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. - ' fl| * ? ? gS- SBH ?/ fl> ' v ^ The Alamance gleaner VoL LXIV "*'> I GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1939 Na 48 Weekly News Analysis Election 'Cleanup9 Suggestions Learte Vote-Buying Loopholes By Joseph W. La Bine? EDITOR'S NOTE?When opinion* no axproaaod ia thorn column*, thop art those o/ tho mow* onnlyat. and mot aocotaorily Politics Since the dim day when Ameri ca's first pork barrel was burst open, politicians have legally or il legally used federal funds to further their personal ends. Pork-barreling was simple, and usually honest, when it involved no more than a U. S.-sponsored post office, highway or bridge. But since 1933 the old fashioned pork barrel has been sup planted by relief projects, building up huge payrolls among unemployed people who will cast their votes not necessarily for the right man, but for the man who will protect their jobs. Three sqpare meals a day have a far greater vote-getting appeal thpn any miscellaneous fa vor a congressman could pull from the pork barrel. In an election year, political abuse of relief funds becomes a par amount danger. Therefore congress received no Jolt when Texas' Sen. SENATOR SHEPPARD R ?i i? ? imtioiu wn mmr. Morris Sheppard offered his com mittee's report on campaign expen ditures. Supping lightly over the routine fact that some campaigns cost nothing while another (that of Ohio's Robert P. Taft) cost $159, $51.37, the committee outlined re sults of relief-politics inquiries in 18 states. Sample allegations: Kentucky. Gov. Albert B. ("Hap py") Chandler collected about $70, 000 from state employees whose sal aries came partly or wholly from federal funds. His successful oppo nent, Sen. Alben W. Berkley, re ceived $24,000 from federal employ ees, but his campaign manager de nied all but $2,000. Pennsylvania. WPA state high way work cards were issued to high school children, who returned to their classes without doing any work. Tennessee. Federal employees were solicited for contributions; WPA labor eras used to repair pri vate roads. Illinois. In Cook county, 450 men were added to state highway crews, 70 of whom did no work other than canvass their respective precincts. No criticism was directed at for mer WPA Administrator Harry Hopkins, nor was action taken against any candidate. The pathetic truth is that no individual office seeker could be singled out without ripping open an unwholesome, futile investigation. Instead the commit tee contented itself with 16 sugges tions for cleaning up elections, most of which would provide loopholes, few of which could be enforced with out interfering with private rights. Sample suggestions: (1) Prohibition against political . contributions by relief recipients and legislation forbidding relief officials to influence votes. (2) Legislation limiting individual contributions to candidates, pre venting corporation donations and requiring complete reports of cam paign costs. International January 1 found the U. S. and Qr?at Britain invoking their new low-tariff trade pact, designed pri marily to stimulate business, but also to furnish a strong "white man's front" against dictator states. A few days later Britain made a strong show of enthusiasm over President Roosevelt's anti-dictator speech (Ur WBITt HOUSE). But if these two signs indicate a policy of "parallel action" between Wash ingtoc and London, several other gestures by Britain hardly fit into the picture. Smart "parallel action" would call for British adoption of die U. S. policy of refusing to consort eco nomically with Germany, Italy or Japan. But when Governor Mon tagu Norman of the Bank of Eng ' land went to Berlin, and when Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain visit ed Italy, each carried plans for stim ulating British trade with the two dictator states. Meanwhile, Britain has extended China credits of only $2,500,000, compared with U. S. cred its of $25,000,000. Though Britain may some day be forced into a life-and-death battle with both Germany and Italy, she is willing to overlook this possibility for the sake of her foreign trade. White House Before congress opened, President Roosevelt's critics believed his ris ing enthusiasm for rearmament was merely a cloak to focus public at tention away from last November's election defeat. By shouting for larger army-navy appropriations, by keeping silent as a. sphynx on every other subject, the President was expected to build for himsmf a storm shelter until the torrent of congressional criticism had passed. But rearmament turned out to be a recognized national problem and Mr. Roosevelt turned out to be a smarter psychologist than his crit ics expected. It remained for his speech on the state of the Union to sound the keynote. Its essence: The U. S. is beset by threats from dic tator nations, therefore we must re arm and take sanctions against ag gressors. But rearmament is also an internal proposition, therefore we must set our house in order and de