America at war! (1941–) – Part 3

9369

Völkischer Beobachter (July 30, 1944)

Neuer Ansturm gegen Florenz blutig zusammengebrochen –
Ausdehnung des Feindangriffs in der Normandie

Erbitterte Kämpfe im Osten – Zahlreiche sowjetische Angriffe abgewehrt

dnb. Aus dem Führerhauptquartier, 29. Juli –
Das Oberkommando der Wehrmacht gibt bekannt:

Im Westteil des normannischen Landekopfes nahm die Ausdehnung des feindlichen Großangriffes gestern noch weiter zu. östlich Saint-Lô wurden starke örtliche Angriffe bis auf geringe Einbrüche abgewiesen und südlich der Stadt bei Moyon und Villebaudott feindliche Angriffsspitzen im Gegenangriff zerschlagen. Westlich davon gelang es dem Feind unter Einsatz neuer Kräfte, nach erbitterten Kämpfen weiter nach Südwesten vorzudringen. Am Westflügel des Landekopfes setzten sich unsere Divisionen im Kampf mit dem stark nachdrängenden Feind in den Raum beiderseits Coutances ab. In den neuen Stellungen wurden dann alle feindlichen Angriffe abgewiesen.

Vor dem Lahdekopf beschädigten Torpedoflieger ein feindliches Frachtschiff von 6000 BRT schwer.

Schnellboote versenkten in der Nacht zum 27. Juli vor Le Havre zwei britische Schnellboote und beschädigten mehrere andere. Ein eigenes Boot ging verloren.

Im französischen Raum wurden wiederum 189 Terroristen im Kampf niedergemacht.

Das Vergeltungsfeuer auf London dauert an.

In Italien brach der zweite feindliche Großangriff gegen Florenz blutig zusammen. Mit etwa acht Divisionen rannte der Feind, von stärkstem Artilleriefeuer unterstützt, immer wieder gegen unsere Front an, ohne einen Erfolg zu erringen. Nach schwersten Kämpfen, bei tropischer Hitze, waren die Stellungen am Abend fest in der Hand unserer Truppen. Zwanzig Panzer wurden abgeschossen.

An der übrigen Front beschränkte sich der Feind auf schwächere Angriffe westlich des Tiber und im Küstenabschnitt, die erfolglos blieben.

Im Osten wurden heftige Angriffe der Sowjets im Karpatenvorland zum Teil im Gegenangriff abgewehrt.

Östlich des großen Weichselbogens schiebt sich der Feind mit starken Kräften an den Fluss heran. Ein übersetzversuch über den Fluss wurde vereitelt. Südöstlich Warschau und bei Siedlce dauern erbitterte Kämpfe an. Zwischen dem mittleren Bug und Kauen schlugen unsere Truppen alle Durchbruchsversuche des Feindes ab.

Im Abschnitt Kauen–Riga verstärkte sich der feindliche Druck. Trotz zähen Widerstandes der Besatzung drang der Feind in die Stadt Schaulen ein. Nach Mitau vorstoßende feindliche Kräfte würden im Gegenangriff aus der Stadt geworfen.

An der Front zwischen der Düna und dem Finnischen Meerbusen scheiterten auch gestern zahlreiche Angriffe der Bolschewisten. 43 feindliche Panzer wurden abgeschossen.

Schlachtfliegerverbände vernichteten vierzig weitere Panzer, zahlreiche Geschütze und mehrere hundert Fahrzeuge.

In der Nacht führten schwere Kampfflugzeuge einen zusammengefassten Angriff gegen den Bahnhof Molodeczno, der starke Brände und heftige Explosionen unter abgestellten Transportzügen hervorrief.

Bei der Abwehr eines sowjetischen Luftangriffes auf die Stadt Kirkenes schossen unsere Jagdflieger zwölf feindliche Flugzeuge ab.

Nordamerikanische Bomber griffen bei Tag Orte in Mittel- und Westdeutschland, darunter Wiesbaden und Merseburg, an.

In der flacht waren Stuttgart und Hamburg das Ziel feindlicher Terrorangriffe. Luftverteidigungskräfte brachten 97 feindliche Flugzeuge, darunter 95 viermotorige Bomber, zum Absturz.

