New Sttrike : Tteeateims A v.WLB :. Beme
I? ay-
mr
Vr VS 'if 'rf
' IT SEEMS TO ME that we have
.been fortunate in having compar
atively light casualty lists so far
in this war. In the sue months of
fighting in Tunisia, f American
losses amounted to 2184 killed,
437 wounded, :f 6937 missing.
There have been many single .bat
tles in past history where losses
ran higher. " ". '
The experience on Attu was not
so good. Our forces suffered 342
killed, 1135 wounded and 58 miss
ing. The count of dead Japs was
1791 and 11 were taken prisoners.
' Many others were buried or
burned by the Japanese. Attu was
an attack under very difficult
conditions, but the Japs made us
pay for the victory. Many of the
Americans had hands or feet
frozen, and they are not includ
ed among the wounded. '
On the whole it may be said that
World war II is not more deadly
than previous wars have been in
pit of superior equipment and
more powerful ' explosives. This
may be due to the element 1 of
mobility which forces a decision
without so much slaughter.
The purpose of generals is not
to kill off competing armies but
to surround . them . or cut them
part or sever their lines of com
eunication. This leaves them help-1
less so. they are soon forced, to :
.'surrender.- This is what happened
in the blitz in France; and what
happened in Tunisia. The enemy
was first demoralized then it had
to be demobilized!
: In the first world war the west
ern' front became stabilized early,
so what resulted was a war of
attrition with successive attempts
to break through, all costly. Ver
dun was the peak of the German
T effort, and the climax of slaugh
ter. In this war Stalingrad and
Sevastopol are examples of simi
Jar combat .where the costs are
Very high. - 4-
The allies .face the period of
greatest loss as they1 stand poised
to invade Europe. It may be that
by the skillful combination of air
power, naval power and field ar-
tillery a decision may :: be made
(Continued on Editorial Page)
Only 2 Saved
From Cutter
ILcst at-Sea1 -
WASHINGTON, June 1.-JP)
Loss of - the coast guard cutter
Escanaba and all but two of her
crew was disclosed Friday by the
ravy. Her normal complement is
CO officer and men.
The announcement said the
7 It-ten vessel was., torn amid
ships' by an explosion of unde-
' iermlned orixin while on eon
oy doty in the North Atlantic
- and sank so quickly distress
signals could not be seat.
Officials here said the Escan-
aba could have been blown up by
torpedo, a mine or some internal
mishap, but the two , surviyors,
picked up by the coast guard cut
ter Raritan, said they had i no
idea what happened. They, were
Melvin Baldwin, 21, boatswain's
mate, second class, of East Grand
Forks, Minn., an ad Raymond F.
O'Malley, jr- 23, boatswain's
mate, second class, of Chicago.
Bond Sale -
Committee
Organized
. PORTLAND, June 18 UPy- Or
ganization of a new state : war
finance committee to administer
war bond sales , got under way
Friday with the arrival of Her
bert Gaston, assistant secretary of
the treasury, and Ted Gamble, as
sistant to ' Secretary Morgenthau.
r They ' conferred ' with E. C
Samraons, acting i chairman of
the Oreren war bond staff, and
David Eecles, state war bond
. administrator. 3; .-.
. Gaston said functions of the war
bond staffs and victory fund com
mittees will be combined to elim
inate friction and overlapping
duties.
. The new organization will
; have a state chairman, a state
committee, aa executive eom
: naittee, an administrative diree
; tor and vice chairman in charge
f special troops, he said. -' ;
"Greater emphasis will be plac
ed on individual subscriptions," he
said. "During the first six months
ef this year individual purchases
totaled $7,000,000,000. We hope to
double this in - the next six
months."
Bubonic Plague :
Case Discovered
VALE, June 18.-iiP)-A sheep-
fierder in an Ontario isolation
Iiospital appears to be suffering
from bubonic , plague, Dr. E. F.
' Johnson reported ; to ... the state
health department Friday,
The man possibly might have
' tularemia, Dr. Johnson said, and
it will take several days for a
I c;itive Ca;acia.
