davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-30
Coins in the Pacific

In the past eleven months Cen
eral MacArthur's Allied forces have
advanced 1900 miles westward from
Bougainville in the Solomons to a
point only $50 miles from the south
ern tip of the Philippines. This point
is Biak Island, the largest in the
Schouten group, where Lieutenant
General Krueger's Sixth Army troops
landed during the week end and are
now advancing against stiff Japa-
nese resistance.
Strategically, according to Gen.
eral Macarthur, this latest In
series of brilliant leapfrogging as
saults marks the practical end of
the New Guinea campaign" Con-
siderable enemy forces still remain
in being, of course, both in New
Guinea and on New Britain and
Bougainville, but their position is
hopeless and our drive against them
now takes on the character of
mopping-up operation. With Biak
in our hands. our Allied effort
especially in the air-can begin to
concentrate on bases in the Dutch
East Indies, on Palau, a key Jana
nese outpost only $40 miles away,
and on the Philippines themselves.
General Macarthur is understand
ably elated. Long ago, when our
fortunes were at their lowest in the
Pacific, he promised that he would
one day return to the Philippines,
and now, with the Biak landing, he
can safely say that the operations
he launched in April, 1913, have
more than fulfilled my most op-
timistic hopes" and have appre-
ciably advanced us on our way"
Moreover, as one of his spokesman
has pointed out, in the great battles
since the start of our counter-offen-
sive in the Southwest and South
Pacific, our forces in these areas
have recaptured more than $4,000
square miles of territory from the
enemy, have shattered his Eighth,
Eighteenth and Seventeenth Armies
numbering about 100000 men, and
have destroyed 272 of his ships,
2,317 of his barges and 5,245 of his
planes.
All Of which makes the picture
look highly encouraging for our side,
particularly when related to the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-30
Wildcat Strikes

In view of the Governments in
ability or unwillingness to deal effec-
lively with wildcat strikes. the firm
and intelligent stand which has been
taken by r. J. Thomas, head of the
CIO United Automobile Workers, in
the case of the Chrysler strike is
especially noteworthy.
Although the strike was interfer-
ing with an important phase of war
production, the War Labor Board
proved unequal to the task of getting
the members of the CLIO local back
to work. Mr.. Thomas and the other
international officers then stepped
into the picture, and they, too, met
with defiance from the local. But
MIR. Thomas did not hesitate to use
the weapons at his disposal. William
Jenkins, president of the local, and
his fourteen administrative assist
ants were promptly removed from
Office. When the rank and file per-
sisted in the strike despite this dis
ciplinary action against their off,
GERS, Mr.. Thomas let his hair down
and talked straight from the shoul-
der.
There have been too many wildcat
strikes, he declared. In the face of
the terrible facts of war, no union
can tolerate wildcat strikes and
survive. Any person who sets up
picket lines is acting like an anar-
chist, and unless the responsible
members restrain the irresponsible
minority the union will cease to
exist after the war.
This appeal broke the Chrysler
strike and sent the men back to
work. Yet there are other strikes in
progress that are equally if not more
reprehensible. The Bureau of Labor
Statistics reports that during the
first three months of this year there
were 1,020 new strikes involving
10000 workers. This is almost twice
the number of strikes during the
first quarter of 1943, during which
year a total of 13,500,5 500 man days
Of work was lost to strikes. Most of
these strikes were unauthorized and
they represent only a small fraction
of the time worked But when 1917
million working days are thrown
away on strikes at a time when
other Americans are fighting and
dying for their country, the record
Is disgraceful one. Mr.. Thomas
is to be commended for the example
that he has set, and it is to be hoped
that other labor leaders will have
the wisdom to follow it. For these
strikes are not only cutting into the
supply of medicines and munitions
for our soldiers. They are also SOW
Ing the seeds of a hatred of unions
which some day may serve to destroy
all that organized labor stands for
the good as well as the bad.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-30
What of the Younger Dead?

