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The Alamance Gleaner VoL LXV ^ GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1939 No. 34 WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS BY JOSEPH W. LaBINE Congress, Like Entire Nation Not Certain of 'Best' Course To Preserve U. S. Neutrality (EDITOR'S NOTE?When opinions ire expressed In these columns, they sre those of the news snslyst end not neoesssrily of this newspaper.) _______ Released by Western Newspaper Union. ______! CONGRESS: Admonition "I have come back to Washington with an open mind. Whether I vote lor re peal of embargoes or retention of them, my vote . - . will be for the meant which I believe best calculated to keep the Unit ed States out of war. That we must do." Illinois' Sen. Scott Lucas, a mid dle-of-the-road Democrat, was bold enough to admit publicly what most of the nation's 531 legislators ad mitted only to themselves: That no man could stamp his foot and say there was only one way to keep the U. S. out of Europe's war. But a few who took their seats in Franklin Roosevelt's third special session (and the nation's twenty-flfth since 1797) were highly opinionated, 100 per cent positive that only the arms ILLINOIS' LUCAS Lik* many, ha didn't know. embargo they pushed through con gress three years ago could keep America neutral. Among these few were Idaho's Borah, North Dakota's Nye, Michigan's Vandenberg and Missouri's Clark. But national leaders, being mere ly men, were confronted with the same confusion as the nation: The more they thought about arms em bargo vs. "cash and carry," the more they argued about straight in ternational law vs. specific neutral ity legislation, the less positive they were about everything save one fact, that the U. S. must keep out Day before congress opened, poll tics found itself "adjourned" for 85 minutes. To the White House went Republicanism's 1936 standard bear ers, Alf Landon and Col. Frank Knox, to talk with Franklin Roose velt, John Nance Gamer and con gressional leaders of both stripes: Even the President was apparently confused, for there were rumors he had decided to supplement straight "cash and carry" (whereby bellig erents could buy, pay for and haul away arms in their own ships) with old-fashioned international' law. His thesis: One principle of internation al law never disputed is that bel ligerents have the right to purchase anything they need in neutral coun tries. Only concrete results of the con ference were the platitudes every one expected, announced by Whits House Secretary Steve Early: (1) "The conference with unani mous thought discussed the primary objective of keeping the U. S. neu tral and at peace. (3) "There was complete accord that . . . the whole subject . . . be dealt with in a wholly non partisan spirit." Next day, at 3 p. m., the assem bled houses of congress heard Mr. Roosevelt's recommendations: "Let those who seek to retain the pregent embargo position be wholly consistent and seek new legislation to cut off cloth and copper and meat and wheat and a thousand other ar ticles from all the nations at war. "I seek a greater consistency through repeal of the embargo pro visions and a return to international law ... I give you my deep and unalterable conviction that by the repeal ... die United States will more probably remain at peace than if the law remains as it stands to day . . ." When the President left the floor, so did 17 isolationists of the Borab LaFollette-Nye-Clark school. Ring ing in their ears was one presiden tial admonition: "Let no . . . group . assume exclusive protectorate over the future well-being of Amer ica .. . Let no group assume the, exclusive label of the peace bloc. We all belong to it." After the 17 met, California's crusty Hiram Johnson made an an nouncement: "We are ready to fight from hell to breakfast." ASIA: Mystery Amazingly brief was Japan's re action when the U. S. abrogated its 1911 trade treaty last summer. One reason was the immediate up surge of interest in Europe's dog fight. But one thing led to another, Japan made peace with Russia, and British-French interests in the Ori ent were left to fall under Japanese influence. These problems settled, pugnacious Nippon dusted off the U. S. treaty abrogation. Something was in the air. On three successive days Tokyo news papers carried what were obvious ly government-inspired editorials which said things like this: C "Should the U. S. strengthen her present policy it can be supposed that Japan would be compelled to assert her right to existence." tL "Following the decreasing Anglo French influence in the Far East . . . the U. S. is threatening to come forward and . . . protect its rights and interests in China, thus giving rise to a greater likelihood of Japanese-American friction." C "Neither Japan nor the United States seeks war . . . We desire to judge the situation coolly . ?. ." Trying to figure out this uncalled for war talk, the Chicago Daily News' A. T. Steele radioed from Tokyo that he thought the Japs were | being prepared for "any future drastic American move." To oth ers, it sounded like Tokyo was mak ing a