America at war! (1941--) -- Part 2

WLB grants 4¢ raise to transit men

Washington (UP) –
The War Labor Board today granted a general wage increase of 4¢ an hour for 10,000 employees of the Philadelphia Transportation Company.

The wage award exceeded the 15% increase since Jan. 1, 1941, which could be granted under the Little Steel formula because, the board explained, of the unreasonable difference between wages of the Philadelphia workers and those in comparable cities.


Red Cross ship rescues 14 sailors 11 days adrift

Lisbon, Portugal (UP) –
After 11 days adrift, 14 crewmen of an American merchantman, which was torpedoed in the Atlantic off the Azores, were rescued Monday by a vessel chartered to the International Red Cross and were taken to Horta on Tuesday, the Portuguese Red Cross said today.

Wallace never sausage nerve as Clare’s beef on ‘globaloney’

Washington (UP) –
Vice President Wallace took issue today with Rep. Clare Boothe Luce (R-CT).

Mrs. Luce, in her maiden speech to the House yesterday, said Wallace’s “global thinking is – no matter how you slice it – still globaloney.” Wallace’s proposal for “freedom of the air,” she said, was not likely to prevent another world war.

Wallace, in a statement that did not mention Mrs. Luce by name, said:

I am sure the Republican Party is not against either freedom of the seas or freedom of the air after the war is over. I am also sure that the vast bulk of Republicans do not want to stir up animosity against either our Russian or English allies at the present time. None of us wishes to use those methods of preparation for World War III which will make World War III inevitable.

Mrs. Luce, whose announced intention of making a speech yesterday attracted an unusually large number of House members, said the policy of freedom of the seas had been detrimental to the American Merchant Marine.

She said that when the shooting stops, the British would be prepared to develop international airways, “perhaps with Lend-Lease planes.” All post-war air aims, she continued, are beclouded by Allied ignorance of the wishes of Russia.

30% pay boost seen for many in 48-hour week

Byrnes offers pledge that exorbitant prices will be slashed

Editorial: Weeding out seeds of bigotry from textbooks is timely job

What we recently remarked in commenting upon the coming celebration of Brotherhood Week, in this community and throughout the nation, about the fruitful work of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, in promoting practical cooperation among American citizens of different religious views, is again rendered timely by the latest report made by that group.

It summarizes what has been accomplished, by typically American methods, over a 10-year period during which time Hitlerism was occupying the spotlight on the stage of history, preparing the explosion which is now rocking the world. Quietly, persistently, patiently, and in the true spirit of religious brotherhood, representative American Protestants, Catholics and Jews, clergymen and laymen, educators and theologians, have labored to weed out the seeds of bigotry, and of traditional but unjustifiable religious and racial prejudices and suspicions and errors, from the textbooks used in our public, private and religious schools and colleges.

It is in those schools that the minds of children and youth have either been well-nourished, and fertilized for good, or on the contrary, were biased or misdirected. In the Nazi and fascist and Japanese systems of education, so-called, they were indoctrinated and shaped for the worst possible ends of evil philosophies and creeds. The report should be read and studied widely. It is too voluminous and detailed to be more than briefly dealt with here; but, in general, and to stress the fact that is most important, it shows that through the prolonged labors of all three of the groups cooperating, great progress has been quietly accomplished.

Admittedly, much remains to be done; particularly, it would seem, in regard to anti-Negro bias in some sections of the country; but where a task that once seemed beyond the reach of any agency save drastic legislation – which might readily have provoked more difficulties than already existed – has been so wisely advanced, to such a high degree of success, the future progress of that task may be regarded as assured.

Many of the best-known educational groups have worked with and supplemented this pioneering enterprise of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, such as the National Education Association, the National Catholic Education Association, the American Jewish Committee, and others. In addition to removing, or greatly modifying or interpreting, outright offensive passages, and passages readily misunderstood, or provocative of offense though offense may not have been intended, it is encouraging to learn from the same report of the preparation of new school books placing greater emphasis upon constructive community relationships.

