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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1945)
I-WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS-■ Harmony Note of Big ThreeMeet; Mighty U.S. Aerial Blows Carry War to Heart of Jap Homeland ■■ ■ Released by Western Newspaper Union. — . (EDITOR’S NOTE: When opinions are espressed In these columns, they are those of Western Newspaper Union's news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.I Freed by daring U. S. Ranger attack on Cabanatuan prison camp, liber ated Yanks joyfully make tbeir way back to American lines for transfer to evacuation hospital in Philippines. EUROPE: Postwar Pattern Their historic conference at Yalta having ended in agreement, the Big Three departed from the balmy Cri mean watering resort determined to maintain equal harmony on the im plementation of the new course they ■truck for trodden Europe, en visaging the return of democratic government and obliteration of Nazism and Fascism. Thorniest problem in Allied rela tions before the conference, the Polish question was met by U. S. and British recognition to Russian annexation of part of eastern Poland, and the agreement to in clude independent democratic lead ers into the Red-sponsored pro visional government until the people themselves can name their own re gime in a free and open election. In respect to free elections, guar anteeing the people of all the liber ated countries the right to pick their own governments, the Big Three pledged their support to as sist any nation in measures designed to bring about such polls. With agreement on the vexatious Polish problem and restoration of democratic government in the new Declaring that the IHg Three's terms for Germany releused its peo ple from all moral scruples of war fare, Nazi pro/ragandists said: “Ev ery enemy will be met by fanatical men, women and children, who know what treatment is in sttrre for them, and, therefore, wish to kill, murder and poison all who attempt to op press them. ...“ Europe, the Big Three also moved toward maintenance of such an or der by further discussion of steps on a postwar international security organization, with the talks at Yalta designed to meet Russian objections to the Dumbarton Oaks plans for prohibiting any nation charged with aggression from voting on meas ures to bring it in line. Overwhelming agreement was reached on treatment for a defeated Reich, with Messrs. Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin determined to crush German militarism by dis solution of the wehrmacht, break up of its general staff, elimination of all industry that could be used for war production, and complete eradi cation of all Nazi and Junker influ ences in the nation's life. Further, Germany would be made to pay for war damage, with an Allied commission set up in Moscow determining on the extent of repara tions, probably in terms of man power and goods. Allies Advance With their hopes of an Allied divi sion blasted at Yalta, and with the combined weight of the U. S., Brit ain and Russia drawn up against tbem, the Germans maneuvered in both the west and east for a last ditch struggle. In the east, so-called "alarm units’* and the "people's army” were thrown into breaches to hold open avenues of retreat for German forces falling back from Silesia to Saxony as the Russians drove on this all-important Nazi industrial dis trict As the Reds pushed ahead, one wing of this offensive nosed northwestward toward Berlin, sore ly pressed by a frontal assault of Marshal Zhukov’s forces. In the west, the Germans fought hard to thwart the Canadian and British attempt to turn their far northern flank, drive into the indus trial Ruhr and trap Nazi forces guarding the Rhineland from the rear. WAR COSTS With this war costing the world some $200 billions a year, or more than $500 millions a day, in direct military expenditures alone, the an nual expenditure is roughly equal to the whole direct cost of the First World war, estimated at $208 bil lions by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Staggering though these figures are, they do not include indirect costs of war, such as the value of human life lost, property destruc tion, etc. PACIFIC: Mighty Strike To Tokyo’s 8,000,000 terrified resi dents, it was as if the whole host of demons themselves had swooped from the skies; to American aviators and sailors, it offered the supreme satisfaction of slapping a vicious en emy in his own backyard, and to mil lions of people at home, it represent ed the opening of the battle for Japan itself. Thus shaped Vice Adm. Marc A. Mitscher’s mighty strike against Tokyo and the home island of Hon shu, with 1,500 Hellcats, Helldivers and Avenger planes taking off from about 15 to 20 carriers of the 27,000 ton class, escorted by a formidable Leading daring liberation of 511 Yank* from Luzon prison camp by Rangers who overpowered Jap guards were (left to right) Captain Prince of Seattle, Wash.; Lt. Col. H. A. Mucci, Bridgeport, Conn.; and Sgt. T. R. Richardson, Dallas, Texas. screen of fast battleships, cruisers and destroyers. Though meeting strong opposition, the aircraft shot up enemy planes, cratered airdromes and pulverized other military instal lations