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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1943-11-25, Page 7This is Orel as the Russians found it when they returned to the Nazi -devastated city. One of the first cities rewon in the Soviet offensive that began last summer, Orel mourns the loss of her modern, beautiful buildings but looks to the day when they will be rebuilt. THE *WAR WEEK — Commentary on Current Events The Master Plan For Greatest Military Operation Of All Time London publicly reports that a large area in southwestern Eng- lnad is to be evacuated by Dec. 20 to provide an invasion train - lug ground for.Ainerican troops; General Devers, the American commander, announces that the manouevres are necessary to de- velop "the master plan that will set in motion what inay be the greatest military operation of all time"; and as the correspondents are allowed to speak with an in- creasing freedom of a gathering "second -front" army, the Ger- mans show that they are impress- ed by the recent bombing of the southwestern British ports from which it will presumably be launched, says -The New York Herald Tribune. Pattern Grows Clearer From all this one gathers that a master plan has actually been drawn to a major scale and the date set; but that it certainly cannot be before Dec.. 20 and probably will not come for a con- siderably longer tune. Thus the pattern, glimpsed through the Moscow communique and the subsequent speeches of Mr. Stalin and Mr. Churchill, begins to grow a little clearer. It was in May that the Prime Minister said that while opinions differed as to whether "air ;ower by itself" could "bring about the collapse of Germany," the "experiment is well worth trying." Probably neither Mr. Churchill nor his air advisers ever thought that. Ger- many could be knocked out from the air with no land invasion at all; but it is believed that they did have hopes that she Could be so "softened up" as to make the ultimate invasion a "..relatively minor part of the total strategy. Results Negative? Throughout the summer the "experiment" has been made on at ascending -scale of violence, and the results; on the whole, appear to have been negative. The devastation has been terrible; but the protective dispersal of Germany's war industries and the astonishing capacity of a modern industrial economy . to make re- pairs and develop makeshifts has rendered it less immediately de- cisive than might have been ex- pected. While the air attack has severely hobbled Germany's phy- sical ability to make war, it has not directly destroyed it. The British are beginning to feel that the main impact of air assault is on morale rather than on phy- sical potential. Co-ordinated Plan Developed Perhaps it was a recognition of this which lay behind the success of the Moscow conference, One eau infer that the Western Allies came to the conference ready to grant that the air war would have to be backed up by massive ex- ploitation on the ground, however costly in life it might be; that this made it possible -for the first time to bring the land; sea and air strategy of Russia, Britain and the United States on to a common ground and from it to develop a genuinely co-ordinated plan, leading to the firm .pledges of specific action which were ap- parently exchanged at Moscow. The Only Way This cannot mean that the sec- ond front has been substituted for the bombing offensive, or that Italy is to be abandoned in favor of France, Rather, it sug- gests that all parts have been fitted into a whole which will per- mit each part to exert its niaxi- muin possible effect. Ili stieh'• a plan, ideas of a major Balkan offensive would be dropped; in Italy, the main' objective would be simply to secure (and it has been done at relatively small cost) the bases from which to step up the bombing offensive over all of Germany, while a major blow with land forces from the West would be co-ordinated with the hammier strokes of the Red Army and of the British- based strategic bombers. For the Western Allies it may clean a , bill heavier than some may have hoped they would have to pay, But it is the only way to get results. The Book Shelf WESTERN STAR By Stephen Vincent Benet Western Star is the spirit and the beginnings of America. There is in it the essence of .what Am- erica is and the sure knowledge of what it will be. "Americana are always moving on," This is the first line of this great new nar- rative poem, Western Star. The words Mr. Benet used to describe America apply equally well to him. He also was always moving on. When the war came he put aside his own work, and without recompense, devoted ev- ery r-ery ounce of his