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The Alamance Gleaner ? ? j*jw? :<??*mr:ggj arm VoL LXVI GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 1940 No. 18 WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS By Farnham F. Dudgeon Powerful Attack by Nazi Army Pushes Allies Out of Belgium; U. S. Defense Board Is Selected . (EDITOR'S NOTE?When opinion* are expressed la these* columns, they are these of the sews analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.) 'Ralpaud b* Weatdrn Npwsnnnev TTnlnn THE WAR: Flanders Flight When King Leopold m ordered hi* 300,000 Belgian troops to lay down their arms in their battle against the military might of Adolf Hitler, worried French and British leaders saw that the forces they had rushed into Belgium following the German invasion were doomed. For on the fields of Flanders their armies were exposed to a great en circling movement by the Nazis and were in great danger of being cut off from the main body of the troops in central France.-' Without waiting Adolf Hitler be gan to close the jaws of his gigantic trap of death. Attacking with great ferocity the German machine moved toward the retreating allies. With out loss of impetus military objec tive after objective was gained in a tremendous show of force,. In the sky, dive bombers swooped toward the earth, cutting off supply detiils, disrupting communications, destroying immense stores of war goods but failing to seriously daunt allied morale and courage. Their lines in formation, the Brit ish and French retreated steadily toward the English channel. For they were outnumbered and the country they had come to protect from in vasion had been ordered by its king to cease fighting. Their best chance KING LEOPOLD m His order started ? retreat. for escape was across the Strait of Dover to England or down the sea coast to rejoin the main portion of their troops along the Somme and Aisne rivers in Prance. While from Berlin came word of the great victory being won, from the first soldiers to reach English soil in their retreat across the chan nel, came reports that important losses were being effected upon the Germans as they advanced. But even these sources admitted that great stocks of war booty was fall ing into Nazi hands. Supplies of gasoline and munitions which any army needs were being obtained by the Germans. Next Next, with Belgium and much of the vital industrial portion of north ern France safely tucked away, Adolf Hitler had a choice to make. He could launch his long-threatened air attack on the British isles or he could strike out for Paris. Feeling against France has been running high in Berlin, judging from current reports. Usually it has been the British that have been the sub ject to press attack by the Nazi prop aganda machine, but now France is getting its share of verbal abuse. Some observers thought these at tacks were a feint intended to lull the British into believing they were to be left alone and then when the "hour" arrived it would be a sur NAMES ... in the news C Eleven 'months after he resigned aa governor of Louisiana. Richard W. Lethe, political heir of Haey P. Long, went on trial on charges of using the mails to defraud. The charge grew out of a truck deal which is alleged to have netted him and two others, a cool $113,370. C Motion-picture actor Walter Cm nolly, outstanding character actor, died at his Hollywood home. prise blitzkrieg for Johnny Bull. But England has taken strong defense measures of late to be ready for the worst and she has promised a warm reception for any invader. France's interior seemed a bit stronger too, for as the Germans moved against the trapped Flanders army in the north the line of defense across the nation's central axis was decidedly bolstered. U. S. DEFENSE: Progress President Roosevelt's fourteenth fireside chat began a series of events in the new national defense pro gram that was marked by increas ing attention to the details of getting Un cle Sam's house in order?"come whaf may." Influenced chiefly by the progress of the German army in its drive toward Paris and London, Americans of both major political parties are getting behind the President's announced objective of building defenses of the Western hemisphere "to whatever heights the future may. demand." Pleading for unity in the drive for military security, the President in his natien-wide radio address warned against Troan Horse treachery with in the nation's borders. He pledged that the government would not ex pect private capital to provide all of the funds necessary. Tax This statement invoked discussion as to how the government intended to foot the necessarily large bill of any such program. A defense tax movement has been gaining ground in congress. This is a com plete about-face on the subject tfy the legislators. When the first pro posals were made to increase arma ments, most members of the senate and house passed over the matter of providing the money by remark ing that the important thing to do was to provide the defenses and worry about