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It was with deep satisfaction that I found included in TIME [June 18] the extensive excerpts from Congressman Walter H. Judd's speech on "Our Ally China." I spent four and a half months in China (from mid-November till the last of March) as deputy to Donald M. Nelson and chief adviser to the Chinese War Production Board. This gave me an unusual opportunity to have first-hand knowledge of the situation in China, . . . and to witness the remarkable progress that was made in production of war materials and essential civilian supplies by the Chinese War Production Board under the able guidance of Dr. Wong Wenhao.
Congressman Judd's statement is the clearest and most accurate that has come to my attention. In publishing this statement TIME has rendered a great service not only to China but to the citizens of this country.
HOWARD COONLEY New York City
Fightin' Thirteenth Sirs:
. . . Under the caption "Battle of the Pacific" in TIME [May 14] you printed: "In preparation the Australian First Tactical Air Force had flown the 1,400-mile round trip from Morotai to bomb Tarakan heavily. U.S. bombers of the Thirteenth Air Force added their bit."
It may be of interest to know that the Fightin' Thirteenth has been engaged in the softening-up process of Tarakan and other Borneo targets for months preceding the invasion. The success of our bombing and strafing attacks was indicated by the inability of the barbarous Nips to make a stubborn defense. Their light ack-ack and hasty withdrawal to better prepared defense positions testifies to the accuracy and deadly action the Thirteenth Air Force gave the target.
On Dday, April 30, 1945, the assault waves were composed of Australian infantry. The Thirteenth Air Force mediums, heavies and fighters had been assigned the air combat duty. No other air force—R.A.A.F. or American—was included in the Battle Order of the Day.
The erroneous presentation of such facts certainly does not stimulate the morale of a fighting air force with an enviable record of achievement in the Pacific. . . .
JOSEPH C. STEHLIN Lieutenant Colonel, U.S.A.A.F. Public Relations Officer Headquarters Thirteenth Air Force
¶I All credit to the Fightin' Thirteenth, which has destroyed more than 1,300 Jap planes, sunk 500,000 tons of Jap shipping in its unbroken tour of duty from the New Hebrides, through Guadalcanal and the central Solomons, New Guinea and the Moluccas, to the Philippines and Borneo.—ED.
Who's Hypocritical?
Sirs:
It had been a long conversation between two of us G.I.s and a German woman. It ended like this:
"You speak of freedom. You speak of democracy. We know of your treatment of the American Japanese. We know of your race riots, both north and south, 'the underhanded persecution of the Negro and the Jew. At least we Germans were not hypocritical. We did not hide our acts and persecutions under the cloak of your supposed democracy. Is all this not true? Can you truthfully scream 'propaganda?'"
We could not. We walked quietly back to our billets.
[SERVICEMAN'S NAME WITHHELD] c/o Postmaster New York City
"Tragic Paradox"
Sirs: