THE ALAMANCE GLEANER
VoL LXV # GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, JULY 27, 1939 . No. 25
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS BY JOSEPH W. LaBlNE
Ironside Visit, Credit Offer
Clinch British Aid to Poland
If Germany Moves on Danzig
(EDITOR'S NOTE?When opinions are expressed In these celnmns, they
am these ot the news analyst and net neoessarUy of this newspaper.)
Released by Weatern Newspaper Union.
EUROPE: N
Stifled Rumor
At n?i<to<?t)t 40 military supply
trucks from East Prussia rumblec
into the Free City of Danzig, theii
heavy gray doors locked tight. Ner
day Nasi l?4der Albert Forster re
turned from a conference wit!
Adolf Hitler in Berchtesgaden. Or
Danzig's outskirts a Polish customs
official was shot stead by a Free City
officer. Both Whrsaw and Danzig
jails held a prisoner from the enemy
camp. To top it off, the Danzig
senate was re
ported plan
ning to elecl
Adolf Hitler its
president and
thereby effect
nominal an
nexation te
Germany.
' This back
ground of ha
tred suddenly
and mysteri
ously gav?
way to ? ru
mor of peace
> -,J which new*
SIB IRONSIDE, p^per corre
rtiur*ud- ipoodinti
traced from Warsaw to London and
finally back to their birthplace at
Berlin. The rumor: That Danzig'i
problem i* now subject to peaceful
negotiation.
Both Poland and Britain denied
it, and their, explanations made
sense. The rumor began spreading
just as Maj. Otp. Str Bdmupd
side, inspector general of British
overseas forces, arrived' in "Warsa*
for Polish-British staff consultations.
Germany obviously hoped the peace
rumor would split the consultants,
Poland thinking Britain had sold
out for a German-sponsored peace.
Nothing like that happened. Te
the contrary. General Ironside's vab
& offered the most firm reiteratidh
to date that Britain is ready fa fight
for Poland's cause. It came sharp
) on the heels of Prim% Minister
Neville Chamberlain's guarantee to
proMbt Danzig as well as Poland,
plus offers of British credit to bol
ster Warsaw's ^armament.
RELIEF:
More Trouble
A big enough headache for one
man was WPA's wage strike, which
hit Administrator F. C. Harrington
smack between the eyes. But nc
sooner was the strike settled than
uoionei Harrington faced an aven
bigger headache:
Under the "anti-career" provision
t in this year's relief measure, WPA
I must discharge 650,000 (one-third of
r all employees) by September 1. Al
t though the law specifically states
. employees who have worked 18
, months must take a 30-day "vaca
i tion," the holiday will probably be
i much longer. Reason: WPA's $1,
r 750,600 for 1939-40 will carry only
> 2,000,000 workers contrasted with
^ 3,000,000 in 1938-39.
! One good reason why congress
? may lose its adjournment enthusi
? asm is that dismissals and new
t wage scales will take effect just
i about the time weary solons would
1 reach their home stamping grounds.
MICHIGAN:
Sin
Eighty-year-old Gov. Luren D.
Dickinson came to office last winter
when Republican Gov. Frank Fits
gerald died. A Godly man. Gover
nor Dickinson amused veteran poli
ticians, yet many a constituent found
him refreshingly different. In June
he attended the National Conference
of Governors in New York, return
ing home to deliverji sermon warn
ing mothers and daughters of high
life evils in New York.
> New York's Mayor LaGuardia
? called him "a senile old fooL" Ne
braska's Gov. R. L. Cochran thought
1 the convention's only dull feature
1 was Governor Dickinson's speech.
A week later the governor's ser
| mon made bigger news. New York
'MISS MICHIGAN AVIATION"
New York wasn't miekod
newsmen cornered 23-year-old Willo
Sheridan who came east as "Miss
Mchigan Aviation" by the gover
nor's own appointment. Willo made
a good story. While shutters snapped
Willo sampled Manhattan cham
pagne and said: "I'm having a won
derful time here. I respect Gover
nor Dickinson and think he's a very
fine man. But I don't think New
York's a very wicked city."
