davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1943-08-20

BrlClSn, u a Dorothy Thompson.
madam and American teamwork.
That the victory was so swift
should not lead us to minimize
its difficulties. The Axis con-
sidered Sicily a main bulwark of
their Fortress of Europe. Musso-
lini began modernizing its forti-
flcations as far back as 1886,
during the Ethiopian crisis.
Whatever We may think of the
Italian soldier, Italy always has
been a nation of builders, and
Italian engineers second to none.
The terrain was singularly fa-
vorable for defense, with every
beach overshadowed by steep
rocks affording exceptional
means of protection. The whole
area, also, had a network of air.
fields. and was full of troops,
largely Italian, but also German.
Although the enemy succeeded
in evacuating numbers of these
troops, we took more than 100 900
prisoners, which in itself is proof
of the military force that was
there.
Faced $3.50 Chance.
Nor did our officers underrate
the seriousness of the adventure.
A month before the campaign,
Gen. Eisenhower intimated that
we might ''be sent back with a
bloody nose" The British, Ca
madam and American boys who
set out in the darkness faced
about a $3.50 chance of sur.
viving. That no such casualty
list is presented to the American
people is reason for the most
humble gratitude to God and
good planning.
In the course of the African
campaign our soldiers, it was
clear, had become veterans, and
our staff work had immensely
improved. We out-generaled the
Germans who, hitherto, had been
accepted as masters of the art of
warfare. The Germans had ex-
pected our landing in Western
Sicily, at Trapani and Marsala,
and thus had destroyed all land
ing facilities at Trapani. In addi-
ton, they had concentrated their
main force in the western corner
and were greatly surprised when
we landed, instead, on the south
ern tip. Then they delayed shift
ing their full weight to the south,
believing still that the first land
ing was a trap, and that the
landing force must occur in the
west. So We gained valuable
Evening star., 1943-08-20

outage for the political discus
sions.
Their role is important, but
their decisions are likely to prove
less momentous than is generally
believed. This years strategy
was outlined at the last meeting
In Washington in May. There
will be no change in the general
outline.
There has been some planning
for 1914 operations. But the
May conference is believed also
to have dealt extensively with
that matter. And, since the con-
quest of Sicily was far less costly
than had been anticipated, there
Is no reason to believe that any.
of the decisions reached in May
have been in need of revision.
Gen. Eisenhower now has at
his disposal a large enough force
to enter Italy and occupy it as
far north as Rome and Florence.
Consequently, none of the divi-
sions earmarked three months
ago for other important opera
tions will have to be diverted,
now from their original objec-
tive.
When the Quebec conference
was called it was taken for
granted it would deal mostly
with military matters. The po-
litical problems of the European
continent were to be left in
abeyance. Otherwise we would
have been in a position similar
to that of the man who wanted
to sell the skin of the bear
before the bear had been killed.
Russia Caused Shift.
Russia's dissatisfaction with
the conduct of the war by the
United States and Britain was
well known here and in London.
Reports in the Russian press
and the various short but to-the-
point messages from Premier
Stain were clear indications that
our strategy did not meet with
Russia's approval.
So long as the dissatisfaction
continued to revolve around mill
tary matters, it was believed a
frank exchange of military in
formation would satisfy the Rus
slams. From this the Soviet high
command could gather clearly
that the best time for us to
strike at Western Europe would
be in the spring or summer of
1914.
But the increasing grumblings
from Moscow made President
Roosevelt and Prime Minister
Evening star., 1943-08-20
Will Rogers, Jr., Praises
British Food Rutionino
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
LONDON, Aug. 20.-Representa-
tive VIII Rogers, jr, Democrat, OF
California praised Britain's food
rationing In visit to Bristol yes
terday, saying:
Il had better meal in a canteen
in coal mine than in ary London
hotel and need hardly tell you which
cost the most"
He added that it was refreshing
to find spirit of unity in Britain
after the pickering in Washington. "
Evening star., 1943-08-20
This, Changing World