The heart accepts old sorrow reperently.
With iDreaths for ancient grapes, the
nourner comes;
The sloU procession ntopes NTH
mu6fed drums.
These things are good. oh, may they
neper be
Neglected nor forsaken. But today,
What OF the younger dead? With
passionate pride,
With Surging anger and pain, tpe
Mould stand beside
The graDes OF the netoly dead-but
,0here are they?
Where are our sons at rest? Ask lonely
shores,
Ask ocean caperns and notsome
jungleS' gloom
Ask distorted battlefeldS that gaze
them room
Among the dead of numberless futile
tDdrS.
Will years resolpe this paradox: A race
That, having doomed its brave, bright
youth to die
In nameless toastes, like broken fo,oers
to lie 49,,
Yet lifts to,pard heaven Its anguished,
suppliant face?
INEz BARCLAY KIRBY.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-30
The Political Mill
BY Gould Lincoln

The presidential preference primaries
OF l944-held in about one-quarter Of
the States-are now thing of the past.
They turned out to be good barometer.
The preference of the Democratic voters
Tor denomination of Mr. Roosevelt was
clearly shown, again and again. While
the President has made no statement re-
garding his future political plans, he
nevertheless did nothing to stop the
drive for him.
Gov. Dewey of Nev York, on the other
hand, in several instances asked that his
name be not placed in primary cleo
lions, and urged delegates who were
running as Dewey pledged" to with
draw. Nevertheless, supporters of the
New Yorker for the Republican presi-
oentiai nomination wrote in his name
IN large numbers In several of the
states, as. for example, in Nebraska,
pennsylvania and Oregon. Further
more. many delegate candidates run
n1ng as Dewey supporters were elected.
These primaries had one other very
direct e1ect-the elimination of Wen
dell l.. Willkie from the presidential
race. Mr.. Willkie had entered several
primaries for delegates. The Wiscon-
sin primary, on April 4, early in the
game, in which Mr.. Willkie did not win
single delegate, did the trick. Mr..
Wllkie promptly withdrew. He has vet
to say what his attitude will be in the
coming campaign and what part If any
ne will take in 1t. Notwithstanding a
record crop Of UNDERSTANDING from a
bolt to the Roosevelt standard to a re-
fusal to take any part in the campaign
1t Is believed Mr.. Willkie will in the
end support the nominee of the coming
Republican National Convention.
Unless the great majority of the party
leaders are wrong, the COP will nom
mate Gov. Dewey for President. Four
years ago the Republicans picked a DO
litical unknown-Mr. Willkie. Then
they turned to seasoned veteran, the
late Senator McNary of Oregon, Re-
publican leader of the Senate, for their
vice presidential nominee. This year
they are likely to choose a Governor or
a member of Congress for second place
on their ticket. The names that spring
to mind include Cows Warren of Cali
fornia, Bricker of Ohio and Griswold
OF Nebraska, Representatives Dirksen
OF Illinois, Senator Vandenberg of Mich
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-30

functions on the French-Belgian side
of the border that tremendous con-
gestion of westbound traffic would
occur at the corresponding points on
the German side. This was given at
tentition on Saturday in a series
of daylight attacks on Ludwigshafen,
Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Saarbrucken,
Kons, Karthaus, Neunkirchen and
Strasbourg, all Of which are railway
centers or important functions in
Southwest Germany, on lines leading
to the French frontier
The aggregate result of this carefully
planned series of operations in damage
not only to permanent way, signal and
switching systems and railway plant,
but to locomotives cars and personnel
and goods in transit must have been
staggering. The latter sort of damage
represents net loss, which Germany
is not in condition to replace. The
damage to permanent way and struc-
lures can be repaired, given time,
though the total amount of damage
being done is great, and the attacks
so continuous, that a very grave strain
must now be placed on even the ex-
cellent German railway repair facilities.
And 1t is not as though the series
Of attacks above described were an
isolated operation. They represent only
one weeks accomplishment in an I'M
broken series of continuous heavy at
tacks against the railway system which
is the lifeline of the German armies in
Western and Southern Europe, and with
out which they can not maintain any,
thing like a prolonged defense of their
present holdings in France, Italy and
the Low Countries
Nor were these the only such attacks
in progress. Even last week aside from
TIE isolation of the battlefield" opera
lions directed against the Italian rail-
ways the Mediterranean Strategic Air
Force was hard at work cutting the rail
communications between France and
Italy.
This record of systematic destruction
OF the German lifelines in single week
bears eloquent testimony to the almost
insuperable handicaps imposed upon the
supply system Of a great army when 1t
does not enjoy the effective cooperation
OF an air force adequate to defend its
communications.
'copyrtsht' 1914, BY the New York Tribune)
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-30
Third-Term Bon

