The Alamance Gleaner 1
VOL. LXXII GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1946 No. II
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS
UNO Weathers First Big Test;
Rail Unions Balk at Pay Award;
Civilian Output at Peak Rate
. i i Released by Western Newspaper Union
(EDITOR'S NOTE: When opinions art expressed In these columns, they ere these ef
v Western Newspaper Union's news analysis and net neeessarlly ef this newspaper-!
Seated on stone block of mined public building, Polish girl views
desolation of once modern building section of Warsaw. Once proud
Polish capital is now ghost city of Europe, with half of its population
half-starved and ill-clad.
UNO:
Weather Storm
Fraught with danger to the
United Nations Organization and
world peate, the tense Russo-Iran
ian dispute melted under the prom
ise of diplomatic compromise, with
Moscow saving face and Tehran its
sovereignty.
Secretary of State James Byrnes,
chief U. S. delegate to the UNO se
curity council, started the happy
train of events, suggesting that both
countries state their position in the
dispute over Russian failure to with
draw from Iran before UNO consid
ered action in the case.
Russia had walked out of the se
curity council after its decision to
consider the question and Byrnes'
proposal offered an excellent oppor
tunity for the Reds to walk back
in without losine prestige. Making
the most of the chance, the Rus
sians wrote UNO that they were
pulling out of Iran without imposing
any conditions for their retirement
and their troops should be gone by
May 6.
Taking his cue. Iran's representa
tive then told the security council
that if definite assurances could be
obtained that the Russians would ap
ply no pressure for oil concessions
or Red-backed provincial govern
ments as a condition for withdraw
al, Iran would consider the matter
closed.
And upon that happy note, UNO
appeared to have overcome its first
great hurdle.
RAIL PAY:
Balk at Findings
In protesting the 16-cent-an-hour
raise awarded by a labor-manage
ment arbitration board, railroad un
ion officials declared that the boost
granted failed to meet higher living
costs and adjust differences in pay
between railroad workers and em
ployees in other industries.
Declaring railroad workers were
entitled to a 46-cent-an-hour in- I
crease, B. M. Jewell, representing
IS non-operating unions, and E. E.
Milliman, president of the Brother
hood of Maintenance of Way Em
ployees, asserted that the minimum
award should have included 11V4
cents an hour for higher living costs
plus the general industry-wide 18%
cent-an-hour postwar advance.
Meanwhile, railroad officials also
complained against the arbitration
board's wage decisions, estimated
to add up to $400 per year for
1,220,000 members of three operat
ing and 15 non-operating unions and
cost the carriers $584,000,000 an
nually.
Echoing the carriers' warnings
that increased wages would require
rate boosts, President Fred G. Gur
ley of the Santa Fe announced that
the 16-cent-an-hour award was too
large and his road would immedi
ately appeal for higher freight tar
iffs. Stating that the wage increases
would add $25,000,000 yearly to
Santa Fe operating costs, Gurley
said the boost coupled with higher
material, supply and fuel costs
against reduced income made the
step necessary.
Because both the railroads and
unions had agreed to accept the
arbitration boards' findings as final
in submitting their dispute for set
tlement, no work stoppage loomed
because of disagreement over terms.
The recommendations were hand
ed down even as a fact-finding pan
el conducted hearings on demands
af the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers and Brotherhood of Bail
way Trainmen for a 25 per cent
wage increase and changes in work
ing rules. In demanding that wages
and working rules be considered
simultaneously, the two unions re
fused to join the other 18 in sub
mitting the pay issue to arbitration.
CONGRESS:
Pay Adjustment
Government employees were in
line for a pay increase as a result
of congressional action but an ad
ministration measure to raise the
minimum wage to 60 cents an hour
appeared doomed because of the
farm bloc's insistence that the same
bill hike the parity formula over
President Truman's protest.
The senate and house strove to
get together on a uniform pay in
crease for U. S. employees follow
ing their approval of conflicting
raises. While the senate had o.k.'d
an 11 per cent boost, the house
voted a $400 a year advance. Since
the house also decided to limit de
partment appropriations in the 1947
fiscal year to those of 1946, how
ever, the higher pay would cover
fewer employees and thus cut the
federal payroll by 200,000.
In pushing for an upward revision
of the parity formula as an amend
ment to the 60 cent an hour mini
mum wage bill over President Tru
man's veto threat, the farm bloc
sought to protect farmers' returns
in a period of rising costs. Trum
peting administration disapproval,
Secretary of Agriculture Anderson
declared revision of the parity for
mula to include farm wages would
result in a 33 per cent boost in
farm prices and spark an inflation
ary cycle.
