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Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS 1 Allies Reduce Nazi Strongholds; U. S. Plans Landings in China; Shape Postwar Peace Machinery Released by Western Newspaper Union. ' (EDITOR'S NOTEj When opinions are expressed In these columns, they are tho.e of Western Newspaper Union's news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.) As British Tommic leans against one of concrete anti-tank obstacles on Siegfried line to write letter home, cow browses in background. EUROPE: Batter Strong Points Historically famous as the center of Charlemagne's ancient empire, and busy industrial city of 1G5.000 population in recent times, Aachen became the first big metropolis to feel the full weight of big U. S. guns as its garrison of 1,500 defied an ultimatum to surrender, preferring to fight from the charred rubble. As the U. S. 1st army smashed Aachen to close on a communications communica-tions hub with broad highways radiating radi-ating into the Rhineland, 3rd army troops pressed their drive against slrongpoints guarding the old French fortress city of Metz, key to the coal-laden Saar basin to the east. Before Metz, action focused on Fort Driant, long underground stronghold, whose flanks .were covered cov-ered from the big guns of nearby German fortifications. As massed U. S. artillery and bombing planes blasted out tangled barbed wire and laid down a protecting screen of fire, U. S. infantrymen fought their way into the outer approaches of Fort Driant, grappling at close quarters quar-ters with fanatical enemy troops, who occasionally emerged from their underground quarters in an v A I? " , -W k s t xs- ' 4. y '4 Woman In German paratrooper's re-Call re-Call cut down by Allied fire In Holland. attempt to check, the doughboys' penetrations. Despite heavy downpours, which mired the terrain, other 3rd army troops hammered forward below Metz, while farther to the south, 7th army units pressed forward slowly onto the foothills of the broad Bel-fort Bel-fort Gap between the towering Vos-ges Vos-ges mountains and Swiss Alps leading lead-ing into Bavaria, Strong, persistent Canadian attacks at-tacks whittled down German holdings hold-ings in southwestern Holland, while in the northeastern section of the country, the British turned back Nazi counterattacks against their long spearhead extending to Arn-hem. Arn-hem. Even as Allied bombardment Increased In-creased in tempo, fanatical German garrisons held out in the French channel ports, seeking to deny their use as U. S. and British supply centers. cen-ters. Squeeze East Prussia Fierce fighting raged along the meandering Russian front, with the Reds striving to develop a pincer movement on East Prussia, and also driving northward into Hungary deep in the Balkans. In smashing at East Prussia, where the Nazis held strong defense positions in the heavily wooded lake country, the Reds marshalled 1,000,-000 1,000,-000 men. In an effort to unsettle the Russians' drive on the province from the south, the Nazis counter attacked strongly at the Narew river riv-er in bordering Poland. With Russian troops 50 miles from Budapest, Hungarian and German forces braced for a stand along the Tisza river, last formidable natural defense line before the capital. Nazi resistance also stiffened to the south in Yugoslavia after the Russian tide swept over the northeastern border of the country. Old Battle-Ground At the junction of the Sava and Danube rivers in Yugoslovia, Belgrade Bel-grade has seen more battles than perhaps any other capital city of Europe. Won and lost successively by Illyrians, Celts, Romans, Huns, Goths and Greeks, fought over by Christian and Mohammedan, held by the Turks for 300 years, captured by Bulgarians, Hungarians and Austri-ans, Austri-ans, Belgrade finally emerged as master of her own destiny when Serbia achieved independence. PACIFIC: China Goal "We must make landings on the China coast in order to secure a land mass close enough to the Japanese empire to enable us to employ em-ploy the air forces which will be at our disposal." Thus spoke Adm. Chester W. Nim-itz, Nim-itz, commander of Allied forces in the Pacific, in a press conference in which he also divulged that current cur-rent U. S. operations in the Philippine Philip-pine area were handicapped by the blustering typhoons extending from June through December. Referring to the projected Chinese coastal campaign, Admiral Nimitz said: "To the extent that the Japanese improve their situation in China, our task will become more difficult. But when we have the means to do it, we will get the bases . . . we want." POSTWAR SECURITY: 'Big Four Plan Cooperation of the U. S., Britain, Russia, China and later France in the maintenance of world peace after the war was outlined in a proposed pro-posed charter drawn by representa- j tives of the "Big Four" after weeks of discussion in the forested Dumbarton Dum-barton Oaks estate at Washington, Washing-ton, D. C. Under the plan, in which other United Nations would form an advisory assembly, the "Big Four" and later France would be entrusted with the responsibility of establishing establish-ing stability! through peaceful methods meth-ods or force, if necessary. To achieve peaceful settlement of disputes, the Dumbarton Oaks conferees envisioned an international inter-national court of justice, while they provided for the use of force in suppressing aggressive powers by the formulation of a military staff to be headed by their chiefs of staff. Fully cognizant that settled business busi-ness conditions contribute greatly toward stability, the "Big Four" proposed the formation of an economic eco-nomic and social council. Chief administrative officer of the new postwar security organization, which would be known as the "United Nations," would be a secretary-general, appointed by the major ma-jor powers and six other members of the governing council, to be named from the advisory assembly. Following conclusion of the Dumbarton Dum-barton Oaks confab, Secretary of State Hull declared: "The road to the establishment of an international inter-national organization capable of