The Alamance Gleaner
Vol LXVII - GRAHAM, N. C? THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 1941 No. 27
' 1
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS By Edward C. Wayne
Soviet Claims Strong Counter-Attacks
Stall German Drive in Three Sectors;
Japan Feels Weight of 'Crack Down';
British Get Invasion Threat Warning
(EDITOR'S NOTE?Whan eplniens are exprtued la thtM ??lamas, ttty
?re these ef the news analyst ami not necessarily ef this newspa??r.)
i (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) i
SOMEWHEREIN-ENGLAN'D?A four-motored Consolidated "Libera
tor," Just received from the United States, is shown in flight over England.
It was flown across the Atlantic by a crew composed of Americans, Cana
dians and English, and made the crossing in just over eight hours, accord
ing to the British. These ships have a wonderful record of service with
the R. A. F.
NAZIS: .
Real Trouble
Claims by the Russians that they
had not only stopped the Nazis
along the entire 1,000-mile front, but
that they had taken the offensive at
points, asserting penetrations as
deep as 100 miles had been made,
featured the Russo-German war
news.
There were many observers who
believed the Russian claims to be
fairly accurate, pointing at many
admissions from Berlin tending to
show that the high command was
dissatisfied with the progress being
made.
This diss&tisfaction was expressed
in complaints against the difficulty
of the terrain, the bad character of
the Russian roads, and the strong
resistance of the Russian troops.
Using these statements as at least
an explanation and a background
for belief in the general failure of
the German offensive, observers
sought to find the answer in Rus
sian tactics and Russian prepared
ness.
They pointed out that in the last
war, Russia had an army of about
800,000, poorly mobilized, well-led
but not enthusiastic for fighting.
This force was hurled into the east
ern battlefield without good prepara
tion, ran into highly trained oppo
sition and was defeated bit by bit.
This time, apparently, the general
Russi&n plan was to place a good
sized portion of the huge army on
the long front, fight a series of rear
guard and testing actions to dis
cover where the main Nazi punch
would be directed, and to keep the
most excellent forces in reserve.
The German drive apparently was
hitting in three general directions,
Leningrad, Kiev and Moscow, with
the heaviest attack in the center,
with Smolensk the focal point.
It wks around Smolensk that the
severest fighting occurred, and it
was there that the German effort
bogged down most seriously. For
better "than two weeks there was no
real report of advance, and finally
came the Moscow claims that the
Germans had been hurled out of
their trenches and were gradually
giving way.
BRITISH:
V ieiv of Scene
Churchill, expressing the British
viewpoint of the Russian scene of
action, saw in it a German failure
to execute a complete blitzkrieg, but
warned that Britain was dealing
"with a dangerous maniac" and
claimed that the Nazis, failing
against Russia, were thinking of
turning to a British invasion at
tempt.
Demanding that the defenders of
the islands get themselves "into
concert pitch" by September 1, the
British leader seemed to attach es
pecial import to that date, a war an
niversary for Hitler.
Churchill did not boldly announce
that the British had definite infor
mation of a planned invasion at
tempt, but the British viewpoint evi
dently was that the Russian defeat
or victory would not necessarily
settle the war.
The final scene of the war, it was
plain the British thought, would be
fought in the west, either on British
soil in repelling the invader, or in
a British reinvasion of the conti
nent
GASOLINE:
Curtailment
Gasoline consumption under man
datory control, with a view to re
ducing the volume of eastern states'
demand to meet the oil transpor
tation shortage moved a step nearer
when Secretary of the Interior Ickes
recommended that more than
100,000 service stations in eastern
states close from 7 p. nt. to 7 a. m.
every night in the week.
This was the first direct move on
the part of the government to limit
sales of gasoline. Rationing may
follow, it was indicated by some
sources.
Ickes said be was continuing his
appeal for a voluntary one-third cut
in consumption, hoping that the
station - closing recommendation,
"plus the voluntary curtailment will
be enough to put us across."
