Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 10, 1942 Page: 2 of 8
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PALACIOS BEACON. PALACIOS, TEXAS
WHO’S
NEWS
This Week
By
Lemuel F. Parton
Consolidated Features.~WNU Release.
'^JEW YORK.—Maj. Gen. George
^ S. Patton, tagged as a two-gun
general, so tough he chews cactus,
is exultant, vociferous and omni-
Introducing Tw RS
Gun Patton, Tank roccoasthe
Herding Champion ~£
ed States W ees there. The general,
who earned his two-gun title, as it
will be explained later, was educat-
ed In the Classical School for Boys
at Pasadena, Calif., before he went
to West Point, There he may have
learned of Hannibal's elephants. At
any rate, he was out early as a tank
specialist, commanded the first tank
brigade in the First World war, was
severely wounded and lavishly dec-
orated, and thereafter became the
champion tank-herder of the U.S.A.
He is now commander of the first
armored corps. He was In command
of the landing and mopping up op-
erations on the African Atlantic
coast.
i At 57, he Is bull-voiced hard, mus-
cular and fit, his two guns still in
his belt, and with nothing written
off but his hair. That the Pasadena
lotus-land of the Rose Bowl and the
dolce far niente should turn out from
a classical school the toughest,
rootin-tootin' general of our high
command is something to put down
In the book.
As to the two guns. Colonel
Patton, with General Pershing's
punitive expedition into Mexico,
was chasing Villa’s men through
the chapparal. He caught up
with Candelario Cervantes and
a band of exceedingly tough
bombres. It came down to a
close-range shooting match, with
the colonel backed up against a
wall, whamming away at the
mounted Cervantes troop, with
two .45-caliber revolvers. He
emptied them both, and as he
started to reload, bullets came
to close that they hemstitched
his silhouette on the wall. He
got both guns working and
dropped Cervantes. He rode
happily back to headquarters.
He was the first officer assigned
•to the tank corps in the First World
war, and organized and command-
ed the 304th brigade. On September
35, 1918, at Bogais, he led six Amer-
ican and two French companies into
action—with 22 tanks. He was
wounded. For this and other such
exploits, he was awarded the Dis-
tinguished Service cross, two cita-
tions, the Silver Star, the Purple
Heart, the Congressional Medal of
Honor and the World War medal.
In the post-war years, he contin-
ued as a tank specialist, and in De-
cember, 1940, was giving his thun-
dering herd a workout in Abbeville,
Ga. A year later, his “hell on
wheels" Second Armored division
was the leading attention-getter
around Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. They
had only 75-mm. field artillery guns
then, but it is noted in dispatches
from North Africa that the general
is all set up with a lot of new 105-
mm. self-propelled guns, and that
one of them blew a hole in Fort
Lyautey big enough to let his men
through to capture the fort.
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS
Stiffening Axis Resistance Holds Up
Allied Drive on African Strongholds;
U. S. Navy Scores Again on Jap Fleet;
House Moves to Increase Farm Parity
• ««pr»>«d In Ihoie eolumnn. thry are thoie »f
news unnlysls and not necessarily ol this newspaper.)
- Released by Western Newspaper Union.
Lieut. Gen. Lesley J. McNair, commanding general of the U. S.
army ground forces (right), congratulates army officers to whom he has
awarded the Order of the Purple Heart. The decorated heroes who
were wounded in action against the Axis forces in Africa are, seated left
to right, Lieut. Darrel G. Lee, Inglewood, Calif.; Lieut. Leslie Ward
Dooley, Athens, Tenn.; and Capt. Ford Allcorn, Boonvllle, Mo. Standing
In background is Brig. Gen. Floyd L. Parks, chief of staff for General
McNair.
piERRE PUCHEU, one of the
* roughest and toughest of Hitler's
me-too men of Vichy, was the loud-
est in defamation of America and
War Make, More °ne ot the
Queer Bedfellow,
Than Do Politic,
one
first to duck
when the
Yanks came
—right over
to Africa he fled, to string with a
Winner in his customary manner. As
chief of the Vichy Gestapo, ha had
charge of shooting hostages. It
would appear that, in Africa, he
might embarrass even our state de-
partment, necessarily hospitable to
■11 comers In a wartime emergency.
The Fighting French naturally find
M. Pucheu hard to take.
He is a synthetic strong man, big
and husky, who built himself up with
tough talk and a pair of out-size
rubber-tired spectacles which make
blm look ogreish.
