The Alamance Gleaner 1
0
Vol. LXV GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1939
?
Weekly News Analysis
Papal Election Thought Retort
4 Against Dictator Interference
? By Joseph W. La Bine?
EDITOR'S NOTE?Wbau opinion, an
txpressed in thoaa columns, they v? thorn*
of tbo aews analyst, and not nocetaarily
of tba newspaper.
Religion
As Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli, Pope
Pius XII was Vatican secretary ol
state and an important mediator in
many a European squabble. His
: two most notable achievements
were (1) leadership in the World
war settlement attempt of Pope
Benedict XV and (2) consummation
of the concordat that brought peace
? between the Vatican and Italy. His
.i ITD A , ' ^ a n .* ^
POPE PIIJ8 XII
Datpila Count Ciano and Garmany.
most difficult job was negotiating a
treaty with Protestant Russia in
1939, a feat that won him the red
cap of cardinal when Pietro Gas
parri retired in 1929.
When Pope Pius XI died last Feb
ruary 9, Secretary of State Pacelli
immediately became camerlengo,
interim chief of the Roman Catholic
church until the college of cardinals
could name a successor. Interna
tionally better ktxfwn than any other
potential candidate, Cardinal Pacel
li's name was immediately bandied
about as the most likely successor.
This, despite his confessed longing
to lead the contemplative life of a
monk; despite rumors that his se
lection would be none too welcome
by totalitarian Germany and Italy.
If Cardinal Pacelli had never ad
mitted . anti-dictator sentiments,
Italian Foreign Minister Count Ci
sco's newspaper, II Telegrafo, lost
no time pointing out that a Pacelli
appointment would be unwelcome
in Rome. In Germany another
newspaper. Das Schwatze Korps,
chimed in. At the Vatican, German
Ambassador Carl-Ludwig Diego von
a Bergen told the college that his na
tion was "assisting at the elabora
tion of a new world," and that "the
papacy without doubt has an essen
tial role."
Though conceivably unrelated to
these events. Cardinal Pacelli's ele
vation to the papacy might be in
direct retaliation against two gov
ernments which saw fit to interfere
with church affairs. A further pos
sibility is that the Rome-Berlin axis
erred diplomatically to such an ex
tent that the college of cardinals
felt obliged to appoint an experi
enced statesman who could deal
with Qerr -Hitler and Signor Musso
ltni
Europe
Britain's chief reason for backing
down at Munich was unprepared
ness. Subsequent appeasements
have grown noticeably smaller as
rearmament was sped. In January,
Prime Minister Chamberlain gave
nary an inch at Rome. In Febru
ary he openly announced plans to
aid France in war and to win the
new Spain away from Fascist domi
nation. Shortly after General Fran
co's government was recognized the
army, navy and air ministers
stepped before parliament to outline
how their share of Britain's largest
budget since the World war (more
than $5,000,000,000) will be spent
How army, navy and air expenses
will mount is shown by the follow
ing estimated budgets, compared
with the current fiscal year:
ins# int-?
Army . . . S 80S.S85.000 * sstsse.ooo
Navy . t 888aSS.MS 81S.5JS.008
Aria Hoc . f 1.103,133,500 S71.81S.000
SJ.877.1J1.805 SI.S33JSO.OOO
Not included is some $05,000,000
going for civilian, defense, bringing
the total armament outlay to more
than $2^00,000,000, or more than the
government will spend for all other
purposes combined. Specifically:
Army. Standing at 5?,T00 (a new
peace-time high), various army
units will be boosted by about 188,
700 during the coming fiscal year.
Increases are planned both at home
and in colonies.
Navy. Fearing German U-boats,
English, Australian, South African
and Hong Kong ports will be se
cured against submarines and mine
layers. Canada may purchase a
naval flotilla leader to head its fleet
of six destroyers. Six new motor
torpedo boats are being shipped to
Hong Kong. Planned construction:
20 fast escort vessels, two battle
ships, one aircraft carrier, four
cruisers, 18 destroyers, 30 smaller
craft.
