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The Alamance Gleaner roL LXVI " GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1940 No. 26 WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS By Farnham F. Dudgeon Congressional Attention Centers On Plan for 'Peacetime Draft'; Air Battles Rage Over England (EDITOB'8 NOTE?When opinions are expressed in these columns, the; are those sf the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.) Released bo Western Newspaper Now that Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have ended their 8-jeai independence by voting themselves into the Soviet Union the influence at Rossis tarns in a new direction. Reports indicate that Moscow is inter ested in seeing a "popular government" set up in Romania and some sources claim that King Carol is said to be preparing a shift away from the Naxi-like cabinet of Ion Gigurtu. Is the bear's paw reaching oat for .niWh.i- "mil"* ?? ? ???"" ?? * U. s. DEFENSE: Fall In With legislation still pending be fore congress for the first United States military draft since World war days, the army has announced its preliminary plans for a citizens' training program, should the Burke Wadsworth compulsory military training bill become a law. Testifying before the house mili tary affairs committee, Brig. Gen. William E. Shedd, assistant to the army chief of staff, declared that if the conscription legislation passed, training for 400,000 men would begin on October 1, this year, and for 400,000 more nest April 1 and an additional 600,000 October 1, 1041. Registration of all U. S. male citi zens between the ages of 18 and 64 would take place September 1, this year but only those between 21 and 45 would be liable for active service. The other age groups would be used for home defense purposes. First draft would probably call to the colors men without dependents between the ages of 21 and 31. Gen eral Shedd said flatly in part of his testimony that "never in time of peace" would legislation require men with dependents to enter mili tary training. While the senate military commit tee started the compulsory training legislation on the road with a de cided majority tor the approval of the measure a real legislative fight looms on the floor of both house and senate. Typical of the opposition faced by the measure is the attitude of Senator Norris (Ind.-Neb.) who has raised his voice against the leg islation with the statement it would gradually transform the United States into an "international bully" bent on the destruction of other na tions. Only present member of die sen ate who voted against U. & en trance into the World war, Norris claims that the effect -of military training on American youths would have a tendency to make diem even tually recognize no ideal "except that of military force." NAMES ... in the news C "*"* Selassie, long a name-in-the new* while hi* native Ethiopia wa* under invasion by Italy'* Benito Hawaii ai, popped back into the spotlight with the announcement that he wa* returning to Africa from London to direct his nation's light /_ _ f. . a ,1 I,-., ior ii ccaom. C When told that an Italian had quot ed him as saying that Britain would lose the war, George Bernard Shaw, world-famous author, bristled, branded the story as untrue, burst out with the statement that "I don't know whether Britain is going to lose the war, even with the help of God." THE WAR: 'Dice Are Coat wnen tngiana s foreign secretary^ Viscount Halifax replied to Adolf Hitler's "last chance peace offer" he left very little doubt as to the firm intention of the Churchill gov ernment to resist until the last any attempted Invasion by Germany, for in part of his address he declared: "... we realise that the struggle may cost us everything, but, Just because the things we are defend ing are worth any sacrifice, it is a noble privilege to be the defenders of things so precious ... we shall not stop fighting until freedom for ourselves and others is secure." Back came Berlin with bombs plus bombast. As widespread aerial raids were launched tip and down the British coast, official German circles let it be known that the talking was over and henceforth "facts must now speak." Just what shape these "facts" would take was not announced by the Nazi high command but London believed that a "stagger system" of increasing air and naval attack day by day until it would be capped by a general offensive in conjunction with a wholesale attempted landing of troops would be attempted by Hitler's forces. Cost of War England'* biggest wartime budget was announced as the heaviest taxes in British history were introduced to meet the demands of the govern ment's war program. Income taxes were boosted to 42Vi per cent and experts declared that this in connection with other in creased taxes would demand that Britain