THE ALAMANCE GLEANER
Vol LXV - GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1939 No. 32
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS BY JOSEPH W. LaBlNE
' Special Congressional Session
Expected to Halt War Profits;
* Housewife Feels Price Boost
t *?*?.,. . ..
i.;. (EDITOR'S NOTE?When opinions are expressed In these columns, they
? v see those of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.)
Released by Western Newspaper Union. _______________
r]f V NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE ON RAMPAGE
>.U f-y1 > Jlie President's "maraT obligation teas forgotten.
War Babies
c"' ? "No American hat the moral right to
Cfleer at the experme of either hit feh
citizens or of the men, women and
* *children who ere living and dying in the
midtr of star in Europe."
The U.S. had two days to ponder
- mi# Presidential warning before the
martlets opened after a Labor day
?Weeg*lSd. ' If pondering means foe
' ""getting, the nation did it well. Tick
J-ers ran three minutes behind as
"fwar babies" roomed 3 to IS or
ipore points. When it was over,
5,430,000 shares had changed harida
arid the value of listings at New
'"York alone had upped some (3,000,
Obo.Odff. Next day the market
? straightened .out.
1 Grains Were no exception/jump^
nig to "their pegged limits each day.
Heat' followed the trend. Hogs
seared from SO to 75 cents as the
market, opened, jumping another $1
the next day.
? The net result soon sifted down to
lira. Housewife, whose meat, but
ter, eggs and flour went skyrocket
ing despite government-held sur
' pluses of most commodities. Off
to the White House with this hews
went Attorney-General Frank" Mur
- 'phy, gunning for the well-remem
be red devil of World war -dpye,
"v ?High Costa Living.". He went back
i to. his- office with the President's
blessing and an order to find SMgs
. of outsmarting the speculators, bpt
Frank Murphy's Job was nof easy.
" * A search of his statutes would
- show' the attorney-generhl he had
few laws to I
{all back on.
Hence the
wiseacres
thought Mr.
Murphy
would spend
the next few
weeks draft
ing legisla
tion which
the President
could offer
a special
congress ion
?TLr:RLH? ^.rs3d
? ? ? ' be smart
politics, because Secretary of Agri
culture Henry A. Wallace is doing
his best to keep fanners from specu
lating with larger crops next year.
If the glove, fits agriculture, it also
(its business.
Thpugh ambitious profiteers thought
the President had left a loophole in
neutrality by. exempting Canada
> (which has not gone to war), Secre
' tary of State Cordell Hull soon
bashed this hope in the head. The
U. S. might sell arms to Canada
tor transhipment to the allies, ex
cept for one sentence in the neu
trality act: "It shall be unlawful
to export . . . arms, ammunition or
implements of war ... to any neu
tral stato for transhipment to, or
for the use of, any . . . belligerent
nation." Next question: How can
this ruling be enforced?
THE WAR:
Speculation
As the War of 1939 got well under
way, censorship's lid clamped itself
over everything qave the vague of
ficial communiques from London,
Paris, Berlin and Warsaw. Con
versely, the propaganda mills
cround faster than ever. By add
togWto communiques and subtract
could ascertain a few things. The
gist: France, Britain and Poland
were in a tough spot.
The key to this problem lay some
where in Poland. Defending troops
rushed back to the Vistula and Bug
rivers I Sea Map) where they hoped
to dig in permanently. Though
Generalissimo Smigly-Rydz called
the retreat "strategic," there was
every indication Poland's position
was desperate. Off to London seek
ing aid went Foreign Minister Josef
Beck, knowing full well there was
no way' Britain and France could
send it.
To a certain point Der Fuehrer's
scheme.' y&s obvious. The Reich
?
POLAND'S WAR
Heery shaded area tlum* German ter
ritory. Light ihade thorn territory Poles
toy they ere willing to surrender to estab
lish permanent front lines along the Vis
tula and Bug rivers, in strategic areas
shown with dots.
t
made no offensive on the western
front, where British-French forces
found the lightly manned Siegfried
line a stone wall. But when he has
mopped up in Poland, Herr Hitler
can decide on one of two courses,
war or peace. If he makes war,
the combined armies at Britain and
France will have tough sledding
against a Nazi juggernaut which
has no problem of back-door vul
nerability from over its new com
mon border with Russia.
But observers saw another pos
sible reason for Hitler's apparent
lack of interest in the western front.
Having no military objectives there,
having failed to declare war
against Britain and France, he
might turn about and sue for im
mediate peace on the stipulation
that Poland shall be incorporated
into the Reich.
Actuality
Aside from Poland's retreat, aside
from German apathy on the western
front, the War of 1939 followed tra
dition. On the propaganda front,
Berlin issued a "white book" reply
ing to Britain's "white paper," re
counting pre-war Anglo-German re
lations and placing responsibility on
England. Faced with continued
merchant marine warfare, both
France and Britain established im
port control systems to conserve
foreign exchange and provide ship
ping space for war necessities.
Most vital, however, was the time
tested plan whereby the United
Kingdom hopes to starve Germany
into submission. Thrown around
western exits of the Baltic sea was
the impregnable naval blockade
which only Britain cOuld muster.
Meanwhile the unique ministry of
economic warfare hoped to make
British pounds, shillings and pence
an eqnsffly potent weapon.
ASIDE FROM WAR
While war and its repercussions
held V. S. interest 100 per cent, the
following newsworthy events drew lit
tle attention:
IN BALTIMORE ? Twenty-six
year-old Mrs. Harold Ickes, wife
of the 65-year-old interior secre
tary, presented her husband with
a baby boy.
IN CLEVELAND?Col. Roscoe
Turner, veteran aviator, sped 283
miles per hour to win the Thomp
son trophy the third successive
time, thus winning $16,000. Then
he announced retirement from
the air racing business.
IN NEW TORE ?Willys-Over
land claimed it was dropping a
"bombshell" into the automobile
field with an unprecedented new
low price car for 1940.
PAN AMERICA:
Solidarity
Hemispherically, the Americas
constitute an economic unity which
can operate independently of war
crazy Europe. But in peacetime
the Old world's rich nations dangle
tempting trade offers before the tiny
lands of Central and South America,
wooing them away from the more
logical north-and-south commercial
channels. When war again engulfs
Europe, the rich suitors forget their
temporary New world friends, who
invariably turn onoe more to the
U. S. for leadership.
No exception to this rule is the
War of 1939, which finds Argentina
cut off from her German-Italian
trade sources by a British blockade,
and finds Mexico's expropriated oil
program at a standstill because
Germany can no longer cross the
sea.
Not unexpected, therefore, was
the call which went forth from tiny
Panama republic a few days after
war was declared. Would the 21
American nations attend a meeting
to preserve New World peace?
Plainly visible behind scenes was
the fast-moving hand of the U. S.,
which could use Pan-American sol
idarity to good advantage. Europe
can no longer supply the needs of
South America, nor can America
supply the needs at Europe undep
neutrality restrictions. But every
one would be happy to open up new
markets in the other Americas.
DOMESTIC:
Uti-A mericanism
Fully itolen by Europe'? war la
the news spotlight which Washing
ton's election-bound investigation
committees hoped to enjoy this
summer. But early September
brought one witness before Rep.
Martin Dies' un-Americanism com
mittee who broke through the bar
rage from abroad. The witness: Earl
Browder, general secretary of the
U. S. Communist party.
Interesting -? to committeemen
were the revelations that (1) Com
munist Browder has traveled
abroad the past two years on a
false passport; (3) his assertion that
Communists work with every group
seeking to improve U. S. economic
conditions; (S) his apparently con
tradictory admission that if the
present economic system worked ef
COMMUNIST BROWDER
"I only mdorood hit polirin."
fectively there would be no place
(or the Communist party.
