Competition for world air business seen
U.S. urged to prepare for post-war era
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The CIO in politics –
Personal contact stressed by PAC in its vote drive
‘Secret of political success lies largely in doorbell ringing,’ pamphlet tells workers
By Blair Moody, North American Newspaper Alliance
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‘Fish vs. Dewey’ showdown today
New York primary holds spotlight
By the United Press
Primary balloting in New York, one of four states holding primary elections, today determines if Governor Thomas E. Dewey, Republican presidential nominee, can read Rep. Hamilton Fish out of the GOP.
Mr. Fish, running for renomination in New York’s 29th district, has been assailed by Governor Dewey and Wendell L. Willkie, the 1940 GOP nominee, for allegedly injecting religious and racial issues into his campaign.
He is opposed by Newburgh attorney Augustus W. Bennet, who is the unopposed candidate of both the Democratic and American Labor Party. Mr. Bennet’s name will be on the fall election ballot whether or not he wins the Republican nomination.
Other contests
Mr. Fish’s fight for renomination far overshadows any other contest in the three other states (Missouri, Kansas and Virginia) holding primaries today.
Second in importance is Democratic Senator Bennett Champ Clark’s fight for renomination in Missouri, where Attorney General Roy McKittrick has waged a strong campaign against Senator Clark’s pre-war isolationist record.
Many unopposed
In the Republican gubernatorial race, former GOP State Chairman Charles Ferguson is running against Jean Paul Bradshaw and State Health Commissioner James Stewart.
All of the state’s 13 incumbent Congressmen are up for renomination, with nine of them (five Republicans and four Democrats) unopposed.
The only contests in the Virginia primary are in the 2nd and 4th districts and in Kansas, there are no contests in four of six Congressional districts. Governor Andrew Schoeppel is unopposed for renomination on the Republican ticket.
In New York City, a feature race is that of Rep. Vito Marcantonio, who is attempting to gain renomination from three political parties.
GOP confident
New York –
Republican National Committee Chairman Herbert Brownell Jr. yesterday predicted a Republican victory in November with a possible margin of 45 electoral votes on the basis of latest figures from public opinion polls which show the Dewey-Bricker ticket leading in six key states.
Mr. Brownell, on the eve of his departure for the Republican Governors’ Conference in St. Louis, said Republicans need a gain of only five percent in 19 other states to win an electoral vote of 311, and asserted that the present “trend” indicated the prospects for the gain in these states was likely. He referred to the Gallup Poll in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York and Ohio, and the Des Moines Register newspaper poll in Iowa, in making his prediction.
Rep. Luce: ‘I’ll run, and win’
Greenwich, Connecticut (UP) –
Rep. Clare Boothe Luce (R-CT) said last night that she “certainly will run and win” in the coming Congressional election and scoffed at reports that she feared a “purge” at the polls by CIO Political Action Committee chairman Sidney Hillman.
Her announcement followed reports that she was considering not seeking the Republican renomination because of the resignation of her political advisor, J. Kenneth Bradley, as chairman of the State Central Committee, at the insistence of Governor Raymond Baldwin.
Pegler: Dewey in Pittsburgh
By Westbrook Pegler
Mr. Pegler, traveling with Governor Dewey and his party, wrote his column in Pittsburgh yesterday.
Governor Tom Dewey came to Pittsburgh from New York during Sunday night with Mrs. Dewey and a lot of others, bound for a conference in St. Louis tomorrow and Thursday of 26 Republican governors, including himself and John Bricker of Ohio.
For some obscure reason, possibly of political delicacy or through intent to deceive the Democrats, someone has tried to create an impression that this is not a campaign trip, which it is nothing else but, and that the train of nine cars on the Pennsylvania Railroad, which is waiting in the yard at this writing, is not a special but just another section of a regular train.
In some technical meaning, known only to railroad men and the Interstate Commerce Commission, it may not be a special train, but in all other respects, it is.
