America at war! (1941–) – Part 4

2500

Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (October 8, 1944)

FROM
(A) SHAEF FORWARD

ORIGINATOR
PRD, Communique Section

DATE-TIME OF ORIGIN
081100A October

TO FOR ACTION
(1) AGWAR (Pass to WND)

TO (W) FOR INFORMATION (INFO)
(2) FIRST US ARMY GP
(3) ADV HQ 12 ARMY GP
(4) FWD ECH (MAIN) 12 ARMY GP
(5) AEAF
(6) ANCXF
(7) EXFOR MAIN
(8) EXFOR REAR
(9) DEFENSOR, OTTAWA
(10) CANADIAN C/S, OTTAWA
(11) WAR OFFICE
(12) ADMIRALTY
(13) AIR MINISTRY
(14) ETOUSA
(15) SACSEA
(16) CMHQ (Pass to RCAF & RCN)
(17) COM Z APO 871
(18) SHAEF MAIN

(REF NO.)
NONE

(CLASSIFICATION)
IN THE CLEAR

Communiqué No. 183

Allied troops moving towards the southern bank of the Scheldt Estuary from our bridgehead over the Saint-Lenaarts Canal, are engaged in heavy fighting. North of Antwerp, further progress has been made towards the road leading to the island of Walcheren where the sea dykes at Flushing were attacked yesterday without loss, by a strong force of heavy bombers.

North of Nijmegen, we have freed the village of Malderen. Fighting continues in the area of Opheusden.

Fighters and fighter-bombers closely supported our ground forces in Holland and attacked transportation targets in Holland and western Germany. Rocket-firing fighters sank a medium-sized coastal vessel near the hook of Holland.

Medium bombers struck at bridges in the Arnhem area and a railway yard at Hengelo. Heavy bombers, in very great strength with fighter escort, struck at enemy supplies and communications at Emmerich and Cleve. Five bombers are missing.

In the Aachen sector, our troops have captured Beggendorf and Baesweiler east and southeast of Ubach. Forces which advanced to the outskirts of Alsdorf encountered decreasing resistance and lessening artillery fire. On the northern fringe of this advance, we have occupied Waldenrath.

Good progress in the Hürtgen Forest has taken our troops to less than two miles of the village of Hürtgen.

In Luxembourg, we have cleared the enemy from Echternach and Wormeldange.

North of Metz, our troops have entered Maizières-lès-Metz. Heavy fighting continued in Fort Driant where we hold the northwest and southwest corners of the Fort.

Along the whole front from Aachen to Nancy, fighter-bombers in strength supported our troops and attacked transportation targets behind the enemy lines. Medium bombers hit railway targets at Euskirchen, Trier and Dillingen.

In the Vosges foothills, our troops captured two villages but lost ground to a strong enemy counterattack northeast of Épinal.

Further south, newly-won positions in the Le Thillot area were consolidated and numerous counterattacks were repulsed.

More than 1,400 heavy bombers, escorted by 900 fighters, hit one synthetic oil plants at Pölitz, Ruhland, Böhlen, Merseburg and Lutzkendorf; tank plants at Magdeburg and Kassel; aero-engine, locomotive and chemical works at Kassel and Clausthal-Zellerfeld; an aircraft repair depot and motor transport plant at Zwickau; and an airfield at Nordhausen. In the course of these operations 33 enemy aircraft were shot down and 16 destroyed on the ground. Fifty-six bombers and 15 fighters are missing.

COORDINATED WITH: G-2, G-3 to C/S

THIS MESSAGE MAY BE SENT IN CLEAR BY ANY MEANS
/s/

Precedence
“OP” - AGWAR
“P” - Others

ORIGINATING DIVISION
PRD, Communique Section

NAME AND RANK TYPED. TEL. NO.
D. R. JORDAN, Lt Col FA Ext. 9

AUTHENTICATING SIGNATURE
/s/
2501

U.S. Navy Department (October 8, 1944)

CINCPAC Communiqué No. 143

Supported by Corsair fighters of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, which dropped 1,000‑pound bombs, U.S. forces on Peleliu Island made further ad­vances against enemy‑held positions on Umurbrogol Mountain on October 7 (West Longitude Date). On Angaur Island, mopping-up operations continued. Enemy dead number 11,083 and Peleliu and 1,150 on Angaur. On Peleliu, 214 prisoners have been captured, and on Angaur, 11 have been taken. A fuel dump and two small buildings were destroyed by our planes in an attack on the villages of Ngatpang and Gamilangel on Babelthuap Island.

