the Alamance Gleaner
VoL LXVI GRAHAM, N. C? THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1940 No. 82
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS By Edward C. Wayne
King Carol D of Rumania Abdicates
As Fascist Iron Guard Effects Coup;
House Votes 60-Day Volunteer Plan
Before Launching of Peacetime Draft
(EDITOR'S NOTE?When opinions are expresses tn these columns, they
are those of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.)
a by Western Newspaper TTwi#m )mm
BALKANS:
Coup
Shots fired at the palace of King
Carol of Rumania followed anxious
days in the Balkans, during which
Rumania accepted a Bcrlin-Rtune
dictated agreement transferrag
part of Transylvania to Hungary.
Included in the agreement was a
guarantee to Rumania by .Germany
that its shrunken borders would be
guaranteed against further demands
by anyone. With a "Who, me?" ex
pression, Soviet Russia looked over
the fence from Bessarabia and
Northern Bukovina, which it earlier
had seized from Rumania.
Even this did not satisfy the king's
enemies. Two days later King Carol
II announced the appointment of
Gen. Ion Antonescu as the new mili
tary dictator of the country. Carol
retained only a few unimportant
governmental tasks.
But still crowds of angry rioters
shouted in the public square around
the Rumanian palace and the politi
cal "outs" clamored for more
changes. Finally it was announced
that King Carol had abdicated. Step
ping down from the throne he was
succeeded by his son Michael, 18
years of age, who once before ruled
his nation as "the boy king" when
his father renounced the right to the
throne in 1925.
The coup against Carol was by
Fascists who sought to take over
Rumania at once and liquidate the
entire situation.
M-DAY:
Men
Effects of the war will be brought
to hundreds of thousands of Amer
ican homes this month. For the first
time in U. S. peace time history
young men will be called from their
Jobs and schools to serve at least
one year in the nation's military
farces.
First is the National Guard, 80,500
officers and men from 26 states be
ing the initial cadre going on active
service beginning September 16.
Later more will be called until 250,
000 are in the field.
Meanwhile 11,000,000 will have
registered under the conscription
measure. Once set up, the draft
machinery will turn fast. First call
will be for a gradual enlistment of
400,000. An additional 500,000 will
follow before spring.
A few days after the senate had
approved the Burke-Wadsworth bill
which would call up these first U. S.
peacetime conscripts, ^he house of
r-wr1 -tives tacked an ansend
. irs-mtbt i* .
Bare is a km typical of armories
throughout the nation at ilia national
peart prepares far mobilisation. Thit
picture teat taken in the rifle ream of
the 244th coast artillery armory, Nrsc
York Mfiml guard as soldiers cheeked
amor steepens at ease of the first slope in
arrangements to answer their "all la
arm*.
ment to the bill which provided that
voluntary enlistments be liven a 60
day trial before the draft was begun.
Under the terms of this amendment,
if the army's quota was not filled
within 60 days the draft would auto
- matically go into effect to make-up
the difference between enlistments
and the required number of soldiers.
Thus the bill was shuttled back to
the senate for consideration of this
amendment.
Barracks
To get these men into the canton
ments the President also acted with
out waiting for congress. Some
months ago he was given $690,006,000
to be used at his own discretion.
He set $25,000,000 of this aside for
construction of water mains, bath
houses, kitchens, drainage systems,
gas and electrical lines. Erection
of wooden barracks must wait con
gressional appropriation.
Sixteen camps were built during
the World war. Most of these have
been dismantled but the govern
ment still owns the land. If the
same sites are selected, new bar
racks will be built at Camp Devens
at Ayer, Mass.; Camp Upton, Yap
hank, L. I.; Camp Dix, Wrightson,
N. J.; Camp Meade, Annapolis
Junction, Md.; Camp Lee, Peters
burg, Va.; Camp Jackson, Colum
bia, S. C.; Camp Gordon, Atlanta;
Camp Sherman, Chillicothe, Ohio;
Camp Taylor, Louisville, Ky.; Camp
Custer, Battle Creek, Mich.; Camp
Grant, Rockford, 111.; Camp Pike,
Little Rock, Ark.; Camp Dodge,
Des Moirjes, Iowa; Camp Funston,
Fort Riley, Kan.; Camp Travis,
Fort Sam Houston, Texas; and
Camp Lewis, American Lake, Wash.
