America at war! (1941–) – Part 3

Funeral for Mrs. Hoover likely to be held Monday

New York (UP) – (Jan. 8)
Tentative plans were made today to hold the funeral of Mrs. Herbert Hoover, wife of the former President, in St. Bartholomew’s Church here Monday.

Mrs. Hoover died of a heart attack last night in her Waldorf-Astoria suite at the age of 69.

Herbert Jr. and Allan, the Hoovers’ sons, are on their way here from the West Coast and definite plans will be made after their arrival. The burial will be at Palo Alto, California.

Mr. Hoover was with his wife last night when she was stricken.

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U.S. Navy Department (January 10, 1944)

Joint Statement

For Immediate Release
January 10, 1944

The following joint Anglo‑American statement on submarine and anti‑submarine operations is issued under the authority of the President and the Prime Minister:

  1. Total merchant shipping tonnage lost by U‑boat action in De­cember was again low despite an extension of operating areas. Fewer U‑boats were destroyed during the month by our air and sea forces owing to several factors, including increased caution by enemy. Our supply routes were, however, well secured against U‑boat attack.

  2. In 1943 U‑boats sank but 40% of the merchant ship tonnage that they sank in 1942. On the other hand, United Nations merchant ship ton­nage construction in 1943 approximately doubled the tonnage delivered in 1942. Nearly half of our tonnage lost for the year 1943 was during the first three months; 27% was lost during the second quarter of 1943, and only 26% was lost during the last six months.


CINCPAC Press Release No. 223

For Immediate Release
January 10, 1944

Navy search Liberators of Fleet Air Wing Two bombed Kwajalein Island on January 9 (West Longitude Date). No enemy fighters were encoun­tered and anti-aircraft fire inflicted no damage.

In the evening of January 9, heavy bombers of the 7th Army Air Force bombed Wotje. In a separate operation carried out the same night, Navy search Liberators also attacked Wotje from low altitude sinking an auxiliary oiler and another small vessel offshore, wrecking two planes on the airfield and damaging shore installations. All of our planes returned safely.

In the morning of January 8, medium bombers of the 7th Army Air Force attacked Emeiji Island in the Jaluit Atoll. One of our planes was damaged by anti-aircraft fire and one crew member was wounded.

U.S. State Department (January 10, 1944)

The President to the President’s personal representative, temporarily in Iran

Washington, January 10, 1944
Personal and secret

Dear Pat: I am given to understand by the State Department that the Foreign Minister of Iran is very much perturbed about the stories the American press and radio have carried about a reported plot to assassinate the various Heads of State during the conferences at Tehran in December.

I wish you would explain to the Foreign Minister that there was never any question of suspicion about any Iranian, but that the report of threatened violence involved German agents who were believed to have entered Iran without authority. As you know, my move from the American Legation was made primarily in order not to expose any of the conferees to the risk of attack by Axis agents while coming to visit me. I hope that you can put at rest any misunderstanding about the incident. I do not wish to make any further statement to the American press about it as such action would only increase general attention to the matter.

I hope that you may be making fine progress in your work.

With all good wishes [etc.]

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

The Pittsburgh Press (January 10, 1944)

FORTRESSES RIP SOFIA IN NOON RAID
Yanks batter Nazi rail hub for Balkans

15th, second largest U.S. Air Force, now flying from Italian bases
By Robert Vermillion, United Press staff writer

5th Army takes 3 key ridges

Yanks circle town four miles from Cassino
By C. R. Cunningham, United Press staff writer


Just a punk from Peoria –
American in first battle captures 19 ‘supermen’

Then hero who talked Germans into surrender disappears without giving his name
By William H. Stoneman

americavotes1944

Congress due to keep eyes on elections

Taxes, consumer subsidies and soldier vote among problems

Roosevelt on radio at 9:00 p.m. Tuesday

Washington (UP) –
President Roosevelt will not deliver his State of the Union message to Congress in person tomorrow but will make a radio address at 9:00 p.m. ET tomorrow, giving a brief version of the message which will go to the Capitol at noon.

The President’s physician, RAdm. Ross T. McIntire, asked the Chief Executive not to go before Congress in person tomorrow.

Adm. McIntire sought to avoid a possible recurrence of the light case of grippe from which Mr. Roosevelt has been suffering, although he is now virtually recovered.

Washington (UP) –
The 78th Congress, its members freshened in outlook after a three-week holiday among their constituents, moved into its second session today confronted with important problems of both war and peace.

The new session faced an ambitious program in a year of presidential elections, an event certain to influence the activities of the most evenly-divided Congressional party ranks in a decade.

There were irksome questions of taxes, consumer subsidies and the soldier vote carried over in half-finished form from the first session.

Opening to be routine

In addition, because the war in Europe may be won before this Congress expires next January, it must plan now for at least partial demobilization of the nation’s huge war machine.

Today’s schedule was only the routine formality of getting the second session underway,

Mr. Roosevelt’s annual State of the Union message will be read in Congress tomorrow.

The budget message, to be sent Thursday, is likely to call for an outlay in the neighborhood of $95 billion.

Tax bill in Senate

Taxes were first on the Congressional agenda. The Senate may start floor debate tomorrow on the $2,275,600,000 tax bill which it was unable to finish before the Christmas holiday.

The program for the rest of the year will probably include:

  • SUBSIDIES: There is a Feb. 17 deadline on efforts to develop a compromise on the outright ban on consumer food subsidies voted by the House. A limit on their amount appeared possible.

