'
The Alamance Gleaner
VoL LXVJ ? GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1940 No. 22
?_____? _______
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS By Farnham F. Dudgeon
'Dark Horse' Willkie Named
G.O.P. Presidential Candidate;
McNary for Vice President
????????????????????????
(EDITOR'S NOTE?When opinions sre expressed in these columns, they*
are those of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.)
Released by Western Newspaper PnWm "
"All Gaul Is divided into three parts," said Caesar, and now modern
France, covering most of ancient Gaul, is again divided into three parts.
The two most important segments will be occupied by the Axis powers,
Germany and Italy. Germany received the black area in the above map
according to armistice terms which ended the lighting. Italy now controls
the dotted area on the map. The white area remains under French control.
POLITICS;
G. O. P. 'Oomph'
From the opening session of the
Republican national convention in
Philadelphia, there was little doubt
as to what presidential nominee
aspirant was the "gallery's choice."
? For each time the name of Wen
dell Wiilkie was mentioned on the
convention floor a sally of cheers
swept down from the onlookers.
The New York lawyer and utili
ties executive in a decidedly brief
(two months) period of time had
risen from the political unknown to
the pinnacle of popular G. O. P.
favor.
Entering the convention balloting
with a mere handful of pledged dele
gates, Willkie's dynamic super
salesmanship started its telling ef
fect in the form of a definite trend
toward him as the second roll call
of states was called. On the first
ballot he had 109 delegate votes
cast in his favor and ranked third
while Thomas E. Dewey held first
place with 360 votes and Robert A.
Taft of Ohio was second wifh 190.
On successive ballots Willkie then
gained 65, 86, 47, 123, and finally on
the sixth roll call he went over the
top with a net gafln of 204 votes,
giving him a total of <33?501 being
necessary for the nomination. Will
kie having won, all state delegations
then made the nomination unani
Next day, on the first balloting
for the vice presidential nominee.
Senator Charles L. McNary of Ore
gon was elected as the party's over
whelming choice for Mr. Willkie's
running mate.
Tagged as a "peace, preparedness
and prosperity" platform, the G. O.
P. 1M0 statement at party policy
straddled most important national
issues but packed plenty of anti-New
Deal and anti-Third term punch.
Unanimously approved, the plat
form contained a keep-out-of-war
declaration; a plan of Republican
inspired national defense; a slap at
President Roosevelt's "provocative"
speeches; and a demand to limit
presidential service to two terms.
Winkle's political rise stands out
as one of the most dramatic in
American history. Coupled with the
fact that he started his campaign a
short two months ago, is the fact
that up until the last few years he
has been a Democrat Many politi
cal experts thought this would SpeU
' political doom in a Republican con
vention. But it didn't
NAMES
... in the newt
C Secretary of State Cordon Hull
announced that he had ordered Aa
. thaay 1. Drexel Biddle, U. S. am
bassador to Poland, to follow the ex
ilad Polish government from its tem
porary capital at Bordeaux, Prance,
to London, England.
Other experts were sure that his
connection with the public utilities
industry would carry a political
curse that could end nowhere but in
oblivion. But his winning personality
added to the fact that among all the
candidates he stood out as the one
having the most political "oomph"
appeared to be the determining fac
tors in his favor.
In his campaign Willkie was quot
ed as saying that he sincerely hoped
President Roosevelt would accept
the Democratic nomination for a
third term as he would be happy to
campaign against him. This atti
tude seemed to please Republican
party leaders, who realize that a
vigorous, energetic personality like
Wendell Willkie's will be needed in
the coming political battle.
UNEASY WORLD:
Europe
As the Nazi war machine con
tinued to push its military occupa
tion of France's entire Atlantic sea
coast and German bombers contin
ued scattered raids over an uneasy
England, the power of the Soviet
Union was being felt in Rumania.
Word from Bucharest indicated
that the Rumanian grand council,
headed by King Carol had decided to
agree to Russian demands for the
cession of Bessarabia?long a dis
puted territory. Bessarabia belonged
to Russia before the World war and
the Soviet has for many years fumed
about its control by Rumania. Up
until a few months ago it seemed
that Rumania would fight Russia
rather than accede to demands for
the province.
But of late King Carol has had an
uneasy time attempting to keep his
nation at peace with both Germany
and Russia. With collapse of French
forces it appeared that the small
nation was not willing to force the
hand of its powerful neighbor by
refusing this demand. Late dis
patches indicated that a portion of
the province of Bucovina was in
cluded in the grab.
