THE ALAMANCE GLEANER
VoL CXV GRAHAM, N, C., THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1939 No. 17
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS BY JOSEPH W. LaBlNE
New Deal Will Seek Re-election
On 'More-of-Same' Platform;
Compromise Seems Impossible
(EDITOB'8 NOTE?When opinions are expressed in these oolnmns, the?
are those of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.)
Released by Western Newananer Union
POLITICS:
Pronouncement
"You cannot aspect this administration
to alter the principles and objectives fair
which we have struggled the past si*
years!"
This was a campaign speech,
thought members ot the American
Retailers association who heard
Franklin Roosevelt's first pro
nouncement of New Deal policy in
Ave months. Ordinarily such re
marks are not surprising, but 1939
is a crucial legislative-political year
in which the groundwork is laid for
next year's election, and in which
White House and congress must
adopt and set in motion the program
an which they will stand for re
election. The inevitable program:
More spending, 'no concessions to
business, no balancing of the budget.
A big national debt is nothing to
fear, said the President, because
part of it is offset by debts owed
to the government through loans
made on a "business basis" by fed
eral lending agencies. Another part
is invested in federally owned en
terprises (like Boulder dam) which
will pay out over a period of years.
Generally speaking, he thought that
VIRGINIA'S SEN. BYRD
.. inevitably lead to disaster."
with national income increasing
steadily,la $40,000,000 debt would not
be big it relation to the country's
assets. \
Mr. Roosevelt's speech proved a
meaty bone on which New Dealers,
conservatives and congress could
gnaw,, a timely White House state
ment which gave direction to a
heretofore vague political picture:
Congress. A spending spree suc
ceeded the once highly vaunted
economy campaign as house con
ferees approved the $1,218,606,000
agricultural appropriations bill car
rying $338,000,000 in unbudgeted
grants to farmers. Sentiment rose
high for a $500,000,000 public works
appropriation, providing funds for
another pump-priming program.
New Dealers. Since Mr. Roose
velt refused to alter his "principles
and objectives" for the 1040 cam
paign, New Deal theorists felt safe
in trying to sell unhappy U. S. busi
ness on the wisdom of accepting
the present relationship between I
government and private enterprise, i
Turning economist for the moment,
Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. .
Wallace urged that idle money be
started moving again.
Simultaneously, before the sen- 1
ate's monopoly investigating com- '
mittee, Assistant Secretary of State
Adolf Berle Jr. not only scored idle
dollars but suggested the U. S. do
something about it. His plan: Junk
our "obsolete banking machinery"
which leaves small business
"starved," creating in its stead gov
ernment-sponsored capital banks
and government-insured loans for
small business.
Conservatives. A rebirth of spend
ing and theorizing gave disgruntled
anti-New Dealers a field day. Chief
antagonist was Virginia's Democrat
ic Sen. Harry F. Byrd, who com
mented on the next fiscal year's
minimum total appropriation of
$10,000,000,000 (a peacetime high):
"We have not been able to purchase
prosperity on borrowed money, and
the continued effort to do this will
inevitably lead to disaster."
Mr. Byrd's chief complaint was
against the President's minimizing
ef the national debt. Granting the
money is owed domestically, Mr.
Byrd thought most of It was held by
banks, and consequently "the vast
majority will be paying taxes to pay
interest to the small number at fam
ilies owning (government) bonds."
Significance. Mr. Roosevelt's
speech, resultant congressional
spending, opposition to removal of
alleged business deterrents and a
rebirth of theorizing constitute the
absolute antithesis of any effort to
bring insurgent Democrats back to
the fold in time for 1940. There can
be no compromise; New Deal forces
will carry the 1940 convention by
forcing through a simple majority
nomination rule, or they will strike
out for themselves as a new party,
leaving insurgent Democrats to put
up their own candidate or join the
Republicans.
NAVY:
Submarines
Checking its records after rescu
ers had brought up 33 live and 26
dead passengers from the subma
rine Squalis, the U. S. navy depart
ment could be both proud and
abashed over its record since the
first underwater craft failed to come
up 25 years ago.
Reason for pride: Though 62 of
her 90 odd submarines are over the
accepted age limit, the U. S. has
had no mishap since 1927 when the
S-4 sank off Provincetown, Mass.,
with a loss of 40 lives. Another
source of pride: U. S. submarine
mishaps have been singularly for
tunate compared with those of oth
er maritime powers. Total loss of
life in five U. S. accidents is 139;
in six British accidents, 217; three
Japanese, 215; two French, 106;
three Russian, 170.
Reason for being abashed: Italy,
thfe world's No. 1 submarine power,
has experienced but one disaster.