JAPAN:
A Winner?
The Japanese situation was highly
confusing to the lay mind, for the
invasion of French Indo-China, even
with the consent of Vichy, seemed
plainly an overt act, and one which
should merit the strongest possible
punishment from Britain and the
United States.
Indeed, this was the way it all
started out, with concerted action by
the U. S., Britain, Australia, Can
ada and the Dutch East Indies. How
ever, as the days went on and as the
Japanese continued to land military
forces in Indo-China, there began to
be dispatches indicating that the
adverse action would be much mild
er than had been anticipated.
In fact, British sources said that
oil shipments to Japan might contin
ue; the Dutch said they had not
"yet" abrogated their agreement
with Japan for 1,800,000 tons of oil
a year; Washington hinted that the
"appeasement oil" might continue
to go to Japan as long as she did
nothing more than invade Indo
China.
Yet there were some things on the
other side of the picture, because
other British high authorities said
"wait and see what happens" on
Japanese reprisals; the Dutch an
nounced that if the break came, Ja
pan need never expect to get East
Indian oil, for the Dutch had made
preparations to destroy all wells and
refineries instantly.
The question was whether Japan
was the winner or the loser by her
move into bido China, and there was
evidence on both sides.
NIPPON:
Behavior
U future action against Japan was
to depend on the behavior of the
Nipponese, there was little immedi
ate evidence that this behavior
would be mild.
Almost immediately there was a
serious "incident" when Japanese
bombers attacking Chungking
paused directly over the U. S. gun
boat Tutuila, part of the Yangtze
river patrol, and dropped some
bombs, which damaged the vessel,
though there were no casualties.
The ship was anchored in the so
called safety zone across the river
from the Chinese capital. One bomb,
according to a report from Shanghai,
fell only eight yards from the gun
boat, caving in a part of the ship's
stern and blowing some equipment
off the dock.
'So Sorry'
Lieut. Com. W. A. Bowert,
V. S. N., is in command of the
Gunboat V. S. S. Tutuila, which
was damaged by Japanese bombs
during an air raid on Chung
king, China. The Tutuila was
lying near the V. S. embassy at
Chungking when the bombing
occurred. No injuries to U. S.
seamen were reported. Before
an official protest could be made,
Japanese official apologized for
the incident.
U. S.:
Turning Tide
The frank statement by Secretary
of the Navy Knox that an American
destroyer in the Atlantic had
dropped three depth bombs when it
believed it was about to be attacked
by a submarine focused attention
on the "battle of the Atlantic."
It brought by Senator George the
statement that he believed the U. S.
naval patrol of the sea lanes as far
east as Iceland appeared to have
been of such assistance to Britain
that she was slowly gaining the up
per hand in the effort to keep the
ocean free for the passage of sup
plies.
At about the same time however,
Germany announced the sinking of
19 vessels in one convoy, totaling
116,000 tons. Yet the Nazis admitted
that the sinking was accomplished
only with the greatest difficulty.
The German dispatches, in de
scribing the . armed escort of the
patrol, admitted that there were
many armed ships, in fact, claimed
the sinking of one and the damag
ing of another.
Partly due to American interven
tion, Churchill told the commons,
the "battle in the Atlantic is mov
ing progressively in our favor," and
this sentiment was* quoted and
echoed by Senator George.
From the turn of events, however,
the senator drew the conclusion that
there would be no attempt at inva
sion of Britain this year. He cited
also the difficulty of the German
invasion of Russia as one of his
reasons.
In this premise of the Georgia
senator, however, Churchill hardly
seemed to agree.
HOPKINS:
To Moscow u
The flight of Harry Hopkins,
President Roosevelt's lend-lease ad
ministrator and personal represen
tative to warring capitals, caused
intense interest here, because it was
supposedly portending the sending
of lend-lease aid to Russia.