surrender almost 70 per cent at all normal income to finance the fight against Germany and Italy. U. S. residents at those states im posing a sales tax of 2 and > par cent who are inclined to grumble as they lay down the pennies may take whatever comfort they can from the news that the British now pay a "purchase tax" ranging from 12 to 33 H per cent 'on entertainment, beer, wine and tobacco. Rate on non-luxury items is 12 per cent at re tail prices. POLITICS: No Moth Balls While the bunting of both major political conventions is safely packed away in moth balls for an other four years, the 1940 presiden tial campaign is beginning to warm up and is taking on the aspects of the most spirited campaign contest since Woodrow Wilson defeated Charles Evans Hughes in 1916. Biggest news on the Republican front to the announcement that Wen dell WiUkie has chosen August IT an the dale and Elwood, Rid., (his birthplace) as the place, to be of ficially notified that he is the Q. O. P. presidential nominee. Pulpit or Bullet rmamammmmamamaaBijmfmmmtmmm ? ? ?? News from London reports that members of the House of Lords and Commons, doctors, lawyers and ministers are being put through their paces as mem bers of the local defense volun teers. Dr. Jocklyn Perkins, sa crist to Westminster Abbey, is shown here being instructed in rifle drill by a member of the local defense volunteers. PAN-AMERICA: Hull in Havana As representatives of the 21 Amer ican republics gathered at the Ha vana, Cuba, conference were thresh ing out their problems of (1) Euro pean colonies in the Western hemi sphere, (2) fifth column activities and (3) relief for disrupted econom ic systems resulting from Europe's war, principle challenge to United States leadership in a program of unified activity came from the Ar gentine delegation.' Secretary of State Cordell Hull outlined the program advocated by the United States which calls for im mediate financial aid to any country in need of it (congress was speed ing work on a $900,000,000 fund to aid Latin-American countries whose markets had been lost because of the war), diplomatic and consular planning aimed at suppression of subversive and fifth column activity and a joint trusteeship of foreign owned possessions in this hemi sphere by all of the American re publics. Argentina particularly objected to the latter suggestion for that coun try has some very definite ideas about the British Falkland islands, and in case of England's defeat by Germany would prefer actual pos session of them rather than a joint rule with 20 other nations. Vene zuela would like the Netherlands East Indies and Guatemala is re ported to have designs on British Honduras. Main reason that the Argentine delegation was hesitant to immedi ately fall in line with any proposal that might be construed as a slap at the dictators was because of the effect upon her future trade rela tions with Europe. BUSINESS: Pile Up As numerous mills and factories continue to run at the highest levels since 1929, orders for defense goods are piling up much additional busi ness for U. S. industry. Since the beginning of the gov ernment's preparedness program, over one billion dollars in army and navy contracts have been awarded and while little cash has actually been expended these orders and those placed by the British govern ment in this country are directly re sponsible for the current climb in business indices. Defense projects, including ship ways, ammunition and fuel storage facilities, barracks, explosive plants, machine shop extensions, addition to orders for airplanes constitute the major factors in the general rise of business activity. Other business firms of a non military nature seem to be following the general trend of the "war babies." For example, as the mo tor car industry reported that sales are unusually high for this season of the year, Schenley Distillers cor 1 poration (liquor) announced that net earnings for the first half of 1940 were up almost 90 per cent over the comparable period of 1910?return ing $1.44 per share on common stock as compared to 79 cents last year, and Brunswlck-Balke-Collender com pany, maker of billiard and bowling equipment, reported a very similar increase in business by showing a net profit of 17 cants a share for the first six months of this year as com pared with 49 cents hi 19M. Bruckari't Washington Digest Unusual Strike Shows Fallacy Of Broad Government Rulings Dispute Over Proper Classification of Workers Results in Stopping All Construction Work in City and Ties Up Supplies for Public Buildings. By WILLIAM BRUCKART WNU Service, Nittoml Frees Bldf Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON. ? Probably, not one of the readers of this column ever have heard the name of the Smoot Sand A Gravel company. There is no reason for anyone outside of the