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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 1945)
|-WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS-, Yanks Strike Back at Germans; Move to Step Up War Effort; National Income Sets Record - i Released by Western Newspaper Union - , . JtDITOR'8 NOTE When opinions are expressed In these columns. Ihey are those of Western Newspaper t nlon's news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper,) PS*" “ ' • f ■ •• **%*>.'*, ■■ W '-W» ' ■** • :«««# Taken Irom roll of raptured German film, picture nhowa American prisoners being taken to rear as German drive roared through Belgium. EUROPE: Patton to Rescue On the western front, it was big, blustery Lieut. Gen. George S. Pat ion to me rescue, as U. S. forces smashed into tht flanks of the Ger mans' great drive into Bel gium and Luxem bourg and com pelled Von Rund stedt to divert strength toward meeting the threat to his whole posi tion. Gen. ration uauea upon 10 thwart the German drive shortly after it got underway, General Pat ton, then attacking in the Saar basin, pulled up his offensive in that area and shot major forces to the north to rip into the lower wing of Von Rundstedt's offensive. Charg ing over the snow-capped Ardennes hills on a 35-mile front, General Patton’s Third army soon bit deep wedges into the enemy's lines, forc ing diversion of his strength from advanced spearheads within four miles of the Meuse. While General Patton attacked from the south, Lieut. Gen. Court ney HodRes’ First army smashed at the northern flank of the German bulge, reducing the enemy threat to important supply lines around Liege. Faced with these strong twin U. S. thrusts. Von Rundstedt con centrated the bulk of his strength in the center of his bulge, meun while probing Allied lines behind the First and Third armies for a blow at their rears. Intelligence Slips Knocked out of complacency by the great Nazi winter drive. Allied quarters cast about for the reason of the setback, with opinion general that the fault lay in an underestima tion of German military strength and failure to detect substantial Nazi troop movements. Although Allied chieftains expect ed a German attack, they felt that the enemy needed more time to re assemble his shattered forces, and they also overlooked the Ardennes forest as a possible ground for Nazi operations because of the rough character of the terrain. Biggest slip, however, occurred in the Allied intelligence department's failure to observe Von Rundstedt's massing of 200,000 men in the Ar dennes sector, an operation which ex-U. S. Chief of Staff of World War I, Gen. Peyton C. March, likened to the movement of the population of Richmond, Va., toward Washington, D. C.. without our knowing anything about it. Lucky Winnie Having come to Greece to un tangle the knotty political problem in that embattled country standing athwart Britain's Mediterranean life line, Prime Minister Winston Chur chill twice cheated death in Athens within a week. First, caches of explosives were found in a sewer below Britain's headquarters where Churchill was expected to visit, and then a sniper's bullet whistled past the prime min ister and struck a woman 300 yards away as he was entering the British embassy. That Lucky Winnie’s presence in Athens served to force a settlement of the Greek political crisis was seen in the report that the radical and conservative elements had agreed upon the formation of a mixed coun cil to rule the country in behalf of the king. MEAT PRODUCTION Despite the fact that both produc er and packer had to overcome many wartime obstacles, the indus try turned out a record output of 25 billion pounds in 1944, Chairman T. Henry Foster of the American Meat institute declared in a year-end re port. Citing U. S. department of agri culture estimates, Foster said the total number of dressed animals for the year included 96.600,000 hogs, 24,300,000 sheep and lambs, 19,700, 000 cattle and 14,200,000 calves. NATIONAL INCOME: Record Level With wartime economic activity reaching its peak early in the year, the total of goods and services pro duced and income received in 1944 set all-time records, the U. S. de partment of commerce reported. At the same time, the department stat ed that activity in 1945 can be ex pected to level off. Value of goods and services of 1944 approximated 197 billion dollars compared with 88 0 billion dollars in 1989, the department said, while in come received by individuals for crops, wages, salaries, dividends, in terest, social security and military dependency reached 155 billion dol lars against 70.8 billion In 1989. Farm Income alone totaled over 20 billion dollars. Of 197 billion dollars in goods and services produced in 1944—85 billion dollars were for war; 96.6 billion dollars for consumer spending; 13 billion dollars for governmental non war spending, and 2 6 billion dollars for industrial investments. HOME FRONT: Pull in Holt