Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page 1

rj. s. WEATHER BUREAU TCCSOtf AND VICINITY: Cool to-ay nd tonight. Ttmptraturta 2W An Independent NEWSpapex Printing the News Impartially TMterlr: 1ts mo: HlKh High. 72 64 VOL.

101 NO. 327 TUCSON, ARIZONA, MONDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 23, 1942 EIGHT PAGES PRICE FIVE CENTS RURAL IRELAND SPAIN NEUTRAL AXIS LEARNS IN NEW WAR MOVE RUSSIANS SURGE AHEAD NEAR STALINGRAD; JAPANESE BASE A BUNA IS NEAR CAPTURE-GERMAN TANK COLUMN IN TUNISIA SMASHED ARRESTS OF AXIS TWO RAIL LINES CUT Enemy Destroyer Is Sunk as Net Is Tightened in Assault on Coastal Town and Airport Held by Tokyo Forces in Island SYDNEY, Australia, Nov. 22. () The capture of Buna, beleaguered Japanese invasion base in New Guinea, by United States forces is imminent, dispatches from the battle-froni said tonight. American forces were declared threatening the Japanese from three sides, possibly indicating the enemy communications to Gona, 32 miles to the northwest, had been severed by Allies closing in upon the Japanese caught in a steadily constructing triangle with the sea to their backs.

A Japanese convoy with four destroyers was sighted CHINESE AVIATORS SMASH AT ENEMY BASE ON YANGTZE CHUNGKING, Nov. 22. JPy Chinese airmen flying bombing planes loosed devastating raids today against ShasI, Yangtze river port in Hupeh province, and Shayang, on the Han river 35 miles to the northeast, the official Central News Agency reported tonight in a dispatch from a secret airdrome. Heavy concentrations of river barges and Japanese military establishments were reported set aflame at both these cities where violent fighting is in progress after the enemy initiated offensive operations. Chinese troops captured three towns north of the Kwo river in Anhwel province and Inflicted more than 500 casualties upon the Japanese in a sharp battle, the high command reported today.

In two other active theatres, the war bulletin said the Chinese reoccupied Hutoukang, village in East Honan province on November 17, after putting the enemy to rout and raided Japanese positions near Swatow, Kwangtung province, November 11, killing a number of the foe. Chinese dispatches said the Japanese launched a new drive from ShasI, Yangtze port in Hupeh province and that fierce fighting was in progress. Chinese plalnclothesmen were reported to have filtered into Kinhwa, Chekiang province, and attacked Japanese military headquarters with hand grenades. U. S.

WILL FACE TIGHTENING OF WAR PROGRAMS Forced Saving Probable; Anti-Hoarding Law Is Expected about yu miles norm ot traveling at a high speed and a fleet of U. S. bombers swept out to sea in hot pursuit. The dispatch failed to say in which direction the convoy was moving but earlier reports said Japanese warships had been maneuvering warily offshore presumably for a long-shot chance to land reinforcements or rescue survivors of the badly mauled Japanese FRENCH HOLD LINES Rising Military Tides Beat Against Axis in African Area U. S.

PLANES ACTIVE Big Bombers Protected by American Fighter Ships in Foray LONDON, Monday, Nov. 23. Veteran British soldiers, who have fought German tanks before in Europe, have met and savagely mauled a Nazi armored column in Tunisia while their newly-gained French allies have stoutly beat down two German assaults on their posi tions, a communique from the North African front reported early today. The official report gave further evidence of the rising tide of battle beating against the German and Italian hold on the Tunisian cities of Tunis and Bizerte. While these advance guards are feeling out the enemy, a steady stream of assault guns and tanks is flow ing eastward for a decisive blow.

The communique, issued late last night "by Allied force headquarters in North Africa, briefly described the action, which, occurred Saturday, as follows: Official Statement "One of the British advance units inflicted heavy damage on a German armored column In Tunisia yesterday. "French forces were attacked by the Germans in Tunisia. This French force is one of those which has disregarded a Vichy order not to oppose the Axis occupation of Tunisia. Two vigorous attacks were unable to break the French resistance in spite of relotively se vere losses. The communique also announced officially that French patrols are operating far to the rear of Axis advance positions, and that American Flying Fortresses and pursuit planes shot down or destroyed nine German planes in a raid Saturday on the Tunis airport.