Aviation. Personnel will rise from
108,000 to 118,000, four times the
1934 total of 30,000. By March 31.
a total of 1,780 first-line planes will
be ready, with production paced at
800 a month against an estimated
600 in Germany.
Civilian. Fifty million civilian gas
masks, 1,400,000 "toy" gas helmets
for babies and 1,300,000 masks for
children are on the list. Some
127,000,000 sandbags are on hand,
with 200,000,000 ordered. Special
. electrical equipment is planned and
"crisis" organization is being com
pleted.
? ? ?
Der Tag, whose fear is responsi
ble for this preparation, meanwhile
remains at flirting distance. Points
of potential trouble between France
and Italy over Mediterranean de
mands have grown more prominent.
Italy has repatriated her nationals
in France, ousted French newspa
per men, won Polish allegiance
away from France and hastened
mobilization. One new garrison is
reportedly established at Genoa,
only 190 miles from Nice. Mean
while Spain emerges as the new cen
ter of European balance.
Relief
Everyone knows relief costs much
more today than in 1929. Everyone
knows, too, that President Roose
velt's dream of an $80,000,000,000
national annual income may mean
little even if it does come true,
since increased governmental costs
would eat up the profits. How
much relief costs have gained, how
much national income has dropped,
is shown in reports of the social
security board. (S? graph*).
But far more impressive were
facts not shown in the report, name
ly, that a noticeable share of 1938's
national income came not from pri
vate initiative but from government
aid. For example, even the $3,724,
000,000 total relief expense was in
cluded, as was $57,000,000 spent for
war veteran payments. Emergency
^WIDENDS, \
/ INTEREST \
/\l4.4% \
/ CAftTAl^V - _ _ . \
I INCOME 65.5% 1
20? / COMPENSATION I
l T0 employees I
1*? INCOME: VlfilUMjm
Relief eaet omly J per cent, or $4>e
OOOfiOt, ?? ikm by 0MJ piece of 'pie."
/D[VlDfNDS^b \
/ interest ? \
/^4*-8*l \
i cahtat" 62.1% \
i WCOME / COMPENSATION 1
119.2%/ to?mftovhs /
lta INCOME:
Relief cotl SJ per cent, or 13,724c
OOOJOOO, not indtuling administrative
cote. ' Settee total income wet smaller
than 192971, percentage far relief It ac
tually larger then thotm he "pie."
subsistence payments to farmers
are also counted in.
Darkening the picture still more
are estimates that total relief costs
would have mounted to $4,460,800,000
instead of only $3,734,000,000 had
federal, state and local administra
tive costs been included. Moreover,
since l$3Ts national income was
more than $14,000,000,000 under
lWa, the growth of relief cost over
this period was bigger than shown.
WOMEN
In the News . . .
RUSSIA'S NADEJDA KON
8TANTINOVA KRUPSKATA,
widow of Nikolai Lenin, early
revolutionist leader and educa
tional leader, died on her seven
tieth birthday at Moscow.
JAPAN'S EMPRESS NAGAKO
gave birth to her seventh child,
a girl, five days before her thirty
sixth birthday.
AMERICA'S MRS. FRANKLIN
D. ROOSEVELT resigned from
the Daughters of the American
Revolution, reportedly because
that organization refused Wash
ington's Constitution hall as a
site for the recital by Marian
Anderson, Negro contralto.
ENGLAND'S DUCHESS OF
WINDSOR, AMERICA'S SIRS.
CHARLES A. LINDBERGH, dis
covered to be neighbors in an
exclusive Parisian section just
off the Bo is de Boulogne.
Labor
For two years labor's ill-starred
dove of peace has sought a resting
place, hovering over the battle
ground of John Lewis' Congress for
Industrial Organization and William
Green's American Federation of La
bor. This month, for three reasons,
the dove hovers nearer earth. But
there is still no indication that peace
will come via mutual consent; a
more likely solution is victory for
thp A. F. of L., thanks to?-g.?L^tf
anti-C. I. O. sentiment welling up
since Homer Martin split the United
Automobile Workers during Janu
ary. The three indications of a
showdown:
Supreme Court. The much cussed
national labor relations board, al
legedly pro-C. I. O., was rebuffed
?? - - - ? '?:?rtt
DANIEL TOBIN
The peacemaker eechewed peace.
in three Supreme court decisions
which effectively banned the sit
down strike. Specifically, the two
major decisions ruled (1) that Chi
cago's Fansteel Metallurgical cor
poration could not be compelled to
rehire participants in the notorious
1937 aitdown, and (3) that NLRB has
misruled in charging a Cleveland
firm with unfair labor practices for
dealing with one set of organized
workers after failing to reach an
agreement with another set
Since C. I. O.'s most successful
weapon has been discredited, C. I.
