‘Incidents’ on-board Jamaican ship told
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‘Big 4’ nations in accord ay food meeting
U.S., Britain, China, Russia take lead on six-point program
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Film chorines need more steaks and chops, says Prinz, urging boost in meat rations
Director points out that ballet dancing is very strenuous toil and the poor girls have to have loads of good food
By Ernest Foster, United Press staff correspondent
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Production of wonder drug, penicillin, to be increased
Chemical obtained from mold outdoes sulfa drugs in treatment of wounds, infections
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Largest raids by Yanks blast Japs in Burma
More than 100 tons of bombs showered on supply lines
By P. D. Sharma, United Press staff writer
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MacArthur’s fliers keep on top in Guinea scraps
Jap planes destroyed in week total 62; Timor raided heavily by long-range Liberators
By Don Caswell, United Press staff writer
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War strategy may be tested against Italy
Southern partner of Axis could collapse from air raids alone
By Victor Gordon Lennox
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Roving Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
In Tunisia – (by wireless)
Most of the German prisoners have been worked out of the forward Tunisian area by now. Where they went, we don’t know. They’ve just left for the west.
Handling them and feeding them must be a tremendous job. It takes a lot of transportation to move those thousands of men back across Africa, and if we kept them in Africa, we would have to use valuable shipping space bringing them food.
This colossal batch of human beings is, indeed, a white elephant on our hands. And yet, as somebody says, what we want is about 50 more white elephants just like this one.
Although they are usually friendly and pleasant, you seldom find a prisoner who has any doubt that Germany will win the war. They say they lost here because we finally got more stuff into Tunisia than they had. But they laugh at the idea of our invading the Continent. On the whole, they can’t understand why America is in the war at all, figuring it is not our business.
False news misleads captives
Whether from deliberate Nazi propaganda or mere natural rumor I don’t know, but the prisoners have a lot of false news in their heads. For instance, some of them had heard that Japan had been at war with Russia for six months and had practically cleaned the Russians out of Siberia. One of them heard that the Luftwaffe had bombed New York. When told that this was ridiculous, he said he didn’t see himself how it could be possible.
Pvt. Bill Connell, of 183 Menahan St., Brooklyn, had a funny experience. He was talking with an English-speaking prisoner, and the conversation finally unearthed the information that, as Pvt. Connell says, “We know different people together” – meaning, I’m sure, that they had once actually lived in adjoining houses in Brooklyn – Connell at 251 Grove St. and the German at 253 Grove. But that coincidence didn’t cause any old-palship to spring up between them, for the prisoner was one of those bullheaded Nazis and Connell got so disgusted he didn’t even ask his name.
The prisoner was very sarcastic, and said to Connell:
You Americans are saps. You’re still in the war, and I’m out of it.
I thought Connell’s answer was pretty good. He replied:
You’re such a hot Nazi, but it’s lots of good you’re going to do your country from now on.
Nazis disgust Yanks
The first contacts of our troops with prisoners were extremely pleasant. So pleasant in fact that American officers got to worrying because the men found the Germans so likable. But if you talk to them long enough, you find in them the very thing we are fighting this war about – their superior-race complex, their smug belief in their divine right to run this part of the world. A little association with a German prisoner, like a little knowledge, is a bad thing, but if our troops could just have an opportunity to talk at length with the Germans, I think they would come out of it madder than ever at their enemy.
Captured supplies show that the Germans use excellent materials in all their stuff. However, it seems to us that there is some room for improvement in their vaunted efficiency. They have more of a hodgepodge and more overlapping designs than we do. They have big 10-wheeler troop carriers with seats running crosswise, but it is far too much vehicle for the service it performs. It can’t possibly be used for any other work than troop-carrying, and even for that it is an easy target, with men sitting up there in the open. And it is slow.
They also have a gadget that resembles a motorcycle except that the back end runs on two small caterpillar tracks instead of wheels. It’s a novel idea, but, as somebody says, it can carry only three men and there’s enough material wasted to make a young tank.
Nazis boondoggle, too
In rummaging around one supply dump, I came upon a stack of copies of a new booklet entitled Tausend Worte Italienisch. I picked up a handful, thinking to glean a little backyard Italian. It didn’t occur to me at the time that the booklets obviously would be translating Italian into German.
The Germans do things thoroughly, we have to admit. My handful of booklets turned out not to be several copies of the same thing but a whole series of different booklets comprising a set of lessons for troops complete enough to give you a college course in Italian.
It seems a prodigal way to use money, yet I suppose it does make things better if the Germans are able to insult their allies in their own language.
U.S. State Department (May 20, 1943)
Meeting of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, 3:30 p.m.
| Present | ||
|---|---|---|
| United States | United Kingdom | |
| Admiral Leahy | General Brooke | |
| General Marshall | Admiral of the Fleet Pound | |
| Admiral King | Air Chief Marshal Portal | |
| Lieutenant General McNarney | Field Marshal Dill | |
| Secretariat | ||
| Brigadier Redman | ||
| Brigadier General Deane |
Combined Chiefs of Staff Minutes
May 20, 1943, 3:30 p.m.