around the Jap capital. While the major attack roared on, with the once vaunted, since bat tered Jap imperial fleet failing to challenge Mitscher’s force riding 300 miles ofT of Honshu shores, other American warships and army planes hammered the Volcano and Bonin islands, 600 miles to the south. WAR PRODUCTION: Schedules Increase With emphasis on more bombers and engine parts, the government increased its war contracts in re cent weeks, indicating that the rapid pace of the conflict is forcing re adjustment of needs. Besides the boost in the bomber and engine parts program, it was revealed, ground troops were sched uled to get 21.9 per cent more am munition. heavy artillery and tanks. To meet a critical emergency of engine parts in battle zones, the gov ernment has undertaken a 50 mil lion dollar expansion of the industry, and established special panels, or committees, in the seven major plants for speeding up of output. Labor Relations Supplementing its previous policy of plant seizures to back up War Labor board rulings designed to set tle industrial disputes, the U. S. drew a new weapon to force com pliance through cancellation of a firm’s government contracts. In following such a course of ac tion against the E. A. Laboratories of Brooklyn, N. Y., Economic Sta bilization Director Vinson said that the U. S.’s procedure was legal, in sofar as the courts have frequently held that no business has an auto matic right to getting a government contract. Despite the U. S.’s power to influ ence compliance with WLB orders through plant seizures and withhold ing of priorities, in addition to con tract cancellations, OES Chieftain Vinson said that still more effective action could be obtained through legislation furnishing non-compli ance. G.I.s Long for Civvies Discharged G.I s are so anxious to get back into civilian clothes, a survey of the Northwestern National Life Insurance company showed, that they want alterations on their new suits "done in the next ten min utes"; they shun cheap clothing and buy good quality suits—averaging about $45 in price; they don't shop around, but go to one store and buy as nearly a complete outfit as the store can supply; they usually pay cash, even when they could "charge it,” and they seldom shop alone. CONGRESS: Busy Session Solons were putting In a busy ses sion on capitol hill, engrossed in semi-political, financial and insur ance legislation. Wallace Curb Passed by the senate, the bill re moving the Reconstruction Finance corporation, with its vast loaning ! powers, from the U. S. department of commerce and Liberal Henry A. Wallace’s reach if appointed secre tary of that office, went up before I the house. In addition to stripping Wallace of authority over RFC funds, which conservatives feared he might use for promotion of plans for govern ment spending to provide "full em ployment," house Republicans sought to remove the secretary of commerce from the board of the 700 million dollar export-import bank, used to finance foreign busi ness. World Finance Up prominently for congressional consideration was the administra tion-backed Bretton Woods postwar world financial agreement, under which the U. S. would contribute about 6 billion dollars for two funds: (1) to provide countries with for eign exchange at par rather than open-market value to stimulate their purchasing powers, and (2) to guar antee private loans made to coun tries to help build up their econo mies. In asking for congressional ap proval of the Bretton Woods agree ments, President Roosevelt said they were the first step in a broad program for international economic cooperation, also including an Allied food and agriculture organization, expansion of the reciprocal trade act of 1934, reduction of trade bar riers and orderly marketing of cer tain world surpluses. Insurance Continued state supervision of in surance companies, but with strict er control in harmony with federal anti-trust laws, was promised in congressional approval of legislation postponing antimonopoly prosecu tion against such businesses for three years and allowing states that time to set up tighter regulations. Brought to a head by a recent Supreme court decision declar ing insurance companies subject to anti-trust laws, the question of fed eral control over the business drew little support from congress, with legislators contending that the indi vidual states were best qualified to regulate the matter according to their particular requirements. Farm Credit Standing High By WALTER A. SIIEAD W'NU Staff Correspondent WASHINGTON.