America at war! (1941--) -- Part 2

Ceremony at Capitol by women to honor Lucretia Mott

Speakers to be heard Jan. 2 in tribute to pioneer in suffrage

The sesquicentennial of the birth of Lucretia Mott, famous 19th-century woman leader, will be celebrated by the National Woman’s Party and the World Woman’s Party for Equal Rights in the crypt of the Capitol, Jan. 2, at 2:15 p.m.

Mrs. Mott, who, with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were the pioneer woman suffrage champions of this country, will be honored by members of Congress and prominent women from this nation and abroad.

Mme. Dreyfus Barney, former French member of the League of Nations Committee for Intellectual Cooperation, and member of the board of the International Council of Women, will speak.

Other speakers at the celebration will be Lena Madesin Phillips, president of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women; Señorita Minerva Bernardino, vice chairman of the Inter-American Commission of Women, and leader of the suffrage movement in the Dominican Republic; Mme. Anka Soubbotitch of Yugoslavia, vice president of the World Women’s Party; Dr. Catherine Macfarlane, vice president of the Medical Women’s International Association, and Miss Jeannette Marks, author of The Barrett Family.

The National Woman’s Party announces that as soon as the new Congress convenes in January, the “Equal Rights” Amendment will be introduced once more by Senator Gillette (D-IA) and Reps. Ludlow (D-IN) and Guyer (R-KS).

U.S. War Department (December 25, 1942)

Communiqué No. 276

North Africa.
Units of our advanced forces, after beating off enemy counterattacks, occupied a position six miles north northeast of Medjez-el-Bab. Patrols are operating in other sectors.

Adverse weather conditions yesterday restricted air operations, but a patrol of our fighters attacked enemy ground targets in the forward area. One enemy bomber was shot down.

U.S. Navy Department (December 26, 1942)

Communiqué No. 230

South Pacific.
On December 25, a flight of Army “Flying Fortresses” from the airfield at Guadalcanal bombed enemy shipping in the harbor of Rabaul on the island of New Britain. Three direct hits were scored on a large transport (or cargo ship) and several near hits fell close to three small cargo ships. A force of enemy fighters took off but did not attack our bombers.

The Pittsburgh Press (December 26, 1942)

Darlan’s assassin executed

Frenchman, son of Italian, shot; Giraud may not succeed admiral

London, England (UP) –
The youthful Frenchman who assassinated Adm. Jean François Darlan was executed at dawn in compliance with the orders of a court-martial, Radio Algiers reported today.

The execution occurred as the French Imperial Council was preparing to meet to choose a successor to Darlan.

Reports from North Africa said Gen. Henri Giraud, who escaped from a German prison camp, would probably be named, but some persons believed Gen. Giraud’s distaste for politics would cause him to refuse and devote all his energies to heading the French fighting forces.

The identity of Darlan’s assassin was still unknown to the general public, although it was said he had made a full confession and had stated that he had no accomplices. His mother is living in Italy.

Darlan was given a military funeral in Algiers with Allied leaders in attendance. Large crowds watched in silence as the coffin was carried into the Algiers cathedral which was decorated with French, British and U.S. flags.

North African broadcasts, describing the scene in the cathedral, said French officials sat on the right side of the center aisle.

On the left side of the aisle were Allied officials including Lt. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark, Adm. Sir Andrew B. Cunningham, United Nations naval commander in North Africa, U.S. Consul-General Hamilton Wiley and Robert Murphy, U.S. diplomatic officials who attended in the capacity of President Roosevelt’s personal representative.

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North Africans mourn Darlan

By C. R. Cunningham, United Press staff writer

Allied HQ, North Africa –
Adm. Jean François Darlan’s murderer, a French citizen whose Italian mother lives in Italy, was to die at dawn today before a French Army firing squad approximately 40 hours after the No. 1 political assassination of World War II.

The French Imperial Council of which Darlan was High Commissioner announced that the assassin had been convicted and sentenced by a court-martial of the French 19th Military District which met at 6 p.m. yesterday.

Today, the council meets to name a successor to Darlan.