His participation in the inside
Job which delivered France,
roped and hog-tied to Germany,
began in 1923 when be became
foreign relations officer for the
Comite dcs Forges, the steel and
munitions cartel organized two
years previously, to betray
France and fatten Germany
from that day to this. Flandin,
In-and-outer in big-time French
politics and on the receiving end
of every big smear of his time.
Including the Stavlsky scandal,
was a co-conspirator with Pu-
cheu from the first, and fled with
him to Africa—a noisome two-
some and a double-threat.
Pucheu worked offstage for years,
keeping the French Lorraine ore
steadily routed into Germany, but
in 1930 stepped out into the open,
with the raucous and rotund Doriot,
for Hitler and Fascism against the
French republic. He was a loud
agitator against “putrescent democ-
racy."
One of his dividends from his steel
cartel manipulations was his big
Japy machine and munitions plant
on the border. When his friends,
the Nazis, marched fn, they didn't
lay a glove on his plant, and he
soon had it in full operation again.
FARM PRICES:
Parity Rate Boost?
Farm parity prices would have to
be revised upward 1214 per cent if
a bill passed by the house of repre-
sentatives is eventually enacted into
law.
The measure passed by unanimous
vote would require the department
of agriculture to raise parity prices
for all agricultural commodities, to
include all costs of labor, including
hired hands and farmers them-
selves.
That such action would be strongly
opposed by President Roosevelt in
his anti-inflation efforts was indicat
ed by the fact that a similar pro-
vision included In the price act
amendment last fall was bitterly
fought by the administration and
finally compromised.
Explaining the provisions of their
measure, house agricultural com-
mittee members explained that un-
der the existing setup no allowance
Is now given farmers for their labor
costs in fixing price ceilings, in spite
of the fact that “farm wage rates
were going up daily." The farmers
ask no more than "equality treat-
ment,” the committee declared.
"They know that every manufac-
turer is permitted to include his la-
bor cost in figuring his costs of pro-
duction.”
TUNISIA:
Naval Phases Disclosed
Naval guns of the British fleet
added their power to the arms of
the Allied forces pressing hard on
the Axis defenders of Tunisia, by
sinking four supply transport ships
and two destroyers in a convoy
carrying supplies and reinforcements
to North Africa.
Announcement of the victory
came soon after the admiralty and
U. S. navy department disclosed
that the Allies had lost 16 vessels
during the original A.E.F. landings
In North Africa. The toll was de-
scribed as considerably smaller than
originally expected.
Included in the United Nations'
losses were the British small air-
craft carrier Avenger, three destroy-
ers and five lighter vessels as well
as five U. S. naval transports.
As the stage was set for the final
showdown for control of Tunisia, the
German-controlled Paris radio ad-
mitted that a British-American col-
umn had penetrated to the east
coast of Tunis and had advanced be-
tween Sfax and Gabes.
With opposing forces concentrat-
ing in a narrow coastal area between
the cities of Tunis and Bizerte Allied
advances had slowed down in the
face of strengthening German re-
sistance.
Despite continuing vigilance of Al-
lied sea and air patrols, the Axis had
admittedly gained reinforcements.
In certain areas they achieved local
air superiority. Moreover the fierce-
ness of their attempted counterat-
tacks and the presence of consider-
able Axis mechanized equipment in
the Tebourda-Djedeida area indicat-
ed the enemy's unexpected strength.
NO. AFRICA REGIME:
People Will Decide
As evidence mounted that Admiral
Jean Darlan intended to make his
leadership in North Africa perma-
nent, official Washington reiterated
Its declaration that the French peo-
ple ultimately will be the ones to de-
cide who is to rule.
Spokesman for the administration
was Secretary of State Cordell Hull,
who said laconically that the United
States was too busy winning the war
In North Africa to worry about re-
ports that Darlan had taken over.
PACIFIC:
V. S. Strength Groivs
Offensive actions undertaken by
Allied forces in the Pacific war the-
ater had continued to gain momen-
tum.
U. S. naval forces decisively beat
oil another Jap attempt to regain
control of the southern Solomons by
sinking nine more enemy ships, in-
cluding six warships in an engage-
ment north of Guadalcanal. Jap
losses included two large destroyers
or cruisers, four destroyers, two
transports and one cargo ship. The
Americans lost a cruiser and report-
ed other ships damaged. Meanwhile
American land forces continued
their mopping up operations around
Henderson airfield.
Indicative of the growing strength
of the Allies was the report from
Auckland, New Zealand, of the safe
arrival of an American expedition-
ary force so large that it took hours
for the dee-laden transports to dis-
gorge their cargoes of men and sup-
plies. Lean gray warships of the
U. S. navy had safety convoyed the
transports through Jap-threatened
waters.