With the war bringing new de mands upon the nation, the gov ernment moved for fullest utiliza tion of both manpower and re sources War Mobilization Director Janies F. Byrnes appealed to the country’s 80 race tracks to suspend operations In 1945, thus making their 40,000 employees available in the labor pool, and also answering complaints that absenteeism was being caused by workers from nearby plants patronizing the sport. In a move designed to make most efficient use of labor, the War Pro duction board announced that it would withhold priorities or alloca tions of material from plants found guilty of violating War Manpower commission regulations governing employment ceilings or hiring of help. With civilian supplies of many food Items reported at the low est point since the war began. OPA reestablished rationing on utility beef, better cuts of veal, bacon, pork shoulders, spare ribs, ■ beef and veal liver and meats In tin and glass, and also on such canned vegetables as peas, corn, green and wax beans, asparagus and spinach. In addition. Individual sugar allowances of five pounds were extended to three months, and point value of butter was raised from 20 to 24 per pound, PACIFIC: Philippine Battleground Though Leyte and Samar island have been lost, and U. S. troops speeded conquest of Mindoro, the Japanese indicated their determina tion to fight to the last ditch in the Philippines and make the gangling archipelago the battleground of de cision in the Pacific. Even as War Minister Sugiyama urged that the issue be decided in the Philippines, B 29 Super-Fort resses roared over Tokyo, smashing aircraft factories, refineries and docks, and continuing their sus tained drive to seriously impair the delivery of war material to enemy forces in the field. No less than 112.000 Japanese were killed in the 67-day U. S. conquest of Leyte, featured by a climactic north, south and east pincer squeeze on the enemy after he was cornered on the northwest ern tip of the island. MISCELLANY With a heavy demand for new tubes and sets and television and frequency modulation re ceivers expected in the postwar period, the radio industry looks to the employment of at least 145,000 persons compared with the prewar total of 86.173. Of this about 60 per cent of the workers would be women, it was estimated. MONTGOMERY WARD: U. S. in Again The government's second seizure of Montgomery Ward, unlike the first, headed for settlement in court as the U. S. again took over the huge corporation on charges that its disrespect of War Labor board orders threatened vital war pro duction. With the legality of the second seizure scheduled for judicial re view, the government contended that Montgomery Ward's impor tance in the war effort was at tested by its sale of farm machinery and supplies and manufacture of military products, while the com pany replied its major operations did not directly affect the war and it would be unconstitutional to ac cept the War Labor board's order for a closed shop denying individual workers the right to decide on join ing a union. In filing suit in court for affirma tion of its right to take over Mont gomery Ward, the government de clared that the company’s persistent refusals to abide by War Labor board settlements led other parties to defy WLB directives and threat ened a wave of strikes and lock outs. LABOR: Stay in Unions Apparently sold on the strength of organization in the achievement of better working conditions, the great majority of union people have re tained their membership when given the chance to quit, the U. S. bureau of labor statistics reported. Covering 21 plants and 75,000 union members, the BLS discov ered that only 395 of these workers, or less than 1 per cent, withdrew from labor organizations during the 15-day period allowed for such action before maintenance of mem bership contracts went into effect. Industries covered by the BLS study included shipbuilding and ship repair, textile, radio, auto parts, chemical, electrical ma chinery, steel products, transporta tion equipment, and tobacco. Postwar Projects With wartime Income remain ing substantial, and projects postponed because of manpower and material shortages, many states are accumulating huge balances to be used in the post war period, when their expendi ture should help bolster the economy. Although far from possessing the biggest surpjus, Oregon, with $61,535,000 available, al ready has completed $190,000, 000 of postwar construction plans, far more than any other state. Although possessing the largest of all balances at $344, 000,000, Oklahoma has only $114,000,000 of projects in the ready to go stage. Other states with big surpluses and the dollar value of com pleted postwar construction plans include California with $195,000,000 balance and $75, 000,000 projects; New York with $163,000,000 and $65,400,000; Pennyslvania with $150,000,000 and $25,000,000, and Illinois with $100,000,000 and $10,000,000. WAR RELIEF: Buy Clothes In the largest purchase so far undertaken for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation adminis tration, the U. S. treasury will buy $15,000,300 worth of outmoded but warm and durable clothing. In making the purchase, a treas ury official said, the government hopes to obtain the major share oi the clothing from manufacturers' and dealers' old stocks, and to speed up the procurement, it appealed tc these businessmen to take a rapid inventory of such supplies. With 170,000.000 people looking to UNRRA for relief, a treasury spokesman said, the present pur chase program is but a drop in the bucket. STEEL: Peak Output Hitting its peak in March before gradually leveling off, U. S. steel production for 1944 reached a record 89,400,000 tons of ingots and castings, 80 per cent over maximum output in World War I and 1V4 times ovei Axis Europe’s probable turn-out last year. Because of the industry's heavy output during the first part of the year, it was able to top 1943 produc tion by 600,000 tons. Output in the last part of the year dropped more than 600,000 tons over the same pe riod in 1943. "Despite higher production, earn ings, after taxes, for 1944 probably will approximate 170 million dollars, compared with 201 million in 1943," a spokesman for the industry said GI PLANS One enlisted man out of every eight plans, on being discharged from the army, to operate a busi ness or farm of his own. according to a survey. Seven per cent of the men now in the army have definite plans fur operating a business. 5 per cent plan to operate farms. For the most part they are interested primarily in relatively small enterprises, with half of those having definite plans saying they will invest $4,000 or less. Washington Digest; Maldistribution Factor In Europe's Food Crisis Shattered Communication Lines Hamper Market Movements; Civil Strife Further Restricts Deliveries. By BAUKHAGE /Vrit* Analyst und Commentator WNL Service, Union Trust Building, Washington, I), C. Recently I saw a list of 12 Euro pean countries with an estimate of the number of calories consumed in each now, as compared with their inhabitants’ prewar diet. It was just at the time when the Greek revolt was well under way and only a tight lid was keeping the Belgian pot from boiling over. The calorie consumption in those two countries was the lowest on the list, 67 and 63 per cent, respectively, of their prewar diet. About that time Myron Taylor, the President's representative at the Vatican, was warning the Allies that if communism came to Italy, it would come over empty stomachs. Adding up this data the natural as sumption is that hunger is the chief cause of unrest in Europe. But it isn’t as simple as that. I made some investigations and came upon a number of interesting facts which prove the dangers of over-simplifi cation. Number one is: Low calories may be a symptom and not a disease. In other words, disorganization and re volt affect the food supply as well as being affected by it. Number two: Destruction and dis organization are the chief causes of famine and the type of destruction which affects the food supply is not the destruction of food. It is the smashing of railways and rolling stock and blowing up of bridges and doing other things that interrupt transportation. This has done more to create areas of starvation than any planned destruction of the crops themselves by the enemy. Number three: Conditions are fre quently worse after countries are liberated. One common misconception which needs to be corrected is the total amount and distribution of the food shortage. Since Europe’s food prob lems are of vital concern to Amer ica it might be uvell to clear up some of these erroneous ideas. Problem Varies in Different Countries In the first place, in the early years of the war the situation was painted too black. There were va rious reasons for this. Among them the fact that many countries exag gerated their plight, asking for more than they expected for fear of get ting less than they really needed. Later the picture w>as painted far too rosily. Through all this time the experts were not fooled but the pub lic was. “It is wrong to say that Europe is starving. It is wrong to say that nobody is starving or will starve,” I was informed by a person who is in a position to know if anyone is. The point is that the situation in various places varies greatly and here we come back to the question of transportation. We might use Greece as an example of a place where revolt has increased the se riousness of the food situation One of the chief concerns of persons who had no political interest whatever in whether Greece became a purple monarchy or a bright red spot of communism, but who were inter ested in seeing that the Athenians didn’t starve, was the fact that be cause of the fighting, shiploads of food lay untouched in the harbor of Piraeus. Athens, Rome. Marseille are all in spots far distant from areas where