Back home in Lansing, Republi
can John B.. Corliss Jr. started a re
call petition against the governor
because of his "recedt sounding off
about the evil he thinks he found in
high places." While Corliss' fellow
thinkers rushed to Sign, the gover
nor took them by surprise. Said
he: "I'll sign the petition myself."
LOUISIANA:
Both Feet
A whisper of scandal started when
Louisiana State university's Presi
dent James Monroe Smith fled to
Canada after allegedly bilking three
banks out of >300,000. The whisper
grew to common gossip when Smith,
LSU"? Construction Superintendent
George Caldwell, LSU's Business
Manager E. N. Jackson and Dr.
Clarence A. Lorio, president of the
state medical society, were indict
ed on a total of 29 counts. This
was only the beginning:
By mid-July federal probes were
underway regarding (1) Louisiana's
administration of the 1937 sugar
act; (2) violations of U. S. oil regu
lations; (3) misuse of WPA mate
rials and labor; (4) an unannounced
subject under scrutiny by the U. S.
treasury's department of revenues.
Meanwhile Ave men made great by
the late Huey Long were arraigned
on charges of using the mails to
defraud the state of $79,000. The
Ave: Dr. Smith; Seymour Weiss,
political bigwig and millionaire; J.
Emory Adams, nephew of Dr.
Smith's wife; Monte E. Hart, elec
tric company official who has re
ceived many state contracts; and
Louis Lesage, oil official.
CONGRESS:
Prayer
"I mm certain that from the lima of ad
journment until congress meets again, ike
President mill gray as never before that
there will be no new crisis in Europe."
Thus did White House Secretory
Stephen Early help Franklin Roose
velt swallow his most bitter pill of
the year, an agreement with con
gress to table neutrality legislation
until next session. This agreement
seemed prematpre, however, for the
next day Secretary of State Cordeli
Hull received two resolutions from
the senate foreign relations commit
tee asking consideration of: (1) an
embargo on all U. S. war material
shipments to Japan; (2) renuncia
tion of the U. S. Jap trade treaty.
This done, only the President's
$3,460,000,000 lend-spend bill barred
adjournment. While carriers them
.i MTf v.-k ? , vj rr
jesse jones
Railroad? remained silent.
stiver remained sOent, Federa;
Lending Administrator Jesse Jones
endorsed the scheme to let railroads
lease $300,000,000 worth of new
equipment. He also suggested they
could offer bondholders RFC cash
and preferred stock in exchange for
outstanding bonds. Meanwhile Sec
retary of the Treasury Henry Mor
genthau Jr., praised the lending bill
as a "realistic approach to our eco
nomic problem" which would "put
300,000 people to work without add
ing te the tax burden or public
debt." As battle lines formed, Sen
ate Minority Leader Charles Mc
Nary conceded the bill would prob
ably pass.
Also in congress:
C House conferees sought compro
mise between wage-hour amend
ments offered by New Jersey's
Mary Norton and North Carolina's
Graham Barden. Argument: Farm
ing interests want processors of
farm products eliminated from
wage-hour supervision.
C The senate passed the Logan bill,
embarrassingly discovering in next
morning's Congressional Record that
it had subjected decisions of the la
bor board and all other quasi-judi
cial or quasi-legislative agencies to
review by the court of appeals.
c The house passed the bill of New
Mexico's Rep. John J. Dempsey and
Sen. Carl Hatch, banning use of offi
cial authority to influence elections.
C The senate approved and gave
the house a bill extending federal
crop insurance to cotton farmers.
ENGLAND:
Wheat Armament
Even in 1931't crisis British wheat
prices hit no lower than 3 shillings,
I pence. But in mid-July of this
year came a new low of 3 shillings
pence (about 49* cents per
bushel). At this Juncture a "pre
paredness" parliament considered a
step which would at once relieve
price pressure, eliminate surpluses
and bolster defense. The move, sug
gested by Economist John Waynard
Keynes: Appropriation of 100,000,000
pounds ($490,000,000) for accumula
tion of war reserves in four catego
ries of England's vital imports.
About 234,000,000 bushels of wheat
would thereby be purchased.
