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1 - J V >> jf>jT5g* ' ? '* T! The Alamance Gleaner | VoL LXV GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 1939 ~ No. 19 | WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS BY JOSEPH W. LaBlNE Maze of Democratic Candidates Plays Into Roosevelt's Hands; May Compromise on 3rd Term (EDITOR'S NOTE?When opinion! ore expressed in these columns, they ore those of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.) Roloasa/t hv Wastnrn Nswsnanor fTntfln POLITICS: Plan? Whatever his reasoning, Presi dent Roosevelt has shows political wisdom in refusing to announce his intentions for 1940. But campaigns and conventions must eventually settle the Democratic patty's polit ical stew, and by early June cam paign time was so near that third term talk was definitely in the pic ture. Enough other Democrats had talked to give the voting public their choice of two probable reasons why the White House continued to re main silent: Resolntion. West Virginia's Sen. Rush D. Holt began demanding that the senate vote on his resolution for bidding a third term. Until that vote was made, Mr. Roosevelt could hardly be expected to declare him self; if the resolntion were passed after he announced -his candidacy, the President would go down in history as a villain, not a hero. Contrariwise, if the resolution were rejected, Mr. Roosevelt knew the public would regard it as a vote of confidence from the sena\e, thus paving the way for renomination. Confusion. Far more pertinent, however, is another reason. While SECRETARY ICSES Ht doesn't like Mr. Gamer. Mr. Roosevelt keeps quiet, all other Democratic hopefuls are scrambling into the exciting political dogfight, knifing each other in a way that can never bring party harmony. First (and best liked) hopeful to speak was Vice President John N. Garner, whose friends announced be would be "available." Within 48 hours he was pounced on by: (1) Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes, who called him by inference a "know nothing, say nothiqg, do nothing"; (2) Workers AQfance, which adopted a resolution con demning Mr. Gamer as represent ing a poverty-stricken mass of peo ple; (3) San Aotnhio's Mayor Maury Maverick, fonpW congressman, who' objected chiefly to Mr. Gar ner's age (TO). Meanwhile Secretary of Agricul ture Henry Wallace had his name added to a list of second choices HEADLINERS MAURICE GCSTAVE GAMELIN This French general first came to prominence during the Munich crisis, though he has been chief of the army general staff since 1331. Now 88, he en tered the World war as a captain and emerged as a major general. His latest honor: Command e r s h i p of the combined French land, sea ana air iorces, an unpicvcucu^u move to unify the government'* defense. The move had been ex pected, however, since General Gamelin was in 1938 named chief of the general staff of national de fense, directly under Edouard Daladier, premier and minister of national defense and war. The new task is one of co-ordinating all French forces. Retaining gen eralship of French land forces, the new commander will have as air chief Gen. J. Vuillemin. Com mander-in-chief of the navy will be Admiral Jean Darlin, ad vanced from vice-admiral. Both are under Gamelin's supervision. already cluttered wit!) those of Post master* General James A. Farley, Indiana's former Gov. Paul V. Mc Nutt and aging Secretary of State Cordell Hull Immediate result was probably Just what the President wanted, a recognition by many Democrats that the Garner-Hull FaHey-Wal lace-McNott candidacies ifeerely pro duced an utter confusion which could have but. one solution at con vention time:.. Jjifh them all and nominate Franklin Roosevelt again. If this was not the case, observers at least saw something significant in Mr. Ickes' article In Look maga zine, in which he plumped for a third term. Extremely close to the White House, the vitriolic secretary of the interior was not likely to make such a statement unless be knew the President was at least toying with the idea of running again. FAIRS: Attendance Closfcr to large (fepulations, New York's World's fair would natural^ draw larger attendance than its ri val at San Francisco. By June 1, after running 3H months, the Gold en Gate exposition reported attend ance of 3,284,329. In one month, from April 30 to June I. New York's turnstiles spun to the tune of 5,594, 770. More interesting to executives of both fairs was the source of at tendance, for local visitors add little to the prosperity of either San Fran cisco or New York. At the Golden Gate, a checkup of parking lots re vealed 85 per cent of visitors were from California. Of out-of-state vis itors, 59 per cent came from nearby Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Ne vada, etc. Closest comparable estimate at New York came from the Goodrich exhibit, which offered replica auto tags to the estimated 20 per cent total attendance which visited the Transportation area. Judging from auto tag sales, 49 per' cent