A spokesman at the Allied headquarters, meanwhile, voiced a warning that the Germans have entranched themselves well in Tunisia with "large air forces and there will be severe fighting before they are ousted." Action Growing He said that the Allied action around Bizerte is "growing heavier." The Allied forces have driven a firm wedge across the narrow waist of Tunisia and reached the Mediterranean at two points. Giving the Axis merely a taste of what is to come. American Flying Fortresses and twin-motored fighting planes which were flying egainst the Germans for the first time, struck a mighty blow from the west against Tunis airfield, waves of other American four-motored bombers, the Liberator 0-24's, left a devasted trail at the Libyan base of Tripoli in at tacks from the east. To comple ment the Allied aerial asualt American and RAF medium bombers blasted at Bizerte from the east. In desperation, it seemed, the Germans were reported endeavoring to infiltrate through Allied wedges driven through to Gabes and Sousse ines which heretofore had been anchored on the Mediterranean only by Pro-Allied French.

Attacks Tried The Germans were said to be attempting to filter through in attacks both from the north and the south, probably to establish con-act between their beleaguered Bi-zerte-Tunis forces and the rem-(Continued to Page 3, Column 2) IS GREEN, QUIET DAIRY COUNTRY Pasture Land Holds Key For Picture of Ireland Area IS VITAL AIR CENTER High Flying Ceiling for Most Days Provides Needed Basis (This is the sixth of a series 0f articles on Ireland by the tdltor of The Star following a trip to the rtritlsh Isles). By ILM.IM II. MATHEWS While waiting for a plane to take me home I spent forty-eight hours in. rural Ireland, at Adare, 12 miles east of Limerick. There I got a glimpse of Irish rural life, from the luxury of a great manor castle down to the squalid Irish beggars and filthy gypsies.

Arlare has what Is becoming a world-famous hotel the Dunraven Arms hotel. It Is a comfortable, rambling, Irish inn locate arrows the road from the groat woodpd estate with Its lordly castle of the Karl of Dunraven. A row of stables along one slrle of the Inn Indicated that It had been used as a lodge for hunters to put up their horses or gather for the hunt. ftooil Company This little hotel had superb eulMn. comfortable rooms, delightful companv.

and ft large fireplace with a Mazing fire. The fields of rural Ireland are cut up by mazes of old rock walls. There seem to be few fields larger than 20 ncres. and most of them contain 10 ncres or less. Most of the land Is pasture that exudes a deep, luxuriant greenness.

After leelng the verdant fields of Ireland It Is easy to understand why the color gren Is always associated with Ireland. Pnlry products are the chief agricultural production of Ireland. While every house has Its garden and some bottom lands are used for eraln crops, most of Ireland seems to be pnstureland. Creamery at Allure Throughout the day on almost my road one sees the flat-topped, two-wheeled Irish carts, each carrying a big 15- or 20-gallon milk can and drawn by a single horse or mule, beaded either toward the town creamery or back toward home. Adare has a creamery, to which- farmers for miles around bring their cream.

Adare Is a more prosperous Irish village, and Is neat and clean, but the wealth of the people Is till measured by a few acres of land, a few cows, a horse or mule, and possibly a bicycle or two. An hour before we left Adare to take our clipper home we saw a typical Irish funeral as It passed our hotel. First, came one of those old, ghastly black hearses, with two men In black coats and black illk hats sitting on the box and driving four pitch-black horses. After the hearse came the pallbearers riding bicycles, rteblnd the pallbearers was a crowd of at least SO mourners on bicycles. Behind them came string of 40 or .10 of those little two-wheeled Irish Jaunt nrts, each drawn by a single horse or hurro, some of them carrying is many as four passengers.

It took nearly no minutes for this funeral procession to pass the hotel It made Its way toward the tillage cemetery a mile beyond. Practically everv person for miles had come to attend this funeral. It was one of the social events of 'he town. There were no flowers. Troop One afternoon when I was Info the village I passed a Pack of gypsies on their wav out.

