North Carolina Newspapers

The Alamance Gleaner ? * VOL. LXII. GRAHAM, N, C., THURSDAY FEBRUARY 27, 1936. ~~ Na By Edward X Pickard ? W<r stem Neu-spaper Union TV A Held Valid on All Points at Issue SCORE one for the New Deal ; and a big one. The Supreme court In Its long awaited decision ruled that the Tennessee Valley Authority act is Chief Justice Hughes valid, on all points at Issue in tbe suit brought by the stock holders of the Ala bama Power company. Dnder the ruling the administration is free to go ahead with Its power program in the Tennessee valley act ually under way. The decision was read by Chief Justice Hughes and was concurred in by all the associate Justices except Justice McReynolds. He read a dissenting opinion. Because of circumscribed limits the decision was much narrower than most of the New Deal findings of the Supreme court It was limited strict ly to the terms of the contract on which the suit was brought, namely, acquisition by TVA of a transmission line to convey power from the Wilson dam. Certain phases are still open for possible legal contest In the future, and only Wilson dam, not Norrls dam or any other dam constructed or pro jected on the Tennessee river was ln Tolved in the court's finding. The legal right of the federal gov ernment to acquire and own transmis sion lines to a market for surplus en ergy ? never before directly passed upon by the United States Supreme court ? was ruled upon In the affirma tive. Unanswered Is the question of what constitutes surplus power. Among the chief points In the ma jority opinion were these: The government had full authority to build Wilson dam? keystone of TVA. Congress has undisputed power to Older disposal of electricity developed at the dam. The government acted legally In building or obtaining through purchase from private companies certain trans mission lines to transport power to a wider market. The government bas the same right to dispose of surplus power as it would have to dispose of copper, gold, and minerals on public lands. Justice McReynolds In answer to this said: "If under the thin mask of dispos ing of property the United States can enter the business of generating, trans mitting and selling power, as, when and wherever, some board may spe cify. with the definite design to ac complish ends wholly beyond the sphere marked out for them by the Constitution, an easy way has been found for breaking down the limita tions heretofore supposed to guaran tee protection against aggression." Chairman Frank R. McNlnch of the federal power commission said the TVA decision "settles all questions of constitutionality of such federal proj ects as Grand Coulee, Bonneville and Fort Peck." Military Revolt in Paraguay Succeeds Revolutionaries, mostly mili tary and led by Colonels Smith and Recalde, veterans of the Cbaco war, took possession of the government of Paraguay after some fighting In the streets of Asuncion, the capital. The government forces surrendered to the rebels and President Ayala took refuge on a gunboat It was believed a new government would be formed with Col. Rafael Franco as Its bead. Be Is now an exile In Buenos Aires. Italians Win Big Battle With the Ethiopians DELATED dispatches from the Ital ian fleldquarters In northern Ethi opia tell of a six-day battle, t?e fiercest and most Important of the war so far, in which - - the forces of General Badoglio, about 70. 000 in number, de feated and routed 90. 000 Ethiopians, In cluding 10,000 of the emperor's guard under Ras Mulugheta, war minister, and 70,000 warriors under Ras Kassa and Has Se youm. The Italians were left In full dos Gen. Badoglio session of tbe fertile and strategic En derto region and In control of the passes In tbe Temblen region. After six da/t ?f encircling opera lions, during which torrential rains bogged the field of battle and heavy clouds enabled tbe Ethiopians to make Invisible movements, the March 23 division of blackshirts planted tbe Italian flag on the mist-veiled hlxn summit of Aradam, completing that particular operation. They then bad a clear path to Amba Alagla, 18 miles further south, and It was presumed that the taking of that mountain would mark tbe cessation of activities be cause of tbe coming March rains. It was estimated that in this battle more than 6,000 Ethiopians bad been killed and many times that number wounded. The Italian casualties were not announced but they undoubtedly were not light Only white Italians participated In tbe fighting. Substitute Farm Bill Passed by Senate TPEN days of hot debate In the sen -*? ate culminated in the passage of the administration's substitute farm bill by a vote of 56 to 20, and It was hurried over to the house with the prospect of quick approval by that body. Attacked by Republicans as a sub terfuge to get around the Supreme court AAA decision, and frankly con ceded by Democrats to be a measure Indirectly continuing control of farm production, th$ soil erosion bill would accomplish its objective as follows: The secretary of agriculture would be empowered to make benefit pay ments to farmers who voluntarily co operate with the government's sugges tions on retiring certain land from pro duction to conserve its fertility. Pay ments would be determined on four factors : L Acreage of crop land. 2. Acreage of soil Improving crops. 