The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, May 14, 1943, Image 2
THE SUN, NEWBERRY, S. C„ MAY 14, 1943
Washington, D. C.
AIR PRISONERS IN GERMANY
The fate of American fliers in the
Doolittle raid has raised the ques
tion: What happens to airmen who
go down over Europe? Here is the
answer from an officer of the U. S.
bomber command in England.
If fliers bail out and get down
safely over France, Belgium or oc
cupied Europe, their chances of get
ting back to England are pretty
good. They become prisoners of
war, but in the course of exchanging
prisoners, they may soon get back to
base.
If they bail out over Germany,
there’s not much chance of,getting
back. But so far as we know, the
treatment of air prisoners' is similar
to that of other prisoners, and varies
according to rank.
There is one incident, however,
that damns the German record—the
story of Paddy Finucane. Most peo
ple suppose that the famous RAF
ace lost his life because his Spitfire
crashed into the channel after being
hit over France.
The truth is—though this has nev
er been published—that as Finucane
was falling, he was strafed by Ger
man machine gunfire, and he was
already dead when he hit the water.
Thus a new meaning comes to
Finucane’s famous phrase, “This is
it, chaps.”
• • *
TOUGH JOB
When you sift down all the hulla
baloo about Elmer Davis and his
Office of War Information, the only
valid criticism you can make against
the drawling Hoosier is that he is
working too hard. The last two
weeks when he went on the air, he
was so exhausted he had a stand-by
alongside ready to take up his script
if he collapsed.
Davis works far into the night,
tries to read all that his voluminous
office produces, sees almost every
one who wants to see him.
But given a tough situation, basic
ally he has done a good job. Sena
tors like Montana's Wheeler and
Nevada’s McCarran, whose acid di
gestive systems are always poisoning
their political outlook, make a wry
face at Davis. But Wheeler and
McCarran are always demanding
more facts and inside fact is that
Davis has been fighting their battle
in keeping the American public in
formed.
Most of Davis’ fight is getting
news, squeezing it out of government
bureaus which don’t want to give,
making the army and navy release
facts which show up their mistakes,
rowing with Czarubber Jeffers be
cause his estimates on tires are too
rosy.
When Davis stepped down from
his well-paying radio job to correlate
government information, everyone
envied him his job, thought he had a
softie. But the job of digging news,
accurate news, unpleasant news out
of the government is not soft. And
it is not popular.
Davis is a good newsman. Being
such, he is not popular, never will
be in some quarters.
Note: Davis did his best to re
lease the story on bombing Tokyo
long ago. Several times he urged
the White House that the American
public should know the facts. Ear
lier, when the Japs released a pic
ture of U. S. fliers supposedly cap
tured in the Tokyo raid, Davis want
ed to point out the truth, namely that
these were naval fliers, not Doolit
tle’s. They had been captured in a
naval battle. This explanation was
broadcast to foreign countries by
OWI, but Davis, through no fault of
his, was not permitted to tell folks
at home.
• * •
FDR’S CONGRESSMAN
As commander-in-chief, the Presi
dent has supreme powers in the con
duct of the war, but he is just an
other citizen on the books of the
Hyde Park, N. Y., rationing board.
At a recent White House meeting,
the President was telling three con
gressmen, Gale, Republican, of Min
nesota, Jackson, Democrat, of Wash
ington, and Manasco, Democrat, of
Alabama, about the “red tape” in
volved in buying meat and groceries
on his trips home to Hyde Park.
“I have my problems with point
rationing the same as you fellows,”
he grinned.
“Why don’t % you write your con
gressman?” suggested Republican
Representative Gale.
The President reflected briefly,
then threw up his hands and roared
with laughter.
“Oh, no,” he exclaimed, “not
that!”
The man who represents the Hyde
Park district in congress is Hamilton
Fish, one of the most vitriolic, vi
tuperative foes the President has in
congress.
• • •
MERRY-GO-ROUND
C. A high ranking army officer, just
back from a U. S. tour, makes this
observation: “High morale may be
lowered by too much talk of post
war planning, which makes the boys
think the show is almost over.”
• • •
C. If the Japs were still in their
Washington embassy, they could set
their clocks by lanky Will Clayton,
astute deputy to Jesse Jones, who
walks three miles to work every
morning. He passes the defunct Jap
embassy precisely at eight.
In Path of Allied Advance in Tunisia
General Rommel has experienced one reverse after another in Tu
nisia, not only at the hands of the American Second army corps, bat also
at the hands of the British First and Eighth armies. Each Allied ad
vance has, of course, its sad aftermath. Shown is a regimental aid post
where wounded British Yorkshiremen and Italians are being treated after
a day of intense activity on enemy troop concentrations and gun positions.