Ullioil :
Meeting
Slated ;
Board Orders UMW
To Sign Modified
Old-Term Contract
WASHINGTON, June 18-
(AP) W o r k stoppages
began developr ATi the
government jd
coal mines iy'nlght al-
war lab' o fd refused to
order Ponts tne mi
nersynderground tray
el, saying any legal claims
for such pay; are a matter
for a law suit or an out-of-court
settlement with the
mine owners. s
, Three mines in Alabama, nor
mally employing 2,200, had to
close when evening shifts fail
ed to report f br work. Some 200
men on the" night shift of a
Johnstown, Pa., mine milled
about ; for an hour, discussing
the WLB decision, then decided
not to go to work.
In refusing to order pay
ments for , underground travel.
the WLB directed that the Unit-
ed Mine 1 Workers sign
contract, i embracing : the old
terms, concessions amounting
to about 20 cents a day previ
ously approved by . the board
and a pledge of no strike for
the duration.
John I. Lewis, the leader of
the United Mine Workers, sen
word to reporters that he would
have no comment until after
meeting Saturday of the union's
policy committee. The 500,000
miners are1 working now under
a "truce" which expires at mid
night 'Sunday.
In its order, approved by an
8 to 4 vote with the labor mem
bers dissentng, the WLB said
the question of whether the
miners have a -legal claini,
Lewis contends, for pay for un
derground travel is beyond its
jurisdiction. It pointed out, too,
that its refusal to order such
payments did not bar the min
ers from; resort to legal pro
cesses.
i
Nazis. Lose
2000 During
Orer Battle
LONDON, Saturday, June 19.
-P)-Ru8sia announced early to
day that soviet forces had killed
more than 2000 German troops
in hurling back numerous enemy
counterattacks this week in the
vital Orel sector, where the nazis
were reported using semi-trained
reservists and rear-line troops.
In one area, northwest of
Mtsensk, the Germans "drew for
ward reserves" Friday but "show
ed no activity, said the Moscow
midnight communique ; recorded
here by j the soviet monitor.
"Our troops burned or disabled
17 enemy tanks and destroyed 12
guns, 18 mortars including three
six-barrel mortars, and over 40
machine: guns. ; - .:
The communique said the Rus
sians shot down 15 German planes
during this fighting and captured
prisoners and some material.
A Moscow broadcast said Rus
sian airmen shot down 24 German
planes which attempted twice to
a ttack . Volkhov, - below Leningrad,
yesterday. The Russians were
said to have lost four planes.
Berlin Asserts;
Red Loss High
LONDON, June 18 -OJV- The
Berlin radio asserted Friday night
that Russian casualties in two
years of war with Germany total
"more than twenty million men
in dead, wounded and captured.
A DNB broadcast recorded by
the Associated Press said the Rus
s i a n prisoners ? alone totaled
5,500,000. "- -:
The propaganda broadcast also
declared that the red army had
lost 38,000 tanks, 50,000 guns and
more than 40,000 planes, t '
Winning tho War
In Salom
The rele wf Bey Seoata ef the
Salem district la fartherls the
cause of United Nations, victory
through home front service Is
the theme ef the fifth "Winning
the War m Salem article of the
series, scheduled te appear In
the Sunday Statesman. Look
for it. ......
mm ; wmm
NINETY THIRD YEAH
Bombers
i :
Lash at
Sicily ;
Co mis o and Biscari
'Airdromes Take
125 Tons in Raid
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS
IN NORTH AFRICA, June 18-
(JPh American Liberator bom
bers of the Middle East command
have smashed again at Italian
Sicily Jn the- campaign to de
stroy tne last of its air cover,
dropping : 125 tons of exploding
steel on the airdromes of Comiso
and Biscari, to follow up another
heavy night attack by British
Wellingtons on the home Italian
port of Naples. ; ? - ... . 1: t ;
The Liberators, estimated fin
Caprio dispatches at about 50
were escorted by RAF Spitfires
based on Malta. All allied planes
from 'these and the operations
against Naples returned safely.