  • LABOR: Either national service legislation, if the President asks for it, or an extension of the penalty provisions of the present anti-strike law to non-government-operated war industries is in prospect.

  • BUDGET: The first of the annual appropriation bills will probably be introduced in the House before the end of this month. New appropriations may reach nearly $100 billion by June 30.

  • SOLDIER VOTE: The House Elections Committee will meet tomorrow on the Senate-approved resolution leaving to the states the job of providing votes for members of the Armed Forces. Federal-enabling legislation is still definitely in prospect, however.

  • LEND-LEASE: Existing authority for the Lend-Lease agreements expires June 30. A movement to nail down world post-war petroleum and aviation rights for the United States may be made when extension legislation is considered.

  • OFFICE OF PRICE ADMINISTRATION: Existing OPA authorization expires June 30. Republicans will probably attack its administration of price-fixing and rationing when renewal legislation comes up. Farm Senators have threatened to press enabling legislation if OPA does not take pork off the ration list during the current surplus.

  • VETERANS BENEFITS: The Senate has approved mustering-out payments for veterans ranging from $200 to $500, depending on length of service. The House is expected to cut it to a single uniform figure. There probably will be added later programs of unemployment compensation, educational aid allotments, disability allowances and perhaps even adjusted service compensation.

  • FOOD: A sizable bloc in the House is still demanding that all food production, pricing and distribution be placed under a single federal agency. They may seek to make it a rider on the OPA continuation bill.

  • PROHIBITION: Rep. Joseph R. Bryson (D-SC) is planning a determined drive for wartime national prohibition. He has already introduced a bill and a House subcommittee will hold hearings of it this week. Meanwhile, a committee by Senator Frederick Van Nuys (D-IN) hopes to find some means of breaking the current whisky shortage.

  • FOREIGN RELIEF: Legislation to authorize financial participation by the United States in the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration is already started through Congress. Specific appropriations may be made before the end of this year.

  • INDUSTRIAL DEMOBILIZATION: Congress will probably set forth a policy for terminating war contracts and disposing of war plants which protects both the government’s financial interest and the civilian economy. It may also set up a federal program of public works to ease unemployment during the conversion period.

May decide strategy

The strategy that Senate Republicans will employ in this election-year session may be decided at a party conference scheduled for Wednesday.

The meeting was called to fill the posts of conference chairman and party whip, vacant since 1935. It may bring a showdown between the GOP Old Guard and Republican freshmen.

The issue was brought into the open by freshmen who feel the party has a good chance to win control of the Senate in next fall’s election if it will attack the New Deal with vigor at every possible opportunity. They are not satisfied with the quiet, soft-spoken leadership of Acting Minority Leader Wallace H. White Jr. (R-ME).

Old Guard nominees

To meet this challenge, the Old Guard has put up this slate for Wednesday’s meeting: For chairman, Arthur H. Vandenberg (Michigan); whip, Robert A. Taft (Ohio); secretary and acting leader, Mr. White.

The freshmen are expected to offer an opposition slate. If they do it is certain to be topped by someone who would miss no opportunity to challenge each item of administration legislation.

Thus, the outcome of Wednesday’s meeting may determine whether the Republican minority will attack the administration almost daily or follow the Old Guard strategy which, to date, has been to establish more quietly the record they wish to submit to the voters in November 1944.

How Congress lines up

Washington (UP) –
Here is the political division of the 78th Congress at the start of the second session, as compared with the lineup a year ago:

blue.senate

1943 1944
Democrats 57 58
Republicans 38 37
Progressive 1 1

blue.house

1943 1944
Democrats 222 218
Republicans 208 208
Progressive 2 2
Farm-Labor 1 1
American Labor 1 1
Vacancies 1 5

I DARE SAY —
The homesick city

By Florence Fisher Parry

Ex-President of Lithuania killed in fire

Exiled leader trapped when he returns for overcoat

WAC lieutenant accused; lawyer claims persecution

Army board postpones further hearings for a week

Philadelphia ship workers end walkout

8,500 return to work after booing National Union president


Newark newspaper resumes publication

Anti-strike bill author criticizes plan of Richberg

Rep. Smith of Virginia shows difficulties which proposals would have to surmount in Congress
By Rep. Howard W. Smith (D-VA)


White-collar pay hearings are extended

Senate to give five days instead of two to public testimony
By Fred W. Perkins, Pittsburgh Press staff writer

Chief of staff named for invasion forces

Lardner: Nazis in Italy lose but they exact big toll

Allies being made to pay ‘through the nose’ for victories
By John Lardner, North American Newspaper Alliance

Halsey, MacArthur reach strategical, tactical unity

‘Tell your boss honeymoon is still on,’ general informs admiral’s liaison officer
By George Jones, United Press staff writer


Faulty ship launched, Congressman charges

Marines storm vital hill on Cape Gloucester front

Jungle veterans of Guadalcanal advance under fierce Jap fire on New Britain
By Don Caswell, United Press staff writer

Navy: Dates set for invasion; speedup in ship production urged

Injured Yanks, back home, say it’s wonderful

Men aboard hospital ship show how Americans ‘can take it’
By Corrinne Hardesty, United Press staff writer

Editorial: Needed – New labor leadership

Editorial: MacArthur’s matches

Edson: Inflation curbs may be ‘adopted’ to fix new base

By Peter Edson