The Alamance Gleaner
o - . Jj
Vol LXVI ? * \ GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1940 , No. 3
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WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS BY JOSEPH W. LaBlNE
British-Soviet Tension Grows
In Wake of Nazi-Red Treaty;
British Expedite Aid to Finns
(EDITOR'S NOTE?When opinions are expressed in these columns, they
are those of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.)
i-' Released by Western Newssaoer Union ?_ ?
EUROPE:
Showdown Ahead
Almost six months to the day after
Germany and Russia shocked the
world with their non-aggression
pact, Berlin paused to hail a new I
phase of Nazi-Communist relations.
Ratified with ceremony was a new
and glistening trade treaty, which
was but one part of a complex but
vividly clear picture of what is hap
pening in Europe today. Inevitably,
it is believed in most chancellories,
a wedding of Russia and Germany,
of Communism and Naziism, will
stack these military juggernauts
against the rest of Europe. Among
the signs:
Marxism. Writing in Der Angriff,
Nazi Party Chieftain Dr. Robert Ley
showed how leftism has grown in
Germany by using the Marxian
HITLER'S DR. LET
"Workers of the world, unite!"
Communist cry: "Workers of the
world, unite! . . . This war is a
war of the mastery of money against
labor . . . Therefore the working
men and women must draw togeth
er . .
Allies in Finland. France and
Britain were actively protecting
against Scandinavia's reluctance tq
let allied volunteers pass through
Sweden and Norway ep route to the
Finnish frontier, indicating a stiffen
ing attitude toward- Russian aggres
sion. Even more pointed, was ppr
? liament's decree permitting men
over 27 to enter the Finnish cam
paign.
Near East. Arrival of 100,000 Brit
ish coloniaLtroops in the Near East
coincided with an alarming growth
of war talk. The Balkans, led by
Turkey, were, forming a strong
mutual-defence' frontier against
Nazi-Russian penetration. Russian
frontiers of Turkey, Iran, Afghanis
tan and India were strengthened,
either for defense against the Reds
or for a lightning allied stroke
against Russian oil wells.
The Wars
In the West. Quiet, as usual, but
continued sea warfare.
In the North. Finnish troops re
? treated on the Karelian isthmus, but
Russia's gains were terribly costly.
In mid-Finland, unreported for sev
eral weeks, a United Press corre
spondent found the Reds have suf
fered 50,000 casualties in the Pit
kaeranta sector alone.
CONGRESS:
Six Weeks Gone
Either the President thought he
had congress well in hand, or else
he decided it was hopelessly rebel
lious. At any rate he left secretly
on a 10-day fishing trip in Caribbean
waters, his movements shrouded be
hind an army of secret service men.
His last acts were to (1) okay the
$252,000,000 emergency defense bill
NAMES
in the news . . .
JOHN D. M. HAMILTON, G. O. P.
national chairman, called his com
mittee to order in Washington to
name a place and date for the 1940
convention.
HERBERT HOOVER JR. helped
discover a new method of detecting
oil' by analyzing surface earth.
Meanwhile, HERBERT HOOVER
SR. forecast that European war de
mands will soon eat up surplus
U. S. foodstuffs.
GEORGE KIOSSEIVANOFF, Bul
garian premier, resigned because
one of his cabinet members favored
closer relations with Soviet Russia.
and (J) veto a bill to raise mail
carriers' salaries.
Congress meanwhile began its
sixth week with members of the
American Youth Congress hissing
from the house gallery at every
thing in sight. Still unsolved were
such major problems as economy,
foreign relations and the reciprocal
trade act,- indicating another long
session. But plenty of legislation
was in the mill: >
Neutrality. Passed by the senate
49 to 27 was a bill to boost the
Export-Import bank's working cap
ital by $100,000;000, paving the way
for non-military loans to Finland
and China. Interest on foreign pol
icy thus shifted to the house, where
the G. O. P. expected to fight against
loans to belligerents. Meanwhile the
senate foreign relations committee
kept postponing action on the pro
posed embargo against Japan. Con
gress watched with interest while
Secretary of State Cordell Hull laid
at Britain's door the responsibility
for a German threat to torpedo U. S.
ships in the war zone. Reason:
Britain has detained U. S. vessels
and taken them to contraband ports
in the war zone.
Defense. Less than 24 hours after
it had okayed a $966,772,878 navy
supply bill (cut $111,700,000 under
budget estimates), the house naval
committee repented and approved a
$685,000,000 fleet expansion program.
The latter bill would only authorize
new construction; actual funds must
come from separate legislation. Pri
marily concerned about the big sup
ply "bill, the house expected to re
store part of the cut.