propaganda buildup to justily anti-American moves in China. LAJJUtt: Peace in Wartime Taking his eyes a moment from Europe's bloody picture show. Franklin Roosevelt glanced at do mestic affairs and suddenly realized that October is U. S. labor's big month. At Cincinnati the American Federation of Labor was ready to convene. John Lewis' Congress for Industrial Organization planned to meet in San Francisco October 10. But there was no sign of peace be tween these two warring factions, and internal warfare is bad busi ness in a time of world war. Soon, however, there were indi cations the White House would move for peace, as it has done the, past two years. The President con-' terred with A. F. of L.'s Daniel MADAME PESKJMS What em you dot Tobtn, a leading advocate of labor unity. At hia press conference he assured reporters be would address a message to the A. T. of L. con vention, and that "it would be a good guess" to say the message probably would mention peace. Secretary of Labor Trances Per kins also did a little campaigning. She told how both factions have asked representation on the new war resources board. Her quandry: If you appoint a representative of both factions, will they carry their fight into the board? Or can you appoint only one representative and 1 say that he truly represents all la bor without bringing protests from the other groups? MISCELLANY: Thanksgiving ; Because President Roosevelt pro- I claimed Thanksgiving on November i 23, and because Gov. George A. Wil- < son designated November 30, the < Clayton county, Iowa, board of su- < pervisors proclaimed a third date, I November 10, "so as not to conflict i with the dates set by the President i and the governor." 1 THE WAR: Words Guns still boomed at a nearby Polish outpost when Adoli Hitler rode triumphantly into Danzig. "We greet you . . . The city is decked for you," shouted Albert Forster, who is Der Fuehrer's latest Konrad Henlein. "I am happy to greet you, my faithful gauleiter," answered the man whose armies were even then wiping up the spilled blood of Po land. Then he launched into a speech which the British ministry of information shortly called "full of the crass misstatements which usually fall from his (Hitler's) lips." Typical "misstatements": C "The Duce (Mussolini) made pro posals which Germany and France accepted but Britain refused." C "Poland chose war because the western powers stated that the Ger man army was worthless, that the German people were low in morale and that there was J. breach be tween the German people and its leadership." C "Britain should be happy that Germany and Russia reached an agreement. .They are now relieved of . . . uncertainty." Next day, as the New York stock market boomed in hopes of a long war, Britain's Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain answered him: "Among the many misstatements ... I wish to refer ... to the statement that the French govern ment agreed to Italian mediation while His Majesty's government re fused." "Our purpose ... is to redeem Europe from perpetual and recur ring fear of German aggression. On the third day French Premier Edouard Daladier had his inning, tracing step-by-step every broken promise that litters Adolf Hitler's trail from the reaffirmation of Lo carno to the rape of Poland. In the East Completed was Russia's valiant "rescue" of 11,000,000 white Rus sians and Ukrainians (plus several million Poles) who were "left to their fate" when the Polish state col w N GERMAN TROOPS XL^ ? [CENTERING HERE belgiumTZv o * m ^ | IATTIE RAGES f BELGIUM'S WORRY WUl history bo rtptoud* lapsed under Germany's invasion. Nazi and Soviet chiefs conferred in Moscow on Poland's new partition, presumably deciding to leave a small, hamstrung buffer state. Lithuania amL Slovakia were each given a small slice of the Polish pie. But as war ebbed in Poland, other eastern nations grew fearful. Ru mania's neutrality was threatened outside and inside: (1) on the north by Russian-German proximity; (2) on the east by an expected Turk ish-Russian pact which might close her Black sea outlet; (3) internally by violence, illustrated in the assas sination, presumably by pro-Ger mans, of anti-Nazi Prime Minister Arm and Calinescu. Meanwhile Der Fuehrer's fast growing eastern empire suffered growing pains. While millions of sullen Poles presented a constant threat of rebellion, London and Paris heard insistent reports of up- j risings among Czechs and Austrians. In the West For the moment, lighting died down along the Saar front while both sides took time out to move up fresh troops. But France was fearful on two counts: (1) about 70 Nazi divisions were being moved from Poland to the'western front; (2) Aachen, the town from which Germany Jumped into Belgium in 1914, was evacuated of civilians sod became a concentration point for Herr Hitler's troops. At Sea As the British airplane carrier Courageous went down, its 978 dead boosted Britain's sea toll to 761. Prime Minister Chamberlain report ed 31 a Died or neutral ships had been sunk by U-boats, also that the allies have sunk seven or eight Qerman subs. Comparison: In April, 