9370

Was sie mit uns vorhaben –
Ein Plan brutaler Vernichtung Deutschlands

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9371

In der zweiten Runde des Ostasienkrieges –
Wo bleibt Englands Pazifikflotte?

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9372

Rassenkampf am Mississippi

Genf, 29. Juli –
In dem Staate Mississippi, wo es über eine Million Neger gibt und sieben Prozent der ganzen Baumwolle der USA geerntet werden, müssen die Weißen, so meldet die Zeitschrift Time, jetzt selbst auf die Felder gehen, sie beackern und die großen Baumwollballen schleppen, da seit Kriegsbeginn 50.000 Neger nach den Nordstaaten ausgewandert sind, wo sie höhere Löhne und ein besseres Leben erhofften. Die Negerzeitung Jackson Advocate führt die scharenweise Abwanderung der Negerbevölkerung aus Mississippi auf den Rassenkampf der weißen Südstaatler zurück. Nach der Time reihe sich dort ohne Pause in den 36 Rekrutierungslagern des Staates ein Zwischenfall an den anderen, wo Weiße und Schwarze untergebracht sind.

9373

Kolonnen im Tiefflug zerbombt –
Angriff in der Normandie

pk. Ihre mittlere Flak durchbohrt und durchlöchert die Nacht wie ein Sieb. Scheinwerfer schneiden das Dunkel in Stücke. Lichter flammen in der Tiefe, Fahrzeuge brennen weißgelb, rundum glühen dunkelrot wie flammender Klatschmohn – die Brände der Schober und Häuser. 4.000 Meter tief unten atmet und kämpft die nächtliche Front des Brückenkopfes von Caen bis Cherbourg. Hoch oben liegt noch das Zwielicht einer späten Dämmerung. Ein graues Licht, in dem der Verband der schweren deutschen Kampfflugzeuge auf Westkurs schwimmt. Gleichmäßig heben und senken sich die Flächen, ruhig rauschen die Motoren. Man muß den Kopf an die Kanzelfenster drücken, um unter den Rümpfen die Umrisse der schweren Minen und Sprengbomben und der großen Abwurfbehälter für Brand- und Splitterbomben zu erkennen. Die See ist von fahlem, weißlichem Grau, braun die Küste. Die Stadt liegt im Knick der Halbinsel ein Stück landeinwärts, aber gut und klar ist unser Ziel auszumachen in der mondhellen Nacht.

Klirrend kommt durch die Hörmuscheln der Befehl des Kommandeurs an alle: „Verbandsauflösung!“ und dann „Ich stürze!“ Schattenhaft schnell kippt die Maschine ab, rast hinunter. Ein Feuervorhang wächst ihr entgegen. Oben kurbeln und kurven die Kampfflugzeuge, warten. Jetzt – Aufflammen in der Tiefe, eine breite, grellweiße Bahn.

Es ist so weit. Sturz. Der Verband greift an, die alten Londonspezialisten und Zielfinder. Der Leutnant K., einer der Tüchtigsten vom jungen Segelfliegernachwuchs, kaum 21 Jahre alt, man sagt, daß seine Besatzung eine der verwegensten sei – hat die Hände leicht und locker am Knüppelhorn. Herunterfegend schwillt der Motorenlärm stoß Haft an, dröhnt in die Kabine und frisst sich durch die Fliegerhauben. Heftiger vibriert die Zelle. Steiler, schneller. In den Ohren staut sich der Druck, presst die Trommelfelle. Grell wirft sich von unten der Kegel der Scheinwerfer entgegen, tastet in die Nacht, pinselt kalkweiß dicht vorbei, bis es blau darin auf gleißt. Sie haben einen Kameraden erfasst. Wie eine Kaskade sprühen die Garbenbüschel der Flak herauf.

