America at war! (1941–) – Part 4

americavotes1944

Edson: Setting changed for President’s pollical speech

By Peter Edson

americavotes1944

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Ferguson: A good Congress

By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

With commendable fervor, members of the League of Women Voters are devoting their efforts from now until November to Congressional races.

The women of this organization, most of whom are well informed politically, believe that Congress runs the country. The men we send to Washington as our legislators will have together more power to shape the future than either Mr. Roosevelt or Mr. Dewey.

Unfortunately, for 11 years the emphasis has been on the executive branch of the government. there was a period when Congress appeared about to abdicate. It seemed possible that the American people might decide to trust one man and his appointees with the full responsibility of national affairs.

At the moment, the presidential candidates monopolize the headlines. Yet our country’s fate rests neither with Mr. Roosevelt nor Mr. Dewey. It rests perhaps with the men we send from local districts to Washington.

The country is sharply divided on issues. If you’re willing to hear both sides you cannot honestly assert that sincerity and high purpose is the sole possession of either. Instead, you realize that the majority of Democrats and Republicans stand on their convictions. Both are sure this election will be a fateful one. New Dealers feel truly that without their head man, international matters will suffer. But then, quite as truly, Republicans believe the same thing about their head man.

Let us then concede sincerity to our political enemies, and vote our own convictions, remembering always that the main job is to get a good Congress, because without one neither Mr. Roosevelt nor Mr. Dewey can accomplish much.

americavotes1944

Background of news –
That 1916 horse race

By Bertram Benedict

Although the betting odds in most parts of the country are substantially in favor of President Roosevelt, many keen political observers call the election, at least in its present stage, a “horse race.” Governor Dewey’s supporters are hoping that their man will stage a stretch run to come from behind, as did President Wilson in 1916 – the last previous presidential election that was close.

At the beginning of the 1916 campaign the betting odds in most parts of the country were 2–1 on Charles Evans Hughes, the Republican nominee. Mr. Wilson had been easily elected four years before only because the third-party candidacy of ex-President Roosevelt had split the Republican vote.

In 1912, Mr. Wilson had carried 40 states, but outside the Deep South and the border states the Wilson vote was larger than the combined Roosevelt-Taft vote in only one state.

Reconciliation fails

By June 1916, it looked as though the Republican regulars and the insurgents of 1912 were going to get together. The Progressive Party which had nominated Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 called its 1916 national convention for the same place (Chicago) and the same time as the Republicans.

Each convention appointed a committee to confer on reconciliation. But, to quote Prof. William Starr Myers, historian of the Republican Party, the GOP displayed a “Bourbon attitude” and “acted in the most highhanded and unrepentant manner.”

The result was that the Progressives named a separate ticket – Roosevelt and John M. Parker. Mr. Roosevelt declined, and supported Mr. Hughes in the campaign, but Mr. Parker ran for Vice President. Some Progressive leaders went over to Mr. Wilson, and in some state Progressive candidates ran for Congress.

As Governor of New York, Mr. Hughes had been labeled a Progressive. But the inability of the Republicans to bring the Progressive Party as such back into the fold made many voters consider Mr. Hughes a conservative.

In August, Mr. Wilson forced through Congress the Adamson Act, making eight hours the normal workday on the railroads. That swung much of the labor vote to him. And by coming out some months previously for stronger national defense, Mr. Wilson had partially nullified Republican charges that the country was in a state of unpreparedness for war.

Domestic issues stressed

The Republican platform, and the earlier speeches of Mr. Hughes, bitterly condemned Mr. Wilson’s policy toward Mexico and Germany. But toward the end of the campaign, the Democrats were demanding if this meant that a Republican administration would take the country into war, and in the last month of the campaign Mr. Hughes was talking almost entirely about domestic issues. By Election Day, the betting odds were even.

On Election Night, it looked as though Mr. Hughes had won, but California was yet to be heard from. California gave its 13 electoral votes to Mr. Wilson, by a margin of 3,806 votes in 928,594, and he was reelected by 23 electoral votes.

In California, Mr. Hughes found Republicans split for and against Hiram Johnson, Progressive candidate for Vice President in 1912. Mr. Hughes decided to be neutral in this factional quarrel.

On one occasion he and Mr. Johnson were in the same hotel, but no meeting was arranged between the two. Mr. Hughes was not told that Mr. Johnson was there, but Mr. Johnson’s admirers did not know that and thought their idol had been snubbed. California, voting for Mr. Wilson by less than 4,000, elected Mr. Johnson to the Senate on a Republican-Progressive ticket by almost 300,000.

