Editorial: Mr. Wallace’s new note
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Ferguson: ‘Safe for stupidity’
By Mrs. Walter Ferguson
Introducing a forum guest from Fort Worth, Texas:
I am a businesswoman with several years of successful experience. I have studied intensively, have an understanding of human psychology and an awakened social conscience. I feel I understand the problems of my community.
Recently, I have called on a number of companies for a job and the first thing I am asked is:
Can you take dictation?
No, I do not take dictation, literally or otherwise (which does not mean I do not have a high regard for leadership and authority). But it is a fact that no woman in Texas has a job unless she “takes direction” of one sort or another.
The Dark-Ages idea of race prejudice still thrives here, but is overshadowed by the “woman in business” prejudice, of which, strange to say, the women themselves are the most ignorant.
Recently, a lecturer in our city talked on how Texas laws discriminate against women, but, since she was a federal employee, she could give only subtle suggestions; her words fell on deaf ears and died as quickly as seeds sown on rocky soil.
Yet it is not the statutes that are altogether to blame. Tyranny is exercised wherever women are concerned because so many little roosters in trousers make it their business to bully and dominate women who work for or with them.
There are scores of capable women in Texas, but they must aspire to nothing more important than taking dictation, if they want to stay in industry.
Our world in Texas has been kept safe for stupidity. Women are taught the wrong principles on social, political and business questions. Not only are they wrong principles, but they are directly opposed to what the men who teach them practice and believe.
Army joins father in shortening name
Van Alstyne, Texas (UP) –
A Negro soldier from Van Alstyne has turned up with the Army’s longest name. That’s what his commanding officer said when the Negro began giving it. When he finished, an officer listed him simply as “D. C. Murphy.”
His full name, however, is Daniel’s Wisdom May I Know, Stephen’s Faith and Spirit Choose, John’s Divine Communion Seal, Moses’ Meekness’ Joshua’s Zeal, Win the Day and Conquer All Murphy Jr.
His father calls him “Junior.”
Faith praised for sacrifices
Washington (RNS) –
In a statement to rumor clinics, Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, Director of the Selective Service System, struck at rumors that men of this or that religious or racial group have been active in evading Army duty or in obtaining some kind of preferential treatment from draft boards.
Gen. Hershey said:
Protecting our shores are men of every creed represented in the population of our great nation.
Casualty lists from the areas of actual combat, which include men of all colors, races and creeds, are the best indication of all that the Army which has been raised through the Selective Service System represents America at its best.
As we view the records of the men who now comprise the bulk of our great Army, we note the demonstration that the qualities of bravery, courage, initiative and patriotism in their finest sense are not the exclusive property of any race or color, or of the citizens of any particular economic level or of any section of our land.
Roving Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
Oran, Algeria –
The American soldier will not be denied fraternization with his fellow man. Regardless of barriers, somehow our soldiers got along and made themselves understood, even though they couldn’t speak a word of French or Arabic. I saw a soldier sitting at a café table with two French girls and their father, apparently spending the whole evening just smiling and making gestures. And I also saw Americans walking arm in arm with Frenchmen of the Foreign Legion. What they talked about or tried to talk about, I have no idea. A really comic sight was one of our boys standing on the street with an English-French dictionary in his hand, talking to a girl and looking up each word as he spoke it.
One night, far out in the country, I passed a small roadside fire with two American soldiers and two turbaned and bewhiskered Arabs squatted closely over it like old pals – a really touching sight.
Our soldiers were filthy rich, for there was little to buy. They loaded up on perfume and lipsticks, which were plentiful. They sent, perfume to their girls in America and lipsticks to their girls in England, the old Lotharios.
Navy sets up hospital
The native crafts are largely silverwork, rugs, and leather. Some of the Algerian rugs resembled our Navajo Indian ones. They were beautiful and the prices were about the same. One officer I know thought he’d have an Arabian horseman’s regalia made, to wear to costume balls after the war. But he found it would cost about $100, that he’d have to get a special dispensation to obtain the materials, and that it would take anywhere from several weeks to six months to make.
There weren’t many American sailors in Oran at first, but the Navy, as usual, took excellent care of those who were. One day I bumped into Lieutenant William Spence, a good friend of mine, who invited me down to look at the Navy’s hospital, of which he was in charge.
Lt. Spence was at Bellevue, in New York, before the war. He came ashore here, the morning of the American landings, with eight men, and they spent the next few days tending wounded sailors and soldiers on the beach. Then they went to Oran and started looking for a place to set up their hospital. They found a French Red Cross building standing empty and promptly moved in. In a day or two the navy was all set in what probably was the nicest hospital in North Africa.
I always like to hang around with navy men, they take such good care of me. At the time I still had a cough from the convoy trip, so they fixed me up a bottle of cough medicine and even made a blood count, to get a line on whether I was going to live or not.
It turned out that the pharmacist’s mate who poured the medicine was an old Hoosier boy – in fact, he used to live only 20 miles from where I was raised. His name was Ben Smith of 620 S. Fifth Street, Terre Haute, Indiana.