energy and gen- ius to the service of his country. At the time of his recent death Mr. Benet held a position in the esteem of his fellow writers and fellow Americans probably never before achieved by an American writer. As truly as any soldier on the battlefield, he gave his life for the country he loved, Western Star . . . By Stephen Vincent Benet . Oxford Uni- versity Press ... Price $2,50. FREEDOM'S FARE Hungry repatriated Allied pris- oner grabs -a thick eandwich be- fore pu ting clown his luggnge, at Leith, Scotland, where soldiers returned from Germany landed, British Miner's Amazing Record Cheerful Little Fellow Has Worked 7 Days A Week For 84 Weeks The battle of production, like the clash of arms, has produced Ito heroes, but few who appear dough- tier than a British ooal miner iden- tified only as Bart. His exploits ars reported in "The Listener," official organ of the British Broad- casting Company, as told over the air by the manager of the import- ant pit in the North Midlands where he works. Telling English listeners how their miners are backing the attack, the manager said: "There is one man, known to his friends as Bart, who has pro- duced 21,511 tons of coal in 1,205 shifts; 84 of these shifts being worked on Sundays. Bart le 45, He stands five feet, four inches high in his socks and weighs just over 9'A, stone (133 pounds). He's a cheerful little fellow, and full of the joy of life. Every day this man has worked he has produced only a fraction below 18 tons, which is equal to 300 times his own weight. Let's look at it an- other way; In four years Bart has loaded the equivalent of 2,200 rail- way trucks of coal,aor one whole trainload every four weeks. The vast quantity of coal produced by this one man is sufficient to pro. vide the finished steel for the pro- duction of one Heavy cruiser and two destroyers of the Tribal class. During. the whole period of the war Bart has lost ,only one shift voluntarily. He has worked seven days a week for 84 weeks and his average for the whole war is six days per week, including holiday periods," The. New York Sun points out how "phenomenal" Rart's record is by comparison with the output in U.S. bituminous mines in which, in 1941, the average per miner was 5.2 tons per clay and in 1842 prob- ably nearer five tone. The Sun adds: "Yet in this country the output should be higher than in.Eugland due to the fact that here a' pro- portion of bituminous coal is gain- ed by strip mining and also be- cause American pit mines are more efficiently mechanized than those in England." Ch, rysrarithemtams Before the Sicilian campaign the Emperor of Japan undertook to encourage his illustrious fel- low -gangster, Mussolini, by deco- rating him with the rmperiai Order of the Chrysanthemum. The Italian press duly reported the bestowal of a most distin- guished honor, l.ut kept muni on just what the decoration was, In Italy the chrysanthemum is asso- ciated with funerals. —New Yorlc Times. VOICE OF THE PRESS ViCTOR EMMANUEL Here, then, is the bleak future of the proud old monarch: 4 large part of his kingdom demands his crown, which has adorned his head for 43 years. And another large part demands his head, which he has worn for 74 years. He may lose both. All because he compromised with freedom way back in 1922. Winnipeg Free Press. —o— GUESSERS The people who used to record their guesses on the number of beans in the pot in the drug store window are now recording their guesses on when the war will end. They are probably as far wrong as they were on the number of beans. —Kiwanis Magazine. —0 -- MANY LIKE THIS Maybe that genius in "•-• "r^4a- Department who re -are typewriter keyboard in ests of simplicity cock. thing for ours, The bi can't spell. —Christen Scien —o— ( AHEAD OF HIS i cm= Funny how some people live years ahead of their time. Take the man who wrote, "Yes, We Have No Bananas." —Windsor Star. —0— LIFE IS FLEETING The good thing about a modern popular song is that it doesn't stay popular long. —Brandon' Sun. —0— ELUSIVE INFLUENCE Influence Is what you think you have, till you try to use it, —Kitchener Record, Bc'snks .ReA'dv When C.C.F. Takes Over One of our banking friends has been telling, us about the plans his bank is making for the day when the C.C.F. takes over the banks in Canada. That is go- ing to be a great day. There will no longer be any money troubles. At first, this particular bank thought it would 1:cep the money instacksbehind the counter and hand -it out, but they decided that would be too formal. So, they are just going to put the money in a huge pile in the middle of the floor. Then, people can come in and take a handfel whenever they