All races, and the chief religious creeds of the Western world, have played a great part in the making of America, and will play an even greater part in our future when brotherhood becomes more and more of a practical reality, rather than an abstract theory to which too many of our people, in the past, rendered lip service only.

1 Like

Editorial: Guadalcanal

The Japanese evacuation of Guadalcanal after five months of bitter resistance is a triumph for American arms. It means that the Japs apparently have decided that further efforts to hold this point as a basis from which to harry the American shipping lines to Australia would be too expensive. So, they have swallowed their pride and moved out.

Whether Guadalcanal now will be used as a base from which to pursue the Japs north, island-by-island, is a secret of our strategists. That it will be expanded, at least for use as a base from which to harass Jap centers in those seas, is practically certain.

And certain it is that the name of Guadalcanal will go down in history as the point at which American fighting men first took the offensive in this war, first demonstrated conclusively that they could outfight a foe vastly better trained, nearer his base of supplies and fired with the zeal that comes with success.

The Pittsburgh Press (February 10, 1943)

Ernie Pyle V Norman

Roving Reporter

By Ernie Pyle

At the frontline in Tunisia – (Feb. 9)
The afternoon sun went over the hill and the evening chill began to come down. We were sitting on a busy hillside – just a small bunch of American officers forming what is called a forward command post.

Officers who had been in the battle for Ousseltia Pass all day started wandering in through the brush on foot, to report. They were dirty and tired but the day had gone well, and they were cheerful in a quiet and unexpressed way.

A Medical Corps major came up the hill and said:

Those blankety-blanks! They’ve knocked out two of my ambulances that were trying to get the wounded back. A hell of a lot a Red Cross means to them!

Nobody said anything. He went back down the hill, as mad as a hornet.

The officers kept talking about three fellow officers who had been killed during the day, and a fourth one who was missing. One of the dead men apparently had been a special favorite. An officer who had been beside him when it happened came up with blood on his clothes. He said:

We hit the ground together. But when I got up, he couldn’t. It took him right in the head. He felt no pain.

An officer told an enlisted man:

Raise up that tent and pack his stuff.

Another one said:

The hell of it is his wife’s due to have a baby anytime now.

Just then a sergeant walked up. He had left the post that morning with the officer who was now missing. They all asked:

Where’s Captain So-and-so?

The sergeant said he didn’t know. Then he said he himself had been captured. “Captured?” the officers asked.

He said:

Yes. The Italians captured me and then turned me loose.

The sergeant was Vernon Gery, 305 West Navarre St., South Bend, Indiana. He is a married man, and was a lawyer before the war. He is a young and husky fellow. He didn’t appear to be very much shaken by his experience, but he said he never was so scared in his life.

Sitting there on the ground he told me his experience. He and the missing captain and a jeep driver had gone forward at 9:30 in the morning to hunt for the body of a popular officer who had been killed. They parked the jeep, and the captain told them to stay there till he returned. They covered the jeep with brush and then hid in the bushes to wait while the captain went on alone. As they were lying there the driver yelled to Sgt. Gery:

Look, they’re retreating!

He saw eight soldiers coming toward them. He thought they were French, but actually they were an Italian patrol. The driver’s shout attracted their attention and they began shooting. The two Americans fired back. The jeep driver was hit and killed instantly. Gery said the driver yelled just once when he was hit. He said:

I’ll be hearing that yell for a long time.

In a moment the Italians had Gery. Apparently, they were on a definite mission, for seven of them went on, leaving one guard to watch Gery. They had taken his rifle, searched him, and given back his identification cards, but they kept his cigarettes, pipe, tobacco, chewing gum, and message book.

I asked:

Did they take your money?

Gery said:

I didn’t have any. I haven’t been paid in three months. I haven’t had a cent in my pocket for weeks.

For an hour the Italian sat 10 feet from Gery with his rifle pointed at him. Gery says the Italian must have been well-acquainted with the American rifle, for he passed the time taking it apart and putting it together, and did it rapidly and correctly. The Italian didn’t try to talk to Gery.

Suddenly our artillery began dropping shells close to where they sat. That was too much for the Italian. He just got up and disappeared into the bushes. And Gery started home.