Agriculture. The house agriculture
committee okayed a $350,000,000 bill
to expand scope of the farm ten
ancy act, insuring mortgages of ten
ants who want to buy their own
farms
Labor. Chairman J. Warren Mad
den of NLRB told the house labor
board committee that Reconstruc
tion Finance corporation has agreed
to withhold loans from firms found
by NLRB to be violators of the Wag
ner act. This created a rumpus.
WHITE HOUSE:
*Missy in Trouble
6<Mreral days after President
Roosevelt appointed State Under
secretary Sumner Welles to make
a European peace junket, arch
Republican papers like the Chicago
Tribune published a juicy story. Its
gist:
The peace mission was conceived
by Welles himself, who slipped in
through the White House back door
one day and outlined his idea in
glowing terms before Marguerite
"Missy" LeHand, the presidential
secretary "who is rated to have
more influence in the throne room
than anyone else." Said the Tribune
story: " 'Missy' thought it a grand
_i, r..1.. ??wA.'
"MISSY"
A favor it* in the throne room.
idea and laid it before the President.
Mr. Roosevelt, who was in a most
receptive mood for a new peace
drive, beamed and called in Mr.
Welles and commissioned him on
the spot to set out upon the great
adventure."
Whatever the facts, the Presi
dent's two ace diplomats showed up
in Washington next day and were
reportedly displeased. Up from
Miami came Joe Kennedy, ambas
sador to Britain. Home from Paris
came Bill Bullitt, ambassador to
France. Why, they allegedly asked,
did the President prefer Mr. Welles'
jinseasoned opinions on Europe to
"their own painstaking studies?
Apprised of the gossip, Secretary
of State Cordell Hull and White
House Secretary Steve Early took
pains to deny any rift. Said Mr.
Hull: "I do nof think a more cap
able person could be sent upon the
European mission."
BUSINESS:
Insurance Quiz
Under the temporary national
economy committee's spotlight in
Washington went U. S. insurance
companies. When the examination
was finished, this thriving enterprise
had acquired a lot of unpleasant
publicity.
First witness was Leon Hender
son, securities and exchange com
missioner, who charged that life in
surance companies hold a first mort
gage on U. S. business. He went on
to prove it:
SEC had I
studied 26 of I
the largest I
firms, find- H
ing (1) that I
they seem I
to be drift- I
ing from I
their orig- I
inal object I
of writing I
life insur- I
ance to han- HENDERSON
dling invest- Firu ^ ,
ments, and
(2) that their tremendous concen
tration of assets is probably rob
bing business enterprise of funds.
Facts were interesting. From 1929
to 1938, SEC found, 26 companies
took in 42Vi billions. Of this, 10%
billions was not disbursed but went
into reserve, surplus and contingen
cy funds. Still more interesting was
the fact that SEC's 28 subjects in
creased their assets by 63 per cent
from 1929 to 1935, yet life insur
ance in force went up only 10 per
cent.
Next day John A. Stevenson, pres
ident of the Penn Mutual Life In
surance company, surprised TNEC
and the nation by advocating a
modernization of the 60-year-old
mortality statistics, asserting that
amounts collected for mortality have
been too high in recent years. But,
he added, it makes little difference
in cost to the policyholder since ex
cess income is returned in divi
dends.
COURTS:
3 Decisions
In Washington the U. S. Supreme
court made news by three decisions:
C On Lincoln's birthday, it saved
four Florida Negroes from death,
ruling that murder confessions were
obtained by "secret, inquisitorial"
police methods after five days of
continuous grilling which violated
the Negroes' constitutional rights.
C It created a furore by ruling that
federal courts have no right to
change National Labor Relations
Board decisions on questions of dis
puted facts in labor controversies.
C It enjoined Arkansas from im
posing a tax on gasoline (in excess
of 20 gallons) carried in fuel tanks
of interstate busses when the gaso
line is intended for use in other
states. Three justices (Frankfurter,
Black and Douglas) dissented,
claiming the trade barrier question
is a matter for congressional action.
a rtntriTTT rrrmn
Ai^mL,UL,iunti:
Parity for '40 '
While the {arm bloc was busy try
ing to wheedle $200,000,000 for 1941
parity payments out of an economy
bent congress, the agriculture de
partment began using the $225,000,
000 authorized (but not'provided for)
last year. Payments would be made
this year, it was ruled by the last
congress, if 1939 average farm
prices were less than 75 per cent
of parity?which is the 1909-14 aver
age as related to farm purchasing
power. Since prices were below
parity, the agriculture department
announced 1940 payments of 1.95
cents ($96,000,000) per pound on cot
ton; 10 cenU ($57,100,000) a bushel
on wheat; five cents ($48,600,000) a
bushel on corn, and 1.7 cents ($300,
000) a hundredweight on rice.