Leaders OF the Republican party,
in move that is not without prece-
dent, have put themselves on record
as being unalterably opposed to
more than two terms for any future
President, especially any Republican
President. Polled by the Pathfinder
Magazine, ia prominent members
of the GOP-Governors, Senators
and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS them
selves in writing to resist any effort
by any member Of their party to
secure a third term in the White
House, and there is even talk Of
putting forward a constitutional
amendment to this effect.
In the light of this unequivocal
stand there would seem to be little
prospect that any Republican could
seriously consider aspiring to more
than two terms as President. Yet
it is a curious fact of our political
life that public officials seem ca
pable OF taking one view of this
question when they are "out" and
quite a different view when they
are Gin"
For instance, when President
Coolidge was in the White House,
and there was talk of drafting him
for third term, the Democratic
opposition in the Senate discovered
that this was cause for the gravest
concern. A resolution was drawn
up which traced the history of the
two-term tradition back to George
Washington and came to the I'M
qualified conclusion that a third
term for any President would be
"unwise, unpatriotic and fraught
with peril to our free institutions"
That was in 1927, when Repub-
lican was in the White House. It
hardly seemed possible that the
Democrats who brought about the
adoption of the resolution could
find a loophole in it. Yet, within
the short span of twelve years, most
Of those who remained in the SEN
ate had no difficulty whatsoever in
changing their minds and going
down the line for third term for
President Roosevelt.
1t does not necessarily follow, of
course, that the Republicans will
prove equally flexible, but it might
be wise not to take this latest stand
against a third term too literally
at least until such time as it may be
formally written into the Consti-
tuition.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-30

military observers look confidently to-
ward the outcome Of the battle.
The bulk of the Russian forces are
veterans The supplies and equipment
received from America and Britain have
been taken to the front line where they
are ready for use.
The Russian methods Of transporta-
ton over huge stretches lacking ade-
quate roads and railroads have caused
pleasant bewilderment among Allied
general staff officers. No one can figure
out yet how the Russians have per-
formed this operation with the meager
network Of transportation at their dis
posal. But there Is no question that
all the supplies needed for the forth
coming important and difficult offensive
are now on hand.
The Germans realize that the battle
on the Eastern Front, while less spec
tacular than the fight In the West, win
be hard one
From available reports, the Nazis have
about 10000 men - including Hun
garian, Slovak, Baltic and Romanian
forces-available to meet the Red on.
slaught. It is hardly conceivable, that
the Berlin high command can hope to
defeat the Russians. It's strategy Is
likely to be purely defensive. Hitler is
said to believe the main battle will take
place in the West where he expects to
play his trump cards. The Nazis believe
that If they succeed in preventing the
Allies from breaking through the At
lantic Wall, the effect Of the Russian
offensive will be greatly reduced and
the disappointment in Moscow at the
failure Of her western allies will permit
the Berlin diplomats to start stale
mate" peace negotiations.
According to neutral sources which
have good contacts in Germany, Hit
ler's general staff has assured him that
the Eastern Front can be held although
much ground In Poland will have to
be given up. But his generals have
convinced the Fuehrer that unless the
British and American forces are checked
the chances for a stalemate are nil
and the Reich may just as well realize
that the war has been definitely lost.
For this reason the major effort Of
the Germans will be directed at pre-
venting our forces from breaking
through the western line Of fortifica-
tons which are said to be much stronger
and better defended than those in the
East
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-30
Raiding German Rails
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot

1t will be instructive to look back
at the record of last weeks air attacks
against railway targets.
On Sunday, May 81 the Raj made
heavy night attack against the great
rail and canal center of Duisburg, on
the Rhine. This is a point controlling
a great deal Of traffic between Germany
on the one hand and Holland, Belgium
and France on the other.
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
there were a series of day and night
attacks on railway targets throughout
Belgium, and on Monday night also
two Of the main railway centers of
Western France, Orleans and LIE Mans,
were heavily bombed. But it was on
Tuesday that the real pattern began to
appear, pattern of planned Interrupt
ton of rail movement between Germany
and France, and between France and
Italy.
The Duisburg attack and the raids on
Belgium had undoubtedly caused two
things to happen: The Germans began
holding up traffic at Aachen, the great
bottle-neck point in Western Germany
for trains to and from France, and they
began to put heavier strain on the
Strasbourg-Paris line to the south. On
Tuesday, two main junction points on
the Paris-Strasbourg ine-Epinal and
Chaumont-were heavily attacked in
daylight raids. And on Wednesday night,
the Raj put down heavy concentra-
ton on Aachen.
The result of this must have been
immediate congestion at all the main
functions in Belgium and in Northern
and Northeastern France, Trafic had
to be switched around the blocks at
Epinal and Chaumont, and eastbound
traffic could not get through to Germany
by way of Aachen.
Therefore during daylight on Thurs
day American bombers proceeded to
smash the railway yards at Mulhouhe,
Belfort, Metz, Sarreguemines, Thion-
vile, Charleroi, Blainville, Brussels and
Liege-all of them controlling main line
functions with secondary lines over
the general region of the French from
tier and Eastern and Southern Belgium.
BY this time the jam at Aachen was
no doubt being cleared so the Raj
came back there on Friday night with
another heavy concentration
1t would naturally follow as a result
OF the attacks on railway lines and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-30
This Changing World
By Constantine Bro,cn

After several weeks of rest, the Rus.
sian Army Is reported to have concern
trated 800 divisions on q line extending
roughly from Lwow to Vino and Is pre-
pared to synchronize its attack against
Hitler's European Fortress with the as
saults of RuSsia's Allies in other sectors.
The Soviet Army Is said to have moved
up enormous quantities of supplies to
feed the thousands of guns and tanks
awaiting the signal to strike.
Few persons know whether the Reds
attack will develop before, at the same
time, or within few days after the
Americans and British begin their DIM
cult operation from England. The i'm
portant factor is that the American
and British high commands now feel
confident that this attack will develop
delivered with even greater power than
heretofore.
1t is probable that the Russians who
in the past have been holding back the
large number of planes they have
received from the United States and
Britain, will now use them more ex-
tensively. The fact that since the begin
ing Of the Russian offensive II months
ago the Red air force has played only
q secondary role in the gigantic bat
ties with the Nazis, has made many
observers wonder why the lease-lend
planes have not been used more effec-
lively.
The explanation now is that there
has been no real opportunity to launch
large fleets of bombers against the Ger
mans, who adopted flexible defensive
strategy with plenty of ground behind
them and few fixed targets for bombers.
The situation is different now. The
Russians are close to the important
German industrial centers in the East:
these have been within the range of
the Red bombers for some time. but
1T appears that the Russian general
staff believes attacks against them
should be made when the Red divisions
begin their main assault.
Brest Litovsk, east of Warsaw. is thu
heart Of the first important German
defense line. The Germans are reported
to have made that old Polish city into a
fortress much stronger than Stalinerad.
The marshes to the east have greatly
aided the defense organization. Only
with force such as the Russians DOS
sess for the summer offensive can Allied
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-30

results of our Selective Service sys-
tenn. 1t is good and effective sys-
tenn; under it the civilian youths of
yesterday have become the hard
hitting, victory-bent American SOL
diers of today. And seeing them,
feeling the ever-increasing weight
of their attack, the enemy must
know now how grossly he underesti-
mated the human resources and
spirit Of our free society and the will
and ability of that society to fight
and overthrow the regimented thing
that threatened 1t.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-30
Urges International Code.

