? V c ? 4 The Alamance gleaner Vol LXV GRAHAM, N. C.f THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1939 ~ No. 33 ? WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS BY JOSEPH W. LaBlNE * Conservative Trend Apparent * In, FDR's Crisis Appointments; \C> 7*. ^Permanent' Congress Likely '?'if I ? ;#.? ? J tcj,. : ^ r-* JBDITOK'S NOTE?When opinions are expressed in these columns, they are^hose of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.) ' Released by Western Newspaper Union. ? ?--JMH?*. .- P Norway) < BBMRggfeat S~>%T viw. ,?^.wis^L\~. ?*? t. * b ?? ' i -1 IRRI.Alfn / xX J]MI~. M .I?? I ~?~*|'"t hiiL ?'^i?^FRANCE^ i?|.?ifc^i^iti ill I 2 ?? r.. B| '" I Hi I yutemaI p^- *"?'? p^~~\ P ????? "*' ""** I ^WhMf~t-p +??MIZ.N?I? I.I....Ifi jVyHL-^ t v| ?MLA?iAMik "S-^i rv fr*4?. SMM Int 6W ^-jwUw->??i|.iii*p? Ittl ^SETtj,."V "*-" \? -?** rf?* r+ b-**. Lot iMvwf part m 24 I _ t. t ? p ~ ; mt cmfrari* ka tJtiUd (^-f ?ip^xrcrz i i'.t wrtd ?>?*? 1^ Wr*"* , A WEEK OF WAR IN MODERN EUROPE The neutrals soere also busy. CONGRESS: * Emergency? Open for inspection this month is a choice collection of political anom alies. Whether Franklin Roosevelt made third term capital out of Eu rope's wpes was only a guess, but the emergency of war caused strange things to happen. "Junked," in Secretary Steve Ear ly's words," was the "imaginary fcrain trust." Solidly whacked un der presidential orders were Com munists and Fascists. Brought into H-a-year emergency posts were more anti-New Dealers than Wash ington has seen since Herbert Hoo ver left town. Big business, the President's No. | foe, not only supported his "cash and-carry" neutrality proposal, but one of its representatives, Ihdustri alist Herbert Bayard Swope, said oithusiastically that "Mr. Roosevelt I?- ia itnina fn ? ?-*?-? ~ keep ua out of this war." ' Meanwhile the tradir tional big buain e a a party. Re publican iam, was con vinced the New Deal'a hidden aim ia to send American SENATOR NTE a a iMCr toiic Hfftf a a a" troop* to settle Europe's quarrel. Such Republicans as Ohio's Sea. Robrift: Taft " and VerrooSfs S?. Warren Austin plumped for .cash and-carry. as did many a lesser in surgent Democrat who last summer hated all that Franklin Roosevelt represents. V this looked like harmony, ob servers had another guess coming. They had not reckoned with North Dakota's Sen. Gerald P. ("Neutral ity") Nye, with Idaho's lionish Sen. William E. Borah, or with Missouri's Democratic Sen. Bennett Champ Clark. As the call went out for special congressional session, voices like these were raised in protest and warning. Isolationism again reached the fore. Far from stubborn, Senator Borah merely wanted assurance of ade quate debate on neutrality. He had no desire to "kill time," but was sure cash-and-carry "will inevitably bring us into war." More alarming was Senator Nye, author of the present neutrality law: "Americans had better talk now before the gags of a declared emergency are placed. I expect that from here on the administration will be contending that every voice raised in opposition ... is at once a pro-Hitler voice." What gags be had in mind, Mr. Nye did not say. But there was every indication cash-and-carry neu trality, without gags, had a chance st getting through congress. Under proposed amendments any goods onuld be sold to B belligerent who hesq^it it, paid for it and carted it away in his own ships. American ships would be prohibited from en tering combat areas. One other question facing the President was how to get rid of congress once it had changed neu trality. Quite a case for contin uous wartime session could be built \ i \ from a Gallup poll which showed moat Americans feel safer with con gress in session. Moreover, spe cial interests began clamoring for non-emergency legislation. Califor nia's Rep. Jerry Voorhis said con gress must "correct the injustices of the last so-called relief act." INTERNATIONAL: The Neutrals Biggest repercussion of war in the western hemisphere was the con vening of 21 American republics at Panama City to safeguard neutral ity, protect hemispherical peace and farther economic co-operation. Big gest repercussions in the Far East were (1) shakeup of Japanese army leadership in China and Manchukuo to hasten an end to the Chinese war, and (2) German-inspired ef forts for a non-aggression pact with Russia, thus checking the growing Japanese sentiment in Britain's