Food output to top 1943’s by 4%
Meat production puts total over last year’s record
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Army invisible to visitors on Catania front
But smell of battle and noise prove that men are dying
By Hugh Baillie
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Simms: Allied approval of new French setup in doubt
De Gaulle’s compromise is believed prompted by personal motives
By William Philip Simms, Scripps-Howard foreign editor
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58 political prisoners cheer release in Palermo
Third of half-starved group detained for treatment; few know why they had been arrested
By Richard Mowrer
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Yanks in Sicily walk 24 miles and lick Nazis
Rout strong enemy force after 20-hour hike under full packs
By C. R. Cunningham, United Press staff writer
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6 die, 200 hurt as riot flares in Harlem area
Trouble starts over arrest of drunken woman; mayor in plea
Bulletin
New York (UP) –
Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia clamped a 10:30 p.m. curfew today on Harlem, scene of bloody rioting last night and this morning.
New York (UP) –
Six thousand policemen guarded tenement-lined streets of West Harlem today where more than 12 hours of rioting was dying down to sporadic outbreaks.
It was feared, however, that some incident might fan the riot embers into fresh terror.
Police listed six deaths and nearly 200 injured in street brawls, stabbings and lootings that followed the quick spread of news that a Negro soldier had been shot by a white policeman.
Traffic was ordered rerouted around the area, liquor stores were closed, and policemen reporting to the 8 a.m. tour of duty were instructed to wear air-raid helmets to protect them from stones and other missiles.
Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia, in an appeal carried over seven radio stations, said the disorders were “not a race riot, because no groups of our citizens were in conflict.”
Virtually the only white men in the area were the uniformed policemen, sweating and pushing against the crowds which often extended from wall to wall in the crowded streets.
Of the nearly 200 persons injured, 155 were civilians and 40 were policemen, including two captains of police. By afternoon, 363 persons, nearly all Negroes, had been arrested. Most of those injured were Negroes.
Mayor La Guardia told the residents of Harlem over the radio that purchase of food in the area would be difficult “because so many stores have been damaged by looting.” He said the riot was “just a thoughtless, criminal act of hoodlums, reckless, irresponsible people.”
NAACP leader speaks
The mayor then introduced Walter White, secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, who declared that:
The decent people of Harlem would support the mayor in restoring order.
The trouble, Mr. White said, “could be traced indirectly to mistreatment of Negro soldiers.”
He said:
The false rumor that a policeman had killed a Negro soldier in the presence of his mother, spread like wildfire. The mistreatment of Negro soldiers, particularly in the South, is a terribly sore point with Negroes. Thus, the beginning of the trouble. Had it been a Negro civilian, however prominent, who was shot, there would have been no riot.
How it started
After the riot started, Mr. White said:
Looters seized the occasion to pillage and destroy.
The rioting started shortly after 9 p.m. in front of a hotel, closed after a police raid under police guard to prevent reopening.
Patrolman James Collins attempted to arrest a drunken woman who insisted upon entering.
Pvt. Robert Bandy, 26, Negro, a military policeman, intervened. He wrested Collins’ nightstick out of his hand and struck him over the head with it.
Ambulance draws crowd
Collins drew his revolver and shot Bandy in the shoulder. The arrival of an ambulance attracted as much attention in the thickly-populated street as the shot had. Within an hour, a vast crowd jammed the street from building front to building front and soon bottles were crashing through the shop windows.
More than 1,000 Negroes were soon packed in the street in front of the hospital, screaming their desire for vengeance upon the policeman who had shot the Negro soldier. They were animated by entirely false reports both as to the circumstances of the shooting and the condition of the soldier.
At the same time, another crowd gathered in front of the 125th Street Police Station, shouting threats and insults. For a short while, the station was barricaded. The rioting then slowly spread through an approximately 10-square-block area centering in the 120s between Eighth and Lenox Avenues.
Mayor makes appeal
Mayor La Guardia, in a radio appeal to the crowds shortly after midnight, described the rioting as follows:
An arrest was made in a hotel lobby, a hotel incidentally that has given… the police a great deal of trouble. There seems to have been interference with the arrest and a soldier attacked… the arresting officer. A crowd gathered around and the soldier took the stick from the officer and struck him across the head, whereupon the officer pulled his gun and wounded the soldier… Everything was quiet for some time, and then small groups walking around more in the spirit of mischief than anything else, broke some of the store windows.
Of course, in cases like this, there have been exaggerated statements made to the people exciting them. These statements were made, of course, without any source of information, and the statements are not true. The facts are just as I have given them to you.
MPs are sent in
Military authorities sent in a truckload of military policemen to herd soldiers on leave out of the district.
Three fire alarms occurred within four minutes in the riot area late in the morning.
