davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1944-12-05

the Reich, 1t Is severe handicap to
the aviation interfering with the COM
munication lines Of the enemy
Under these circumstances, the main
burden rests with the artillery and the
infantry. This means that we may
have to use even a larger quantity of
ammunition than heretofore, and the
infantry must stand the brunt of the
offensive to much greater degree.
From reports coming from the front
1t is obvious that the American industry
must step up production. Gen. Eisen-
hover himself ignored for once the
question of military security when he
declared that ammunition must be ra-
toned to the American artillery at the
front.
On the other hand, the question of
manpower again is coming to the fore.
According to previous strategic con-
cepts, an army attacking an enemy
sheltered by strong Notifications must
be three times as large. This ratio was
not necessary last summer however
On paper the Allied forces had only
slight numerical superiority over the
enemy nowhere near the 3-to-1 ratio
Many observers believed that con-
sidering the technical superiority of
the Allied forces, we might be able
to break through the German Rhine
defenSeS with a smaller force than
that established by the military STRAIT
egists of the past. This was based
principally on the belief that the Ger
man defeats on all fronts would pre-
cipitate break of the home front with
consequences similar to those we saw
in November, 1913.
The attempt to overthrow the Nazi
regime last summer further encouraged
military and political observers to think
that the German forces at the front,
deprived of their regular old-line Off
GERS, would not stand long time an all
out Allied offensive. There was a good
deal of speculation regarding the re-
action Of the German people after the
Allied forces entered the soil of the
Reich which since the days of Napoleon
had not suffered foreign invasion.
But While the American high COM
mand proved itself better than ever in
the conduct of the military operations,
the politicians at home with their loud
statements about the treatment to be
meted out to the Germans did not
help the situation in the least The
Germans, even their second-Ine troops,
are fighting with unparalleled bitter
ness and their supplies seem to be far
from being exhausted
This may lead to revision of the
original estimate of how many troops
we may have to throw against the West
Wall to achieve our military objective,
and it looks as if we may have to revert
to the figure of 3 to l.
Evening star., 1944-12-05
Developments in China

The latest change in the Chinese
government, placing Foreign Min
lister Soong in the premiership
and thus permitting Generalissimo
Chang to concentrate on the task
of commander in chief, seems to be
by far the most important yet made.
Since Mr. Soong is described as
leader tending to be favorable to
the idea of a compromise arrange
ment with the Communist forces,
with whom he has been able to get
along, his appointment lends con-
siderable strength to the report
that the long impasse between those
forces and Chungking may soon be
overcome.
Such a development would 60 far
toward checking further deteriora-
ton in China, and if it is to come at
all, it cannot come too soon For not
since the start of Japan's murderous
aggressions eight years ago have the
Chinese been worse off than they are
today, economically, politically and
militarily. Indeed, with the enemy
pushing steadily ahead to within
only about 100 miles of the key
communications center of Kweiyang,
their outlook has grown so dark that
In some quarters-perhapS too pes
slmistically-it is thought possible
that the next so days may decide
whether or not the country will be
knocked out of the war In any case,
the greatest hope for China now is
the possibility that the unity against
Japan-which existed at the be-
ginning of the war-will be restored
Mr.. Soong is a leader who may re-
store that unity.
For a great number of months
now, in a deadlock never satisfac-
torily clarified by any official or
unofficial public report. there has
been kind of dry and shotless war
fare between Generalissimo Chiang's
forces and the Communists in the
northwest. 1t has been estimated
that as many as 100000 of Chiang's
best troops and an equal number of
fine fighting men on the other side
have been more or less immobilized
In this manner. Wherever the
greater blame rests for such a situa-
ton - and the Communists have
Evening star., 1944-12-05
Explosion in Greece