fa vur. But the biggest neutral news came from Europe, pleasant and other wise. Moscow's allegiance to Ber lin was more marked than ever. German engineers arrived to aid Russian industry, thus indicating the Soviet will be Adolf Hitler's storehouse. While Paris radio re ported all Soviet merchant ships en route to England had been ordered home, thus indicating a coming breach, the Soviet joined hostilities by shooting Polish craft which vio lated the frontier. Should enough such incidents occur, Russia might take revenge far joining Der Fuehrer in a'new Polish partition. Most intense activity came in the Mediterranean region. Andre ANDRE FRANCOIS-PONCET Things happened in Rente. Francois-Poncet, French ambassa dor to Rome, allegedly notified his foreign office that Italian neutrality is certain, that Mussolini is angry over Germany's warlike settlement of the Danzig issue, and that all this msy eventually work out to the al lies' benefit. Not only was Signor Mussolini making every effort to bolster his world trading position and thus wax rich, but he looked especially at the frightened Balkan states. There he saw puzzled tradesmen seeking any port in a storm, striving to stsy neutral while Germany pressed for delivery of goods contracted before the war. THE WAR: Behind Scenes "What kittd of a war is Ihit? Tka Ma lum fa puzzled. It expected war to mean an immediate clash of arms . . . Instead, there is little news . . . Nineteen out of twenty persons ask therefore this ques tion: Are we making as decisive an at tack ... as our strength allows f Day after printing thia editorial. Lord Beaverbrook's Evening Stand ard had more news, not from the front but of carryings-on behind scenes. Secretly, Prime Minister Chamberlain and Lord Chatfleld (minister 01 defense co ordination) flew the Eng lish channel and met Premier E d o u a r d Daladierand French Gen. Maurice Ga melin some w lie i c iica* Paris to form a supreme BEAVERBROOK WeUf allied defense council. Thus was avoided one of the mistakes those nations made in their last war against Germany. Next day Mr. Chamberlain, safely back home, told parliament he left the French meeting "fortified and encouraged." Not only would the al lies trounce Germany, but they would rescue Poland and liberate the Czechs. Western War England learned for the first time that her troops and planes were fighting in France. With activities still centered in the Saar basin, vio lent fighting brought conflicting re ports. Berlin claimed French ad vances to Saarbruecken were driv en back. French admitted Germany had seized French territory in its SMIGLY-R YDZ AND WIFE Th* hold Dal* *M wet counter offensive, but said the ground was recaptured and poilus were primed (or an attack on the famed German West wall Eastern War After waiting two weeks, Poland's Marshal Edward Smigly-Rydr final ly got his bald pate wet. The fa mous autumn rains started and Ger man advance was slackened while the efficient Polish artillery went into action. Warsaw was variously reported falling and standing. Prob ably it still stood, but it was evi dent the Poles were taking losses elsewhere on the frontier to keep their major city intact. On the propaganda front, Poles (and even U. S. Ambassador Anthony Drexel Biddle) reported Germans were bombing everything in sight. AGRICULTURE: Corn Woes From 1928 to 1937 the 10-year corn production average was 2,310, 000,000 bushels. Last year it was 2,542,000,000 bushels. With 255,000, 000 bushels already sealed on farms under government loans, the depart ment of agriculture last month esti mated this year's production at 2,450,000.000 bushels. But this month Secretary Henry A. Wallace had to confess: Later figures boost ed the estimate to 2,523,000,000 bushels, smaller than last year, to be sure, but presenting a greater problem thanks to the big carry over. With a carryover of some 450,000.000 bushels, the U. S. will have 3,000,000,000 bushels of corn on hand for the coming season. Under AAA regulations, Mr. Wal lace had to decide whether the indi cated supply is more than 10 per cent above normal domestic needs plus export requirements. If so, he had to propose marketing quotas for next year and submit them to corn belt farmers for approval or rejection. If approved by two thirds, quotas would require farm ers exceeding their allotments to store excess grain or pay a pen alty tax of 15 cents a bushel Biggest factor