The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, December 26, 1942, Page 1

THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” VOL. LX.. NO. 2124. JUNEAU, ALASKA, SATURDAY, DECEMB hfié. 1942 MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS PRICE TEN CENT3 ALLIES IN ATTACK 12 MILES FROM TUNIS British Smash Ja Republicans Believe TheyHave (Continued on Page Two) Big Theme By JACK STINNETT WASHINGTON, Dec. 26.—It al- | ready is plain to be seen that the Republicans consider the late elec- | tion as a mandate “to get the job | | done” as quickly and efficiently as possible; that they feel they have a | | \ | Song;‘They’reon Spot ticket from the voters to crack down | on many New Deal domestic poli- cies; and that checking up on how the billions of war are spent will be one of their theme songs. Senate Minority Leader McNary, Senator Vandenberg, House Minor- ity Leader Martih, and several others, including a few anti-Admin- istration Democrats, have said as | much. This doesn’t mean that there will be any hindrance to the war effort. The way Congress rushed back to clean up the 18-19 draft bill, without binding the War De- partment in its handling of the ‘teen agers, was proof. But Washington political observers are not going to lose sight of three things: (1)--The Republican Party is more or less “on the spot.” TIts “minority” is so slight in the House (only 15 seats) that any coalition it might form with anti-Administra- tion Democrats (the GOP always courteously refers to them as “Jef- fersonian Democrats’™) will put re- ponsibility for Housg legislation squarely on Republican shoulders. (2) — In formation of the 78th Congress, the Republicans probably will demand and may get a larger representation .on the committese. Congress is really an organization of committees. Although floor fights frequently occur on legislation, most laws are “made” in committee. Except for the powerful Rules Committee, which has 10 Democrats and five Republicans the committee REDSREPORT DESTROYER MANY GAINS OF JAPS IS OVER NAZIS SENTDOWN Continue Advance Toward|Allied Aerial Arm Also Rostov - Alsoon | Sinks Big Nippon Othgr Cities | Troopship MOSCOW, Dec. 26— Russian col- ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN French Admiral Darlan Assassinafed; Roosevelt ~ SaysFirst AWARD 24 - MEDALST0 umns continued today to press their many-headed drive in the middle Don River area relentlessly ahead on the heels of the retreating Nazis and also struck crushing blows with- in Stalingrad, itself, where one of the largest factories was occupied after 500 Germans were killed . | munique released here. The Soviets issued several special war communiques. One advances near Kotelnikovski, south- west of Stalingrad in the Caucasus near Nalchik. Another report gave in detail the German war equipment destroyed or fallen into Russian hands. The Red Army troops of the mid- dle Don area have captured 49 set- tlements and railway stations as well as a dozen populated points as they drive toward the Ukraine from two different directions. It was reported that Kantemi- rovka, railway station on the Mos- cow-Rostov line, was recaptured December 19 Latest dispatches put Russ ad- vance guards in the village of Markovka, the second southwest of Millerovo whére the Russians ap- peared to bé moving on the Mil- lerovo-Voroshilovgrad railway. The first drive could be headed toward Kharkov. The second might possibly advance toward the Donbas coal region in the rich lower Donets River valley. ‘The Russians announced that 42,- 000 Germans have been captured told of | NEW GUINEA, Dec. 26.—The A]“(‘d! troops have overrun the Japanese | main defensive positions in the Buna | area, New Guinea, while the aerial | |arm has sunk a Japanese destroyer | and a 5,000-ton transport of the| Japanese. This is the official com- | ALASKANS Decoration;BiVen for First: ‘ — Coordinated Raid ! ADVANCE IS MADE | ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN | on Kiska | AUSTRALIA, Dec. 26. A slight | | advance by Allied ground troops on | Ithe left of the line in the Buna area is virtually the only operation | that broke the calm on Christmas | Day, the official communique late | last night stated. “On Christmas Day our activities were limited to routine safety pre- cautions. Divine services were held throughout the Command where | | possible,” said the communique was lost as a result of enemy ac- ENGAGEMENT I POPUI— AR COUPLE:Chnrles McCorkiem Phineas Mm:-; rill, Jr, and Majors James Dow]mg‘ and Charles Griffith Received as a complete surprise | PREESEES e by the fifty or sixty guests present at an eggnog Christmas party held | . | yesterday afternoon at the home of | a l l s re | Mr .and Mrs. B. F. Clements, was| 1 the announcement of the engage- | | ment of Miss Jeanette Ringstad to! | HEADQUARTERS ALASKA DE- | FENSE COMMAND, Dec. 26.