O. itself is thereby discredited. But
John Lewis' organization has al
ready attained a big measure of
success, so this effect is unimpor
tant. Greater by far is the blow to
NLRB's prestige.
Wagner Act. C. I. O. has stood
pat against amending the labor act,
and well it might, since most NLRB
decisions have been favorable.
Chief sentiment for change has
oome from A. F. of L., which lost
prestige by NLRB decisions, and
employers, who claim the act dis
criminates against them. Adding
its voice is the public, which appar
ently dislikes the idea of giving
NLRB jurisdiction which tradition
ally has belonged to the courts. Re
vision of the Wagner act is the No.
1 certainty of this year's congress,
probably stripping NLRB of its
power.
Peace Talks. Encouraged by court
rulings and public sentiment, A F.
of L. could afford to accept Presi
dent Roosevelt's current labor
peace bid, with reservations. Hope
of the administration is that labor's
two factions will settle their dis
pute in conference, precluding a
fiery congressional debate over
Wagner act changes. But Mr.
Roosevelt had not counted on such
Independence as that of William
Green and Daniel Tobin, A. F. of L.
stalwarts.. .Appointed a delegate to
the peace talks, Mr. Tobin refused
to attend on the excuse that he had
too much work. A more logical
reason is that Mr. Tobin, famed as
a peacemaker, failed to see a
chance for harmony. It was re
called that at last autumn's Hous
ton A. F. of L. convention he ar
gued tor arbitration "provided the
points do not involve fundamental
laws of the organizations."
1 |
Bruckart'i Washington Digest
Small Telephone Companies Hit
By Application of Labor Law
Again the People Are Made Victims of Too Much Govern
ment; Act Forces Small Industries Into Spot Where
They Cannot Do Business or Hire Labor.
By WILLIAM BRUCKART
WNU Service, National Preaa Bid*., Washington, D. C.
WASHINGTON. ? On President
Roosevelt's list of "must" legisla
tion a year or so ago was a bill
that, when it eventually became a
law, was called the "Pair Labor
Standards Act of 1938." It was made
to apply to all business crossing
state lines, or to products thus man
ufactured that went into channels of
trade outside of the state where they
were produced. It set certain rates
of minimum pay and established a
limitation on the number of hours
workers could continue on the job.
Everyone refers to it now as the
wages and hours law.
At the time of the appointment of
Elmer F. Andrews, as wages and
hours administrator, I discussed the
potential success or failure that lay
ahead for such a law. In looking
over my flies of the time, I found
that I wrote, concerning the law,
that "Mr. Andrews can either ipake
or break it" by the policies he
adopts and the interpretations he
m nk? ,i -?* A1igi 1 ? ?nrmrik*?WB . - ?*- *
? tiianvD%jf. re. re w u yivyin<Mt04 ?
said also that he must use great
care in the selection of subordinates.
All of which leads into discussion
of a situation that has arisen re
specting application of the law to
several industries. Generally, too,
it forces a conclusion that here is
just another law under which gov
ernment is interfering in the normal
living of people. As usual, the peo
ple are the victims of too much gov
ernment.
While there are several lines of
industry about which I want to write
in this analysis, the most flagrant
misgovernment and the most dam
aging result, as far as I can see, is
the application of the wages and
hours law to the little known, but
widely used, small independent tele
phone companies. I am referring
to that type of telephone company
which serves the small towns and
villages and the fanners who live
around those small, yet very essen
tial, trading centers.
Nearly 30,000 Independent
Telephone Companies in U. S.