The bloody rioting which climaxed
the political crisis in Greece, accen-
tuated by a widespread strike of
left-wing labor and answered by a
government proclamation of virtual
martial law, presents situation of
the utmost gravity. It's ominous i'm
plications are not confined to
Greece; they apply to a series of
similar crises clear across Europe.
And unless the Greek flare-up is
resolutely handled, it might conceiv-
ably prove to be the torch which
could set off the whole explosive
chain.
For what is happening in Greece
the left-wing extremists known as
the EAM are basically responsible.
This is not to deny that the Papan-
dreu government may not have made
minor mistakes and that the Athens
chief of police may have used exces-
sive severity against the rioters. But
all such details are as nothing COM
pared with the aggressive, uncom-
promising tactics of Fam, which de-
liberately def1ed both the govern
ment and the Allied military author
tiles. broke its own word, and left
Premier Papandreu no choice be-
tween repression and abdication to
what is. in essence, revolutionary
attempt.
EAM's record has been a consist
emily bad one. Originally one of
several underground organizations
that developed spontaneously in
Greece against Axis occupation,
EAM attacked those guerrilla groups
which refused to acknowledge It's
authority and which declined to fall
In with its Communistic principles
Evening star., 1944-12-05
This Changing World
By Constantine Bro,rn

The gigantic offensive on the western
front in which the American armies
are throwing the whole weight of their
might Is still in its probing" stages,
although certain successes have been
scored SO far.
After nearly month of continuous
battles In which the heaviest losses In
this war were suffered by the Americans
and Germans alike, the Allies are coming
close to their ultimate objective-the
main West Wall defenses.
The whole question of whether we
will be able to force the enemy to his
knees within the next eight weeks de-
pends on how much his losses have i'm
paired his power of resistance.
At this time the Germans on no Sec
ton of the front show any indication
that they are losing breath On the
contrary, they are increasing the 1um-
ber of men opposing us at strategic
points and are exacting heavy toll for
every mile of German territory we
conquer.
Behind the concrete and steel walls
which form the main German defenses
there are second-line troops whose mis-
sion Is to hold the Allies back as long
as possible. But after we have per-
formed the break-through, fresh first
line divisions mostly Elite and SIS corps,
are used in counterattacking the Allies.
Usually we have been able to hold
the gains after having paid a very
heavy price for them
*
Although we have captured important
or
main German positions where the forti-
fications and the enemy's gunpower are
greatest. The offensive in Brittany last
summer was easy compared with the
task now ahead of us. The German forti-
ncatlons along the Atlantic Wall were
pulVerlZed by the gunfire of the battle
Snlps. Moreover, the Allies air armada
made impossible any important con-
centfatlon Of German reserves. Our
own artillery after 1t landed on the
beaches was able to hurl on the enemy
the greatest quantity of shells ever
employed in history We then had at
our disposal supplies gathered in the
United Kingdom over a period of two
years. Much of that huge quantity
was spent in the last summers often
sive.
IN the present fighting we have
neither the advantage of the warships'
powerful artillery nor the same un-
limited quantities of supplies We had
IN the Normandy campaign Neither
Goes the air force, which continues to be
as large and powerful as ever, have
the same facilities to help the ground
forces. Flying conditions are generally
bad at this time of the year and while
bad weather does not prevent the de-
struction Of industrial installations in
Evening star., 1944-12-05
New State Department

It is natural for the selection Of e
new Secretary of State to be accom-
panied by changes among the
Assistant Secretaries and this is one
explanation of the designations and
appointments announced by the
President yesterday. Mr.. Stettinius
would want men placed in the key
positions at the State Department
with whom he knows he can work
most effectively.
Aside from that consideration
however, it is possible to see in the
new appointments a pattern of the
lines along which the State Depart
ment is apt to develop in the years
of postwar reconstruction of our
international relations.
In the nomination Of Joseph C.
Grew, former Ambassador to Japan,
to be Undersecretary of State, the
President has chosen a career diplo-
mat whose knowledge of Far Eastern
problems is thorough and whose
judgment is sound. Previous service
in the same post and lifetime spent
in professional diplomacy have given
Mr.. Grew an equipment for the posi-
ton possessed by few other men,
This is an excellent appointment
which will be universally well
received.
The selection of William L. Clay
ton, former Assistant Secretary of
Commerce and the retiring surplus
war property administrator, to be
an Assistant Secretary suggests a
further step toward what it is
believed will be the eventual
incorporation within the State De-
partment of much of the work in
economic relations abroad now per-
formed by temporary war agencies.
In the same connection, the choice
of Archibald MacLeish, Librarian Of
Congress, for another assistant sec
retaryship may point the way to a
gradual assumption by the State
Department of some of the work now
carried on by the foreign branch of
the Office of War Information-a job
with which Mr.. MacLeish became
familiar during the early history of
that agency-as we'll as new VEN
lures in the field of public relations.
Nelson A. Rockefeller, now co-ordi-
nator of American affairs,
probably will supervise the postwar
absorption by the State Department
ef the work of that office.
designations of the incumbent
Assistant Secretaries-Adolph Berle,
jr.; Breckenridge Long and G. How
land Shaw-doubtless were presented
formally some time ago. Their
acceptance may have caused some
individual surprises. The acceptance
of Mr.. Berle's resignation, for in
stance, evidently came while he was
still tying up loose ends of the Civil
Aviation Conference in Chicago as
this country's representative. While
he will continue in that capacity, he
evidently loses the original authority
with which he was clothed.
Evening star., 1944-12-05
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