1917, peak month of the World war's sea fighting, average British tonnage loss per week was 127,000, 3r 39 ships. For the week ending September 19 in the present war, Britain lost 48,000 tons, or 13 ships. Brackart'? Washington Digest War Really Between Two Group? With Utterly Selfish Motives ??? ?? Time Has Come When Citizens of United States Must Examine Facts of International Situation; Debates In Congress Should Be Enlightening. By WILLIAM BRUCKART WNU Service, National Presi Bldf., Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON. ? With congress reassembled in special session for discussion of, and action on, Presi dent Roosevelt's request for modi fication of our so-called neutrality policy, the time appears to have come when citizens of the United States must examine the facts of the international situation. Whether we like it, or not, we can hardly ignore those facts any longer. It is Eu rope's mess, but that mess is hav ing an influence here and will have more influence on our national view point. A decision must be taken, soon. It may thus be that the pres ent extraordinary session of^con gress will turn out to be an His toric meeting. Mr. Roosevelt has requested re peal of the section of the present law that prohibits export of arms, airplanes and some other imple ments of war to all nations engaged in declared hostilities. It will be remembered that he made the same request in the last session, but the senate committee on foreign rela tions said, by its action a few days before adjournment, that it would have none of the plan. Conditions have changed since that time, how ever and the President is now in sisting upon repeal of the contro versial section and the substitution; in its place he is asking for legis lation that will pentnit any and all foreigners to come here and buy the embargoed war munitions if they pay cash for them and take them away in their own ships. That, succinctly, is the crux of the modification which Mr. Roose velt seeks. He has plenty of support for his theory. And there is plenty of opposition, too. Some of the iso lationists?men who fought Woodrow Wilson and his League of Nations plan?men like Senator Borah of Idaho and Senator Johnson of Cali fornia?are still in the senate. Their numbers have been augmented by fighters of the type of Senator Ben nett Clark of Missouri, and Senator Nye of North Dakota, and Senator Vandenberg of Michigan. I think the vote will not be taken at once, in view of the promised discussion. And it probably is well that there will be much debate, for the country will learn more about the two sides to the question. Unseen Factors Involved Is Oar Present Concern But while the discussion on the so-called neutrality question is im portant, although the question in my opinion is simply whether we will open the gates for the export of anything we can sell, I am quite convinced our concern should be about the underlying and, at pres ent, unseen factors now involved. It is said that we are extending pas sive aid to Hitler by refusing to al low the British and the French to come here for thousands of planes and millions of odds and ends usable in war. It is said, too, that unless we extend help to the British and the French, our nation eventually must face the onrush ing tide of to talitarian! and dictatorship. It can be, and is being, said that unless the arms embargo is lifted, we will have to go in ourselves sooner than otherwise would happen. All of these things can be said and are being said with reference to both sides of the line of Are in Europe, but none of the argument has changed my conclusion which has been reached after talking with scores of people who are in a posi tion to know the facts abroad. My conclusion remains, and is going to continue to be, that it is Europe's war. I add to that the further thought that our energies should be directed to maintaining peace in North and South America, south of the Canadlaisboundary. Utterly Selfish Motives Behind the War in Europe Now, there are those who say? and they are numerous?that repeal of the arms embargo will result in revival of business in the United States, as, indeed, it already has started. A business revival would be swell. Nobody doubts that. But the things like planes and powder that go abroad have to leave our shores. It strikes me that sale of anything, whether planes or powder or wheat or cotton and corn, is likely to bring the war much closer to our shores. R makes me believe that we would be better off if we sold nothing at all. < To begin with, there is no moral issue in this war. No one ought to let themselves be kidded about that. The war in Europe right now is a battle between two groups of people frith utterly selfish motives. Hitler and his gang have determined to regain that which the British took away from the German people in the World war of 1914-1918, and the British and the French are deter mined not to let him accomplish it Hitler calls it Justice; Chamberlain and Oaladier call it brigandage. Back in 1919, when the Treaty of Versailles was written, the Germans shouted brigands and other epithets as the French and