Churchill realize there may be
more than the dissatisfaction Of
the military men behind the re-
peated warnings from Russia.
The rumors Of q Soviet German
peace based on German with
drawal to the borders of 1914
(the Vistula line) and the es-
tablishment of q military demo-
cratic" regime to replace the
present Nazi government, have
been circulated in Washington
and London for many weeks.
Serious Worries Offered.
Officially, the American Gov
ernment rejects these rumors as
propaganda. Unofficially, 1t Is
seriously worried about them.
The British, on the other hand,
are convinced there is nothing
in them other than an attempt
by Premier Stain to drive hard
bargain with the Allies before the
was takes a final shape in our
favor. The Foreign Office is con-
vinced that Stain Is holding this
club over our heads merely to
get Britain and the United States
to agree to all the plans he has
for postwar Europe.
Under these circumstances, 1t
was deemed necessary that the
accent on the Quebec Conference
should be put on diplomacy
rather than strategy,
The generals and the admirals
thus were relegated to secondary
position after Mr.. Roosevelt and
Mr.. Churchill and their diplo-
matte and political advisers
reached Quebec. This had be-
come necessary If the British
were correct in contending that
Russian Ill humor was a result
of Premier Stalin's desire to set
tie the postwar territorial prob
lens now.
The presence of Secretary of
State Hull and Foreign Secretary
Eden, with cohorts of postwar
planners, has lent color to specu-
lation that the American and
British Governments will exam
Inc carefully all the desires of
the Russians and reach an agree
ment among themselves as to
how far the Soviet claims can be
satisfied.
Naxis Seen Outbid.
Reliable reports say the British
Foreign Secretary, probably ac-
companied by such high-ranking
Americans as Undersecretary of
State Welles or Harry. Hopkins,
will be sent to Moscow. Ostensi-
bly, they will carry with them re-
ports on the strategic decisions
Of the military conferees.
But, in fact, it is suspected in
diplomatic quarters that they will
carry offers which should outbid
by far anything the Germans
might be inclined to offer Russia
as a price for cessation of hos
tilities and a negotiated peace.
Diplomats striving to analyze
the obscure political situation
point out that Stain has signed
pact with Britain agreeing not
to make a separate peace. But
there is nothing in that pact, SO
far as Is known here, barring
Russia from taking the lead to
negotiate a peace, should the
conditions offered by Berlin ap-
pear to the Moscow government
favorable to all concerned.
Evening star., 1943-08-20

which constitute
what is generally
c a IL e d t h e
"h ON e front"
Mr.. RooSe v e ! t
himself has said
that it is wrong
to talk about the
home front" as
distingui S h e d
from the mill
tary front" and
that they are
one front.
1t seems fair,
therefore, to as
Evening star., 1943-08-20

concept of Brit
iSh = American
relations.
Th is week S
meeting of our
President and
the Prime Min
lister of Great
Britain is &C
cepted through
ou t t he t w o
countries as al
most a routine
AFFAIR." collab-
grafton that has
been developed
Evening star., 1943-08-20

Henry McLemore. never has been
famed for the conversation Of its
citizens. We always went in more
for saloons than for salons. But We
can talk with the best of them to-.
day.
Food rationing is a strange and
bewildering evil to Americans, but
I'm not sure that the nonstop, "a
hour-a-day topic of conversation
1t has furnished us Is not worth the
sacrifice of few staple victuals. A
citizen can go anywhere now. and
be perfectly at home with food ra-N
tioning as an ice breaker. tiih
Dullards Now Lions. IN
People who were dull before the
war now can become the lions OF
group by discussing such thineB
as butter, cheese, and loin Of porks
The latest story about the shortage
Of sirloin will draw group to4a
talker just as II he had magnets in
his lapels.
There was time when q man had
to be bright and witty and sparkling
to demand attention. Now all fe
has to do is to talk about larffb,
liver, rump roasts, and bacon rto
gain the ears of all those In the
room. ,,~s
A roomful of stuffy people can
be converted into roomful of talk-
ing people simply by having some.
one mention the gasoline ration.
Prewar bores now hold audiences
spellbound by describing how they
got an extra. mile per gallon, or hoW
they save quart Of the precious
stuff a week by cutting OF the motor
of their cars and coasting fiva
blocks. ~.
saw fellow sway q group as
only william Jennings Bryan could
sway crowd, simply by telling
them that he had added extra mile
age by having the spark plugs
cleaned and the windshield wiper
creased. Some of his listeners act1-
ally took notes, as If they were
listening to a celebrated author,
scientist or flower arranger. rs
was one Of those who took notes,
and from the talk Of q man Che
sells ice cream freezers for a living)
to whom, before the war, I wouldn't
have listened even II he had stood
up in a crowded theater and yelled
fire" -
Only Soapbox Needed.
AS for the war itseH-the actual
fighting you know what that has
done. Millions of folks, women
whose conversation used to be hm-
tied to commenting on the weather
and men who could bore a cigar
store Indian from so PAGES, now
need only a soapbox to qualify as
soapbox orators.
They tell you where the third
front will be opened. They tell you
where the fourth front will be
opened. Pressed bit, they will give
you the lowdown on the fifth front.
They second-guess Gen. Mac
Arthur, tell you what is wrong with
Gen. Eisenhower, and quote Prime
Minister Churchill and President
Roosevelt as If they had been given
the eavesdropping concession out
side the council room of the Presi-
dent and the Prime Minister. 1d
know man who used to have a
decided lisp and stammer, but who
now, at the drop of a hat, will speak
for hours on what Is in the back Of
Joe Stalin's mind. And II no one
drops hat he'll go home and get
his and drop 1t.
When peace comes it is going to
be pretty tough to find something 70
talk about. ..
Distributed BY McNausht syndicats, Inesy
Evening star., 1943-08-20
On The Record
days in which to establish ou
first front.

