Rocky Mount Telegram from Rocky Mount, North Carolina • 1

The Evening Telegram Invest In Victory 77ie WeafAer Fair. Mild Tonfcht; Thursday Partly Cloudy, Rising Wind. 1 WW till WAR STAMPS AND BONDS VOL XXXV No. 310 vinw PAGE ROCKY MOUNT, N. WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, OCTOBER 18, 1944 AaotUttt I'rMl Wlr Autf mum SMc PRICE: 5 CENTS TODAY RA ON MAER CAW BOMBS IPMNES Six Are Deadjk1? (Soviet Invasion Japan Believed Trying To Oust Venray Taken By British; Fierce Holland Fight Looms Canadians To West Press Back German Pocket At Antwerp; Aachen Still Being Beaten Into Submission.

Cologne Bombed Yanks Answer Tokyo's Boast Of Raid's End Uver 2dU Hurt Of East Prussia Virbalis Taken; Moscow Still Silent On New Offensive Hurricane within from three to five miles of two Vosges passes leading to the Reich. British Second army forces captured Venray near the Maas river, and a dispatch from Supreme headquarters said the Tommies had linked up a 10-mlle front along the Venray-Deurne road. The Germans below the Schelde estuary barring the water lane to Antwerp fell back under Canadian pressure. A front dispatch Br the Associated Press LONDON, Oct. 18.

British troops captured Venray and form ed solid 10-mile front in eastern Holland 33 miles from Duisburg today, while Berlin declared half a million men were facing each other in The Netherlands ready for "battle that may flare up at any moment." Canadians to the west pressed back the German pocket blocking use of the great supply port of Antwerp. Aachen still was being beaten into submission. U. S. heavy bombers again struck at Cologne 40 miles beyond it, sapping German power to move up reserves.

Berlin asserted the American First army was preparing a new offensive aimed at Cologne. A small German attack east of Aachen was beaten dtf today, a front dispatch said, in another of the series of vain blows that have now badly cut up two enemy divisions. One of these divisions is substantially destroyed as a fighting unit, while the second has been materially reduced. The rest of the rain-swept Aachen front was generally quiet. The front in France sprang to action also.

U. S. Third army troops in a mile gain hit within four miles of the fortress city of Metz, and French forces farther south made progress, punching Ulithi Atoll I In U. S. Hands Following Landing TJ.

S. Pacific Fleet Headquarters, Pearl Harbor, Oct. 18 AP) The steady drone of United States carrier planes over the Philippine! and a continuing rain of bombs formed America's answer today to Tokyo radio boasts that the fleet had been dealt an "annihilating" blew and invasion of those islands had been set back two months. Adm. Chester W.

Nimitz indicated the American units have no present intention of breaking off the Philippines attack by announcing last night, without the limitation of a date: Philippine Attack Continues "Carrier aircraft of the Pacific fleet are continuing to attack objectives in the Philippines." Simultaneously, Nimitz let out a military secret that American troops of the 81st Division landed unopposed Sept. 20 and 21 in the western Carolines on Ulithi atoll, whose lagoon forms a good naval base. He didn't say anything a-bout it sooner because he had reason Id believe the Japanese didn't know about it. Ulithi is a-bout half way between American invasion forces on Guam and in the southern Palaus. Nimitz did not specify the Philippines targets but Tokyo radio accounts have focused attention on the Manila area.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur announced today his fighter planes have flown from southwest Pacific bases northward all the way a-cross Mindanao to wipe out a Japanese convoy of 62 trucks and six staff cars, bloodily disperse a cavalry troop and shoot up air- Island Of Scarpanto Taken By British Invasion Force Troops Landed At Dawn After Greeks On Isle Had 'Contained' Enemy Garrison There China From War Japs Countering Naval Campaign With Land Drives By JOHN M. HIGHTOWER WASHINGTON. Oct. 18 0P) Japan's counterstrategy to the American trans Pacific drive toward the continent of Asia appears to military and naval authorities here as an intensive effort to knock China out of the war.