Hopkins was scheduled to confer
with Stalin in person, also to talk
with leaders such as Molotov, Lit
vinov and others.
His departure was a closely
guarded secret until he had arrived
safely, and indeed it was a danger
ous flight, as the Nazi warp lanes
were occasionally flying over Mos
cow. A
JOINT:
Tax Returns?
One of the most dubious pieces
of tax legislation found its central
fight to circle about whether or not
husbands and wives should be
forced to file joint returns.
Few prognosticators in Washing
ton could be found willing to bet
that the battle would end one way
or the other.
The tax bill came out of commit
tee with the joint returns manda
tory, but only after the stillest sort
of a fight, and with only the slight
est sort of margin in the committee
voting.
One of the first floor battles was
to get the administration leaders to
agree to open the matter for floor
discussion during debate, and in this
skirmish the foes of mandatory
joint returns won out
It was finally agreed that an
amendment srill be offered to re
move the mandatory joint return
clause, and that this may be debat
ed on the floor.
New U. S. Farm Policy
Aims at High Production
Latest Campaign Represents Definite Shift
From 'Plowing Under' Plan; Powder
Makers Need Cotton Linters.
By BAUKHAGE
National Farm and Home Hour Commentator.
WNU Service, 1343 H Street, N. W?
Washington, D. C.
"This year and next the farmer
is going places. There are certain
indications that he will continue to
see considerable new money: In
dications based on conditions that af
fect the farmers' general outlook
on life, as well as his cash income."
That statement did not come from
"official sources"?it didn't even
come from a farmer, although he
used to be one. It was made in
my office by square-cut, square
jawed Conklin ("Pop") Mann, an
editor and advertising man, keen
student of rural matters, and a long
time friend of mine. Mann was
down from New York, bursting with
enthusiasm for his favorite theme?
assured prosperity on the farm.
Mann believes that business has a
job ahead to interpret and readjust
its marketing to meet the sweeping
economic changes now takings place
in American agriculture.
The farmer is now becoming a far
more important factor in the dis
tribution of both consumable and
capital goods than ever before.
That rise in the farmers' economic
importance isn't just a matter of
great cash income, according to
Mann. It is due, rather, to the fact
that the farmer now has a sound
business platform under him and
can plan and work on a basis com
parable to any other business man.
"Farmers," says Mann, "are both
doing well and experiencing a new
sense of economic security because
of I?rity and guaranteed prices for
farm products. There is a definite
psychological response to their feel
ing of increased safety. When a
farmer is doing well, and feeling
secure, look for a strong upward
surge in his buying psychology."
Mann interprets the farm in terms
of modern industry?he sees the farm
as a manufacturing plant, produc
ing the raw materials for food,
clothing and numerous other prod
ucts. "Evolutionary changes, deep
down in farm economics," says this
agro-idealist, "have taken place |
which give the farmer a stabilized
economic base from which he can
plan and work with a sense of
security he never had before." i
farmer Psychology
I like the way this hard-hitting,
successful business man and writer
describes the psychology of the
farmer as he grew up with him in
other days. He asks this question of
the industrialist:
"How would "f7 feel about buying
anything but necessities if my whole
economic structure was a gamble?
Suppose I owned a ten or fifteen
thousand-dollar plant and a lot of
livestock, and, once a year, I plant
ed crops, not knowing if the price
would make them worth harvesting;
how would I feel?"
Mann has a deep inherited kin
ship for the man who works close
to the soil and you cannot doubt
his sincerity when he adds:
"Some day a saga will be sung
about the courage that kept the
farmers going through their darkest
days."
I wish I might write that saga ,
for I know it from brave letters that
poured into me from radio listeners
all through the worst of the depres
sion. I can tell you that they gave
me a renewed faith in America that
has kept me from being cynical
through these days of distrust and
doubt.
