davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1944-10-25
Know Them by Ribbons

Prom the Atchison tKansas) Globe
Every service ribbon. every uniform
worn by men and women in the military
services Identifies the type or length
or quality of service of the wearer.
What brand names are to nationally
known products these ribbons and
uniforms are to service personnel. They
are all badges of identity and honor.
With little practice you will be able
to recognize them as easily as trade
marks.
Take the service ribbons, for example.
the two ribbons most often seen these
days, according to the War Department,
are the good behavior ribbon, red with
white stripes. and the gold pre-Pearl
Harbor ribbon. A green and brown rib
bon with a cluster of narrow stripes at
either end indicates service in Europe,
Africa or the Middle East A yellow
ribbon striped with red. white and blue
is for service in the Asiatic-Pacific war
theaters
A gold, metal star on any of these
campaign ribbons shows that the
wearer has taken part in some i'm
portant military engagement. A cluster
OF such stars means a number of
engagements
Men "honorably wounded in battle"
wear the Purple Heart, a splash of
purple with white stripes. Other honor
ribbons are dark blue and red, white
and blue.
Once in while you will see a sky
blue ribbon with five white stars. When
you do see it, look twice The wearer
has received the Nations highest
award-the Medal of Honor, or Con-
greSsional Medal
Evening star., 1944-10-25
New Sturt for France

BY joining Russia, Britain, Aus
tralia and Brazil in recognizing the
French Committee of National Lib
Grafton as the provisional govern
ment of France, the United States
has acted in keeping with the logic
of unfolding events. Heretofore
General de Gaulle's organization,
never having been elected to Office,
has been in kind of twilight zone,
and official American relations with
it have been periodically tailored to
meet that fact
Thus, in the days before the inva-
sion of North Africa, the United
States had formal dealings with the
De Gaullist group only in territory
controlled by that group, continuing
at the same time to deal with Vichy
wherever Vichy exercised control.
Later, after the North African land
ings and the break with the Petain
regime, larger recognition was ac-
corded General de Gaulle at Algiers,
but this, too, remained strictly
limited Then, with the Battle of
France, some further tailoring
become necessary. with President
Roosevelt and the State Department
deciding to regard the Committee of
National Liberation as "de facto
authority" and with General Eisen-
hover turning over to 1t the admin
istration Of civil affairs in all areas
Evening star., 1944-10-25

ports. brought down one Japanese plane
Unofncial reports from the Pacific. where
he operated with the forces of 1t Gen.
George C. Kenney, give him credit for
more than one Jap.
The former colonel rendered a great
service to aviation by deyising a system
whereby the range OF our fighter planes
was considerably increased as were the
loads they once carried Today, Lind
bergh, who received neither decoration
nor citation, is still civilian employe Of
an air manufacturing company. He
was an ardent isolationist, but he is
equally an ardent American.
Gen Wood, West Pointer who Is
considered by his former comrades as
the top quartermaster offlcer in the
country, also was the target OF abuse
because of his isolationist views. AL
though below the age limit for general
officers he was not called back to active
duty. But about l8 months ago when
Gen. H. H. Arnold, commander OF the
air forces, became concerned over the
organization of the force, particularly
in regard to supplies, he asked his col
league from Vest Point to help MIN out.
Gen. Woods strong political views
precluded his being given military
rank, particularly when he refused to
recant But Gen. Arnold asked him,
as a civilian, to 60 to the Pacific and
later to the Atlantic area to straighten
things out. Gen. Wood went, and ac-
cording to men in the armed forces
did a superb Job. He did not have
the authority the stars on his shoulder
straps normally would have given him,
but he had the full backing Of Gen.
Arnold.
Gen. Wood had number of officers
transferred and replaced by more ener-
getic men. both at Pacific bases and in
Europe. He did job which would
have normally brought him public
applause, medals and citations.
This is the story of two of the
principal figures of the former isola-
ZIONIST movement. There are many
lesser figures who, unknown to the
public, are performing their jobs in
such manner that they would have
been singled out for awards. But the
fact that at one time or another they
had been branded isolationists prevents
their superiors from awarding them the
usual recognition.
Evening star., 1944-10-25

