The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, April 17, 1943, Page 1

VOL. LX., NO. 9320. HE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS PRICE TEN CENTS = JUNEAU, ALASKA, SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 1943 SITUATION IN ALEUTIAN [S ALARMING Plains To Tunis Are In Sight Now Is Report 3ERS OF U. 5. SUPREME COURT ALLIES PUT PRESSURE ON ROMMELLINE Casualties of Americans in Africa Disclosed Today ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN NORTH AFRICA, April 17.-Brit- ish infantry of the First Army re- newed pressure today on the rugged hills guarding the gateway to the plains of Tunis after seiz- ing and dominating heights north of Medjez el Bab. At the same time, the French to the south in the strategic Bou Arada and Pont du Fahs area continued to bear on the western flank of Field Marshal Rommel’s Enfidaville line with vigorous pa- trol action. The British Eighth Army, mean- while, engaged Rommel’s outposts in frontal activity. Tunis, 30 Miles The First Army is patting pressure against Rommel's relative- ly thin screen in the high ground standing between the hills and the open plains leading to Tunis, 30 miles distant, but the communique indicated no advance by the Brit- ish in the mountains since they took firm control of points north of Medjez el Bab in midweek. Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, Allied commander in Africa, discloses that the Second U. S. Army Corps I captured 4,680 prisoners in recent fighting on the Tunisian front, and destroyer or captured 683 Axis ve- hicles, captured 150 guns. Second Corps casualties, Eisen- hower said, ran 5372 dead, wound- ed or missing. “The Second Army Corps has accomplished what it set out to do —drawing off the German troops from in front of the Eighth Army, and at a time in the battle, when Montgomery's forces broke through, holding approximately 35,000 Axis troops in the El Guettar and Mak- | nassy area.” Eisenhower of (Continued on Page Six) declared in one fimshingmn Merry - Go- Round By DREW PEARSON (Major Robert 8. Allen on active duty.) WASHINGTON.—The all-impor- tant question of the nation's health plus the current shortage of doc- tors has been the object of some back stage footballing. Meanwhile the Public Health Service warns that we may be in for disease epi- demics worse than those of the last war. Two diseases, tuberculosis and influenza, already are on the upswing in certain areas. To remedy this the Public Healt" Service is working on a plan for the re-location of doctors creating a medical pool, from which doctors would be “drafted” and sent to parts of the country where they are most needed. However, the American Medical Association, which operates a pow- erful lobby in Washington, frowns on this plan as a step toward “so- cialized medicine.” They argue that the relocation program would break down state licensing laws. (Their critics claim that actually AMA’s state and local units don't want outsiders coming in and competing with local doctors.) To get to the bottom of all this Senator Pepper of Florida proposes a thorough investigation by the Senate Education and Labor Com- mittee. Meanwhile the Office of War Information has made a pre- liminary probe of its own. This together with soundings already made by Senator Pepper discloses the following vital facts about the nation’s health: 1. There will be an average of only one doctor to every 1,500 ci- (Continued on Page Four), " LATEST PICTURE OF M the | This is the annual photograph of Justice Harlan F. Stone, Justices Hugo L. Black and Felix I'ra phy and Wiley Rutledge. APPEAL FOR PEACE PUT FORTH NOW Spanish Fo;ei_gn Minister Worried-Elmer Davis Gives His Views BARCELONA, April 17. — Ad- dressing the Hispanidad Council and South American diplomats, Count Francisco Gomez Jordana, Spanish Foreign Minister, appealed for peace “before the war is pro- longed longer than is necessary.” Jordaha said the Nations involved are too powerful to achieve a total victory or to annihilate the other. PLENTY MORE APPEALS WASHINGTON, April 17—Elmer Davis, Director of the Office of War Information, discussing the Jordana peace appeal said “we are going to get plenty more peace feelers in the coming months, some from genuinely worried neutrals, and some clearly instigated by the Axis. Europe is littered with wrecks of nations that thought there could be peace with Avolf Hitler.” A. P. WOLF, HOOD BAY CANNNERY OWNER, HERE A. P. Wolf, owner of the Hood Bay Salmon Company, is in Ju- neau enroute to the cannery to pre- pare for the season’s operations. The Hood Bay Company will op erate this year jointly .with the New England Fish Company at Chatham, Mr. Wolf said. Traveling north is a problem, Mr. Wolf found. His trip to Ketchikan was made by Canadian National steamer and from Kefchikan to Juneau by Alaska Coastal plane. He is staying at the Baranof Ho- tel, - GIRL SCOUT COUNCIL MEETS MONDAY AT 2 A meeting of considerable im- portance will be held Monday, April 19, by the Juneau-Douglas Girl Scout Council, which convenes at 2 pm, in the penthouse of the Alaska Light and Power Com- pany, Scout Commissioner Mrs. H. L. Faulkner announces. ., BUY WAR BONDS rag 1o ST LR the d States Supreme Court. WHAT’S COOKIN’, know! Left to right are: GENERALS MAP GRIEF FOR AXIS HERE?