AVIATION:
Boom
When Europe went to war, and
especially when cash-and-carry neu
trality took effect, everyone knew [
the U. S. aviation industry was in
for boom times. After six months I
of war the boom had surpassed ex- I
pectations. In southern California
alone there was a backlog of some
$200,000,000 in orders for the tJ. S.
and foreign (lowers. But within 30 I
days, a survey indicated, mass de
livery will begin on thousands of I
ships.
Already Oiled since the boom be
gan last summer have been orders
for 1,450 combat planes; still un
completed are 7,700 more. Major
foreign sales have been to France
and Britain, which ordered 5,000 j
ships. But only about 350 craft have
been delivered of the 4,450 ordered
by the U. S. army and navy.
Meanwhile, however, the U. S. is
profiting on more recent designs,
hence will get the best of the new
ships. Typical is the army's new
four-motor bomber. Carrying four
tons of bombs and a nine-man crew
at 300 m. p. h., the ship will give
any enemy a run for its money.
mmmrnmrn*
Speaking of Sports
Giant Chances
Doubtful, Says
Pilot Bill Terry
By ROBERT McSHANE
(Released by Western Newspaper Union.)
TUST about a year and a half ago
J Manager Bill Terry of the New
York Giants was growing very ex
uberant over the abilities of the
newly acquired Zeke Bonura, first
baseman extraordinary and harbin
ger of better days.
Terry's enthusiasm wasn't limit
ed to Bonura. It was reflected in
the complete Giant roster. Mem
phis Bill declared that his 1939 Gi
ants were the most adroit, talented,
dynamic and astonishing baseball
players that it had been his good
fortune tq manage.
The Giants did look that good
when they were on the road during
their western tour. It was their hot
test streak, and one that saw them
climb into second place. Bonura
largely was responsible for the
climb. His hitting was terrific. Bat
he gradually cooled off after re
turning home. Truth of the matter
was that Zeke couldn't hit at the
spacious Polo Grounds, where his
long drives to left-center and center
were Just outs. Bat Terry had com
mitted himself. The Giants were go
ing to win the pennant.
That the Giants failed to stay in
the first division is now history.
And Prophet Terry is a sadder,
though wiser, man. Today the Gi
ant pilot is a less venturesome long
range forecaster. In a recent state
ment he admitted that "I haven't
the faintest idea where we'll finish."
Problem Team
"The Cards," be drawled, "win
be the toughest club in the league?
tougher than the Beds. I'm not
conceding any pennant to anyone.
I don't like to pick any team to win
the pennant unless it is the Giants
and this year?'well, I don't know."
The voice of Polo field also ad
mits that the Giants are shot full
of problems. Bonura is a dead is
sue in Terry's book. He wants to
sell him, but can't find ready bid
ders. The Washington Senators are
willing to take Zeke for the waiver
price of $7,300, and the Philadelphia
Phillies have offered cash and one
CARL HUBBELL
i player. But Terry insists that Zeke
is worth that much to the Giants
even if he "only sits on tjie bench."
Bonuta's better-than-average sal
ary won't help him get a job on an
other major league club. Terry once
< hoped to send him to Pittsburgh,
but the Pirates weren't interested.
Zeke has a big following in Chi
cago, and the Cabs might give him
a chance, hot when he came to the
Giants there was an understanding
between the White Sox. where he be
gan his major league career, and
Clark Grifllth of Washington, that
the big Italian would not be sold to
the Cabs. The White Sox wanted
this understood before they waived
on him.
Terry expects Carl Habbeli to win
IS games this year, and has a large
share of confidence in Pitchers Hal
Schumacher, ClUf Melton, Harry
Gombert and Bill Lehrman.
Giant Roster
Asked about Paul Dean, the one
time St. Louis star drafted by the
Giants from Columbus of the Ameri
can association, Terry said it was
nothing more than a long shot.
"He pitched against us five in
nings last summer and had as much
stuff as I ever saw. We got re
ports that he could go like a whirl
wind in the association, too, for five
or six innings. I figured he would
make us a good relief man."
Terry counts on Babe Young to
play first base in Zeke's place.
Mickey Witek, purchased from
Newark, is slated for second; Bill
Jurges will be back at short, and
third base is wide open. Glen Stew
art seems to be the favored candi
date.
Other jobs are filled by Catcher
Harry Danning and Outfielders l(el
Ott, Frank Demaree and probably
Joe Moore.
