HAPPY NEW YEAR!
World Looks Forward to Busy 1940,
Fraught With Important Questions
"
By ROGER BAILEY
Outrank hi WNlira Newspaper Union.)
NEW YORK ?Before the in
fant 1?40 becomes a gray
beard his book of contemporary
history may be heavily in
scribed.
The new year is destined to
be the mest important in a
.decade, a year of supreme
testing for men and their mili
tary machines, for politicians
and dictators whose philoso
phies and systems are even
now waiting in abeyance until 1940
tias spoken its verdict.
You can lay your bottom dollar
that the European" tarmoll will
crystalize in 1940 to the point where
observers can see definite trends.
We'll probably know, for instance,
whether Nazi Germany can with
stand the pressure of an allied eco
nomic blockade, meanwhile trying
to stave off French-British assaults
on land and sea. Or will Hitler's
machine crack up, the victim of
internal discontent?
What ft Finland's Fate?
Valiant little Finland, whose early
stand agains^ the Russian invaders
was'* acclaimed throughout the
werld, looks forward to 1940 as the
year in which she will retain her
freedom or fail vassal to the Krem
lin.
It's a -pivotal year in the Balkans,
too. If Russia succeeds against Fin
land, she'll undoubtedly turn to a
new conquest in Rumania, already
pressed by Hungary, Germany and
Bulgaria. And if that happens the
Observers are pretty certain Italy
will join the melee to fight for Bal
kan independence. If these little
states can stay free of war in 1940,
they've little to worry about.
Even as Russia marches in 1940
she wW 'Miswgr the question world
militarists have been puzzling for
the past 10 years, namely, is her
huge army and air force really so
formidable? The Polish invasion,
in which Russia knifed a fleeing
enemy in the back, was no fair
test. Neither were early days of
the Finnish invasion, because the
hardy defenders were able to out
point Soviet troops under extraor
dinary arctic fighting conditions.
IFill FDR Run Again?
At borne the year's biggest story
will be November's presidential
?lection aqg the campaign leading
lg> to it. Will President Roosevelt
tweak tradition and seek a third
term? Will eight years of the
Mew Deal be vindicated by election
of a New Deal chief executive, or
will the public repudiate this lead
ership in favor of a Republican?
Closely allied with this issue is
the question of continuing or stop
ping national spending. Most Wash
ington observers believe there will
be no way of avoiding an increase
in the national debt limit, which
ha# alpvost reached its legal peak
of $46,000,000,000. President Roose
velt will leave revenue matters
. strictly in congress' hands, he has
intimated.
Organized labor faces a critical
year in which anti-trust suits may
set a precedent by laying the unions
open to prosecution under the Sher
man act. Moreover there are signs
that congress will amend the Wag
ner labor act following revelations
before the Smith bouse committee
during December.
Will Social Security Work?
Old age benefits under the fed
eral social security act will be dis
tributed for the first time, and by
year's end America should know it
the plan actually works. The Su
preme court will receive its flftlj
appointment from President Roose
velt, gaining a clear New Deal ma
jority.
How about the Far East? Japan,
balancing precariously on the inter
national fence since Europe went
to war last September, must jump
one way or the other, siding with
the dictators or the democracies.
Right now she is busy playing both
ends against the middle, trying to
frighten the democracies into line
by smiling benignly on Russia.
The United States is especially
concerned with Asiatic develop
ments because the 1911 trade treaty
with Japan, repudiated last sum
mer, will become abrogated official
ly on January 26. Before Washing
ton is willing to renew it, Tokyo
must agree to cease threatening
American interests.
Will Chiang Surrender?
The Japanese, meanwhile, hope to
end their war with China in 1940.
Despite continued resistance from
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, the
Japs plan to establish a puppet gov
ernment under Wang Ching-wei as
a means of pacifying Chinese na
tionalistic sentiment
Not all of 1940's news will develop
in the political and military fields.
Followers of the boxing wars are
wondering if a "white hope" will
arise to strike down the colored
heavyweight behemoth, Joe Louis.
