davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1944-11-07
This Changing World
b. Constantine Brown

The increase In the number Of Ger
man fighter planes appearing on both
the western and eastern fronts is sur
prising. but they do not offer serious
handicap to the Allied Air Forces.
Although most Of the war industry
of Western and Central Germany has
been severely damaged by the American
British raids and has been compelled to
reduce its output by at least 90 per cent,
featuring their Jet planes and other
fighters in the eastern sections Of the
empire which so far have not suffered
from heavy bombings.
The Nazi war industry is now con-
centrated in an area extending roughly
between the Oder and the Vistula Rivers
where there are important coal and
other mineral deposits necessary for
the manufacture Of war equipment.
While the American and British
bombers have been hammering the Ruhr
Valley and the other Industrial Sec
tions, the relatively new industrial area
in the east has been left alone. Stra-
logically 1t Is In the Russian zone Of
operations and any Allied activities in
that part Of the Reich must have the
Red Army's approval. Large-scale
bombings we're possible even before we
were established in France because of
the possibility of arranging shuttle
flights either from British or italian
airfields. But, after couple of such
shuttle bombings, directed at that time
against the Romanian oilfelds, they
were suspended. Moscow informed
Washington that 1t could no longer
offer the western planes the desired
The reasons which cause the u. S.
s. r. government to demand the cessa-
ton of the shuttle flights can only be
guessed at. The most popular guess Is
that the Russians, who realize they
have the war in the bag, do not want
to damage the German industrial in
stallations In Silesia since they will be
the first available to the U. 8. S. r.
for beginning Of postwar reconstruc-
ton.
These factories are new and equipped
with the most modern tooling. They
can be converted to the manufacture OF
consumer goods within a short time
Evening star., 1944-11-07
Nazi Policy of Dilution
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot

One of the principal reasons why q
breakthrough Of the present German
defensive "crust" along the Rhine may
be expected to have far-reaching strate-
gical results Is the bankruptcy of the
German policy of dilution.
up to now" observes 1t. Gen.
Martin in the London Daily Telegraph,
"dilution has saved the German Army
dilution with the aged. inflrm and alien
but the limits of this makeshift have
been reached"
At present the process Of dilution
takes the form very largely of filling up
remnants of old front-line units with
the recruits of the total mobilization"
which was begun at the end Of July,
after the alleged attempt on Hitler's
life and the Allied breakthrough at
Avranches Allied front line reports
have spoken frequently of late about
officers and noncommissioned officers
but rsnk and file of half-trained re-
cruits Of very low physical standards.
These are the so-called volksgrena-
diers outfits. They do not appear to
have been welded into organizations
higher than battalion size; for the most
part they appear in so-called battle
groups" Of 500-700 men, with some artil-
lery and occasionally few tanks at
tached. 1t will take some time and
lot of experience-bought at the price
Of heavy casualties-to enable these
groups to be welded into mobile, maneu-
verable divisions.
At present they are capable of hold
ing defensive position, even of putting
on a local counterattack, as long as
they are aided by terrain favorable to
defense or by fortincations. But In open
warfare against good armored or good
infantry divisions they would be virtu-
ally helpless.
In addition to these, there are the
Volksturm battalions. These are the
German Home Guard, raised and organ
lied under the personal supervision Of
that great military genius, Heinrich.
Himmler. His faith In their loyalty and
devotion Is best illustrated by the fact
that the weapons provided for them
Chiefly rifles plus few old-tyre ma
chine guns are to be kept under lock
and key by the local SIS leaders, and
issued to the gallant Volksturm only for
periods OF carefully supervised instruc-
ton, or when the time comes to turn
out the Volksturm to tight.
German reports say these units have
fought well In East Prussia. There
are as yet no Allied reports as to en-
counters with Volksturm troops. But
the conditions under which they were
raised do not suggest that they can con-
stitute anything moro than corps for
local defense, under exceptionally favor1e
able conditions.
The great German lack Is that Of 1
mobile reserve, q real counterattack
force capable Of striking powerful blows,
Of checking the exploitation Of an Allied
breakthroush In the west = German
reserves checked the Russians nnetheast
Evening star., 1944-11-07

