Gunnison: Island hopping brings U.S. to Philippine goal
There was no choice but the hard way
By Royal Arch Gunnison, North American Newspaper Alliance
…
Taylor: The Hatch Law this time
By Robert Taylor, Pittsburgh Press staff writer
It has almost passed public notice, but this year’s presidential election is the first to be held since the Federal Clean Politics Law, more familiarly known as the Hatch Act, went into full effect.
There was a Hatch Act in 1940, too, but it didn’t take full effect until the middle of the campaign, when much of the Democratic National Committee’s campaign fund had been raised, so it wasn’t as important a factor that year as it is now.
The law has been amended in a number of respects since then. Also, its enforcement has been standardized to the point where the U.S. Civil Service Commission is ready and willing to crack down on any federal employee who steps out of bounds to do some politicking. In Pennsylvania, the Commission now has cases pending against both Democratic and Republican state officials, charging macing of payrolls supported partly with federal funds.
What this means in terms of campaign work is that the major sources of Democratic campaign funds are closed and the bulk of the Democratic workers – those rewarded with jobs for their services in past campaigns – have been “graduated” out of politics.
Democrats built on payrolls
This accounts for the relative weakness of the Democratic organization, both here and elsewhere, in contrast with the Republican organization which gets its political strength from local and State payrolls not subject to the Hatch Act, and contributions from individuals who can give up to the limit of $5,000 for any one committee or campaign.
From 1932 on, the Democrats built their state organization on payrolls, chiefly federal, and their chief sources of campaign funds were the same payrolls, until the Hatch Act stopped that form of money-raising.
The WPA and other Depression-era federal agencies provided a lure and a reward for political workers, funds and votes for the organization, and the power of that form of political activity was great enough to provide safe majorities in presidential years and challenge the majority Republicans in state elections.
Today, if an aspiring precinct worker or ward heeler turns in consistently good performances for the party and is finally rewarded with a federal job, he is immediately removed from politics and assured of freedom from political pressure as long as he holds it.
Party workers must be replaced
That makes it necessary to replace the worker in the next campaign – not an easy task in a wartime manpower shortage. In Philadelphia, where Democrats have little local patronage, this system of rewarding and replacing faithful party workers is spoken of as comparable with that of the U.S. Air Forces: 25 trips over the enemy lines and a furlough. In at least one county, a federal official had to resign so his party could have a campaign chairman.
The CIO Political Action Committee, with its un-Hatched but untrained political workers, is filling in the gaps this year for the Democratic organization, but the effects of the Hatch Act are noticeable in Pennsylvania where local payrolls are in the hands of Republicans.
Not only is the Hatch Act hampering the Democratic organization this year, but it is being demonstrated, now, that it will be a curb on any party organization in the future which uses the federal payroll to reward its faithful workers.
G.I.’s say they’re glad Ernie Pyle is getting a rest
By Sgt. Mack Morris, Yank staff correspondent
…
Perkins: The ‘annual-wage’ issue
By Fred W. Perkins, Press Washington correspondent
Washington –
The question of whether or not American industry can or should guarantee an annual wage or steady work the year around to wage earners isn’t exactly an election issue, but at the same time it has some connection with the balloting Nov. 7.
Neither major party platform covers the subject, nor has it been dealt with specifically by either the Republican or Democratic candidate for President. But with the increasing attention being given to the right of the man who works for wages to some assurance of a dependable income, it is conceivable that the post-war period will include a real drive toward an objective that authorities agree would represent a great advance in the industrial and economic life of this country.
So, the question related to the election is whether President Roosevelt or Governor Dewey would be most likely to espouse this idea and give effective national leadership to it.
Mr. Roosevelt’s friends will argue that he is the man for this particular job, because of his labor record.
Mr. Dewey’s supporters will counter with the argument that their candidate is more likely to be successful in assuring steady work for all, as the full sympathy and cooperation of business would be required to reach this objective without government coercion; that Mr. Dewey could be relied on to enlist business support, and Mr. Roosevelt couldn’t.
Nunn-Bush plan
Recent evidence of interest in the guaranteed wage or steady work idea was a discussion by radio on America’s Town Meeting of the Air.
