Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 22 February 1945 — Page 15
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"By Ernie Pyle
Ernie Pyle Is with the navy in the Far Pacfle. This article was written on id way.
IN THE MARIANAS ISLANDS (Delayed) —You may wonder why we have American troops at all here in the Marianas islands, since we are 1500 miles away from the Philippines, China or Japan itself. Well, it's because in this Pacific war of vast water ~ HA distances, we have to make gigantic bases of each group of islands we take, in order to build up supplies and preparations for future invasions’ farther on.
The Marianas happen to be a sort of crossroads in the western Pacific. Stuff can.go either west or north from here. Whoever sits in the Marianas can have his finger on the whole wide web of the war. Thus the Marianas are becoming a heart.of the Pacific war, Our naval and military leaders make no bones about it, for the Japs know it anyhow, but they're too far away to do anything about it. The | Marianas are both thrilling and engaging
right now. Scores of thousands of troops of all kinds.
are here. Furious building is going on, Planes arrive on schedule from all directions as though this were Chicago airport—only they've come thousands of miles over water, Convoys unload unbelievable tonnages. These islands will hum throughout the war and “they will never return to'their former placid life, for we are building on almost every inch of useable land. Supplies ini staggering quantities are being stacked up here for future use. You can take your pick of K-rations or lumber or bombs, and you'd find enough of either to feed a city, build one, or blow it up. *
There's No Blackout in the Islands
FLEETS CAN base here between engagements. Combat troops train here. Other troops come back to- rest. Great hospitals are set up for our future wounded. Pipelines criss-cross the islands. Trucks bumper to bumper dash forward as though they were on the Western front. Ox-cart trails turn almost overnight into four-lane macadam highways for military traffic. There is no blackout in the islands. .If raiders eome the lights are turned off, but they seldom come any more,. The Marianas are a pretty safe place now, Great long macadam airstrips are in operation and others are being laid. The Marianas are the seat of some of our B-29 bomber fleets which will grow and grow and grow. Thousands of square tents, thousands .of curved steel Quonsett huts, thousands of huge, permanent
Inside Indianapolis By Lowell Nussbaum
TODAY'S BEST TIP: Don't try to clean your skillet by putting it in your furnace. At least, don't try it if you burn coke. One of our readers heard that a fine way to clean a grease-encrusted skillet was to place it on the coals in the furnace. So she ‘ ; tried it. A little later, she ‘heard her husband putting some coke in the furnace. “Oh, Herb,” she called, “bring that skillet up with you.” “What skillet?” he queried, puzzled. Then she explained. “No skillet here,” he anneunced after a careful search. And no wonder! What friend housewife didn’t know was that coke is
used in the foundries to melt the °
metal from which they make skillets and other metal articles «++ We're not starting the “first robin” competition all over again, but we'd like to tell you about the Bill Book family's first robin. Bill, whose home, Peaceful Valley, is on the banks of Lick creek, south of town, has a standing offer .of $5 to the first member of his family who sees a
robin each year. It's $5, only, if the robin is seen -
in January. After that, the price drbps to 50 cents in February, and 5 cents if it is seen in March. It's 8 pretty safe bet, because Bill, who pretends to know something about ornithology, usually manages to see the first one himself. Last Saturday, while throwing some corn to his chickens, three bluebirds hopped down to inspect the feast. Bill rushed into the house to report spring was here. A few minutes later Mrs. Nellie Hankins of his household called that two robins had joined the party. Bill refused to pay off until he saw them for himself. He saw them. Won‘der if he had to pay double for two?"