Secret
The Combined Chiefs of Staff met in closed session and resolved on:
a. The concentration of available resources as first priority within the Assam-Burma Theater on the building up and increasing of the air route to China to a capacity of 10,000 tons a month by early fall, and the development of air facilities in Assam with a view to:
i) Intensifying air operations against the Japanese in Burma;
ii) Maintaining increased American Air Forces in China;
iii) Maintaining the flow of airborne supplies to China.
b. Vigorous and aggressive land and air operations from Assam into Burma via Ledo and Imphal, in step with an advance by Chinese forces from Yunnan, with the object of containing as many Japanese forces as possible, covering the air route to China, and as an essential step towards the opening of the Burma Road.
c. The capture of Akyab and of Ramree Island by amphibious operations.
d. The interruption of Japanese sea communications into Burma.
The Combined Chiefs of Staff also directed that CCS 229, CCS 231, and CCS 238 be withdrawn from the agenda.
Resolutions by the Combined Chiefs of Staff
Washington, 20 May 1943.
CCS 237/1
Secret
European Operations (Reference: CCS 89th Meeting, Item 1)
The Combined Chiefs of Staff:
Resolved:
a. That forces and equipment shall be established in the United Kingdom with the object of mounting an operation with target date 1 May 1944 to secure a lodgment on the Continent from which further offensive operations can be carried out. The scope of the operation will be such as to necessitate the following forces being present and available for use in the United Kingdom by 1 May 1944:
| Assault: | 5 | Infantry Divisions (Simultaneously loaded in landing craft) |
| 2 | Infantry Divisions – Follow-up | |
| 2 | Airborne Divisions | |
| Total: | 9 | Divisions in the Assault |
| Buildup: | 20 | Divisions available for movement into lodgment area |
| Total: | 29 | Divisions |
b. That the Allied Commander in Chief, North Africa, should be instructed to mount such operations in exploitation of HUSKY as are best calculated to eliminate Italy from the war and to contain the maximum number of German forces. Each specific operation will be subject to the approval of the Combined Chiefs of Staff. The Allied Commander in Chief in North Africa may use for his operations all those forces available in the Mediterranean area except for four American and three British divisions which will be held in readiness from 1 November onward for withdrawal to take part in operations from the United Kingdom, provided that the naval vessels required will be approved by the Combined Chiefs of Staff when the plans are submitted. The additional air forces provided on a temporary basis for HUSKY will not be considered available.
c. The above resolution shall be reviewed by the Combined Chiefs of Staff at a meeting in July or early in August, the date to be decided later, in order that the situation may be examined in the light of the result of HUSKY and the situation in Russia.
Hull-Mackenzie King dinner meeting
| Present | ||
|---|---|---|
| United States | Canada | |
| Secretary Hull | Prime Minister Mackenzie King |
711.42/255
The Assistant Chief of the Division of European Affairs to the Secretary of State
Washington, May 20, 1943.
Memorandum
S – Mr. Secretary You will be seeing Mr. Mackenzie King at dinner tonight. This brief memorandum on our relations with Canada may be of interest to you in connection with your conversation with Mr. King.
Our relations with Canada are excellent. The only cloud on the horizon is that the extent of our War Department expenditures and activities in western Canada has been so great in connection with the war effort that some people in Canada have privately expressed apprehension. In other words, some people feel that we may have a vested interest there and be reluctant to leave when the war is over. That is of course nonsense but not all Canadians realize it. I don’t think this is particularly serious. We have done everything we can to dispel any apprehensions on that point.
The only other thing about our relations with Canada which troubles me is the fact that in spite of the President’s close personal relations with Mr. Mackenzie King and your own personal friendship and close relations with him, and in spite of the traditionally close and direct relations between our two Governments, Canada continues to receive what information she gets about high policy discussions between the White House and London from London rather than direct from Washington.
Mr. Norman Robertson, the Canadian Under Secretary of State for External Affairs, whom you met during the Trade Agreement negotiations in 1938, is here with Mr. King. He told me at lunch today that the Prime Minister might discuss with you the advisability of appointing an American Minister to Canada at an early date.
There is attached a brief telegram from our Legation in Ottawa summarizing the general political situation in Canada [not printed].
JOHN D. HICKERSON
U.S. Navy Department (May 21, 1943)
Communiqué No. 385
South Pacific.
On May 19-20, during the night, eight Japanese bombers attacked Guadalcanal Island, causing minor damage. U.S. fighters shot down two of the enemy planes.
North Pacific.
On May 19, operations on Attu continued. Japanese forces have established positions on the high ground east of Attu Village. U.S. Army bombers attacked Japanese entrenchments in the area north of Sarana Bay.