America at war! (1941–) – Part 3

5116

Swiss city clears bomb rubble

Schaffhausen death toll fixed at 35

Schaffhausen, Switzerland (UP) –
Residents, recovering quickly from the shock of an accidental bombing by U.S. planes Saturday morning, were completing the task of clearing streets of debris and rubble heaps today.

The death toll was set at 35, of whom 31 were identified and three were missing.

Several fires still smoldered Sunday and firefighters were kept busy.

A new air-raid alarm at 3:40 p.m. Sunday CET emptied streets and sent residents scurrying to cellars, but no planes were sighted.

The conservator of the famous historic museum in Schaffhausen said today that art experts estimated damage to art treasures would amount to at least two million Swiss francs (approximately $467,000).

Authorities said 27 dwellings were destroyed and many others were partly burned. Eight factories were destroyed or damaged.

Hull pledges reparations for tragic bombing

Washington (UP) –
Secretary of State Cordell Hull today pledged the United States to make reparations as far as “humanly possible” for the “tragic bombing” of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, by U.S. planes.

Mr. Hull said in a formal statement that he wished to express “my own and all Americans’ deep regret.”

Mr. Hull said he had been told that investigations made by the War Department indicate that in the course of operations against the “Nazi war machine” a group of U.S. bombers:

…due to a chain of events negating the extensive precautions which have been taken to prevent incidents of this character, mistakenly flew over and bombed Swiss areas located on the north side of the Rhine.

5117

Spanish curb on assistance to Nazis near

Settlement with Allies expected this week

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5118

americavotes1944

Negroes’ right to vote in state primaries upheld

Supreme Court upsets 1935 ruling in 8–1 opinion involving Texas

900px-Seal_of_the_United_States_Supreme_Court.svg

Washington (UP) –
The Supreme Court ruled today, 8–1, that Negroes have a constitutional right to vote in state primary elections.

The court’s opinion was delivered by Justice Stanley Reed. Justice Owen J. Roberts dissented.

The ruling specifically involved the right of Negroes to vote in Texas Democratic primaries. Lonnie E. Smith, a Houston Negro, charged that the Democratic Party in Texas has been denying suffrage to Negroes in violation of the federal Constitution “solely because of race and color.”

The U.S. District Court in Houston rejected Smith’s arguments on the grounds that the Texas primaries were “political party affairs” and not subject to federal control. The Appeals Court in New Orleans also upheld the local election officials.

Justice Reed, in announcing today’s decision, said the court overruled its own previous doctrine – in 1935 – that the Democratic Party, as a private organization, had the right to make rules on who should vote in the Texas primaries. The state itself, the court held then, had made no law violating constitutional voting rights of Negroes.

Justice Reed said the court was not exercising its established power to reexamine constitutional questions “where correction depends upon amendment and not upon legislative action.”

Since its former decision, he said, the court has decided that primaries are a part of federal elections and therefore subject to federal control. This ruling was handed down in a Louisiana case.

Justice Roberts, in dissenting, said the ruling was another instance of a growing tendency on the court’s part to scrap previous rulings. He recalled that earlier this year he had expressed his views on the court’s willingness to “disregard and to overrule” former decisions.

He charged:

This tendency indicates an intolerance for what those who have composed this court in the past have conscientiously and deliberately concluded, and involves an assumption that knowledge and wisdom reside in us which was denied to our predecessors.

5119

Yank fliers accept death for sake of helpless mate

North Side gunner one of 5 ordered to bail out when Liberator is disabled in Anzio mission
By Clinton B. Conger, United Press staff writer

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5120

Old theater lights up

Jolson to house musical comedies

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5121

In Washington –
Training cost for WASPS is under fire

Blocking of probe charged to Army

Washington (UP) –
Rep. Robert Ramspeck (D-GA) declared today that “official silence” is blocking inquiries into charges that the Army is training women pilots for the WASPS at a cost of up to $20,000 each, while services of thousands of available male pilots are being ignored.

He said his House Civil Service Investigating Committee had received numerous such complaints.

He said:

If the reports are true, it is certainly a waste of the taxpayers’ money to train the girls and leave the large numbers of trained pilots unused.

May hold hearings

Unless the information is forthcoming from the Army, Mr. Ramspeck said, his committee may hold hearings to get it. He said the charges may be presented when a pending bill to take the WASPS into the Army comes up in the House. The Military Affairs Committee approved the measure after Gen. H. H. Arnold, commander of the Army Air Forces, testified in support of it.