MISSOURI:
Nephew Jim
Stone walls do not always make
a prison. The walls of Alcatraz and
Terminal island which have held A1
Capone seven years did not stop his
syndicate from ruling Chicago's un
derworld. Nor will the 15-month
sentence at Leavenworth facing
Kansas City's "Boss" Tom Pender
gast keep that hearty away from
Missouri politics. Convicted for
evading federal income taxes, Tom
Pendergast finds himself back where
he started the day he inherited Kan
sas City's political machine from
Brother Jim Pendergast. Today an
other Jim Pendergast?old Jim's
son?is running the show while his
uncle languishes in prison.
Looking ahead, Missouri politi
cians find that 1940 brings elections
for a governor to succeed Lloyd C.
JIM PENDERGAST
Bom fro tan.
Stark (who, like all Missouri gov
ernors, cannot be re-elected), a sen
ator for the post now held by Pen
dergast-supported Harry S. Truman,
13 congressmen and a full slate of
state officials.
On good behavior Tom Pen
dergast will be out of prison in 12
months, in time to plan defeat for
Governor Stark should he seek Sen
ator Truman's post in the August
primaries.
Though he looks like the old man,
Nephew Jim Pendergast is not so
astute as his tutor and can only be
trusted to hold the machine together
until next year. Last time he ran
an election, 294 officials were con
victed in the government's sensa
tional vote fraud investigation which
followed.
LABOR:
Borrowed. Leaf
In 1903 a Danbury, Conn., hatmak
ing Arm sued United Hatters of
America for instituting a nation
wide boycott when denied a closed
shop. After the U. S. Supreme court
ruled the boycott was a restraint of
trade under the Sherman act, a
$74,000 verdict was awarded against
the union, was trebled (as provided
by the Clayton act), but finally
dropped when a deputy marshal
found 10 years later that he could
collect nothing.
Last April 3 a federal court Jury
awarded Philadelphia's Apex Ho
siery mills a $711,932 judgment
against C. I. O.'s American Federa
tion of Hosiery Workers for dam
ages suffered in a 48-day sitdown
strike during 1937.
Even as this case was being ap
pealed, Republic Steel corporation
borrowed a leaf from hatters and
itetaJBt'lCS TOM GIRDLEB
Mulched C. /. O. for 2% million.
hosiery makers to enter the latest
in a series of cross suits growing
out of the "Little Steel" strike in
1937. As if to answer one suit,
which demands $2,500,000 in back
wages and damages from Republic,
Tom Girdler's company retaliated
by demanding $2,500,000 damages,
costs and attorneys' fees. Trebled
under the Claypool act, the total suit
runs to $7,500,000.
Chief values of the suit appear to
be (1) neutralizing the damage
claims made against Republic by C.
I. O., and (2) focusing national at
tention on ineffectual employer
employee relations at a time when
congress would just as soon adjourn
without amending the Wagner labor
act. Though he matched this set
back by signing up coal miners in
Kentucky's heretofore unorganized
bloody Harlan county, John Lewis
healed no wounds by allowing 13,000
employees to strike at Detroit's
Briggs body manufacturing plant.
Within 24 hours 65,000 workmen in
assembly lines dependent upon
Briggs bodies were idle.
EUROPE:
Parallels
Some 30 years ago was born a
fearsome triple entente designed to
safeguard peace. Its members: !
Russia, France and Britain. Mean
while Italy was joining the Austro
German alliance and Europe's pow
er seemed hanging in the balance.
In 1038 the history that repeats it
self has popped up oncfc more; Eu
rope's power division parallels that !
of pre-World war days except that i
part of the old Austrian-Hungarian
empire is now independent. Italy
and Germany are bound in military '
unity while France, Britain and
Russia are again side-by-side.
Examining the new status quo in
comparison with pre-war Europe,
observers And the triple entente |
even stronger now than then, Adolf
Hitler's trumpet-blasting to the con
trary. Devoid of colonies, befriend
ed in Europe only by Italy and
Hungary, the Reich is completely
encircled by anti-aggression powers.
Trend
Bow the wind it blowing ...
JOBS?Of 100 universities and
colleges surveyed by Minneapolis'
Northwestern National Life In
surance company, 83 find greater
demand for graduates than a
year ago.
RAMPS?Coin-operated mail
boxes which weigh letters, stamp
them and drop them into a de
pository for collection, are being
installed at New York.
POWER?Of 1,070,000,000 Amer
ican horsepower, #2.7 per cent
constitutes transportation horse
power, installed exclusively to
move people and goods.