PRODUCTION:
Rosy Prospects
In meeting the pent-up and ordi
nary demands of consumers, re
quirements (or a
large military estab
lishment and heavy
exports, the U. S.
faces an unparal
leled period of pros
perity, Reconver
sion Director John
W. Snyder indi
cated in a report to
President Truman.
Despite work stop
John Snyder Pa?es and material
shortages, civilian
production had reached a rate of
150 billion dollars during the first
three months of 1946, Snyder said,
with private wages and salary pay
ments returning almost to the pre
V-J day rate of 82 billion dollars.
Non-agricultural employment total
ed 44,700,000 in February, with 2,
700,000 jobless seeking work.
Indicative of the huge demand for
goods, Snyder said that consumer
and business purchases during the
first quarter of 1946 equaled those
of the Christmas period in contrast
to an ordinary drop of 10 to 12 bil
lion dollars. Though overall civilian
production rose, the textile shortage
remained acute, being aggravated
by mills' refusal to sell unfinished
goods because of higher profits on
bleached or printed cloth.
Notwithstanding increasing pro
duction and high taxes, the threat
of an inflationary spiral remains,
Snyder said. Noting the trend, be
pointed out that on March IS whole
sale food prices were S.l per cent
above those on the same date last
year and the prices of other prod
ucts were up 2.5 per cent
OVERSEAS RELIEF:
London Confab
The problem of tiding war-strick
en countries over the 1948-'47 con
sumption year concerned delegates
from 18 Allied, neutral and former
enemy nations at the Emergency
Economic conference for Europe
being held in London.
With the U. S. aiming to Bhip
1,000,000 tons of wheat monthly
toward a goal of 11,000,000 tons, i
efforts were bent on stimulating con
tributions from other countries to fill
out the huge deficit. In this con
nection, a report of the conference's
combined food board recommended
that Russia be requested to fur
nish cereals and that steps be taken
to increase the extent of Argentine
exports.
Little Ireland followed the U. S.
in setting an example to partici
pating nations, announcing it would
send 35,000 cattle, 9,000,000 pounds
of canned meat, 20,000 tons of sugar
as well as milk, bacon and cheese
to the continent this year. Normal
ly Eire sends most of its cattle and
eggs to Britain.
MIHAILOVITCH:
U.S. to Aid
Lauding Gen. Draja Mihailo
vitch's contributions to the Allied
cause in the early stages of the Eu
ropean war, the U. S. state depart
ment asked the Yugoslav govern
ment that American officers at
tached to the Chetnik leader's head
quarters be permitted to testify on
nis Denall in his forthcoming trea- l
son trial.
Famed for his daring guerrilla
warfare against the Germans dur- 1
ing the height of Nazi domination, !
Mihailovitch lost his grip on the Yu- (
goslav resistance movement with 1
Allied recognition of the Commu- i
nist-trained Tito following the Bus- i
sian resurge in 1943. ? At odds with I
Tito, Mihailovitch became a fugi- <
tive, charged with collaborating to- i
ward the end with the German in
vaders.
In coming to Mihailovitch's de- i
fense in the face of bitter Commu
nist allegations against the Chetnik
leader, the state department said
many American army fliers had
been rescued and returned to Allied
lines through the daring efforts of
his forces. It was also pointed out
that U. S. officers were attached
to Mihailovitch's headquarters as
liaison men in co-ordinating resist
ance operations.
F.D.R.:
Sell Stamps
Individual hobbyists and deal
ers shared in the purchase of
Franklin O. Roosevelt's famed ?
stamp collection, which brought
heirs to his estate over $210,000.
Representing a lifetime collec
tion of the late President, the
stamps were appraised In ad
vance of the auction at $00,000.
Berry Hill, a New York deal
er, was one of the biggest buy
ers at the sales, paying $1,88?
for most of 29 lots of French
stamps and die-proofs and $1,813
for four groups of German
stamps included in statistical
albums showing the extent of
inflation in the reich after World
War I.
Dr. L. L. Ruland, a hobbyist,
topped bids to pay $4,700 for 62
lots of Chinese stamps present
ed to Mr. Roosevelt by Chiang
Kai-shek. K. Biloski, a Cana
dian dealer, paid $2,100 for 848
stamps of a Russian collection
tendered to the late President
by Soviet Ambassador Maxim
Litvinoff.
Almost $8,000 was realized on
the sale of 107 lots of Venezuelan
stamps and albums.