By the time this column is read,
the greatest concentrated drive to
increase farm production, to assure
the farmer a definite price for what
he produces will be on. For the
first time in history, milk and poul
try producers will be asked to
pledge themselves to raise as much
of their product as they possibly
can?and they will get all the co
operation, advice and assistance
that the government can give them.
Quite a different picture from
"plowing under."
' 0 ? ?
I Cotton Linter*
And Powder Making
Cotton linters, the hair-like fibers
that clinf to the seed after the long,
staple cotton is removed in ginning,
is a vital ingredient in the manu
facture of smokeless powder. Army
officials are checking to see whether
or not there is going to be a short
I1 age of this product that will seri
ously interfere with the defense pro
gram. They have ringing in their
2
ears the solemn warning of Rep.
Wright Patman, of Texas, in the
house of representatives, that there
will be a linters shortage by the
middle of 1942?or even as early as
next February, depending upon how
much the defense program is ex
panded, or whether or not the
United States becomes involved in a
"shooting war."
At any rate, three plans are be
ing considered in order to meet such
an emergency.
First, there is the substitution of
alpha pulp. This is the wood prod
uct that Germany has been using in
its smokeless powder since cotton ;
imports have been shut off as a re
sult of the war. This is the same in
gredient, too, on which rayon and
cellulose industries depend.
Second, the department of agri
culture is experimenting with a ma
chine for chopping up staple cotton
into short lengths arid breaking
down the fiber so as to make it
usable in place of linters. Within
the near future the machine will be
given a trial run at the Hopewell
bleachery.
Third, a process has been devel
oped for making wood linters out
of the southern gum tree?the
familiar sweet gum, black, or Tu
pelo gum. Already one plant in the
Midwest is turning out these wood
linters which are being used inter
changeably with cotton linters in
powder which is going to England.
? ? ?
Washington Residents
And Car Luxury
Midtown Washingtonians? that's
most of them?provide no sheltering
rooftree for their servants, either
human or wheeled. And so, early in
the morning, nose to tail, the parked
cars patiently hug the curb, await
ing their masters' will. As tHe day
begins, there is a little knot of col
ored girls and other servants who
are on their way to wake the missus
and get breakfast, lunch and din
ner and then depart for their own
mysterious habitations.
Of course, there are more cars than
girls, for, here as elsewhere, the car
is the No. 1 luxury. Better walk
up three flights to a hall-bedroom
than be car-less.
Of course, there are many gov
ernment employee families which
i have settled down as contented
bourgeoisie, the unambitious but
secure beneficiaries of bureaucracy.
They eventually own their own neat
homes, on which there is plenty of
time to work, after four-thirty. There
is the 26-day leave each year and
14-day sick leave, occasional fur
loughs (without pay), retirement
and pension to which to look for
ward. And there is always that
semi-monthly salary check, not high
in proportion to commercial wages
but always there, in good times or
bad, for the classified civil servant
In boom times the salaries pf gov
ernment workers do not go up along
with prices, and you cannot strike
against the government. Prices are
high in normal times in Washing
ton, compared with other cities of
its size; clerks and shopkeepers
tend to be a little bored and snooty
in the capital, and collectors are
relentless. But Uncle Sam's pay
check is always there, even if, in
days of depression, a sizeable share
may have to be mailed back to
rugged relatives at home who are out
of jobs?but even so there is usually
enough left for the garage-less car.
? ? ?
Filing of Document*
l? Soriotu Problem
In the public mind, the word
"waste" is frequently associated
with the word "government." If
you will look up the word "waste"
in the dictionary, you will also find
that it is connected with the word
"vast" (the Latin "vastus").
There is, of course, a vast waste
in all governments and not the least
is waste paper. As a matter of
fact, the Congress of the United
States recognizes this fact for it
haa created a joint select com
mittee on the disposition of papers
in the executive departments. Be
fore papers and documents of any
department can be thrown away,
the Archives Council passes upon
whether or not they have historical
value. If not, the council advises
the joint committee, which in turn
reports to congress on what action
that body should take in disposing of
them.