There are 45 reporters and photographers along, for newspapers, press associations and news magazines, each of whom pays his own way and picks up his own tabs for his meals and drinks, and one who can speak from considerable experience will say that political life is austere by comparison with travel on the World Series specials, which in the pre-war days, at any rate, were luxurious and gay.
Union politicians know each other
Mr. Dewey spent a large day meeting Pennsylvania Republicans here, including a number of professional unioneers of the opposition, or anti-CIO-Communist movement, and it appears the Republican Party is gathering a rather substantial labor wing of its own whose speakers will cry up various grudges against Mr. Roosevelt.
These include a charge that he is an enemy of free labor because he has been partial to the CIO which, in turn, has become a holding corporation for his own Democratic Party. They are saying he created this CIO arrangement as a shrewd and deliberate plan whereby the labor movement would become a device for collecting campaign funds to keep him in office, with the eventual intention to strip it of its original guise and run it, himself, as a party, as Mussolini ran the Fascists.
This fight will develop as the campaign warms up and should be interesting because the professionals of union politics all know each other of old and have plenty on each other. Unlike the machine politicians of the conventional type, they call each other crooks, murderers, racketeers and Communists out loud when they get going, instead of keeping their old business secrets to themselves.
Mr. Dewey is in a unique position as a candidate because he sent a lot of boss racketeers to prison during his spell as District Attorney and he knows the background of many of those who are still at large, including the relationship between the union of Sidney Hillman, the boss of Mr. Big’s CIO-Communist wing, and the late Mr. Lepke of New York and his team of professional murderers.
Deweys survive handshaking
The conferences of a hot and busy day included meetings with businessmen and representatives of the servicemen and women’s organizations of the last war and this one. Then, late in the afternoon, the Deweys toed a line in the ballroom of the William Penn Hotel and for an hour and 40 minutes, without a break, shook hands with a passing line of visitors – Republicans, they dared hope – who filed by at the rate of 40 a minute. This was a serious physical ordeal and Paul Lockwood, Mr. Dewey’s handyman, hurried downstairs after an hour of it to get them salt tablets.
The Deweys came through it with their right hands in good shape, thanks to a trick which now seems to be common property among statesmen of using a quick, firm grab in shaking hands and letting go quickly. This gives the subject command of the situation, for he has taken his hold and let go before those energetic, clear-eyed, firm-jawed bone-crushers can take the initiative.
The Deweys say “How do you do?”, “How are you?” and “Nice to see you,” varying the repertoire so that seldom are two successive individuals given the same greeting. It seems a hell of a way to choose a President.
On baseball trains, usually there is something to speculate about in the press cars at night, such as a pitcher’s sore arm or hangover, or a heavy hitter’s split finger which prevents his taking a firm grab on the stick. On this little journey, however, the head man seems to be in good shape for his conferences with the other governors in St. Louis and the visit to the tomb of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois, neither of which should be any great physical trial.
Inasmuch as it is not a speechmaking trip, it comes under the head of strange business in the experience of most of those on board. The meaning of it all may not dawn for days and days.
‘Bazooka Kid’ gets tank alone; don’t get one every day, he says
Tough soldier dodges Jerries
By John M. Carlisle, North American Newspaper Alliance
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Stimson: Overseas men to come home if ships permit
Combat furlough policy explained
By Daniel M. Kidney, Scripps-Howard staff writer
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Mike Ryba’s successful debut as starter adds to Red Sox flag hopes
By Carl Lundquist, United Press staff writer
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$2,112,583 for $728,974 –
Labor-renting racket curbed, U.S. reports
Saving to taxpayers of nation cited
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Roving Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
Somewhere in Normandy, France – (by wireless)
I know of nothing in civilian life at home by which you can even remotely compare the contribution to his country made by the infantry soldier with his life of bestiality, suffering and death.
But I’ve just been with an outfit whose war work is similar enough to yours that I believe you can see the difference between life overseas and in America.
This is the heavy ordnance company which repairs shot-up tanks, wrecked artillery, and heavy trucks.