A Roundabout Route
HENRY DAY, safety director for Republic Aviation at Evansville, came to Indianapolis Tuesday by a rather roundabout route. Mr, Day, who planned to attend a meeting of the Industrial Safety club
World of Science
¥ ROCKET MOTORS necessary for launching the American model of the robot bomb will be built by the Monsanto Chemical Co., whose headquarters are in St. Louis. Details were disclosed by the company today with the permission of the army air forces. Soon after the Nazis began their bombardment of England with robot bombs, it was realized that these engines of destruction could not get off the ground by themselves, since their mode of operation depended upon their” speed in the air, The motor of the robot bomb is an extremely simple jet propulsion motor and consists essentially of a tube with a grill on the front end. As the bomb moves through the air the pressure causes this grill to open, admitting air, 4 When the pressure within the tube reaches a certain point, the grill closes. Meanwhile, gasoline has been sprayed into the tube by a tiny pump. The device is so adjusted that the grill closes when the mixture of air and gasoline vapor is at the explosive point,
Simple Firing Device
A FIRING DEVICE, merely a wire kept red-hot by a flashlight battery, causes the mixture to explode and the escaping train of gases drives the rocket forward. The grill now opens again to admit air and the whole process begins over. It will be seen, however, that the robot bomb must
My Day
WASHINGTON, Wednesday. —Yesterday 1 had a buffet luncheon at which were included some of the Democratic congresswomen, the wives of new representatives and senators, the wives of officials in the government and in the military services.
Many of you have probably. been asked, as I have been, by various organizations to which you belong and which are interested in world peace, whether you can do anything to spread infor‘mation on the Dumbarton Oaks proposals prior to the San Frarcisco meeting in April, I had the amusing experience in talking to people about these proposals to find tha’ the name seems to have caused some conthing to do with trees, or perhaps in Some foreign Sojateyl.
proposals have “have their
ot
warehouses and office buildings dot the islands. Lights burn-ali night and the roar of planes, the clank of bull dozers and the clatter of hammers is constant, It 1s a strange contrast to the stillness that dwelt amidst this greenery for so many centuries. There are 15 islands in this chain, running due north and south. They string out a total distance of more than 400 miles, We are on the southern end. We hold only three fslands, but they are the biggest and the only three that count. The other islands are completely “neutralized” by ¢N occupancy of these three,
‘Japs Can't Harm Us Here’
THERR ARE a few Japs living on some of the others, but there's nothing they can do to harm us. The islands we haven't bothered with are small and worthless. Most of them have no inhabitants at all. The islands we took are Guam, Tinian and Saipan. Guam had been ours for many years befofd Japan’ took it away from us Just after Pearl Harbor. Tinian and Saipan had been Jabanese since the last war. We took the whole batch last summer. Guam is the biggest, and southernmost. . Tinian and Saipan are right together, 120 miles north of Guam. You can fly up there in less than an hour, and our transport planes shuttle back and forth several times daily on regular schedule. They have to make a ‘“dogleg” around the island of Rota, about
half way up, for there are still Japs on it with ‘50-|
caliber machine guns, and they'll shoot at you. I've been on all three of our islands, and I must admit two things—that I like it here, and that you can't help but be thrilled by what the Americans are doing. And from all I've picked up so far, I think it can be said that most Americans like the Marianas islands, assuming they have to be away from home at all.
The Health of Our Men Is Good
THE SAVAGE HEAT and the dread diseases and the awful jungles of..the more Southern Pacific islands do not exist here. The climate is good, the islands are pretty, and the native chamorros are nice people. : Health conditions among our men are excellent. They work in shorts or without shirts and are deeply tanned. The mosquito and fly problem has been licked. There is almost no venereal disease. is good. The weather is’ always warm but not cruelly hot. you look, you have a pretty view, Yes, the islands are a paradise and life here is fine—except it's empty and there is no diversion and the monotony eventually gnaws at you.
Tuesday night, got aboard a commercial plane at Evansville Tuesday morning. When the plane arrived here, weather conditions made it impossible to land, and he was taken on to Chicago. Grabbing the first train, he arrived in Indianapolis in time for the meeting. But he had traveled more than 500 miles to get here . . . The newspapers carried the story this week about Mr. and Mrs C. G. Bagley, 3253 Boulevard pl, receiving word fram their son, Pfc. Raymond A. Bagley, who had been missing since Dec. 16. But an interesting part of the story was missed. Floyd A. Starks, the mail carrier who serves the Bagleys, knew their son was missing and that they were hoping desperately for word that he was safe. The other morning the carrier was sorting his mail and happened to notice a ccuple of postcards to the Boslevs from their son, In" a German prison camp. thoughtful carrier knew it was against regulations | to read the cards, so he couldn't do that. But he | did the next best thing. Instead of waiting until | he got to their house, about noon, he telephoned the | Bagleys and said he had a card they might be interested in. Mr. Bagley hurried over to the postal sub-station and had the glad tidings bv 8 a. m. instead of noon. : Orchids to Carrier Starks.