I OS ANGELES.?Frank Friach
?*-/ will be headed this way soon,
bringing the Pirates out here to
train, making his comeback as a
big-league manager after a year's
absence from the lists.
Just before I left New York I sat
around with Frank one night and
among the things we talked about
were the days he broke in with the
Giants under John McGraw. It was
2d years ago that Frank Irst went
to a training camp bat he remem
bers it all clearly. This is a good
break for the young players who
will report to him at the Pirate
camp?}nst as it eras tor the rookies
who came np under him when be
managed the Cardinals.
You see, with 20 years of success
as a player and manager behind
him he hasn't forgotten when he
was a rookie and had to fight for a
job. He remembers that he, too,
was a prey to all the misgivings that
assail a kid when he finds himself
tussling for a job with smarter,
more experienced rivals.
He Had Been Around
"To begin with, I was lucky," he
said. "I joined the Giants in June
of 1919 and spent the rest of the sea
son with them. I broke into quite
a few games as a pinch hitter or
runner or as a replacement for Lar
ry Doyle at second base and I was
under fire in an important series.
That was the six-game series?three
successive double-headers?with the
Reds at the Polo Grounds that real
ly clinched the pennant for the
FRANK FRISCH
Reds. Doyle played the first two
games, I played the next two and
then he went back.
"So I had some experience and
had been around long enough to
know MeGraw and the ball elnb by
the time I got to San Antonio In the
spring or 1920. Bnt I still didn't
know what it was all about.
"No young ball player can learn
much in less than one. full season.
Looking back now, it apems to me
that it was a long time before I
learned anything. All I had on my
side at San Antonio that spring
were speed and willingness. I didn't
know how to play for hitters, but'I
usually could get in front of the ball ;
and knock it down with my chest
and pick it up and throw the hitter
out. Somebody said about Pepper
Martin a few years ago that if his
chest held out he would make a
good third baseman. That's what I
said about myself long before that.
Moved to Third Base
"You see, MeGraw switched me
to third base that spring. I had
played shortstop at Fordham and
broken in with the Giants as a sub
stitute for Doyle at second, but dur
ing the winter Heinie Zimmerman,
our third baseman, had been re
leased, so Mac moved me to third.
"On of the first things be did was
to tell me to throw away the glove 1
had and order a new one. My oM
glove wasn't much bigger than a
kid glove?a little, thin thing wtth
no pocket In it, bnt Mae got a glove
for me with which I eould at least
knock the ball down, and that gave
me some protection.
"Then he worked with me every
day. He taught me how to make
my move*?when to play in, back,
or half way?how to break for a
ball?how to get it away with the
least possible delay. There were
days when I couldn't seem to do
anything right and I'd worry and
fret, but be never lost patience with
me. He not only gave me lessons
i in how to play third base but be also
taught me how to work with a young
ball player.
"What's the main difference in
conditions as the rookies find them
nowadays and as they were when
you came up, Frank?" I asked.
"They're easier," he said. "Kids
come up faster and, although they
are better paid, managers don't
seem to expect so much of them.
In my time as a rookie, you were
just a fellow looking for a Job.
Bmckarfa Washington Digest
1940 Congress Sets the Stage
For Executive-Legislative Battle
Both Republican and Democratic Congressional Members
Are Ready for Tussle Over President Roose
velt's Budget and Spending Plans.
By WILLIAM BRUCKABT
WNU Service, National Press
Bldg., Washington. D. C.
WASHINGTON. ? Congress soon
will have completed the second
month of its 1940 meeting and the
most significant thing to come out
of the session is a situation contain
ing all of the elements necessary for
another good battle between the
legislative and executive branches
of the government.
It is much too early to enter a
forecast that President Roosevelt
and his opponents?Democrats and
Republicans?will come to grips.
But a slip of even small caliber on
the President's part would throw
him into the path of a substantial
section of the congressional mem
bership. That is exactly what some
of the opponents hope will happen.
It is, conceivably, a thing which Mr.
Roosevelt and the New Dealers hope
will be avoided.
The condition stems from Mr.
Roosevelt's budget message. As I
reported to you ear
Ily in January, the
President's budget
declarations sound
ed real. A good
many folks suggest
ed, however, that
these pronounce
ments had come at
the very beginning
of the session and
predicted a change
in the scenery be
President fore the end. Those
? observers appeared
BOO,eTe to feel that the
President was playing a bit of
politics with the general subject of
economy?spending.
But congress, generally, decided
to take the President at his word.
"If," they appeared to be saying,
"the President really wants econ
omy; if he wants to reduce govern
ment spending, boy, oh! boy, we will
be with him in a big way."