.
War Cuts Down
Spice Supply
Drop in Eastern Commerce
Blamed for Another
'Kitchen Shortage.'
WASHINGTON. ? The nation's
housewives, already asked to give
up aluminum pots and pans in the
interests of national defense, are
faced with a new "kitchen short
age"?a shortage of tea, spices and
other imported commodities.
Curtailment of shipping facilities
plying between Mediterranean, Af
rican, Par Eastern ports and the
United States has cut off entirely
or depleted supplies of tea, nutmeg,
cloves, tapioca, palm and vegetable
oils, caraway, celery, mustard and
poppy seeds, sage, cream of tartar,
olive oil, dates, Arabian coffee for
special blends, paprika and extracts
used in vanilla and other liquid fla
voring.
Moreover, supplies of tung oil
used In paint; bamboo used in fish
ing and ski poles, lightweight fur
niture; opium, digitalis, belladonna
used for medicinal purposes; lico
rice used in candy and as a coating
for pills, and many other imported
products are dwindling
Ships Toe Scarce.
Defense officials said that boats
formerly carrying these products
from other countries are being load
ed "to the brim" with tungsten, rub
ber, tin, mica and other vitally
needed armament materials. Medi
terranean and Red sea ports, which
normally load huge supplies of
seeds, olive oil, medicinal and other
products, "have been cut off 100 per
cent" from our use by the war, one
official said.
The office of agricultural defense
relations reported at the same time
that the inducement offered by high
er wages and shorter hours in de
fense industries is creating a short
age of "hired men" on the nation's
farms.
"Farmers in virtually every im
portant agricultural area in the
country report the loss of key hired
men," the OADR said. "These men
are the tractor drivers and the
more reliable and industrious farm
workers upon whom the farm op
erators depend.
"Higher wages and shorter hours
than on the farm account for the
switch from agriculture to indus
try."
Source In Far East.
Here are some of the products
that normally are imported, what
they are used for, and the produc
ing countries?
Vegetable tallow?candles, 'soaps
and waxes?China. -
Palm oil?soap, >Kampoo. lard
and butter substitutes and tin plate
manufacture. The by-product cake
is used for cattle feed and fertilizer
?Dutch East Indies, Philippines,
Africa.
Kapok?insulation, substitute for
cork, s?at padding, life preservers
?Dutch East Indies, Philippines
and India
Sisal and henequen? binder twine,
cord rugs, sacks, cement p'asters,
wall board, paper and "as a sub
stitute for hair"?Dutch East In
dies and British East Africa.
Carpet wool ? sporting suitings,
overcoats, floor coverings, and
heavy blankets (only SO short tons
produced in the United States last
year)?Ceylon and India.
Coir?brushes, cord, mats and
coarse fabrics?Ceylon and India.
Tung oil?drying oil in paints,
lacquers, varnishes, brake bands,
moistureproof fiber bags?China.
Tragacanth?sizing textiles, cali
co, inks, cosmetics, foods and ad
hesives?Near East and Africa.
English Pupils Turn in
A Profit From Farming
MAYFIELD, SUSSEX, ENG.
The pupils of Mayfleld school have
started a farm.
They^ented a field for $20 a year,
plowed it for sowing and then bought
rabbits, ducks, pigs and sheep.
They also have a market garden
and the whole venture is paying so
well that the children?none of them
older than'14, are planning to buy
another field next year for wheat
The boys made all the huts, need
ed for stock, in the carpentry class
I at school. When the chickens were
; due, the girls carried the eggs into
their classroom and hatched them
in incubators.
V. W. Hitchin, headmaster of the
school, interested the children in
starting the farm. He got the edu
cation authority's permission.
"The whole thing is working very
well, indeed. The farm helps the
nation's food supply. As for educa
tion?well, all our pupils are learn
ing to farm. They do their own
bookkeeping, so that belpe their
arithmetic," he said.