At one of the fires, the ceiling of a store collapsed, trapping three men inside. Harassed policemen and firemen were trying to clear the area, although it was not thought the fire was directly connected with the riot.
Damage from broken plate-glass windows and from looting of stores ran into thousands of dollars. Articles of clothing, food and furniture abandoned by the looters upon the approach of police littered sidewalks and streets throughout the area. A crowd of Negroes overturned an auto parked on Lenox Avenue and set fire to it.
Yank fliers, outnumbered 5–1, outfight Luftwaffe
Thunderbolts penetrate deeper into Germany than British fighters have ever flown
By Nat A. Barrows
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1 Like
Simplify menu, cut out frills, cafés ordered
Manpower chief to help find workers only if rules followed
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Cary Grant’s screen job is now a ‘military secret’
Destination Tokyo set closed to visitors and film must get Navy ‘OK’
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Roving Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
Somewhere in Sicily, Italy – (by wireless, delayed)
After being ashore all the first day of our Sicilian invasion, I went back to the ship and stayed aboard almost a week before coming ashore more or less permanently.
It was my hope to do a complete picture of the Navy’s part in such actions as this, and the Navy’s part didn’t end the moment it got the assault troops ashore. In the days that followed, our headquarters vessel patrolled back and forth between the American sectors, kept an eye on the shore in case help was needed, directed the fire of other ships, mothered new convoys by wireless, issued orders and advice throughout the area, and from time to time scurried in swift circles when planes appeared in the sky.
For despite the enemy’s obvious air weakness, he did manage to sneak over a few planes several times a day. The day after D-Day, “General Quarters” was sounded 15 times on our ship. Nobody got any rest, day or night. The sailors worked like Trojans.
Out of the way!
When I try to picture our soldiers and sailors in camps back home now, I always visualize – and no doubt wrongly – a draftee who is going through his training like a man, but still reluctantly and without interest. There isn’t a breath of that left over here. Once you are in action that’s all gone. It goes because now you are working. You are working to stay alive, and not because somebody tells you to work.
You should see our sailors when General Quarters sounds. They don’t get to their stations in the manner of schoolkids going in when the bell rings. They get there by charging over things and knocking things down. I have seen them arrive at gun stations with nothing but their drawers on. I’ve seen officers upset their dinner and be clear out of the wardroom by the time the second “beep!” of the alarm signal sounded.
Whenever we had General Quarters, I always just froze wherever I was for about five minutes, to keep from getting bowled over in the rush.
Too busy to be afraid
And the boys on the guns – you would hardly recognize them. Shooting at planes isn’t a duty for them; it’s an outlet. I doubt if they ever watched a ball game or gave a girl the eye with the complete intentness with which they follow a distant plane in the sky. A gun has one blessing in addition to the one of protecting yoi: it occupies you.
Having no vital part to play in moments of extreme danger is one of the worst curses of being a correspondent. Busy people aren’t often afraid.
Bombs fell in our vicinity for several days. The raiders went mostly for the beaches, where the barges were unloading. The number of narrow escapes we had must have been very discouraging to the Axis fliers. The Axis radio said our beaches were littered with the wrecked and burned-out hulks of our landing ships. Actually, in our 14-mile area they hit very few. But we had our tense moments.
Alone – desperate, helpless
The enemy fliers were brave, I’ll have to say that. They would come right in through the thickest hail of fire I have ever seen thrown into the sky.
Dozens of our ships had escapes that were uncanny. Once two bombs hit the water just a good stone’s throw from the stern of our vessel. And late one afternoon a lone Italian – I really believe he must have gone mad, for what he did was desperate and senseless – dove right down into the midst of a hundred ships. He had no bombs, and was only strafing. He went over our fantail so low you could almost have caught him in a net. Everything in the vicinity cut loose on him at once. It was like throwing a bucketful of rice against a spot on the wall. He was simply smothered with steel.
Yet somehow, he pulled out and up to about 1,000 feet, charged at our barrage balloons like an insane bee, and shot two of them down afire. And then at last the bullets we had put into him took effect. He burst all aflame and fell in wide circles until he hit the water. No parachute ever came out.
Enemy quits cold
Air raids at night were far more nerve-racking than the daylight ones. For you can’t see the enemy, you only hear him. You do see the ghostly flares and the sickening bomb flashes, and hear the heavy thunder of it roll across the water.
With us it was always a game of hide and seek. Sometimes we would sit on the water as quiet as a mouse. No one would speak loudly. The engines were silent. You could hear the small waves lapping at our sides. At other times we would start so suddenly that the ship would almost jump out from under us. We would run at full speed and make terrifically sharp turns and churn up an alarmingly bright wake in the phosphorescent water. But we always escaped.
And then after the third day, all of a sudden there was never an enemy plane again. They quit us cold. If they still fought, they fought elsewhere than our front.
