davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1944-11-11
The Police Band

There were eight military bands
along the route of the Presidents
welcome home" procession yester-
day, but the post of honor was given
to the Metropolitan Police Band,
which stood beside the train and
played Hail to the Chief"
The band is less than a year and
half old, having been accepted"
by the Commissioners at ceremony
in the summer of 1943 when it gave
its first public concert. But it is
yet to receive official recognition as
part of the Metropolitan Police De-
partment, depending up to this time
on private contributions for pur-
chase of instruments, music and
other supplies.
Last year an unsuccessful effort
was made to obtain an appropriation
from Congress to support the band,
and the effort will be renewed this
year. It should be granted. The
Commissioners and the police off,
clals realize that 1t is not a healthy
condition to depend on public con-
tributions for any police activity
and think the band justifies its
existence and right to public support
by playing at police and other COM
munity ceremonies. "A recent study
showed that many police depart
ments In other cities have their own
bands. publicly Supported. While
Evening star., 1944-11-11
Praises Korean Editorial

To the lditor of The Star:
Your editorial entitled "Korea's Day"
is fine tribute to the valor of the
Koreans in their struggle for inde-
pendence. 1t goes right into the heart
of the Korean situation.
The American public will be grateful
for just such enlightening articles as
your editorial on Korea, that veritable
bridge to the mainland of East Asia.
Now that American forces inexorably
are surging toward it to set it free,
peoples interest in Korea will grow
progressively eager.
When President Roosevelt at the
famous Cairo conference pledged the
United States to the task OF liberating
Korea and to make her independent
after this war, his promise electrified
the Koreans everywhere. At a proper
signal all Korea will rise in unison to
help deliver the final death blow to
japanese militarism. Guerrilla war
fare has been continuous in Korea
against the Japanese ever since 1905.
The Japanese Year Book for 1899 states
that In the northeastern corner of the
peninsula alone 10000 guerrillas we're
making life miserable for the Japanese
garrisons. More than $1,000 sabotage
actions have been committed against
Japanese installations in Korea each
year.
The issuance recently Of q special
stamp by the United States Government
to honor Korea Is another step In the
right direction. AL Koreans naturally
are jubilant. America Will find Korea an
able ally. BEN q(LIAxB.
Evening star., 1944-11-11

OF an international organization to
maintain peace in the future.
1t would be unfortunate for the Re-
publican party and for the country If
Mr.. Dewey should now retire into a
shell and hold himself aloof from the
discussion of the important issues
which are bound to come up for con-
sideration. The policy of isolationism,
which certainly held the Republican
party as well as the Democratic party
within its grip during the 1920s and
1905, has been badly battered in the
recent campaign and the subsequent
election. However, it would be folly to
believe that 1t has been entirely
scotched
Gov. Dewey has spoken out boldly
for international collaboration, even to
the use of armed force, for the main
tenance of peace after this war shall
have ended. Sooner or later, and 1t
may be comparatively soon, this matter
will come before the Senate, and per-
haps before the House. The New York
Governor would be delinquent IL he did
not exercise his power as titular leader
of the party to enter into this discus
sion and to throw the weight of his
influence in favor of the strongest
kind of international cooperation for
peace. If he has influence with Re-
publican members of Congress-and it
seems reasonable to believe that he
has-he should use it.
There will be other issues of ma jor
importance. Among them measures
which look to the further centralization
of government in Washington. This
campaign, on the Republican side, has
been one long arraignment of bureau
cratic form of government which has
developed under the New Deal admins
tration. 1t is true that in the closing
weeks of the campaign, the New Dealers,
from the President down, declared
their intention of removing Govern
ment controls over the activities OF the
people as soon as the war has been won.
But these controls started long before
the war began. The philosophy of the
New Dealers has concentrated on Gov
eminent control as a cure for all ills
of the people. There is no real reason
to believe they have changed.
Evening star., 1944-11-11
PattOn's Strategy
By Mai. Georee Fielding Eliot