At Comiso, a hangar; was de
stroyed and workshops, dispersa
areas and the runway were cov
ered with explosions. At Biscari,
only a few miles away, many hits
were scored. Several grounded en
emy planes were believed - de
stroyed at both fields. The Spit
fires destroyed an Italian inter
ceptor plane.
The Biscari - Comiso raids
were thrown in Thwrsdey; the
Wellington attack on Naples was
. delivered the previous might.
Of this latter raid, the com
munique from allied headquarters
said only that the Naples docks
were attacked. Two enemy planes
(Turn to page 2 Story F)
Free French
romise
Is Foreseen
ALGIERS, June 18- UP) -Signs
of: a compromise, partitioning
French military power among fol
lowers of Gen. Charles DeGaulle
and Gen. Henri Giraud, develop
ed Friday as the committee of na
tional liberation arranged to hold
a second plenary session Monday.
In a speech broadcast to
France marking the third anni
versary of the FI h ting" French
ervanixatie. General DeGaoUe
declared Friday night t that Ma
vast movement of liberty" was
sweeping- .toward his enslaved
homeland. 3 "
He added, in his prepared ad
dress, that French unity "pro
vided it is achieved by the French
themselves and in the way the
French people desire it" would
guarantee allied cooperation now
and "the building of peace tomor-
r"V.", i ';. A..:: '
The newest eolation to the
leaders' political problems ; was '
advanced by "moderates of the
13 -man committee of ' national
liberation, which now , has be
come the supreme governing
authority In the overseas em
pire, and was reported accepta
ble in most respects to the eo
presideots, DeGanlle and Gl
raaeV: As made known in political cir
cles, the plan calls for the appoint
ment of a separate committee of
national defense which will in
clude DeGaulle as 'defense com
missioner, Giraud as commander
in chief, Jean Minnet as commis
sioner of armament and supply,
Andre Philip as commissioner of
interior and resistance in France,
and either General f ' Alphonse
Georges or Gen. Georges Catroux.
Comp
Largest A ppropriation
Bill in History Okehed
WASHINGTON, Juno 18(JP)
"Determined that the armed forces
shall have every dollar essential
for the early attainment of an un
conditional surrender by all of the
axis powers," the house appropri
ations committee Friday recom
mended expenditure of $71,510,
438,873 for the army in, the year
beginning July 1. - : ;
It is the larrest appropriation
bill la history, bnt the house Is
expected to take it np Satorday
and dispose of It In one day.
The : money ; Is to eqalp ' and -maintain
an-army of 7.500.C39
enlls-d meaTaad provide
swarms of war planes third
of tt is for the air corps. is
These decisive dollars, de
clared Lt Gen. Joseph T. Mc
Narney, deputy chief of staff, "will
be translated into decisive stra
tegic and tactical plans."
This "decisive budget' will:
10 PAGES
Vengeance Divebomber
Makes First Appearance
In Pacific Zone Report
; ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN AUSTRALIA. Saturday,
June 19-ifP)-Vultee Vengeance
reported appearance in the southwest Pacific war rone Friday,
ranging 300 miles above Australia ' to hit two Japanese-held
villages on Selaru island, in the Tanunbar group.
i The Vengeances, manned by Australians, were accompa
nied on the raid by Beaufighters, which strafed small enemy
vessels off shore. Use of the land-based Vengeances hitherto
had not been mentioned in the communiques from headquar
ters of General Douglas MacArthur. 1 :
A single Japanese plane dropped bombs at Horn island off
Cape York, Australia, but the
damage.
: Twelve miles below Salamaua, New Guinea, on the ground
fighting front at Mubo, allied attack planes poured "fire into
Japanese positions near Greens hill, a frequent target.
Another often-bombed target. Cape Gloucester, New Bri
tain, was visited at night by medium bombers, which strafed
three Japanese power barges,
the others.
House Cuts Subsidy
Program,
omestic
WASHINGTON. June lft - 7P
, r-
urn cuiu uni puucics uic iiuuac
To ban continuance of OPA's food subsidy program beyond
To slash 20 per cent more from
the price agency's 1943-44 budget.
