Lardner: Start of a mutiny
By John Lardner
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Love: Interesting report
By Gilbert Love
The Georgia Warm Springs Foundation has just issued its annual report. It’s largely statistical, but it provides an occasion for a discourse on this interesting institution which figured so prominently in the life and death of the late President Roosevelt.
The Warm Springs area, in West-Central Georgia, was long a summer resort for residents of Southern cities. It was discovered that the water from its springs, heated to 88 degrees by the natural warmth far underground, was beneficial to infantile paralysis victims. Mr. Roosevelt, who was stricken in 1921, bought the area in 1926. The following year, he turned the land over to the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation, which was organized to establish an institution to treat infantile paralysis victims and to evolve improved methods of treatment.
Mr. Roosevelt became president of the Foundation, a position he held until his death. His interest in the institution was so great that when birthday parties were held in his honor the year after his inauguration as President of the United States, the money that was raised was given to Warm Springs. It amounted to more than a million dollars.
Foundation established
President’s Birthday Ball, and accompanying March of Dimes, became an annual event. So much money was raised that most of it was diverted to other infantile paralysis work. In 1938, the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis was formed. It distributes the money from the January 30 activities to more than a thousand local chapters, to a national research organization, and to Warm Springs.
The latter now gets a relatively small percentage of the money. The Foundation’s grant to it for the year beginning July 1, 1944, was only $44.620. Warm Springs gets other donations and bequests, and about half of its patients pay all or part of their expenses.
During the past year, the institution served a total of 543 patients, with an average of 100 in residence throughout the year. They came from 43 states; also Canada, Central America, Cuba, Dominican Republic, France, Mexico, Puerto Rico and South America.
Preference to adults
Nearly half the patients were over 20 years of age. Although it serves many children, the Foundation gives some preference to adults and to persons who have recently had the disease. It feels that it is important to prepare as many adults as possible for useful lives, since they are likely to have responsibilities, and it likes “new” cases because they offer the best possibilities for improvement.
Any infantile paralysis victim may apply for admission to Warm Springs by writing to the Registrar, and sending along a complete medical case history from the attending physician. As you might expect, however, there are many more applications than places in the institution.
Most of the patients live in small cottages. A small theater and chapel have been built on the grounds. Both have two-thirds of their floor space bare, for the use of patients in wheel chairs and on stretchers.
President Roosevelt’s “Little White House” and guest cottage are about a mile from the hospital grounds. The late President went there about three times a year to rest and bathe in the warm spring water.
Frontline chaplain –
Clerics fly, are wounded just like G.I.’s
By Sally MacDougall, Scripps-Howard staff writer
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Duce’s widow in U.S. custody
Caught while trying to flee Italy – 2 children also taken by partisans
By Aldo Forte, United Press staff writer
COMO, Italy – Rachele Mussolini, widow of the executed dictator, and two of her children were under protective custody of American authorities today after their arrest by Italian Partisans as they attempted to flee to Switzerland.
The Partisans turned her over to officers of the U.S. 1st Armored Division, saying she always had led a family life and they did not consider her a Fascist criminal.
She was placed in her sumptuous villa, Crespi, overlooking Lake Como and the Swiss Alps.
Officers told me she was arrested Sunday night with her 18-year-old son, Romano, and her daughter, Anna Maria, 16, youngest of the Mussolinis’ five children.
The three originally were placed in the Como jail, where she first learned of her husband’s execution.
Officers said that in the car in which she was trying to escape they found 12 million lire ($120,000), 1,600 grams of gold and numerous jewels.
I saw her and the children leave the villa in American custody this afternoon for an undisclosed destination.
First three zippered pigskin bags, were carried to a German-camouflaged car waiting in the villa gardens.
Then Rachele descended. She was dressed in a simple black coat, black dress and black turban and, despite the cold sunless day, was stockingless. She looked pale and depressed.
She looked much older than when I saw her in 1940 at the funeral of her son, Bruno, killed in an air crash. Her hair was completely white, she had lost weight and her face was wrinkled.
Petain’s wife under arrest
By the United Press
Madame Eugenie Petain, 63-year-old wife of Marshal Henri-Philippe Petain, has been arrested on a charge of collusion with the enemy, the French Press Agency said last night.
She had returned to France from Germany with her husband who faces trial on treason charges.
When the warrant for her arrest was served yesterday, she protested that she never had taken any part in political activity, said the dispatch.
Gracie Allen Reporting
By Gracie Allen
My goodness, I’ll never get to understand those Japanese. Did you hear about that Tokyo broadcast which declared that our air raids were good for their morale? The theory was that the more private property was destroyed, the less property they would have left to worry about.
This reasoning so impressed me that I made up a little poem:
Every time we bomb the Jap,
Cries the pleased, slap-happy chap:
“Honorable house has went–
So no more worry over rent!”
