Newspapers / The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, … / Aug. 29, 1940, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
The Alamance Gleaner VoL LXVI ~ GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 1940 Na SO WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS Political Campaign Opens Up as Ickes Replies to Willkie Acceptance Speech; Canada-U. S. Defense Board Formed; Fierce Nazi Bombing Raids Continue (KMTOR'S NOTE?Whe* opinions an txfrwNl la these fol?I, they are those of the news asi^it and hot necessarily of this newspaper.) _____________ Released by Western Newspaper Union Special chairs were reserved (or Hitler and Mussolini at the Empire | tea party held recently in London by the Overseas leacue to celebrate the then "Non-Arrival of the Dictators." Highlight of the evening was the scene pictured above when a telegram was received by the marquess of Willingdon, purporting to have come from Hitler and Musso lini, apologising for their reticence on this day of days, which, inci dentally, was "Victory Day," the first day Hitler said he would be in London. ACCEPTS: And Takes Stand In flag-bedecked Elwood, Ind., Wendell Lewis Willkie accepted the Republican presidential nomination and gave "an outline of the political philosophy that is in my heart." Mr. Willkie stated his belief in la bor's right of collective bargaining, old-age pensions, unemployment in surance, regulation of security mar kets, banking and interstate utili ties, rural electrification, minimum wages and maximum hours, and the existing farm program. Of his foreign policy he said: "I would do everything to defend American democracy and I would refrain from doing anything thdt in jured it ... I truSt I have made it plain that in defense of America and our liberties, I would not hesi tate to stand for war. Our way of life is in competition with Hitler's way of life." Of defense, he said: "Some form of selective service is the only democratic way in which to assure the trained and competent manpower we need. The first task of our country ... is to become strong at home." He challenged the President to meet him in face-to-face debate. Wild Harold In what was declared before de livery to be the administration an swer to the Willkie speech, Secre tary of the Interior Harold I ekes, original third termer, said the Pres ident could not adjourn the battle of Britain, on which American tradi tions may depend, to ride the cir cuit with Mr. Willkie. Said "Wild Harold": "If Mr. Willkie is so eager for a debate, I suggest he challenge his running mate. Senator McNary, with whom he is at greater variance on domestic and foreign issues than his speech of acceptance shows him to be with President Roosevelt." DEATH: In the Afternoon Without a combat soldier being landed on her shores, England feels the threat of invasion for the first time since William the Conqueror. Thousands of German planes, in dar ing daylight raids, bomb British air fields and munitions factories. Ger mans bombed London in 1910-18 but never with invasion as the objec tive. Whether England can keep the Nazi fliers from her industrial de fenses is the real test, Maj. Alexan der P. deServeraky, American plane designer, believes. He says Eng land will win or lose in the air. If Germany gains the mastery in the air over England, the American ex pert believes it will be insignificant from a military standpoint whether it then decides to land troops or lay waste to England by systematic raids. He believes the test will come when the Germans begin to inflict serious damage in the interior of England in daylight raids with rela tive immunity. NAMES ... in the newt Loois Johnson, who resigned as assistant secretary of war when Henry Stimaon became secretary, may be given a higher Job, Joining the WUte House secretariat as co ordinator of BAtknul defense, And at Night Meanwhile the royal air force is paying nightly visita to Germany and German-held territory. Norwe gian and channel porta, the Ruhr and airflelda in France and Belgium are Buffering. In one month, the R. A. F. dumped 40,000 tona at ex plosives in the industrial Ruhr. Waiting at channel porta are several armies of Nazi soldiers with faces turned west. Italian Victory Overwhelmed by a superior Ital ian force, British troops evacuated British Somaliland, vast desert of North Africa. It is not the first time British surrendered ground there. In 1010 when the Mad Mullah led a native uprising, they retreated to the coast. In the World war incited insurrections proved too trouble some and they retreated again. WASHINGTON: The Cabinet Fourth recent change in the cab inet came with the resignation at Farm Secretary Henry A. Wallace, who is the Democratic candidate for vice president. An Indiana dirt farmer, Claude R. Wickard, who was undersecretary, was elevated to the department head. Paul H. Appleby, who has been assistant to Wallace since 1833, becomes the un dersecretary. Meanwhile Jim Farley's resigna