davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Daily Alaska empire., 1944-08-28

Team total 733 170-Expert, 154-sharpshooter, l40-marksman.
 Range officer-Osborne; Execu- tive Officer-Williams; Public Re- lations Officer-Byrns.
The Daily Alaska empire., 1944-08-28

A California redwood, 364 feet high, is the tallest tree in the world.
The Daily Alaska empire., 1944-08-28

One-quarter of all forest fires in this country are set by careless smokers.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09
Holden Will Radio Christmos Fete

Holden, Mass, Dec. g - (U.PO = Christmas observances in this typ. icAi New England community will be heard throughout the world by means of radio recordings being jrepaFed today and tomorrow under the direction Of Roy De dr0ot, owl feature writer and producer.
 The recordings will include inter- views with townspeople on their holiday preparations and special Roman Catholic and CongFegations ai church Christmas services, Also on Army sound truck will roam the town manned by Dc Greet and his stafs recording other instances of authentic Christmas preparation by the toWn's 4,000 inhabitants,
 Do 0F0ot said the 0Wt has three purposes behind ils novel ldeai To point out the similarity Of Christ mas observance throughout the Christian world, 10 describe chFists mas customs peculiar to America and 70 show the effects 0f WfF on ohrlstnlas Co America thls year,
 The recordings, accompanied ht centuries in ~ foreign lahaNaAesl g|ll he flown Q 70 foreign countries Ger hToefeefi,
The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09
Nuzi Power Is Surprise

New York, Dec. g = U.P) vi German strength far beyond the ex- pectations of the Allied governments has slowed the advance on the west ern front and brought demands for more and more big shells and guns. The final session of the War and Reconversion Congress Of American industry revealed today.
 The congress heard Frederick c. Crawford, its retiring chairman. warn that Germany has reserves of food, rubber, and copper and S. 900 900 men ready to fight on front that is hard to invade and easy to defend"
 Crawford. who has just returned from an inspection trip to the fronts of General George S. Patton and General Omar M. Bradley, disclosed that lack of gasoline was all that kept General Patton's army from smashing straight to Berlin.
 Every truck on the Patton front was commandeered to carry gas- oline instead of working on other war jobs. General Patton held that this situation was more important than the matter of supplying food to the American forces and resented Q situation where trucks brought in provisions instead of gasoline. he said.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09
British Take San Prosperc

Rome. Dec. g - (UP0 - British infantry, supported by armor, cap tured the road and rail junction of San ProSperc, one mile southwest of Faenza, today while other units of the Eighth Army advanced against strong German opposition to the northwest and reached a sput 1000 yards from the town of Celle.
 German forces counter-attacked and recaptured the town of Pideura four and a half miles west of Faenza yesterday, but after day of bloody house to house fighting Eighth Army infantrymen and tanks drove out the enemy.
 High winds and a steady down. pour of rain halted activities on the Fifth Army front below Bologna.
 Eighth Army patrols reported tht while the area north of Rvenna had ben cleared of the enemy. Ger mans had inf1ltrated from the west to Casal Borsetti in an apparent attempt to draw of British troops in that direction and hinder a con- centration aimed at turning the action in the general direction of Bologna.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09
Smash Strongest
 Counter Blows Yet Sprung In E. Saar
BY JAMES McGL1NCY

