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Show BEAR RIVER VALLEY LEADER, Tremonton, Utah Page Two at Trenton ton, Utah, on Thursday of for Friday Distribution Entered ill Each Week Phone 23 First West Street r- -I' AMERICA UNLIMITED I at the Post Office at Tremonton, Utah, as Second Class Matter October A. N. RYTTTNG, 1925 15, Editor-Publish- is no imaginable road to global peace and THERE improvement which does not pass through our country. Whether we like it or not, it is our destiny to play the lead role in the great drama of postwar economic reconstruction. We cannot play it vigorously and effectively if we are weak at home and divided in our counsels; if we" allow ourselves to grow flabby, fatalistic and unambitious. $1.75 We have attained that role by rirtue of the American system of Enterprise that made us strong. It would be sheer folly and a disservice to mankind at ;Vri;ifeyl!l:" f y large choked if off being able to build a Normandie. giant of seas, every two and a half days! That is what we are doing, in effect. American shipyards had delivered nearly 18 million dead-weigtons of shipping between Pearl Harbor and the autumn of 1943. By January, 1944, America had built in two years the equivalent of more than a third of all the ocean merchant marine tonnage in the world! This pattern of supreme accomplishment is repeated consistently in every department of our economy. The machine-too- l industry not only succeeded in taking care of the great conversion tasks at home, but made enormous contributions to the factories of Russia, England, India, Australia, Canada. Steelmaking was expanded rapidly to the point where more than half the steel of the entire world was being made in the United States. The steel industry rarely operated below 94 per we ht our strength at its source. I for one distrust world planners who do not give sufficient thought to the Erie Johnston happiness and prosperity of their own countries. d There are men honest, men who think they are raising the living standards of the world when they only succeed in lowering the living standards in America. They forget that we Americans have been able to make the magnificent contribution of our industrial genius toward winning the war precisely because we were rich, industrious, immensely productive, and Economically free. We shall be able to weight the postwar scales in g favor of peace and general for the world as a whole only if we continue to preserve and fortify the economic system which gave us those capacities. To do otherwise would be to kill the roots which give life to the tree. Let us look briefly at that history-makin- g high-minde- cent capacity after Pearl Harbor and several months it worked at 100 per cent capacity. The 83 million well-bein- ill L. By Eric Johnston Our Contribution to Victory r8" "XI 1 5" American accomplishment have mobilized and equipped 10 million men for war, equipping them with the most advanced modern weapons, in the space of less than two years. The time element needs to be underscored. Germany, it should be remembered, had channeled everything into military preparations for nearly seven years before it launched World War II; Russia had deprived itself of necessities, not to mention comforts, for nearly 20 years, so that it might divert all its energies and resources to military purposes. America, so far as the implements of war are concerned, started from scratch on e the day when a program of was decided upon. Raving withdrawn 10 million men from our productive process, we have been able, notwithstanding, to gather and train the manpower needed to - - We Through the Red Cross the American people serve the men of their Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Under The Capitol Dome (By William T. Igleheart) too early to predict what'll happen to them but if the usual econoto my bloc starts doing much arith- " .poleo-wyelit- is h ur El-gr- hereafter Lake) have complete say as to what bila are brought to the floor of the senate whether those be house or senate measures. Many a well intended proposal will have its head lopped off right there. (D-Sa- lt will And inasmuch .as the house has a hundred more bills before it now than it did two years ago at this stage of the proceedings there's certain to be some wailing and gnashing of teeth. The Governor's post war bills which would enable counties and municipalities to share in possible state and federal funds for planning and construction, permit the state publicity and industrial development committee to assist communities In setting up small manufacturing and industrial enterprises met with rather cordial His response in most quarters. They have appointed sub committees to examin all proposals and some of those reports are beginning to sift back to the whole committee. While partisan politics hasn't been much in evidence on the floor of the houses unmistakable evi dence of the interest of party or ganization in the doings of the legislature is seen in the frequent appearance in the capitol halls of Roscoe Boden, the democratic state chieftain and his republican opponent Vernon Romney. It is more than a guess