city of Wash ington having any knowledge of the concern. It operates within the national capital community, serves its clients sat isfactorily, as far as I know, and goes on its way much as any legitimate business operates in the Unit Ctctao I Bruckart it represents the full flower of the American system of private enter prise?or did represent that princi ple to most of us. Lately, however, the Smoot Sand & Gravel company has been much in the public prints of the city of Washington. It was in the news because its 250 workers went on strike. When those workers quit, the cessation practically stopped construction in the city, which is to say that the strike suddenly choked off the supply at materials for all new federal government buildings. This was no ordinary strike, not the usual walk-out. That's why the name of the Smoot Sand & Gravel company gained a place in the sun, small as is the business when com pared with other great corporations. This strike was, in effect, a strike against a federal law?the wage hour law?the fair labor standards act as it is most inappropriately named. The details substantially are as follows: employees of the concern have been classified as maritime workers, because they operate barges and tugs and cranes and such like in connection with the movement of the sand and gravel. This movement begins in the Po tomac river and, of course, carries through to the site of the building construction. Busybody Decides Ifs Improper Classification Having been classified as marl time workers, these employees were able to work as many hours a day or a week as they desired. They had a union contract with the com pany to that effect. It is a matter of record that the employees did work sometimes twelve hours a day and seven days a week?and they were reaping the harvest of busy times because the demand for their product was extraordinary while the government building program was continuing. The workers had no quarrel with their employer, yet they went on strike. Why? Some busybody in the wage hour administration decided that the works of the Smoot Sand k Grav el company were improperly classi fied. TOey were not maritime work ers?not entitled to work all of the time they desired?and they had to be reclassified. The result was that most of the workers found them selves restricted to 42 hours per week. The net effect of this, of course, was to cut their wages, and the men had no hankering tor that As these lines are written, the conclusion is not yet in sight. It is always difficult to get a bureau crat to rescind an order. To do so, of course, is admission that the bu reaucrat was wrong. That is not an admission which any one in gov ernment office is in a hurry to make. Ia the meantime, thousands of oth er workers are unable to work and earn, because a union leader filad a complaint with the wage-hour ad ministration. I have gone into this case in de tail because it so thoroughly exem plifies the fallacy at broad govern mental rulings. It demonstrates be yond a shadow of a doubt what can and usually does happen when a national government horns into fields where it does not belong where government attempts to regu late the private lives of individuals. Strike Directs Attention To a Serious Problem This particular case is of more than ordinary importance in another way. Doubtless you have beard of the defense program, that great hys terical drive to defend ourselves from something that is due to strike us on next Tuesday?or maybe it is an Kovnmber i. Anyway, about $1S, MO,000,000 has been appropriate; for building up our national defense, and somebody has to do the work. The Smoot strike, therefore, di rects attention at one of the prob lems that confronts this country. It is a serious problem. It has got to be faced, and government must face it. That is, government must face it if this country is to carry out the policies of expanding the army and the navy, of developing an air force second to none and of equipping these forces to shoo un seen enemies back to the foreign shores from which they are expect ed to come. No better illustration is possible than what happened in France and England. Their war preparation was limited to lip service for months, be cause the government Jeaders were unwilling to bear down and tell rack eteering labor leaders that the time had come for co-operation. Had French government leaders adopted a firm policy with the communistic labor leaders and had those leaders been told to keep their men at work, France would have lasted longer against the Hitler "blitzkrieg." In stead. France refused to abandon the 40-hour week and its govern mental officials chose to coddle la bor leaders because of politics. We have something of the same basic situation in this country, right now. It is well known, of course, that Mr. Roosevelt