America at war! (1941– ) (Part 1)

U.S. fears germ 'blitz’

Potential invasion by disease ‘war’ causes doctors concern

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New Filipino hero at Bataan simply did duty, he declares

By Frank Hewlett

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Prohibition relaxed ‘experimentally’ in Hawaiian Islands
New setup lists limits for public

Strict control and penalties outline under system

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Tax rises suggested

Drastic increases in various levies urged by capital experts

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Lend-Lease aid triples

Pearl Harbor attack spurs shipments to United Nations

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Wife lauds Roosevelt as stamp collector

Washington, Feb. 24 (AP) –
Maybe stamp collecting should be a required study for little boys, to teach them geography – and they might also grow up to be President.

Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt told her press conference today that there was hardly a geographical place that the President doesn’t know something about. He attributes this knowledge, she said, to the fact that he has collected stamps since boyhood.

In response to a question whether she collected stamps, Mrs. Roosevelt said she wished she had been encouraged to have done so as geography is not one of her good subjects.

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Wage boost rejected by War Labor Board

Washington (UP) –
The War Labor Board has rejected a $1-a-day wage increase and a union shop request of 700 CIO workers of the Phelps Dodge Corporation’s smelter division at Douglas, Arizona, on the grounds such action would upset existing AFL contracts covering a majority of the concern’s Arizona employees.

The decision indicated the possibility that “an authoritative national policy” on the union shop issue may be enunciated in the future. Both the closed shop and $1-a-day increase issues are involved in a pending dispute between the CIO Steel Workers Organizing Committee and “Little Steel” companies.

Board members said their action today would minimize “unnecessary conflicts between labor organizations.”

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’Serious leaks’ in U.S. war secrets revealed by Biddle
Senate group studies bill on penalties

Attorney General says legislation involves freedom of press

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Destroyer workers quit shipyard in West

San Pedro, California (AP) –
The day shift, 3,500 members of the CIO Shipyard Workers Union of America walked off the job of building $81,000,000 worth of destroyers for the U.S. Navy after eight hours yesterday. They said Bethlehem Steel Company demanded that they work ten-hour shifts.

Whether 1,500 fellow employees quit the night shift after eight hours, or worked ten, was not reported.

A Bethlehem spokesman said “they’re still on the job” at 3:35 a.m., but at 4:10 a.m. (7:10 a.m. EWT), declined to say whether the shift was still at work.

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Nazis claim sinking 8 more Atlantic ships

Berlin, Germany (AP) –
A special German High Command communiqué said today that German submarines operating in the Atlantic and off the American coast had sunk weight more ships, totaling 63,000 tons.

The text of the special announcement:

German U-boats sank from convoys in the Atlantic and off the American coast a further eight ships totaling 63,000 tons.

Five of the ships were tankers.

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4 destroyers lost, Japs say

Same total damaged and equal number of subs sunk or missing

U.S. Navy Department (February 25, 1942)

Communiqué No. 45

Far East.
The Secretary of the Navy issued the following communiqué, summarizing previously published losses inflicted by U.S. naval forces upon the Japanese Navy and Merchant Marine in the period from December 10, 1941 until February 24, 1942, inclusive. The following information is compiled from Navy Department Communiqués beginning with No. 1 and ending with No. 44, and complements similar information summarizing enemy losses and damage published in recent communiqués of the United States Army.

In accordance with its previously announced policy, the Navy does not indulge in the practice of overstating the losses that we inflict upon the enemy, or of understating the losses inflicted on us. The Navy will report only such facts as can be substantiated. Thus the tabulation of vessels damaged does not include many enemy ships thought to have been damaged, lack of conclusive evidence precluding specific announcements in these instances.

Submarines known to be sunk include only those sunk during the heroic defense of Wake Island and during the recent raid on the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. In accordance with the established Navy Department policy, submarine sinkings are never announced until it is reasonably certain that the enemy has become cognizant of their loss. This explains the time lag in connection with various reports. There is evidence, however, of further sinkings of enemy submarines in Pacific waters, but their announcement will not be made public until full reports have been made to the Navy Department and absolute surety is determined.