To abolish domestic operations
of the Office of War Information.
The vote against- continuance
of the food rollback, which, has
the support of President Roose
velt and James F. Byrnes, was
160 to 106. It came on an amend
ment by Rep. Dirksen (R-Ill) to
bar the payment of. salary or ex
penses for any government work
ers involved in a subsidy pro
gram.-' . . ..
The senate still , has to act "on
the subsidy ban, but 14 republi
can senators on that aide "of -the
capitol ' only Friday demanded
that the senate leadership pro
vide an opportunity immediately
for an expression of sentiment on
tho OPA plan, designed to roll
back the cost of living to last Sep
tember's basis. It is already in
effect on meat and butter.
The eat in OPA's approprla-
tion was voted 185 to 147. The
budget bnreaa asked $177,100,
0t for OPA in the next fiscal
year; the house appropriations
committee eat this to $1C5,000,
00; the house slashed the total
to $130,000,000.
Then, giving notice to accumu
lated opposition to OPA policies,
the house: decided:
1. To forbid use of any of the
funds for ' rollbacks" on foods
which have not reached parity
prices, or on non-necessity com
modities. Offered by Rep. Saut-
hoff (prog-Wis), this amendment
was adopted 229 to 105
2. To require . all ' OPA price
policy officials, except Adminis
trator Prentiss M. Brown, to have
at least five years of actual busi
ness experience. This amendment
by Dirksen was. adopted 188-144.
3. To forbid the use of any of
the funds for programs involving
grade labelling or standardization
of foods, clothing or other civilian
commodities. This, amendment by
Rep. Andresen (R-Minn) was ap
proved '140-85. 'C-.v"-. -n ;
In moving the 28 per cent '
slash in OPA's -budget Dirksen
said the agency had ignored the
wishes of congress. "Black mar
kets will spread throughout the
coon try," he argued, unless con
gress curtails OPA's activities.
Opponents pleaded - that too
(Turn to page 2 Story B)
1 " "v.- .
Provide a fighting air force of
273 groups and 3,000,000 ground
troops, 36,000 bnbers, 38,000
fighters,-, 12,000 - transport planes
and $.000 training planes, with
spare engines and parts to keep
them .flying. ";-J?v ..
a Famish combat divisions with
enoarh ';V ammanition, , tanks,'
amall arms, eanaon, combat ve
hicles and ether equipment te
enable ws to come to grips with
and destroy the enemy. '
Permit the maintenance of more
than ; 800 airfields 4,500 army
posts, and 700,000 hospital beds,
and provide internment camps for
325,000 war prisoners. '
To get a better picture of ex
penditures for actual warfare J n
the coming fiscal year this $71,
510,438,873 sum ($59,037,533,673
In new appropriations and $12,
472,83900 from previous appro
XTurn to page 2 "Elory G) -
PCUNDQD 1651
Salem. Oregon, Saturday Morning;
dive bombers made their first
communique said they caused no
sinking one an badly damaging
Bans: OW1
Operation
- Tn a nirim Kitt .oomct
o- -
vuicu xnuay nigni
Food Program
Near Collapse
WASHINGTON, June 18 -VP)
War Food Administrator Chester
C ! Davis has told White House
adviton. i( wm riiu-w TriAav
fiiatjtho-lre8ent''ferninent''feod
program, is not workina satisfac-
torfly and is in dancer of collapse.
unless steps are taken- soon to
eliminate divided authoritr and
to allow more flexibility in price
controL ,
Davis' views were given te
reporters mj - mikim sources
who asked that -: they be not
named. Davis- takes the attitude
that It Is impossible under the
present setup te manage the,
food situation-properly because
(1) What he considers a lack of
understanding ox tne intricacies oz
food production and distribuUon
among some omciais ana agen
cies having authority in the food
field.
(2) An apparent determination
on the part of the Roosevelt ad
ministration to wage a battle with
congress over use of subsidies to
reduce consumer food prices.