Western Europe, Wl.4e-4-ps, trans
ports. freighters and landing craft
should be abundantly available for
the Indian Ocean area. That implies
the possibility, not merely of inten-
sifled action in Burma by land but
also expeditionary forces to Ran
COON, Burma's sea-gate, or even to
Malaga for the recovery of Singa-
pore, including operations on Suma-
ira for the redemption of the Dutch
Indies. With the Philippines, For
mosa and Japan itself menaced by
the huge American Navy, 1t is doubt
full that the Japanese can risk split
ting their battle fleet by keeping
much of it at Singapore to meet the
mounting British threat. A gigantic
pincers movement thus appears to
be in the making which might por-
tend the collapse of Japan's south
ern conquests before the end of the
current wear.
Evening star., 1944-10-25
Drive on East Prussia
By Maj. George Fieldins Eliot

The Russians have-as expected-now
officially announced their drive on East
Prussia. which so far appears TO be de-
veloping as a double thrust against the
road center Of Insterburg
It will be recalled that in 1914 the
Russians advanced through what was
then called the Insterburg Gap, between
the river Niemen and the northern end
heavy defeat by a much better handled
though smaller German army At the
same time another Russian army was
coming into East Prussia from the south.
but the Germans were able to defeat
these two Russian invasion forces in
succession.
Now the Russians are penetrating the
Insterburg Gap. but they are also COM
ing over the northeastern frontier In
the Tilsit area, thus imposing grave
danger to the left flank of any German
force trying to stop the advance on
Insterburg from the east
The Russians appear to be in very
great strength. They have been able to
add to the forces originally deployed
along the East Prussian frontier a con-
SlUcidOlc iluIIlOCi Va uiViSioiio AoihACii ~
engaged in Estonia and Latvia, and
they do not, as far as can be judged
from here. run any risk Of being over
whelmed by swift maneuver and sur
prise as in 1914. They are too strong
for that.
Moreover, they are not neglecting the
southern frontier of East Prussia. They
have very strong forces deployed along
the river Narew and as soon as the
German reserves in East Prussia are
fully engaged to the north and east an
increase of Russian pressure from the
south may be expected Thus. the
natural fortress of East Prussia is now
exposed to converging attacks In force
from three directions.
1t may be assumed that the Russian
objectives are the two chief defensive
centers of East Prussia, Konigsberg on
the north and Allenstein on the south
west. The capture OF Konigsberg would
almost certainly bring about the fall OF
Allenstein because 1t would expose the
German defenders Of the lake frontier
and the Narew River to attack from the
flank and rear.
Thus 1t may be expected that the
major Russian effort viii at first be
directed upon Konigsberg and that the
Germans viii make their principal effort
to hold the Russians back from that
position.
Evening star., 1944-10-25
On the Record
By Dorothy THOMPSON

4 HO"pSOu
made up its mind for Mr.. Roosevelt on
the record of Gov. Dewey and his party,
vigorously reconfrmed it, after that
speech. No one can or should say how
Mr. Willkie would have acted had he
lived to hear the speech, but how some
of his closest associates and most ardent
supporters have reacted is matter
of record Russell Davenport, for in
stance stated, following the Governor s
speech that he prefers Mr.. Roosevelt
to Mr.. Dewey because the latter has
disrupted, rather than advanced, the
efforts of world statesmen to reach mu-
tual decisions"
For the average reader and listener,
who has not time closely to follow the
intricacies Of international relations,
Gov. Deweys speech may have seemed
harmless. But it certainly did not seem
harmless in Moscow and London. For
the parts dealing with the Soviet Union
were a persistent needing Of inter-
Allied relations at the very moment
when those relations were approaching
the most harmonious stage, in the is
sues which have hitherto remained un-
comfortably suspended between the
Anglo o-American powers and Russia.
1t is impossible, for instance. TO i'm
agine why Gov Dewey raised the ques-
ton of Bessarabia. In cold fact every
single statement he made concerning
the Romanian armistice, including the
position of the man who signed it, did
not correspond to truth.
Gov. Dewey also intervened in the
Churchill-Stalin negotiations on the
Polish issue in a manner calculated to
encourage intransigence and in a mo-
ment where mutual concessions were
being urgently sought. The fostering of
illusions is no help for the Polish cause
for Polish intransigence is bound to
be met by stronger, not weaker. Russian
demands
Unless the Governor was deliberately
trying to create alarm, the only benefit
of doubt that can be given him is the
excuse of ignorance-and that is no
recommendation for presidential can
didate.
The United States Is certainly today
the mightiest power on earth. But this
does not give us freedom for arbitrary
or wanton action. On the contrary, 1t
increases our responsibility An ire
sponsibility in our leadership would be
the worst thing that could happen to
us in these times.
tReleased by the Bell Syndicate. Inc)
Evening star., 1944-10-25