United Press war COfresP0MAeApD
 Paris, December g. - (UP)i .- merican Infantry knocked out 12 bitterly defended pillboxes with flame throwerS, gre11adeS and Cannon and plunged deeper into the maze of Sieg- fried Line defenses northwest of Saarlutern today after smashing the strongest Ger man counter-attack yet url- corked east of the Saar river.
 Some 500 counter-attack- ing Germans with II tanks stabbed back into Anericar- held Dillingen, two and 2 half miles northeast of Saar- lautern and six miles inside the Saar Basin, at 6:20 a. m. Yesterday the battle swayed back and forth through the streets and houses of the town for more than 10 hours, but the battered enemy finally withdrew at 5 p. m.
 Southeast of Sarlautern, other elements of It. Gen. George S Pate tons Third Army massed strength along a broad siege arc for grand assault on Saarbrucken, industrial captal of the Saar Basin, and ex- tended their new beachheadS across the Saar river near Saareguemlnes-
 German resistance was stihening all along the line as the Third Army bit deeper into the vital Saar re- gions which supplied the hungry German war machine with 10 per cent of its iron and steel and SIX per cent of its coal. One big iron and steel works already has been seized by the Americans at Dil- lingen.
 On the Third Arny'S eastern flank, It. Gen. Alexander M. Patca's American Seventh Army swung north two miles through the east- GTu IlD O1 EId11CC OO WAtA4AAA oA4A o-N-~@ a half miles of the German border dozen or more miles northeast of Sarre Union.
 Gamhsheim, on the Rhine river nine miles northeast of Strasbourgs also fell to the Seventh Army, while other clements farther south teamed with French in further compress ing the German pocket between the Rhine nd the Vosges river.
 It. Gen. Courtney H. Hodges First Army Doughboys struck out on the Cologne plain in minor action and captured high ground about one mile east of Groshau, five and 8 half miles southwest of the Roer river stronghold of Duren. A small Ger man counter-attack southeast of Bergstein, three miles below Gross hau, was repulSed.
 Ninth Army forces still were bat (Continued on Page 9
The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09
Britoin u. s. Believed Far
 From Accord
By ROBERT J. MANNING

By ROBERT J. MANNANG United Press Staff Correspondent
 Washington, Dec. 9-(UP-Diplo- matic observers believed today that the United States and Great Bri- tain were far from agreement on Allied policy toward liberated Eu- ropean governments despite British Ambassador Lord Halifax assertion that substantial understanding" existed between the two Allies.
 British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's defiant speech and his resulting vote of confidence from the house of commons yesterday strengthened belief among American authorities that the policy breach would remain until the next Roose- xelt=C Churchill -Stalin meeting. OmcialS here, it was understood, are concentrating less on solu- ton to the immediate dispute with Britain than on an effort to pre- vent a widening of the misunder- standing before the "big three" can get together.
 Halifax told reporters that "un- derstanding" existed between U. S. and Britain on policy in liberated countries after conferring with Sec retary of State Edward R. Stettin- jus, Jr.
 Many were quick to draw a dis tinction between ''understanding" and agreement" as applied to the week-long dispute that has caused both governments to air publicly their divergent views on the right of big powers to intervene in the
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The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09
Babs Hutton And Count Near Agreement On Lance

Hollywood, Dec. Q - (UP.) - Ffail Barbara Hutton, dinlesstore heiress whose marital difheulties have Fesounded iI1 coutrooms of two continents, today appeared near an out-of-couFt settlement with her former hlw5anS, exsc0unt Kurt HaugwitssfleVentlew, over custody Of theig son, LADee.
 Attorneys for each announced that negotiations we're underway to settle thelf battle over who Ia the best parent and who should have custody Of the nInesyeaEsold boy.
 we are engaged in conversations 10 the hope ot suggesting . formula which will be in Che best interests el the boy and not injurious Co either parent" Attorneys Jerry oiaslsr Tor Mias Hutton ana Joseph b keNiBon iof negentleW sald ln Q joint sIslenoni,
The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09

The announcement was the first indication that the battle which started six months ago might end amicabiy.
 Revantlow touched of the fiery dispute iast May % with charges that Lance came houle from his an- nual six month"; visit to his mother in, to put it mildly poor condls ton"
 The one.tlme Danish nohleman said Lance sp0nted words no little boy should know and didn't know the ones he should because he had- F't been t0 school for six months,
 FAirthofmofe, nevenlloW charged that although hls mother could well afford dentisls' bills. the boys teeth were deceyed, and ho had a erlprV nose from swimming in o'opfethok
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The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09
Civilians Spending More This
 Christmas Than Ever Before
BY UNITED PRESS

