The Giddings Star (Giddings, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 23, Ed. 1 Friday, September 4, 1942 Page: 2 of 8
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THE GIDDINGS STAR
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS
DREW PEARSON
==----
Washington, D. C.
IMPROVED NAVAL POSITION
Behind the Solomon islands battle
are some optimistic naval facts, en- |
tirely aside from the announcement
of victory. These facts had to be
very carefully considered even be-
fore U. S. naval chiefs started to
invade the Solomons.
One of these naval facts is that
the Japs have suffered very severe
losses in cruisers. Although it has
escaped public notice, U. S. forces
have been bumping off this fast, im-
portant type of warship with deadly
regularity, so that Jap cruiser
strength is now cut at least in half,
perhaps more.
Another known naval fact is that
the Japs have lost approximately
half of their airplane carriers. And
with air power what it is today, this
is the type of vessel they can least '
afford to lose.
On the American side of the pic-
ture is the fact that U. S. repairs
of ships sunk or damaged at Pearl
Harbor have been miraculously
swift.
All this obviously was taken into
consideration before the United
States started a major engagement
and the offensive in the South Pa-
cific. For Admiral King had to cal-
culate the risk of the Jap admirals
rushing a large force to the Solomon
islands.
Simultaneously he also had to fig-
ure the risk of a Jap attack on vari-
ous other vital points—Midway,
Alaska, Hawaii, even the continen-
tal United States.
Savage Russ Counterattack in North
Offsets Nazi Pressure in Volga Area;
U. S. Upsets Jap Strategy in Pacific;
Chinese Register Important Victories
(EDITOR * NOTE: When opinions are expressed in these columns, they are those of
Western Newspaper Union’s news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.)
... - Released by Western Newspaper Union. .....-
NIKITOVKA
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GUREVO
AYASTRAKHAN
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RAN
Map shows how Hitler's 1942 conquest of Russia nears the climax
as his armies move into position in a pincer movement closing on Stalin-
grad. A million Nazi soldiers assaulted that vital city on the Volga river,
closing in from two directions. By skirting the Caucasian mountains,
- .Hitler’s army can push on to the Caspian sea for a junction with the
take chances. Not when the fate Japanese
Top admirals these days do not
of a nation depends on them. There-
fore, it requires only a mathemati-
cian to figure that the scale of Amer-
ican strength in the Pacific has
turned. It reached its low ebb just
after Pearl Harbor, when the navy
was unable to do anything about the
Philippines, Singapore, or Java.
But now the Battle of Midway has
shown that Hawaii and the West
coast can be defended by land-based
planes. No Jap ship dares come
near land-based planes without com-
mitting suicide.
This leaves a reinforced fleet to
operate in the Pacific. Top naval
men are not doing any crowing yet.
But at least the naval picture seems
to counterbalance some of the bad
news from Russia-which is going
to get a lot worse.
BURIED SILVER
Ten years ago, President Roose-
velt and Cordell Hull held a series
of discussions with the foreign min-
isters of Europe in preparation for
the London Economic conference, at
which one of the chief proposals of
the United States was world use of
silver.
At these conferences, the late Sen-
ator Key Pittman, of the great sil-
ver state of Nevada, droned through
a regular 45 minute lecture on sil-
ver which American experts knew
almost by heart and which put Hjal-
mar Schacht, German finance min-
ister, to sleep. After Pittman had
finished, the German minister woke
up with a start, hastily brushed
aside silver.
"We accept silver. Now this is
what we want in return.”
The London Economic conference
was a dismal failure. But the Unit-
ed States had committed itself so
completely to silver in these pre-
liminary talks, that it undertook a
silver program, which actually
meant that the world sold its silver
to us at an artificial price and we
buried it in the ground at West Point,
N. Y. It was a fine thing for Mex-
ico, China and Canada and a great
victory for Senator Pittman and the
Rocky Mountain states. Also it re-
sulted in the U. S. treasury accu-
mulating two and a half billion
ounces of silver—other than coin.
Today, however, there is a short-
age of industrial silver. And yet
the treasury will not open up the
giant hoard of silver gathering mold
at West Point.
Shortage Amid Plenty.
What has happened is this. About
5,000,000 ounces of silver monthly is
being mined in the United States,
which is ample to care for war
needs, but not enough for ordinary
commercial needs, especially for the
silver industry of New England.