That Is the significance attached to the enemy's current land campaign in Kwangsi Province. Its intermediate purpose may be to isolate China from outside supplies with the ultimate objective of forcing her to stop fighting. Must Engage Jap Army The idea that Japan is countering a naval; -campaign with a land offensive serves to emphas ize what naval authorities here regard as the most striking aspect of the war against Japan in the: months ahead. That is that it is! nearing the time when American; forces will have to engage the Japanese Army proper. Both the Philippines and For mosa, which have been under heavy air attacks for several days, are land masses of a size not heretofore encountered, ex cept in New Guinea, in the drive toward Asia.

This means mat the Japanese will be able to de fend those places with quantities of manpower which have hot yet been brought Into action. In consequence the Allied cam paigns from now on are being cal culated to employ maximum land forces and are regarded to a considerable extent as land operations rather than as amphibious in vasions. Problems of supply and reinforcement are complicated. Thus the Navy's job in any at tack on the Philippines group would be to launch and support the invasion but the actal con- nest of the islands will be up to land forces of Gen. Douglas Mac- Arthur and may require months to comrlete.

In these circumstances the elu- sive Japanese fleet becomes not so important as the sizeable and well equipped Japanese armies with their fanatical spirit of flght-Inar to the last man. The bulk of these armies are believed to be in China and Manchuria. Many divisions have been held throughout the war on the frontier of Russia's maritime provinces. But what has engaged them most has been the stouthearted but poorly supplied and outfitted troops of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek. These troops and their Allied American air forces, as has often been told, are dependant on a thin lifeline of air-borne supplies "over the hump" from India.

Some reports from China reflect apprehension lest the present Japanese offensive be directed ventually toward the capture of strategic way stations on this lifeline. But even if the Japanese should not actually halt the trickle of supplies they could serve their strategy well simply by broadening the coastal areas they hold to such a depth that when the American forces are finally readv to strike from advanced island bases into China they will be forced to do so without the aid of Chinese armies. This would vastly complicate the Allied task and doubtless de lay its accomplishment beyond the time which has been hoped for. the hope being based on the belief that Chinese armies would be able to fight toward the coast from the Interior at the same time that American invasion troops strike from the sea. CHILDREN FOUND PHILADELPHIA, Oct.

18 (AP) I I Heads Nurses Lt. Col. Bernice M. Wilbur (above), 33-year-old director of nursing service in the Mediterranean theatre of operations and head of 4,000 Army nurses, is shown in the Army headquarters in New York after her return from 37 month overseas. A former resident of Milton, she now resides in Park Ridge, N.

J. Hitler Repeats Victory Promise Says New Offensive Certain To Succeed LONDON. Oct. 18 VP) Adolf Hitler, observing that "just as In 1939 we are facing the 'enemy alone," proclaimed tonight the formation of an armed German home guard and declared: "Germany's second all-out el fort must and will succeed." Hitler's voice, which has not been heard on radio channels since shortly after the reported assassination attempt of July 20, was absent again from the German airways today. His decree setting up the guard was read for him for the home service of the official German news agency, DNB.

"Relying on our own force, we not only will break the enemy will of but we will throw him back again," the Hitler utterance said. "I call on all able bodied men to fight." The decree than announced all civilian men between 16 and 60 were ordered Into the Volksstrum, an armed home army similar to that which Britain organized in 1940 after the fall of France. "Whereas, the enemy believed that he could get ready for the last knockout blow, we, on our part are resolved to carry out the second large scale mobilization of our people," the Hitler decree said. The bottom of the Nazi manpower barrel already had been reported scraped by "total mobilization" measures taken by Hitler, Himmler, Goering and Goebbels during the summer. That mobilization took ill and one-eyed Germans, Red Cross workers, and munitions plant employes Into the armed forces.

There was no estimate of the number of armed men if any who would be raised by the new order. This armed guard will defend our home soil with all weapons Continued on Page Seven) Lit' 2 ISA kn-r fffi Yanks Advance 1 Mile In Italy Eighth Army Gains Yards In Po Valley By LYNN HEINERXING ROME. Oct. 18 (A5) Ameri can troops, driving toward the ancient Italian city of Bologna, have advanced nearly a mile north of captured Livergnano on Highway 65, Allied headquarters announced today. In the Adriatic sector Eighth Army troops, continuing their painful advance into the Po Val ley, took over a few more yards of the Rimini-Bologna highway and closed in on Cesena from the east and south.