(3) What Davis sees as an In-
clination on the part of the White
House to postpone action on food
problems until after the wage
dispute with United ' Mine work'
ers is settled. 'J , '
Davis, it was stated, has
found that the entire food in-dostry-7-incladlnr
farmers, pro
cessors and distributors and
consumers are greatly confused
by the present ' situation. This
eonfnsion,'u the food adminis
trator's ' lew, ' is : potentially
more dangerous than the threat
of - a reduced output ; of farm
crops " thbi ' year. :-
Under the present setup, many
agencies have important poUcy
making powers in toe food field.
They include the war food ad
ministration the '- office of price
administration, the war man-
I r .1. . ttm.
sSSlS..!? -
uvv vx "war iwuuuauvu mo
as President Roosevelt.
Impound Baby
Boy Ifr Born
BLACKFOOT, Idaho, June 18
"iPy-A. one 'and one-half pound
boy was born to Mrs. Lyle Hill, I
20-year-old wife . of a -Pingree
farmer, at Blackfoot hospital
Thursday night. , - - . J
The infant, premature by two
and one-half months, was wrap
ped In cotton and placed in an
oxygen tent.-,' - -
The - baby - took nourishment
from an eye-dropper and physi-
cianf said he had a good chance
of survival. ' ; -
The child Was the Hills' second.
Blexlcan Lalior Due
PORTLAND, June 18-()-The
arm security administration's re-
gional office said Friday that 725
admuonai Mexican farm laborers
win arrive in the Pacific north- J
west Sunday. Athena, Ore- will
Davis
Asserts
receive 475, and .Dixie, Wash., 250.rlc3 to the present government.
June 19, 1S13
'SVriaia " .
Border
Opened
Italian Garrison
Prematurely Heralds
End of Hostilities
LONDON, June 18- () -Re
opening of the Turkish-Syrian
frontier , and taxis reports of
large allied troop concentrations
in Syria boosted enemy worry
Friday over the shaky "south
eastern walH In the; - Balkans
where the Germans were said to
have sent strong reinforcements; p" vu.,ua,u ",inni,u,aer m C,CI OI naif
And as the axis was kept guess- "ed Ticeroy of India today, in a move to prepare the na
in where - the Invasion blow tion or cornin2 knockout offensive against the Japanese.
might fail, one possible barometer
of Italian nervousness came in a
Reuters report that a irumor of
allied invasion of Sicily had surg-
ed throuxh the town of Tolmino.
in northern Italy, with! the gar-
rison dashing into the streets no
welcome the end of the war."
Wine more Italian : provinces
were declared to be "operational
zones" on orders of Mussolini,
the Rome radio reported, as Italy
prepared for Invasion. The prov
inces affected are Foggia, Bar!,
Brindisl, Lecce, Taranto, Cosenza.
awnzara. aaaxera, and part of
I D--. I Ool.k.'. '
The Turkish-Syrian border
was reopened at t a. m. Thurs
day after a: 4S-honr blackoot,.
bat the Rome- radio declared
that the British still were keep
fair sealed a C2-mIle stretch in
northern Syria and tho Lebanon
coastal area, designating it as a
military area closed to civilians.
Rome reported the allied troop
concentrations in Syria. In An
kara, a British source said the
frontier had been closed to. guard
allied troop movements from-axis
agents. ' Officers of tho border
I "rea, however, said the closure
might nave had some connection
King George's visit -tc North
Amc- -
The Germans have sent stronr
I reinforcements ' to the Balkans,
I said a Stockholm renort to Ri-
I ters, and Rome warned tho allies
I that 'tho Bulgarian hieh com -
Imand began to examine the pos -
i sioiuues ci an auiea lancung on
(Turn to page 2 Story H)
Agriculture
Commodities
i ir -
X llTCllflSeCl
SAN FRAN-CISCO, June 18-JP)
ADDroximatelv tl8.fi01.000 worth
of agriculture commodities were
purchased in three Pacific coast
sUtes last month, Merritt A. Clev- associauon ended the day's ses
enger, -, Pacific regional adminis- 8ion- L1' delegates heard Frank
trator. announced Fridar. This
represented an Increase of about
$4,300,000 over April purchases.