Munitions
In some lines of equipment, where
sufficient material cannot be con
structed by existing industry, the
government will build its own fac
tories or lend money to private firms
to expand. v
With an eye to safety, however,
none of these new facilities will be
erected within 250 miles of an ocean
or foreign border. This may devel
op a shift in the nation's industrial
life.
HISTORY:
War Swap
In an agreement declared to be
the most momentous in American
history since the Louisiana Pur
chase, the United States traded war
ATTORNEY GENERAL JACKSON
Hit opinion "wrii it UgoL"
ship* to Great Britain for Western
hemisphere air arid naval basics.
To the U. S. came:
Ninety-nine-year leases in New
foundland, Bermuda, the Bahamas,
Jamaica, St. Lucia, Trinidad, Anti
gua, and British Guiana.
Promise that if Britain loses the
war it will not turn its fleet over to
Germany, nqr scuttle it.
To Britain goes:
Fifty old-age destroyers, of which
we have 133.
From a strategic and financial
standpoint it was an excellent deal
for the United States. The small
est base, at Antigua, one of the Lee
ward islands in the Caribbean, is
considered worth more than the
entire cost of the destroyers. Total
worth of the bases is estimated at
about half the cost of the entire
United States navy. From the naval
view, the trade gives America a
line at fortifications unparalleled in
protecting the Panama canal, the
Gulf and the Atlantic coasts. De
pendence of the British navy means
America's one-oceSh navy can be
kept in the Pacific.
More important than the material
aspects are those of prestige. The
trade served notice on the world
that America will not see Great
Britain go down under the blows
of a dictator. Spain. Turkey, the
wavering French colonies, even Rus
sia will be impressed. So will
Japan. Latin America will feel the
Act of Havana implemented.
Reaction at Home
Congress was given no part in
the negotiations. President Roose
velt notified them merely of the
accomplished fact, and cited legal
opinions from Attorney General
Jackson upholding his power to
make the deal.
While there was general accept
ance that the United States defense
position had been greatly advanced,
the President's methods are due to
be given a raking criticism.
TREND
. . . how the wind
is blowing . . .
Bosinesv-New York will inherit
from Amsterdam the title of world's
diamond market, said Sir Ernest
Oppenheimer, chairman of two cor
porations which control 95 per cent
of the world's production.
Canada?If Britain is forced to
evacuate London as its capital, the
government will move to Toronto,
not Ottawa. Quarters already have
been selected for the royal family.
Banks?Treasury officials alarmed
at an increase in hoarding among
individuals, are urging banks to pro
hibit large withdrawals where the
need for the money is not clear.
POLITICS:
Issues Appear
Whether the government shall be
given power to seize industries
where owners refuse contracts for
national defense production may
turn into one of the major issues of
the campaign. A clause to that ef
fect, introduced by Senator Russell
(D., Ga.) was included in the con
scription bill before it passed the
senate. Opposition developed in the
SENATOR RUSSELL
Mr. filftirAA'l liks his smtiuimmi.
house which has a less drastic idea.
Final decision may be reached by
conferees.
Wendell L. Willkie, G. O. P. presi
dential nominee, denounced the Rus
sell amendment less than 24 hours
after its enactment. He said it was
a move to "socialize and sovietize"
industry. "If our enterprises and
assets are to be taken over by the
government," he asked, "what are
we to defend?"
He also called upon the President
to name a coordinator of national
defense with full executive power to
handle the nation's $11,000,000 arms
program. Such a move, he said,
was advocated in the 1939 report
of the national resources board.