Zwei, drei Meter vor der Kanzel wischt es rot heran – Leuchtspur. Die Hände am Steuerhorn krampfen sich fest, drücken schärfer weg. Rauschend trommelt Motorenlärm. Schwer pressen sich die Körper zurück in die Spitze. Die Erde fliegt entgegen, Felder, Gehöfte, Straßen, die sich zu einer Spinne verdichten im Gewirr einer Stadt. Jetzt sind Kolonnen erkennbar. Panzer und Fahrzeuge. Die Feuersperre verdichtet sich, Batterien mit Vierlingen und 2-Zentimeter-Geschützen greifen ein. Nur nicht an die Abwehr denken, nicht auf die Garben sehen, nicht die Glimmsätze verfolgen, die so oft von ihren Trägern, den Geschossen, abschmelzen und als talergroße Glühwürmchen durch die Luft sirren und über die wirkliche Schusslage täuschen.

Immer noch kämpft der Kamerad im Fangnetz der Scheinwerferarme. „1500 Meter hoch,“ schreibt der Beobachter, Feldwebel G. Er ist ruhig und besonnen, aber jetzt fasst ihn die Erregung, die Wut. Mit der einen Hand reißt er die Bordkanone aus der Zurrung, löst mit der anderen die Anschnallgurte und schiebt sich vor in die Kanzel, flucht. „Ich werde schießen!“ schimpt er, „wollen mal sehen…“

Und mit einem Seitenblick hangt er wieder am Höhenmesser, meldet fort und fort die Meter über Grund, die Sekunden sind wie langsam sich lösende Tropfen, die gemessen in den großen Becher der Zeit fallen. „Zwei, drei, vier – 900 Meter,“ ruft die Stimme in ihrer harten oberschlesischen Mundart. „Bomben klar!“ Befehl des Leutnants. Wieder huschen einige hundert Meter vorbei. Und nun das „Ich werfe – raus!“ des Flugzeugführers. Jetzt müßten sie abfangen und ausdrehen aber sie tun mehr, diese Jungen, die hier Nacht um Nacht ihre Bomben in den Brückenkopf knüppeln. Sie denken an die Kameraden, die Grenadiere und Panzermänner, und stürzen weiter mit ihren fallenden Bomben.

Das „Hinterhaus,“ Funker und Schützen, hetzen nach vorn: „Schießt – und hinein!“ Der Rausch hat sie gefasst. Sie sind so jung, aber so hart schon gehämmert im Feuer von London bis Hull wie edler, biegsamer Damaszenerstahl. Ratternd tost die Kanone. Stellungen sind klar erkannt. Feuer deckt. Die Straße wird abgeschrubbt. Geballter fasst die Feindabwehr sich zusammen.

Plötzlich ein weites, breites Aufhellen, Aufprickeln. Hundertfach entfaltet sich ihr Splitterbombenfeld. Sie haben die richtige Sorte mit. Aber hunderte rasante kleinste Splitterbomben. Wie erloschen ist mit einem Schlage das Leben. Scheinwerfer verglühen, Batteriestellungen schweigen. Fahrzeuge brennen auf. Jäh fasst der Druck des Abfangens den Körper, presst auf, den Magen und in die Lehnen zurück. „Schussfeld frei fürs Hinterhaus.“ Unteroffizier W., wir nennen ihn alle nur unseren Steppke, den „zarten Mann in der Wanne,“ radiert blitzschnell für den Kameraden die seitab gelegenen Scheinwerfer aus der ist frei. Der Funker, Unteroffizier H., streut ebenfalls über Stellungen weg. 19 Jahre ist der eine, 20 der andere, Schüler beide. Nah druckt sich das schwere Kampfflugzeug an den Boden und wetzt querfeldein. Bäume, Häuser und Dörfer strudeln vorbei. Eine weiße Leuchtkugel steigt auf, noch eine. Dort sind die eigenen Linien, Erkennungs-Signal schießen. Rote Sterne entfalten sich, stehen sekundenlang und verglühen langsam. Rauschend mahlen die Motoren auf Heimatkurs.

Kriegsberichter Dr. HARALD JANSEN

9374

Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (July 30, 1944)

Communiqué No. 109

Allied forces pushing south from COUTANCES have linked up with our forces in LENGRONNE. The whole of the road between these two towns is in our hands. An enemy force south of the river SOULLE has been surrounded and is being steadily eliminated in spite of determined efforts to break out.

