Edson: Security meeting doesn’t overlook little nations
By Peter Edson
…
Monahan: Bette again plays a ‘deadly female’
Her latest victim is Claude Rains in Penn’s Skeffington
By Kaspar Monahan
…
Roving Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
On the Western Front, France – (by wireless)
Soldiers are made out of the strangest people.
I’ve recently made a new friend – just a plain old Hoosier – who is so quiet and humble you would hardly know he was around. Yet in our few weeks of invasion, he has killed four of the enemy, and he has learned war’s wise little ways of destroying life and preserving your own.
He hasn’t become the “killer” type that war makes of some soldiers; he has merely become adjusted to an obligatory new profession.
His name is George Thomas Clayton. Back home he is known as Tommy. In the Army he is sometimes called George, but usually just Clayton. He is from Evansville, where he lived with his sister. He is a frontline infantryman of rifle company in the 29th Division.
By the time this is printed he will be back in the lines. Right now he is out of combat for a brief rest. He spent a few days in an “Exhaustion Camp,” then was assigned briefly to the camp where I work from – a camp for correspondents. That’s how we got acquainted.
Clayton is a private first class. He operates a Browning automatic rifle. He has turned down two chances to become a buck sergeant and squad leader, simply because he would rather keep his powerful BAR than have stripes and less personal protection.
He landed in Normandy on D-Day, on the toughest of the beaches, and was in the line for 37 days without rest. He has had innumerable narrow escapes.
Twice, 88s hit within a couple of arms’ lengths of him. But both times the funnel of the concussion was away from him and he didn’t get a scratch though the explosions covered him and his rifle with dirt.
Then a third one hit about 10 feet away, and made him deaf in his right ear. He had always had trouble with that ear anyway – ear aches and things as a child. Even in the Army back in America he had to beg the doctors to waive the ear defect in order to come overseas. He is still a little hard of hearing in that ear from the shell burst, but it’s gradually coming back.
When Tommy finally left the lines, he was pretty well done up and his sergeant wanted to send him to a hospital, but he begged not to go for fear he wouldn’t get back to his old company, so they let him go to a rest camp instead.
And now after a couple of weeks with us (provided the correspondents don’t drive him frantic), he will return to the lines with his old outfit.
Clayton has worked at all kings of things back in that other world of civilian life. He has been a farm hand, a cook and a bartender. Just before he joined the Army, he was a gauge-honer in the Chrysler Ordnance Plant at Evansville.
When the war is over, he wants to go into business for himself for the first time in his life. He’ll probably set up a small restaurant in Evansville. He said his brother-in-law would back him.
Tommy was shipped overseas after only two months in the Army, and now has been out of America for 18 months. He is medium-sized, dark-haired, has a little mustache and the funniest-looking head of hair you ever saw this side of Buffalo Bill’s show.
While his division was killing time in the first few days before leaving England, he and three others decided to have their hair cut Indian fashion. They had their heads clipped down to the skin all except a two-inch ridge starting at the forehead and running clear to the back of the neck. It makes them look more comical than ferocious as they had intended. Two of the four have been wounded and evacuated to England.
I chatted off and on with Clayton for several days before he told me how old he was. I was amazed; so much so that I asked several other people to guess at his age and they all guessed about the same as I did – about 26.
Actually, he is 37, and that’s pretty well along in years to be a frontline infantryman. It’s harder on a man at that age.
As Clayton himself says, “When you pass that 30 mark you begin to slow up a little.”
It’s harder for you to take the hard ground and the rain and the sleeplessness and the unending wracking of it all. Yet at 37, he elected to go back.
Pegler: Union ‘sanctions’
By Westbrook Pegler
New York –
From San Francisco, word comes of a new wrinkle in government. RAdm. Harold G. Bowen has applied “sanctions” against several hundred union machinists who refused to do overtime work on important Navy jobs.
The “sanctions” were authorized by Fred M. Vinson, the Director of Economic Stabilization, and we learn that the men will be reported to their draft boards, to the War Manpower Commission and to their ration boards. Thus, the Navy, which under our way of government, is supposed to have no authority over civilians, moves to review the draft deferments of these men, to blackball them from all work and, moreover, to starve them by shutting off their food allowances. Why else would they be reported to their ration boards?
These “sanctions,” meaning punishments, are inflicted on men who are not charged with any violation of law, much less tried and convicted.
The Selective Service Law was intended to select men for the Army and Navy, not to coerce civilians by intimidation. Rationing was adopted to apportion the supply of food, heat and gasoline. The authority of the War Manpower Commission is vast and vague, but even here, the fact remains that an American is supposed to be entitled to a fair trial in a regular court on specific charges of violation of law.