I don’t think that Japanese philosophy is going to work here, though. I tried it on George by suggesting that if he burned all his shirts he wouldn’t have to worry about their not coming back from the laundry. He didn’t say anything, but he keeps watching me suspiciously out of the corner of his eye.
Pirates-Cards third tilt rained out
Reds arrive tomorrow for four games – Bucs lose 4-2 – win 11-1
By Paul Kurtz
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Neck brace helps –
Rucker pounds way back by ‘gallows’ aid
By the United Press
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In Washington –
Congressmen like Truman’s budget slash
See turning point in heavy war spending
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Truman to get quick approval on Hannegan
But Senate may fight OK for TVA head
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Pyle memorial May 15
LOS ANGELES, California – Mayor Fletcher Bowron today set aside May 15 as Ernie Pyle Memorial Day, when Los Angeles citizens will honor the late war correspondent, killed last month by a Jap machine-gun bullet.
Neues Österreich (May 4, 1945)
Kapitulation in Norditalien und Westösterreich
Rom, 3. Mai – Die deutschen Truppen haben, ebenso wie die faschistischen Verbände, in Norditalien und Westösterreich kapituliert. Die Feindseligkeiten wurden gestern Nachmittag eingestellt. Durch diese Kapitulation werden fast 1 Million Mann ausgeschaltet, die Überreste von 22 deutschen und 6 faschistischen Divisionen.
Von der Kapitulation werden Vorarlberg, Tirol und Salzburg sowie Teile von Kärnten und Steiermark erfasst.
Alliierte Truppen haben sich Innsbruck bis auf 13 Kilometer genähert. Innsbruck dürfte voraussichtlich kampflos übergeben werden, da der Gauleiter von Tirol mitteilte, dass Innsbruck nicht verteidigt wird. Er verbot auch, dass die Brücken über den Inn gesprengt wurden.
Auch Triest gefallen
Neuseeländische Verbände rückten in Triest ein, das zu einem großen Teil schon vorher von Tito-Truppen besetzt worden war. Die deutsche Besatzung kapitulierte.
Hamburg als offene Stadt besetzt
London, 3. Mai – Die Behörden von Hamburg haben die alte Hansastadt. um eine Vergrößerung der durch die alliierten Luftangriffe hervorgerufenen Schäden zu vermeiden, zur offenen Stadt erklärt. Die Bevölkerung war aufgefordert worden, in völliger Ruhe die Besetzung abzuwarten und bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt für Ordnung zu sorgen. Bei Herannahen der britischen Truppen wurde der Wille zur Kapitulation bekanntgegeben. Die Engländer rücken in die Stadt ein.
Oldenburg hat ebenfalls kapituliert. Britische und russische Verbände haben sich jetzt bei Rostock vereinigt.
Durch die Einnahme von Hamburg und Lübeck sind die deutschen Soldaten in Schleswig-Holstein, Dänemark und Norwegen sowie die Truppen an der Waterkant völlig von jeder Verbindung mit dem noch verbleibenden Rumpfdeutschland abgeschlossen.
Der ganze norddeutsche Widerstandsraum bricht zusammen. Zwei deutsche Divisionen ergaben sich gestern den vorrückenden russischen Verbänden Deutsche Schiffe, vor. der Küste auf der Fahrt nach Norden werden ebenfalls angegriffen.
Der Hamburger Sender, über den jetzt nur mehr Verlautbarungen des britischen Stadtkommandanten gesendet werden, war zuletzt der wichtigste im Rumpfdeutschland. Über ihn war bis gestern täglich der deutsche Wehrmachtbericht gesendet worden. Ein Wehrmachtbericht wurde heute im deutschen Rundfunk nicht mehr gegeben.
Die Reichshauptstadt ein einziges Gefangenenlager
Moskau, 3. Mai – Berichterstatter bringen packende Schilderungen von der Kapitulation Berlins. Darnach ist die Hauptstadt Hitlers ein einziges Lager von deutschen Kriegsgefangenen. In den Berichten heißt es:
Kaum hatten die Geschütze und Maschinengewehre der russischen Truppen das Feuer eingestellt, als sich die Straßen mit deutschen Bataillonen füllten. Die Soldaten, die Berlin bis zum letzten Atemzug verteidigen sollten, boten einen erbarmungswürdigen Anblick. Sie waren vollkommen erschöpft, viele Gesichter waren grau und darin nur das Weiße der Augen und der Zähne zu erkennen. Dennoch sah man manchen Soldaten an, dass sie sich freuten, den furchtbaren Kämpfen entronnen zu sein. Viele verbeugten sich tief, wenn sie an einem russischen Offizier vorbeikamen. Die meisten allerdings waren niedergeschlagen und blickten stumpf zu Boden. Manche konnten vor Erschöpfung kaum weiter. Im Gegensatz dazu waren die Soldaten der Roten Armee völlig frisch und strahlten über den herrlichen Sieg.
