WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS BY JOSEPH W. LaBINE
Sharper World Power Lineup
Results From Russ-Finn Clash;
Japan, Italy Maintain Silence
,rc «*Press,d I- these damns, they
the news analyst and not necessarily of this newsnaner.)
~ Released by Western Newspaper Union.
INTERNATIONAL:
Finlandia
Russia’s invasion of Finland pro
vided the first authentic touch of
fierce conflict which observers have
seen in the European cat-and-dog
fight which started September 1.
Carnage was spreading but so was
peace talk, because most of the civ
ilized world (except Germany and
Japan) was outspoken in its denun
ciation of Soviet aggression.
Plucky, even though pathetically
outnumbered, the Finns surprised
most military experts by stalemat
ing the enemy along a 750-mile
front. Off Hango, one Russian de
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RUSSIAN WEAPON
Top phofio shows how Soviet troops
aro bedded down in wing compart
ments. Over site of attack they are
parachuted (below) to the ground.
stroyer was sunk and two others
badly damaged by coastal batteries.
While civilians fled bomb-wrecked
Helsingfors, hardy soldiers fought
off the Soviet advance in the north.
They even drove the invader from
snow-bound Petsamo after the Rus
sians had taken that city * h a
new weapon- ’’’ - dropped by
jarachute w
on,
nor di Fink -.** expect to bA out
very It g. Foreign Minister Vaino
Tanner appealed to the world for
“effective help” as well as sym
pathy. Later he tried to reopen
negotiations with Moscow through
the Swedish minister there, but only
a few hours earlier the Soviet had
made its own peace—with a puppet
“democratic republic of Finland.”
Finally, in desperation, Finland ap
pealed to the League of Nations.
Embarrassment
For three years the frightened
league has “played dead” whenever
a political question was broached.
Last spring Secretary-General Jos
eph A. C. Avenol ignored Albania's
protest during the Italian invasion,
and a recently scheduled meeting
to hear Poland’s protest over her
Russian-German invasion was po
litely called off for fear of embar
rassing the Kremlin. Reason: Rus
sia’s Ivan Maisky is league presi
dent.
This time the league had its last
chance to retain international re
spect. Secretary Avenol dispatched
the Finnish protest under pressure
from France and Britain, who saw
a chance of forcing Russia to show
her hand. This hope was dashed
when Russia announced she would
not attend the meeting. Nor did any
observer expect the lesser neutral
nations to support either side in this
controversy.
Instead the peace seekers looked
to Italy, a non-leaguer, and Japan,
whose foreign policy since Septem
Jan Sibelius, Finland’s idol and
world-famed composer, denied by
telephone from his home in Hel
singfors’ outskirts that he was
dead, a bomb victim.
Harold D. Jacobs, ex-Washing
ton newsman, was made “stooge”
wage-hour administrator until
congress will okay an army man
lor the job (CoL Philip Fleming
of St. Paul).
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt
showed up for the third day at
un-Americanism committee hear
ings, watching Texas’ Rep. Mar
tin Dies hunt Communists in the
American Youth congress.
Attorney General Frank Mur
phy refused A. F. of L.’s request
that unions be exempted from
anti-trust laws, thereby avoiding
implication in the current inquiry
of building industry irregularities.
King George VI of Britain
braved a rough channel crossing
to join his army on the Western
front.
ber 1 has been as coherent as the
gibberish of a Mongolian idiot. Of
ficially the Italian government was
sphynx-like, but there was no doubt
about the feelings of a mob of uni
formed Fascists who cheered before
Rome’s Finnish legation and hooted
before the Soviet embassy. Though
moving softly, the fine Italian hand
was seen encouraging formation of
an anti-Communist bloc in the Bal
kan states, where the Soviet bear
will positively strike next.
Germany was silent, and with
good reason. To denounce the Reds
after Adolf Hitler’s great show of
friendship with Moscow’ would mean
either (1) the repudiation of Der
Fuehrer and a subsequent admis
sion that the allies are right, or (2)
a simultaneous war on two fronts
against two hostile enemies (Russia
on the east and the allies on the
west). But a good sign of the aver
age Nazi’s sentiments was the pro-
Finnish demonstration in Hungary’s
parliament.
