AMERICANS TAKE SOISSONS, MOVE ON REIMS; SEIZE VITRY, 100 MILES FROM REICH BORDER (8/30/44)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 8/30/44 | Drew Middleton, James MacDonald, David Anderson, C.L. Sulzberger, W.H. Lawrence, Hanson W. Baldwin

[Seizethecarp]

Smuts to Churchill:

“From now on it would be wise to keep a very close eye on all matters bearing on the future settlement of Europe. This is the crucial issue on which the future of the world for generations will depend. In its solution your vision, experience, and great influence may prove a main factor.”

Obama:

“We don’t have a strategy...”

[Squawk 8888]

Thanks Homer.

To all- please ping me to Canadian topics.

Canada Ping!

[colorado tanker]

a veritable River Rouge producing death

The Rouge River Plant is the great Ford Motor Co. plant in Dearborn, Michigan, that at least at one time had its own steel plant. Iron ore would enter at one end and finished cars would come out the other.

So, its a comment that the Nazis had created a factory for mass murder on an industrial scale.

[Seizethecarp]

A big thrill for me at age 16 in the summer of ‘66 was taking a tour of the River Rouge plant when it was cranking out Mustangs!

BTW, my uncle, RIP, was transportation VP of Ford. He was the guy who came up with the idea of putting the extra car on a rack over the tractor cab that was pulling the trailer loaded with cars! Saved Ford a ton of money by adding that extra car to the load.

[colorado tanker]

It's not just the Times political bias, but today's reporting is second rate, often relying on press releases or pressers. Of course, there have been the scandals for reporters just making it up.

I'm not sure there is a newspaper of record for the US any more, but if there is, it is the Wall Street Journal. Even Democrats choose to place their major op-eds there rather than the Times.

In contrast, the reporting we have been reading was excellent, well researched, factual, well written and the commentary is thoughtful and insightful, well, except for their wacky air power columnist.

[Tax-chick]

I’m reading a biography of Walt Whitman, and the author quoted a letter from Walt’s brother George, a Union Army sergeant, after he was in the battle of Roanoke Island, NC:

“I wish Walt if he is home, or Jeff would send me some papers ... often it is a great treat to get a sight of a New York paper ... I should like one giving a description of the battle.”

[colorado tanker]

I visited Rouge in the 80's and it was really impressive. Henry Ford's village in Dearborn was eccentric but very interesting too.

Impressive for our story was that Ford kept working on a way to produce bombers on an assembly line and finally figured it out which resulted in the huge Willow Run plant turning out B-24 Liberators at an amazing pace.

Your uncle must have been proud to work for a company with such a great tradition and distinguished WWII service.

The Mustang is one of my all time faves.

[Seizethecarp]

I’m glad you reminded me that it was the B-24 that was built at Willow Run, at least some of them.

I had another uncle who flew the Navy version, the PB4Y off of Tinian Island beginning 70 years ago about now! He was flying against the Japanese Navy picket ships defending the home islands.

I just looked it up and the Navy versions of the B-24 was built in San Diego.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolidated_B-24_Liberator

[colorado tanker]

I'm pretty sure I saw one of those Navy versions within the last month. I heard the low pitch of those WWII era engines and looked up to see a four engine aircraft flying away from me. The Colorado Springs airshow was on that weekend and they were supposed to have one.

I usually get to see a WWII bomber about once a year. This seems to be a popular area for them to put on shows.