Helping Hand Department KNOW WHERE some sailors heading for the combat zone could get an electric mangle, or ironer? Mrs. I. E. Parker, 647 E. 32d, attended the pre-commission-ing ceremony for LST 1108, down on the Ohio river, the other day, and came back with a reqtiest from the ship's commander that she find an electric mangle for the boys. They already have a washer. Mrs. Parker has a gas mangle which she'll gladly give to the person contributing the electric mangle. The ship isn’t equipped with gas. Besides the mangle, the ship needs an electric récord player, some records, books and games. Donors can contact Mrs. Parker at, CH. 4304 during the daytime. Why is she so interested? Thai's easy. Her son, Leonard Hussong, F. 2-¢, is arvfnember of the crew of LST 1108. P. S—1f | _hecessary, she will raise money to pay for a mangle, "providing one can be found.
By David Dietz
first be launched-at considerable speed by some sort of auxiliary device. Engineers of the Monsanto Chemical Qe, working in co-operation with the national ense research council and the air technical service com developed a satisfactory rocket motor for la purposes. . The motor is really a sort of rocket mad¢ out of a steel tube and resembles an open-end bomb. It is loaded with a powder or chemical propellert which is also being manufactured by Monsanto.
Cluster of Motors
IN OPERATION, each robot bomb will be fitted with a carriage Into which a cluster of thése rocket motors, or open-end bombs, will be fitted. When these “bombs” are fired, the burning of the propellent powders will cause an escaping train of gasses which will life the carriage and the robot bomb itself into the air. The device is so arranged that When the robot has reached a speed at which it can travel on its own motor, the carriage drops off and falls to the earth, This latest* announcement from Monsanto follows a recent one stating that the company had been authorized to design, build and operate a facility for “production of a new ordnance development” and that a new $8,000,000 plant will be built to adjoin the Longhorn ordnance works which the company now operates for army ordnance at Karnack, Tex. From these and other developments, it is fair to assume that the robot bomb will play an important part in future operations of the American army. One would guess that Japan does not view the situation with any satisfaction.
By Eleanor Roosevelt
The League of Women Voters and the churches)’
are undertaking educational programs, and so I asked the women's division of the Democratic national commmittee if they would put on a panel on the subject right after our luncheon yesterday. It is a completely non-partisan subject and one in which all of us should be interested. Mrs. Charles W. Tillett, vice chairman of the Democratic national committee, had on her panel Miss Fannie Hurst; the author; Mrs, William H. Davis, wife 6f the chairman
of the nationil war labor board; the Hon. Emily Taft -
. Douglas, member of congress from Illinois, and Mrs,
‘Joseph Lash, who is working for Miss Doris Byrne,
vice chairman of the New York state” Democratic committee. With the chart they put up, one can see very graphieally what the proposals are for a world organization. I think everybody must have gone away with a better ‘understanding of the proposals. In the evening some friends who were staying in
Food |
Almos! always a breeze is blowing. Anywhere |
The Indianapolis
Times
SECOND SECTION
CURT REISS:
By CURT REISS
Times Foreign Correspondent
ARIS, Feb, 22,—The s+ luftwaffe is by no means finished. The Germans are building new planes at furious speed. There is a possibility of a great comeback this spring, and the threat of all-out bombing of England and formerly occupied countries cannot be denied. These main points I gathered
official. s » » ALLIED air forces now are systematically raiding synthetic oil
as other installations for producing and transporting gasoline, London will not be stripped of its anti-aircraft defenses, according to newspapers here, Moreover, gunsites in many parts of the country have alréady set up their anti-aircraft guns again. I received the first inkling of the possibility of a luftwaffe comeback from a study of German newspapers. » » »
EVEN before the Von Rundstdet offensive began, items concerning the luftwaffe were featured constantly in Nazi newspapers. While most of the luftwaffe victories were simply lies, the fact remains that German co-ordi-nated propaganda would hardly play up the Nazi air forces if there were to be no future show. Experts here, as well as members of the scientific advisory committee to the government, admit that the jet plane has changed the very fundamentals of flying.
” ” ” LORD BRABAZON, pioneer and British ex-minister of aircraft production, says, “We do not know whether we are going to pull or push the airplane in the future, or whether we ‘will fly tail first, or be all wing or all fuselage.” New types of jet planes are now being built by the Germans. Countless reports from the front mention the appearance of .Jet planes. The | - 2 2 8 ALLIED air experts quite readilv admit that the new German planes are faster than ours. We may soon know the answer, and may have our own jet planes in the air. - But, more important than evaluation and criticism of past performances is the fact that the
DETROIT, Feb. 22 (U.P.).— Motherly Mrs. Anna Tonkin, .50, stands beside her place at a war plant assembly line in a work dress today to receive the distinguished flying cross, air medal and three oak leaf clusters. They were earned by one of her three sons in service before he died in action over Belgium. The ceremony is the first of its kind in a war plant. Military authorities here said it may be duplicated nationally tq make war workers know more about sacrifices by fellow employees and servicemen, » ” . MRS. TONKIN already knows. Her son, Lt. Walter Tonkin, 24, was killed on his 50th mission over Europe last March. Another son, Sgt. Speedo Tonkin, is critically injured after crash of a Superfortress. A third son, Seaman 2-¢ William Tonkin, is recuperating from inJuries suffered when his ship hit a mine at Saipan. - But~Mrs. Tonkin was puzzled
the housé and Senator and Mrs, Fulbright went with orchestra.
me to the concert given by the Philadelphia
in an interview with an allied air
plants inside Germany, as well’
Germans continue “to have new
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22,1945
Copyright, Mechanix Illustrated
The Nazi luftwaffe Is rushing production of new planes, Curt Reiss reports. Here is an artist's conception of the Nazi rocket plane, the
Messerschmitt ME-163 fighter,
Equipped with explosives in its nose,
the ship is used for ramming attacks. A pilot-ejector device blows off the cockpit cover, tossing the pilot clear of the plane so he can para-
chute to safety.
ideas, and to build new planes in large masses. Therefore, wholesale bombing is likely here. . o .
ALL OF which proves that we were utterly wrong in believing the luftwaffe finished. Or, perhaps, it is more precise to state that luftwaffe leaders have been able to rebuild after being knocked out. We know today that the original luftwaffe never was constructed for a long, drawn-out war. Therefore supply and repair problems were badly neglected. » . »
THAT IS the reason why the luftwaffe, after the battle of England, played a secondary role. A man from the air ministry told me that the luftwaffe has had the breathing spell for which it had long hoped. Preparing for the invasion, our air forces were forced to concentrate on tactical targets, destroying supply lines, etc. Therefore, our planes could not continue the destruction of the luftwaffe. - . ‘4.8 8 THIS SOURCE says it would be silly not to admit the Germans used 1943 and 1944 admirably to rebuild the luftwaffe and: rearrange their entire production. ey have learned from us to improvise.”” Many production centers went underground. Most production was dispersed throughout Ger-
when the postman brought her an army invitation to attend a ceremony at sixth service command headquarters to receive Walter's awards. ” ” » A NATIVE of Russia, she reads English with difficulty. So. she took the letter to her plant counsellor, who explained what it meant. The hero's mother, who solders wires for Superfortresses at the Hudson Motor Car Co. objected to taking time out from her job. “They need the planes so badly,” she explained. “Can't they come out to the plant and‘give me the medals? Besides, I'd like the peo-
The landing gear ‘Is dropped after the take-off. The plane uses a skid for landing—if It lands.
many and divided small shops. It has become increasingly difficult for the allies to bomb efficiently to bottleneck German production. Constant intelligence from inside Germany is needed. ” » n THE SAME source stresses also that the luftwaffe, by and large, did an excellent job of defending Germany against raids: This is particularly astonishigg since, when the raids began, the Germans were completely in~ experienced in defensive .warfare. Frontline dispatches also say that Nazi leadership has made progressively more intelligent use
into
* of the luftwaffe.