Military government was set up on Peleliu Island on September 16 and on Kongauru and Ngesebus Islands on September 30. As previously announced, military government was established on Angaur Island on September 30.

Two Liberators of the 7th Air Force bombed Wake Island on the night of October 6 without encountering anti-aircraft fire.

Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands was bombed on October 6. There was no anti-aircraft fire.

The airfield and gun positions on Nauru Island were bombed by 7th Air Force Mitchells on October 5. Anti-aircraft fire was ineffective.

Neutralization raids against enemy‑held positions in the Marshall Islands continued.

2502

The Pittsburgh Press (October 8, 1944)

Nazis crushed on Aachen front; Yanks race unchecked on Rhine

U.S. steamroller crumples defenses on plain before Cologne

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2503

Record bomber fleet rains 9,000 tons on Germany

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2504

Wendell Willkie’s condition critical

‘Acute cardiac condition’ develops

willkie.critccond.ap
Wendell Willkie

New York (UP) – (Oct. 7)
Wendell L. Willkie was placed on the critical list at Lenox Hill Hospital tonight, and his physician, Dr. Benjamin Salzer, said he was suffering an “acute cardiac condition.”

Dr. Salzer issued the following bulletin at 11:30 p.m. ET:

An acute cardiac condition has developed, probably caused by the toxic state resulting from a severe streptococcic infection in the past few days. At the present time, Mr. Willkie is resting comfortably. He has been placed on the critical list.

Earlier tonight, the 1940 Republican candidate for President had been reported “on the road to recovery.”

Dr. Salzer said prompt application of penicillin brought Mr. Willkie’s temperature down to 100 degrees from the dangerous 104 he registered Thursday night. The change for the worse apparently came very suddenly.

Mr. Willkie has been in the hospital since Sept. 7 following an attack of colitis suffered when visiting his Indiana home in August.

2505

44_mlbplayoffs

Cards win, 5–1, to even Series

The National League Cards defeated the American League Browns 5–1 yesterday afternoon to knot the game count at 2–0 in the All-St. Louis World Series. The teams play again this afternoon.

2506

44_mlbplayoffs

Dewey lashes Red support of Roosevelt

‘Ism’ label attached to President’s program

Charleston, West Virginia (UP) – (Oct. 7)
Governor Thomas E. Dewey charged tonight that President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s reelection “is essential to the aims of Communists” and that the present Democratic national administration plans a “government-owned America.”

Speaking to an overflow crowd at Municipal Auditorium, Mr. Dewey said the Roosevelt administration is “developing its own corporate state” which is “not an American system and it’s not a free system.” The crowd was estimated by police at 6,000, with more than 1,000 standing in a park adjacent the auditorium.

Frequently Mr. Dewey was interrupted by shouts of “Attaboy, Tom,” “Give him more, Tom,” and “Pour it on.” It was one of the most enthusiastic crowds of his campaign.

‘Not my program’

The GOP nominee quoted Assistant Secretary of State Adolf Berle as saying that “over a period of years, the government will gradually come to own most of the productive plants in the United States.”

He asked:

What does he mean by the government owning most of the productive plants of the United States? That means, of course a system where government would tell each of us where we would work, at what job and for how much.

Now, I do not know whether my opponent calls that system Communism or National Socialism or Fascism. He can take it any way he likes it. It’s his program, not mine. But I do know it is not an American system and it’s not a free system.

Concentrates on Browder

The Governor was given a prolonged ovation when he and Mrs. Dewey appeared on the huge auditorium stage, which seats about 1,500 people. It was unusually warm, and most of the crowd were trying to keep cool with makeshift fans.

Mr. Dewey concentrated much of his attack on Earl Browder, Communist leader, whom he charged “had been pardoned” to participate in Mr. Roosevelt’s fourth-term campaign.