the British over ruled Woodrow Wilson and took what they wanted. Not only did the winners in that war, excepting the United States, take what they want ed, but they parceled out other parts of the German empire. Where did the United States finish in that war? It helped win a war to make the world safe for democ racy, which turned out to be a sham. And it was left holding the bag. It still is holding the bag, be cause little of the eleven billion dol lars loaned to the allied powers ever has been repaid. Only little Fin land has kept her promise to pay back the loans. Stripped of all of ita jungle of words, therefore, the Question thus seems to shape itaelf. We have nothing to gain, so why not make over our neutnality into the policy of an isolationist? Why not stay out by keeping our stuff here at home? Ocean PatroP Called by Soma a Dangerous Step There ere a good many people who believe that the President has taken a potentially dangerous step in ordering what is called an "ocean patrol" while hostilities are on. He has placed ships of the American navy as far as 300 miles at sea, a% he explained, that they may ob tain information as to what Is going on out there. The patrol looks like an invitation to some German U boat to take a shot at one of our ships. Of course, they would not do so deliberately; they would "mis take" a United States ship for one of the enemy, or that would be their excuse. And would we be in a dither! There would be cries for' a declaration of war that would rock the dome of the CapitoL Mr. Roosevelt said that the patrol program amounted to a steel warn ing to the belligerents to stay on their side of the railroad tracks, or words to that effect. Those who dislike the plan say, however, that we, as a nation, cannot lay claim to the sea as our very own beyond a minimum distance from tide fall. To get back to the neutrality pol icy, as it is called, I have found many persons who have difficulty in reconciling Mr. Roosevelt's present request of congress with his action respecting enforcement of the provi sions in the three-year-old war of the Japanese in China. The law gives the President discretionary power in proclaiming its operation, except that it becomes effective al most automatically where there has been a declaration of war by a for eign power. Bold?I Propaganda Now /? Flooding tha Country In the meantime and aa the fight ing progreaaea in Europe, we hi America are being flooded with the bold eat and the bald eat propaganda that can be conceived. From Ber lin and other pointa under Hitler domination, we are being fed so called newi that ia aa putrid aa politica used to be under Pender gaat in Kanaaa City or Panroee hi Pennsylvania. It is that any one bellevea it. From Britiah and French aourcaa, and from their sympathisers in thia country, cornea "news" that is censored and controlled and in spired. It tells only the things that the French and the British would have us believe. We know Just aa little about the real underlying facta of the controversy from them aa we do from the Germans. It Is well to remember that we never have known what kind at an agreement was reached at the Munich confer ence in September at last year. We have absolutely no knowledge at what kind of a sellout was arranged between Hitler and Stalin. Nor do we know what has happened in sofar as Mussolini is concerned. Speaking of Sports Northwestern Early Favorite In Big 10 Race By ROBERT McSHANE TPHE melancholy days are here? 1 that time of the year when foot ball coaches droop visibly, bringing tears to the eyes of their followers with sad, dismal stories of general misfortune, lack of material and tough schedules. Seme of the less fortunate coaches haven't more than three or four top notch players for any one spot, and of conrse, see nothing bat the black est of futures ahead. Optimism on the part of the coach amounts to malfeasance in offlce. However, close observers whose bread and "butter doesn't depend on turning out a championship football team, see a lot of great teams for the coming season. Sophomores and juniors, who saw a lot of action during the '38 season, will be turned loose this year to really tear up the nation's gridirons. In the Big Ten, Northwestern, Minnesota and Michigan are expect ed to share dictatorial honors. Coaches are pointing to Northwest ern as the team to beat Lynn Waldorf, who guides North western university's football desti ny, isn't cheerful over the outlook. He rates Notre Dame (happily out LYNN WALDORF aide the conference) aa the greatest team of the Middle Weat, and choosea Michigan, Minnesota and Purdue to lead the Big Ten race in the order named. DeCorrevont on Spot Fana will be watching BID De Correvont, Northweatem'a much-ad vertised sophomore. Waldorf isn't pinning his hopes on sophomores, but one or two of them mar come through in great style. DeCorrevont will have to be the greatest football player since Red Grange to live up to his advance publicity. For the drat time sines lfM, de spite Coach Waldorf, Minnesota isn't rated as a favorite in the pre ssassn predictions. Berate Merman's start ing lineup will Include