November 18, 1944; Social Security Tax Doubles:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1944:

RACINE, WIS., SATURDAY AFTERNOON, NOVEMBER 18, 1944

Armored Patrols

Stab Across

German Border

LONDON.—(/P) —

Lt. Gen. George S. Patton's Third army infantry and armor unleashed a sudden drive on a 15-mile front toward the northern Saar today, sent patrols surging into the reich and troops storming into fortress Metz from both the north and south. Infantry crossed the Moselle bridge into Metz from the

north during the night, while other patrols from the south also penetrated the city, where the Germans have been preparing a stiff defense in the streets and the thick stone walls of the houses. Mechanized cavalry p a t r o ls stabbed across the German border near Perl, at the corner of the Luxembourg, French and German borders.

Thrust Toward Saar.

At the same time Gen's Patton's new push developed a thrust 15 miles to the southeast toward the Saar border, and armor newly thrown into the offensive rolled forward four miles to near Bouzonville, 20 miles northwest of Saarbrucken, chief industrial center of the German valley.

Yanks Complete

Circle Around

Japs on Leyte

By WILLIAM B. DICKINSON

A L L I E D HEADQUARTERS,

Philippines.— (U.P.)—

The American 32nd division wedged deeply into the Japanese pocket at Limon in northwest Leyte today and complete annihilation of the trapped

remnants of a force once estimated at 3,000 appeared imminent.

Other American forces 900 miles to the southeast finished the mopup of the -southern half of Bras island in the Mapia group off northwest New Guinea in a small scale action. Nearby Pegun was cleared Thursday, only 24 hours after the American landings in the Mapias to knock out enemy air warning stations.

Sink Five Vessels.

Gen. D o u g l a s MacArthur's bombers sank or damaged five coastal vessels off Boetong island in the Dutch East Indies and dropped 182 tons of bombs on six enemy airfields in the Philippines.

Three airfields at Davoa on Mindanao, southern most of the Philippines, were rendered unserviceable by 120 tons of explosives, while two others on Cebu and one on Negros also were hit hard.

New Pacific Landings

Imminent, Navy Hints

By JOHN M. HIGHTOWER

WASHINGTON.—(AP)—

Powerful new seaborne invasions of the enemy-held Philippine islands appear probable in the near future. The probability grows out of information

disclosed in an official navy summary of the recent great victory over the Japanese fleet, "which may turn out to be among the decisive battles of modern times," the navy says.

The same communique indicates the possibility of American landings in islands north of the Philippines to sever the island guarded route over which the enemy even yet is pouring reinforcements south in a desperate effort to check General Douglas MacArthur's Leyte and Samar campaigns aimed at the eventual conquest of Luzon.

Would Slash Empire.

Luzon is the key to domination of that area of the Pacific. Recapture of bases which MacArthur lost in the first weeks of the war under overwhelming enemy pressure will both slash the Japanese empire in half and provide a starting point for whatever new drives west to China and north to Japan are in the making.

The navy communique, issued late yesterday to bring the October 23-27 battle of the Philippines up to date, still did not give an estimate of damage suffered by American ships because it said "the Japanese are still wondering what hit them."

Security Tax

May Be Pegged

At 2 Per Cent

WASHINGTON— (U.P.) —

The fight over the social security tax late, scheduled to double automatically Jan. 1 unless congress intervenes, brought indications today that the maximum levy may be pegged at two per cent on employers and employees unless benefits are expanded.

Under present law the levy of

one per cent is scheduled to double Jan. 1, 1945, increase to two and one-half per cent Jan. 1,1946, and reach three per cent on Jan. 1, 1947.

The social security board was reliably reported today to be willing to waive the 1946 and 1947 increases in order to quiet congressional

demand for a one year freeze at the present level.

6 Billion Reserve.

The decision reportedly was based on the fact that the reserve fund of approximately $6,000,000,000 is far above rated necessity and current receipts- would

be adequate to finance anticipated federal contributions at present pension rates for 20 years before the reserve needed to be tapped.