Thev were true gypsies who had evidently come to Ireland via Spain. A filthier lot I have never 'Tl. Thev h.irl flirlr iiMiial t.aran nd small horses hitched together running behind their wagons. ne men were sitting on the seats the wagons, while those women wno'wpre not earning children Knntlnucl to Page 2, Column 4) LIGHTS DISAPPEAR AS TUNE BREAKS The Mowing out of a boiler tube, furnishes steam to help run lfl" mnln turbine, left all of the outlying districts In complete "rknr for 12 minutes starting at tit 7:20 p. m.

yesterday. "In used to furnish power until the Kn win-r luoc is repiaccu some me today, j. n. s.uinders, plant said the work could not be done Immediately because of extreme heat of 'the boilers. Wn'ch must be left Idle several 6ours to cool off.

Satisfactory service can be by using the Diesels, Saun-dcr added. APPEAL IS SOUGHT ON GAS RATIONING WASHINGTON'. Nov. 22 congressional bloc seeking postponement of the nationwide gaso, rationing Dec. 1 looked today (ttm Interstate commerce imittee to develop evidence for ppeal to President Roosevelt.

committee will open a two-y review of the problem tomor-with representatives of the navy and other departments Witnesses, Franco Says He Will Join Other Side if His Area Is Invaded NO LONGER PUPPET Many Spaniards Believe All Debt to Axis Is Liquidated NEW YORK, Nov. 22. (P) Hitler and Mussolini, turning reluctantly back toward the Spanish laboratory where they concocted the first totalitarian triumph of the European war, have found a new formula neutrality brewing inside the old test tube, reliable reports from Europe to the Associated Press said today. Already, it is reported. Generalissimo Franco has given not only the Allies, but also the Axis, to understand that his neutrality is so complete that he will join, the opposite side the minute either invades Spain or Spanish territory.

The British have announced that Nazi submarines have concentrated off the Spanish coast on the Atlantic side of Gibraltar. From France have come reports of a steady flow of German troops reinforcing the new Pyrenees frontier garrisons. Italian submarines are said to have been thick recently off Spain's Balearic islands in the Mediterranean. Difficult Task From these vantage points the Axis watches Spain, where its diplomats are trying to execute orders from Berlin and Rome. Their task is not easy.

General Franco and his civil war Allies are by no means enemies today, but Franco Spain seems no longer a mere puppet, said the reports from Europe to the Associated Press. Financially, Spain still owes Italy 5.000,000,000 lire( nominally some $250,000,000 at old exchange rates) for arms and ammunition furnished Franco's forces during the civil war, but Germany is In debt to Spain. Since 1939 Germany has been a heavy buyer of Spanish merchandise. Today Germany owes Spain somewhere between 50 to 70 million marks (20,000,000 to Needs Nazi Goods Spain needs German machinery and other German goods, but Germany has not been delivering much during 1912. For the three years since 1939 Spanish diplomacy and propaganda had worked hard for the Axis, so according to the information reaching New York, the Spaniards regard that debt paid.

Not only paid, but there have (Continued to Page Column 1) U. S. DESTROYER REPORTED SUNK Seventh Lost in Battle With Japs Around Solomons WASHINGTON, Nov. 22. (JP) The sinking of an additional American destroyer in the great naval battle of the Solomons the night of November 14-15 was announced today by the navy, bringing the total of American losses in the action which smashed a Japanese invasion armada to two light cruisers and seven destroyers.

The officers and crew of the destroyer were rescued by another ship and no loss of life has been reported, a communique said. Hit bv Tornedo The destroyer was damaged by an enemy torpedo during the night battle and sank the following evening en route to an American naval base. The Japanese losses in the three-day surface and air battle were 2S ships, including 16 warships and 12 transports sunk or destroyed and 10 others damaged. The navy has disclosed the names of none of the American warcraft lost. Xo Battle Keport Today's communique gave no further word on the progress of the fighting ashore on the Guadalcanal.

A Saturday communique reported American, forces had pushed their line a mile beyond the previous western position along the Matani-kau river. This advance placed the American ving about five miles from the vital Henderson airfield. There were indications that the situation to the east of the airfield was good, an earlier communique having told of Americans destroying about half of a force of 1.500 Japanese who landed in a reinforcing move. BRITISH PRODUCTION LONDON. Nov.