BRIEFLY...
IN NEW YOKE. Gossiper Wal
ter Winchell let it be known a re
liable informant had told a se
cret: That 1040's Democratic
ticket will be Roosevelt and Mc
Nutt.
IN WASHINGTON, Treasury
figures showed the U. S. had an
average deficit of $22,300,000 per
day during the new fiscal year's
first 19 days.
IN MID-PACIFIC, an American
ship helped rescue 209 from the
flaming Bokuyo Maru, Jap pas
senger and freight liner.
IN TOEYO, British-Jap talks
concerning British rights in China
reached a hopeless deadlock and
collapsed.
IN JERUSALEM, Arabs kid
naped Dr. Jacob Goldner, Cleve
land minister, and his son, Ger
ould. Later they released Dr.
Goldner to dig up $0,000 ransom
for his son.
Pictorialized
^GERMANY J
IT A I V yfUGO
ITALY
LITTLE WAR?Austrian Ger
man-speaking farmers in the Ital
ian Tyrol refuse to be Italian
ized, yet refuse to be returned to
Germany. A profitable tourist
trade has been killed by Musso
lini's order evicting foreigners
from the Tyrol while he and Hit
ler "strong-arm" the Tyro liana
into some sort of submission.
Meanwhile Italy denies rumors
that the area will be leaded or
ceded to Germany.
^-^SXylSAKHALINl
ISLAND
RUSSIA) T- i
Shi
MAN- M
CHUKuoi~/ JAPAN
I??I
BIGGEB WAS ? Soviet-Japa
nese disputes in Manchukuo's
Lake Bor region are minimized
by a new dispute on Sakhalin is
land involving Japanese leases on
Soviet coal and oil concessions.
Sakhalin is owned half by Rus
sia and half by Japan. When So
viet officials fined Jap conces
sionaires $112,000 for failure to
fulfill obligations to Russian
workers, Tokyo claimed its pres
tige had been ihsulted and de
manded that fines be rescinded.
Both nations stood their ground.
Bruckarft Washington Digest
Whole Farm Program for 1940 Is .
To Be Broadened, AAA Announces
Soil Conservation to Be Stressed; Increased Opportunities
Given for' Participation by Small Farmers; Folks Are
Awakening to Fact Waste Must Be Paid For.
By WILLIAM BRUCKART
WNU Service, National Press Bldg., Washington, D. C.
WASHINGTON.?A press release
has just coma to my desk from the
Agriculture) Adjustment administra
tion It outlines the farm program
for 1940. That is next year. The
statement from the AAA press bu
reau announced that the 1940 farm
program was evolved at a three-day
conference of "approximately 100
AAA farmer-committeeman and oth
ers interested," acting for all of the
millions of farmers. It explained
that the whole farm program is to
be broadened, but I will quote the
opening paragraph, which is, of
course, official:
"Increased emphasis on soil con
servation, increased opportunities
for participation by small farmers
and greater reeponsibility of admin
istration V) the farmer committees
are included."
I have watched the AAA officials
operate for five or six years. They
are still struggling for that more
abundant life and, therefore, I have
observed the changes with soma
curiosity. Also, there has been a
certain -amount of humor in whatJ
they have done?not humorous for
the farmers but for an onlooker
whose life savings and hopes were
not directly at stake. There never
has been a dull moment. Some
times, the antics have resembled
the movements of whirling der
vishes of the desert in their most
fervent moments of prayer; other
times have produced attitudes on
the part of the officials and their
underlings that strangely resembled
a mouse-colored and very stubborn
mule that my father once owned,
and then, again, there would be
forthcoming schemes so fantastic
that only a person wearing the de
gree of doctor of philosophy could
have read the words without turn
ing to Mr. Webster's unabridged edi
tion of the dictionary. They have
gone from the doctrine of scarcity
to the doctrine of some other ex
treme and most things in between,
always requiring, however, that the
farmer must sign up a contract with
a lot of do's and don't's.
