Newspapers / The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, … / Nov. 16, 1939, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
The Alamance gleaner * > ? . *r . VoL LXV GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1939 No. 41 WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS BY JOSEPH W. LaBlNE Dutch-Belgian Arbitration Bid Lost in Beer Hall Excitement; Fear of Nazi Invasion Mounts (EDITOR'S NOTE?When opinions are expressed in these columns, they are those of 'the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.) ??Released by Western Newspaper Union. STEEL MILLS BLOSSOM AT GARY, IND. Some industries expend; neutrality stifles others. TRADE & INDUSTRY Repeal of the U. S. arms embargo, which keeps American ships out of combat zones and allows belligerents "cash and carry" rights, not only set off a partial business boom at home but also brought major reper cussions in world diplomatic, trade and maritime circles. There was cautious expansion in U. S. industry, where building awards for October totaled $49,910, 000 against $12,814,000 a year ago. Many Arms announced stock divi dends payable in December. Rail roads, which coupled their expan sion with a plea that they might be permitted to operate without govern ment interference in times of emer gency, were offered a new recovery program by asMBuiaairtBi Jesse Jones, federal loan administra tor. This plan, used first by the Boston and Maine line, calls for postponing debt pay ments and reducing an nual interest charges through a refunding process MAX TRUITT "Completely sound." EUROPE: Cause Celebre? "JbiM," said Prime Minister Chamberlain, "is not a state of war but a state of siege." He was not far wrong. The French claimed nine of their U. S.-made planes had downed tone-third of a 27-plane Ger man force over the western front. There was also a mysterious battle in the North sea from which the WILHELMTNA AND LEOPOLD Their pmci exploded. Ark Royml reportedly limped borne with ? captured veaaeL But, aa usual, the biggest war newa was made far from the front Some 20 Nazi divisions stationed on their frontiers worried Belgium's King Leopold and The Netherlands' Queen Wilhelmina. Moreover, they beard rumors that Adolf Hitler would invade on November 15. ? Though steadfastly denying any German "ultimatum" for a state ment of their positions, the king and queen held all-night consultations with their foreign ministers. Re sult: A peace appeal was dispatched S? ail combatants offering Belgian Dutch mediation services. Britain rejected it politely. Fuehrer Hitler was less polite. Not waiting to reply directly, he hastened to the beer hall at Munich where his notorious rmitck took place in 1923. There, on Naziism's to be financed by Reconstruction Finance corporation. The government restricted foreign commerce in some quarters and ex panded it in others. Approved was a new reciprocal trade pact with Venezuela, "freezing" tariff sched ules on exports of wheat flour, oat meal, lard and lumber. In return, the U. S. will reduce import taxes 50 per cent on Venezuelan crude petroleum. Meanwhile, an inter-administra tion squabble flared over the U. S. maritime commission's transfer of more than 40 ships to foreign regis try as a means of avoiding the ban on American shipping in belligerent zones. Secretary of State Cordell Hull objected, not because the step was illegal, but because it would violate the integrity and spirit of the neutrality law. Commented Maritime Commissioner Max O'Rell Truitt. "I don't see any element of a dodge at all; I think it's a com pletely sound, bona fide situation all around." President Roosevelt final ly decided against the transfer, promising to change his mind later if tension eased. Meanwhile, C. I. O.'s maritime union estimated 10, 000 U. S. seamen were thrown out of work by the neutrality provision banning nationals from combat zones. (At Washington Iha President consulted A. P. of L's William Green and C. I. O.'s John Lewis on this problem, also discussing the chances for labor peace.) sixteenth birthday, he scorned peace: "There can be only one victor?that is we." Hardly had Hitler left the beer hall before a mysterious blast in the empty attic upstairs sent its heavy ceiling crashing on the hangers-on who had stayed behind. Next day, while the Nazi press railed at Jews and the British secret service as "instigators" of the plot, the Wil helmstrasse offered a $200,000 re ward for capture of the perpetra tors. While seers wondered if the Munich explosion might not prove another caiu? ceJcbrv like Sarajevo or the Peiping bridge incident, pro-Hit ler sentiment began crystalizing in Germany. Dead as a dodo was the Belgian-Dutch peace plea; in fact, the Dutch opened their