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Show WEEKLY MEWS ANALYSIS Nazi Counter Drive in Kharkov Area Vins Back Part of Russ Winter Gains; Wallace Warns of Future War Menace; Allies Tighten Ring on Rommel Armies (EDITOR'S NOTE: When opinions are expressed In these columns, they are those of Western Newspaper Union's news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.) I Released by Western Newspaper Union. . NORTH AFRICA: Rommel Rages Like a wild animal in a cage, Marshal Mar-shal Rommel had struck out at the forces hemming in his 250,000 army in Tunisia. His principal offensive had been a heavy thrust at Gen. Sir Bernard Montgomery's British Eighth army before the strategic Mareth line in Southern Tunisia. But the wary Englishman had anticipated an-ticipated the German move and his deadly artillery fire had repelled repeated re-peated Nazi attacks with "very heavy losses." Rommel, a master of tank warfare, war-fare, had attempted to break through the British lines with his heavy mechanized equipment, but when he was forced to withdraw wrecked German tanks were strewn over the battlefield. In the north the British First army had regained the initiative and was pressing the enemy, while on the central front the American forces were moving steadily to hem the Axis in. DRAFT: Plan to Save Farmers Plans of the administration to take the pressure of the draft off the nation's shortaged pool of farm labor la-bor apparently contemplate the induction in-duction of unmarried men over 38 or those in that age group without dependents. This, at least, was the interpretation of Washington observers observ-ers concerning orders by the War Manpower commission to the selective selec-tive service to reclassify such men 1A beginning May 1. The Manpower commission's action ac-tion followed the announcement of a four-point plan for the deferment of essential farm labor. It came at a moment, too, when the congressional congression-al farm bloc had launched a drive to clarify the farm labor confusion. Local draft boards were under orders or-ders hereafter to place no more men in Class 4-H and to reclassify out of 4-H into 1-A all such men now deferred de-ferred because over the military age limit. At the same time draft boards were ordered to begin reclassification re-classification immediately of all men over 38 who may become eligible eligi-ble for class 2-C or 3-C because connected con-nected with farm work. U.S.-RUSSIA: Need More 'Trust' Although the storm over Ambas-' Ambas-' sador-Admiral William H. Stand-ley's Stand-ley's complaint concerning Russia's failure to inform its people fully about the great extent of American aid had subsided and future lend-t lend-t lease shipments on an ever-bigger scale were assured, the need for greater mutual confidence between the two Allies continued. This need was stressed by Vice President Henry A. Wallace in a speech which coincidentally enough was delivered at the time Stand-ley's Stand-ley's statement was made public. Mr. Wallace had stressed the fact that a third World war might result re-sult unless the western democracies and Russia reach a satisfactory understanding. un-derstanding. "War will be probable in case we doublecross Russia," Wallace said. - ' v ' i I : 1 ' : " 1 VICE PRESIDENT WALLACE . . . beware World War 111. "Such a war would be inevitable if Russia should again embrace the Trotskyist idea of fomenting world revolution, or if British interests should again be sympathetic to anti-Russian anti-Russian activity in Germany and other countries." RUSSIA: Nazis Uncoil Three reasons were cited by military mili-tary observers for the initial success of - the sudden German counter-offensive counter-offensive west of Rostov and south of Kharkov which in its early stages had swept forward 100 miles and resulted in the capture of eight key cities in the Donetz basin which had been taken earlier by the Soviets in their great winter drive. One reason was the use by the Nazis of 25 fresh divisions. Twelve of these had been rushed from western west-ern Europe and the others replenished replen-ished after previous action. A second sec-ond reason was the draining of troops from this southern sector by the Russians to supply momentum to their drive on Orel and Vyazma to the north. The third was the superiority su-periority of Axis supply lines and communications in the Donetz area. The serious extent of these early German successes was evident in the fact that Russian official communiques com-muniques had admitted the loss of the cities the Germans had claimed. Russ reports disclosed that the German Ger-man move had actually started late in February. The setback in the south had not prevented the Russians from continuing con-tinuing their drive on Vyazma. Red communiques had reported the capture cap-ture of Tiomkino. FOOD SUPPLY: Nutrition Level Dips That the food situation in the United Unit-ed States is rapidly bringing the American people down to the Canadian Ca-nadian and British level of nutrition was the opinion voiced by Secretary of Agriculture Claude Wickard. Mr. Wickard likewise disclosed that the amount of food available for civilians "is going to be something r1p I f 1 i -w -Ki l ; . ; i wi - i t i $ I " s$2 ... i..A:. w..'