Most of the complaints, Mr. Ramspeck said, come from male pilots who say that the Army is training “green and inexperienced” girls, leaving untouched the services of thousands of skilled male pilots left idle with curtailment of Army and Navy flight training programs. In addition, increasing numbers of pilots returning from combat duty add to the pilot pool.

Started as small group

The women fliers started as a small expert group – the WAFS under Nancy Love – composed of a few women pilots, all of whom already had good flying records.

The WASPS later started under Jacqueline Cochran, and now include 534 women pilots with others in training.

The WASPS, if taken into the Army as provided in the Costello bill, would be headed by one officer of colonel rank – a post which would presumably go to Miss Cochran.

5122

americavotes1944

Stokes: Former Senator Norris alarmed by partisan actions of Congress

Grand old man of Progressivism favors soldier vote, higher taxes, fourth term
By Thomas L. Stokes, Scripps-Howard staff writer

McCook, Nebraska –
Former Senator George W. Norris, the grand old man of American Progressivism, looks out from the sun-porch windows of his home here upon the country and the world and finds some things that disturb him.

For the better part of an early spring afternoon, the venerable political warrior and philosopher talked about the course of events, speaking his fears of some trends he observes in Washington, where he served so long, and voicing also certain hopes and ideals for the future.

He is alarmed about what he regards as narrow partisanship in Congress. With much misgiving, he watched the fight in Congress over the soldier vote bill. He thought President Roosevelt was plainly right about this and the tax bill.

Just now he is deeply concerned over the fight that Senator McKellar (D-TN) is making against TVA, still closest to the aged statesman’s heart among the achievements of his career in Congress.

In the field of foreign policy, Mr. Norris is critical of our support of the Badoglio regime in Italy, of our recognition of Vichy, and what all this may mean, and, like so many others, he wonders what went on behind the closed doors at Cairo and Tehran. He concedes that he doesn’t have enough information to make sure and exact judgments, but he is beset with doubts about the indicated drift.

Favors fourth term

Despite this, however, and despite differences on some domestic policies, he is for a fourth term for President Roosevelt. He believes defeat of the President would hurt the morale of our armies, encourage our enemies, and prolong the war. He regards Mr. Roosevelt’s continuance in office as necessary to secure the right kind of peace.

Although he opposed the League of Nations after the last war, he is strong for an international organization to insure the peace after this war. He advocated the disarmament of Germany, Japan and Italy, perhaps also of Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria, and demolition of their armament and munitions factories; but he warns that the peace settlement this time must not be one of vengeance carried on to innocent generations, else there will be another holocaust.

It is inspiring and warming to talk to the ex-Senator, and particularly so here against his background, for it gives you a better understanding of the man and the people among whom he lives in mid-America – drab, yes; living in towns so much alike, yes; but still groping for a star.

Streamliner’s wall

There is the brick railroad station, where the streamliners whir by going East and West, and the plain people mill about – and now so many soldiers. Always associated with this country is the whistle of the streamliner which wails through the night, crying across the plains, lonely as the voice of a pioneer.

Away from the station, up the hill, leads Main Street, just as in all of these towns here, past the stores, predominantly chain names now, past the once-nice restaurant which is so crowded and so short of help that you have to stand in line to eat.

You pass the hotel where the manager, himself, is down every morning soon after daybreak, sweeping the lobby and tidying up.

Home for 60 years

Seven block from the station sits the two-story stucco house where the Senator lives with his wife who, at 70, has to do the cooking and most of the housework because of the lack of domestic help. The Senator has lived for 60 years in this house.

He meets you at the door and welcomes you, glad to have a visitor. He leads you to the sun porch off the first door, where he spends most of his time. Here he works on his autobiography which is now nearly completed and will be published in the fall. Newspapers are about, and books.

He talks about Washington and Congress and the world and the plain people, relighting from time to time the stub of a cigar.

5123

Editorial: About post-war taxes

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5124

americavotes1944

Editorial: Are they interested?

Some of the opponents of a federal ballot for soldier voting contended, among other arguments, that the men in the Armed Forces overseas are not interested in voting.

They have been predicting that most of them wouldn’t vote if given a fair chance.

We think this is beside the point. This is a constitutional democracy and under that form of government every citizen is entitled to a reasonable opportunity to vote. We should think that right would apply especially to those who are fighting the nation’s battles.

