davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1944-03-22
Burmu Bottle

Although the reports about it are
still somewhat sketchy and confused,
the military situation in Burma has
apparently begun to shape up into
a battle of substantial size. Three
hundred or more miles northwest
of Mandalay, aiming at our Allied
supply lines to the Chinese and
Northern Burmese theaters, the
Japanese have launched what looks
like a major offensive effort, cross
ing the Chindwin River at several
points in strong westward drive
toward Imphal, capital Of Manipur
State in India. Meanwhile, our
forces are striking in three different
areas in way that could conceiv-
ably make this latest advance end
In notable defeat for the enemy.
The first of these areas is around
Tiddim. where the British have
broken into japanese positions below
the southernmost crossing of the
Chindwin River. The second lies to
the north where General Stilwells
American and Chinese troops con-
tinue to move southwark in the di-
rection of Myitkyina, after a four
month campaign in which they
cleared up the Hukawng Valley in
Northern Burma and killed about
1000 of the enemy. And the third
area is southwark of Myitkyina,
where strong force of air-borne
British and Indian jungle fighters
has been landed complete with
guns and mules by American glid-
ers and transports. Myitkyina, hub
of Japanese operations in Northern
Burma, is thus threatened from at
least two directions-by General
Stilwell's group to the north and by
the Allied air-borne contingent to
the south. II 1t falls, the enemy's
communications will be seriously af-
fected, and If at the same time the
British are able to exploit and ex-
pand their Tiddim thrust, his whole
offensive drive across the Chindwin
may collapse in costly failure.
At the moment. the weather in
Burma is hot and dry, SO that heavy
fighting can be carried on. BY the
end of May or early in June, how
ever, the inevitable monsoon will
come with its torrential rains, and
from then on until late next October
the indescribable mess of mud will
make 1t almost impossible for either
side to conduct effective operations.
This means that our Allied forces
will have to try to make the most OF
their opportunities within the next
two months. 1t may be too much
Evening star., 1944-03-22
Constantine BrO1Vn

cially dissolved Comintern. These few
months Of the red terror of Bella
Kun are fresh In the memory of most
Hungarians, be they landed barons,
bourgeois or peasants. 1t appears un-
likely to most observers here that the
Hungarian people would welcome the
Red armies with open arms.
Under these circumstances, the arrival
OF strong Nazi military force in Hun
gary does not deserve the significance
given 1t in reports from London and
some neutral capitals Of Europe.
1t is also pointed out that while the
Rumanians have sent large forces into
Russia since 1941, mostly under COM
pulsion, the Hungarians sent some of
their best divisions as token of solidar-
ity with the Wehrmacht. The Hum
garians, who are recognized as among
the best fighting men in Europe. have
suffered severe losses.
The same observers who have followed
closely the developments in Hungary
since the outbreak of the war attribute
some significance to the fact that there
was no opposition to the withdrawal OF
the Hungarian forces when the losses
became too heavy. The most impor-
tant contingents contributed by the
satellites to the war against Russia
came from Hungary and Rumania. But
while the Rumanians, in spite OF their
terrific losses, estimated at more than
500,0O0 men, were never allowed 70
withdraw, the Hungarian Army, with the
exception of few aviation squadrons,
was permitted to stay at home and
watch its boundaries.
Because of these facts, some usually
Weli-lnformed official quarters believe
the German move into Hungary NAV
have been made in agreement with the
Horthy government and is intended to
bolster the Hungarian Armies against
an eventual attack of the PuSeiopc
Evening star., 1944-03-22


Those who believe the Nazi coup in
hungary was executed after Horthy
was trapped at Berchtesgaden base
their surmiSe on the fact that the 76-
year-old regent always has had deep
resentment for Hitler and the Nazi
regime
He regarded Hitler as an Austrian
upstart"; their first meeting occurred in
1886 when Hitler tried to make favor
able impression on Horthy, former
commander in chief of the Austro-
Hungarian Navy, and was treated with
contempt.
X X
Hitler's henchmen later attempted
an intrigue against the bluff and out
spoken regent, but did not succeed be-
cause, as keeper of the Hungarian
crown, he enjoyed tremendous popu-
larlty throughout the country. Never
theless, ideologfcally Horthy was on the
side OF the German Junkers and par
ticularly on the side of the military
Evening star., 1944-03-22
Always the Exception