dykes in self defense following border clashes that smelled suspiciously like those before the Polish invasion. CONGRESS: Committee Time Home to the stamping grounds went most senators and congress men when the special neutrality ses sion adjourned. But between ses sions is a fine time tor committee hearings. Still in session is Martin Dies' un-Americanism group, bally hooing for another appropriation. Two other groups, working out legis lative suggestions for next Janu ary's term, are: f Boose Tax Subcommittee. Open ing its hearings under Tennessee's Rep. Jere Cooper, the committee talked about broadening income tax bases. But there eras a disinclina tion to offer concrete proposals. It was announced final determination of a program will await the opening of congress. Two official reasons: <0 Tne treasury is studying taxes, soliciting Suggestions from business and industry; (2) National defense needs for the next fiscal year are not yet known. NUtB Investigating Committee. Deferring hearings until its Chair man Howard Smith (Dam., Va.) gets wen, the house labor commit tee found new kindling for He cam paign against the labor board in a new strike technique, the "alow down." Defined Ohio's Rep. Harry Routzotm: "The slowdown is al most the seme as the sitdown." Its origin, he said, could be traced to the northwest lumber camps. AGRICULTURE: Cotton and Wheat Three items mads news lor cot ton and wheat farmers as Novem ber got underway: (1) With 10,100,000 bales of sur plus cotton stored under govern ment loan, and with an 11,845,000 bale crop (slightly less than 1938) forecast for this year, the agricul ture department announced loans based at 8.3 cents a pound on seven eighths inch middlings would be available to 1939 growers who plant ed within their acreage allotments. A week earlier the loan program seemed stymied by. increased cot ton consumption thanks to the war. (2) The bureau of agricultural economics forecast the same wheat acreage for 1940 as for 1939, L 64,600,000 acres, which would pro duce about 760,000,000 bushels of spring ftnd winter wheat. But next year's yield will be under par un less unusually favorable weather comes along. Reason: Drouth has already damaged much seeded win ter wheat beyond recovery. (3) Closing its first year, the fed eral crop insurance corporation was sad. Having taken 6,769,120 bush els of wheat as premiums from 165, 551 farmers, the corporation had claims from one-fourth its custo mers. Indemnities paid, totaling 9,461,730 bushels, brought a loss of about $1,885,000. ' RUSSIA: Unhappy Birthday Twenty-two years ago a bloody revolution gave birth to the U. S. S. R. Only a month ago Soviet Premier Viacheslav Molotov showed Russia's strapping maturity by de nouncing President Roosevelt's in tervention in the Finnish-Russian scrap. When Moscow began its three-day anniversary celebration, Premier Molotov again slapped the HANS THOMSEN AND WIFE Most radiant of all. U. S.: "... in the case of certain countries neutrality only serves as a mask to conceal their activi ties . . On that same day in Washington, the Soviet embassy decorated Len in's statue' with red roses, assem bled Scotch whisky and Russian soda, green sherbet in crushed rasp berries, and cakes smothered in rum sauce. Awaited were the guests to help Charge d'Affaires Dmitri | Chuvakhin celebrate. But he was embarrassingly disappointed. Absent were all Supreme cpurt Justices, cabinet members, jenafors and high ranking state departaMnt, officials. Only China, Turkey *nd Ecuador sent their diplomats. Only prominent New' Dealers: NLRB's Edwin Smith, SEC'S Leon Header son, and Mrs. Thurman Arnold, wife of the assistant attorney gen eral. Most beaming visitors: Hans Thomson, German charge d'affaires, and his pretty wife. POLITICS: No Ham, No Egg* The tumultuous 1930s have brought an unprecedented thirst for secur ity taking form in unorthodox pen sion schemes. Most schemes were born in California, like Townsendism and EPIC. In November's elections two more panaceas went down to de feat, but there were signs many a politician might follow them. Ohio's Rev. Herbert S. Bigelow promised to "continue the fight" for his badly snowed-under plan to give ?II nprmni over SO a peniion of $50 a month via atata in come tax and a levy on real estate. In Califor nia diad "ham-and eggs," the schema to give $30 ev ery Thura /lav tn ?v#rvr trailed in Los Angeles county, its birthplace. One reason: Gov. Culbert Olson had fought ham-and eggs by promising "useful and pro ductive employment" to an who wanted it, as a reward for defeating the plan. As pension leaders began a recall move against Mr. Olson, the governor soothed them: "This defeat doesn't mean that California is against the further development