The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1942-04-09

sfNntice seamen and allowed to re-
main in school at least to the end OF
the second year. About $1,000 will
J be selected each year for further
training leading to commissions as
ensigns in the Naval Reserve.
The House passed and sent to the
Senate an SIS billion War Appro-
priation Bill, providing almost 81
billion for military airplanes. The
Senate passed and sent to the House
a naval public works bill to provide
a billion dollars for expansion in
aircraft and storage facilities. Tho
Wal Department ruled officers and
enlisted men, except those of the
regular army, may campaign for
and hold political office, if such ac-
tivity does not interfere with mill
tary duties. Selective Service Head
quarters instructed local boards to
start classification of February 16
r~egistrants, and to prepare to fill
the Army's June call-and possibly
the May call-from these men and
the earlier r~egistrants. IS Head
quarters also issued instructions to
all local boards for registration Of
ar estimated 13,500,0O0. men be-
tween 45 and Ga on April 81.
The War Front
The Navy reported as Of April A
total Japanese losses inflicted by U.
S. Naval Forces included 81 war
ships sunk, 10 possibly sunk and %
damaged; 48 non-combatant ships
sunk, Ia possibly sunk and IA DAM
aged. The Army and Navy said
Axis submarines sunk or presumed
sunk by the Navy total "a, and those
by the Army number four. Assistant
Secretary of War for Air, Levett,
said U. S. pilots in the Far East
are Shooting five Japanese planes for
every plane lost.
The forces of 1t. Gen. Wainwright
in the Philippines repealed several
enemy attacks by land, sea and air
o. Bataan Peninsula and Corregi-
dor Island with heavy Japanese
losses. japanese bombers sank the
U. S. aircraft tender Langley, the
destroyer Peary and the Navy tank
err Pecos in the Southwest Pacific,
with an estimated loss of 700 men.
The Navy reported the HVrpedoing
Of Is more United Nations merchant
vessels in the Atlantic.
Shipping
The Maritime Commission report
ed all contracts have been awarded
for the % million lightweight ton
Of merchant shipping-nearly 1900
'argo ships and tankers-which the
President has set as the 1942-43
goal.
The Senate passed and returned
to the House a bill charging the
war risk provisions of the Merchant
Marine Act to allow insurance of
foreign as we'll as domestic ships.
Agriculture
The Department of Agriculture
said it had purchased more than $500
million worth Of farm commodities,
totaling more than $500 million
pounds, during the first year Of the
Departments expanded purchase
program--March Is, 1941, to March
Is, 1912. More than half Of all pur-
chases were for meat, dairy and
poultry products. Most purchases
were for lend-lease shipment.
1ne Agriculture Department
said it had purchased more than
$500 million worth of farm conf
modities, -totaling more than 1900
million pounds, during the first year
Of the Departments expanded pur-
chases were for meat, dairy and
poultry products. Most purchases
were for lend-lease shipment.
The Agriculture Department re
ported prices of all farm products
combined were 80 per cent Of parity
on March Is, 1912, and 46 percent
above the 1909-14 average. The
Commodity Credit Corporation re-
ported it has contracted for the sale,
during the period ending April 80,
Of about 800 900 bushels Of corr
and about 100000 bushels Of wheat
to be processed into industrial al
cohol.