And throughout the hot stove league
they're wondering about that peren
nial question?can the New York
Yankees win a fifth straight pen
nant?
Even the penguins of Antarctica
have something to wait for in 1940.
Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd and
his government expedition will soon
sight the snow-capped peaks of this
desolate land, beginning what prom
ises to be one of the year's most
fascinating adventures.
Refugees Learn English
SYDNEY, N. S. W.-European ref
ugees entering Australia are being
taught English. The system, em
ployed under the direction of Mrs.
Elsa Gormley, is of "Basic Eng
lish" which gives them quickly 850
basic words, which is all that is nec
essary for them to get along.
Swing Gives Way to Classics
As Talking Machine' Reappears
M EW YORK.?The death of
a swing-mad 1930-40 dec
ade finds classical music re
gaining its traditional place in
Ameficafe artistry so fast that
phonograph manufacturers and
radio networks can't keep up
with the demand.
This Christmas season the
old-fashioned "talking ma
chine" has bees streamlined,
wh I* thousands of phonograph rec
ords have been placed around the
family Yule tree in keeping with a
revival the
like of which
America has
never aeen
before.
That eum
marizea the
state of mu
sic at the end
of ? decade
which sent
Bach. Bee
thoven and
w a g i a r
scurrying
for cover under a barrage of awing,
and brought them back again when
awing had awung itself out.
The thirties also brought their
share of good popular tunes. A
survey by the National Broadcast
ing company revealed the following
I at of favorite tunes. How many
do you recall?
13B9?Ha--y Days Are Hero
Again.
138#?I Got Rhythm.
I 11 TT'aidail
1332?Play, Piddle. May.
nil?Lava la Bias as.
'1334?wags* Wheels.
133s?Red Balls la the Smwet.
1936?Is It Tree What They Bay
A heat Dixie?
1983?Viene, Vieae!
lit??A-Tis' et A-Tasket.
'? ? -">? the Ralahew
Musicians give radio mud) of the
credit (or the rebirth of classical
music. Grand opera, once the play
thing of a select few, has been popu
larized by regular broadcasts, chief
ly over NBC during the Metropoli
tan season in New York. Symphony
concerts are broadcast throughout
the year, two outstanding examples
being the Saturday night NBC se
ries under Maestro Arturo Tosca
nini, and the CBS broadcast of New
York Philharmonic concerts each
Sunday during the winter season.
Earepeaa Concerts Helped.
Until the war, many concerts
came from abroad. In 1938, for
example, 18 European orchestras
contributed 34 programs to the NBC
network. There were three operat
ic broadcasts from the Salzburg fes
tival in Austria, one from Bayreuth
and two from the Verdi anniversary
festival at Turin.
In addition to network programs,
an increasing number of individual
stations are now broadcasting regu
lar periods of classical music. One
small station in New York broad
casts nothing else, all day long!
New Cocktail Glasses
Built "On the Square'
NEW YORK.?They've Anally got
a glass that's on the square.
It's the new square-shaped "Ver
mouth glass," which was designed
by speedboat champion Count Theo
Rossi especially for the serving of
vermouth straight.
Vermouth is a mild drink which
has long been a favorite before
dinner appetizer in Europe and
South America. It has recently tak
en such an upswing of popularity
in this country?imports are up >0
per cent?that American glaaa man
ufacturers decided there should be
a special vermouth glass.
This trend to vermouth. It la
claimed, is one good indication that
Americans are turning to modera
tion in their drinking.
I >
Root Area of New Tree
Should Be Safeguarded
Soil around transplanted ever
greens should be kept thoroughly
moist before it freezes. The root
area needs the protection at a gen
erous mulch of leaves or Utter. If
the position is exposed, it would be
well to support large trees with guy
wires tor the first year. The trunk
of an evergreen is not so widely
exposed as that of a deciduous tree
and therefore does not need to be
wrapped.
? r?
The Dear House
By RALPH MILLER
(Associated Newspapers.)