paying for them later. Now the sentiment is that a flat 10 per cent increase in individual and corporate in come taxes might be the best way to meet the obligations to be incurred by the bil lion-dollar program now under full steam. And aa the rising war hysteria spread over the nation it seemed likely that this suggestion would not meet the disap proval such a tax in William 8. Knudsen crease would ordinarily encounter. Reading reports of the fierce power of German military might, U. S. cit izens may prefer to dig down in their jeans for preparedness than feel home defenses were insecure. Commission A presidential commission of sev en, appointed to muster the coun try's economic resources in connec tion with the preparedness drive, was announced in Washington. This commission represents a lay "gen eral staff" which will work with government officials and agencies in lining up men, materials and plans for speeding up armament produc tion. The commission: Edward R. Stettinius Jr., U. S. Steel company chairman, who will supervise proaucucm of raw materials; William S. Knudsen, General Motor* pro duction wizard, who will direct his atten tion to manufactur ing problems; Sid ney Hillman, Amal gamated Clothing Workers union pres ident, responsible for labor matters; Chester C. Davis, Federal Reserve Chester Daria board member and former AAA di rector, who will guide agriculture's course; Ralph Budd, president of the C. B. A Q. railroad, transpor tation; Leon Henderson, chairman of the Securities commission, will check on stabilization of wholesale prices; and Miss Harriet Elliott, University of North Carolina, who will guard the consumers interests. * PEEK-OF-THE-WEEK Here it Lauriston Taylor, physicist of the V. S. Bureau of Standards, directing the plac ing of the corona cap atop of the world"t largest X-ray ma chine. Capable of generating rays to a power of 1,500,000 volts, it was assembled in the high voltage laboratory of the bureau in Washington, D. C. Its use will set a standard for other such machines in hospitals and cancer clinics throughout the country. GOOD NEIGHBORS: To the SoiUh Not such a "good neighbor" is what many Mexicans are thinking these days of Leon Trotsky, exiled Russian political leader, who has taken up a haven of refuge from his Soviet enemies in Mexico's in terior. The recent attempt, to as sassinate Trotsky has caused at least a few Mexican officials to be lieve that no good can come from his remaining in their country and they are anxious for him to move on. Trotsky's home is constantly guarded but despite this "protec tion," Joseph Stalin's arch-rival is not especially loved or admired by some of his "neighbors." A neighbor further south has been having a bit of trouble with a little -uprising of its own. Reports from Panama indicate that the govern ment nipped an alleged plot for a revolution which was scheduled to prevent that country's 1940 presiden tial election. An indication that U. S. business was attempting to regain some of its foreign trade lost by the Euro pean conflict was evidenced by news that the Moore-McCormack lines were opening a new shipping serv ice between North and South Amer ica on both the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards. In announcing the new shipping routes and ships to be used in the service the company's presi dent, Albert V. Moore, said: "The surface of trade possibilities be tween the U. S. and South America has only been scratched." This was good news to business men for the commerce department's current trade report shows a $27,000,000 de cline in export trade for last month. Some real "scratching" will be nec essary to build up this loss. To the North , A career diplomat, Jay P. Moffat was nominated by President Roose velt to replace James H. Cromwell as U. S. minister to Canada. Mof fat, now chief of the western Euro pean division of the state depart ment, is not expected to create the flurry that Cromwell did when, as a U." S. representative, he made his now-famous speech expressing a de cided sympathy for the British French cause in their struggle with Hitler. SOCIAL SERVICE: Trouble, Trouble There is no (roup of persons in the United States that is closer to the nation's vital problems of un employment, relief, youth move ments, etc., than the National Con ference of Social Workers. Basic human needs are the social workers stock-in-trade. Meeting in Grand Rapids, Mich., in national conven tion, that organization discussed, debated and "resolved" these prob lems in their relationship to the cur rent domestic and international pic ture. MISCELLANY: d. Six army flyers were killed in the crash of a Douglas bomber near Mojave, Calif. The crash, which carried the two officers and four crew members to their deaths, oc curred in a night trial flight over the army's desert bombing range. C Fifty thousand civilian pilots in the U. S. can be trained by the Civil Aeronautics authority, "without any loss of efficiency and safety," ac cording to an announcement made by that governmental agency. C In Chicago, a 