Editorial: ‘As thousands cheer’
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Failure of the Senate Republicans to select a permanent leader is not so important in itself as it is in indicating a state of mind.
Aside from espousing an occasional easy-to-climb-aboard issue which seems popular at the moment, the Republican membership of both houses of Congress has shown a remarkable ability to evade decisions and positive action. Faced with political opportunity inasmuch as natural reaction against a too-old administration is running in its favor, and Democratic-controlled domestic policies are inept and fumbling, the GOP nevertheless seems determined to play it the cautious way, the indecisive way.
As Thomas L. Stokes pointed out the other day, the only conspicuous example of forthright expression and plain speaking in Republican ranks is furnished by Wendell Willkie, who is campaigning frankly for the Presidency. Do the other spokesman for his party imagine, in the light of recent byelection results, that this is just naturally a Republican year, and all they have to do is sit tight and win?
If so, they’re in for a rude awakening. The country may be willing and ready to change from what it has to something better. But there’s no reason for thinking it’s in the mood to change to a do-nothing party to run the war and win the peace. That’s the only alternative, so far.
It’s really feminine and emotional
By John Paulus
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Regrets passing of trio of authors
By Harry Hansen
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Charmers who hail from there take over movie studios – Ann tells why
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They are extras in his new movie
By Ernest Foster
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Fields plays four roles in film
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Völkischer Beobachter (March 20, 1944)
Hunger und Typhus dezimieren die ausgeplünderte Bevölkerung
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dnb. Stockholm, 19. März –
Das US-Marineministerium gibt den Verlust von zwei U-Booten bekannt, die wahrscheinlich im Pazifik versenkt worden seien. Es handelt sich um das 1.552 Tonnen große Boot Capolin und das 1.475 Tonnen große Boot Sculpin. Beide waren erst in den letzten Jahren vom Stapel gelaufen und hatten eine Besatzung von je etwa 75 Mann.
U.S. Navy Department (March 20, 1944)
Atlantic.
The USS LEOPOLD (DE-319), manned by Coast Guard officers and men, was sunk on March 10 as a result of an underwater explosion, while on escort duty in the Atlantic.
The next of kin of all casualties have been notified.
For Immediate Release
March 20, 1944
The USS MACAW (ASR-11), an auxiliary submarine rescue vessel, after having gone aground on a coral reef in the Pacific, slid off and sank on February 13, 1944.
Next of kin of all casualties have been notified.
LtCdr. Paul W. Burton, USN, was commanding officer of the MACAW. He is listed as missing. LtCdr. Burton was born in Berkeley, California, on September 29, 1911, the son of Col. Norman G. Burton, USMC, and Mrs. Burton. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1933. Next of kin is his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth W. Burton, 1320 Locust Drive, Asbury Park, New Jersey.
The MACAW was launched on July 12, 1942, at the Moore Dry Dock Company, Oakland, California, and was commissioned on July 12, 1943.
MEMORANDUM TO THE PRESS: Jane’s Fighting Ships lists standard displacement of the MACAW was 2,000 tons.
For Immediate Release
March 20, 1944
Mille in the Eastern Marshalls was heavily shelled by battleships and bombed by carrier‑based aircraft on March 18 (West Longitude Date).
On the same day, Mitchell medium bombers of the 7th Army Air Force bombed Ponape, sinking a small cargo transport and starting large fires.
Five enemy‑held atolls in the Eastern Marshalls were bombed on March 18 by Ventura search planes of Fleet Air Wing Two, Dauntless dive bombers and Corsair fighters of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, and Liberator and Mitchell bombers of the 7th Army Air Force. In these attacks, gun emplacements, barracks, and magazines were hit. All of our planes returned.
The New York Times (March 20, 1944)
Emits four great streams of lava – endangers village damaged 38 years ago
By Milton Bracker
Boscotrecase, Italy – (March 19)
Mount Vesuvius put on the greatest “show” since 1906 last night, and today this village on the south slope of the angered giant was the subject of an official visit by Prof. Giuseppe Imbò, expert on volcanoes, and American Military Government authorities, with a view to possible evacuation of some of the families.
Prof. Imbò, who maintains an office in the Royal Vesuvian Observatory halfway to the crater, said unqualifiedly that the display, which reddened the sky and sent four streams of lava down the valleys, was the most impressive since the April eruption of 38 years ago that destroyed a part of Boscotrecase and threatened the important town of Torre Annunziata, 10 miles southeast of Naples.
But pending worse developments, it appeared that no large-scale evacuation of the population here was yet indicated. While the green-trousered and excitable little professor toured the area after having crawled in the darkness to the edge of the lava stream last night, it was possible to stand on the outskirts of this rather broken-down community and watch the hot vapors rising from the slowing but unhalted lava streams barely a mile above.
In the village proper, there was more interest in the funeral of an 84-year-old patriarch than in the threat; an ornate hearse rolled heavily through the main street while beyond the furthest rim of houses, Vesuvius quaked and sputtered. The sound was exactly like artillery fire.
The only damage known to have been done so far was to a 100-foot stretch of the famous cable railway that has carried countless tourists to the verge of the “Valle dell’Inferno” and that recently has become virtually a “G.I.” railway.
Staff Sgt. Frederick Drake of Elmira, New York, accompanied Prof. Imbò on his precarious tour last night, during which they saw lava overflow the trackage. Sgt. Drake said the breakthrough came about 8:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. Saturday ET) and that the fiery, molten stone seemed to be flowing from 25 to 30 miles an hour.
He said:
It was a lot faster than you could ruin. It was flowing just like water.
Meanwhile, in the Naples sky over the brooding volcano was an awesome red – red in an evil, hideous sort of way. Yet the beauty and the fascination were there, too, as they always will be.
One stream put a golden edge on the inner slope of the higher of the two summits. Another forked down in front and made a huge glowing “L” against the darkness.
Tonight’s display indicated the lava streams were splitting up while the garish glow over the cone somewhat lessened.