04 Dec 1942
Page 1
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Newspaper
Athens Messenger
Location
Athens, Ohio, United States of America
Date
Dec 04, 1942
Page
1
A brutal cold snap blanketed Ohio driving temperatures to zero in some areas. The Associated Press reports at least 18 deaths from the blast that accompanied a 35 mile per hour wind. The Columbus Weather Bureau forecast less cold weather today with winds easing.
A 250 foot barge Cleveco with 19 crew members remained adrift on Lake Erie more than 24 hours after separating from the tug Admiral which sank with 14 lives lost. The barge endured 18 foot waves, freezing temperatures, and failed systems as the Ossipee watched.
A house fire in Brookfield Township about 14 miles east of Warren killed three. Victims were Marilyn Uber age 10, William Uber 16, and their uncle Benjamin Uber 46 who stayed to try to save them as flames and wind destroyed the six room frame structure.
General MacArthur’s air units support ground troops on the New Guinea coast as a 12 hour sea and air battle with four Japanese destroyers ends with the Japanese withdrawing. Allied planes shoot down 23 fighters and attack land positions between Buna and Gona as Australian troops seize a Japanese command post near Gona and win Bren guns.
Chicago faces a severe meat shortage with hundreds of butcher shops closing. George Dressler, president of the Retail Meat Dealers' Association of Chicago, says about 500 of the city’s 5,000 licensed butchers have left the business since January, warning the situation is rapidly worsening.
Cincinnati officials warned of dangerous gasoline fumes after reports of hoarded fuel dumped into sewers. Authorities described the danger as a frightful potentiality and urged citizens not to pour gasoline into lavatories basements drains or street sewers to prevent ignition by furnaces or water heaters.
The House Ways and Means Committee opened hearings on a wartime tariff suspension bill as Rep. Robertson defended passage against dairy and agriculture groups. Rep. Jenkins warned the bill would grant unlimited presidential power over immigration and urged continued public input.
Secretary Wickard warns government controls should not be permanent and urges readiness to act as wartime food program needs rise. He notes 25 percent of 1943 output for military and lend lease and praises 1942 farming record while cautioning that 1943 presents tougher challenges.
Paul V. McNutt, chairman of the manpower commission, told a National Association of Manufacturers meeting that voluntary enlistment cessation could ease industry pressure but would affect armed forces efficiency and morale. He cited an armed force of 6,000,000 rising to 9,700,000 by year end and only 500,000 additional workers available from 112 million unemployed.
Washington reports a congressional drive to reclaim powers from the executive branch led by a definite Get Leon Henderson movement. Democratic lawmakers from the South criticize the Office of Price Administration while Republicans weigh joining a campaign to curb Henderson and other emergency bureaus, with action expected early in the next Congress.
Tax Commissioner William S. Evatt told the County Auditors Association of Ohio that the fixed 12 million dollar allocation to governmental subdivisions from sales tax revenues will be retained for the next biennium. He said the state administration would honor this commitment to local governments even if total sales tax receipts decline.
Army pilots comb the Gulf of Mexico waters and coastline for Boyd D. Wagner the first American World War II ace missing four days after a routine flight. He is credited with destroying 30 to 50 enemy planes in air and on ground actions.
E. F. Kruse of the Ohio Agriculture War Board told county rationing chairmen they may begin rationing equipment now held by dealers. Farm machinery stocks will stay frozen until county quotas are set.
Rep. Melvin J. Maas charges no real unity of political or military command among the United Nations and calls for allied postwar plans. He describes the Africa invasion as a compromise second front and urges broader aims beyond preserving empires.
Two U S Army lieutenants Harold Comstock of Fresno California and Roger Dyar of Lowell Ohio powered a P 47 Thunderbolt into a dive at 725 miles per hour nearly 12 miles a minute. The Republic Aviation announcement approved by the War Department said controls froze during the descent and both pilots had to use emergency devices to regain control.
Supervisors of three Ohio mental institutions in Columbus Dayton and Cleveland have approved 37 conscientious objectors to military service for proposed employment in their hospitals at a wage of 2.50 per month. The State Welfare Department said selective service will assign these workers to institutional jobs immediately.
Two Ohioans received Army honors for actions during the June 3 4 bombing attacks on Dutch Harbor Tech. Sergeant Paul H Herron of McConnelsville loaded casualties and drove them to a hospital under fire earning the Silver Star Private Arthur M Morgan of Bridgeport, now deceased, received the Purple Heart
In a test of the AFL CIO unity plan, arbitration will settle jurisdictional conflicts in the Kaiser ship yards dispute. Roosevelt intervened to avert a fight with the NLRB awaiting a Portland hearing on December 14 over closed shop contracts between AFL unions and Kaiser yards.
Fred A. Baughan of the retail food dealers of California warned to a joint committee that impractical price restrictions could force grocery stores to close and leave the government feeding people through food dispensing stations. He warned of a move toward technocracy and state socialism if relief is not found.
Washington reports the gross public debt at November 30 reached 100 billion dollars for the first time, totaling 100,379,324,851.62. The daily increase stood at 446,735,685.37 from the prior day.
Allied forces press Tunisia advance as Britain's Mediterranean fleet supports the push toward Tunis and Bizerte. The Navy reports U.S. transports lost and several ships damaged during the North Africa operation while heavy bombers cripple Axis shipping and air forces over Tripoli and Tunis.
Frontline reports say 50 parachute troops dressed as Arabs were dropped to delay Allied capture of Tebourba a key rail junction west of Tunis. Allied forces quickly repelled the masquerade and held Tebourba as heavy losses fell on the German counterattack while Montgomery's forces probed El Agheila and Rommel's defenses in Libya.
Allied officers report captured German papers show many infantry in Tunisia were formed from supply troops pioneer corps and misc categories. British First Army and U S forces push toward Tunis with Germans retreating from Medjez el Bab as engineers repair a torn Roman bridge at Oued Medjerda. News travels under aerial threat with dispatches relayed via forward RAF stations.
government witnesses told Truman wartime investigations committee of a U S crude oil shortage with figures kept secret. Chairman Truman urged cautious rationing in the Midwest and cited storage declines of over 35 million barrels east of the Rocky Mountains due to transportation limitations.
The War Production Board awarded salvage pennants to 52 Ohio counties for collecting 100 pounds or more of metal per person in the scrap drive. The 20 by 40 inch pennants bearing the WPB emblem and the word salvage in blue and white have arrived in Cuyahoga, Richland and Hamilton counties and will be distributed in counties including Athens and Morgan once they arrive from Washington.
The Office of Price Administration authorized extra gasoline in December for Ohio farmers facing shortages. Local rationing boards can issue supplementary coupons to farmers and others whose allocations from the Office of Defense Transportation fall short of needs.
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