tion as postmaster general is effec tive as at August 31, and there is a well-placed rumor that Harry Hop kins may resign as commerce sec retary to become business manager of the Roosevelt library at Hyde Park. The Army Proposals for changes in the con scription law leave army brass-hats with wry faces. Navy Secretary Knox told a house committee: "It is later than you think." Assistant War Secretary Patterson said: "A year is a luxury ere may never en Joy." Passage at the National Guard mobilization bill started the military training ball rolling. Units at the militia which are marked to be called for a year's service win be permitted to return home for about a month following the present maneuvers. Efforts to limit their service to continental U. S. were defeated. Original plan was to call 400,000 men into service September 1 and an additional 400,000 November 1. Best plans now call for 000,000 In servlc* by Jfcnoary 1, boos before October 1. due to long debate in eon Thats Not True! lame.s Cagney popular film star, strikes this political pose during an interview with the press in which he denied charges of affiliation with the Communist party. Cagney teas among a group of Hollywood motion pic ture personalities against whom the accusation was made. In New York at the time, Cagney made his first plane flight to the coast to appear voluntarily be fore Congressman Dies and dif fer with his accuser, John Leech, emphasizing that he believes in the present form of V. S. govern ment and has always upheld it. TREND ~~| How the Wind Is Blowing ... fh^HfUw*C?re?Electrical P?wer 'or | wefk ?f August 3 reached aecond i highest all-time peak, representing * ??ln ?' 12 per cent over same wreek last year. Building The Federal Reserve board announced that defense or ders have pushed construction con tracts to the highest level in 10 years. Agriculture?Farm land sales are picking up, both to investors and to I tenant-operators, a survey of farm ! realty sales organizations bv the Northwestern National Se Instu* ance company indicates. Investors seem to be turning back to the land as a "good bet" in a war-conscious business world. BASES: Not at Home Nazi Air Marshal Hermann Goer tag, writing in "Facts in Review." official and free publication of the German Library of Information, 17 Battery Place, New York, said: "If American defenses are what they should be, particularly If American air force is properly de veloped, built up, organized and strategically based, America can defy any group of powers." Less than a week after the pub lication was circulated. President Roosevelt announced he was holding conversations with Great Britain for acquisition of naval and air bases on British possessions in this hemi sphere. Later Prime Minister Winston Qiurchill told the house at commons that Britain had decided to offer "aidtaM. rites- to th. United StatS to Newfoundland and the West In dies on M-year leases. He said Eng land was not asking for any advan tage to return. "Naturally," he said, "no transfer of sovereignty is involved." Facet North Meanwhile President Roosevelt met Prime Minister Mackenzie King at Canada. In a joint announcement they revealed a permanent board at joint military defense had been set up. The board will survey problems by air, land and ssa, as well as material and personnel. Personnel may mean * commander-in-chief al ready to being selected in case Can ada is invaded and the armies at the two nations are called to act as ooe. Agreement for a military link sets a definite departure from established policy tor both nations. America never before has made such an agreement, even during the World Allies'to* only an "associate" at the MISCELLANY: It* i a Pleasure C In Elizabeth, N. J., the city as sessor get a latter from Philip WooM Jeweler. Woetf said that since tfc. assessor's last visit Ms 111 had improved and he felt his personal estate now rated a higher valuation. "I wfD gladly pjflte adSSnrS tanm," Woolf said. "It is a pleas ure. The assessor said the 1M0 taxes could not be raised but he win be glad to oblige to 1M1. Washing ton Digest Congressional Attention Focused On National Preparedness Plan Suggest Investigation of Progress Made; Roosevelt Takes Personal Charge of Defense Program; Army Leaders Prepare for Draft. ' By G. F. dUlMMd by Wsstern N?wspap?r Union.) WASHINGTON.?Congress Is an noyed by slow motion in the nation al defense program. The war department recently re ported to a joint committee of the house and senate that although ap proximately $400,000,000 had been appropriated in June for army air planes, engines and accessories, ac tual contracts had been signed for only 33 planes. The appropriation bills provided funds for 4,000 planes, but seven weeks later only 33 planes actually were under contract?and those will not be delivered before January or ?February, 1941. In the same hearing, the national defense commission reported that the army would not have full equip ment for 750,000 men before 