U. S. DEFENSE:
Activity Plus
In the Brooklyn navy yard, the
new construction program which
will add four huge capital ships to
the U. S. fleet, got under way with
the laying down of the keel of the
45,000-ton super-dreadnaught, the
Iowa. Contrary to the usual practice
very little ceremony surrounded the
event and only officials were on
hand to watch the beginning of what
will be the largest battleship ever
built for America's navy.
Less dramatic perhaps but vital
ly important was the announcement
that the Reconstruction Finance cor
poration had started bargaining to
obtain reserve supplies of rubber
and tin. Under a new bill signed
by the President the corporation is
authorized to finance purchases of
strategic material so that "in any
eventuality'-' supplies will be on
. *? ..... ? - ...-. ?
'Socks' That Count
It's better to drop bombs on
an invader than to knit socks for
young soldiers in the opinion of
Mrs. Lorene Holloway, able
Jackson Heights, N. V, air pilot.
If tvar strikes this country, she
wants to join U. S. defense
forces and organize young wom
en fliers into a fighting corps.
a. '
AVIATION:
Spreading Wings
Three new air routes mark cur
rent developments in America's
ever-expanding aviation industry.
Hailed by Alaska's governor, Er
nest Gruening, as a stride toward
national defense, the 20-ton Alaska
Clipper began regular pay-passenger
service between Seattle and the ter
ritory. On the first flight the Clip
per made a trip that usually takes
four days by boat in slightly over
five hours. Twenty passengers were
aboard.
This initial flight called attention
to Alaska's air defenses which are
in the process of being strengthened
by the U. S. navy. Two new flying
bases at Sitka and Kodiak are un
der construction at the present time
and the naval expansion program
calls for further bolstering of Uncle
Sam's air arm in the area.
Pan American Airways is starting
transoceanic service over 8,000
miles of the South Pacific to New
Zealand and a new flight schedule
with daily plane service to Argen
tina is slated to get under way July
12. On the New Zealand route, four
and a half day service will be pro
vided between Los Angeles and
Auckland, New Zealand.
INDUSTRY:
Change of Pace
Current reports of Federal Re
serve banks plus other commercial
indices reveal that a downward
trend of industrial activity which
has marked U. S. business since last
December has now been reversed.
Expanding production is noted in
many key industries.
With much of such increasing ac
tivity centered directly or indirectly
in war and defense materials, non
military industries are also register
ing important gains.
Steel production is now booming
along at capacity speeds and new
orders from foreign and domestic
buyers which are currently pour
ing in should keep blast furnaces
roaring for many months to come.
Automobile tire shipments have
shown large increases and leading
rubber companies say these more
than offset a seasonal decline in
sales to car manufacturers. South
ern Pacific railroad is negotiating
for the purchase of some 2,500 new
freight cars.
LEAGUE OF NATIONS:
Business Report
Eighty-nine employee! of the
league of nations?the last 89 to be
exact?were given notice to resign
for business appeared to be at a
standstill. Secretary General Joseph
Avenol started closing up shop
about May 19 when Germany
launched its blitzkrieg against the
low countries. It was then he gave
309 league officials and employees
a chance to resign or have their
contracts suspended upon any
notice.
Two decades ago the league was
created to aid in the settlement of
international disputes, but business
eras dull until two years ago, when
aggressors started to work in ear
nest and things began to hum in the
great marble building that boused
the delegations.
But this activity began to slow
down as one by one, Austria, Po
land, Cxncho-Slovakia, Albania, Pin
land, Denmark, Norway, The Neth
erlands, Belgium and then Franca
wilted under the pressure of more
powerful nations.
Starting out as a noble bid for
peace and world understanding, an
idealistic institution is cinejnw its
books tat a world where force holds
the balance in the ledger.
Brackarf i Washington Digest
Universal Military Training Plan
Will Encounter Stiff Opposition
Government Owned Monopoly to Control Trade in Surplus
Products of North and South America Also Faces
Serious Consideration by Congress and Public.
By WILLIAM BBUCKART
WNU Service, National Preea Bldf.,
Washington, D. C.
WASHINGTON.?It begins to ap
pear that President Roosevelt again
has put his head out as a target for
political pot shots. Indeed, the re
action thus far to his
proposals for univer- .
sal military training
for all youths in the
United States and
his plan to create a
gigantic government
owned monopoly to
buy all surplus prod
ucts in North and
South America bid
fair to develop as
ut Uiuic, ncai
than did Mr. Roose- William
velt'a program for Bruekart
packing the Supreme court of the
United States two years ago.
Tremendous opposition has sprung
up to each of these plans, but the
opposition comes frotn different
quarters and for different reasons.