If these men are suspected of any offense deserving punishment, they should be charged, arrested and tried; for certainly valuable rights are at stake here. One of them at least, the right to a fair, individual’s share of food and heat is not subject to revocation by any court, even during a condemned murderer’s stay in the death house.
Only a few days ago, in Philadelphia, four men suspected of organizing and leading the transportation strike were fired and certified to their draft boards. One is above the draft age and he not only loses his years of seniority with the company, certainly a valuable right, but is blackballed entirely from all work for the duration of the war.
It has been only a few years since the ideologists of the New Deal were arguing angrily that a worker had a property right in his job. It was compared to a franchise. Some of them said that if an employer fired a worker, he should be forced to pay him a certain cash sum in addition to his earned pay and dismissal pay, representing the value of a piece of property or a right, namely the job which he had lost. It was even argued that a man should have the right to sell his job to another and, then, in the zone of the ridiculous, a situation was conjured in which a syndicate of smart hustlers would buy up for cash several millions of individual jobs and lease them back to the workers.
These actions against men who seem to have been acting entirely within their ancient legal right, abruptly flout the concept of a job as personal property. Moreover, they violate rights which existed long before the adoption of those laws and regulations poetically known as “labor’s gains” won under the New Deal.
In Philadelphia, there is a question whether the four men had violated the Smith-Connally Act. Aside from the fact that some unions openly repudiated this law as unconstitutional and advised their members to ignore it when it was passed over President Roosevelt’s veto, a more immediate and more important fact cries out.
If they are charged with violation of this act, they should be tried under it and punished accordingly. Instead, they have been punished summarily and there seems to be no court to which they can appeal because no court imposed the sentences.
The blacklist long ago was condemned by all liberals and by the unions as a vicious weapon. It makes it impossible for a man to get a job and, in the old days, men adopted false names and moved to other regions to start over. But today if a man takes an alias, he may invite punishment for making false statements under oath to any of the numerous government boards with which citizens must do business. And anyway, he probably couldn’t get away with it, even temporarily, because to get a job he must present a “referral.” So, in the case of at least one of the Philadelphia men, the punishment is an economic death sentence without trial and without even the allegation of an offense against any law.
A little research in the early history of the Nazi regime in Germany will show who was the original author of these innovations in the regulation of the life and work of the American civilian by the national government. His name is Adolf Hitler.
Background of news –
House reorganization
By Bertram Benedict
Rep. Rowe, freshman Congressman from Ohio, is withholding his resolution for a Republican reorganization of the House because Minority Leader Martin considers it “inappropriate at this time.” If a poll of Republican members shows that a majority of them wish to proceed. Mr. Rowe says he will demand a party caucus on his project to have the Republicans take over.
Reorganization of the House of Representatives by the Republicans would involve (1) the unseating of Speaker Rayburn and the probable election of Republican Leader Martin as his successor; (2) dismissal of the present Democratic chairmen of all House committees and award of their places to Republicans; (3) transfer of majority control in all committees from Democrats to Republicans.
The Republicans hope to accomplish all this, and much more, in January 1945, for there is a firm belief among them that the voters will give them control of the House in the November election. The Republican leadership has good reason to doubt, however, that such a reorganization can be carried out at any time in the immediate future.
Democratic bolts doubted
It is true, as Mr. Rowe points out, that the Democrats no longer have a majority in the House; also that legislative action at the 1944 session has been dominated by the Republican membership, aided by anti-New Deal Democrats from the south. What is open to grave doubt is whether any member elected as a Democrat would vote with the opposition party to give it control of the lower branch of Congress.
The present party alignment in the House is 216 Democrats, 212 Republicans, two Progressives, one Farmer Laborite, one American Laborite (three of the 435 seats are vacant).
Farmer Laborite Rep. Hagen can probably be counted as a Republican, for he has been nominated as a Republican in this year’s primary in Minnesota, but American Laborite Rep. Marcantonio can certainly be counted with the Democrats.
The two Progressives from Wisconsin have Republican backgrounds, but during the present Congress they have voted about as often with the Democrats as with their closer political kin.
Assuming that a Republican resolution for reorganization of the House would command the support of three of the members of minor parties – but no member of the Democratic Party – the Republicans would fall three votes short of mustering an absolute majority for its adoption.
Close division in 1917
The present division of party strength in the House is the closest since the 65th Congress met in special session in April 1917 to declare war on Germany. As a result of the November 1916 election, 216 Republicans, 210 Democrats, and 9 members of minor parties held seats in the House. The Republicans had a plurality, but fell two short of a majority. The candidates for Speaker were Rep. Mann of Illinois, the Republican leader, and Champ Clark of Missouri, who had held the office since 1911.