22 (JP) Col. J. J. LLewellin. minister of aircraft production, disclosed today that Britain trebled her heavy bomber output in 1942, and "for every 100 tons of aircraft produced in September we produced 110 tons in October." "These figures are good," he said in an address, "but they must go on getting better." i AGENTS IN AFRICA ARE MADE BY U.

S. ORAN. Algeria, Nov. 22 (JPj United States military authorities announced the arrest of 52 suspected Axis secret agents within two hours and a half in Oran today by American and French patrols. The raids started at 6:30 a.

and still were under way late this afternoon. In Oran alone SS patrols, consisting of two American soldiers and one Frenchman each, were sent out, while others were dispatched to Sidi Bel Abbes, headquarters of the French foreign legion, and other near-by towns. Since the 'Allied occupation it was known that numerous Axis agents were present in Algeria but their roundup was dela'ed for political reasons and lack of proof of anti-American activity. The list of and Italian suspects was drawn up from information supplied by the French and Allied workers who have been functioning in Oran for two years. BRITISH HURRY AFTER ROMMEL NEAR AGEDABIA African Corps May Make Stand at El Agheila, On Sirte Gulf CAIRO, Nov.

22. () The mobile armored formations of the British Eighth Army pounding around the curving shores of the Gulf of birte today were reported 35 miles from El Agheila, which offers Marshal Rommel's African Corps its best chance to stand and fight it out east of Tripoli. This was about midway between El Agheila and Agedabia, where the British overtook the axis rear guard. This the Eighth Army was maintaining the steady 35' mile-a-day clip maintained since the Germans and Italians took to their heels at El Alamein, some 725 miles to the east 20 days agq. Even if Rommel does get to Tripoli he likely will be under Allied bombs, making any attempt at an escape by sea an adventure fraught with peril.

Raid Cited That he won't find any rest there was indicated by the going-over siven Tripoli yesterday by Amer ican Liberators in the latest of a series of punishing blows. One ship which might have been waiting to take some of Horn mel's Africa Corps out was left spouting smoke, the more" was blown sky high and bombs were planted squarely In a warehouse, The Italians acknowledged some dead and injured from this raid. Bad weather prevented Allied airmen from keeping up their dead' ly assaults on Rommel's remnants but British and American medium bombers got in some heavy licks against the Axis-occupied naval base at Bizerte in Tunisia, the first to be delivered by planes based in the Middle East. Two German planes were shot down off Tunisia and an anti-aircraft ship damagea Previous air blows against Tunisia from this direction had been de livered from Malta. Snow Falling (Dennis Johnson, British Broadcasting Corporation correspondent in the Middle East, said in a broadcast heard in New" York by CBS that snowfalls had been reported by Allied pilots operating in the El Agheila sector).

Commenting on the possibility of the Axis forces making a stand at El Agheila in the 30-mile-wide defile between the Mediterranean coast and the inland salt sinks, a British military commentator said: "If the Axis armies still are planning to make a fight of it, it certainly will be at El Agheila and at the present rate of their retreat it will be in a day or so." Exhaustion Near This Informant, who could not be identified by name, said there was considerable evidence that the Nazis and Fascists were nearing exhaustion after legging It across North Africa at such a pace. He added, however, that Rommel apparently had received some tanks which had been left at rear line repair stations. Air forces disclosed meanwhile an audacious maneuver pulled off to contribute to the rout of Rom-mel. This surprise tactic involved the ferrying of compact fighter groups, complete with ground crews and equipment, to airfields well behind the enemy lines. These units were transported by transport plane and small ground convoys and enabled Allied fightr ers to strike deeply in the enemy's communications beyond normal strafing range.

