North Carolina Newspapers

The Alamance Gleaner ??? ^?l ? ? ? ? ? *? * Vol LXVI GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, MAY 2, 1940 ' No. 13 WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS ? ? ? ? New German Troop Movements Threaten Sweden's Neutrality; Norway's Battlefront Widened (EDITOR'S NdTE?When opinion are expressed to these oolumn, they are those of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.) by Western Newspaper THE WAR: Two Million Men As the British government -an nounced that the empire "now has 2,000,000 men under arms" military experts were speculating as to how many of this number had landed in Norway, current theater of World War II. There was terrific fighting in Norway and Norwegian coastal waters, that much was sure. But conflicting reports from London, Berlin and Stockholm clouded the picture. Nazi official sources admitted for the first time that their forces had clashed with allied troops on Nor wegian soil. Direct combat was cen tered around Steinkjer, where it ap peared the British had been routed, and around the "gateway" to Oslo, a strategic valley north of that city. It was in this sector near the city of Dombas that Robert Losey, U. S. military air attache, was killed dur ing a German, air raid. He was hit in the heart by a bomb splinter as he stood near a mountain tunnel be ing used for air raid protection. Around Oslo itself, guerilla war fare was in progress. Small bands of the scattered Norwegian forces teamed up with British troops and staged periodic raids upon points held by the Germans. Germans claimed to be beating off these at tacks and said they were pushing their outpests further into the in terior. * British air patrols were busy rain ing bombs on German, Danish and Norwegian coastal bases of the Nazi air force in desperate efforts to cut off homeland communications and supplies of troops. Meanwhile Ger man officials claimed that England was attacking non-military objects and threaterifed reprisals ? they feared bombing of open villages and towns. Digging In At home, allies and Germans alike were taking measures to strength en the home front. While Germans pulled in their belts another notch with more restricted rations being effected, England launched a sal vage campaign similar to the Nazi requests for scrap iron. (See cut.) Staging an "Old Iron day," the Brit ish government asked for scrap met al of every description. And they got it. Bedsteads, stoves, perambu BRITISH SALVAGE DRIVE A letum from Mr. HitUr. la tors and washing machines were among the thousands of articles tossed into the melting pot to be come sinews of war. England also announced a new budget and imposed a host of new taxes and levies. CONGRESS: Slush Seeking the aid of G-men, the sen ate campaign investigating commit tee is opening up inquiries into com plaints at "slush" funds and other political misbehavior in Ave states Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Mary land and West Virginia. Chairman Gillette, Democrat of Iowa, omitted to name the sourcqof the complaints but ordered investigators to cbeck reports he had received. As far as West Virginia was con cerned there was no secret about the complaint source, for that state's Senator Neely (Democrat) stated he had requested the inquiry to "pre vent the state house machine from debauching and corrupting the elec U??f? *'th money and NEUTRALS: Baltic Barometer Ever since the Nazi war machine showed its teeth to their Norwegian neighbors the Swedish people have been hoping that their land will not be the eventual battlefield of the Scandinavian campaign. Vowing to "fight for neutrality" Swedish offi cials now have received reports that German troops and arms are being embarked from Nazi controlled ports directly across the Baltic from Sweden's shores. Some sources be lieved the troops were bound for Norway, but with the ships went ice breaking vessels and it is Sweden's ports?not Norway's?that are still winter-blocked. ORIENT: Inevitable? After Secretary of State Hull made it clear recently that the status quo must be maintained" in the Dutch But Indies and Japan politely agreed, it appeared that for a while at least, Uncle Sam could relax his REAR ADMIRAL TAUSSIG H* /mti war with /apaa. vigilance in that sector just a bit. But as two warships of the U. 8. Asiatic fleet sped northward out of Manilla to check on the report that the British navy was spreading its blockade of Germany to Eastern wa ters, Rear Admiral Joseph K. Taus sig was telling the senate naval af fairs committee in Washington that war with Japan was inevitable. Said the admiral: "I cannot see how we can ultimately prevent be ing drawn into war on account of the Far Eastern