How about Japan? Britain be
lieved the recent Jap-Russian truce
had paved the w’ay for Finland’s in
vasion, but Shanghai and Tokyo ob
servers thought otherwise. Said an
anonymous Jap army major: “It
is a good lesson. It proves what
we have always suspected, that
Russia cannot be trusted ”
Japan, Italy and Russia were ob
viously the nations to be watched,
but no one could accurately predict
their moves.
The Other fVar
Thousands of older French sol
diers were released from the west
e.*7i front as the allies settled on
their new strategy: Fighting Ger
many with seapower and economics
instead of land offensives. There
was no great show of seapower, al
though the disastrous allied shipping
losses from Germany's magnetic
mines had apparently been stopped.
British aviators bombed Heligoland,
the Reich’s North sea naval base,
claiming they had scored direct hits
on several warships. But the big
gest news was the new allied block
ade on all German exports, designed
to strangle the Reich’s sources of
foreign exchange. In the middle of
this strange warfare the Vatican
dropped an even stranger—though
promising—note. Pop* Pius XU
v.*e wai.i atm nations !e
--clare a Christmas truce.*
American Reaction
Thoroughly startled when Russia
ignored his plea that civilian bomb
ings be avoided in the Soviet-Fin*
nish invasion, President Roosevelt
issued an unprecedented statement:
“Despite efforts made to solve the
dispute by peaceful methods . . .
one power has chosen to resort to
arms.”
This silenced spiteful critics who
hoped to capitalize by pointing out
how the President had erred in rec
ognizing Russia back in 1933. But
it didn’t silence New York’s Com
munist Daily Worker, whose front
page editorial accused the U. S. of
provoking war against Russia “by
using Finland as a pawn.”
Next the President asked manu
facturers and exporters of planes to
remember “the unprovoked bombing
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llliilk* * % M
LEAGUE’S AVENOL
Last chance?
and machine-gunning of civilian pop
ulations from the air” before nego
tiating any more contracts with the
Soviet. Not content with this “moral
embargo,” many a congressional
leader began yelling for severance
of diplomatic relations with Russia.
First among them was Texas’ red
baiting Rep. Martin Dies. Idaho’s
Sen. William Borah, on the other
hand, felt the U. S. “can best serve
the cause of peace ... by making
every reasonable effort to maintain
normal relations with all warring
nations.”
Comment from Britain’s publicity
wise George Bernard Shaw: “Fin
land would probably not have re
fused the Russian offer . . . had
she been acting ... in her own
interests, but Russia believes that
Finland thinks she has the backing
of America and other western pow
ers.”
Meanwhile, the Finnish legation in
Washington announced calmly that
its ever-prompt war debt payment
of $234,693 will be made as due this
month.
' \
(Know your news? One hundred
is perfect score, and deduct 20 for
each question you miss. Any score
below 60 isn’t to be bragged about.)
1. This man is eating breakfast.
Who is he, and what important po
litical step did he recently take?
Z. In New York, George (“Ro
meo”) Lowther 111, whose woo
ing of Eileen (“Juliet”) Herrick
was opposed by her parents, ob
tained a court order and a 10-day
truce after which he was sup
posed to be free to marry the girl.
Did he?
3. Princess Louise of England,
daughter of the late Queen Vic
toria, made news in what way?
4. What swept across the Philip
pines: (A) a diphtheria epidem
ic; (B) a typhoon; (C) a spirit
of independence.
5. Petsamo, in northern Fin
land, site of a fierce Finnish-Rus
sian battle, has a temperate cli
mate even though it’s inside the
Arctic circle. Why?
Answers at bottom of column.
POLITICS:
Norris Advice
Not until the Jackson day dinners
January B—if not later—is President
Roosevelt expected to say yes or no
on the third-term issue. Early this
month, while
Washington
correspond
ents did their
best to trip
up the Presi
dent on a
commitment.
Nebraska's
sage old Sen.