Biggest news, however, was some
thing which might?if substantiated
?make the Republican party blush.
In 1998, said the witness, a mar
named "Davidson" had approached
him as representing seven wealthy
Republicans who were willing to
give the Communist party 9290,900
to nominate President Roosevelt as
its presidential candidate.
If this embarrassed Republicans,
their Democratic opponents were
also reddened. Communist Brow
der denied be had endorsed Presi
dent Roosevelt in 1938. Then he
explained why: "I carefully re
frained because I knew the Re
publicans wanted me to do it. 1
only indorsed his (Roosevelt's)
policies."
Bruckart't Washington Digest
Treasury Official Discusses
Our Needs Regarding Taxation
Government Wants to Know What Business Has to Say
About Present Levies; Where Are We Going to
Get the Revenue to Pay Our Debts.
By WILLIAM BRUCKART
WNtJ Service, National Prose Bid*Washington. D. C.
WASHINGTON.?In these days
when the menace of a world
destroying' war hangs perilously
overhead, it is heartening to read
something or hear something that
gives consideration to the problems
of America and Americans. While
international broadcasts were filling
the air with facts and alleged facts
and just plain propaganda the other
night, it struck me as most signif
icant that an official of the treasury
should take time out and talk, by
radio, on the general subject of tax
ation and the country's needs in this
regard.
Undersecretary John W. Hanes,
then serving as secretary of the
treasury because of the absence of
Secretary Morgenthau, made what
a good many described as a dry
speech. Certainly, most editors so
regarded it, or else they thought
that the European backyard fence
with its mess of tomcats squalling
at each other was more important.
There can be no debate, of course,
that the war situation requires the
closest scrutiny and the calmest of
nerves; but the point is that all of
us hope our nation is going on over
the horizon of the future, and atten
tion needs to be given?and must
be given?to our internal affairs as
well as our relations with those
across the seas who ingist upon
quarreling over the line fence.
So it Was that, when Mr. Hanes
made a statement concerning the
need for a general reallocation of
taxes, a great many people felt it
to be a very hopeful sign. Now,
it is always a healthy indication
when an official of thg federal gov
ernment looks facts in the face. We
have not seen a great deal of that
in recent years.
But if such things are significant
and valuable, how much more im
portant it is to see an official come
out of the heart of the New Deal
and say, in effect, that the treasury
wants to hear' what business has to
say about the present taxes. Mr.
Hanes went further: He said the
treasury wanted to bear these things
in private, not in a public demon
stration where the individual who
has grievances about unfair taxes
could be held op to public scorn.
Tow will remember, of course, how
some Of 'the New Dealers staged a
vaudeville show a year ago; how it
picked out cases of taxpayers who
had avoided taxes by taking advan
tage of the provisions of law, and
hew each of these was marked as
an unpatriotic citizen.
Many of the Taxes That Had
Boon Triad Failed Miter ably
It I read the ipeech by Mr. Hanes
correctly, what he had to say waa
that a good many of the taxea that
had been tried by the (puttering
type of New Dealers have failed
miserably. Of course. Mr. Hanes
could not say it Just that way, but
he told of repeal at a group of taxes
and revision of others, and in almost
the same breath, he predicted the
changes would aid business recov
ery.
The thing that is important to me
in this situation is that Mr. Hanes
had the courage to take a definite
position for reallocation of taxes on
an equitable basis?for I do not be
lieve anyone can Justify the silly
structure that now is used to keep
the federal government going. It
can be said, moreover, that Mr.
Hanes recognizes what confronts the
nation in the way of revenue needs.
None of us have heard very much
from top (light officials lately as to
how this $46,000,000,000 debt is ever
going to be paid. The boys who
spent the money, and had a good
time doing it, are slinking to cover.
They don't want to face the tacts.
