land that won’t pay for itself.
It is reasonable to suppose that
they are not members of that un
happy group of 85,000 farm owners
who met Old Man Inflation before
and who lost their property under
foreclosures in the decade that end
ed in 1939. If they are, they deserve
to suffer again. But the unfortu
nate thing is that when the farmer
I _ _
loses, the rest of the country does,
too. We have struggled through mi
nor industrial panics, as we used to
call them, but when the farm goes,
it means that things are in such a
way that there is no stopping until
everybody touches bottom.
Campaign Worked in ’41
The article which I wrote in 1941
reported a meeting here in Wash
ington of mortgage bankers, insur
ance people, farm organization rep
resentatives and others who were
urged by the Farm Credit admin
istration to make normal appraisals
of land. Apparently they did a pret
ty good job. Meanwhile, an educa
tional campaign was started urging
the farmer, instead of rushing out
and buying land with the first money
he got as income increased, to pay
off his debts. It was gratifying to
see the results. In the next year
(1942) the net reduction of mort
gages was 360 million dollars as
against an average of 120 million
reduction over the three preced
ing years. Of course, there is noth
ing Old Man Inflation hates worse
than seeing debts paid up.
Another thing which has helped
the present situation is the fact that
the farmers who are buying land
now usually put up a large initial
cash payment. In other words, they
are avoiding future debts and that is
another thing, of course, which is
equally unpleasant to Old Man In
flation.
There is nothing to stop the farm
er from speculating in land if he
wants to, buying on a margin the
way the gamblers used to do on
the stock exchange. Now such trans
actions are considerably limited by
law but there is no law to keep a
farmer from gambling if he doesn’t
know any better.
• • •
‘Psychology for
The Fighting Man*
I have just been reading a little
booklet called “Psychology for the
Fighting Man.” It is one of those
books published primarily for the
soldiers, and every soldier able to
read, ought to have it. It has 20
chapters, each written by a well
known psychologist or expert in his
line. Any chapter can be read sep
arately and they are all highly in
teresting. Familiarity with them
will make any man a better sold'er
and a better leader. The chapter
on mobs is only one. It tells how
and why mobs form, what starts a
panic and how to stop one.
But here are a few of the other
topics I found exceedingly interest
ing:
Psychology and combat
Seeing in the dark
Color and camouflage
Food and sex as military problems
Differences among races and peoples
and many others.
Simply-told psychology.
In this war, a man needs all the
helps of that kind that he can get
for the contrast between army life
and civilian life is greater than ever.
This book, "Psychology for the
Fighting lyian,” is put out by a non
profit corporation — the Infantry
Journal, here in Washington. It
costs only a quarter. It is for the
soldier, sailor, private or general,
ensign or admiral. And it would be
a good idea for a lot of next of
kin to read this book, too. It might
help them to understand what the
soldier is up against.
BRIEFS. . . by Baukhage
In addition to the two pairs of
shoes issued every American sol
dier on entering the service, three
extra pairs must be available in re
serve, and two more pairs in proc
ess of manufacture.
. . .
Almost Is/* billion rounds of small
I arms ammunition is being turned
out each month. That is seven times
as much as the 1918 peak.
The Japanese Domei agency dis
closed that Emperor Hirohito had
sent a message of "congratulations”
to Marshal Henri Philippe Petain,
Vichy chief of state, “on the occa
sion of Bastille day.”
• • •
Under wartime operation, railroad
freight cars must travel about 16
per cent farther on the average
haul.
By VIRGINIA VALE ,
Released by Western Newspaper Union.
THE first picture which
Katharine Hepburn will
make for M-G-M under her
new long-term contract will
be "Without Love,” in which
she starred on Broadway last
season; it’s by Philip Barry,
who wrote "The Philadelphia
Story.” It’s one more version
of the old, old tale about the young
woman who marries with the under
standing that the marriage is to be
purely one of convenience, and then
discovers that she loves the man,
after all.
-%
Until about two months ago Dick
Haymes was just a chap who sang
with a band—Harry James’, Benny
Goodman’s and Tommy Dorsey’s,
in that order. As vocalist with Dor
sey, he’d had a share in ‘‘DuBarry
Was a Lady,” when it was made at
Metro last spring. RecenUy his star
began to rise; he had a successful
.mm *■
DICK HAYMES
night club engagement, cut two tre
mendously successful records, was
given stellar billing in the air’s
“Here’s to Romance.’’ He’ll proba
bly sign with a major studio before
you read this. Somebody at Metro
realized that the lad was hot stuff,
and ran "DuBarry” for a look at
him. Every scene he appeared in
had gone to oblivion on the cut
ting room floor!
/IN
“For Whom the Bell Tolls” still
heads the list of what New Yorkers
are talking about—with the war ex
cepted, of course. The general opin
ion seems to be that it is by far the
best picture that has come along in
1943, worth sitting for nearly three
hours to see. You’ll enjoy it more if
you’ve read the book, since it had to
be changed a bit to conform to the
Hays code. But on the whole it is
remarkably true to the story. The
cast is excellent; it was nothing
short of inspiration to give Katina
Paxinou the role of “Pilar.” The
photography, in technicolor, is some
of the best that we have seen.
-*
The 350 soldier actors of “This Is
the Army” were forbidden by the
war'department to talk to actresses
on the Warner lot while making the
picture. Joan Leslie, the leading
lady, couldn't understand their in
difference to her. They sent a sec
ond lieutenant to her dressing room,
finally, to say “My men want you
to know that by unanimous vote
they have chosen you as the motion
picture star they’d most like to
meet.” After that Joan felt better.