working against quotas was last spring's abnormally large pig crop. Bruckart't Washington Digest Crooks Take Advantage of War To Bleed Consumers of Nation Without Justification Prices Are Boosted and People Scared Jnto Hoarding; Public Sentiment Is Only Force That Can Correct the Racketeering. By WILLIAM BRUCKART WNU Service, National Press BId(., Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON.?My faith in the soundness of 4he profit system as the basis for people to make a living always has caused me to lean some what to the defense of business prac tices when there had to be a choice between theories. Every fair mind ed person knows that business?ag riculture, manufacturing, banking, transportation or any other?has had a terrific onslaught of cock eyed arguments to meet in the last few years. To me, it is a distinct tribute to the profit system that we have seen as many businesses sur vive the last five or six years as there are still operating. But, calling upon the record of these columns, I have contended without exception that there are crooks in business, and that the present administration ought to di rect some of its venom at the crooks, rather than at business as a whole. And, so, this week, I want to write about this situation that has come to the surface as a result of the burst of flame that has engulfed Europe; they have shown again the true colors of their makeup and they have taken advantage of a situation in world affairs, without any Justi fication, to bleed the consumers of the United States. Almost with the crash of the first gun on the Eastern front, a small minority of business interests rubbed the palms of their hands to gether and began to count additional dollars they could gain in profits by boosting prices. And to cover up their perfidy, their treachery and their characteristics of a water snake, they have spread a counter pane of lies that will react against all business, including the growers at raw materials such as the crops of the fields. It is so easy to blame things on the war; it is being done by government officials as well as the brigands of business, but the latter class is collecting an unseen I (but deeply felt) tax from all of us who buy food to eat or clothes to wear. centage of retail stores will blandly tell you these things have happened. Some Wholesaler! Are ae Guilty em Sneak Thieves . There are certain of the whole salers who are as guilty as sneak thieves in the night, but. like the retailers, not all of them are re sorting to price increases for plain profit. From my own inquiries and from all of the information that has been made available to me, I am inclined to believe there are more wholesalers?a larger percentage of them?who have taken advantage of the perils of the times than can be shown among the retailers. In stances of actual skies and cancella tions of contracts and refusal of de liveries and delays in handling ship ments were related, where added profit accrued to the wholesaler or jobber, that almost seemed too fiendish to believe. And worse, those fellows were constantly offering new suggestions that had no basis in fact in justification of their acta. We heard every one of the sdtbis of fered during the days of 1917. And the manufacturers. A flock of those fellows, again, not a large percentage, were found to be hiking their prices on goods already manu factured and , ready for delivery. Now, I ask how on earth the prices on a finished product can be influ enced by conditions that did not arise until after the work was done. The only answer I obtained to the question anywhere was that replace ments would cost more, and there must be an inventory of sufficient size maintained to meet the demand. One can not examine the situation, as now presented without consider ing the stock market?the buying and selling of securities. It is not news to hear that quotations have boomed on every shine of stock at a corporation that may sell an add ed cargo overseas. I believe it ia fair to state, however, that this con dition is one of pure gambling, and this speculation has added to the fright of consumers whose house hold budgets are limited. Hoarding and High Priem* Dam to Greed, Crookedneas I have interviewed a lot of people in the fleld of buaineu in the last few days in an effort to ascertain where the cheating is going on. Moreover, I have investigated a number of business practices with the