3. Changes In farming practices. 4. Percentage of normal farm pro duction which equals that percentage of normal national production of farm commodities required for domestic con sumption. This arrangement would be limited to two years. It would be replaced by a system of 48 Individual state AAA's to regulate production, with the federal government apportioning funds to the states. Senator Black's Inquisition Creates Resentment SENATOR HOUO L. BLACK of Ala bama and his lobby Investigation committee are creating a flood of re sentment among American citizens Senator Black that Is likely to do vastly more barm than good to the New Deal. Quite without concealment Black Is using the committee in a way that thou sands of people do not like. He sent out a questionnaire to Indi viduals and organiza tions known to be op posed to the New Deal, demanding In formation on their re lations with all organizations and tfaelr corporation and other Investments. Many refused to answer tbe questions, and they are supported in this position by the American Liberty league, which has challenged the right of Black's committee to compel answer under oatb to tbe queries. In effect, tbe league dares Black to cite for contempt of the senate those who refuse to reply to the questionnaire. Senator Black's only reply to date was that tt was "a little difficult to be lieve that tbe league would attempt to Intimidate or coerce Its own members to keep their mouths shut until the du Fonts say they can talk." House Passes the Huge War Department Bill THE War department bill, appropri ating approximately 545 million dol lars for "national defense," was passed by tbe house. For purely military pur poses tbe sum of $376,886,333 is allot ted. The remainder, $1G8 ,359.983, goes for rivers and harbors projects, gen erally classed as "pork." An attempt to put back Into the bill a $29,000,000 appropriation for carry ing on such projects as the Passama quoddy tidal - power experiment In Maine and tbe Florida ship canal was suppressed (irmly. Tbe military budget provided by the bill will be sufficient to maintain an average army of 147,000 men during the coming year. By 1036. according to the War department, the maximum of 165,000 permitted by congress should be reached. Germany Warned to Keep Troops Off the Rhine FRANCE believes Hitler Is Just walt " log for a favorable opportunity to announce that Germany will re-arm tbe Rhlneland, contrary to tbe terms of tbe treaty of Versailles, but sbe dees ?ot Intend to be caught napping as she was wben be sprung bis announce ment of compulsory military service for tbe wbole -Qefman nation. So Premier Van Zeeland of Belgium was summoned to Paris and be and French Foreign Minister Plerre-Etlenne Flan diD issued a warning tbat the remil itarization of tbe Rhlneland would bring Immediate reprisals. The exact nature of the reprisals agreed upon between Flandln and Van Zeeland was not revealed, but It Is de clared they have been worked out to tbe last detail and will be applied automatically and simultaneously by the two countries. It Is believed In Paris tbat Great Britain has agreed to support action contemplated by France and Belgium, and tbat meanwhile Bel glum will complete her system of bor der fortifications. Four Moslem Nations United by Treaty DISPATCHES from Istanbul say that four Moslem nations. Turkey, Iraq, Persia and Afghanistan, have concluded a treaty of friendship and nonaggresslon and that it will be signed soon either at Teheran or Bagdad. It Is considered of tbe greatest sig nificance that these four Independent Moslem countries have for tbe first time united on their own Initiative and agreed to patcb up minor differ ences wbicb bave embittered past rela tions and to seek friendly co-operation In the future. Russia and Japan Agree to Investigate Clashes ACCORDING to an otticlal commu nique Issued at Moscow, ' the Soviet and Japanese governments have agreed In principle to tbe appointment of a mixed commission to Investigate clashes on the Sovlet-Manchukuan border. Tbe offer of the Japanese govern ment to enter Into such an arrange ment was communicated to tbe for eign office by Japanese Ambassador Tameklchl Ota. G. S. Stomonlakoff, Russian vice commissar for foreign af fairs, pointed out tbat the Soviet gov ernment frequently has made similar proposals In the past ? The Soviet government ordered Its consulate at Mukden, Manchukuo, closed, but an official spokesman de clined to connect the order with recent clashes between Japanese-Manchukuan and Outer Mongolian troops on the Outer Mongolian border. Norway Wins Winter Olympic Games PILING ufc a total of 140 points, the Norwegians won first place In the winter Olympic games at Garmlsch Partenklrchen, Germany. Germany was second with 117 points, and the United States came fifth wtlh 35%. Norway's speed skaters and ski jumpers were In vincible. The only