1 WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS Combined Strength of All Allied Power Concentrated for 3-Pronged Thrust On Hitler’s Jittery German Stronghold; New Plan Devised for Pacific Strategy IF.DITOK'f NOTF: When opinion* are expressed In these columns, they are ttiose of Western Newspaper Union's news analysts and not neoeaoartiy of this newspaper.) ___________ Released by Western Newspaper Union. ____________ rsr : t — f ' l-——■ ■ ■. —■ 1 “Big Three" map sledge hammer blows vs. Axis from north, south and east, as illustrated on map. (See: Statesmen Confer.) STATESMEN CONFER: Map W ar Strategy With the Big Four pledged to the destruction of Germany and Japan, all eyes turned to Cairo’s historic Mena house where Turkey's IsrrnH Inonu m^t with President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill to dis cuss his country's role in the war. Even as the statesmen met in the shadow of Egypt’s massive pyra mids, Germany played her hand, mossing mechanized forces against Turkey’s Balkan border in an ob vious effort to influence the Turks’ position. F.D R. and Churchill met with Inonu following their three-day con ference with Premier Stalin of Rus sia in Teheran, Persia, where the Big Three pledged a finish fight against Germany from the east, west and south, and established the basis for a democratic community of na tions. Meeting previously with Chinn's Generalissimo Chinng Kai-shek, F.D.R. and Churchill had vowed to force unconditional surrender on the Japs, and restore all territory the Nipponese have overrun since 1894. Hurry Invasion liarges Twenty thousand manufacturing firms have been given a special priority for the production of inva sion craft and ordered to speed up deliveries during the fore part of 1944. As was the case prior to the U. S. Invasion of North Africa, shipbuild ers have been given precedence over planes, high-octane gasoline and oth er urgency production programs, and the navy has curtailed orders for destroyer-escorts to provide addi tional facilities for constructing the self-propelled landing barges, am phibious trucks, tank landing ves sels, etc. After being given the go-ahead be fore the North African operations, shipbuilders turned out 750 million dollars worth of invasion craft in five months. ITALY: Nazis' Line Sags Fighting over muddy slopes, U. S. troops gained foggy mountain heights overlooking the road to Rome, and along the Adriatic to the east. Gen. Bernard Montgomery's Eighth army punched its way up a coastal strip toward the highway hub of Pescara. Although the Nazis’ winter line sagged in some sectors under the steady pressure of Allied infantry and artillery, it recoiled io others, and on the U S. front, the Germans clung to the pass at Mignano afford ing access to the road to Rome, while on the British front, the ene my massed to check the Tommies farther inland. Fighting bravely in the rain, U. S Doughboys with packs clambered up rocky slopes even too steep for mule supply teams. WAR MANPOWER: Cut Needs Against the 2,000,000 new workers which the War Manpower commis sion estimated would be needed in the munitions industries by July. 1944, only 1,100,000 uctually will be required, but military demands re main unchanged. Because of changes in munitions requirements nnd the high rate of production achieved, WMC said 10, 700.000 workers will be sufficient to meet schedules. Of the 1,100,000 new workers, most will be recruited from 3.500.000 women under 45. To achieve their goal of 11,300,000 men by next July, the army and navy will actually call more than 2.000,000 during the year, ns first planned, WMC said. Discharges and casualties will create r bigger drain to keep the ranks at full strength. Draft calls during January and Feb ruary will continue at the current rate of 300,000 to 350,000 per month SOLDIERS’ VOTE: States' Control Killing the Lucas (111.) - Green (R. I.) bill allowing soldiers over seas to vote under federal supervision, the senate adopted and sent to the house a measure in spired by Senator James Eastland (Miss.) leaving elec tion rules up to the states. Under Eastland's proposal, states were asked to pass legislation allowing vets abroad to vote in local, state and federal elections by Senator James establishing a sys- Eastland tem of postcard ap plications for absentee ballots to be distributed by air mail free. Included in the measure was an amendment by Senator Robert Taft (Ohio), assuring all parties of equal shares of campaign publicity. SOUTHWEST PACIFIC: MacArthur s New Plan While U S. and Australian troops slowly hacked their way through Southwest Pacific jungles, Gen. Douglas MacArthur's representative at the Cairo conference revealed the general's new master plan for de feating the Japanese. MacArthur's plan calls for cap ture of the rich East Indies, cutting off the Japs' principal source of oil for their mechanized forces, and otherwise slashing their long supply lines to the home islands. To achieve this objective. Mac Arthur has sought to