of the fair's visitors were from New York. Others: New Jersey, 19 per cent; Pennsylvania, 9.5 per cent; Massa chusetts, 4.5 per cent; Connecticut, 4.5 per cent Only states not regis tered on June 1: North and South Dakota. Though both surveys showed ear ly attendance was localized, both fairs also predicted mid-summer vacation season would bring visi tors from afar. AVIATION: - Competition Most huge flying boats like Pan American's transatlantic clippers took two to three years for gpslfa and completion. Last summer, when the new clippers were already under wpy, San Diego's Consolidated aircraft went to work on a stream lined, simplified, awkward looking boat (lee photo) powered by two 2,000-hoibepOWer, ni-cy Under, twin row radial engines; capable of cruising 300 miles an hour with a . . - i CONSOLIDATED'* BOAT Not grmceful. htl efieiemt. cruising range exceeding present types; seating 53 passengers in daytime, and sleeping 28 at night Its size: 110-foot wingspread, 73 foot length, 23-foot height, 50,000 pound weight Most surprising fea ture: an unexpected, ungracefq} "reverse clipper" cut at the stern, which sacrifices beauty for ef ficiency. Consolidated lost no time dispos ing of the boat. Sponsored by American Export Lines, Inc., which operates 18 surface boats between the eastern seaboard and Mediter ranean ports, a subsidiary known as American Export airlines will this summer make several transat lantic survey flights with the ship. Each of American Export's surface ships will maintain a Boating weath er observatory and guard service across the Atlantic. For Pan-American, just getting under way on a two-flights-a-week basis, Consolidated's flying whale may mean competition. NEUTRALITY: Cooperation German domination over lesser European nations need not only mean dependence on the Reich for peacetime manufactured goods. If such was the case last year, Adolf Hitler's aggression this spring add ed military domination to the al ready pressing economic leverage. Reason: Already boss of Germany's mighty Krupp works, Berlin cap tured the even mightier Skoda plants when Czecho-Slovakia fell before the conquerer. Until then southeast Europe's minor nations (like Rumania, Greece, Turkey and Jugoslavia) had Skoda guns and shells to ward off the aggressive Reich. Today Skoda munitions go mainly to Germany and can be CZECHIA'S SKODA WORKS It may chettge U. S. policy. bought by lesser nations only in ex change for concessions. Aggravating the situation is the Anglo-French rearmament pro gram, which demands domestic consumption of all munitions pro duced in those nations' plants. Lesser countries get none. This forceful argument against current U. S. neutrality legislation was apparently saved for the crucial moment. Not offered early this ses sion during house and senate com mittee hearings, it was plumped In their laps unexpectedly by Secre tary at State Cordell Hull just as the two houses seemed likely to give neutrality an airing. It seemed a fairly sound basis for changing U. S. policy, isolationists notwithstanding. Since the Nazi government has become No. 1 source of military supplies, more over since practically continuous German mobilization aggravates the situation, Mr. Hull joined Ne vada's Sen. Key Pittman in demand ing repeal of the neutrality aet's embargo provision. (This provision stipulates that ottca the President finds a state of seer exists in any foreign conflict, the sale of U. S. emu asid munitions is prohihitetLf Best anti-embargo argument: That it places the U. S. in a position at co-operating with Nazi Germany in freezing out smaller nations by depriving them of munitions. On the surface less pressing when war scares have temporarily died down, neutrality revision seemed out of the question if congress is to consider tax revision, relief appro priations and social security and still adjourn by July IS. a Mcnnnnn a ttav lAAiioruniAiiuii: Survey Last winter congress ordered the federal trade commission to survey (he automobile industry tor concen tration of control, competition, man ufacturer-dealer recommendation and pricing activities of local dealer associations. Inspiration: Sen. Jo seph O'Mahoney's monopolies in vestigating committee. Just submitted, FCCs report both praised and blamed the auto indus try. Chief praise was that, although in 1838 there were only 11 manu facturing firms and that three of these (Ford, General Motors and Chrysler) controlled 90 per cent of sales, the public got its money's worth. Chief blame was that certain manufacturers impose "unfair and inequitable conditions on their deal ers, forcing them to accept con tracts favoring the manufacturer. Recommendations: (1) less restric tion on dealers; (2) placing of quota requirements for dealers on a mu tual basis. TREASURY: News Notes During the first 11 months of the 1938-39 fiscal year the U. S. operated with a deficit of *3,240,967,092, which will probably hit $4,000,000, 000 by year's end on June SO. H Secretary Morgenthau revealed only 40 Americans bad million-dol