The silver industry, which makes
knives, forks, and household ware,
formerly used alloys and critical
materials—all of which have now
been dispensed with. However, sil-
ver is not a critical material. There
is plenty mined ior the war effort
but not enough to supply the 80,000,-
000 ounces needed annually for the
silver industry.
So New England silversmiths now
ask that they be permitted to buy a
mere 80,000,000 ounces out of the
two and a half billion ounces which
the treasury has buried.
MERRY-GO-ROUND
1 Though the U. S. navy gave the
royal run-around to the Sea Otter,
Germany is now reported building
exactly this type of shallow-draft,
automobile-engined boat for use on
the Danube, the Black and Caspian
seas—against Russia.
4 When the WPB made a survey of
junk dealers it found 6,000,000
pounds of “scrap” silk stockings on
hand. This is a “gold mine” for
making silk bags to hold gunpowder
for the navy.
—Buy War Bonds-
NEW GUINEA INVASION:
Costly to Japs
Despite heavy Allied air action,
which cost th eenemy one transport,
six landing barges and probably a
cruiser, Japanese shock troops
made another landing in Milne bay
on the island of New Guinea, 240
miles east of Port Moresby and less
than 500 miles from the Australian
mainland.
However, "Our ground forces an-
ticipated this movement and are in
contact with the enemy,” a spokes-
man from General MacArthur’s
headquarters in Australia said.
United Nations medium bombers
and fighters heavily bombed and
strafed Jap barges which were
heading toward shore and Jap
troops which already had landed.
The aerial attack was carried out
despite adverse weather conditions,
the communique said.
Spokesmen acknowledged that the
Japanese had put into action the
airdrome at Buna, 200 miles north-
west from Milne Bay on the north
coast of New Guinea. They estab-
lished a beachhead at Buna in July,
then pushed south to Kokoda, within
60 miles of Port Moresby.
Solomon Thrust
The violent sea-air battle in the
Solomon islands saw the United
States win the opening round. Land-
based American dive bombers, tor-
pedo planes and fighters were cred-
ited with forcing a battered Jap
fleet to withdraw from Guadalcanal
island in the southeast Solomons,
less than a thousand miles from
Australia, across the Coral sea.
In the original United States of-
fensive in the Solomons, the Ameri-
can marine corps vanguard ob-
tained beachheads on the island,
overcoming enemy resistance and
seizing an air field. Planes, bombs,
torpedoes, ground crews and gaso-
line were brought in to repel a ma-
jor invasion.
While a communique stated that
results in the struggle for the stra-
tegic islands are "encouraging,” it
warned that a large scale sea bat-
tle still was in progress and that
the outcome could not yet be de-
termined. But one official expressed
the opinion that “we are winning
the second round of the battle of the
Solomons.”
ACTION IN EGYPT:
Transport Blasted
Striking at Marshal Erwin Rom-
mel's preparations for a new offen-
sive in Egypt, Royal Air force fight-
ers killed or disabled hundreds of
enemy troops in a raid on transport
columns west of El Alamein.
New Zealand troops saw fast ac-
tion when they routed an Italian
division on the same line, and Unit-
ed States bombers blasted Axis ship-
ping in Suda bay, Crete and the
Corinth canal in Greece.
Tension on the Egyptian front has
mounted steadily. German tank
movements were observed near the
Qattara depression and Italian
forces were attempting to concen-
trate their positions.
As the all-out battle of Egypt grew
closer British newspapers described
this front as equal in importance to
Stalingrad. They pointed out that
the smashing of Rommel’s army
would restore the Mediterranean
command to the United Nations,
whose forces then could start to
close in on the enemy. According
to the London Dally Mail, "The com-
ing battle in Egypt may in the end
reverse the fortunes of war in Rus-
sia.” Indications are that Rommel
will have the hardest fight in his life
in the 80-mile stretch between El
Alamein to Alexandria.
WAR RISK:
Improving Situation?
Indication that the convoy system
for Atlantic shipping was showing
improvement was reflected in a 5
per cent reduction of cargo war risk
rates charged on certain voyages.
Marine underwriters revealed that
this was the first important reduc-
tion war risk rates in many months.
Trends had been increasingly up-
ward since the submarine activity
of the enemy had been intensified
off our Atlantic coast.
Most important effect of the re-
duction would be in the trade be-
tween the United States and Brazil
and Argentina where the previous
rate has been cut from 25 to 20 per
cent.