title won by Amer icans was in the two-man bobsled event captured by Ivan Brown and Alan Wasbbond of Keene Valley, N. Y. Newton D. Baker Heads Special Bar Committee PRESIDENT WILLIAM L. RANSOM of tbe American Bar association, with headquarters In Chicago, an nounced tbat Newton D. Baker, for N. D. Baker mer Bevreurjf ui war, has accepted t b e chairmanship of the association's special committee on co-op eration between the press, radio and bar against publicity In terfering with fair trial of Judicial and quasi-Judicial proceed ings. The creation of this special committee to define standards to be recommended to lawyers, newspapers and radio broad casters in tbe matter of publicity as tq court trials, said the announcement, is an outcome of the Incidents arising In tbe course of the Bruno Uauptmann trial and various proceedings before governmental boards and bodies. Pan-American Parley on Peace Proposed LETTEltS have been sent by ?'resi dent Roosevelt to tbe heads of the Latin-American governments Inviting tbem to participate In a Pan-American conference, probably lo Washington, tbe purpose of wblcb will be to or ganize the peace machinery of the western hemisphere. Our State de partment says that tbe meeting will en deavor to provide means for adjusting International disputes by peaceful means. The conference may bring up tbe Monroe Doctrine for a new defi nition through multilateral endorse nent Italy Feels the Pinch of Sanctions Oil! The precious fuel shown gushing forth from the earth at the right is the biggest need today of Mussolini, shown in inset How young Italians take pride in turning over their valued private possessions to the government to help it beat the pressure of sanctions may be seen at the upper left. Lower left are Romano and Anna-Marie, chil dren of the dictator, turning over their personal jewels to the government. By WILLIAM C. UTLEY CAN oil sanctions'Stop the war? The answer seems to be "yes" If the League can suc ceed In cutting off all oil ship ments to Italy. Estimates of the ex perts recently assigned by the League of Nations to make a survey of the situation Indicate that six or seven months of a complete oil embargo would bring II Duce to cease his oper ations In Ethiopia. Many qualifying factors may alter the situation. As a matter of fact, the longer the League of Nations ponders the advisability of applying oil sanc tions ? the longer the delay ? the longer Italy will be able to hold out after sanctions begin to be enforced. For she la reported to be storing oil at a rapidly-Increasing rate; the way In which American oil shipments to Italy have more than doubled normal pro portions Is an Indication of what is happening between Italy and other nations. Even Rumania, one of the s>taunchest supporters of the sanctions idea. Is Increasing her petrol shipments to Italy. Normally, Italy uses 1,500,000 tons i of oil annually. With the war oper ations now going forward In Ethiopia, she now is burning it up at the rate of 2.000,000 tons. Of her normal Impor tations of 1,500,000 tons annually, Ru mania furnishes abont 35 per cent, Russia 22 per cent, Persian sources (controlled by Great Britain) 12 per cent, Latin-American sources (also con trolled by Great Britain to a large ex 1 tent) 14 per cent, the United State; 10 per cent and all other sources 7 per I cent. During the past year, when Italy Imported 2,500,000 tons, Rumanian shipments leaped to 41 per cent of the "total; Russia shipped 10 per cent. Persia 15 per cent, Latin America. 15 per cent, the United States 0 per i cent and other sources 7 per cent. Because of the delay In the applica tion of oil sanctions. It Is believed that Italy can go along through the rainy season and pick up her military opera I tlons In autumn. Fresh Supplies Are Problems. The temporary let-down In lighting will make possible the saving of con siderable oil, and will thus stretch out tbe period of Italy's "reprieve" a few more months. How long arter that 1 time Mussolini' can keep going depends upon bis success In securing fresh sup | [dies. The answer to this lies largely with the nations who are not members of the League. The UnltiMl States has not yet made up Its mlml whether Its new neutrality act will contain the provision that exports to belligerent nations must not exceed their nnrmsl proportions. One of the things hold ing up the League embargo, of course. Is the fact that member nations are waiting until It can be determined ; what kind of action will be taken by the non-member nations. If Italy can keep buying oil from non-member nations, the members will face the possibility or losing a good share of their oil business for a long time to come. If not permanently. Italy Is attempting to ameliorate Its own situation through the adoption of substitutes for oil, and the building of new factories. Installation of trans formers, and similar preparations are well under way. The process, even wken it gets moving well, Is a costly one. however, and It Is doubtful whe^ er Italy's solution to the P?'1'? oil sanctions lies In that , Some estimates place tb. tola' ??"U? saving