10-day milk srike, in which labor union drivers had re fused to make home deliveries pending the outcome of a wage dis pute, was ended in a truce. Bruehearfu Wathington Digest New Program for U. S. Defense Crowds Politics Into Background Rising Tide of War Hysteria in Nation's Capital Endangers Advancement of Many New Deal Social Reforms. Br WILLIAM BRUCKART WNU 8ervice, National Press Bldg., Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON.?There is a new kind of political conflict developing in Washington. The extent to which it will go depends, obviously, upon developments in Europe's war. It la fair to say, nevertheless, that at this moment died-in-the-wool New Dealers are frightened within an inch of their lives from fear of what the war hysteria is going to do to their pet social program. It should be said by way of ex planation that President Roosevelt's defense program is likely to require the best industrial and military brains avail able. That means the President must turn to the captains of industry?so cor dially hated by real New Dealers ? for certain types of help and guidance for a preparedness pro gram. Through these last several weeks, ob Bruckart servers nere nave wnnesseu new Deal reformers making strenuous efforts toward warding off any changes in their programs that would set back the schemes they have been fostering through the last seven years. Those New Dealers who have the President's ear have gone so far as to persuade him to issue a warning to congressional leaders that none of the New Deal reforms or social advances shall be abrogated by defense legislation. In the meantime, however, most every observer also has witnessed a tendency on the part of those charged with official responsibility to take steps leading to more work able plans in hastening defense preparation. Indeed, right now there is an intensive study being made under guidance of the army and navy of such things as wage and hour regulations, and limitations upon private financing. Other things that amount to handicaps upon the nation's productive capacity also are being examined. The idea behind all of this is, of course, to learn whether the numerous so-called re forms will help or hinder speedy development and production of the war materials which must be avail able if Europe's war gets further out of bounds. Minimum Wage Scales Art Being Investigated As showing how the New Deal ad vocates are resisting any encroach ment upon the reforms which they have fostered, it is necessary only to report, as an example, that the federal contracts board has been holding hearings on proposed mini mum wage scales. The board Is functioning under the Walsh-Healy act This statute permits the de partment of labor to fix minimum wages paid in any industrial plant which is manufacturing under a government contract if the materi als which the government is buying cost more than $10,000. The board has been going right ahead with hearings on its recom mendation that a minimum wage of 52 Vi cents per hour be established in the entire electrical industry. It has done this notwithstanding the fact that anybody must realize how use less the procedure is if it becomes necessary for the President to use war-time powers and require emer gency schedules of production to be maintained. Moreover, it is doubtful that the Information collected by the board will have any value in any event. This is true because war-time con ditions abroad naturally are influ encing our industrial conditions. The data being collected probably will be meaningless if the war continues another six months. With respect to the question of limitations of hours which employ ees may work, the same story is true. In addition, it can be said, I believe, that congress will waste very little time in removing the re strictions on hours of labor if the emergency requires complete mar shaling of American productive ca pacity. Europe's War May End Many Theoretical Ideals I could go on with other illustra tions of the character mentioned here. These serve, however, to il lustrate the point I have been at tempting to make. They illustrate also the possibility that a further expansion of Europe's war proba bly means the end for many of the theoretical ideals about which the New Dealers have been prating through these many months. There is a bit of humor in the grim reality of the conditions fac ing this country today. I have writ ten in these columns many times that the New Deal pay rollers were leading the drive to re-elect Mr. Roosevelt for a third term. That is the only manner in which they can be certain to hold on to their jobs. Now, however, we find Mr. Roose velt's candidacy moved forward very definitely by the impetus of Europe's war, while at the same time we find the avid New Dealers being slowly pushed into the back ground while practical men are called in to direct and manage the defense program. There is also to be noted, in con nection with the excited conditions incident to war preparation here, that certain groups are exerting selfish