America at war! (1941–) – Part 3

Iran ‘tricked’ by Roosevelt

People expected gala show, blaring trumpets
By Gault MacGowan, North American Newspaper Alliance

Cairo, Egypt –
President Roosevelt’s visit to Iran disappointed the Persian people on the whole. The average man on the streets, getting his news from conversation instead of from a steady flow of newspaper editions containing many pictures, expected to see the President of the fabulous rich country across the seas in a gorgeous uniform as Commander-in-Chief of U.S. forces.

The display-loving everyday people naturally looked forward to a triumphal arrival with all the ceremonials of an oriental welcome they got, instead of the unostentatious plunking down of a plane at a dusty airport, with the security police discouraging even spontaneous and informal demonstrations.

Two Persians overheard discoursing on the subject expressed with a fine flourish of words the fairly general impressions of their countrymen.

One of them exclaimed:

What? He wears no uniform! What trick is this they play upon us?

His friend said:

Perhaps they bring someone in the likeness of the President to deceive malefactors. Possibly we should look for his coming by a later sky carriage.

The first Persian said:

No, it is indeed he. See how they salaam him. But he has not even a trumpeter.

The other commented, with an evident attempt to look on the bright side of a somewhat disheartening situation:

The expansion of his smile is exceeded only by the width of his shoulders.

The man who had opened the chat wanted to know:

What is this lie of the fine coffee of America? There is no serving of coffee here.

A Kurd would give a better welcome, it cannot be denied.

And no spreading of carpets.

As to that, America has no carpets like Persia, and probably has not learned the custom of carpet spreading.

What is the gain of being Shah of 48 states, which they say America has, when your caravan is poorer than that of the Sheikhs of Mohammerah?

The allusion was an effective one, for Mohammerah is the oil country of Persia and a symbol of wealth in Persian household talk.

The more cheerful of the two was forced to grant:

Magnificence has truly gone from the world.

South Atlantic battle ‘won,’ admiral says

Aid of Brazilian forces praised by U.S. Fleet officer

Soldier-vote bill aftermath –
Byrd probes distribution to troops of Guffey charge

Virginia Senator asks OWI report on statement or Pennsylvanian on ‘unholy alliance’
By Robert Taylor, Press Washington correspondent

Völkischer Beobachter (December 10, 1943)

Enttäuschender erster Einsatz der Verräter –
Badoglio-Italiener laufen über

Sie wollen nicht Kanonenfutter für die Anglo-Amerikaner sein

Wachsende Enttäuschung in London und Washington –
Ein ‚Sieg,‘ der noch realisiert werden muß

Der Neuaufbau der Welt…

vb.neuaufbau
…wie ihn sich die Feinde Europas und Ostasiens erträumen (Zeichnung: Kurt G. Truetsch)

U.S. Navy Department (December 10, 1943)

CINCPAC Press Release No. 190

For Immediate Release
December 10, 1943

Liberators of the 7th Army Air Force made late afternoon raids on enemy installations at Jaluit and Mille on December 8 (West Longitude Date). More than 40 tons of bombs were dropped in the target area at Jaluit. There was no enemy interception and none of our aircraft was damaged by antiaircraft fire. At Mille our planes were intercepted by 10 Zeros, two of which were probably shot down. Several of our planes received minor damage. One man was wounded.

U.S. State Department (December 10, 1943)

The Ambassador in Turkey to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union

Ankara, December 10, 1943

Personal and strictly confidential for the Ambassador:

The recent meeting at Cairo was most helpful in drawing Turkey much closer to the Allies; although nothing definite was agreed upon for the time being. I hope the foregoing gives you the present picture.

STEINHARDT

The Pittsburgh Press (December 10, 1943)

NAZI LINE IN ITALY WEAKENS
‘Bazookas’ help smash pillboxes

U.S. artillery clears way for infantry advancing toward Rome
By C. R. Cunningham, United Press staff writer

Daring Yank raid –
Fleet, planes hit Jap island

Shells and bombs poured against Nauru

Whisky plot laid to four distillers

Attempt to corner supply to increase profits is alleged

McNutt loses draft power; Gen. Hershey becomes boss

Ban on calling pre-Pearl Harbor fathers already being followed by local boards

Correspondent killed

Stinson
Sgt. Stinson

Washington –
The Navy announced today that Sgt. Robert W. S. Stinson of Chester, Pennsylvania, is the first Marine Corps combat correspondent officially reported killed in action. He had previously been reported missing.