While British and Indian troops on the right moves onto a few more hills and consolidated their positions in the face of counter attacks, the 'Americans captured the hill towns of Trepo and Santa Anna and with effective air support fought their way towards Mount Belmonte where a stiff fight is in progress. This peak dominates much of the country on the right of Highway 65. With the Germans contesting every curve in Highway 65 American troops drove on but they still were approximately nine miles from Bolkujiys outskirts at the closest point. By Fury Of Storm Lashes At Cuba; High Wind Seen HAVANA. Oct.

18 (IP) A tropical hurricane lashed Havana today and the Cuban Red Cross reported at least six persons were killed and 20 injured. "A heavy casualty list In isolated areas from the winds of more tllan 100-mile-per-hour force w.s feared. Thousands of dollars of damage was done in a five-hour Whipping of the capital before the hurricane passed northward to ward the Florida keys. Five of the dead, including two children pulled from the water near Alcoy bridge leading from Havana to 'suburban Guan abacoa. An even higher toll was feared in rural areas.

Virtually all of Havana was without power, and the city was -isolated from other stOrm-torn areas. The national capital was thrown oUt to 3,000 homeless. They slept and rested on the marble stairs and in stately hallways. The building escaped damage, but ornamental trees on the ground w.ere uprooted. Symmetrical plantings along the famous Prado were destroyed.

Officials expected a delay of pJrhaps days before full reports are received from the south coast and westerly province of Pinar Delrio. Early this afternoon, citizens were warned that the danger was not over for Havana( for there, is a continuing threat from high setts. Most residents facing the sea were evacuated to safer locations. Sweeps Florida Keys MIAKI, Oct. 18-(AP) Hurricane winds up to 140 and 160 miles an hour in gusts lashed Havana lodf before a severe tropical storm moved out into the Gulf of Mexico and sent advance gales sweeping the Florida Keys.

At 10 m. Weather Bureau advisory said that full hurricane winds probably would be felt along the entire string of exposed Keys, stretching southwestward from the Florida mainland, with- in a snort lime, vexy uigu wu were forecast. All of south Florida was braced for gales expected during the late mornins? or early afternoon. A radio report to Pan American Airways here said that a number of houses were blown down in Havana and that a number of small buildings at the Cuban capital's airport were flattened. No Casualties Known There was no immediate word, however, of any casualties.

Isle of Pines, island south CuDa which was raked with force still was without communications. The Weather Bureau said the center of the Carribbean-born hurricane passed very near Havana about 9 a. moving slowly northward about 10 miles an hour. pressure at Havana 28.85 inches" the bureau ctjntin ucd. "Winds in gusts 140 to 160 miles per hour.

at lighthouses on Florida Keys now reported to 65 miles per hour and increasing. severe hurricane probably will continue slow northward movement, with center reaching the lower Florida Keys late today. winds will be experienced, however, within a very sHbrt time over the entire Keys area, with very high tides. will increase elsewhere ofer south Florida this afternoon with approach of the storm. warnings are displayed from Miami to Tampa and stbrm warnings elsewhere from Vero Beach to Cedar Key.

craft on the Florida Recasts northward to Jacksonville fftd Pensacola should remain in port. "Radio broadcast requested." Warnings Hoisted Hurricane warnings were hoist' ed along- the Florida coast from Miami to Tampa at 4 a. m. and the Weather Bureau warned that winds of near hurricane force wHl hit the west coast as far north as Tampa this afternoon, -Winds 60 miles per hour and higher in squalls were due to strike the southeast coast and Interior of south Florida after noon. Havana felt the full blast of th hurricane earlier today as the center the storm passed over, or slightly to the west of Cuba's casual citr nerore moving into the Gulf of Mexico.

