Congress reported fairly healthy
Collective condition good despite steady work
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Defective ammunition doctored, U.S. charges
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Robot sentries guard war plants
’Hear’ person’s whisper or snip of wire cutter
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American colony in Russia yearns for news from home
By Eddy Gilmore
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Semi-skilled shop workers seen favored for new jobs
By Paul Gesner and William Pinkerton
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Four Americans buried after crash in China
Kunming, China, March 16 (AP) – (delayed)
Four Americans killed in the crash of a Chungking-bound Chinese transport plane last Saturday night were buried today in a Chinese Army Air Force cemetery four miles outside Kunming.
They were:
- Lt. Col. Otto C. George, of Hiawatha, Kan., member of the U.S. Military Mission to China;
- Lt. Frederick L. Kohler, pilot of the plane;
- Emil S. Scott, co-pilot;
- William Schuler, of North Bergen, NJ, a photographer.
Brig. Gen. Claire L. Chennault, head of the American Volunteer Group, and other members of the AVG attended the service.
Three men lost when boat crashes into railroad bridge pier
14 others saved after vessel sinks
Two women members of crew rescued in Ohio river tragedy
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Crashes kill Army pilots
Only two survive as 14 perish in Western bomber plunges
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Two facing death as wartime spies
First case in U.S. since conflict brings pleas
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U.S. troops in Ireland celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
By C. R. Cunningham
U.S. soldiers and Irish girls have a friendly chat during the St. Patrick’s Day Dance and Celebration. (L-R): Pvt. Bernard Brilliant; Cpl. May Officer; Pvt. Catherine McCloskey; Pvt. John Battafarano; Pvt. Raymond Evans; Pvt. Doris Evane; Pvt. Henriette Officer; Pvt. Henry Kacvinsky.
With the AEF in Northern Ireland (UP) –
This St. Patrick’s Day promises to be just another day of hard work for American troops training in Northern Ireland.
The American soldiers of Irish ancestry have been bemoaning the fact that they are unable to cross the border into Éire for the March 17 festivities and some expressed the wish for the first time they were back in New York, at least for this day, to see the parade down 5th Avenue.
Peter Ghormley’s saloon, like every other saloon in Northern Ireland, is closed on St. Pat’s Day. There is very little green showing in the towns and villages near the camps of the Americans. Only a few staunch “far downers” wear the shamrock or green ribbons on the 17th, but the Irish-minded Americans planned their own private celebrations in the evening.
There were a number of dances planned but many American soldiers were unable to attend because they normally get leaves only on the weekend.
There is no public observance of the day in Northern Ireland and even the usual splurge in Éire was ordered curtailed this year because of the war.
Private parties were planned with great enthusiasm, however, and some of the American soldiers said they expected to give the Irish a lesson in how the day ought to be observed.
Many of the Americans have relatives across the border in Éire, but that country has been “out of bounds” for the expeditionary troops since they first arrived. One reason for the ban was a report that a group of Americans crossed the border one night and were involved in a street fight in which 24 were bruised enough to require hospital treatment.
One American, Capt. Jack Steinberg, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, said he “sure would like to go to Dublin” again on St. Patrick’s Day because he was born there, but some Irish friends of the United States soldiers told them confidentially that they might have just as much fun in Ulster.
Maureen O’Kelly reminded them:
The Irish Republican Army is always what we call ‘active’ up here on St. Patrick’s Day.
Joan Leslie dreams up ‘Irish dream cast of 10’
Hollywood, California (AP) –
Now the movies are trying to cash in on good old St. Patrick.
Joan Leslie’s studio reports she has dreamed up an Irish dream cast – the ten Irishmen she would like to appear opposite in films.
Joan‘s ten dream Irishmen are James Cagney (with whom she just made a picture), Pat O’Brien, Thomas Mitchell, Errol Flynn, George Brent, Frank McHugh, Ronald Reagan, Regis Toomey, Edmund O’Brien, and Pat Knowles.
Her press agents slighted Jimmy Gleason. Joan and Jimmy G. were selected by the Gaelic Association of Southern California as the outstanding Irish actress and actor of 1941.
Contracts awarded for 234 cargo ships
Maritime Commission announces new list
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8 cars of night express derailed in New York State
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His death exaggerated
Philadelphia, March 17 (AP) –
Lt. Richard Spotswood Smith, 22-year-old Army pilot, has twice been reported killed in action – but someone seems to have exaggerated.
He cabled his mother, Mrs. Douglas Childs Smith Sjostrom:
I’m not dead.
She said she intends to ask the War Department to reinstate him on the records as a “living, fighting man.”
All phases of American life changed as result of war
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U.S. controls food prices
Ceilings of pork items becomes effective next Monday
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Federation of Teachers opposes sales tax proposals
Favors plan to increase income levy
U.S. Treasury collects $1,753,000,000 from nation’s citizens
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The Pittsburgh Press (March 17, 1942)
Rambling Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
SAN DIEGO – I’ve heard a couple of funny soldier stories here in this soldier sailor town.
One has to do with a new contingent of draftees, among whom there happened to be several lawyers, and they happened to be placed together in the same barracks.
The lawyers had money in their pockets, so after getting onto the ways of the Army they began giving the old-time noncoms money to go out and get them extra things to eat and drink, making Army life more comfortable for themselves.
But the old-timers pulled a fast one on them – they’d take the money and never bring anything back. And because of their superior rank they figured the newcomers would be afraid to squawk.