(WNU Service)
P)EEP in Minna's heart was her
dream of the dear house. And
then she married Ted Byram and
came to No. 1 Peters street, one of
a dun-painted row at just-alike ug
lies.
She hated it from the first. Noth
ing fitted. Wall spaces were wrong,
the windows too narrow, stock-size
rugs would not fit the floors and
the wallpaper was hideous.
Ted beamed at the results, how
ever, while she choked down the
lump in her throat to smile back at
him.
"Grand little place!" he would
crow. "Old Peters should see It."
G. H. Peters, millionaire, in his
pink villa in Florida!
"Glad you like it, Ted, but we
will begin to save right now for a
house of our own," she announced
firmly.
S They saved rigorously until inter
rupted at the end of the first year
by fat little Theodore. Many things
checked their headway after that,
up to their second interruption,
which was Wilhelmina, also fat and
adorable. ,
The case against No. 1 Peters
street grew with the larger family.
The little beds and chiffoniers took
all the space in the bedrooms, and
there was no place for the perambu
lator or kiddie car downstairs.
Minna brought her dream of the
dear house to the fore, and again
began saving for it. Ted took extra
work at the mill to help out. G. H.
Peters was still in Florida and his
agent refused paint and paper.
Then one day?Minna called it her
black Friday?he ran home.
"Minna! Merry Christmas! Happy
New Year! Birthday surprise!"
"What have you done, Ted?" Why
should her heart be leaden?
"G. H. Peters is home and is clos
ing out his loose real estate. He
gave me a wonderful bargain on this
house and I snapped it up. You
are a grand little saver, for we
have enough for the down payment,
and the rest will be like rent. Why,
Minna?don't cry. I never knew
that you wanted a home so badly!"
At first she sobbed convulsively,
while he petted and coaxed her.
Finally she could smile and say
brokenly:
"It will be lovely to own a home,
Ted!"
The dear house was gone. All
her life this ugly, tucked-up, dun
colored hovel would offend her eye
and cramp her living. There were
days when even the pranks of funny
little Teddy or the chuckles of Willy
could not cheer her, but she did
her best to keep a good face before
Ted.
One day when she was downtown,
getting the children's hair trimmed,
Ted called the shop, agitatedly.
"Come home as fast as you can,
Minna. The two houses back of us
are burning, and they say ours may
go, too. Some of the boys from
the mill will go over with me and
help get the things out."
Maybe the dear house would come
now!
She could not hurry toward the
black cloud which hung over Peters
street. Teddy's short little legs and
plump Willy in her stroller held her
back.
Would they get the children's
toys? Her Bavarian tea set with
the wheat-heads?and the Quimper
bowl! The flames would break
through the window where they sat
in the evening to watch for Ted.
And the gable upstairs, by Teddy's
bed, where he watched the pigeons
against the sky?the little peach tree
by the kitchen?the folding break
fast table Ted had made?the old
linen cloth she had dyed to make
spreads for it only last week?to
match the voile curtains.
As she hurried, sobbing under her
breath, a flood of comprehension en
gulfed her.
No. 1 Peters street was not ugly.
Why, it was the dear house, and it
had loved her all the years while
she had been hating itl She never
knew it until she had to lose it.
Smoke and trampling feet, shouts
and hissing water, piles of furniture
and clothing watched over by an
officer, and a billow of smoke sweep
ing over the peaked roof. She turned
and hid her face against the corner
tree.
Then Ted's arm around her, his
blackened face smiling at her.
"It's ail right, Minna?the Are
caught the roof-peak at the back,
but they got it out right away. It's
all right, dear, don't cry!"
"Oh. Ted," she gasped. "You
saved the dear house!"
"We did?and the smoking needn't
matter, for I was intending to have
it remodeled for your birthday pres
ent. Now we needn't wait, but can
go right to work. A larger living
room, open stairs, a sun parlor,
breakfast room, with an extra room,
a sleeping porch and lots of closets
upstairs. The plans are drawn, wait
ing your approval. Later we'll buy
the place next door, sell the house
off and have a real lawn, with shrub
bery, hedge, a pool and everything!"