Jut a Word ot Prauo
For AAA Adminitrator*
T ? l. I I
aiwi a maj uui uc aituscu ui uc
ing a common scold, let me give
the AAA administrators a word of
praise just here. The soil building
and soil conservation phases of the
program likely are going to be valu
able although I fail to understand
why anybody thinks it is necessary
to pay a farmer to keep his own
land in good shape. But, skipping
my own thoughts on that, there is
justification for governmental inter
est in helping to restore soil on a
national scale because our nation is
going on for a number of years ?
we hope.
Then, too, there is argument fa
vorable to a policy of government
encouragement in the planting of
trees, a program of reforestation.
There is, of course, that famous
"parity" business. There is a fund
of $229,000,000 which a bunch of vote
getting congressmen put into law.
From it, the AAA officials can pay
farmers producing wheat, cotton,
corn, tobacco and rice certain sums
if the price of these commodities
is less than "79 per cent of parity."
We have had that one before and
after many trials there are still
many hundreds of versions of "par
ity." It has put the money out
There is no doubt about that. The
AAA men made sure that all of it
went out, but some of the methods
of calculations, of appraisals, of dis
criminations among farmers, of do's
and don't's and just plain bureau
cratic regimentation make a fellow
dizzy. I cannot help wondering what
those who live a hundred years from
now will say when they read the
current AAA records. They may
find some new words that will prop
erly describe the mess.
Now Comes tho Pay-CHf
On tho 1940 Farm Program
Next comes "commercial vegeta
bles." There is to be designation, as
this year, of "commercial vegeta
ble counties," the designation, of
course, to be done by AAA officials.
Commercial vegetable farmers, aft
er they sign up and do as they are
told, will get payments, too, and I
hope the arrangement will make the
green onions that my wife buys from
the commercial vegetable man who
calls at our door somewhat less
spongy.
And now, we give you the pay
off on the 1940 program.
Next year, any farmer who growl
a vegetable garden will get $2?two
whole dollars that are still highly
regarded by me?if he "co-oper
ates" and does as he is told by the
AAA master farmers. If he fails to
grow that vegetable garden, ha will
be docked $2. The government will
get it, too. Uncle Sam's boys are
good at that. To make sure about
getting that $2 fine, the AAA will
deduct it from whatever other pay
ment that the farmer has earned.
The regulations have not been is
sued yet so I cannot report to you
in advance what you will have to do
to get your f2. The AAA may pos
sibly tell you that you have to grow
so many rows of radishes, so many
hills of beans of two or more IJ pas
maybe some pole beans if you have
planted trees under the reforestra
tion program. Or they may tell you
to produce so many yards of spin
ach, and there must be carrots and
peas, because children must eat car
rots and peat. And potatoes! I waht"
to warn the AAA about potatoes.
Maine and Idaho voters may kick
about including potatoes in the list
of "must" vegetables. In the South,
there ought to be melons, for there
is nothing like a good ripe water
melon. Medical men advise squash
in the diet, along with rutabagas.
As a special favor to me, T am go
ing to ask tost anions be included
and planted alongside that row of
tomato vines.
Will Extend Law at Far at
Language Can Be Stretched
Of course, u I Mid, the regula
tion* have not been issued and ao I
do not know what will constitute a
vegetable garden "within the mean
ing of this act," aa the official rules
will say. On this point, however, 1
think it can be said, aafely now
that the regulations will extend the
law just as far aa human ingenuity
can stretch language. The idea will
be to embrace aa many of the farm
ers as can be brought under the
newest?and rawest,?of the schemes
for regimenting the \f? "Tiers of the
nation. None will be overlooked,
except perhaps those like myself
whose farm consists of a backyard
soma (0 feet deep wherein are
crowded flowers that I love.
I guess that I will not get any
payment for planting trees, either.
But the real reason I resent this $2
payment is that it represents a gi
gantic reduction in the price of
votes. I think those gAA men
haven't learned much about politics.
They've gone sissy. The new price
sounds like a Are sale. They ought
to know that no vote* induced by
that price will stay put.
But to get serious about this thing,
this new atrocity that is being put
over in the name of farm aid, it
ought to be said that never In all
recorded history has there been any
such thing attempted before.