days in which to establish our
first front.
Fascist Call = Comedy.
After the first days, we were
assisted by two factors. on only
the first of which we had count
ed: Superiority of our material,
and the attitude of the Sicilian
population.
The Fascist government had
sent out calls for guerrilla war
fare. The call was a comedy. Our
troops were welcomed by the ci-
william population with flowers
and fruit. This is the first time
that has happened anywhere ex-
cept to Hitler in Austria and the
Sudetenland, when he entered
territory inhabited by Germans.
The landing of our troops turned
into an anti-Fascist demonstra-
ton, and cost the position of
Mussolini.
1t is revelatory that we had
better planned our military ven-
ture and were better able to ex-
plot its success than we had
foreseen the political develop
ments or have been able to ex-
plot them.
The lull that occurred, after
about a fortnight, was due to
the natural barrier of Mount
Etna. Only those familiar with
Sicily can imagine its grandiosity.
Etna is more than a great vol
canic mountain; it is not one
peak but an agglomeration of
peaks, rising out of the sea to
attitudes of 1000 feet. On the
lowest level are groves of citrus
fruits; above them forests; and
above them naked rocks, filled
with caves, excellent as gun posi-
tions; and above them deep
SHOWS. Such position can be
held by defenders very inferior
in numbers. The Etna mass fills
more than half of the breadth of
Sicily. We had to bypass it
through other, very difficult
mountains, all of which it over
looked. That we succeeded is one
of the most admirable details of
the campaign.
Tyrrhenian Controlled.
The conquest of Sicily puts us
two miles from the Italian main
land. We can lombard it from
land and penetrate it fully and
easily by air. We are masters of
the Tyrrhenian Sea Italy's
channel waters. We are in full
possession of the transit routes
through the Mediterranean,
shortening our communication
lines by thousands of miles to the
Near East and all Asia. We are
near the Balkans. And we have
proved that We can land, from the
sea, on enemy soil, fortified and
protected by enemy forces.
That this success comes in the
same moment when the Russians
are advancing, and when our
joint Anglo-American military
staf1s are planning new CAM
paigns in Quebec is a good omen.
Our admiration and gratitude
pour out to our commander in
chiefs, our officers, and the
brave young Anglo American SOL
diers, who, in the last 80 days,
made world history.
(Released by The Bell Syndicate. Inco
Evening star., 1943-08-20

stand together in the biggest and
mightiest alliance of all times, and
the Nazis, who have again and
again counted on a division In our
ranks, are again the victims of their
own failure to appraise the power
of the democratic spirit.
lReproduction Rights ReservedD
Evening star., 1943-08-20

there d e al
m re with
the political
aspect Of the
W a r tn a n
with military
operations.
This does
not m e q n
t h a t tn e
A m e ri c a n
and the Brit
ish strate e.
giSts are in
Quebec mere
Evening star., 1943-08-20
Hotel Lacks Guest

Because the $500 900 tourist hotel
at the Ofqui Canal had no guests in
1941 and only IA last year, Puerto
Aysen has petitioned the Chilean
government to move the building to
Puerto Aysen, which has no quarters
for tourists.
Evening star., 1943-08-20

est gratitude
to the officers
and men who
planned and
executed this
first conquest
of the enc
my's own ter
ritory.
1t was me-
t ic U ! o u sly
planned, and
it was a graft
flying demon
S t r a ton Of
Evening star., 1943-08-20
BY FRANK r. KENT.