Prior to the vicious attack made on the United Nations by the Japanese Empire on December 7, 1941, the pride of the Japanese Merchant Marine consisted of three 17,000-ton luxury ships of the Yawata class. One of these ships is known to have been converted to serve as an aircraft carrier. U.S. naval forces have sunk one merchantman of the Yawata class, and one aircraft carrier of the same class, leaving only one such vessel known to be in service with the enemy.

Tabulation follows, by type of vessel:

Battleships 1 of Kongo class damaged.
Aircraft carriers 1 sunk, 1 believed sunk.
Cruisers 2 sunk.
Destroyers 7 sunk, 1 believed sunk.
Submarines 3 sunk, 1 damaged.
Seaplane tenders 1 believed sunk.
Minesweepers 1 sunk.
Gunboats 1 sunk.
Fleet tankers 3 sunk.
Transports 13 sunk, 2 believed sunk.
Supply ships and merchantmen 16 sunk.
Miscellaneous (type unidentified) 6 sunk, 2 believed sunk, 3 damaged.

Summary

Total announced losses inflicted upon the Japanese in the period outlined above are as follows:

Combatant vessels 5 sunk, 3 believed sunk, 2 damaged.
Noncombatant vessels 38 sunk, 4 believed sunk, 3 damaged.
Total combatant and noncombatant 53 sunk, 7 believed sunk, 5 damaged.

Atlantic Area.
During January 1942, 22 ships of the United Nations registry had torpedoes fired at them in waters contiguous to the United States. In addition, 38 other ships were attacked in the area west of 30° west longitude. One enemy submarine is believed to have been sunk, 3 are believed to have been damaged and 34 additional attacks were inconclusive in evidence of damage.

In February, up to and including the 23rd instant, 23 ships of the United Nations have been attacked by enemy submarines in U.S. coastal waters and 31 additional ships in the area west of 30° west longitude. Two enemy submarines are believed to have been sunk and 1 damaged in these areas. In addition, 15 attacks have been made on enemy submarines by our forces with inconclusive results.

There is nothing to report from other areas.

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Reading Eagle (February 25, 1942)

LOS ANGELES PEPPERED BY SHRAPNEL AS GUNS BLAST AT STRANGE PLANES
Two injured in blackout along coast

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Patrol planes combing coast of California

Naval authorities widen search for enemy sub which shelled oil refinery; Japanese term raid 'great military success’

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Freighter torpedoed off Atlantic Coast

Washington, Feb. 25 (AP) –
The Navy announced today that the Norwegian freighter Blink had been torpedoed by an enemy submarine off the Atlantic Coast.

No details of the torpedoing were made available. The announcement said merely:

The Blink, a Norwegian freighter, has been torpedoed by an enemy submarine off the Atlantic Coast, the Navy Department today announced.

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Japs pushing forces close to Australia
Island approaches to continent scenes of air, sea battles

Port Moresby hit

Transports reported to be ablaze in harbor of Dili, Timor

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MacArthur’s Army breaks Bataan calm
U.S. patrols clash with Japs in aggressive local encounters

Success reported

Two Nipponese planes bagged by American pilots over Java

Bulletin

Allied Headquarters, Java, Feb. 25 (UP) –
Japanese air forces raked Java with bombs and machine-gun fire in a pre-invasion smash today but Allied warplanes took a new toll of the enemy invasion fleet, sinking three transports near Makassar Strait. The three transports were believed to be bringing up reinforcements for the forces on Bali and Sumatra preparatory to a move on Java itself.

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Newfoundland people thanked by Roosevelt

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Italians, Japs, Germans seized in Florida

Miami, Fla., Feb. 25 (AP) –
The FBI announced today that 29 Germans, Italians and Japanese were taken into custody in a series of 80 raids here.

R. G. Danner, agent in charge, said officers confiscated guns, cameras, shortwave radios, ammunition, exposed film, signaling devices and German propaganda material.

Among those arrested in Florida raids were an Italian prince and a German countess, both identified with high social circles.

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Rubber crisis amazing mess, Senator says

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