has favored the labor leaders who could control votes. He was not alone. Others have done the same thing?Republi can as well as Democrat. Policy on Shorter Moor* Will Not Bo Modified Only lately, Mr. Roosevelt said at the White House that, come war or peace, there would be no modifi cation of the New Deal policy re specting shorter and shorter hours of work. This New Deal reform was to stand, he said, and he is evidently going to stand on that declaration, just as the French did some months ago. Since the President is so firmly committed to this policy, I am won dering when this nation is going to draw its belt tighter and get down to war preparation. I think, too, that attention might be called to the recent appointment of Sydney Hillman as a part of the national defense council and his des ignation as head of the agency which will have charge of training Ameri can boys and girls for war work. It was Mr. Hillman who broke through and organized the textile workers of this country into a strong, well-knit union. He deserves commendation for that job, Since moat of the textile manufacturers were about as rotten in their treatment of workers aa the record of this country can disclose. But, according to reports, Mr. Hill man has lost none of his antagonism for the "employer class" and that does hot bods well for a prepared ness program. There are some stories floating around now to the effect that Mr. Hillman has been snuggling up to some labor leaders whose penchant for stirring up trouble is well known. Indeed, If one may believe the re ports here in Washington, Mr. Hill man has given some indications that he believes the federal government should clamp down further on the employers, war preparation or no preparation. Coom for Foar in War Ami Navy Department* Around tho war and navy de partment* there conditions art cre atine considerable (ear. Army and navy officers, charged with the Job of expanding the services, are say ing privately that there will not be supplies in anything like sufficient quantity unless tha labor that la will ing to work is allowed to produce as far as it desires. This means, of course, elimination of the racke teer* whose salary as labor leaders depends upon how much trouble can be created among the worker*. Un less they can find conditions upon which to base a strike call, every now and then, labor officials are deemed not to be doing their Job. Thus, as a rail fence guess, I am looking forward to quite a few strikes. And thus, again, the business of the country is in the middle between the upper and nether millstones. AH of tho war contracts are befog awarded in a manner that amounts to a command from the federal government. The owners of the plant* are not being hurt; don't get that idea. They will make a profit. But the owners are being told what to de while the work ers are being assured that this ia a land of tha free. Speaking of Sports Grove's Record Stands as Top Southpaw Mark By ROBERT McSHANE (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) DICKING the Ave greatest left 1 handed pitchers of all time is a fascinating indoor sport. Our own list would be headed by the one and only Robert Moses Grove. We wouldn't fight about the numerical order of the next four -Herb Peaaock, Rube WaddeO, Carl Hsbbell and Eddie Plank. They were all great hall players. Grove rates as the outstanding winner of all time. In his IS years ?up to the 1940 season?he won 288 games and lost 128 for a grand aver age of .695. No one else has ap proached that figure. Christy Mathewson finished his long career with an average of -663. G rover Cleveland Alexander com piled .642. Both of these gentlemen are sore of undying fame, having been chosen for baseball's Hall of Fame. Eddie Plank's mark was .662, Cy Young's .619 and Big Ed Walsh's .666. As brilliant a pitcher as Waddell was, his lifetime average was .388. Connie Mack, who never did throw his money around, paid the Balti more Orioles $109,000 for Lefty?the most expensive player he had ever bought. Grove proved to be a bar gain, though. After using him his best nine years, Connie passed him on to Tom Yawkey's Red Sox with Max Bishop and George Wal berg for $125,000 and two players. Grave was thought to be all through then. He was in poor phys ical condition, though not from lack of training. Every pitch pained Urn that first year in Boston, and he wen and lost eight games. The critics told Yawkey that be had wound up on the short end of the deal. But in the last five years with Boston prior to 1940, Grove pitched 83 winning games?working at a .610 clip. In the last two years he won 29 games and dropped only 8. American League Champ That's enough current history. Let's go hack to Lefty's prime. In 1828 Grove won 28 and loot 6 for an average of .7fi8. In 18* he won 28 and dropped 5 far an average of