On the opening day of the session, Mr. Clark’s name was placed in nomination by a Republican – Rep. Schall, the blind Congressman from Minnesota. The members of the minor parties voted with the Democrats and Mr. Clark was chosen Speaker with a total of 217 votes to 205 for Mr. Mann. Two Republicans voted “present,” others did not answer roll, and four scattered their votes.
President Wilson delivered his war message at 8:30 o’clock that evening and on the following day, the Democratic committee slates were ratified by the House, thus insuring legislative cooperation with the Executive for the duration of the war, notwithstanding the lack of a Democratic majority.
Völkischer Beobachter (August 19, 1944)
Vom Stellungszum Bewegungskrieg im Westen
Von Hauptmann Ritter von Schramm
…
‚Gehen wir unter, so soll es nur nach Kampf bis zum Letzten sein‘
Telegramm des Verteidigers von Saint-Malo an den Führer
…
Brutales britisches Geständnis –
Große Erregung in Kanada
Stockholm, 18. August –
Die zweimalige Bombardierung kanadischer Truppen an der Normandiefront durch englische und amerikanische Bomber hat in der kanadischen Öffentlichkeit große Erregung hervorgerufen. Im britischen Hauptquartier hielt man es infolgedessen für notwendig, durch beruhigende Berichte die Aufregung etwas abzuschwächen. Man schickte den Rundfunkreporter Allan Melville vor, der beide Angriffe persönlich miterlebte. Melville erklärte, daß der hartnäckige deutsche Widerstand den Einsatz der schweren Bomber zu Angriffen an der Front notwendig gemacht habe. Man sei einfach dazu gezwungen gewesen, das Risiko von Fehlabwürfen auf die eigenen Truppen einzugehen. Ob die kanadischen Truppen dieses brutale Eingeständnis genauso „kühl“ und „ruhig“ betrachten, wie es das Hauptquartier Eisenhowers ausspricht, steht dahin. Der Korrespondent muß in seinem Bericht zugeben, daß der Eindruck auf die Truppe katastrophal war.
US-Heeresleitung warnt:
Französinnen nicht erwünscht
Genf, 18. August –
Die US-Heeresleitung wünscht nicht, daß die nordamerikanischen Soldaten Französinnen heiraten. Sie hat daher, so meldet Washington Post, in einem Handbuch alle US-Soldaten vor Beziehungen zu Französinnen gewarnt. Die Französin sei nicht die frivole Person, als die man sie in den Hollywood-Filmen darstelle. Die meisten wollten geheiratet werden. Die Heeresverwaltung aber denke nicht daran, französische Familienangehörige von amerikanischen Soldaten nach USA zu transportieren. Während des Krieges und ein halbes Jahr nach Kriegsende sei ein solcher Transport völlig ausgeschlossen. Kein Soldat dürfe damit rechnen, daß er auch später seine französischen Angehörigen auf Regierungskosten nach USA kommen lassen könne.
Kanadische Korvette verloren
Einer Meldung aus Ottawa zufolge ging die kanadische Korvette Regina gelegentlich einer Hilfeleistung für ein in Schwierigkeiten befindliches Handelsschiff in den Invasionsgewässern verloren. Die Regina ist das 17. Kriegsschiff und die 7. Korvette, die die kanadische Flotte in diesem Kriege verliert.
Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (August 19, 1944)
Communiqué No. 133
The net around German forces in NORMANDY was drawn tighter yesterday.
American and British troops established contact near BRIOUZE. From the west, an advance was made to approximately the line of the River ORNE.
Advances were also made towards the escape route of German troops streaming eastwards in an attempt to avoid complete encirclement.
Our forces, moving from the south, made progress east and west of ARGENTAN against enemy opposition. A thrust down the ARGENTAN road from the north took us to PIERREFITTE. Our hold on TRUN and the area near CHAMBOIS was extended eastward to CHAMPEAUX.
Further north, the advance continued and our troops have crossed both the River DIVES and the River VIE near NOTRE-DAME-D’ESTRÉES. SAINT-JULIEN-LE-FAUCON has been taken and in the coastal area, we have reached DOZULÉ and the outskirts of CABOURG and DIVES-SUR-MER.
In the DREUX area, our troops have widened their bridgeheads across the River EURE north and south of the city. Farther south, VENDÔME has been freed.
The last enemy resistance on the north coast of BRITTANY has been overcome with the elimination of a GERMAN pocket in the LANNION–PAIMPOL area.
Around-the-clock attacks by Allied aircraft against enemy troops and transport, airfields, communications systems, and supply centers has been maintained from Thursday midnight.