—For every dol lar farmers borrowed In 1944, they repaid $3.50 on loans made prior to that year, redurlng the farm mortgage debt to the lowest point In 30 years, according to a report of the Federal Land Bank system. For the year the volume of farm loans outstanding was re duced 17 per cent. The total vol ume cf land bank and commis sioner loans made In 1944 amounted to $105,292,000. During the year a uniform 4 per cent interest rate was established on most outstanding land bank loans. Farm mortgage loans in good standing reached a new high at the year’s end with 93.6 per cent of all Federal land bank and 91.7 per cent of commissioner loans current on all payments of prin cipal and interest. NEW INSTRUMENT: Aids li-2()s One of the war’s most remarkable scientific achievements — an “air position indicator’’ — has been play ing an important role in charting the long skyroads to Tokyo for navi gators of America's B-29 super-for tresses, the army revealed. Developed by engineers of Bendix Aviation corporation in cooperation with the army and navy, the indica tor records continuously and auto matically the exact "air position” of a huge super-fort in flight on a single dial giving the navigator an instantaneous reading of his longi tude and latitude and saving hours of complex calculations. No larger than a quart milk bot tle. the computing device not only shows "air position in degrees of longitude and latitude,” but also gives the navigator a continuous record of air miles flown from the take-off point and indicates the cor rect compass heading of the air plane, engineers explained. From these readings, plus a check of wind drift, the B-29 navigator can con tinuously plot his ship’s "air posi tion" on the map and keep his plane more accurately on the bomber , route to Japan and return. SOIL CONSERVATION With the year marked by wider understanding and use of the U. S. Soil Conservation service’s land classification specifying the best em ployment of tracts on the basis of slope, soil, degree of erosion, pre vious use and other factors, more than 65,000,000 acres were produc ing under the soil conservation sys tem in 1944, SCS Chieftain Dr. H H. Bennett reported. This compared with the figure of 37.500,000 acres for the year 1941. i 'Bombs' Steel Center In Imaginary Flight ‘Briefed’ at Army Air Force School for Raid on Yawata; Follows Course Over Huge, Realistic Map. By BAUKHAGE News Analyst and Commentator. WNU Service, Union Trust Building, Washington. D. C. How would you like to bomb the Yawata steel works in a flying for tress? I did it without moving from my classroom seat in Orlando, Fla., in one of the courses I attended at the army air force school of applied tac tics. It is part of the “post gradu ate” instruction of the high officers of the army and it really is a realis tic "briefing.’' When I had finished that demonstration, as it is called, I actually felt as if I had been on that bombing mission which started at an unnamed base in China and flew straight to a target, which is as clearly pictured in my mind as if I had made the trip. I’ll try to reenact it for you. First, imagine a great map stretching across the room in which you are sitting with two black lines on it. The lower line runs, with a few slight deviations, straight to the target in Japan. Then there is a short leg running north and the sec ond line, a little above the other, run ning back to the base. This is the course we took. “Now, men,” says the officer standing with a pointer in his hand, “you are going to bomb the steel works at Yawata. Daylight precision bombing and naturally you’ll meet a little more opposition But you know the importance of steel. I don’t need to talk about that. You have been selected for your record last time. Keep up that record. “As you know this is the first time for the new stagger formation. You’ve practiced it. I won't go into that. We have just 45 minutes to check the whole plan. We start at 650 and the first ship goes down the runway at 700.” (Military clocks theoretically run 24 hours. If the number is above 12, subtract 12. For instance 1630 is 4:30 in the afternoon—1630 minus 12 equals 4:30.) Then came some directions about “assembly” (where this group joins the formation) which I won’t go into here since space Isn’t adequate, but anyhow the assembly point is Chengtu. Level Off For Bomb Run "We must be at Chengtu at 800. Climb at 190 miles an hour to this point here (the pointer taps the map) ... to 1,500 feet and level off. 200 miles per hour . . . this junc tion (another tap) 940; then swing on course ... 91 degrees . . . (the pointer swishes out along the black line) to the coast. "Here is your second climb . . . 1212 ... 190 miles per hour . . . 300 feet a minute ... to bombing altitude, at check point of island at 1245 (the pointer touches a little island off the Jap coast) ... it will look like an inverted pyramid . . . then level off to the IP.” (That is the point of entry which must be definitely established, for the flight from there on is directly to the tar get and careful synchronization with the other planes must be made.) "Show a yellow-yellow flare so we'll know you’ve reached the IP ... if dark, toggle four-and-a-half over the bomb run, then to the rally point, 14 miles north of target. "If you are crippled going over the target try to cut short your turn. ...” I'll explain that: you see normal ly the planes would go north from the thrget and then turn at a right angle to the assembly point. Then another right angle back toward home, so if a plane had been hit and couldn't last long, it must try to catch up with the others and make known its condition. If the plane lags behind it may be located by the group leader who will make con tinuous s-turns, looping back, trying to locate any stragglers. Mean while (as I forgot to explain) there is a friendly submarine loafing somewhere within radio call for two