American civilians are spending appr o ximately $3,500, 100000 for Christmas gifts and piling up the greatest volume of retail sales in history, a nationally known retail credit organization estimated today.
 The estimate complemented a United Press survey of Christmas buying in seven key cities which showed rush for holiday merchan- disc unprecedented even in the pre- depression era.
 The retail credit organization es- timated retail sales for October, Mo- vember, and December would be five to 10 per cent greater for thescoun- trv as whole than for the same months last year.
 The United Press survey confirm ed this estimate and revealed a much greater percentage of increase in some sections, particularly in areas with many war industries and war workers. In Atlanta, Ga, for example, retail sales for the week ending Nov. g were 31 per cent greater than for the same week of 1943 which was the biggest week in the history of the reporting stores.
 From coast to coast, Americans were determined to have a Merry Christmas if one could be had with money. Such a demand for luxury goods was reported that there were shortage in some lines, particularly lingerie. Ftlrs and expensive jewelry were in demand. There were not nearly enough grand and spinet pianos to meet the demand.
 New York merchants expected a total retail gross approaching $2O0,- OOO, 900, more than 10 per cent iI1- crease over last years volume. Chi cago merchants estimated their to- tai would exceed $160,000, 900, an increase of seven to II per cent. War boom areas were having an even higher per centage of increase. San Francisco merchants antici- pated a gross of 0,000, 900, $6,500,- 900 greater than last years.
 Shortages existed in many lines bu merchants believed generally there was enough merchandise to go around if the public would ac- cept substitutions. One large mer- cantile organization estimated short- age lines as follows: camers, 30 per cent less than demand; luggage. S3 per cent; umbrellas, 59 per cent; women's suits and coats, 20 per 
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The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09
KNOCK OUT TWELVE PILL BOXES, PLUNGE DEEPER INTO SIEGFR|ED LINE
REDS CAPTURE KEY DANUBE
 CITY OF VAC
BY ROBERT MUsEL

BY ROBERT MUSEL Limited Press War Correspondent
 London, December g. - (UP) - The German Army today acknowledged the loss of VAC, key transport and defense center on the Dan- ube 16 miles north of Buda- pest, to Soviet forces swiftly investing the Hungarian cap ital on three sides.
 ABerlin broadcast said the Red Army stepped up it's pressure from the breach area north of Budapest" and after fierce fighting VAC fell into Soviet hands.
 Vac lines on the elbow of the Danube due north of Budapest where the river swings down toward the capital. It controls the trunk transport lines north of Budapest, which are on the east side of the river.
 As the Russians rolled up the Nazi Hanks north and southwest of Budapest, the Ankara radio said all civil and military authorities had left the capital. A Hungarian gen. eral named Rude was appointed military governor, the broadcast said.
 Moscow and Berlin dispatches re- Vealed that major tank battles were raging on either side of the be- 7eaguered capital, with reinforced German and Hungarian divisions putting up a desperate but losing fight to hold open their two main lines of communication between Budapest and Vienna.
 Four armored columns of Marshal Feodor I. Tolbukhin's Third Ukran- aar army wedged deep into the Nazi deienses between Budapest and Lake BGlaton, pushing within nine miles of SzekesfehVea and threatening to bring that covering stronghold under attack hy nightfall.
 At the same tilna, Marshal Rodion Y. Malinovskys Second Ukranian forces crushed IS miles through the enemy lines above Budapest and reached the gre-t hend of the Dan- ube at Vac, 16 miles to the north
 Alarmed Berlin spokesmer admit ted the gravity of the twin Soviet offensive and warrt d that the show down fight for Budapest could be expected in a matter of days at most.
 Berlin Reports
 The Russian early morning war bulletin gave no information on the northern sweep, trt Berlin said a big Soviet tank column that broke through the Hatvan sector at mid week had hooked around to the west
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The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09
ScoUiH Co. Nears
 .SMiIlion h Bonds

Bond purchases at the Scoyill Manufacturing Co.,, have reached over the $900,00O mark today and seemed destined to extend to or better than the one million dollar mark before the close of the Sixth War Loan Drive, it was stated today by David Moreland, chairman.
 Already surpassed is the com- pany's Treasury quota of $655, ,000 with fifty per cent of participating employees having purchased an extra bond, exclusive of payroll savings. Company officials expressed conf1- dence that the voluntary goal of the one million mark would be met by participating employees, before the end of the campaign officially scheduled for December 16.
 Despite a flashing rain that har- ried the city all day yesterday, students of the Sacred Heart high school manning the Victory House on the Green sold $9,250 in war bonds of which $8,250 was in "E'' bonds. The glee club of the school braved the pouring rain to sing Christmas carols throughout the program while harmonica selections were rendered by Mack Lathrop.
 Novel feature was the issuance to bond buyers of $100 denomination of their favorite pack of cigarettes.
 While general bond sales seemed steady and firm, sale of the all-im- portant "E" bonds Jagged the latest statistics reveal. The situation seemed common throughout the country.
 AS reported here recently but $1,- 964, 1909 in 'E" bonds has been pur- chased here, officially, toward a quota of $4,250,O00. Local retailers have sold $77S, ,450 in "E" bonds of their total sales to date of $l ,097 $50 striving toward a $l,30O,000 quota.
 Austin L. Adams co-chairman of the Securities Division, as reported here recently, deplored the tagging
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The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09
China Wins Big Crisis
BY WALTER BUNDLE