North African news ruled by mysterious censorship
Army doesn’t like it, Murphy disavows it, but ‘now you see it, now you don’t’
By Helen Kirkpatrick
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U.S. State Department (August 2, 1943)
740.00119 European War 1939/1556: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland to the Secretary of State
Bern, August 2, 1943 — 4 p.m.
[Received 6:20 p.m.]
4659.
138, July 31, from Tittmann. My 131, July 26.
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For the moment it would appear Badoglio Government less preoccupied by prospect unconditional surrender to Allies than by possibility public disorder and uncertainty as to intentions of Germans. I am told of indications that predominant emotion Italian official circles today is fear and that this possibility should not be lost sight of when evaluating situation.
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Vatican officials are following closely all Allied pronouncements with regard to surrender of Italy and are on lookout for anything that might imply “terms”. Thus far however efforts to assess in this light, various public statements made by Allies would seem to have resulted only in their confusion. In some quarters suggestion has been reiterated that an early landing on peninsula by Allied forces would be desirable from point of view Italian security and that we would meet with little opposition if we attempted to do so. [Tittmann.]
HARRISON
740.0011 European War 1939/30493: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom to the Secretary of State
London, August 2, 1943 — 9 p.m.
[Received 10:12 p.m.]
5032.
Thank you for your good message 4636, August 1, 1 p.m., which came in late last night. I could not reach Eden until 3 o’clock this afternoon London time as he was out of town. I found that since I sent you my message 4862, July 26, 6 p.m., he had communicated with the Russians., He explained to me that he felt obligated to do this because of the British-Russian treaty. I know that he had the support of the War Cabinet in this although I was not informed.
I will let him state the action taken in the aide-mémoire which I asked him to prepare for me and which, together with copies of the documents given to the Russians, follow below:
Aide-mémoire. A day or two ago the Soviet Chargé d’Affaires was given a summary of the draft instrument of Surrender, which is still before the United States Government (annex 1). It was made clear that this instrument was purely provisional, pending agreement with the U.S. Government, and that its terms might have to be modified. A note has now been received from Monsieur Sobolev saying that the Soviet Government consider the provisions contained in this summary to correspond fully to the existing conditions, and have no objection to them.
Since communicating the above to the Soviet Government, the President has suggested a shorter formula for a purely military arrangement to be used by General Eisenhower in case of necessity. The Prime Minister has indicated to the President that in case of emergency General Eisenhower may be authorized to present this document. But he has asked the President to consider further the draft instrument already communicated to Washington, so that, if agreement can be reached on it before the emergency arises, General Eisenhower may be authorized to present this fuller document in reply to any Italian request.
The Soviet Government are now being given a summary of the shorter document (annex 2) with an explanation of the circumstances in which it was drafted, and in which it may be used. End aide-mémoire.
Begin annex 1 to aide-mémoire. Summary of draft instrument of surrender for Italy.
The governing consideration is the prosecution of the war against Germany. Our aim is thus to secure the maximum strategic advantage and to avoid unnecessary commitments involving any dissipation of the war effort.
Provision is made for:
- Acknowledgment of total defeat.
- Italian participation in the war to cease in all theaters.
- Withdrawal of the Italian armed forces from all areas outside Italian territory as and when directed.
- Occupation of such parts of Italian territory as may be required.
- Such measure of demobilization and disarmament as may be prescribed.
- The Italian fleet to assemble and to be dealt with as prescribed.
- Control of airfields, ports and transport systems.
- All merchant shipping and inland transport equipment to be made available.
- Rights of passage for United Nations personnel, material, aircraft, and ships.
- Control of all inter-communications and imposition of censorship.
- War material to be stored and dealt with as prescribed.
- Industrial and financial controls.
- Severance of relations with the other Axis powers and prohibition of all intercourse with them.
- Internment of Axis forces in Italy.
- Surrender of war criminals.
- Dissolution of the Fascist organization and repeal of any objectionable legislation.
- Immediate handing over of all Allied prisoners of war. End annex 1 to aide-mémoire.
Begin annex 2 to aide-mémoire.
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Immediate cessation of all hostile activity by the Italian armed forces.
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Italy will use its best endeavors to deny to the Germans facilities that might be used against the United Nations.
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All prisoners or internees of the United Nations to be immediately turned over to the Allied Commander-in-Chief, and none of these may from the beginning of these negotiations be evacuated to Germany.
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Immediate transfer of the Italian fleet and Italian aircraft to such points as may be designated by the Allied Commander-in-Chief, with details of disarmament to be prescribed by him.
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Agreement that Italian merchant shipping may be requisitioned by the Allied Commander-in-Chief to meet the needs of his military-naval program.
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Immediate surrender of Corsica and of all Italian territory both islands and mainland to the Allies, for such use as operational bases and other purpose as the Allies may see fit.
