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Show !i I WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS History's Biggest Naval Bombardment Precedes Major Action on Marshalls; Russians Surge Onward Toward Baltic; Civilian Fat, Oil Allotments Decreased fKDITOR'S NOTF;: Hhtn opinions are expressed In these eolnmns. thev are those of WeaLern Newspaper Lnion u news analysts and Dot necessarily of this newspaper.) Released by Western Newspaper Union i i. 'll7: 2i Solomons Marines plod through heavy mud during operations against last big Jap base of Bougainville in Solomons. MID-PACIFIC: Japs Crumbling With stalwart U. S. doughboys pounding at other positions in the Marshalls from beachheads they established es-tablished in the very heart of the islands, Jap forces slowly relinquished relin-quished their grip on these mid-Pacific mid-Pacific strongholds menacing Allied supply lines to the Philippines. In .attacking the Marshalls after the greatest naval bombardment in U. S. history, American troops were put ashore on one of the most important im-portant of the islets making up the group. From here, the doJghboys trained their guns on the biggest air base and the best submarine and seaplane station in the whole island cluster. With the memory of strong Jap fortifications of Tarawa in the Gilberts Gil-berts still in mind,, the U. S. spared none of the firepower of its navy or air force to smash at enemy installations instal-lations in the Marshalls before troops clambered ashore. But despite de-spite the terrific battering, Jap units took up the fight when doughboys landed, again making it no picnic. TAXES: Lawmakers Agree Falling far shortvof the administration's adminis-tration's request for 10 billion dollars dol-lars in new taxes, a conference committee com-mittee of senators and congressmen agreed on raising 2 billion 300 million, mil-lion, to bring 1944 revenue to about 44 billion dollars. More than a billion dollars of the new taxes would be collected on higher levies for goods and services, new rates amounting to 1 cent for every 5 cents admission charge, $9 per gallon of 100 proof liquor, $8 per barrel of beer, 20 per cent on furs, jewelry and luggage, 15 per cent on transportation, and increased in-creased rates on club dues, bowling alleys and pool tables. The tax on cosmetics would be raised to 20 per cent. . Air mail rates would be raised to 8 cents, 3 cent stamps would be required re-quired on local mail deliveries and charges - would be increased on C.O.D., registered and insured mail, and on money orders. , ; . J By abolishing the earned income credit and . deductions for payment ef federal excise taxes, the lawmakers lawmak-ers figured on raising 600 million in additional income taxes. Another 500 million would be raised by increasing increas-ing the excess profits tax from 90 to 95 per cent. ' RUSSIA: Near Baltic Churning deeply into Nazi lines, Ked troops pressed onto the borders of the Baltic states of Estonia and Latvia, while in the Ukraine 400 miles to the south, heavy fighting eontinued in fluctuating counterattacks. counterat-tacks. Russians surged toward the narrow nar-row belts of land making up Estonia and Latvia on the Baltic sea coasts after rolling the Nazis back from around Leningrad and seizing control con-trol of the. large network of railroads rail-roads in the area, including the double dou-ble track running to Moscow. Employing upwards of 250,000 men th Reds hammered big dents in the German lines, forcing enemy retreats re-treats with the threat of encirclement encircle-ment from the rear.- Having given ground before German Ger-man counterattacks 80 miles from the Rumanian border, the Reds struck back both to the east and west f this region, chewing into enemy lines behind intense artillery and tank fire. EUROPE: Nutcracker Closing The big Allied nutcracker in southern south-ern Italy slowly closed on embattled Nazi troops below Rome, while U. S. and British bombers hammered away at the enemy's defense installations instal-lations and supply centers in northwestern north-western Europe. Despite bitter German resistance, U. S. and French forces chewed deeper into the Nazis' network of pillboxes and barbed wire around the mountain stronghold of Cassino, about 40 miles "south of the Allies' invasion beaches near Rome. With supplies pouring onto the sandy beachheads, U. S. and British troops organized their strength for sharp thrusts at the enemy's communication communica-tion lines feeding their forces at Cassino, but encountered bitter opposition. op-position. Although Berlin again came in for a major share of Allied bombing in northwestern Europe, the whole invasion in-vasion coast was peppered with explosives ex-plosives designed to cripple the long string of concrete and steel defense posts. Reports indicated that the Germans were pulling seasoned troops out of Russia to reinforce Jutland, Jut-land, the closest land approach to Berlin. FOOD SUPPLY: World Prospects With food production here at its peak and overseas demands increasing, increas-ing, the U. S. may P""" have to go along on ' ' V .J smaller supplies in ' ' 1944, Secretary of t 'tJsiy Agriculture Claude wickard declared. ' "'" 1 Of our Allies, - jfg. Great Britain should H s, maintain her pres- v CfV i e nutritional i "jc 4 standards because of increased home Claude wickard production and an improvement in the shipping situation, Wickard said, but he was less optimistic of Russia, reporting re-porting that with the Germans occupying oc-cupying its rich agricultural regions earlier in 1943 the country now faced actual starvation. Although Germany is better off than it was during World War L conditions have further deteriorated throughout the rest of Europe, Wickard Wick-ard said. Japan's control over