davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1941-11-02

The next day Soviet dispatches said
Red Army engineers were planting
death-trap land mines in Rostov and
preparing to leave the city Of 100000,
if they had to leave it, in a smoking
ruins. Nazi military commentators said
that once Rostov has fallen, the way
would be open for swift armored divi-
sions to strike south toward the nerve
center of the oil region, Maikop, ITS
miles below Rostov. In other words,
Rostov in Russian hands is an impede
ment to the German plans.
And despite the preparations to quit
Rostov, the Russians fought strongly to
slow down the German
Donets Dorfets drive. The Germans
Basin at the weeks end were
swarming into the Upper
Donets, but at the rivers lower end,
near Rostov, the advance, according to
the Russians, was just about ct stand
still. Picked elite guards in the NaN
Evening star., 1941-11-02
Russian Front

Rostov, Crimea, Leningrad and Moscow
are the four principal points in the mill
tary picture of Russia last week. The
Germans moved closer to Moscow, and
they brought new vigor to bear on the
problem of capturing the long-besieged
city of Leningrad. But Moscow, Lenin-
grad. Rostov and most of Crimea are
still Russian.
German troops on Wednesday broke
through the Isthmus of Perekop, joining
the Crimean Peninsula with the Ukrain-
Ian mainland. One hundred miles south
of the isthmus is Sevastopol, the great
Black Sea naval base of the Russians
the last naval base on the broad Euxine
left to the Russians, who have lost Niko-
laev and Odessa. A bulletin from Adolf
Hitlers field headquarters said three
German divisions, about $4,000 men, sue
ceeded in breaking through Red Army
defense into the Perekop after 10 days
of hard fighting. The Perekop is just
miles wide.
German dispatches said the Russians
on the peninsula were in considerable
force, but Berlin commenta-
Crimeon tors thought the Reds of
Drive Crimea were trapped. They
envisioned another enemy
pushed into the sea, as the English were
pushed at Dunkerque into the North Sea
and in Greece into the Aegean and as
the Russians were pushed earlier at
Tallinn into the Baltic. The commu-
nique from H!tler's headquarters claimed
the usual statistical triumph: l5,700
Soviet prisoners, 13 tanks and 109 cannon
taken by the Germans in their successful
storming of the isthmuS.
The next day brought further SAN
guine German reports. Nazi forces were
'relentlessly on the heels of the defeated
enemy" in Crimea. The Russians had
guarded the marshy Perekop with an
elaborate trench and casemate system
more than miles long, with excavations
30 feet deep in some places and sheer
concrete walls in others. This is what
Evening star., 1941-11-02
By ". B. RagSdale.

falls with equal justice upon all. That Is
the big problem of S. p A. B. Assuring
equal justice.
His memory for detail shows up in
flashes like this:
Il don't think I have talked with you
privately since one night in 1882 on the
porch of the Meriwether Inn," you may
recall.
I'm Warm Springs, yes" he replied.
ut was raining-not raining, just driz-
zle 1 had just come in from a walk
with Ray Moley."
And there 1t was; the rush-backed
rockers on the wide porch; rain dripping
slowly from the caves: the mist glistening
in the light, and man from Iowa who
had just been picked as Secretary of
Agriculture and was finding it hard to
talk about himself.
Heavy Schedule.
Wallace has no average day. His rou-
tine varies widely. Certain fixed land
marks stand out upon the horizon of
his week, however, to fix the general
direction of his course.
On Mondays, he goes to the White
House with legislative leaders for talk
about the weeks program in Congress.
Wednesdays bring conference of MEM
bers of the Supply Priorities and Allo-
cations Boards. P. A. B. for short.
Thursdays or Fridays brings a cabinet
meeting
Ever so often there is meeting OF
the Economic 6oara, % which he is
chairman. Its job is to coordinate the
efforts of departments doing economic
defense work. 1t used to meet once
week, but now that pattern has been
worked out most of its problems are set
tied by conferences of its subcommittee
and the full board meets only on call.
Along with these tasks comes the duty
of presiding over the Senate and of
lending a hand where he might be of
help to congressional leaders.
Still Plays Tennis.
All of this adds up to a very full day.
Wallace still gets in as much tennis as
he can in the early mornings, and at
So he thinks he can run as fast as any
man Of 80 on Capitol Hill. But his work.
day begins at 9 am. and carries through
until or with his meals often turned
into conferences and business frequently
following him home at night.
Moreover, the social season is about
to arrive upon the Washington scene.
The President and Mrs. Roosevelt have
wiped social events off the White House
calendar for the winter because of the
emergency. But this may give the Vice
President an even bigger load. although
he hopes his dining out and formal So
cial affairs can be held to two nights a
week-Thursday and Sunday nights.
This used to be regarded as one of
the chief pursuits of Vice President.
He was the diner-out for the President.
His dress clothes were his overalls. his
days work began in the evening when he
Evening star., 1941-11-02