Our troops advancing to the west have crossed the river SIENNE in several places.

PERCY and the PERCY–HANBYE road are in our hands.

Heavy fighting continues in the area of TESSY.

Further east, an advance of a mile has been made astride the river SEULLES in the area of SAINT-VAAST.

Throughout yesterday, in changeable weather, Allied fighters and fighter-bombers closely supported our advancing troops. At least 20 tanks were destroyed; fighters trapped an enemy convoy crossing a bridge over the river SIENNE near GAVRAY and destroyed 12 tanks.

Enemy troops, gun positions, and bridges were hit in attacks southwest of COUTANCES, and near AVRANCHES and SAINT-LÔ.

Many railway cars and armored and motor vehicles were set on fire by fighters operating in the rear of the immediate battle zone and at VENDOMME and in the ROUEN–AMIENS–ARRAS AREA.

Escorted heavy bombers, using instruments, attacked airfields at JUVINCOURT and LAON–COURVRON.

Five enemy aircraft were destroyed during the day’s operations. Five of our fighters are missing.

Communiqué No. 110

The Allied advance continues in the western sector. BREHAL, CERENCES, and GAVRAY have been occupied and Allied troops are pushing on beyond these towns.

Pockets of enemy infantry and armor which had been bypassed are being steadily eliminated. Attempts to break out with tank support by enemy encircled in the areas of LENGRONNE and SAINT-DENIS-LE-GAST were frustrated, and more than 30 tanks were knocked out. A strong counterattack in the area of TESSY-SUR-VIRE was beaten back.

In the GAUMONT area, an advance of three miles has been made south of the town, and Allied troops have reached the SAINT-JEAN-DES-ESSARTIERS and LES LOGES. To the east of CAUMONT, our troops have gained ground in spite of strong enemy resistance, very difficult ground and extensive minefields.

A force of heavy and medium bombers attacked tactical targets in the CAUMONT area this morning in support of the ground action there. Both visual and pathfinding techniques were employed due to the cloud layer which extended to within 2,000 feet of the ground.

Fighter-bombers continued to support our advancing columns in the western sector.

Armed reconnaissance patrols were flown as far eastward as AMIENS, PARIS and CHARTRES.

9375

U.S. Navy Department (July 30, 1944)

CINCPAC Communiqué No. 97

Tinian Town on Tinian Island was captured by U.S. Marines during the afternoon of July 29 (West Longitude Date). Substantial gains were made along the entire front during the day, and the enemy is now contained in an area of approximately five square miles at the southern tip of the island. Enemy resistance increased progressively throughout July 29 as the Marines advanced.

Activity on Guam on July 29 (West Longitude Date) was limited to clearing local pockets of resistance and to patrolling. Some of our patrols crossed the island to Ylig and Togcha Bay without meeting resistance. Our troops to date have counted 4,543 enemy dead and have captured 44 prisoners of war. At least 28 Japanese tanks have been destroyed.

Our own casualties on Guam as of July 29 including both soldiers and Marines total 958 killed in action, 4,739 wounded in action and 290 missing in action.

Our ships now are using Apra Harbor on the west coast of Guam, site of the former U.S. naval base. Several of our aircraft have landed and taken off from the Orote Peninsula airfield.

Two Liberators of Fleet Air Wing Two on July 28 strafed Japanese small craft in the Truk Atoll Lagoon. Five enemy fighters attempted to intercept our force and two fighters were damaged. The bombers proceeded to Ponape where Japanese gun positions and buildings were bombed. One of our planes was damaged by anti-aircraft fire but both returned to base.

Attacks on remaining Japanese positions in the Marshall Islands were continued on July 28. Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing Corsairs and Dauntless dive bombers and Group One, Fleet Air Wing Two, Venturas and Catalinas bombed coastal and anti-aircraft gun emplacements. A Navy Ventura search plane bombed Nauru. Anti-aircraft fire ranged from moderate to meager. Two of our aircraft were damaged but all returned.

