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The Alamance Gleaner , ... , _ ? ? ? , . VoL LXVI GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1940 - - - Na 20 ' WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS By Farnham F. Dudgeon German Troops Enter Paris; French Make Desperate Plea For Additional Aid From U. S. (EDITOR'S NOTE?When opinions are expressed In these columns, they ore those of the news analyst and not neceaaarlly of this newspaper.) _________ "Released by Wastern Newspaper Union. When Italy Joined forces with Germany in the war against France and England she had a good supply of armored tanks to aid in clearing the way for troops in true blitskrieg fashion. Here are pictured a number of Mus solini's soldiers manning the best tanks Italy has been able to produce. In addition to these "regular" tanks, the Italian army is said to possess a Urge number of the "flame-throwing" variety. THE WAR: Help Wanted "Our race does not allow itself to be beaten down by invasion . . . Our race has always thrown back or dominated the invaders ..." Brave words these, spoken by Premier Reynaud of France as he was tell ing his people of his "last" appeal for help to President Roosevelt. If President Roosevelt was plan ning on helping the allies, next morning he learned that there was nothing much to be done to aid them in defending the French capital, Paris. For during the night word had come through from Ambassador Bullitt that the German army was "inside the gates of Paris." When the French government had transferred itself to the city of Tours, Ambassador Bullitt decided to stay on in Paris. While there he watched the French clear the city of all troops so that it might be de clared "an open city" and thus be spared destruction by the invading forces. As the French army abandoned Paris, the high command explained that no worthwhile strategic aim would justify the detraction of the historic capital, almost sure to re sult in any battle to defend it. As the news spread that Paris was not being defended rumors spread that a separate peace for France was in the offing. Soon, however, Britain announced that she was pouring every available man and all available equipment across the channel to aid in the further defense of France. But in his plea for help, Premier Reynaud had said he hoped for "clouds" of U. S. warplanes. And as the military experts were calculating the combined strength of England and France against Ger many and her new ally, Italy, it be came increasingly apparent that planes were the prime need of the defenders. For while Britain and France may control the sea, their air power is sadly lacking. The fig ures show that the Rome-Berlin axis has over twice as many fighting planes as the allies. HOME FRONT: Big Job In ? machine age war world, with dive-bom ben, flaming tanks, and motorized equipment of all types, industrial mobilization of national resources takes precedence over manpower mobilization. Germany's swift thrusts into en emy territory stand as evidence that while Prance and England idly watched, Nazi factories were work ing overtime turning out their me chanical instruments of war. HEADLINERS ?. Gov. Lnren Dickinson of Michi gan removed Thomas C. Wtleo* as sheriff of Wayne (Detroit) county after hearing charges that the sher iff received a "cut" In a vice and gambling payoff. ff. Norway's ruler. King Hi than VII, Anally left his country's shores, tak ing his government with him to Eng land. ff. Former Governor of 'Louisiana, Richard W. Leeks, was given a 10 year federal prison sentence (or us ing the mails to defraud. Allied leaders themselves are ad mitting these days that it was this lack of a unified industrial produc tion program that left them so far behind Germany when the war be gan. Evidently the United States does not intend to be caught napping in a similar fashion, should this nation be called upon to defend its shores against invasion. (For the $5,000, 000,000 preparedness program is moving along with increasing smoothness and speed. The President'8 defense commis sion, co-operating with government agencies, has increased the tempo of its program to aid in this mobili zation. From Detroit, likely to be the key . point for the mass production of war planes, came news that after Henry Ford and his engineers had inspected two planes sent them by the war department, he announced that his statement of being able to produce 1,000 ships a day, still stood. It was further stated that giv en six months notice Ford could turn out this many planes without interruption to normal output of automobiles. Ford emphasized in an interview that any planes he pro duced would be "for defense only." Paying the Bill Secretary of the Treasury Mor genthau believes that the public is "willing and ready" to accept ad ditional taxes to support the de fense program. Most tax experts agreed with him but many cautioned that a hurried revenue bill rushed through congress would have to be reviewed and studied later to see that the tax was distributed fairly among all income groups. POLITICS: Now It the Time