In Washington –
House group ready to offer revised ‘G.I. Bill’
Measure may be introduced Monday
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Perkins: Efficiency of TNT plant cuts costs, boosts output
Economical operation of Point Pleasant unit would please even Senator Byrd
By Fred W. Perkins, Pittsburgh Press staff writer
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Bombers batter Wewak region
Seek to bar escape of Jap garrison
By William B. Dickinson, United Press staff writer
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Nimitz commends Marines who took Marshalls Atolls
By 2nd Lt. Jim J. Lucas, USMC Public Relations Officer
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Editorial: Secretary Knox
The building, training, manning and disposal of the world’s greatest navy in a period of approximately two years was one of history’s most amazing accomplishments, and for it, Secretary Knox deserved much of the credit.
His untimely death came at a time when the mightiest aggregation of force in naval history was swinging into decisive action.
The nation will mourn that it was not given him to see the outcome of the efforts in which he undoubtedly sacrificed health and strength and for which he literally died in action.
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Poll: Labor support still clings to Roosevelt
Small percentage changes its mind
By George Gallup, Director, American Institute of Public Opinion
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Roving Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
Naples, Italy – (by wireless)
A Red Cross worker rides each hospital ship, not only to do anything for the wounded she can, but also to help keep the ship’s staff and crew happy.
On our ship, the Red Cross girl was Percy Gill of Palo Alto, California. She used to teach physical education at Castilleja School for Girls.
After supper, she passed out a bottle of Coca-Cola to every man on the ship. It was the first time most of the boys had had one since leaving America. The Merchant Marine seamen in the crew always help her pass the cokes around.
Miss Gill has a tiny office filled with books, toilet supplies, musical instruments and magazines. As soon as the wounded men are brought aboard, she gives everyone a pack of cigarettes and a toothbrush, for most of them have lost their gear.
Some completely empty-handed
As they were swung aboard, you see some completely emptyhanded and others carrying their pitiful little possessions in their tin hats, balanced on their stomachs. Some have on hospital pajamas, some just OD shirts, some only their dirty gray underwear.
Miss Gill does not intrude herself on the men, for she knows that the most badly wounded want to be left alone. Now and then she’ll give a boy a book and discover that he’s still looking at the same page three hours later. Another boy used his as a fan all afternoon.
Miss Gill has books in French, and in German too. Every shipload has a few wounded prisoners. We had two on my trip. One was a startled-looking German kid whose card showed him to be only 17. The prisoners are treated just the same as anybody else.
Miss Gill’s musical warehouse includes an accordion, four guitars, a violin, two saxophones, a clarinet, a trombone, and two dozen harmonicas. She doesn’t have many requests for either the musical instruments or the books on these short trips between the beachhead and Naples, for there’s hardly time. But on the long trip back to America they are a godsend, for the men are feeling better by then and time goes slowly. On one 16-day trip across the ocean the wounded men read 3,000 books – an average of six to a man.
Relief from mud and cold
It is a relief and a comfort for men to be on a hospital ship after their months of mud and cold and misery and danger and finally the agony of their wounding. It is a relief because the hospital ship is so little like war, and because those who operate it are in a world apart from the world these men have known.
There’s no blackout at all. Nobody is ever dirty or cold. Cabin windows have no shutters. You can smoke on deck. Big spotlights slung on brackets point their dazzling beams at the big red cross painted on the ship’s sides.
The ship takes its course far outside the channels of regular war shipping, and instead of keeping radio secrecy we broadcast our position every 15 minutes. The hospital ship wants the enemy to know where it is so no mistake can be made.
Our ship has had several “incidents.” It has been stopped by surfaced submarines and been circled by enemy planes. But the enemy has always respected it. The greatest danger is going to such places as Anzio, or standing in ports during air raids.
Scene of quiet and peace
Usually, the ward lights are left on until 10:30 p.m. But on our trip, they were turned off at 9:30, for we were to dock very early next morning and the men had to wakened by 5:00 a.m. to give the nurses time to get the wounded all washed and fed.
By 10 o’clock, the inside of the ship was dim and quiet. Nurses went about softly in the faint glow of the blue nightlight. The doctors, all through, were playing chess and solitaire in their small salon on the top deck. A few soldiers strolled on deck or hung over the rail. It was warm and gentle outside. The washing of the water seemed like a purring against the ship’s sides.
It was wonderful to be going away from war instead of toward it. For the badly wounded there was a sense of completion of a task, for the others a sense of respite. And the sheets and the soft beds and the security of walls lent a confidence in things present and to come.
There was intense suffering aboard that ship. But by 10:30, you could somehow feel the quiet, masked composure that comes to men of turmoil when they settle down for the night in the clasp of a strange new safety.
And early next morning we were here.
Big Allied drive begun in India
Attack from two sides in Kohima region
By Walter Logan, United Press staff writer
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British mourn sudden death of naval chief
Lauded as man who created two-ocean fleet
By William H. Stoneman
London, England –
High figures in British public life and the entire British press joined today in paying their respects to the late Frank Knox, whose sudden death was first announced to the British public over the radio at 9:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. ET) last night.
Every newspaper in the realm reported the news in extensive front-page stories and paid tribute to the late Navy Secretary and publisher as “the man who gave America its two-ocean fleet.”
All joined in recalling his clearsighted attitude toward Hitler, Mussolini and Japan long before the United States entered the war; his energetic efforts to obtain full aid for Britain and his unrelenting efforts to speed up construction of the U.S. Fleet after he had joined the Roosevelt Cabinet.
Memorial services set
Few public figures, British or American, have received such united tributes from the British press upon their passing.
Arrangements have been made by Adm. Harold R. Stark, U.S. naval commander in the European Theater, for a memorial service Monday at St. Mark’s Church. Representatives of the British and U.S. Armed Forces, the British government and Mr. Knox’s many personal friends now in London will be present.
One of the most striking tributes paid and one which Mr. Knox would have appreciated most deeply was that of A. V. Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty, whom Mr. Knox met when he visited London last winter.
‘Heavy loss suffered’
He said:
The Allied cause has suffered a very heavy loss in the unexpected passing of Col. Frank Knox. Both before and after Pearl Harbor, he proved himself to be a great friend to those who were fighting for the cause of freedom.
From the moment when the President included him in his administration, Col. Knox worked with might and main for the great American Navy and had a great share in the building up of that strength which is exercising such an influence along the road to victory.
We have constantly maintained a clear understanding and complete cooperation. His name will be treasured by all the friends of the American Navy and we in Britain feel that we have lost a personal friend. His example of devoted service will continue to inspire us to the end of the road.
Sends sympathy
Immediately upon receiving news of Mr. Knox’s death, the following signal was sent by Mr. Alexander to the Navy Department in Washington:
Greatly distressed at news of unexpected death of Col. Knox. I was looking forward to seeing him next month. On behalf of Board of Admiralty and the whole of the Royal Navy, I send our sympathy with U.S. Navy and Navy Department in their great loss.
Adm. Stark, a good friend of long standing, expressed his regret in the following statement:
Not only has the Navy lost its greatest Secretary and a great fighting heart, but also Britain has lost one of her staunchest friends overseas. The Navy will feel very keenly his passing because of his great understanding and sympathy with naval personnel and their problems, as well as the country’s naval needs.
Lauded by Winant
Another tribute came from U.S. Ambassador John G. Winant, once his stout opponent in New Hampshire politics and later, after they had both become deeply concerned in winning the war, his friend.
The Ambassador said:
The many friends that Frank Knox had in Great Britain deeply feel his loss. We who knew him at home shall miss a brave soldier and a great Secretary of the Navy.
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