RED OFFENSIVE:
For Stalingrad Relief
Even while clerks and factory
hands joined Red troops in the de-
fense of Stalingrad, Russia’s Central
front armies began a counterattack
in the German-held area northwest
of Moscow, killing 45,000 enemy
troops in the first 15 days of a drive
that pushed back a Nazi salient 25
to 30 miles.
As Soviet troops battled for foot-
holds within the streets of Rzhev,
the Germans were reported to have
thrown fresh reserves into the battle
but were compelled to retreat with
heavy losses as Russian troops
thrust westward. The Russians
claimed the capture of 610 communi-
ties.
Despite the offensive action, which
was intended to relieve pressure on
Stalingrad, the situation in that in-
dustrial city was conceded to be
critical. However, the Russians de-
scribed it as “no worse.”
CHINA:
Counter-Attack
In the provinces of Chekiang and
Kiangsi the Chinese were fighting a
determined counteroffensive to dis-
lodge the Japs from important bases
whence the United Nations might
launch air raids on Japan.
This offensive was meeting with
considerable success as the Chinese
troops pushed toward Chusien, site
of the biggest airfield in China and
drove hard on Lishui and Sungyang,
both vital points. In addition the
Chinese forces had recaptured over
a hundred mile strip of the Che-
kiang-Kiangsi railway. At one time
the Japs had controlled this railroad
in its entirety.
Biggest questions in the minds of
military experts was where the
Japs were sending their troops now
being diverted from this Chinese
front. Some sources were inclined
to believe that they had gone to the
South Pacific for the battle of the
Solomons and New Guinea, while
unofficial reports told of mass
movements of troops toward the
Russian back door.
Chinese leaders were on the look-
out for a strategic retreat by the
Japs which might have as its pur-
pose the setting of a large-scale trap.
DRAFT:
A Forecast
Representative Sabath of Illinois
chairman of the house rules com-
mittee, believes that the waning
months of the 77th congress will see
the drafting of 18 and 19-year-old
youths authorized by new legisla-
tion. This session of congress ends
in January, 1943.
The congressman predicted that:
“In all likelihood congress will be
asked this session to permit the
drafting of 18 and 19 year olds and
will give its approval.”
CEILINGS:
For Hons. Cattle
As the Office of Price Adminis-
tration worked out its plans for price
ceilings on hogs and cattle, J. K.
Galbraith, deputy administrator,
told a delegation of large stock pro-
ducers in Washington that revisions
of this system would eliminate in-
equalities between different regions
and different classes of buyers.
Meanwhile concurrence with the
OPA plan was being considered by
the department of agriculture. Ceil-
ings were worked out in conjunction
with representative groups of pro-
ducers and OPA before submission
to Secretary of Agriculture Claude
Wickard.
Beef producers were assured by
OPA that this agency would take no
steps to discourage normal feeding
and marketing of livestock.
“While feeders must exercise nor-
mal caution and avoid paying high
prices for their feeders,” said Dep-
uty OPA Administrator Galbraith,
“the working out of ceilings will be
undertaken in close consultation
with producers and with a full and
complete recognition of the market
relationships involved.”
He said further that “feeders who
buy carefully may look forward to
the coming year with confidence.”
DUKE OF KENT:
Dies in Action
The first casualty in England’s
royal family since the start of the
war occurred in northern Scotland
when a giant Sunderland flying boat
crashed, bringing death to the duke
of Kent, youngest brother of King
George VI. With him died all but
one of the crew, a tail gunner who
was thrown clear of the wreck. The
duke, fifth in succession to the
throne, was 39 years old. On active
military duty, he was the youngest
of the four sons of Queen Mary and
the late King George V. Married
to Princess Marina of Greece in
1934, his three children were Prince
Edward, 6; Princess Alexandra, 5;
and Prince George, who was born
last July 4. Prince George also
bears the name of Franklin for Pres-
ident Roosevelt, his godfather.
BRAZIL:
Good Neighbors Speak
Just a week after Brazil’s declara-
tion of war against Germany and
Italy, the Uruguayan government
announced that the two South Amer-
ican nations would co-operate in a
“common defense against possible
aggression.”
Thus Uruguay forged ahead of her
South American neighbors in a show
f solidarity with Brazil. The coun-
try’s national defense ministry had
I been authorized to “adopt, in agree-
by--- wn==
Eleanor Roosevelt
MEXICAN WOMEN IN WAR
HYDE PARK.—Miss Mary Wins-
low, in the Office of the Co-ordina-
tor of Inter-American Affairs, came
to see me in Washington the other
day to tell me about her trip to
Mexico, which she had undertaken
at the invitation of a group of Mexi-
can women’s organizations. They
called a mass meeting of women
and Miss Winslow showed me some
of the handbills used at it. They
seemed striking in their make-up
and extremely concise in the way
in which they expressed the rea-
sons for women to take an active
part in the war situation.