fend ourselves with social and eco nomic reforms. Some reforms al ready made (social security, farm legislation, labor act) need "ma chining down." Others (governmen tal reorganization, transportation) are still to be made. On spending: "It does not seem logical to me, at the moment we seek to increase production and consumption, for the federal government to consider a drastic curtailment." Congress did not need long to fig ure out that if military rearmament would cost real money, internal re armament would be even more ex ' pensive. When the budget message was delivered their figures were verified. The President's budget re quests: $8,995,000,000. The expected income: $5,609,000,000. The net def icit for the fiscal year: $3,326,000, 000. By June 30, 1940, when the year ends in a burst of political campaigning, the administration will therefore have a public debt of $44,458,000,000 to explain. As congress dove headlong into its six, seven or eight-month task. President Roosevelt may have been surprised to learn his initiating ut terances won more public acclaim in France and Great Britain than at home. Definitely on the defensive for the first time since 1933, he faced HAMILTON FISH JR. He offered e comment. an independent congress and a very wary pubic which hoped be appre ciated the magnitude of his actions. And while London and Paris ap plauded the strongest official U. 8. statement yet made against dicta tors, Berlin and Rome sang the next stanza in the international hymn of hate which has now reached an alarming intensity. At home, little comment was forthcoming. A sample, from New York's Rep. Hamilton Fish Jr.: "True to his devotion to interna tionalism and the League of Na tions, (Mr. Roosevelt) urges collec tive security and military alliances of democracies. I do not believe that congress will scrap oar tradi tional foreign policy of peace for ons in which we would quarantine and police the world with Americas blood and money." ] 1 Atia War-torn China's biggest boast is her constantly growing national unity, a product of necessity that has made Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek the strongest Chinese ruler in modern history. But despite this well-publicized unity, China has not been able to make much of a show ing against her Japanese invaders. Indeed, foreign military observers find Tokyo's paper-thin front lines so vulnerable that they say 30,000 American, British or French troops could put the enemy to rout. But in Jap-occupied territory are 270,000, 000 civilians and 1,230,000 armed GENERALISSIMO CHIANG Time to nop bluffing. guerrillas whose spirit of national unity is still not strong enough to inspire a sudden, inevitably success ful attack. Better than the national unity argument is the theory that smart Genera] Chiang has been staging a fake show of Chinese nationalism, offering a good front at the expense of his wavering government. Though Chungking headquarters are over run with nepotism, corruption and inefficiency, many abuses have been tolerated to make the outside world think China is strong. In the end General Chiang wangled handsome loans and credit arrangements from both the U. S. and Britain, proving the stunt was working, at least temporarily. Not anticipated, however, was the walkout of one-time Premier Wang Ching-wei, who celebrated New Year's by reaching peacs terms with Japanese Premier Fuminaro Konoye. Long a silent bulwark of China's Kuomintang (Nationalist) party, Mr. Wang reportedly met at Hongkong with Japanese agents and reached terms which would make him China's head man, leav ing General Chiang out in the cold. Terms: (1) China should open dip lomatic relations with Japanese pup pet state, Mancbukuo; (2) China should agree to economic "co operation" with Japan; (3) China should adhere to the Jap-Italo-Ger man anti-Communist agreement; (4) China should accept Japanese garrisons while the anti-Communist pact was in force. Interpretations of the Wang de marche have come thick and fast. In Tokyo, happy Japanese thought it meant a breakdown of the Kuomin tang and the spotlight of publicity on China's internal troubles. With Chi ang weakened, Japanese puppet states would no longer seem point less. In Shanghai, still Chinese de spite its Japanese ownership, ob servers thought the Wang declara tion was a well-timed Jap move to counteract U. S. and British credits to General Chiang. With the die cast, General Chiang no longer saw need for hiding his troubles. From Chungking came word of a wholesale purge from the Kuomintang of some 200 peace par tisans. Expelled was Deserter Wang, charged with having attempt ed to gain support from military leaders in Szechuan and Yunnan provinces. Miscellany For the first time in its history. New York's Sing Sing prison hss executions every week during Jan uary. Total for the month already scheduled: 10. 