These men are not in much danger. They work at shop benches with tools. Compared with the infantry, their life is velvet and they know it and appreciate it. But compared with them your life is velvet. That’s what I’d like for you to appreciate.
These men are mostly skilled craftsmen. Many are about military age. Back home, they made big money. Their jobs here are fundamentally the same as those of you at home who work in war plants. It’s only the environment that is different.
These men don’t work seven, eight, or nine hours a day. They work from 7:00 in the morning until darkness comes at night. They work from 12 to 16 hours a day.
Haven’t sat in chair in weeks
You have beds and bathrooms. These men sleep on the ground, and dig a trench for their toilets.
You have meals at the table. These men eat from mess kits, sitting on the grass. You have pajamas, and places to go on Sunday. These men sleep in their underwear, and they don’t even know when Sunday comes. They have not sat in a chair for weeks. They live always outdoors, rain and shine.
In the World War, their life is not bad. By peacetime standards, it is outrageous. But they don’t complain – because they are close enough to the front to see and appreciate the desperate need of the men they are trying to help. They work with an eagerness and an intensity that is thrilling to see.
This company works under a half-acre grove of trees and along the hedgerows of a couple of adjoining pastures. Their shops are in the trucks, or out in the open under camouflage nets.
Most of their work seems unspectacular to describe. It just consists of welding steel plates in the sides of tanks, of changing the front end of a truck blown up by a mine, or repairing the barrel of a big gun hit by a bazooka, of rewinding the coils of a radio, of welding new teeth in a gear.
It’s the sincere way they go at it, and their appreciation of its need that impressed me.
Cpl. Richard Kelso is in this company. His home is in Chicago.
He is an Irishman from the old sod. He apprenticed in Belfast as a machinist nearly 30 years ago. He went to America when he was 25, and now he is 45.
Improvisation wins wars
He still has folks in Ireland, but he didn’t have a chance to get over there when he was stationed in England. He is thin and a little stooped, and the others call him Pop. He is quiet and intent and very courteous. He never did get married.
Kelso operates the milling machine in a shop truck. His truck is covered deep with extra strips of steel, for these boys pick up and hoard steel as some people might hoard money.
When I stopped to chat, Kelso had his machine grinding away on the rough tooth of the gearwheel of a tank.
The part that did the cutting was one he had improvised himself. In this business of war, so much is unforeseen, so much is missing at the right moment that were it not for improvisation, wars would be lost.
Take these gearwheels, for instance. Suppose a tank strips three teeth off a fear. The entire tank is helpless and out of action. They have no replacement wheels in stock. They have to repair the broken one.
So, they take it to their outdoor foundry, make a form, heat up some steel till it is molten, pour it into the form and mold a rough gear tooth which is then welded onto the stub of the broken-off tooth.
Now this rough tooth has to be ground down to the fine dimensions of the other teeth and that is an exacting job. At first, they didn’t have the tools to do it with.
But that didn’t stop them. They hacked those teeth down with cold chisels and hand files. They put back into action 20 tanks by this primitive method. Then Kelso and Warrant Officer Henry Moser of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, created a part for their milling machine that would do the job faster and better.
That one little improvisation may have saved 50 Americans’ lives, may have cost the Germans a hundred men, may even have turned the tide of a battle.
10 miles away, they’re real
And it’s being done by a man 45 years old, wearing corporal stripes who doesn’t have to be over here at all, and who could be making big money back home.
He too sleeps on the ground and works 16 hours a day, and is happy to do it – for boys who are dying are not 3,000 miles away and abstract; they are 10 miles away and very, very real.
He sees them when they come back, pleading like children for another tank, another gun. He knows how terribly they need the things that are within his power to give.
Detroit Evening Times (August 1, 1944)
America First picks Gerald L. K. Smith
Gerald L. K. Smith was in the presidential race today, having been nominated by his America First Party at its state convention, being held at the Detroit-Leland Hotel.
Repudiating Republican nominee Thomas Dewey, who in turn had repudiated Smith’s support, the group voted to place Smith on its ballot, subject to substitution in case another candidate is nominated by the party at its national convention, to be held later.
