Friday, January 12, 1945

The Charlotte News

Friday, January 12, 1945

FIVE EDITORIALS

Site Ed. Note: The front page reports that the Allies had cut off the western seven miles of the Bulge and made advances from the north and south into the eastern half of the sector. The Third Army effected two penetrations between Bastogne and Vianden while the First Army, operating from the north, pushed across the Salm River to within ten miles of St. Vith, narrowing at points the gap between the two armies to seven miles. The Third Army advanced two miles to enter St. Hubert, the last important road junction between the two armies. These combined actions of the First and Third Armies threatened a German stand at the Ourthe River.

The Armies had taken more than 30,000 German prisoners and killed thousands more, wiping out the equivalent of six or seven tank divisions, in the western half of the Bulge, and all enemy troops except rearguards had now evacuated the region.

The Sixth Army Group in the Alsace-Lorraine sector had captured nearly 5,300 German prisoners since the Bulge offensive had begun.

Wes Gallagher reports of the taking the day before of La Roche, the largest town yet captured by the Allies in the Bulge. The American Fourth Cavalry Regiment and the British were now its occupiers. Despite the snow covering much of the war wreckage, the stench of death was still heavy within the town. Some 200 civilians residents had been buried in the rubble. Whereas Belgium had escaped the war with only light damage during the initial push to the east by the Allies, it was now paying a heavy toll.

The Russians were reported by German radio to have begun a large-scale offensive in Southern Poland from the Vistula bridgehead, established during the summer west of Baranow, toward Krakow. This plain, lying north of the Carpathian Mountains, afforded the easiest invasion route to Berlin.

In Greece, a truce had been established, to become effective on January 15, between the British and ELAS, enabling the Greek Government to have meetings with ELAS representatives to discuss their differences. The truce required that ELAS forces would withdraw from certain areas, including all of Athens, and surrender all military prisoners in exchange for surrender by the British of equal numbers of ELAS members. All British civilians would also be released by the ELAS, but not Greek civilians.

On Luzon, the Sixth Army had advanced seven to nine miles to within about 55 miles of Manila, having through Thursday morning taken more than ten miles of the San Fabian-Manila railroad, overrun 50 miles of road networks into Manila, and turned the flank of a Japanese defense line behind the Agno River. The beachhead had now been expanded to 25 miles, on the left of which, the Americans had moved inland nine miles to seize Manoag.

The Third Fleet of Admiral William Halsey, under the immediate command of Vice-Admiral John S. McCain, had established an air and sea blockade between the Philippines and Japan, stressing the bombing of Formosa, the target for several days, as well the Ryukyus.

A large sea battle between the Third Fleet and Japanese warships convoying reinforcements to Luzon was likely taking place off the coast of French Indo-China, between Saigon and Camranh Bay. The action was tersely announced by Admiral Nimitz. The location of the battle appeared to be about a thousand miles east of Saigon. Camranh Bay afforded the closest harbor from which the Japanese could transport reinforcements to Luzon. Because of the heavy American air concentration against Formosa, it posed less risk than sending out a convoy from the Japanese-occupied island.

Acting Secretary of State Joseph Grew, former Ambassador to Japan, stated that the invasion of Luzon would only induce the Japanese to fight harder.

On the editorial page, "On the Ground" reviews a series of articles by News reporter Tim Pridgen regarding low-cost housing in Charlotte. From the series, it had been gleaned that it was difficult to frame city building codes to meet every specification and contingency necessary to afford proper housing. There were no requirements, for instance, that existing houses have bathing facilities or even electric lights. Many had neither.

"A Reformation" quotes Senator Arthur Vandenberg of Michigan as advocating that the Congress provide the President the power to use force to prevent Germany and Japan from again being able to arm themselves for war. He also favored a United Nations organization on the pattern outlined at Dumbarton Oaks.

It was a decided departure from the isolationist rhetoric which once characterized the Senator's stand on foreign policy. And the change was refreshing, standing as example to Americans who still placed credence in the old nationalism. He understood that, to empower the President to act, established leadership, not discipleship, would be prerequisite in the post-war world.

"Picking Up Speed" again discusses the plan of former Governor Broughton to provide adequate hospital and medical care within the state, indicates that the proposal was receiving many new important endorsements within the medical community.

It then corrects an earlier editorial which had stated that, at a meeting of the Mecklenburg Medical Society, only some 35% of the doctors present had voted on the Governor's plan, indicating continued indecisiveness. In fact, it turned out, only 54 member doctors had been present, the remaining 46 or so persons having been visitors. Of the 46, 35 had endorsed the plan.

Still, says the editorial, a great many doctors remained suspicious of the proposal while many others opposed it outright.

"Commissioner Ben" supports the City Council's recommendation of appointment of former Mayor Ben Douglas to the North Carolina Highway Commission. The former Mayor had managed the Mecklenburg campaign of newly inaugurated Governor Gregg Cherry.

It then lists the several achievements of Mr. Douglas while Mayor, including attracting to the community the Quartermaster Depot and Morris Field.

He had also presented Gene Autry with the key to the city in December, 1938.