100-year plan to pay for war heard by NAM

Budget of $21 billion proposed by Cowdin as a balance

Discharge pay up to $500 set by committee

Senate group backs plan to graduate amount for time served


Senate upsets rail pay order by 74–4 vote

Presidential veto sure on basis of breach in pay formula

U.S. liberalizes voluntary censorship code for newspapers

Washington (UP) –
The Office of Censorship today acted to encourage freer presentation of war news in newspapers and on the air by liberalizing the voluntary codes covering press and radio and by assuming wider authority as arbiter of what may be published or broadcast.

In a special note to publishers and broadcasters introducing code revisions effective immediately, it said:

You are reminded that whenever anyone else, in any part of the country, makes a request which appears unreasonable or out of harmony with the code, you are at liberty to appeal at once to the Office of Censorship.

Much confusion would be avoided if such appeals were more frequent.

Military censorship is still supreme in foreign battle theaters, but from now on, the Office of Censorship constitutes itself as “appropriate authority” for clearing “material of all classes” whether or not such material has been announced officially.

Director Byron Price explained that the code revisions and the censorship’s assumption of previously unexercised power as an appropriate authority emphasized “the standing invitation to appeal doubtful cases to this office.”

Mr. Price said his office was concerned by what he called a “dangerous psychology” becoming increasingly apparent among newspapers and radio stations – a willingness to suppress news on almost anybody’s say-so for fear of violating the code.

He said even Chambers of Commerce in some instances and publicity agents in others, for example, had been able to persuade newspapers to withhold publication of legitimate news.

Mr. Price continued:

A great many people are anxious to keep things out of the paper for their own reasons. This sort of pressure every newspaper resists automatically in peacetime. I hope that this resistance isn’t going to be broken down just because we have a voluntary code in wartime.

I don’t want it to get so that everybody who walks into a newspaper office can suppress a news story. I want to guard against such a psychology.

Mr. Price made it clear, for example, that War Department orders to press relations officers over the country “have nothing to do with what newspapers may publish; they are not orders to newspapers and the Army has never so considered them.”

He said:

No government agency whatsoever, including the Office of Censorship, has any authority to issue any orders as to what newspapers can publish – all we can do is request.

Price said the elimination of some restrictions and the relaxation of others in the codes “reflect the studied opinion of the government that more information can now be published and broadcast without danger to national security.” And security, he added, remains the “single consideration” of the censorship.

He continued:

This conclusion in no way presupposes an early end of the war. It does take account of the fact that the war has taken an important turn from the defensive to the offensive.

Mr. Price emphasized that the Office of Censorship is not a news releasing agency and that the other agencies are still authority for what news they give out.

But when some agency asks suppression for security reasons of news in the possession of a broadcaster or publisher, and the code does not appear to apply:

We will be glad to have a little discussion with the agency and see if we can get them to change their minds.

Neither the Army, Navy nor any other agency, Price said, has any “authority, on delegation from the President or from any other source,” to ask newspapers not to publish news stories not covered by the code.

The code revisions make it possible for the press and radio to present a somewhat more complete picture of war production than before. They remove restrictions against nationwide summaries of war production, progress of war production as a whole, and movements of Lend-Lease material.

A new production clause restricts only secret weapons and data on output of specific weapons. For example, under the revised code a newspaper could publish on its own authority that total airplane production was a certain figure. But it should not, without appropriate authority, say how many of the planes were bombers, how many were fighters, etc.

The restricted list of critical materials is reduced by almost one-half eliminating aluminum, artificial rubber, magnesium, silk, cork, copper, optical glass and mercury.

Under the revisions, the Navy is no longer sole appropriate authority for information concerning the sinking or damaging of merchant vessels. Henceforth the War Shipping Authority is an appropriate source for such news.

Mr. Price said:

This will allow the story of the vital and heroic part of the Merchant Marine in winning the war to be told more fully by the War Shipping Administration.

Other changes included:

  1. Restrictions are removed on “premature disclosure of diplomatic discussions” when such discussions do not concern military operations.

  2. All restrictions concerning resettlement centers and about the location of war prisoner camps are eliminated. The FBI is recognized along with the War Department as an appropriate authority for information about escaped war prisoners.

  3. Restrictions are removed as to publication of rumors or enemy propaganda on the grounds that they are “no longer necessary.”

House margin of Democrats cut to one vote

Majority party hit hard by death, resignations and by-elections
By Lyle C. Wilson, United Press staff writer


Cowles denies Willkie deal, flays sparks

Charges utterly false, Minneapolis editor says of book

Showdown due in Slavic rift

Allies must decide between two ‘governments’


U-boat tactics facing change due to losses

Number of Nazi subs sunk in November exceeds their victims

Bomber crew relaxes, then drops bombs, relaxes again

By Robert Vermillion, United Press staff writer

Allies size another town on New Guinea

Ousting of Japs from Huon Peninsula may bring New Britain drive
By Brydon C. Taves, United Press staff writer