in oil by that means could bc only about 110,000 tons at the most. Limit U. 8. Export. If the United States does adopt the kind of neutrality law advocated by President Roosevelt and Secr?'ar' State Hull, the League could then be assured that Italy would not receive more than about 200.000 tons of oil annually from American Produ'*?' . If American shipment, are unllmjted the League has another card which could play, however. Most of the oU tankers In use are owned by Britlsn and Scandinavian Interests Amer can shipments might be material* cut by denying the United States the use of these tankers. . ... , Meanwhile, Italy has been adding to her own fleet of tanker* According to the I-eague transport sub-committees estimate, Italy now has 82 sh.ips which toal approximately 858.000 tons. There .re tankers In the Lallan navy which might be Included, and which would add another "0,000 tons. It has been estimated that Italy be able to transport some 2,mw.000 t?ns annually from ports on the Gulf of ^'Undoubtedly, If sanctions on oU are declared, the League would declare a prohibition on the sale of <tank"". Italy thus preventing her from build In"" up her tank fleet any more than she has already done. Also. It Is prob able that the League would forbid the movement of tankers sailing to Italian Trtl To accomplish this and to pre vent the shipment of o? in containers carried by other types of "S5ei. lt would probably be necessary to de clare naval blockades. This Is too much like war, and the League Is ex ceedingly wary about Invoking lhe blockade. likelihood that new tanker, would be purchased by Amer lean Interests to carry on I wart1?* trade with Italy. The policy of the administration Is too cle?r against aid Ing a nation at war at any time. The usual amount of regimentation of a people under a dictatorship multiplied many times since the oj nations declared economic sanctions ""The government has declared Im port monopolies on hundred, of Item*, from meat and flsh to things like mov ^ Picture films. To protect the gold reserve the National Institute for lor ei-n Exchange was authorized to con H transactions Involving the precious metaL Citizens or corpora tions may not sell or exchange gold nntU they have offered It to the gojr which agrees to return It In ;;" s?m'e amount and quality within . year, with Interest at 5 per cent. Royalty Sets Example. Italy's king and queen set sn ex l/bv sending their wedding rings ??MussJllni and the populace quickly took up lhe Idea, thousands upon tbou Tnds of persons turning over their ?i.l rlnzs and receiving Iron rings ;;n?Rc ar e .u colorful and. Indeed, pltltQl ceremonies throughout the coun '^fter the depletion of the gold re serve to a point somewhat under *400.^ \r.tThT~.nu!:edntmo" * i.t reserve through Increased ttx atlon, the floating of bond Issues, the wedding rings, new loans, the con version of government credits and the realization of foreign credits held by private citizens. Prices of foods and other Items In common use skyrocketed after Italy had felt the pinch of sanctions for a little while. Gasoline rose from 85 cents to $1.20 a gallon; wheat went up 20 Ures a quintal. Coal, soap and textiles followed. Factories shot down because there were no raw materials. Appeals were made to the emotions of the people. Boycotts were declared on goods coming from sanctlonlst coun tries. Great engines of economy and conservation of sanctioned articles were set In motion. There were ? and are ? plenty of the meatless days and wbeatless days that we Americans knew during the war, except that the Italians probably observe them more rigidly and more frequently. The pop ulace was encouraged to eat more fish and poultry, that beef, pork and mut ton could be conserved or sent to the boys In the African trenches. News papers and periodicals even refused to accept any more contributions from au thors of the sanctlonlst countries, and textbooks from those countries were removed from the schools. To meet the needs of the poorer people, who were hardest hit by the rising prices which followed the application of sanc tions, commissions of doctors and dieticians Issued pamphlets and began educational campaigns on the mainte nance of proper diet and living condi tions under the difficulties. People Get Bread. The people were not to be denied bread, for the tine wheat harvest of 1935 was 21 per cent greater than that of 1934. In the last five years the total area sown In wheat has been Increased by about 400.000 acres. Another 150, 000 acres were added during 1935. It Is not In foodstulTs, but In raw materials that Italy faces the most dangerous threats of sanctions. Italy Imports nearly 2,000,000 quintals of cot ton annually ? three-fourths of It from the United States ? as against a produc tion of only 9,000 quintals at home. She also Imports five times as much wool as she produces, but much of this Import can be canceled by the substi tution of silk, rayon and other mate rials. The nation Imports practically all of Its requirements In seeds, rubber and, of course, oil. The home produc tion of oil