As Gery finished his story, the commanding colonel came back from his afternoon’s tour. He sat down on the ground, and the officers gathered around to hear his reports and get their instructions for the night. There was still gunfire around. The colonel, a tall, middle-aged man, wore glasses and had a schoolteacherly look. But he cussed a blue streak and made his decisions crisply. You could tell he was loved and respected. He called all his men by their first names. He wore a brown canvas cap, without any insignia at all. Officers at the front tried to look as little like officers as possible, for the enemy liked to pick them off first.

Somebody asked if the colonel would like a cup of tea. He said he would. Somebody yelled, and out of the bushes came a Chinese boy in uniform and helmet, carrying a teapot covered with a rag.

Planes came over again, and several officers ran to foxholes, but the colonel acted as if he didn’t see them. The rest of us stayed and continued the conversation. The officers told him about the three members of his staff who had been killed.

He said:

Christ! Well, we’re in a war. We’ve got to expect it. We must try not to feel too bad about it.

And then he went on:

Here’s the way it is. We are being relieved at 11:30 tonight. Jim, you start taking up your phone wire, but nothing else moves a foot before daylight. Joe, you keep on firing up to leaving time, so they won’t know we are pulling out. We’ve got ‘em on the run, and I wish we could stay, but we’ve got our orders.

Then everybody left to carry out his new duties, and we went back down the hill to our jeep.

That is the way war looks from a forward command post.

1 Like

Völkischer Beobachter (February 11, 1943)

„Seeschlacht auf der Höhe der Isabellinsel“ –
Japan versenkte 13 Kriegsschiffe

dnb. Tokio, 10. Februar –
Das Kaiserliche Hauptquartier gibt bekannt, daß die japanische Marine in der Zeit zwischen dem 1. und 7. Februar in den Gewässern südöstlich der Isabellinsel der Salomo n gruppe insgesamt 13 feindliche Schiffe versenkte und 86 Flugzeuge abschoß. Im einzelnen verlor der Feind zwei Kreuzer, wovon einer in wenigen Minuten versenkt wurde, einen Zerstörer und zehn Torpedoboote, außerdem 86 Flugzeuge.

Die japanischen Verluste beliefen sich auf drei Zerstörer, die beschädigt wurden, davon einer schwer, außerdem 12 Flugzeuge, die nicht zurückkehrten. Diese Schlacht wird in Zukunft die Bezeichnung führen: Seeschlacht auf der Höhe der Isabellinsel.

Das Kaiserliche Hauptquartier hatte bekanntlich am 4. Februar bereits ein Zwischenergebnis bekanntgegeben. Bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt waren ein Kreuzer versenkt, ein Kreuzer schwer beschädigt und 33 Flugzeuge abgeschossen. Der Erfolg unseres japanischen Verbündeten, der dem Sieg bei der Rennellinsel unmittelbar folgte, konnte also noch wesentlich vergrößert werden.

Neue Stellungen auf Neuguinea

Das Kaiserliche Hauptquartier gab die Fertigstellung neuer strategischer Stellungen in der Gegend von Buna auf Neuguinea bekannt. Die auf Guadalcanar befindlichen Streitkräfte wurden abgezogen, nachdem sie ihre Aufgabe erfüllt hatten. Der Feind verlor mehr als 25.000 Tote und Verwundete, 230 Flugzeuge, 30 Geschütze und 25 Panzer.

Opferfreudiges Japan

Vizekriegsminister Kimura im Reichstag erklärte:

Seit Ausbruch des China-Konfliktes sind der japanischen Armee Spenden in Höhe von 215 Mill. Jen zugegangen, 162 Mill. Jen davon allein im vergangenen Jahr. Von diesen Spenden wurden über 1200 Flugzeuge, 260 Tanks und zahlreiche andere schwere Waffen gebaut.

Außerdem seien 90 Mill. Jen für wohltätige und 10 Mill. Jen für wissenschaftliche Zwecke bei der japanischen Armee als Geschenke der Bevölkerung eingegangen.

Militärkredite bewilligt

Das japanische Oberhaus billigte am Mittwoch nach kurzer Beratung einstimmig das zusätzliche außerordentliche Militärbudget in Höhe von 27 Milliarden Jen.

