Oldest Newspaper In Alaska. “The News of The Dav In Pictures'" Member Of Ihe Associated Press
the Nome nugget
Vol. 43. No. 122. NOME, ALASKA, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 1941 Per Copy lu
U.S. Subs Go In Action Against Japs
German Armies In Reverse In Russia and Africa
Badly Stung, Japs Slacken Attempts
Invade U.S.-Defended Philippine Is.
UNDATED, Dec. 16 1/P) — Bad
ly stung in attempts to invade
the American-defended Philip
pines, Japan apparently slacken
ed her drive against Luzon Is
land. while other Japanese ex
peditionary forces struck at Brit
ish Borneo, Malaya and Hong
Kong.
Meanwhile, two new develop
ments indicated that Russia and
her armies arc now throwing the
Germans back to the west and
may soon take an active role in
the battle of the P.icifie.
In London Major Attlee. Lord
of the Privy Seal, told Parlia
ment that “all necessary steps"
are being taken to coordinate the
military plans of Britain, Russia,
and the United States.
In Canberra, Australia’s for
eign minister Evatt, disclosed
that Australia is working "for a
full alliance between Russia and
the enemies of Japan. If and
when the military situation be
come? subilized to Russia’s ad
vantage. we can reasonably look
forward v aid against Japan.
J pan's ultimate design against
Ru: -ia can hardly be concealed,
>nd in t! ng run it will-be to
Russia’s advantage to dispose of
once and for all. Japan’s threat
to Vladivostok and eastern Si
beria.’’
Imperial Tokyo headquarters
announced that sea-borne Japan
ese troops, buffeted by a gale,,
succ ded in gaining a f’ot-hold
rt d \vr on the coast of Borneo,
which lies within 600 miles and
bombing range of Manila.
I ondon quarters reported
“very heavy fighting" between
B’it h ;ni .Japanese troops in
the jungles of Malaya, where
Japanese mechanized forces are
said to have smashed forward
some 40 or 50 miles on the 400
rr.ile road to Singapore.
Let-Up In Assault
On Philippines
MANILA. Dec. 16 i4P'—Japan's
assault on the Philippines slack
ed off to an air attack on the
Olongapo naval base, northeast
of Manila Bay but defense forces
regarded the respite only as tem
porary. Although there is no of
ficial explanation, most observ
ers said the let-up probably
meant the Japanese are moving
additional forces and supplies to
positions off the island coasts,
resting pilots, overhauling plan
es, marshalling gasoline, bombs,
and ammunition for new power
ful attacks.
An Army . communique from
Washington, reporting on the
Philippine situation up to 6:30
a.m. PST. said a Japanese trans
port was seriously damaged by
an air attack off the Luzon is
land p’rt of Lt'gaspi. The an
nouncement didn’t make it clear
whether this wa.s a revision or in
addition to the two Japanese
transports which the U. S. Army
headquarters at Manila reported
yesterday as heavily damaged,
also off Ltgaspi by U. S. Army
bombers. j
Japan’s concentration on the
siege of Hong Keng, it is said,
,-d o may have contributed to the
P ’lippin-e respite. There were
no new enemy attempts to streng
then the three beach heads wrest;
ed on Luzon island at a heavy1
coH of men. ships and planes!
last wee1’ or the establishment of
new ones was reported.
Sen ret 3ri. Knox’s tatement
that the United States fleet is,
seeking the enemy in the Pacific,
created an enthusiastic furore
among Manila’s civilians, but
members of the armed forces,
took it calmly. The general re- j
action was “We knew they’d go ;
into action in time.”
VISITORS FROM MEXICO —Native costumes strike
a gay note for this view of Dr. Victor Manuel Oropeza of Puebla,
Mexico, and his daughter Juana, 6 years old. They were at Louis
ville attending the Pan-American homeopathic congress.
japs Alarmed by Presence US Subs
ISavy Announces Subs Successful
In Two Out of Three Attacks
UNDATED, Dec. 17 TTi — Jap
an took alarm from the reported
presence of 20 U. S. submarines
operating in Japanese waters,
even as Admiral Hart announced
that American subs had gone into
action for the first time in the
conflict, and scored successes in
two cut of three attacks.
U. S. Army headquarters at
Manila reported that at least 26
Japanese planes were destroyed
yesterday at Vigan, wh re the
Japanese still maintained one of
three toeholds in Luzon.
Hart’s cryptic statement didn’t
identify the victims of the Am
erican counter blows, whether
they were Japanese warships, or
merchant craft or local sinkings.
It seems plausible that the U. S.
is ' tightening the blockade
around the Mikado’s densely pop
ulated island empire.
In Washington, the War De
partment. in a communique, dis
missed the Japanese shelling of
Kahului, on the Hawaiian island
of Maui, as damaging only the
concrete loading platform of a
pineapple company. About ten
shells were fired, the commun-,
ique said, without a single cas-|
ualty.
In the Philippine theater of the
war, the department reported
"no discernable enemy activity
during the past 24 hours." They
-aid there was nothing to report
in other areas.
Meanwhile, British headquar
ters at Singapore acknowledged
that Japanese troops landed at
Sarawak, on the northwest coast
of Borneo, the British-protected
domain of the famous "white ra
iah," Sir Charles Brooke, within
300 miles, and bombing range of
Singapore itself and 600 miles
from Manila.
Japanese warships, bombers,
and land batteries were also re
ported violently pounding seige
t'ound Hongkong. A Reuters dis
patch said Japanese forces seized
the Portuguese island of Macao,
45 miles southwest of Hongkong,
while London quarters appeared
gloomy over the prospect of
Hongkong holding out.
Latest dispatches from the is
land itself, reported that Ameri
cans there were “all right.” and
that the colony's fortifications
were “strong enough to resist all
attempts at invasion."