As far as my survey has gone, of
course, there are many duplications
among opponents, but it must be
said that the fundamental objection
to each comes from a different base.
Reasons for the two proposals, as
stated by those who are working
with Mr. Roosevelt on the plans,
are to be found wholly in the fear
that Hitler's legions?armies and
"fifth column" workers?will invade
the Western hemisphere, sooner or
later. Whether this fear is wholly
genuine or partly political, I cannot
say; yet that fear is being used to
the utmost to force acceptance by
congress and the general public of a
two-part program to meet the ex
pected Invasion that is thus far just
a mirage. The program, of course,
comes from the wave of hysteria
which has been allowed to develop,
or has been openly promoted for
political purposes.
There is thus far no clear cut pro
gram on universal service. Gen
erally speaking, it provides for the
training of youth of 18 for one year.
It is not entirely a training on the
drill field or in camp. It includes
training in work "behind the front"
That is to say, men must be trained
in airplane factories, in handling
planes on the air fields, in gun fac
tories, powder factories, bridge
building, transportation and general
automotive work and a thousand
other lines of service, each of which
must contribute active and'complete
collaboration when the boys with
the guns and bombs are out in front
of the enemy. ?
Both Ctru and Boys
Might Bo Included
That is the general thought There
are those in the administration, how
ever, who would go much further.
They would make universal military
training embrace both boys and
girls. They would train the girls of
IS or 19 years to St into a great
war auxiliary?equipped to make
uniforms and medical supplies and
produce and pack the proper foods
and that sort of thing. And this
group within the President's official
family would have all of those boys
and girls do this work and do it
with almost no compensation, ex
cept their own food and clothes. In
other words, if the extremes are
attained in this direction, it would
mean adoption practically of the
methods employed by Hitler, Mus
solini and Stalin in the training for
military service.
Of course, the congress will nev
er agree to such a thing as that.
There would be a public revolt
against any such program, but I
relate these details because they ac
tually are being discussed by men
in key positions in the President's
cabinet.
I doubt also that congress can ba
driven into adoption of any military
sarvica program of a compulsory
character. There are dangers in a
world so upset as ours is of this
day. No one can dispute that. On
the other hand, congress has voted
some six or seven billion dollars to
be spent for defense preparation,
and unless that is wasted, as some
20-odd billions have been wasted in
recent years, there ought to be some
worthwhile defense structure result
from use Of that money. The pres
ent defense program, as it stands
today, provides a regular army of
400,000 men?the largest peacetime
army in our history. A navy of light
ing ships which will be the largest
fleet in all history will be construct
ed from these fields Airplanes by
the thousands are provided for in
the general defense program.
From a political standpoint, the
President has taken a long chance.
That is more apparent as each day
passes.
United States It Not Looking
For Any 'Military Trouble
It is to be remembered, first, that
the United States and its peoples
are not a military nation, not a na
tion looking for trouble. In anoth
er phase, it is to be remembered
that there are some 2,000,000 fellows
who got their feet stuck in French
mud and who fought off French
cooties as well as German attacks.
They are scattered throughout the
United States. I know at few of
those fellows who ever want to see
any more of war. They are saying
so with great freedom. They have
convinced their friends and neigh
bors and the families. So, from a
general philosophy of peace and the
word-of-mouth expressions of experi
ence, it strikes me that universal .
military service will not get very
far now?unless the entire New Deal
political machine can be used to
run over the opposition as'Hitler's
armies overran France.
In another way, I think Mr. Roose
velt made a big political mistake .
by sponsoring universal military
service for use when the nation is
not at war. It builds up a Republi
can opposition and supplies that
opposition with an added type of
criticism to be used in the forth- j
coming presidential campaign. And
from what I hear, the Republicans ,
are going to use it!
Now, concerning the great monop
oly for handling all surplus prod
ucts of the Western hemisphere:
The idea behind this gigkntic car
tel?government-owned and directed
?the dream that is proposed to be
made into a reality?is that thers is
as much danger of German infiltra
tion through business as through
armed forces. Moreover, it is held
that with Hitler and his gang domi
nating Europe, they will dictate
trade. That is to say, Hitler's Nazis
not only will determine who will
sell to those peoples under his steel
boot, but will decide the terms
at which the products will be sold.
The school of thought behind the
monopoly plan contends that such a
control of international markets will
mean wrecking North and South
American trade.
Contention Hold* That Hitler
WiU Influence AU Trade
Further, it is contended that
?mall, or even great, corporations
in North and South America will
And themselves so thoroughly brow
beaten by the Hitler tactics that
they will yield to whatever methods
the Nazis desire to employ. All at
which, they say, will mean that
Nazi agents will be all over the
place, speaking their pieces and pro
moting their propaganda.
So, comes then the plan (or a
giant corporation that would absorb
all of the products of the Western
world. This corporation, in the minds
of the dreamers, would be so power
ful that it could tell Hitler and his
gang where to get off. The com
pany on this side of the Atlantic
could say to Hitler's representatives,
in effect, we will trade with you,
but you will not take advantage at
us; we are too big. If you don't
trade with us, you get nothing over
here.
AU of which sounds swell It
sounds like hard boiled stuff. But
it will not work, and no really sane
person believes it will work. In ad
dition, it has all of the elements of
danger that can be crowded into
the meaning at the word "regimen
tation."
The first reason it will not work is
because there is not the chance of s
snowball in the nether regions that
all Of the South American nations
win Join. Unless it embraces ev
erything, it will flop of its own
weight. And if all of the South
Americana do come, where is a
guaranty that they will stay taiT They
have Jumped the traces so many
times that there is little faith to be
placed tat their agreements.
Another reason is that if such a
corporation attempts to take an of
the surplus, there must be control of 1
production, complete and final con
trol of production of food and fiber
and materials of every known kind.
If there is no such control, the cor
poration win And itself shortly own
ing an accumulation of several
years' output, and more coming in
because the world can and does pro
duce more than it uses in a great
many years.
: 1
-Speaking of Sports
Tri - Cornered
Fight Seen in
Senior Circuit
By ROBERT McSHANE
(Kakwd by WssUrn Nswapapcr U nion. I
""THINK back, just for a minute,
x to the start of this year's major
league baseball campaign and see
if you can remember the teams you
thought would be the chief contend
ers for first place in the National
league standings.
Odds are 1* to 1 that you didn't
consider the Giants a very serious
threat. Early in April it looked Hke
a two-club race?a bitter fight be
tween the Beds and the Cardinals.
The Beds were looking good in
spite of last year's fiasco and the
Cards were expected to maintain the
stride that almost carried them past
the Beds to the pennant in tho
final stretch of 1*39.
Now, after about 10 weeks of ac
tive campaigning, it's a three
cornered race?and it looks as
though it might continue to be just
that. But the Cardinals aren't in it
and the Dodgers and Giants are
making life miserable for the Cin
cinnati delegation.
Unpredictable Giants
According to pre-seaion dope, the
Giants have no reason for their
rapid turnabout. Thousands of am
ateur and professional crystal (us
ers are easting baleful glances at
their present sUodini. And why
not? The Giants sag fed badly last
year and were scheduled to look
even worse this year. Only a few
die-hards, probably relatives whs
hoped for a future touch, picked
them to finish in the first division.
The Giants were a team ct "ifa."
If Carl -Hubbcll could come back the
tauoc waou i
lessly lost. If Joe
Moore and Mel Ott
could charge in and
really play baseball,
why then things
wouldn't be so bad.
There were plenty
of other "ifs" on
which success would
depend ? uncertain
spots that might
crack when the
Carl HobbeD pressure wu on. |
Look em over to
day. Hubbell, Moore and Ott came
rushing back practically u good as
ever. Hubbell won't win any pen
nants single-handed, but he's still
the meal ticket, the fellow they can
rely on when the chips are down.
Ott has been doing better than all
right since he started wearing
glasses, and critics of Moore refuse
to believe the evidence, which is all
in his favor. Burgess Whitehead
was another question mark last
year. He had developed a bad case
of the quick Jitters. Now the un
believers suspect that his present
day success is the result of strange
herbs and a witch's cauldron.
Terry Knows His Players
Manager Bill Terry is far from the
most popular flgurs in baseball, but
he is a canny pilot?one of the smart
est in the business today. He would
be one of the least surprised if the
Giants captured ths pennant.
The Dodgers, a strong team with
plenty of aggressiveness, became
stronger with the recent acquisi
tion of Joe Med wick and Curt Davis, j
Lippy Leo Durocher finally has the
hitter be wanted?a hitter he can
count on when runs are needed.
From 1939 through 1937 Msdwick hit
.393. .391 and .374. He had a bad
time the past
three yeara in St.
Louia, but ia fig
ured to become aa
? olid aa ever
arith Brooklyn.
With Da via to
help out with
pitching chorea
and Med wick to
aupply the badly
needed daily
nifu^t (h? TVtHv.
era are loaded for Le, !)? imfceii
big game. Tha
deal whereby Brooklyn acquired
those two men also may help nail
the pennant to tha Ebbete Field
flagpola.