—The | award of air medals to 24 officer] |pilots for their “extraordinary | heroism” in successfully carrying! out the first coordinated raid on| Kiska September 14 is announced today | The American bombers and, fighters negotiated the hazardous | { 500-mile trip over water, through | {low ceilings and rain squalls at| altitudes varying from water level ) 200 feet and not a single plane ! Degree Murder BULLETIN—London, Dec. 26. —A broadcast from the Algiers | radio picked up here early this | morning said that the 22-year- | old assassin of Admiral Jean | Darlan was executed by a fir- | ing squad in Algiers today. Neither the name nor the motive of the assassin has yet been divulged. He is described as of French nationality and his mother is still living in Italy. Darlan’s funeral, attended by the highest Allied officers, was held this morning with consid- erable military ceremony, ser- vices being held in the Al- giers Cathedral, Tense crowds meanwhile awaited outside of the gov- ernment palace to hear the de- cision of the Imperial Council which was meeting today to name * Darlan's successor as commander of all French forces in Africa. LONDON, Dec. 26.—French Ad- mirel Jean Darlan, former Vice- Premier of the Vichy Government, who swung over to the Allies when they landed in North Africa on November 8, was assassinated in his offices last Thursday afternoon by a 22-year-old Frenchman, ac- cording to a brief announcement received here from Algiers from the Allled Headquarters in North Africa. ‘The announcement further the slayer was captured. Darlan was shot three times, onee in the mouth, and twice in the lungs and died within a short time while being hurried to the said so far in the Don River area. Mr. Ernest Whitehead. distribution is generally 60 per cent for the majority and 40 per cent for the minority. Yet distribution of the House will be so nearly 50-50 that Republicans might threaten an awful rumpus on the floor (a threat the Democrats will fear a great deal from January on) if their representation isn't increased. Also, it may be physically impos- | sible with 223. Democrats, 208 Re- publicans, two Progressives, one Farmer Laborite and one American Labor Party member to maintain the 60-40 ratio. And (3) — Although the still- substantial Democratic majority in the Senate, which will be composed of 57 Democrats, 38 Republicans and one Progressive, will serve as a check-rein on a runaway coalition of anti--New Dealers in the House, the upper chamber also will be a little more cautious in going against the lower, and when the case arises a little stronger in backing it up. | At this date, it is too early to| predict exactly what will happen in the reorganization of the new Con- | gress in January. But if you are| interested in the workings of democ- racy in general and the future of | Congress in particular, keep an eye | on whether ‘the line in the House | forms to the right, to the left or right down the middle. to the Standard Oil of N. J. group | alone—at a cost of $10,000,000 each, whereas there are plenty of closed refineries which could be converted to rubber plants in a very short time. “These 31 big new rubber plants will require tons of steel and would | | Americans Strike Hard on| AD( p"_O'l' Other Pacific Bat- | teron |~ DECORATED (By Associated Press) Gen. Wavell's British forces from India are credited today with beat- | ing off two Jap attacks in lhe; Chin Hills of Burma, about 110 miles northwest of the big Jap base | ST & of Akyab, target of another British | ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Dec. 26 column which is driving along the Although his guns, except a single Bay of Bengal coast. cannon, were jammed, Capt. Ar- British headquarters in India said | thur T. Rice attacked two Jap Zero the big battle occurred on the day |fighters and shot down both. fore Christmas when the Japs! For this extraordinary display attempted to dislodge British patrols of heroism, the” Farmington, Utah, from positions previously captured |flying officer, won the Distin- by the British. |guished Flying Cross, the Head- This was the first flare of activity | quarters of the AlaskA Defense reported from the northern hills for | Command announces. some time and indicated that the ! B G A Japs were testing out the British | defenses in that area. Meanwhile, Royal Air Force bomb- | en u( ner ers and fighters blasted Jap aircraft | - in the area of Toungoo airdrome | and carried out widespread attacks on other enemy targets in Burma. | e n s mas Elsewhere in the Far Pacific, Am- erican fliers destroyed 24 more Jap planes at Munda on New Georgia R Itland in the Solomons, 170 miles r e e ' n s north of Guadalcanal. They pound- ed Jap barges attempting to-land 5 Gl reinforcements and supplies, shot 14 H sy Jap planes out of the skies and I_Ooks Toward R|dd|ng destroyed 10 more an the ground A & without damage to a single U. S Aleutians of All Liv- plane. i g On the New Guinea front, the 'ng N'ppons ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Dec. 26.