When I heard that some of the
subordinates in*ir. Andrews' agen
cy were determined to apply the
provisions of the wages and hours
law to the independent telephone, I
began to dig around for information
about them. I am acquainted with
those units of service. I know what
it is to turn the crank on the big
box that hangs on the wall in order
to ring a neighbor on a party line;
it is not an unfamiliar fact either
to hear of how the switchboard, lo
cated in somebody's home in the
village, closes down at nine o'clock
at night, and no one is supposed to
ring unless it is a case of sickness
or other emergency.
I was stunned, however, to real
ize that there are nearly 30,000 such
companies in the United States. Nor
was I prepared to understand, at
once, that there are approximately
4,100,000 "stations" or subscribers
to those companies. If we figure an
average family as five, we arrive
at the conclusion obviously that
nearly 21,000,000 persons depend
upon that type of service.
The wages and hours administra
tion does not propose to apply the
law to all of these; it eliminated
more than half at the total, but a
bunch of the smart boys under Mr.
Andrews have decided the law
should apply to 12,461 such compa
nies. They decided the law can be
applied, even though the companies
are entirely within the confines of
a county, in most instances, because
the little switchboards are able to
make a connection with "long dis
tance" companies. It may not hap
pen more than five times a month,
but the little company is doing "in
terstate" business. Hence, your Un
cle Sam, acting through the bureau
crats, proposes to tell the local com
panies they must pay the wages
designated by the federal law and
limit the hours of those who earn
their living that way.
Woald Farce Companies to
Increase Their Rates
Now, I am thoroughly familiar
with the limitation of opportunities
of employment for women and girla
in the small towns. I know that the
small telephone companies employ
them as operators, or they employ
somebody not physically able to do
other types of work. The pay is
small, but it provides a comfortable
living in most cases. Perhaps, the
pay ought to be higher, but if the
pay is higher, the town and country
subscribers will have to pay more.
The reason those companies succeed
and render the valuable service that
is rendered is because they hold
down expenses and provide service
at a dollar, or around that figure,
per month. One realizes better what
that rate means when a comparison
is offered of the five or six dollars
per month charged in cities.
Should the smart boys in the
wages and hours administration get
away with their program, it would
mean that a small exchange would
have to increase the pay for opera
tors. The minimum for operators
would be $2,190 a year instead of
whatever rate now is paid.
Cannot St* What They
Are Doing to the Country
Why these smart boys cannot see
what they are doing to the country,
is a question which I cannot answer.
Either they are utterly dumb or they
are promoting the organization work
of the C. I. O. which is responsible
fbr passage Of tBi vOVgts and tours'
law. The C. I. O. certainly has
demonstrated it doek not belong in
the list of real American organiza
tions, but it still has political power.
The connection with C. I. O. agita
tion might be traced through the
fact that the law contains a provi
sion permitting a worker to sue for
damages if the employer (in this
case the telephone company) com
pels violation of the law by forcing
overtime work.
The political phases of the situa
tion are quite important because of
the vast number af voters directly
affected. I do not mean to say that
Senator Herring and Representative
Harrington, both of Iowa, have intro
duced bills to exempt the local com
panies, from purely political mo
tives. But I suspect that the political
pressure will cause many members
of the house and the senate to favor
passage of those bills.
I have mentioned heretofore how
often the "unelected" officials of the,,
government?those appointed by the
President or his subordinates?
either hare ignored political history
or they know nothing about political
history. The case of the independ
ent telephone companies is a splen
did illustration.
Lately, the little Independent steel
companies have felt the dead hand
of government through the same
law. I am not informed as to all
details of their case, but there were
44 eastern independent steel compa
nies appeared recently before the
propaganda spreading temporary
national economics committee, seek
ing relief. The independent steel
companies are to the great steel
manufacturers as the little independ
ent telephone companies are to the
Bell system. The wages and hours
law will wreck them, they told the
national economics committee which
has come to be known as tha mo
nopoly investigation.
