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Show I WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS , Anzio Forces Push Toward. Rome; Approve Simplified Income Tax; Lend-Lease Hits 24 Billion Mark ' Released by Western Newspaper Union. t K D ITOR'S N OTK : When opinions are expressed in these columns, thev are those of Western Newspaper Lnion s news analysts and not cecessarilv of this newspaper.) ' " ' - Z i t , , Italy u. S. engineers clear road under railroad trestle near Itri in Italian drive. EUROPE: Rome Goal In the greatest single Allied blow of World War II,- the U. S. Fifth and British Eighth armies sought the annihilation of ' German Field Marshal Kesselring's 17 divisions below Rome in the historic fight for the Eternal City. Even as U. S. and British troops struck out from the Anzio beachhead beach-head to press Nazi forces there against other enemy units fighting desperately to the south, thousands of Allied bombers thundered over western Europe to continue the non- r , & v t d Gen. Baron von Richtofen (left) and Field Marshal Kesselring command com-mand German forces in Italy. stop aerial offensive against the Germans' invasion defenses and communication lines. At no other time during World War II has the fighting been more bitter than below Rome, where Allied Al-lied aircraft, commanding the skies, joined with artillery to blast German Ger-man defenses built in the rolling terrain, ter-rain, and infantry edged forward behind the belching fire of heavy tanks. With their backs to the wall, the Nazis struck back viciously, contesting con-testing every foot of ground. SUPREME COURT: Upholds OP A Because illegal sales of rationed goods constitute an inefficient and extravagant distribution of scarce materials vital to the war effort, the President acting through OPA has the right to withhold such goods from dealers or retailers violating the price agency's regulations, the Supreme court ruled. However, the court pointed out, the OPA cannot revoke a dealer or retailer's license to sell merchandise merchan-dise in punishment for breaking the price agency's rules, since the law specifically provides fines and imprisonment im-prisonment for such actions. The President's authority to withhold with-hold goods from OPA violators who promote unequal distribution, derives de-rives from the second war powers act giving him the right to allocate material for advancement of the war effort, the Supreme court said. LEND-LEASE: Tops 24 Billion Equipped through lend-lease, fighting fight-ing men from many nations have taken their places beside U. S. Doughboys in the fight against the common enemy, President Roosevelt Roose-velt declared in his 15th report on lend-lease operations. During the first 60 days of this year, the report showed, more than 2,100 planes, almost 2,000 tanks, and more than 60,000 other military vehicles ve-hicles were sent abroad under lend-lease lend-lease for use in coming offensives. Of more than 24 billion dollars of lend-lease assistance, the report revealed. re-vealed. Great Britain has received 42.5 per cent; Russia, 27.6 per cent; Africa, Middle East and Mediterranean, Mediter-ranean, 14.4 per cent; China, India, Australia and New Zealand, 11.2 per cent; Latin America, 0.8 per cent, and other areas, 3.5 per cent. DRYS LOSE A bill to establish wartime prohibition prohi-bition of alcoholic beverages has been laid aside by the house judiciary judi-ciary subcommittee, which has postponed post-poned a hearing indefinitely. It was the belief in congressional circles that the bill will not be considered until after the November elections, because it is "too hot to handle" during a presidential campaign. Chairman Hobbs, (Dem., Ala.) commented, com-mented, "All I can say is that there won't be any hearings at any time soon.' INCOME TAX: O. K. Simplification Following the collapse of the opposition op-position of Sen. Langer (N. D.) to quick passage of the income tax simplification bill, the senate approved ap-proved the bill and then sent it back to the house for concurrence of minor mi-nor changes. Drawn up after the nation's taxpayers' tax-payers' hair-raising experience filling fill-ing last year's forms, the new simplification sim-plification bill eliminates the necessity neces-sity of 30,000,000 persons earning up to $5,000 annually to make formal returns, since their full liability will be taken through pay-as-you-go. In addition, 10,000)00 other persons per-sons with incomes over $5,000 annually an-nually will be able to file simpler forms. Although the 3 per cent victory tax will 'be scrapped when the new law goes into effect next March 15, rates were readjusted to make up for its elimination and keep payments pay-ments at about the 1943 level. PACIFIC: Stihcell Advances Checked by the determined stand of British and native forces in the Imphal-Kohima border region of India, In-dia, the Japanese reportedly reinforced rein-forced their troops in the area for a resumption of activity aimed at the Assam-Bengal railroad, feeding Lieut.-Gen. Joseph Stilwell's U. S. and Chinese forces hacking out a supply route to southwestern China through northern Burma. While General Stilwell's troops drove from the west, Chinese forces Lacking the price control of modern mod-ern nations, China is in the midst of a sky-rocketing inflation, with eggs costing 35 cents apiece, bread $4 a pound, and a cake of soap $3. advanced from the east in an effort to hook up the two ends of the new supply road. Torrential seasonal rains slowed up General Stilwell's drive, however, after delays caused by the need to ferret stubborn Jap suicide squads from tangled jungle defenses. In the Sotithwest Pacific, Doughboys Dough-boys expanded their hold on Dutch New Guinea, while U. S. airmen ranged far to the west to bombard Japanese bases on islands guarding guard-ing the approaches to the Philippines Philip-pines and Indies. Remnants of enemy ene-my forces in the strategic Marshall Islands also came