pressure. It will be said, of course, that a democracy permits selfish interest to employ pressure. But the thing observers note around Washington these days is the very early activity of some groups which are striving, apparently, to make a profit out of the war. Mr. Roosevelt has publicly declared that extraor dinary profit is not going to be per mitted. His statement, however, does not assure prevention of the selfishness. It will take a great many thrusts and some punishment to accomplish the purpose. Some conversation has already been heard to the effect that Mr. Roosevelt must piacs more confi dence in private business leaders if his defense plans carry through. The President, as everyone recalls, has seemed to enjoy cracking the whip over business at frequent intervals during his entire seven years in the White House. The more conserve tive members of the administration recognize the cleavage betwedfi the President and general business, and LOUIS JOHNSON Not mb nchm Mraw iruA Ait ba. they are seeking to heal the wounds. But the New Deal reformers?the in ner circle?will not listen to such advice. Many of them will frankly say that business is not to be trust ed, and they are not going to allow business leaders to ride in the sad dle of defense management. Chang? m Preeent Cabinet Arm Being Called Far As the war situation in Europe un folds, some of the saner minds in Washington are calling for changes in the President's cabinet. It seems quite obvious to that school of thought that a real secretary of the navy and a real secretary of war are badly needed. It is well known that Secretary Woodring and Assistant Secretary Johnson of the war department are at odds. In fact, until a few months ago Mr. Woodjing and Colonel John son were not on speaking terms. It is the general understanding that Colonel Johnson is doing a reason ably good job, but the condition within the department is such that no complete cooperation can be ex pected. Mr. Edison, wbo is running for the governorship of New Jersey, has been no howling success as sec retary of the navy. Speaking of Sports Yankees Face Tall Hurdle in Pennant Race By ROBERT McSHANE (lUlsuad by Wiiurn Ntwlptptr Union.I T HE most frequently asked ques tion in- sports today?"What's happened to the New York Yan kees?"?is one of the hardest to an swer. It's difficult to realize that the once-proud Yanks, quoted as 7 20 favorites by betting authorities when the season opened, now are not even money against the field. Those t to 1 odds, the shortest price in all basebaU history, are dow a thing of the past. The big change came when the faikeet dropped to the American league's tail end position bp losing eight games in a row. No experts, self styled or real, are saying, "I told you so." And for a good reason. Most of them were on the BUI Dicker Yankee bandwagon?it was only natural. The few who picked other clubs to assume command at least placed the Yanks in a near-top posi tion. Now comes word thst Manager Joe McCarthy has called on the American leagne, in the best Inter ests of baseball and the circuit, to kill the new rule .which prevents the Ysnkees from making a trade. Me- ' Carthy explained that he plans on msking his light with the team which won last year, bat that if last year's com bins tioo proves ineffec tive, It will be time to "do some thing drastic." McCarthy refused to elaborate on his "drastic" measures, but it is 1 held likely that if the club can't get back in 1939 form it will be shaken up and replacements brought in from the club farm system. No Yankee Alibis Admitting that he has never seen anything like the Yankee slump in baseball before, McCarthy offers no alibis. The Yanks had a cold spring on the way north?but so i did the other clubs. Then, however, the world's championship team went into a slump. Sad to say, a slump feeds on it- I self. It can begin with one man and spread to a greater part of the team. But it's not in the cards for men like Bill Dickey, Joe Gordon, and Charlie Keller to fail when the chips are down. Players like these usually snap out of it in a hurry? one or two good days and they're back in hitting form. McCarthy doesn't expect to have to take any unusual steps. Be won't bo satisfied with a two or three-week winning streak. Be wants the Yankees to climb on top and stay there. Be knows they're a-team that can do tt. It's abont the same ehib that ran away from both leagues last year, with superla tive players In every department. A Three-Way Jinx Dickey, Gordon and Keller agree with McCarthy that their troubles were in trying too hard. They agree, too, that the (lump will wear itaelf out and the Yanka will be on their way. Through the Kid dle of May, Diekey waa hitting aUgMly mere than .ltd. That waa a mark te break the heart et cwl*7 KeUer deadliest eracial Utters. Jee Gordon wasn't deiac mack better, tad the "seeead year Jinx" apparently had visited Char ley Keller. Keller finished the 1839 season with a batting average of .334 and blasted out three home runs In the World Series against