lure the big Jap fleet out into the open for a finish fight, but the wily Nipponese have evaded battle, preferring to remain close to bases under air cover or behind reefy coral barriers. HIGHLIGHTS • • • in the week's news STEEL: The nation’s steelwork ers have better filled pay envelopes than ever before, the American Iron and Steel Institute reports. October’s payroll totaled nearly 145 million dollars, compared with 143 million in September, and 126 million in Oc tober of last year. Average hourly wage is now just under $1.16. It was $1.08 a year ago. There are 615,000 on the payrolls now. BLOCK-BUSTING: The English village of Deenthorpe has been com pletely wrecked by the crash of a Flying Fortress loaded with 6,000 pounds of bombs. Neither fliers nor villagers were injured, however, as the crew parachuted to safety, and -then ran about arousing the towns people, who fled to the fields. Ten minutes later, the plane exploded to bits. CORN: Boost Ceilings To stimulate the flow of corn into terminal markets, OPA raised ceil ings by nine cents, and then froze prices of oats, barley and sorghum grains preparatory to establishing permanent revaluations. In boosting corn ceilings, OPA said it was complying with the emergency price control act, which stipulates that maximum prices far a commodity shall reflect parity. Under the new tops, No. 2 corn will sell at $1.16 at Chicago and Milwaukee; $1.12% at Minneapo lis and St. Paul; $1.16% at St. Louis; $1.12% at Kansas City and St. Joseph; $1.15 at Peoria; $1.10 at Omaha; $1.15% at Duluth and Superior; $1 09 at Sioux City, and $1.28% at Nashville. Action on oats, barley and sor ghums resulted from steadily ad vancing feed prices because of the sag in corn marketing, OPA said. Rising prices increased costs for poultry and livestock and dairy farmers, OPA declared. Feed Imports To meet demands for feed grains in the U. S., a minimum of 75,000, 000 bushels will have to be import ed if poultry and livestock goals ore to be achieved in 1944, War Food administration estimated. At the same time, the Associa tion of American railroads revealed that 50 additional freight cars were being made available daily to Cana dian lines for hauling grain, mainly into Utah and the Southeast. Capa ble of moving 2,000,000 bushels a month, these curs are in addition to the 1,000 in use in the North west As of December 4, Commodity Credit corporation announced the U. S. had purchased 53,000,000 bush els of Canadian wheat, of which 45,000,000 already have been import ed by rail and water. • • * Banned in 1942, suspender buttons have been ordered restored to work pants by the War Production board. FLU: ‘Seasonal Increase' With the number of influenza cases in the U. S. five times under that of 1941, and deaths from the sickness in Great Britain far below the pro portions of 1937, the world presently faces no flu epidemic comparable to that of 1918, when 20,000,000 died. So said a spokesman for the U. S. Public Health Service. However, he cautioned that persons suffering from colds, grippe and flu remain at heme to prevent spreading the ill ness, especially in view of the short age of doctors and nurses and the difficulty imposed in handling many patients. In the U. S., the spokesman termed the rising rate of influenza cases as a "normal seasonal increase," while he pointed out that the deaths in Great Britain's large cities for a single week recently fell far short of the 2,000 recorded weekly during the epidemic of 1937. RUSSIA: New Army While German military commen tators reported that the Russians were moving up a whole newly equipped army to continue their winter offensive, the Reds followed their traditional tactics of conduct ing large scale attacks all along 600 miles of front in an effort to break through a weak spot. Their drive beyond Gomel slowTed with the reorganization of 300,000 German troops withdrawn from ad vance positions, the Reds opened up a heavy offensive in the Dnieper bend, above the industrial centers of Krivoi Rog and Nikopol, where the Nazis have held their ground for several months In this sector, the Reds poured troops onto the western banks of the Dnieper at two points, and in the fighting that ensued, they sought to crush German forces wedged be tween them. • • • Sales in filling stations in 1943 will approximate 214 billion dollars, com pared with 3 billion in 1942 and the peak 314 billion in 1941. NATIONAL BANKS: Assets in Billions Rich in natural resources, the U. S. is equally rich in finance, with total assets of 5,058 national banks approximating 66 billion dollars. Figures show: Private deposits of 40 billion dol lars; U. S. deposits of almost 11 bil lion; municipal and state deposits of 2'4 billion. Loans and discounts of 10*4 bil lion dollars; investments in U. S. securities of 35*4 billion dollars; holdings of other stocks, bonds and securities of 3 billion 400 million, of which 2 billion represents state and other political obligations. Capital stock of the banks totals 114 