lar incomes in 1937, compared with 61 in 1936. Yet 6,350,148 people filed 1937 income tax returns, compared with only 5,413.499 in 1936. C. Okayed by the senate was a meas ure to remove the $30,000,000 limit on federal bond insurance, though the total debt limit of $46,000,000,000 (to be readied next fiscal year) re mains undisturbed. Bruckarfg Washington Digest Would Force Public Ownership on Nation in Spite of Voters' Wishes Power Commission Appears as Spearhead of Minority With Socialistic Tendencies; Niagara Falls Investigation May Bring Out Some New/Facts; Private Plants Menaced. By WILLIAM BRUCKART ' WNU Service, National Preu BldfWaihinjrton, D. C. WASHINGTON.?Public investiga tions always hold some fascination for me, whether the inquiry is con ducted by a congressional commit tee or by some agency of govern ment. My interest, however, seldom lies in the sensational testimony or muckraking that may be among the results. I care little for the smearing of individuals and that sort of thing. The thing that attracts me to these ditch-digging activities is a desire always to know what motives lie be neath the apparently earnest effort in behalf of the pee-pul. I do not mean to impugn the mo tives of all and sundry individuals who set about unearthing facts. Far from it. But whatever the results may be in the public interest, it re mains as fact that in most instances there will be found an individual or two who are seeking W capitalize upon the reputation they can build for themselves in a good knock-down and-drag-out investigation. Now, it may be that this is just a by-product, like some of the poisons that come from beautiful flowers. But it does come, and that is why I always want to smell around a bit for a look-see at the full story-of an investigation. There is no doubt, for instance, that the federal power commission's investigation of the use of Niagara Falls water for generation of elec tric power may produce some new facts. A great natural resource of that kind should not be allowed to become a thing in which public in terest is ignored. But there should be, and there is, a limit to public in terest, just as much as there is a limit beyond which private control should not be allowed. In the Niagara case, however, the power commission is made to appear as the spearhead of a loud speaking, rough-riding minority which, for years, has sought to sad dle public ownership on the whole United States. That group makes no bones of its purposes. It is for public ownership, a socialist ven ture, whether the voters of the na tion want it or not. Indeed, a good guess is that this group wants to force public ownership of all utili ties?power, water, transportation? upon the country despite the refusal of congress to create a network of electric lines throughout the nation such as has been established in parts of the South under the creep ing paralysis of TV A. Bound to Destroy rroperty Value of Private Plants This conclusion is born* out, as far as I am concerned, by the pub lic pronouncements of those charted with making the policy at the power cosnmisaion and, therefore, the pow er policy of the Roosevelt adminis tration. The conclusion is accepted by many also because of the unend ing efforts of Secretary Ickes of the Interior department. Mr. Ickes, as is rather generally known, has wrged municipalities, wherever be ccmld find one, to borrow federal money or accept an outright gift of funds for the purchase or construction of pub licly owned electric light plants. He even has gone so far as to pour mil lions out on the plains, agricultural areas, as he did in Nebraska, where there is no market for more than a thimbleful of electricity. Such a course was bound to destroy the property value of private plants which did not have a bottomless treasury from which to make up op erating losses. When one has a knowledge of all of this background, the Niagara Falls story changes its aspect, con siderably. The power commission has been kicking the Niagara Falls case around about 10 years. Sud denly, a couple of months ago a hearing was ordered pn a great number of charges of violation of license. They are too technical to be of much concern here, but it is plain to see that if the commission's views are sustained in the courts, a wedge has been driven by the gov ernment, itself, into the structure of private ownership. In other words, a federal agency has carved na tional policy by use of regulatory power and has done so by the simple process of enforcing its views rath er than the wishes of the people which are expressed through laws of congress. Clearly Illustrate* How Investigation* May Tarn Out Thus, it seems that the Niagara Falls case can be used as an illus tration of what investigations may turn out to be, even though such an inquiry is properly conceived in the public interest. The use of them for the purposes that appear in this one surely must be deplored, for it is bureaucracy run riot. There is yet another phase of the Niagara Falls case to which atten tion