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Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS U. S. Troops Fighting Nazis in Tunisia ' As British Push West Through Libya Close Strong Pincers on Axis Forces; Ceiling Is Lifted on U. S. Farm Wages t EDITOR'S NOTE: When opinions are expressed In these columns, they are those ol Western Newspaper Union's news analysts and not necessarily ot this newspaper.) , , Released by Western Newspaper Union. 1 " ' V , X , .mv $ , ' ' Jt l Y' ' M 1 9 : -vrr V x ' s ; ,1 y : ' "4 0 ' ' Pictured at their weekly joint luncheon in Washington, TJ. S. chiefs of staff plan future strategy. Left to right: Admiral E. J. King, commander command-er in chief of the U. S. fleet and chief of naval operations; Gen. George C. Marshall, chief of staff, U. S. army; Admiral William D. Leahy, chief of staff to the commander in chief of the army and navy, and Lieut. Gen. H. H. Arnold, commanding general, U. S. army air forces. LEND-LEASE: Still Up Even while the United States was undergoing the huge task of preparing pre-paring for the North African Invasion Inva-sion our allies were getting even more lend-lease aid than before. This fact was revealed by President Roosevelt when he announced that amount of goods and services furnished fur-nished the other United Nations last month increased one-third over any previous month. A record-breaking $915,000,000 worth of lend-lease was chalked up in that period. This, the President indicated, should convince all that the Axis was wrong in assuming that our aid to the United Nations would decrease de-crease once we began a strong offensive of-fensive action. Also, said the President, Presi-dent, our lend-lease aid will not decrease de-crease in the future. Production schedules are aimed at supplying both the needs of military forces and many of the needs of the United Nations. Among items which did not show up in the cold figures of the report I was news that before the U. S. aircraft air-craft carrier Wasp was sunk, that ship had carried two priceless loads of, British Spitfire fighting planes to Malta and that American engineers and soldiers are expanding the capacity of railroads taking supplies into Russia. The President pointed out that two-thirds of .the goods were military mili-tary items, including large numbers of planes and tanks that helped turn the tide in Egypt and to hold the lines in Russia. DARLAN: Legal Authority? The status of the French fleet at Toulon appeared unchanged as the Vichy radio reported that a large number of French troops had arrived ar-rived to occupy the city. Although Adm. De La Borde, commander com-mander of the Toulon naval squadron, squad-ron, renewed his pledge of allegiance alle-giance to Marshal Petain, crews were reported unable to leave their ships, indicating Axis mistrust of the sailors. A Nazi broadcast said that "all strategically important points on the Mediterranean coast of southern south-ern France are now protected by German and Italian arms." Adm. Jean Darlan and the Vichy government continued their bickering bicker-ing over which is the legitimate authority au-thority in French North Africa. Darlan, Dar-lan, over the Morocco radio, proclaimed pro-claimed that his authority is legal because it came from Marshal Petain Pe-tain himself. He pointed out that If ' , c J TUNISIA: Kick for Rommel American soldiers battled against German troops in their first regular engagement of World War II when the British first army and a smaller United States force clashed with Axis troops defending the naval base of Bizerte in Tunisia. While United States Rangers participated par-ticipated in the raid on Dieppe this was the first time that a strong force of United States soldiers and the Germans faced each other in battle. When the Morocco radio controlled con-trolled by the Allies announced that contact had been established between be-tween the Allied force and the Germans Ger-mans the broadcast was confirmed by German wireless. The Morocco radio estimated at the time of the broadcast the Axis had landed 10,000 German and Italian troops in Tunisia, Tuni-sia, and said enemy forces were reported arriving in transport planes and by sea. Early reports gave no indication of the size of the American force. However, Lieut. Gen. K. A. N Anderson, An-derson, British commander of the combined operation in Tunisia, said that it rrade up one-tenth of his striking force and included special units. The British nine-tenths consisted con-sisted of veteran soldiers, superbly trained, who have met the Germans in previous engagements. Lieut. Gen. Dwight E. Eisenhower announced that the drive in Tunisia was "advancing as fast as possible according to plan." Several French garrisons were battling incoming Axis troops, concentrating con-centrating on transports and shooting shoot-ing soldiers as they came to earth. However, the opposition from the poorly equipped French was considered consid-ered more as a harassment than a serious hindrance, but was given a warm welcome by the Americans and British. Eisenhower reported that the Mediterranean waters were "swarming "swarm-ing with enemy submarines" detailed de-tailed by the Axis to disrupt Allied landing of reinforcements and war stores. In London Prime Minister Churchill announced that Allied countermeasures had resulted in sinking 13 enemy subs in North African Af-rican waters, five of them in two days. MAXIMUM PRICES: Amended Regulations Office of Price Administration