For com Industry Into Spot
Whoro It Cannot Do Bumnom
If those little fellow* have to meet
wt|et and hour* **t for them by
Mia* Perkins, secretary of labor, to
whom Mr. Andrews la subordinate,
the steel people say they will go
broke. Or, at least, they charged,
they could get no government coo
tracts because of failure to comply
with the law. Since the government
Is spending billions of dollars to
create employment and for general
relief, I can not help wondering why
it wants to force one segment of
industry into a spot where tt can
do no business and employ labor.
The whole thing, however, gets
more cockeyetSas time gone* on.
There seems to be no limit to the
lengths to which bureaucrats, drunk
with power, will go in abusing the
nation. Who was there that did not
express the greatest disgust at the
assinine story which cam* out of
New York city the other day. I re
fer to the problem before the New
York state labor board which was
called upon to decide whether a pro
fessional woman model was fired
because she had been active as a
union organizer or because her hips |
were too wide. The woman claimed
she had been fired because she was
trying to organize a union of mod
els. Her former employers said her
hips were too broad to properly wear
the clothes they wished to display.
While the story is not lacking in
humor, it must be treated serious
ly because the width of this girl's
hips may yet be a question of na
tional importance. ^ ^
... ?? - ?>
Speaking of Sports
Jacobs Brings
Farm System
To Fight Game
By ROBERT McSHANE
T JNCLE MIKE JACOBS, who
hasn't exactly grown poor In
the boxing business, has decided
to borrow an idea from baseball
and bring its farm system to the
big league fight game.
Of course Uncle Mike will be h
perftntendent of the euttflovw
farm, bat will be aided and abetted
by none other than Benny Leonard,
who will serve as chief scoot, coach,
csar and general orgs aha Bon man.
It wasn't so long ago that Benny
was commander in chief at the light
weight division. He's
a bit larger around
the middle now, but
?till has an eagle
eye for ring talent.
And once the talent
is unburied there'll
be minor league
training and the
promise ot promo
tion to big-time for
the leather-tossers
who come through
in the chain system.
The setup will be
practically the same as m base
ball, except there will be no Judge
Lanijjf t yg fiir*' Verity, ,
Benny's Job wffl be to scour the
hinterlands in search of promising
youngsters and bring them to New
York to gat their start in a couple
Of "minor league" fight clubs that
Jacobs plans to open in the near
future.
Jacobs' move, on the surface, at
least, seems logical. If the present
crop of hothouse heavyweight con
tenders had come up through ability
instead of publicity, interest in the
game would be much greater. His
farm system, if properly conducted,
eliminate the end
give real fighters a chance.
He has promised that any young
unknowns discovered by Leonard
and sent to New York far try-outs
will not have to make the usual con
nections. It will be possible for
them to get their chances without
signing over to anybody's auspices.
Jacobs emphasized the tact that he
seeks no new monopolies for him
self, and if the kids make good they
will not have to fight exclusively
for him.
The greatest staggers In heavy
weight history came from the cross
roads. Jim Jeffries from Carroll,
Ohio; Jess Willsrd from Pottawato
mie, Kan.; Jack Pcmpaey, Manaasi,
Colo.; and Joe fools from Mont
gomery, Ala.
Perhaps another Dempsey will be
uncovered in the far-flung search
for talent. If so, Jacobs and Leon
ard should be allowed to congratu
late themselves.
The Duke Returns
DUKE KAHANAMOKU, lord high
sheriff of Honolulu, moot be
loved man In the Islands, will re
turn to the United States this sum
mer to manage a team of Hawaiian
swimmers on a tour which will take
in both San Francisco and New
York World fairs.
The most interesting man of his
race, Duke, at 47, is in as good
physical condition
as when he was
breaking world rec
ords. And that's
been quite a while
ago. He came to the
United States tor the
1913 Olympic trials,
and began a career
that lasted 10 years
and took him to all
parts of the world
as a champion.
"At the 1912
Olympics la Stock
holm." said Dake, la
Dak*
filiimmftfcn
his high sheriff's office Is Heaslnln,
"the king of Swedes insisted spee
tree tine ?? w royalty. Be Mle
the asistake se many hare dee*,
he aaeemed that 'Daks' ladieatee
that I come frees Hawaiian reyalty.
