.At igrn 4i1 Weather Warmer VOL. LII, No. 14-S ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, FRIDAY, JULY 16, 1943 FDR Reorganizes conomic Home Fr PRICE FIVE CENTS ont; Leo Crowley To Replace Jones, Wallace Russian Army BeginsNew Orel Offensive German War Machine Stalls While Soviet Troops Capture Towns By The Associated Press MOSCOW, July 15.-Two Russian armies have begun a powerful coun- teroffensive in the Orel sector against a stalled German military machine, smashing or routing 10 German di- visions in three days, recapturing 110 towns and advancing as much as 28 miles, a special bulletin announced tonight. A vast wheeling movement north and east of Orel threatened to pinch off that German bastion which the Nazis used as a base in their own futile offensive begun July 5. More than 12,000 Germans have been killed and 2,000 captured as "our troops north and east of Orel, after fierce counterattacks, passed onto the offensive," the communique said. Drive Toward Railroad One Red army drove toward the Orel-Bryansk railway at a point northwest of Orel.The other, spring- ing to the attack from the east, was within 28 miles of the key city. In this coordinated push the Soviet forces were said to have destroyed 109 enemy tanks, 294 planes, and 47 guns, and captured 40 tanks, 210 guns, 187 mortars, 99 machineguns, 26 supply dumps, and other materiel. This boosted the immense toll of Nazi casualties to more than 54,000 killed or captured in 11 days of at- trition. German materiel losses in the same period amounted to 3,068 tanks destroyed or captured and 1,636 planes shot down. Coincides with Sicily Success (The Russian drive coincided with Allied successes in Sicily, and for the first time Russians semi-offici- ally acknowledged that a two-front war had arrived in Europe. M. Vik- torov, a Moscow radio commentator, in a broadcast recorded in London by the Soviet monitor, declared: "Hitler's latest gamble has been foiled. His failure is all the more conspicuous as his main forces are on the Soviet-German front. Hitler has now been forced to fight on two fronts.") With the Germans' own offensive bogged down on the front from Orel south to Belgorod, the Red Army broke through strong German de- fenses on a 25-mile front north of Orel. The communique said this Soviet column had advanced 28 miles to capture Klen and Yelensk, points which lie only 18 miles north of the Orel-Bryansk railway. Another cap- tured town, Staritsa, is 60 miles northwest of Orel. The Russians sprung their drive three days ago, exactly one week after the Germans began their drive, which has cost them staggering losses. OPA Considers New Subsidies Brown Predicts Gas, Coffee Increase Soon WASHINGTON, July 15-0)-The Office of Price Administration (OPA) is considering subsidies to keep down prices of canned vegetables, Admin- istrator Prentiss Brown said today, adding that if this is done the pro- posed "roll back" of coffee prices will be dropped. Brown also told a press confer- ence that pivilians stand a good chance of getting more beef and gasoline in the near future. But Secretary of Interior Ickes later made clear that he is not optimistic about the gasoline situation and the War Food Administration announced that meat allocations for the next 12 months "will allow continuation of the civilian meat ration at about the present level." Ickes, the Petroleum Administra- tor, said at his press conference that A Ilies CaptureMubo;950 Japaneso Are Destroyed Key Point Protecting Salamana Is Taken; 45 Enemy Planes Shot Down in Solomons Economic Administrators Dismissed New Will Department Take Over By The Associated Press ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC, July 16, Friday-A big land victory-cap- ture of Mubo, New Guinea, with the destruction of 950 Japanese-and a sensational air triumph-the shoot- ing down in the Solomons of 45 ene- my planes out of a formation of nearly 80-were announced today by Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The seizure of Mubo, made possible by a highly secretive operation in- volving infiltration behind the Jap- anese hill positions in the jungles of Gen. Giraud Visits Detroit War Factories Promises that France Will Be on American Side Until Victory DETROIT, July 15. -()- Gen. Henri Honore Giraud, commander- in-chief of the French North African Army, today concluded a 24-hour vis- it to Detroit war plants where he ob- served the production of weapons which were used in North Africa to rout the Axis Armies. Appreciates Detroit Production Just before he took off from the airport at the sprawling Willow Run Bomber Plant for an undisclosed des- tination, the General said, through an Army interpreter, that he was "able to appreciate the importance of American production during my short stay in Detroit." "The French