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Immediate guarantee of the free use by the Allies of all airfields and naval ports in Italian territory, regardless of the rate of evacuation of the Italian territory by the German forces. These ports and fields to be protected by Italian armed forces until this function is taken over by the Allies.
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Immediate withdrawal to Italy of Italian armed forces from all participation in the current war from whatever areas in which they may be now engaged.
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Guarantee by the Italian Government that if necessary it will employ all available armed forces to insure prompt and exact compliance with all the provisions of this armistice.
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The Commander-in-Chief of the Allied forces reserves to himself the right to take any measure which in his opinion may be necessary for the protection of the interests of the Allied forces or for the prosecution of the war, and the Italian Government binds itself to take such administrative or other action as the Commander-in-Chief may require and in particular the Commander-in-Chief will establish Allied military government over such parts of Italian territory as he may deem necessary in the military interests of the Allied Nations.
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The Commander-in-Chief of the Allied forces will have a full right to impose measures of disarmament, demobilization and demilitarization. End annex 2 to aide-mémoire.
In so far as the communications that have passed between the President and the Prime Minister in regard to terms with Italy are concerned, I have been fully informed, but there has been no discussion with me as regards the Russians except as I reported to you following my talk with Eden on July 26. The first information given to the Russians was on July 30.
Eden thought that the statement you forwarded was excellent but of course recognized that it was too late to make it a joint statement. He suggested that we make it our own statement and add at the end of it that “we understand that the British Government has kept you informed of our joint ideas on the terms of surrender to be exacted from Italy,” and perhaps add that “we were in accord with this procedure.”
I helped draft the above statement, except the last sentence. It is my opinion that your statement with the added paragraph would be worth doing. You have asked the Russians in the last paragraph of the statement for suggestions and agreed to reply to specific inquiries. The British have done neither; they have limited both their messages to simply informing them. Their method calls for no reciprocal action beyond giving them information in similar circumstances. Ours puts the Russians under an obligation to seek suggestions from us and to reply to specific inquiries by us if we choose to make them.
WINANT
Völkischer Beobachter (August 3, 1943)
Gescheiterte Durchbruchsversuche
dnb. Aus dem Führer-Hauptquartier, 2. August –
Das Oberkommando der Wehrmacht gibt bekannt:
Der eigene Angriff an der Miusfront brachte weiteren Geländegewinn. Die beherrschende Höhenstellung wurde erreicht und im Sturm genommen. Die Sowjets erlitten hier besonders hohe Verluste an Menschen und Kriegsmaterial. Südöstlich von Orel sind die mit starkem Panzer- und Luftwaffeneinsatz geführten Angriffe der Bolschewisten unter Vernichtung von zahlreichen Panzern blutig abgewiesen worden. Die Luftwaffe griff an den Schwerpunkten der Kämpfe mit Kampf- und Nahkampffliegergeschwadern ein. Sechs Transportzüge und ein Panzerzug wurden getroffen. An der Kandalakschafront stellten deutsche Grenadiere im wegelosen Urwald zwei feindliche Bataillone und zersprengten sie.
An der sizilianischen Front setzten die Briten und Nordamerikaner besonders im Mittelabschnitt der Front ihre Angriffe fort. Alle Durchbruchsversuche scheiterten jedoch an der hartnäckigen Abwehr unserer Truppen unter schweren Verlusten für den Feind.
Ein überraschend geführter Gegenangriff brachte wichtiges Gebirgsgelände wieder in unsere Hand.
Schnelle deutsche Kampfflugzeuge versenkten im Hafen von Palermo einen Munitionsdampfer von 5000 BRT., acht weitere große Transporter wurden schwer getroffen. Im Hafengebiet selbst entstanden Brände.
Deutsche Jäger und Flakartillerie der Luftwaffe vernichteten gestern über der italienischen Küste sechs, Bordflak der Kriegsmarine ein feindliches Flugzeug.
Am 1. August versuchte ein amerikanisches Bombergeschwader von etwa 125 viermotorigen Flugzeugen, einen geschlossenen Angriff auf das rumänische Ölgebiet durchzuführen. Deutsch-rumänische Luftverteidigungskräfte traten ihnen rechtzeitig entgegen und zersprengten den feindlichen Verband so wirkungsvoll, daß nur 60 bis 70 Flugzeuge zu einem zersplitterten Angriff kamen. Von diesen wurden 36 viermotorige Bomber abgeschossen. Viele weitere erhielten so schwere Beschädigungen, daß auch von ihnen ein Teil auf dem langen Rückflug über See mit Sicherheit verlorengegangen ist. Die verursachten Schäden in den Angriffszielen sind nicht bedeutend.
Über dem Reichsgebiet fanden keine Kampfhandlungen statt.
Über dem Atlantik wurde ein feindliches Großflugboot im Luftkampf weit auf See zum Absturz gebracht.