POOD?U. S. bureau of dairy
industry scientists have perfected
a new food article with two sur
plus products?skim milk and cull
potatoes. These, with a little salt
added, are made into wafers,
chips, sticks or croutons, and
oven dried to crispness.
E^ruckear^J^Uungton^ig^^
President Wades Into Political
Buzz Saw on Argentine Beef Deal
Affair Costs Mr. Roosevelt Dearly in Personal and Political
Prestige; Executive's Explanation Never Caught Up
With His Original Statement About Transaction.
By WILLIAM BRUCKART
WNU Service, National Frees Bldf., Washington, D. C.
WASHINGTON.?When I was a
kid on the farm, my father uaed to
warn me against getting too close
to the big saw that was used to
cut up wood for our kitchen stove?
the old buzz saw, it was called.
He was right. It could have done
to me exactly what it did to logs of
oak or hickory. Many times since
those days, I have thought of the
wisdom of those warnings as ap
plied to other acts of life. And, the
other day, I thought of how much
trouble President Roosevelt could
have avoided if only his advisors
had guided him away from the buzz
saw of Argentine canned corned
beef.
It must be painfully evident to
the President and to his advisors
now that he waded right into a few
million political buzz saws when he
instructed the secretary of the navy
to buy canned beef from the Ar
gentine Co-operatives, Inc., for use
of Uncle Sam's blue jackets. As a
matter of fact, most of the Presi
dent's stalwart supporters not only
recognize that he got his hands bad
ly mangled in the saw, but that he
failed to have a "doctor" handy in
the form of an offset for the griev
ous political error.
But the details of the situation
ought to be reviewed in order fully
to understand why so many people
are saying that the Argentine beef
affair has already cost Mr. Roose
velt dearly in political and personal
prestige. Many are saying, indeed,
that the cost has been greater than
his ill-fated and badly judged plan
to change the makeup of the Su
preme court of the United States.
All of the facts ought to be stated
clearly for the reason that none now
can foretell how widespread this
prairie Are will be. Obviously, the
Republicans will use it as ammuni
tion in their warfare, and in all
probability quite a large segment
of old line Democrats are laughing
up their sleeves about the damage
the beef case will do to their pet
hates, the New Dealers surrounding
the President.
Facta of Argentina
Corned Beef Affair
Briefly, the facta are these:
Pursuant to law, the secretary of
the navy called for offers to sell
the navy certain quantities of sup
plies, including 48,000 pounds of
canned corned beef. The law says
that government agencies must
award the contracts to the lowest
responsible bidder?the bidder re
garded as able to fulfill the require
ments of the navy. There is, how
ever, another law that says. In sub
stance, the government must award
the contracts to a firm of citizens of
the United States and that the prod
ucts be made from the United States
?provided they are equal to or bet
ter in quality than a foreign-made
product and that the price is not
too much higher than the foreign
bid. The reason for this being, ob
viously, to encourage business in the
United States and give jobs to our
citizens for whom, as a national pol
icy, the American standard of living
must be maintained.
So, there is, first?quality and
price, and, second?national policy.
The bids on corned beef reached
the navy offices. Argentine Co
operatives, Inc., offered to sell the
24 tons of corned beef at about 16
cents a pound. The nearest bid
from the United States was approx
imately 23 cents a pound. In addi
tion, there is a tariff duty of six
cents a pound that is applicable to
imports of beef?placed by con
gress to protect cattle growers in
this country.
Navy officers felt there was con
siderable difference, but they were
unwilling to assume responsibility
for what some critics might say was
a violation of the "Buy American"
law. In the course of the consid
eration, the department of state
learned of the situation, and Secre
tary Hull took a hand. You see,
Mr. Hull has been having his own
troubles with United States rela
tions with the Argentine govern
ment. It has been necessary to pro
hibit importations of fresh beef
from the Argentine because there is
so much foot and mouth disease in
the vast reaches of Argentine graz
ing areas. It has even become nec
essary to forbid the Argentine gov
ernment to bring in steaks for use
in its government pavillion at the
New York World's fair. That did
not leave a good taste in the mouth
of the Argentine people. Mr. Hull
was anxious to make a peace offer
sf some kind or another.
And it ia to be remembered, too,
that Mr. Roosevelt has been striving
to knit North and South American
nations together under his good
neighbor policy. It would be a
friendly gesture to buy something.
Besides all of these, there is Mr.
Hull's reciprocal trade treaty pol
icy that needs bolstering every now
and then. There was little mention
of this phase; yet it seems reason
able to assume that it was in the
back at the official mind.
President Became Tangled
Up With the Buxz Saw
The question was put on Mr.