East Asia gives her a rich source of foodstuffs, food-stuffs, but their availability to the homeland is restricted by the enemy's en-emy's shipping facilities, Wickard pointed out. Less Fats, Oils Civilian allotments of fats and oils In 1944 will average less than last year, the War Food administration un- jUw ' der Marvin Jones r announced. I v Approximately 21 per cent of the na- ? tion's supply will be & ' Q shipped to TJ. S. al- & 4 ' " lies, it was report- 5 . ed, with Russia and i s , S Great Britain re- C ceiving 16.3 per cent of the total. Marvin Jones Under the allotments, allot-ments, each U. S. civilian will get about 43.9 pounds of butter, lard, shortenings and other oils and margarine, mar-garine, compared with 46.5 pounds last year, and 48.8 pounds in 1942. Allotments for cooking oils and vegetable oil shortenings will average aver-age 14.3 pounds per person as compared com-pared with 16.4 pounds in 1943, and 13.9 pounds of lard as against 14.3 pounds. LIFE INSURANCE: Claims Mount Deaths of men in military service and the effects of stress and strain on the civilian population have contributed con-tributed to a 16 per cent rise in life insurance benefits since 1939. During the same period, however, there has been an increase of 22 per cent of insurance in force to a record rec-ord of 139 billion dollars, with women wom-en recently employed accounting for many of the new policies. Because of this increase in the total amount of life insurance outstanding, out-standing, the mortality rate has been about the same as in 1939, and lower than in any year prior to 1938. In 1943, 1 billion 100 million dollars was paid out in claims. War Casualties U. S. war casualties so far total 146,186, with 33,153 dead, 33,167 missing, miss-ing, 49,518 wounded and 29,898 prisoners. pris-oners. Army casualties number 109,434, divided among 17,480 killed, 24.806 missing, 41,533 wounded and 25,615 prisoners. The navy reported 36,752 casualties, casual-ties, of whom 15,673 were killed, 8,811 missing, 7,985 wounded and 4,283 prisoners. Of the 2,000 prisoners who died in enemy camps, most were under Japanese Jap-anese control, it was reported. Baby Smaller When 6 pound 5 ounce Paulette Matthes was born a year ago in Chicago, doctors held little hope for her life. Bnt Paulette recently celebrated cele-brated her first birthday, although weighing 3 ounces less than at birth in a case that has baffled physicians. Twenty-two inches long, little Paulette can only digest a little of formula and water, and she has required re-quired so much care that her mother moth-er has scarcely slept since her birth. The Matthes also have a thriving young son, Ronald, 4. PRESSURE COOKERS: 400,000 Authorized Because more and more home-makers home-makers have taken to canning to avert shortages of fruits and vegetables vege-tables in off seasons, the War Production Pro-duction board has authorized manufacture manu-facture of 400,000 aluminum pressure pres-sure cookers during the first six months of 1944. ; Although 339,000 pressure canners were made from carbon steel last year, use of aluminum was banned in January of 1942. Because of a shortage of capacity for fabricating aluminum, none will be available for manufacture of other kitchen utensils. uten-sils. Under WPB plans, the new aluminum alumi-num pressure cookers will not be rationed and will be offered for sale without restriction. Three-fifths of U. S. families canned last year, it has been estimated, with an average per family of 165 jars or cans. Monkey Shines When Private Flyd Steward of San Pedro, Calif., plunged into a watery shell hole in North Africa during a bombing raid and came np with a baby monkey, It was one of the best moves he ever made. Private Steward's constant companion com-panion after that, the monkey found rrapes and berries for him when he was lost In the wild country for days; chattered noisily when he and 14 other soldiers were abont to drink from a poisoned waterhole, and by loud yelping, directed rescuers to the spot where he had been buried under debris by an exploding shell. DEBTS: Consumers Cut Total At the end of 1943, Americans could look beyond to postwar markets mar-kets to more possible spending, following fol-lowing reduction of consumer indebtedness in-debtedness by 1 billion, 200 million dollars during the last year because of continued goods shortages. Installment loans also showed a 25 per cent slump for the year, and charge accounts were cut, but only by 15 million dollars. At the end of 1943, automobile credit outstanding was one-third of the total of 1942. Warns Farmers A 15 per cent increase in land prices since 1942 reflects a threatening threaten-ing speculative spree, Governor A. G. Black of the Farm Credit administration ad-ministration warned. Declaring that farm land in the Central West and parts of the South was selling 20 to 30 per cent above federal land bank appraisals, Governor Gover-nor Black said some buyers were courting disaster if they could not reduce mortgages to an amount that could be carried by normal earnings. earn-ings. Spurring demands, Governor Black said, are a large number of city people with large incomes, who have been putting their money into farm land. VETS' AID It is estimated that 300,000 beds will be needed by 1949 to care for veterans of this and previous wars. As hospitalization is now open to all men and women of the armed forces, whether their disability is service-connected service-connected or not, Brig. Gen. Frank ; Hines, veterans' administrator, expects ex-pects to have training camp facilities facili-ties turned over to him for conversion conver-sion into hospital accommodations. Few of the injuries and ailments for which servicemen receive government gov-ernment care are battle casualties. |