Folk* Awakening to Fact
Thai Waete Matt Be Pmd Far
We have witnessed waste In more
forms in the last few years than
ever happened in our nation or any
other. Folks throughout the coun
try are awakening to the fact that
this waste has to be paid for, be
cause taxes are beginning to sneak
up on them from the most unexpect
ed directions. There will be more.
Of that, (here can be no doubt
Meanwhile, instead of slowing up
federal spending, ere find AAA pay
ing ft for a garden. There should
be something in the way of aid for
those Who grow window boxes.
It was only the other day that the
treasury released final figures on its
condition at the end of the fiscal
year, July 1. Those figures showed
that the government had spent
ft,900,000,000 more in the last 13
months than it had taken in by taxa
tion. Shortly, thereafter, a private
organization issued a statement
showing income and taxes of 183
great corporations. Those figures
which were claimed to be official
revealed that only about half of
those corporations had made enough
money in the last year to meet
their tax bills. In some instances,
the taxes paid by those corporations
amounted to as much as three times
the income that was left to them
after they had paid their workers
and their overhead expenses.
CMmmS *r W?Mn Smpaptr Uatoa.)
Speaking of Sports
Wimbledon Win
?
Brightens U. S.
Tennis Outlook
By ROBERT McSHANE
OT so sure of themselves today
1 are the many calamity howlers
who bade tearful farewell to toe
United States' Davis Cup chances
when J. Donald Budge, latter-day
scourge of the tennis courts, turned
pro.
It was a sad, unhappy time for
his millions ef followers when Bodge
succumbed to toe tare of a 975.M#
a year guarantee. Amateur tennis
In toe United States, they croaked
dismally, was all washed up. Bodge
was toe only star worthy of toe
name, the only man who could give
this country a fighting chance for
the greatest of all tennis honors.
The recent Wimbledon tourna
ment gave the prophets of disaster
a terrific setback. Bobby Riggs,
America's No. 1 disciple of tennis,
defeated Elwood Coo)te, another
Yankee, in the ail-American finals
of England's great court show. The
match was top and tuck for Ave
sets and then Riggs won out
Biggs Inherited the No. 1 position
from i. Donald. Those experts whs
saw the Wimbledon matches de
clare that he is a much improved
player. The hard-fengfet finals in
dicated that Cooke is pretty close to
being toe No. t racks tor, ranking a
I
BOBBY RIGGS
gnat deal hither than he did a rear
a to, when he waa n?tdorad Jaat
another food teaalr player. Twelve
months afi Elaesd was net consid
ered seriously as Davis Cay timber.
He was hold ia each lew esteem
that the brass hats did net think
enomh of him to Mod htm aeroos
to Eacland with Miss Marble. Miss
Jaeobe, Mrs. Palfrey aad Riffs.
They live bin beat faro aad told
him to shift for himself.
Rift*, of course, hasn't been list
ed as the greatest player who ever
appeared at Wimbledon. Which is
remarkable in that it was said
about Don Budge, Fred Perry and
Ellsworth Vines. It was also said
about Henri Cochet, Bill Thompson
and Tony Wilding.
r
Von Cnmm Absent
And It is also true that this year's
Wimbledon match left one thing to
be deaired. Baron Gottfried von
Cramm, who defeated Riggs S-l, 8-0
at the Queen's club tournament. Is
considered by many to be the best
amateur of today's game. Von
Cramm did not play at Wimbledon.
Another United States hopeful is
Frankie Parker. Remember him?
A flew years ago he looked to be a
pretty good tennis player. Bapeita
agreed that if Frank could poliah
up his forehand he would be near
the tap. But that forehand dJdnt
seem to acquire much polish. Sev
eral months ago experts were all
for dropping him.
New comes reports from the West
that Parker has at last discovered
himself. His forehand has dafialte
ly improved. Going set to Califor
nia. ha discarded Us aid style sad
worked eat a new ferehand. la Chi
cago Frank wen the national clay
start championship. Than ha
teamed with Gene Make te win the
Wayae gabin, both under considera
tion for Davis cap action.