George Nor
ris gave the
White House
some advice:
Say nothing
until a com-
NORRIS
“No other leader , . .*
mitment is unavoidable. His reas n
ing:
“The President is the ideal leer
of the common man, and it
f&ould be eliminated from the sc
»vow, no other leadin gs
pio ft ressive people ..
against \ united, reactionary ene. „
. . . The progressive element wouia
be divided into groups which would
go down to defeat in a convention
where the united opposition might
succeed in nominating a reaction
ary . . .”
COURTS:
Labor Defeat
Painful to 57 corporations, individ
uals and organizations was the Su
preme court’s decision upholding a
justice department anti-trust suit
The decision held them liable to pros
ecution, charged with fixing milk
prices, controlling supply and sup
pressing competition in the Chicago
area. Most pained, however, was
labor. Reason: One defendant is
the milk wagon drivers union.
Thus is Assistant Attorney Gen
eral Thurman Arnold freed to pros
ecute organized labor in his inves
tigation of building trades, a probe
which was opposed by A. F. of L.’s
President William Green on the
ground that unions are exempted
from such anti-trust prosecution by
the Clayton act.
But labor’s fear goes deeper than
that. If the justice department is
upheld against labor unions in its
building trades conspiracy case, the
unions can be prosecuted in re
straint of trade every time they call
a strike.
MISCELLANY:
Ouster
Dragged from his office and fired
because Gov. E. D. Rivers said he
was'using the “prestige” of his of
fice to further his political ambi
tions, Georgia’s Highway Commis
sioner W. Linton Miller began fight
ing for reinstatement.
Terminal
C. At Kansas City, four railway com
panies (Santa Fe, Burlington, Rock
Island and Missouri Pacific) planned
to spend $1,000,000 on a new produce
terminal, making the city a mid
western market center.
Subsoil
fl. In Mexico’s supreme court, where
is being argued that nation’s right
to expropriate oil holdings of for
eign countries, Justice Jose Maria
Truchuelo argued that subsoil be
longs to the nation; therefore for
eign oil companies never really
owned the oil.
1. Tom Dewey, New York district
attorney, who announced his 1940
G. O. P. presidential candidacy.
2. No. Though legally free, "Ju
liet” claimed she was still held cap
tive.
3. She died.
4. (B) Is correct. It was the worst
hurricane there since 1908.
5. The Gulf Stream, which originates
in the Caribbean sea some 8,000 miles
away.
| December 25, 1866, Marked the End of |
| An Heroic Ride and It Halted a Gay |
I Christmas Ball at Old Fort Laramie |
....... . •
: ■ .. .
Barracks and officers’ quarters at Fort Laramie. “Bedlam,” where the Christmas ball on December
"5, 1866, was dramatically interrupted by the arrival of John (“Portugee”) Phillips with his message of
■ disaster at Fort Phil Kearney,” is the two-story frame structure at the extreme left in the picture.
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
(Released by Western Newspaper Union.)
night, 1860, at historic Fort Laramie on the
t old Oregon Trail.
A Christmas ball was in progress in the two-story
frame building where all the social activities of the post were
held—“ Bedlam,” they called it, because it was-where the
unmarried officers were quartered. In sharp contrast to the
cheery scene inside —the warmth, the music and the soft
light of candles and kerosene lamps—was the darkness out-
side, made more desolate by'
the whistling wind and the bit
ing cold.
While the festivities were at
their height, across the snow
blanketed parade ground a
horse staggered. Its rider
reeled in his saddle as he
urged the weary beast for
ward. When at last he drew
rein before the lighted build
ing and painfully dismount
ed, the horse dropped in its
tracks.
A moment later a huge
figure, clad in a heavy buffalo
overcoat, leggings, moccasins
and fur cap, lunged through
the door of “Bedlam” and
'ttered out to the middle of
ae dvr “.nor. The music
I stepped with a crash, and sev
eral of the women screamed
at the sight of the strange fig
ure which stood there sway
ing from side to side like a
great brown bear.