after Germany's collapse. And until
the Russian factories are reconstructed
land that will take long time-the
Moscow government does not want to be
wholly dependent on American lease
lend or on cash purchases In the United
States Russia desires to be at least
partially self-suficient as soon as the
Germans have surrendered.
The fact that the German industries
In the east have not been the targets Of
heavy raids which have destroyed fac
tories In the west enables Hitler to con-
centrate there the production Of what.
ever secret weapons he may have PLAN
ned and also permits him to produce the
new fast fighter planes which already
have appeared on the western front.
Unless the Allied forces in the west
are able to break down the Nazi re-
sistance this fall-and Gen. Eisenhower
Is said to still believe that there Is such
a possibility-the American and British
bombers will encounter much heavier
opposition this winter and spring.
This will increase our losses, but in
the end will not seriously interfere with
hAAC0 uvAdtAO1. VIC uOW QOSSeSC IN LIS
west such q powerful air force that no
matter how many new fighters the
Germans can put in the air they can
no longer reduce our air supremacy.
The actual number Of our bombers and
fighters of all types is q military secret
But 1t can be said that If we allowed
only half the American-British air
forces to come out, their numbers are
SO great that they would be in each
others way.
Under these circumstances, the ap-
pearance Of the new German fighters Is
only minor headache. They may in
crease our losses in air combats and
give better protection to the ground
troops fighting on the Siegfried Line.
Until three weeks ago that protection
was SO meager that in some instances
the morale Of the German defense
forces suffered because there was
nothing in the air to protect them from
severe strafing by the Allies.
The chief disadvantage of our in
ability to bomb the eastern German in
dustries consists mostly in the fact that
the Nazis are able to continue their
robot bombing of England with ma
terial produced in that area,
Evening star., 1944-11-07
Dewey and the War

To the Editor of The Star:
I am afraid an injustice will be done
Gov. Dewey by general failure to
realize an axiom: Nothing succeeds in
politics like military success.
Gen. George B. Mcclellan was the
last candidate to run against the re-
election of an American President dur
Ing war. He made the conduct of the
war the issue and he was not without
material. But 1864 was the year of
Grants succession to the command, the
compression of the Confederates in the
Richmond area, Sherman's march to
the sea and Sheridan's Shenandoah
Valley campaign.
Mcclellan made a good run-surpris-
ipgly good in retrospect. He got 1,s00,-
600 votes against Lincoln's 2,200. 900.
Yet Mcclellan got nowhere in the elec-
toral college. He carried only Kentucky,
New Jersey and Delaware The elec-
toral vote was 81 for McClellan-212 for
Lincoln.
Lloyd George was the leader of
coalition government put together to
win World War I. It showed signs of
falling apart at the armistice but the
little Welshman had no difficulty in
carrying the United Kingdom on his
make Germany -pay-for- -the-war" CAM
paign preceding the election of Decem-
ber IA, 1915 His parliamentary majority
became more than 200 seats.
believe Gov. Dewey has made good
campaign under the most difficult cir
cumstances. Patriotism led him to
guarantee the continuity of our foreign
policy regardless of the outcome. The
conduct of the war has been too sue
cessful since his nomination to be an
issue for him.
Wendell WILKES 1910 attempt came
closer than most people realize. He
failed to carry New York's AZ electoral
votes by less than 4 per cent. He got
only 80 electoral votes.
Running during the greatest of wars
against President enjoying military
success, Gov Dewey may not do as well
in the electoral college as Mr.. Willkie
did. My prediction is that he will not.
The political results Of such an out
come will be unfortunate. It is likely
to remove from the list of presidential
possibilities man of youthful achieve
ments and unusual abilities.
GEORGE KENNEDY.
Evening star., 1944-11-07
Soviet Diplomacy

