Maj. de Seversky: Air tactics
By Maj. Alexander P. de Seversky
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Bullet-pierced helmets – Yank and Nazi – mark battle
By Clinton B. Conger, United Press staff writer
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Chaplin must face paternity charge
Supreme Court wants jury to decide
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An about face –
Hollywood film companies but network time
Star own talent on airwaves
By Si Steinhauser
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Roving Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
London, England – (by wireless)
More on how we eat in London…
In addition to the huge “Willow Run” mess I told about yesterday, there are a number of smaller messes and clubs, all run by the Army. They get more exclusive as they get smaller. Prices go up as you advance to the higher echelons, although the food is about the same.
The highest mess I’m allowed in charges $1.20 for dinner.
There is a junior officers’ mess which serves about 600 meals a day. The officers can bring guests, and you are served by British waitresses. You are supposed to eat everything on your plate here too, but they’re not quite so strict about it as at “Willow Run.”
Then there is the senior officers’ club. It’s about the same size and on the same principle as the junior officers’ club, only you have to be a major or above to get in. We call this the “Old Men’s Club.”
You can take female guests here, and most everybody does. The place is full of big stomachs and bald heads and service stripes from the last war.
Next up in the scale is the mess for full colonels and generals only, and no guests are allowed. Needless to say, I’ve never been in this mess.
One solely for generals
But we haven’t reached the top yet. The zenith is called the “Yankee Doodle Club,” and it is open only to major generals and up, either American or British. It’s a joke around town about the poor brigadier generals being so low and common they can’t even get into the generals’ mess.
We correspondents and many of the other civilian workers over here, such as Red Cross people and aircraft technical men, are allowed membership in both Willow Run and the junior officers’ club. In addition, a handful of old correspondents like me are allowed in the senior officers’ club.
So, all this gives us a very fine choice in eating. Just for diversity we sort of rotate among the three, and probably four times a week we eat at British restaurants, just because we happen to be in a different part of town or are invited out.
The only one of these many messes that serves breakfast is Willow Run. But now that I’m a city man, I can’t get myself up in time to make Willow Run. So I’m caught in the English custom of eating breakfast in your room. And what a concoction the English hotel breakfast is!
But Pyle eats eggs
It consists of porridge, toast, some coal-black mushrooms (which no self-respecting Englishman would have breakfast without) and a small slice of ham – which the British for some reason call bacon.
Being an old Army scrounger, I’ve found a way out of this. The floor waitress, although daily appalled by the suggestion, does bring me each morning one big beautiful American shredded-wheat biscuit. From the Army I got enough extra sugar to make it palatable. Also from the Army I got a can of condensed milk to add to my small hotel portion.
But best of all I have eggs, this enviable acquisition came through the big heart of correspondent Gordon Gammack of The Des Moines Register and Tribune. “Gamm” came back from Ireland the other day bearing five dozen duck eggs, and he gave me two dozen of them. A duck egg, my friends, is a big egg. One of them gives you all you can hold for breakfast.
So, all in all, we expatriates over here bleeding out the war in London do manage to suffer along and gain a little weight now and then.
All messes have bars
Every one of the messes has a bar.
At peak hours you can’t get within yelling distance of the bar at Willow Run.
But don’t worry, you folks at home, about our officers drinking themselves to death over here. Liquor is very, very short in London.
Each mess has a definite ration each day. It isn’t very much. Every person who goes to the bar is on his honor not to drink more than two drinks. In addition to that, the bar has a unique rationing system of its own.
It will sell whisky and gin for about 15 minutes and then hang up the “all out” sign, leaving only beer and wine. The dense crowd at the bar gradually drifts away, and a new crowd forms. Then they start selling whisky and gin again for about 15 minutes.
It seems to work out to everybody’s satisfaction. There is only one drawback. The shock of drinking good liquor after a winter of poisonous bootleg cognac is almost too much for soldiers up from Italy.