As several officers rushed for
ward, the man in the buffalo coat
lifted his hand wearily, pulled off
his cap and gasped: “Fetterman
and 80 men have been wiped out
by the Sioux at Phil Kearney i
Carrington must have help at
once!” Then he dropped in a
dead faint at their feet.
This messenger of disaster was
“Portugee” Phillips, and his 236-
mile ride from Fort Phil Kearney
to Fort Laramie, in the dead of
winter and through a country
swarming with hostile Indians,
was one of the most remarkable
exploits in the annals of America.
Compared to it, the historic rides
of Paul Revere and Phil Sheridan
sink into significance.
The reason for his heroic ride
was the now-famous “Fetterman
Massacre” in which the Sioux
and Cheyennes on the morning of
December 21, 1866, killed a force
of 76 soldiers and two civilians
led by Capt. W. J. Fetterman,
Capt. F. H. Brown and Lieut. G.
W. Grummond.
That afternoon another detach
ment went out from the fort and
recovered their mutilated bodies.
Soon afterwards the weather
changed, the thermometer
dropped to 25 degrees below zero
and a blizzard came howling
down upon the grief-stricken gar
rison, who fully expected the In
dians to follow up their victory
over Fetterman with an attack
on the fort.
The blizzard piled snow against
the stockade so rapidly that
forces of men, working in shifts
of only 15 minutes because of the
bitter cold, were kept busy shov
eling it away lest the drifts should
become so high that the Indians
could use them to climb over the
palisaded walls. In this crisis
Carrington decided that the only
hope of saving the remainder of
his command was to secure re
inforcements from Fort Laramie,
236 miles away, the reinforce
ments for which he had been
vainly asking for several weeks.
But there was no telegraph line
nearer than the station at Horse
shoe Creek, 40 miles from Lara
mie, and the only hope of getting a
message through was by courier.
So the commander called for vol
unteers. But none of the soldiers
were willing to take the risk.
Then John Phillips, a civilian,
stepped forward. “Portugee”
Phillips they called him because
of his Portuguese parentage. He
would go, he said.
Before leaving, Phillips asked
if he might see Mrs. Grummond,
$
a bride of little more than a year
and already a widow, whom Mrs.
Carrington had taken into her
home when the news was brought
back to the fort that the lieutenant
was among the slain of Fetter
man’s command. Several years
later, after the death of Mrs. Car
rington, Mrs. Grummond became
the second wife of Colonel Car
rington, and in her book, “Army
Life on the Plains,” she tells of
that interview as follows:
“A knock at my door brought me
to my feet. An orderly, brave
and faithful Semple, announced
that a man was waiting in the
adjoining room wishing especial
ly to see Mrs. Grummond. There
I was met by an entire stranger,
John Phillips by name, a miner
and frontiersman, in the employ
of the quartermaster, clad in the
dress of a scout, who had some
thing to communicate. So im
pressed was he by the gravity of
the situation of the garrison that
he extended his hand to me, with
tears in his eyes, and in brief
but pathetic language said, ‘I am
going to Laramie for help, with
despatches, as special messenger,
if it costs me my life. I am go
ing for your sake! Here is my
“PORTUGEE” PHILLIPS
wolf robe. I brought it for you
to keep and remember me by if
you never see me again.’
“There was no price put upon
John Phillips’ services. He asked
no reward. The only condition
he imposed was that he be al
lowed to choose his own horse.
That choice, promptly conceded
by its owner, was a fine thorough
bred belonging to the colonel.”
At midnight Carrington himself
unbarred a little side gate in the
stockade and Phillips led his
horse through it. He carried only
a few crackers for himself and a
hatful of feed for his mount, for
in his race with death every
ounce of weight would count. As
he swung into the saddle, Car
rington reached out his hand and
murmured “God bless you and
keep you on this journey!” Then
as horse and rider faced the howl
ing blizzard the colonel relocked
the gate and, with heavy heart,
returned to his all-night vigil in
his quarters.
The most dangerous part of
Phillips’ journey was the stretch
of country from Phil Kearney to
Fort Reno, for it was likely that
the Indians would be watching
for a courier from the belea
guered fort and would try to cut
him off. But if there were Phil
lips outwitted them for he
“steered clear of the trail” rid
ing parallel to it but at some dis
tance away. By doing this he
lessened the chances of discov
ery but he increased the peril of
losing his way or dropping into
some deep ravine partly filled
with drifting snow which covered
the ground from three to five feet.