of sound social security ..." GOV. OLSON Soo(iiis|F soo^^Sc m? ov#r 60. It km BrueharfM Washington Digest Home Folks Fed Up on War Talk; Want to Know About Tax Problem ? Considerable Transition Froni Interest in European Affairs To Domestic Concerns on Part of Public Is Noted; Treasury to Borrow More Money. By WILLIAM BRUCKART WNV Service, National Preea Bldf., Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON.?Observers, here in Washington, have a little way of their own by which they are able to forecast the trend of public thought and interest. It is a meth od that was developed solely from experience. Most of us who attempt to serve you, outside of Washing ton, as eyes and ears have learned to watch the demand for speakers and subjects upon which public men are asked to talk. It is not an in fallible method, but it is usually cor rect. The only fly in the ointment is that we must learn to distinguish between the propaganda preachers and the legitimate desires of groups to have government questions ex plained to them. It is to be noted here, by way of review, that three months ago the bulk of the speeches by men from Washington had to do with war, our chances of getting involved, neu trality, etc. There were inter spersed with these, of course, the usual truckloads of guff from Secre tary Wallace and the other self appointed spokesmen for agricul ture, rinds and cracklings from Sec retary Ickes, and about the usual quantity of mouthings from the "su perior minds" whose owners are greatly concerned in development of culture, liberal thinking. But it was about the war and related sub jects that most people wanted to know. The scene is changing now; in deed, a considerable transition al ready has taken place. Home folks are getting fed up, at last, and are desirous of knowing more about home problems and what the gov ernment intends to do about them. It is a trend most pleasant to con template. There simply can be no doubt about the fact that if the peo ple of the United States forget about that war in Europe and pay atten tion to their own business, we will kn akin tn ston ruit rotkoe aaailv Comet an Awakening to The Problem of Taxation With this background, then, let me call attention to the number of persons who appear at long last to have awakened to the problem ot taxation?federal, state, county and city. Obviously, when there is an interest in taxation there Is a paral lel interest in what government does with the money taken from its citi zens. This interest surely exists now to a greater extent than at any time within recent months. More and more inquiries are being re ceived, more and more requests for discussion of the subject are reaching officials in Washington. And if my Information from outside sources be correct, there is a simi lar interest being shown in the states and cities. In this period at changing Inter est, Secretary Morgenthau an nounced that the United States treasury is prepared to borrow more money. In the next two months, according to the Secretary, the treasury will borrow an addi tional half a billion dollars. It will refund something like a billion and a quarter, also, but that process is simply trading new bonds or notes for old one* that (all due. The bor rowing ia "near" money, In the aenae that new bonda will be aold and the proceeda uaed by the treaauiy to meet expense*, and naturally the national debt will be increaaed by that amount It is well to remem ber that a* of November 1, the public debt was $41,130,971J17, and that there are several other billions at bonds issued by such agencies as the Reconstruction Finance cor poration, the Home Oamers Loan corporation and debts guaranteed by agencies like the Federal Hous ing administration, (or which the treasury is morally, tf not actually, responsible. It is not curious, therefore, that folks are asking each other: where is this spending going to stop? or, how are we going to pay off that debt? or, what are our taxes going to be in the future? Tax Rocoipts for Notion Astounding in Magnitude 1 am indebted to the federation of tax administration for some to tals at tax receipts for the nation that are not only astounding in their magnitude but startling in the im plications they give. The statistics disclose that the American people paid $14,111,000,000 hi taxes in 1030. This money was collected by the federal, state, coun ty and city governments and some odds and ends of special taxing districts which levied taxes tor es pecial purposes. Of this amount, the federal government collected $6,034,000,000; state governments collected $3,857,000,000, and local governments took a toil at $4,920, 000,000. One of the new taxes?the tax on payrolls to maintain pensions and unemployment?yielded in