One of the two speakers on the “pro” side was Henry L. Nunn, shoe manufacturer of Milwaukee.
He said:
On July 3, 1935, management and the workers in our Milwaukee factory signed what might be called a share-the-production and 52-paychecks-per-year agreement.
Over good times and bad, it was found that production wages had maintained a more or less constant percentage of the value of business done, so it was agreed that this share, determined by experience, should be the basis for dividing the value of production between the workers and the company. We established drawing accounts for our workers, based on estimated annual income – one fifty-second to be withdrawn each and every week. Adjustment with actual earnings is made monthly.
Nine years in effect
It was a thoroughly new concept. No longer was the company buying labor as a commodity. The innovation made a common enterprise of the business, Sharing the value of production with the workers.
For more than nine years these workers have received an annual income which, we have reason to believe, is much more than the average for the industry. For 482 consecutive weeks, these workers have received a paycheck, regardless of how many hours were worked.
The Nunn-Bush Shoe Company’s plan varies from others in various enterprises that have found it possible and practicable (and according to what they say, very wise) to guarantee steady pay or steady work. The Procter & Gamble Company in Cincinnati has a different plan, and the Hormel Packing Company’s plan is different from both. There are plenty of plans, but so far they have been applied only in individual enterprises, and no attempt has been made to adopt the idea for huge industries such as coal mining or steel manufacturing or auto production.
CIO speaker
The other favoring speaker on the Town Meeting program was Harold J. Ruttenberg, research director of the CIO United Steel Workers, who gave most of his attention to the annual-wage demand in the current wage case of that union before the War Labor Board. He noted that his union “took the annual wage off the shelf of idle talk and put it into the arena of collective bargaining.”
However, the WLB panel was much less certain that this federal wartime agency could legally and with propriety order such a drastic step in American industry. Some opinion is that the problem will be solved eventually only through an overall organization of American industry, working voluntarily to level out the peaks and valleys that now disfigure the peacetime chart of industrial production.
Hansen: Half-witted characters in Tragic Ground supposed to be victims of war work
Despite appalling picture presented, story is described as entertaining
By Harry Hansen
…
I DARE SAY —
Professionals would aid Playhouse drama case
By Florence Fisher Parry
…
Hopper: Gregory Peck hottest thing in Hollywood
Lanky young man new film idol; Hitchcock pairs him with Ingrid
By Hedda Hopper
…
Bela Lugosi has hard time living down Dracula role
…
Super vaudeville circuit proposed for war plants
Hollywood café owner visions ‘name’ acts at popular prices on big scale
By Ben H. Cook, United Press staff writer
…
Medical colleges asked to join veterans program
Government will pay school fees, buy books, pay pension for approved ex-servicemen
…
West opposes plan to freeze war factories
Fair treatment in conversion demanded
By Robert C. Elliott, Scripps-Howard staff writer
…
Gallant Georgia Tech holds Navy on 1-foot line to triumph, 17–15
…
Steeler-Cards still after first league triumph
New York seven-point favorites to reverse defeat in exhibition
By Carl Hughes
…
Salzburger Zeitung (October 23, 1944)
Aachens Verteidiger sprachen für Deutschland
‚Es wird weitergekämpft‘
…
Explosionskatastrophe in USA
Stockholm, 22. Oktober –
Wie aus Cleveland (Ohio) gemeldet wird, ereignete sich dort eine gewaltige Explosion in einem Laboratorium, in dem flüssiges Gas hergestellt wird. Es brach ein Brand aus, der, angefacht durch starken Sturm, rasch um sich griff und eins zweite sehr heftige und eins Reihe kleinerer Explosionen auslöste. Dabei wurden nach einer Reuters-Meldung 70 Personen getötet, 163 Personen werden vermisst und 235 wurden schwer verletzt. Etwa 3.600 Personen sind obdachlos. Weiters 10.000 mußten unbeschädigte Häuser räumen, weil die Gefahr neuer Explosionen besteht und die Gas-, Wasser- und Stromversorgung unterbrochen ist.