'Duke' is my name and has nethtac
to do with titles, fat aO my trips
abroad Tre met the same thing. I
?pert boors trying to explain the
Here It, so I dually gars up trying."
That Duke is an able politician was
demonstrated a few years ago when
he was elected sheriff. He was in
somewhat oI a spot, being a Demo
crat with Republicans in a distinct
majority. His opponent, a Republi
can, was running for re-election,
and was a good officer. Duke real
ized this, and in his speeches prom
ised if they would elect him, he'd
name hie oppooent chief deputy.
The Republicans roared their pro
testa, but Duka stayed by his guns
and was elected. He kept his pram
toe, and today hia deputy is still the
same man. Both seem set for life.
Winter Winner
P J. (DUTCH) HARRISON, lead
1-fc ing money winner of the win
ter golf circuit, ia one champion
who will keep both feet on the
ground.
The Arkansas-bora lad, who Just
a few years age was eaddyiag at
*1 per rood, has picked up $3,Ml
since the first of the year, to make
htm top winner among the touring
? Horton Smith brought Dutch to
Chicago after spotting his ability on
Arkansas courses. He eventually
became assistant pro at Horfam's
home club in Oak Park, HI.
His Arkansas background gives
him a level head. After nil ??a
ing par by 13 strokes to set a, com
petitive record of 371 in winning
the Texas Open at San Antonie'ha
was asked what he would do with
the prize money. His reply was:
"That'll help to feed the bogs."
It took Urn quite a while really
to get ap steam. In dm Chicago
Open he led the field with a f7 the
first day, only to have the offtoWp
cancel all the fin* rawed scores
dae to a thunderstorm. The ant
day he chalked ap a bad roond,
total. His fi7 tted^Hagen'* "mbc
pettUve record of 11 years stoadtog.
Since January 1 Harrison has
scored victories in Bing Crosby's
tournament and the Texas Open.
He lost a playoff to Dick Mete, an
other Chicagoan, in the Oakland
tournament, and finished "third at
Phoenix. ?' * |
?loiiardrof the M#e
CELDOM does an athlete so far
J surpass his contemporaries that
he is looked upon as an slinnat
certain winner as soon as he enters
an event.
Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis
is one. llie issue is very seldom In
doubt when he steps into the ring.
Glenn Cunningham, the I lull as
Kansan, is another. Whan ha
stretches out in the mile race bin
GLENN CUNNINGHAM
opponent! arc automatically rlsaaart
as also-rans.
the "mile *???. "oT^aM^'ha'has
Us aM days, bat wbetber ha Is la
the best at (era er nst W ats
nfarkablc regularity. A?nailers ga.
Glenn Is praetieally perfect, that's
the trseble. He's tao perfect, hat
perfeetiaa dees gat aasaetausas.
Not kxtg ago John Borican, El
be ron (N. J.) Negro, beat Cunning
ham in a special 1,000-yard run.
Boric an starred off a famous Cun
ningham sprint to win in I:14X
Glenn, however, previously had ran
the distance in 1:01.1, a record.
revenge, la a asile race fca Beaton.
9a Aee'tsaa^Us*1JMM Ards aea
queror, Bertoaa, la hut ptoea.
How long he can continue winning
is problematical. Soon some bar
rel chested youth will beat the vet
eran, and interest in the mile nan
will grow. There certainly is no
blame to be attached. Cunningham
gives the best he has every raoat
and is a true sportsmen. But com
petition for him is lacking, though
several promising miters have their
eyes on his record. It will be a
strange, somewhat sad day when tha
old workhorse is definitely unseated
as reigning monarch of the mile. .
Sport Shorts
Ciencia, filly who won the $50,000
Santa Anita derby February 22,
oomea Mm the vast King ranch in
Texas. The ranch embraces about
000,000 acres at Texas' finest ter
rain . . . Dizzy Dean has finally
confessed that he was not born in
Oklahoma, but in the hills of firkm
sas, some three miles from Lncas
. . Only major league baseball
team to change training camps this
year was the Phflliaa, having shHIatl
from Biloxi, Miss., to New Braun
? Naawi'l'i