Current Events January 27, 1943, ROOSEVELT, CHURCHILL IN AFRICA / AMERICAN AND FRENCH ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH GERMANS RETREATING TO TUNISIA / RICKENBACKER STATE ALLIES CAN WIN WITH AIR POWER IN 44:

STARS AND STRIPES

Daily Newspaper of U.S. Armed Forces, In the European Theater of Operations

London, England Wednesday, Jan. 27, 1943

Roosevelt, Churchill in Africa

Map All-Out Drives

With Military Staffs;

President Flew Over

Gens. Marshall, Eisenhower, Montgomery,

Arnold Among Leaders at Conference;

Giraud, de Gaulle Meet and Agree

By Wes Gallagher

Associated Press War Correspondent

CASABLANCA, Jan. 26 — President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill,

in an unprecedented and momentous meeting, reached " complete agreement

" on war plans for 1943 designed to bring about " unconditional

surrender" of Germany, Italy and Japan.

Defying every tradition, the jaunty but grim United States President flew

across 5,000 miles of Atlantic for a 10-day meeting with Churchill which

saw the two nations .bring Gen. Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Fighting

French, and Gen. Henri Giraud, commander-in-chief of French forces in

Africa, together for the first time in a little villa just outside this city.

Virtually the entire war staffs participated in day and night discussions

which ended this afternoon with a press conference before a group ot war

correspondents flown secretly from Allied Force Headquarters half way

across Africa.

Allies Seek

New Battle

In Tunisia

Advance in Mud to Meet

Nazis at Ousseltia;

Rommel Digging In

American and French patrols, slogging through deep mud left by

recent rains, pushed north and northeast of Ousseltia yesterday to establish

contact with German forces withdrawing into Tunisia.

To the east, Nazi Gen. Rommel's hard-pressed Afrika Korps was

digging in behind the Mareth Line—with Gen. Montgomery's Eighth

Army jabbing into position for an encirclement.

The battle tempo of the previous dayhad slowed because of the weather, but

there seemed to be little doubt the two Nazi forces, Rommel's and that of Gen.

von Arnim, were now almost back-toback in the narrowing Tunisian area still

under Axis control.

Counter-Attacks Cease

Rendezvous Location Defied Gestapo

Roosevelt, Churchill Met, Inspected Troops, Under

Noses of Germans

ALLIED HQ, North Africa, Jan. 26

(AP)—The sensational meeting of Mr. Churchill and President Roosevelt was

carried out almost under the nose of the Germans.

The President, who broke all the ordinary security rules imposed on those

charged with his protection by flying to North Africa, further challenged the

efficiency of German intelligence by visiting Port Lyautey, almost on the

Spanish Morocco border.

So good was the secrecy and closemouthedness of both the French and

Americans who knew of his visit that not a word leaked out in 10 days.

Casablanca ' White House

In going' to Casablanca President Roosevelt left one White House for

another. Casablanca means " white house " in Spanish.

Air Power Can Win in '44

Says Eddie Riekenbacker

" WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (AP)--Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, famous American

air ace of the last war, who was recently, missing for 11 days in the South Pacific,

declared today that he could see no final victory for the United Nations before the

Autumn of 1944, and perhaps not even then, if America failed to hurl her great

air-power against the Japanese mainland. He said the victories at Guadalcanal,

Buna and Gona were tremendous, but added, " We cannot defeat Japan by an

island to island campaign. We must strike at the heart of Japan through air

power."

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