In New Guinea the tempo of the
allied offense against the narrow
Jap-held beach-heads bordering
Buna was stepped up. Allied airmen
beat off a Jap naval force attempt-
ing to land reinforcements and sup-
plies for the hard-pressed Nipponese
and shot down 23 Jap planes. Amer-
ican and Australian troops mean-
while had infiltrated to the outskirts
of Buna and had driven down the
beach from Gona toward Sananan-
da, five miles above Buna.
INVESTMENT INCOME:
$25,000 Ceiling?
Even as salary freezing regula-
tions were made public through-
out the nation, congress was invited
by President Roosevelt to put a $25,-
000 ceiling on net investment income
to match the $25,000 ceiling Imposed
on net salaries by James F. Byrnes,
director of economic stabilization.
Under the existing system, Indi-
viduals are restricted to gross in-
come from salaries of $67,200 a year,
or net income after federal income
taxes of $25,000. Income from other
sources is not now restricted. Point-
ing out that there has been wide-
spread criticism against Inequali-
ties in the present sytem, Mr. Roose-
velt proposed that identical limita-
tions be put on Income from invest-
ments.
Sucli a procedure would mean that
an individual's total Incomf from
salary, from Investments or from
both could not exceed $25,000 net or
$07,200 gross in any one year.
LABOR PEACE:
Decreed by CIO~AFL
For the first time since the CIO
split from the American Federation
of Labor in 1935, the two organiza-
tions entered into an agreement that
opened the way for permanent
peace and possible full reunion of
the two organizations.
Meeting In Washington special
committees of the two labor unions
agreed to establish a joint commis-
sion to resolve all differences be-
tween them. To this agreement, they
added a proviso that all unsettled
issues should be referred to arbitra-
tion.
President Roosevelt had long
urged the two groups to submerge
their differences for the national wel-
fare. Presidents William Green of
the AFL and Phillip Murray of the
CIO had publicly stated their desire
for peace.
MUSSOLINI:
Whistles in Dark
With powerful American and Brit-
ish armies only a few hundred miles
across the Mediterranean from Italy,
with northern industrial cities rocked
by RAF bombing attacks, and with
Prime Minister Churchill’s grim
warning of future disaster still ring-
ing In his ears, Benito Mussolini de-
livered an 81-mlnute harangue to the
Fascist parliament.
In essence, the duce's speech was
a "whistling in the dark" perform-
ance designed to whip up the Italian
people's lagging war spirit, His pre-
scription for national morale;
“Learn to hate and to cense spread-
ing silly stories and gossip. ’
Reading extracts from Churchill’s
speech warning that Italy would be
placed under “prolonged, scientific
and shattering air attacks," Musso-
lini said the English leader hoped
to undermine the Italian people's re-
sistance. He promised that Germany
would reinforce Italy with “powerful
contributions" and said "the Joint
Italian-German defenses will give
the raiders a hot reception."
II Duce revealed that Italy had
lost 162 warships and more than
400,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen in
the 30 months of war.
RUSSIA:
Headaches for Hitler
Russian strategists concentrated
doggedly on the task of rolling out
the twin bulges at Rzhev and Vyaz-
ma on the far-flung line from Lenin-
grad to Stalingrad as the Red's spec-
tacular offensive continued to push
the Nazis back and threaten the en-
tire structure of their winter lines.
Hitler well knew the danger poised
by the Russian thrusts at Rzhev. If
this key point were taken, his troops
in the Leningrad sector to the north
would be in peril. And should these
forces be trapped or forced to retire
avoid entrapment, then Finland
would be left high and dry to make
such terms as she could with the
victorious Russ.
But Hitler's headaches were not
confined to the Rzhev areas. At
Stalingrad the Reds captured a stra-
tegic hilltop southwest of the city
that had dominated the approaches
from this direction and had been
used for weeks by the Germans for
artillery and observation posts.
Southward in the Caucasus, the
Nazis faced the threat of disaster,
for the steadily mounting strength
of the Russ placed his control of oil,
wheat and coal lands in jeopardy.
THUNDERBOLTS:
Make 725 M. P. H.
Hurtling through the air faster
than any human beings had ever
traveled before, two 22-year-old
army lieutenants dived their fighter
planes at the astounding speed of
725 miles an hour in twin tests of
Republic P-47 Thunderbolts.
The two airmen were Lieuts. Har-
old Comstock and Roger Dyar.