from Moscow said the Germans had lost
so per cent of their fighting strength
in battering at Moscow during recent
days.
Hitler's major offensive against Mos
COW came to the end of its first month
Friday night with an
Moscow apparent sharp decline
Holds Out in its power. But that
change may be ac-
counted for in good part by the in
vigoration of the Nazi drive in the south.
Furthermore there was reopening of
active hostilities in the Leningrad area.
The Germans reported on Tuesday
that their siege guns had been pounding
Leningrad steadily for "a hours, ap-
parently as prelude to direct infantry
assault. Some Russians encircled in
the Leningrad sector made an unsuc-
cessful attempt Monday to escape by
sea, down the Gulf of Finland, the Ger
mans reported. The Moscow radio said
37001 Axis soldiers had been killed or
Evening star., 1941-11-02
Review of 18th Week of War
Bv Blair B0Hes.

For the United States the central Of the last week
pont the Atlantic
torpedo between Thursday
bottom the u Reuben American American
warshp lost in action World 120
conveying and Berlin spokesman said "A English affair."
and whoever participates English formation"
which of shoot first torpedo? None
has said
Far from the Atlantic Associated Press
spnden last week he expected the Naz late this winter early next
spring would heading his capital That the nan would
make this that expected the would successful
troops Crmea the Roov Both positions
Russia Should
will
froned Should the take all of
sevaoo they will control the Black
Sea make the lot Turkey with Black Sea shore difficult
take active the Axis battle
appears
Evening star., 1941-11-02

but the types of planes it has long
wanted.
Advocates of the independent air force
plan have described the June reorgani-
zation as a sop to public opinion, de.
signed to forestall congressional action
on the pending bills. There probably is
a good deal of truth in the claim, al
though in the opinion of many high
ranking officers sop" is not the word to
describe the increased autonomy which
they feel undeniably has been granted.
Just what degree of autonomy ulti-
mately is to be allowed, of course, re-
mains to be seen. As matter of fact,
the lines of demarcation between the
air and general stats are far from set
tied and probably will not be settled
without some fundamental differences
of opinion being revealed. However,
these are differences to be expected in
any such radical organization as the
new air force setup. There is no evi-
dence to date that they cannot be
worked out Until there is, it is not the
part of wisdom, and certainly not in
the interest of national defense, to
proclaim in advance, these officers
point out, that the whole plan is un-
workable and complete autonomy is
the only solution.
One more phase of the question should
be mentioned, although it probably never
would be in any hearings that might
be held. In some quarters, the motives
inspiring some of the proponents are
the cause of some concern, particularly
those who have long been anxious to
"vindicate" Gen. Mitchell. Some of Gen.
Mitchells most devoted followers are
inclined to feel he has been sufficiently
vindicated at the present time without
creating a separate and Independent air
force dedicated, so to speak, to his men,
ory. That might reopen old wounds and
have the effect of creating dissension
among the land, sea and air forces when
coordination is recognized as the prime
requisite for success at arms. It is their
belief that better vindication would be
an air force that would fulfill func-
ton in the national defense scheme
worthy of the Nation that brought air
power into being.
Evening star., 1941-11-02