0 U. S. correspondents returning from eighth Pan-American confer ence at Lima, Peru, have reported censorship, intimidation and spying unlike that ever before seen at a Pan-American assembly. Aviation In 1037, as bead of the U. S. mari time commission, Joseph P. Ken nedy urged construction of smaller ocean vessels as protection against the day when seaplanes would speed mail and passengers from Europe to America. Test flights had al ready been underway a year, and the Kennedy prediction has now been sustained by announcement that Imperial Airways of London will start weekly transatlantic serv ice before next June. Forerunning 11-hour passenger service between Southampton and Montreal, lour 40,200-pound flying boats will make two flights each way every weak. Brackarfg Washington Digit President Put Over Fast One in Naming Hopkins to Commerce Post Reduces Chances of Investigation of WPA and Its Relief Spending;. Appointment of Harrington to Hopkins* Place Seen as Strategic Move. By WILLIAM BRUCKART WNTT Service, Nlttoaal Pre*? Bldf., Washlaftea, D. C. WASHINGTON ?Many persona in Washington are convinced that President Roosevelt has slipped a fast ball right over the plate in front of bis congressional critics by the transfer of Harry Hopkins to the job of secretary Of commerce and the selection of Col. P. C. Har rington as works progress admin istrator.' It appears to some ob servers, certainly, that the presi dential maneuver has gone a long way toward reducing, if not elimi nating, the chances of a dirty in vestigation of WPA and its relief spending. The President knew of the brew ing trouble that had Hopkins as the focus; he was told how much mud slinging was due to take place, and how the haters of Hopkins and his methods were preparing to leave no stone unturned in exposing ev erything about Hopkins and his or ganization that could be made to appear slimy. Yet, Hopkins is per haps the closest of all of the "inner circle" of advisers to the President and surely be is the President's best personal friend. Naturally, be want ed to keep Hopkins around. In naming Hopkins to the post of secretary of commerce, vacated only at Christmastime by the vet eran official, Daniel C. Roper, Mr. Roosevelt has had to tides the chance that the appointee would meet some razzing in senate con firmation. That is a chance, of course, but Mr. Hopkins will be con firmed after the boys in the senate have had their say. But there will be little opportunity for the anti administration Democrats to sink their teeth into the Hopkins appoint ment to the commerce job. That department has leaa money to spread about perhaps than most important government jobs. Admin istration friends in the senate, there fore, can say with propriety that a razzing of Hopkins, as the com merce nominee, is not to be in dulged in because this is another job, not related to spending relief money. Appointment of Harrington Another Strategic Move I am told on eery good authority that this will be the strategy em ployed when the Hopkins nomina tion is under consideration. To all critics of Hopkins, the sdministra tion friends simply will reply, in effect, "you wanted Hopkins out of the relief Job. Now he is out, etc." It is undoubtedly a smart piece of politics and it will work? for awhile. The President also strengthened his position in the coming battle with congress by the appointment of Colonel Harrington. The colonel is a regular army engineer. He has been assistant chief engineer of WPA and knows the organisation. And most important of all. Colonel Harrington leans somewhat to the conservative side, which makes him acceptable to most senators, even anti-administration Democrats. Mr. Roosevelt is taking no chances on any ruckus arising over Colonel Harrington, however, and has avoided it by a clever piece of detail. Colonel Harrington has been designated only as "acting WPA administrator." He will run the or ganization as though be were full fledged on the Job. The difference is that the designation of the colonel as acting administrator eliminates the requirement of a senate confir mation. The third angle of the strategy also is vital to the picture I am seeking to present The chief dep uty administrator under Hopkins has been Aubrey Williams. It was Williams, you may recall, who has made speeches and has advised WPA workers to "vote for your friends," to insist on federal pres ervation of "your rights," and it was he who said in a speech that he was inclined to believe that class hatred was a good thing. Many Attack on Raliaf Policial to Bo Expected To keep Mr. William* out of the clutches of the wolves around the capitol, Mr. Roosevelt took him off at the Job at deputy relief adminis trator and appointed him as direc tor of the national youth adminis tration. Again, the senate can get to Mr. Williams only If it is willing to adopt a special resolution lor an investigation, and there is probably - enough administration strength In the senate to block such a resolu tion. The lines have not yet been tight ly drawn in congress as a result of the sudden maneuver by the Presi dent. There wOl be many attacks on the relief policies at an early date because