Whatever their attitude may be,
however, taxes are going to come
higher, 50-cent dollar or no 90-cent
dollar, and Mr. Hanes apparently
was willing to tell the country the
story at taxes up to this time.
Might Be Smart Polkict
To Undertake Tom Revision
It Is much too early for any one
to hazard a guess as to what will
be done. Next year is a year for
general elections, from the Presi
dent on down the line. It is rather
unusual for a congress to undertake
tax revision (especially upward) in
advance of a campaign, but some
bow I believe it might be pretty
smart politics to do so next year.
There is nothing to indicate that Mr.
Hanes bad any politics in his mind;
indeed, I think the contrary is true,
because Mr. Hanes has been a busi
ness man and it is unlikely that be
ia versed in politics. He told of the
situation in a rather simple and un
derstandable way, and when It is
summarized what be said was: We
have to have more tax receipts but
on an equitable basis. It will re
main to be seen whether congres
sional leaders will have the guts to
place the taxes on a sound basis.
One can look over present tax
laws and find so many instances
where tax burdens break the back
of one line of business and fail abso
lutely to touch another. The dema
gogues will tear their hair and moan
about taxing the poor, and proceed
to lay taxes that are hidden in a
hundred articles that wage workers
must have. And that is the menace
of the present tax situation: hidden
taxes. I wonder how many political
leaders would be able to hold on to
their jqbs if they would tell the truth
about the taxes they have con
cealed.
The public administration clear
ing house, an institution designed to
aid state governments by dissemi
nation of information regarding the
various states, released a statement
a few days ago that was quits il
luminating as to the steps being
taken in tax matters. It showed
that four additional states Mssss
chusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode
Island and New York?had enacted
new taxes on cigarettes in 1038.
That makes a total of 19 states now
using this source of taxes. There
are eight cities that have special
taxes on cigarettes, in addition to
state levies.
& Stcdet Make Ueer.
Of Tobacco Pay a Tax
Now, I am act here to plead the
eause of the cigarette. The tobacco
industry and the tobacco farmer, I
assume, are able to take care of
their own problems. But how many
people have stopped to think that
25 states are making therseers of
tobacco pay a tax ranging from one
cent to five cents on a pack of cig
arettes, and that the federal govern
ment takes six cents a pack (of pop
ular prided brands) befert the pack
reaches the retailer in your town!
The political demagogue srill
harangue' at length, slap his hips
and wipe motion picture tears from
eyes about a sales tax that "takes
as much from the poor as from the
rich," and vote glibly for a tax oo
cigarettes. Nor does he mention
ever that such a tax as the one
lust cited?and there are many oth
ers that could be qsantioaad?pro
motes something akin to bootleg
ging. He will avoid saying that per
sons living near a state boundary
will, and do, cross over into the next
state and buy cigarettes and tobac
cos If that neighboring state does
not have such a tax. He probably
still talks about a tobacco tax being
a tax on a "luxury" article, which
makes a point of the statement by
Mr. Hanes that "new conditions re
quire new methods."
Not any one can, or ought, to say
that- tobacco ought to be tree from
taxes. I have seen no sign from
the industry or organizations of to
bacco farmers making such a con
tention. Yet, from an unbiased
viewpoint, the basis established by
Mr. Hanes, it teems to me there
should be attention given to this type
of taxation, whether on tobacco or
any one of a thousand other com
modities. It is a type of taxation
that, for the most part, is concealed.
Where Arm We Going to
Get Revenue ta Pay Debit?
People may ask what the alterna
tive 1s. Where are we, as a' nation,
going to get the revenue necessary
to pay the interest on this gigantic
public debt of nation, states and
cities?
The income tax la certain to con
tinue. It ought to continue, because
these who have incomes must carry
their share, or more. But I am
quite sure that every ooe else ought
to know that he is a part of the gov
ernment, too. It may be, therefore,
that a general sales tax?open and
above board?is the answer. Surely,
it would be better than the present
several hundred hidden taxes that
are nothing more or leas than sales
taxes, and quite unevenly distribut
ed.