1943. Inasmuch as congress has appro priated and authorized $14,000,000, 000 for national defense since Jan uary, 1940, members of the house and senate are pressing for a thor ough investigation of the prepared ness slow-down. Some leaders favor establishment of a joint committee of the house and senate to conduct a continuing "audit" of the defense contracts. Such an arrangement would keep congress fully abreast of new orders. Capitol Hill has been grumbling sotto voce for several weeks over reports of confusion and conflict in the military departments. Whatev er the cause, heavy defense equip ment is not yet being produced in any considerable quantity. This sp plies particularly to long-range guns for the coast artillery, heavy naval guns, land tanks, and long-range bombing planes. Congress is de termined to And the bottleneck. One course of friction has been located in the procurement division of the treasury department, which long has been the general purchas ing agency for the government Secretary Morgenthau feels his de partment should continue to place the contracts. On the other hand, the army and the navy insist they should place their own orders for highly specialized equipment. Third, the new defense commission feel they should place all orders for equipment not heretofore purchased by the government. In this scramble many orders are falling between the three contend- I ing authorities, or being delayql by I departmental red-tape. Secretary Morgenthau has in formed congress that out of the $14,000,000,000 now available for de fense, not more than $6,000,000,000 could be spent by July 1, 1041, un der the present schedule of buying. ? ? ? American industry has msde ev ery effort to get the preparedness wheels turning. Thousands at man ufacturers have come to Washing ton at their own expense to offer their plants to the government. Some have returned home without having conferred with the official sought. Confusion prevails in the purchasing agencies, due to conflicts at authority under the hastily writ ten emergency legislation. The de fense commission is now appealing to business managers not to come to Washington, but to wait until they receive Inquiries by mail. ? ? ? President Roosevelt has taken di rect personal charge of the entire defense program. Although heavily burdened by acute problems in for eign relations, and a multitude at pressing domestic Issues, Mr. Roose velt wants to give personal approv al at every major contract for de fense equipment His long experi ence as assistant secretary at the navy equipped him with special technical knowledge of fighting sea craft He is not equally familiar with modern airplanes and army equipment The whole system at military aviation fat the modern sense, has developed since Mr. Roosevelt left the navy department fat 1911. Giant tanks and motorized army units likewise are a recant development. Delicate technical problem# are involved in all this modem equipment Some military experts have cautiously expressed the opinion that President Rooeevelt should net undertake to deal per sonaRy with all these complex tech nical problems. But their sense of loyalty and patriotism restrains ell public criticism at the coounander tn-chief. Opposition to compulsory military eeietua in peace times is rising in many sections of the country. The oougreerkriel mail indicates that anti-conscription sentiment is based largely on the general knowledge that supplies, material and equip ment are not yet available for a conscript army. Many critics insist that volun tary enlistments should be given a trial, at least to the point at which surplus military equipment will be available over and above that need ed for the present standing army and National Guard. The wave of anti-conscription mail is making a deep impression upon congressional sentiment What pur pose will be served by registering 12,000,000 young men for compulsory military service when there is no field equipment available for even 750,000 men? So runs the cloak room discussion on Capitol Hill. Much opposition to conscription is based upon the fact that compulsory military service has been a favored device of the European dictators. In ordinary times this hardly would be a valid argument against conscription in the United States. But these are not ordinary times. During the last seven years vast discretionary powers have been del egated to the President by congress. For the most part these powers are all dormant for the time being. But they may be called to active use by a mere presidential proclama tion. ? ? ? They Call It POLITICS By CARTER FIELD (Ball Syndicate?WNU Sarrica.) WASHINGTON.?The question is repeatedly asked: "Does the Presi dent know something be cannot tellT" Meaning, of course, whether Mr. Roosevelt knows of some specif ic threat to the United States which is responsible for the feverish activ ity to get this country "prepared." Certainly the President has had a lot of reports which he has not stat ed