January 9, 1945; LUZON IS KEY TO THE PHILIPPINES:

THIS WAS REPORTED TODAY, JANUARY 9, 1944:

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., Tuesday, January 9, 1945

Next 12 to 24 Hours May

Provide the Turning Point

BY JAMES M. LONG

Paris—-(AP)—

Americans driving through a blinding blizzard into the northern flank of the Belgian bulge drove to a point today less than three miles from the St. Vith-Houffalize road, last lateral supply and escape artery in the salient.

A big tank battle broke out for Samree, three miles northeast of Laroche where the American Second "Hell on Wheels" armored division fought for complete control of another overrun road from St. Vith to Laroche. Other troops were a bare mile from Laroche.

Field Marshal Von Rundstedt was reported to hate shifted tanks and guns from the Baslognc area on the south to meet the grave new threat to his last road on th« north. Artillery constantly harassed the foe to the wedge.

Loss of the St. Vith-Houffalize road would for the first time seem to leave the Germans in precarious positions, reports from the north flank said.

The Americans were within 5,000 yards of the road at noon.

Japs are Sprayed

With Bombs from

Tokyo to Manila

BY LEONARD MILLIMAN

Associated Press War Editor '

Superforts and carrier planes blazed a bomb trail from Tokyo to Manila today in support of General MacArthur's operations in the Philippines, where Tokyo radio said an invasion was still imminent.

Navy and marine planes of Vice Adm. John S. McCain's fast carrier forces slashed at Formosa and the Ryukyu islands for the second time within a week, while B-29s from both the 20th and 21st bomber commands hit Formosa and Tokyo.

The raids came on the heels of coordinated, round-the-clock army and carrier plane raids on Luzon island where Tokyo radio once reported 15,000 American troops trying to storm ashore,

The Japanese Dome! news agency reported an American armada of 70 warships which battled for two days with Japanese forts lining Lingayen gulf, 110 miles north of Manila, was steaming away pursued by Nipponese bombers. Some warships were reported in flames.

Atlantic Coast

On Alert for

Robot Attacks

Atlantic Coast

On Alert for

Robot Attacks

New York— (*>) —

Civilian defense officials along the Atlantic coast were on the alert today for possible Nazi buzz bomb attacks, viewed as "probable" by Admiral Jonas

H. Ingram but doubtful by the navy.

Ingram, of Jeffersonville, Ind., commander in chief of the Atlantic fleet, said yesterday "it is possible and probable that the Germans will attempt to launch bombs against New York or Washington within the next 30 to

60 days." The navy department indicated it did not fully agreewith Ingram's assertion, a spokesman saying:

"There is no more reason now to believe that Germany will attack with robot bombs than there was on November 7. 1944," when a joint army navy statement said such attacks were "entirely possible" but "it is extremely doubtful that such attacks could elude allied sea and air patrols."

The War Today

BY DEWITT MACKENZIE

One would expect to find considerable fire where there's so much smoke Maybe Japanese are reporting in their feverish predictions that American forces are about to invade Luzon main island of the Philippine archipelago. Certainly the terrific lacing which American bombers have been giving objectives on Luzon, especially the airfields, the past few days is invasion type of assault. Those airfields would have to be neutralized before amphibious operations could be undertaken. Then there has been the heavy aerial bombardment of the great Japanese stronghold of Formosa, which was continued today.

This island is the main enemy supply base for the Philippines. Obviously the MacArthur-Nimttz team is «p to some fresh sleight-of-hand, which presumably was the subject of the conference, that we now are told they held a fortnight ago. The trouble with trying to guess just what they're doing is that these two old-timers get the attention of their spectators centered in one spot—as they now are doing with the Japs—and then extract the rabbit from a wholly unexpected place. That has happened in most of their operations—the latest being the surprise invasion of Mindoro island at the southern end of Luzon, when the Nipponese were expecting invasion further south.

Blow Might Come Elsewhere

The Japanese, of course, are expecting trickery and while they claim to expect invasion through Lingayen gulf, north of Manila, they realize that the blow might come elsewhere. General Homma, who attached through Lingayen when he captured the Philippines, says that while a landing must be made there, it's probable that the Americans will also land at other points—which seems lakely.

We might, for instance, invade Luzon on the south of Manila, near Mindoro island.

If we assume that American forces are indeed about to undertake a further invasion—and don't forget that Luzon isn't the only possible prime objective, by a long shot—then it will come with almost unbelievable speed after our successful conquest of Leyte, the establishment of a powerful airbase on Mindoro, and the capture of the small neighboring island of Marmduque. This is in keeping with President Roosevelt's statement in his message to congress:

"In the Pacific during the last year, we have conducted the fastest moving off ensue in the history of modern warfare. We have driven the enemy back more than 3,000 miles across the central Pacific."

Luzon Is Key to Philippines

We are moving so fast that we may have forestalled the counteroffensive which, apparently was being prepared against Mindoro by General Yamashita, Japanese commander of the Philippines.

Yamashita the Mikado's foremost general, was bent on throwing the Americans off balance and so delaying the action against Luzon—tactics currently being practiced by Nazi Marshal von Rundstedt.

Just as the Philippines are the key to the war of the Pacific, so Luzon is key to possession of the Philippines. Luzon would give us a great and powerful base from which we could strike in all directions— against the Japanese life-line to their vital

East Indian supplies, against the China coast, against Formosa which is the Nipponese Gibraltar, and against the Japanese mainland.

The cutting of their supply line to Indonesia would in itself be fatal to Nippon in the long run, since she is dependent on her conquests in the Indies for essential war supplies like oil and rubber.

However, the allied command doesn't intend to depend on this expedient, and is preparing to invade Japan itself if necessary.

Of one thing we may be sure: whether we are invading Japan or Luzon, we have bitter warfare ahead of us. The Japanese will fight to the last ditch.