America at war! (1941–) – Part 4

Simms: Europe’s old Triple Entente to be revived

Britain-France-Russia union to guard peace
By William Philip Simms, Scripps-Howard foreign editor

americavotes1944

Bridges attacks parley secrecy

Washington (UP) –
The closed nature of the Dumbarton Oaks world security conference drew new Republican fire today as Senatore Styles Bridges (R-NH) denounced the policy of “Oriental secrecy” and said he may discuss it next week with Governor Thomas E. Dewey, GOP presidential nominee.

In his second blast of the week against the confidential character of the American, British and Russian conversations, Mr. Bridges belittled the press conference held at Dumbarton Oaks Tuesday to report, in general terms, the progress made toward outlining a new world peace organization.

Styling it “a so-called press conference,” Senator Bridges said that reporters came away “shaking their heads despairingly,” and that “one reported voiced the true sentiment when he said they got ‘a diplomatic brushoff.’”

Another Republican, Rep. Edith Nourse Rogers (R-MA), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said she would confer with Secretary of State Cordell Hull today on the progress of the conference because “I believe Congress should be better informed on our foreign relations.”

Wounded Yanks treated in ‘mail order’ hospital

5,000 packages weighing 300 tons shipped to France to modernize ancient institution
By Rosette Hargrove

Ad man held in New York assault case

Woman found beaten in swank apartment

americavotes1944

Dewey to curry support of bosses

Top GOP leaders to be visited

Pawling, New York (UP) –
Governor Thomas E. Dewey plans to devote a major portion of his 6,700-mile transcontinental trip to uniting Republican leaders behind his campaign for the Presidency, it was disclosed today.

The Republican presidential nominee believes that one of the most important tasks of the cross-country trip is to obtain the active support of GOP leaders and impress on them the necessity of linking the national campaign with drives for local offices, his associates said. They pointed out that only seven major political speeches have been scheduled for the 22 days he will be out of the states.

The campaign conferences have been going on almost since the day he was renominated at the Chicago National Convention in June and when he returns to Albany on Sept. 28, he will have met leaders from virtually every section of the country except the “deep South.”

Upon his return, Mr. Dewey will prepare to make a campaign trip either through New England states or return to the Midwest.

americavotes1944

Warren explains changes in speech

Los Angeles, California (UP) –
Governor Earl Warren explained today that the mix-up created by last-minute changes in the speech he gave on a national radio network Tuesday night was caused by the premature release of a text by Republican National Headquarters.

He said the New York headquarters released the text on a “hold for delivery” basis without his knowledge or approval.

He said:

The New York headquarters sent a draft of a suggested speech to me and it arrived the day before the broadcast. I worked it over and made such changes as to me seemed desirable and then it was given to newspapermen. The first speech that came from New York was merely a tentative draft submitted as a suggestion to me.

The speech, as given by Governor Warren, was toned down considerably from the text released in New York. The original was highly critical of Sidney Hillman and the CIO Political Action Committee charging he had promoted a fourth term for President Roosevelt.

americavotes1944

Norman Thomas to speak here

Norman Thomas, Socialist candidate for President for the fifth time, will be here Sept. 7 to deliver a campaign speech.

Mr. Thomas will speak at the Fort Pitt Hotel at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The Socialist candidate, who accepted the Socialist nomination this year after notifying the Socialist convention at Reading that he did not “choose to run,” is an ordained Presbyterian minister.

He was first the Socialist nominee for President in 1928 and has been given the nomination in every presidential year since. He has twice been the Socialist candidate for Governor of New York and twice a candidate for Mayor of New York City.

He is the author of numerous books on war and political and economic subjects.

Editorial: Time for quick decisions

Editorial: German whine of innocence

Edson: Nelson-Wilson feud black eye for business

By Peter Edson

Ferguson: Youth’s yearnings

By Mrs. Walter Ferguson

In Washington –
House rejects $25 jobless pay measure

‘Liberals’ attack Senate-backed bill

americavotes1944

America Firsters name G. L. K. Smith, Romer

Detroit, Michigan (UP) –
The America First Party last night nominated Gerald L. K. Smith of Detroit and Harry Romer of St. Henry, Ohio, as presidential and vice-presidential candidates respectively.

The nominations on first ballots followed adoption of a 40-point platform. Some 300 of 1,800 qualified delegates attended the two-day convention that adjourned last night.

Millett: Try to save marriages

Plea is made for service wives
By Ruth Millett

Ernie Pyle V Norman

Roving Reporter

By Ernie Pyle

Paris, France – (by wireless)
Eating has been skimpy in Paris through the four years of German occupation, but reports that people were on the verge of starvation apparently were untrue.

The country people of Normandy all seemed so healthy and well fed that we said all along: “Well, country people always fore best, but just wait till we get to Paris. We’ll see real suffering there.”

Of course, the people of Paris have suffered during these four years of darkness. But I don’t believe they have suffered as much physically as we had thought.

Certainly, they don’t look bedraggled and gaunt and pitiful, as the people of Italy did. In fact, they look to me just the way you would expect them to look in normal times.

However, the last three weeks before the liberation really were rough. For the Germans, sensing that their withdrawal was inevitable, began taking everything for themselves.