Residents of Brooklyn already sea
the pennant in the clutches of tha
Dodgers. And they woo't stand for
anything that might interfere with
tha reaching of that goal. Witness
the near-riot when the Cardinals'
Joe Bowman beaned Med wick re
cently. Evan die police took part in
that fiasco. Civil war was averted,
but narrowly.
Everybody's Happy
The passing af Medwlek frees St.
Leais is net expected la have mack
effect spaa tha lactones af tha Car
dinals. Be was nahappj there,
wanting to play with the Dodgers,
fee, aaa ef the last d tha Gas Bonee
GENERAL
HUGH 8.
JOHNSON
Jaqri
Washington, D. C.
'DANGEROUS GESTURE'
The selection of the Republi
cans, Mr Knox and Mr. Stimsoo
as secretaries of navy and war re
spectively, has ? poisonous signifi
cance. They are both ardent tom
tom beaters for war.
Mr. Stimson has been raising his
voice for us to repeat the taffies of
191? and 1911 in a steadily increas
ing clamor until his most recent
blasts insisted on our convoying
contraband of war to Britain and
opening our naval bases to the Brit
ish fleet?both irretrievable nets of
war.
Mr. Knox has been preaching
armed intervention for months. This
choice leaves no doubt whatever
about the President's own inten
tions. If he is not stopped ha is going
to take this country into bloody war
as soon as possible whether it wants
to go or not?and with about 19 per
cent majority, it doesn't want to go.
Both men are leading citizens with
honorable and distinguished rec
ords. Mr. Stimaoo was at one time
secretary of war and at another,
secretary of state, hi neither posi
tion did he leave any record that
would recommend him as a great
cabinet minister. As secretary of
state he was ready to use farce la
oppose Japan in Mancbokuo, a
course which, however high-minded,
would have been fatal to the Amer
ican strategical position in the Far
East.
Both these gentlemen have served
as volunteer temporary army of
ficers in time of war?Mr. Knmr
in two wars. There can be nothing
but praise for that patriotic and
high-minded performance. But a
little knowledge is a dangerous
thing. Such temporary service in
relatively subordinate commands
sometimes?fortunately not fre
quently?leaves the "veteran" with
the conviction that Providenoe real
ly intended him as a latter-day
Napoleon?or at least a master of
strategy, logistics and tactics.
That is true in both these cases.
In both, this conviction has per
suaded these gents that we dbooH
commence firing tomorrow?before
we get guns to fire. That strategic
folly is another danger of this blitz
krieg move.
? ? ?
Surely the President doesn't (eel
the need of any such expert ama
teur military and naval advice. He
shares a similar conviction about
his own powers in these lie Ids. It
was obviously not with any idea to
improve technical preparedness that
this move was made. It will have
a reverse effect. It is too clearly
a pure political gesture in an elec
tion year?the "coalition-cabinet"
slickness that the White House has
denied intending. It is a dangerous
gesture because it Is designed to
destroy the third term tradition and
erect a war dictatorship by impair
ing our two-party system, which is
of the very essence of American
democracy?and that is menacing
and sinister in the extreme.
Mr. Stimaon won't do the war de
partment any good. It will take
months to educate him in the com
pletely changed condition atoee ho
left?and his is the sort at indrrlhle
mind which does not Alter fast
This is a cruel blow to the An*
work that has been done?especially
recently?by Louis Johnson in the of
fice of assistant secretary of war.
Under a statutory mandate Mr.
Johnson's organization has dsaa
much of the preparatory work nec
essary to rapid supply and industrial
mobilization. In its recent historical
floundering to make up for its crim
inal neglect of preparedness, this
administration haa simply Ignored
the valuable product of work end
planning?by-paaeed it and paral
leled it. Now it has taken the tacker
out of Mr. Johnson's dynamic lead
ership and energy by kicking him
aside and giving him a new boss
whom it will take weeks to educate.
" . ? t 1
DEFENSE BOOM
We haven't even scratched the
surface of consideration of defense
of our cities from sudden air raids.
That requires tens of thousands of
guns with some kind of semi-mili
tary home guard and expert crews
?and we haven't even begin to
think about H or to provide one
tenth of one per cent of the material
the whole program wtn require.
Shall we. like England, dally along
with a bunch of Chamberlains un
til it is too late for any Churchill to
do his stuff?
Our effort to build our defenses,
if vigorously and intelligently ban
died. should create much employ
ment and even some kind of en in
dustrial boom.