officials of-ficials have announced amendments to the regulations covering certain essential food products such as butter, but-ter, eggs and fruits. Under this OPA policy food prepared pre-pared and sold on the premises is excluded from the maximum price control. Sales by a farmers' cooperative co-operative are covered, but sales by a farmer of the products on his farm are not included, unless made to an ultimate consumer. War procurement agencies can buy any of the products at higher than established prices. Sales deliveries de-liveries to the U. S. or United Nations Na-tions in some cases are exempt. Meanwhile, after a four-week enforcement en-forcement drive throughout the country, more than 4,000 grocers were served with OPA license warnings. warn-ings. These charge violation of the general maximum price regulation. NEW GUINEA: Trap Closes Word of ever-increasing action on New Guinea came from General MacArthur's headquarters where it . was announced that American and Australian ground troops, converging converg-ing on the Jap invasion base at Buna, had joined forces for the attack. at-tack. Continuous air attacks supported the steady advance in New Guinea, an official communique said. The Allied forces had been closing on Buna, only Jap base in southeastern New Guinea, ever since American troops werp landed by air late in October. Australian troops have pushed down the north slope of the Owen Stanley mountain range to near Buna from the west. The Americans Ameri-cans appnoached up from the south. "The enemy, under command of Lieut. Gen. Tomatore Horii, now faces the Allies to the west and south, with the jungle and the sea at his back. Our air force is attacking at-tacking without respite," the communique com-munique said. GUADALCANAL: Touch and Go While American and Japanese warships hammered at each other in a gigantic Solomon Island battle, Australian Navy Minister Makin warned his people that the outcome of the naval engagement will determine deter-mine Japan's plan for the invasion of Australia. A navy communique from Washington Wash-ington said that the fight which raged on the sea, in the skies and on Guadalcanal resulted from "a determined de-termined effort on the part of the Japanese to recapture positions in the Guadalcanal-Tulagi area" which U. S. marines had captured last August. Navy Minister Makin warned that there should be no undue optimism or complacency over Allied successes suc-cesses in Africa and New Guinea. "The Solomons," he added, "are the screen between the enemy and Australia, Aus-tralia, and if the Japanese should break through the Allied naval cordon cor-don they certainly will attack Australia." Aus-tralia." FARM WAGES: Ceiling Lifted It was announced by the Office of Economic Stabilization that for the time being the ceiling on agricultural agri-cultural wages has been lifted. According Ac-cording to OES Director Byrnes, this plan will be in effect until the department ,of agriculture can determine de-termine two things: (1) What effect farm wages have on farm production in the more critical farm labor shortage areas; and (2) Where increases in farm wages may threaten to cause an increase in the price ceilings on farm products. pro-ducts. 1942 Production Meanwhile the department of agriculture ag-riculture was estimating the 1942 production of principal farm crops and comparing them with last year. This is the way these figures looked: 1942 Production 1941 Production Corn 3,185,141,000 bu. 2,672,541,000 bu. Wheat 984,046.000 tm. 945.937,000 bu. Cotton 13,329,000 bales 10,800,000 bales ADMIRAL DARLAN Takes North African reins. whatever the marshal might say now should not be heeded "because he (Petain) is unable to let the French people know his real thoughts. Darlan, in one of his first demonstrations demon-strations of power, appointed Gen. Henry Giraud commander in chief of French forces in the region. Vichy radio replied with an order attributed attribut-ed to Petain "prohibiting" French colonial troops from obeying Giraud. Also it was stated that Giraud "broke his officer's word and thus lost his honor. He received his self conferred title of commander from a foreign power." London dispatches said that the appointment of Darlan was unpopular unpopu-lar there because he worked to assist as-sist the enemies of Britain and America since the fall of France. Hope was expressed in some quarters quar-ters that Darlan's assignment was only temporary. DOUBLE FEATURES: Dim Out? Meeting in New York city, the motion picture National Board of Review passed a resolution recommending recom-mending theater owners suspend double features for the duration "as a saving of time, critical materials and manpower needed for winning the war." Previously, Lowell Mellett, chief of the Office of War Information Bureau Bu-reau of Motion Pictures, had appeared ap-peared before the board asking for the elimination of double features. "The habit of sitting three or four or even more hours, with one's mind afloat in a fictional world, hardly equips the American population for the serious job of dealing with real life. That way lies degeneration rather than growth. And we must grow. We must grow into a people competent to win this war," he said. Mellett also said that his bureau is trying to help the American public pub-lic see what the war means to them. This is done through and with the co-operation of newsrel editors and with Hollywood producers of features fea-tures and shorts. |