Patton's men and the main town of the
Saar (Saarbruecken) there are two arti-
fetal barriers: first, the forts of the
old Maginot Line, which may to some
extent have been reversed and made
into strong defensive centers by the
Germans, and second the fortifications
of the Siegfried Line, which Is much
stronger here than at almost any other
sector along its entire course. OF the
two, the latter is almost certainly the
more formidable.
The Maginot defenses may possibly
be outflanked by the thrust of the
American Goth and 95th Divisions across
the Moselle north of Metz, though for
the moment this may be considered
holding attack. It may develop into q
thrust to prevent the escape Of the gar
rison of Metz, especially If other divi-
sions are subsequently identified in that
locality.
But it is always best to look not only
at the local conditions, but at the situ-
alton in the entire theater of operations,
and Judge anything that happens
against this broader background. So
considered, the best guess at the mo-
ment would seem to be that the Sd
Army's attack Is part of q well-co-
ordinated plan which has involved, first,
the steady pressure eastward by the 9Th
Army group Gncluding the 7th Amer
ican and 1st French Armies) and thus
the attracting to the passes Of the
Vosges of good part Of the German mo-
bile reserves available on this whole
front; then the heavy blow by the Sd
Array, with exploitation by the armored
divisions which there are no German
reserves left to check: all of which
seems to lead to q possible outfianking
Of the German troops in the Vosges.
If this works out along the suggested
lines 1t would seem that the Germans
will have to withdraw from their posi-
tions in the vosges, allowing Devers'
forces to come up to the Rhine.
Thus, as the days pass, as Allied
pressure all along the front increases,
the German decisions become more and
more dimcult, and each decision has
within 1t the seeds Of ever more serious
catastrophe.
Evening star., 1944-11-11
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

The Republican party, while 1t has
lost a presidential election, has ac-
quired a new "titular leader" This is
the title which has been applied to de-
feated presidential candidates of either
party. title which they wear at least
until other men have been selected as
party standard bearers.
The new "titular leader" of the Re-
publican party is Gov Thomas E. Dewey
of New York. How far Mr.. Dewey
will undertake to exercise this function
Of leadership remains to be seen. In
the first place, he is a defeated candi-
date for the presidency. In the second,
Republican leaders who have been
elected to the House and Senate or
have held over" in the Senate are in
clined to be jealous of outside inter-
ference when it comes to legislative
affairs. 1t Is easy to remember the re-
sentiment of Republicans in Congress
when the late Wendell L. Willkie
stepped out after the 1910 election and
expressed his own ideas on foreign af-
fairs. They repudiated, as far as they
could, the then leadership of the party's
titular leader.
Mr.. Dewey, unlike Mr.. Willkie, has
not been retired to private life by the
election. He remains Governor of the
greatest State in the Union, an ofice to
which he was elected two years ago and
in which he will serve the next two
years. No one can take away that
strategic position. There will be %
other Republican Governors None OF
them, however, has been a presidential
nominee and none has had the influence
that Mr.. Dewey has had within the
party.
When Mr. Dewey was elected Cover
nor in 1912 he announced he intended
to give his attention solely to New York
affairs, and to making New York Re-
publican State. He even declined to
accept invitations to speak in other
States. He has now gone back to Albany
to continue along those lines. How
ever, during the recent campaign Mr..
Dewey laid down his own conception
of Republican platform, dealing with
both domestic and international prob
lens. His program was hailed as both
intelligent and liberal, particularly as
it applied to labor and to the formation
Evening star., 1944-11-11

japanese might gain some initial ad-
vantages, but In the long run they will
be smothered by the combined power Of
the United Nations. It is for this reason
that they describe any such attempt as
a suicide move.
From strictly military point of view,
such an operation is conceivable. It
would give another shot of optimism"
to the Japanese people, who have had
nothing but bad news in the last IL
months, and might lengthen the war in
the Pacific since the Japs would have
the advantage Of occupying the Mari
time Provinces and air bases from which
Allied planes could easily destroy Japa-
nese cities.
But If the more conservative element
In Tokyo, which was opposed to Japan
starting war against the Allies, has the
last word it is probable that the military
clique will commit mass hara -kiri and
peace proposals will be sent to Japans
enemies before 1t Is too late.
The conservative element In Tokyo has
no illusion as to the terms Japan
must accept. These men know that the
Allies at this time will not consider any
PSHSS oA6SCotAOh ALAACco ~ 40 bhoCN VII
the complete evacuation of all terri
tories Japan has conquered since 1881
and the surrendering of Korea and the
inundated islands. The Soviet govern
ment made 1t plain this week through
1t official newspapers that Korea, with
its important Dairen port, must become
Russian, and there is not the slightest
doubt that the United States will de-
mand that the inundated islands given
to Japan after the World War become
American possessions.
But, according to reports which are
based on reliable information, the JAP
anese conservatives are prepared to face
these issues in order to save the country
from disaster. They believe that even
II the suicide strategy of the military
clique is successful and a large part of
Siberia is occupied by the japanese Army
this will be only temporary success
and in the end the Allied planes will
destroy the homeland, including all the
important industries the country has
built up in the last 80 years.
What course Emperor Hirohito will
decide to take is still an enigma for the
military and political experts in WASH
ington. But they do feel that Premier
Stains speech Of Monday has thrown
an unexpected bombshell at Tokyo and
It's effect will be seen in the near future.
Evening star., 1944-11-11
Showdown on Leyte