Oberdonau-Zeitung (October 23, 1944)
Atlantikhäfen sind eine verlorene Schlacht
Amerikanische Eingeständnisse – Der tapfere Kampf hat weitaus gelohnt
…
Führer HQ (October 23, 1944)
Kommuniqué des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht
Unsere Truppen brachten durch Gegenangriffe und zähen Widerstand die Angriffe der Kanadier im Raum nördlich und nordöstlich Antwerpen im Wesentlichen zum Scheitern. Auch die englischen Divisionen, die östlich Herzogenbusch zum Angriff antraten, konnten nur wenig Boden gewinnen.
Im Raum von Würselen halten harte Kämpfe in und um Bunkerstellungen an. Östlich Lunéville und im Raum von Bruyères kam es auch gestern zu heftigen örtlichen Gefechten. Eigene Gegenangriffe brachten den stellenweise vorgedrungenen Feind nach geringen Anfangserfolgen rasch wieder zum Stehen.
Im Etruskischen Apennin führten die Verbände der 5. amerikanischen Armee eine Reihe von Angriffen, die abgewiesen wurden. An der adriatischen Küste zerschlugen unsere Divisionen feindliche Angriffsgruppen, die den ganzen Tag über mit vermehrter Wucht gegen unsere Stellungen anstürmten. Nur nördlich Cesena konnte der Feind einen kleinen Brückenkopf über den Savio gewinnen.
Kampffähren der Kriegsmarine versenkten im Golf von Genua ohne eigene Schäden ein britisches Schnellboot und beschädigten ein weiteres schwer.
Auf dem Balkan kämpften sich unsere Truppen, nachdem sie sich tagelang im Raum von Nisch gegen die andringende feindliche Übermacht hatten behaupten können, von den gegnerischen Umfassungsversuchen frei und gewannen Anschluss an unsere Hauptkräfte.
In Südungarn hat sich der Druck des Gegners in Richtung auf die Donau verstärkt. Deutsche und ungarische Truppen schlugen nordwestlich Szeged wiederholte bolschewistische Angriffe ab.
Die Vernichtung der östlich Szolnok eingeschlossenen rumänischen und sowjetischen Divisionen geht weiter. Nach hartnäckiger, aber vergeblicher Gegenwehr wurden sie in einzelne Gruppen aufgesplittert. Nördlich Debrecen schnitten unsere Truppen die bis an die obere Theiß vorgedrungenen sowjetischen Verbände von ihren rückwärtigen Verbindungen ab und fügten ihnen hohe Verluste zu.
In den Ostbeskiden, wo der Feind westlich des Duklapasses wieder erfolglos angriff, warfen unsere Grenadiere die Bolschewisten aus einer am Vortage verbliebenen Einbruchsstelle zurück.
In mehrwöchigen harten Gebirgskämpfen in der Ostslowakei haben Truppen des Heeres und der Waffen-SS größere Bandengruppen zerschlagen und umfangreiche Beute sichergestellt. In der Mittelslowakei sind weitere Unternehmungen gegen die durch bolschewistische Fallschirmspringer verstärkten Banden im Gange.
Beiderseits Seroc stehen unsere Verbände in harten Abwehrkämpfen gegen die mit starken Kräften angreifenden feindlichen Divisionen.
Die Schlacht im ostpreußischen Grenzgebiet hat nach Süden bis in den Raum Augustow übergegriffen; zwischen Sudauen und Goldap gelangen den Bolschewisten tiefere Einbrüche. Nach schweren Straßenkämpfen ist Goldap in Feindeshand gefallen. Südlich Gumbinnen unterbrachen unsere Grenadiere im Rücken der vorgedrungenen Sowjets deren Nachschubstraßen. Durchbruchsversuche der Bolschewisten beiderseits Ebenrode sind blutig gescheitert. In die erbitterten Kämpfe im ostpreußischen Grenzgebiet griffen Schlachtflieger und Flakartillerie erfolgreich ein, zerschlugen sowjetische Angriffsspitzen und vernichteten zahlreiche Panzer. In der siebentägigen Schlacht in diesem Kampfraum wurden bisher 616 feindliche Panzer abgeschossen oder erbeutet.
