Currwnr Events October 21, 1942;

               Oakland Tribune

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1942

Stage Set For Second Front,

Nazis Reeling, Says Smuts

Stage Set For Second Front,

Nazis Reeling, Says Smuts

Allied General

Demands Speed

Germany 'Bleeding to Death in Russia/

United Nations Now Prepared to Take

Offensive to End World War by 1944

By GLADWIN HILL

LONDON, Oct. 21.—(AP)--The Allies are at the threshold

of "the offensive phase of the war," Field Marshal Jan Chris-

tian Smuts, prime minister of South Africa, told 1000 memb-

ers of Britain's Parliament today in a session described by

Prime Minister Churchill as "in many ways unprecedented,"

The meeting, kept in strictest secrecy in advance, was an

informal gathering, not a formal

joint session such as the

United States Congress sometimes

holds to hear distinguished

guests. It was attended

also by representative of

the Dominions.

It was the first time a British Empire

statesman ever had broadcast

a speech before the combined membership

of the Houses of Common*

and Lords and Churchill hailed

Smuts' message as "invaluable."

U.S. Airmen

Stall Japs

In Solomons

Bombers Keep Up

Steady Slugging of

All Enemy Bases

By .1OHN' H. WIGGINS

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21. — AP —

Allied domination of the skies in

the vast Pacific battle front appeared

growing mightier today »s

American bombers slugged Japanese

invasion bases from the Aleutians

to the Solomons.

The fury of the Allied bombing

of enemy troops and supply concentrations

in the Solomons seemed

thus far to have stalled, at least

temporarily, the full force of a

Japanese thrust lo retake the American-

held Guadalcanal air base and

win control of the Southwest Pacific.

JAP BASES BLASTED

DRIVE ON STALINGRAD

REPORTED DWINDLING

By the Associated Press

Adolf Hitler's latest week-old offensive against Stalingrad

was reported dwindling today as cold rain again drenched

the cemetery streets, and Russian headquarters announced

I that the Red Armies had held their lines unbroken for 48

hours.

It was the 53th day of siege, just five days short of equaling

the historic Russian stand in the nine-week siege of Odessa

List year.

('Front-line dispatches from Stalingrad today reported

that German legions near Stalingrad were '"starving," according

to the United Press.)

As the din of battle subsided, with Nazi attacks growing

successively weaker, the Soviet command reported that the

city's reinforced defenders had beaten off a series of attacks

and "hurled back the enemy to his original positions."

German losses were estimated as high as 70 per cent of

their effectives in the new drive which began last Wednesday.

"At the end of the day, our troops firmly held their positions,".

Soviet headquarters reported in its midnight communique.

French Labor

Uprising Grows

Gen. De Gaulle's Plan

For 'Revolt' Brings

Action From Workers

BERN, Switzerland, Oct. 21.—(AP)—

All Serbia was reported under martial

law today as a tide of unrest and

uncertainty continued to sweep occupied

Europe from Norway to

France and the Balkans.

LONDON. Oct. 21.—(U.P)—Advices

from the Continent indicated today

that the appeal of Gen. Charles De

Gaules fighting French leaders

for "revolt against treason," was

likely to have more success than

Chief of Government Pierre Laval's

demand for 150,000 m o r e skilled

Frenchmen for German war factories.