The first attacks began with medium and light bombers harassing enemy movements on both sides of the upper SEINE.
From first light Friday, fighter-bombers and fighters repeatedly swept the area from the immediate battle front to the east of the SEINE and deep into BELGIUM and HOLLAND. They destroyed or damaged many hundreds of railway cars and motor vehicles, at least 10 tanks and numerous locomotives and armored vehicles, especially at the mouth of the NORMANDY pocket. A convoy of 500 vehicles was successfully attacked by rocket-firing fighters northeast of TRUN, and a large number were destroyed or damaged. On the SEINE, two river steamers and many barges were sunk.
At least 51 enemy aircraft were destroyed in combat or on the ground by fighters which had escorted heavy bombers to attack five key airfields at METZ, NANCY-ESSEY, ROYE-AMY, SAINT-DIZIER, ROMILLY-SUR-SEINE. Sixteen other enemy planes were shot down in a single engagement near BEAUVAIS. Other heavy bomber targets included ships and oil storage tanks at BORDEAUX submarine shelters at LA PALLICE and fuel depots near GHENT, NANCY, PACY-SUR-ARMANÇON, the railway center of CONNANTRE and bridges over the MEUSE River at MAASTRICHT, NAMUR and HUY.
Heavy and medium bombers made three coordinated attacks on an important ammunition dump in the forest of L’ISLE-ADAM north of PARIS. Rail embankments at VERBERIE, GOURNAY-EN-BRAY and RIVECOURT and a fuel dump at VALENTON were attacked by other medium and light bombers.
Last night, light bombers and fighters, working in close support of our troops, dropped flares on enemy forces retreating eastward from the FALAISE area and continued to harry them.
From all of these operations, 39 of our aircraft are missing.
The Wilmington Morning Star (August 19, 1944)
GERMAN ROCKET COAST ARMY WRECKED IN GREAT VICTORY
Drive on Paris swings forward
Allied armies reported only 12 miles away from capital
Road to Paris: Heavy fighting is expected in this section of France as Allied forces advanced toward Paris.
SHAEF, London, England (AP) –
The bulk of the German 15th Army guarding the North French rocket coast has been thrown into an eleventh-hour attempt to avert a Normandy debacle and has gone down to a defeat that may spell an Allied victory in the battle for France, it was disclosed officially last night.
Mighty Allied forces were driving the beaten 15th and 7th Armies toward the all but bridgeless Seine, and Lt. Gen. George S. Patton’s tanks smashing to the vicinity of Paris – only 12 miles away by German accounts – had blocked off their retreat toward the French capital.
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower summoned his field commanders to an urgent conference which soon may be reflected in new and overwhelming blows to break the German grip on the whole of France.
The surging lines were developing a great enveloping movement west of Paris, where a senior British officer disclosed the Germans had rashly committed roughly half their crack 15th Army.
This was the first intimation that Field Marshal Gen. Günther von Kluge had brought across the Seine important elements of his army guarding the Channel coast and the rocket roosts to try to extricate the already battered Seventh from the pitfalls of Normandy.
Americans, British, Canadians, Poles, Dutch and Belgians – the last two disclosed for the first time to be in action – were in hot pursuit of the estimated 40,000 to 100,000 enemy troops who had squeezed from the Normandy pocket with the bulk of their tanks and were heading toward Rouen.
They strewed behind them the wreckage of tanks and vehicles under ceaseless assault from tactical bombers, whose pilots reported the Germans were in such headlong flight they did not even pull off the highways when the planes roared over.
The unexpected news that the 15th Army, which on D-Day was the greatest German army in France, had been committed to a lost cause in Normandy, came from the staff officer at 21st Army Group headquarters, who likened its fate to that of the broken 7th Army.
The staff officer declared their offensive power was spent, that from here on these German forces were capable only of rearguard action, and that in winning the battle of Normandy the Allies will have won the battle of France.
Both the 7th and 15th – the only striking force the Germans had along the Atlantic Wall – were estimated to have had up to 25 divisions at D-Day.
Half of the 15th Army, it is estimated, was thrown into the lost battle of Normandy in the last two weeks and has been badly mauled. Replacements brought in to guard the Channel are believed to be low grade and spread all the way through the Low Countries.
The United Nations radio in Algiers said 400.000 Germans had been put out of action in northern France and 60,000 more were surrounded in the ports of Brittany.
The hesitant German command, not knowing where Allied blows were coming from, sent these important elements of the 15th Army into the caldron of battle “in pieces and too late,” the British officer said.
ALLIES THREATENING TOULON
Big battleship fired by planes
Invasion troops swarm inland behind base in flank move
…
25 pretty French girls shaved on town square
…