Mr. Dewey asked:

Now, why is my opponent’s election so essential to the aims of the Communists? The answer is right in the record of this administration.

Little by little, the New Deal is developing its own form of corporate state. It becomes clear why the twice-convicted Comrade Browder and his friends are so eager for the reelection of my opponent. There is another reason. They love to fish in troubled waters. Their aims can best be served by unemployment and discontent.

Points to ownership

Mr. Dewey charged that at present there are 55 government corporations and credit agencies with net assets of $27 billion. The federal government, he added, owns or operates one-fifth of the manufacturing plants in the country.

The Governor not only accused Mr. Roosevelt of disavowing “too late” the support of various groups but also of seeking the backing of “a solid block of votes in states where millions of American citizens are deprived of their right to vote by the poll tax and by intimidation.”

Prior to Mr. Dewey’s talk, U.S. Senator Chapman Revercomb (R-WV) assailed the activities of Mr. Browder and Sidney Hillman, head of the CIO Political Action Committee.

Mr. Revercomb said:

Mr. Roosevelt may deny connection with these groups again, and again, but who earnestly in his heart does not believe that he works hand in hand with them. A man must be judged by the company he keeps.

Mr. Revercomb said that the “war is going to be won by the military and the boys over there and not by any political leader in America.” He then pointed to Mr. Dewey’s pledge to maintain the military leadership in event of a Republican victory.

Assails Roosevelt

Determined to carry his fight for the White House to Mr. Roosevelt, Mr. Dewey wasted no time in attacking the President’s political campaign. He charged that Mr. Roosevelt was attempting to “play politics with the soldier vote,” but he said he was certain that the percentage of the soldier voters would be greater than the percentage of the civilian ballot markers.

Mr. Dewey said the President attempted to “softly deny” he wanted the support of the Communists but charged the “soft disclaimer” came “a trifle late.”

Mr. Dewey added:

Only last week in Madison Square Garden, Earl Browder, the head of the Communist Party in America, proclaimed to 15,000 cheering adherents that the election of my opponent was essential to his aims.

This is the same Earl Browder, now a patriot, who was convicted as a draft dodger in the last war, convicted again as a perjurer and pardoned by Franklin Roosevelt in time to organize the campaign for his fourth term. The soft disclaimer does come a little late.

‘Cynically silent’

Mr. Dewey also charged that the Democrats were replying on a “solid block of votes in states where millions of American citizens are deprived of their right to vote by the poll tax and by intimidation.”

He added:

Not once in 12 years has my opponent lifted a finger to correct this and his platform is cynically silent on the subject.

He also accused Mr. Roosevelt of attempting to “play politics with the soldier vote” and predicted that the average vote from servicemen would be even larger than the civilian vote.

The GOP standard-bearer reiterated that a Republican victory would mean no change in the country’s military leadership and added the promise that forming the peace would continue on a nonpartisan basis. He said he planned to retain the help of the ablest Americans of both parties.

Bungling charged

Mr. Dewey said the national administration had “bungled its way into conversion for production” and that the war effort had been “hampered by open warfare” among the various governmental agencies.

Mr. Dewey said that thus far in the presidential campaign he had laid down a definite program while his Democratic opponent had resorted to “glittering generalities, ghosts of the dead past and wisecracks” and continued:

We have had no answer because, in truth, as the New Deal itself has said, it wants a government-owned America. It has no solution.

Program outlined

The Governor recalled that he had promised to:

  • Restore the Department of Labor with “an able and experienced man from the ranks of labor at its head,” and guaranteed the continuation of free collective bargaining.

  • Work for a lasting peace through an international organization with adequate force to back it up.

  • Expand social security to all the people.

  • Conduct a government which has equal respect for the rights of agriculture, labor, business, and for every race, creed and color.

  • Bring about greater expansion of the nation’s agricultural resources.

  • Lower personal income taxes and levies on incorporated business along with elimination of most nuisance taxes.

2507

Power union votes strike in Cleveland

Paralyzing walkout would hit 131 towns

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2508

Stricken in remote Tibet –
Plane and jeep parts used to save victim of polio

Army officer, kept alive by buddies and Chinese coolie, and then flown to U.S.