NEAR EAST:
Plot Thickens
Long the pawns of European pow
er politics, natives of the Near East
again figured in the diplomatic dou- 1
ble play of the oil-rich region, with '
reports that the Russians were aid
ing chieftains of 9,000,000 Kurds In
Iran, Turkey, Iraq and Syria in the
establishment of an independent re
public.
Though the Kurds in these coun
tries enjoy relative freedom in the
mountainous regions under local
chieftains, the independence move
-ment reportedly has thrived under
Russian backing. An independ
ent Kurdish republic already has
been proclaimed with headquarters
at Mehabad in northern Iran and
Russian technicians were said to
have arrived there to help strength
en native forces.
Headed by Ghazi Mohammed, the
Kurdish movement was thrown into
gear at a conference of tribal lead
ers held in Baku, Russia, last No
vember. Revenue and troops re
portedly are being furnished by the
ftiieftan. who attended the powwow,
with the heart of the movement cen
tered in British-controlled Iraq.
t.iir* Iran, Iraq's oil fields form
part of the huge near eastern de
posits prized by the major powers.
United Nations of N. Y.:
New York la the breath-taking
stone and steel monument to the
!Oth Century. It was erected by the
irawn, brains and sweat of foreign
?rs and their descendants. The
varied nationalities, religions and
?aces have lived together in peace
ind enjoyed the benefits of democ
-acy. New York is the striking real
ty of the American dream. ... If
>ne great city can be the living ex
imple of the UN Ideals?and if 48
United States can do it?so can the
United Nations. . . . New York rep
resents the test-tube of the One
World experiment. If 8 million peo
>le can accomplish that?billions
:an. For the experiment has suc
seeded far beyond the wildest hopes
>f starry-eyed dreamers and proph
;ts.
Oar fabaloas metropolis should be
m inspiration for visiting UN dele
jates. Here is living proof of UN
deals. The Big Town's diversity of
:reeds and nationalities would
imaze even many native New York
;rs. Every member of the United
Nations has contributed to its
nyriad population, plus some na
:ions that aren't members. This is a
A _ 1U41. A
j 15 hi/ aiiu a uvuc nui iu.
The British atmosphere of Ye Olde
English Chop Houses along Thames
Street. Many of them are replicas
if famed eateries in London. They
feature wood-paneled walls, sepa
rate stalls and are decorated with
sarly prints. The cuisine is simply
ripping, old boy. It is usually so
quiet there?you can hear a mon
ocle drop.
The West Forties and Fifties have
a French population that is large
enough to form a true French Quar
ter. Bastille Day and other French
national holidays are celebrated
here, and many restaurants serve
Gallic dishes. If you pass this sec
tor ? you can enjoy the sight of
stylishly - groomed mademoiselles
living up to their reps as slick
chicks. Whew-la-la I
Every section of the planet is rep
resented in our incredible over
grown hamlet. Among the foreign
colonies that thrive here are the
Hindus, Persians, Mexican Indians
and Koreans. The Hindus and Per
sians are for the most part prosper
ous merchants and importers. . . .
The mosque in Brooklyn attracts de
vout Mohammedans. Most of the
Mohammedans in our town are
Turks.
' The Estonians periodically hold
music festivals, at which many of
the men and women appear in the
Estonian peasant costume?and
a good time ia had by all. ... An
imposing edifice known as the Nor
wegian Seamen's" Church is mani
tained chiefly for Norwegian sailors.
It has always had its pastor select
ed by church and governmental au
thorities in Norway.
The East Side Armenian shops?
holes-in-the-wall ? feature copper
coffee urns, silver vases, ornate Vic
torian lamps and mantel clocks and
an occasional porcelain shepherd
eas. Priceless antique metalware Is
sold here as well as the shoddiest
machine-made articles.
After Czechoslovakia became an
independent nation in 1918 many
Slovaks from downtown moved up
into the Czech quarter, and the two
groups have combined many of
their interests. Pride in their lan
guages and traditions has prompted
them to maintain separate schools
where (after public school hours)
the children can be taught their
native speech and history. One of
the city's most colorful spectacles is
the annual Decoration Day Czecho
slovak parade in native costume.
The La tin-American colony on
Saturday nights is alive with ex
citement. Dance dens are throbbing
with rhumba rhythms. Watch these
lithe people weave their ball-bear
ing torsos during the tantalizing
tempos. They make the rhumba a
fine art.
Famed Chinatown is packed with
more happy orientals than you can
find in Asia. Here are unique Joss
houses where Chinese Buddhists
worship. Shops hawk exotic herbs at
fantastic fees. And If you listen
closely, you can pick up the jive
lingo and swift patter of the al
mond-eyed Jitterbugs.