Senators Guffey of PENNSYLVANIA
and Clark of Missouri recognize the
voteless status of District citizens in
their bill to require voting in gen.
eral elections as a condition of Fed
eral employment. They substitute
a f1ve-year residence qualification in
Washington for the proposed re-
quirement, applying elsewhere, that
a Federal employe must vote to hold
his job.
But, in fairness, other modifica-
tions would be necessary should such
a bill ever become law. Allowance
would have to be made for the Fed
eral employees who live in Washing
ton, maintain a legal domicile in
one OF the States, and still are
barred from voting unless they
travel in person to the polls.
The debate on the soldier vote
measure accentuated the variety
and complexity of absentee voting
laws in the States and while some
of the States, since the war, have
changed their laws in respect to
soldiers, the matter OF voting by
mail is still a complicated or
impossible procedure for many
civilians. Pennsylvania, for instance,
is one of the five States that restrict
absentee voting to soldiers. Della
ware, Kentucky and New Mexico,
unless there have been recent
changes, do not allow absentee vot-
ing. There are almost as many
degrees of absentee voting and
registration requirements as there
are States.
The subject is interesting, because
there is an undoubted misconception
regarding the number of Federal
workers in Washington who can
vote in their States without going
home. In 1880 the Census Bureau
counted only 15,105 qualified and
recent voters living in Washington.
Estimates of the number, of course,
are much higher when made by the
political party workers in charge of
stimulating the absentee vote.
The Star agrees with Senator
Guffey that what is required here,
to add new voting Americans to
the electorate, is a constitutional
amendment giving Washingtonians
voice in their National Govern
ment. That step, as a matter of
fact, undoubtedly would create more
new voters than the statute which
Senators Guffey and Clark have in
mind. 1t Is reasonable to believe
that voting is less neglected by Fed
eral workers-who can vote-than by
any other class of citizens.
Evening star., 1944-03-22

cause, or at least that their commu-
nications through Hungary to Ru-
mania and Bulgaria could no longer
be considered secure.
A glance at the map shows what this
means. The Russian armies are driving
on LWow. Should they reach thai cen-
ter, there would be no rail or road COM
munication left between Germany and
Field Marshal Won Mannstein'S armies
in Rumania and Southwestern Russia
except through Hungary. Should Hun
gary have acted then to close the Hun
garian railways to German traffic, Won
Mannstein would have been done for,
with all his men. Moreover, the Ger
man grip on the Balkans would have
been shattered
Perhaps the Hungarians were really
making ready for such a move, prefer
ring so to act rather than to suffer a
Russian invasion across the Carpa-,
thians. Certainly most Hungarians have
a dread of Russia; they remember too
well the days Of the Red Terror of Bella
Evening star., 1944-03-22

to call on Gov. Dewey to come out and
debate" the issues. But he, himself,
is silent as TO how he would raise the
greatly increased tax revenue he advo-
Gates and is very mute indeed, upon
such vital subjects as the National Serv-
ice Act, opposed by union labor, and the
Little SteeT formula, with which it
seeks to alter administration stabiliza-
ton policy. Nor. so far as can be
recalled, has he been plain-spoken on
the question of how he would end
strikes in defense plants during the
war
This is not said in criticism of Mr..
Willkie. The charge of lack of candor
applies, perhaps, in greater degree to
other aspirants in the two parties, not
only for the presidency but for other
Offices, too. The truth Is that the ma
ture, variety and prejudices of the great
mass OF American voters inevitably tend
to make hypocrites of the most honest
OF candidates. Privately, no one in
politics denies this 1t is only in pub
Tic that the pretense of unadulterated
Evening star., 1944-03-22
This Changing World