Man who broke 75¢-lock tired of ‘the whole mess’

Worker who set MESA dispute in motion gives his version of locker room incident


President to seek curb on Petrillo

Will hunt law to enforce WLB order

americavotes1944

Stokes: Contrasts

By Thomas L. Stokes

Gracie Allen Reporting

By Gracie Allen

Hollywood, California –
I’m beginning to think the best thing to do with the war criminals is to put them into some of these post-war kitchens I’ve seen on exhibition. Goodness, they’re frightening!

Everything either pulls out, slides under, or tucks between. From the looks of the gadgets, it would be easier to fly a B-29 over Tokyo than to make George a cup of coffee.

One thing, though, you’d never be bothered with ants. The home planner told me an ant would never enter a kitchen like that. Neither would a cook, I’m afraid.

The last post-war kitchen I saw was painted in shades of orange. The color psychologist told me orange was soothing to the nerves. I can imagine what my Irish cook would say if I asked her to work in a kitchen painted in orange!

Johnston asserts U.S. ‘needs faith in itself’


Reconversion plans of U.S. worry Britain

Concern declared justifiable

americavotes1944

Roosevelt a wolf, ex-governor says

Berwick, Pennsylvania (UP) –
President Roosevelt has dropped the role of shepherd of the people to become “a political wolf bent on raiding the rights of our citizens,” former Governor Arthur H. James told a Republican rally yesterday.

Judge James, GOP nominee for the Superior Court, said:

We have reached the point now where the government controls the people instead of the people controlling the government.

The President has issued some 78,000 directives and decrees until it has become increasingly evident that instead of being the shepherd of the American people, he has become a political wolf bent on raiding the rights of our citizens… and we now have a political dictatorship dominated by one man.

Another speaker, City Treasurer Edgar W. Baird Jr. of Philadelphia, Republican nominee for State Treasurer described the Roosevelt-Truman ticket as a “politician caravan flanked by the Hagues, Pendergasts, Hannegans, Hillmans and Browders.”

Hays bans love life of king

So Charles II won’t be filmed

Millett: Success too often ruins enduring family life

Failure to keep pace with mate is sometimes cause of divorce
By Ruth Millett

‘It will have to be golden’ –
Allen warns colleges face post-war athletic scandal

World’s greatest novels dramatized on air

KDKA to carry notable series
By Si Steinhauser


americavotes1944

The political scene is limited to a broadcast over KQV at 10:00 tonight by Clare Boothe Luce. And another by Darlington Hoopes, Socialist vice-presidential candidate, on KDKA at 10:45.

President asks WPB to boost farm output

More machinery urged for production

americavotes1944

Proud of his ‘flat tummy’ –
Roosevelt a little underweight, but doctor declares he’s OK

By Blair Moody, North American Newspaper Alliance

Washington –
President Roosevelt, a few pounds underweight but otherwise in perfect health, has become “proud of his flat tummy,” VAdm. Ross McIntire, the President’s personal physician, revealed today.

No longer on a diet and free to eat whatever he wishes, the President has become so interested in keeping his boyish figure, his doctor declared, that he is willing to “take” too-thin jowls, which show up in pictures, rather than risk a return of his waistline bulge.

Adm. McIntire, also Surgeon General of the Navy, was asked for an authoritative statement on the President’s health, in view of widespread rumors in political circles and elsewhere.

Are rumors purposeful?

The White House feels, incidentally, that many of these rumors are purposeful. Stephen T. Early, the President’s secretary, said he had 15 to 20 calls within 30 minutes one day recently to the effect that a New York radio station had broadcast a report that Mr. Roosevelt had collapsed. Most of these calls were from newspapers, Mr. Early said, one of which said it had heard the report from a political source. An investigation by the Federal Communications Commission has revealed that no such broadcast had been made.

Regarding the actual condition of the President, Adm. McIntire said:

The President’s health is perfectly OK. There are absolutely no organic difficulties at all. He is eight or nine pounds under his best weight.

He took off this weight in the spring. He was getting a little too heavy and we had him reduce by cutting down on the quantity of food, and by swimming and other exercises in the White House pool.

Dropped to 175 pounds

From a weight of 188 to 190 pounds, Mr. Roosevelt dropped to around 175, Adm, McIntire said. He has put several pounds of this lost weight back on, but exactly how many the doctor doesn’t know, since he has not had the President on the scales for a couple of weeks.

Reports of the President’s “bad health” started when he had influenza last winter, his doctor pointed out.

Adm. McIntire said:

He had a hard time shaking off that attack and it knocked out his reserve for a while. As a result, he had some sinus trouble and bronchitis, and the coughing wore him down a bit.

Rest on Baruch estate

When the President did not respond satisfactorily to diet and exercise, Dr. McIntire ordered a rest, and Mr. Roosevelt went to the South Carolina estate of Bernard M. Baruch.

Adm. McIntire went on:

He took it easy down there and came along fine. Now he has recovered his reserve and has the same ability to turn things off as before.