publicly. For instance, it was the conviction of the Military intelligence of the U. S. army up to about a month [ ago that the Germans would win the "Battle of Britain" and would win it within "four weeks" from the time the Nazis started. Since then Military intelligence has revised its views sharply. The revision has been due to two factors. One is that the British air fighting ; has surprised the world. For a con siderable period of time, AFTER the French collapse and carrying through to the last reports as this is written, the British had been losing only about one plane to four for the Germans. This is not enough to whittle the Germans "down to size," or to give the British a sporting chance against the Nazi air armadas. But it has changed the picture tremen dously so for as any opinions as to a "four-week conquest" are con cerned. Naturally this "information," at the time it was believed by Military intelligence, was not made public. It was based on what the army of ficers regarded as the best reports > available?from their own observers abroad?but after all it was merely opinion, convincing as it might be to the army. Naturally also, this prediction was reported to the Pres- j ident, and naturally it alarmed him, especially as it so happens that most of the predictions which Military intelligence bad made as to earlier features at the war were amazingly accurate. The President has also heard , some gloomy forecasts from a cer tain naval source. The real point of all this is that the President was more pessimistic, and hence more convinced of the necessity of SPEEDY preparedness on the part of this country, than he had the right to explain to the country. Why, it might be asked, should a forecast of quick British defeat have worried the President so far as THIS country is concerned. Because the President is much worried about what the Nazis will do if they conquer Britain. For in stance, there Is the Caribbean, where a victorious Germany might attempt to seize possessions of the conquered, possessions which would make magnificent air bases for eventual attack on the Panama canal or the U. 8. itself. For in stance, in some Latin American countries there are tremendqus Ger man and Italian populations. SPEAKING OF SPORTS By ROBERT McSHANE ! M.W ibr W?mH? M?a|nrUrfo? NICK ALTBOCK XJICK ALTROCK, baseball'! fun ^ ' ny man who has delighted gen erations of fans, didn't become one of the game's supreme jesters strict ly through choice. Until a June day of 1912 in Cleve land, Nick was a mere pitcher?a good one, but nothing more. In the years that went before he had es tablished himself as an idol of Chi cago's South Side by his pitching feats for the "Hitless Wonders." During 1906 he led all the Sox pitch ers in winning the pennant. He won 20 victories that year as com pared with Doc White's 18 and Ed Walsh's 17. In the World Series with t)ie Cubs he beat Mordecai Brown in the opening game, 2 to 1. But back to that June day in 1912. Nick had been traded to Washing ton in 1909. Washington shipped him to Minneapolis, then to Kansas City. He was finally brought back to Washington as a relief hurler. It was during a game with Cleveland, when Washington was trailing 2 to 0, that Clark Griffith looked at Nick and asked: "What in the world did I ever hire you for?" The Fateful Answer Nick figured the question wasn't at all unreasonable, but he yelled baek at Griffith: "Just pot me out en that third base coaching box and you'll find out." Griffith followed Nick's sugges tion. Gregg, the Cleveland pitcher, walked the first man, and that's when Altrock, The Clown, was born. He went into a phantom boxing act that convulsed fans and players of both teams. Even Gregg, the op posing moundsman, was getting a real belly laugh. To make It short, the Washlng tonlans picked up four runs that tuning and when Nick got baek to the beach, Griffith decided that his early-game question had been an swered. He bad hired Altrock to bo There were plenty of squawks when Nick first started his funny stuff. Howls of protest were heard from managers. One sports writer luggested that u Altrock intended to make a three-ring clrcui out of base ball be might well (pread sawdust over the infield. Ban Johnson was league president then. Enough protests cams his way to make a command perform ance necessary. Ban, a big, slow moving individual, laughed heartily at Altrock's clowning and told him to keep It up. No Regrets for Nick Tbsegb it was aae at those spar of the mam sat remarks that resett ed la Nick's new profession, he never regretted it. He has feud rich pick Though bo hasa't*pitched compete lively since IP1S, yet year after year he has beM dawn a high-salaried big leagae Jab. He has tilaeaad h easterners. Ho has supplemented Us interne by vaadevflla appear ances and through writing a ayadi No, Nick hasn't any regrets. He started his career at Grand Rapids where, after winning 17 out of IP games, he was sold to Louisville for 1300 From there he went to the National league where the hlgheet salary was 0,400. Finally be got with the White Soot, strictly as a pitcher. Hie only friv olous moments came whan he stepped in at first base to cut a few capers during infield practice. Then came that fateful day In June of IMS. After ilswntog for <he past ? years Nick saa aCerd ta spend hie winters in Ftorida, geldng and fhh tag. Ha probably weald he spend ing Us winters hi an sltogsthai dif ferent faahtan If Clark GriMth hadn't grown a l?