the Nazis have penetrated. Aside from
the Sevastopol base. the Crimea is
strategically important for two reasons:
/. Its eastern extremity guards the
narrow strait into the Sea of Azov.
2. Troops crossing the strait would
have a shortcut into the Caucasus.
If the Germans put troops across the
Strait of Kerch, which connects the
shallow Azov Sea with the Black, they
would enter the North Caucasian area
in a position making it possible for them
to cooperate with German troops at
the north in pincers movement.
The troops at the north now are ham,
mering toward Rostov, which is the
corner where one approaching from the
west would turn south into the Caucasus.
The Rostov operation is closely linked
with the Crimean undertaking.
The Russian government on Monday
indicated its expectation of an Axis push
on Rostov. Next day Russia
Rostov admitted the Germans were
PeriIed within Is to 10 miles of
RoStov, a great industrial
city on the Don River. London sources,
in anticipation Of this drive, have been
predicting that if the Germans capture
Rostov, the green light would be flashed
to Gen. Sir Archibald P. Wavell's i'm
perial forces to march through Iran and
establish a new British fighting front in
the Caucasus. He is said to command
from 100000 to 100000 troops. This
prospect is the most interesting future
possibility of the Russian war.
Military advices reaching London said
the Germans already by Tuesday had
succeeded in knocking most of the
Donets Basin-near Rostov-war foun-
dries out of operation. with several key
points actually in Nazi hands and others
isolated by crippled communications
lines. Hitlers headquarters claimed on
Tuesday the capture of Kramatorsk, seat
of a tank factory, on a tributary of the
Donets. Added the Hitler communique:
"Other important industrial towns
were taken by Hungarian units. Pursuit
of the retreating enemy is being con-
tinued"
Evening star., 1941-11-02

wounded in four days Of fighting as
the battle for Leningrad intensified in
violence The direct infantry assault
failed to materialize.
In the midst of these variegated &C
tivities on the Russia 'front.' Hitler re-
ceiWd some interesting visitors two
Turkish generals, Ali Faud Erden and
Hueseyn Erkilet An official German
announcement of Tuesday said that the
generals had just finished an inspection
trip of the eastern front, during which
they saw Field Marshal Gems. Walther
Won Brauschitsch, commander in chief
of the army, and Wilhelm Keitel, chief
of the high command.
The German announcement said sig
nificantly that the inspection trip gave
the visiting generals IAN impressive pic
ture of the achievements and successes
of German troops and their allies
Neutral observers at once speculated
that the Fuehrer may have exerted per-
sonal pressure on the Turks for permis-
Evening star., 1941-11-02

armies outside Rostov have been mark
ing time" the Russians reported.
Well north of Rostov, the Germans
hammered their way past the industrial
city of Kharkov, in the Upper Donets
region. The Nazis claimed this city's
capture week ago Friday, but the Rus
slams would not admit the loss until last
Thursday. From Rostov to Kharkov,
the Russian armies are moving at the
command of Marshal Semeon Timo-
shenko, and he is fighting desperately
to keep the Axis from turning around
the Rostov corner.
Around Moscow, which Timoshenko
was defending before he was sent to
the south, the Germans fought on four
fronts. Germans approach the capital
from the northwest. the west and the
southwest. Action took place last week
around Volokalamsk. IS miles northwest
of Moscow: Kalinin. 95 miles northwest:
Mozhaisk, 81 miles west, and Maloyaros-
lavets, IS miles southwest. Dispatches
Evening star., 1941-11-02
AIR EXPANSION SLOWS AUTONOMY DRIVE
War Developments Independent Air

The increase of from 100 to $50 per
cent in the air forces announced recently
by Secretary of War Stimson will make
this branch the second largest In the
Army, but at the same time probably
will end whatever immediate hopes are
still held by proponents of separate,
independent air arm.
Expanding the present 54-group air
program to "a groups means raising the
Air Force strength from about 100000
to 100000 men by next June, and pos
sibly to 100000 after that time. While
this latter figure would still be less than
half the size of the German air force,
estimated at more than 100000, 1t
would bring it within hailing distance
Of the infantry, backbone" OF the Army.
The breakdown of the various arms
and branches of the Army is no longer
being given out by the War Department,
but in report as of July l, Gen. George
c. Marshall, Army chief of staff, an
nounced that the four field armies in
the continental United States had
strength of 456,O0O men, exclusive OF
the armored force, artillery, engineers
and other supporting troops, harbor de-
fense units, men assigned to posts, sup
ply depots and ports of embarkation and
selectees in training Add to that about
10000 men in overseas garrisons to get
q rough estimate of the size OF the
Army's largest single arm.
Pending Legislation.
This sudden expansion, however, may
we'll react unfavorably for proponents
of more than half a dozen bills pending
In the House and Senate to set up
separate and independent air force.
While there seems little prospect now
that hearings will be held on any of
the proposals this year, Air Force officers
are quietly assembling data in the event
they should be, and sponsors of the bills
have lined up an impressive list of avia-
ton names to support their thesis that
a separate air force Is vital to our na-
tional defense. After all is said and
done, however, the decision is likely to
hinge on the testimony OF the officer
who is bound to be the star witness in
the case, Maj. Gen. Henry H. Arnold,
chief of the Army Air Forces and deputy
chief of staff If proponents OF sepa-
rate air force are counting him on their
side, they may be destined for somewhat
of joit.
None of the Air Force officers, least
of all those in policy-making circles,
speaks for Gen. Arnold on the touchy
subject of separate air force, and Gen.
Arnold steadfastly has refused to make
sny comment whatsoever. If the sepa-
rate air force proponents, who have an
nounced they intend to place him on
the witness stand at hearings on their
bills, expect him to declare or admit
under questioning that he favors such
a STEP they doubtless are basing thelr
hopes on statements in Winged War
fare" the book he wrote last year with
Col. Ira c. Eaker. The views expressed
which Gen. Arnold presumably con-
cured in if he did not actually write
Evening star., 1941-11-02