eight now man, and the Gopher sehednle is mars difficult than a year ago. Among returning regulars are Cap tain Pederson at tackle, John Mari acei at end, and George Franek and Harold Van Every, left halfbacks. Early predictions, nevertheless, may be all wrong. Confidence has been instilled by the perennial skill of Bierman in turning out winning teams. Michigan Strong Michigan is one of the upper bracket Big Ten teams. Forest Ev ashevski. Wolverine key blocker and defensive pivot, is one of the best players of the Middle West. Coach H. O. ("Fritz") Crisler may have a team that will upset all the dope, and walk off with conference hooors. Purdue, which tied Michigan for second place last fall, will again have its "Three Bees" a read whom to but id Lou Brock, lack Brawn and Mike Byilcne. Brook's grsat play was one cf the chief factors in Purdus's grsat ssassn in MM. Be blocks exeepttoaaHy wsB, and Is sgsally versatile at running, Mak ing and passing. Needless to say, eempetUton in toe Bl( Ten isn't limited to these few teams. Iowa, with a new eeseh, Dr. Eddie Anderson, may Surprise the experts, though nut much to expect ed as he starts rebulldiag Hawkeys football fortunes. Wisconsin will miss Fullback Howie Weiss, but Coach Harry Stuhldreber to still erT*Ohio State, llHnais, Oleage and this season, bat hardly rata with the ctfcy six Theirs to scarcely the sort of ma terial around which the other schools am building their hopes. Though Indiana may prove an upset before the seesan ends. Sport Shorts I ALABAMA PITTS, who won ? ,*j reputation ai a ball carrier at Sing Sing, is athletic director and football coacfc at a southern high - j j school, according to John law, lormer Sing Sing coach . . . Though Jimmy Crowley doesn't say a great deal about his Fordham foot ball team, aapeila are predicting that Fordham and Car negie Tech will be the East's beat teams . . . Caltfor nia's new wrestling Jin CrsWley code of rules pro hibits gouging, biting, hatr-pulliaf, choking, illegal use of fists, ffbows and head. No more burfcgqqSrSays ' the commission. John BlunMUt, Australia's Davis cupper, g?r? one of the shortest interviews onrocprd the other day. He said: "Bont call me Jack" . . . George Preston Marshall says the team that beats his Washington Redskins vgfll' win the National Football, league tide. But the Cardinals, Giants, 'Lions, Bears and Green Bay don't fate at all low . . . Fifty-seven-year-old George Sargent, veteran Atlanta, Ga., golf professional, has given some 60,000 lessens to more than 10,000 students, in addition to hun dreds of group lessons to beginners . . . Joe McCarthy insists that Babe ' Dahlgren will be at first base for the Yankees again in 1940. Scientific Golf Course A NE of America's most sdentif ^ ically designed nine-bole golf courses is under process of construc tion at Cornell university In Ithaca, ? N. Y., under the supervision of Rob ert Trent Jones, golf architect of New York and Rochester. : Cornell sharpaheotera will km a racy and skill la the istsnionNt,? The aew coarse will provide hales of saeh variety that earns gradu ates will he wen prepared to tackle say ef the aatiaa's eoaraes. The holes are designed so feat they will call for the use of every club in the golfer's bag. Sufficient i.~t is available for the' ?p?. , of the course to 18 holes within the next few years. The holes are be ing constructed so that beck trees and alternating trees will add vari ety to fee approach to fee groans. Gridiron 3 Topnotchers This rep tineas e aria ?f araictac fmturing mmumJixg (m<MJ jlmyma from acfcoab throughout At mmim. 'i Wmtck Aoir focortO danaf lb I Army'* candidate for 1B3B AO America honors is Cadet Harry A. Stella, captain-elect and ? third-year varsity tackle. Stella, a Kankakee, IB., ye?bltea AO-America seleetioas, and masi tionably is aw at the inl?ten*dt? 1 tackles In the East Before entering the United States Uilitary academy at West Point, _ u v tr._ played thrae years of high school football with Navy's captain an* strong man, Allan Barfest. Stella. 23 yasrs a old, stands 6 last WmaTtft fit ? pounds. Hs ? stands out Inns ? itleasa and throws an extra Harry 8??lta erftil block in tha offense. Ha was a luminary of last year's Army-Notre Dame Kama, be in* particularly effective gtdng down under pants, arriving con stantly at the same time as the balL He is famous far Ms week ts the last two Army-Navy fames, break taf ap Navy's fattens attack M (ha second half M 1KI, whan he wewt dawn and threw the baB earrter Mr a lass en the IS yard Hae. Last up'with the Wl ?ds'trip"*' This year wffl be Harry's last sea son with the military academy and under Coach Captain William H. Hood. Kankakee, incidentally, ram# in for more than its share of pobUcttg this year. Both Stella and Barter* - oyptsins of (he two V. S. service school football teams, are Mem 1 that city. When they returned on furloufh, both were fieettd with open arms by admiring fellow citl
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
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Sept. 28, 1939, edition 1
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