—How Hitler and Hirohito would like to Pictured in earnest discussion, locale of which was not re- Seated—Justice & vealed, are British Field Marshal Sir Archibald Wavell, commanaer- in-chlef in India, and Lieut. Gen. United States Army Services of Supply. Drive fo 'K‘ill Aufo Brehon Somervell, chief of the (International) Tax Up in Congress; By JACK INNETT 1 WASHINGTON, April 17.—1If Con- gress ever repeals a tax law, that’s news. As far as I'm concerned, it’s | news enough that a group of Con- | gressmen are trying to. The tax law they are trying to repeal is the “automobile use tax" that little $5 a year business levied |on more than 30,000,000 persons in the United States. Spearhead of the repeal movement is Rep. James E. Van Zandt, one- | time Pennsylvania railroader from | | Altoona. Since Mr. Van Zandt is a 1 Republican and hence on the slight | minority side of the House, if is doubtful if his repeal move will get anywhere, but it might. Theres’ a good deal more involved than part- isan politics. 3 No more unpopular tax ever skid- ded through Congress than the auto | use tax. Most of the battle was | lwngcd by the opposition. Even the ! Repeaereing Mapped Treasury Department wasn't en- thusiastic for this source of revenu Off the record, some Treasury of- ficials called it an A-1 heada They were sure shat they couldu't collect it; that it would cost more money to collect it than it would be worth; that the motorists of country would never go in for shield sticker” taxation; and making the Postoffice Department a tax collection agency (the stickers were to be bought at postoffice dows) would be a wartime the wrong direction. Much to the amazement of the Treasury, 29,590,000 car o paid nd- their tax in the first year and a| half. In other words, this more or less voluntary tax uncovered less than 3,000,000 tax dodgers and it was safe reasoning that a goodly portion of these weren't using their (Conunued' on Pnp;t; Two) Stanley F. Reed, Owen J. Roberts, Chief Standing—Justices Robert T, Jackson, William 0. Douglas, Frank Mur- 7 FLEETS OF U. 5. OPERATE INWAR AREAS Secretary of Navy F. Knox Reveals Actions Against Enemy on All Waters WASHINGTON, April 17.—Seven fleets of the United States are now operating against Secretary of Navy Frank Knox dis- closes. The Navy Secretary did not re- eal the locations, however seven eparate commands, in the North and South Atlantic, North and South Pacific in, the southwest Pacific and two in European areas. wave been mentioned in previous tatements x The Navy Secre them today ignments of f ry told further in anncuncing as- captains to new duties under recent premotions to i rank of Commodores - oo SMASH FOUR JAP SHIPS IN NEW GUINEA MacARTHUR'S HEADQUART- ERS IN AUSTRALIA, April 17 Allied fliers have sunk two 8,000~ ton Japanese ships, beached a 5,000~ ton craft and crippled another 8- 000-ton vessel in an attack on six enemy ships esgorted by three war- ships off Wewak, New Guinea. One of the 8000-ton vessels was blown out of the water high enough to expose its rudder when the Fly- ing Fortresses hit its deck side with 1,000-pounders. The raid was carried out after dusk, and then continued in day- |light. The rest of the convoy fled | northeast out of range of Allied bombers. Meanwhile, our pilots continued their relentless hammering of en- emy air bases in the arc of islands north of Australia, attacking Lae and Madang, New Guinea; Gas- mata, New Britain, and also strafing * ships of the Japanese off Aroe Island and setting fire to enemy > linstallm,mns at Baucau, Timor the enemy, | Furious Offensive by Air Against Kiska Is | Reported Thursday WASHINGTON, April 17. — A furious aerial offensive | Kiska hit another peak of | tensity Thursday, the Navy De- partment said in a communique. Bombers of the Alcutian Command raided the island 13 times, causing “numerous fires | and explosions” on enemy posi- | tions. | | The communigue also says en- emy anti-aircraft guns shot down one heavy United tes bomber. | Two additional attacks were | made by Army fighter planes on | Wednesday against Kiska, rais- | ing to 10 the total attacks on | that date. Holds Swell Record - 600 BRITISH " BOMBERSIN * NIGHTRAIDS Heavy Attacks Made on. | Germany as Faras | 1 Czechoslovakia | LONDON, April 17.--More than | | 600 bombers roared out in the moon- | |light last night to. strike heavily a% | | Mannheim, TLudwigshaven, Pilsen | and later German occupied Czecho- | ‘slovakia, the home of the Skoda | Munitions Works. i | The British Air Minis called it | the biggest night operation of the | year. Fifty-five planes are missing ‘ |in the: raids. The Air Ministry’s description in- dicated the raid surpassed the 1,000~ | ton bomb assaults on Lorient, St.