Isle cf Pines, tourist haven south of Cuba, already had felt the full fury of the storm. The government radio was disabled, arjd there was no Immediate report of how the nearly 10,000 inhabitants had weathered the blow. Communications were out also between Havana and most of the western tip of Cuba, where gale wlhds were roaring long before trie storm center passed over the coastline about 1:45 a. m. 1 Almost directly in the path of tile northward moving Itse'f wm assured (Continued On Page Seven) in LONDON, Oct.

18. (IP) The German command implied today that the Russians had Invaded East Prussia after capturing Vir balis and advancing to Schii windt, a mile inside the Reich. "At the East Prussian border, the enemy extended his attacking front from Kalvarija and Schlr windt towards the south and con. tlnued his attacks, supported by strong tank and fighter bomber formations, the broadcast com munique said. "Forty-bne enemy tanks were destroyed and the en emy was checked in embittered struggles.

Virbalis fell into enemy hands after a stubborn defense, Moscow Still Silent Moscow has not yet announced the offensive. Virbalis is in Lith uania, three miles from the Iron tier. The Russians extended their offensive near the East Prussian border farther to the south and attacked strong German defenses between' Kalvarija and Schu-windt," the Nazi commentator, Col. Ernst von Hamer said. "Af ter stiff resistance, the town of Virbalis had to be given up Alvarija in Lithuania lies 30 miles southeast of Sclhwindt.

The German frontier town 42 miles northeast of the Prussian rail center of Insterburg and 61 east of the capital of Koingsberg Other Russians besieging the Bal tic port of Memel are within 65 miles of Konigsberg. Kalvarija lies just north of the Suwalki triangle, a bit of Poland which Germany annexed to East Prussir, and is now a trunk nign-wav from Kaunas through Marrampole to East Prussia. Russian forces invaded the Suwalki triangle in mid-summer. Strategic Russian Gain Capture of Virbalis was a stra tegy Russian gain for the army group of the 36-year-old Gen. Tvan D.

Cherniakovsky. Although the Russians aid not riirpr.tlv confirm sucn an onen- slve, there appeared little doubt lt was in progress. The German radio deciarea me attack scran forward along a 25-mile front on each side of the Lithuanian town of Vilkavlskls, a dozen miles from the East Prus sian frontier. Gen. Ivan D.

Cher- niakhovskv's Third White Rus sian Army advanced to Vilkavis-kls two months ago. Berlin said the offensive, sup ported by heavy artillery prepara tion and swarms oi low-nying Stormovik bombers, began Mon day. A German broadcast last night said the Russians nan reached the frontier at one un specified point and reported fight ing near Naurmestis, in uin-uanla lust across from the East Prussian town of Schlrwindt. i The Russian bombing raws reached as far as Insterburg, miles inside the Junkers' homeland, toward which the land drive aroeared to be aimed. The Mos cow communiaue said supply trains and other objectives were wasted at Insterburg and the intermediate railway junctions of Gum- binnen and Stalluponen.

Berlin also suggested a heavy new Russian assault on East Prus-ia from the south and southeast, but Mocow remained silent about operations In this sector. Alonj the northern border on the Nie-men River line the Russians have approached within artillery range of Tilsit, East Prussian frontier stronghold. Still farther north, meanwhile, the two Russian armies that captured Riga last week proceeded with a cleanup of western Latvia and Soviet long range bomocn attacked Ventsplls, one of the last useful ports remaining to the Germans trapped on that front. On the southern end of the front heavy fighting continue! in Belgrade. The Moscow com munique said more than 4,000 Germans had been killed in two days of fighting there.

Marshal Tito announced the Germans had (Continued On Page Seven) already proved shackles for the liberties of the people. That is why the New Deal is reactionary not liberal." Senator Truman, running for vice president with Mr. Roosevelt, declared in San Francisco that Dewey has distorted the findings of the Truman Senate War In vestigating committee and there by practiced "political chicanery" unworthy of a man "running for the highest office in the land." In a Chicago speech. Senator Bridge? (R-NH) talked of the CIO Political Action committee headed by Sidney HlUman as "the Hillman Gang" and said this group of fourth term supporters Is the "most destructive force that has yet appeared on our political horizon." Democratic Chairman Hanne-gan said In a news conference statement at New York that "Governor Dewey's brain trust apparently has no more ideas" and therefore Dewey in his St. Louis speech Monday night "repeated his falsifications on what he calls the 'Roosevelt Depression and the nwrnrri the (Continued On Page Seven) Gomes To Funeral Lt.

