The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1943-01-21

Iof american troops there. Food,
he said, is a weapon in total war
and the record crop produced last
year by American farmers is a ma
jor victory of the United Nations.
Year-end estimates from the De-
partment of Agriculture show 1912
output of livestock and livestock
products (for sale and home con-
sumption) up IL percent over 1871,
crop production up nearly IA per-
cent and total agriculture produc-
ton up more than IL percent. But
it is still likely that, due to UMPIRE
cedented national income and rising
government requirements, 1913 de-
nand for farm products will rise
we'll ahead of production. Attain
ment of the 1913 food goals would
mean IL percent increase lover
1922 in livestock and livestock
products, a percent increase in
total agricultural production, and
total food production increase of
about percent. If these goals are
attained, 1943 will be the seventh
year to set food production rec
ord.
After government requirements
have been met, the volume of 1943
food production left for civilians is
expected to be about the same as the
1935-39 average, which was ade-
quate to feed the nation five years
ago but is 10 percent below 1912.
OFFENSIVE IN LIBYA
The allies have opened an air Of
fensive against Gen. Rommels re-
treating Afrika Korps in Libya. On
Sunday, January 10, allied planes
bombed and machinelgunned the
German forces on the coast road be-
tween Misurata and Tripoli. On
Tuesday, January IL, they made a
lightning attack on Castel Benito,
10 miles South of Tripoli, raining
bombs on the airfield, setting fire
to buildings and destroying at least
five enemy planes on the ground
and on the way back, flying
fortresses rushed into 75-mile run
ming battle with German Messer-
schmitt fighters az without loss
brought down IA of them.
On the thirteenth, allied planes,
in broad daylight, opened heavy
attack on German positions in the
Wadi Zemzem Area and in fierce
air battle shot down four Messer-
sehn..:;ces and damaged others. The
night before, bombers had attacked
enemy landing grounds at Misurata
! (Which is about 60-7O miles north
Of the Yadi zemzem defense line)
and had followed up by bombing
axis-hefd roads and fields and ma
chine-gunning transport conveys all
the way from Misurata to Tunisia,
270 miles to the West. Allied fight
er and bomber planes, the next day,
again carried the battle to Misurata
and TO Tripoi. Meanwhile, the ac-
tivity in Tunisia continues with al
lied air forces hitting hard against
the axis coastal towns and the
French reporting gains in the South
ern sector
On the New Guinea, us. and
Australian troops continue to close
slowly in on the tight little Japa-
nese stronghold on Sanananda point.
Hampered by torrential rains, allied
troops on Friday were still one and
one-half miles from the main. enemy
positions. In a daring commando
type raid picked force of Jungle
trained Australians struck within
one of Japans biggest bases in
Northeast New Guinea and wiped
out all the Japanese they found.
The raid was at lMubo, ~ miles south
of the big enemy base of Salamanua
on the Huon Gulf, and was two
day operation by Australians who
had been operating in the area for
some time.
JAPANESE PROPAGANDA
After the Navy identified as the
Hornet the aircraft carrier sunk in
the battle of Santa Cruz Islands on
October &c, 1912, Japanese propa-
gandists attempted to exploit the
American announcement by assert
ing that the Hornet brought the
North American bombers for the
air attack on Tokyo last April Is.
la Tokyo broadcast recorded by the
IOWI declared that the sinking Of
the Carrier was revenge for the
raid" adding that Japanese air
units had been concentrating on this
ship.
Presbyterian Church