| 3 | Nazaire and Essen in February and | ABSENTEEISM in war plants would March, Although the loss of 65 hot be a problem if war workers bombers approached 10 percent of | literally and figuratively followed the raiding force, authorities view- "‘“ the footsteps of Herman Rohde, ed the losses as not out of propor- | tion to. the damage done on the important targets, A 10 percent | loss has been commonly regarded as | A of a blizzar too extravagant if sustained over al 2 d. long period for continuation of the 51, a worker at the Westinghouse plant in Bloomfield, N. J. He’s been on the job 19 years without missing ' (International) offensive. Thirty-seven bombers are missing on the Pilsen mission. Pilsen is| also the home of the world famous | Pilsen brewery. | Mannheim and Ludwigshaven are AUTHORIIY jon the Rhine, southwestern Ger-} many, and connected with a bridge across the river. H The raid was accomplished with | great a force of Lancasters and Hali- | fa also Wellingtons and Stirl- ings | Advices received from Moscow at | noon today indicated the Russian | | planes made night operations on | German localities, including raids on | Koenigsberg and Danzig i Withdrawn-Stabiliza- i BERLIN CLAIMS tion Fund Goes 0" BERLIN, April 17—The German WASHINGTON, April 17. — The radio says 55 bombers were SO gopae has unanimously voted two down during the night as British . .. vears for the Treasury's two planes soared over parts of the 'piion dollar currency stabilization Reich. The radio says this is only | fund but the Banking Committee an incomplete list, however. The | y.q sigetracked action on granting broadcast admitted “some heavy |y, president authority to devalue damage is reported on raided sec- ... goiar, tions.” The Republicans said continuance of the devaluation power of the dol- lar would be poor advertising for the sale of the second war bonds, The devaluation authori! e (CONVICTED OF a day. He was late once, because ! expires '(ONGRESS IS STIRRED UP BY REPORTS [ Naval Aulhorify Says We | Can’tSpare Ships for Area (By Associated Press) Reports from war correspondenty in the Aleutians telling of construc- tion of Jap airfields, coupled with threats from Japan of ralds on the United States today brought the Alaskan war front to the foreground in discussions in Congress as action was demanded against the enemy in the Pacific. In Washington, D. C,, Kentucky's Senator Albert B, Chandler demand~ ed that 500 fighter planes be rush- ed to China, and also declared that Gen. Douglas MacArthur needs planes badly. But Senator Alben B, Barkley replied that the war can't be won in strategy developed in the halls of Congress. “We Are Retreating” Senator Styles Bridges of New Hampshire, however, said he was under the impression that “we are retreating” in the Aleutians area, and Senator Rufus C. Holman of Oregon said no one could know the Aleutians military situation “with- out being alarmed.” | Senator Mon C. Wallgren of Washington said he couldn’t believe the Japs were building air bases on Kiska because of the terrain, but | conceded they might on Attu. Chandler retorted, [T regret to say T am in sharp disagreement.” Practically all of these Senators last year made a trip through Al- | askan defense zones as members of a special investigating committee. | In a press conference, meanwhile, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox planes may bomb Kiska more than once. Asked if American bases are \now closer to Kiska, he replied | “they're pretty close.” Ships Too Scarce But at the same time, in Houston, | Texas, Capt. Leland P. Lovette, Nav- al Director of Public Relations, said | “surface vessels are not available at this time to carry troops to the | Aleutians. “This is an unpropitious moment for an all-out attack,” he stated, adding that merely throwing the Japs out of the islands would not ;oud matters unless troops were gar- i (Continued on Page Two) R fFishermen - MayFly fo ~ Bristol Bay TCannery Workers Also fo Be Take;—by Air fo Western _Sedion SEATTLE, Apru 1i—Ralph Fer- randini, Field Man for the Fish- eries Coordinator, said 600 fisher- men and cannery workers now in Alaska, may be flown to Bristol Bay from Seward, Kodiak and An- chorage as the most feasible means because of wartime circumstances. on June 30 unless the House re- Ferrandini said both Government instates it. and commercial planes will be | y SEATTLE, April 17—Carl Lew-| . b PR ® o o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 is, 22, and s, 23, both of L4 DIMOUT TIMES . and John Boggs, 23, both Of | ypw vope April 17, — Alaska' o o Ketchikan, Alaska, were convicted P ot g e g here yesterday of grand larceny by | R G F Gay at 5‘)’“ A"‘“_“_ ' o Dimout begins tonight @ a Superior Court jury. They Were | oo, gy, Anaconyda 29, IvBrlh‘h-n:l:: o ap sungsh mt 8:19 colge: i crarged with having 50 cases Of | gieel 64 Commonwealth and South- o DimOMt ends tomorrow = whiskey that were stolen from the ern 9, Curtiss Wright 9, General e at sunrise at 5:40 am. . State Liquor Btore here on Janu- Morors 49%, International Harvester | ® Dimout begins Sunday at o ary 9. 677, Kennecott 327%, New York Cen- | ® Sunset at 8:19 pm b4 The third defendant, Lester Is- tral 171, Northern Pacific 15%, ® Dimout ends Monday at e 's, pleaded a week ago and ynited States Steel 55%. © sunrise at 5:37 am. . ified the other two borrowed Dow, Jones averages today are 15 ® . Dimout begins Monday at e Inis car to haul several loads of follows: Industrials, 133.59; rails, ® sunset at 8:20 pm. L | 34.62; utilities, 19.10, LRI IR I I I B I whiskey. | remarked that on some days some Y ARSI 8 St