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Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS . Yanks Find Jap Cities in Ruins; Global Wars Cost Tops Trillion; Congress Faces Busy Session by Western Newspaper Union. ' (EDITOR'S NOTE: When opinions are expressed In these columns, they re thoe of Western Newspaper Union's news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.) :f S V :Aa y y yp f;'A r .' , v t r a I "MiK J? w Aerial survey by U. S. naval planes discloses extensive bomb damage dam-age in downtown Tokyo, with only modern fireproof structures surviving hair-raising raids. JAPAN: Sad Sight Pouring into Japan lor occupation duties, U. S. troops saw the devastating devas-tating effects of the American aerial war all about in the larger Industrial In-dustrial areas. Emphasizing the ruin ol Japan's great urban centers, Air Force Commanders Com-manders Le May, Doolittle and Twining declared bomb damage even surpassed their own estimates, with the Nipponese making no effort ef-fort to repair the wreckage like the Germans did. Whereas reconnaissance led the air force to believe 60 per cent of the aircraft assembly plant on the east side of the river at Nagoya was wiped out, an inspection showed that nothing at all was left. And whereas the celebrated Mitshubushi plant in the same city was estimated estimat-ed to be 95 per cent destroyed, it was found totally ruined, with only the steel framework remaining. While damage at Nagoya was typical typ-ical of the destruction at Tokyo, Yokohama, Yo-kohama, Shizuoka, Kobe and other cities, with the inflammable wooden z T t' y 4 - w f? Top-hat by side, Foreign Minister Shigcmitsu signs surrender papers for Jap government. oriental dwellings igniting like tinder tin-der under the spark of fire bombs, Premier Higashi-Kuni reported that the death toll from raids approximated approxi-mated 450,000. No less than 95,000 persons were said to have perished in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Hiro-shima, with people still dying from burns incurred. But if Jap cities were hell on earth during the heavy raids, so were many of the enemy prison camps, where large numbers of U. S. captives cap-tives suffered mistreatment and malnutrition. First set upon by angry an-gry Jap civilians In parachuting from damaged planes, fliers later were mishandled by Nipponese prison pris-on guards, seeking vital information. informa-tion. Quick repatriation of U. S. prisoners pris-oners was among the early objectives objec-tives of General MacArthur's occupation occu-pation forces, settling down to the big job ahead following the official signing of the surrender terms aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo . bay. In preparation for an estimated estimat-ed army of 400,000 men, MacArthur ordered the Nipponese to provide adequate housing, office space, storage stor-age space, hospitals and communications. communi-cations. WAR'S COST:t Staggering Bloodiest and most destructive conflict in history. World War II cost both Allied and Axis nations over 14,000,000 dead and $1,000,000,000,-000, $1,000,000,000,-000, late estimates showed. No less than 252,885 American fighting men lost their, lives on the far-flung battle-fronts, with 651,218 wounded, 43,969 missing and 122,747 captured. Among the wounded were 17,300 survivors of surgical amputations, amputa-tions, 7,300 men deafened In some degree and 1,190 blinded In one or both eyes. Spending $287,000,000,000 from the beginning of the rearmament program pro-gram in 1940, the U. S. put 1,500 fighting ships and 100,000 auxiliary vessels to sea, built over 223,000 airplanes, and produced In excess of 119,000 tanks and armored cars; 1,-000,000 1,-000,000 artillery pieces; 18,000,000 small arms; 180,000 tractors, bulldozers bull-dozers and construction equipment, and 2,400,000 trucks, not to mention other items. Against U. S. costs, Germany spent $280,000,000,000; Russia, $138,-000,000,000; $138,-000,000,000; Italy, $95,000,000,000; Great Britain, $64,000,000,000; Japan, $49,000,000,000; France, $13,000,000,-000, $13,000,000,-000, and Canada, $7,000,000,000. CONGRESS: Back to IVork Their vacations cut short a month by V-J Day, congressmen and senators sena-tors hustled back to Washington, D. C, for a resumption of business busi-ness with the working calendar goaded goad-ed with important domestic, foreign and military matters, Of a dozen top-flight issues, the question of court-martials or a congressional con-gressional investigation of the Pearl Harbor debnele of December 7, 1941, promises to become the hottest, hot-test, with Democrats and Republicans Republi-cans alike seeking an exposure of all the facts upon which army and navy boards based recent reports fixing the ,blame for the disaster. While the question of clarifying the responsibility for Pearl Harbor promised the most exciting fireworks, fire-works, other important issues pending pend-ing include: Overhauling of the tax structure, with probable reductions in individual indi-vidual and corporate levies; extension exten-sion of the draft for youth 18 to 25; termination of executive wartime emergency powers; OPA reconversion reconver-sion pricing; reorganization of the executive branch of the government govern-ment as proposed by President Truman, and passage of the bill entrusting en-trusting the government to plan for full employment. Other important issues include increased unemployment compensation compensa-tion payments up to $25 weekly for 26 weeks for discharged workers; size of the postwar army and navy, with the former calling for 1,500.000 men and the latter 550,000; disposal of $100,000,00000 of surplus property prop-erty without disturbing the postwar business structure, and final settlement settle-ment of the huge $42,000,000,000 lend-lease debt, which President Truman asked be cancelled. VETS: Job Rights The long smouldering battle over veterans' job rights promises to come to a head when congress acts on a. bill of Representative Knutson (R., Minn.) giving G.I.s seniority credit for time spent In the service in applying for old and new positions. posi-tions. Supported by both the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion, with their mounting membership of over 3,000,000, the measure is being be-ing bucked by the AFL and CIO, with their 15,300,000 workers. Nub of the bill lies In the provision permitting veterans to use service seniority In obtaining new positions. While both the AFL and CIO have recognized the G.I.s right to assert his service seniority In getting his old job back, they oppose any move to give him preference in plants where he has not worked before. DEMOBILIZATION: Speed Discharges In order to meet its avowed goal of releasing five million men within a year of V-J Day, the army announced an-nounced revision of its discharge rules. The point score necessary for release re-lease was lowered from 85 to 80, with personnel permitted to count up to date rather than merely up to V-E Day, as previously provided. G.I.s 35 years of age or older, with a minimum of two years of service, now become eligible for discharge upon application. Availability of transport will continue con-tinue to govern rate of discharges, the army related, though all vacant space aboard both ships and planes will be utilized to return overseas personnel. AGRICULTURE: World Parley Most pressing international food and farm problems will receive major ma-jor attention from delegates when the Allied nations meet to establish estab-lish their food and agricultural organization or-ganization (FAO) in Canada October Octo-ber 16. Bora at the international food conference con-ference In Hot Springs, Va., in 1943, the solely advisory FAO has as its. objectives: 1. Improvement in efficiency in the production and distribution of all food and agricultural products. 2. Raising levels of nutrition and standards of living. 3. Betterment of the conditions of rural populations. Before the FAO can develop a comprehensive program, however, the U. S. state and war departments and the foreign economic administration adminis-tration are formulating immediate measures to help relieve the serious food crisis in Europe. |