So it has come to pass that the
President's own proposal conceiv
ably can throw him into a place
where plainly he does not wish to be,
at least from a political standpoint.
Heretofore, it wiU be recalled, there
have been frequent declarations for
reduction in government spending
and each time it has been overcome
by backdoor operations of New
Dealers.
Economy-Minded LegUlatori
Dominate Scene
As far as the play has progressed
on the open stage, the economy
minded members of the house and
the senate appear to dominate the
scene. They have cut deeply into
several of the President s pet proj
ects. They have cut, or have pro
posed to cut, deeply into the Presi
dent's program for national defense
for which Mr. Roosevelt had ideas
costing billions as against former
years when the coat of army and
navy development was measured in
hundreds of millions. Moreover,
the'legislators have shown courage
in nicking agricultural spending for
a good many millions, and that hurt
Secretary Wallace and his crew.
Now all of this has been going on
when the "inner circle" of New
Dealers still are clamoring for con
tinuation of the fun they have been
having in spending taxpayers'
money. There is some doubt, too,
that Mr. Roosevelt has changed over
completely.
Attention might be called in this
connection to the fact that, in the
national budget itself, Mr. Roosevelt
left numerous avenues of escape
from what appeared to be a definite
commitment towards retrenchment
as stated in the budget message.
Secretary Wallace touched off the
match on one of these. Mr. Roose
velt said the agriculture appropria
tions had been squeezed down by
the budget bureau to the very limit.
If the funds were sufficient, accord
ing to the President, there had to
be a continuation of good business.
A good many of the folks in the de
partment of agriculture have been
saying both publicly and privately
that the volume of business is going
to slide off during the late winter
and spring. Thus, more money will
be needed.
Wallace Want* Share
Of Government Spending
In the complaints by Secretary
Wallace is another tipoff. The sec
retary feels that there is no logic in
cutting the total expenses of the gov
ernment completely out of his share
og the swag. He fails to understand
SECRETARY WALLACE
something, there; but why pan over
this point to suggest that if and
when the congressional enthusiasm
for economy wanes it win be easier
to vote money for the agriculture
program than for any other. It is
just plain good politics. I hn.gt?.
many members of the house and the
senate feel that way, too. They be
lieve they can always find justifica
tion for voting money to farmers.
While none can say definitely what
goes on in the President's mind,
j there are many who believe Mr,
i Roosevelt would have preferred to
' ^,.C^"greV, "i?* ** Present debt
limit from *45,000,000,000 to 130.000 .
000,000, rather than take him so se
riously on the suggested reduction
in spending. It seems logical. Ha
offered three propositions in his mes
sage; retrenchment in expenditures,
raising the debt limit, and larin?
new taxes.
? Now, most anybody knows that
congress will do very little about
taxes in an election year. That
left a choice between the curtail
ment of spending and raising the
debt limit The debt limit is more
than just a sore spot. It is prac
tically a carbuncle on the neck at
congress, because there are so
many thousands of letters coming
in as a warning against getting the
nation further into debt. Nothing
was left, therefore, but the program
that would reduce available funds
for the fun-loving spenders.
These things present a picture
which seems to show that the Presi
dent's strategy may have failed.
That is to say, be may have expect
ed that congress would the
proposition of raising the debt limit
as the easiest way out of its dilem
? ma. It is sheer conjecture, at
course; yet it has a basis in any
sound analysis of what has hap
pened.
President It Misting
Economy 'Soand Waved
Undoubtedly, however, the Presi
dent a advisors have failed to catch
the sound waves that are reaching
congress from "back home." There
i? a tremendously heavy mail on the
11x1 *P<ndln? ??*?
aew, arriving in congressional of
fices. This reaction is highly im
portant It reveals something more
than just a desire on the pert of
many voters to see the government
spending brought within hmnwt. r.
diacloees, I believe, quite a definite
trend away from New Deal ideals,
because somehow, there is a grow
ing conviction in many sections of
the country that it is the reforms
that are costing money.
This word from home has resulted
^ offsetting the greet pros
sure of various groups who are
vociferous in their demands for
mora money. We had a flock of
young voters?the American Youth
Congress?around town ten days
ago, and their leaden were unani
mous in their calls for mora money.
They were as well trained as any
college cheering section that I ever
have seen. Of course, they may
win out yet, but at the moment
they are not winning much suDDort
tor added money. PP^
As of this time, then, - iiem
surely has gone forward in a "tat
determined fashion to cut off t*
of the excess spending. It has ra
sis ted pressure thus far. The
lines are well formed?thus far
why the cuts have not been made
proportionately in amounts of esti
mates for other agencies of govern
ment I think he has his teeth in
?