purposes. First, to try to locate any plane that has been forced down into the water; second, to pick up information concerning any enemy ships which the planes may have spotted so the sub can go over and take a poke at them. I cannot in this space give you a fraction of the detail of this brief ing, which pointed out on the map every hazard, every advantage, ev ery varying condition. Special areas were blown up in large size: as a lake serving as a landmark where the planes start their ocean jump, a peculiarly shaped river where they reach land again. Sketches are furnished by meteorologists, show ing just the types of clouds they will encounter, some "full of rocks” (covering mountain peaks) which are to be avoided. The known location and number of enemy fighter planes is marked, as are the antiaircraft guns, and the temperature and wind velocity at various levels. Target’m There, Then Gone As to the target itself, large scale aerial pictures were shown which looked very much as the actual terrain would look to the pilot and bombardier. Also, a map of the whole city. Then a map of the target area, then photos of the tar get area, taken from an angle, as it will look when the plane ap proaches it from a distance, and another as it will look when it is directly below—the important mo ment. That last statement "directly be low” is misleading, as I found out. What you see when you look through the glass walls of the bomber's “nose” and what you see when you look through the bombsight are two quite different pictures. What you see when you look through the bomb sight is the area (far ahead of where your plane is) upon which the bomb will hit if released at that precise instant. Naturally, at the speed at which a plane travels, the inertia of the bombs carries them far ahead as they fall. This is disconcerting to the lay man. I looked through the glass of the nose and picked me out a little Florida lake upon which I decided to drop my imaginary bomb. Then I looked into the sight and there was no lake there! Too late! If I had released my bombs then, they would have hit far beyond the dis tant shore although the plane hadn’t even reached the near shore, yet. But to return to my synthetic flight. I find it impossible to recount it with half the realism with which it was presented to me as my eyes followed that moving pointer from base to assembly point to "bomb line” (where the planes cross into enemy occupied terrain) on to the target itself, with the looping tracks that bounded it and then back, north and west again, over water and land, lake and mountain, on the long trek home. After the briefing was finished four men in uniform took seats on the platform. They were men with stars on their service ribbons and some purple hearts, too. Men of many missions just such as the one described, or they would not have been chosen as instructors in this post graduate university of the air. And they acted out with startling conviction the briefing of a returned crew. One, his nerves on razor edge from what he had gone through, an other a little dazed, as if he had had a few drinks too many, another sol emn, wide-eyed, another jumpy, lo quacious, controversial, all true-to life types, we were told. Carefully and tactfully the officer checked their conflicting statements until finally all were molded into a reasonable and rational report. "How many enemy fighters . . . here?” “Oh, 30, easy,” said the jumpy one. "How many do you say?” (to the fellow in the half-daze). "Well, a lot of ’em, I didn’t count.” "Enough anyhow. And you didn’t warn us about the others here,” says the slap-happy one as he jumps up and jabs the map. Finally it settles down to about 50. This estimate will be checked as other crews are checked and an accurate estimate is obtained. The same careful and studied analy sis of data on troop concentrations observed, movements along high ways, convoys, new landing strips, as well as the damage done to the target — BARBS . . • by Baukhage The “work or else” bill bogged down in the senate. Perhaps be cause the senate is already over worked. • • • On January 8, General Yamashita said: “Japanese forces are ready to destroy the enemy with one stroke should he choose to land on Luzon." Some prophets are without honor outside of their own country. Some French banks hold the phoney German “reichmarks” as part of their assets. Well, it might help the paper shortage anyhow. • • • They are talking of using silver to make ball bearings for automo biles. They ought to go pretty well with some of the guilded youth if there are any left over when the war prosperity ends. McGOOFEY’S FIRST READER This is a steer. Where Is the steer? The steer is on the ranch. Will the steer leave the ranch? We hope so. _•_ What are those things on the steer’s head? Horns. Are they necessary? Well, you have to use something in hamburgers! Oh, see the steer’s tail! Yes, it is a long tail. What is the tail good for? If the war lasts long much longer you will find out. _•_ The steer looks nervous. You would look nervous, too, if you were a steer. What makes the steer nervous? The Government, Chester Bowles, the Black Market, the Rancher, the Ultimate Consumer, etc. WTiy do they make the steer nerv ous? The steer