OCR Text |
Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS , German Army Retreats in Italy; FDR Discusses Foreign Policies; UAW President Sounds Warning Released by Western Newspaper Union. ( KDITOR'S NOTE i When opinions ar exnressod In these columns, they ore those or Western Newspaper Union's news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.) Italy Pummeled by shellfire, only tattered walls remained in the Italian village of Santa Maria Infante, as doughboys entered. EUROPE: Foe Retreats Unable to hold against the Allied steamroller on the southeast Italian front, the 10th German army fell slowly back to the north over bomb-razed bomb-razed roadways, while other enemy forces below Rome sought to pre vent any U. S. break-through to the rear of the main body. As the Allies slugged the Germans out of the vicinity of Rome in the bruising Italian campaign which saw the bag of enemy prisoners well above the 15,000 mark, U. S. and British bombers thundered over oc-i oc-i cupied Europe in their continuing destruction of Axis industry and communications, preparatory to the big invasion. In the east, the German Ger-man air force struck at Russian reinforcements re-inforcements being assembled for an anticipated Red push in conjunction with the invasion. No longer able to stand up and slug with the Allies on even terms, German Field Marshal Kesselring's chief concern seemed to be to pull I back his army northward, under the cover of costly delaying action in the rugged and mountainous terrain of the Italian peninsula. FOREIGN POLICY: FDR's Stand With the GOP beginning to press the administration on foreign policy. President Roosevelt stole some of its thunder by an espousal of U. S. sovereignty sov-ereignty and independence in postwar post-war collaboration to keep the peace, much akin to the Republicans' Mackinac Island declaration establishing estab-lishing the same principle. The President expressed tills position posi-tion at a press conference, which followed Secretary of State Cordell Hull's invitation to Great Britain, Russia and China to attend discussions discus-sions on the nature of a postwar peace organization. According to the administration's conception, such an organization would be built around the four great powers, rather than around a combination of many states like the League of Nations, although the latter would be consulted. Seeking to avoid the friction caused after the last war by President Presi-dent Wilson's presentation of a peace treaty without prior consideration considera-tion by the senate, the administration's administra-tion's invitation to the other three Allied powers came only after consultations con-sultations with members of the senate sen-ate foreign relations committee, which laid down the principle that no commitments should be made on enforcing postwar peace until an opportunity op-portunity has been presented to study the fairness of the terms. AGRICULTURE: 1945 Goals Because of smaller feed stocks, the War Food administration reportedly report-edly is considering smaller meat goals for 1945 while maintaining the high level of field crops. Because large reserves of feed have been eaten up and there is not a sufficient availability of land or manpower to expand feed production, produc-tion, WFA plans reportedly call for raising 95,000,000 hogs in 1945 as. compared with about 100.000.000 this year; 700,000.000 head of poultry as compared with about 856,000,000 and 4,250,000,000 dozens of eggs as compared com-pared with about 4.000,000.000. However, it was reported, wheat and corn acreage would remain almost al-most the same as this year's, with wheat at 68,000,000 and corn at 103,-000,000. 103,-000,000. At 119,000,000,000 pounds, milk production also would equal this year's output. FERTILIZE PONDS Fish grow bigger and faster when they can get plenty of the right food, just like any other living thing, scientists sci-entists have found. An abundant growth of water plants which support sup-port the animal life on which fish feed, can be stimulated by putting fertilizers in ponds and lakes, it was found. Commercial preparations and minerals were used. J It was reported that fertilized ponds yielded 500 pounds of fish per ' acre of pond s'urface while unfertilized unferti-lized lakes gave up from 100 to 200. PACIFIC: Foe Stiffens Facing the weight of U. S. superiority, superi-ority, Japanese troops cornered in the northwestern area of New Guinea lashed back desperately against the Americans' tightening grip. Chief opposition came near the airfields of Biak island and SarmI on New , Guinea, where the entrenched en-trenched enemy stubbornly stood up under heavy U, S. fire. On Biak, in particular, Jap opposition was intense, in-tense, with the enemy using tanks and mechanized units to press back the Doughboys' advance on the airport air-port in one of the first pitched armored clashes in the Pacific. Establishment of U. S. airdromes in the area would put American airmen air-men at the gate to Jap air bases on the many islands to the west, designed de-signed for use against any big Allied push northward to the Philippines or southwestward to the Indies. PEARL HARBOR: Kimmel Would Testify With two congressional committees commit-tees deliberating on measures to bring Adm. Husband E. Kimmel and Maj. Gen. Walter C. Short to trial before June, 1945, for the Pearl Harbor Har-bor debacle, the admiral wrote Sen. Homer Ferguson (Mich.) that he desired de-sired a free and public court mar tial at the earliest practicable date, since the whole story of the catastrophe catastro-phe has not been told. Referring to the report of the Roberts Rob-erts commission which undertook an investigation of the Pearl Harbor case, Admiral Kimmel declared: "At the hearings ... I was told I was not on trial. The commission did not permit me to be present at the examination of witnesses. It denied de-nied my request for counsel. For more than two years I was kept in the dark as to what went on at those hearings . . ." Stating that the passage of time, casualties and the other