x s ” os ONE SOURCE at the scientific advisorys committee believes that the Von Rundstedt offensive was made possible through superior reconnaissance by new jet planes
ON THE JOB WHEN SHE RECEIVES HER HERO SON'S MEDALS—
4 Tribute to a War Worker Mother
ple I work with to see me get them.” ” » » THE REQUEST was forwarded to Lt. Col. George F. Holmes and Maj. J. F. Vangilder of the air forces, who will make the presentation. They said they thought the suggestions good. . A short, plump and kindly-ey ed woman with gray hair, Mrs. Tonkin is the widow of an American world war I veteran of the “Polar Bear” expedition in Russia. She married him there and they came to the United States a few months later. Her husband died 12 years ago, leaving her with the three sons and little money.
Legion Pressing for Passage
Of 8 Legislative Measures!
| for tonight after work.
“All- out” support of eight bills legislative chairman, Robert Gas- | {pending in the Indiana general as- kill. | sembly was announced by the state |
| American Legion today through its 500,000 with which
Up Front With Mauldin
One measure, appropriating $2,-|
to construct
three new buildings on the World| War Memorial plaza, appears as-|
sured of early passage. Other Legion - sponsored bills | would: ONE: Create a state commission | of veterans affairs,
| clean
headed by a
director. It also would permit cities |
and counties to establish similar |
. | agencies, all under supervision of
the state commission.
TWO: Modify the Indiana orl
pensation law covering disability | allottments for second injuries 50 | that industry and business “will not be penalized in handicapped persons
|
|
employ ing | and will |
therefore, show more willingness to |
hire such persons.”
THREE: Give veterans point
| preferences in merit system “tests. | This has already passed the house.
FOUR: Grant free, permanent hunting and fishing licenses to veterans,
|
FIVE: Authorize the state and!
its subdivisions to erect world war |
IT memorials under the same terms relating to previous construction of world war.I shrines.
SIX: Exempt the legion, its
ll | auxiliary, districts, posts afid units
from payment. of intangible taxes. SEVEN: Exempt these same or-
ganizations from payment of gross
income tax on property and investments.
MATCH MARKETING SLOW
STOCKHOLM—The first ‘friction ‘match was invented in 1827. It was 70 years later, that the strike-anywhere. kitchen matsh
not until” 1605;
. Was marketed.
'NAZIS BUILD JET PLANE SQUADRONS AT FURIOUS SPEED'—
Will Luftwaffe Stage a Great Comeback?
, traveling at a speed of 600 miles |
an hour. There is no doubt that, on the other side, the offensive bcgged down because of lack of air power, as Gen. Arnnld pointed out. ; The same lack of air power, of course, rendered impossible German _ interference with our invasion, 8 ” ” ¢ BUT THE Germans constantly are building and therefore the de-
ficiency in numbers is no longer
what it used to pe. While the Germans never again will be able to build enough
‘planes to match our numbers,
they may soon have sufficent planes to create a new threat. This, in my opinion, is wellknown to British intelligence and that is the reason why the allies staked everything to clear the Channel coast from the Germans
speedily. .
» » » MY SOURCE at the air ministry says that if the Channel coast had remained in German hands, this winter might have seen a repetition and worsening of the London blitz, Very interesting in this connection is the luftwaffe trial now in progress in Germany, with countless sub-leaders being purged. Many explanations are possible. The obvious one is to give German .people proof that the luftwaffe was stabbed in the back by saboteurs but that it is fundamentally unbeatable. This would reduce the trial to a propaganda maneuver. . » » I_ BELIEVE that is what the enemy wants us to think. I believe, however, that the trial must be considered a smoke screen for future developments. According to my sources, the problem of crews for the new jet planes .looms large. Their increased speed needs specially trained pilots and German losses of the new aircraft are caused by insufficiently trained pilots unaccustomed to terrific speeds. : n ” 8 THE AIR MINISTRY thifiks that . if the Germans had two more years they might rebuild a complete jet plane luftwaffe. But fortunately they will not have the time. Nevertheless, we must reckon on meeting entire jet squadrons in the spring. The same source, says that 10 years hence jet planes will fly higher and faster and jet-pro-pelled bombers which cannot -be seen and heard and which may fly to America and back, will not be an impossibility.
