The Pittsburgh Press (May 11, 1944)
Airmada rips Western Front
By Walter Cronkite, United Press staff writer
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By Robert Dowson, United Press staff writer
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By Ralph C. Teatsworth, United Press staff writer
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Rome area hit hard; land fronts quiet
By Reynolds Packard, United Press staff writer
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Washington (UP) –
Announced casualties of the U.S. Armed Forces now total 201,454, an increase of 3,581 above the figure a week ago, it was revealed today.
Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson told a press conference Army casualties totaled 156,676 as of April 28. Of these, 27,297 were killed, 64,321 wounded, 33,715 missing and 31,343 prisoners of war. He added that 37,009 of the wounded have returned to duty.
A Navy casualty list released today showed a total of 44,778 casualties among the Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps. Of these, 19,221 were dead, 12,070 wounded, 9,034 missing and 4,453 prisoners.
The total for all services showed 46,518 killed, 76,391 wounded, 42,749 missing and 35,796 prisoners.
By Fred W. Perkins, Pittsburgh Press staff writer
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Two major issues seen as result of hearings
By Charles T. Lucey, Scripps-Howard staff writer
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Deshon veteran says he would rather see Mrs. Roosevelt than a movie star
By Maxine Garrison
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May urge delegates to withhold decision
By Kermit McFarland
Governor Edward Martin has indicated the Republican state organization will not be in too much of a hurry to get aboard Governor Thomas E. Dewey’s bandwagon.
He said in a press conference that he was undecided whether or not the 70 Republican delegates to the presidential convention should endorse a presidential candidate prior to the convention, June 26.
The Governor said:
But if I were to make up my mind today, I’d say “No.”
Caucus set for May 20
Mr. Martin said “the question of getting on the right bandwagon at the proper time” is insignificant in importance as compared to the importance of nominating a candidate.
The Republican delegates, elected at the April 25 primary, will caucus in Philadelphia May 20, the same day the newly-elected Republican State Committee meets to reorganize.
Mr. Martin’s plan to keep the Pennsylvania delegation non-committal until they arrive in Chicago for the presidential convention may meet opposition from some of the delegates who feel that the write-in vote given Mr. Dewey at the primary provides a compelling reason for the delegation to back the New York Governor early in the game.
Most delegates unpledged
There are also some who are apprehensive about the possibility of the Pennsylvania delegation “missing the bandwagon,” as it did at the Willkie convention in Philadelphia four years ago.
Virtually all of the delegates, however, are unpledged, having submitted their candidacies to the voters with the proviso, “Does not promise to support the popular choice.”
Mr. Dewey is the unquestioned popular choice of Pennsylvania Republicans, having polled more than 150,000 votes although his name did not appear on the ballot.
Sure of GOP success
Governor Martin, despite his reticence about the Republican candidates for President, was enthusiastic in his prediction that the Republican, whoever he is, will carry the state “even if Mr. Roosevelt runs again.”
He forecasts the Republicans will carry at least 46 of the state’s 67 counties.
He said:
I don’t believe there is anything to this business about people being reluctant to change horses in the middle of the stream. They’ll be glad to change when they have an opportunity to get a younger, more efficient “horse.”
Doubtful about county
We are going to carry Philadelphia, but I don’t know about Allegheny. However, Allegheny County is in the best position politically from the Republican standpoint it has ever been in.
The enormous cost of government and the interference with the rights of individuals have become so apparent that the great middle class wants to make a change. They feel they can make the change without interfering with the war effort.
With U.S. forces, the Solomon Islands (UP) –
A United Press poll of a cross section of 500 servicemen – both enlisted men and officers in all service branches – showed today that less than one in 10 of them planned to vote by means of absentee ballots in the November elections.
Most of the 45 men who said they were attempting to vote, were officers. A majority of those questioned said they were uncertain of the voting requirements of their states.