Jubilant Moscow Savs Advance Continues Against Enemy THREATEN SUPPLY Resistance Broken Both North and South of City, Reds Say MOSCOW, Nov. The Red army, falling upon the Germans in a mighty double offensive from above and below Stalingrad, has severed both railroads feeding supplies to the Nazis east of the Don river, a special Soviet' communique announced today, in a brilliantly-executed maneuver which gravely imper illed enemy positions in the whole of the Don Basin and the Cau casus. 14,000 Killed More than 14.000 Nazis were slaughtered and 13,000 captured by onrushing Soviet forces which advanced between 38 and 44 miles and occupied the town of Kalach. on the east bank of the Don about 50 miles west of Stalingrad, said th special announcement, broadcast by the Moscow radio. In all, 'seven German divisions-six infantry and one tank of perhaps 100,000 to 125,000 men were declared thrown Into headlong flight.

The announcement added jubilanUy: "The offensive by our troops continues." Eleven other divisions, seven Infantry, two tank and two motorized, suffered heavy losses. Th announcement added, 35:. So powerful has been the Russian attack south of Stalingrad, the Soviet regular midnight communfc que declared, that the Russians after "breaking the enemy's resistance" there have "captured dozens of inhabited localities." "One enemy infantry division was smashed. Five thousand prisoners were taken," the communique; added. Communique Overlap (The midnight communique apparently overlapped much of the special communique Issued Sunday.

It told of steady progress by the double offensive.) In the fighting at Stalingrad, th regular communique said, an enemy Infantry and tank attack was repelled and the Russians oo-cupied a commanding height over the city. Axis counterattacks southeast of Nalchik were being consistently repelled, as were Axis asulta northeast of Tuapse. The Red army entry into Kalach posed an Immediate and dire threat to the rear of surviving German forces which have stormed futilely for more than two months at the granite-like bastions of Stalingrad itself. News of this surprise blow to the invader followed an announcement earlier in the week of another major victory in which 5,000 Germans were slain at Ordzhonl-kidze by Russian forces smashing a Nazi threat to the Georgian military pass through the Caucasian Mountains. Curiously, the announcement of the latest drive fell on the anniversary of the German high command's report a year ago of It first entry into Rostov, gateway to the Caucasus and highwater mark: of the Nazi drive in that area in 1914.

A week later the Nazis were forced out of Rostov, although they came back to capture the city again last July. Gains Momentum The Red army's spectacular advance, accomplished in three days, was said to have gained momentum after breaches were made In Nazi defenses along an 18 -mile front in the vicinity of Serafimo-vlch, on the west bank of the Don 110 miles northwest of Stalingrad, and along a 12-mile front south of Stalingrad. Luschchinskaya and Obbonero-vo, both rail towns (which do not fihow on available maps), were reported occupied by the advancing Russians. Their capture and the seizure of Kalach were maneuvers which cut the two Nazi rail lines from the west. (The German radio confirmed that the Red army was on the march across the frosty steeppes northwest and south of Stalingrad.

It acknowledged Russian gains, in the same areas mentioned by Moscow, after "ferocious" fighting.) TWO MEN DROWN IN COOLIDGE LAKE GLOBE, Nov. 22 (JP) Two men drowned when a boat capsized on the lake behind Coolidge dam, and at a late hour tonight the bodies had not been recovered. Sheriff W. H. Richardson said David Herron, 23, and George Moore, 27, both Globe miners, were fishing with two others Identified only as the Aimer brothers when the boat capsized.

Herron and Moore both drowned, but it was understood the others In the boat were saved. PANIC GROWING AS ITALY SEES NEW WAR LOSS Cities Evacuated as Army Faces New Defeats In Africa By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Facing complete disaster in African and possible invasion at home, their cities pounded and blasted by Allied bombs and policed by more and more German troops, Italians appeared on the verge of nationwide panic last night. Dispatches from half a dozen European cities all pointed to approaching crisis for the regime of Mussolini. Italy, which went to war for a quick victory in 1940, appeared to be facing sudden defeat now. A total of 60,000 German "tourists" were reported infiltrating the peninsula to bolster collapsing morale, while Propaganda Minister Alessandro Pavolini felt compelled to ask Italians voluntarily to evacuate large cities if their presence in them was not imperative.