Giraud seen as successor

Gen. Henri Honoré Giraud, Commander-in-Chief of the French African fighting forces, was the man of the hour and it was accepted that all he had to do to take leadership – in which he undoubtedly would have the full support of Gen. Charles de Gaulle’s Fighting French who considered Darlan a traitor to France – was to say the word.

But there were strong indications that Giraud, a soldier with an abhorrence of politics, would elect to retain military leadership without the complications of other office.

Most prominent among others mentioned for leadership were Gen. Auguste Noguès, Governor-General of Morocco, one of the earliest North African adherents to the Allied cause, and Governor-General Pierre Boisson of French West Africa, the Dakar area, who was a close associate of Darlan.

Allied authorities ordered Darlan’s body taken during the night from the Government General Building at Algiers, where it lay in state yesterday, to the cathedral for a state funeral, after which it will be taken, probably this afternoon, to the summer palace to remain until a decision has been made on a final burial place.

French council meets

Thousands of Frenchmen, whose Christmas had been turned into a day of mourning, filed past Darlan’s casket throughout yesterday along with thousands of U.S. and British soldiers.

The French Imperial Council, whose members, including Gen. Giraud, assembled at Algiers by airplane from all over French Africa, held a preliminary meeting last night on the successful problem as the court-martial condemned Darlan’s assassin to death.

In its communiqué announcing the sentence the council said textually:

A court-martial of the 19th Military District met today [Friday] at 6 p.m. to try the assassin of Adm. Darlan.

The court-martial condemned the assassin to death and the sentence will be carried out tomorrow morning.

The assassin, who was caught in the act, made a complete confession. He insisted he acted without accomplices.

The assassin, whose name is being kept secret for reasons of military security, was of French nationality. Inquiry revealed that his mother is Italian and is now living in Italy.

Several letters between the assassin and his mother were seized but their contents threw no light on the case or the actual circumstances of the crime.

Eisenhower gives statement

The council’s statement was issued from the headquarters of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. Commander-in-Chief of the Allied forces, who returned to Algiers from a tour of the front as soon as he learned of Darlan’s death.

Gen. Eisenhower authorized the following statement:

Gen. Eisenhower has conveyed his deepest sympathies and regrets to Madame Darlan. As soon as Gen. George C. Marshall, Chief of the General Staff of the U.S. Army, had been advised [in Washington] of the assault on Adm. Darlan and prior to hearing of his death, he had promptly cabled that he was grieved and shocked by the news and said that Adm. Darlan had rendered services of vast importance to our Armed Forces.

Dies of two wounds

Darlan died of two wounds, one in the mouth, the other in a lung, caused by bullets from a .25-caliber pistol which the assassin fired in a corridor of the government building as Darlan was about to enter his office at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

Gen. Giraud was advised while ion an inspection trip[ of the French Army in Tunisia as he arriv ed in Algiers, and at once assumed responsibility for maintenance of order.

Spanish advices from Algiers, giving new details of Darlan’s death in a purported eyewitness story, said Darlan, in admiral’s uniform, was walking briskly along the dark corridor toward his office, after spending some time at the summer palace overlooking Algiers Bay, when the shots were fired.

Darlan had to pass a waiting room, the door of which was closed, to get to his office, As Darlan passed, the waiting room door opened and the youthful assassin came out, Madrid said.

The assassin opened fire with an automatic pistol. As the first bullet hit Darlan in the mouth, the advices reported. Darlan lunged at the assassin, but a second shot sent him plunging to the floor, blood covering his face and uniform.

The murderer leaped over Darlan’s body and dashed toward the outer door, shooting and wounding the admiral’s aide de camp. But he was seized by other officers.

Madrid reported that the assassin was a member of the French fascist militia of the Paris collaborationist leader, Jacques Doriot.

Yves Chatel, Governor-General of Algeria, assumed charge at Algiers pending Gen. Giraud’s arrival.

Gen. Noguès, Governor-General Boisson and other leaders arrived by plane.

Sultan offers condolences

As soon as they arrived, a series of conferences was started in which Gen. Eisenhower joined.

The Sultan of Morocco sent Gen. Noguès a message:

On learning of the painful news of the assassination of Adm. Darlan, we addressed to you very sad condolences, which we ask that you also convey to Gen. Bergeret.