Opening their national convention in Philadelphia the Republican par ty faces a difficult task indeed. From its ranks it must pick a pres idential candidate that will first of all be able in some manner to match the experience in international af fairs that the Democratic party can present to the U. S. voting popula tion in its candidate. For war or peace, preparedness or lack of it, the foreign situation is to be the biggest factor in the 1M0 political campaign. Both major po litical parties realize this and many domestic issues, truly Important ones, may be neglected because of it And with knowing this they are concentrating on choosing a standard bearer that will give the American public full confidence that if elected he win be successful in pursuing a wise foreign policy. INDUSTRY: Upturn Since last December, American business has been following a down ward trend but now the picture is changing and according to recent reports of the federal reserve board this trend has been suddenly re versed. Government economists and Sec retary of Commerce Harry L. Hop Una believe that domestic busi ness activity will increase enough (due to the multi-billion dollar de fense program) to more than oflbet losses in internatkmal trade due to invasion of many of Uncle Sam's good customers in Europe. 'Marked Men' A historic spot where Amer ican doughboys fought in the Argonne district of France is marked by this stone?it was "marked^ in another fashion in World War II. A German aerial bomb scored a hit, shattering the monument. AGRICULTURE: Record Reserve Department of agriculture reports indicate that ever-normal granary reserve supplies of surplus farm products have reached record levels and will be increased this year. This reserve supply held by the Commodity Credit corporation un der loans to producers or owned out right by the corporation has a total value of about $1,000,000,000. Chief crops in reserve are cotton, corn, wheat and tobacco. Smaller amounts of peanuts, figs, butter, wool, mohair, turpentine and resin are held because of loans made last year. This year, loans averag ing #4 cents per bushel on 1940 wheat, 35 cents on rye, and 30 cents on barley have" already been au thorized and loans are virtually cer tain on 1940 cotton (9 cents per pound) and corn (between 57 and 82 cents per bushel). While farm prices are at a low ebb because of the loss of many for eign markets due to the war there is a feeling in some quarters that it may become necessary for the Americas to eventually supply most of the foodstuffs for European na tions. It is known that generally speak ing these nations do not have huge supplies of food and will be forced to get huge stocks of grain from somewhere. But the situation is so uncertain that the farmer who takes a gam ble on getting in on some of the "extra-eventual" trade may be left holding a full grain sack. MEDICINE: New Trend Arch foe of any attempt to "fed eralize" or centralize authority in control of the practice of medicine, the American Medical association is now about ready to make available to the public a system or systems of statewide medical care at low cost. Details of the plan to be presented are not immediately available but it is known that prepayments to cov er sickness promise to run from $1.50 to $2.50 per month per indi vidual. Opposition to any compulsory health insurance plan was expressed by leaders of the association. Meeting in annual conclave in New York, the A. M. A. house of dele gates heard reports on the results of experiments by 300 county societies all over the country in joining with relief authorities to provide medical service to the indigent. The new plan, which will be an outgrowth of these experiments, does not limit its service to the indigent but win be available for all to whom low cost is essential. At least 14 states already have a statewide plan in some stage of de velopment. EAST SIDE: Accord and Discord On the world'* troublesome cast side where eye* of the western world are cast in never-ending vig ilance there are some signs of ac cord . . . and added signs of the usual discord. For from Tokyo comes word that Japan and Thailand (Siarn) have concluded a treaty of friendship, which a foreign office spokesman described as "unmistakable evi dence of Japan's peaceable inten tions in the South Pacific." And in London the British report ed a non-aggression pact between Thailand. Japan and Oreat Britain as well as a partial settlement at aa old dispute with Japan on the matter at money circulation in China and the prolonged silver dis pute in the city of Tientsin. Brackarf* Washington Digeat Aftermath of World War II To Present Serious Problems Economic Depression, Threats of Other Conflicts, Large U. S. Standing Army, Are Among Crave Situations To Be Faced With Arrival of 'Peace.' By WILLIAM BRUCKART WNU Service, National Press Bldy Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON.?It may be some what early to talk about what will happen after the second World war, but I believe it is time to look in that uirecuon. w jui mai hell-hole that is Eu rope still tar from giving us and the rest ot the world an answer as to wheth er Hitler's murder ous philosophy or the reasonable type ot freedom shall be the governing force, there are neverthe uioujr umiK? U) , come as an after- ??