surplus food exists. Norman dy, for instance, could share some of he.' products with the south of France if there were any way to get the stuff across the country The grain in the holds of ships in the harbor is no good to the people of Greece unless there is unrestricted passage to and from the docks and men who can unload and transport it to safety. This question of proximity to sup ply explains why all over Europe the average consumption level of the farm population is 40 per cent high er than that of the people in urban or manufacturing communities. One of the paradoxes of Europe's eating troubles is that in most coun tries the situation often grows worse instead of better after liberation takes place. Italy is an example of what mixed blessings liberation can bring. Here we begin to see how the twin demons of destruction work out. As indicated, the direct destruc tion of food supplies either by bomb ing. or battle, or German sabotage so far has not been a major factor. Of course, the more rapidly the Al lies remove the Germans, the less chance they have to steal the food or the crops and transport them. They had considerable time in Italy. On the other hand, on their hurried trip from Normandy to the Rhine the Nazis were far too busy moving to beg, borrow, steal or destroy. Where they have had a chance to squat as in the Netherlands, Poland and j Czechoslovakia, the situation is worse. But until they knew they were going to have to get out of a country they did not wish to de stroy productivity and the natives were fed. They had to keep the peo ple alive to support their own mili tary and economic activity and they expected they would have plenty of time to exploit later when they set up their own new order in Europe. The factors in food production which suffered most were those in volved in food processing. It is eas ier and quicker to wreck a flour mill or a milk plant than a farm. Some fertilizer factories suffered, and of course in Holland there was whole sale obliteration of arable land when the dykes were blown. This is al most permanent damage since the salt from the sea water will sour the soil for years to come. Complex Economies Cause Trouble But there were other forces which began to work earlier. Europe, before the war, produced most of what its own people ate. The things imported were tea and coffee, spices, and fats and oils. They also had to import much of their cattle food and fertilizer. Ger many, striving to be self-sufficient, built many plants for the production of seed oils and raised many oil seed crops. This was true elsewhere in Europe and because more food value can be produced from the same resources directly than indi rectly through raising food for live stock, the livestock was reduced. Under these conditions, in order to get the greatest value out of food products, strictest regimentation was necessary. When the Germans left a country and controls vanished, conditions immediately became worse unless, under liberation, a sta ble government could step in im mediately and reorganize. This reorganization was impeded by the destruction of transportation, the disrupted economy and, in the case of countries like Italy, by the effect of fascist rule which has made the people lethargic, dependent and impotent and, departing, left them leaderless. And so we see the vicious circle in operation—disorganization ham pering the food supply, hunger and unrest preventing reorganization. For their own sake, the “haves" must feed the "have-nots." Time is of the essence, and casting bread upon these unhappy waters will be as profitable an investment as it is a gesture of mercy. • • • When General MacArthur rides up the streets of Manila some day, we hope not far off, he may have a mounted cavalry escort and if he does, three of the high-stepping members may be veterans of the battle of Bataan. The First cavalry fought for months overseas as foot soldiers A part of their job happened to be the capture of the racetrack at Taclo ban on Leyte. Naturally every man cast envious eyes on some of the horses left there. Later the horses were rounded up. and lo and behold, among them were three which were identified as having belonged to the 26th cavalry which had fought at Bataan They were repatriated with acclaim and formed the nucleus of a mounted unit which has been doing excellent reconnaissance on the island So history repeats In the Spnn ish-American war of 1898 dismounted U S. cavalry were sent to the Phil ippines. Later a few horses were obtained and they proved so valu able that the whole regiment was mounted. B A BBS... by Baukhage The production of safety razor blades is sufficient for the current quarter, the WPB assures us Nc excuse fur the five o'clock shadow Stuart Chase says that once big business, big unions and big farmers moved in on the scene, it took big government to cope with them. Now, if only John Q Public grows big enough he may get a show, too. A Tokyo broadcast