General MacArthur'S announce
ment that japanese reinforcements
estimated at $4,000 have been
landed on Leyte is a SOLDERING in
timation of enemy tenacity and
reSourcefulness. It is obvious that
the japanese high command is
determined to contest every strate-
gic foot of Philippine soil to the
utmost. And the strategic value of
Leyte is high. Until Macarthur has
completed the conquest of the entire
island we cannot have easy access
to the narrow stretches of sea which
sunder Leyte from a number of other
islands to the westward, neither can
we interrupt japanese communica-
tions between their headquarters
on Luzon via a series of islands to
Mindanao, their southern strong
hold in the archipelago. The longer
the Japanese can confine our efforts
to Leyte, the more time they will
gain to strengthen their hold on the
rest of the Philippines, to say moth
ing of troop dispositions in Malaga,
the Dutch Indies and elsewhere,
which might be hampered once we
have burst through the Philippine
island-barrier and obtained direct
access to the South China Sea, the
waterway between Japan itself and
its conquests to the southwark,
This indicates that the japanese
high command will concentrate the
maximum number of troops which
can be usefully employed on Leyte,
regardless of their ultimate fate.
Japan has millions of soldiers to
expend, so the loss of few divisions
in useful delaying action would be
well worth the price. That so large
number of reinforcements have
been landed on Leyte may come as
an unpleasant surprise to us at
home, because we have tended to
think that our smashing naval VIC
tories had paralyzed Japanese sea-
borne activity in the Central Philip
pines. However, glance at the map
is enough to show that this cannot
happen until We have won the west
coast Of Leyte. From that coast 1t
Is only 20 miles to the nearby islands
Of Cebu and Masbate. with still
other islands relatively close. With
such short water runs, 1t is impos-
sible to prevent flotillas of small
or medium-sized craft running to
Leyte under cover Of darkness. We
should, the Eefore, reckon on = steady
Evening star., 1944-11-11

Honor to man pho euer through the
Fights on, and as the battles tumuH
clears,
Marks each poor uictory NTH monr-
nlents and days,
Thus dreaming to immortalise tbs
praise.
His bright memorials fade as ,Dar still
tollo,Ds ,Dar;
'Crumbling as did Elpenor's Weathered
oar,
Long panished from the shore.
And is a fate like this
Awaiting Armistice?
Yes, euen nop diminished splenAor
plays
On what pe thought the pinnacle J
days.
1t takes humber place,
One milestone on the pathway OF tbs
race.
Look back. Ho,O pttitully geared an1
Those earliest armies struggled. first tor
land;
Then. in wiat finisy craft, set out on
mocking seas,
Intent on legendary pictories
And no,D look up. The blue, untroubied
sky
Becomes the field where past armadas
fly.
The stars are yet aloot, but man wiH
pass them by
Until his martial fame
Has set all Heduen dfame.
But Is this good?
Yes. With his breath, his blood
Victim 50 often OF his o,Dn mistakes
A bitter, but mounting course he
takes,
Reclatn1in1 endlessly through toilsoms
deeds,
Gardens OF freedom that repert to
Deeds.
Master OF earth. ,odter and the insub-
stdntidI air,
TO ,Dhat neto sphere can mans ambition
fare?
There Is one higher:
The element OF spirit-fre.
Man yet must fight the passions OF his
breast,
A longer. ster,ter conflict than the rest.
The turning centuries haze led to this.
And there can be no end, no Grmistice
Tll he ooeys the spark. the gocd. the
prod
That through all tims has driven him
tosDard God.
- MEz BARCLAY KIRBY. 1
Evening star., 1944-11-11
This Changing World
By C0nsf0nfine Broyn