9376

The Pittsburgh Press (July 30, 1944)

Yanks smash five gaps in Nazi line

Germans stampeding southward; Americans wipe out three divisions
By Edward W. Beattie, United Press staff writer

map.073044.up
Deeper into France through five gaps in the German lines went U.S. forces as the Germans gave way, with a tank battle, in the region of Tessy-sur-Vire, the only major Nazi opposition. One U.S. forces (1) drove within three miles north of Bréhal, and smashed to the west coast of Normandy at Regnéville and Saint-Malo-de-la-Lande. Late dispatches said Nazis in the pocket above Coutances were wiped out by a U.S. force which swept down from Lessay. U.S. troops also drove to within three miles of Bréhal from the east-northeast (2), closed on the Granville–Vire road (3) and aimed a spearhead toward Vire (4). East of Saint-Lô, the Americans advanced three miles toward Torigny (5), while on the eastern end of the front, the situation was unchanged in the Caen area.

SHAEF, London, England –
Triumphant U.S. doughboys poured through five gaping holes in the German battle lines in western Normandy today, lunging six miles beyond captured Coutances to the sea and wiping out the last survivors of three of the seven Nazi divisions caught in the path of their armored columns.

The entire Nazi left flank buckled and broke, sending a torrent of U.S. infantrymen and tanks racing southward toward the port of Granville only eight miles beyond the farthest point of the advance last night.

Crack German units rushed in from the east stiffened the enemy lines momentarily at some points, particularly west of the Vire River below Saint-Lô, but nowhere were the battered Nazis able to halt the American juggernaut.

German pocket eliminated

The German pocket north of Coutances was eliminated by a U.S. force that, driving forward 16 miles in six hours, swept down from Lessay to join up with two other armored spearheads that had fused at Coutances and pushed on to the sea.

United Press writer Robert C. Miller reported the destruction of the enemy pocket in a delayed dispatch from the Coutances front, of the fate of several thousand Germans trapped above Coutances by the first two U.S. columns that reached the city.

A high military spokesman revealed, however, that three enemy divisions, almost half the force that attempted to stop the U.S. offensive, had been destroyed.

Attack hurled back

The Germans put up their bitterest resistance in the Tessy-sur-Vire area west of the Vire River. The German 2nd Armored Division, rushed from the Caen front, hurled a savage counterattack against the advancing Americans, only to be smashed back with heavy losses. For the moment, however, Tessy became a no-man’s-land as the two tank armies sparred around its outskirts.

The counterblow failed to halt the stampede of the main German force to the west. Enemy vehicles were jammed bumper to bumper along the highways in a disorderly retreat toward Brittany, piling up tanks and transports at broken bridges under merciless attack from low-flying Allied planes.

New push to east

The American advance down the west side of France began paying off in relation to the front as a whole when a new Yankee push gathered momentum southeast of Saint-Lô. This column advanced three miles Saturday to within two miles of the important crossroads of Torigny against slight resistance as the Germans withdrew.

More than 7,000 prisoners had been captured in the breakthrough to the west and a great many others, some fighting like cornered animals, others huddled in caves and forests, were being mopped up by U.S. infantry. Two huge groups were liquidated southeast of Coutances, with the help of dive bombers.

The escape of all enemy units remaining north was cut off when U.S. troops finished cleaning up Coutances and drove on southwest to the coast.

Tank spearheads join

Two armored spearheads which had joined in the final assault on Coutances were now pushed in a powerful push down the coast which was driving the fleeing enemy almost into the arms of another tank force which had carried out a swinging advance southward and then to the west.

The latter forces was already shelling with heavy artillery all the enemy escape roads between it and the sea and had shot forward almost 10 miles overnight, capturing Saint-Denis-le-Gast and Lengronne and advancing within three miles of Bréhal and eight of the valuable port of Granville.

Meanwhile, on the eastern flank of the breakthrough near Tessy, the Germans launched their first great counterblow, front dispatches revealed.

Luftwaffe bombs lines

During Friday night, the Luftwaffe bombed U.S. lines in that sector in heavy strength, then at dawn, Mark VI Tiger and Mark V Panther tanks attacked the west, touching off a major battle.