(jg) Philip Willkie (above) is shown as he arrives in New York City enroute to Rufliville, where he will attend the funeral of his father, Wendell Willkie. Lt. Willkie was on convoy duty in the Atlantic when informed of his father's death last week. US Subs Destroy 32 Jap Vessels Seven Warships Included In List WASHINGTON. Oct.

18. (IP) Destruction of 32 Japanese ves sels including seven warships, by American submarines, was report ed today by Navy Secretary For-restal. The Secretary also announced that 905 enemv fhios have been sunk or damaged by the Third and Filth U. S. fleets in the last four and one-half months, Planes and anti-aircraft guns; of the Third and Fifth fleets since last June have destroyed 3,080 Japanese planes, including 1,827 shot out of the air and 1,253 destroyed on the ground, he told a press conference.

The latest bag of the American submarines, he reported, included three destroyers, three escort vessels, and a minelayer, in addition to 25 merchant vessels of various types. This raises to 956 the number of Japanese ships of all types destroyed by American submarines since the war started. The other craft destroyed in the new bag by the submarines operating in Japanese-controlled waters include eight transports, a tanker, a Havy auxiliary and 16 cargo-carrying craft. Forrestal in disclosing the huge damage inflicted by the Third fleet under Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr.

and the Fifth fleet commanded by Admiral Raymond A. Spruance said it covered the pwiod from attacks on Japanese bases in the western Pacific be- gmning June 6 and including as- saults on October 16 on Formosa. During that same period, the Navy has announced the destruction of 205 Japanese ships by American submarines, bringing the toll of Japanese ships to more than 1,100. Of the 905 ships sunk or prob ably sunk by aircraft and surface ships of the two fleets, he said 356 ships definitely were sunk and 549 probably sunk or damaged. Forrestal commented that such heavy destruction results in ex Before scurying northward.

Gen. Felml declared Athens an open city "unless our enemies fail to treat it as such." The Germans, however, wrecked the telephone system. The normal population of Athens grew from 393.000 to nearly 2,000,000 during the occupation because lt was considered the safest refuge from bombing. Money became so worthless that the Greek puppet government finally did not bother to put serial numbers on notes. The smallest of which usually was for drachma.

Prices accordingly rocketed to fantastic heights. A pound of tomatoes, for Instance, cost 7,000,000 drachmas even before the inflation reached its height. The food problem is most acute with fresh vegetables, meat, fish ana milk scarce. There is no street car or bus transportation. Fuel is unobtaln- aoie.

oas ana electricity are short. Radio stations and cables were blown up, cutting Athens' communications with the outside world- ff" If. fV: said there were signs this German siege stand might be ending. De molitions were reported in the Breskens area, stronghold of the enemy pocket, along with const derable transport movement. All along the front progress slow, methodical progress carved out in-many cases by bayonets was reported.

From Breskens, a German strongpolnt before the already liberated port of Antwerp, to Bel-fort, this was the picture: (1) Lt. Gen. H. D. Crerar's Can adians have reached IJzendUke.

six miles south of Breskens, pressing hard on the newly form ed defense line of the suicide German troops within the narrowing pocket. Supreme Allied headquar ters reported bombers had at tacked the sea dyke at west Ka- pelle on the nearby island of Wai- (Contlnued On Page Seven) ROME. Oct. 18. (IP) Two British destroyers landed forces which took over the island of Scarpanto at dawn yesterday after the Greek population on the island had "contained" the enemy garrison there, Allied head-quaiters announced today.