"The Argentine" states that the country presented a lesson in foreign policy for the United States, that half-measures did not impact recalcitrant societies and regimes. Argentina had informed the Pan American Union that it would no longer attend its meetings unless Argentina's rights were recognized. This move further suggested the slow erosion of Good Neighbor relations between the United States and South America.

The great objection to the Farrell regime was not that he was a dictator, for others, Vargas in Brazil and Trujillo in Santo Domingo, were dictators and the United States did nothing to impair relations and recognition. The difference was that those two dictators stood cheek to jowl with U.S. policy while Farrell cut his own course with the Axis. Argentina was moving forward with its plans for commercial and economic development, irrespective of State Department withdrawal of diplomatic recognition. That sanction thus was insufficient to discourage wayward policy to the South.

But to do more, to use force to effect ouster of Farrell, would bring the same sort of international criticism to the United States as Britain had been enduring since early December regarding Greece and that Russia had incurred regarding Poland.

Drew Pearson recounts the efforts of White House advisers to make New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia Secretary of Labor to replace retiring Frances Perkins. The position was proving hard to fill because of the battle between AFL and CIO, each of which organizations wanted a different person, representative of their separate and disparate interests. La Guardia fit the bill to offend both organizations.

Despite his continued popularity among his constituents, his chances for a fourth term as Mayor appeared dim. His own Republican Party had determined not to re-nominate him. And the Democrats, to whom he leaned nationally, opposed him locally.

He would indeed not run again for Mayor and would end his twelve-year tenure in the office at the end of 1945. During 1946, he headed the United Nations Rehabilitation and Relief Administration, currently headed by former New York Governor Lehman. The diminutive but powerful Mayor died of cancer in the fall of 1947.

He, like Mayor Douglas of Charlotte, had an airport named for him.

Mr. Pearson next tells of Senator Tom Connally of Texas having lectured new members of the Foreign Relations Committee on the complexity of foreign relations, much to the irritation of some of the members. They preferred to hear from the Senators who had worked actively in the fall campaign for the President, such as Claude Pepper of Florida, Harley Kilgore of West Virginia, Joe Guffey of Pennsylvania, and Joseph O'Mahoney of Wyoming. Senator Connally had largely sat on the sidelines. Senator Kenneth McKellar of Tennessee had been elected president pro tem of the Senate, and, for the same reason of inactivity during the campaign, his selection, too, had not been to the liking of the new blood.

Finally, the column imparts of British Ambassador to the U.S., Lord Halifax, having at a press conference, following a meeting with the President and Secretary of State Stettinius, stonily denied several times discussing with either the President or the Secretary a Drew Pearson column, presumably this most recent mention of the Ambassador by Mr. Pearson. Finally, cornered by the statement that Mr. Stettinius had just stated that they had discussed the column, Lord Halifax stammered that he perhaps had in some manner touched on the topic at some point, briefly.

Marquis Childs discusses the brewing controversy surrounding whether too much war materiel was being diverted to the Pacific front in support of the Philippines operations, siphoning off supplies from the Western Front in Europe. The British contended that the diversion was delaying the winning of the European war. But Navy personnel disputed the claim, favoring the view that Allied pressure had to be maintained relentlessly against the Japanese.

He takes from reports of Wes Gallagher on the Western Front that it was not so much that the Germans had outfought the Allies in the winter offensive in Belgium but that they had "out-generaled" the Allies. Mr. Childs concludes that the problem appeared therefore not so much in the amount of materiel getting to the front but rather how it was being utilized.

And, those making the case for the Pacific had the success in Burma as an exhibit of what was happening to the enemy as a result of the Philippines campaign. Akyab had been taken without loss after the Japanese had evacuated.

Samuel Grafton examines the argument that the Allied demand for unconditional surrender strengthened German resolve to continue the fight, finds that it was not so, that it might cause them to act in desperation, but desperation did not equate with positive morale, which was confidence in the ability to win.

Montana Senator Burton Wheeler's recent radio broadcast, urging abandonment of the requirement of unconditional surrender, likely did, however, increase German confidence. The Senator had also described as a "grim hoax" the Dumbarton Oaks Conference of August through October, laying the foundations for the establishment of the United Nations. That sort of rhetoric adversely impacted morale at home.

To suggest more lenient terms to the Germans based on the Belgian offensive would be to increase their morale, not cause them to accede to lesser terms. They would finally crack on failures, not successes.

Hal Boyle reports from Belgium on January 9, with the 30th Infantry Division's 117th regiment, commanded by Colonel Walter Johnson of Missoula, Montana. Colonel Johnson asserted that what made an infantry regiment good were good battalion commanders. He claimed to have three of the best. The men, however, contended that it was the presence of Colonel Johnson which made them good fighters. The Colonel was but 5 feet, five inches tall and weighed in at 140 pounds.

The crossing of the Vire River by the regiment had been the spearhead for the St. Lo breakthrough in July and its crossing of the Wurm River had led to the cracking of the Siegfried Line north of Aachen.

Colonel Johnson had won the Silver Star, one Oak Cluster, and a Bronze Star. The Silver Star had been awarded for action at Mortain. The Colonel contended that it was awarded for staying in a house for over two weeks. It was too hot to leave, he said. The enemy were dropping Nebelwerfers everywhere, but never hit the house.

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