and Republicans. If there had been
any real desire to do anything about
this antlracketeering bill, it could have
been turned over to some other Senator
1t was not, and it has been allowed to
sleep for 19 months. With the Christmas
holiday of Congress due TO begin De-
cember 10, the word now is that nothing
will be done. The bill will die with this
Congress, and if anything is to be done
about it, it will have to be reintroduced
when the new Congress meets January
g. and start from scratch again.
Representative Hobbs of Alabama, au-
thor of the measure, is preparing to re-
Introduce it Immediately after the new
Congress oonvenes. His job will be to
get the House judiciary Committee, of
which he is a member, to report it
favorably once more, and then to get
action on it in the House itself. With
other important legislation pressing,
this may take lot of time. There is
the chance also that if it reaches the
Senate, still further delay will occur.
When the Supreme Court handed
down its decision, holding that the Fed
by members of the teamsters union,
Chief Justice Stone strongly dissented.
He held that to condone what was being
done by members of the New York
local would render common-law rob-
berry an innocent pastime." The ma
jority opinion was written by the then
Associate Justice Byrnes, now war
mobilization director. Justice Byrnes
did not condone the racketeering, but
merely held that it could not be reached
under the language of the existing act.
The effort of Mr.. Hobbs and the House
has been to amend the act so that
something could be done about it.
Men holding union cards or claiming
to hold them made practice of hold
ing up trucks coming into New York
from New Jersey or some other State
and demanding they be paid for de-
livery of the goods, whether they actual
ly drove the trucks or not. These
"goons' beat up truck owners and
drivers or threatened to, If they were
not paid.
To the man on the street, 1t will look
as though there is political payoff
somewhere along the line, unless some
thing is done about this Hobbs bill.
Evening star., 1944-12-05
Military Crisis in China
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot

Gen. Stilwell has been proven right
In his belief that when it became nee
essary for the japanese to knock out
American airbases in China, the jap
anese Army was capable of doing so,
and that neither the qualitative supe-
riority Of the 14th United States Air
Force over the Japanese air power, nor
the Chinese Army under the conditions
of supply and training presently exist
ing, could stop a determined japanese
operation directed to that purpose.
Airfield after airfield-some con-
structed and supplied at great expense
in labor and material-have been aban-
doned before the japanese advance.
Now the Japanese have penetrated
deeply into Southwestern China. They
are approaching the great center of
Kweiyang. If they succeed in taking
that city, they will be able to complete
the last unfinished stretch of the
Kwangsi-Kweichow railway, and when
that is done they will have direct rail
connection between their YangtZe River
bases and Kweiyang
They will then be able to make Kwei-
yang into base of operations from
which they can either advance west
ward on Running, the center of Amer
lean air power in China and the Chi
nese terminus of the famous hump"
or northward against the Chinese capi-
tai at Chungking.
*
This danger Is immediate and ex-
tremely serious.
1t cannot be averted by sitting here
in America and sputtering all the we'll
worn platitudes to the effect that
"Chiang Kai-shek ought to get together
with the Communists" or "the Chinese
government must be liberalized" It
can be stopped only by the application
of sufficient power-sufficient both in
quantity and quality-to stop it.
That power must, in the nature of
things, be Chinese power except for such
contribution as the 14th Air Force may
make to it. Its basic element must be
sufficient Chinese ground troops to
throw the Japanese back before they
can get into Kweiyang.' There Is no
Evening star., 1944-12-05
Would Pay More for Statesmen