There is very little food in Paris right now. The restaurants either are closed or serve only the barest meals – coffee and sandwiches. And the “national coffee,” as they call it, is made from barley and is about the vilest stuff you ever tasted. France has had nothing else for four years.

If you were to take a poll on what the average Parisian most wants in the way of little things, you would probably find that he wants real coffee, soap, gasoline and cigarettes.

Eating problem for writers

Eating is the biggest problem right now for us correspondents. The Army hasn’t yet set up a mess. We can’t even get our rations cooked in our hotel kitchens, on account of the gas shortage.

So, we just eat cold K-rations and 10-in-l rations in our rooms. For two days most us were so busy we didn’t eat at all, and on the morning after the liberation of Paris some of the correspondents were actually so weak from not eating that they could hardly navigate.

But the food situation should be relieved within a few days. The Army is bringing in 3,000 tons of food right away for the Parisians. That is only about two pounds per person, but it will help.

In little towns only 10 miles from Paris you can get eggs and wonderful dinners of meat and noodles. Food does exist, and now that transportation is open again Paris should be eating soon.

Autos were almost nonexistent on the streets of Paris when we arrived. That first day we met an English girl who had been here throughout the war, and we drove her for some distance in our jeep. She was as excited as a child, and said that was her first ride in a motorcar in four years. We told her that it wasn’t a motorcar that it was a jeep, but she said it was a motorcar to her.

Outside of war vehicles, a few French civilian cars were running when we arrived but they were all in official use in the fighting. All of these had “FFI” (French Forces of the Interior) painted in rough white letters on the fenders, tops and sides.

Average guy didn’t fare too badly

Although it appears that the Germans did conduct themselves fairly properly up until the last few weeks, the French really detest them. One woman told me that for the first three weeks of the occupation the Germans were fine but that then they turned arrogant. The people of Paris simply tolerated them and nothing more.

The Germans did perpetrate medieval barbarities against leaders of the Resistance movement as their plight became more and more desperate. But what I’m driving at is that the bulk of the population of Paris – the average guy who just get along no matter who is here – didn’t really fare too badly from day to day. It was just the things they heard about and the fact of being under a bullheaded and arrogant thumb, that created the smoldering hatred for the Germans in the average Parisian’s heart.

You can get an idea how they feel from a little incident that occurred the first night we were here.

We put up at a little family sort of hotel in Montparnasse. The landlady took us up to show us our rooms. A cute little French maid came along with her.

As we were looking around the room the landlady opened a wardrobe door, and there on a shelf lay a German soldier’s cap that he had forgotten to take.

The landlady picked it up with the tips of her fingers, held it out at arm’s length, made a face, and dropped it on a chair.

Whereupon the little maid reached up with her pretty foot and gave it a huge kick that sent it sailing across the room.

Maj. de Seversky: Correspondents

By Maj. Alexander P. de Seversky

They died so France could live again; a telephone girl – a mother – Jacqueline

Robert shot it out with Gestapo; Jean’s love was killing Vichyites
By André Lebord (as told to Leland Stowe)

americavotes1944

Most soldiers to vote ballots of their states

Cooperation of legislature, speedy Army handling to make it possible
By Charles T. Lucey, Scripps-Howard staff writer

Washington –
Notwithstanding all the controversy over the federal soldier-vote ballot a few months ago, cooperation of the states and speedy Army handling of overseas voting apparently will result in a vast majority of soldiers voting the ballots of their states.

The job of getting ballots to more than four million men overseas is the biggest thing of its kind ever attempted.

Posters aid voting

Fast as is the action in France, many thousand ballot applications are pouring in from there. In troop headquarters in Burmese jungles, in Italy, the Marianas and France. Posters are up telling soldiers how they may vote.

Thirty more state legislatures have granted more liberal soldier vote provisions, and the federal ballot is now considered chiefly as supplemental, available to overseas soldiers of 20 states which have authorized its use if state ballots have not reached them. even when the federal ballot is used, state ballots, on which the soldier may vote for state and local offices, as well as federal, may be used later to supersede it.

Distributes cards

The Army distributes cards to all soldiers on which they may apply for ballots of their own states (this has been done). If they wish to vote, soldiers fill out these cards and forward them to secretaries of state in their home states. The state determines each soldier’s eligibility, forwards his ballot to him individually, and when he has voted, the ballot is returned by individual letter to his voting district.

If an overseas soldier has applied for his state ballot by Sept. 1 and has not received it by Oct. 1, and he is from a state where the federal ballot has been authorized, he may ask for one and vote for President and Vice President, Senator and Congressman.

Ballots flown back

If the soldier later receives his state ballot, he still may vote it, and if it reaches his home state before the closing date for receiving absentee ballots, his federal ballot will be thrown out and his state ballot counted.

The Army is distributing five posters to instruct and facilitate soldier voting.

State ballots are in specially-marked envelopes and the Army carries them by plane to and from all theaters. Federal ballots have been distributed in bulk, sometimes by ship, but all will be returned by plane.

Except for a small executive staff at the top, the soldier voting project is being managed through regular Army channels. Soldier voting officers have been sent to all theaters.

Stokes: U.S. conducts investigation into cartels

Control sought over monopolies
By Thomas L. Stokes, Scripps-Howard staff writer

Industry urged to tackle job of distribution

System needed to keep up with production
By Edward A. Evans, Scripps-Howard staff writer