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Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS Soviets Break Nazi Lines at Kharkov To Relieve Pressure on Kerch Front; U. S. Army Takes Over All Air Lines; Lower Wage Brackets Face Income Tax (EDITOR'S NOTE When opinions are expressed in these columns, they are those of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.) micj.wl by Western Newspaper Union. ) I l ; 'If; i '. f I J j J .A if , . J - r '" I $ ' v t 1 fv,: '-''iff' , ' - i PETTICOAT ARMY: To Serve Overseas Enlistrr.ent of 150.000 American women between the ages of 21 and 44 for non-combatant service with the regular army anywhere in the world was authorized when the senate sen-ate passed a bill creating the women's wom-en's auxiliary army corps. The house had previously approved the measure. The corps will be uniformed. Pay in the ranks will be S21 the first four months and $30 from then on. Members of the corps must be in good health, unimpeachable unim-peachable character and have no dependents. A WAAC company, com-pany, according to present plans, will comprise 250 women and four officers. It was intimated that the first task of the corps would be in the aircraft warning services. Some of the duties would include jobs as clerks, teletype operators, switchboard, switch-board, telegraph or telephone operators opera-tors and messengers. Duties in other branches of the service would include pharmacists, dieticians, hostesses, laboratory assistants, as-sistants, laundry workers and stewardesses. stew-ardesses. GAS WARFARE: Fresh Warning Following Prime Minister Churchill's Church-ill's warning to the Axis on gas warfare war-fare came a further assertion that Britain was better equipped than Germany for this type of combat. A report by the chemical expert of the ministry of economic warfare war-fare pointed out that gasproof shelter shel-ter accommodations were available for only 40 per cent of the population of big German cities. Nazi precautions precau-tions have concentrated on large-scale large-scale shelters rather than on individual indi-vidual protection, as in Britain. Only a portion of the German people own gas masks, the report stated, while in Britain all the people possess them. The British expert declared that Italy's situation is even worse than Germany's. POPE PIUS: Pleads for Peace The voice of Pope Pius was raised in an appeal to the world's leaders to conclude a peace "on principles of justice and moderation, even if it does not seem to correspond to aspirations." The pontiff, however. Pierre Laval's position grew more difficult as the United States in practical effect ceased to recognize Vichy control over Martinique and other French possessions in the Western hemisphere. Immobilization of French warships at Martinique followed conferences between American representatives and the resident French high commissioner. Above (center) (cen-ter) is shown Laval with M. Cathala, (left) his minister of finance and M. Paul Marion, secretary of state. RUSSIAN FRONT: Nazis Seek Oil With the rich oil fields of the Caucasus as the prize, Nazi and Russian Red army fighters locked forces in a combat which before the summer's end may determine the war's- outcome. Principal theater of the Nazis' newest conquest effort was the Kerch peninsula, gateway to the Soviet's farflung oil possessions. While the Russians admitted that a German break into the Kerch defenses de-fenses had caused a withdrawal to new positions, the Soviet communiques communi-ques reported that the new line was being held in good order and that a heavy toll was being taken of the attackers. Balancing this news was a report that Marshal Semeon Timoshenko's armies further north had broken through the first German defense lines around the industrial city of Kharkov and were preparing for an invasion of the city itself. Success of the Kharkov offense would mean that the German move toward the Caucasus would be forestalled. Regarded as a grand dress re hearsal for the major Nazi spring offensive when drier ground permits greater movement, the present battles bat-tles offered a test of the best arms which Axis and the United Nations could muster. German air concentrations concen-trations were reported the heaviest heavi-est of any used thus far in World War No. 2. Russian mechanical equipment included triple-turret American tanks and the latest design de-sign planes. iVlT" -X V?"- ' V J AIRLINERS: Will Fly for U. S. The war department's action in taking over the $100,000,000 commercial commer-cial aviation industry emphasized again the United Nations' conviction convic-tion that air power will be the determining de-termining factor in winning the war. In a drastic order authorized by President Roosevelt, the army curtailed cur-tailed private aviation, requisitioned 55 of the nation's 250 palatial airliners air-liners for immediate military service serv-ice and directed that 70 more be converted by the 17 airlines themselves them-selves into cargo carriers. Virtual elimination of night flying was forecast in the new order. A change in air routes and the closing of many commercial airports for the war's duration was indicated. Employees of the airlines including includ-ing 2,200 pilots and 18,984 other personnel per-sonnel werejriven, their choice of joining up wS the air corps or the ferry command or remaining with war department-operated lines. The war department's action followed fol-lowed the recent requisitioning of 83 airliners for service in the1 Near East and Far East. AXIS SUBS: Inland Attacks When an Axis submarine slipped through the net of Canada's coastal defenses to torpedo and sink two ships in the St. Lawrence river, it marked the first time in history an enemy underseas craft had penetrated pene-trated