In the midst of the greatest of all
wars it may seem petty to some to
dwell on the relatively small frailties
and faults of the domestic agencies
Evening star., 1943-08-20

Der what people.
talked about be-
fore Pearl Har-
Dor. and I WON,
der what they'll,
talk about when
p earl Harbor
has been thor
oughly avenged
and the lights
60 on again all
over the world,
except in Axis
countries.
This country
Evening star., 1943-08-20
BY DOROTHY THOMPSON,

The fall of Messina marks the
end of the Sicilian campaign.
1t was accomplished in SO days.
And all of us owe a debt of deep
Evening star., 1943-08-20
By CONSTANTINE BROWN.

From the shreds OF informa-
ton reaching the outside world
from Quebec, it has become evi-
dent that the war conversations
Evening star., 1943-08-20

HE opinions OF the rsters this page oon
necessarily The Stars Such opinions presented in The
Stars effort to gue all sides OF questions OF interest to its
readers although such opinions may be contradictory among
themselves and directly opposed to The Stars
Evening star., 1943-08-20
.McLenore-
Finds War Mode
u. S. GurruIous
BY HENRY McLEMORE

War Is everything Sherman said
1t was, doubled in spades, but you'll
have to admit IL makes for conver-
sation. sH,ys
For the life OF me, can't remems
Evening star., 1943-08-20
III. U.S.-British
Collaboration
| Battles Nuziis
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Whatever miscalculations or illu-
sions the Nazis may have encoun-
tered in their plan for the war, none
is so strikingly mistaken as their
Evening star., 1943-08-20

opinion relieved him for the time
being of having to turn the chill
dren over to their mother in ac-
cordance with an earlier court order.
Evening star., 1943-08-27

clinch, whereby the curtains close
and you mutter something like,
We'll, I'll be derned!"
Mr.. Lucky, the fellow in the pic
ture, is a s.ickly shady gambler, but
also an amiable one not so single
minded as to be impervious to the
charms OF an attractive girl like
Miss Day. Miss Day is occupied
with the role of a lieutenant working
for war relief society heavily pop
ulated with rich fiuttery females
prototypes, supposedly. 1t is against
this ideal background that Mr..
Grant Is permitted to release his
mugging-as opposed to his comic
talents. He takes up knitting, tough
fellow that he is, and wanders
around for good while talking
about dropping stitches, purling,
etc. Cute as the very dickens, es-
pecially when his tough gambling
associate. The Crunk, joins in. Mr..
Grants arch conduct with the war
relief ladies also takes in such things
as sharking and manhandling mer-
chants who are reluctant to lend the
society unselfish assistance. The
society being apparently broke most
OF the time, Mr.. Grant also suggests
and stages vast gambling orgy to
raise funds. You feel, for the most
part, that the war reliefers are get
ting an undue ribbing. And such
other institutions as the Blood Bank
and military enlistment are hardly
more than incidental light props
erected for the odd course of the
character. Mr.. Lucky.
1t is as If by pure expedience that
the aforementioned gambling spree
comes OF as just the thing to set
Mr.. Lucky on the straight and
honest path and bring the film to
some kind Of close. Originally, you
see, the lad organized the show TO
I'LL his and the boys pocket purses.
But he gains access, in the mean
time, to solemn heroic letter sent
from invaded Greece, and this con-
vinces him what heel he has been.
The esteem for Miss Day helps lot,
too. He suggests to the boys that
the money should 60 where it be-
longs; there is doubIecross, a brief
CORY tussle and final ringing alb
solvement of the reformed lucky
one.
Evening star., 1943-08-27
BY ]. w. STEPP.

In the great and trying quest for
original material-or a reasonable
facsimile thereof-to render into a
screenplay RKO-Radio has achieved
a measure of success in Mr. Lucky"
The story is original. unusual even:
but In somewhat the same manner
as the duckbill platypus, which
bulges out in the most unexpected
places and has all sorts of surpris-
ing trappings on its form. You
look at the specimen and wonder;
you cannot suppress chuckle now
and then and sometimes you are
struck with fieeting sense Of trag-
edy. So it is with Mr.. Lucky"
the specimen which arrived at
Keith's yesterday.
RKO-Radio, like nature and her
platypus, couldn't seem to make up
its mind about "Mr. Lucky"
The film, which stars Cary Grant
and Laraine Day and features 4
host Of well-typed characters, gives
the strong impression that it Is
going to be a comedy. When you
are all but convinced Of this, Mr..
Grant has to 60 and get grievously
wounded by q pistol shot, so you
stop giggling and settle back for a
spot OF melodrama. That. however.
is just about where Mr.. Grant and
Miss Day engage in their final
Evening star., 1943-08-27