Would Pay More for Statesmen
To the Editor of The Star:
A prominent news commentator lately
voiced his belief that Congressman
should be paid more. But Just recently
there was published in the newspapers
a report OF the amounts spent for the
election of some of these Congressmen.
If I remember correctly, in one case
$4,000 was spent. In others, though
less than this, large sums were ex-
pended. This would appear to indicate
a very strong desire for reelection.
1t also would appear to indicate sat-
isfaction with what is gotten out or
expected to be gotten out of the job
of being Congressman,
I think it is the common belief that
members of Congress are mostly poll
ticians with a small sprinking of states
men. WebSters Dictionary draws the
following distinction between the two:
Politician now commonly implies ac-
tivity in party politics, especially with
a suggestion of artifice or intrigue.
Statesman now usually suggests broad
minded and far-seeing sagacity in af-
fairs of state"
If some scheme could be evolved of
increasing the percentage of statesmen
in Government and decreasing the per-
centage of politicians to the vanishing
point, it would increase the feeling of
respect and reduce the feeling of dis
gust for topside Government officials
and their performances. Raising the
salaries of professional politicians will
not make them any more capable. If or
when we get rid of self-seeking politi-
clans, we can think about salary raises.
T, WARREN ALLEN
Evening star., 1944-12-05

their defenders It there can be no
doubt that 1t has hurt China, played
directly into the enemy's hands and
been damaging to the Allied cause
in general.
Accordingly, the news Of possible
agreement between these two fac
tions is the most encouraging we
have had from China in many weeks
For If an accord Is reached, serious
measure of disunity will be elimi-
mated and something like 100000
troops, instead Of standing guard
against each other, will be able tc
pool their energies against the Japa-
nese. Such a change would be most
decidedly a change for the better
and we must hope and pray that II
will be realized.
Evening star., 1944-12-05

and practices. This provoked a civil
war which largely negativated the
effectiveness Of the local struggle
against the Axis. The Greek govern
ment in exile, then in Egypt, did its
best to end this civil strife and finally
arranged a truce between the guer-
rilla factions, broadening its own
base by taking in representatives of
all parties including EAM. This was
the situation when Greece was
cleared of the Germans by British
forces aided by contingents of the
Greek government, raised and
trained abroad.
Orderly reconstruction of Greece
was obviously impossible until the
various private armies had been
disbanded and the governments
authority established After much
negotiation, Premier Papandreu got
all the guerrilla leaders to agree to
disarm before December 10th. But,
as the deadline approached. "popu-
lar" demonstrations, staged obviously
by EAM adherents, protested against
the measure, and when Papandreu
refused to compromise, the left-wing
members of his cabinet resigned and
the inSurrectionary rioting followed.
In his proclamation. the Premier is
undoubtedly right in saying that
leaders of the extreme Left are
preparing the way to civil war" 1t
is to be hoped that General Scobie,
the British commander of Allied
forces in Greece. will unfiinchingly
back the Greek government in main
tanning order and, If necessary, &C
lively aid in quelling violence and
terrorism by EAM and its followers.
With such nefarious and destructive
tactics there can be no compromise.
Evening star., 1944-12-05
Letters to The Star
"A Serviceman' Pleads for Lifts
In Private Cars
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
This cold, rainy Thanksgiving found
me with IL other persons, waiting for a
bus on Wilson boulevard at 7:30 am.
After SO minutes, and three fully
loaded buses had passed as we'll as in
Vulnerable cars with only the drivers
within, was not very thankful for the
scarcity of good Samaritans.
OF course, it was holiday for some,
with fewer buses; but that should have
been all the more reason why drivers
should offer a ride.
That private cars must furnish large
percentage of transportation to and from
work is recognized by all authorities,
and their requiring car pool before
issuing supplementary rations of gas was
intended to conserve this vital war
utility, as well as gasoline. However,
extra rations were given to those who
signed pledges that they were unable to
latter pick up passengers they make no
material gain, but that there is an ever
increasing need for them to do so is
shown by the figures on the number of
private cars leaving the roads each day.
How are the people who were carried
by these cars which are breaking down
going to get to work? Not on the already
overcrowded buses, which are loaded on
every trip beyond the ICC's white safety
line.
So far this increasing group of people
are just little late each morning, a
little more chilled by the long waits, and
possibly have a few more man-hour
consuming colds. Or maybe they are
merely little more disgruntled at the
lack of friendliness of those who pass
them by. But all these minor items add
UP to considerable lost time and eff
cheney, which in the war busy center of
Washington means longer time to VIC
tory.
1 hesitate to add this, but also have
to transfer at point where service per-
sonnel drive by to the Pentagon. There
almost three months. 1t would seem
that civilians should be able to develop
this camaradie (to give them their due,
I must add that many of these rides
were from civilians.
Perhaps doubt that the pedestrians
are going their way, will refuse ride, or
will harm them keeps some from offer
ing helpful lift" However, If a
dozen persons are waiting, one or two
should be going to the same destination
as the driver. In answer to a woman's
hesltancy to travel with stranger and
the drivers fear Of robbery, most of
these trips are at rush hours and on
well-traveled highways - and i have
never read of mishap under these
conditions.
The final solution of the problem will
depend upon each drivers good will and
conscience, for there is no successful
means of official control.
So the next time you have two or three
empty seats. ask yourself why you aren't
sharing the ride? A SERVICEMAN.
Evening star., 1944-12-05
Threshold