North America's inland waterways. wa-terways. Increasing boldness of U-boat warfare all along the Atlantic i seaboard was indicated by the sinking of seven additional United Unit-ed Nations' merchantmen in American waters. At the same time an enemy mine was discovered dis-covered near the Florida coast. Exact location of the U-boat attack at-tack in the St. Lawrence was not disclosed in the Canadian communique, communi-que, nor were the names of the freighters sunk. That the same submarine sub-marine was responsible for both sinkings was indicated by the fact that they both occurred "in the same general locality and at the same general time." The St. Lawrence river is navigable naviga-ble to ocean-going vessels between its mouth and the city -of Quebec, 500 miles upstream. The communique communi-que noted that both ships were sunk in the river and not in the gulf outside. POPE PIUS "Peace with Justice ..." acknowledged that "there is no immediate im-mediate hope of peace." Addressing the world by radio on the 25th anniversary of his consecration conse-cration as a bishop, the pope said: "We well know how in the state of things today there would be little probability of success in formulating formulat-ing detailed proposals for a just and honorable peace. But we make this appeal today with greater insistence in view of the menace of greater destructive weapons." The pope then urged statesmen to miss no opportunity to' make a "peace of justice and moderation." AUSTRALIA: Planes Strafe Japs New Allied blows against Amboi-na, Amboi-na, former Dutch naval base, and Rabaul, New Britain, gave strength to warnings by United Nations leaders lead-ers that the battle of the Coral sea has not brought an end to the peril facing Australia. The assaults upon Japanese bases to the north were intended in-tended as at least partial insurance against all-out invasion. Warships and transports were reported re-ported at these bases, waiting the arrival of sea-borne plane re-enforcements re-enforcements before moving into the Coral sea area for a rendezvous with the invasion ships scattered by recent American sea victories. Harassing air attacks by Allied bombers on both the east and west flanks of the Jap invasion bases sank and damaged enemy merchantmen, mer-chantmen, set fire to docks and destroyed de-stroyed planes in Jap-held airdromes. INCOME TAXES: More Will Pay Prospects that a single person making as little as $9.62 weekly and a childless married couple whose income is $23.08 a week or more will have to file income tax returns were seen in the action of the house ways and means committee commit-tee in voting to lower the exemptions exemp-tions for married persons to $1,200 a year from the present $1,500 and for single persons to $500 from $750. Allowances for children and other oth-er dependents would be left at $400. More than 8,000,000 persons, it was estimated, would be added to the present fold of 17,000,000 Americans Ameri-cans who file income tax returns. Taxpayers could take comfort from the fact that the committee voted to retain the present 10 per cent earned income credit for earned income up to $14,000 a year. For example, a person earning $1,200 a year is permitted to deduct $120 from the amount which would otherwise be subject to the normal tax provision, provided his income is derived from wages or salaries. MARTINIQUE: Warships Immobilized As French warships at Martinique were being immobilized, the United States came closer to its goal of completely neutralizing French possessions pos-sessions in the Caribbean sea. While Vichy France had issued a note covering the situation, American Ameri-can representatives indicated they were "doing business" with Adm. Georges Robert, high commissioner oi the French West Indies. SHIP BUILDING: Good Neivs Ahead "All around the clock, seven days a week" is the rate at which Uncle Sam's ship production machine is being utilized, it was disclosed by War Shipping Administrator Emory S. Land. Good news for the future was held forth in the admiral's statement that the nation's shipyards will turn out 15,000,000 tons of new vessels annually annu-ally after 1943 and will continue thai pace "as long as necessary." TIRES: U. S. Wants Them Jesse Jones, secretary of commerce, com-merce, revealed that the Reconstruction Recon-struction Finance corporation had made available $150,000,000 for the purchase by the government of new and used tires and tubes now in the hands of consumers. County tire ration boards of the Office of Price Administration Administra-tion and RFC agencies will be responsible for administering the plan, Mr. Jones declared. A voluntary system of tire purchasing pur-chasing will be tried out first. Should this fail, commandeering of civilian tires looked like the next tep. Coincident with the Jones announcement an-nouncement came a pessimistic report re-port on the nation's rubber situation situa-tion issued by the Office of Emergency Emer-gency Management. This report entitled en-titled "The Truth About Rubber" stated that U. S. production of synthetic syn-thetic rubber this year "may reach 28,000 tons," and "cannot be expected expect-ed to be much more than 350,000 tons" in 1943. Only by "slapping the Japs back in their islands" will the American people regain all the rubber they need, and return to prewar use, the report concludes. MISCELLANY: New York: Uncle Sam is searching search-ing for scenic pictures taken abroad by amateurs, according to the Amateur Ama-teur Cinema league, which announced an-nounced that it had been authorized to distribute through camera dealers deal-ers and clubs 60,000 questionnaires throughout the nation, requesting that all personally made motion pictures pic-tures and transparencies be made available to the government. |