-Bracks* math. We may wish to avoid think ing of those things, but I repeat we will gain nothing by failing to look to the future. For one thing, if the first World war was the cause, direct or in direct, of the depression that has now gone 10 years, then there is an other one due after several years of wintry blasts and burning summer suns have destroyed the stains of blood on Europe's battlefields. My inquiries of men who study the field of economics have brought little more solid information than that we must expect another cycle of torn business and personal relations. As far as I am personally able to figure out, the depression that has been with us for 10 years may prove to be only a rehearsal for the real worldwide depression that is to come. I cannot see how it can be avoided. Another thing that gives the life perspective a blue-Mack appearance is the certainty that whoever wins the gigantic martlan explosions of the current war, there will remain thereafter hatred and threats of new wars. The hatred is certain. Who will not hate another people by whom hundreds of thousands of hus bands, brothers, sons and sweet hearts were destroyed? The hatred will obtain whether Hitler dominates all of Europe or whether, as any sane person hopes, he is destroyed and his followers subjugated. Constant Threat of War Will Remain a Long Time The threats of war are bound to come, likewise. If Hitler wins, ob viously every Frenchman, English man, Pole, Finn, Dane, Norwegian or any other member of an op pressed people will hope and pray for liberation. And liberation can come only through fighting for that liberty, especially when the force of government be vested in the hands of a beast. The threat of war will be with us, and the current genera tion of our people will have to live with it. That is the tragedy. The current generation will know no real peace. Children of today and tomorrow will grow up. hearing rumble* of thun der from the god of war. They can know only of large armiea and great navies. They must leam to look to the future of war plans, fan tastic plana, weapons of mystery, Ufa underground if the warclouds roll nearer. I repeat, there is so little hope for a final adjustment of the hatred in Europe upon a sane basis that the current generations in the United States will know no real ptICf, Then, there is the cost to which we, as Americans, must look. Of course, it is only infinitesimal com pared to the price the fighting na tions of Europe are paying. But that is their war. It is not our war. The price that we must be pre pared to pay is for keeping us out of their troubles by keeping them away from our shores. It promises to be ? terrific price in cold cash, and so there will be taxes a-plenty. They are starting now. Congress is giving taxes quick consideration, and there is every probability that the nation's tax bUl will be a billion or a billion and a half dollars great er than ever before in history. It has to be. For seven years there has been a terrific waste, and the public debt of the United States now is around *48,000,000,000. We have no cushion upon which to lean. The tax bill for preparation must be met from scratch. It will go on and on. Cmmtrys Industrialist, Arm ? Bit Piaeufi'afied I hear also rumblings of disoomit tare and dlssatisfaction among the industrialists of the country. They are beii* appealed Jo?yes, they are being told emphatically?to get go ing and produce and produce and expand and expand. It is a part of the hysteria that gripe the national capital. With respect to the situation in which the manufacturers find them selves, the story is simple. It is merely a repetition of 1917 and 1918. The nation's industrial structure was urged and threatened and ca joled into the greatest speed possi ble. "Make war materials" was the cry. Industry did. But in the end, industry that went overboard, bead long into the manufacture of war materials went broke. Its expendi tures for plant expansion and for general increased facilities bled it white. When the tax bill was paid, war industry had nothing left. It will be the same this time, unless common sense prevails. There can be war preparation without hyste ria; there can he war preparation without the destruction of business firms, but I am afraid it will be the same story as evolved from the first World war. To bring this phase to a specific basis, it is necessary only to call at tention to the tremendous losses that were sustained by individuals who had savings invested in stocks or bonds of great corporations. When ever those losses occur, there nat urally follows destruction of the whole economy of a family's life. It is fatal. But it will be so again, I am afraid. We are told that we must have a gigantic army. There is need of it. We do not know now what may emerge from the secret that belongs to Mexico. Nor can we be sure of