By some miracle of good luck
he pursued his journey in safety
during the night. When morning
came he rode into a thicket and
lay there all day for he dared not
risk traveling while it was light
and being discovered by some
keen-eyed Indian scout. That
night he reached Fort Reno, com
manded by Lieut. Col. H. W. Wes
sels of the Eighteenth infantry,
who had recently taken charge
of that post.
After a hasty meal and a brief
rest at Reno, Phillips set out on
the longest part of the journey
but presumably least dangerous
—so far as Indian attack was con
cerned. But before he reached
Horseshoe Creek telegraph sta
tion he was pursued by a band of
Indians mounted on ponies.
Thanks to the speed of Colonel
Carrington’s thoroughbred, how
ever, Phillips was able to outdis
tance them and gain a high hill
where he prepared to make a last
stand.
But the savages had no stom
ach for charging up the hill and
did not attack. All through the
night the courier stood at bay
there, keeping a constant look-out
against attack and ready to
mount and ride for his life if nec
essary. At the first streak of
dawn, he “made a run for it” and
reached Horseshoe Creek station
a short time before it was at
tacked and burneii by the Indians.
There he gave the telegraph op
erator dispatches—one to the
commander at Fort Laramie and
one co the department command
er at Omaha—which Wessels had
entrusted to him at Reno.
But, according to Mrs. Carring
ton’s book, “the operator at
Horseshoe Creek station was un
willing to risk so long a dispatch
as that of Colonel Carrington so
Phillips pressed on with his dis
patch, reaching Fort Laramie at
11 o’clock with icicles hanging
from his clothing and both beard
and hair matted with snow and
ice. He delivered the dispatch
and relieved of that responsibil
ity he fell, exhausted and uncon
scious.”
When he was revived he learned
that the message from the tele
graph station at Horseshoe Creek
had reached Laramie at two
o’clock that afternoon and prep
arations were already under way
to send reinforcements to Phil
Kearney.
It was a sad Christmas day at
that post for it was devoted to the
burial of the victims of the dis
aster on December 21 and in the
days that followed there was the
ever-present fear that the Indians
might attack and that Carring
ton’s decimated garrison might
not be able to repulse the savage
assault. Would the attack come
before reinforcements from Lara
mie arrived—that is, if indeed
reinforcements were on the way?
For there was no way of knowing
whether or not “Portugee” Phil
lips had reached his goal. That
he might not have was a specter
which haunted the minds of every
man, woman and child in Phil
Kearney during the next week.
New Year’s day came and
passed. And still no word from
Laramie. Then, chronicles Fran
ces C. Carrington:
“One day there was a sudden,
almost a tumultuous, hurrying
out of quarters, with excitement
and bustle as intense as if we
were called to arms against an
advancing foe. First, the Pilot
Hill picket, and then the sentry
before headquarters, and the look
out on the headquarters tower
announced the unmistakable ap
pearance of troops, five miles dis
tant.
“The bugle call and the ‘long
roll’ were never more gladly
echoed in hearts. Our spontane
ous cry was, ‘Open wide the
gates and admit our deliverers ’
We hardly had patience to don pr<i
tective outer-garments because of
the glow of our quickened blood
and our common outbreak of jov
was simply, ‘At last! At last'
We are saved! We are saved'
Philhps was saved, saved, for
US 1
The story of the subsequent ca
reer of “Portugee” Phillips is an
all-too-familiar story of the pro
verbial ingratitude of republics
toward men who have served
them well. In the years that fol
lowed his heroic ride he was em
ployed in various capacities
around the frontier posts in
Wyoming. But he was continual
ly hunted and harassed by the
Sioux who looked upon him as
the man who had prevented their
following up their victory over
Fetterman by destroying the
whole garrison at Fort Phil Kear
ney. They drove oif or killed his
cattle and when he tried to get
compensation from the govern
ment for his losses the Court of
Claims gave him a judgment for
the sum of $2,210.