^ttogmted^dnrfa?g gthal Why should Nick have any re grets f General HUGH S. johnson sfiwr: mmnm M mn>9mm Wuhtnyty, P. C. THIS MAN wnxm Three days of observatioa of Wen dell Willkie have been eye-openers to me?well as 1 thought I knew him. This column isn't ?fa* to make the mistake it made in 1938 and take a strong partisan position. But it feels a certain sense of re sponsibility for insisting on the avail ability at this man for almost two years and getting a good many rasp berries for its alleged "goodness." The "eye-opener" was this gay's sturdy independence. I think he is another, but a pleasanter, Qrover Cleveland. I sensed, and sometimes saw, the slruugest kinds of pulls and pressures applied to him in these few days. Some of them were from the mightiest of political lead ers. Others were of the modern telegraph-barrage variety?"Speak ing for 8,000,000 farmers, we urge"; "Speaking for 21,000,000 Catholics, we demand"; "As representative of 13,000,000 Negroes we ask"; "If you won't do so-and-so, you arill lose New York state and the whole Atlantic seaboard." The candidate answers genially and courteously. He checks facts from every source he can command He continues to pursue the even tenor of his way and thought with a smiling urbanity that seems a mira cle to me. I know only one other man who could take such pushing, pulling and pawing with as much good nature, as little disturbance of his convictions and as little loos of sleep. His name is Franklin Hoops velk I do not for a moment mean te suggest that Wendell Willkie is a stubborn dogmatist. He is fust the reverse of that He has tha usual business habit of putting 19 an alert defensive to toy prcift nhisl soles talk. But ha also uses the efficient business man's practice of overlook ing no promising "proposition" sod of getting every fact and expert opinion available before he derMra There has been a good deal of spec ulation about why I went to Colorado Springs. Mr. Willkie asked ma to come to give my opinion on cer tain aspects of the farm, labor and defense problems, with all of which I have had some experience and have expressed strong views. Well, ha winnowed whatever brains I have with a tine-tooth comb, so far as I know amoptod nothing, put up aa able and well Inhumed debate as I have yet innaartmad and left me in complete Ignorance mm Lie Mm ml *0 IV Ilia iuioi juufiucuk. To me, ?n thie eeeme ? goad sign. The greatest blunder in a recent government haa been, I think, a sort of trout-like snapping at and swallowing whole at any attractive brainstorm, with little er no attempt to get an objective analysis or bear any worthwhile contrary opinion. Of one thing I am sure. Nobody is going to shove this ?*"ggr Hoosier around, sell biro any gold bricks or push him off of any important moral position, for the sake of any expedi ent political advantage, 'Die latter has, to my knowledge, been vainly attempted with dire threats of de feat if Wiinrie did not instantly knuckle. He just laughed. He has another quality of franklin Roosevelt Nobody rejected ever goes away mad. But while (ha Pres ident accomplishes this by saying, "Yes, yes, yes?yon are perfectly right," and then acts just as he pleases; l(r. WiUkie somehow man ages to keep them cheerful with something like; "Yours received and contents noted. I will study It care fully. Just now it looks k**y"?or "attractive," as the case may be. I still say he would be a groat President. ess THOSE as DESTKOYKM NEW YORK.?The tight to sell SO of our destroyers to Britain is lad by the two whirling denlshes at the third-term assault an American tradition?the glamorous Senators Josh let and Claude Popper. Bach has a right to be as fanatical as ho pleases as Pepper Is tor Old Doc Townoend's cruel deceit at the eged; as Josh is for the uncompen sated confiscation at |aupei(y. Both schemes would wreck Bsgmd , repair the economic strength of tMfbi country in a time at great dangdRTw During our Clvfl war. Groat Brijlig sin permitted swift Confederals ij commerce destroyers to bo fitted out *> in British ports, lhay gave the final push to our once-supreme merchant marine a blow from which h never recovered. Our protests continued for years. The British finally ad mitted that fbr this sort of (Regal participation in undercover War, the offending country da responsible kt damages for every lorn its unlawful act has imposed.
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 29, 1940, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75