situation. We would be warranted in using economic and financial means and, if necessary, force, to preserve the integrity of China." Admiral Taussig believes that the government at Tokyo has a definite program for world conquest that will some day have to be reckoned with. Such a program, he claims, includes the gobbling up of the Phil ippines, French Indochina, .the Netherlands Indies, and other sec tions of the Far East. Next day, Hamilton Fish, Republi can representative from New York, denounced the admiral's statement -and told his colleagues that con gress should investigate inflamma tory speeches of navy officers. He said he believed navy officers thought the only duty of the fleet was to go to war with Japan. Meanwhile a report came out of Tokyo that German and British dip lomats were striving desperately for Japan's "benevolent neutrality" in connection with the present Euro pean war. Great Britain is trying to extend her blockade -to Pacific waters and keep war materials from the East Indies from reaching Ger many via Pacific shipping lanes, the port of Vladivostok, and the trans Siberian railway. NAMES I in the news ... James H. B. Cromwell, U. S. min ister to Canada, will resign within the next month to run for the Demo cratic senatorial nomination in New Jersey. Secretary of state Hull forced the issue when he stated in Washington that he "expected" Cromwell to relinquish his post bo fore primary election time. Walter Kohler. millionaire plumb ing fixture manufacturer, died at his STAT1C-OF-THE-WEBK Fred A. Howe (above), a ma rine radio operator, told the Die* committee that the Communist party had member* aboard lev eraI American merchant ships so that "in time of tear they could help establish a Soviet system here." He said that some of the employees on these ships were radio operators. Plans call for them to execute Soviet orders from their key positions. Howe also charged that the Commu nist party controls the Ameri can Communications association, C. I. O. operators' union. TRAGEDY: Holocaust Usually it is the feared flood that brings news of disaster from along the banks of the Mississippi, but now Are has made its bid for dis honor in the land of the levee. In a Natchez, Miss., dance hall, 247 Ne gro men and women were burned to death as racing flames trapped them from all chance of escape?a single doorway. About 500 persons had been danc ing for hours to the swing music of Walter Barnes' Negro orchestra of Chicago, when suddenly the decora tive?but dry?Spanish moss that bung from the rafters burst into flame. Survivors said that a mad rush for the door followed as the band continued to play in an attempt to avert a panic. At least eight members of the 12-piece band per ished. Investigation showed that there was but one exit to the hall?the front door. Side windows had been boarded up. Exactly what caused the first flame, formal investigation could not determine. PRESIDENT: Visitors' Day When, late in the summer of 1938, in a speech at Kingston, Ontario, Franklin Roosevelt declared that his country would intervene in Canada's cause should that nation ever be in j _ j it a citizens were inclined to discount his words, for war in Cana da seemed far away. Now, with Canadian forces back ing up Great Britain in Eu rope's con flict, the pic ture has chanced and as W. L. Mac Mackenzie Kiaf kenxie King, Canadian prima min ister, sat down around the con ference table with the President in the "Little White House" at Warm Springs, Ga., that Kingston speech stood out with special sig nificance. What was discussed at the conference was not disclosed but one thing seemed sure: Western hemisphere war problems were not neglected Before leaving Washington, the President outlined for the Senate a method to help the treasury meet its deficit by reducing capitalization of a few large U. S. spending agencies. SUPREME COURT: Pickett In two opinions the United States Supreme court upheld the right of freedom of speech by declaring un constitutional laws in Alabama and California which regulated the acts of "peaceful" pickets in industrial strikes. Both leading U. S. labor groups were cheered by the deci sions for the cause of each was in volved. In Alabama, the American Federation of Labor had challenged a state law regulating pickets which was passed in 1KB In the Califor nia case, C. L O. fought against a 1938 statute, claiming it infringed on freedom of speech. Justice Mur phy delivered the opinions and Jus Bmckart't Washing ton Digest U. S. Bureaus Subject to Check Under Logan-Walter Legislation Passed by House, Bill Would Allow Courts to Review Decisions and Findings of Nation's ' 'Little Dictators.' By WILLIAM BRCCKABT ffND Service, National