can be won in any other way.
disney and Seversky are of one
mind and one voice In this un-
abashed statement OF a military
thesis. Before they are through
with you, you probably will agree
with them for such is the force of
their picture that it tolerates no
demurrer. They are telling you, in
words underscored by every head
line In today's paper, and their
declaration has fascination that
exceeds that of any motion picture
thai ever found its theme in war.
Maj. Severskys book, an un-
qualified statement Of every air.
mans belief that the airplane Is
a weapon which has made all others
obsolete. Is almost uncannily trans
lated in the Disney version. The
layman cannot fail to be convinced
Of the rightness of the thesis as
presented in Victory Through Air
Power" Whatever defense the mill
tary mind may have thrown up
against it--a defense weakened by
every communique from Europe
and the Pacific these days-the lay
man is utterly helpless in the face
Of its force. He is left merely the
right to concur, an attitude that
will be just fine if air power turns
out to be as irresistible as the film
insists. The co-authors of Victory
Through Air Power" are blandly
convinced that this will be the case.
a conviction that grows daily in
more minds than their own.
Victory Through Air Power" as
a piece Of screencraft is a superb
achievement 1t sticks resolutely
to Maj. Seversky's text. namely that
the way to win a machine age war
is with the most deadly machine,
the airplane. 1t says that other
ships, guns. tanks, etc,
are obsolete. 1t says that man
power is useless against machine
power, that manpower is tragically
wasted when all that is necessary
is to blast the enemy's production
out Of existence.
These are grim and terrible things
to utter but Victory Through Air
Power" does so without apology, or
even the patience to listen to pos
sible rebuttal. Moreover, 1t In.
tersperses the statement Of them
with q humor that is as human as
that which has hallmarked the
whimsy and fantasy which have
come out Of the Disney studios in
the past. The injection of such a
Evening star., 1943-08-27

Of the first war planes evolved into
warriors who threw first bricks,
then fired bullets at each other.
Maj. Seversky becomes his own
mouthpiece in the later parts of
the picture, those which are de-
voted to fervid pleas for a separate
Air Force and the all-out effort to
win the. war by bombing the heart,
literally. out of the enemy's produc-
tion set-up. The major, with no
acting experience whatever, achieves
a remarkable performance in which
simple intensity and zealousness of
viewpoint inspire him to something
like the performance Of the year.
He is a writer with a new medium
one of the best ever placed at the
disposal of writer-and he makes
more of 1t. through simplicity. than
any professional could possibly have
done. .
Entertainment in the loose sense
of the word is not the objective OF
Victory Through Air Power" AL
though it is achieved. 1t is incidental
to the purpose Of enlightening the
public concerning the faith which
Maj. Seversky, Disney and a great
many others-friends and enemies
have in air power.
Were it not damned by the esti-
mate, 1t is perhaps the most signifi-
cant picture Of the war. Perhaps,
also, in more ways than one for
such eloquence utilized in behalf Of
less honest and more weakly sup
ported convictions is another thing
to think about.
Evening star., 1943-08-27
Disney Swings to Realism
In Seversky's Air Power
Nv Jay CARMODY.

The whmsy and fantasy which he has taught the public to expect
opened yesterday the Columbia all old
there this odd Disney product fortnight adaptation
much sooner than It
Evening star., 1943-08-27
Extraordinary Mr.. Lucky
The Cast.

MR.. LUCKY" an RKo-Radio picture
starring Cary Grant and Laraine Day,
produced by David Hampstead, directed
by Il. G. Potter. story by Milton Holmes
At Keith's.
Evening star., 1943-08-27

spirit into. the picture gives it an
eloquence which it could have in
no other way.
Victory Through Air Power" is
not so impatient to shout its mes
sage that 1t has no time for the
past of aviation. Its history is
traced, clearly and succinctly, in
the pictures early passages which
begin with the skepticism with
which the Wright Brothers were
treated. 1t carries on through
the martyrdom of Gen. Billy Mitch
ell, equally ironic in its implication,
and follows the development OF
aircraft through World War I and
its aftermath of indifference to the
new instrument. 1t is, incidentally,
in the treatment of 1914-18 plane
development that the picture
achieves the best of its humor,
recital Of how the gentlemen pilots
Evening star., 1943-08-27
ADVERTISEMENT.
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Evening star., 1943-08-27

SALUTE TO THE MARINES" Metro
Goldwyn-Mayer production starring wal
lace 1sery, directed by 3. Sylvan Simon,
an original BY Robert D. Andrews. At
The Cast.