Except for valuable blows put in by U.S. anti-tank guns, it was a battle of tank versus tank since heavy artillery and air support were called back because of the closeness of the fighting. The first lunge of the Tigers and Panthers overran one U.S. position and a number of Sherman tanks were knocked out, but within a few hours the situation was under control and the enemy withdrew, leaving a number of tanks smoking on the battlefield.

Joining forces with another armored column which had crossed the Tessy-Bréhal road in the Maupertus sector to the west, the Yanks continued their advance toward the Granville–Vire road.

Ninth Air Force headquarters in France said that 70 Nazi tanks were destroyed Friday south of Coutances by Allied planes, and British headquarters listed 271 destroyed, probably destroyed or damaged in a three-day period.

The U.S. 1st Army was keeping the enemy so off-balance that it appeared impossible he would be able to make a stand short of a line running inland from Avranches at the neck of the Breton Peninsula.

400 square miles cleared

In cleaning out the German salient pushing up east of Saint-Lô, the Yanks captured Saint-Jean-des-Baisants and pushed on a mile, promising an early linkup with the column moving toward Torigny.

Since the Yanks started forward Tuesday, using the same “leapfrog” tactics in taking over from the infantry that Lt. Gen. George S. Patton Jr., perfected in Sicily, the Yanks have enveloped an area of 400 square miles.

Absolute quiet was reported Saturday from the British sector.

9377

Nearly six million Yanks dealing death to Axis at fronts and at sea

Army reveals that four million men are overseas; large Navy group ‘on the way’

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9378

Allied airmen wound Rommel, prisoner says

U.S. 1st Army HQ, Normandy, France (UP) – (July 29)
A captured German captain said today that Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, field commander of the German armies in Normandy, was wounded and unconscious six hours after Allied planes strafed his motorcar behind the British-German fronts recently.

The captain said Rommel jumped from his car into a ditch when the planes swooped down on him.

Since Rommel was reported to have attended a battle conference on the American front the day before the opening of this week’s U.S. offensive, it was presumed that he had recovered.

Unconfirmed rumors circulated that a French woman had told Allied officers that Rommel died of his injuries. Responsible authorities said they had been unable to find anyone who had talked with the “French woman.”

The BBC said the rumor that a French Red Cross nurse had reported Rommel dead was one of many circulating in the American area in Normandy.

9379

Fall of Florence to British near

Yanks storm defenses of Pisa in Italy
By Reynolds Packard, United Press staff writer

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9380

B-29 rip Japs’ Asiatic arsenal

Batter war plants at Anshan, Manchuria
By Walter Rundle, United Press staff writer

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U.S. subs sink 17 more vessels

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9381

Marines capture Guam peninsula

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Yanks raid isle near Philippines

MacArthur’s fliers bag 45 planes

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9382

Hospital plane carrying 26 lost in North Atlantic

Former Pittsburgh bus driver one of 18 litter patients being brought to states

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9383

Missing ace’s girl hopes to keep that Aug. 1 date

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9384

americavotes1944

Real political action!
‘Get the dough but plenty!’ state CIO told

‘The more we get the more we can spend’
By Robert Taylor, Pittsburgh Press staff writer

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – (July 29)
The “Pennsylvania Political Action Committee,” the newest arm of the CIO political action group, organized today to raise a dollar each from every CIO member in the state, as part of a $5-million campaign fund in the United States.

Some 300 representatives of the CIO local unions, who met today to approve organization of the new committee, were armed with receipt books and told to “go out and get the dough, if you want political action to succeed.”

The new group, formed as the state committee of the National Citizens’ Political Action Committee, wants voluntary contributions of a dollar each from CIO members and will accept similar contributions up to the legal limit of $5,000 from “friends of the CIO.”

Wants ‘all we can get’

David J. McDonald of Pittsburgh, secretary-treasurer of the United Steel Workers, finance chairman of the NCPAC and board member of the previously-formed CIO-PAC, explained it to the members this way:

If every member of the CIO contributes, we will have roughly $5 million, half of each contribution will go to the national committee and the other half of the county, state and regional committees.