Marshal Stains statement COM
memorating the Russian revolution
gives more hope Tor the future Of
Anglo American Soviet relations
than anything that has come out of
Moscow In many a long month.
The Russian Premier spoke hope
fully OF the prospects for world
peace arising out of the Dumbarton
Oaks conference. Conceding that
there are Emergencies of views
among the three great powers con-
cerning postwar organization, he re-
minded his Moscow audience that
differfnces always exist. even in a
single party, and that obviously they
will exist between different coun-
tries. He insisted, however, that in
stead Of complaints about differ
ences that have arisen, there ought
to be rejoicing that they were so
few. Dozens Of points. he declared,
were solved in complete agree
ment."
These words may prove to be
highly significant for the future. II
Russian diplomacy after the war is
to be conducted in the spirit of the
statements by Marshal Stain, and
If there is genuine desire to recip-
rocate in the United States and
Britain, there is every reason to be-
lieve that the peace of the world
can be and will be maintained.
1t is important, however, to note
that Stain also said that the>post-
war security organization will be
effective If the great powers which
bore the brunt Of the war continue
to work unanimously and in concord
and only So" This may or may
not be portentous reservation In
the statement. The world has seen
Russian deeds which are not in har-
mony with the spirit OF Marshal
Stains words. There are such
things, for example, as the implicit
criticism OF the presence of Ameri-
can troops in Iran-service troops
sent there for the express purpose
OF facilitating the flow of supplies
to Russia which were so vital to
the Red Army's magnificent stand
against the Germans. There are
also other things-Russia's disquiet-
ing attitude with respect to the
Polish question and the curiously
arbitrary Russian attitude toward
Switzerland.
These may be nothing more than
strange interludes in the imple-
mentation of the enlightened policy
which Marshal Stain has pro-
claimed. But to some extent they
tend to nullify his expressed senti-
ments, and to that extent they
cannot be ignored.
Evening star., 1944-11-07
Day of Humiliation,

< Everywhere else in the United
States today Americans are voting.
exercising privilege and perform
ing a duty symbolic of the highest
responsibilities of citizenship.
1 In the Capital of the United States
q community of more than 100000
patriotic and intelligent Americans
..fatalistically awaits the choice, by
Others, of its rulers. Solely because
.of their residence in this Capital,
these Americans are treated as
political outcasts, lower in political
status than the alien, who can be
.naturalized, the convict, who can be
pardoned or the lunatic, who can be
cured.
The injuStices, the inconsistencies
and the injuries Of this contrast be-
tween affirmation and denial of
Fundamental Americanism are sum-
marized effectively in an article on
page three of today's Star under the
title "The Day, November !, 1914"
= The times lend peculiar emphasis
to these injustices, inconsistencies
and injuries. The nature of the
issues involved in this election has
led both major parties and their
candidates to emphasize the duty of
voting, to urge every American to
vote regardless of how he votes. But
to those of us who live in Washing
ton, such admonitions and protesta-
tions are mockeries.
All over the world today our sons
are fighting and dying for their
country. But because they live in
this Capital, they are singled out
and shunted aside when the ballots
-traditionally linked with the duty
OF bearing arms-are distributed. If
1t turned out that way, there would
be an element of poetic justice in the
fact that the votes of the soldiers
decided the election. But the men
whose names appear in larger num-
bers on page two of The Star each
day will have had nothing to do with
that decision. AS far as their voting
rights are concerned, they are no
better off than the pawns of Hitler's
slave army.
This election, and all it means in
discrimination against the Wash
ingtonian, should unite us to work
anew for the submission by Congress
to the States of the Summers -Capper
constitutional amendment, "The
Congress shall have power to provide
that there shall be in the Congress
and among the electors of President
and Vice President members elected
by the people bf the District consti-
tating the seat of Government of the
United States, in such numbers and
with such powers as the Congress
shall determine"
A future election day must find
us among the voters, giving new
strength and new life to the Ameri-
can concept that governments de-
rive their just powers from the
consent of the governed.
Evening star., 1944-11-07
Giont Bombers and Jopun