caste which has been running the
Reich for the last decade.
Hungary's association with Germany
was not brought about at the point of
a pistol as was the case with Rumania,
Bulgaria and even Italy. While Hun
gary was intensely nationalistic and
chauviniStic she looked to Germany
rather than to any of the other Euro
pean powers for collaboration. The
Hungarian nobility, which still has a
wide influence over the peaSantry, back
bone of the country, liked the ways of
the British and French aristocracy. But
after the World War Hungary had lost
many Of her territories to her neighbors
who in 1921 and 1889 were on the side
of France and Great Britain.
x
Consequently the policy of the sue
ceeding Hungarian government was. on
the whole, pro-German. The middle
classes and the very large bureaucracy,
which at one time may have been SYM
pathetic to the western powers. changed
their attitude rapidly after the parti-
tion of Czechoslovakia in 1888, although
Horthy himself continued to treat Hitler
with scorn. This general attitude of
the Hungarian government and the
Hungarian people shows why Germany,
until this week, has not implemented
her alliance with that country by a
military occupation such as has been
the case in Rumania and Bulgaria. At
least 20 divisions are in permanent oc-
cupation of Rumania and Bulgaria to
make sure that there is no slipup in the
existing friendship"
Moreover, the ties between the Reich
and Hungary have grown stronger since
the outbreak of the Russo German war.
The Hungarians had a Communist
regime for few months after the de-
teat OF the Central Powers in 1918. 1t
was headed by a certain Bella Kun,
who Still is member of the now Off
Evening star., 1944-03-22
Nearing the Corpothions

With the Red Army continuing to
advance powerfully along a broad
front in Bessarabia and with his
last remaining positions in Southern
Russia fast disintegrating, Hitler
may soon have to form a new defen-
sive line in that part of Europe,
and there seems but one logical
place for him to form it-in the
Carpathian Mountains, behind the
River Prut. This prospect makes
Immediately pertinent a rereading
of the history of one of the big
but indecisive battles of the First
World War.
Extending through the Car
pathianS from Dukla Pass, south of
Jaslo, to the Rumanian border,
this battle - "the Battle of the
Carpathians"-was opened in Jan
uary, 1915, by Austrian forces seek
ing, among other things, to keep
the C--r's armies from pouring
through the mountains onto the
Hungarian plain. The Russians
struck back not merely to get onto
the plain but primarily to protect
their flank as the essential pre-
condition for drive through their
Polish salient toward the heart of
Germany. The fighting seesawed
for four months, ending in April,
with the decision won by neither
side, except that the Russians were
stopped in their effort to exploit
the success they had had in winning
the crest Of the main ridge, their
failure in this being attributed
largely to their lack of experience as
mountain fighters.
Today, 20 years later, the Red
Army is only 100 or so miles from
the scene of this battle, driving the
Nazis back in such way as to make
a re-enactment seem even more
probable than possible. The similari-
ties between the two situations are
striking. For, no less than in 1915,
the Russians now have every reason
to want to break through the Car
pathians not only to knock out
Hungary and Rumania, but also
and perhaps more importantly-to
safeguard their flank before max
ing the most of their present Polish
salient for march into Germany
proper
But even more striking than these
similaritieS are the differences be-
tween the situation today and the
situation 20 years ago. In 1915 Ger
many was still fresh, having been
at war less than a year; but now,
after more than four years of the
hardest fighting, it is bleeding pro-
fusely in a hundred places and its
overall position seems to be hardly
better than that of a trapped
animal. The lavishly supplied Red
Army, on the other hand, inspired
and stimulated by it's immense VIC
tories and sure of mighty Allied help
IN the west, is infinitely stronger
than the Cars forces in the First
World War-even down to the detail
OF knowing how to fight in noun
tains. If there is a second Battle
OF the Carpathians," therefore, the
odds will be all in favor of the Rus
slams, and history will be repeating
Itself in this instance with signifi-
can't variation.
Evening star., 1944-03-22
Vesuvius in Turmoil

The worst eruption of Mount
Vesuvius since 1906 is something
more than a "sideShow" of the war.
AS Milton Bracker says in a wireless
report to the New York Times, this
poses a serious problem for the
Allied authorities and is diverting
hundreds of men and animals from
normal work"
How long the disturbance may last
Is a matter of speculation. The
burning mountain never is alto
gether quiet Americans who have
visited the crater in periods of theo-
retical inactivity know that smoke,
gas and occasional bursts of flame
are normal characteristics of the
scene. The notion that the present
flow of molten rock was caused by
aerial bombardment of Naples, Cas-
sino and other nearby communities
probably is unscientific, but the idea
has an attraction just the same.
More Important however, is the
conceded interference of Vesuvius
with the business of defeating the
Germans in Central Italy Regarded
in relation to its unfortunate influ-
ence upon the Allied campaign, the
volcanoes current turmoil Is an asset
to the Nazis. Mr.. Bracker tells how
"at least four thousand refugees"
already are receiving food and
shelter from the AMG authorities.
IT the expulsion of lava continues
Indefinitely, "a far greater evacua-
ton" of residents of the semicircle
between Tore Annunziata and
Santa Anastasia will be necessitated.
The town of San Sebastiano was
overwhelmed by "a seething mass
twelve feet high" which was de-
scrlbed as "a fiery meatgrinder.
Such tremendous powers are not
subject to human control. If Vesu-
vius really puts on a first-class
show" it will be a costly handicap
for the Allies. The activity which
destroyed Pompeii, Herculaneum and
Stabiae in 70 AID, it is worth re-
membering, began seventeen years
before that date.
Evening star., 1944-03-22
Air Forces Level OFF