not essentially involved in the pros
ecution Of the war.
Now the last step In the process
has been reached, and the de facto
authority" has become a "provi-
sional governments change which
means, in effect, that the United
States will henceforth deal with the
De Gaulle regime without reserva-
tions as to it's right to speak and act
for France until a national election
can be held there. Those who have
criticized the President and the
State Department for failure to take
this step long ago will probably say
that by taking it at this date Mr..
Roosevelt and Mr.. Hull are merely
admitting that past policy was mis-
taken. The fact is, though, that that
policy can be cogently defended for
It's correctness on several grounds,
including military necessity in 1912
and proper desire to guard against
committing the United States to any
French political group as long as
that groups standing with the
French people remained uncertain.
BY now, however, as the State De-
partment explains it, the vast ma
jority of Frenchmen have had ample
time to watch General de Gaulle's
work and they have demonstrated
their desire to have his "reconsti-
tuted and strengthened administra-
tion assume "the duties and obliga-
tions of government" and so recog-
milton of its provisional status has at
last been decided upon. 1t is an i'm
portant and historic decision, politi-
cally, economically and militarily,
marking a new start for France and
a significant new phase in French
American relations. In Paris and
Washington alike it will be greeted
with bright hopes for the future.
Evening star., 1944-10-25

Thus the Russians have begun their
first large-scale invasion OF German
soil. It Is an occasion to remember,
both for military and for other reasons
for example. what has become of the
people who used to tell us that the Rus
slams would never go beyond their own
frontiers. that the war in the East would
stop as soon as the Russians had re-
gained what was originally theirs, and
would not invade Germany?
But aside from that, we must remem-
ber that the Germans will now be con-
fronted with two invasions of the
sacred soil" of the Reich, that from
now on the High Command in Berlin
must adjust its dwindling reserves of
manpower, air power and material be-
tween the demands of two fronts. each
of which can claim-and will claim
that unless 1t gets reinforcements, still
more Of that sacred soil will have to be
abandoned to the enemy
There Is a great difference between
Weighing the loss of, let us say, Buchas-
rest or Warsaw against the loss of
Cologne or Dusseldorf, and making the
same adjustment OF force when it a a
question of losing. say, Konigsberg or
Breslau instead of somebody else s
cities.
The East Prussian position as previ-
ously observed in these articles, forms
the great defensive bastion of the Ger
man left flank in the East The south
ern or right flank bastion, the u
shaped rampant OF the Carpathian
Mountains, has already been deeply
penetrated, and is in large part in Rus
sian hands.
As long as both these bastions held
fast, penetration Of the Polish Plain
between them was strategically danger
Gus for the Russian armies, for they
would be exposed to attack on either
side. But now that the Carpathian
defenses are lost to Germany, and now
that East Prussia Is virtually surrounded,
with its garrison fighting desperately
to defend 1t, such penetration of the
center becomes not only possible but
highly probable. and may prove the de-
cisive element in this stage of the
Russo German campaign.
The Russians are better winter fight
ers than the Germans, as they have re-
peatedly proven, and they may well de-
sire at this time to shorten and con-
solidate their front right across Poland
from the East Prussian border down to
the plains Of Hungary, thus bringing
them up to the inner German defenses
along the whole front. with their left
flank enveloping the southeastern corner
OF the Reich.
Evening star., 1944-10-25
Boy and Druqon-Kinq

Spro,oled hunoer-thin across his beasts
lean back,
The small boy chants to dragon in
the sky,
Although the patch OF grass is cinder-
black,
From bomb-fr and the pond Is
almost dry.
His song is as ancient as the perv earth
On iohich his ,pater buffalo seeks
food,
Yet ne,o in this neD poice, Dhtch has
no dedrth
OF polume though the words and tune
are crude. --.-~
For him the skies haze nerer once been
bare
OF bombing planes, ,oith torture in
their make
And pet he lifts his eager eyes to stare
Along rim OF sky ,ohere dark clouds
break
Prosperity and peace may come this
pery hour
~ his small poice can stir the Droqon-
King
And so he frames bold words to praise
that potoer-
And China piH not fan ,Dhile he can
singi
LANCE DELANEY.
Evening star., 1944-10-25
This Changing World
Bv Constantine Byo,vx