thought that these would pro vide a clue to some of the price in creases, and reasons for them, with the results mentioned in the para graph above. There must be added, however, one additional conviction: hundreds of thousands of consumers have become frightened and have started hoarding ? buying excess supplies because of fright. I still can not believe, however, that these hoarding tactics are completely re sponsible for the kiting of prices that has taken place. Ruthlessness and greed, faithlessness and the or dinary, garden variety of crooked ness among certain elements of business must accept responsibility; for, from these things together with the campaign of misrepresentation which those elements have engi neered come the fright of the aver age consumer. Hence, hoarding. In my study of the price situation on the regular purchases of a house hold, I have sampled quotations and advertising in Washington and Bal timore. Washington is somewhat different than any other city in the United States, but Baltimore is a large industrial area, fairly reflect ing normal reactions of buyers. I have observed the prices of chain stores and traced them back to wholesalers and jobbers, and to the manufacturers in some instances. Guilt attaches to a small per centage in the retail lines, the av erage store. There were instances found where the prices were boosted on commodities that had been on the shelves three months, articles that could not have been affected in any way by any possible change in manufacturing costs, added ex penses due to higher labor payments or increases in transportation and distribution. And, incidentally, there is almost no record of any increases in those items of manufacturing and distributing costs. The department of commerce figures do not reflect them, nor do the reports in the hands of the department of labor show them. But the beady-eyed rats behind the counters at a small per * People Arm Frightened And Commence Hoarding In discussing the situation around Washington, I found another influ ence, or what might be called an other basis for excitement. It is quite unjustified, of course, bat peo ple nevertheless were swayed by it. President Roosevelt has been talk ing about the dangers that exist, and how we must avoid them in order to stay oat of the European cataclysm. Beads at government agencies every where have been echoing the sentiment. There can be no argument: this nation must stay out and must help to keep all of the nations of North and South America out of the stream at molten lava that is spreading through the belligerent nations. It may be a necessary evil then, an unavoidable phase of world affairs, that people are frightened and seek to hoard. The tragedy of it is that the un principled element I have referred to is in a position to capitalise upon such a circumstance. But to get down to cases, let me repeat that there has been no in crease worth noting in wages, in the costs of raw materials. There has been no increase whatever in trans portations costs. There has been no increase in overhead expenses at grower or producer or manufacturer or wholesaler and jobber or retailer. Public Sentiment /a Only Force to Work E0 actively And what will be the result at all of these things? I said early they would react on all business, good business as well as the rats. The government can not do anything about it. Public sentiment is the only force that can operate affec tively, and public sentiment ought to exert its pressure. There will be a lot of talk about government control and there win be half-baked, and even quarter baked schemes offered in abund ance?all with a serious desire to break the grip of the small ele ment that has started this wave at fright, higher prices and more fright. Of course, it is unlikely that there will be any legislation result, because as far as I can find out there la no sound and workable method by which government can reach the scoundrels responsible. '" M * ?' . - ~ Speaking of Sports It's 1,727 for Gabby, Veteran Cub Backstop By ROBERT McSHANE \y HEN Charles Leo Hartnett, v Chicago Cub catcher-manager, ?trapped on his protective armor to catch his 1,727th game, he estab lished a record which is expected to stand for decades to come?if not forever. The new mark was made with "Gabby" catching Bill Lee in the second Wrigley Held series with the runner-op St. Loots Cardinals. Though a Cub victory would have been in order, the Cards had no sense of the fitness of things in gen eral, and whipped the Cubs 4 to 2. The previous day the situation had been reversed, with the Cube en the long end of an 11 to 3 count. Thus was relegated to the ash heap the long-standing. 