the WPA must have something like (790,000,000 in addi tional money before the middle of February, and that request will be laid before congress along with oth er calls for money in the first de ficiency bill. But Mr. Hopkins will be nesting comfortably in his pan elled office on the fifth floor of the commerce department; be will be "completely detached" from WPA and so the controversy over voting the money will settle down to a mat ter of principle without having too much personality in it The appointment of CoL Harring ton will be much advertised by ad ministration supporters in order to help others forget that Hopkins once held the job. Colonel Harrington is accepted as a high grade man. His army associates know him as capa ble and efficient and the critics of relief policies cannot help feeling that be will do a fairly good Job. He has not engaged in politics, as Hopkins did, thus is immune from that approach. Hopkins Is Objsctionabls To * Majority in Congross At the proper time, therefore, congress will learn at whet ie going to be dooe by the new edminietre i tor. And then come* the climax. The President again will ask congress to vote relief funds in bulk, ta blank check, Just as happened before. The members will be reassured by the administration concerning the abil ity, honesty and soundness of plans of the administrator. Mr. Roose velt is said to hope that the strategy will work. I doubt it, but stranger things have happened. There have been few times in my 30 years as a Washington observer that the feel ing against a member of the execu tive's staff has been so heated as it has grown to be concerning Hop kins and the relief spending that he carried on. It will be recalled that be never minced words about con gressional critics, and it win be re membered, as weU, that he sought to help the President "purge" a number of recalcitrant Democrats who were seeking re-election. It appears very strongly that Mr. Roosevelt has elevated to his cabi net an individual thoroughly objec tionable to a majority of congress and has, at the same time, provid ed himself with a chance to get spending money again. He may not win with the maneuver, but be has caught a good many persons off guard with the trick. But what of Hopkins as secretary at commerce, assuming that the name wiU be confirmed by the sen ateT Well, Mr. Hopkins wfll draw his pay regularly en the first and tf teenth of each month. He win be faithful in going to his office in the powerful automobile that is provid ed by the government for the sec retary of commerce. He win sign the papers which the secretary of commerce^jwYequircd to sign be csuss ndmebody, holding subordi na?d?sitions and who knows what it is aU about, will teU him that is their recommendation. Secretary mt Commerce to Make 1SOJOOO Appointment, The patent office wfl] run, aa it always has run by itself, in a very efficient manner. The bureau of air commerce will be well managed be cause it has capable people in sub ordinate positions. The bureau of foreign and domestic commerce, the bureau of fisheries, the bureau of lighthouses and the others, or most of them, will get along with out too much trouble because Mr. Hopkins probably will leave them alone. But we should not leave Mr. Bop kins alone yet for the reason that late this year, or early ki 1M0, there will be about 130,000 appoint ments to be made by the secretary of commerce. Next year is the pe riod for the regular 10-year census and the personnel must be named. Next year also is a campaign year, a national election. ? Wsstwa Nswmsees Msa. l?Speaking of Sports Sports Veterans Duplicate Wins In 1937 Events Max SehmcUnc By ROBERT McSHANE T OOKING back over the past year in sports, Mr. Average Fan is somewhat amazed to see so many champions stay at the head of the field. Though there were many up sets, equally as many topnotcbers increased the prestige which they had gained in previous years. That does mat mean that there were ae new champieas crowned, as records broken. It does mean that lttt lacked sonr%l the ex plestveaess ot ether years. For instance, Joe Louis didn't win the heavyweight title in 1938, he merely kept it well in band, and gave a good accounting of himself. America merely kept the Davis cup again this year, and didn't bring it to this country. Doo Budge again cannonaded his way through the opposition, repeating his victories at the previous year. The Yankees certainly did nothing new in blanket ing the rest of baseball. At least nothing new for them. Ralph Gul dahl won the open golf champion ship for the second consecutive year. Seabiscuit (and this is a touchy point) stayed at the top, and beat new competition "in (hiving down the track ahead of War Ad miral. Two marks which were threat ened during the past year, but which still stand aa a goal, are Babe Ruth's 00 home runs in 1927 and the 14 feet U inch pole vault rec ord established by Sefton and Meadows in 1937. Hank Green berg of Detroit came close to pass ing the Babe's total, but failed by two