I hope we get $25 million. We want all we can get. The more we get, the more we can spend. The more we spend, the better Congress we will have. The more we spend in Pennsylvania, the better state legislature we will have. It’s as simple as that.

Endorses Democrats

The committee formed today by CIO delegates is a campaign committee and its funds will be spent on behalf of candidates endorsed by the committee who now include the national and state Democratic tickets.

Mr. McDonald explained that the CIO-PAC, which raised $700,000 in union funds, is not permitted to spend a penny of it in campaigning, “because the law says it was contributed by unions, as such.”

The Smith-Connally Act, bitterly opposed by the CIO, banned union contributions to political candidates or committees. Federal law restricts expenditures of political committees in federal elections to $3 million, and individual contributions to $5,000.

State officials of the new political action group explained that the CIO-PAC would be retained for educational work among CIO members and the new committee, formed by citizens, would be for campaign purposes and to enlist support of all labor, farm, liberal and progressive groups.

Will adhere to law

Mr. McDonald advised the meeting the new committee will adhere strictly to the letter of Pennsylvania law in raising its money, issuing individual receipts to each donor.

He said half of each dollar would go to the NCPAC and the remaining 50 cents would be retained by the local union for county, state and regional purposes. He suggested 20 cents be sent to the state committee and 30 cents to the country political action committees which are to be formed.

He pointed out:

That will leave none for the local. A local union can’t spend political money under state law. To do so, they must set up a local group and get a lawyer to tell them what to do.

Rather than bother with setting up five to ten thousand local political action groups, we believe the state and county groups will be able to function better.

325,000 members in state

CIO unions are estimated to comprise some 325,000 members in Pennsylvania and the suggested division of dollar contributions would give more than $150,000 to the NCPAC, $60,000 to the state group and $90,000 to county committees.

The head of the finance committee which will head the fund drive is A. J. Federoff, CIO regional director at Pittsburgh and secretary-treasurer of the Pennsylvania PAC. Joseph a. Donoghue, Pennsylvania regional director of the CIO-PAC, was also named state director of the Pennsylvania PAC, of which John A. Phillips, president of the state industrial union council (CIO), is chairman.

Explains ABCs

Mr. McDonald told the meeting the ABC of political action is: Complete registration of voters, endorsement of friendly candidates by free expression of the PAC members and getting out the vote.

He said:

We are concerned not in parties as such. We are concerned with persons and principles. We are not our ringing the gong for any party as such. We scan the records and principles of parties and persons. This is a strictly nonpartisan political action committee.

It’s true we endorsed President Roosevelt and the Democratic ticket. In many parts of the country, we endorsed Republicans, as far friendlier than Democrats.

Formed by ‘citizens’

Unlike the CIO-PAC, which was formed directly and affiliated with the CIO, the NCPAC and its new Pennsylvania affiliate is an organization formed by union members as “citizens.”

The citizens who attended today’s meeting were representatives of CIO locals who were asked to send their representatives here to ratify the committee organized temporarily June 27. They perfunctorily approved its formation and officers.

9385

Congressional chiefs to speed action on reconversion bills

House and Senate committees to convene this week to set up guideposts

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9386

Strikes halt production in war plants

Walkouts ended in two industries
By the United Press

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9387

americavotes1944

Special trains granted to top candidates

Washington (UP) – (July 29)
Special passenger trains for campaign purposes will be provided to any duly nominated presidential and vice-presidential candidate, the Office of Defense Transportation said today.

The order, effective from tomorrow through Nov. 10, was issued under a special permit authorizing use of extra sections, cars, regularly-scheduled passenger trains, or special trains to nominees for either of those two offices.

9388

americavotes1944

Roosevelt reelection odds are cut to 2–5

St. Louis, Missouri (UP) – (July 29)
James J. Carroll, nationally known betting commissioner, shortened his odds on the reelection of President Roosevelt today from 1–3 to 2–5.

At the same time, he cut the odds against Thomas E. Dewey from 2.5–1 to a new price of 9–5.

“A flood of Dewey money showed up, forcing us to cut his price,” Carroll said.