Japanisch-bulgarische Freundschaft

In Anwesenheit des Tenno billigte der Geheime Staatsrat in seiner Sitzung am Mittwoch das Freundschafts- und Kulturabkommen mit Bulgarien.

Zerfallendes Empire –
Australiens Militär unter USA.-Verwaltung

dnb. Stockholm, 10. Februar –
Für den zunehmenden Einfluß, den die USA. sich auch in Australien zu sichern verstanden, spricht eine Meldung des Londoner Nachrichtendienstes. Danach erklärte der Kommandant eines britischen Kriegsschiffes, Kapitän Collins, nach seiner Rückkehr aus Australien, daß die Zusammenarbeit zwischen den USA. und Australien bereits sehr weitgehend ausgebaut worden sei. Die gesamten bewaffneten Streitkräfte des Landes stünden heute schon restlos unter amerikanischem Kommando.

In den Beratungen des Auswärtigen Ausschusses des Washingtoner Kongresses über die Verlängerung des Pacht- und Leihgesetzes, das am 30. Juni 1943 abläuft, trat der Staatskommissar für die USA.-Schiffahrt, Admiral Land, für die weitere Fortführung des Pacht- und Leihgesetzes ein, da die Amerikaner auf die Stellung von britischen Transportschiffen im Rahmen des Pacht- und Leihgesetzes angewiesen seien. Obwohl Admiral Land behauptete, daß die USA.-Handelsflotte vielleicht Mitte des Jahres die englische übertreffen würde, gestand er ein, die meisten amerikanischen Truppenbewegungen über See würden überhaupt nicht möglich sein, wenn den USA. nicht britische Transportschiffe zur Verfügung ständen.

Der „unentbehrliche“ Roosevelt

Von unserer Stockholmer Schriftleitung

Stockholm, 10. Februar –
Die Opposition im amerikanischen Kongreß hat über den heißen Debatten um das Pacht- und Leihabkommengesetz, die Arbeitskraftfragen und die U-Boot-Diskussionen nicht vergessen, daß im nächsten Jahr ein neuer Präsident für die Vereinigten Staaten gewählt werden muß, und daß Roosevelt schon heute alles tut, um sich auch die vierte Wiederwahl zu sichern. Weite Kreise der Republikanischen Partei klagen dabei, wie der Vertreter von Stockholms Tidningen in Neuyork schreibt, Roosevelt ganz offen an, daß er Regierungsorgane und staatliche Einrichtungen dazu benutze, seine Wahl zu unterstützen.


Empfindlicher Schlag der japanischen Luftwaffe –
Angriff auf USA.-Basen in Tschungking

Eigener Bericht des „Völkischen Beobachters“

rd. Bern, 10. Februar –
Einen großangelegten Überraschungsangriff führte die japanische Luftwaffe gegen zwei neu aufgebaute amerikanische Flugplätze auf tschungking-chinesischem Gebiet durch.

In den Meldungen aus Tschungking sucht man nicht zu verheimlichen, daß die Amerikaner auf ihrem vorgeschobenen Posten unvorbereitet überrumpelt wurden. So wurde der amerikanische Flugplatz von Kweiling in der Südprovinz Kwangsi von 60 bis 70 japanischen Maschinen angegriffen, wobei sich die Japaner nicht darauf beschränkten, Bomben abzuwerfen, sondern auch noch in Tiefflügen die Flugplatzanlagen mit Maschinengewehrfeuer bestrichen. Der zweite japanische Luftangriff richtete sich gegen den amerikanischen Flugplatz bei Kentiang in der Provinz Hunan. Offensichtlich handelt es sich um Flugplatzanlagen, die erst in letzter Zeit für die amerikanische Luftwaffe in Tschungking-China ausgebaut worden waren.

Der japanische Überraschungsangriff ist für Tschungking ein empfindlicher Schlag, da die amerikanische Luftwaffe in Tschungking-China nach wie vor nur mit relativ schwachen Kräften vertreten ist. Die Zahl der Jagd- und Bombenmaschinen wird auf etwa 100 bis 120 geschätzt.