Gen. Jean-Marie Bergeret, former Vichy Air Minister, who escaped to North Africa, was Darlan’s aide.

Gen. Giraud visited the flag-draped casket in the Government House chapel.

Allied soldiers file past

He snapped to salute before the casket, in which lay Darlan’s admiral’s hat, beneath the tricolor, then knelt in prayer and laid a wreath before the casket.

Four guards, representing the French fighting services, stood round the casket with drawn swords all day.

So dense was the crowd before and in Government House that the removal of Darlan’s body to the cathedral was postponed until last night.

Mass was celebrated at the cathedral at 9 a.m. today and afterward the casket was to be placed in front of the Church of St. Marie de Mustafa while French land, sea and air detachments filed past, followed by U.S. and British Army detachments.

While Darlan’s body lay in state at Government House, his aide, Gen. Bergeret, issued the statement:

Adm. Darlan has fallen at his post, victim of an attempt inspired by those who would not forgive him for responding to the wishes of the French people by taking up arms again by the side of the Allies against Germany.

In an earlier statement, Gen. Bergeret said:

The designs of our enemies will be foiled. This crime will not weaken our determination to liberate our country by force of arms. On the contrary, it commands us to gather all our strength for the only fight that matters today – the one which will free France.

In his capacity as Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, Gen. Giraud assumed responsibility for maintaining order.

All attempts to create disunity will be mercilessly crushed.

Gen. Bergeret signed the statement in his capacity as Deputy High Commissioner.

Crowds cheer Giraud

It was announced that the first concrete token of Allied determination to aid French Africa had arrived at African ports in the form of a 12,000-ton cargo of milk, sugar, flour, potatoes and other foodstuffs for the civil population.

A United Press canvass showed that high-ranking French officials agreed that all Gen. Giraud had to do was ask for leadership if he wanted it.

Gen. Giraud was slated for leadership when the Allies first came to Africa, but he stepped aside in Darlan’s favor to assume command of the Armed Forces.

His popularity was made evident from the moment of his arrival in Algiers yesterday when crowds cheered him enthusiastically wherever he went.

Giraud pledges big army and de Gaulle cooperation

By Walter Logan, United Press staff writer

About the time Adm. Jean François Darlan was assassinated Christmas Eve, Gen. Henri Honoré Giraud, Commander-in-Chief of the French fighting forces in North Africa, gave a United Press correspondent an exclusive interview pledging cooperation or actual consolidation with the Fighting French. With Darlan’s death, Gen. Giraud became French leader in Africa.

Allied HQ, North Africa – (Dec. 24, delayed)
Gen. Henri Honoré Giraud, heroic leader of the French fighting forces in North Africa, pledged himself today to work for cooperation or consolidation with the Fighting French.

He promised the Allies a French African army of 300,000 men and a fleet which would include the squadrons at Alexandria, Egypt, and elsewhere.

Gen. Giraud said he expected by January to be receiving from the United States the planes and tanks which the French need above all to take their full part in a fight in which he proposes to take his army along with those of the Allies into Europe for final victory.

Asked if there was any comment he would like to make regarding the political situation in France or Africa, he replied:

I am a soldier.

Then in a special message to America, he appealed for the arms which France “so desperately” needs and said that America would be shown that the French Army, using those arms, would be able to advance the day of Allied victory.

He said:

France has the fullest confidence in America. I pray that America will have the same confidence in France.

Gen. Giraud took out time from his endless military duties, which include not only the active direction of the French forces now fighting beside the Allies in Tunisia but the organization of a new and powerful army, to write down himself in blue pencil the answers to questions submitted by the United Press.

Replies to questions

The questions and Gen. Giraud’s replies follow:

Is the spirit of the French troops in North Africa as high as it always has been in the past – and in the war of 1914?

Yes.

How many French troops can Northwest Africa put into action?

300,000.

Are French troops coming from the Dakar region as well as North Africa and other parts of the world?

Reply reserved [Gen. Giraud wrote a question mark beside this question].

How soon do you expect equipment from the United States and what type of equipment is preferred?