tells of the de- ! cline in Jap revenue from excises— | not the only government that has a } yen for taxes. • » • Another farm land-boom Is on. ' according to the secretary of agri- 1 culture, like the one in the last war. Well, there is nothing that brightens up a room in the poorhouse Like pa pering it with mortgages. u STAGE SCREEN RADIO Released by Wester • Newspaper Union. By VIRGINIA VALE IT WAS way back in the days when Raoul Walsh was making “The Big Trail.” He was telling Director John Ford about his difficulties in finding an unknown to play the lead. Just then a tall, good looking, hefty fellow loped past them — one Marion Mi chael Morrison, truck driver, former member of the University of South ern California team. ‘‘There's your man,” said Ford. “Let his hair grow a little and you’ve an actor.” So they tested him, ordered him to JOHN WAYNE let his hair grow, and changed his name to John Wayne, who justified Ford’s opinion by making a hit in “The Big Trail”; he’s now hang ing up new records in “Tall in the Saddle.” -$ Virginia Mayo’s story is a little different. She was touring the coun try as ringmistress of a horse act when Samuel Goldwyn caught the act at a New York night club, of fered her a contract, and started her on a training period. She made her bow as a Goldwyn Girl in “Up in Arms,” then sat waiting for her second assignment. It was worth waiting for — the role opposite Bob Hope in “The Princess and the Pi rate.” Glenn Ford, a Columbia Pictures star before he enlisted in the ma rines, expects to resume his career as soon as he’s recovered from the disability that resulted in his discharge. *_ After rehearsing one of the more dramatic scenes in “Meet Me in St. Louis” little Margaret O’Brien dashed off the stage and ran into her stand-in. The latter youngster looked at her anxiously. “Why, Mar garet,” said she. “You've been cry ing! What’s the matter?” “Oh,” sobbed Margaret, mopping her eyes. “Don’t worry about it—*it’s just part of my job!” Previous Rose Queens of the Pasa dena Tournament of Roses have been signed for films only after winning the contest—Cheryl Walker, of “Stage Door Canteen," for in stance. But Producer Frank Ross and Director Mervyn LeRoy took no chances this year; they jumped in and signed all seven of the candi dates considered in the finals, for roles in “The Robe," after looking at newspaper photographs. What with Grace Moore standing on her head and other opera and movie stars really letting them selves go on his radio program, “Let Yourself Go,” Milton Berle has at last got an air show worthy of his talents. It should lead the popu larity polls soon. -! Every Tuesday night when the “Roy Rogers Show” is broadcast over Mutual, the actors can visual ize certain members of their listen ing audience with no difficulty at all —36 youngsters, all children of the members of the cast. Bob Hope has a new feather in his cap; on January 17 he goes to Philadelphia to receive the Poor Richard award, a gold medal pre sented annually to the man who has achieved outstanding success in his field. Hope is the second entertainer in the club's history to receive the award; Will Rogers was the first. National Broadcasting company, alone among American networks, has presented a day-by-day, eye witness account of the disturbances in Athens, since the lirst shot Their Cuthrie Janssen became the only American radio man in the city when transferred there from Cairo. He's been using BBC facilities fur his broadcasts; they're beamed to London, then relayed to the United States. ODDS AND EM'S -C.pl. Art Ross, former “March of Game*” child slur, was one of the GIs who ringed n make shift radio transmitter that flashed the first news of the I'hilii>i>ine invasion h\ American troops. ... II arner Urns ' “Four Men of God” will he a story of those four chafdains who sacrificed their lives when the transport Dor chester was torpedoeii last February. ... A news/mper poll chose l.nurcn Bacall as “Actress of the Year.” . . . Alan Jones will hare the lend in “Hare a Heart,” a Universal musical. . . . Rat O'Brien, just hack from a 4fl.000-mil« entertainment tour for American finht inn men, uunts to start out attain soon GET INTO THE CREAM AND PRO DUCE BUHINESS FOR YOrRSELF. Your town may oe a «pot for you. Many good openings in other towns Profitable, per nanent, essential and no experience needed. Darting ton Station Boi t5A4, i Mimlm. Nebraska. AGENTS WANTED^ LADY WANTED in every community, both rural and city, to sell line of household necessities to her neighbors. Our line In cludes such scarce items as cheese and laundry soap. Liberal commission. General products Company (lid), Albany, Georgia. ■ ARC WELDERS NEW AC AND DC ARC WELDERS avail able without red tape; immediate delivery. OMAHA WELDING CO. 1501 Jackson • Omaha, Neb. _CATTLE PUREBRED young guernsey bull Serviceable age. A good one. WM VOSS. JEFFERSON, SOUTH DAK. 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