Well, the lawyer-soldiers didn’t squawk, but they solved the problem all right. They got together one evening, talked the situation over, and then called their cheating superiors before them. They read them the Constitution, the Army regulations, and certain sections of California law dealing with larceny and embezzlement. Then they summed up the case in good courtroom fashion. Before it was over they had the perplexed noncoms looking right through the penitentiary gate.
So now the situation has reversed itself, and the “wise” noncoms are running errands for the lawyers with no pay at all. The commissioned officers in charge have heard about it over the grapevine, but they’re just putting their tongues in their cheeks and grinning.
Salute with wrong hand
The other one has to do with a draftee from a wealthy family, who was on sentry duty in a San Diego office building taken over by the Army. His post was in the lobby.
Having extra money, he hired another soldier one day to go to a nearby restaurant and get him some sandwiches in a paper bag. He had just received them, and had them in his right hand, when a captain walked thru the lobby. The soldier quickly stuck the bag behind him. fumbled with his rifle, and saluted snappily with his left hand.
The startled captain came back to see what that was all about. “How long have you been in the Army?” the captain asked.
“Five months,” said the soldier, “but I was drafted.” (I still don’t know what that has to do with the story, but anyway that’s what the soldier said.)
“You certainly know after five months how to salute,” said the captain. “Now salute me properly.”
Whereupon the befuddled soldier shifted his rifle to his left hand, handed the captain the sack of sandwiches, saluted correctly with his right hand, and then reached out and relieved the captain of his burden.
The captain, sensing the futility of it all, just fumed away and let the matter drop.
Human characters have gone through the mill of this column by the hundreds over the years.
Some of you who read the column regularly may wonder sometimes what has happened to So-and-So whom we wrote about years ago. Of course, I never hear again of most of the people I write about. But now and then comes news of some of them. A certain kind of news has been much in my mail recently.
My friend “Sunset” Cox, the old China hand who after 40 years in the Orient was shipped back to California with tuberculosis, has finally had his vast enthusiasm stilled. “Sunset” is dead. He was nearly 70, but to me he seemed my own age. I’ve never known anyone who enjoyed every minute of his life more than “Sunset.” He didn’t live in vain.
And Uncle Steve Whaley is gone, too. He lived at Gatlinburg, Tenn. Uncle Steve is the mountain farmer who turned into a rich hotel man when the tourist fad struck the Great Smokies. Uncle Steve was a sly one. He said he graduated from Bear Pen Holler University, and “didn’t know nothin’ about nothin’.” But he got rich, and love it in his whimsical mountaineer way. Life was worthwhile for him, too.
He couldn’t wait to see
And gone also is Adrian Egbert, the man who lived luxuriously in caves at the south entrance to Death Valley, and who figured he’d be safe from bombing, if bombing ever came. But he couldn’t wait to see.
And gone, too, is Scotty – no, not “Death Valley Scotty” – but another Scotty you may remember, the old Australian who lived in squalor on the banks of an irrigation canal at Phoenix, Ariz., and kept around him constantly nearly 100 stray dogs, goats, burros, cats and other forms of animal life. He drowned last fall while swimming the canal. I do not know what became of his animals.
As I think back upon these men, it seems to me that those people who have within them the capacity for being a little different from the ordinary run of men – difference enough, for instance, to make them characters in a column – have had better lives than the rest of us. All four of these men had an enthusiasm for being alive. None of them was humdrum. It is a gift that hasn’t been given to all of us.
U.S. Navy Department (March 18, 1942)
Navy Communiqué No. 57
Far East.
Combined operations of American and Australia island-based forces were conducted recently against Japanese ships and land installations in and near Salamaua and Lae in New Guinea.
These operations are believed to have resulted in the sinking of two enemy heavy cruisers; heavy damage to and the probable sinking of one light cruiser; damage to a fourth cruiser; the probable sinking of one destroyer; the possible sinking of two destroyers and damage to one large destroyer.
Five transports or cargo ships were either sunk or gutted by fire and run aground. One heavy bomb hit was secured on each of two transports, one troopship was damaged and left burning and three other transports were damaged.
One aircraft tender was heavily damaged and two gunboats were damaged, one of which was left burning and is believed to have sunk. One minesweeper was left in flames and probably sank. Three seaplanes were shot down and many small boats were demolished. Considerable damage was done to enemy shore installations, aircraft runways and anti-aircraft batteries.
The heavy losses inflicted on the enemy by the combined American and Australian forces were accomplished with the loss of but one plane. The U.S. submarine Shark has been overdue in the Far East for more than a month and must be presumed to be lost. The next of kin of the personnel of the Shark have been notified.
During the month of December, the U.S. submarine Sealion which was under extensive overhaul at Cavite, was so damaged as to necessitate her demolition to prevent her use by the enemy in the event of capture.
Early this month the damaged U.S. destroyer Stewart was demolished in the drydock at Soerabaja to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy. Previous efforts to put her in serviceable condition had failed.
There were no personnel casualties in the case of the Sealion and the Stewart.
There is nothing to report from other areas.
Reading Eagle (March 18, 1942)
Allies mass armies in Australia
U.S. bombers attack Timor again as Japs hit Solomon Islands
Koepang base of enemy battered while foe raids two towns
MacArthur active
Assumes command as ‘mighty river’ of aid is sent by America
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Formidable odds faced by MacArthur, U.S. says
Military experts warn against false optimism as general directs battle for Australia
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Beaverbrook to visit U.S.
Publisher will assist in pooling resources of United Nations
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