Einen weiteren Angriff richtete die japanische Luftwaffe gegen amerikanische Flugplätze in Ostindien. Gleichzeitig gehen die japanischen Kämpfe in der Provinz Yünnan weiter. Nach Meldungen aus Tschungking haben die Japaner dort Streitkräfte in Stärke von 10.000 bis 15.000 Mann eingesetzt, denen es wohl vor allem darauf ankommen dürfte, einen Ausbau der tschungking-chinesischen Defensivstellungen zu verhindern.

U.S. Navy Department (February 11, 1943)

Communiqué No. 277

North Pacific.
On February 10:

  1. During the morning, U.S. heavy and medium bombers, with fighter escort, bombed Japanese positions at Kiska. Many hits on enemy installations were observed.

  2. A single enemy float-type plane attacked U.S. surface units in the western Aleutians. No damage was suffered.

South Pacific.
Japanese forces on Guadalcanal Island have ceased all organized resistance. Patrol operations against isolated enemy groups continue.

During the night of February 9-10, a Catalina patrol bomber (Consolidated PBY) attacked enemy positions at Munda.

On February 10:

  1. U.S. planes attacked enemy positions at Munda. Results were not reported.

  2. A reconnaissance plane from Guadalcanal shot down a twin-engine Japanese bomber over Choiseul Island.

Brooklyn Eagle (February 11, 1943)

AFRICA COMMAND IS UNIFIED TO LAUNCH VAST OFFENSIVE
Eisenhower chief in Mediterranean

Churchill bares ‘victory blueprint’ – says Allies have landed 500,000 men

Jap losses hit 21–1 in Guadalcanal rout

Yanks mop up after flanking movement by sea crushes foe’s resistance on island

British strike at Rommel inside Tunisia

Artillery duels rage along coast as two armies lock in battle

Roosevelt to make 2 radio addresses

3 British war chiefs Eisenhower’s aides

They’ll head land, sea and air forces – ‘happy over entire setup,’ says general

Hershey opposes deferments solely on dependency

Corporal gets 10 years for slaying wife

Boro girl, RAF’s ‘Yankee Doodle’ at Malta, wants to join WAACs

Editorial: U.S. evolves strong economic program for the home front

Important developments have come thick and fast on the home front in the past few days. The combined effect should be greatly to strengthen our economic defenses.

First came the introduction of the “National War Service Act of 1943.” of which Rep. Wadsworth of New York and Senator Austin of Vermont were the co-authors. It is significant that two Republicans took the play on this issue in Congress. In fact, it only serves to emphasize the fact that this is no partisan matter.

Objections have already been raised to it by labor leaders and by former President Hoover. But even though it may have weaknesses we cannot get away from the basic fact that if the government has the power to draft men into the Armed Forces and send them to risk their lives in battle on foreign soil, it also certainly should have the power to draft them into vital war work at home on the success of which we must also depend for the achievement of victory.

Such a step is drastic and radical. That we concede. But the same thing is being done in Britain. Certainly, it should be worthwhile to surrender some of our liberties temporarily in order to win this war; for if we do not win, those liberties will be lost indefinitely.

Then came President Roosevelt’s order establishing the 48-hour week in 32 industrial cities throughout the country. Here again objections are being raised. And it is no doubt true that labor will benefit greatly by the payment of time and a half overtime for the hours above 40 that are worked in the plants involved. Yet this policy should free great numbers of workers who could then be placed by the War Manpower Commission in areas where vital war industries are desperately in need of additional men.

Also, the 48-hour order followed by only a few hours the decision of the National War Labor Board reaffirming its “Little Steel” wage formula limiting any wage increases to compensate for higher living costs to 15% over the levels of Jan. 1, 1941.

This should be a cornerstone in the fight to prevent inflation, and Economic Stabilization Director James F. Byrnes, in his address following the promulgation of the 48-hour week order, made it clear that these things were all part of the government’s economic program for the home front. Furthermore, Mr. Byrnes, who is now one of the two or three most powerful figures in the government, made it clear that he would see that the “Little Steel” wage formula is maintained.