“How can we support a man who has called me a rodent?” demanded Smith, speaking of Dewey.
The group gave its endorsement, however, to Governor John Bricker of Ohio, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, to all of the incumbent Republican Congressmen who are seeking reelection, and to most of the other Republicans in Congressional races.
For Governor, the convention selected as its nominee the Rev. Leland L. Marion, pastor of the Christian Temple Church in Pontiac. who a few months ago was involved in a controversy with the OPA over his gasoline allotment.
Smith said:
Men with courage like Rev. Marion have given 10,000 pastors more gasoline to take care of their flocks.
For Lieutenant Governor, the party selected Pvt. George Boss, a soldier with two years overseas service, who is now recuperating from wounds at the Percy Jones Hospital, Battle Creek.
Bernard A. Doman, secretary-treasurer of the America First Party, was named for Secretary of State; Alemond G. Blanchard of Niles for Auditor General, and C. J. Smith of Belding for Treasurer.
Völkischer Beobachter (August 2, 1944)
US-Panzerspitze südlich Avranches aufgefangen –
Schwerstes Trommelfeuer im Raum von Caen
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Die Kämpfe auf den Marianen
Tokio, 1. August –
Über die Kämpfe auf den Marianeninseln gab das Kaiserliche Hauptquartier eine Verlautbarung heraus. Es heißt darin, daß die japanischen Truppen auf Guam in heftigen Kämpfen, hauptsächlich in der Nähe der Städte Agana und Agat, dem Feinde schwerste Verluste beigebracht haben. Die japanische Front wurde inzwischen einer Verkürzung nördlich der Stadt Agana unterzogen. Die Kämpfe dauern noch an.
Auf der Insel Tinian haben die Japaner bisher trotz zahlenmäßiger Unterlegenheit ein Vordringen der Amerikaner, die im Nordteil der Insel landeten, verhindern können. Am 31. Juli gelang es dem Feind jedoch, in die letzten japanischen Stellungen einzudringen.
Die Insel Rota ist ständigen Luftangriffen und dem Feuer von Kriegsschiffen ausgesetzt. Feindliche Landungen wurden bisher verhindert.
Innsbrucker Nachrichten (August 2, 1944)
Neue Feindangriffe in der Normandie zusammengebrochen
Alle Durchbruchsversuche des Feindes bei Florenz gescheitert – Der schiefe Turm von Pisa durch Feindfeuer beschädigt – Schwere Verlust der Banden auf dem Balkan – Feindkräfte auf der Beskiden-Passstraße zurückgeworfen – Sowjetangriffe im Weichsel-Bogen abgewiesen
Aus dem Führerhauptquartier, 2. August –
Das Oberkommando der Wehrmacht gibt bekannt:
Südlich Caen brachen von Panzern und starker Artillerie unterstützte feindliche Angriffe verlustreich zusammen. Auch beiderseits Moyon und im Raum Percy–Villedieu wurden alle Angriffe der Amerikaner unter Abschuß von 30 Panzern zerschlagen. Südlich und östlich Avranches sind heftige Kämpfe mit vordringenden feindlichen Panzerverbänden im Gange. 34 Panzer wurden dort abgeschossen.
In der Nacht griffen Kampfflieger feindliche Panzerspitzen und belegte Ortschaften mit guter Wirkung an.
Im französischen Raum wurden 102 Terroristen im Kampfe niedergemacht.
Das Vergeltungsfeuer auf London dauert an.
In Italien scheiterten wiederum alle Durchbruchsversuche des Feindes südwestlich Florenz. Feindliche Artillerie beschoss gestern Florenz, obwohl die Stadt zur Schonung ihrer Kulturgüter von der deutschen Führung militärisch nicht ausgenützt wird und von Truppen freigehalten ist. Auch der historische schiefe Turm von Pisa, in dessen Umgebung sich keinerlei militärische Anlagen befinden, wurde durch feindliches Artilleriefeuer beschädigt.