Henry A. Wallace has troubled face.
Worry tries to hide in his bright blue
eyes, A thin sprinkle of gray is edging
his dark hair He is the only over
worked Vice President in American his
tory.
Time was when the outer Office Of the
vice presidential suite in the Senate
Office Building held just one desk with
a telephone, typewriter and a secre-
tary, plus several chairs for visitors. 1t
was really reception room, not an Office
in which great deal Of work was done.
Now, the chairs are still there Tor visi-
tors and they come in through the same
door but there are three desks and three
secretaries and all sorts of telephones
with gadgets and work heaped up on the
desks.
More secretaries fill the next room.
Telephones ring. Typewriters clatter.
Through a second door, in the corner
room of the vice presidential suite, Wal
lace works at desk with his back to
the wall. A bookcase filled with volumes,
mostly on economic subjects, stands back
of him, against the wall, within easy
reach. The view from his desk is of
the wall on the other side of the room.
If ne sees the Capitol and Capitol Plaza.
he must get up and walk over to the
window. There are no easy distractions;
If he gets his mind of his work, he him.
self has to pry it off.
Parade Of Problems.
To that desk comes regular parade
of problems-prickly, messy problems
that can't be handled bare-handed but
require good thick gloves. Senators and
House members get squawks from con-
stituents who need metal to keep plants
running. who want things of all kinds
from o. P. NJ and S. P. A. B. With the
chairman of S. P. A. B. on Capitol Hill,
why should they trot downtown to o.
P. M?
Senators and congressional delegations
are free to come barging in at any time.
Numerous other callers, Latin Americans,
defense officials. economists, use up plenty
OF Clne, 700. II ally Is leit. IL SOcS W
House members, although there are so
many of these that the Vice President
tries to do what he can with their prob
lens over the telephone.
That is one of the chief reasons why
Wallace has never established an office
in O. P. NJ, where S. P. A. B. operates,
or in the @ street building, which houses
the Economic Defense Board, which he
also heads. He feels that ex-cf11cio he is
part of Congress and that Senators
might not like 1t If they called on their
presiding officer and found that he was
in an Office in some other section of
town.
These callers find man of remarkable
memory whose guiding phrase in these
Gays when manufacturers cry for priori-
ties is equal justice"
People are in a mood for sacrifice"
he said. But when they make sacrifice
they want to be certain that the load
Evening star., 1941-11-02
By Ben Pearse.