Völkischer Beobachter (May 17, 1944)
Der Bombenterror war falsch angesetzt –
Fehlrechnung der Luftgangster
Englands Weltmachtstellung verspielt
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U.S. Navy Department (May 17, 1944)
CINCPAC Press Release No. 406
For Immediate Release
May 17, 1944
Ventura and Coronado search planes of Fleet Air Wing Two, Dauntless dive bombers and Corsair fighters of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing and Navy Hellcat fighters bombed and strafed remaining enemy objectives in the Marshall Islands during the day and night of May 15 (West Longitude Date). Fuel storage facilities, runways, and buildings were hit.
The Pittsburgh Press (May 17, 1944)
Allies reach Hitler Line
Germans retreating near coast; Yanks seize key mountain
By Reynolds Packard, United Press staff writer
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Invasion army almost ready, Nazis declare
Outcome uncertain enemy admits
By Robert Dowson, United Press staff writer
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Two communiqués daily planned on invasion
London, England (UP) –
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Supreme Headquarters will issue two regular communiqués daily when his Allied expeditionary forces invade the continent, it was revealed today.
The communiqués will be released at 11:00 a.m. (5:00 a.m. ET) and 11:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. ET). They will be supplemented with special announcements of major developments.
Roper: Bodies ‘you can’t hurt’ pave path for aid to Yank wounded
By James E. Roper, United Press staff writer
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More raids on Marshalls
Washington –
Navy and Marine airmen maintained their pre-invasion air assaults on the remaining Japanese bases in the Marshall Islands Monday, the Navy announced today. Fuel shortage facilities, runways and buildings were battered throughout the day and into the night, the Navy said.
Roosevelt, Dewey win in primaries
Downey comes back in California vote
By the United Press
President Roosevelt and Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York gained additional support for the forthcoming presidential nominating conventions yesterday, returns from primaries in New Jersey and California showed today.
In New Jersey, candidates pledged to support a fourth term for the President were uncontested for 40 seats and 34 votes at the Democratic National Convention. Mr. Dewey picked up 35 potential votes in the New Jersey Republican primary in a contest in which the state GOP organization, headed by Governor Walter E. Edge, piled up almost a six to one lead over a slate which campaigned on a “Draft Dewey” campaign. Mr. Edge, former backer of Wendell L. Willkie, has said he favored Mr. Dewey, but desired the state delegation to be uninstructed.
Fourth term endorsed
California’s 56 delegates, with 52 votes to the Democratic convention, favoring a fourth term for the President, were unopposed, while a 50-member GOP delegation, also unopposed, was pledged to Governor Earl Warren, as a favorite son. Mr. Warren, however, was not an announced candidate for the presidential nomination, but has been mentioned frequently as a possible running mate for Mr. Dewey and his delegates were expected to support the New York Governor after the first ballot at the convention.
The Democratic state committee in Delaware closed a meeting last night by instructing its eight-member delegation to support Mr. Roosevelt for a fourth term.
Dewey has 529 votes
Montana political parties, closing a two-day convention, pledged 10 delegates to the President and eight for Mr. Dewey.
In all, President Roosevelt added 104 convention votes to swell his total to 788 – 199 more than necessary for nomination. Mr. Dewey added 93 pledged and potential delegates to give him a possible 529 delegates on the first or second ballots at the Republican convention, only one vote shy of nomination.
In New Jersey, returns from 2,157 of 3,645 precincts gave the Republican organization delegates-at-large slate, headed by Governor Edge (115,378 votes), compared with 20,186 for the opposing slate headed by former State Senator Lloyd Schroeder.
GOP National Committeemen H. Alexander Smith continued to pile up an overwhelming lead over his rival for the party’s designation for U.S. Senate in New Jersey.
Senate seat fight
In 2,471 precincts, Mr. Smith had 128,748 votes compared to 23,076 for Jersey City attorney Andrey O. Wittreich.