Answer came quickly in the sen
ate, where it was pointed out that
10 Republicans were among the <9
senators who favored "industrial
draft." Senator Russell said Willkie
was willing to conscript lives and
careers of young men but not
wealth.
WHEAT:
World Crop
The bureau of agricultural eco
nomics said indications are that
about the same wheat acreage will
be planted for 1941 harvest as was
seeded for the 1940 harvest.- There
were $2,000,000 acres allotted for
seeding for the 1941 crop under the
Agricultural Adjustment act, the
same as for the 1940 crop.
The bureau estimated that 1941
production will total about 790,000,
000 bushels and leave about 10,000,.
000 bushels for export or addition to
carry over. The total carryover
would accordingly be about 300,000,
000 bushels at the close of the 1941
42 season.
World acreage, exclusive of Soviet
Russia and China, the bureau said,
is expected to remain approximate
ly the 279,000,000 acres harvested in
1939. The bureau said that world
wheat supplies, exclusive of Soviet
Russia and China, for the year be
ginning July 1, 1940, may be about
100.000,000 to 190,000,000 bushels
smaller than a year ago when they
totaled 9,449,000,000 bushels, the
largest stock on record.
MISCELLANY:
Healthiest Baby
C Sharon Ray Coon, "whose parents
are on direct relief, was named the
state's healhtiest baby at the Iowa
state fair at Des Moines. Doctors
gave Her 99.4 points, the highest on
record.
C South Carolina Democrats in a
primary election indicated their
preference for prohibition's return.
The score was: For legal liquor sale,
1S2.M0; against legal sale, 110J94.
/ .1
Washington Digest
Germany Holds Japan in Check;
British Approach Nazi Airpower
German Air Losses Are High; Harold Icke's Showing on
'Information Please' Program Annoys
Senator Carter Glass.
By CASTES FIELD
.fUlnaed by Western Newepeper Union.)
WASHINGTON.?There is no way
of confirming, either in Washington,
in Berlin, or in Tokyo, the most in
teresting report that comes out of
China?that Hitler has refused his
permission to Japan to grab French
Indo-China and the Dutch East In
dies. Hie general idea of the re
port is that Hitler is unwilling to
permit Japan to seize such a large
percentage of the fruits of his vic
tory over France and Holland, in
view of the fact that Nippon has
contributed so little to the Nazi ef
fort.
The report further states that,
some time back, when the Germans
approached Japapn about sending
her navy to join those of Italy and
Germany, with a view to annihilat
ing the British fleet, the Japanese
preferred watchful waiting. Now,
the report goes on, the Nazis feel
that they have victory within their
grasp without calling on Japan, and
they do not propose to see Japan
make the same sort of territorial
profit, only on a much larger scale,
that sfie spade from the last World
. i, ., , m, ,| , - . - ???
CARTER GLASS
war. That time, also, the Germans
remember bitterly, Japan paid a
very small price in military effort
tor her tains.
But while the report, for obvious
reasons, cannot be confirmed, there
is an inclination in official circles
here to accept it at almost face
value. It is too logical to be utterly
untrue.
Further, there is another reason
why the Germans might view with
alarm Japanese aggression in the
Dutch East Indies. They remem
ber the amazement with which the
whole world heard the sharp caution
of Secretary of State COrdell Hull
that thia country would be much
disturbed at any change in owner
ship of the Dutch East Indies.
Berlin Distrust* (I. 5.
Defense Preparations
At first blush it might seem that,
if the Germans are worried about
the possibility of the United States
getting into the war, they might wel
come a diversion in the Far East
calculated to keep Uncle Sam very
busy until the war in Europe is over.
This, of course, might be the Ger
man reasoning, but it is not thought
here that it is. Berlin is extremely
distrustful of every move Washing
ton is making toward preparedness.
There are indications that the Nazis
do not want the United States on a
war basis, entirely aside from any
fear that this country might actual
ly enter the European war.