Oblivious of the neighbors who
were caring for Teddy and Willy,
to the laboring firemen and the eyes
of curious strangers, they gazed
at each other enraptured. Then her
belated loyalty asserted itself.
"It will be grand, Ted, but with
out any of it, it is the dear bouse,
just the samel"
New Zealand's Supply of Meat
Is Important British Food Item
WpoL W>m
wife/
Ocean
! new/ f /
ZEALAND ?:-..../
Transportation Problem Is
Serious Because of
War Conditions.
Prepared by National Geographic Society,
Washington. D. C.?WNU Service.
An old World war slogan,
"Food will help win the war,"
was recently recalled when
New Zealand reported arrange
ments to send Britain her ex
portable meat surplus. Prob
lem: How to transport the
shipments, past submarine and
other perils, to the mother
country half the world away.
New Zealand is more than 12,000
miles from England, by way of the
Panama canal. The route around
South America would add another
thousand miles. Ships sailing west
ward through the Suez canal and the
Mediterranean sea must travel more
than 14,000 miles from Wellington,
New Zealand, to Southampton, Eng
land.
Geographic isolation made New
Zealand one of trie most recent re
gions to be colonized. Yet within
80 years of the first permanent set
tlements, in the 1840s, this self-gov
erning dominion had a seat in the
League of Nations. After the World
war, in recognition of services in
that conflict, she was given a man
date over German Samoa.
103,0M Square Miles in Area.
One hundred three thousand
square miles in area, New Zealand
is made up of North and South is
lands, the two main segments of the
groilp, is well as Stewart, Cook,
and several smaller outlying islands
Of the Pacific.
More than a thousand miles long
and only 280 miles across at its wid
est point, the dominion's slim out
line seems, on a map of the broad
Pacific, much closer to Australia
than it is. Actually they are 1,400
miles apart.
New Zealand has a population of
more than a million and a half peo
ple, including 70,000 Maoris, the in
telligent aborigines who are increas
MAP SHOtPS shipping routes
most usually used in transporting
supplies from New Zealand to Eng
land. The distance by way of the
Panama Canal is 12,000 miles and
aroundrSouth America it's an addi
tional 1,000. Not shown on the map
but possible is a 14,000-mile route
through the Suez Canal and the
Mediterranean sea.
ing rather than diminishing in num
bers under the white man's govern
ment.
The human population of New
Zealand is far exceeded by its do
mestic-animal population. There are
roughly three times as many cat
tle as people on the islands, and
more than 20 times as many sheep.
Stock raising is the leading in
dustry. A mild climate, with am
ple rainfall and sunshine, assures
grazing in the open the year around.
The islands also grow considerable
fodder crops, some wheat, potatoes,
peas, and many fruits, including ap
ples, peaches, apricots, plums, and
nectarines. The dairy industry is
highly developed.
No one factor has proved more
important in the trade life of New
Zealand than the advent of refriger
ation. In the late 1700s, the islands
made their first timber exports. Lat
er, with the whaling industry of the
South seas came little depot settle
ments, specializing in blubber
whalebone and oil.
World Trade Is Large.
Today, in proportion to population,
New Zealand has the world's larg
est trade figure. The United King
dom is the dominion's best custom
er, taking some 83 per cent of its
exports. Of the 17,000,000 lambs
born there in 1938, more than 10,000,
000 went to Britain. In return New
Zealand buys a little less than half
of her total imports from the moth
er country.
Due partly to the opening of the
Panama canal, lessening the dis
tance from New Zealand to Uncle
Sam's eastern ports, imports from
the United States have increased
considerably in modern times. The
percentage is roughly one-eighth of
the total. Canada supplies about
half as much.
TINY ESTONIA
IS COVETED
BY SOVIET
Prepared by National Geographic Society.
Washington. D. C.?WNU Service.