JU. to 1821 be balanced 11 wins against 4 losses tor the terrific aver ago of JM. For those throe consec utive years he was rbampioa ef the American league pitchers. Then, in 1831, after giving way to Johnny ROBERT MOSES GROVE I tta Ik* pmlNi year, k* reeap thlp with aa average d .706?M via* ul i I him. Grove atarted hi* career strictly a* ? "fireball" pitcher. He had ?peed to bum?probably the fastest ball at all left-handers. He was nothing more than a thrower, pour ing on the speed every time a bat ter faced him. He kept that up as lone as he was able, but the crack ing point finally came. His are went bad. It beeaase ?ere far the first time. No leaf er eeald he rely seiety upea speed. It piteber. He developed a cam ball and a ehaafe ef paee. fastis I ef swiekiag in every pitch. Grave stnd ied his batter, eatsasarttaf Mas. In those IS years Grove worked in more than 600 games. He eras IS years old, tour years older than Bob Feller is today, whan be showed up for work with Connie Mack's 1930 Athletics. He played hie first pro fessional ball with the Martina burg team of the Blue Ridge league back In 1*30 And through all those years is woven that thread of 3S6 victories? reason enough for Robert Moaee Grove to top any list of all-time great southpaws. General HUflH S. johnson Jaus: tHWWifcl l M IWM Washington, D. O. ESTIMATE or WALLACE As was painfully evident at the convention, a lot of people actively dislike Henry Wallace and a lot more dislike the way he was rammed down the throat of the Democratic party by the President. On the first point?not liking Mr. Wallace?you've got to know a mm to make that choice and Henry isn't easy to know. He is shy, not very articulate, and has as little political oomph as anybody in the Fourth New Deal. But if, as has been my privilege, you get really dose to Mr. Wallace, you will discover a very fine specimen of what John L. Lewis oratorically calls the "genus homo." He is simple, honest, studious and kindly. There is no side or pretense in his make-up. He has a good mind, if not a brilliant one. He is incapa ble of the clever little sdienys that have so characterized and discredit ed many acts of the Fourth New Deal. I disagree with almost every an gle of his philosophy and program and I doubt U he has the qualities of leadership appropriate to a great crisis, but I would trust his sincerity of purpose as far as that of any man I know hi government. The spectacle of a President so openly forcing his own choice lor vice president on his party, eve dally in such dangerous times as these, is highly distasteful, hut the effect if not the particular methoda here used, biiiiiii to have Iwwm HENRY 1 WALLACE . . . "/*? SupawM tat Hwmmt" a custom. Mr. Garner was Mr. Roosevelt's choice in 1833 and IBM. It is true that the first time it was by reason of a trade, without which Mr. Roosevelt himself could not pos sibly have been nominated, but It is also true that Mr. Rooeevelfs delegates, at his bidding, made good that bargain. It is no secret that Mr. WiUkie | was consulted about his choice lor * running mate, that he selected Cbar , lie McNary, and that the senator , didn't want the )ob and could not have been nominated without Mr. Willkie'i backing. Thus, however hateful the method used to put Mr. Wallace across, it can hardly be used to attack this nomination, un less pots are to be permitted to caS kettles black. After all, there was an element of courage and an avoidanca of the usual skullduggery in nomtoattog Mr. Wallace. He is Doctor Newt Newee New of all the New Dealers. Not all Democrats are New Deal ers by a long shot. That rift ems not never more apparent than at Chicago. Great rips and wwidt to party solidarity were made. An obvious strategy for the heal ing of these Assures would have been to nominate st least one Dsn>o ! crat on the Democratic ticket. Mr. Roosevelt certainly is not ana. Mir. Wallace is even farther away. Hto nomination puts the whole New Deal theory of spending ourselves rich right in the spotlight as the tm fuzzed issue in this fight Adding it all up, while I can't ap : plaud either the candidacy or the method that made it, I can reaped or at least understand both. Even if die fate fully unexpected should happen, and Mr. Wallace should ooe day become President of the United States. We can be as sured of a Chief Executive Who would be honest straightforward and wholly unaddiotod to political cleverness and devious two-way thought and action. That would be something new and refreshing. Con sidering everything, 1 am not Mrs that it is not the number one re quirement in. the choice af a Presi dent There simply are no super ~
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
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Aug. 1, 1940, edition 1
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