circumstances circum-stances attending the war and postwar post-war period may make it difficult to assemble the witnesses and evidence required for his trial. Admiral Kim mel said any delays are opposed to his personal interest. UNIONS: Sounds Warning Declaring that public opinion has become inflamed against wildcat strikes of the CIO's United Automobile , iUMi r , Workers, and that J word of the walk- & Va outs is being re- t ceived by embattled M " ' U. S. troops over. ' ' seas, UAW Pres. I R. J. Thomas " ' warned organiza- 1 a??. tion members that pf ' M such continued ac- U tion Imperilled the future existence of R J- Thomas labor unions.1 "We must restrain ourselves . . ." Thomas said. "If we do not ... restrictive re-strictive legislation, worse than anything any-thing now on the books, will be enacted en-acted before the war ends and we will be behind the eight-ball." Following Thomas' warning, UAW workers at Chrysler's Highland Park plant in Detroit. Mich., returned re-turned to their jobs, on agreement that the UAW would seek reinstatement reinstate-ment of 16 members discharged by the company after a row in which they sought ito prevent an AFL chauffeur from delivering beverages bever-ages into a building while another CIO union was fighting to organize such drivers. Business World The 13,274 commercial banks covered cov-ered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Insur-ance corporation had net profits last year of $638,000,000, a 45 per cent increase over 1942. Interest on government gov-ernment securities constituted the largest single item of income. ' Chief reason for the higher return was said to be a substantial improvement im-provement in "urrent operating earnings, reco -s on foreclosures and profits on ccurities sold. AIRPLANE OUTPUT: Nenring Peak While the War Production board set up the mechanism for guiding conversion of wartime Industry to civilian manufacture upon the cancellation can-cellation of military contracts, the war and navy departments reportedly report-edly considered reduction in airplane air-plane output In 1945. Indicating that the U. S.'s record-breaking record-breaking airplane production will have reached its peak by this year, emphasis in 1945 reportedly will be on heavier bombing planes, with other features of the program centered cen-tered on replacements and development develop-ment of new types for particular fields. Reports of the prospective trimming trim-ming of airplane production dovetailed dove-tailed with WPB's reconversion studies, since 2V4 million workers presently are engaged in the1 airplane air-plane industry and any curtailment in output would seriously affect employment. em-ployment. WOMEN'S APPAREL: Shipments Assailed Holding a seersucker dress in his hand, Rep. Hartley (N. J.) stood up In the house of representatives and declared that the garment was one of 6,000.000 to be shipped abroad under lend-lease and the United Nations Na-tions Relief and Rehabilitation administration ad-ministration while American women were unable to obtain clothing of comparable value. Pointing to two other dresses which he said were the most expen- , i I ' 2 ' ' f'if "s"fA.'A ; y it" ? i A ' i ' a ' I ; , , I Rep. Hartley holding lend-lease dress. sive that could be purchased in New York, Rep. Hartley said: ". . . The three dresses were inspected by the Hatch textile research bureau which reported the export garment has a thread count of 93 x 87.2 per square inch as compared with 84.8 x 64.8 and 88 x 78 for the other two. ..." Even inferior seersuckers no longer long-er can be made for the American public under recent War Production board regulations, Rep. Hartley asserted. as-serted. TIRES: More Released With production schedules being advanced to attain a goal of 22,000,-000 22,000,-000 tires in 1944, Rubber Director Bradley Dewey announced the release re-lease of 1,600,000 passenger tires for essential civilian driving during June, an increase of 200.000 over the May quota. At the same time, Dewey authorized author-ized the release of 125.000 heavy- Reduction in the number of new cars that civilians will be able to buy in June to 9,000, reflects re-flects the dwindling supply. On May 1, only 47,000 new cars remained out of 530,000 available avail-able when rationing began. duty tires for essential trucking and 20,000 rear farm tractor and heavy implement tires during June. Along with the availability of high grade camelback for recapping, the 22,000.000 new tires will fill the needs of all essential drivers during 1944, Dewey said, but he added that there was little prospect of "A" card holders hold-ers sharing in the distribution. SINGLE COMMAND: Urged in Congress Combining of the army, navy and air corps under a single department, and creation of a unified slaff of various service officers under leadership lead-ership of one officer who in turn would be under command of the president, was proposed in a measure meas-ure by Sen. Lister Hill (Ala.). Patterned after suggestions by Lieut. Gen. Joseph T. McNarney, high army officer, Senator Hill's bill calls for establishing a secretary of the armed forces, instead of the present secretaries of war and navy, who would then be assisted by undersecretaries in the various services serv-ices To go into effect after the war, the proposal reportedly has the silent approval of the army and other agencies. In an appearance appear-ance before a congressional committee, commit-tee, however, Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal opposed immediate im-mediate consolidation of the services. WORLD MONEY ' Invitations have been sent to representatives rep-resentatives of 2 nations by President Presi-dent Roosevelt to a conference on postwar financial problems to be held in Bretton Woods, N. H beginning be-ginning July 1. Chief proposal for discussions is expected to be the international monetary plan, in which each nation would have the value of its currency fixed on a gold basis and fluctuations in values would be restricted. More than 30 nations have accepted ac-cepted the plan in principle. |