need it. There is no taking two handsfnl, the C.C.P. being against gree.l. Only one handful at a time is the limit; but of course, there is nothing to pre- vent anyo'e taking a handful, walking around the block, and coining in for another handful. The bank was going to have the line form to the right, until someone thought that the C.C.F. leans to the left, so the line for free money will form to the left. —Windsor Star. OTTAWA REPORTS That In 1944 There Will Be An Increase In Machinery to the Canadian Farmer With no possibility of a let- itp in the demand for increased farm production and with the labor shortage becoming more and more acute, the farmer is increasingly conscious of the need for the most modern, labor- saving farm machinery. The findings of the farm -im- plements sub -committee of the House et Commons War Expendi- tures Committee made public re- eently, emphasized the "impera- tive necessity" of additional supplies of such labor-saving inn- plemen is. Until May of this year, farm implements have been among the many commodities on the ra- tioned list, Since May the re- strictions guarding the sale of farm machinery have become less severe and gradually more and more items have been added to C. list exempted from rationing regulations. This has been made possible by increased manufacturing quotas which have come into effect since July, * " Now the outlook becomes even brighter and it is expected that the cancellations of certain war contracts should cause an easing in the steel "bottle -neck," and factory facilities and labor short- age be made available for the manufacture of more farm im- plements. This is the opinion of subcommittee. It was also pointed out that two other bottle -necks are fac- tory labor and the limited supply of malleable castings, and it was stated that these factors are under "careful study" and may be alleviated, if net removed. Reviewing the situation for the coming crop season, H. H, Bloom, Wartime Prices and Trade Board farm machinery administrator, has given the assurance that there will be a substantial in- crease in the machinery avail- able to Canadian farmers. So far no decision as to the alloca- tion of this supply of machinery has been announced, but the platter is being carefully stud - HONORED ,BY U.S. Major General George Ran- dolphe Pearkes, 55, V.C., C,D., D,S,O„ M,C., General Officer Commanding -in -Chief, Pacifist Command, has been honored by the United States which aor,fer- red upon him the title of Coni mender of the Legion of Merit. The honor is one of the highest available to persons who are not citizens of the United States and ranks second only to the Distin- guished Service Medal. might lengthen the life of ma- chinery already in hand. Pre- cautions can be taken to protect it from rust and rot. W. S. Richardson, assistant supernitendent at the Dominion Experimental Station at Lennox - villa, Quebec, says that even an inexpensive shed will be a pro- tection against sun, rain and snow. But in addition he adds metal parts of machines that; polished by their contact the soil, should be covered oil to prevent rust. For this pose he recommends cranky oil. Before freeze-up, mach used to spread chemeial fere ers should be thoroughly was or brushed to remove the fei izer, and their metal parts gi. a coating of oil, Some fare remove the star wheels i soak them in a bucket of oil' +um Without th IRIS L. JKIIUU vif Lau..[.r eergusv,. . t "CIV I ZEC)IP BROUGHT ABOUT TI -1E EXTINCTION OF. THE L E'f ADOR. DUCK. JUST JUS 87 YEARS ASTER. HE KNEW DF TNEIR- ESCISTENc- THE LAST SPECIMEN WAS KILLED NEAR NEW YORK, IN 1B75. is ie. se; CHARLES 4-4e. BLIND AU -Ii -IRR OF NAPA, CALIFORNIA, HAS' WRITTEN /©a AND ALL HAVE BEEN•':'� ic�/{g PLiBLISHED. .tq,• Gl�Scv ,� COPD. 19389Y NEASERVICE,iNC. sou mc) vvpvES OF /4'04EN7- E -057(:)A S' 'TRAVEL MUCH. FASTER 71 -IAN NORMAL %mac UNTIL THEY REACH A CONSIDERABLE DiSTANCE.. ,THEN THEY SLOW DOWN TO A CONSTANT SPEE.O. THE Labrador Duck was first made known to science in 1788, and little is mown of its nesting habits. Not one egg was saved to science, and only a few specimens of the bird are in existence to- day. It is supposed to have bred in L11srador Weather hunters are credited with its extinction. NEXT, hiirn ftiat live for months without wake% REG'LAR FELLERS—A Smoothie By GENE BYRNES 1 tcli1D 2AKn uP raaE. 1.1:AVCs oN't'He i'lorir LAWN AN4 evert 'tell THE FLAcf. 18 A , MESS DAG NAis IT. ANI Ma sposaP'to PLAY IN THia ArysitNooN's arra 41XM LOOK,P0PI TNe. WIND 15 IN Tins DIROCTION AN' IP 1 BURN THC LCAVC6 ,1h0AY TNS. SMOKE'LL cot a itt 1148 HDUS1, ^(5'551.1 A arcs (u9) HALtakcg 14P,STA "MINK PAST Maga WAYS -11%g oRt t