Pre** Bldg., Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON.?I sat in the gal lery of the house of representatives one afternoon recently. There was as much confusion as ever on the floor of the house. Members were engaged in debate, and there was a great hubbub. Finally, the voice of the speaker of the house came clear ly through the loud speaker system. It said: "The question is, shall the bin pass?" There was more com motion, but above the din someone was heard to say: "I demand the yeas and nays." A roll call' was ordered. It brought 279 yeas and 97 nays. So the bill was passed by the house. In relating those details, I merely wanted to set the stage to tell the story of a most important vote and the passage of a most important bill in the house of representatives. The bill bears the number of H. R. 8324. I doubt that many of the several thousand gallery occupants that aft ernoon recognized the importance of the scene then taking place. For on that occasion, the house was tak ing a long step toward restoration of democratic processes in govern ment. The bill under consideration and which was passed that day had come to be known as the Logan-Walter bill. As briefly as may be, we can describe it as a bill to allow the courts to examine the decisions, de terminations, rulings or opinions of men and women in places of offi cial responsibility from whom hith erto there has been no appeal. More over, the bill would allow private citizens the right of appeal for con sideration of the facts, as well ax the law, involved in any matter that had come to any one of these hun dreds of little dictators?otherwise known as bureaucrats?in the course of their administrative job. Meals of Woodrow Wilton Contained in This Legislation In short, I must recall the famous statement of the late President Woodrow Wilson respecting some phases of government administra tion when he said "The individual . . . should find justice against the government, itself." It is applicable to what H. R. 6324 is designed to do ?enable the private citizens to pro tect themselves by seeking redress in the courts if they, believe they have been wronged by some agency of the federal government which has acted as prosecutor, judge and jury. As the number of federal agencies have giown up?bureaus, boards, commissions, a veritable alphabet soup in recent years?the abuses Bought to be reached by the Logan Walter bill have multiplied many fold. Now, the reason that I called at tention to the scene in the house and the vote favoring the bill was because I have seldom seen so many government lobbyists scurrying around the Capitol. I believe the days when President Roosevelt was attempting to pack the Supreme court with six additional Judges was the only period in the last'few years when more government bureaucrats ware to be found around the halls of the Capitol building. Why? It is clear that the bulk of those men did not want the bill to pass for the simple reason that it took away some of their power. Un der its terms, they can make their unwise or biased rulings to their heart's content, but the citizen who gets it in the neck can turn to the courts for justice. That is, the citi zen can turn to the courts if the senate approves the bill. Nation1! 'Little Dictatorf Dioliha Tom* at BUI The bouse vote at 279 to 97 is not to be taken lightly. The house ac tually voted its convictions. It broke away from the sneers and the threats and personal pressure?even over the stated objection of Presi dent Roosevelt?and it passed a bill that eras as distasteful as quinine to the hundred little dictators. If amendments are needed, if changes will improve U, they ought to be made, but the public as a whole ought to push the senate into action before adjournment. After the house action on the bill, the political columnist, Mark Sulli van, printed a decision by a court in Germany. It read, in part: "Today's constitution is dominat ed by the principle at political lead ership, The courts have, therefore, no right to decide upon the legal validity of political acts of the ad ministration." The quotation struck me as being especially important , to this discus sion because of remarks made on the flopr of the house, during the debate of the Logan-Walter bin, by Hatton W. Sumners, the Texas Dem ocrat. Judge Sumners is chairman of the important committee on the Judiciary. In the course of his sup port of the bill. Judge Sumners said: "Operating the machinery of gov ernment are nearly a million people. Of that million, there is only one who has been elected by the people, and that is the President. The Presi dent cannot know who these mil lion people are. He cannot know what they are doing with the gov HATTON W. 