Roosevelt's desk. He decided that
the contract should be given the
Argentines. That happened about
the middle of April. There was no
flurry about the matter then be
cause few persons knew of the
transaction. Eventually, however,
information about the award leaked
out and somebody asked Mr. Roose
velt in a press meeting whether it
was true. That was where Mr.
Roosevelt really became tangled up
with the buzz saw.
Now, it is well to know that Mr.
Roosevelt likes to talk. He also in
sists on telling the news writers
all about a given situation?if he
talks at all about it. He is decidedly
fair that way. He talked at great
length about the problem and the
result of his speech to the writers
was numerous headlines which read
something like this; "President
Roosevelt Orders Navy to Buy Ar
gentine Canned Beef?Foreign Prod
uct Found Cheaper and Superior
in Quality, President Says."
Came Outbursts on Floors
Of the Hoase and Senate
Within a few short weeks, Mr.
Roosevelt's political hands were
torn and bleeding. He was being
ridiculed because he frequently re
ferred in political campaigns to the
need for helping "our undernour
ished one-third, our illy clad and
Illy housed" people. There were
outbursts on the floors of the house
and the senate. The New Deal lead
ers in congress could do nothing
about it. The representatives and
senators from the cattle country
were denouncing his action and one
whole day was occupied in the house
of representatives where the Presi
dent's political body was torn limb
from limb.
The heat of the battle became so
great that the house committee on
appropriations which happened then
to be considering the annual naval
appropriations bill took action. It
included in that bill, a prohibition
that will prevent such a thing ever
happening again. They were shout
ing; "The idea, feeding our navy
men on Argentine beef," etc. Ob
viously, under such circumstances,
the prohibitory clause was accepted
by the house and the senate and
it will be the law of the land.
Explanation Never Caught
Up With Original Statement
Subsequently, Mr. Roosevelt
sought to explain what be meant
by the statement that Argentine
beef is superior in quality. He
pointed out that the Argentine prac
tice is to can better cuts of beef
because of the slack sale for fresh
meat in that part of the world. But
the explanation never has caught
up with the original statement, and
it never will.
When this attempted explanation
came from the White House, I heard
an old time political battler at the
capitol observe:
"That is mistake No. X. One of
the first rules in politics is 'never
make a statement that you have to
explain.' If you do, your explana
tion will get you into trouble. It
is better never to explain anything."
Yet, in fairness, it must be ob
served that the price in the United
States and the price the government
must pay, therefore, results from
a combination of - circumstances.
Our national policy for years has
been to encourage what we adver
tise as the American standard of
living. TO that end, congress has
passed laws, many at them. The
Walsh-Healy act, for example, says
that the government may not buy
from any manufacturer who does
not comply with stated require
ments as to hours and wages for
work. There is the so-called fair
labor standards act?the wage and
hour law?for another. Fifty more
could be named.
rW ? r ? . v- ? "-V
Speaking of Sports
Olympic Funds
Are Headache
To Committee
By ROBERT McSHANE
ONCE every tour year* Uncle
Sam must find a way to raise
funds with which to send amateur
athletes to the Olympic fames,
wherever they are held.
This year the Olympic committee
win state a "stamp day" to raise
the HN.Mfi necessary to transport
and care for athletes at the Finland
tames. Which means the commit
tee will have to take upon itself the
trouble and expense of seUint suf
ficient stamps to pay the way for a
delegation representor the U. 8.
Several countries grant govern
ment subsidies to Olympic teams.
This country does not. The U. S.
team is dependent entirely upon the
proceeds of a "tag day," "stamp
day," or some other similar well
meaning but inefficient method of
raising money.
Just as regularly as the games
themselves, the committee, under
the direction of President Avery
Brundage, is forced to report, near
the end of the fund campaign, that
sufficient funds have not been forth
coming and that it may be neces
sary to curtail the number of ath
letes to cut expenses. It isn't the
best publicity for Uncle Sam when
word reaches other countries that
the richest nation in the world can
sot afford the comparatively small
expense incurred by its athletes.
Net long age Arthur Etiers, execu
tive secretary of the Missouri Val
ley conference, wanted to add one
penny tax to the price of each big
fiollcifo football ticket annually.
Though this would be put into prac
tice in only the larger schools, the
proceeds would be such that the
committee could forget all about
their money worries. There would
bo sufficient revenue to meet any
and all expenses of the team.
A. A. U.?College Friction
The surprising feature is that the
Amateur Athletic Union, godfather
to America's Olympic teams, flatly
refused Eilers' offer. At least one
logical reason for the refusal has
been advanced. It is the friction
between the A. A. U. and the col
leges for control of the Olympic
team. In the past, and to a small
er degree at present, the colleges
AVERT BBUNDAGB
... is umnlly forced to report iamf
doml M> pootiilt nirlmlmml of
Aatorieft loom.
felt they should control the commit
tee due to the Urge number at col
lege men on the teams. In addi
tion, many at the other athletes out
at school for only a short time, were
coached and trained by college men
tars. To soma degree this friction
has been removed through Increas
ing college representation on the
committee.
