Current Events August 22, 1942; GERMANS MASS FOR STALINGRAD DRIVE/MARINES REPEL SOLOMON ATTACK/ PATRIOT UNREST IN V ICHY FRANCE AND HOLLAND/ BRAZIL DECLARES WAR:

RACINE JOURNAL-TIMES


RACINE, WIS., SATURDAY AFTERNOON, AUGUST 22, 1942.



Germans Mass for Stalingrad Drive


58 Divisions


Reported Set


For Big Blow


Bloody Fight Rages


Along Don River;


Reds Retreat Slowly

MOSCOW, Aug. 22.—(U.P) —

Front dispatches reported today

that^the Germans have massed

an estimated 58 divisions—possibly

800,000 men—on a 60-mile

front at the Don river elbow in

an attempt to crash through to

Stalingrad.

Under the weight of this great

mass of men, the dispatches said,

the bloodiest fighting of the war

was going on along the west bank

of the Don and at points on the

eastern shore where nazi automatic

riflemen managed to cross

the stream.

Two partys of Germans storm

troops which reached the east

bank were said to have been

destroyed.

The entire territory between

the northern and southern arms

of the Don elbow was said to be

a battleground and it was admitted

that nazi pressure slowly

was forcing the Russian defenders

back at some points.

Reinforcements Arrive



Marines Repel Solomon Attack,


Others Blast Base in Gilberts

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii, Aug.

22—(AP)—United States marines

stood fast in their hard won positions

in the Solomon Islands today

after wiping out a 700-man

Japanese force which tried a

stealthy night landing to pierce

the American lines.

Other marines and American

bluejackets, with Major James

Roosevelt, the President's eldest

son, one of their leaders, destroyed

a Japanese seaplane base

in the Gilbert group, 1,500 miles

northeast of the American-held

Solomons.

Communiques issued by Admiral

Chester W. Nimitz, commander

of the U. S. Pacific fleet, told of

the flareup of fighting in which

the enemy was surprised and destroyed.

Foe Flees to Hills.



Dieppe Attack


Stirs Patriots


To New Action


Vichy Takess Stern


Measure to Curb


Aiding of Allies

LONDON, Aug! 22.—(UP)—A new

surge of patriot activities in German-

occupied western Europe was

reported today as the result of the

Allied raid on Dieppe, and Vichy

France took stern new repressive

measures to discourage patriots

from aiding the Allies in their

next attack.

A big explosion occurred yesterday

in Henrik Ibsen street in

Oslo, Norway, near a Quisling

police station, British sources reported.

Twenty armed Belgian

patriots over- powered guards at a

mine near Marcinelle, seized 25

cases of dynamite and 3,100 detonators

and threw them to the

bottom of the shaft where they

exploded. All escaped. Two,

Belgian patriots were killed by the

Nazis for "endangering German

occupation forces."

'Cubs' Are Derisive.

In Holland, Netherlands authorities

reported, Boy Scout "Cubs"

organized by a secret woman leader

started a campaign of derision

against German occupation troops.

In groups of three and four, the

Netherlands news agency reported,

they run into the streets before

parading German troops and

imitate the nazi goose step until

street crowds burst into laughter

and the troops lose step.

The boys also are stealing swastika

flags from nazi automobiles

and bicycles.



Brazil Declares


War on Axis

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 22.

—(U.P)—The Brazilian foreign

office, the United Press was

advised today, has informed

the 21 governments of the

"western hemisphere of its intention

to declare war on Germany

and Italy.

MONTEVIDEO, Aug. 22.—

(U.P)—The Brazilian ambassador

today announced that Brazil

has declared war on the

axis.

Brazil thus became the first

nation of South America to

go to war against Germany and Italy.



Boat Sinkings in American


Waters Lowest Since Spring

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22.—(U.P)

—^Merchant ship sinkings in American

waters—the east coast, the

Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean

—^now are lower than at any time

since early spring, official navy

announcements indicated today.

The submarine menace has not

been "licked," for axis underseas

raiders still are sinking ships, but

they have been driven from the

more important sealanes since the

navy began convoying along the

east coast in May.

Losses Total 353.

The navy has announced the

sinking of 353 Allied merchantmen

since mid-January. These do

not include losses revealed in reports

from various Latin American

republics and Canada. An unofficial

United Press compilation

shows at least 456 ships lost by

enemy action.

A large majority of the sinkings

announced by the navy this month

occurred in June and July. Only

three of these took place oft the

east coast and the attacks occurred

some 500 miles out^

Although convoying was established

in May, it was not widespread

enough for its full weight

to be felt until recently.

Decline Off Coast.

Sinkings dropped sharply off

the Atlantic coast, but increased

tremendously in the Caribbean

and gulf. Most of the sinkings

after May were in those areas. A

majority of those announced in

recent weeks have occurred off

the northern coast of South America—

an area apparently less well

protected.

According to official navy announcements

the sinkings for the

month were:

January—12.

February—14.

March—42.

AprU—53.

May—61.

• June—78.

July—68.

August—25 (through Aug. 21.)