…

2509

New Mexico school to make Pyle ‘doctor’

Albuquerque, New Mexico (UP) – (Oct. 7)
Ernie Pyle will receive the honorary degree of doctor of laws from the University of New Mexico in recognition of his war reporting.

The degree will be conferred at the fall commencement exercises Oct. 25.

The University Senate voted to grant the degree to the correspondent “in recognition of his outstanding achievement as the foremost reporter of this war.”

2510

44_mlbplayoffs

Cards defeat Browns, 5–1, even Series count

Musial clouts homer for two runs in first inning to decide win

Sportsman’s Park, St. Louis, Missouri (UP) – (Oct. 7)
The St. Louis Cardinals exploded some of the hitting power which enabled them to coast to the National League pennant to defeat the Browns, 5–1, today and even the World Series at two games each.

A 12-hit attack against three Brown pitchers, which included a first-inning home run by Stan Musial, gave the Cardinals the fourth game before the largest crowd of the Series – 35,455.

Harry Brecheen, streamlined Cardinal southpaw, yielded nine hits to the American League champions but kept them well scattered and did not permit a run until the eighth inning when his mates had already given him a five-run margin.

Homer clear pavilion

The game was only eight minutes and 12 pitches old when it was decided.

Sigmund “Jack” Jakucki, Browns righthander, struck out the first man to face him, but then was touched for a single by Johnny Hopp. Musial, a World Series bust in 1942 and again in 1943, caught hold of Jakucki’s first pitch, a high, hard one, and drove it over the rightfield pavilion roof for all the runs Brecheen needed.

The Cards doubled their margin in the third when infield hits by Danny Litwhiler and Musial, a single by Catcher Walker Cooper and an error by Don Gutteridge gave them two more tallies.

Jakucki was taken out for a pinch-hitter in the third and his relief, Southpaw Al Hollingsworth, yielded the final Cardinals run in the sixth on Ray Sanders’ single and Martin Marion’s double.

Browns threaten often

Although they threatened to break through in almost every inning, the Browns did not score until the eighth. They had a promising rally going when Martin Marion came up with a good stop on Chet Laabs’ grounder and turned it into a double play to snuff out the hopes of the American League champions.

Gene Moore had walked to open the eighth and went to third when Vernon Stephens singled. That was the setup when Laabs came to bat. The double play resulted in the only Browns run, Stephens scoring.

They made a dying gesture in the ninth but were retired with two men on and two out.

2511

americavotes1944

Perkins: PAC is mum on how much money it has

Hillman’s ‘tell all’ pledge disproved
By Fred W. Perkins, Pittsburgh Press staff writer

New York – (Oct. 7)
With just a month left before the election which will show whether the CIO Political Action Committee hits or misses, officers of that organization won’t talk about how much money they have collected to help elect Mr. Roosevelt for a fourth term.

John Abt, counsel for the CIO-PAC and its twin, the National Citizens PAC, said today the returns on contributions will be made public only through formal reports to Congress.

This was despite a statement in Washington, on Aug. 28, before the Special House Committee to Investigate Campaign Expenditures, when Sidney Hillman, chairman of both PACs, said, “I know of no other political organization which has so consistently conducted its affairs in the light of day.”

Everybody mum

To be fair about it, frequent reports on how the money is or is not rolling in, cannot be obtained from either the regular national committee of the Republicans or the Democrats.

The PAC reticence is believed to be based on reluctance to report an apparently small total of individual contributions because it would show that the campaign is not getting the desired support from the rank and filed of CIO members.

There is authority for writing that the total of individual CIO-PAC contributions up to today is less than $200,000, instead of the millions the officers had hoped to raise. More money may come in later but the evidence on the surface shows that the members out in the mills and factories are not giving like they were supposed to give.

A puzzler

The foregoing applies to the CIO-PAC. The same reticence applies to the NCPAC, an organization that lawfully can contribute to campaign funds of candidates, while the right of PAC in this field of political activity is highly circumscribed.