that their current interest centers more in the appointments Governor Maw is recommending to the senate for confirmation than in most of the actual legislation. Some of the governor's major nominees for state jobs are now known to be under very close scrutiny and furthermore, the re-- ( Continued on page three) sions. suggested appropriation of $2,000,- to the state board of examiners for these construction and planning activities may strike some snags. Pension and pay measures for public employees are numerous and far reaching, embracing every body on the state payroll from the governor to the school janitor. It'3 000 Interest rates and repayment terms reasonable tt dustry. suit your convenience. AUTOMOBILE JAMES BR0UGII Agency Tremonton, Utah i FRTCSKS CnClR THEIR LOANS FIRE INSURANCF peace-lovin- 7 fA g fast-movin- g unprece-dentedl- Ger-man- ususi Tints in- Immediately after the Japanese struck at America the United States Chamber of Commerce adopted a resolution which, I know, mirrored the grim determination of all groups in the country. It said in part: "We are at war today with countries whose economy has long been geared to war. To wage this war most effectively, we must gear our entire economy to get maximum war production. That must be accomplished at once, so as to win the war in the shortest possible time, in order to save lives, avoid a long, grueling war efthe WPB index 100 equals over-al- l fort, and to prevent unnecessary munitions production for the month waste of resources." of November, 1941, just before Pearl That has been met. Harbor. Output under the defense Americanchallenge business and industry and program previously in effect had been raised from 23 in July, 1940, laDor, renecung tne mentality oi a ration, had been comto 50 In December, 1940, and had geared to meet only civilian pletely 75 1941. in passed September, But being blessed The rate of production was more requirements. resources and know-hothan doubled between November, with immense we were able to turn overnight 1941, and March, 1942, that is to say, in four months, the index going from to the manufacture of the intricate machines of today's me100 to 213. By June, 1942, the index stood at 309; by October, 1942, it chanized warmaking. was 403; by March, 1943. 530; and Broad War Powers for in October, 1943. 614. The rate of in other words, in- Government Essential production, Government necessarily assumed creased sixfold in two yearsl broad authority and has played a Spectacular Rubber dominant part in the war production direction. It has had to control the Production American flow of materials and exercise other Perhaps the most spectacular economic powers which normally of American the exemplification proto private economy. Neverbelong ductive system was provided by rubber. When the Japanese cap- theless, the imprint of private tured our Pacific ocean rubber enterprise is deeply and decisivethe war production achievesources, It looked as if we had been ly upon The success of the ment. stymied. Starting with nothing, huge undertaking has been however, we have brought into beon the initiative, redependent ing the world's largest synthetic rubber industry. Despite prelimi- sourcefulness, and ability of private business. nary confusions and conflicting govAgriculture, no less than industry, ernmental authorities, private intook a heroic part in the national did the job. dustry effort and proved the value of free Only once in its history has farming. The extraordinary achievethe American automotive Indusment of the American farmers has try manufactured more than 5 received less than its due In apmillion motor vehicles a year, wartime producpraisals of over-al- l yet by 1943 the same Industry tion. was producing war materials, It Is hardly necessary to record the value of which was about that labor, likewise, did its share three times as great as in that and more. Neither industry nor agri"peak year. culture could function without the Aviation is a that is cooperation of labor. In mines, on farms, at factory benches, in transbeing acted out in the battle of the battle of the southwest port services, in a hundred other Pacific, the battle of China. But its branches of the national effort men "breeding place" is in continental and women whose muscle power United States. The President's first and Intelligence and skills represent figure of 50.000 planes a year the lifeblood of production gave seemed far fetched even to op- without stint. timists. By the end of 1943 we were The American accomplishment in producing more than 8,000 a month, rescuing a distraught, despairing or almost 100,000 a year. world by tha strength of our ecoShipbuilding was virtually at a nomic system carries with It an Imtandstill in tht United States when plied promise to keep that system tha world was overwhelmed by war. alive and in working order. We But two yeara after Pearl Harbor have, indeed, an obligation to ouroura was tha most productive ship- selves, and to the world as well, to building industry of all time. As remain prosperous and to remain Eurnham Finney put it: "Imaglna fret. super-dram- a va 41 d tons produced in 