Genoa Hard Hit Aerial bombing experts in London surveyed photographs taken above Genoa after the raids on Nov. 15 and since and declared the port has been made useless as an effective Axis supply channel for months to come. Milan and Turin have also felt the blows of British two-ton block-busters. In Genoa alone, photos showed one patch of 27 acres, another of 20 acres, completely burned out, while tonight air-raid alarms were sounded again in Zurich and Basel, Switzerland, where in the past raid alarms usually have signaled passage of the RAF to more Italian objectives. Many Refugees The British radio relayed reports from Switzerland which told of "thousands of refugees" streaming out of northern Italian cities, and reports in Ankara said the Germans were preparing a "second line" of defense along the old Austro-Italian frontier.

With the flower of the Italian arms already smashed or captured first in East Africa, now in Libya, with others forced into freezing front-line positions in Russia and other Italian units apparently headed for capture or a costly evacuation from Tunis, talk was even spreading in Italy of evacuating Rome, according to diplomatic channels tapped in Turkey. As compensation for all her losses. Italy had onlv Corsica, Nice and Savoy, taken from prostrate France when the Nazis occupied the Vichy zone and held only on sufferance of her Nazi overlords. HELSINKI BOMBED BERLIN. Nov.

22 fP) Russian planes raided Helsinki. Finnish capital. Saturday night and dropped a few bombs in the suburbs, it was reported in dispatches received here today. Other towns along the coast of the Gulf of Finland were under air raid alarms. all sides of the enemy's dwindling position.

Enemy naval forces, under cover of darkness and adverse weather conditions preventing successful employment of our air forces, apparently succeeded in landing reinforcements. During the day our medium bombers sank an enemy destroyer and two smaller craft. Supporting our ground troops, our medium bombers and attack planes bombed and strafed the enemy ground positions. An enemy air force of twelve dive-bombers and twenty Zero fighters attacked in the morning but were met by our air Eschelons and forced to retire without reaching their objective. Our air units followed them to the air base at Lae and bombed and strafed them on the ground.

Nineteen enemy planes were destroyed either in air combat or on the ground in these operations. Our own losses were slight. Solomons Buna: An AlLied heavy unit strafed the airdrome and warf from low altitude, destroying an enemy bomber on the ground and inflicting casualties on enemy troops. DESTROYER SUNK NEAR BUNA ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN AUSTRALIA, Monday, Nov. 23 JPy Allied bombers have sunk a Japanese destroyer which apparently was to land troops at Buna, the enemy's base on the northeast coast of New Guinea where Australian and American forces are closing in, the high command said today.

Despite this aerial pounding, which was carried out in darkness and under adverse weather conditions, the Japanese apparently succeeded in landing reinforcements, the communique said. Meanwhile, ground forces steadily drew tighter their lines about the Buna beachhead, where the Japanese have their backs to the sea. They were aided by an Allied heavy aerial unit which strafed the Buna airdrome and wharf from low altitude, destroying a ground ed Jap bomber and inflicting casualties on personnel. Nineteen enemy planes were destroyed, either in air combat or on the ground, in operations extending from Buna to Lae, farther north on the New Guinea coast. AIR BASE HAMMERED BY HEAVY BOMBS By DEAN SCHEDLER SOMEWHERE IN NEW GUI NEA, Nov.

22. (JP) American dive bombers plowed up the Japanese airdrome at Buna yesterday dur ing more than 100 Allied aerial sorties aimed at softening up the enemy base for a knockout blow from United States and Australian (Continued to Page 3, Column 5) PLANES POUND JAPS IN BURMA U. S. and British Combine In Extensive Raids Against Invaders NEW DELHI, Nov. 22.

(JP) The biggest formation of United States bombers ever sent into the air from an Indian base teamed up with the RAF to cascade many tons of bombs upon Rangoon, Man- dalay and Toungoo, major cities in Japanese-occupied Burma, during week-end raids which cut wide swaths of fiery destruction through enemy targets. A British communique, Issued simultaneously with one from American headquarters, empha sized the "increased scale" of aerial operations in this theatre, indicat ing that more such blows could be expected. The resurgence of Allied activity recalled recent talk of an invasion of Burma to free that vital link in the land supply route to China. Mandalay Bombed 'American pilots of the Tenth Air Force set the pace in a Friday night assault on Mandalay, unload ing ton upon ton of explosives on railroad yards, repair shops and a big warehouse. They encountered only weak and ineffective enemy aircraft and not a single challenging enemy plane.