How much money is in the bank account of NCPAC has not been made public, but its success in getting large contributions appears to have cramped the style of the Democratic National Committee in cultivating the same field.

CIO-PAC and NCPAC occupy the same quarters here. Both organizations are served mainly by the same staff. Mr. Hillman heads both outfits, but with one secretary for CIO-PAC and another for NCPAC.

The two Hillman secretaries appear to be the main line of division – except the law which forbids labor unions as well as corporations from contributing to campaign funds.

Anybody who can figure out where CIO-PAC ends and NCPAC begins ought to be good at crossword puzzles.

2512

americavotes1944

Soldier vote return shows slight drop

Olbum expects more than 50,000 ballots

Although the return of military ballots dropped off slightly during the past week, nearly a quarter of the 98,727 sent out have been returned to the County Elections Department.

The department received about 5,500 ballots from servicemen and women during the week ending yesterday for the presidential election on Nov. 7, a drop of more than 1,000 over the previous week’s return.

The total number sent back so far is 23,500 or 24 percent of those mailed out, County Elections Director David Olbum said.

Awaits upswing

He explained that the decrease was from a better-than-1,000 daily return to approximately 850 a day last week. He said he expects the return to take an upward swing again before the deadline for acceptance on Nov. 22, two weeks after the election.

Additional ballots are being mailed out every day to servicemen and women who have failed to receive a ballot or have improperly filled out one that they mailed in, Mr. Olbum said. The total number sent out will go over the 100,000 mark before Election Day.

Expects 50,000

Of the total, he estimated that the number of absentee votes returned before the deadline will exceed 50,000.

The ballots are being kept in a vault for safekeeping at the Union Trust Company until they are counted by Return Board on Nov. 22. Ballots will be valid if they are postmarked on or before Nov. 7 and received before Nov. 22.

2513

Thousands, rich and poor, pray at Smith’s funeral

7,000 men and women, famous and obscure, attend ‘largest service’ for a layman

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2514

americavotes1944

Rep. Anderson: Franking charge is not ‘official’

House group head explains statement

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2515

americavotes1944

Bricker hits ‘bypassing’ of Congress

Mustn’t be pawn, candidate says

Duluth, Minnesota (UP) – (Oct. 7)
President Roosevelt’s “bypassing” of Congress was condemned tonight by Governor John W. Bricker who said that a Republican victory in next month’s national election would assure the legislative of being a “corollary branch of the government.”

The Republican vice-presidential candidate said in a speech here that American representative government was free only so long as Congress was “untrammeled virile, and objective.” His party, he said, abhorred the “bypassing of Congress by devious methods” by President Roosevelt. American liberty dies, he added, when Congress becomes the “tool or the pawn” of the President.

‘One-man government’

Mr. Bricker accused President Roosevelt of “dominating” Congress ever since he took office in 1933 by declaring the existence of “crises,” “emergencies,” “dangers” or “serious situations” and by “coercion.”

Mr. Bricker said:

The basic issue of the campaign is whether one man shall personally govern and permanently regiment 130 million Americans or whether they shall continue to govern themselves through time-tested institutions of self-government.

Concludes his trip

By electing Mr. Dewey President, he asserted “the people will assure that Congress shall be allowed to function as a corollary branch of American government.”

Mr. Bricker’s speech here concluded his campaign in the Great Lakes region. He left in his special train tonight for a run through North Dakota and across Montana and Utah to Washington where he will begin stumping the whole Pacific Coast. His present tour will cover 9,250 miles in 29 days of hard campaigning for election of Mr. Dewey as President and himself as Vice President.

Berle: Dewey uses ‘old lie’

Cabinet aide replies to candidate’s quote

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2516

americavotes1944

Wallace to speak in Midwest

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2517

Swift Greek aid planned by UNRRA

Agency may take over in 30 days

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After visit to Stalin –
Johnston: Russians thankful for U.S. help

By Eric A. Johnston

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2518

Battles raging for two big Chinese cities

New landing perils port of Foochow

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Americans shell Bologna suburbs

Big guns dragged up through mud, snow

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2519

End of Pacific War? That’s a BIG question

Many hurdles remain to be overcome
By William McGaffin

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