“But he still looks thin,” the doctor was reminded.

He laughed:

I know it. But did you ever hear of a man who recovered his flat tummy, and got proud of it? The President has not been on a restricted diet since before his trip to the Pacific. But he doesn’t want to get that bulge back. Frankly, I wish he would put on a few pounds.

He’s ‘perfectly OK’

“How about his kidneys?”

Nothing wrong organically with him at all. He’s perfectly OK. We’ve not even made any special attempt to get him to pick up on his weight.

“How about the report that his teeth are abscessed and have to come out?”

Nothing to it. There is one tooth that has given him a little trouble, and he has a dentist treat his gums and clean his teeth, but that’s all.

The admiral concluded:

Of course, he has been working hard for a long time. He does a terrific day’s work. But he stands up under it amazingly. The stories that he is in bad health are understandable around election time, but they are not true.

Völkischer Beobachter (October 14, 1944)

Eisenhower warnt vor Optimismus –
Die Mauer an der Reichsgrenze

Von unserem Berichterstatter in Schweden


Große Luftschlacht bei Formosa

Brite oder Yankee – der Haß bleibt der gleiche –
Zerstörung Aachens als Musterbeispiel


Anglo-amerikanische Soldaten erfolglos geopfert

Kriegshetzer und Deutschenhasser Bullitt gibt zu:
USA unterstützt die Bolschewisierung Europas

Führer HQ (October 14, 1944)

Kommuniqué des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht

An der Landbrücke zur Insel Süd-Beverland wurden fünfmal wiederholte starke Angriffe des Feindes abgewiesen. In den Stellungskämpfen um Aachen erzielten die Amerikaner trotz starker Panzerangriffe gegen den tapferen Widerstand unserer Grenadiere nur geringe Fortschritte. Dafür verwüsteten sie die alte Kaiserstadt auch außerhalb unserer Stellungen mit schwersten Bomben und Granaten. Am Nordrand der Stadt, westlich Stolberg und im Wald von Roetgen wurden mehrere feindliche Angriffe zerschlagen. Südöstlich Remiremont traten die Amerikaner auf breiter Front erneut zu starken Angriffen an. In mehreren Einbruchsstellen wird noch gekämpft.

Schnelle Kampf- und Nachtschlachtflieger griffen in der vergangenen Nacht Nachschubstützpunkte des Gegners mit guter Wirkung an.

Von unseren Küstenstützpunkten werden starkes Artilleriefeuer auf Dünkirchen und erfolglose feindliche Angriffe vor Lorient gemeldet.

London lag wieder unter dem Feuer der „V1.“

Im Kampfraum südlich Bologna greift die 5. amerikanische Armee weiter scharf an. Nach wechselvollen Kämpfen gelang es dem Feind, südlich Vergato etwas voranzukommen und eine Höhe zu nehmen. Östlich der Straße Bologna–Florenz fingen unsere Grenadiere nach hartem Kampf die angreifenden amerikanischen Verbände auf. An der Adriafront wurden britische Angriffe abgewiesen, geringfügige örtliche Einbrüche abgeriegelt.

Kampffähren der Kriegsmarine und Fahrzeuge eines deutschen Geleits versenkten im dalmatinischen Inselgebiet und im Nordteil der Adria drei britische Schnellboote und beschädigten vier weitere, von denen eines wahrscheinlich gesunken ist.

An der altbulgarischen Westgrenze wiesen unsere Truppen südwestlich Sofia den Angriff einer bulgarischen Division ab. An der Morawa zwischen Nisch und der Donau und südlich Belgrad wurde in Angriff und Abwehr heftig gekämpft. Hierbei wurden im Kampfraum Belgrad 36 Panzer abgeschossen.

An der oberen Theiß brachten Gegenangriffe deutscher und ungarischer Verbände weitere Erfolge. Die Schlacht südlich Debrecen nimmt in erbitterten Kämpfen ihren Fortgang. Zwischen Klausenburg und den südlichen Ausläufern der Waldkarpaten setzten sich unsere Truppen aus dem Nordteil des Székler Zipfels vom Feind ungestört auf neue Stellungen nach Nordwesten ab. Am Dukla- und Szirokatal-Paß in den Ostbeskiden scheiterten erneute Anstrengungen des Feindes, über die Passhöhe vorzustoßen, am hartnäckigen Widerstand unserer Divisionen.

Nördlich Warschau und im Narewbrückenkopf westlich Rozan wurden die unter schwerstem Artilleriefeuer und ständigen Schlachtfliegerangriffen geführten Durchbruchsversuche der Sowjets vereitelt.

Im Gebiet der unteren Memel griff der Feind unter dem Eindruck der in den letzten Tagen erlittenen Verluste an Menschen und Material gestern nur mit schwächeren Kräften und ohne Erfolg an.