billion dollars, with surplus, un divided profits and reserves of 2 billions. PRO FOOTBALL Wartime cash boosted attendance at professional football games to a new high average of 26,811 per game, the National Football league reports. This is an increase of 36.7 per cent over last year, and 24 per cent over 1941. the previous hi; i mark. Total attendance for the 43 regularly scheduled games this sea son amounted to 1,072,469. Last year 1,079,148 fans watched 55 regular games. Highest drawing card in the league was the New York Giants club. Dark Spectre of Inflation Rises to Haunt Congress Strenuous Nail-B ting Marks Senators, Representatives Worried Over Much Debated Subsidy Question. By BAUKHAGE News Analyst and Commentator. WNU Service, Union Trust Building, Washington, D. C. Unless I miss my guess badly, as these lines appear in print, a num ber of senators and representatives will be going through one of the most nervous nail-biting periods they have ever experienced. When the antisubsidy bill passed the house with such an overwhelm ing majority—enough, if the vote held, to pass it over the President’s veto—a lot of congressmen were be ginning to worry. They were won dering: If the measure really does become law, will the ghost which the President has conjured up really walk? Inflation Is that ghost. Nobody wants inflation. Memories are long enough to re member how sholt the long green shrank after the last war. Suppose there came to pass what all the high brows and the low-brows were pre dicting would, that if you lifted the lid just a 1-e-e-t-l-e, it might blow off, members of congress had begun to ask themselves. The memory of the boys selling apples, the memory of mortgages foreclosing, the memory of '‘Mister, have-you-got-a-dime?’’ began to stir in many a dormant corner. Strange Phenomenon It was a strange but not an un accustomed phenomenon. The phe nomenon of the congressman torn between what the particular group which dominated his constituency wanted and what he felt honestly and sincerely was the best thing for them in the long run. That doubt began to stir. It was an interesting thing to pass through the halls of the Capitol and of the House and Senate Office buildings and talk to these men. You could almost see the spectre rising behir. i them. The spectre of inflation pointing its fin ger at them. Whenever you run into someone whose business it is to feel the pulse of congress, you get the same reac tion I have just pictured. Members of congress are worried. They don’t want to be blamed for inflation. And that is why now, at this mo ment, when the fate of the Commod ity Credit corporation (which nearly everybody wants) would seem to be sealed by the triumph of the anti subsidy provision, such fate may not be so certain. When this subsidy fight started, I wrote in this column that the ad ministration realized it had one of the hardest fights it ever had ahead. That there seemed to be absolutely no compromise in sight. The other day, a man, wise in the ways of congress and beholden to no party and, so far as I know in the years I have known him, nev er a proponent of any measure (his business is to be neutral), said to me: “Wait and see, somebody like Senator Taft will come out with a compromise.” Well, I have waited and perhaps by the time you read this you will also have read that somebody “like Senator Taft” has produced the compromise. If not, the administration’s so called “hold the line” policy will bite the dust. See how the congress has struck at almost every brick in that wall. Treasury Department The treasury said: you must tax the spending money out of the pock ets or you’ll have inflation. The con gress passed a tax bill that would raise about a fifth of what the ad ministration said was necessary. This disregard of treasury’s advice was due only in part to a lack of respect for Secretary Morgenthau’s tax theories. And everybody blames i the President for that. He doesn’t have to keep Morgenthau in his cab inet. even if he was a good neighbor up there on the Hudson. But con gress wouldn't have taken anyone’s advice on that subject. The congress threatened to stop the appropriation and authorisation for the Office of Price Administra tion. It managed to consider bills i to taxe away OPA's powers, bit by ; bit. to maintain the ceiling on coal | and on oil. These are just a few of the many efforts to shake loose the war re straints. Congress has reflected, honestly enough, the feeling of the people. As the Allies march nearer to victory, the restraints of regula tion and regimentation chafe more and more. But down deep in the hearts of many a lawmaker today is the reali zation that whether the administra tion has been right or wrong in the way it has done things, it was right when it said that inflation had to be avoided. And that is why today, unless I miss my guess, or unless some Dan iel comes to judgment who can dis cover a better salve than subsidies, the administration will win, at least a partial victory, in