.-. Sl.-.K: r-nmil3 CLAUDE WICKARD . , . more vegetables, less meat. less than it is at the present time," in testimony before the senate appropriations ap-propriations committee. Because of the increasing demand for proteins and fats including meat, dairy products and some oil crops from -our military forces and our Allies, Mr. Wickard said the American people will probably have to live more on vegetable fats and proteins than they formerly did. "We have about reached the place now where we cannot expand our meat production any more," he said, "because we are not going to have enough of the basic element feed to support much more increase." LABOR MANHUNT: French Fight Nazis Adolf Hitler's desperate need for manpower had caused the Nazi to put more than usual pressure on the collaborative Laval regime for more French workers. The German demand had been for 400,000 men. When Nazi soldiers sol-diers abetted by the Vichy government govern-ment set out to meet this goal, the trouble started. Street fighting, guerrilla tactics and sabotage were the French Patriots' Pa-triots' answer to this effort to bolster bol-ster Germany's waning manpower resources. Reports received by the Fighting French in London indicated indicat-ed that in a single 72-hour uprising, more than 350 German soldiers had been killed. Swift and cruel were the reprisals taken for this insubordination. But the repressive measures only served to fan the flames of French hatred against the German conquerors. The above chart shows at a glance which nations of the world have declared de-clared war against the others. Of all the United Nations only three Britain, Czechoslovakia and China have declared war on the entire Axis tribe. The United States excepts ex-cepts Finland which yet may be induced in-duced to quit the Axis. PACIFIC FRONT: Jap Power Wanes In the Far Eastern war theater, reports from China disclosed that the main Japanese offensive in Western Yunnan province along the old Burma road had been halted on the west bank of the Salween river. Waning enemy air power in the Burma-China area was indicated by Allied reports that repeated attacks by American and British fliers on Jap objectives had failed to lure any Nipponese planes into battle. On the Solomon Islands battle-front, battle-front, American planes roved to the northward raiding Kahili, Buin and Ballale in the Shortland Islands area and Viru Harbor in New Georgia. The Japs retaliated with a raid on Tulagi close to Guadalcanal. Summarizing the situation in the Pacific, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox said that American forces are stronger than ever before in the Solomon Islands sector while throughout the South Pacific, the Japs are having increasing difficulty difficul-ty in supplying their island bases. Without adequate shipping, the secretary explained, the Japs cannot maintain their South Pacific bases and face further retirement. ANTI-VICHY: Action in No. Africa Increasing evidence that Gen. Henri Giraud's North Africa regime will move steadily further away from Vichy influences and ever closer clos-er to the democratic methods of the United Nations was seen in the high commissioner's summary action ac-tion in repudiating all Petain decrees de-crees relating to African colonial affairs af-fairs and liquidating the entire government gov-ernment bureau concerned with restrictions re-strictions on Jews. "A decree signed in Vichy has no effect in North Africa," was Giraud's Gi-raud's terse explanation. "The German Ger-man occupation interrupted the free exercise of national sovereignty." General Giraud's action followed that of Governor General Nogues of French Morocco reinstating government govern-ment workers dismissed under Vichy's orders and repealing the ban on listening to certain foreign broadcasts. broad-casts. In repealing the Vichy anti-Semitic anti-Semitic decrees, High Commissioner Giraud ordered General Bounty, who dealt with Jewish problems, to be removed from office. CHINA: Destiny's Crossroads A 10-year reconstruction program for China, including the building of 20,000 transport planes, was proposed pro-posed by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek Kai-shek in his book, "China's Destiny." While his wife, Madame Chiang, was busy winning friends for China on her visit to the United States, the Generalissimo disclosed plans calling call-ing for 2,460,000 graduates from various va-rious grades of technical schools to aid in developing postwar China. |