It is te be regretted that tha earn
aaittee takes this staad. As a busi
ness luageeltloa it leaves little Is be
with which te meet Olympie'TjT
penses. Ne sae whs eeeld afford
from ?LM te It J* tar a fastball
Mefcrt weald object to paytag est
addltloaal east by the ssBeges, aad
elated with Am prtnttngTdhrtrtbutiee
aad semag at stands.
On the basis at ooe cent per ticket
any football game drawing 10,000
spectators?not an unusually Urge
crowd?would contribute (000 to the
fund. Many games draw almost
twice as many. So it would be a
simple matter to collect the neces
sary M00,000 in four years. Only
800 games erith an attendance at
B0,000 each would guarantee that
amount
Until the committee finds an ac
ceptable plan, Olympic teams will
be forced to rely upon voluntary con
tributions from tha public. At beet
this method is inefficient and un- J
wieldly and laaves much to b# da
t ",7fe f ??
The End in Sight?
A LL is not quiet on the Western
conference football front
This was brought to light when
Big Ten athletic rlpresentativee met
recently to disciss the natter of
recruiting and subsidizing football
players.
The officials evidently rselsei
that they have dealt in generaMtee
all tee long, and have de elded te
take direct aetiea. And back ef tUs
direct action is the desire te start
a nation-wide mntnal which wfiB
sharply divide intercoUegtate athlet
ics late two classes?one class ep
erating ea the "play In peg* haste,
and the other simon-pure as regarthi
the subsldJxhif of ithM4l. ,rr~~
Western Conference Commleeieaer
John L. Griffith is not unaware that
various Big Ten schools may have
sinned in the matter of paid ath
letes. But be proposes that the
' V
MAj.'jrtfsW L. ckiViflft
* -* '1 ? -?T f / 4 A '
house be put in order so the Western
conference can refuse to play any
of the "play-for-pay" group when
schedules are being considered.
In his own words: "It is' mani
festly unfair competitkki dor a
school which may have boys actual
ly working their way through school
in a legitimate way ashed to meet
boys who are subsisting on a regu
lar 'salary,' as is the case in some
sections."
Oa the heels of this meeting same
that M University ef mitogen ath
letes, representing reefy varsity
sport, strongly advocated a play-te
pay policy to the Big Tea. The ato
letes, in a letter to the campus anus
paper, elsimed there la a great deal
of ignoraaee "at the nsittliaa ??
dor which members ef tte'antvor
sKy teams are to reed to Bee; the
difBcnlties they face to daae^r
their education, *iy| the seeriflees
they make for their oeBega "
This letter fully indorsed a recent
editorial appearing in the college
paper which called for three meals
a day for football players, tallhrn
scholarships far all athletes, and no
tion through the Big Ten athletic or
ganization to provide tor standard
rules of subsidization for all schools
of the conference.
Contrary aa they may seem, the
opinions of both students and offi
cials have something in
The students want oped, abose
board subsidization. The officiate
want nana of it Bat they both
want an end to the preetnt under
handed system. It is unlikely toad
much regard win be paid to toe
undergraduate requests. Most col
lege boys are apt to overshoot the
mark in attempting to add their
point
Never has there been a mars tog
astern to astro sum aad tor si ton
question at paid players. Net area
tetog'tThe'prsmd'at aader toe ^
eat system. It teaches yeetofal ato
letes that the eaty crime Is to hd^
pays feed dlilliede.
Regardless of the outcome, OR
change win be an advantnge over
the pressnt hip-pocket eyelets ef
proselytising and subsidisation.
Sport Shorts
AH TEAM of six Argentina aoM
professional will tour v-yt?
this year ?-* . The Rood twins. Cad
and Bill, who ara 8 feet 8 inches
tan and weigh US pounds each, ars
co-captains of the University at
North Carolina tennis team. Eacb
won nine and lost one of their M '
10 1890 singles matches . . . Tax%
Lazzeri was the fourteenth pUjSB
Bill Terry has tried at third base
since he became manager of the
Giants seven years ago . . . Casey)
Stengel says he chane<*i (Mas an
ordinary to a good hitter whan ha
learned te hit that outside ban t?
left instead of polling it . . . MadU
son Sahara Garden ta New Todf
claims a record softban gate of Ifc
ra ^henellt game staged fe;,
J