The first handbill simply stated:
"Your country calls you,” and then
listed creeds and political parties.
However, it had underneath them
the simple phrase: "If you are Mex-
icans, to defend the liberty which
you have created, your country calls
you.” In this way was emphasized
the unity of interest of all creeds
and political parties. A second flier
listed the various things Nazi-Fas-
cism would wipe out, dramatizing
thus in the simplest and most di-
rect manner, not only unity, but the
reasons why unity could and should
exist.
Maj. Gen. Armandox Tromposky,
head of the Brazilian air force, pic-
tured at his desk in Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil has a modern air force com-
posed largely of planes manufac-
tured in the United States.
ment with military authorities of
Brazil, all measures designed for
better efficiency in the common de-
fense against possible aggressions."
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister
Caracciolo Parra Perez of Venezuela
expressed his nation's "sincere
sympathy and solidarity” with Bra-
zil and announced that Venezuela
automatically will treat Brazil as a
nonbelligerent under a decree affect-
ing any American nation that goes
to war against the Axis.
BRIEFS:
ADVANCE: Seven months in ad-
vance of schedule, the 45,000-ton bat-
tleship, Iowa, greatest warship ever
built, slid down the ways of the
New York navy yard.
RETURNS: After a summer’s
visit to the United States andCan-
ada, Queen Wilhelmina of the Neth-
erlands was back in London.
TYPEWRITERS: An OPA order
was issued forbidding (after Sep-
tember 15) the rental, lease or loan
of typewriters manufactured since
January 1, 1935, and bans the sale
of typewriters manufactured since
January 1, 1915.
UNITY: Meeting at their 65th an-
nual convention in Detroit, members
of the American Bar association
heard Associate Justice Stanley
Reed of the Supreme court call on
them for lawyers to promote U. S.
unity and lead the way so that a
unified America could march on to
victory.
FREE-FOR-ALL: A tempestuous
session of the Louisiana state sen-
ate featured fisticuffs among legis-
lators and spectators after a floor
argument over the merits of a sales
tax proposal for financing welfare
services in New Orleans.
LOCAL ELECTIONS
I have a letter from a woman,
which tells me of a local political
situation. In the primaries of he:
party, she quite evidently suspects
one candidate of being pro-Nazi, and
urges me to investigate the circum-
stances of her particular locality. 1
do not think it is possible for any-
one, not even the leaders of a politi-
cal organization, really to know ir
detail the exact situation in every
locality. That is why we hold pri-
maries, so that the people who live
in the locality may have the oppor-
tunity to choose the best man as
they see him and know him.
People who are detached from
party organizations can study pub-
lished principles and can stand for
certain general ideas and actions
within groups. But where the indi-
vidual localities are concerned, it is
the people who live in those locali-
ties who have to weigh the real vir-
tues of their candidates. Some-
times neither candidate seems good
enough, and they may even have to
vote against their own party in the
final election. The value of democ-
racy lies in the fact that good or
bad government has its roots in the
localities where people know each
other and where they account for
their actions to their neighbors.
DELIGHTFUL POEM
AND LETTER
I have a delightful letter in my
mail, which reads:
"Dear Mrs. Roosevelt,
“I am sending you a copy of a
poem two of us soldier boys wrote
while in the Sixth Evacuation hos-
pital. This poem expressed the
thoughts of every soldier whose
loved ones neglect to mail that nec-
essary letter. This poem is our
humble effort to tell the people of
the U. S. how we soldiers actually
feel about our mail. If you can use
this poem in any way to help the
soldiers, we heartily give our con-
sent. Sincerely yours.
Corporal------and
Private First Class-------
Here's the poem:
A Soldier’s Lament
“What’s the matter? Out of ink,
Or is your pen on the blink?
All I want is one nice line,
To let me know that you are fine.
It sure is nice to get a line
From some one that’s so divine.
A letter a day in such a way,
Will put the spirits into play.
From an old friend, a letter is
dear,
I hope I am making myself clear.
A letter from you I pine,
Send one when you have the time.
The darkness of eve draws near,
So I must close now with tears.