For the first time since its sur
render to the japanese in February,
1912, Singapore has again felt the
physical violence of war. Striking
from India, in the longest daylight
bombing mission in history, our B-29
Super Fortresses have hammered at
Its drydock facilities and other vital
installations with results described
by the Twentieth Air Force Com
mand as good to excellent"
Presumably the attack was meant
to play hob with any repair program
for the enemy fleet damaged in the
recent Battle of the Philippine Sea,
and two hits, in fact, were scored on
one warship tied up for recondition-
Ing. But the importance of the blow
seems to lie not so much in it's
immediate effectiveness as in what
1t portends. no deliver it, together
with an accompanying strike at an
oil refinery on Sumatra, our giant
bombers-which suffered no losses
to antiaircraft fire or other opposi-
ton - had to make a round-trip
flight OF probably no fewer than
1000 miles. When we consider that
Japan proper is only about $500
miles from some of our advance
positions in the Pacific, when we
consider also that we have bases in
China as well as in India and that
more and more B-29s are becoming
available for use, we can see the day
arriving when virtually every corner
Of Hirohitos empire will be vulner-
able to our bombs.
Up to now the B-29s have been
on only is bombing missions since
their first appearance in the war,
but there can be little doubt that we
shall be hearing about them with
increasing frequency from this point
on. Moreover, perhaps before many
weeks have passed, we shall be
hearing about the B-32, which in
size is to the Super Fortress what
the Liberator is to the Flying For
tress and which is In production
even though not yet reported in
action. Viewed against this back
ground, the attack on Singapore Is
mainly significant for the way in
which It points up for the japanese
Evening star., 1944-11-07
Victory Anniversary

Besides being mOmentouS preSi-
Dental election day, this is the Sec
ond anniversary of one of the great
tide-turning events of the war. The
feelings of the past are not easily
recaptured, but few Americans can
have quite forgotten the thrill and
anxiety they experienced on Novem-
Der Z two years ago when they heard
the news that North Africa had been
invaded. Now at last, under the
overall command Of General Eisen-
hover, the armed might of Britain
and the United States was joined in
decisive undertaking, and for the
first time since Dunkirk there was
massive land action in the west
even though not in western Europe.
When the first landings were
made, Montgomery and his Eighth
Army, fresh from their victory at
Ell Alamein far to the east, had al
ready begun their classic pursuit of
Rommel. But the enemy, who had
yet to be beaten by the Red Army at
Stalingrad, was still strong every
where, and the mere fact that
Anglo-American forces had invaded
Morocco and Algeria did not mean
. that he could be easily disposed
of in Africa. Our troops striking
against him eastward, from Algeria
and Montgomery chasing him west
ward through Libya had fashioned
a gigantic squeeze play, to be sure,
but before he was finally compressed
IN Tunisia, many hard battle had
to be fought and more than one
bitter disappointment was suffered.
BY May IL, however six months
after the start of the invasion, the
Tunisian campaign was at an end.
Within that period, during that his
toric battle, the enemy had not only
lost about $4,000 troops-including
some 100000 prisoners but he had
also seen his dream OF African and
Mediterranean empire irreparably
shattered. Coupled with the Russian
triumph at Stalingrad in the pre-
ceding January, this titantic victory
in the spring of 1943 turned the
fortunes of war irrevocably against
the Rome-Berlin Axis, and never
again were the Nazis-not to men,
ton the collapsing Fascists-to be
able to regain the strategic initia-
tive. The story of what has since
happened is the story Of Mussolini's
fall, of Italy's surrender and of
Hitler's fortress Europe" being so
battered from every direction that
the Nazis have been driven back
to their own soil where the long
struggle now Is IN its last chapter.
II remains for the military his
|storians 10 try to determine where
the invasion oS North Africa stands
among the events most influential
Evening star., 1944-11-07
Theirfown
By Darid Laurence
From the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

TAo" INC ot. Louis Post Dispatch.
There were plenty of good intentions
IN the movement Of a committee of citi-
zens, headed by the playwright Maxwell
anderson. to perpetuate the name of
Distomo, the Greek city destroyed by the
Na1s. But they seem to have gone
wrong, If the protests of angry citizens
OF beriin, Oreg.-which was to be re.
named Distomo-are any criterion.
Maybe the people of Berlin, Oreg., like
the name. 1t is conceivable that they
would not like the strange name Dis
tomo for their own community, no mat
ter how much the tragedy Of that Greek
town. -that-was stirred their emotions.
To change the name might involve ali
sorts OF unforeseen complexities-in rec
ords OF marriages, births and deaths, In
delivery Of mail, and in other ways.
II the name Of Berlin, Greg, is changed.
II should be done only upon the author
ity OF referendum vote Of the citizens
It's their town.
Evening star., 1944-11-07
Election Dutes