Byron Price, AP Executive News
¥
Editor, To Become Director Of
Censorship, President Discloses
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 4JP) —
The establishment of govern
mental censorship as soon as Con
gress finally approves legislation
granting complete war power to
the President was announced by
Roosevelt who disclosed that
Byron Price was granted leave
of absence as executive news ed
itor for Associated Press, to be
come Director of Censorship.
The President told a press con
ference, it will be part voluntary
and part mandatory censorship,
He indicated it will apply not
only to the press, but to radio,
cable, mails and other mediums
for transmission of information.
ADDRESSES NATION
ANNIVERSARY SIGN
ING BILL OF RIGHTS
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 I/P) —
President Roosevelt told his conn
trymen tonight, on the anniver
sary of the signing of the Bill of
Rights, that they now are faced
with an attempt to cancel out
"the great upsurge of human lib
erty” embodied in that document
ar.d to impose again the “abso
lute authority of despotic rule.”
But, he declared “We will not,
under any threat or in the face
of any danger, surrender the
guarantee of liberty which our
forefathers framed for us in our
Bill of Rights.” He said Ameri
cans are solemnly determined
that “no powers or combination
of powers on this earth” shall
shake their hold from the funda
mental guarantees of liberty.
GEN. PERSHING OFFERS
HIS SERVICES TO U. S.
WASHINGTON — Gen. John
J. Pershing has offered his ser
vices to the United States in
whatever capacity Pres. Roose
velt feels the famous soldiier
would be most fit. Pershing, who
was 81 years old last Septem
ber, was commander of the Am
erican Exeditionary Forces to
France in the last world war.
Roosevelt has accepted the
General’s offer, saying his ser
vices would be valuable.
Theft Gang
Deals In
lord Parts
WASHINGON, Dec. —The Jus
tice Department uncovered the
operations of a huge “ring” deal
ing in stolen Ford automobile
parts, making arrests in three
cities.
Justice officials said 30 persons
were seized in Detroit. New York
& Chicago after several months
of investigation by G-men. The
investigation centered in Detroit,
where officers said the parts
were stolen by Ford factory
workers, who acted as a literal
“bucket brigade” to carry the
parts out and ship them in inter
state commerce by freight trains,
trucks and private cars.
Chief G-man J. Edgar Hoover
said the parts were sold through
a maze of “fences” or middle
men. One “fence” in New York
City operated so extensively that
his company published a catalog
advertising the parts for sale
in direct competition with author
ized Ford dealers.
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BRITISH OFFENSIVE IN LIBYA
Black arrows indicate main British thrusts in the new Libyan of
sive frftn* the Saium area (1) to the C.iarabub Oasis (2>. The
British reorted driving more than 50 miles into Libya, but the
Germans claimed their counterattacks had throwTi them back west
of Sidi Omar. The British ajieared bent on flanking Bardia r»nH
heading for Tobruk (3) where a British garrison has been besieg
*1 for months.
Russia Proclaims Series Smashing
Victories on Eastern Front While
British Apply Pressure In Africa
UNDATED, Dec. 17 {IP) — Rus
sia proclaimed a series of smash-J
ing new victories in the war j
with Germany and for the first'
time. Hitler’s command wryly j
acknowledged that German in-1
vasion armies “are shortening
their lines along the Soviet front
and in the hard-pressed defens
ive in North Africa. In perhaps
the gloomiest Nazi communique
of the entire war, giving the Ger
man people at least an inkling
that the tide of conquest has
been thrown into reverse, the
command reported, “In the
course of transition from aggres
sive operations to stationary war
fare during the winter months,
necessary improvements involv
i ing the shortening of lines, are
I now being systematically under
taken in various sections of the
eastern front."
But Soviet dispatches pictured
the Germans in headlong flight,
and by no means affecting a strat
egic withdrawal, a Moscow com
munique declaring, “The fleeing
enemy is being pursued and an
nihilated by our troops."
Russians Recapture Kalinin
Red Army soldiers who recap
tured strategic Kalinin, 95 miles
northwest of Moscow, were said
to have found that German
troops had built four-tiered
blank beds in houses throughout
j the Kalinin zone, “evidently in
tending to spend the winter
there.”
On the North African front,
British headquarters reported
that heavy British pressure is
being maintained on the left
flank of Hitler’s battered desert
armies and new progress was
registered despite fierce sand
storms during the past 24 hours.
Italians May Be Pulling Out
A hint that the Italians may al
ready be pulling out of North
Africa, cropped up in a British
communique reporting that a
Fascist submarine carrying It
alian General Lami and 19 oth
or military officers from Libya
to Italy, was sunk on the central
Mediterranean. The General was
not among the 53 survivors.
Slash Into Heart
Axis Positions In
North Africa
UNDATED, Dec. 16 UP, — Brit
ain’s desert armies in North Af
rica swept 70 miles west of Tob
ruk and slashed into tiro heart of
strongly-held Axis positions, in a
great new battle of tanks and
men. Cairo headquarters report
ed. A- t!iis decisive phase of the
struggle appeared under way,
British armored forces now brot
into the battle ai! the remaining
German tank units in Libya and
it was reported, were threatening
to cut oil Gen. Rommel's army
entirely.
May Try Withdrawal to West
London military quarters said
Rommel will probably attempt a
withdrawal rapidly toward the
northern coastal road, ‘he lone
“escape route” still open to the
west. The British command said
Imperial troops, outflanking the
Axis division, had driven 30 mil.
es beyond Gazata. 40 miles.west
of Tobruk.
Rumania De
clares War On
United States
NEW YORK, Dec. 13 UP) — Ru
mania has declared war on the
United States, according to a Buch
arest dispatch, broadcast tonight
by the German news agency.
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