But here is a sign that they are interested and that they will vote, given a decent chance.

The Stars and Stripes is a daily newspaper published by and for the members of the Armed Forces stationed in the European and Mediterranean war theaters. There are good reasons to believe that this newspaper not only is the overseas fighter’s principal source of information, but that it fairly well reflects the opinions and interests of its readers.

In a February issue of Stars and Stripes, only recently received in this office, a complete roll call of the House on the soldier vote issue was published. Stars and Stripes obtained this roll call by special cable, not having received it from its regular news sources in the United States.

It is reasonable to assume that Stars and Stripes wouldn’t have gone to this trouble and expense had not its editors believed it was justified by the interest of its readers.

5125

Editorial: Proceed with caution

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5126

Edson: Machine tool future not so gloomy

By Peter Edson

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5127

Ferguson: New York

By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

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5128

americavotes1944

Background of news –
Wisconsin politics

By Bertram Benedict

Although Wendell Willkie has repeatedly stated in his primary campaign in Wisconsin that the result will be “crucial” to his chances for the nomination, the result in actuality may be less significant than that. For one thing, any voter may vote in either party primary in Wisconsin. The state does not even require, as do some other states with “wide-open” primaries, that the voter in a party primary pledge himself to support that party in the election.

Tomorrow’s statewide vote in Wisconsin for delegates-at-large to the national conventions may mean more than the vote for the district delegates. Mr. Willkie is supposed to be at a disadvantage in the districts bordering on Illinois, where the influence of The Chicago Tribune is strongest. Ex-Governor Stassen of Minnesota may do best in the districts bordering on Minnesota. Delegates for Gen. MacArthur may be aided by the fact that the general comes of a Wisconsin family, and spent most of his boyhood in Milwaukee.

Wisconsin long had a reputation as “leftish,” and for many years did lead the states in much social-welfare and political-reform legislation. The La Follettes controlled the state, which was the only one to vote for La Follette for President on a third-party ticket in 1924.

Former socialist stronghold

For 24 years, the mayor of Milwaukee was Daniel W. Hoan, a Socialist (much of his support came from non-socialists), and the second (and last) Socialist to sit in the House of Representatives was Victor Berger of Wisconsin (the first was Meyer London of New York).

But in recent years, Wisconsin may have swung well away from the left. Mr. Hoan was defeated for Mayor of Milwaukee in 1940. Two years before, Progressive Governor Philip La Follette had been defeated for reelection by a conservative Republican, Julius P. Heil.

Wisconsin gave Socialist Eugene Debs 85,000 votes for President in 1920; Socialist Norman Thomas, only 15,000 votes in 1940.

The state gave an overwhelming majority to Harding in 1920 and, although wet sentiment was strong, voted for Hoover over Smith in 1928. Wisconsin gave Roosevelt 67% of its major party vote in 1932 and 68% in 1936, but only 51% in 1940.

That it is dangerous to prophesy from primary results in Wisconsin was shown in 1940. Thomas E. Dewey, who stumped the state, contested the Republican primary with Senator Vandenberg, who remained in Washington but had Senator Nye of North Dakota to speak for him. Mr. Taft did not enter the primary, but the Taft men were believed to have supported Vandenberg, in a Stop-Dewey move. Mr. Dewey carried the primaries by about two-to-one over Mr. Vandenberg, and won all 24 delegates.

Prophecies recalled

Several days before, James A. Farley had predicted that if Mr. Dewey won in Wisconsin, he would be the Republican nominee. Mr. Vandenberg had been quoted to the same effect. Senator Nye said it was “very, very significant” that the total Republican primary vote was larger than the Democratic; he believed that Mr. Dewey had been helped by his “strong isolationist stand.”

E. F. Jaeckel, chairman of the executive committee of the New York State Republican Committee and now a Dewey sponsor; Charles P. Sisson, co-manager of Mr. Dewey’s campaign, and Kenneth Simpson, later a Willkie lieutenant, all said that the Wisconsin results augured well for a Republican victory in the nation.

In the Wisconsin Democratic primaries in 1940, President Roosevelt, not an avowed candidate, lost two delegates to John N. Garner. Mr. Garner got 25-30% of the Democratic vote, and Arthur Krock commented in his column in The New York Times of April 4, 1940:

If the vote for Garner delegates is viewed, as it must be, as a party protest against a third term for the President, then Mr. Roosevelt would face odds if he should seek reelection.