Then it was discovered that
Phillips, born of Portuguese par
ents on the Pacific coast, wasn’t
a naturalized citizen of the United
States at the time of the Indian
depredations on his property. So
the claim was not allowed! Lat
er he became a naturalized citi
zen but still the claim was not
paid.
Broken in health by the ex
posure and strain of his perilous
ride and his treatment at the
hands of the revengeful Indians,
Phillips died in Cheyenne Novem
ber 18, 1883, at the age of 51,
leaving a wddow and a child in
straightened circumstances.
It was not until 33 years later
that the government took official
recognition of his heroic ride.
In 1899 Senator F. E. Warren and
Congressman F. W. Mondell of
Wyoming, aided by affidavits pro
vided by Carrington (now a brig
adier-general) and Mrs. Carring
ton (his second wife) succeeded
in obtaining the sum of $5,000 for
Mrs. Phillips in partial recogni
tion of her husband’s services in
1866 and his losses at the hands
of the Indians.
Monument to “Portugee” Phillips
near the site of Fort Phil Kearney.
Among the tributes that have
been paid to “Portugee” Phillips
is this poem, written by Griff
Crawford and printed in the Kans
as City Times on March 3, 1929.
I’M HIDIN' FOR LARAMIE
I’m goin’ to Laramie—down the divide;
A headin’ for Laramie—goin’ to ride
The trail as I find it and gaugin’ the
breath
That blows from the Big Horn, a-slngin'
with death.
I’m hopin’ for luck when I’m makin'
It through
The brakes that are hidin’ the clan of
the Sioux.
They’re waitin’ out there in the coulees,
I know.
But it’s death if I stay—and a chance
if I go.
So, here’s a goody-bye to the pards at
my side —
I’m tryin’ for Laramie—down the divide.
I’m tryin’ for Laramie. No one can tell
The cunnin’ that lurks in the minions
of hell
That wait Just beyond where the spent
bullets fall.
Nor measure the storm that is king
over all.
With its cold, bitin’ sting and the drifts
layin’ deep,
And the wild, drivin’ wind that comes
down with a sweep.
I’m knowin’ the trail will be long at
the best—
I’m knowin’ the risk and I’m takin’ the
test—
And hopin' and prayin’ that somethin'll
guide
Me straight into Laramie—down the di
vide.
I'm tryin’ for Laramie—crawlin’ it
through
The scalp-raisin’ ring—and I’m foolin'
the Sioux;
I’m freezin’ a bit—but I’m warmer in
side—
And soon I’ll be out where I’ll chance It
and ride.
The wind has a sting and the goin’ is
rough.
But I’m out—and away—and my broncho
is tough.
The trail may be long but It's worth it
to know
I am fightin’ the miles and I’m buckin’
the snow
For help—and I'm grinnin’ for makin’
it through
That circle of death—and I’m foolin’ the
Sioux.
I'm rtdin’ for Laramie! Somehow the
creep
Os cold in my veins wants to put me
to sleep
And the hours—and the days—and the
weeks—and the years
And the drummin’ that sounds like a
knell in my ears—
And the eyelids that’s froze to my cheeks
sorta seem
Like a phantom of night or the hell of
a dream.
I’m freezin’ I know, but I’m ridin’ it
out—
r° about i-’aramie—swayin'
I’d grin, if I could, for I’m makin’ It
through
Fr °Sioux arney *° Laraml ®— l foolin’ the
„ . L’ENVOI.
here, little hoss, and our Journey
is done; '
The and g won* r * ringin ’’ we ’ve mad * it
ThC count; o t hat 18 bittn ’ my flesh doesn,t
I’m watchin’ the soldiers ride out as
they mount
A h coukT fOF Kearney ‘ I>d cry If I
The th r ey h would! for Kcarney - 1 kn «w that
Be l ridin° ’fL r,d v n ’ the lce Pelted track—
B backL f barney a-leadin’ them
And it W through th< flght aS they ’ re beatln*
11^10 ' Circle and whippln’ tha