excess at $1,500,000,000, or almost one-tenth of all of the money taken by the tax collector. Its total seems to give substance to the complaint that this tax is a tremendous burden on any one who hires workers. The pay roll tax, according to the adminis trators' analysis, was the third larg est of single items of taxation?only the property tax and the income tax brought in mora money for the spenders of federal, state or local governments. Property taxes, levies on every thing you own, your house or farm or horses or automobile, paid a to tal tribute of $4,740,000,000. If you are good at figures you will find that sum to be 32 per cent?almost one third?of all of the taxes paid by the United States last year. Income taxes ranked second in the sums produced for government al use. The income taxes laid by federal, state and city governments supplied $3,242,000,000, and that is 22 per cent of the revenue. Another Croup Include* The Concealed Levies ' But there is another (roup of taxes?a long list of items that in clude most of the sneak-thief taxes, unseen and concealed levies?that really is bearing down. These gen eral and special sales taxes, federal stamp levies, excise and license taxes were responsible for slightly more than one-fourth of all money paid into treasuries of government. This money came from tobacco, liquor, gasoline, sales taxes at vari ous kinds which you saw only by close examination or could not dis cover at all, licenses, etc. The gasoline tax was the largest rev enue producer. Federal, state and local governments obtained $081, 000,000 because most of us burned up gasoline through use of the motor cars. Liquor revenue amounted to $838,000,000. It is sakl by some authorities that this type of tax has about reached its peak. To increase it more will jnean that bootleggers can begin to operate once mete, be cause added taxes will send the price of liquor to a point where boot legging becomes profitable. Such is not the case with the other taxes hi the group; you pay them and like iL Cot in Personal Exemption* Would Add Only 80 Million* The school of thought that has ad vocated broadening the bees of in come taxes by tbe federal govern merit, by reducing the personal ex emptions from 12,500 for married couples and $1,000 tor single per ?oos, was shown 07 Mr. Hanes to b? somewhat ignorant of facts. Be pointed out that an exemption of > $2,000 for married couples and $$00 for single persons. Instead at the present limits, would add onljr $00,000,000 a rear to the national revenue. That is not a good drop in the bucket. If all of the present income tax amendments that have been mentioned war* now in force, the total taxes they would yield would be only about $290 000 000. according to Mr. Hanes. Hence, Mr. Hanes said, with reference to the federal government: "You, the American public, have the final control. Demands from 'back home' upon the Congress for more and mora federal expendi tures, for lean and less needed prel ects, are at least a partial source at difficulties. "We have developed our country a $10,000,000,000 appetite with a 25.000,000.000 pocketbook. I think our problem is not so much when we balance our budget, as where. In other words, how much federal expenditure are you going to de merit end how do you propose that the government raise the funds?" I em hoping that the apparent trend toward a public consciousness of the government's financial condi tion?whether that government be national or state or local?will ex pand and begin to roll like *~??tehi flood waters. Speaking of Sports Coaches Attest Unpopularity of Grid Slaughters By ROBERT McSHANE \\[ HEN Michigan's gridiron war *' riors raced over, through and around the University of Chicago's Maroons for an 85 to 0 victory on Stagg field this midseason, the one sided score brought very little Joy to the victor and none to the van quished. It wasn't a glorious defeat for the Maroons?it was a rout. It wasn't a great victory for the Wol verines?it was a stampede. Few are the football eoaehes who want to see their rival's team hu miliated. A sense of decency and sportsmanship forbids that. And, if that isn't enough, eoaehes realise that football is an uncertain profes sion; that some time in the future be might be on the losing end of one of those lop-sided scores. Fritz Crisler, Michigan coach, re versed the usual gridiron, order in the CkS<*u0n dam* He ordered hi* team NOT to acore touch downs. The score was 54 to 0 at the half, and Crisler wanted it to stay at that point He con ferred with Clark , Shaughnessy during the first half, and the two coaches agreed upon 13 min ute quarters during the second half. Despite Michigan's humanitarian efforts, the score kept piling up. The Maroons fumbled