Die größten Teile der Stadt, besonders im Zentrum und im Regierungsviertel, bestehen nur noch aus Ruinen. Die alliierte Luftwaffe hat ganze Arbeit geleistet.
Eine Straße nach der anderen, ein Platz nach dem andern legte ein weißes Gewand an, überall erschienen weiße Tücher an den Fenstern und auf den Dächern.
Prag – Lazarettstadt
London, 3. Mai – Prag wurde von Großadmiral Dönitz, der sich als Nachfolger Hitlers bezeichnet, zur Lazarettstadt erklärt.
Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force (May 4, 1945)
FROM
(A) SHAEF MAIN
ORIGINATOR
PRD, Communique Section
DATE-TIME OF ORIGIN
041100B May
TO FOR ACTION
(1) AGWAR
(2) NAVY DEPARTMENT
TO (W) FOR INFORMATION (INFO)
(3) TAC HQ 12 ARMY GP
(4) MAIN 12 ARMY GP
(5) AIR STAFF MAIN
(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) UNITED KINGDOM BASE
(15) SACSEA
(16) CMHQ (Pass to RCAF & RCN)
(17) COM ZONE
(18) SHAEF REAR
(19) SHAEF MAIN
(20) HQ SIXTH ARMY GP
(21) WOIA FOR OWI WASHINGTON FOR RELEASE TO COMBINED US AND CANADIAN PRESS AND RADIO AT 0900 HOURS GMT
(22) AFHQ, ROME FOR PWB
(REF NO.)
NONE
(CLASSIFICATION)
IN THE CLEAR
Communiqué No. 391
UNCLASSIFIED: Oldenburg surrendered to Allied forces after fighting had taken place in the outskirts of the town.
Hamburg surrendered and we have occupied the city.
In the Luebeck area, we captured Bad Segeberg and Travemuende on the Baltic.
Our units have effected their junctions with forces of the Second White Russian Army Group near Wismar and Grabow.
Large- and medium-sized enemy vessels and smaller craft off Flensburg, Eckernfoerde, Kiel and Luebeck and in the Kiel Bay as well as the Luebeck Bay were attacked by rocket-firing fighters and fighter-bombers. Nine ships were sunk and over 100 others were left in a damaged condition, some of them in flames.
Enemy road transport heading towards Denmark between Flensburg, Kiel, Neumunster and Luebeck was hit by fighter-bombers. Some 1,200 vehicles were destroyed or damaged. Many enemy aircraft were destroyed or damaged on the ground in attacks on airfields by other fighter-bombers. Eleven enemy aircraft were shot down.
Our forces crossed the Czechoslovakian border and reached a point one and one-half miles south of Taus. Southeast of Taus, other elements crossed the border and reached the area ten miles south of Wallern.
Farther south, in Austria, we reached the vicinity of Haslach and our armor advanced to a point seven miles northwest of Linz.
Our infantry elements captured Passau, in Germany, and to the east, in Austria, our armor crossed the Muehl River in the vicinity of Neufelden.
Infantry, south of Passau, reached the Inn River in the vicinity of Schaerding and Obernberg.
Our armor captured Braunau and crossed the Inn River in that vicinity. Infantry elements crossed the Inn River at points northeast and east of Braunau. East of the Inn River, we captured Hauserding and reached a point 15 miles east of Braunau.
Farther west, we advanced to the vicinity of Neuoetting and reached the Inn River southwest of Muehldorf.
Our infantry advanced rapidly to the southeast and captured Wasserburg, 26 miles east of Munich.
Thirty-five miles east and southeast of Munich, our units were disposed along the Inn River over a front of 30 miles where crossings were effected at several points.
From the vicinity of Rosenheim we drove eastward along the autobahn to reach a point south of the Chiemsee, 25 miles west of Salzburg and 28 miles northwest of Berchtesgaden.
In the Austrian Alps, our forces approaching Innsbruck from the west met stubborn resistance after negotiations for the surrender of the city failed.
Forty miles to the west of Innsbruck, our units were slowed in their southeastward drive along the Lech River by difficult terrain and snow up to four feet deep.
Russian Gen. Vishnievsky and Gen. Tonkogonov were liberated.
Allied forces in the west captured 85,283 prisoners 2 May.
The large ammunition plant near Stod, southwest of Pilsen, was attacked by strong formations of light bombers. Fighter-bombers bombed road transport near the Chiemsee.
From the day’s operations, ten of our fighters are missing.
Approximately 800 heavy bombers dropped over 1,500 long tons of food supplies for the Dutch population in enemy-occupied Holland.
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 FA4655
AUTHENTICATING SIGNATURE
/s/