South American countries?at least some of them. There is a decision to be faced in that direction. It is a decision which will require the United States, as a matter of na tional policy, to let the world know whether we are ready to defend all of South America or whether we shall withdraw within our own boun daries and dare somebody to come get us. But we need an army to meet such eventualities. Nobody knows what they may be. Large Standing Army Presents New Problems And these observations about the army?they are true, alao, of the navy?bring another problem. It has been true all through history that a great standing army has served to give that army or some of its out standing leaders undue importance in determining national policy. I fear it may be a case in which history is going to repeat itself. Of course, there can be patriotic army leaders who will look drat to the nation's general welfare. There can be another kind, too. It is a thing to which the current and next generation must look with an eye of caution. Indeed, it is entirely pos sible that we, as a race of people, could be converted into a warlike nation. I am thinking, too, of the losses that are coming?many of them al ready recognizable?in the ways of science. Scientists work for years to accomplish whatever advances are made in the direction of better living. It is too obvious to need a reference here that all of the great scientific developments that have come from Germany are lost to the world of the future. That is to say, there sill be none of consequence? except war machines?coming out of Germany, because the inducement to invent and discover is being driv en out of the hearts and the minds of men and women in the war-torn continent In our country, there are losses being sustained in that direction. Not as much, it is true, as has been not ed In Europe, but there are loss as because brsins and imagination will be directed towards the evolvement of machines and programs to meet any attack. The world will be armed and we must know what others are doing. 80 our scientists will be de voting fertile brains to the produc tion of terrible machines of death, and there will be praise for those who produce the most horrible types of death-dealing apparatus. It is Indulging is idle imagination, perhaps; but I contend that even in our peace-loving country, thoee with a life of 30 years more may yet wit ness greet terminals of railroads im. derground; great artificial reser voirs of food established in safe places, new types of defenses not new envisioned. All of these things may come because the warciouds are going to continue to roll and the United States must sit with its anti aircraft guns trained to the skies. Speaking of Sports Dodgers' Rise Baffling, But Not to Them By ROBERT McSHANE (ReleaMd by Western Newspaper Onion.) PJUROCHER'S Dynamic Dodger* are the hottest thing in base ball today. Not long ago the Brooklyn repre sentatives of the National league were chosen to battle It eat for a poor position in the second division. Today they are the surprise team of baseball. No one concedes them the pennant, but neither does any so-called expert gaxe into the crys tal ban and vent are oat on the well known limb by tagging them as tall under*. The rise of the Dodgers can't be construed merely as a local devel opment. Fans far from the banks of the Gowanus canal, bordering Eb bets field, are rooting for the former Daffiness Boys. If the home team can't win, John Q. Public is all for the Dodgers. They have the peo ple's vote. Just a few years ago the Dodgers were always good for a laugh. Their brand of baseball wasn't guaran teed, but their style of entertain ment was sure fire. Uncle Wilbert Robinson was at the helm, and it was an uneventful game when one base runner didn't overtake another or when an outfielder wasn't put out of action for a few innings by a fly ball. Rapid Change Artists All those things are of the past. Today the Dodgers play a fast. ball. Bon Larry MaePhail U one of the beat showmen la the bosinen and Manager Lippy Lee Dnrocber Is as con fident and smart as say manager right fully eaa be. But there's one big reason why the Dodgers are a pen nant threat. They have all the fire and Larry MaePhail spirit of a college fraternity team with 10,000 spectators. Their up surge began when MacPhaO, base ball's big idea man, took charge be fore the 1938 season. He was re sponsible for the purchase of play ers. Durocher directed them. As evidence of widespread houaeclean ing activities, there are only nine players still on hand from the ques tionable squad he inherited. The veterans on hand are Pitchers Fred Fitzsimmons, Van Lingle Mungo, Luke Hamlin and Forrest Preasaell, Catcher Babe Phelps, Inflelders Du rocher, Pete Coscarart, John Hud son and Harry Lavagetto. Starting in 1938 MacPhaU pur chased First Baseman Dotph Cam II U for 845,MS. Whitlow Wyatt, Mil waukee mounds man, was acquired ?est, leDoued by Pitchers Hagh Ca sey from Memphis and Bill Crouch from Nashville. Pitcher VIU Tamu Us came from the Browns and Out fielder Ernest Koy from the Yankees via