1,728-mark set by Ray Schalk with the White Sox from 1912 through 1928 (1,721 games) and with the Giants in 1929 (Ave games). , No other catcher in the two major leagues has ever approached these marks, and it will be a long time, if ever, that another one does. Sim ? 4 CkirW Leo Hmrtaett pic mathematics provec that it will be at least half a decade before another challenger will stand a chance to better the marks. BUI Dickey, Yankee catcher, has the best chance. Be stands closest to Hartnett with more than 1JM blf learns contests behind hbn. Dickey is only It, and may in IMS catch ap to the 1,7*7 record on a basis of 1 OS-fame seasons. Bo wooer. Gabby Is eonddent that he win hare the record won ap In the l,BNs, at least Dispute Settled The actual number of games caught by Hartnett during the past IS seasons wasn't settled until re | cently. The National league, through its baseball service bureau, eras do I ing Ms outstanding backstop an in justice. The "Red Book - listed Gab by at 1,660 games throughout 1038, whereas the American league, through its official statisticians, un covered a game Hartnett caught in 1939, and listed his total at 1,611 games. The one game Gabby caught in 1939 caused the mix-up. That was the game which had been lost?a game played in Chicago against the New York Giants on September U. It was the only game Gabby worked behind the plate in that season of the great sore arm, a baffling ail ment that came and went with nei ther rhyme nor reason, but which kept him inactive through all the year save that almost forgotten aft ernoon. Merriwell Finish According to Gabby, his greatest moment in almost 30 years of big league ball came last year when he bit a pennant-turning home run dim ing a dark ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Thousands of fans were Just as thrilled as the great Gabby at the great Frank Merriwell finish. Gabby, Bearing Ms thirty-ata* birthday, Joined the Cabs M 1K3 when he was a It-year-eM rankle. He has a lifstinie batting avenge most*sdmlredi*CabfamTaa'abaL tar. la 1*66 be brought in 133 runs, la 1913 he pat ea the leagest hitting streak ef the seasea when he clicked la 36 straight games. Leo the Lkm Hearted lays claim to no "greatest" single game. The "no hit" charm has always eluded him, but, be says, "I've had the pleasure of working with a lot of great pitch ers." And a lot of pitchers have had the pleasure of working with a great Popular Champs JJISTORY, which has a somewhat I 41 tarnished record for not repeet ing itself, broke down completely when Adrian Quist and John- Brom wich, two yoqng tennis stars, an nexed the Davis cup for dear old Australia. Inst a quarter at ? century age Norman Brookes and Anthony, Wild ing, received the trophy^MMl never retained. This year's gallant twosome from down under received their stilinf orders from the I.. - i Australian war office lers than an hour after their victory. How ever, the order for immediate ? ailing w%s re scinded through the efforts of Team Captain Harry Hopman. The council of the Australian Lawn Addas Qiht i cuiug ??? wviw ~ ? tion informed the team by cable that it "agrees the team complete original program and return Octo ber 10." *1 The group'* action was welcomed by officials of the United Sialrs Lawn Tennis association. The Aus tralian victory wal a popular one with the huge throngs who witnessed the battles on the Merion Cricket club courts at Haverfoid, Pa. thSr"victory eu'darS^'aw from behind te win the cap. When Bobby Biggs beat Bremwiah sad Frankle Parker beat Qaiet to the that aa Australian defeat was ear ed Joe Haat-aad Jack Are usee at doubles. A complete reversal *f tans ea rned to toe totals. Qoist pUyed with everythtog be had, Inhaling eocksare Bobby Blgga t-1, H M. M awl M. Parker's ferehaad eet lapsed, and he was whipped M, M sad (-1 by Bremwieh. It is likely that Australia sriB re tain possession d the cup for sev eral years to come. The prsssnt European situation wiD ate te that. Friends and tennis fans can only hope that the rhsmphwn escape the fate that waa Tony Wilding's. Gridiron Topnotchers This no dee ? s ?rim af elide 'w?Zk ikrir rocordj deneg