Woof! Woof! Mamma Is Off to the Wars
With good-by woofs and heart-breaking glances, six puppies of Trixie,
Antcn Grabowski’s German shepherd dog, send her away to the army’s
dog-for-victory service. The pups don’t know its meaning, but are ex
cited about the service flag on Grabowski’s home.
John L. Lewis Addresses Mine Workers
President John L. Lewis is shown as he addressed the international
policy committee of the United Mine Workers, in New York, who met to
discuss the serious situation affecting over 450,000 workers in soft coal.
At the time Lewis declared that his workers would stage an all-out strike
unless their wage demands were met. The WLB then took up the case
and referred it to President Roosevelt.
Display Captured Japanese War Flags
New Guinea members of the 41st division are shown with captured
Japanese souvenirs of war. At the right the men show the Japanese army
flag, carried personally by every man in the Jap army, and inscribed with
endorsements by friends and relatives. At the left is shown the flag
of Japan.—Sound photon
Ground Forces
Lieut. Gen. Lesley J. McNair,
commander of ground forces of the
U. S. army, who was wounded by
shell fragments while in Tunisia, is
shown at top. Lieut. Gen. Ben Lear,
commander of the Second army,
who has taken temporary command
of the ground forces, is shown below,
Saved From Japs
Lieut. Melvin Kimball (left) lights
cigarette for his rescuer, Lieut. Ira
Sussky, beside the plane in which
Sussky landed and picked up Kim
ball behind Jap lines in Burma.
Sussky, whose landing was covered
by other U. S. planes, made nine at
tempts to take off before getting into
the air, while Jap snipers were
shooting at him.
One-Man Minesweeper
Pvt. James L. Kalman, of Phila
delphia, is getting in some practice
in the use of a mine detector during
a demonstration by U. S. army com
bat engineers in North Africa. This
gadget indicates the presence of bur
ied mines.
Col. Elliot in Malta
Col. Elliot Roosevelt, son of the
President, recently visited war-torn
Malta to view the island’s air guer- ,
rillas at work. Here, left, he is be- i
ing shown the operation of loading
the cannon shells into the magazine
of one of Malta’s aircraft, known as
the Intruder.
ITALY AND INVASION
ETIQUETTE
(“Pamphlets urging Italians to be
polite to invaders have been circu
lated in Italy.”—News item.)
Italy doesn’t want any misunder
standing about this invasion. She
knows the danger she faces if it is
slowed up too much.
• * •
She wants the invaders to feel at
home. This is one of the most im
portant invasions any country ever
faced. And no country ever had
more reason to want it to come off
all right and with all possible
smoothness.
• • *
“I’ve got some inside lines in
Italy,” said Elmer Twitchell today,
“and my sources of information tell
me the Italians want our invasion to
be a 100 per cent success. They
don’t want any half-hearted wel
comes. They hold that any Italian
with the best interests of his country
at heart will show the invaders ev
ery courtesy, and throw in a few
flowers.
* • •
“After a country has had the
Nazis around a few weeks it will
welcome any change, however un
usual,” he continued. “There are
thousands of Italians learning the
words and music of ‘Yankee Doodle
Dandy’ right now so they will be
able to sing and play it when we are
sighted anywhere near shore.
They’re so sick of what Hitler has
done to their country that even Mus
solini is getting impatient at the Al
lies for holding off so long.”
• * •
Twitchell may be right. There
are some signs of it. This depart
ment has just received a report that
rules of Invasion Etiquette are be
ing circulated all over Italy, the pur
pose being to see that no Italian does
or says anything that might give an
invading party the notion its arrival
is not fully appreciated.
• • •
We hear the following rules have
been adopted:
1. Blocking streets or sidewalks
to invaders must be avoided.
2. All persons near any dock or
beach when invaders appear shall
bow respectfully, give a cheery
greeting and step to one side in or
der not to interfere with the speed
invasion.
3. All questions by invaders shall
be answered politely. Italians asked
for directions should, whenever pos
sible, not only give them fully, but
accompany the invaders to the de
sired point.
4. It shall be considered good
etiquette to invite an invader into
the house.
5. Italians observing any attempt
by Nazis to slow up the invaders
shall oppose such attempts.
6. In rushing to the waterfront to
welcome invasion all slow moving
natives shall keep to the right in
order to permit swifter moving peo
ple to pass.
• • *
The baseball season is on. Broadcasts
will be made to troops all over the world.
And fighting morale is certain to be built
up. There will be more than one case
where a Yank, after making some heroic
charge and capturing a bunch of Heinies
igainst great odds will be asked, “How
did you do it? What did you think of as
you went over the top?”
And the answer will be, “l was think
ing about that lousy decision the ump
made against the Yanks in the ninth and
it made me sore."
* * •
There is no question of the influ
ence of baseball at the front. The
; yen of every American soldier is
to strike Hitler out, nab Mussolini
1 off first and get Tojo trying to steal
home with the bases full.