5129

Independents await President’s action in WLB membership row

Confederated unions ready to strike if compromise proposal is rejected
By Fred W. Perkins, Pittsburgh Press staff writer

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5130

CANDIDLY SPEAKING —
A toothache? No, headache

By Maxine Garrison

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5131

Millett: WACs retain femininity in service or at altar

By Ruth Millett

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5132

Trade journal says –
Plant waits 9 months for reconversion

U.S. delays removal of war equipment

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5133

War damage policies extended 12 months

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U.S. boosts Lend-Lease shipments to Russia

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5134

Ernie Pyle V Norman

Roving Reporter

By Ernie Pyle

With 5th Army beachhead forces, Italy – (by wireless)
This is a little series of vignettes about four frontline sergeants. They’re just little scenes that came along in conversation as we lay on an Italian hillside chatting one day. The four men are platoon sergeants of the 45th Division of the Allied 5th Army on the Anzio beachhead.

Sgt. Samuel Day of Covington, Kentucky, is a big guy. He weighed 257 pounds when he came into combat in January, and he still weighs 240 despite all the K-rations he’s eaten.

Sgt. Day would be hard on his feet in any circumstances. But when you get into a trench-foot world, 240 pounds is a lot of aggravation for sore dogs.

We get to discussing trench foot, and Sgt. Day told about an incident that happened to him. It seems his feet got in pretty bad shape during their last recent tour in the foxholes, so he went to the frontline medics for ointment or something.

The medics’ solution for his troubles was simple. With a straight face, they told him, “Keep your feet dry and stay off of them for two weeks!”

Sgt. Day went back to his watery foxhole, still sore-footed but unable to keep from chuckling over the irony of this advice. Their prescription for trench foot takes its place in history alongside W. C. Fields’ sure cure for insomnia – get lots of sleep!

Under weeds in ditch

Sgt. Eugene Bender of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, is the company first sergeant. He is short and curly-headed, and has a thin black mustache. When I saw him, he was sitting on a C-ration box, getting a between-battles haircut from a soldier barber.

The sergeant asked:

You don’t write news stories, do you?

I told him no, that I just sort of tried to write what it was like over here, and didn’t even especially look for hero stories, since there were so many guys who were heroes without there being any stories to it.

The sergeant said:

That’s good. Hero stories are all right, but they don’t give people at home the whole picture. You read a story in America of something terrific a guy does over here, and his folks think that happens to him every day.

Now take me. Once I was on patrol and was behind the German lines for 36 hours. We lay all day covered up with weeds in a ditch so close to Germans we could have reached out and touched them. When we finally got back, they had given us up for lost.

Now if you just wrote that story and nothing else, people would think that’s what I did all the time.

Riding waves in foxhole

Sgt. Vincent Mainente is from Astoria, Long Island, and of Italian extraction. He isn’t voluble like most Italian-Americans, but friendly in a quiet and reserved way.

Sgt. Mainente used to be a steam-heat inspector for the Pennsylvania Railroad, and he says:

I sure could use some of that steam heat in my foxhole these days.

We were just lying around on the ground talking, when one of the other boys said:

Vince, tell him about your raft.

“What do you mean, raft?” I asked. So Sgt. Mainente told me.

It seems the bottom of his foxhole was covered with water, like everybody else’s. So the sergeant saved up empty wooden C-ration boxes, and one night he nailed them together and made a raft to float on top of the water in his foxhole.

From all I could gather, it wasn’t 100% successful in keeping him dry, but at least there wasn’t any harm in trying.

Just can’t take it

Sgt. Michael Adams is from Akron, Ohio. He used to work for a truck company. He has been with the regiment ever since it came overseas last spring.

Sgt. Adams seems a little older than the others; his hair is beginning to slip back in front, and you can tell by his manner of speech that he thinks deeply about things.

We got to talking about soldiers who crack up in battle or before the ones who hang back or who think they’re sick and report in to the medics as exhaustion cases.

I personally have great sympathy for battle neurosis cases, but some of the soldiers themselves don’t have. For example, Sgt. Adams was telling how some of the replacements after only a few hours under fire, will go to the company commander and say:

Captain, I can’t take it. I just can’t take it.

That makes Sgt. Adams’ blood boil. He said to me:

They can’t take it? What, what the hell do they think the rest of us stay here for, because we like it?

And it’s that spirit, I guess, that wins wars.

5135

Pegler: Poll tax

By Westbrook Pegler

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