Neither the White House nor the
chiefs of staff will be greatly surprised
II SOME spectacular developments oc-
cur soon in the Far East, after Premier
Stains speech In which he branded
Japan as an "aggressor nation"
The Russian Premier's statement of
last Monday, which did not receive sll
the attention 1t deserved in this country
because OF the interest in the election, is
reported to have stunned Japanese Of
f1cialdom. Tokyo, which in the past has
been relying on Russia's remaining on
the sidelines for some time-at least
until the end OF the war in Europe-is
afraid the Soviet will get into the Far
Eastern war In the near future.
AS result OF this situation, high
ranking American officials believe EN-
peror Hirohito can make one OF two
choices. He can either side with the
military clique, whose prestige has been
seriously dwindling in the last II
months, and decide on a suicide war.
Or, he can side with the conservative
elemept-big businessmen, industrial
lists, bankers, ETC., and make a bid for
peace through third power, which may
be Russia itself
The first course would mean an i'm
mediate attack on Russia from Man.
churia. The Japanese have withdrawn
some forces of the Kwantung army since
last summer and sent them against Gen.
eralissimo Chang Kai-shek. But, &C.
cording to some reports, sufficient re-
placements have been sent to Manchu-
ria to make up for those which have
been withdrawn.
The Russians, on the other hand, have
reconstructed their Far Eastern army,
after having drawn heavily on it in the
critical years since June, 1941. But while
1t appears probable that there is no
shortage of manpower in Siberia, Moth
ing much is known here about the mill
tary equipment, supplies and other es-
sentials which make up a modern army
The Japanese have a good intelligence
service in the Far East and are assumed
to be well informed about the actual
strength of their neighbor.
II the military clique, which still has
some prestige left with Emperor Hiro-
hito, is able to convince him that the
Japanese Army could forestall any Rus
sian attack in the future by taking the
offensive now, we may expect an early
sneak attack on the Russians. Allied
military experts, of course, realize the
Evening star., 1944-11-11

The drive of the American Sd Army
Is making progress southeast OF Metz.
with. what appears to be a secondary
attack ESQ far striking across the Mo-
selle River north of that city. The
immediate local objective of these oper-
ations may well be the development
of the fortress of Metz: but beyond
Metz lies the important Saar industrial
region, the loss of which would be
heavy, blow to the German war ma
chine. The Saar region is important
both for coal mining and for its pro-
duction of steel and pig iron.
So far as present information goes,
1t. Gen. Patton seems to have launched
his major effort along the line of the
Seille River from the little town of
Cheminot to the ne-Marne Canal.
Three divisions on the right flank are
pushing forward against the important
German communications center of
Dieuze; the 26th Division Of this force,
on its left flank, has stormed in Chateau
Salins, which has already changed
hands twice in the course of this
years fighting, and the 4th Armored
Division is pushing still farther to the
north, exploiting the gains made by
CIlc OiiC OtAlCI GU oA.
vision, the 9Th, is also involved-prob
ably somewhere on this same front
and between Chateau Salins and Chem
mot two other infantry divisions (per-
haps three) are in action.
The terrain over which these troops
are advancing is rugged, heavily wooded
and affords good opportunities for
strong defense of localities. It does
not, however, afford good natural line
of defense on which to check the ad-
vance Of armored troops. If our armor
can cut loose with real power drive,
it may well carry right into Sarrebourg
and Saverne, which would have the
effect of outflanking the German troops
In the Rhine Valley farther south who
are now engaged In opposing the steady,
II somewhat slow advances Of 1t. Gen.
Jacob L. Devers' 6ths Army group This,
rather than the immediate smash into
the Saar industrial region, may very
well be Gen. Patton's purpose. II 1t
succeeds. 1t will mean that Allied forces
may break into the Upper Rhine Valley
and flnd stretching out before them .
broad natural highway into the heart
!. OF Southwestern Germany.
As for the possibility for an advance
on the Saar industrial centers, It y
necessary 70 keep IN d pd that between
Evening star., 1944-11-11

stream of reinforcements reaching
the enemy until he Is finally over
whelmed and driven into the sea.
However, the eventual outcome Of
the Leyte campaign seems certain.
And the stepping up of our entire
offensive in the Pacific is indicated
by the appointment OF Admiral
Royal E. Ingersoll as transportation
chief for that whole war zone. His
astounding achievements in the
same capacity for the Atlantic
supply routes are an assurance that
the even greater logistic problems of
the Pacific will be met and solved.
Evening star., 1944-11-11
Presidents Return