\OnDCu EEC3S WAT OOETcSpOnOCnt)
 Chungking, Dec. 9.-(UP)-China has successfully weathered one of the gravest military crises of the war, a high government spokesman declared today in announcing the rout of strong Japanese invasion force that had penetrated within 65 miles of the big American air base at Kweiyang.
 Gen. Chen Cheng, newly-appoint- ed Chinese minister of war, told a press conference that the critical phase of the present campaign was passed with the crushing defeat of two Japanese columns at Tuhshan and Paichai yesterday.
 Both towns were recaptured by heavily Chinese troops who slashed across the enemy's sup ply lines to the south and west and then sent the invaders reeling in retreat under series of smashing frontal attacks.
 A communique reported that pur- suing Chinese troops advanced 20 miles south of Tuhshan by night fall yesterday and occupied the railway town of Shangssu, IS miles north of the Kweichow-Kwangsi border. .-... -., .-.
 Another pursuing Chinese force drove down to the provincial border at Limingkwan, southeast of Tuh- shan.
 An estimated 5000 Japanese spearheaded the invading force at Tuhshan, 75 miles southwest of Kweiyang, while another 5000 had pushed up along the flank to Pa- chai. 66 miles below the American air base.
 Chen emphasized. however. that
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The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09
Liquor Lows Lock Teeth

Hartford, Conn, Dec. 9-(UP)- Francis P. Rohymayer, member of the State Liquor Control commits sion, called upon the Hartford County Bar association today to sponsor legislative action to correct the existing liquor laws. declaring that unless abuses are remedied there will be another era of pro- hibition worse than that which ended ten years ago.
 Rohrmayer urged that the teeth be restored" to the original state liquor laws which, he said, have been revised so many times that the work flor the benefit of the M- quor interests, with no protection for the public"
 Even the enforcement, and some of the regulatory powers of the commission have been stripped away, he said, making it impossible to clean up undesirable conditions which threaten family life and juvenile morals.
 Rohrmayer cited some of the conditions he said existed and which were partly corrected with the aid of state police and other enforce Tnent agencies:
 New London - Liquor business found completely. out of control, and state police stepped in at the request Of the Control Commission. Every known crime from prostltn- ton t0 sales to minors was uns covered" and one investigator was alugBed with an iron pipe end rolsed in on alleg. fcontlnnaa on Paec 2D
The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09
Jops Admit Quake Ruins
BY UNITED PRESS


 The Japanese acknowledged for the first time today the severity of the earthquake that ripped across central Japan Thursday afternoon, and revealed that war plants and residential areas were damaged in Osaka, the empires second city.
 Carefully censor ed enemy broad casts, which for the past A hours had been minimizing the extent of the disaster, listed damage caused by tidal waves and landslideS in 8 half-dozen crowded manufacturing centers extending from the edge of the Tokyo distric:. to Osaka, 240 miles to the west.
 Official accounts issued by the Domei News Agency, however, made no mention of Tokyo itself or of the loss of life in Thursdays upheaval, which observatories around the world recorded as even greater than tb'. 1923 convulSion that wiped out Yokohama and much of the capital and killed almost 100000 persons.
 The quake ways severe, but losses were limited to buildings damaged in one area, and on the whole not much damage was done" Domai said, asserting that precautions. al- ready taken against American air raids had helped keep down the damage.
 The Domei dispatch, recorded by EGG Monitors, admitted the shock was particularly heavy in the Osaka area, 8 sprawling factory city of 3,252,000 residents. Second only to Tokyo in size and importance, the seaport city is a vital railway and shipping hub and is packed with textile, machinery, metal and
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The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09
Report White House Holds Up Palestine Immigration