repeatedly in their own territory, leaving Michigan with little to do but make touchdowns. Shaughnessy registered no com plaints. Iff ? . Frit* Crlslcr mercy s uates It wasn't m loai age that Francis Schmidt ttreed hit sobiiqest, "Bar the Oatea of Merer" Schmidt. It an happened daring his trat year el coaching at Ohio State. The Baek eyes west wild araiast a email cel iacs team, completely overwhelm ing their opponents by aa aralanehe of toocbdowne. Schmidt wasn't ever iy happy %boet the victory. Chicago's present situation is somewhat ironical. Chicago players of past years were themselves occasion ally accused of shut ting and locking the gates of mercy. Be fore simon-pure am ateurism weakened its teams Chicago rang up some colos sal one-sided tri umphs. In 1911 Coach Alonzo Staff watched his man eaters defeat Great Lakes 123 to 0. The same school heat Monmouth col lege by ? score of 106 to 0 more than 29 years ago. Ia 1919, Georgia Tech whipped Cumberland 222 to 0. No one could call the encounter a football game. It wasn't even a good track meet But that victory aroused the engi neers, for two years later they wem responsible for the following statis tics on successive Saturdays: Georgia Teeh 119, Parmaa 9. Georgia Teeh 119, Eleventh Cav alry 9. Georgia Teeh 199, N. C. Mate 9. The tables were turned the fol lowing Saturday whan Georgia Tech met the University of Pittsburgh and lost SS to 0. Prom then on it was a policy of live and lot live. Yale, by 113 Points One of the worst defeats a major team ever suffered was in 1994 when Tale beat Dartmouth 119 to 0. At that time, however. Tale eras much the brighter star in the football flrro srises te step a tsaiihdsaa barrage! ea a gridbrea^tlwy're Srod ariS m When one of those young men gets the pigskin hi his arms he doesn't wait to ba tackled. He wants to gain gromid. If a long forward pass is sailing in, ready to settle in his arms, he can't Ignore it, even though it means old Siwash may be outnumbered by an. additional six points. So don't be too hasty to nondtma ing the winning coach in a top heavy victory. Bo's probably try ing hta best to stop an imamdhla force. . _ AlomoSUtf Sport Shorts A PPROXIMATELY $10,000 ho? ? " ** ally is spent by Western cco ference schools on X-ray examina tions for injured players during the football season. Two hundred miles of adhesive tape is used las hand ages . . . Honolulu has a barefoot . football league . . . Charley KeQar, - series hero, canceled ? a number of profita ble engagements to go to Washington tor the Variety club's charity show. He re fused to accept even expense money tor the latter . . . Foot ball at the Univer sity of California showed a net proAt of $93,344.96 in 1938 . J. A survey shows that Boston and Los Angeles have the lowest percentage of listeners to baseball broadcasts . . CUaf Bender, newly appointed tuugw of Connie Mack's Wilmington, DeL, farm, is a Chippewa Indian and K years old . . . About 109,000 dogs are benched each year at show* li censed and sanctioned by the Ameri can Kennel club. There were 3M all-breed, limited breed and specialty shows held during 1030 .. . Only four penalties were called in a re cent Pennsylvania-Harvard football game and two of those wens de clined. King of Swing HU ARRY HEILMANN, the last man to hit .410 in a season of batting against American leagna pitching, declares that one of these seasons Joe Di Maggio of the Haw York Yankees will reach that mark. Di Maggie to ha the greatest af aB arsaad ball players. A Detroit radie Jaa is the' best aattoMar lie ever saw, aad that iaetades Ms Speaker. He gives the yeeag Italiaa credit far haviag a batter Ikrealag aim thaa any aatleMer, pgst m pinwO. aad iaeladiac Bah M easel. And one of these seasons, ha b? sists, Joe's line drives and hard smashes are going to gat through the infield or they're going Aewm the alleys between the outfielders. Then he'll have his .400 mark.' Chart* BOWLINE Made Easy By NED DAT H.H.?I IU* Cw " | (TUrn M tw W ? Mti? ml ll w* a? outstModimg Wvltaf UBtk+ritj.y ROWLING te &d hldest cdal ?Mn U petitjve pasttmae wltH thatpoe played the gun* w*h reaaded itoDM and w? know it was pleped in ancient and mediae) tunas. Rip Van Wiahle hatped pspalaiha The object oMhlfgama, mertatik calljr. is to knock down W mapla pins, arranged in ? triangla and weighing about M potda, with a l? pound ban, 3T inches hi dioun ferance, at a distance at M teat Tba right amoont at speed, the prop er angle, and goad control at the ben are important factors in knoab ing down sU the pine. play wMk setMaSswolelMt ttea aw theafcy* Badars^M^ Hie purpose of bin bowling artt
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Nov. 16, 1939, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75