The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-11-13
FLIGHT
Dispersion Of AXIS
Forces Threatened
Congressional Defeats
Blamed on Taxes
Siimson Checking On
Overseas Mail Service
BY RAY TUCKER


Eisenhower Montgomery pincers
operations is counted on here to
have repercussions far beyond the
desert sands. For the first time
Hitler stands threatened with the
need of serious dispersion of his
forces. loss of the centrifugal adj
vantage he has enjoyed and de-
sertion of his allies.
He will not be able TO shuttle
troops from occupied Europe. Italy
and his Russian front to Rommel.
or vice versa. Had he first Sc
cured a success on the dark con-
tinent. he would have released vet
Grams for a smashing push into
the Caucasus or the Middle East.
II he had licked the Soviet, he
would have dispatched his con-
quering army to the Mediterra-
mean littorsl. Instead, the net is
Tightening on the bird which once
flew so high and fast.
His crack fighters are in danger
of humiliation in Libya and Of
dying in the SHOWS of Russia be-
tween now and spring. Mean
while, he must send more divisions
to garrison terrified Italy. France,
the scandinavian countries and the
restless Balkans. Thus his two
big campaigns for 1912 appear to
have foundered and prepared the
way for a grand United Nations
attack.
The American invasion and the
Eighth army's victories may have
another major effect. For the
moment at least they have trans
formed a global war into guer-
rilla sort of contest, albeit on a
large scale. The prospect of a
Berlin-Tokyo junction in India has
been thwarted. Germany must
carry on without the oil, food and
other essentials which a hook-up
with the Japs might have per-
mitted. The Nipponese, with their
naval and air units undergoing a
constant whiting, face growing
offensiv<s without the machinery
and industrial reinforcements that
Europe might have forwarded.
The next congress viii go slowly
in inflicting heavier taxes and
price controls on the American
people if they study the fate of
members of the house and senate
committees which handle those
questions. The massacre of these
men supplies one of the most IL
Illuminating sidelights on the Nov.
debacle.
Five key figures on the house
banking and currency committee,
which authored the administra-
tons anti-inflation measure. were
swept out of office, including some
of the ablest and seemingly most
secure representatives. The same
number of legislators in the ways
and means group that produced
the 1912 revenue act were badly
beaten although they, too. had
counted on coming back.
Three incumbents on the senate
banking and currency committee
were condemned to private life
when their return appeared to be
a cinch They are Sens. Brown.
D.. of Michigan; Herring, D.. of
Iowa, and Smathers, D.. of New
Jersey. Mr.. Brown, incidentally,
spearheaded the White House
fight for a bill resented by the
farmers.
The voters took a similar toll
Of senate financiers who managed
the measure imposing billions of
new levies. They defeated both
Mr.. Herring and Mr.. Smathers.
Ed Johnson, D., of Colorado,
squeezed through by an extremely
narrow margin. Not in years have
these influential congressional bod
les suffered such a purging, but
the reasons therefor seem TO be
obvious.
Except for periods of economic
depression, this appears to be
two-party country. 1t is not an
other pre-war France. That is one
OF the great but still unrecognized
lessons of one of the most impor-
tant balloting contests in all our
history.
Washington has been flooded
with complaints from parents re-
garding the unexplained delay in
forwarding mail and packages to
their sons in the overseas forces.
The war department, which re-
Allies the wondrous effect of let
tiers from home on our soldiers.
has started a quiet investigation
OF the problem.
Correspondence from abroad ar
rives In this country with both
speed and regularity and the sys-
tenn Of handling il has constantly
improved. The time for receipt
of communication from England,
for instance. has now been cut to
about two weeks. But envelopes
going the other way require from
a month to six weeks before they
reach their destination. It takes
much longer with respect TO bun
dies for the brave and in too
many instances they are never de-
livered. In the army. as in college.
a box which seems to contain food.
candy, cigarets or soap is regarded
=. (-T1exur ~.