Unsere Schlachtflieger brachten nördlich Warschau und nördlich Tilsit den in harten Abwehrkämpfen stehenden Erdtruppen fühlbare Entlastung.

An der Düna brachen mehrfache bolschewistische Angriffe zusammen. Zur Frontverkürzung wurden die auf dem Ostufer der Düna stehenden Verbände unter Zerstörung aller kriegswichtigen Anlagen im Ostteil der Stadt Riga auf das Westufer zurückgenommen.

Vor der Halbinsel Sworbe verhinderten leichte deutsche Seestreitkräfte weitere sowjetische Landungsversuche und versenkten hierbei ein Landungsfahrzeug und ein Schnellboot. Die Vernichtung ein« weiteren ist wahrscheinlich.

Die Sowjets verloren am gestrigen Tag in Luftkämpfen und durch Flakartillerie der Luftwaffe 45 Flugzeuge.

An der Bucht von Petsamo sind schwere Kämpfe mit gelandetem Feind im Gange.

Marineartillerie versenkte hierbei ein großes bolschewistisches Landungsboot. Weiter südlich zerschlugen unsere Gebirgsjäger alle Versuche der Sowjets, über den Naamajoki vorzudringen.

In norwegischen Gewässern vernichteten Sicherungsfahrzeuge der Kriegsmarine zwei erfolglos angreifende sowjetische Schnellboote.

Nordamerikanische Terrorflieger griffen Wien und oberschlesisches Gebiet an. Durch verstreuten Bombenwurf und Bordwaffenangriffe in West- und Südwestdeutschland hatte die Zivilbevölkerung Verluste. Einzelne britische Flugzeuge warfen heute in den frühen Morgenstunden Bomben auf Köln. 55 anglo-amerikanische Flugzeuge wurden abgeschossen.

U-Boote versenkten drei Schiffe mit 17.000 Bruttoregistertonnen sowie sechs Zerstörer und Geleitfahrzeuge. Ein weiterer Dampfer wurde durch Torpedotreffer schwer beschädigt. Außerdem wurden drei feindliche Flugzeuge abgeschossen.

Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (October 14, 1944)

FROM
(A) SHAEF FORWARD

ORIGINATOR
PRD, Communique Section

DATE-TIME OF ORIGIN
141100A 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. 189

North of the Sint-Leenarts Canal, Allied troops have made some progress southwards from the Biervliet area. The bridgehead over the canal has been slightly extended. Fighters and fighter bombers renewed their attacks on gun emplacements and strong points in the Breskens area. In the neck of the South Beveland Peninsula, the enemy continues to counterattack fiercely. In the Dutch salient, a local enemy counterattack, southeast of ‘s-Hertogenbosch was repulsed. North of the salient, medium bombers struck at rail targets at Utrecht and Amersfoort. Allied troops, south of Overloon, have advanced some 1500 yards through difficult wooded country in the face of stiff opposition. In support of our troops in this sector, light bombers cut the railway line leading to a bridge at Venlo and destroyed the western end of the Meuse River bridge at Roermond.

Our troops are advancing slowly in house-to-house fighting in the northeast section of Aachen. Fighter bombers continued the air attack on Aachen and also struck at rail communications in this sector. Enemy aircraft were sent up and our fighters shot down 18 of them for the loss of eight. North of the city, in the region of Bardenberg, the Germans, reinforced by armor, have increased their pressure, but several counterattacks have been dispersed by our planes and artillery. Just south of Kohlscheid and Würselen, our forces are moving forward slowly against stubborn resistance from both mobile and dug-in tanks.

In the Hürtgen Forest, near Germeter, we are making slow progress against stiff opposition to regain ground lost earlier in a strong enemy counterattack. Two miles southwest of Germeter, slight advances have been made and pillboxes are being mopped-up. Medium and light bombers hit Langerwehe, on the Aachen–Düren road. The bridges at Mayen, west of Koblenz, and at Euskirchen were also attacked. One medium bomber is missing from these operations. Fighter-bombers struck at rail communications at a number of points in western Germany.

East of Nancy, our patrols have penetrated the Forêt de Parroy and three-quarters of the forest has now been cleared of enemy. Our forces have made further progress against heavy resistance in the Moselotte River bend southeast of Épinal and have advanced over rugged terrain, to the vicinity of Cornimont. Pressure has been maintained near Le Thillot. Elsewhere, in the Vosges foothills, activity was limited chiefly to artillery exchanges and vigorous patrolling.

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/

The Pittsburgh Press (October 14, 1944)

B-29s JOIN FORMOSA ATTACK
530 Jap planes, 272 ships smashed

Tokyo reports raid continuing against key island off China
By Frank Tremaine, United Press staff writer