Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS allies in big heave sea seal off of ruhr valley production center clay to rule occupied reich released by western newspaper union EDITORS NOTE when opinions are expressed in these columns co lorrin they hey are those of western newspaper unions news analysis and not necessarily of this newspaper a Z A a M 0 X german dead litter road as british tommies commies drive toward berlin in rout of enemy forces on army front EUROPE last great arsenal the last great source of ger banys supply of war materiel had been sealed off as tanks of lieutenant general hodges U S alst 1st army swept before them all resistance in their spectacular dash towards berlin the british 2nd and army pounding across the north german plain had steadily drawn closer and closer to the army ruhr valley war production centers had been effectively sealed off typical of the magnitude of the american forces was the one day bag of nazi prisoners taken by general pattons Pat tons 3rd ard army in its sensational drive eastward city after city had fallen into allied d hands under Elsen Eisen howers steam roller among the rich prizes were frankfurt on the main ranking ninth in the german reich mannheim which fell to lieutenant general patcha ath army and essen which led all europe in the production of munitions clearly the final doom of nazi pow sr r was sounding prime minister churchill of great britain declared tie believed the hour of success was at hand still some military authorities pointed out that a final nazi stand might be made in mountainous southern germany buttressed by defenses in northern italy and the industrial resources of czechoslovakia spring rains and fog had kept the italian front quiet but observers had expected gen mark darks clarl k s armies to begin massive smashes s northward relentless reds in the east russian ar armies mies had kept up their relentless pressure on berlin and elsewhere with armored m ored divisions sweeping over the austrian border from western hungary and closing ever closer on vienna marshall 2nd and white russian army battered deeper into danzig once unconditional surrender was achieved civil affairs in germany would be under direction of maj gen ce lucius D clay who had had ha charge of materiel procurement for the army service forces when war mobilization director byrnes borrowed him last december as his deputy in charge of the war program I 1 the appointment the white H house ouse said was made by gen george marshall army chief of s taff staff clay was appointed deputy to general eisenhower Elsen hower PACIFIC worst to come already feeling the sting of heavy U S aerial bombardment japanese japan ese found no comfort in gen H H hap arnolds announcement that america A would bring the full weight of its tremendous air power to bear upon the nipponese once the war in europe ended As arnold spoke the strategic islands stretching between the jap homeland and formosa became the latest target for american assaults with carrier planes teaming with warships in blasting the mile long chain preparatory to ground attack in declaring that the U S planned to use every plane against the japanese after germanys germanas Germ anys fall to hasten their defeat general arnold said that not only would american air power s smash the industry but it would also shatter his hi communication lines to bring about hla his collapse demobilization small scale though some combat troops in the european theater of war will be de mobilized after germanys germanas Germ anys fall all service air force and naval personnel will be retained to continue the fight against the japanese officials indicated demobilization of some combat troops will result from inability to make full use of them in the pacific for geographic reasons it was said but the exact extent of release will depend upon conditions in europe all members of tle the service branches branche s will be needed for the construction of staging areas and bases in the pacific and the air force intends to bring its full weight to bear against the japanese because all approaches to the pacific theater of war are over water I 1 and because ships will have to bear the bulk of supplies all naval personnel will be required to bring about the Ja fall as quickly as possible fleet admiral king declared MANPOWER buck controls though the president made a strong appeal for passage of the compromise manpower control bill under which plants would be limited I 1 in in the number of persons they could employ and workers and farmers alike would be frozen to present jobs the measure encountered rough going in the senate despite the fact that the legislation fell short of military leaders demands den bands for a labor draft the president said its terms assured continued high production for the knockout blow ag against dinst germany and provided for keeping workers on the job after the nazis fall senators pointed up the great wartime production record of the U S in in opposing legislation tightening control over both employers and employees plo and wyo hit arguments that passage of the bill would convince GIs that the home front was behind them rather he said defeat of the measure would assure them of retention ion at home of the freedoms for which they are fighting TARIFF fight renewed calling for authority to slash tariffs 50 per cent under january 1945 levels in an extension of the reciprocal trade agreements act for three years president roosevelt touched off a renewal of the historic tariff fight in congress while the president said that further tariff cuts would offer other countries the opportunity to obtain funds tor for purchases here the republicans argued that a flow of cheap goods into this country would threaten american producers and while the creasa president pr aident declared that increased imports would add to employment in the processing and distributing businesses here the republicans pred predicted isted the F program would defeat the announced goal go a of postwar jobs job S passage of the presidents tos prop proposals Os would allow as much mich as a 75 per cent tariff reduction under the smoot hawley rates of I 1 1930 on some items it was wa s pointed out under the original reciprocal trade act of 1934 reductions of 50 per cent were permitted and since these cuts already have been made on some items another 50 per cent cen t decrease would amount to 75 per cent in all RATIONING smaller supplies already warned of a 12 per cent reduction in meat for the next three months civilians took the first big hitch in their belts for the current quarter with the announcement of an increase in the point values of pork sausages and canned meat products while news of the tightening of these and other controls over fats and oils occupied the home front it was ann announced bounced that all babies leather shoes would be rationed after april in raising the point values on pork sausages and canned meat products OPA said that there would be 5 per cent less meat adaila available ble during april but the decrease in supplies would hit civilians harder in may and june coincident with the new controls over the afo aforementioned demerl meats it was announced that point values also would be boosted on lard along with shortening margarine and salad and cooking oils hit shortages discussing the meat short shortage age the national livestock livestock committee of the am american bican farm bureau charged that low price ceilings retarded increased production of beef and said assurances of minimum returns would lead to greater pork output the committees report came even as congress conducted hearings on the tight meat situation with representatives of all branches of the industry calling for an upward revision in ceiling prices in establishing c ceilings on grade AA and A beef the committee said OPA assumed that the last or pounds a steer gained in the feed lot ot was mostly fat later wasted in the kitchen on the other hand the committee declared fat of a steer is s distributed through its meat speaking of pork the committee stated that farmers cut hog production at the governments request and would raise it again if guarantees were forwarded against market breaks ARGENTINA on band falagon with germanys germanas Germ anys collapse imminent argentina was quick to jump on the allied bandwagon with a declaration la of war against the axis but in so doing she carefully pointed out that her policy was governed by the desire to cooperate with other inter american countries and participate in the united nations peace parley in san francisco by taking this action argentina ended six years of hemispheric isolation during which time the coun rising in britaina Brit ains house of commons con laborite ivor thomas asked foreign secretary anthony eden would it be the duty duly of a british soldier who seeks hitler to shoot him or try to bring him back alive replied eden 1 I am content to leave that to the judgment of any british soldier try professed a willingness to cooperate in inter american affairs but maintained an independent course in foreign relations final determination to play a full and important part befitting her position in inter american affairs led to the decision to declare hostilities against the axis with ardent nationalists tiona lists and some army leaders however resisting the move to the last LABOR management postwar charter recognizing managements control over its own business and labors right to organize and bargain presidents eric johnston of the U S chamber of commerce william green of the and philip murray of the CIO signed an agreement looking toward good relations between employer and employee in the postwar world when lower production might lead to unrest in effect the agreement proposes the establishment of voluntary ma W A william green left erie eric johnston johnsto a center and philip aiu murray rray corder confer on labor management charter I 1 chinery for the peaceful settlement of disputes and continuance of production in the postwar period to take the place of present wartime government controls regulating relations toward this end creation of a special arbitration board appeared likely in reaching the agreement the parties tended to relieve managements fear that an oversupply of left workers might be led into a violent wing loverne movement n t after the war and labors P apprehension that companies p anies might deliberately hire surplus help to break unions |