— Maj. Gen. Simon ‘Bolivar Buck- s ner, Jr., Commanding, Alaska De- The washlng’!un‘fense Command, today relayed the following Christmas greetings to Merry & GO _Round every military outpost in the Ter- Iritory: By DREW PEARSON “To all members of the Alaska (Major Robert 8. Allen on active duty) Defense Command and to our es- 3 teemed comrades in the Navy and WASHINGTON—Inside the Ad- Marn.]e Corps, 1 extend Christmas ministration war chiefs graduall |greetings and the heartiest -best realize that they are making the Wishes: same mistake in concentrating syn- | “NO Praise can be too high for thetic rubber production in the the courage of those who already hands of a few big oil companies Nave met the enemy in combat or that they did in letting the big auto |for the loyalty and fighting spirit and airplane companies build big for those preparing to do so. brand new factories. | “Until every living Jap is ex- These brand new factories caused (Pelled from the Aleutians and our the current steel shortage, also slow- homeland, and our adversaries ed production. Instead, business completely subdued, there can be could have been spread out among|neither rest nor contentment. Un- countless small factories as in Eng- til that time we must bend our land. \every energy toward making both Today, the same mistake is being | fighting men of ourselves, and made on sy'n_chetic rubber. Scores of | corpses of our treacherous aa small oil refineries are now closing | emjes.” down because of gasoline rationing. | Their equipment is lying idle. But instead of converting to synthetic rubber production, huge new rubber | FRE"(H MIlIIARY factories are being built requiring vast amounts of steel. MlSSlo" ARRIV As early as July 13, this column | B stated: | “Jesse Jones’ Rubber Reserve is| I" u"IIED SIAIES going in for the construction of big i new rubber plants—31 of them let o s WASHINGTON, Dec. 26. A French military mission, headed by |Gen. Marie Emile Bethouart, has |arrived in the United States by plane to coordinate |equipment for the French forces | fighting with the Allies in North mons attacked enemy shipping at ferred to the War Department early States Bureau of Public Survey, re- Announcement was made by Miss Geraldine Ringstad, sister of the bride-elect, who distributed dainty Christmas cards bearing the happy message. FORTRESSES RAID JAPS ATRABAUL WASHINGTON, Dec. 26. — Navy Department announ that powerful Flying Fortresses from Guadalcanal airfield in the Solo- the Federal Social Security Board for three years, transferred here from Baltimore, Maryland, about a year and a half ago. Her father, George Ringstad, is | superintendent of a cannery at Pet- |ersburg for the Pacific American Fisheries. Wedding in Spring The wedding is planned for the spring, when the Mr. and Mrs. Ring- stad return to Alaska, where they have come every summer for many years. Miss Ringstad attended school in Bellingham, where the family home is located, and later was a studest at the University of Washington and Washinton State College. At both schools she was a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority. Mr. Whitehead is representative of the Northern Commercial Com- pany and the Caterpillar Tractor Company for Southeast Alaska, with headquarters in Juneau | been here about two years. - eee USO DANCE IS GIVEN TONIGHT The the powerful Jap base of Rabaul 560 miles to the northwest, on Christmas Day, scoring direct hits on a large transport and several near hits on three small cargo vessels. LEONARD BERLIN BACK FROM DUTY INNEWFOUNDLAND Leonard M. Berlin, who was trans- in the summer from the United turned to Juneau Thursday after- noon by plane after spending the Miss Ringstad, who has been with | . InTunisia 'Secrefary Stimson Says Germans Gathering Strength Now WASHINGTON, Dec. 26-—Secre- tary of War Henry L. Stimson said today that the Germans in | Tunisia appear to be gathering ! strength for an attempt to turn the | southern flank of the Allied Army back. | ments for newsmen, the secretary said that the last two weeks have |been spent largely by both sides {in North Africa in bringing up re- inforcements and their positions in Tunisia. “One" side—our side—is preparing I 1o stall off, fend off, or delay that attack, but I don’t mean we may attacks,” he said. | “At present the Germans seem |to be trying to edge south to strike at the right flank of our approach- ing Army.” | Stimson said he didn't believe |that anyone had any accurate |knowledge of German strength in . [l | | ~ Reinforting . In reviewing recent war develop-| strengthening | MURDER, SAYS ROOSEVELT WASHINGTON, Dec. 26.