the battle which will be staged in the days just ahead. * * * Railroads Plan For Future Traffic There is one thing we are all in terested in. Getting from where we are to somewhere else and getting back again. Naturally, we want to do it as cheaply as possible. Today in Wash ington there is going on the prepara tion for one of the greatest transpor tation battles in history. The air lines believe that the war has virtu ally made the skies their garden. All they have to do is to spade it. When peace comes, and the various re strictions are lifted, the people will spread their wings and fly. The other day, the executives of the leading railways got together. They thought and thought. And this is what came out of the hopper: (1) Reductions in passenger fares, both coach and Pullman, immedi ately following the war. “We shall have to reduce rates after the war and do it quickly and thoroughly,” one executive said. “Any dawdling and hemming and hawing will only result in our empty ing our trains again and in the loss of the highly desirable public rela tions and advertising value that an immediate and voluntary slash would bring.” (2) Widespread introduction of lightweight, streamlined coaches and Pullmans, with old cars being scrapped forever. (3) Greater use of modern mer chandising techniques, including larger appropriations for institution al and product advertising. (4) Greater consideration to the comfort and convenience of the pas senger, described frankly as a rad ical departure by one executive. Passenger’s Interest “The railways have been too prone to subject the passenger’s in terest to the whims of mechanical and operating offices and to the re quirements of mail and express schedules,” he commented. (5) Simplification of rate struc tures by establishing a common base rate for the whole country, and sim plification of accounting methods. <6) Restrictive union rules which will nullify, as airlines grow larger, much of their prewar personalized service sales appeal. “So long as there wore only about 350 passenger-carrying planes in the country, carrying about 20 passen gers each, the personalized service created a tremendous sales appeal. When the airways go after mass passenger traffic, they will find this 1 type of selling impossible,” said an j other executive. (7) Restoration of passenger serv ice at many points. “We have denuded our railway of passenger service at many points and we are thoroughly ashamed of having done so.” one official said. (8) Greater comfort and better service on all carriers from local all-coach trains to the extra fare trains. (9) Speeding up of passenger schedules by such means as con tinuing to take out curves, reducing stops, and improving “head-end op erations” (mail and express load ing and unloading). After that pronouncement, the railway executives stepped forth and announced in stentorian tones that they were not afraid of competition from the skyways. “Fihe.” says the humble traveler, “we don’t care whether it’s airways or railways, so long as we get where we want to go and get back, eco nomically and comfortably.” We will. BRIEFS. . . t>y Baukhage The Fourth War Loan drive will I start January 18 and run until Feb- J ruary 15. 1914 * * * Frau Gertrud Srholtz-Klink. Nazi ; Aomen's leader, has been making a morale-building tour of Germany and Austria addressing women’s groups on the glory of German motherhood and the need for match ing the production of men. The torpedo plane was first con ceived by the late Rear Admiral Bradley Allen Fiske in 1911. He got the idea for the new weapon when stationed in the Philippines, as a defense against a Japanese attack. • • • So the Japanese “have never been beaten”? Don't tell that to a Ko rean. Korea has defeated the Japs in war not once, but three times. Order Fertilizers Now, Urges WFA Heavy Demands Will Swamp Dealers Later Prompt acUon by farmers in plac ing orders for fertilizers with their local dealers is being urged by the War Food administration. Farmers are being advised, also, to take de livery as soon as their requests can be filled. Because manufacturers and trans portation systems alike are faced with manpower shortages, the WFA says it is imperative that as many farmers as possible get in their fer tilizer supplies this winter, instead of waiting for spring. Ordering now will be insurance against disappoint ment later on, it is pointed out. The fertilizer industry asserts it will be able to get the fertilizer manufac tured and delivered, if allowed suf ficient time. But instead of the usu al peace-time spring rush period, about six months is now needed. With the heaviest demand in his tory in prospect, the present outlook indicates that in total tonnage there will be 5 to 10 per cent more fer tilizer in 1944 than in 1943. There is a definite prospect for more ni trogen and superphosphate than in 1943, but a certainty of less potash, government reports show. Plenty of mixed fertilizer is re ported as available for shipment at present. Unless