Like the British raiders, they all came home safely. The RAF concentrated last night on the Mingaladon airdrome at Rangoon, the Burmese capital and chief port, and Toungoo, 150 miles up the Mandalay railway. Fires Started Both medium and heavy British bombers participated. loosingthou-sands of pounds of explosives squarely on their targets. Airdrome runways were hit and fires, two of them visible for 100 miles, were started in the dispersal and hangar area.

At Toungoo the British pilots reported their bombs had, started fires which sent towering columns of smoke 6,000 feet high and flames which could be seen leaping skyward when the planes were 80 miles away on their return home. During daylight-yesterday British Blenheims attacked the Kaladan river area, in western Burma, setting fire to Japanese-occupied buildings. WASHINGTON, Nov. 22. (P) Compulsory loans to the government will top the agenda of the new Congress, Chairman George of the senate finance committee said today, adding that Congress should take the initiative in the matter of the treasury and other agencies are not ready with the program shortly after the first of the year.

"We have got to have compulsory loans to help finance the war and to guard against inflation and the sooner we get started on the problem, the better," George told interviewers. Byrnes Watched There have been indications that James F. Byrnes, economic director, has taken a leading part in attempting to assemble a compulsory savings program which would have not only the backing of the treasury but the federal reserve, the budget bureau, the office of price administration and other agencies directly interested in controlling inflation. Estimates of the total amount to be covered by such a program have ranged upward to a year, with reports that it would Involve such stiff Increases in levies as to take about 30 per cent of the Income from citizens in the low earnings brackets. Limited George made it plain that he Intended, as far as possible, to see that taxation did not become unbearable for Individuals and corporations.

That might involve, he added, some readjustment of present high tax rates to compensate for the expected heavy compulsory savings demands. After January 1, whenithe nw 5 per cent victory tax goes into effect on all income above $624 yearly, citizens in the lowest brackets will be paving at the rate of 21 per cent of their taxable income. There has been talk of increasing the victory tax and converting it into a savings device by giving the taxpayer bonds cashable after the war for the amount he pays. Thus the citizens would be forced to Invest 10 per cent of all income over $12 a week In bonds. This anneared to he the favorite congressional method of attacking the problem.

HOARDING PACKS NEW KKC.IXATIOV WASHINGTON. Nov. 22 (JT) The Office of Price Administration Is studying a new anti-regulation for householders, an official disclosed todav to curb panic-buying of foods and other commodities which it found widespread. "The hvsterla seems to be getting near' the point where we are forced to consider the rationing of things that otherwise wouldn't have to be rationed." said the official, who-could not be Identified. He saw an anti-hoarding regulation as the only answer to the piling up of canned foodstuffs and other items, but observed that enforcing such a regulation would be nrohlem.

since OPA has no idea of sending sleuths into private kitchens and cellars. Called Serious On the other hand, making hoarding illegal would bring home to consumers the seriousness of overstocking and overbuying, officials eel, and probably would deter housewives from buying Just because their neighbors did. The regulation would include mechanism providing that whenever an article was brought under rationing, householders would be required to declare their supply of it. and hoarders would be deprived '(Continued to rage 2, Column 2) Official Communiques WASHINGTON, Nov. 22.

(P) The text of the navy's communique, No. 19S: South Pacific: (All dates below are east longitude). 1. Information has just been received that a U. S.

destroyer which participated in the night action of November 14-15, during the battle of Guadalcanal (November 13-15) was damaged by an enemy torpedo and sank the following evening as a result of this damage, while en route to a U. S. base. 2. The officers and crew of the destroyer were rescued by another destroyer.

No loss of lives has been reported. 3. The loss of this destroyer was not included in previous reports of U. S. vessels in the battle of Guadalcanal.

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN AUSTRALIA. Nov. 23. (JPy The text of communique today: Northwestern sec ton reconnaissance activity only. Northeastern sector New Guinea Buna-Gona: In the face of heavy resistance, our ground troops are steadily closing in on A.