seemed to favor an independent air
corps setup.
But that was more than a year ago,
and year under practically wartime
conditions, so far as the need for speed
in organization and production is con-
cerned, is long time. In this interval
certain inescapable factors have arisen,
many high-ranking officers believe,
which make any further radical changes
inadvisable at the present time, no mat
ter what the ultimate organization OF
the Air Forces may be.
Organizational Problem.
Before anything else come practical
considerations. If bill to create an
independent air force became law today,
something approaching chaos would re-
suit The air unit being part Of the
Army, has no Signal Corps, Quarter
master Corps or ordnance departments
of its own and would have to establish
them and other necessary branches be-
fore it would be a going organization.
1t is acquiring these Offices gradually.
1t has an air staff, corresponding to the
general staff which serves the Army as
whole, and an air adjutant general to
handle its own records and paper work"
Only last month, the post of air surgeon
was set up, indicating perhaps that it is
to have more jurisdiction over its own
medical department. Heretofore, the
Medical Corps has served the air forces
in the same way that it has the other
branches. Even the flight surgeons, spe-
cialists in aviation medicine, were Med
ical Corps officers assigned to duty with
the air forces
Other divisions, such as those for in
spection, personal, legal, fiscal, training
and procurement of strictly aviation
equipment, even a recruiting service,
exist in miniature within the air forces
organization. They can be expanded one
by one, as the need grows, without any
difficulty. But by expanding them all at
the same time, breaking off suddenly
connections and procedure of many years
standing, the dislocation would be far
reaching.
Gradual Approach Advised.
When Brig. Gen. Billy" Mitchell was
assistant chief of the Air Corps and the
entire arm consisted of few thousand
officers and men, such change might
have been effected rather easily. Even
as late as a year or two ago, when its
personnel did not exceed about $4,000
officers and men, the step might have
been accomplished without too much dis
organization, although Gen. Mitchell
himself pointed out that in peacetime, at
least, creating separate air force would
be task so complicated and so difficult
to put into effect that it could only be
brought to state of efficiency after
years of trial, hundreds OF mistakes and
the wasting of many lives and millions
| of dollars in money
AS a straw in the wind, separate air
force postponements counting on encour-
agement, If not support, from Gen. Ar
mold might ponder this excerpt from
Winged Warfare" in which the authors,
Evening star., 1941-11-02

discussing the Air Force for Us" state:
"The separate air force idea must not
be approached with the state of mind
that everything now in existence or
which has been done is wrong. This
long step should be taken, If it is taken
at all, only after careful planning and
mature thought and not with zest for
radical reform. There should be stage
of gradual evolution as against an over
night cutting of binding ties
Aside from purely physical considera-
tions, however, such as the problems
arising from a new form of organization
and sudden, large-scale increase in the
size of the air forces, certain factors of
a military nature are equally important.
One is that in any military organization
an order is an order. The order to re-
organize the Armys air component in
prescribed manner has Deen issued. 1t
Is goiug to be carried out without any IFS.
ands cs butts. One of Gen. Arnolds
salient characteristics is his loyalty. He
expects and gets wholehearted support
from his subordinates, regardless OF any
peISUkldl OpllllOIlo may A1SAN, OAASS
policy has been decided upon. He gives
the same sort of support to those above
him. One observer illustrated this point
with an incident told of Gen. Tecumseh
Sherman, who disapproved so strongly OF
Gen. Grants plan for the capture OF
Vicksburg during the Civil War that ne
wrote a letter "for the record" predicting
it would be failure. When his superior
decided to 60 ahead, however, Gen.
Sherman performed the part assigned
him in the rather difficult operation,
crossing the Mississippi above the city,
moving his army downstream and re-
crossing below to attack from the south,
in such an energetic and skillful way
that Gen. Grant later gave him large
share of the credit for the success Of
the campaign.
Recognition Is Goal.
Without saying so, the inference was
that cooperation in the present situa-
ton would be Of the same variety and
regardless of any personal opinions here
tofore held. What air officers, including
Gen. Mitchell, have been driving at these
many years is adequate recognition for
the air arm; the separate air force was
only a means to an end, not the end
itself. And on the recognition side,
there is much to be said. AS late as
three years ago, our goal was the 1890
plane recommendation of the Baker
Board of 1888; today it is limited only
by productive capacity Of our airplane
| plants. There were some qualms during
the early stages of the expansion pro-
gram that not enough stress was being
laid on long range planes suitable for
independent action and too much on
short range planes designed strictly for
support of ground troops. That, too, has
been corrected. What matters it if the
Luftwaffe, not Gen. Mitchell, sold the
Army on the air arm, and British expe-
rience and not our own air officers con-
vinced the powers that be Of the need
for large, long range bombers? The Air
Force is not only going to get the planes,
Evening star., 1941-11-02

Bera tound
military
gineers could
eastward Mould fit into plan for attack
Kerch Channel German forces
could north
RoStoU They could
the
Evening star., 1941-11-02

Crea heavily fortified appendix dangling into the Ua
Nasi First captured the for
the
SeuaStopo dominates Black Sea
could cash
contemplated capture OF the Caucasus
Crieathe Perekop 18th
to miles d and neck of land and