—When {informed of the assassination of | Admiral’ Darlan, President “Roose- i velt denounced it as “murder in the first degree and ali leaders of all United Nations will agree with that statement. Nazism and Fas- !cism and military despotism will, however, hold otherwise. I hope |that speedy justice will overtake the murderer or murderers.” INSPIRED BY AXIS ALGIERS, Morocco, Dec. 26.—Ad- | miral Jean Darlan, who yielded Dakar bloodlessly to the Allies, {was shot to death on Christmas ve. One of his closest associates sald the assassination was inspired 2y the Axis or by its collaboration- The Algiers radio immediately wmnounced that Gen. Henri Gi- raud, implaccable foe of the Ger- mans and Darlan’s Commander of the French forces in the North African field alongside of the Al- | | | !n order in French North Africa.” Thus, for the moment, an old- school French general who re- cently said he preferred fighting to politics, Admiral’s place as head of North African French Imperial Council Meets the stood virtually in the! supply of | WOODLEY PLANE IN ON THURSDAY |last seven months on duty in New- foundland. | Little information concerning his work in Newfoundland could be The local USO's first long dress affair will be held tonight in the| Elks allroom, when the USO and {Tunisia but “so far as we can *stimate, we seem to have a fairly |good margin.” | On other fronts, he said by far The Morocco radio said an Im- perial Council will meet to name Darlan’s successor today. This Council was set up earlier by Dar-| take around 18 to 20 months to bhild even in normal times when | steel is easy to get.” | This column also disclosed on July | 13 that “few of the foundations” for the big new plants had been laid,; “glmost no progress has been made in building them, and they will not be finished and working until around 1944." Africa. L R BATES RECOVERS W. A. Bates, Ketchikan resident {and Vice-President of the Miners’ and Merchants’ Bank there, who has been in Sitka on a business trip {in connection with the bank there, | returned to Juneau and entered St. | Ann’s Hospital December 24. He was FROM WESTWARD ‘With a capacity load of passengers | a Woodley Airlines plane, piloted by Don Glass arrived here from the |Westward Thursday noon and left | the same day for the return flight. Taking passage for Yakutat on did say he preferred living in the er assignment. N igirls of the GSO combine to play hostess to servicemen in the area. United States or Canada Dancing will begin at 9 o'clock Mr. Berlin will be in Juneau for and continue until 12:30 to the in- made public by Mr. Berlin, but he the south to continue east for furth- orchestra. Mrs, John Klein will be in While Mr. Berlin stated that he charge of patronesses for the eve- could give no mrormmmp regarding ning, who will also chaperone home the work he has been doing, he said | gir)s from 17 to 18 years old. All [ JEFFERS GETS WORRIED On December 4, Rubber Admin- istrator Jeffers publicly confirmed COUPLE MARRIED HERE the fact that construction of| Toney Tarro and Louise Des- these big new plants was delayed Imond Johnson were married in that strategic materials were v"°"'.,'uneau Thursday by U. S. Com- available, and that the delay might | mjgsioner Felix Gray. Witnesses bring rubber supplies below the|yere Sidney J. Thompson and Ro- “disaster line.” l‘b('rt . “Boes. Meanwh}tle. Sl;\e:\ll, h\dep:;‘.doe‘;:t‘:xe ki operators have been weari e O 5 T seat of their pants and the plush anrfidu;::;g 0;111':;:[1:.;41";&:}1};; hotel | United States 0 off the chairs of Washington hote: ez allitime’ high of 1042085 com- mercial units, teil, attending physician, reported, | but was discharged today. - e (Continued on Pag; !\m}) | suffering from flu, Dr. W. W. Coun- , the plane was Emma D. Sandman; | for Anchorage, F. K. Hinshaw, C. R. Smith, Gust Haller, R. H. Finegold, Lloyd H. Snider and K. D. Bradley. ‘count.ry and the lqcul papers carried In addition to passengers the | complete new stories concerning the | plane carried express and mail to | Projects underwa_:or the Westward. } Bt e | censorship in Newfoundland was much more lenient than in this CHRISTMAS DINNER PARTY | Mr .and Mrs. Guy Corcoran were |among tHose who entertained with v . Y home Christmas dinners yesterday Construction work at Snag has|pinner guests at the Corco};an home | been closed down for the balance!ore Mr. and Mrs. Joe Trucano, and of the winter. The work was con- daughter Carolyn; Mr. and Mrs necting the Snag airfield for a dis- | yames Drake and son, Douglas; and tance of 24 miles, to connect with! Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tew and| | the Alcan Highway. daughter Bobbie Jean, SNAG WORK CLOSED GSO girls are needed in atten- dance, Miss Marjorie Snell, GSO president, said, as a large number of servicemen is anticipated BRI KIDS ARE ENJOYING FREE SHOW TODAY As guests of the Juneau Miners Unicn, Local 203, the children of Gastineau Channel are this after- noon enjoying a free show at the Coliseum Theatre, |the most important development |in size and effect is the triple offensive launched by Russia - ‘WOMAN TAXI DRIVER ' ACCUSES NATIVE IN ASSAULT CASE HERE Frank McKinley, Juneau native, has been charged with assault and battery in a complaint sworn to |by Mrs. Edith Danielson, Juneau taxi driver who accuses McKinley of striking her in Douglas as she tried to collect her fare. McKinley is being held on $500 bond awaiting a hearing which will probably be held in U. 8. Commis- sioner Felix Gray’s Court early next week only a short time before leaving for |fectious music of the Duck Creek| ,—e BUY wEFENSE BONDS lan to “defend the the French Empire” is liberated Members of the cil included "Darlan and these five, one of which probably will be chosen as his successor: Gen Giraud, Gen. Jean Marie Bergeret former Vichy Air Minister; three governor - generals, Gen. Auguste Nogues of Morocco, Pierre Boisson of West Africa, and Yves Chatel of Algeria The Morocco broadeast sald No- gues left Rabat by plane from Algiers to attend the meeting, and also announced that a special mass will be held today to celebrate Darlan’s memory in the Rabat Cathedral Assassin Caught The assassin was caught in the government place a few seconds interests of until France Imperial Coun- (Continued on Page ’l"hr;e’)' panese in Northern Burma SIRTENOW OCCUPIED BY BRITISH May Be in Final Stages LONDON, Dec. 26—Allied forces in North Africa are reported by the Alglers radio to be within 12 miles of Tunis, one of the Axis' two main citadals in Tunisia. Only the spearheads, advance ele- ments of the Allied forces, were mentioned in the broadcast. There was no immediate cor- roboration and no details were giv- en to disclose where the Allied forces were striking. The distance mentioned, however, suggested that Tebourba, key to the approaches of both Tunis and Bi- zerte, may have been retaken. ‘The Allies were pressed back from Tebourba three weeks &go. This new gain was, however, another indica- tion that the battle of North Africa | is going into its final stages. The report of the Allied gain coincided with the British an- nouncement that the Eighth Army had occupied Sirte on the Medi- terranean Coast on the other end of the Allied vise. This puts the British about 210 airline miles east of Tripoli in their chase of Rommel's forces across Libya toward Tunisia. ‘The British communique said that their forces still are hammering at enemy rearguards covering the with- drawal action of the Nazis. Action on the Tunisian front, meanwhile, also is reported in an Ttalian communique as being “more intense” but said Axis forces “beat off and repulsed enemy elements. Consolidation of our positions has been violently contested for the past few days,” the Italian report said. M ARTHUR "DECORATES U. . HERO ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN AUSTRALIA, Dec. 26.—Gen. Doug- las MacArthur has handed the Dis- tinguished Service Cross to Brig. Gen. Clovis Byers of Columbus, Ohio, for extraordinary heroism in action near Buna on December 15. His hand was smashed by a sniper’s bullet while leading the attack on Buna village which now is in Allled hands. He was carry- ing a tommygun which he turned over to a soldier after being wound- ed, but continued to direct the |attack. He has been promoted to Brig. Gen. since his arrtval in He has|not get some very strong counter-|lies, has taken over * | Australia 1 3 over “maintenance | DAY AFTER | Ghost towns, marking the scenes lof bustling-activity of a day that :X-\ gone, are common in every :pm'l)' of the world, and abound |in Alaska—but. that the Capital City has joined that company may be news to many. This morning at 10 o'clock, sil- ent streets and blind display win- dows of shops jold their own story of vanished activity. Only a few wan specters wandered phantom- Ike up and down the streets, and ecasionally one glimpsed a flash of light that might be emanating from secret catacombs where Alas- mining operations transpire eternally Such is the quiet convalescence ) Juneau the morning after Christmas Day. Most of the grocery stores were open as usual. The banks observed Saturday hours as did the Post Office. Territorial offices, for the most nart, were closed today, but Fed- eral offices were open, several for the half day only. BUY DEFENSE BONDS