effectively ef-fectively maintaining international peace and security will be long. . . . But we cannot hope to attain so great an objective without constant effort and unfailing determination of this war will not be in vain. . . ." DRAFT: Reclassification "Work or fight" pressure was taken off men in the 38 to 45 age group under a Selective Service ruling rul-ing placing them in class 4-A, formerly for-merly reserved for those over 45. Because the army and navy have not made any calls for limited service registrants since June, class 1-A (L) was abolished, with individuals individ-uals in that category to be deferred under different classifications. Another Selective Service ruling placing all honorably discharged servicemen in 1-C will prevent their re-induction, since that classification technically keeps them in the armed forces. MISCELLANY Plankton, microscopic plant and animal life eaten by fish, thrives on commercial fertilizer applied to lakes and ponds. Fish that consume con-sume plankton so nourished are bigger, big-ger, tastier, more abundant, and gamer than those that eat only the usual plankton found in ordinary unfertilized un-fertilized waters. Yield of trout is increased from 4 pounds per acre of water to 120 pounds. FARM MACHINERY: Pinch to Persist Despite an overall Increase in the production of farm machinery for the year ending June 30, 1945, supply will not begin to meet demand, but ample quantities of spare parts again will be available to service old equipment. In spite of the overall Increase, In-crease, production of different machinery will be spotty, with such equipment as corn pickers and combines probably turned out at 150 per cent of the 1940 level, while tractors may be held to 55 to 60 per cent. Although manpower shortages present a major difficulty to the industry, in-dustry, production bottlenecks have developed in magnetoes, precision bearings, castings, other foundry products, and chains. Because of the long period required to gear up plants for larger output, an end to the European war or any Increase in quotas would not result in any immediate boost in production, trade circles said. SURPLUS LAND: Disposal Waits Eecause of the need of the new surplus war goods disposal agency to look into its task and formulate regulations governing purchases, there may be a delay of another 90 days before sales of surplus land arc resumed. Sales of such land were halted CO days ago, when congress was considering con-sidering legislation giving former owners preference in repurchasing realty, and officials decided to wait so that such owners would receive every advantage when the new law was passed. Meanwhile, the Reconstruction Finance Fi-nance Corporation has suspended negotiations ne-gotiations for sales of all government govern-ment war plants costing over $5,-000,000 $5,-000,000 until congress establishes definite policies on such transactions. transac-tions. Under the current law, congress con-gress must be given 30 days notice before such plants are sold, and the RFC intends to wait to learn of the legislators' reaction to certain sales proposals. Son of former tenant farmers, and owner of land, equipment and live stock. 20-yvar-old Elton Ellison of Ralls, Texas, was chosen the 1944 star farmer of the U. S. at the 17th annual contention of the Future Farmers of America. Ellison, who was married last July, recently unstiercd his army call, and now is stationed at Camp Roberts, Calif. WHISKY: Replenish Supply Taking full advantage of permission permis-sion to use their capacities for manufacturing beverage spirits during dur-ing August after 22 months of industrial indus-trial alcohol production for the war effort. 129 distilleries plus some commercial com-mercial alcohol plants turned out 50,000,000 gallons, the treasury reported. re-ported. Representing a third of normal annual an-nual production, the output included 13.584.910 gallons of whisky; 201,705 of rum; 897.221 of gin, and 467.563 of brandy. In addition. 23.083,499 gallons of spirits were produced in distilleries and 11,514,000 gallons of alcohol in industrial alcohol plants. During August, the treasury reported, re-ported, 9,783.894 gallons of whisky, rum, gin, brandy and other spirits were withdrawn from bonded warehouses ware-houses compared with 7,213,521 gallons last year. FOOD: Less Meaty Butter Civilians can look forward to less meat and butter during the remainder remain-der of 1944, with meat being of generally gen-erally lower quality, the Department Depart-ment of Agriculture reported. Other food supplies will remain in good supply, the USDA said, with seasonal increases in poultry and citrus fruits. Fresh vegetables, fluid milk, eggs and grain products will be available in large amourjs. Despite heavy wartime pressures, pres-sures, the USDA said, total food costs have Increased only 47 per cent since 1939, with one-half recorded re-corded before Pearl Harbor. Meat prices were up 33 per cent; cereals and bakery products 16 per cent; fresh fruits ind vegetables vege-tables 100 per cent, and canned fruits and vegetables 41 per cent. As a result of declining hog slaughter, which totaled 3,520,588 for the smallest volume since August, 1942, most pork cuts were scarcer in September. Although supplies of top grade meats were small, heavy marketings market-ings of unfinished cattle resulted in abundant stocks of low-grade beef. Slaughter of 1.310,310 cattle in September Sep-tember was the second highest for any month on record, being only topped by August's 1,339.198 At 2,-002,641 2,-002,641 head, sheep slaughter showed a seasonal increase, but was lowest low-est for September in three years. RAIL INCOME Class I railroads of the United States in August, 1944, had an estimated esti-mated net income, after interest and rentals of $63,000,000. In the first eight months of 1944 they had an estimated net income, after 'interest and rentals, of $451,-000.000. $451,-000.000. Class I railroads in the first eight months of this year had a net railway rail-way operating income, before interest inter-est and rentals, of $758,574,913 compared com-pared with $972,297,169 in the same period of 1943. |