In the heat of what many consider the
most important election campaign in
the history of the United States there
Is good deal of name calling and other
maneuvers seeking to get the voter to
express his opinion one way or another
at the polls.
As the campaign reaches its peak those
citizens who went on record before Pearl
Harbor as opposed to American involve
ment in world conflict are the target
of many attacks. There is no question
that many of the isolationists rendered
a sad service to the United States by
their stand against rearmament because
they believed that militarily strong
America would be more likely to join in
the war.
Some Of the isolationists were sincere
in their crusade, others were either mis-
guided or served interests opposed to
Americas entering the battle against
the totalitarian system of government
which dictator-led countries wanted to
force on the world These latter groups
were extremely violent and this writer,
who WAS an outspoken interventionist,
still has in his files hundreds of abusive
letters from these professional" isola-
tionists.
But after Pearl Earbor the misguided
and the sincere isolationists became
ordinary American citizens who wished
to do their best for the good of the
country Among these are two out
standing men who because of their past
had to be "smuggled" into helping their
country and their activities had to re-
main anonymous. One is Charles Lind
bergh and the other is Gen Robert
Wood, the head OF the America First
Committee and president Of Sears Roe
buck d Co.
Only last week story known to the
War and Navy Departments for many
months about Lindbergh was published
in newspap pers in this country. In spite
of his ability and youth Lindbergh was
not called back to active duty in the
United States Air Forces, from which he
had resigned his commission after the
White House "copperhead" incident.
Lindbergh went to the Pacific in the
employ of an aviation company.
Although he had no experience in air
combat ne participated in more than a
dozen dangerous sorties against the Jap
anese and, according to newspaper re-
Evening star., 1944-10-25
Indian Ocean Front

Statements made by the First Lord
Of the Admiralty are merely the
most specific of other news items
which clearly indicate that the
coming months will see the Indian
Ocean transformed into a major
theater of action In a public ad-
dress the First Sea Lord. Mr.. Alex
ander disclosed that part of "a vast
British fleet" was on it's way to the
Far East, ultimately capable in itself
of fighting general action with the
japanese Navy. Almost simultane-
ously with this interesting disclosure,
the Japanese-controlled Singapore
radio declared that the British fleet
In the Indian Ocean had been re-
inforced by "a units including 10
battleshlpS and 4 aircraft carriers
and was now ION the move" Indeed,
while the japanese announcer was
speaking, strong British naval task
force was actually bombarding from
ship and air the enemy bases in the
Nicobar Islands. one of the island
groups which form an outer shield
to the coasts of Burma and Malaga.
The time seems ripe for large scale
British offensive on both sea and
land throughout the Indian Ocean
area. To begin with, the monsoon
season is ending and fine, dry
weather will prevail henceforth until
next May or June. Already the
vaterlogged Burma front is stirring,
all the way from the coastal swamps
along the Bay of Bengal to North
ern Burma, where General Stillwell's
forces continue their efforts to re-
open the road to China, A year ago
the hopes raised at the first Quebec
Conference were unfulfilled, because
the reinforcements originally ear
marked for the Indian Ocean area
had to be diverted to the Mediter-
ranean and elsewhere. Indeed, it
was the Japanese who took the
offensive and invaded the borders of
India.
This year the situation is radically
different. With the Allies firmly
established in both Southern and
Evening star., 1944-10-25