Angriffe der Bolschewisten gegen den Brückenkopf Memel blieben erfolglos.
Auf der Landenge der Halbinsel Sworbe drängten unsere Grenadiere den eingebrochenen Feind wieder nach Norden zurück. Sie wurden dabei wirksam durch das Feuer leichter deutscher Seestreitkräfte und Kampffähren unterstützt.
Im hohen Norden setzte der Feind bei Kolosjoki und an der Eismeerstraße seine Angriffe unter starkem Schlachtfliegereinsatz fort. Grenadiere und Gebirgsjäger wiesen die sowjetischen Angriffe ab und vereitelten Umfassungsversuche des Feindes.
Anglo-amerikanische Terrorbomber griffen bei geschlossener Wolkendecke Hannover, Münster, Braunschweig, Neuß und Hamburg an und warfen vereinzelt Bomben in Westdeutschland.
Im ostpreußischen Grenzgebiet hat sich die Panzerabteilung 118 unter Führung von Major Grohe durch besonderen Angriffsschwung ausgezeichnet.
Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (October 23, 1944)
FROM
(A) SHAEF FORWARD
ORIGINATOR
PRD, Communique Section
DATE-TIME OF ORIGIN
231100A 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. 198
Inside the Scheldt pocket, Allied forces have taken Breskens and Fort Fredrik Hendrik. We have also made progress from Aardenburg to the vicinity of Draaiburg. Units from the east have taken Schoondijke. North of Antwerp, the enemy has been cleared from Esschen. We have made gains on both sides of the railway to the southwest and along the roads from Wuustwezel and Achterbroek. Early yesterday morning, an allied attack was launched in the area east of s’Hertogenbosch. The attack is continuing and good progress is being made. Fighters and fighter bombers gave close support to our troops.
Our forces are clearing the enemy from areas of Germany, northeast of Aachen. In Aachen, we continued to search for stragglers. Approximately 1,600 prisoners were taken when fighting in the city ceased. Transportation targets were attacked by fighters and fighter-bombers in the Metz sector in immediate support of operations by our ground forces. West of the Rhine River, in this region, fighter-bombers cut rail tracks in many places. Fighting is still in progress in Maizières-lès-Metz. Further south, we have made gains in the area of Bezange, Coincourt and Emberménil, northeast and east of Lunéville. Northeast of Épinal, gains were made against heavy resistance. Brouvelieures was taken and Domfaing, Vervezelle and Belmont were entered by our forces.
East of Épinal, a concentration of enemy troops was hit by fighter-bombers. Heavy pressure was maintained by our forces against the enemy in the Vosges sector. Industrial targets and communications in the Hamm, Münster, Hanover, and Braunschweig areas were attacked in daylight by more than 1100 heavy bombers escorted by some 750 fighters. Other escorted heavy bombers, none of which is missing, made a heavy attack on the inland port and railway center of Neuss near Düsseldorf.
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/U.S. Navy Department (October 23, 1944)
Communiqué No. 549
The submarines USS HERRING (SS-233) and USS GOLET (SS-361) are overdue from patrol and presumed lost.
Next of kin of casualties have been notified.
CINCPAC Communiqué No. 163
Mopping-up operations on Angaur and Peleliu Islands in the Palau group continued on October 20 and 21 (West Longitude Date). Corsair fighters of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, in support of ground operations, dropped incendiary bombs on the holed‑up enemy. Corsairs also bombed a lighthouse and gun emplacements on Babelthuap Island on October 20.
Seventh Army Air Force Liberators bombed Yap Island on October 20 and 21. A single Navy Ventura search plane attacked the island also on October 21. Anti-aircraft fire was meager.
Liberators of the 7th Air Force loosed 49 tons of bombs on the airfield and installations at Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands on October 20. Eight intercepting enemy planes were encountered; three were shot down, one was probably destroyed and one damaged. One of our Liberators was lost.
A Navy search Liberator on October 21 bombed and strafed a small cargo ship west of Iwo Jima.
Corsairs and Dauntless dive bombers of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing continued neutralization raids in the Marshall Islands on October 20 and 21. One of the Corsairs was shot down but the pilot was rescued.