probably does not exceed 1 per cent of her normal needs. Italy's needs In timber are not facing any serious threats, for she can still Import practically all she needs from Austria. Austria Is also helping In for tifying Italy against the pressure of sanctions on minerals. Needs of scrap Iron are diminishing as the result of national drives to corral all the old Hron In the nation. Italy's own produc tion of Iron ore can be Increased about two-thirds Its normal needs. With oth er minerals It is not the same. Italy must Import all of her tin and nearly all of her copper, from sanctlonlst coun tries. Aluminum may be substituted for some of these products. The na tion Is fairly rich In aluminum. She imports about half of her lead. She must Import about ten times as much coal as she produces, about half of the total import coming from sanctlonlst countries. Her own coal is of poor quality. C WMtern N*wav?e*r Dale* A Texas Front Yard. HOUSTON, TEX. ? Because the Texas rangers merged with a prosaic highway patrol, thereby losing their entity as per haps the finest fighting force for law enforcement that America ever knew, they're saying ro mance has suffered a death blow. But I wouldn't go so tar as to sar that ? not about Texas. There's ro mance In her scope; raw drama In her business. Superlatives grow on trees out here and dls tance lives up to Its I name. We may not al ways fall In love with the fat lady In the sideshow, bnt her size commands respect. And sometimes, as In this case, there's beauty along with bulk. Take the famous King ranch ? the mightiest domain in the hands of a sin gle family In all the Irvin 8. Cobt world, probably. There Is a saying ? and a true one ? that It's ninety miles from the front gate to the front yard. Think of trying to shoo the chickens ont of that front yard! P raising Charles Curtis. T"\URING his active life, there was a ?*-' general journalistic tendency to deprecate Charles Curtis' larger achievements and langh at his little vanities. Now that he's gpne, the news papers, withont regard to their politics, are printing tributes to the distin guished career and fine citizenship of this man who went from an Indian lodge to the second highest elective office In our gWt Since to criticize onr leaders Is an almost universal instinct, wouldn't it be fine if we reversed the rule abont speaking no ill of the dead and praised a deserving fellow-creature while he could hear what we said ? but saved up the scoldings until he'd passed on? I could elaborate on this text, but must stop to try to think up some small gibe at the expense of soma prominent man. ? ? ? "V-T ? The Yellow Peril. I THEY'VE taken the Japanese war scare from the old cedar what-not and shaken the mothballs out of it sod are waving it In the breexe as a signal to the citizens of Los Angeles to re move the women and children to a place of safety and a warning to the folks in Seattle to start building street barricades. Thus we have the annual revival of a time-honored custom. To be sure, there's a racial differ ence to be reckoned with. We're a breed of opportunists, the Japanese are a breed of fatalists. The Ameri can soldier wants to go home when the mess Is over and see if he can get his Job back from the lad that smuggled Into it while he was at the front; the Japanese craves to rejoin his ances tors Instead of his family. So natural ly a fellow who'd prefer to go on living Is at a handicap fighting a gentleman who thinks you're doing him a per sonal favor by killing him. ? ? * White Folks' Melodies. LEAVING California, I said: Tin fed up on the kinds of singing that you hear so much of out here. No mat ter what a Mexican song starts out with. It winds up with something about a dove. And the trouble with Hawaiian singers is that they're always telling you good-by but they never go. Thank goodness, I'll soon be listening to the stuff I was raised on? spirituals pour ing gloriously forth from velvety Afric throats." But I hear now the distressing news that, even here In the deep South, some of the black people are getting so self conscious or something they want to sing the white folks' comparatively thin and pithless hymns Instead of their own rich, glowing melodies. e e ? Glasses of Eternal Spring. P HETTY much all over the country there seems to be general complaint about the weather. People are saying the trouble with this winter is that there's so much winter to it. But there's a philosophical way of regarding climatic unpleasantness. My friend, Ed Borein. the western painter, knew an aged chief on the Crow res ervation up In the Northwest who, when the first freeze came, went to the agency and bought a pair of green gog gles. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with the old Indian's sight? he had an eye like a captive hawk? so Borein asked questions. _ "I'm no longer young," answered the ancient, "and I don't like the snow and Ice Now, wherever I look, I see only . green things and it makes springtime In my heart" Maybe once in awhile we could learn something from the lowly Red man. IRVIN S. COBB. ?? WNU Service.