Urges International Code.
TO the Editor OF The Star. *
Aggressor nations, nations that would
start unprovoked wars of conquest, un-
doubtedly hereafter will ind themselves
under the ban of powers that would
preserve world peace.
The Atlantic Charter animadverts
against them. Political and diplomatic
writer's illuminate. Any future concordat
OF the United Nations will carry severe
and heavy penalties (sanctions) against
such transgressor nations"
A point that this writer would make
is that nations" as such, of themselves
do not start wars Of aggression. In
variably some nlontebank exaggerates
the peoples wrongs and incites them
on. And the pity Of 1t all is that
retribution seldom catches up with the
real malefactor.
For 20 years William II Of Germany
ratified his sword around an inundated
Europe and finally succeeded in starting
World War No /. What happened to
William? He lived out his days as a
retired country gentleman in the old
Dutch village Of Doom.
Does any one believe that the German
people aside from the military class
wanted this prevailing conflict?
What Is now needed, and badly, as
insurance against World War No. 8, is
an international criminal code agreed to
by all the Allies, the first provision of
which should be the penalty of death
sentence mandatory-for any one
person" not nation" who starts a
war Of aggression or who. having the
power to prevent it, fails to do so. Per-
sonal, individual accountability is a
great and wonderful deterrent.
Had there been such code or agree
ment among the Allied powers and
calling for individual accountability for
guessing wrong" Hitler would not
have struck at Poland. The known fact
that there was none afforded his great
and safe" opportunity
WILBUR H. CLOSE.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-30
Memorial Doy

WORDS are an aHront to the heroic
dead. The instinct of the heirs of
their sacrifice is to be silent in
the presence of their immolation.
1t is the experience of millions of
people that the most profoundly
sacred moment of any service of
commemoration is the pause when
quiet briefly reigns. Then come the
poignant notes of Taps played by
an unseen trumpeter as a signal of
the continuance of those solemn
realities of love and mourning and
gratitude which are the enduring
gift of the living to the fallen.
1t Is not death itself which in
spires the rites of Memorial Day.
The Greek Anthology contains
abundant evidence that even in very
ancient times men understood that
the end of life was nothing to be
feared or dreaded. What mattered
then, as now, was the manner and
the purpose of the giving up of
earthly existence. Simonides said of
the Athenians at Plataea that they
had achieved "the chief part of ex-
cellence" in that they had "set a
crown of freedom on Hellas." The
diadem of liberty for which Ameri-
cans have persisted since December
7, 1941, has been pledged to the
whole human race.
Thus it may be claimed for those
who especially are remembered in
these lines that they have died for
the hottest cause of which the finite
mind can think. It was for nothing
less than the essential principles of
civilization that they bravely went
forth to battle overseas and glori-
ously met their fate. No other
struggle in history has been waged
to a comparable objective. It was
not merely to defeat the Axis enc
mics that the American dead have
given their all. Read the letters
they sent home, talk with their
comrades and it will be made plain
that they have contributed to the
translation of vast, inclusive ideal.
However phrased, it was for peace,
an honorable prosperity and a sin
cere and unpretending fellowship
that they paid out their blood.
To doubt that would be to ques-
ton the integrity of the American
Nation. It also would involve a re-
lection of the elementary concept of
ordered democracy which the United
States originally was established to
protect and defend. The vitality of
the doctrine of freedom is demon
strated by current reports from all
theaters of operation. In courage
and valiancy the soldiers, the sailors
and the marines of 1914 are worthy
to stand with the best of their fore
bears. Anzio and Tarawa already
are names as meaningful to Ameri-
cans as Bunker Hill or Gettysburg
ever were. Tt is for continuity so
precious that the "last full measure
OF devotion" has been and is being
spent by contemporary generations.
While the contest goes on, the
sacrifice will be repeated again and
again. But each tear shed for the
lost will be tribute of dedication.
America is articulate in action, yet
silent in the holiness of its commit
ment. When the victory has been
won, those who were expended for
it will be justified. No other con-
clusion is conceivable.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-05-30

other great gains scored by our
forces elsewhere in the vast Pacific
theater. 1t is small wonder that the
japanese are beginning to speak
more and more shrilly about crisis,
for with their outer defenses
smashed to the south, they see all
their island conquests slowly but
surely slipping from their grasp
and perhaps not so slowly.