At the feet of Washington Street
you will appreciate New York's cos
mopolitan rep. This is the Syrian
Quarter where newsstands feature
Arabic dailies.
_ __
Five Mew Members Are Elected
v . yW
To Champion Farmers Association!
By W. J. DRYDEN j
wnu rva iuui l'
Five members have been admitted to agriculture's most ex-1
elusive organization, the Champion Farmers Association of Amer
ica. Representing all sections, and phases of farming, they prove1
a living example that farming in Ajnerica can be profitable and)
honored. Their names will stand high on the roll of agricultural
fame, men of merit whose achievements win universal admiration..
The new members are William P. ? I
Renk, Sun Prairie, Wis.; J. D. Mc
Gee, Morgan, Ga.; Thomas J. Pear
sail, Rocky Mount, N. C.; and cam
era-shy William Gehring, Rensse
laer, Ind. (Ed. Note: No induce
ment proved sufficient to Farmer
Bill, to secure his consent to pose
(or a photograph.)
The nominations for this award
are made by farm leaders and elect
ed by C.F.A.'s membership of agri
cultural authorities?the swards are
presented by Firestone, which co
operated in the founding of the as
sociation in 1937. .
Camera-shy William Gehring, who
wouldn't have his picture taken,
won his place by helping greatly
to bring the rich muck lands of
northern Indiana into heavy produc
tion through the application of prop
er fertilizer, irrigation, crop diver
sification and highly mechanized
farming. On his farm at Rensse
laer, Ind., his production of mint, of
which he sold more than $500,000
worth last year, has proven the
financial possibilities of this crop.
He also grows potatoes, sweet corn,
and onions on his farm of 4,000 acres.
Prior to 1931 he worked in a fac
tory. Without farm experience he
went to the muck lands to overcome
their production problems and set
an example to others.
A Veteran Farmer.
William Renk is a veteran farmer
who has consistently followed a pro
gressive policy. He emphasizes ef
ficiency in every phase of farming,
with the aid of three super-helpers,
his sons. They are pioneers in arcb
type construction of farm buildings,
and their machine shop is a credit
to their ability. Seven tractors, self
feeders, hay slides?and their abil
ity to produce quality seed corn?
hybrid?marks them as real pro
gressive farmers. The Renks have
developed a direct sales demand
for their hybrid seed.
J. D. McGee started in 1928 on a
small farm?purchased with bor
rowed capital. Last year his peanut
crop was worth $40,000. Soil con
servation plays an important part
on his farm, as they must on any
farm that succeeds. He is a direc
tor of the Georgia-Florida-Alabama
Peanut Growers' association, and
an authority on the economic prob
Iems of the industry. Congress has
heard with interest his facts and
figures on peanut production and
possibilities.
"Speed Richards"?they call Wil
liam Richards. This not only ap
plies to his farm operations but to
his former record as a racing car
driver. He started out by leasing a
tract near Providence, R. I. Later
Richards purchased his present
farm from earnings from the leased
tract?tenant farming may pay
well. He launched an extensive and
costly fertilizing program?essential
for this type of farming. A major
innovation was a large irrigation
system drawing on a lake as a wa
ter source.
In Many Organizations.
Speed Richards takes an active
part in farm organizations. He is
a member of the governor's advi
sory council on agriculture, the Bos
ton Market Garden association,
Town Finance committee. Extension
Vegetable committee and Farm Bu
reau. At 38 he has three daughters,
one son and a modern successful
highly mechanized farm.
Thomas J. Pearsall believes in
progressive plantation policies
which have attracted national at
tention. He is not a farm owner.
but he manages the famous Bras
well farms at Rocky Mount, N. C.,
containing 23,000 acres. Starting 10
years ago, he was considered "rev
olutionary," because he was a
strong supporter of education among
his Negro tenants and sharecrop
pers. The result?labor turnover
greatly reduced and crop yields in
creased. He installed mechanical
and technical innovations, such as
terracing and strip cropping. A
state representative and president
at the Agricultural Foundation, Inc.,
ha is now raising two million dol
lars for the farm research program
at North Carolina State college.
Tom has a wife and two sons to
aid him. ?
It is particularly noticeable that
the section at the United States in
which a farmer lives has little to do
with his ability to be a "champion."
Those Ave farmers coma from New
England, the Uiasiaslppi valley, the
North and the South. Tits Amer
ican farmer can do bis Job la any
state, or climate, when he sets him
Kll to the task with a will.