81'M VERS - The fiimi citizen ... keM no pomm to rmiu. ernmental powers entrusted to them. They make the rules that have the force of law; they con strue the rules; they enforce the rules. "When one of these people goes to an ordinary private citizen, he goes possessed of all the powers that a king ever had. This private citi zen may be 2,000 miles away from Washington. He has no power to resist, practically speaking, the mandate of an agent of these bu reaus. We have got to make it pos sible for a citizen to resort to the only place under Anglo-Saxon sys tems of government that an ag grieved person can come to, and that is the courts." J ad ft Samnert' Statement Outline* General Situation Judge Sumners put his finger on the spot He told exactly what the situation is. But the judge did not go quite far enough, in my opinion. When it was popular to pass "must" bills that were drawn by braintrust ers, professors and theorists, a tew years ago, congress passed those bills. Congress added to, expanded and exaggerated the powers of the bureaucrats. It has created such things as the National Labor Rela tions board, the Federal Trade com mission, the Agricultural Adjust ment administration, the wage-hour division of the department of labor, the Securities and Exchange com mission and scores of others. In deed, it willingly handed over to all manner at persons the powers to do the very things that Judge Sum ners pointed out should never be dona under democratic nrnrr mrnrm I wish there were more space available that I could give samples of how some of these agencies have used the powers ftvsn them by a formerly subservient congress. They can be summarized only in this space by showing that, for example, a citizen is accused of having failed to comply with a certain regulation which is Just like a law. The bu reau or board having charge of ad ministering that law calls the citi zen to account The federal investi gator inquires Into the situation, makes a report of the "facts" as he j sees them. The board may or may not accept those "facts." If it ac cepts them, as It usually does. It j makes them its own findings. Under many present laws, no court can review those facts. It can receive the case to see whether the board has applied the law prop erly or pot. But the finding of "facts" must remain forever in the record. They aire accepted as true, regard less of how crooked, how stupid or how wreaking with injustice they may be. The bill passed by the bouse, and now up to the senate. Will let the courts of justice see those facts. i Si ii Speaking of Sports 'Laughing Boy' Most Colorful Links Menace By ROBERT McSHANE (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) JIMMY DEMARET, "Laughing J Boy" of the links and champion of the masters, is the hottest thine in golf today. His victory in the recent Masters' tournament at Angnsta, Ga., mads him winner in < of the II major tournaments in which he played on the winter circuit. He was eat ef the money in only three. This in credible streak is an achievement comparable to a bail player pitch lac two consecutive no-hit, no-ma games or a track star running the IM-yard dash in nine sounds. The greatest victory of these was in the Masters'. Jimmy won it the hard way. He was a sick golfer when play started in his semi-Anal round, and even considered with drawing from the tournament. After a half hour's delay he went out to win. Demaret. the pride and Joy c< Houston, Texas, is mere than a championship golfer. He'd a shot in the arm to every tournament he enters. He has ability, sonrage. JIMMY DEMAKET caimness nnaer nre im mi uu other attributes needed te wte to* honors. His fewer to relax, even while the going is toughest, cow tinnes to amase onlookers aad ep poneita alike. That Friendly Grin As colorful as a painting by Raphael, Jimmy has a smile of Grand canyon proportions, a tre mendous flair for making friends, and the happy-go-lucky attitude of a nigger crapshooter. He is en i deared to every golfing gallery that follows him. When he cuts loose with one of those ear-to-ear grins after executing a good shot be makes a friend out of every fan within viewing distance. His golf isn't particularly spectac ular. He doesn't belt out terrific drives, nor does he can every putt with a wizard's touch. He is, how ever, amazingly accurate. He hits every shot with the utmost in nat ural ease and grace. He combines the knack of relaxing with the abil ity to concentrate through 73 holes of the toughest kind of golf. Goodall Test Next His weeds are played with a swing as aiaeeth as a tollaby. He Is ens of the best ef iron players, 1 aad Is especially gesd areead the greens. Bassess ef We ahraysweO oUed performance, Jimmy has bean