It is all very we'll for the Republican
candidate to promise continued CO.
operation between the United Nations
for peace. and even underwrite Dunn
barton Oaks from A to Z. Similar atti-
tudes have been taken by Republican
candidates before, under somewhat SIM
liar circumstances. AS candidate
Warren G.. Harding also favored IAN
association of nations so organized. so
participated in, as to make the actual
attainment OF peace a reasonable pos
sibility"
But the structure and statutes of any
organization for peace are one thing;
the degree of cooperation is another.
No structure can be created or main
tanned If the relations between the three
great allies are charged with suspicion
and dissension. My own criticisms of
Dumbarton Oaks have been directed at
improving the structure. But the con-
tent is more important than the form,
and essential to any prospect of lasting
peace is the strengthening and improve
ment of relations between the Anglo
American powers and the Soviet Union.
-
II. therefore, the Republican candi-
date. while promising an international
organization, undermines the pillars on
which such a structure must rest. his
political understanding is open to seri-
GUS question.
There are persons in public life who
like myself, have been following the
Republican candidates campaign with
close attention. There are those who
like myself. have been critical of details
of the Administrations foreign policy,
and might have preferred to keep their
voting intentions to themselves 1t is
one thing to decide how one will vote,
and another to try to persuade others
to vote the same way MY own vote
was determined when Wendell L.
Willkie was defeated in the Wisconsin
primaries.
But the Republican candidates speech
last Wednesday compelled persons like
myself to take an open stand. Those of
us who consider the greatest issue of our
times to be enduring peace based on the
continued unity of the United Nations,
could not minimize the disruptive effect
OF that statement. 1t must have played
leading role in forcing the open de-
cision OF Senator Ball, and Walter Lipp-
mann so stated it when he urged the re-
election of Mr.. Roosevelt. The New York
Times. which few days previously had
Evening star., 1944-10-25
The Jup Fleet Fiqhts

The fleet action now raging in
the inland seas of the Philippine
Islands is the best possible evidence
that the hour of decision in the
Pacific is closer than most of us
have realized.
For the japanese. this fight was
an enormous gamble-a risk born
of sheer necessity. Since the Battle
of Midway they have husbanded
their fleet, knowing full we'll that
without it their stolen empire was
doomed. And now that they have
committed it to battle, apparently
in force, we have good reason to
hope that a truly decisive engage
ment is being fought.
The japanese attack was three
pronged. Two enemy naval forces
came in from the west, approaching
Leyte through the Sulu Sea and the
Sibuyan Sea- The third force
steamed out from Formosa to the
east and was intercepted en- route
to the Philippines. The battle,
which began Monday afternoon our
time, is still under way, and the
picture both as to results and re-
spective losses remains unclear.
An official American communique
from Pearl Harbor, however, reports
that our carrier planes have sunk
one large japanese carrier. Two
more large enemy carriers, five or
six japanese battleships, one cruiser
and several other unidentified war
ships have been damaged. For our
own part, the loss of the U. S. S.
Princeton, light carrier, has been
announced. In addition, other
American warships have been dam
aged, and plane losses on both sides
must have been heavy.
The Tokyo communique, with
characteristic extravaganza. claims
that sixteen American warships
have been sunk or damaged, includ-
ing four carriers, two cruisers, a
destroyer and four or more trans
ports. This claim may be dis
counted. but it seems significant
that the japanese concede the loss
of three of their warships, while
our own communioue claims the
destruction of but one enemy car
rier. This. taken with the official
announcement that the battle is
continuing, means that our own
announcement is incomplete and
indicates that the final report, when
it becomes available, will reveal
greater losses on both sides.
Meanwhile. sthe important ques-
ton is whether the American naval
units, believed to be far superior to
the enemy, can make direct contact
with the Japanese and force them
to fight a surface action. All of the
slugging so far apparently has been
between opposing planes, and the
japanese, if outgunned or badly
mauled, presumably will try to stay
beyond the range of our heavy war
ships. But the possibility remains
that the imperial navy, having gone
this far, may have determined upon
q finish fight. If that be the case,
We are now engaged in the decisive
naval battle of this war.
Evening star., 1944-10-25

A Representative in Congress from
Kansas has started crusade for
the return Of two-pants suits. If
successful he could almost run for
the presidency on that platform.
Think what vote-getter would be
the slogan, AN extra pair of pants
on every hanger"
Evening star., 1944-10-25
Double Role

From the Memphis Commercial Appeal
F. d. r. is the only one who knows
when he is Candidate Roosevelt instead
OF Commander In Chief, and he won't
tell. Makes 1t one Of those "i1y"
questions eh2
Evening star., 1944-10-25

There is said to be shortage Of
headache medicine in Germany. 1t
must be great comedown to start
out with tremendous aspiration and
wind up without even an aspirin.