-*
RKO Radio announces that stage,
radio, night clubs and little theaters
have been combed to provide the
studio with new film talent having
possibilities of stardom. Edward
Small, whose pictures are released
by United Artists, announces that
he has signed Tony Devlin, 16-year
old student of a Los Angeles high
school, the first of a list which he
hopes to recruit from high schools
and colleges for possible motion pic
ture careers. The talent search is
on!
-*
A complete file of the London
Times for the period of the great
blitz of 1940 was received by War
ner Bros, for source material for
the Ida Lupino-Paul Henreid pic
ture, “In Our Time.” One of the is
sues included an account of the
death of Stanley Lupino, Ida’s fa
ther, who was killed in the blitz.
The famous actor was serving as
a defense volunteer. Incidentally,
you’ll hear Ida humming one of her
own songs in the picture; paid $25
for it, she sent the money to the
Hollywood Canteen.
t/.
t
About a year ago Russell Wade
was picked right out of a group of
extras by RKO and given a term
contract. He’ll be featured in “Ghost
Ship.”
_hfc_
ODDS AND ENDS Good standing '
in a Barry Wood fan club requires the
regular purchase of umr bonds und
stamps . . . Wallace Beery and Marjorie '
Main will again be teamed, in a Metro
comedy called “Rationing” . . . Johnny
Carl’s recipe for writing a song hit—
“Take a number composed by one of
the old masters and decompose it“ . . .
Despite his Montana background Gary \
Cooper’s no shark at poker; playing it
for two days for scenes in “Saratoga '
Trunk,” he tried—vainly to draw to I
an inside straight,,. The War Shipping
board’s taken “Action in the North At
lantic” for use as a training film.
"Transplant a bit of the for
est to your garden—wood cut
outs of this trio do the trick. The
shy baby deer and his friends, the
rabbit and squirrel, all come on
pattern Z8884. They are to be cut
from plywood, wall board or thin
lumber with jig, coping or key
hole saw, painted according to di
rections and placed outdoors to
add their bit to the surroundings
of your home.
• • •
Hie price of the pattern is 15 eents.
Due to an unusually large demand and
current war conditions, slightly more
time is required in filling orders for m
few of the most popular pattern numbers.
Send your order to:
AUNT MARTHA
Z07W Westport Rd., Kansas City, Mo.
Enclose 15 cents for each pattern
desired. Pattern No.
Name ..
Address .
CLASSIFIED
DEPARTMENT
Nurses Training School
MAKE UP TO S25-SW5 WEEK
aaa trained practical Nurse! Learnqulckly
at home. Booklet free. CHICAGO SCHOOL
OF NURSING. Dept. CW-8. Chicag*.
GUERNSEY HEIFERS
HIGn GRADE GUERNSEY HEIFERS.
under one year and yearlings past. Also
springer heifers. Special price on four.
FRED CHANDLER. CHARITON, IOWA.
FEATHERS WANTED
I l.n I I 9 Lll%# Dealing Skip Express or Writs
PILLOW MFC. CO, 2219 Cole Street, St Louis, Mo.
Wanted—New goose, duck feathers, also old
used feathers. Top prices, prompt returns.
Ship to Farmers Store, Mitchell, S. D.
AGENTS
Men and Women: We want a representa
tive in your community immediately, full
or part time. Experience unnecessary. Full
time men earning $50 to $100 weekly. This
is your opportunity for permanent position,
where pay is good and work is pleasant and
healthful. Write for full particulars.
Harrison Nursery Company, York, Nebr.
FARMS FOR SALE
FARMS FOR SALE
15 years to pay — low interest — low
principal payments—just like paying
rent. No red tape. We own no farms
south of the Platte River or west of
Buffalo, Sherman, Valley, Garfield,
and Holt Counties.
• Writs for lists. Specify counties in
which you are interested, and we
will send lists with names of Super
intendents. Courtesy to brokers.
THE TRAVELERS INSURANCE CO.
City National Bank Building
OMAHA-NEBRASKA
MISCELLANEOUS
I Make a Liquid Powder for the face that
you can’t see but it makes you as white
as a lily and your skin as soft as a baby's.
Will send recipe for making for 25c and
stamped envelope. MRS. CHANDOS DREW,
1300 Ns. 26th St., Lincoln, Nebr.
RAZOR BLADES
KENT BLADES ‘"—iF
Groundhog in Hibernation
During hibernation the ground
hog’s body temperature falls to
about 37 degrees, or just above
freezing, and its heart beat slows
down to less than ten beats a min
ute.
WNU—U31—43
mmm
For You To Feel Well
24 hours every day. 7 days every
week, never stopping, the kidneys filter
waste matter from the blood.
If more people were aware of how the
kidneys must constantly remove sur
plus-fluid, excess acids and other waste
' matter that cannot stay in the blood
without injury to health, there would
be better understanding of why the
whole system is upset when kidneys fail
to function properly.
Burning, Bcanty or too frequent urina
tion sometimes warns that somethin*
is wrong. You may suffer nagging back
ache, headaches, dizziness, rheumatic
pains, getting up at nights, swelling.
Why not try Doan’s Pills’? You will
be using a medicine recommended the
country over. Doan’s stimulate the fune
J tion of the kidneys and help them to
flush out poisonous waste from the
blood. They contain nothing harmful.
< Get Doan’s today. Use with confidence.
At all drug stores.
I>uvrumm
, %