No one who witnessed President
Roosevelt's return to Washington
yesterday will be likely to forget 1t.
There was an informality and SIM
plicity in the spectacle which made
1t impressive. Mr. Roosevelt himself
obviously was conscious of a deep
sincerity about the welcome ex-
tended to him at Union Station and
elsewhere along the route of his
ride to the White House. In his
brief acknowledgment of the greet
ing, he paid homage to Government
workers for their help in winning
the war. Then, quite deliberately
and forcefully, he added: when I
say especially Government workers,
I don't overlook all the other people
In the city who make it possible for
them to come here and to live here
and to work here"
The President may have been
thinking that many of the men and
the women in the crowd at the
station and standing along the
curbs Of Constitution and Pennsyl-
vania avenues through no fault of
their own were not completely his
fellow citizens. They had been
denied any part in the majestic
processes of a national election. In
effect, they are aliens in their own
country, given no right to speak for
themselves in how they are to be
governed or by whom. The plat
form on which Mr.. Roosevelt was
elected this year contained a plank
favoring "the extension OF the suf-
frage" to residents of the District Of
Columbia who have no other homes.
A multitude of good Americans, in
Guiding young men fighting the
battles of liberty on thirty different
fronts overseas, hope that as leader
of his party he will help make that
plank effective.
Evening star., 1944-11-11
Armistice Day

Once again Americans are obServ-
ing Armistice Day, the twenty sixth
anniversary OF the cease fire" order
which concluded hostilities in the
"war to end war"
AS We look back over the years to
November II, 1918, it is not hard to
see why that war was fought in vain.
Try as some of us will, the mistakes
and the willful errors cannot. be
concealed. They have led US from
the First World War to the Second
World War, and If we refuse now to
profit from the teachings of the
past, we can expect nothing better
from the future than still another
war-a war that will be more ter
rible than any of those that have
gone before.
After the First World War a ma
tional election in 1920 swept out Of
office the leading American advo-
Gates of international cooperation
for the maintenance of peace. The
issue in that election had been
clearly defined in the campaign.
The Democratic candidate for Vice
President was Franklin D. Roosevelt,
and he wound up his campaign on
November with an address at Hud-
son, New York. This is what he
said: "The question at issue is not
one of individuals or parties, but
whether the United States is to
finish this war or to quit cold:
whether we are to join with the
other nations in a great working
league that will serve to end war for
all time, or whether we will turn our
back on them and choose a policy of
national isolation with its threat of
future wars"
Mr.. Roosevelt and his presidential
running mate, Governor James M.
Cox, were crushingly defeated. The
country turned to a policy of iso-
lation and within a few years the
threat of future wars had become
HOI threat out q TACT.
Now, in the course of World War
II, we have held another national
election. The great question before
the country again was whether the
United States will cooperate with
other nations to keep the peace.
But, happily, that question did not
become a partisan issue, and it is a
fair inference that all, or nearly
all, of the more than 45,OOO,O0O
votes cast for the two major can
dldates were also cast for the policy
advocated by both-a policy of full
and effective American participa-
ton in a postwar peace organiza-
ton. This gives a significant man
date to Mr.. Roosevelt, beaten in 1920
but elected for a fourth term in
1914. 1t is the clearest possible ex-
preston of Americas determination
to fight this war, not for another
armistice, but for a just and lasting
peace
On Armistice Day, 1921, the re-
mains of the Unknown Soldier were
brought to Arlington. President
Harding, on that solemn occasion,
declared: Il can sense the prayers
of our people, of all peoples, that
this Armistice Day shall mark the
beginning of a new and lasting era
OF peace on earth, good will among
men," Those prayers have not yet
been answered. But on Armistice
Day, 1914, a new and better oppor-
tunlty lies before us. And this time,
We dare not fail.