Guards like the menu
Lt. Spence is getting all his beach boys promotions, so maybe Ben will be a chief pharmacist by the time this is printed.
One of the army hospital commandants who came ashore the first morning of the occupation had a tale to tell. It seems the Medical Corps took over a barracks that the French had vacated in haste, and turned it into a hospital. The Americans found the place full of ammunition, and the officer got the creeps for fear the French would come back that night and try to retake it.
His problem was solved when he spied two Tommy-gunners walking along the street. He rushed out and asked them if they would guard the ammunition all night. They said, ‘‘Sure,’’ and the doctor went on about his business.
It was a couple of days before the fighting was all over, and the two guards never entered his mind again until about a week later, when he happened to see them. They hadn’t reported back to their own outfit; they were still hanging around, faithfully guarding the ammunition.
And why did they do that? The answer is simple. Hospital food was always better than could be had anywhere else. These guys hadn’t spent their months in the Army for nothing.
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Jap carrier wheels in frantic circles in an effort to escape the fire of a B-17 bomber at Midway in this official U.S. Army picture just released. The carrier (the Japs had more of them to spare then) is definitely on the run.
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Majors may cut length of season
Landis to propose 140-game card on Tuesday
By Tommy Devine, United Press staff writer
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U.S. War Department (January 3, 1943)
Communiqué No. 285
Asiatic Theater.
On December 30, medium bombers of the 10th Air Force attacked the Japanese-occupied air base at Shwebo. Burmese hangars and revetments were hit and a large oil fire started.
On December 31, a force of fighter planes armed with small bombs attacked Japanese railway communications in northern Burma. Direct hits were reported on rolling stock and installations at Naba. Near Mohnyin, a train of six cars was strafed and the locomotive destroyed. At Mawlu, water tanks were shot up. At Hoping, two freight sheds were set on fire. Outside Hoping, nine cars of a train moving south were badly damaged and the locomotive destroyed. Two of the cars damaged were fuel tank cars. At Pinbaw, about fifty freight cars were strafed.
U.S. Navy Department (January 3, 1943)
Communiqué No. 238
South Pacific.
On January 2:
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At 8:20 a.m., “Marauder” medium bombers (Martin B-26) and “Dauntless” dive bombers (Douglas SBD), escorted by “Wildcat” (Grumman F4F), “Airacobra” (Bell P-39) and “Warhawk” (Curtiss P-40) fighters, bombed the Japanese airfield at Munda on New Georgia Island. Hits were scored on antiaircraft emplacements and other installations.
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At 2:26 p.m., “Flying Fortress” heavy bombers (Boeing B-17), escorted by “Lightning” fighters (Lockheed P-38) bombed a formation of enemy destroyers 30 miles south of Shortland Island. No hits were observed.
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At 6 p.m., “Dauntless” dive bombers escorted by “Wildcats” and “Lightnings” attacked a detachment of Japanese destroyers 30 miles northwest of Rendova Island in the New Georgia group. The destroyers were protected by 10 enemy fighters and 1 dive bomber. One of the enemy destroyers was left burning badly and another appeared to be sinking.
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Patrol activity on Guadalcanal Island resulted in killing between 30 and 35 Japanese.
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U.S. positions on Guadalcanal Island were shelled by enemy artillery.
On January 3:
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At 7:25 a.m., “Dauntless” dive bombers with “Lightning,” “Wildcat” and “Airacobra” escort attacked the enemy airport at Munda. No enemy planes were observed either in the air or on the field.
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Hits were scored on three enemy guns. No U.S. planes were lost although some suffered minor damage.
The Pittsburgh Press (January 3, 1943)
Destroyed damaged –
Planes strike foe at Kiska, in Solomons
American underseas craft boost total to 112 in Pacific area
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White book issued –
U.S. had tips on all Axis steps to war
Pearl Harbor warning by Grew recalled; secret diplomacy revealed
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Shattered force destroyed –
Japs crushed on Buna sector
General assault follows pulverizing barrage
By Brydon C. Taves, United Press staff writer
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Halsey predicts victory in ’43 –
Hirohito, Tōjō, Yamamoto just get a load of this!
By William F. Tyree, United Press staff writer
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Explosion in air –
Crashing plane fires 3 houses
Army bomber pilot killed in Ohio accident
Columbus, Ohio (UP) – (Jan. 2)
A twin-engined medium U.S. Army bomber exploded in midair tonight over a Columbus residential area and plummeted earthward in flames which set afire three houses and killed the pilot.
Wright Field Public Relations officers at Dayton, Ohio, said the pilot was Lt. James F. Hansen, attached to the ferrying squadron at Nashville, Tennessee. He was ferrying the bomber from Nashville to Patterson Field, Dayton, and was the only one aboard the plane. No one was killed or injured when the plane struck the houses.
The houses set afire were on Seymour Ave. near Forrest St.
The plane, one witness reported, “was wrecked while still in the air,” and then plunged earthward, clipping one house and crashing “like a great touch” into two others.
Two feared dead in crash
Collinsville, Illinois – (Jan. 2)
Two men were reported killed, four were injured and 12 others parachuted to safety today when a four-motored Army bomber crashed near here.