1941 rose to 88 million tons in 1942, to SO million tons in 1943. , SEE US IF YOU NEED MONEY ' World's largest synthetic rubber lend-leas- n) - ' V it, t The lawmakers really went work making laws this fourth metic the more social minded leglegisla- islators are in for some difficulweek of the twenty-sixt- h ture. While the only major meas- ties, because all of the bills call ures passed by both houses were for some state as well as individu the liberalization of the work- al contributions. The house set up men's compensation act and the a uniform salary committee, Jos to harmon occupational disease act introduv-tio- n L Newey measures. ize such war of the governor's post Senator Grant Macfarlane (D planning: and construction bills and virtual completion of the new Salt Lake) succeeded in having the school financing measures bring senate pass his bill for a equip and feed not only our own into view almost all of the importhospital with a half milforces, but to help feed and ant controversial proposals, the lion dollar appropriation, the largequip all our Allies. so is far. twenty-sixtexpect- est to get by either house legislature The War Production board meased to deal with. Of course requested appropriatoutThe senate and house had one ions exceed by far estimated rev- ures the progress of munitions with the aid of a special index put of their to be expected altercations enues and the governors suggested which takes into account planes, when the house demanded the up- budget. How to bring these all in ships, tanks, guns, ammunition, per body rescind its action in nam- to line is the more nearly sixty-fo- and all campaign equipment, but millions dollar question con does not include military construcing a sifting committee and the senate figuratively thumbed its fronting the joint budget commit- tion work or industrial facilities nose at the house for suggesting tee now in the throes of daily ses- created for munition production. In such a thing. So the Senate sifting committee of seven, headed by Lorenzo E. Hedgerow Fighting Made New Type of War Heroes (Editor's Note: This article is one of a series compliant Eric Johnston's new book, 'America Unlimited." Mr. Johnston is president of the U S. Chamber of Commerce.) er SUBSCRIPTION RATES (In Advance) SOLDIER RATES ONE YEAR - $2.50 15 Ernie Pylcs Slant on the War: !' BEAR RIVER VALLEY LEADER Published Thursday, February -- y Barriers Used Successfully hy Mazi War Machine on Western Front Ry Ernie Pyle (Editor's Note): Tlih i'sKi7t was written und first puhlihpd uhe tins u ith the G.I.s at the U estern front. lie is now on his way to cover i" in the Pacific war zones. ON THE WESTERN FRONT I P '"Ji know that all of use respondents have tried time and again to describe to what this weird hedgerow fighting in northwestern Fran Ce has been like. But I'm going to go over it once more, for we've been in it two months and some of us feel that this is the two month that broke the German army in the West. This type of fighting is always in small groups, so let's take as an example one company of men. Let's say they are working forward on both sides of a country lane, and this company Is p'T'ir'? "ii 5 ' I , responsible for clearing the two fields on either side of the road as it advances. That means you have only about one platoon to a Ernie Pyle field. And with the company's understrength from casualties, you might have no more than 25 or 30 men in a field. Over here the fields are usually not more than 50 yards across and a couple of hundred yards long. They may have grain in them, or apple trees, but mostly they are just pastures of green grass, full of beautiful cows. The fields are surrounded on all sides by immense hedgerows which consist of an ancient earthen bank, waist high, all matted with roots, and out of which grow weeds, bushes and trees up to 20 feet high. The Germans have used these barriers well. They put snipers in the trees. They dig deep trenches behind the hedgerows and cover them with timber, so that it is almost impossible for artillery to get at them. Sometimes they will prop up machine guns with strings attached, so they can fire over the hedge without getting out of their holes. They even cut out a section of the hedgerow and hide a big gun or a tank in it, covering it with brush. Also they tunnel under the hedgerows from the back and make the opening on the forward side just large enough to stick a machine gun xm through. But mostly the hedgerow patIs this: a heavy machine gun hidden at each end of the field and infantrymen hidden all along the hedgerow with rifles and machine pistols. tern Now it's up to us to dig them out of there. It's a slow and cautious business, and there is nothing very dashing about it. Our men don't go across the open fields in dramatic charges such as you see in the movies. They did at first, but they learned better. They go in tiny groups, a squad or less, moving yards apart and sticking close to the hedgerows on either end of the field. They creep a few yards, squat, wait, then creep again. If you could be right up there between the Germans and the Americans you wouldn't see very many men at