clouts in his gallant assault. Pole vsuit ers seem to have plenty of trouble in reaching for that additional Inch. There are new goals to fooot kt, however. Glenn Cunningham ran the mile in 4:04.4 to establiah a world record, and Johnny Vender Meer electrtfled the baseball world by pitching two ewcoaeleo no-hit games. The United States had a banner year In international i empelllian. aside from the less at the Walker cap and two er three other scat tered reverses. It defended foe Da vis cap in easy manner, and Its track team sneered under foe Nasla in a dual meet at Berlin, winning 14 to ? list places and teeing only ana track event. The English grand national went to Battleship, an American-bred jumper, and Flares, arith no rating in the British stud book, captured the Ascot gold cup. Charley Yates plowed through Troon's mud to arin the British amateur golf champion ship, and the native American-in fested Chicago Black Hawks cams through in the playoffs to capture hockey's Stanley cup. Henry Armstrong, tough little Ne gro lighter, started the year in poa ? ???Ion of tho featherweighttitle. and than added tho welterweight and lightweight crowns. Arm strapg ranked sec ond only to Budgo in tho Associated Pros* poll to de termine tho year'a outstanding ath lete. His feaU in j tho ring far out shadowed thooo of his contomporo rios. Joo Louis blasted Schmeling with little enort, thus causing Der Max to tall from Herr Hitler's good graces. Battleship as the bast race herse at the year, bat a majority at experts anmber (a Tared EI Chlee. Earl taste, wke trained Stagehand, real ly deesa't Bind, far the bene ana the meet maaey, Sport Shorts DILL KLEM, veteran National " league umpire, will not retire until hia lege or voice fold up. Idem win be ? in February . , . Lieut. Harry J. (Hank) Hardwick, former football coach at the naval acade my, has been transferred bade to ?ea duty with the Asiatic squadron ... An international checker match is being planned in Glasgow and London tor 1941 ... JSn Van der Vyvered the Netherlands and Mick ey Francolsa od New Jersey were the only two cycling champe to re tain their crowns. Baseball's Iron Horse I OU GEHRIG, iron hone of the world champion Yankees, pay ing no attention to passing yean, broke eight major league records and tied another in 1838. Some of the marks wen already in Us possession, et eoerse, tat he them still farther beyond reach ed hopefuls whs will try te beat thane. When he hung up bis glove at the end of the season he had ex tended his string of consecutive championship games without an in terruption to X.12S. This total doesn't include series or exhibition games. The redonbtabie diamond waiita played in 157 Imriiis leagws games last seisea, a feet that tied snsthsr major league mark ter dnt timdod Lea's ewa mark fer eenser utive yean la wWck he has played 1M ? mere gaasas te IX. Other records credited to him in clude: most yean scoring 100 -or mots runs, 13; most imieei ullve years scoring 100 or more nas, 13; home runs with bases filled, 31, and most double plays by a first base man, 137. Thirty-three major records fell, and 13 were tied. One of the out standing perform ance* waa that of Bob Feller, the In dians' spectacular right ? hander, in striking eut 18 bat ters in a single game. The young pitcher also set an other modern record by issuing 108 bases on balls during the past season. The entire Ameri can league reached a new mgn lor nome runs in a sin gle season with 894 circuit clouts. A new record was also established with the hitting of ST hone runs with the bases loaded. MM* Money rlayers AT A time when criee of "paid athletea" and "subsidized play. era" fill the air?which is practical ly all ths time?the news that the University of Florida has a definite salary schedule for her footballers comes startling news. At the Gainesville school, as at other institutions of the flniilhaaot era ^inference, no attempt is mads to cover up this fact. The pay-aft is all above-board. Sam McAllister, assistant to head coach Josh Cody, in ipsa! lug of the system, said: many ether asbsale we've had as lessening ar morale. We've had lees trouble ever eligibility, and we've had better football hennas evasy* body's satisfied." There are two schedules under which the athletes are suhsidiied. First string players receive full scholarships, worth approximately $600 and covering "board. Mom and tuition. In addition to this they are given a weekly wage that variea from IS to a high of $3 JO. Players who aren't top varsity material gat half scholarships and s wage. S W?fa lusw. PsSsa. Pocket Billiards By CHAKLE8C.PETEB90N ^TrST*"" Ik. U This diagram shews a Idas M Here utmost care must be exer cised to place the balls In the erect position aa shown in the diagram. Follow the lines drawn that guide this shot to^eo^Tery Interesting be
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
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Jan. 12, 1939, edition 1
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