The purchases were for the Red
Cross, stockpiles, and lend-lease.
Commodities pourht includ
ed butter, dry skim milk, errs,
barley, lard, hog casings, poul
try, vegetable seeds, dry peas.
dehydrated potatoes, p r a n e s.
raisins, sugar, milk powder,
cheese, - flour,, macaroni, dried
apple and ' pears, garUe and
chocolate. -
Chief purchases by states in-
eluded;
Oregon: 250,000 pounds of but-1
A . :n : . a m -a i
. innMn M i.
5f0 ma f .nd
800,000 pounds of dehydrated
' ' i
potatoes. ' - -
V -Garden 1 alk
Slated Today
PORTLAND, June lS-iAV-Win-
northwest victory gardens will bel
discussed here Saturday at a con-1
A-WVO . aA. VWMVHVU - OVU OV SiW4Slj
ference of leaders in the garden
movement.
4 Norvelle Gillespie, coast, horti
cultural, coordinator for the office
of civilian defense, said, speakers
will Include Frank Gaines, San
(Francisco; Dr. John - Snyder,
Washington State college; Orrin
Hale, victory garden director for
the Seattle war council and O. T.
McWhorter and A. G. B. Bouquet
of Oregon State college.
Argentina
Election Banned
BUENOS AIRES. June 18.-WP) I
Gen. Pedro Ramirex's government
issued a decree Friday night sus-
pending presidential elections
scheduled Sept. 5 and also banned
the word "provisional In refer-
rrr ivr,
'VV,
Wa veil
Indian
New Blow
Angld-American Squeeze
Play Against Japs Is
Expected From Move
LtJNDON, Saturday. June 19 (AP) Field Marshal
c: a j n rr n
,. Appointed lo a five-year term succeeding Lord Lln-
"ingow, vvaven win retire front the army but will continue
military talents for strategical organization of
the nation of 400,000,000 as a main forward base for the
I drive against Japan scheduled to follow tho smash In & nt
Hitler in Europe.
OPA Officer
For PubKcitv
EUGENE,' June 18 -UPh Rich
ard K Jontaomery, district OPA
director, . Friday praised Oregon
newspapers for their part in the
rationing program, asserting that
the1 program would have failed
without the newspapers' coopera
tion. . . . :: .V ., .
Montgomery told the annual
Oreron Newspaper; Publishers'
association convention, however,
that tho program , had been
harmed by a few Instances ef
"unfair and uninformed eriti-
Clsm.-: :
i"AU we . ask- isi that when, you
criticfateua, bf: sure Jtf. the facta
I"' ,u-
I oonaid sterling, Portland Jour
nal editor formerly with the
newspaper division of the war
Production board, told the 150
1 delegates that violators of the
1 newsprint conservaUon order soon
may be; prosecuted.
Tho regulations, he added,' are
no restriction of press freedom.
Secretary " of State Kobert
Farrell, Jr., said the state's new
motor vehicle safety act had re
salted In a "land office boat.
for Insurance companies.
adding that his office intended
to administer the act for the
public good and not for prfrato
gain. i
A buffet supper sponsored by
Eugene cnamDer or commerce
nd the West Coast Lumbermen's
I iiaruioiomew, vice president of
I United Press, assert that Gen.
(Turn to page 2 Story I)
Plane Output
In US Rises'
WASHINGTON, J u n e 18 -UP)
Dropping a bomb shell of bad
news, for the axis, the war pro
duction i board ' revealed Friday
that the United States produced
nearly 7200 military airplanes in
Mar
aircraft makers have stepped up
to monthly production rate by
lnnn ii..u tM a 41-
1000 planes In only, two months.
WPB added that -output will be
substantially larger in June."
From there on the production
curve will ; continue - a "steady
rise," -WPB said, until it hits a
ceiling imposed by the country's
supplies of aluminum, copper and
alloy. steeL ' ;
- .
I V TlfffAftO
" irxi uc
He Just Got
Cold Feet!