Although the war is over, the
world needs food?meats, grains,
vegetables and fruit. But some
how we all have the feeling that
the "champs" down on the farms of
America will see that few people
starve.
>
Georgia Boy Rose
From Buck Private
To 4-Star General
WASHINGTON.?He was born in
Perry, Ga., in 1887, where his father
published the Houston Home Jour
nal. As a boy he worked around
the newspaper plant but was mora
interested in the Perry Rifles, a lo
cal guard unit. Having heard his
parents speak of former members
of the Hodges' family as Confeder
ate soldiers in the Civil war, he was
determined to become a soldier.
He entered West Point in 1904 but
because of trouble with mathemat
ics left the United States Military
academy and enlisted in the army
as an infantry private. In 1909 be re
ceived his commission as a second
lieutenant, simultaneously with the
commissioning of his former West
Point classmates. Instead of spend
ing three years at the Point, be be
came an officer after service at
various infantry installations. His
early army career included service
WILLIAM F. RENK . . . With the
help of three eons he produced 85
earlosds of food from his 856-acre
farm at Sun Prairie, Wis. Farm
er Renk, former Wisconsin com
missioner of acrienltare, with the
able assistance of his sons, Wil
bur, Walter and Robert, last year
sold more than l.MS.Wt pounds
of beef, pork and lamb in addi
tion to 25,MO bushels of hybrid
seed corn and 10,SM bushels of
Victoria oats and a carload of
wool.
J. D. McGEE . . . This champion
is an outstanding example of a
farmer who went heavily in debt
in order to sneeeed. He now op
erates 2,340 seres of land at Mor
gan, Ga. McGee's major cash
crop is peanuts, bnt he believes
In and practices a modern sys
tem of versatile farming?raising
bogs, Hereford cattle, as well as
producing oats, corn and cotton.
Does not believe in putting all at
his eggs in one basket.
THOMAS I. PEARSALL ....
Rocky Mount, N. C., b proud of
Manager Pearsall o< the M. C.
Bras-well Company Farms. He has
the Job e< operating a (arm of
22,MO acres and supervising the
work et 1400 men, women and
children who Uve and work on
the (arm. Cotton, tobacco, corn,
lespedeca, hogs, beet and dairy
cattle as well as small grains are
produced by Tom Pearson and his
(amBy eI 1400.
. . . 'AI
WILLIAM RICHARDS . . . Bffl
|iti up a saccessfal career aa a
chemical engineer and ractaf car
d riser to porehase a Cape Cod
dairy farm ia 1M1 af Ferectdalc,
Mac*., aad eonrerted It late a
track iuRb. Bora aad raiaad la
Baatca, ha decided te bee erne a
readable prodaeer after safer
la( a aarleaa track accident.
Kaeara as Vef-Aeres Farms, his
?M acres laelade US seres of
breceell. Like aseat scientists, he
leases aetkiaf Is shaaee. Intra
net, e#M frames aad aesdera
' bp Racer Richards.
-XT - V * ?- '
OEM. OOOMNET ?. BODGES '
with General Pershing's Mexican
Punitive expedition and the 6th In
fantry regiment of the tth division In
France, Luxembourg and Germany
in World War L
He was appointed commandant of
the infantry school at FOrt Ban
ning. Ga., in 1M0. He became chief
of infantry in Washington, was made
chief of the ground forces replace
ment and school command when the
army was reorganised into ground,
air and service forces, and later
became commanding general at the
X army corps. He was assigned to
command the Third army. Fort
Sam Houston, Texas, in February.
1943, and served in this capacity un
til March, 1944, when be was as
signed to the First army in the Eu
ropean theater of operations.
Assistant to Gen. Omar N. Brad
ley when the First army took part
in the invasion of Normandy, cap
ture of Cherbourg, and the break
through at St. Lo, Hodges assumed
full command in August, 1944. He
Mvm4 thn oraw tka Tkiw) same's
and his famous First's spectacular
lunges across France, was the first
into Paris, first into Germany, first
army commander since Napoleon to
cross the Rhine river in battle, first
to enter and clear out the Hurt gen
forest in the cold winter months.!
and first to meet the Russians.
Among his higher decorations are
the Distinguished Service Cross andj
the Silver Star from the first war
and the Distinguished Service Med
al and an Oak Leaf Cluster for serv
ices in the current conflict.
General Hodges presently com
mands the First army with head-i
quarters at Fort Bragg, N. C.
From private to four-star general
is a route any soldier would like to
travel?and Courtney Hicks Hodges
is one who did! And in future yean
some of America's highest ranking
officers will come from the ranks,
from among men whs made thn
army a career.