Starting their dive at 35,000 feet, the
Removing Victims of Night Club Fire
Sinks French Fleet
Fire and rescue workers enter the smoldering ruins of the Cocoanut
Grove night club in Boston to remove bodies of the dead and injured.
This fire, the nation’s worst since the Iroquois theater fire In Chicago
in 1903, took a toll af about 500 lives. The fire was caused by a 16-year-
old bus boy who lit a match so he could see to replace a ceiling light bulb.
The match started an artificial palm tree burning.
Always Being Bossed by Corporals
The scuttling of the French fleet at
Toulon, when the Germans stormed
that great French naval base, was
ordered by Admiral Jean de la
Bordc (above), commander-in-chief
of the fleet. Sixty-three vessels, In-
cluding three battleships, were in
the harbor at the time, and 61 of
these were believed lost. Thus were
the Nazis deprived of the fleet on
which Hitler had banked so heavily.
New Head of ‘Spars’
Members of the German armistice commission in French Morocco,
captured by U. S. forces who landed there during the North African op-
erations, are shown being marched off for internment by an American
corporal. Taking orders from a corporal is nothing new for them. That
was Der Fuehrer's rank in the German army.
Fhoto shows Lieut. Com. Dorothy
C. Stratton, new head of the
“Spars,” the new women’s auxiliary
reserve of the U. S. coast guard,
seated at her desk in Washington.
She wears the two and a half stripes
of a lieutenant commander, on her
union coat sleeve, and the U. S.
coast guard insignia on her coat.—
Sound photo.
Lieuts. Roger Dyar Harold Comstock
pilots reported the terrific speed
froze their control sticks, causing
them to resort to emergency cranks
to pull the ships out of the dive
Reporting his reactions. Lieutenant
Dyar said:
"I had a feeling that any second
the plane was going to pull away
from me and leave me stranded
right there, five miles above the
ground."
STOCK SHOW:
‘Sub’ for International
The war had long before inter-
vened to cancel the International
Livestock Exposition, but in outdoor
pens in Chicago's stockyards, 6,349
farm animals from 19 states and
two Canadian provinces competed
for prizes in the Chicago Market Fat
Stock show—an exhibition organized
to bridge over the period until the
International could be held again.
It was a one-way ride for the
barnyard champions, for war-time
transportation regulations decreed
that the steers, hogs and sheep must
be moved to the slaughter-house uft-
er the show. Gone for the duration
was the traditional pageantry at-
tending the exposition since the In-
ternational amphitheater was taken
over by the army last June.
No admission fee was required for
the substitute show.
MISCELLANY:
ORAN, ALGERIA: The release of
157 unshaven, ill-fed Norwegian sea-
men and 50 British naval personnel,
all of whom had been interned south
of Oran for from nine months to two
years was announced here. An Al-
lied spokesman said they joined an-
other group of 40 Dutch seamen who
had been freed previously and that
33 Greeks and Belgians were like-
wise being released.
Marine Chiefs Visit Guadalcanal Island
Testing Tank Crews
Lieut. Gen. Thomas Holcomb (left), marine corps commandant,
squints through field glasses at Guadalcanal field positions during his re-
cent air trip to the Solomon Islands. Maj. Gen. R. J. Mitchell, marine
aviation chief, who accompanied General Holcomb, and Maj. Gen.
Alexander A. Vandcrgrlft (right), commander of the ground forces In the
Solomons, also trains his field glasses on a distant object.
Army Coffee Rationing Helps Civilians
More than a year ago the army quartermaster corps took steps to
ration coffee. As the table top rotates, the army 'officers sniff and taste
each sample of coffee, at the quartermaster depot, in Chicago, where
48,000 pounds of coffee is roasted dally.
There are two big rooms In the
medical research laboratory at Fort
Knox, Ky. One is kept at 120 de-
grees above zero; the other at 30
below. Tank crews eat, sleep and
work on their tanks while doctors
take notes. Here a sergeant climbs
up and down a ladder toting a full
pack while army medics measure
his reactions so crews will be bet-
ter cared for in tropical climes.
‘Good Neighbors’
Dr. Carlos Arroyo Del Rio (left),
president of Ecuador, shown with
Gen. Manuel Camacho, president of
Mexico, when Dr. Del Rio arrived
In the Mexican capital while cn
route to the United States. Later he
visited President Roosevelt at the
White House.
H
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Dismukes, Mrs. J. W. Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 10, 1942, newspaper, December 10, 1942; Palacios, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth726397/m1/2/: accessed June 21, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Palacios Library.