should be drawn. It relates to the utilization of investigations for personal promotion. Oh! I reckon there is no crime in promoting one's self, or one's political ambitions. Anyway, I do not infer any crime. I am merely criticizing the thing as something that does not make for good government. It is a species of demagoguery, this campaigning on a vehicle set up for other pur poses. So, we come to the case of Casa March, 28 years old, a Texas citi zen, and an attorney for the power commission which 1s a federal agen cy. From all appearances, Mr. March is politically ambitious. He is convinced, it seems, that Texas ought to have him as governor in the next few years. Prosecution of some great corporation la a politi cal horse that win gallop far and well over the plains of the gTeat state of Texas. Of course, Mr. March would be aboard that horse. I understand that he even has a campaign slogan. He would herd the voters of Texas under his ban ner with "Forward March, With March." Wonder if Private Person* Any Longer Have Right* One look at the stenographic rec ord of the hearings In the Niagara Falls case rather causes one to question whether private persons any longer have righta even under our constitutional form of govern ment. There were apparently no rules of law followed in that case; and the statement is the same re garding the usual congressional committee investigations. The fel low who gets on the witness stand in one of these cases is worse off than the Negro boy behind the can vass at the county fair. The boy can duck. He has that sporting chance, even though his head is the target for well-aimed throws. Not so with a witness in a public investigation. Nor does there seem to be any limitation on the kind of charges that can be hurled at a person or a firm or a corporation, once they are in the toils at en investigation. The constitutional provision seems to have been reversed. You are guilty until you are proved inno cefit?that is. If you get a chance to submit proof. Of course, such names as the Alu minum Company Of America, and J. P. Morgan and company and the Carlisle power interests and the oth ers are well known, they are "big" names. Without them, most investi gations as* a flop. Being wealthy and arelLhnqwn, when those people are attacked, they make headlines. Almokt anything that la done about them or by them is printed Be sides, many, many Speeches can be made about trust busting! Jackton Triad It Tarn, Sam What Happmnmd There mi Robert Jackson, too. Mr. Jackson. as chief counsel tor the bureau at internal revenue, bat tled the late Andrew W. Mellon over his income taxes. He was appoint ed soon thereafter as the assistant attorney general ia charge of anti trust prosecutions. Promptly, he started an anti-trust suit against the Aluminum Company of America, but his political star was not in the right transit. Anyway, be did not ?et to be governor of New York. He did not even get the nomination, as did Thomas E. Dewey, as a pub lic reward for striking at malefac tors of great wealth or racketeers one type being as good as the other for political purposes. Or, we may advert to Senator La Follette's crusade with his senate civil liberties committee. Now, I am none too sure of the meaning of the phrase, civil liberties, but Sen ator LaFollette surely tried to con vince the union workers, especially the C. I. O. members, that he was protecting them against those sinful employers who would grind workers into the grime and grease of their overalls, as well as obtaining much publicity for the senator. (RelMMd by Wssltn Nawsp*pv Uotaa.) Speakinp of Sjwrts Check Yanks? League Must Hold Players By ROBERT McSHANE DASEBALL unrl fans are almost unanimous in their belief that something must be done about the New York Yankees before they eliminate all ttought of competition in the American league. The Yanks won the 1934 Ameri can league pennaht by 19% games. In 1937 they won by 13 games, and in 1938 by 9% games. The belief that their superiority was growing less pronounced?a belief fostered by the diminishing margin of vic tory?has proved untrue. In the American league circuit it Is being said that the Yanks win be e I. 19. ahead by July 1 This means they might as well call off the rest of the race, that Joe Mc Carthy's aggrega tion is too good tor the rest of the teams ia baseball. Whether or not you subscribe to the the ory?and we do not ?that the Yankees should be broken up for the good of base ball, you will agree that soma steps must be taken to revive an interest already flagging. When Loa Gehrig benched Urn sell they lost one cf the greatest players of an time. When Joe Di Maggio sprained an ankle they lest, temporarily, today's outstanding player. But what happened with those two great performers oat of the lineup? The Tanks, with Babe Dahlgrea en first base, wan 17 eat sI their next M games. Keep Talent at Home Not long ago Oscar Vitt, Cleve land manager, hinted that New York was ruining the American league by snatching all the pennants and by