Wanted: An explanation of why
and how the first Tuesday after the
first Monday in November came to
be designated for national elections
According to the language OF
Article II of the Constitution
Congress was given power to de-
termine the time of "chusing" the
electors OF the respective States and
"the day on which they shall give
their votes" for President and Vice
President. When the method orig
inally provided was changed by the
twelfth amendment, ratified in
1904, the only date mentioned was
"the fourth day Of March," The
twentieth amendment, ratified in
1888, changed Inauguration Day to
"the twentieth day of January" and
stipulated that the terms of Sena-
tors and Representatives shall end
on 1.-The third day of January" No
other specific calendar appoint
ments appear in the basic law of the
land.
But Congress from the beginning
OF the Union under the Constitution
had precedent in all such matters
from the arrangements worked out
by the delegates OF the several in
dependent Colonies before the Fed
eral Government was organized.
Through an act Of September Is,
1888, the Congress of the Confedera-
ton Ssupplied an omission of the
Constitution" by ssetting the first
Wednesday in the following January
for the "chusing" of electors, the first
Wednesday in February for their
meeting and voting and the first
Wednesday in March for the new
government to go into operation.
The custom thus established was
accepted by the new Congress from
the old. On March /, 1892, in an
ticipation Of second election, it
enacted that the choice should be
made thirty-four days preceding the
first Wednesday in December. Fur
ther legislation, passed January %,
1845, named the date on which
presidential electors should be
chosen as the first Tuesday after
the first Monday in November.
Evening star., 1944-11-07
Letters to The Star
Asks His Share of the Freedom
For Which He Fights

To the Editor Of The Star:
The world has changed since last we
met.
You may remember me as young
advertising man rather active in the
affairs Of the Washington Junior Cham
ber Of Commerce. Now / am rather
active in the affairs Of the United States
Navy.
In my wavy wanderings / have seen
many men from home. You and other
proud Washingtonians may rest assured
that our city is we'll represented in the
bitter blows that preserve democracy for
the rest Of the United States.
Today, though. we armed seryicers
from the Capital lower our heads in
shame and disgrace. For 1t Is at this
moment that our lusty comrades in arms
are electing Mayors, Governors. Repre-
sentatives, Senators and, most impor-
tant, President.
We from Washington are permitted,
nay compelled, to pay taxes, to fight and
to die with our brothers from the
States-but to vote with them--oh no
that Is asking too much!
furor has been raised to lower the
voting age to the fighting age OF 49,;
ardent Americans have demanded that
strategic Alaska, the heroic Philippines
and other deserving dependencies be-
come enfranchised or independent-but
we of Washington just aren't good
enough.
Our mighty Nation will fight to the
death to achieve freedom and democ-
racy for fearless France, narrowed Hol-
land or cheated China-but not a hand
Is raised for the million maids and men
OF its own celebrated capital.
Allies Were Shocked.
When I told an important Chilean
navy officer recently about our humili-
ating circumstances he was stunned. A
Russian navy officer just wouldn't be-
heve 1t. How can our Notwithstanding
diplomats explain voteless capital? It
bellies the very crux of their creed of
freedom and democracy for all. We are
the skeleton in the closet Of the cham.
pion of democracy.
In another sense, we should not be
Inundated, We should not be ashamed
we should not be downcast about this
crime. Those who perpetrate it and
let it endure should suffer from it 'far
above our poor power to add or detract /,
Incredulous, embattled Americans ask
me why we have no vote. I ask you why
we have no vote. You ask Congress why
we have no vote. Is 1t because every
resolution to enfranchise the District
which has come up every year for the
past SO years has had slight technical
errors In phraseology? That seems to
be the chief objection on the Hill. Ger
talnly no Congressman worthy of the
name, no American worthy of the name
no freeman worthy of the name could
begrudge us the simple right to vote.
Aside with sham Down with indif-
ference! Away with weasel words! Give
us freedom; give us democracy; give US
our heritage!
We Washingtonians willingly war to
free France, Belgium, China, the Philip
pines and all the rest-but while we are
battling bioodily at the task let Congress
free us, too. Let us come home to Z
truly American city this time.
1T. q. CD JAMES S. BEATTIE.
Somewhere in the Atlantic.