PORTLAND, June lg.-)
oso Davis, desk clerk at
Emanuel hospital, told police
she saw a man carrying a leao
flower enter . the building Fri
day. i ;-;'. C';
YTheh she looked at him a rata
he held a revolver in the flower
hand and a note ta the other,
she said. Be handed her the
note."-J" r- ' : "..,": . 'V
"Do you know the combina
tion of the safer, it read. a -
"No, I e-a't," the cTrrk re
plied. , '
The isri V. en depart J hnr-
rieClj without another word.
tie reported.
Lauds Newsmen
DmoMt
Sat. , sunset 9:05
Sun.- sunrise 5:19
(Weather on Page 8)
Price 5c
Ho. 72 i
Named.
Viceiroy
j i . m j
-
With the selection of one of
Britain's premier soldiers as vice
roy, Gen. Sir Claudo J. E. Auch
inleck will return to the post of
commander in chief in India,
which be held in 1940-41.
It was disclosed simultaneously
that the commander in chief in
India is to be relieved of respon
sibility for operations against
Japan, and a separate . East Asia
command will be set up for this
purpose. A further announcement
is to be made toon. "
Auchinleck : has been absent
from public notice since he was
replaced - as middle - east com
mander in 1942.
? While Wavell was selected pri
marily for his military skill, hopes
were expressed in London quar
ters that his , appointment may
lead to better relations with Mo
handas K. Gandhi, v
. - WASHINGTON JP)-Shlfts ta
British Commanders la . India
stirred conjecture Friday, night
that an Aogld-Ameiieaa saueese
pUy aralaot -Jape lo in tho
Coming just as American, air
power in the south Pacific had
dealt a heavy new blow to Japa
nese raiders at Guadalcanal, scor
ing a virtual 13-to-l victory the
changes in the British command
in India, have, double significance.
They clearly forecast an aggres
sive campaign in Burma late thie
year, after the wet monsoon ends
in October,' to match expected de
velopments in the Pacific;
- To that end Field Marshal Sir
Archibald. WavelL now British
commander-in-chief in India, will
surrender that post to General Sir
Claude Auchinleck in tho fail,
stepping up to viceroy of India. "
Even more definitely fixing the
purposes behind these changes waa
the1 London disclosure that a sep
arate East Asia military command.
The makeup of the new east
Asia atfack army and ita com
maader are yet te bo disclosed, r
That tho chances represent eoa- j
Crete results of the recent
Anxle-American joint staff eon- .
fereneea la Washlnrton is not,
open to doubt.
Prime Minister Churchill made
no secret of the fact that the
Anglo-American war production.
effort is reaching tho point where
simultaneous .major actions' cat
fronts half the world apart can be
charted. " .
The north African . victory cut
thousands of sea miles off the way
supply, routes to India. By use of
the Mediterranean to ship men,
equipment and stores to the east
Asia front, weeks if not months -T
of the -time necessary to prepare
for a post-monsoon drive in Bur
ma have been eliminated.
Weather, conditions in Burma.
probably ..will prevent aggressive
action there until late fall or early;
winter. However, there Is' nci
similar bar to American attacks in
the Pacific, north, south or cen
tral. The massing of an estimated
120 enemy planes in the Guadal
canal raid that met stunning dis
aster strongly indicates that Tok
yo believes a new and formidable
American thrust to crack her in
sural defense ring is now im
pending. " ' . .
Oa.the basis of facta thus far ,' '
disclosed, the raid attempt is
explainable ea!y as aa effort t
find and attack American sur--'
; face convoys. Tokyo apparently
believed . such , convoys ' were V
mustering la that sea sector for
a new.;'amphlMotis ad ranee.'- - ' '
' There, has been much to sug- .
gest that Tckyo has regarded the
American recapture cf Attu in
the Aleutian . sector, far to the"""
northeast, as designed for diver
sion purposes primarily. The suc
cess of that' move raises an ever
growing threat "to Japan's north
ern island "outposts and to Japan
itself as bombers of greater ranja
and hitting power, promised , by
American air chiefs, extend tho
(Turn to rae 2 Story A)
Seem