Froggers Grab Big
Ones for Gourmets 1
Louisiana Yields Million
Pounds Yearly.
NEW ORLEANS. - Leather
skinned fishermen nightly are pol
ing their pirogues along the banks
of Louisiana's sluggish bayous hi
search of the gourmet's delight?
giant green bullfrogs.
They are only part of the army
of fishermen from Florida, Tennes
see and Missouri and other states
that make their living catching the
giant frogs from fresh water
marshes and shipping them to big
cities.
Louisiana boasts, however, that
the largest and best eating frogs
come from the southwestern section
of the state Rayne lays claim to
the capital city, but Morgan City
and other towns in the area also are
heavy producers.
The state department of conser
vation, in figures released recently,
said that 1,280,000 pounds of frogs
were caught in 1940
The United States bureau of fish
eries says that no complete statis
tics of the domestic catch of frogs
are available for I cmmsns Bow
ever, the bureau said lonisiana "un
questionably is one of the most im
portant of producing states" for
frogs
Methods for catching the big,
green fellows differ in the many
states, but in Louisiana such im
plements as the spear and gig have
been prohibited by law.
It wasn't humanity, but economic
reasoning that prompted adoption of
the Louisiana frog catcher, a tong
like instrument with wooden han
dles and claw-like jaws.
Conservationists discovered that
too many frogs were being gigged
or speared and then released when
the frogger found they were toe
small for the market. Most of these
frogs died.
British Styles to Carry
War Pictorially to U. S.
LONDON ?British designers are
planning to carry the war?pictorial
ly?into the United States an wom
en's dresses.
Instead of the traditional flow
ers, the latest batch of prints by
British designers for export to the
United States portrays, for mstanre.
a bayonet-brandishing Home Guard
attacking a Nazi parachutist
Other motifs include Gen. Charles
de Gaulle's proclamation to the Pre#
French, with the general's signs- r
ture; Prime Minister Winston Chiw
cljiilis "Never was ao much owed by
so mtoiy to so few" tribute to the
Royalj Air force; British army,
navy and Royal Air force emblems;
the shields and scrolls of Free Nor
wegian, Polish and Czech pilots
fighting the Bettle of Britain.
One of the most elaborate designs
illustrates rationing ? bens, eggs,
beef, oranges, lemons, pigs, choco
late and lumps at sugar against a
sea-green background representing
the Battle of the Atlantic.
Blind Trainer of *Seeing
Eye' Dog Is Real Adept
LOS ANGELES.?One of the most
skilled trainers of "seetng-eye" dogs
for the blind is Otis Gathright, who
is blind himself.
Gathright uses a special technique
and trains a dog in about four
months. He has trained 10, and now
is st work on Prince, a tawny Ger
man shepherd that be rescued from
the pound as a pup.
"Prince first had to learn that I
was blind," said the trainer. "I
would step on him purposely and
then have someone else avoid him
as he lay down. Thus he soon caught
on to my condition.
? "1 use a close chain, wtth which
to teach Prince to stay on my left
side. Thus I can carry my white
cane In my right hand and hold the ?
dog with my left"
Pride spurs the dog to learn his
job. The dog learned that his life
work is to look after the blind mas
ter. Only about 1 in SO German
shepherds is fitted for the task,
Gathright said.
Red Faces Alter in Store
Episode in Kansas Town
PITTSBURG, KAN.?Johnny Frif
geri was speechless when the wom
an filled his arms with groceries and
stood staring at him. He had come
into the store to make a small pur
chase, and this sudden generosity?
or whatever it was?caught him a
little unprepared.
"Well, how much?" the woman
demanded with an icy look.
Johnny just stuttered.
The woman took over. In assort
ed words, she called him a dumb
clerk.
Then Johnny caught on.
"Irc don' t^ work < ^re 1" he said at