Ihe Army Air Forces Training
Command announcement that 139
Miami Beach hotels will be turned
back to the owners by next july
follows closely the release of seventy
colleges and fourteen civilian con-
tract schools used in the training
program. 1t is another step in the
Training Commands shift from
production-out of raw material-of
the worlds greatest air force to a
program of requirements and more
detailed technical training for it's
officers and men. The period of ex-
pansion is over, concluding one of
the most spectacular experiments in
mass technical education ever at
tempted.
The results are found today in an
air force numbering 100000 off,
GERS and enlisted men, which will
continue to write it's own achieve
mentS as the war goes on. The
growth that produced this army,
however, would be incredible were
it not for the figures which speak
for themselves. In 1882 for instance,
696 pilots were trained In 1910 the
number incre aSed to 1885. In 1912
there were -o,782 and in 1943, 56,OO8.
BY comparison, there was no real
training program for navigators,
bombardiers, aerial gunners, miscel-
laneouS pilots (aS distinct from COM
bat pilots and technicians until
1912, when we were in the war. But
in that year alone 311,45O men were
trained in these classitications, and
the number was more than doubled
in 1943.
The prime product of this train
ing program, of course, has been
our air force. But we shall un-
doubtedly profit, for years to come,
from its by-products. There are
nearly half million airplane me-
chanlcS, for instance, about 200 1000
radio operators, more than 100000
graduates of advanced technical
courses and a host of others, with
special skills, who will make their
own contribution, after this war, in
the tremendous expansion of
civilian aviation and mechanical de-
velopment to take place. And there
Evening star., 1944-03-22

to expect anything decisive within
that short space of time, but current
signs suggest that there will at least
be a battle of considerable dimen-
sions to improve our positions for
an all-out offensive next fall, when
the sky is clear again and the jungle
floor reasonably solid.
Evening star., 1944-03-22

necessary, for their
own security, to take
over full military
control of Hungary.
The necessity must
have been a very
real one, for the
German high COM
mand can i'll afford
to spare troops for a
new army OF Uccu-
patton. Hence it is
plain that the Ger
mans had good rea-
son to fear that
Hungary was about
to d e Sert t lie i :
Evening star., 1944-03-22
For Sole. Anyhow
From the Great Bend Tribune.

From the Great Bend Tribune. -
Every so often the Tribune has a.
classified ad about "palomino" horse
No one in the Office has been able to
spell the word properly. Our edition Of
Webster's Dictionary fails to have the
word under "palomino," "palimino" or
"palamino." Twice the ad has appeared
in the paper and each time every spell-
ing authority has been contacted but It
continues to remain our nemesis. Maybe
It's one Of those trick words In spelling.
Anyhow, man had that kind of horse
for sale.
Evening star., 1944-03-22

this Is because Of
the numerous racial,
religious, vocational,
sectional and other
special = | In t e r e S t
groups which COM
pose so large a part
Of the electorate.
Even those who
seem the frankest
are never wholly SO.
For example, there
Is Mr.. Willkie, who
is talking m u C h
more than all other
aspirants for tn e
presidency and has
Evening star., 1944-03-22

thority for State governments advanced
last month by Gov. Thomas E. Dewey
of New York. The cry for political
decentralization has, indeed, become
stock in trade of the opponents of the
present administration
Now, without breaking lance for
the present administration, some dis
interested observations are In order.
The reason why the States have de-
b clined in power and the Federal Gov
ernment increased in power is not due
to political conspiracy. The reasons
lie in the development of our economic
and social life-that is to say, of our
civilization. The trend of all civiliza-
ton is toward centralization It Is only
primitive societies that are decen-
tralized.
=
rT1,o ,to fa 80 A l.
Evening star., 1944-03-22