We have heard much about plan
ning for the future, assuring secu
rity and honeyed words of that kind,
and so it seams not improper to
suggest that attention be given to
a genei s program of taxation that
uriShelp in bringing about those ot>
jectfves
Speaking of Sports ]
Betty Jameson,
Fairway Queen ,
Popular Winner
By ROBERT McSHANE
X/TISS BETTY JAMESON, newly
crowned queen of the Ameri
can fairways, occasioned no great
upset when she won the National
Women's Golf championship recent
ly at Noroton, Conn.
In the flrst place, Miss Jamasea
is a sturdy, solid sort of a player.
When she defeated IP-year-old Doro
thy Kirby of Atlanta in the Anal
round, even the most rabidlr Dfade
minded fans admitted that the Geor
gia girl lost to the better shotmak
er. Betty, Bliss Kirfay's senior by
only one year, Is recognised as one
of the flnest players in feminine
ranks.
This was the second time the two
finalists had met. Two years ago,
in the southern championship, the
pride and joy of Atlanta beat Bliss
Jameson 3 and 2. The slender Geor
gia girl was just too good. This
year, in the National meet, the ta
bles were turned. Long-striding Tex
as Betty walked away from Miss
Kirby during the flrst nine boles,
and never gave her a chance to
: catch up.
! Betty Jameson isn't a golfing
blase. In other words, she didn't set
the golfing world on fire the first
time she picked up a clnb. Back of
her success is the usual story of a
champion. She chose the almost
certain rente to success?hard prac
tice, plenty of it, and patience. The
long, grueling hours she spent an a
practice tee are reflected in the
game she plays today.
No golfer's game is always de
pendable. Just as a .390 batter may
take a sudden shimp, so may a
golfer run into trouble. But her
BETTT JAMESON
(am* is basically solid. Every dwt
is played cleanly and crisply. She
has no swinging weakness, and is
one of the longest hitters among
women golfers.
Though she isn't an overnight sen
sation, Betty did get an early start.
That's why. at the age of 20, she
managed to annex the women's ti
tle. She won the Texas municipal
l championship when she was 13
years old, the state women's crown
at 13, and the Southern at IS.
Miss Jamesea Is the fourth new
champion la foar years. Mrs. Glea
ns CeOet Tare's victory la ISM, her
sixth, marked the ead ef the eld
enter. Since that time the title has
been held by Pam Barton ef Eng
land, IS years eM when she waa it;
by Mrs. Estelle Lawsea Pag* el
Chapel BUI. N. C., a newcomer; by
Miss Patty Berg ef Minaeapeho,
who, even la her early teens, was
acknowledged to be earn of the beet
women golfers la America, aad who
was usable to defend her title this
year becaase ef Uhsesa, aad new by
Miss Jamesea.
Winning this tournament may be
of inestimable value to the girl's
game. It will give her confidence,
and will help end a tendency to
tighten up at crucial stages, on* of
her difficulties for the past 3 years.
It looked tor a while as if Betty's
tenseness might cost her the tourna
ment. She had been 4 up at the
end of the first IS holes, marking
down a sparkling IB. She looked
like an easy winner then, but tight
ened up to such an extent that she
couldn't get her tee shots, and some
of beg approaches, working normal
ly. Mies Kirby almost caught up to
her, winning three holes back on the
first six of the outgoing^ round.
lug tw* beaattfal weed aheto't* Ike
green. She played for pars and get
halves en the twenty-eighth aad
lusnfj niafh, aad wan the thirtieth.
The competitive temperament will
com* to her, and that's all Mm needs.
The eyas ef Texas can waU rest
ugmjjflaa Betty Jameeon-a real
Sport Shorts
P< 90 seasons of football, Notre
Dame has woo 190 fames, lost 66,
and tied 24. The Irish will be after
No. 300 when they play Purdue Sep
tember 30 In the J
jpener . . . There
ias been no change
n Northwestern uni
versity's football |
caching staff for
he last Ave years.