Army has great con- fidence in the American people and knows that it will receive the wea- pons it needs. America may have full confidence in France, which will be at the American side until final vic- tory," he declared. This morning the General visited the' Chrysler Tank Arsenal, and fol- lowing a luncheon at Willow Run, he watched the assembly of B-24 Liber- ator Bombers. Speaks to Chrysler Workers The tall, erect French leader, in a brief talk to Chrysler employes, said, "I'd like to ask you to try to put out a few more of these for my French soldiers to fight with. I have seen in Tunisia the best tanks the Germans can put out, the M-6 Tiger, and I can tell you that although yours are not so heavy they certainly are superior in every way. I want to tell you the French troops in North Africa know how to use them most effectively against the common ene- my, and I thank you again for all you are doing to make our common victory possible." At the Willow Run luncheon he picked up a glass of water and toast- ed Army and Ford officials with, "I drink to the great American inde- pendence and the day of liberation of all peoples." northeast New Guinea, opened the way for an advance upon the enemy air base of Salamaua less than 12 miles to the north. The air victory, scored over Ren- dova Island not far from the scene of the land fighting for possession of the enemy air base on Munda, was described as one of the greatest ever fought in that area. Only Three Fighters Lost Only three of our fighters were lost as they piled into a formation of 27 medium bombers and between 50 and 60 zeros. The enemy losses brought to more than 300 the number of planes we have shot down since the present offensive opened June 30. There was victory news from Mun- da itself, with our jungle fighters re- ported stealthily advancing on that key base in the central Solomons Once the Japanese tried a counterat- tack. It was thrown back. Mubo Bastion Captured "The Mubo bastion has been cap- tured," the communique reported. "United States forces after landing and consolidating a beachhead at Nassau Bay on June 30 moved inland up the valley of the Bitoi River, ef- fecting a junction with Australia units in Buigap Creek at dusk on July 10. "This move effected in complete secrecy operated to cut the enemy's line of communication between Mubo and Salamaua and isolate his garri- sons on Observation and Green hills." The capture of Mubo elimated a strong point only 12 miles from Sala- maua. Since the fall of the Papuan Peninsula of Southwest New Guinea, Allied jungle fighters had been infil- trating from the south until they held ridge tops overlooking Mubo in the spring. Radio Predicts Fake Invasion Dutch Broadcast Warns, Of Nazi Army Trick LONDON, July 15.- (M)-The free Netherlands Station Radio Orange warned the Dutch people tonight that the Germans were planning to stage a fake invasion of the Nether- lands coast in order to trick patriots Roosevelt Reprimands Vice-President, Commerce Secretary for Public Spat By The Associated Press WASHINGTON, July 15.- President Rbosevelt, in a sweeping home front reorganization, tonight ordered Vice-President Wallace and Commerce Secretary Jones relieved of all responsibility for foreign economic warfare and created a new office under Leo T. Crowley to take over this work. The President severely reprimanded the Vice-President, head of the Board of Economic Warfare, and Jones, as supervisor of the Reconstruction " Finance Corporation, for publicly airing their disputes. American Army He abolished the BEW and transferred its functions, along with all RFC subsidiaries engaged in foreign economic matters, to ' A W ..........Z. HENRY A. WALLACE JESSE JONES Reprimanded by the President Approving of FDR's appoint- for bickering with Jesse Jones, ment, Secretary of Commerce Vice-President Wallace said . . . Jones said . . "In wartime no one should ques- "I concur most heartily in the tion the overall wisdom of the President's determination to have Commander-in-Chief." harmony and cooperation between ... his removal as chairman of the government officials and agencies BEW was unprecedented. in the war effort." HELLO COL. McCORMICK: Wilkie To Be Candidatee By The Associated Press NEW YORK, July 14.- Wendell Willkie chooses to run in 1944. The 1940 Republican presidential nominee in an interview made that plain today in challenging Col. Rob- ert R. McCormick, publisher of The Chicago Tribune, to a hammer-and- tongs campaign for the Illinois pref- erential primary vote. Reporters have been asking Will- kie for some time about his future plans and he has parried questions with them without a definite com- mitment. But he let go when the following question was put to him: "Have you seen reports that Col- onel McCormick may run in the Illi- nois primary for the Republican presidential nomination?" Willkie answer in his own hand- writing: Yanks Bomb Kiska Again into exposing themselves.V WASHINGTON, July 15.