view of a strict pledge Of secrecy imposed at the time of 6tettinius' appearance last Wednesday. Priv atsly. however, they laid the blame for delay at the door of the White House.
 Congressional sources contend that administration opposition also Is responsible for failure Of 8 slTni' lar resolution, approved ky the House Foreign Affairs committee, 70 get q go-ahead from the House Rules committee,
 There has been DO official eg' planati0n Of delay 0n the Fesolus ton, the Rist 0f which was con. tained in both tbe Republican and Den0eFatio platforms thla year, One senator, Who declined use 0l his name, said he believed that
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The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09
Expect FDR
 To Veto Bill
By CHARLES B. DEGGES

United Press Staff Correspondent
 Washington, Dec. 9H(UP)-The tone of President Roosevelts $ language in his expected veto of the special security tax freeze bill was seen today perhaps the deter mining factor in whether Congress votes to override him.
 Both houses have now passed the bill freezing social security tax rates during 1945 at the current one per cent rate. The vote in the house was 262 to 72. The senate approved the freeze measure late yesterday A to 19.
 Congressional leaders were cer- tain MT. Roosevelt will veto the bill there had been no sign from the White House but it was re- called that one of the presidents reasons for vetoing the entire tax bill last year was its social security freeze rider. The tax was sched- uled to rise to per cent on January 1.
 Sen. Robert F. Wagner, D., N. Y. who is opposed to the measure. said the tone of the presidents S veto message would determine whether the senate would vote the bill into law without the presidents signature. There was little doubt that the house would promptly over- ride a veto.
 If the president advanced a strong argument" against the freeze Wagner said, enough sens' tors would switch their votes to sustain the veto. If he wrote a routine" opposition to the mea- sure, Wagner declared. the senate probobly would vote with the house to override.
 On the basis of yesterdays senate vote only four of the total of 66
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The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09
SWIFT ORMOC
 DRIVE UPSETS
 JAPS' PLANS
BY WILLIAM B. DICKINSON United Press War Correspondent

United Press War COrrespOndent)
 Allied Headquarters, Philip pines, December g. = (UP) = The American 77th Divis- ion thrust into the outskirts of ORMOC, last sizeable Japanese port on Leyte, to- day in a drive threatening to roll up the rear of enemy forces fighting to the last man against a frontal assault nearly 20 miles to the north.
 The division overran Camp Downes, an old American military camp dating back to the SpaniSh-American War, on the outskirts of ORMOC yesterday after a three-mile advance from the beachhead they had carved out only 24 hours earlier in a surprise landlng.
 The speed of the advance indi- cated that the Japanese, caught off balance by the amphibious blow, would not be able to organize suffi- cient resistance to prevent the speedy fall of Ormoc, their main supply and reinforcement gateway.
 (Radio Tokyo claimed that Japan ese ground forces, aided by para troops, have virtually captured" the American airfield at Burauen, more than nine miles behind the
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The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-12-09
EIos Troops Power Grows In Athens
(Nea Telephoto)
BY JAMES E. ROPER

Limited Press Staff COrrespondentD
 Athens, Dec. eL(UP) = Armed units of the FAM National Libera- tion front today were laying mines and establishing gun posts in grow ing "bridgeheads" scattered through the capital, and an official said Athens might not be cleared ''for very long time"
 E1as forces, the military arm of FAM, established road blocks on the highway between Athens and the nearby port of Piraeus last night, but the barricades were cleared today.
 Authorities estimated that the anti-government forces in Athens numbered about 10000, with an- other 10000 in the region around the capital the position and strength of the latter group, how ever were obscure.
 About 200 Elas men were dug in on Ardittos Hill and another 100 just to the north. The latter force was laying mines, and controlled 8 bridge over a river flowing through the stadium area
 Two hundred more were sniping vigorously from church in West ern Athens. The British turned small arms fire on the church, but expected to refrain from smelling 1t and hoped to starve out the defend. CTS of the building situated in city square.
 At scattered points the Eias forc- es had brought their own field ar- tillery into play as the battle oi Athens rounded out full week.
 Reports from scattered sectors of the Athens front said the Elas units, for the first time using ar- tillery, had infiltrated previously vacated positions and had yielded virtually nothing to the British and Greek regulars.
 Authorities reported that situa-
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