Located in the Dodecanese group, the mountainous island of Scarpanto is between Crete and Rhodes. The island is 30 miles long and has an extreme width of miles. Approximately people live there. The British destroyers Terpi-schore and Cleveland were involved In the operation, carried out without opposition. The landing parties were given an enthusiastic welcome, a communique said.

It was announced officially that German demolitions on the Greek mainland caused severe damage to the harbor installations at Piraeus, the port uf Athens, but most of the utilities at the port are functioning. More Allied parachute troops have been dropped in the Athens area, the communique said, but there was nothing to indicate that any enemy opposition was met. The Allied command said Scar. panto was seized "In the nime cf the United Nations' and that the landing was not opposed. A naval communique sid "Scarpanto.

like other islands In the Dodecanese is ex-encmy The wording appeared inten ied to make clear to thy Italians, who occupied Scarpanto and most of the Dodecanese nearly a quarter centurv ago, and to the Greeks, 'Continued On Page Seven mans say that a bit further north In the Nijmegen-Arnhem area of Eastern Holland, at the extreme left of the Allied flank, the Brit ish Second Army is "at the ready." Supporting the idea of impend ing upheaval Is the intense Alli ed bombing of the great Rhenush cities and communications. Col ogne in particular has come in for some of the most concentrat ed bombing ever seen. Keep your eye on that sector from Aachen north to Amhem It's hot. The vital question of supplies may be the crux of Elsenhower's problem in engineering a great attack. The Allies need more harbor facilities near the scene of the probable break-through, The Belgian port of Antwerp, now in our hands', would answer this description but for the fact that German guns in Dutch territory menace it.

The hard-hitting ana efficient Canadian First Army now engaged in removing tnis threat. Over on the eastern front fhe Germans claim that Red rorces have opened, a double-barreled drive against East Prussia. The Russians are reported smashing at the "sacred German soil" from Lithuania and from the south above Warsaw. This latter operation also alms at turning the German Vistula line. Hitler's hold on the Balkans is shattered.

Already his troops are believed to have evacuated most of Greece and Yugoslavia. His position in Hungary military shield for the Danubian gateway into Austria is Impossible, due to desertion by Admiral Horthy's government. The country is in chaos, with civil strife between pro-Nazis and anti-Nazis. And the Red Army sweeps on towards Budapest. The Allied tidal wave is swal lowing all southeastern Europe.

THE WAR TODAY BY DEWm MACKENZIE fields (The sustained air attacks on the Philippines found Tokyo radio toning down previous assurances that the danger of, immediate hwasion was past. Tokyo Broadcast (The Federal Communications Commission in the United States rpcoraea tr.is broadcast observa- Jast night: cannot be thought that the enemy, with this setback, will give up his plans for attacking the Philippines." (The "setback" was the claimed sinking or damaging of more than 50 American warships, a claim Nimitz repudiated yesterday). Actually the Japanese lost more than 800 aircraft to American carrier forces. And, Nimitz said, the only part of the Imperial fleet that ventured out of hiding turned and fled when it spotted Adm. William F.

Halsey's powerful Third Fleet task force still in-tack despite sorties by land-based Nipponese bombers and torpedo planes. Jap Haven Not Located Nimitz gave no indication of the haven to which the Japanese warships fled. But the areas in which they could be are definitely restricted to waters the other side oi me rtyukyu Formosa-Philip- P'ns defense line. Some JaDan- ese surface units are known to De the south China Sea, and there has been no indication the Imperial home fleet has roamed iar away from Japan proper. Last night's communique disclosed that American troops landed Sept.

20 on either side of the main entrance to Ulithi lagoon then occupied four islands the following day. Lack of opposition, in sharp contest with the fanatical fighting in the Palaus, was somewhat surprising, inasmuch as Ulithi had been used by the Japanese as a minor naval base and for seaplane operations. The main atoll i mnes long. 10 miles wide The Island of Mogmog, which has the mam port, was among those seized. Nimitz' announcement of sustained air action against the Philippines expanded the activities of carrier forces which since Oct 8 have attacked the Ryukyus Formosa and the Philippines, sinking or damaging more than 140 enemy ships and destroying more than 800 planes.

maMtCriiur's announcement marked the deepest penetration strength of his fighter planes into the Philippines. J. D. Wears Receives Purple Heart Award Motor Machinist's Mate First Class James D. Mears.

husband of trie former Miss Zennhla of this city and son of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Mears of Arlington street, was presented t.h tui.