January – Airplanes and tanks.

The French Army has always been famous for its artillery. Is artillery a prime requisite and are not the French in Tunisia now using their artillery to exceedingly good advantage?

Yes.

How about fighting planes? We saw the Lafayette Escadrille flying [American Curtiss] P-40 planes. Are they pleased with the performance of these planes? Are important French flying units at present in action or do they expect to be soon?

Most certainly. We shall appreciate still more of the newest types of fighters.

Will the French forces be ready to fight beside the Allies in the invasion of Europe?

Yes.

Regarding strategy, without revealing military information, can you say whether it would please the troops more to invade Italy or France? In the event of an invasion of France would you not expect full cooperation from the people of France? How about the people of Italy?

Reply reserved [Gen. Giraud wrote another question mark opposite this question].

Do your plans call for cooperation with or consolidation with the forces of Gen. Charles de Gaulle?

Most certainly.

The process of obtaining the interview left no room for doubt that it had the full authority of Allied leaders. The questions were first referred to the French intelligence, which in turn submitted them to Gen. Giraud’s close collaborators.

The collaborators ordered the intelligence to examine the authenticity of my credentials. Then Gen. Giraud sat down and wrote his replies. He submitted his replies to his aides, who submitted them to the intelligence. Then U.S. and British censors were called in to approve them, and the interview was issued through Allied headquarters.

Americans aim at Buna wedge

Jap forces may be split by new advance
By Brydon Taves, United Press staff writer

Allies drive through mud toward Tunis

Libyan army pushes nearer Tripoli; attacks repelled, Nazis say
By Edward W. Beattie, United Press staff writer

RAF attacks airport near Bengal Bay

Wavell’s drive from India believed widened; bigger armies promised
By Darrell Berrigan, United Press staff writer

Rabaul raided by Fortresses

Planes fly 560 miles from Guadalcanal base

Gas dealers given 3¢ profit edge

OPA acts to offset cut in sales; fuel oil price boosted

Abbott and Costello tops at box office

Hollywood, California (UP) –
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello who went before movie cameras for the first time two years ago, have displaced Mickey Rooney, four-time box office champion, as the movies’ biggest moneymakers’ polls of exhibitors disclosed today.

The polls were made by the Motion Picture Herald and the Showman’s Trade Review. Both placed Clark Gable, now in the Army Air Force, in second place.

The Herald listed the next eight according to box office drawing power in this order: Gary Cooper, Rooney, Bob Hope, James Cagney, Gene Autry, Betty Grable, Greer Garson and Spencer Tracy.

Military policemen wound 4 civilians

Sub sinks U.S. ship

Washington –
A medium-sized U.S. merchant vessel was torpedoed and sunk by an enemy submarine in the North Atlantic about the middle of November, the Navy announced t0day. Survivors have been landed at an East Coast port.


$75,000 blast at Kaiser mill

Fontana, California –
The explosion of two butane gas tanks caused an estimated $75,000 damage at the giant Henry J. Kaiser steel mill here yesterday.

De Gaulle visit to U.S. hinted again in London

New York (UP) –
The CBS’s shortwave listening station last night heard the Berne radio broadcast what was described as a London report that Gen. Charles de Gaulle, Fighting French leader:

…will leave soon for the United States.

Roosevelt and wife attend join Christmas services

President hears pastor cite Rickenbacker’s faith during 22 days adrift in Pacific

Questionnaires mount higher than pyramids

And they’re almost twice the length of a football field

U.S. fliers raid Naples and Taranto

Cairo, Egypt (UP) –
Bomber formations of the U.S. Middle East Air Force struck at two of Italy’s most important southern ports Wednesday night – Naples and the big naval base of Taranto – it was announced yesterday.

It was the first American raid on Taranto, on the Italian heel. Italy’s second most important arsenal is located there, the first being at Spezia on the Gulf of Genoa.

Naples has assumed increasing importance for the Axis as a reinforcement port for its forces in Africa since the RAF crippled Genoa.

Alcoa raps threat of ‘death sentence’

Jap Solomons base blasted

U.S. airmen destroy 24 planes at Munda