Rep. Elmer H. Wene, Vineland poultryman, was unopposed for the Democratic Senatorial nomination in New Jersey. The primary winners will fight it out for the Senate seat now occupied by Senator Arthur Walsh, who was appointed by Governor Edge to succeed the late Senator W. Warren Barbour. Mr. Walsh did not seek the nomination.
There were no major contests for the Democratic Congressional nominations, and Republican organization candidates won easily in the four contests in their primary.
Downey triumphs
In California, Democrats by inference endorsed the Roosevelt administration in a consolidated primary by giving U.S. Senator Sheridan Downey, a New Deal supporter, a 3–1 lead over his nearest opponent for Democratic renomination.
Republican votes gave Lieutenant Governor Frederick F. Houser, a critic of the President’s domestic policies, a commanding lead in the contest to name a GOP nominee.
Returns from 8,277 precincts gave leading Senatorial candidates:
REPUBLICAN
| Houser | 124,348 |
| Downey | 61,536 |
| Philip Bancroft | 50,044 |
| William G. Bonelli | 23,503 |
| Justus Craemer | 20,062 |
| Charles G. Johnson | 24,001 |
DEMOCRATIC
| Downey | 243,601 |
| Houser | 62,026 |
| Bonelli | 30,639 |
| Bancroft | 27,750 |
| Jack B. Tenney | 14,670 |
Under California law, candidates are permitted to run for both Democratic and Republican nominations regardless of their party affiliations.
No campaign made
Mr. Downey remained in Washington and did no active campaigning in the last few weeks preceding the election. Mr. Houser, a State Assemblyman and an unsuccessful candidate for Congress before he was elected Lieutenant Governor in the 1942 Republican sweep in California, campaigned in most counties of the state.
Five Republican and five Democratic representatives of the 23 in the California delegation held leads for both major party nominations which, if maintained, would send them into the November general election unopposed.
Los Angeles Rep. John M. Costello, a Democrat, was trailing behind Hal Styles, a Los Angeles radio commentator, for his own party nomination although he was leading for the Republican nomination. He will be disqualified for any nomination if he fails to win his own party bid.
GOP voters lead
A heavy Republican turnout gave the unopposed Warren presidential ticket a larger early count than that won by the fourth term Roosevelt delegation, although the state’s registration is Democratic 3–2.
Representatives who held leads for both major party nominations were Clarence Lea, leader of the delegation, John H. Tolan, Alfred J. Elliott, Cecil King and Chet Hollifield, all Democrats, and Leroy Johnson. John Z. Anderson, Bertrand W. Gearhart, Carl Hinshaw and John Phillips, Rep. Richard J. Welch (R-San Francisco) had no opposition for major party nomination.
In the 14th district, being vacated by Thomas F. Ford, a Democrat, Helen Gahagan Douglas, a former actress and Democratic National Committeewoman, led for Democratic nomination and William D. Campbell for the Republican bid. Ellis E. Patterson, a former lieutenant governor, led for Democratic nomination in the 16th district being vacated by Will Rogers Jr. and the Rev. Jesse R. Kellems, a state assemblyman led for the Republican nomination.
White-collar pay raise action slated
Senators work on bill to cut red tape
By Fred W. Perkins, Scripps-Howard staff writer
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Penn Township faces teacher strike
Mass resignation set for June 14
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In Washington –
Budget bureau disagrees with President on spending
Prepares to expend $92 billion next year instead of Roosevelt’s $85 billion
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CIO for 4th term, Wallace
Chicago, Illinois (UP) –
The CIO Political Action Committee and the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America has endorsed President Roosevelt for a fourth term.
The Political Action Committee, meeting in special session, passed a resolution saying that the members “felt confident that the people will reelect” the President.
ACWA delegates, meeting here in their 14th biennial convention, approved a fourth term for President Roosevelt and Vice President Henry Wallace by unanimous acclaim.
Philip Murray, president of the CIO, told the convention that labor must get behind the drive for President Roosevelt’s fourth term.