Another thing that keeps Davis
Cup enthusiasts from figuring toe
strongly on an American victory is
the fact that Australian players
were occupied elsewhere. And long
ago Australia was selected as the
logical place to house the big-eared
Davis Cup.
However, when Riggs, Cooke, at
al start hammering the ball across
the net, anything can happen. Tha
boys might even win. Anyway,
where once before was only gloom
and despair, now comes through a
ray of hopeful light. America still
has a good chance of annexing this
year's match.
Sport Shorts
I OU GEHRIG'S daily stint really
isn't hard. He merely walks to
the plate before each fame and pre
sents the lineup to the chief umpire.
_ For this hr is naid
*227 daily . .. The
20 flrst stringers on
Northwestern"! 193S
football T"^ com
piled a B average in
classroom work, all
of which made Coach
Lynn Waldorf happy
. . . According to
Luke Sewell, veteran
American league
catcher (Tharlev
Lynn Waldorf Gehringer ot Detroit
and Luke Applinf at
the White Sox are the hardest A. L.
players to pitch to . . . Lefty
Grove's son expects to enter Duke
university this fall. . . Boston Wee
ball scribes say the Red Sosc aren't
on top because other clubs in the
league use second-string - pitchers
against the Yanks, flrit-striagsrs
against Boston . . . lighted pools
for fly-casting at night and to your
own neighborhood is a commercial
venture being tried in various parts
of the country . . . Gordon Drillon,
outstanding Toronto hechgy for
ward, is also a fine Softball player
. . . Rowing is the oldest intercol
legiate sport in the United States.
The first crew race, held fa) 1852,
was between Yale and Harvard . . .
Johnny Drake, former Purdue play
er who is now owned by the Cleve
land Rams, is a special pbliceman
at the San Francisco fair .... Big
league pinch hitters aren't very food
of night baseball. They come out
of a dark dugout into.the brilliance
oi me neta ana too oner una mem
?elvei easy prey (or opftteihc pitch
er. . Ohio State awarded 144
athletic letter, last year. Football
led with 31 and baseball wis next
with 19. Because Gmtt Cleveland
Alexander allowed his dues .to lapse
in the Players' Benefit association
while he was still ia the majors, be
is not eligible for help from the
baseball relief fund, which is seteUsd
each year by funds front the AD
Star game . . . Marquette university
did not lose a football regular by
graduation p . . Lefty. Grope'a son
expects to enter Dulte university this
. fall . c.
Fistic Svengali
JIMMY GRIPPO, manager of light
J heavyweight Meho Betttna, has
added a nor wrinkle to the honored
profeaaion of pugiliwn. jimmy is the
prouq possessor or iq ftu eye.
hatd l^i't. ti^tod
hiajOTtl training technicstfCeatiy
Bsfsrsseery fight he hgagtsss Ms
ags"'sf a Ban, the speed s< e* gato
lops aad the punch sf a pile-driver.
All la afl, Meho la a very daagsrs?
manager-, arti eyl^Eyea h*Tmsa
ager will admit Mat. '
Grippe isn't fooling,about the ben
eficial effects ha sags hypnotism has
Grippe Goto to IMk. *!
on Bettina. Ha potnta oat that lltlio
haa suffered only one defeat 4MB ha
bag an String him tha eye.
Whan this eaaHSewer Sreagal
gaaa ta work an Us leather teasing
Trilby ha last pals Mm ta (leap
Thy ha
Tw'watt a?|it vartat'inSen
tawal a daciaiaa to BUr Cto far
tha thiaipisnihlp af tha 17* paarf
dhrtstoa. A lllMt match la sched
atod far this faiL
Only ooa handicap exists. Bill
Brown, New York boxing commis
sioner, declared that Grippo must
do bis hexing act before the fight
ers enter tha ring. That elidiinatee
what might be, from the specta
tor's standpoint, an enjoyafle double
feature.
* Tha bowing commission also told
Grippo that there could be no mora
pictures of him hypnotising boxers.
, "Maybe they're right," said Grip
pe, "they waat to keep bsateg se
rteee- They deat want K to be Hka
OMwe to Western Saeew OetmJ