- (P)- I nthexpsinthemnseves , The fourth naval bombardment of "The intention seems to be," said Japanese positions on Kiska Island the broadcast as reported by the inan eight-day period was reported Netherlands News Agency Aneta, by 'the Navy today. The attack "that the Germans will undertake aroused speculation that prelimin- fake landings on the Netherlands ary preparations for American con- coast. Apart from that they would uest of the enemys last position in drop German parachutists dressed the Aleutian Islands might be un- in Britain uniforms. derway. "The grand idea is that Dutchmen A Navy communique said that a would go into the streets thinking light surface unit, probably either a that the day of liberation had come, destroyer or light cruiser, bombarded The Germans believe they would Gertrude Cove on Kiska Island early probably take their arms with them. Wednesday morning. Enemy guns Therefore, together with the faked made no attempt to fight off the landings and dropping of parachute warships, presumably because the troops, raids and searches in the Japanese did not want to disclose streets will take place." the positions of their shore batteries. "I certainly hope it is true. Fora then I could really make the issue clear-the greatest issue of the day -American relations to the rest of the world and liberal internal do- mestic policies." Issue Is Internationalism That is the only direct quotation he would permit, but he said he was anxious to have Colonel McCormick take the stump because he said dif- ferences between them were so strik- ing that the people would have clear-cut issues on which to vo Will Stump Illinois Willie said that if McCormick be- came a primary candidate he would stump Illinois thoroughly and, if necessary, would walk from town to town to spread his doctrine. At a meeting in Chicago July 1, sponsored by the Republican Nation-; alist Revival Committee- recently organized with the announced aim to help maintain the Republican party as the "Nationalist Party" in American politics-a resolution Was adopted urging Colonel McCormick to become a candidate in the Illinois preferential primary. In its declara- tion of principles, the committee ex- pressed opposition to Willkie. McCormick Is Nationalist The resolution as adopted said Colonel McCormick "personifies the American national is t viewpoint" while Willkie and his followers "are internationalists." Col. McCormick was in Canada when Willkie made his statement and there was no immediate indica- tion as to if and when he would reply. The publisher has made no com- ment on the Republican Nationalist Revival Committee's request that he become a candidate in the Illinois presidential preference primary next April. 'tag Day Drive Nets $1,010.88 University Fresh Air Camp To Remain Open The University Fresh Air Camp will be able to continue operation until August 21 as a result of the $1,018.88 contributed yeiterday by servicemen, faculty, students and townspeople to the annual Tag Day Drive. Exceeding last year's summer total by more than $87, yesterday's amount will enable more than 100 city "kids" to enjoy a real vacation at the Camp located near Pinckney on Patterson Miles in Sicily British, Yanks Ready ' For Important Battle On the Catania Plain ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN NORTH AFRICA, July 15. -(P)--1 American troops plunged seven miles deeper into Sicily's mountains in a race tonight with British coastal9 armies striking toward the Catania; plain where Allied parachutists and; glider troops dropped behind the en- emy's lines for what is expected to be a major battle. The Americans under Lieut.-Gen. George S. Patton, Jr., captured an- other airdrome and also took some important heights in a thrust which reached the Vizzini arear25 miles inland from Augusta, the British base for the drive on Catania to the north. Another Italian general, command- ing the 54th Napoli Division, surren- dered with his staff south of Vizzini. Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery's British-Canadian Eighth Army was fighting along the coast after repuls- ing a stiff Axis counterattack which temporarily broke British lines early yesterday to reach Augusta. By noon yesterday the British had ejected the Germans and went on to take Brucoli, four miles above Au- gusta. sTheir next objective was Len- tini, on the edge of the plain 13 miles below Catania port, which is half-way along the road to the im- portant prize of Messina opposite the toe of Italy. * * * Germans Claim Gains in Sicily LONDON, July 15. -()- Fresh German reserves were declared by the Berlin radio tonight to have counter-attacked the Allies invading Sicily in the region south of Catania, and both the Italian and Nazi com- muniques said violent British and American drives had been checked. "Fighting in southern Sicily is con- tinuing with undiminished violence," the communique said. "At several points, enemy attacks, launched with the support of tanks, were repulsed." Hour after the communique, the Berlin military, commentator, Capt. Lugwiy Sertorius, told of the coun- terattack south of Catania, which the Eighth Army is approaching. "In Sicily, enemy pressure is being contained by Axis troops who re- pulsed stubborn enemy attacks launched with the support of sub- stantial armor," the Italian bulletin said. Alarms Suggest North Italy Attack LONDON, July 16, Friday-- (P) Air raid alarms sounded in Basel and Western Switzerland early today in- dicating thatAllied planes again might be attacking Italy from the north. Axis radios at Calais and Paris also switched off suddenly twice, late last night and early this morn- ing, a sign that Allied planes were over Europe. Tn Britain anti-aircraft guns on- the new "Office of Economi war- fare,", headed by Crowley. The latter has accepted. He is now Alien Property Custodian. FDR Letter Publicized. The White House also made public a presidential letter to the heads of all government departments and agencies flatly telling them that if they disobey his preious instruc- tions to bring inter-departmental disputes to him before airing them in the press, he will expect them to send in their resignations immedi- ately. Wallace recently brought the, feud with Jones into the open by charging the latter with obstruct- ing the war effort by actin; too slowly in providing BEW with funds to purchase strategic mater- ials from abroad. Jones replied hotly that the charges were mali- cious and untrue. Mr. Roosevelt, in identical letters to his 1940 running mate and to Jones, said he had come to the con- clusion that the "unfortunate and acrimonious public debate" between them made it necessary in the public interest to transfer their administra- tion of foreign economic matters to other hands. - No Time for Quarrel "In the midst of waging a war so critical to our national security and to the future of all civlization," the President wrote, "there is not suf- ficient time to investigate and de- termine where the truth lies on your conflicting versions as to transac- tions which too place over a year and a half ago." The Chief Executive said his action tonight is not intended to decide who 'was right, buit the im- portant thing "is to clear the decks and to get on with the war at once." "To do this," he added, "requires a fresh start with new men, unencum- bered by interagency dissension and bitterness." ' He said he was convinced that the present controversy indicated that future cooperative action between BEW and the RFC subsidiaries is impossible and that "Without full cooperation between you the pro- gram of economic warfare cannot be carried out." Organizations Transferred Besides transferring the entire BEW setup with its approximate 4,000 employes to the new Office of Economic Warfare, the President's order also gave Crowley's new organ- ization the following RFC subsidiar- ies: - the United States Commercial Corporation, the Rubber Develop- ment Corporation, the Petroleum) Reserve Corporation, Export-Import Bank, and all other RFC and Com- merce Department agencies engaged in financing foreign purchases and imports. Wallace's removal as chairman of the BEW was unprecedented. Never before in the memory of veteran government authorities has a Vice-President served in such an important capacity out- side his Senate duties and hence an occasion to terminate such ex- tra activity on the part of the se- ond administrative officer of the land has never arisen hitherto. 'M' Club Begins Sale i A 'PDtc" tn 1w dimnn DEBATE CHAMPIONS' COACH: Dr. Secord To Leave University Dr. Arthur Secord of the Speech Department and Extension Service said yesterday that he will go to the University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo., this fall to become assistant pro- fessor of speech and director of the speech clinic there. During the seven years that Dr. Secord has been here he has been di- rector of men's debate and his de- bators won two undisputed Big Ten championships. For six years he has managed the Michigan High School Dr. Secord received his A.B. de- gree from Western Michigan College, I Kalamazoo; his master's degree from the University in 1932 and his doc- tor's degree from Michigan in 1941. Since completing his work on his master's degree in dramatics all his training has been done in the field of speech correction and speech science. A year ago, Dr. Secord was elected to the nominating committee of the -~ - -