The administration in Washington,
of course, believes that Hitler in
tends activities in Latin America
after be has won the Battle of Brit
ain, but that he has always calcu
lated that pacifist sentiment in the
United States would prevent this
country from being able to do any
thing to stop him before it was too
late.
All of this seems far afield from
the Dutch East Indies, but the Nazis
know that once in the war, even if
it wars against Japan alone and
not directed primarily at Europe,
it would be a very easy step for
this country to go all the way.
German Pilots Suffer
Pram Insufficient Training
One of the reasons why the Brit
ish have been able to bring down
such a heavy toll of Nazi fliers in
proportion to their own loss of air
. ? V .
vSm-Zs*'. M r- 35 Is <
places, according to Capt. Harold H.
Balfour, British undersecretary for
air, is that the Nazis have been send
ing aviators into battle without suf
ficient training. Another is that the
British fighting planes are very
much superior to any of the various
German types. Still a third, when
it comes to big aircraft, according
to Captain Balfour, is that the Ger
mans cramp their crews, and actual
ly interfere with their effectiveness,
in order to have the individual men
close together physically. This is
thought necessary by the Germans
in order that the physical closeness
may aid in maintaining morale in
emergencies.
Germany has been prodigiously
wasteful of the lives of her aviators,
Captain Balfour thinks, sending
them out not only with insufficient
'training, but with inadequate infor
mation as to the objectives. Brit
ain's "luck" in losing so few bomb
ing planes attacking objectives in
Germany and along the channel, he
thinks, is due to infinitely better
training, superior planes, and moat
important of all, that the training ;
permitted night instead of day raid
ing.
In fact, Captain Balfour ia highly
optimistic about eventual victory,
this largely because of some inher
ent weakness in the direction at the
Nazi air force. With every passing
day, he says, the only superiority
the Germans have, of numbers, is
being decreased.
Whether Captain Balfour's reasons
are accurate or not, and there is no
obvious flaw in them, it is apparent
that, despite German official claims,
the Germans are losing a very heavy
percentage of the planes they send
out to "pulverize" England, and so
far, according to U. S. official
sources of information, the damage
has not been important from a mili
tary standpoint, horrifying as it may
be from the humanitarian aspect.
Harold Icket Appoart
On 'Information Please'
Sen. Carter Glass, despite his Aery
temper and the ease with which it
can be aroused, has never commit
ted murder. This is a record, con
aiaermg nu u years, wrncn nis
friends commend very highly, in
view of the number of times they
were unable to understand how he
was able to restrain himself.
But the old man is getting soft,
or perhaps it is the mellowing influ
ence of his honeymoon, for Harold
L. I ekes is still alive as this ia writ
ten. The point of aO this is that, in
an effort to demonstrate to the coun
try that making a showing on the
"Information Please" radio hour is
not much of a stunt, and that folks
are attaching entirely too much im
portance to the showing Wendell L.
Winkie made over the air and in the
news-reels in his unrehearsed per
formance as co-star with John Kier
an and F. P. A.
So Honest Harold appeared, with
the two stars just mentioned and
Kenneth P. Simpson, the New York
Republican leader, as a fellow guest.
It Is tough to admit but Ickes did
not show dp very well, and in his
polite but misguided efforts to help
the prominent New Dealer out, Clif
ton Fadiman, the interlocutor, did
not help things any.
The question was in the adminis
tration at what' President the fed
eral reserve act was passed. Ickes
had his hand up right away, and, un
fortunately for the feelings of Sena
tor Glass, Fadiman ignored John
Kieran, who KNEW, and called on
the secretary of the interior. Ickes
promptly said this happened in the
Harding administration.
In the roundtable discission which
followed it appeared that both Fadi
man and Ickes seemed to have got
ten the notion that Wilson followed
Harding in (he White House, instead
of the other way round. Stage fright,
probably, on Ickes' part, for he cer
tainly knew better.