Deutsche Torpedoflieger griffen einen feindlichen Geleitzug vor der nordafrikanischen Küste an. Vier Frachter mit 26.000 BRT und ein Zerstörer wurden vernichtend getroffen. Außerdem erhielten weitere sieben Handelsschiffe mit zusammen 49.000 BRT-Torpedotreffer.
Der Kampf gegen die kommunistischen Banden auf dem Balkan brachte dem Feind im Juli besonders schwere, blutige Verluste. Er verlor außer 13.000 Toten 3.800 Gefangene und Überläufer sowie zahlreiche leichte und schwere Infanteriewaffen. Über 20 große Versorgungsund Munitionslager wurden erbeutet oder vernichtet.
Am Nordhang der Karpaten wurden die auf die Beskiden-Passstraße vorgestoßenen feindlichen Kräfte im Gegenangriff zurückgeworfen. Weiter nordwestlich kam es im Karpatenvorland, besonders im Raum westlich Sambor und bei Reichshof, zu heftigen örtlichen Kämpfen. Im großen Weichselbogen wurden zahlreiche Angriffe des Feindes abgewiesen. Gegen einen feindlichen Brückenkopf südlich Warschau sind Gegenangriffe im Gange.
Schlachtflieger versenkten auf der Weichsel 28 mit Truppen vollbeladene Fähren der Sowjets.
Nordöstlich Warschau warfen Truppen des Heeres und der Waffen-SS, von Schlachtfliegern unterstützt, die Bolschewisten im Gegenangriff zurück. Zwischen dem Wald von Augustow und der Memel kam es zu schweren wechselvollen Kämpfen, in deren Verlauf die Orte Kalvaria und Wilkowischken verlorengingen.
In Lettland wurde der Südteil von Mitau, in dem mehrere Tage heftig gekämpft wurde, nach Sprengung der Brücken geräumt. Birsen wurde im Gegenangriff wieder genommen. Zwischen der Düna und dem Finnischen Meerbusen scheiterten mehrere örtliche Angriffe der Sowjets.
Im Monat Juli vernichtete die Luftwaffe 1.830 anglo-amerikanische Flugzeuge, darunter 1.236 viermotorige Bomber. Allein über dem Reichsgebiet wurden 804 feindliche Flugzeuge in Luftkämpfen und durch Flakartillerie abgeschossen.
Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (August 2, 1944)
Communiqué No. 115
In the AVRANCHES sector, Allied armored forces continue to push forward to the south and east. South of VILLEDIEU, further progress has been made.
Allied forces have captured TESSY after heavy enemy resistance. Our hold on LE BENY–BOCAGE and the crossings over the river SOULEUVRE have been strengthened.
Enemy vehicles, ammunition dumps and other battlefield targets were attacked by fighter-bombers in close support of our ground forces yesterday.
Better weather during the afternoon made possible a step-up in the Allied air offensive and large-scale attacks were launched on enemy bridges and airfields.
Airfields at CHÂTEAUDUN, ORLÉANS–BRICY, TOURS, CHARTRES, and MELUN, bridges over the SEINE and MARNE Rivers, and an oil dump at ROUEN were attacked by heavy bombers.
Rail bridges crossing the LOIRE, other rail bridges in the LE MANS, CHARTRES, and DREUX areas, a fuel store at SAINT-MALO and an ammunition dump southeast of CAEN were targets for medium and light bombers.
Communiqué No. 116
Allied formations have continued to fight their way forward during the day and have now reached VIRE and the from VIRE to CONDE. The village of ESTRY has been taken and progress continues. There is also heavy fighting in the area of ONDEFONTAINE. Our troops are approaching AUNAY.
In the CAEN area, bitter fighting continues against enemy armored formations in the region of TILLY-LA-CAMPAGNE.
In the western sectors, Allied armored formations have progressed beyond PONTORSON, while other forces are approaching SAINT-POIS and advancing southeast of BRÉCEY. The town of VILLEDIEU has been captures and further progress has been made south of TORIGNI.
Our air operations were limited by the weather.