• • *
BROADWAY STUFF
An outdoor circus is being opened
in the heart of Broadway, which
considers itself the center of sophis
tication. This department predicts
that it will be a sensational success
and make its promoter rich. Mazda
Lane makes a pose of pretending
that it has outgrown country tastes,
thrown off the corny appetite and be
come hard-boiled and blase. But
the hay is thicker in its hair than
in any similar area on earth.
• • •
The chance to go for pink lemonade,
popcorn, jumbo peanuts, balloons and a
small-town circus atmosphere right off the
Main Stem will be irresistible. Gangway
for the boys who have outgrown all that
sort of thing!
• « •
NO PRIVATION
Today I cheer the OP A
And all its busy groups.
For now it doesn’t take the book
To get a few canned soups.
Tomato now is cut in half—
Let huzzas fill the air!
For I can get along on that
When all the cupboard’s bare.
• • *
Add Similes: As difficult as get
ting any scrap meat for the dog un
der that recent OPA ruling that it
would be allowable.
» • •
Americans are urged not to go far
for vacations this summer. But don’t
let this encourage you to swing a
hammock too near the home gar
den.
• • •
Elmer Twitchell thinks the height
of surprise is being surprised at
the discovery that the Japs do un
civilized things.
W HICH brand of baseball would
you rather see? The Ty Cobb
scientific type or the Babe Ruth pow
er stuff? Which makes the more
interesting ball
game—1 to 0, or 9
to 8? ,
For the first time
in over 20 years the
fan colony may have
its chance to look at
much lower scoring.
No other season
ever opened with a
clean spread of
shutouts, such as
the 1943 balata spe
cial, presented to GrantlandRice
chilly customers.
The once noisy blast of the home
run has given way to the widely-
scattered plunk of the' single or
double, and the odds now are that
any man who can hammer out 20
home runs this season will lead his
league.
Unless more rabbit meat Is fed
the present ball, we may even get
back to the day when Home Run
Baker earned his title and led both
leagues with the magnificent total
of II home runs.
\
The Ty Cobb Brand
Ty Cobb has told me more than
once that his interest in baseball
lagged when Babe Ruth began tak
ing his home-run swing.
“That,” said Ty, “meant the finish
of base running, of scientific base
ball where you had to work for a run
at a time.
“We had to work our heads off to
get a run. A run was important.
After the arrival of Babe Ruth and
the rabbit ball, not even five runs
were important in many of the
games.”
I can take you back to Ty Cobb
and the campaign of 1911, to slip you
an idea of what Ty Cobb baseball
meant.
In 1911, Cobb made 248 base hits,
scored 147 runs and stole 83 bases.
In the records ol
those days his home
run mark, extreme
ly low, was not even
mentioned. It was a
matter of hits, runs
and stolen bases.
In 1915, Cobb
scored 144 runs and
stole 98 bases. His
combination of speed
and smartness along
the towpaths was
one of baseball’s
greatest features,
where home runs seldom figured in
any game.
The Babe Ruth Brand
Babe Ruth came along as a home
run hitter in 1919. As a left-handed
1 pitcher he had set a new winning
percentage, even above Johnson,
Mathewson and Alexander. Now he
was on the offensive side.
In Babe’s tremendous wake the
scientific side of baseball gave way
to raw power. Base-running and
sacrificing became unimportant fac
tors.
Raw power was combined with a
far livelier ball, a ball that piled
up trouble for pitchers and infield
ers. The records show all this.
Ruth was on his way to over 700
home runs. “And the point is,”
Cobb told me, “the Babe’s great
success swept both leagues. They
were now all trying to be home-run
hitters. They were all, or nearly
all, taking the big cut at every pitch
near the plate.”
It would be interesting to know
what might have happened to base
ball if Ruth hadn’t arrived just at
that time.
The Bambino undoubtedly changed
the game. Hands that once choked
the bat after the manner of Keeler
and Cobb, now moved back to the
end of the knob.
Stronger Defense
The games of Cobb and Ruth were
entirely different in many ways. The
same thing happened to polo and
golf, where power became more im
portant than control.
Both Cobb and Ruth have their
supporters. The old-timers are al
most solidly for the Cobb game. The
moderns are for Ruth.
The main point is that after over
20 years of power baseball, the
crowds now face a stronger defen
sive game, where a single run might
be important.
This means a greater premium on
speed, pitching and defensive play.
If it doesn’t work out there is sure
to be a quick change to the livelier
ball—where once again the home run
will supplant the single, the sacrifice
and the steal.
; Season's Length
This is about what a majority
think about the length of the current
baseball campaign—
“Most of the ballplayers now left
have either been deferred on phys
ical grounds or have wives and chil
dren. These children are all young,
many of them between the ages of
two and six. It has been announced
more than once that the supporting
heads of such families will be the
last ones drawn into service. Many
of these might be called by midsum
mer, but hardly by Labor day.”
Ty Cobb