But the trouble about Senatoi
Glass' reaction is that, of all the
things be has done in his long and
useful life, the one he is proudest
of is that he fathered the federal
reserve act. It was he who was
chairman of the house banking and
currency committee at the time of
its passage, and his colleagues is
both house and senate have always
given him more credit than any
other man for piloting it through
not only the house of representa
tives, but through the conference
committee which adjusted the dif
ferences in details of the bills as
they passed the house and senate.
SPEAKING OF
SPORTS
Br ROBERT McSHANE
III itbrWlOl iHnuinittW.
f\NE of the least known manager*
^ m big league baseball is Del
Baker, who two years ago succeed
ed Mickey Cochrane as manager of
the Detroit Tigers. The spotlight
focused on him only once?when he
took over Cochrane'* Job in a sur
prise move. Since thai he has re
mained in the background.
Baker's aneuymity is annsaal.
Early this season the Tiger* were
rated as the team to grab the Amer
ica* league pennant providing the
Yankees failed to snap not of their
slam p. Even then Del didn't get the
publicity one would expect.
It is true that he is not accus
tomed to the headlines. He spent
most of his playing days in the
minors. When he served as aide to
Cochrane he was almost eclipsed
by that colorful individual's person
ality. But he did his work well and
proved a valuable asset to the team.
That was proved when he was
named to replace Black Mike.
Popular With Players
Visitors to the Tigers' dngont
probably don't notice Baker. They
watch Dick Bartell, Bebo Newsom,
Hank Green berg and the other stel
lar attractions of the clnb. All of
which seems to please Baker Just
as much as It does the more brightly
shining stars.
The Detroit ball players like and
respect Baker. They favored his
selection as manager. Things
weren't running very smoothly with
DEL BAKER
the club when he took over. Coch
rane and hU men weren't always on
the best of terms and a great many
of the stories concerning dugout
and club house conflicts were true.
Baker's calmness and cool Judg
ment appealed to the players. He
was in direct contrast to the excita
ble Cochrane The Tigers' slump
was checked and they rone from
the second division to fourth place,
in which position they finished the
season. Last year the Tigers fin
ished fifth. This was Do reflection
on Baker as many of the players
were slipping. In tact, fifth place
wasn't at all bad The Tigers had
been in last place during one stretch.
Shifts Draw Fire
seas?tlBake'" eax'iaeerecTa trade af
BUI Retell to the Chtoage Cabs for
Diek RarteU. He assigned big Hank
Green berg to tbe latflsH aad Redy
Yecfc to flrst base. Re was ertti
eveats peeved bis terseight.
The Tigers do not look like pen
nant winners this year. Their pitch
ing is too spotty and their defense
a bit too loose. Beset an year with
injuries, they were forced to func
tion too long without the services of
Charley Gehringer, veteran sacood
baseman. Pinky Higgins, third base
man, was out for several weeks with
something that resembled the
mumps, Dick Barton and Buck New
born were both incapacitated and
Pitcher Tommy Bridges picks up a
blister on his pitching Anger every
now and then.
Baker still thinks the Tigers eau
cap tbe peaasat If they gat a 'lew
geed breaks." Opinion is by as
a Detroit victory would be aniver
saUy popular.
And baseball fans then could lean
a little more about this man Baker.
Surprise Move
J IK TERRIER, champion golfer of
Australia, still must And himself
somewhat baffled by a recent edict
of the United States Golf amocia
tion.
Terrier, who has been in this coun
try tor six months, was threatening
to carry tbe national amateur cham
pionship back to his native sod. He
was a ranking favorite to win the
Mamaroneck. N. Y., tournament,
having previously captured the Chi
cago Open, the St. Paul Open and
the Milwaukee Open.
Then, as a surprise um, toe C.
8. G. A. decreed that he was guilty
sf a rates tufraettou by wrttteg "ta
straettaual gstf" tor a bask pub
lished to AastraUa.