Remember me while we’re apart,
Yours truly with all my heart.”
I am sure no one will resist this
appeal, so I need say no more.
BRITISH VIEWPOINT
Miss Barbara Ward, foreign edi-
tor of the Economist in England,
who has come over here for a few
months, spent an hour one day with
some of us on the South Porch. I
think it was a most profitable hour,
because it showed us that in many
ways it is hard in this country to
get a complete picture of what is
happening in other countries.
NO WEATHER ’REPORTS'
The censor has written me a very
stern letter about my remarks on
the weather, and so from now on I
shall not tell you whether it rains or
whether the sun shines where I am,
A CHARMING BOOK
I have finished Elizabeth Goudge’s
book: “A Castle on the Hill.”
I like Miss Goudge’s writing, and
this book puts before one, more viv-
idly perhaps than I have read lately,
the changes that are coming about
in the mind and hearts of the people
of Great Britain. The boy in the
book has lived in the traditions of
his family. He loves the beauty of
his environment and is sensitive to
his surroundings, as well as to the
qualities of the people with whom he
comes in contact.
ON THE d.s
HOME
FRONT
RUTH WYETH SPEARS
THIS is another design in the
I series planned to use up odds
and ends of woolen materials to
make lasting floor coverings. The
design is very old and was made
by other women during other
wars. Dimensions are given in
the sketch for making your own
patterns for the links and the fleur
de lis. The shaded parts of the
diagrams show a half and a quar-
HOOKED MS I |
RUG % S PU,N 1
29x52G
CUT
FROM FOLDED
PAPER IKK
BLUE-GREEN BLACK
7 AND GREY USED
I TO REPEAT COLORS
^j OF CHAIR COVER ,
ter of the design drawn on fold-
ed paper. The dotted lines show
how the pattern will appear when
the paper has been cut. The de-
sign is outlined on the burlap by
drawing around the cut-out pat-
tern with wax crayon.
The rug colorings have been
planned to repeat tones in the
room color schemes.
• • •
NOTE: There are suggestions for pre-
paring hooked rug materials and for mak-
ing original designs In BOOK S of the
series which Mrs. Spears has prepared for
readers. Book 6 contains directions for a
hooked rug that any beginner can make
easily and quickly. Booklets are 10 cents
esch. If you order both booklets you will
receive a pattern and directions for the
Add-A-Square Rug. Be sure to request it
with your order. Address:
MRS. RUTH WYETH SPEARS
Bedford Hills
New York
Drawer 1*
Enclose 10 cents for each book
desired.
Nome................................
Address
RHEUMATIC PAIN
Need not Spoil your Day—Get after It Now
Don’t put off getting C-2223 to re-
lieve pain of muscular rheumatism
and other rheumatic pains. Buy
C-2223 today. 60c, $1, everywhere.
Use only as directed. The purchase
price refunded if you're not satisfied.
Quite Apparent
A man can hide all things, ex-
cepting twain—That he is drunk,
and that he is in love. —-
Antiphanes.
a VIAL IRRITATIONS OF
U IKI II EXTERNAL CAUSE
acne pimples, bumps (blackheads), and
ugly broken-out skin. Millions relieve
miseries with simple home treatment.
Goes to work at once. Direct action aids
healing by killing germs it touches. Use
Black and White Ointment only as di-
rected. 10c, 25c, 60c sizes, 36 years success.
Money-back guarantee, tir Vital In
cleansing la good soap. Enjoy famous
Black and White Skin Soap daily.
PROTECT YOUR EYES
WORO-SOL'
‘ORo-soL
EYE DROPS
Safe-Sure
TIRED-INFLAMED
A EYES
ge. 25%
PRESCRIPTION 0
ELLIE:ss-LeEeEsseescaetdsus
[ PARK LABORATORY CO, INC. SAN ANTONtO, TEXAS 1
Boldest Counsels
In great straits and when hope
is small, the boldest counsels are
the safest.—Livy.
CORNS GO FAST
Pain goes quick, corn* -
speedily removed when
you use thin, soothing,
cushioning Dr. Scholl’s
Zino-pads. Try them!
D-Scholls Zino pads
r.-uao
BVY U. S. BONDS
AND STAMPS
★ * * *
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Preusser, Theodore A. The Giddings Star (Giddings, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 23, Ed. 1 Friday, September 4, 1942, newspaper, September 4, 1942; Giddings, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1633856/m1/2/?q=music: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Giddings Public Library and Cultural Center.