“>
SHE OBTAINED a job at the Hudson plant in 1936. Since then she has missed only two days’ work. A member of United Automobile Workers union (C. I. O) Local 154, Mrs. Tonkin says she disapproves of strikes and absenteeism. “Why, 1 even came to work on the day when I received two telegrams. Both came on the same day. One said William was killed. The other said Speedo was hurt bad. see, I love my boys. call me- ‘sweetheart.’ ” go - 8" IT MIGHT be that Mrs. Tonkin is an inspiration to fellow workers; at her plant there have been but two minor labor disputes in two years, and absenteeism is at 8 per cent-—one of the area's best records. Mrs. Tonkin said she has plans’
They even
She will go to the nine-room home in which she lives alone and put the medals in a safe place, where each week she lays a new $25 war bond. “Then,” she said, “I'm going to the boys’ rooms again. They're all ready for my sweet hearts as soon as they come home.” :
PAGE 15
Labor Fail to Obtain Workers by 'Crack-down’
(Continued , From Page .One)
nan Jr, labor representative: of the ‘army's indusfrial personnel division, today, “despite appeals, patriotic programs and pleas by “returned veterans, efforts to staff the key plants were not success- = ful.” Only 250 skilled workers were required, according to government officials, but employees of the 10 non-essential plants showed little inclination to do as they were asked, Col. Brennan said. Some protested that the fabric plants lacked as suitable working conditions and that overtime pay rates were less favorable, he said. » » »
THEN THE names of 3000 former textile workers were_given to the government's representatives by the various New Bedford manu. facturers. House - to - house canvasses were made and 1000 of these persons were found to possess the necessary skills. But of 513 interviewed, only seven accepted work in the tire fabric plants, Col. Brennan said.
Meanwhile, he added, union leaders “resisted” all attempts to induce active workers in the nonessential plants to change jobs. the whole town seethed with talk of strikes and charges of government “bungling,” the colonel said, Then" the war manpower commission applied manpower ceilings —it limited the number of employees eligible to work in the nonessential plants. Those who were thrown out of work were referred to the tire fabric mills only. sr nu 5 ANGERED at this, the textile workers sought a temporary injunction in the U. 8. district court to restrain the manpower commission from going ahead with this “labor draft.” The court, howe ever, refused to issue the injunce tion.
So yesterday, 90 employees were ordered to leave their jobs in the 10 non-essential mills. Thirty of these workers were not sufficiently skilled for employment in the tire factories.
The other 60 were ordered to
“appear for interviews with man-
power commission representatives. But by last night 49 still had not done so. s =» »
OF THE 11 who did show up, five accepted referrals to the tire fabric plants, four appealed from the manpower commission ruling and two refused to accept referrals, according to Col. Brennan. ‘The result is an apparent stalemate, since the government is powerless to compel the workers to accept any job. MeanWwhile, Col. Brennan declared: “Heavy tire production is one of the most critical problems facing the country foday. We have got to have additional skilled workers,
And I felt very sad. You |
* HANNAH
We, the Women — War Wives Must Adjust To New Life
By RUTH MILLETT
MOST WAR WIVES face the first few weeks or even months of separation from their husbands “with pretty much the same attitude. Life has stopped for them, and they figure it won't start again until their men come home for
good.
But somewhere along the line the wives who make the best adjustment to living alone realize 4 it isn't good for a human being to decide he is only marking time, while months and maybe years slip past. w 8 » »
THESE WIVES eventually figure out that it is. up to them as, individuals to make as good a life for themselves as possible and to get as much pleasure a§ possible out of the kind of life that has been forced upon them, They wake pp one day, also, to the realization that this is their chance to look back on their past life and ahead to their future, They must decide whether they are headed in the right direction, and are actually growing with the years or just sliding along, get ting by.
WIVES WHO never face their problems so realistically will sit
-- around until the war is over, sunk
in loneliness and misery, but promising themseives that every. thing will be all right as soon as their men come home. Some of them will break under the strain of drifting along In a dream world. Others will be ill-prepared to face a marriage readjustment that may be difficult. The war wife who makes no