Four go AWOL in England, ‘discharge’ solves in U.S.
Yanks will be shipped back overseas for court martial or other action
…
After Mrs. Boettiger phoned –
Another colonel gave ‘A’ to Roosevelt’s dog blaze
Elliott’s promotion before Senate Monday
…
‘Still in 4-F,’ Sinatra quoted by close friend
NEW YORK (UP) – Actress Marilyn Maxwell disclosed today that crooner Frank Sinatra had confided to her that he was “definitely in 4-F.”
Miss Maxwell, a close friend of the 118-pound singer, said he told her that he “knew” because of a punctured eardrum.
A spokesman at his Jersey City draft board said, however, the board has not been notified of Sinatra’s classification. The crooner was taken to Governor’s Island for observation after Army doctors in Newark had examined him.
The Roving Reporter –
Ernie off to the wars once more – this time with Navy in the Pacific
By Ernie Pyle
Ernie Pyle is returning to the wars. This time he is with the Navy, and his field will be the Pacific. He has already left San Francisco.
After covering the American campaigns in Africa, Sicily, Italy and France, Ernie took a prolonged rest. Most of his war experiences have been with the infantry; and for a change he has been accredited to the Navy, which is now engaged in some of the war’s biggest operations in the Pacific. Ernie plans to continue with the Navy for several months and then go ashore to rejoin the beloved infantry in one of the big campaigns that lie ahead in the Pacific.
This column was written by Ernie before leaving San Francisco. Three other columns written before his departure will be printed for the next three days, and then by Thursday, February 15, we hope to start receiving some of Ernie’s columns dealing with his new assignment.
SAN FRANCISCO, California – Well, here we go again.
It has been four months since I wrote my last column, from France. In four months of non-production a writer gets out of the habit. He forgets the rhythm of words; falls into the easy habit of not making himself think or feel in self-expression.
This first column is a mankiller. Your mind automatically resents the task of focusing itself again. Your thoughts are scattered and you can’t get them together to put onto paper. Words came hard. You curse the day you ever took up writing to make a living.
So, until I’m once more immersed in the routine of daily writing, and transported once more into the one-track world of war, I’m afraid you’ll have to be tolerant with me.
There’s nothing nice about the prospect of going back to war again. Anybody who has been in war and wants to go back is a plain fool in my book.
I’m certainly not going because I’ve got itchy feet again, or because I can’t stand America, or because there’s any mystic fascination about war that is drawing me back.
I’m going simply because there’s a war on and I’m part of it and I’ve known all the time I was going back. I’m going because I’ve got to.
This time it will be the Pacific. When I left France last fall, we thought the war in Europe was about over. I say “we” because I mean almost everybody over there thought so. I felt it was so near the end I could come home and before the time came to go again, that side of the war would be finished, and only the Pacific would be left.
But it didn’t turn out that way. Now nobody knows how long the European War will last. Naturally all my friends and associations and sentiments are on that side. I suppose down in my heart I would rather go back to that side. For over in Europe, I know the tempo of the battle; I feel at home with it in a way.
Going with Navy
And yet I think it’s best to stick with the original plan and go on to the Pacific. There are a lot of guys in that war, too. They are the same guys who are fighting on the other side, only with different names, that’s all.
I’m going with the Navy this time, since the Navy is so dominant in the Pacific, and since I’ve done very little in the past on that part of the service, I won’t stay with the Navy for the duration – probably two or three months, and then back ashore again with those noble souls, the Doughfoots.
Security forbids telling you just what the plans are. But I can say that I’ll fly across the Pacific, and join ship on the other side. Aboard ship I’ll be out of touch with the world on long cruises. It may be there will be lapses in the daily column, simply because it’s impossible to transmit these pieces. But we’ll do our best to keep them going steadily.
I haven’t figured out yet what I’m going to do about seasickness. I’m one of those unfortunates with a terrific stomach on land, but one that turns to whey and jelly when I get aboard ship. I know of nothing that submerges the muse in a man as much as the constant compulsion to throw up. Perhaps I should take along my own oil to spread on the troubled waters.
Receives warnings
Friends warn me about all kinds of horrible diseases in the Pacific. About dysentery, and malaria, and fungus that gets in your ears and your intestines, and that horrible swelling disease known as elephantiasis.
Well, all I can say is that I’m God’s gift to germs. Those fungi will shout and leap for joy when I show up. Maybe I can play the Pied Piper role – maybe the germs will all follow me when I get there, and leave the rest of the boys free to fight.
So, what with disease, Japs, seasickness, and shot and shell – you see I’m not too overwhelmed with relief at starting out again.
But there’s one thing in my favor where I’m going; one thing that will make life bearable when all else is darkness and gloom. And that one thing is that, out in the Pacific, I’ll be good and stinking hot. Oh boy!
PAC’s battle for Wallace is hint of things to come
CIO’s political unit fights on Capitol Hill as vigorous as for fourth term last fall
By Charles T. Lucey, Scripps-Howard staff writer
…
Perkins: CIO leaders find PAC job just starting
Speech in London points up the need
By Fred W. Perkins, Pittsburgh Press staff writer
…
Fortresses blast fuel depot in bad weather
German submarine pens also bombed
…
AWOL air veteran held for burglary
…
Japan’s premier shakes up cabinet
By the United Press
…
Manila bureau reopened by UP
MANILA, Philippines (Feb. 9, delayed) (UP) – The United Press today reopened its Manila bureau and resumed service to a client newspaper, just six days after the 1st Cavalry broke into the Philippines capital.
UP was the first news agency to resume functioning in Manila.
Service was provided for The Fookien Times, a Chinese-language newspaper which was a pre-war client of the UP. The paper was published today for the first time since 1941.
The UP office was set up in Manila while Jap shells and mortar fire were still coming down, sometimes only 100 feet away. One shell nearly wrecked the bureau.
Nearly all the native pre-war staff of the UP reported back for work and worked with newly-arrived UP war correspondents in preparing copy for The Fookien Times.
Poll: 8 in 10 keep heat in homes over minimum
Only 7% drop below 65 degrees
By George Gallup, Director, American Institute of Public Opinion
…
They would if they cud –
Men can’t blame women for chewing shortage
…
Stilwell presented two decorations
…