Estonia, tiny Baltic republic
born of the last World war, has
barely reached the age of 21
when European war news again
puts her name in the headlines.
Russian military forces now
occupy many fortifications with
in the nation's boundaries.
For nearly 200 years Estonia was
a part of the old Imperial Russia,
and her declaration of independence
in 1918 deprived Russia of the highly
prized, ice-free Baltic port of Tal
linn (or Reval).
With an area only as large as
Vermont and New Hampshire com
bined, and a population of 1,196,000
?less than that of Los Angeles,
Calif., Estonia is one of the smallest
of the states that came into being
after the conflict of 1914-18. Tallinn,
now the capital and chief city, is
about the size of Bridgeport, Conn.,
with 141,500 people.
Freedom Sought in 1917-18.
Estonia fought for freedom in
1917-18 after being ruled by a long
succession of masters. Danes, Ger
mans, Swedes, Poles and Russians
held all or parts of what is now Es
tonia at various times. The Danes
sold the city at Tallinn to the Teu
tonic knights of Germany for 19,000
silver marks in 1348. The Swedes
held Estonia for nearly 100 years
until 1721, after which Russia ruled
it until 1917. German troops occu
pied the country in 1918. Then Bol
shevik forces invaded it in 1919, but
were driven out by the Estonians.
Estonians Related to Flnas.
Estonia is a flat land of forests,
farms and small villages. No part
of it is more than 450 feet above
the sea. The Estonians are prob
ably of Asiatic origin like their
northern neighbors, the Finns, and
their language, called one of Eu
rope's most musical, is related to
FINLAND C"*
/ LATVIA J
JTuTHUANWf
GER- V./c O
MANY )
ESTONIA'S IMPORTANCE TO
Ruttia can be teen from a glance at
the above map. IPith complete con
trol Tallinn, the nation'$ capital
city at a hey port, the Soviet would
have an excellent outlet to the Bal
tic tea.
Finnish and Hungarian. Founded
as a republic, Estonia adopted a
fascistlike form of government in
1934, but returned to the democratic
system in 1937 by popular vote.
Butter is Estonia's leading export,
with other food stuffs and timber
products also ranking high on the
list Potatoes, rye, barley and flax
are raised. Oil shales are one of
her few mineral resources. Two
thirds of Estonia consists of farms,
one fifth is devoted to forests and a
large area also is covered by wa
ter, for Estonia has some 1,600
lakes.
Tallinn, the capital, called the
"nightcap town' for the pointed tow
ers on its remnant of medieval wall,
is a busy modern seaport with grain
elevators and refrigerating plants
prominent on the skyline. In severe
winters the harbor sometimes
freezes, but ice breakers keep navi
I gation open.
I RESOLVE
# Made your resolutions for
1940? Here's a fete you can
make and break teithout
much trouble?just for the
sake of resolution-ing!
*Candy? No, thanks, won't
touch the stuff in 1940. Oh, uiell,
I guess just one piece won't hurt."
I
"Going to (puff!) lake this
(puff!) stomach off me this (puff!)
year if it kills me. Gotta (puff!)
do this every (puff!) day."
"Lemme tee .. . if I tame 10 cents
every day in 1940, that makes . . *
m-m-m-m . . , thirty-six dollars and
50 cents a year."
"1 feel everyone should do her
best to improve her mind in 1940
with good reading material. Let's
tee . . . what did that say? Kinda
dry book. Guess TU go to a thaw."
"Gotta quit smoking this year ...
yeah, right now. TU just toss these
stogies in the wastebasket. Er ..
maybe FU scant to fish out a last
smolte after dinner tonight."
Pope Gregory Responsible
For January 1 Celebration
Pope Gregory, in 1582, instituted
the Gregorian calendar and thus
placed New Tear's day on January
1. During die Middle ages Europe
had observed it on March 29. All
countries did not adopt the 12-month
system at once, but the Christian
world accepted it generally in 1753
when the British parliament Anally
established New Tear's day. Ancient
Persians and Egyptians celebrated
en September XL