sailed the present day's near est spprssch to the "aid masters"? Janes, Began aad Sarasea. The 2fi-yaar-old Texas pro is ex pected to make a strong bid for the annual (8.000 Goodall round robin tournament in Hay at Flushing, Long Island. Fifteen top pros meet for this event, which is generally agreed to be one of the stiffest tests of the entire year. Following that will come the National Open, to be held at Cleveland in June. Jimmy is looked upon as the contender to beat far the National Open title. In other words, "Laughing Boy" is going to be very busy this sum mer. At present he is at his home club in Houston, but starting in May he'll be hitting the tournament trail for all he's worth. Battle Royal Seen Ben Hogan, another Texan who headquarters at White Plains, N. Y., will offer serious competition in the GoodaH meet. This tournament will mark the opening of a battle be tween Demaret and Hogan tor pin golf leadership. Hogan got searing hot and woo the North and South and the Greensboro and Ashville opens in succession, with the excep tional score of 34 under par tor 116 boles. The Flushing tourney will place the two sensational Texans on a man-to-man basis tor the first time I this year. They will ba compelled to meet in a hand-to-hand encounter tor 16 boles. I General HUGH S. iohnson Jcu/S? Ant POLITICS Up to 18 moo the ago, the chief beef of this column was the appall ing series of commercial airplane accidents and the sloppy work and unsatisfactory reports at the bureau of the- department at commerce in charge. Under the former secretary it was a political pot house and the influence of big aviation interests was not conspicuous by its absence. Then, after four years' effort. Sen ator McCarran got his ball through setting up the Civil Aerotumtice au thority as an independent non-parti san agency. It separated executive function from judicial and legisla tive ones, put the former in the hands of an administrator, set up an independent safety board to ping up the ghastly gap in the departmen tal administration. The autlaa My was promptly manned with compe tent experts. This cfiligTTm hasn't mm?1 anything to Idck about for more than a year in which about 819,000.000 passen ger miles were flown without a death?an unprecedented safety rec ord CAA is not entitled to all the credit, but it rates its share. It is now proponed, under the reorgani zation act, to "aboHsfa the safety board ar 4 reduce the authority to SENATOR MeCARRAN Is Bis Reform Doomed? old statu* as a bureau of the de partment of commerce right beck where we started from. cial air pilots and informed air trav elers are up fat arms against this shocking proposal, but the Mg avia tion interests are not saying a word. They prefer King Log to King Stork and King Sugar Papa most af alL The dope is that the change win g* through if they do not oppose it. It is doubtful if they will, but the air traveling public ought to Join the air pilots in forceful opposition. These ere the people whoee hides are endangered. There are only two apparent rea sons for wrecking a unit that was working so well to go bock to a sys tem that wasn't Ons is politic* and the other is amateur professori al piddling with an organisation chart in the rarefied w adornir at mosphere of the Brownlow commit tee. Neither is good enough. Poli tics is what we don't want here. The best reorganization chart to tha world is no good withput the ri^t men tat the proper places with un hampered opportunity to do their shift. ? ? ? MEDICAL ADVANCEMENT. If the astonishing developments to medicine continue at thsfc recent rate, many will have to be dot on Judgment day. There is a prrifraafaaial prejudice against laymen discussing these de velopments. Use most cruel decep tions have resulted from ignorant ballyhoo of quack cures. Tha nidi cal profession has suffered so much ou the rebound that any pr?tyy publicity touches its mast sensitive spots. Recent developments are marveP oue the control of many types at pneumonia and one of the most stab born tftdil diwam bv dine?the still experimental flee day eyre for syphillia?the "*?~ ad but an acceleration at the improve ment in four decades which saw On conquest at typhoid, typhus, yellow fever and several tropical diseases. Surgery does not lag. In a re cent minor siege with it myself, I ran across a professional paper of which a co-author with a navy sur geon is one of our moat distinguished army medicos. The suiiks group hss lagged behind none in Us con ? '? * r ? iL Jt, a. ,a?a- ? _ a- ? tnbution to this revolution wnien is revising the mortality tables by amazingly extending the years sit our lives. Bead, Gorges, Keller, Grayson, Metcalf, Magee, Mclntyre -they are the peers at any.