knows that he would get better protection under the rules of bullfighting. _•_ The steer looks round-shouldered. Yes, and so would you il you were in its place. What makes the steer round-shoul dered? He gets that way standing under the ceiling. Does the steer have to stand un der a ceiling? Come, come, don’t you ever read the papers? _•_ Why does the steer stand under a ceiling? To get across the street. What street? Pennsylvania avenue. Oh, look! What’s happened? The ceiling seems to be changing. Yeah. It seems to be going up? It is going up about four dollars. Why are they giving the steer a new ceiling? It seems there was agitation. _«_ Who agitated? The butcher, the OPA and the peo ple who were tired of mutton and pork. Do people eat ceilings? No; the beef stews only taste that way. _•_ Now that the ceiling is higher will the steer cease to be round-shoul dered? Round or flat you'll be glad to get it. You can depend on one thing. What is that? The consumer will become round shouldered. Why? Looking for a meat market where ceilings make any difference. (End of Lesson) • • • THE CLOTHING INQUIRY Washington is getting after the clothing situation. It is out to roll back the prices of shirts, drawers, rompers, suits, dresses and what not. _•_ It’s about time. It has been think ing too much about beef and not enough about shorts. • • • What is important to the average American, more hamburgers or more underwear? _•_ There hasn’t been as much of a public howl over the high costs of dressing because the uneven distri bution hasn't been so glaring. It is not easy to tell when one man is getting the best shirts. Or wheth er Mrs. Beemish is able to buy the choicest cuts of undies while Mrs. Mooney hasn’t been able to get any thing but the roughest lingerie in a year. _•_ Unlike the situation in the meat crisis, you have not been able in a clothes shortage to go down to Joe’s place and get all the apparel you wanted. _t_ If down to your last pair of pants, you couldn't go to a smart restaurant and get them in all styles and colors at a price. _•_ We haven’t heard of a "black pants market." But it may come soon. _» It may take points to get a pair of socks, a pair of pajamas or a vest | before long. • • • Mrs. Whitney said the shortage of women in Alaska was accompanied by an "absence of other things— there are no insects, no rodents, no dust, no poison ivy.”—Newspaper item. _•_ Is that putting it nicely? • • • General Homma of Japan says. "It is assumed that the Japanese Grand Fleet will now abandon its passiveness.’’ What the general means is “Come Out, Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are." Silk Patchwork Quilt Colorful and Quaint □N OLD - FASHIONED crazy patch quilt aglow with color and quaint stitchery makes a deco rative slumber throw for the sofa in today’s living room. It picks up and repeats all the room col ors and the hit-and-miss pattern harmonizes with furnishings old and new. In Victorian days great grand father’s cravats were the source of many a rich piece of silk for these quilts. Why not look over the old ties that G.I. Joe left be hind with an eye to the same pur pose? The ends are always good no matter how worn the center part may be. Collecting bits of bright silk, ribbon and embroidery f thread will be an exciting hobby and it costs nothing. FOR SALE FOK SALE — M-M four-cylinder, high, compression gas engine, with clutch and pully complete; In good condition. Also Port Huron No. 3 hammer mill with drag feeder and dust collector. Will eel, together or separate. FARMERS CO-OPERATIVE CO. Cumberland, la. WEED BURNER FARMERS—End thistle, corn stalk, com bine straw drudgery. Patented, self-feed ing wood weed burners. Use no Bas or OIL, B O. M. SKABPHOI. & COMPANY Souris, North Dakota_ Fire Fighter Kneiv Male Animal Would Assert Self A young mother was having great difficulty with her three year-old son, who had locked him self in the bathroom and either could not or would not unlock the door. In desperation, she called the fire department. ; After a brief wait, a burly fire captain ran up the steps. She ex plained her predicament, but in stead of going back for a ladder, he asked her the sex of the child.. When she told him, he went to the; door and said in his most authori tative voice, “You come out, little girl!” Aroused at being called a little girl, the boy unlocked the door and marched out to confront the fireman. Easy way to UNCORK STUFFY NOSTRILS C Nostrils all doooed up ? Quick, use Menthelatirm. Soon you can breathe! L MENTHOLATUM [ueRONICAH \ lake p 1 5'ar ^-'Tparamuunt picture. 1 1 ^nfec“b° I 1 l&cr-;; 1 IcKox AT FIRST JJCSSFA ♦ Cold Preparations as directed HOUSEWIVES: * * * Your Waste Kitchen Fats Are deeded for Explosives TURN ’EM IN! * ★ * (WOMEN*) Do You Hate HOT FLASHES? If you suffer from hot flashes, fee) weak, nervous, a bit blue at times— all due to the functional "middle age" period peculiar to women—try Lydia E Plnkham's Vegetable Coir* pound to relieve such symptoms Taken regularly—Plnkham's Com pound helps build up resistance against such annoying symptoms Plnkham's Compound Is made especially for women—if helps na ture and that’s the kind of medi cine to buy I Follow label directions LYDIA E. PINKHAM’S Sc'iB