Many men who said they would not vote because casting a ballot involved “too much red tape.” Others said it would be “foolish” to vote when they knew nothing about candidates except on national tickets. Most men have been away from home more than two years.
Capt. Johnson almost baled out in France
By Capt. Robert S. Johnson
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Gen. Vandegrift cites amphibious operations as proof that present plan is effective
By Edward C. Eisenhart, United Press staff writer
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By Ernie Pyle
London, England – (by wireless)
If the Army fails to get ashore on D-Day, I think there are enough American correspondents here to force through a beachhead on their own.
There are gray men who covered the last war, and men from the Pacific, and there are little girls and big girls and pretty girls, and diplomatic correspondents and magazine contributors and editors and cubs and novelists. If Dog News doesn’t get a man over here pretty quickly to cover the dog angle of the invasion, I personally will never buy another copy.
At last reports, there were around 300 correspondents here. They say transmission facilities are being set up to carry a maximum of half a million words a day back to America.
While in London, we correspondents can wear either uniforms or civilian clothes. Some correspondents up from Italy have no civilian clothes and can’t get any – since we can’t get British coupons – so they have to wear uniforms constantly.
I am a civilian again for this little interlude, thanks to the old brown suit I left here a year and a half ago. The only trouble is, I get cold if the day is chilly. For the only outer coat I have is a dirty old mackinaw. I can’t wear that with my brown suit, for you can’t mix military and civilian clothing. I can’t wear it with my uniform, for it is nonregulation for city dress, and the MPs would pick me up. And I can’t buy a topcoat, for I can’t get British coupons. So, I just freeze, brother, freeze.
We live where we please, and that is a problem. It’s hard to find a place to live in crowded London. Some correspondents are lucky enough to find apartments or to share apartments with Army officers they know. Others manage to get into hotels.
Through a friend I got into one of London’s finest hotels. Ordinarily you are allowed to stay there only a few days. But, again through the influence of this very influential friend, I think the hotel is going to shut its eyes and let me stay, although nothing has actually been said about it – and I’m afraid to bring up the subject.
Odd feeling of guilt
For the first two days in my luxurious hotel room, I had an odd feeling of guilt. I’m really sincere about it. I felt ashamed, coming from Italy where so many live so miserably, to be sleeping in a beautiful soft bed in a room so tastefully decorated and deeply carpeted, with a big bathroom and constant hot water and three buttons to press to bring running either a waiter, a valet or my mail.
But I find I have a very strong willpower when it comes to readjusting to comfortable life. After a couple of days I said, “Boy, take it while you can get it,” and I don’t feel the least bit ashamed anymore.
Most correspondents who were through the campaigns in Africa, Sicily and Italy are up here now, and we feel like a sort of little family among all the new ones here.
Before I arrived, they had a big banquet for the correspondents who had been in the Mediterranean. There has been no general get-together since I got here, but a few of us call each other up and get together for a meal.
Most correspondents base on London and work out to the camps or airfields on trips of a few days each, then come back to write their stuff and wait on the invasion.
A vast Army Public Relations Branch occupied one huge four-story building and overflows into several others. They have set up a “correspondents’ room” as a sort of central headquarters for us. We get our mail there, and we go there to ask questions, and get various problems worked out, and meet each other.
Mail comes through fast
The mail, incidentally, is a revelation here. In the Mediterranean, the average letter took at least two weeks and a half to come from the States, and most of it much longer. Up here half of my mail is coming through in a week. I even have had one letter in five days, and the longest has been only two weeks on the way.
Obviously, no correspondent knows when the invasion will be or where. I imagine you could count on your fingers all the Army officers in England who know. All we correspondents can do is be ready.
Only a few will go in on the initial invasion or in the early stages. Some of the eager ones have tried to pull strings to get front seats in the invasion armada. Others with better judgment have just kept quiet and let matters take their course. Personally, I am trying to get accredited to the British Home Guard to help defend the mid-England town of Burford from German attack.