under the bomb-sights bomb-sights of U. S. army and navy fliers. U. S. ECONOMY: Groups Agree Meeting in New York at the invitation invi-tation of the National Association of Manufacturers, 21 major organizations organiza-tions representing agriculture, labor, la-bor, business and finance drew up a five-point program for a U. S. at war and peace. For a U. S. still at war, the assembly as-sembly recommended the prompt settlement of cancelled war contracts con-tracts to provide business with funds for future operations, and, it also went.cn record for an orderly disposal dis-posal of surplus goods and materials now to prevent the threat of glutted markets after the war. For a U. S. returned to peace, the assembly asked for (1) congressional congression-al rather than executive direction over the reconversion program; (2) removal of all government control when danger to the civilian economy econo-my is ended; (3) revision of the tax schedule to spread the huge national debt over the next century, and (4) coordinate the interests of agriculture, agricul-ture, labor and business for mutual prosperity and preserve private initiative. MISCELLANY JUMPING FROGS: With a record-breaking record-breaking leap of 16 feet, 2 inches, a yellow-spotted frog named Maggie won the annual contest held in Calaveras county, California. The curious "derby" is an observance of Mark Twain's story, "The Celebrated Cele-brated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." About 100 frogs were en- i Ltued in the dusiy ring, and a crowd I ol 5,000 attended. CLOTHING: Cut Lines Buyers crowding Chicago's Merchandise Mer-chandise Mart for the fall and winter win-ter women's, children's and infants' wear market found fewer lines but better quality woolens in wider color col-or ranges. . With demand exceeding production produc-tion and the labor situation still critical, crit-ical, manufacturers reduced the number of their lines, and then: shortened these remaining lines to meet basic retail requirements. With an easing of limitations on black, a better range of colors was promised, and more all-wools and new wools were included in medium and low-priced lines. Prices Rise After a year-long swing upward, clothing prices were arrested in April, but not until some items had risen almost 100 per cent, the U. S. bureau of labor statistics reported. Pointing out that prices in certain stores have advanced even above the national average, the BLS said that during the last year, percale house dresses went up 23 per cent,' men's shorts 18 per cent, women's cotton nightgowns 16 per cent, and women's spring coats 14 per cent. Although rises in clothing costs as a whole showed only a fractional, gain in April, the BLS said, appreciable appre-ciable gains were registered in women's wom-en's inexpensive rayon dresses, percale per-cale house dresses, girdles,' men's and women's felt hats and business shirts. Some increases in shoes and men's work clothing also were noted. not-ed. CIVIL RIGHTS: Protection Affirmed The matter of obtaining evidence against an individual cannot be accomplished ac-complished by denying the civil rights of that individual as guaran-; teed by the Constitution, Federal' Judge John P. Barnes ruled in the' government's treason case against; Mr.; and Mrs. Hans Haupt at Chicago. Chi-cago. Basing his stand on a Supreme, court decision, Judge Barnes ruled that the FBI could not go through the Haupts' flat without a search warrant in quest of evidence to discover dis-cover whether they had harbored their son, Herbert, a Nazi spy, who was later executed. As a result, Judge, Barnes dismissed as evidence evi-dence clothing and money uncovered uncov-ered by the FBI during the investigation. investi-gation. Although the FBI showed that the Haupts signed papers waiving their rights against unwarranted search, Judge Barnes said that the Haupts' own testimony indicated they did not know what they were signing. The Haupts now are standing retrial re-trial following reversal of a previous previ-ous conviction. WAR FINANCE: Fitted to Needs Money no longer stands in the way of nations producing to capacity capaci-ty where natural resources and manpower are available, the National Na-tional Bureau of Economic Research concluded in a study of Germany's prewar finance. Seemingly reversing the orthodox conception of finance, wartime activities ac-tivities of all belligerent nations have proved that if a country has material and workers both can be employed to capacity, and money merely is adjusted to their use, instead in-stead of the old principle of adjusting adjust-ing them to the availability of money. mon-ey. At about 5 billion dollars before Hitler's ascension to power in 1933, Germany's national debt now approximates ap-proximates about 80 billion dollars, with borrowings chiefly made from banks and savings institutions. Rev- I enue totals above 50 per cent of national na-tional income, the reporting agency declared, compared with the prewar pre-war figure of between 30 and 40 per cent. Proud Papa To Lieut. Gen. James Doolittle, left, chieftain of the U. S. Eighth air force, came that moment which generals dream about, the decora-lion decora-lion of a son for meritorious service. serv-ice. Here General Doolittle is shown awarding his son, Capt. James Jr., the Distinguished Flying Cross for action in the European theater. Said Gen. Jimmy Sr.: "This makes me very proud, Son." Replied Capt. Jimmy Jr.: "Thanks, Pappy." ICELAND Following the action of its parliament parlia-ment in renouncing the treaty which tied it to Denmark, the people of Iceland went to the polls to formally for-mally ratify the move and thus end a relationship of over 500 years. Iceland's action came with Denmark Den-mark under occupation of German forces, and was accomplished after a rejection of Danish King Christian Chris-tian X's plea to withold action on the severance until after the war, when any movement could be undertaken under-taken by mutual agreement. |