General
HUGHS.
M^OjOHNSON
HI Jcu/r:
DRAFT HUff BE OJUN
NEW YORK.?In ? nutter in
which you have given your heart,
especially when you were very
young, you are likely to take your
self too seriously. Maybe I am do
i ing that about selective service.
But oo that subject I feel sometimes
the agony that David Warftoid made
so clear to everybody in 'Die Re
turn of Peter Grimm."
You remember that the gentle old
florist had left some advice and di
rections to his children before he
passed into the realms of infinite
knowledge.
There he learned the tragic error
of those bequests. In the effort of
his disembodied spirit to come back
and avert disaster he suffered be
cause, although he could mingle un
seen with his beloved, he couldn't
get his message to their ears. I
think two of the most poignant
words I have ever heard an our
stage are his unnoted cry of an
guish, "Hear me!"
I feel a little that way about the,
Burke-Wadswortfa selective service
bill. As I have written before, it
m?ksii the selection
and deferment of men a matter of
personalised executive dial idia
There is something of a technical
ity here, but it is not an iwiknpor
tant one. It ia at the very beast
of the democracy and public con
fidence and success hi this effort.
The bill as written, sad even as
amended by the senate, does not
. repose in the exclusive and inrru
trolled Jurisdiction of the ?Llia.ltaa
service boards the siianhdn and
final decisions as to which men sfaal
be taken for military service and
which shall be selected for Ulibra
service. That could convert the
whole effort from a perfect use ad
our democratic iinliiidlMi of local
pen of favoritism, influence and per
haps of political patronage and pses
I aura.
Now I know that this is the wish
at neither the Pueidint, nor Mr.
WQIkie, nor say member at con
gress or politician with toflumea fa
this effort. One of the moot kiaprr
ing thing* about this bftdatua
I is the effort on all aides to take ?
out of politics. I know that Mr.
Roosevelt wants to keep f dean.
I know that, apart from the w
doubted patriotism at this wish. It
I could ruin any administration or oar
politician not to keep it dean. This
I legislation win, sooner or later, at
I fed, directly or indirectly, and,
much or little, every home and fans
I ity in this country in the moat aucred
I of relations. It can't have even 8m
color of unfairness or favor.
This understandable oversight la ?
simple result of the slap-dash faab
I ion in which this bin was pat ta
I gather. There are othar errors
I clearly revealed by experience.
I They can bs cut reeled later witfaad
great harm. This one can't.
I called this fatal oversight la the
attention at some aenatosa who
seemed to sense Us importance
without argument. An a kanff
? reported In the fries from the ho?
committee, at least as reported,
I does not cure the fault
nobody else*gives attention to this
I grave error, I hope the President
I himself win do so. I sometimes an*
pect that ha does net altogether en
thusiastically approve of same of
I the issues in this column. On Mb
particular subject, however, I ana
sura that ha concertos its toformn
I tion, experience and hto intense
common purpose with even this cd
imnist, no matter hoar far he
speaks, de profunda, from the of
ficial dog house. It to an essential
matter of national defense.
I ...
PRODUCTION PROBLEM
NEW YORK.?The delay about
retting the armament program go- *
ing and this dangerous ta? about ito
I dustrialists hangtog buck on ac
cepting contracts because they
? want exorbitant profits is ahnoat
wholly due to bad planning of fa
I offset fat the beginning and bad or
ganisation and direction at R now.
This business at contracting to
make an absolutely new unit?IBs a ,
tank?is a fearful and mtricxde
thing. Laying out a production plan
for a standard type at autoroohOR
for example ia duck soup to com- .
periaon.
In the latter esse you can figure
very closely on the cost of those ,
parts of the final assembly that you
win not make yourself, but buy too*
perhaps as many as JOO suppliers.
You can figure that because those
parts are near enough to standard
for the manufacturer at them to
know and tell you to the fraction of
a cent the price you must figure to )
your coat.