Inc ARMY Is not
organized by States.
The technical diff
culties of voting its
members by States
have been thorough
ly explored. Never
theless our political
deceptralization is
so intrenched that
we seem unable to
overcome 1t even in
the emergency of
war.
Along with this
there is the advo-
cacy of greater ALL
Evening star., 1944-03-22
Letters to The Star
Senator Vandenberg Outlines
Views on Security Reserves.
70 the Editor Of The Star

To the Editor of The Star:
To keep the record straight, I re-
spectfuuy make a correction in one of
your Sunday feature stories regarding
social security. In discussing my per-
SiStent three-year effort to keep paw
roll taxes at their present / per cent
level Con employers and employees it is
stated that | have now reversed my
position" taken as recently as last
February when I successfully was argu-
ing that Its ridiculous to pile I'D
huge fund in the Treasury when Secre-
tary Morgenthau himself has estimated
that safe margin to have on hand is
three times the amount that will be
needed at any time during the next
five years"
1 have not reversed my position"
Your writer's mistake, however, quite
UNDERSTANDABLE flows from another re-
cent news story which unwittingly may
have invited this erroneous conclusion
At that time I was asked whether the
social security law Should not be
amended to make the present per
cent tax permanent, thus wiping out
for keeps the progressive payroll tax
increase contemplated by the statute
ASA ASoNAS yScllo' ICpIltd llldI lll6
present ! per cent rate cannot be
permanent because the time will
come when heavily accumulatinp
benefit payments will then require
the statutory increases to take effect.
This has been construed in several
quarters, including your excellent Sun
DAY feature story, as meaning that
believe we already have reached the
point where increased benefit payments
already require increased payroll
taxes-although I successfully argued
to the contrary in Congress within the
last few weeks and have not in anv
degree changed my mind.
My position is and will continue to
be precisely as heretofore urged in the
Congress. I stand for whatever social
security payroll taxes are necessary to
maintain adequate reserves for the old
age and survivors benefits payments
I would not for an instant deprive
these reserves of one essential penny.
ON the other hand, would not burden
40,000,000 workers and all of their EN-
ployers with any needless increase
In payroll taxes to build up needless
reserves. The yardstick for measuring
the adequacy of these reserves has been
laid down by Secretary of the Treasury
Morgenthau himself-namely, reserve
which is three times the highest drain
contemplated in five subsequent years
Inc reserve at present is at least twice
adequate under this rule. Therefore. I
have opposed 100 per cent increase in
payroll taxes in 1914. BY the same token.
when the reserve in future years does
become inadequate, I shall, for iden-
ucally the same reason, favor an in
crease In payroll taxes Only subsequent
events IN subsequent years can indicate
when this will be.
In word, I have not reversed nv
position" On the contrary, I stand
squarely upon it as always. You will
understand that I am not writing In
any spirit of complaint. I fully realize
now the error occurred. I simply deem
IL Vitaiiy important to keep the record
unassailably straight.
A n VANDENprDc
Evening star., 1944-03-22

is going on in that
country. That Ger
man troops have
occupied the prin-
cipal rail functions
and i'm porta t a n t
strategic positions
a ears, however,
beyond doubt. But
whether the move
was made in agree
ment with the re-
gent, Admiral Mich
olas H or t hy, or
against his wishes
is a question which
for the time being
hac M rnciti,yn
Evening star., 1944-03-22

The japanese radio says "depopu-
lation measures" have been taken to
clean out a total of seven cities of
"nonessential" Japs. Counting SINH
lar measures by United States
armed forces, that makes quite a bit
of territory cleaned out so far.
Evening star., 1944-03-22

is no doubt that the courses of in
struction tried and proved by the
Training Command will influence,
to a degree that may be revolution
ary, educational methods in our
schools and colleges.
Evening star., 1944-03-22
Balkan Moves

Out of the welter of confused and
sometimes contradictory reports of what
Is going on in Hungary, one thing seems
clear: The Germans have found it
Evening star., 1944-03-22
The Great Game of Politics
The economic life of America is one of

Unhappily, politics in this country is
such that complete candor upon the
part Of candidates for even the highest
Office is practically impossible. Chiefly,
Evening star., 1944-03-22

If the Russians keep splitting Ger
man forces in the Ukraine, Hitler
will soon have more armies there
than he ever dreamed of having.
Evening star., 1944-03-22

Old Man Winter put up a last
ditch belated struggle on the first
invasion day of. spring, but cannot
survive long against the inevitable
big push of the sun.