waivers. Baddy Hassett and Jimmy Outlaw went to lliieleu for Outfielder Gene Moore and Pitcher Ira Hutchinson. He Pays to Conquer In 1939 MacPhail bought Outfield ers Jim Ripple from the Giants and Fred Walker from Detroit, and trad ed Pitcher Bill Posedel to Boston for Backstop A1 Todd. Since last year MacPhail has eart deae himself. He paid Louisville 84MM and several players for Short stop Hal Basse. Bey CuBeubiue was given 9ZS.SM to sign, and the Bod Joe Voemik. Other additions includ ed Pitchers Carl Doyle from Mem phis, Max Macau from the Cardinals and Jim Carleten from MilwaMae. Be else acquired Wee Ferrell, New ell Kimball, Gas Maaeaeo, Charles Gilbert and Herman Franks. Neither MacPhail nor Durocher show any surprise over their team's early season standing. They have an airtight infield and a brand new outfield. The catching is good, and the pitching better than they ex pected. That adds up to improve ment In anybody's league. And Brooklyn, probably the best basebaB town In the natter is sold on this year's team. Jast remem ber that seme M.9M turned out an a rainy, miserjMe afternoon for Me Chances are that you don't re member it, but Brooklyn won the National league pennant back in 1990, a year they won 93 games and lost <1. Flatbuah fans are looking forward to a repetition of that vic tory. If it comas, the residents of New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and adjacent points would do well to take a coastline cruise during the fan months. GENERAL JOHNSON Jaus: Washington, D. C. ARMY DRAFT Should the President be given the authority to draft and use the Na tional Guard? Yes and something . more. He should be given the authority to recreate the selective service system and draft selected men for either the regular army or the National Guard. This doesn't mean that either pow er will be used to any important extent. It isn't to suggest the raising of a large conscripted army before we have the equipment for them to use ?if at all. It isn't a counsel of panic or hys teria It is a means to avoid both and, above all, to prevent hardship and unfairness in raising the troops we need?even U the number be less than 750,000. The reasons for these snggiotlnno are simple. Recruiting bp volun teering is lagging dangerously. This is partly due to growing to dustrial activity and portly because there ore so many men an relief. But there io o stronger reason than any of these. This country was sold Him Tki Will Start TiextJTm in X?17 the idea of raising armies by selective draft?the Idea that each man should "serve la that place where it shall best asrsa As common food to call him." ? ? ? Men, believing this is oar national policy, do not feel the old urge to volunteer before they are told the country's wishes Another reason is that if ths Na tional Guard is called oat hi time of peace, about SOO.DM man are go ing to loss their wagea la Imtaalij to take the eery low pay of a snlrtter and many of them have dspend ents. Until there is a stark mili tary necessity this should be avoided wherever possible. The regular army and ths Na tional Guard at the beginning shenM be largely made up of able-bodied men without dependents, to wheat the loss of a civilian Job involves as minor tragedy. ? ? ? Setting up the selective service boards, roughly one in every group of 10,000 inhabitants, is very sim ple. We completed the organisation in 10 days in 1017. The next step is the registration at about 13.000,000 men Utsws the ages of 21 and ? inclusive. This is done by means of a fairly simple questionnaire which gives all the facts the board needs for selections. Then the order In which regis tered men are to be called tor ex amination la fixed by let The standards for the aelection at the first 500.000 should be very liberal? such as to impose the very aM mum of hardship an ths man or kin dependents. Having skimmed oft that manber at men of this type, that class would wait to be called?either to the regu lar army as fast as it requires man, or to fill up the National Guard or replace the guardsmen, whose can ; should be deferred because of hard ship or other good reason. This is the swiftest, fairest, mast efficient way to raise armies and it is by tar the cheapest way, ao that the cost per soldier is only a fraction of the cost of volunteering. A the interest of both prudence and enha nces I think we should proceed along these lines at once. ? ? ? FORD AND AIRPLANES Could Henry Ford produce 1.001 planet ? day at River Rouge? Ha could if all deaigns were alike, adapted to prevent production meth ods and there were not constant do sign chances. The success of Henrr Ford in producing 10,000 automo biles a day was his invention of uniformity of design and tater changeability edpnrtR Under exist lnlv inaia 9 a1tv an j imi^pla ivl. jng conditions 01 nux sua uncertain ty, Mr. Fort could no more produce 1,000 planee e day than ha could produce 10,000.
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
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June 20, 1940, edition 1
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