Heart by the commanding officer of the USN Frontier Base at Staten Island, N.Y., at the Inspection and Review of Troops on Oct. 14. The citation read: "For injuries received as a result of enemy action while serving on the USS PC 1261 during the invasion of France on June 6, 1944, this -Purple Heart is presented in re A 14-hcur police search for tremely limiting" Japanese move-missing Shirley Schwanbeck, lO.lments by sea. and her sister, Joan, 11, ended in! "For many months Japanese their home Papa Schwanbeck naval strength has been at bay found them under a bed where and eventually it must stand and they hid after spending an un- fight." Leaders Of Both Parties Claim Border States' Vote Germans Demolish Piraeus; Athens Escapes Injuries One of the most urgent facts confronting both sides in the European war is that this is the eighteenth day of October. This means that in two or three weeks, under normal conditions, autumn rains will begin in earnest.

Awful mud some of the world's worst will turn the bat tlefields of the eastern and west- em theatres into morasses which will bod down armies. Storms will impair the efficiency of the air fleets either for fighting or at the eyes of the ground forces. That's to say, if Europe its usual autumn, the Allies have a fortnight or so to launch offen sives to break Hitler's frontier de' tenses and set their armies rang' ing through the Reich. And by the same token, this is the critical period in which the Nazi dictator must use every means available to stand off his enemies until the bad weather comes to his aid, All this fits in with the German insistence that both the western Allies and the Russians are on the verge of great new offensives. Indeed, BerJJn says the Red armies already, have struck.

These Nazi claims aren't surprising, for this not only would seem to be the appointed hour for a general Allfort ftscault but signs are Men tlful that the United Nations are about to tighten their vast military ring about the Hitlerites. The western front is in a ker- ment. The Germans, acting on their own forecast, have been counter-attaoking heavily along the crucial northern flank of General Eisenhower's armies. These attacks are calculated to keep the Allies off balance and so hamper their launching on an all-out drive. The American and British armies have Increased their pressure on the Narls, especially along the fifty-mile front extending from Aachen up to the Dutch town of Venray.

And the Ger By The Associated Press Republican and Democratic Congressional leaders alike said today that the border states Oklahoma, Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and West Virginia are going their way. These contrary estimates by Rep. Drewry (D-Va) and Rep. Halleck (R-Ind), chairmen of the two Congressional campaign committees came into the Presidential campaign calculations along with this report from Simon Mi-chelet, Washington lawyer who heads the National Get-Out-The-Vote club: "It can be said convincingly that as go the five border states, so goes the Presidential election. Michelet did his figuring on the basis of the fact that in the last four Presidential elections all these states were in the winner's column and four of the five were 1920 and 1924.

Other samples of political disagreement: Gov. John W. Bricker of Ohio. Dewey's running mate, said in a San Diego speech that the New Deal "Li not a people's govern ment. The power it exercises has By STEPHEN BARBER ATHENS, Oct.

17. (Delayed) (JP) Athens rocked violently to German demolitions in the nearby port of Peiralevs (Piraeus) which caused damage estimated at $100,000,000 as the Nazis fled north, but this ancient Greek ca pital largely escaped injury be cause of counter-sabotage by patriots. Hilarious celebrations are still in progress after three and a half years of subuervlence and semi- starvation under the enemy oc cupation. I But already civil friction is feared unless the exile government of Premier George Papax-dreou assumes authority quickly. Athens was free when the Brit ish arrived Friday.

Workers at the station which supplies Athens and its port fought a pitched battle with Ger man saboteurs. The Athens water supply was saved because the Na zis did not blow up the Marathon dam, although 78 tons of dyna mite were reported laid in the reservoir. cognition of wounds received in, the service of your country." Mears Is now serving with Ships Repair Unit at the Staten Island ba.