L.yn Waldorf has the
same assistants who
rtarted with him in
L835 . . . Cornell's
mnual ThaxUtsgiv
ng ua y iooiDBii "
lame with Pemwyl- Ljef^
rani, has been aet .. ,
tor Saturday, Noveirfbdr 25. ?The
univeraity, however, w01 tall in Itoe
with President Roosevelt|a new
Thanksgiving date ... JSOijCatm,
new light heavyweight chamjion,
employs his brother J*ck|e, anoth
er professional fighter, hs a't^dhjer
. . . Alice Marble starts a new
night chib engagement at Ocveriy
Hills in October . . . In the Idgf 50
tears humans have slashed*OldM>u
nnds off the mi|e record. Jlaroesa
horses have reduced it 13 see
nnds . . . Mrs. Ethel V. MarCown
er of the Milky Way farms, who
ipent more money tar yearlings in
the last five years than any other
horse owner, ie becoming economi
cal. She spent only 157 JM lor 12
head at Saratoga recently .... John
Henry Lewis has followed the'anam
ple of Dempoey, Tunney .pd other
former boxing champs and gone into
the liquor business . . . T5ie*y*s a
125 fine levied against any'member
of the New York Giants professional
football team caught tussling after
training camp opens. They're
afraid of injuries ... Henry Reese,
center for the Philadelphia FsgliB.
is entering his sixteenth fane at
football competition . . . Henry
Armstrong win soon make a motion
picture short subject . . . Bfl Ter
ry says the trouble with the Jiew
York Giants this year has been lack
of concentration. "They're still try
ing to do the things they should
have learned to do ta spring train
ing." . . . Atley Donald -and BMHy
Rosar at the Yankees havt bean
battery mates since 18K They
played together in Wheeling, Nor
folk, Bingham ton and Newark be
fore reporting to the worid cham
pions. ?
? ".'I' ' ' ? ? 1 ' ;-L . -Tl
Gridiron
Topnotchers
iraiuruig football jlaama
from tcktoU throughout tko matiom.
Watch ikmr raoords dmhm? Wm camAm
""" . ~ ^
He will answer Abes someone
yells for Jake, but a loud, iqnfck
"Steve" win do the trick equally
wen.
back (rem Fart Wayne, lad. Ike
?esse Jake earner frees Ms Ma*
school days whaa be wen the Idta
GIsabel awarder spprtaaisshiy at
Standing six feet tall, end weijb
is| 185 pounds, Steve wen his bit
gram nhi n ht
held dowe the
No. 1 eoarter
heck *tm toe
SLhM!
Bw* eft,
with ? ruddy
complexion,
Steve ia dan
der. solid and
fast. By ten
t~)4* r a m t hlk
Store Sitka ? dogged and
tenacioda. a
hard blocker and a food leader.
While in hiffa school he won six let
ters in football, basketball and
track. Ha eras all-etate in fbdtball
and basketball
Im de'ns Notre Dane foothaD
unit to aa almant imaosalhto ton.
Bat eloaa akaareara are haadlaf the
palm to Meee, a mejlya whose
Steve's debut with Notre Datne'e
No. 1 squad era# made , to the Kan
sas opener last year. He turned in
a nifty exhibition of crisp downfield
blocking, caught four punts and re
turned them tor a total ot 60 yards,
dragging them in on the fiy under a
fun head of steam. Ha ran the team
intelligently, marching the vanity
45 yards for a touchdown attar the
first exchange of kicks. Ths Irish
scored a total of 8 points.
By his rise at Notre Dame, Steve
is repaying a touching family debt.
His brother, John, all-city tackle be
fore Steve, and a freshman star at
Butler, left echool to Nik gfi that
ataya might have a chance to go to