Cincinnati, hit ting at a .438 clip in the fall classic. This year be visited the sidelines, benched by McCarthy tor weak hit ting after chalking up a .231 mark in 21 games. McCarthy eaa't understand why left-binded pitching should play a very important part In the Tank's tlnmp. They beat southpaws It times last year and loot only 14 deci sions to them. Bat while the Tanks were at their worst they dropped their tenth game to left-handed A1 Smith of the Cleveland Indians, be ing en the short end of a 1# to 2 count. A slump is hard to explain, whether It hits one man or the whole team. The Yanks don't in tend to do any explaining. They're out to win ball games. Knowing they're a first-place ball chib, they intend to climb into that position. GENERAL JOgNSON Jour: ?A BUNCH OF BUrffct* Washington, D. C. One principal reason why J went to St. Louis, the metropolis ot the great valley, was to check up as well as I could on oertaia state ments so frequently repeated in the East recently. One Is that this great hinterland people so short a time ago opposed to our taking any part in the war in Europe have now changed their minds. Another is that the Presi dent's message on defense has so "electrified" and "unified" them for his foreign policies that an election this fall would be a mistake?that it is no longer necessary. They want a third term for Mr. Roosevelt as a measure of national preparedness. Walter Lippcnann, Miss Qorothy Thompson and radio commentator H. V. Kaltenborn seem to have fall en for. this line, or at least have stressed various angles of the move to suppress our two-party system on a belief that what we need is unity. That is also the White House janis sariat and third termite line. It is at the bottom of the President's dra matic but'tricky presentation jjf the preparedness bill and of his coquetry to seduce a healthy opposition party by the so-called coalition cabinet idea. i ? ? ? Well, it ia my observation among this valley people of my own begin nings that it is all a bunch ot bunk. This mid-western country no more approves the President's policy of sticking our necks out into the for eign embroglios of Europe and Asia than it ever did, and that was not at alL It does approve the spending of whatever is necessary for Ameri can defense. It always did. It need ed no "unification" on that either by the President's speech or "coalition cabinet."' It is shocked to learn at so late a date thaf this administration, while spending so many billions for boon doggling and some useful works, has permitted us to remain so delin quent in defense that Ve have prac tically no armament against the dreadful weapons ot modern war. It is beginning to realize that it has not heretofore been (old the truth about this defenselessneas. It is especially indignant to learn that as early as 1933 when Hitler started the "mechanization and mo torization of army tactical units'* which is now conquering civiliza tion, and which then erased the un employment problem in Germany, Mr. Roosevelt was authorized by congress to spend any part of $3,300, 000,000 that he chose for the same purpose?and spent it and many bil lions more for other and far less necessary purposes. ? ? ? Mr. Roosevelt mad* an effective rearmament speech and got a lot of applause. But the facts are leaking out that he was making a virtue out of his own neglect and inaction in defense, that the appropriation ha asked for was unplanned and inade quate. That the speech and the tubas quent coalition cabinet stuff was pure third-term politics and had lit tle to do with increased industrial defense production?which is the es sence of our problem. ? ? ? INDUSTRIAL SENSE At the end of a luncheon of B. M. Baruch with the President, Steve Early warned newshawks not to be gin guessing that there would be a new war industries board. Ha add ed that the government is muoh bet ter organised than it was in 1>17. 1 think Mr. Early is partly right But the statement carries hints which, if intended, are altogether wrong. The war industries board was an over-all control of oar en tire economic system, including de mand and supply, price and produc tion, transportation and commerce. We were organizing a "nation in arms" for total war by overseas attack. ? That required us to shoot the works?to make many times the effort we are called upon to make today for defensive preparation. It is true that we do not need to re peat precisely the war industries or ganization. It is also true that governmental organization is "different" from that of 1917, but Steve is also re ported to have said It is "better." If that means "better to get the maximum effort and production out of industry," it is nonsense. To say this government is better organized to do this job of rapid in dustrial production for rearmament could be described aa a colossal though tragic joke?if it were not an tragic.
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
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June 6, 1940, edition 1
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