It will be conceded that if John L. Lewis should be able to break through that ceiling the Administration’s efforts to block inflation will collapse with consequences, the seriousness of which can scarcely be overemphasized.

Mr. Byrnes addressed himself to all the important groups in the country to labor, to industry and to agriculture and urged that all stop contending for special advantages. He called for common sacrifices, and urged that we all struggle to hold the line against both inflation and deflation. It is to be hoped that his words are heeded.

There has been a general call for the government to take a strong stand in domestic and economic policies in relation to the war. Now that this has been done the administration is entitled to support and to an opportunity to demonstrate the results which it hopes to achieve.

The Pittsburgh Press (February 11, 1943)

Ernie Pyle V Norman

Roving Reporter

By Ernie Pyle

A forward airdrome in French North Africa – (Feb. 10)
It is hard for a layman to understand the fine points of aerial combat as practiced at the moment in North Africa. It is hard even for the pilots themselves to keep up, for there are changes in tactics from week to week.

We will have some new idea and surprise the Germans with it. Then they’ll come across with a surprise maneuver, and we will have to change everything to counteract it. But basically, at the moment, you can say that everything depends on teamwork. The lone dashing hero in this war is certain to be a dead hero within a week. Sticking with the team and playing it all together is the only guarantee of safety for everybody.

Our fighters go in groups with the bombers, ranging the sky above them, flying back and forth, watching for anything that might appear. But if they see some Germans in the distance nobody goes after them. That would be playing into the enemy’s hands. So, they stick to their formation above the bombers, making an umbrella.

The German has two choices – to dive down through them, or to wait until somebody is hit by flak and has to drop back. Then they are on him in a flash. 'When that happens, the fighters attack but still in formation. Keeping that formation always and forever tight is what the flight leaders constantly drilled into the boys’ heads. It is a great temptation to dash out and take a shot at some fellow, but by now they’ve seen too many cases of the tragedy of such actions.

One group leader told me:

If everything went according to schedule, we’d never shoot down a German plane. We’d cover our bombers and keep ourselves covered and everybody would come home safe.

The fighter pilots seem a little different from the bomber men. Usually, they are younger. Many of them were still in school when they joined up. Ordinarily they might be inclined to be more harum-scarum, but their work is so deadly and the sobering dark cloud of personal tragedy is over them so constantly that it seems to have humbled them. In fact, I think it makes them nicer people than if they were cocky.

They have to get up early. Often, I’ve gone to the room of my special friends at 9:30 in the evening and found them all asleep. They fly so frequently they can’t do much drinking. One night recently, when one of the most popular fighter pilots had been killed right on the home field, in an accident, some of the boys assuaged their grief with gin. They said:

Somehow you feel it more when it happens right here than when a fellow just doesn’t come back.

When they first came over here, you’d frequently hear pilots say they didn’t hate the Germans, but you don’t hear that anymore. They have lost too many friends, too many roommates. Now it is killing that animates them.

The highest spirits I’ve seen in that room were displayed one evening after they came back from a strafing mission. That’s what they like to do best, but they get little of it. It’s a great holiday from escorting bombers, which they hate. Going out free-lancing to shoot up whatever they could see, and going in enough force to be pretty sure they’ll be superior to the enemy – that’s utopia.

That’s what they had done that day. And they really had a field day. Them ran onto a German truck convoy and blew it to pieces. They’d laugh and get excited as they told about it. The trucks were all full of men, and “they’d fly out like firecrackers.” Motorcyclists would get hit and dive 40 feet before they stopped skidding. Two Messerschmitt 109s made the mistake of coming after our planes. They never had a chance. After firing a couple of wild bursts, they went down smoking, and one of them seemed to blow up.

The boys were full of laughter when they told about it as they sat there on their cots in the dimly lighted room. I couldn’t help having a funny feeling about them. They were all so young, so genuine, so enthusiastic. And they were so casual about everything – not casual in a hard, knowing way, but they talked about their flights and killing and being killed exactly as they would discuss girls or their school lessons.

Maybe they won’t talk at all when they finally get home. If they don’t, it will be because they know this is a world apart and nobody else could ever understand.