shipping talent, fresh from the mi nors and good enough for other clubs in the same circuit, to the National league. To bear him out a hasty survey shows that in the last three years the Yanks have sold Bob Seeds, out fielder, and Johnny McCarthy, first baseman, to the Giants; Outfielder Jim Gleeson to the Cubs, Shortstop Nolen Richardson and Catcher Wil lard Hershberger to the Reds and Shortstop Eddie Miller to tha Bens. The last named is being ballad as one of the best inflelders to enter the National league in years. Al most any club in the Yanks' circuit would have been glad to get him. Daring tha coming year officials of tha league are certain to discuss of Its teams. They cannei, of eawse, toko forcible measures aad distrib ute tha Tanks' star partes mars smsag ths weaker dabs. Nor is it likely tha team win be votaatarOy broken ap by player sales. One course Is open to American league officials. They can do an in their power to urge tha Yanks to keep all excess material in their homo circuit. This would be in di rect contrast to the Yanks' prsoont policy of sailing players only to those teams which can't possibly threaten their supremacy. Cards Build Own League The St. Louis Cardinals, lor in stance, dispose at their excess play ers to clubs with- ?? Jot MeCirthy in their own league, which maintain* the strength of the en tire organization. Though they were developed on Car dinal (arms, there was no place (or BUI Lee and John ny Rizzo on the St. Louis team. But they were sold to clubs in the same league. Tom Y awkey of Boston la ana man attempting to light the Yanks on their home grounds, and even tor that moneyed gentleman it'a going to be a tough, uphill struggle. To date the American league la not the drawing power it waa in the paat. Weather conditions have been blamed by Edward G. Barrow, pres ident of the Yankees, (or unfilled grandstands. However, one writer pointed out that Jersey City, near New York -end?I--?riBg the same weather conditions, has drawn larg er crowds to minor league games than the world's champions have at tracted in their mutilation of Amer ican league competition. It can't be blamed on the weath er. At least^not ^al to gather^ Fans BID Leo Yesterday's Heroes riURIlfO the peat few weeks ap proximately 6,000footkeil play era have been turned loose upon the nation by America's 1,800 colleges and universities. This is an average of six men per squad at all institu tions of more than preparatory school rating. Far the majority of these aaa football holds as interest ether than that of an enthusiastic spectator. A few will remain as teaches. How ever, these that da axe exceptionally talented. Coaching no longer has the appeal far graduates. Callages Most embryo eoaehea find their only meet they hoped ta Aid. Contrary to general belief, which holds that practically ail fipod Ipot bali players join professional .ranks, the National Football league will provide playing Jobs ler ' approxi mately 290 graduates one out ol-ev ery 14 college players meet major league football requirements. The great majority of these men will go to work in the mere peseals fields. In their ranks are lawyers, doctors, engineers?hi fact, any and all branches of beaineas sad ths pro fessions. The National Football league fa to be congratulated that jt >ioes not hold out false hopes to men who might expect to capitalize an tal ents cultivated during three years of collegiate competition.. The graduates desdtve a hand for being intelligent enough to realize that their futures depfipd on their capabilities in the business world. And not on past gridiron perform ances. Great Finisher WHEN speaking of baseball's great relief pitchers, the ov erage fan thinks of Jobnqy Mttrptay with the New York Yankees, Dick Coffman of the Giants, Jack BoaaaD, * formerly with the Senators, and now with the Cubs, Sarge Connelly of the old White Sox. Those and a few more. * - A close checkup on tho Chicago White Sex win reveal that ana of baseball's truly great relief twfartans CUNT BIOHR to (tin sarins tol ium tar Latoto Brown left Cleveland tar CUc?|g in tha winter of IB*. Ha wag large ly responsible lor the third gee* fln tob of the White 80s in 10i and 107. In the first season* h? figured hi M femes for the Sox, winning sis, low* ing two and working 0 innings, ta 107 ta was ^a t^of g games, ewMast seasen fePewteg an ?n ttoa far a eMpH tat wasn't, gtom, ta tar wmm teTttafeaanet be The loss of Monte Strattfo, ace starting pitcher, eras a severs blow to the Sox this year, their hopes were pinned on Stratton, whose ca reer was cut ahact ataK'^^^^^^H leg in a hunting accident. But the Sox are still plenty had medi cine?end one of the big reasons is cant Brown, unparalleled trouble shooter. He's back in form again, and as dangerous as ever. Brown has proved that aomethnee a great finishing pitcher is just as
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
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June 15, 1939, edition 1
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