any one time just a few here and there, always trying to keep hidden. But you would hear an - They leave about two machin. guns and a few riflemen scatter through the hedge, to do a W Z shooting and hold up the aW cans as long as they can. Our men now sneak alonr th front side of the hedgerow, throwb grenades over onto the other iid! and spraying the hedges with thefr guns. The fighting is very a few yards apart-b- ut It U close--onl- y seldom actual stuff Sometimes the remaining G. mans come out of their holes with their hands up. Sometimes they tn to run for it and are mowed down, Sometimes they won't come out at all, and a hand grenade, thrown into their hole, finishes them off. hand-to-han- d And so we've taken another and are ready to start on the one beyond. This hedgerow business is a series of .little skirmishes like 'that clear across the front, thousands and thou, sands of little skirmishes. No single one of them- - is very big. But add them all up over the days and weekj and you've got a man-sizewar, with thousands on both sides beine killed. hedge-ro- d No Set Pattern If you were to come over here and pick out some field at random, the fighting there probably wouldn't be following the hedge-enclose- d general pattern at all. For each one is a little separate war, fought under different circumstances. For instance, you'll come to i woods instead of an open field. Tat Germans will be dug in all over the woods, in little groups, and ifi really tough to get them out. Often in cases like that we will just around the woods and keep going, and let later units take care of those surrounded and doomed fellows, c Or we'D go through the woods and clean it out, and another company, coming through a couple of hours later, will find it full of Germans again. In a war like this one everything is in such confusion, see how either side ever I don't gets an- ywhere. Sometimes you don't where the enemy is and know don't know where your own troops are. As somebody said the other day, no battalion commander can give you the exact location of his various units five minutes after they've Jumped off. s We will whole pockets of, Germans, and they will be tee fighting our following waves when our attacking companies are i couple of miles on beyond. Gradually the front gets all mixed up. There will be Germans behind you and it f the side. They'll be shooting you from behind and from your flank. Sometimes a unit will get so ftf out ahead of those on either side that it has to swing around and fight to its rear. Sometimes we to on our own troops, thinking we are in German territory. You can't s teB anything, and you can't even usa from the sounds, for each side some of the other's captured W ons. by-pas- awful lot of noise. Our men were taught in training not to fire until they saw something to fire at. But that hasn't worked in this country, because you see so little. So the alternative is to keep shooting constantly at the hedgerows. That pins the Germans in their holes while we. sneak up The tanks and the Infantry had to on them. The attacking squads sneak up the work in the closest cooperation sides of the hedgerows while the breaking through the German ring Ue rest of the platoon stay back in their that tried to pin us down in have could own hedgerow and keep the forward beachhead area. Neither hedge saturated with bullets. They done it alone. The troops are of two minds about shoot rifle grenades too, and a moryu' tar squad a little farther back having tanks around them. If near be to a hate foot soldier mortar you shells over keeps lobbing On onto the Germans. tank, for. it always draws Are. et! The little advance groups get the other hand, if the going touffh von nrnv for a tank to C0& up to the far ends of the hedge- gu rows at the corners of the field. up and start blasting with its t eaco our In breakthrough They first try to knock out the attached tanks had machine guns at each corner. unit fantry it. It was the tanks and the infanW They do this with hand gre- una that broke through that rm8j nades, rifle grenades and machine guna. punched a hole for the armored sions to go through. Retreat to New Line Usually, when the pressure gets to on, the German defenders of the One afternoon we drove that hedgerow start pulling back. They'll jeep into a country like take their heavier guns and most little rural villages of gray " j of the men back a couple of fields were demolished heartbreak j and start digging In tor a new line. heaps of still smoking rubble. . ii - Can Tell How Long Ago War Moved On When you're wandering around our very front lines the lines that In our present rapid war are known as "fluid" you can always tell how recently the batUe has swept on ahead of you by many familiar signs. You can sense It from the little thing even more than the big things From the scattered green leaves far-flun- g and the fresh branches of rw still lying In the middle of the From the wisps and coils of f phone wire, hanging brokenly serosa high poles and entwining roads. From the rims of the gravel roads, smoothed by tary traffic. o llS gray, burned-pshell craters their edges now the pounding of w |