This lad tD1lo sits among US. kno,on so
1DeH
That each small trick OF eyebrow.
mouth or hand
Was sure as sound OF stDeet familiar bell,
Tonight seems Uerging on strange bor-
derland
Familiar, unfamiliar, seems his face
With alien STRINGS from q hidden
spring
That urges him to seek beyond this place
That heretofore held every Wanted
thing.
The trees lohereunder he played games.
the skies
And all his ,Dorld seem suddenly to
hold
A magic grasped BY his new-tound.
StDeet eyes -.
Something eper ne,D, yet eUer old.
He softly stares through me, and am
sad
Wondering phtch Is man, and Which 70
lad. IDA ELAINE JAMES.
Evening star., 1944-12-05

The Hobbs bill, designed to put an end
by Federal law to racketeering in inter-
state commerce, is about to be strangled
to death. The bill passed the House by
vote of 270 to lot April 9, 1943. Since
that time it has been in the hands of
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Moth
ing has been done about it. No effort
to hold hearings on the measure was
ever made.
The bill is intended to amend the
Federal Antiracketeering Act of 1884
so as to close gap which the Supreme
Court of the United States said made
it possible for members of the team
sters' union, headed by Daniel ]. Tobin,
to hold up and extort days wage from
truck owners and drivers seeking to de-
liver produce in New York City If the
truck was a large one, the take was
s9.42, and if small one, $841. The
measure has been vigorously opposed
by organized labor whose leaders pro-
tested they did not believe in extortion
but who said that the passage of the bill
might prevent other more legitimate
activities of union members, particularly
in case of strikes The House Judiciary
Committee and the House itself amend
to racketeering-but the opposition still
continued.
Mr. Tobin was chairman of the labor
division of the Democratic National
Committee in the campaign to elect
President Roosevelt for a fourth term.
1t was to members of his union that the
President made his opening political
speech of the campaign in the Statler
Hotel. Mr. Tobin and his union are
now claiming they were more response
BILE for the Presidents reelection than
the CIO and its PAC.
Senator OMahoney Of Wyoming is
chairman of the subcommittee to which
the bill was referred for consideration
and report to the full Senate Judiciary
Committee. 1t happens that Senator
OMahoney was i'll for time after the
bill was turned over to the subcommit
tee and that he was assigned to handle
other important legislation both by the
Judiciary and other committees. He
also had the job of chairman of the
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Com
mittee. He did not have time to tackle
the Hobbs bill. There are 1S members of
the Judiciary Committee, IL Democrats