it goes to farms now, however, there is a possibility, says the War Food administration, that the facilities of manufacturers and dealers may be swamped later on, so that they will be unable to make full delivery in time for spring planting. It is reported that many local deal ers can give immediate delivery on orders. Storage facilities on the farm may be met, studies have shown, by putting the sacked fer tilizer on a platform slightly raised off the ground and situated so it will be protected from night winds. It is advised that sacks, wagon sheets and other materials be used to cover the fertilizer. Under new revisions in the WFA’s Food Production Order No. 5, pro vision is made for the addition of a few grades of fertilizer needed in some states to achieve more equita ble distribution of potash in relation to nitrogen and superphosphate. The application form farmers use in ob taining fertilizer from local dealsrs has been simplified. Provision is also made for special measures whereby some fertilizers—new ma terials or of larger than usual quan tity-may be directed into specific areas to encourage production of crops not given priority. Those that respond readily to the application of fertilizer, but which have not been customarily fertilized in the past, will be the most affected by this part of the order. Counting Sheep rr..........m More sheep are shipped from Ketchum, Idaho, than from any oth er point in the United States, ac cording to the Ketchum Chamber of Commerce. This year it is estimat ed that 90,000 animals will be sent out. Turnips for Chickens When turnip salad is fed in un limited amounts, the chickens con sume less mash and this, in turn, j will cause the flock to slump in egg I production. Not over four pounds of turnip salad should be fed to a flock of 100 birds in a day. Any feed that causes a decrease in the consumption of mash by the flock is likely to cause a slump in egg production. Alcohol From Artichokes Laboratory-scale fermentations of artichokes are being studied by Joseph E. Seagram and Sons of Louisville. Ky., as another source of fermentable sugars. Unlike grain, from which dextrose is obtained, artichokes contain inulin, a type of starch which, upon hydrolysis, yields fructose sugar. The enzyme necessary to break down inulin is inulase, whose presence in arti chokes eliminates the necessity of adding any enzyme for conversion. I There Must Have Been Politicos at the Beginning Over a cup of coffee at the club a doctor claimed that his was the oldest profession. “For,” he said, “Adam’s rib couldn’t have been removed without a surgeon to per form the operation.” “Yes,” said the architect, “but before that the world had to be created out of chaos. And, you will admit, creation implies an architect.” There was a politician in their midst. “Hold on, gentlemen,” he said. “You must carry it back still fur ther—to chaos. And where there is chaos there must be a politi cian.” CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT FEATHERS WANTED FEATHERS WANTED, NEW OR OLD Ship or write to Sterling Feather Company, 000 N. Broadway, St. Lonia. Missouri. Live Stock Commission BYERS BROS & CO. A Real Live Stock Com. Firm At the Omaha Market Army Parachutes Parachutes varying in diameter from 21/2 to 48 feet are used by the army. The larger ones drop ton and a half loads. DO .HIS! To relieve discomforts, one of the best things you can do \ 1c put a good spoonful of home tested Vicks VapoRub in a bowl i of boiling water. Then feel the wonderful relief come as you breathe in the * steaming medicated vapors that penetrate to the cold-congested upper breathing passages! See i how this soothes irritation, quiets coughing, and helps clear the head-bringing grand comfort. FOR ADDED RELIEF ...rub throat, chest and back with VapoRub at bedtime. Vicks VapoRub works for hours—2 ways at A n once—to bring relief Vf ICKS ^^rom distress.Try it. V VapoRus^/ BOARS FOR SALE For Hnle: Registered Chester White boara. smooth medium type with quality. George Fopken, West Point, Nebraska. There's good reason why PAZO oint ment has been used by so many millions of sufferers from simple Piles. First. PAZO ointment soothes inflamed areas -—relieves pain and itching. Second. PAZO ointment lubricates hardened, dried parts—helps prevent cracking and 2 soreness. Third. PAZO ointment tends to reduce swelling and check bleeding. ! Fourth, it's easy to use. PAZO oinl | ment’s perforated Pile Pipe makes ap plication simple, thorough. Your doctor can tell you about PAZO ointment. Beware Coughs from common colds 1 Creomulsion relieves promptly be cause it goes right to the seat of the trouble to help loosen and expel germ laden phlegm, and aid nature to soothe and heal raw. tender, in flamed bronchial mucous mem branes. Tell your druggist to sell you a bottle of Creomulsion with the un derstanding you must like the way it quickly allays the cough or you are to have your money back. CREOMULSION for Coughs, Chest Colds, Bronchitis WNU—U50—43 Help Thom