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jm THE ALAMANCE GLEANER VoL LXVII GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1941 No. 38 WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS By Edward C. Wayne Removal of Consulates From Moscow And Torpedoing of U. S. Destroyer Mark Important New Phase of War; Crisis Seen as Japan's Cabinet Falls (EDITOR'S NOTE?Whan opinions sro expresses la these columns, they sro those of the news analyst end not neeessarlly of this newspaper.) by Western Newspaper T7"tr>n * When the British and Free French took over mandated Syria from the Vichy French, they also took over the Job of providing food for needy Syrians. Here is a typical scene at a food distribution center. Pails, pots and even wash basins are held aloft for offerings. WAR: New Phase Evacuation ol the foreign consu lates from Moscow and the torpedo ing of the U. S. S. Destroyer Kear ney off Iceland, occurring as they did about the same time, were looked upon as two major events marking the entrance into a new phase of the war. Immediate reaction to these re ports was noticeable in their effect upon the congressional voting on changes being considered for the U. S. neutrality law. Effect of the news was also reflected in the prog ress of the "aid for Russia" pro gram in which the United States, Great Britain and Russia were engaged. 'On PatroV First news of the Kearney inci dent came from Washington when the navy announced that the destroy er (one of the newest types) had been torpedoed while on patrol duty off the coast of Iceland. This report indicated that the ship was able to proceed under its own power. President Roosevelt on the same day issued a statement saying that the torpedoing was clearly in the American defense zone. Removal of the consulates from Moscow took place as the Germans, with their long range guns, began their "all out" campaign against the city. JAPAN: A Cabinet Falls When news came from Tokyo re porting the fall of the Japanese cab inet headed by Prince Fumimaro Konoye it looked like prelude to an Axis move in the Pacific. Immediate speculation was that the fallen cabinet would be replaced by one more "warlike" and it was indicated that this change meant the collapse of the so-called "peace talks" between Japan and the Unit ed States. President Roosevelt conferred for two hours with top military and state department heads just follow ing the announcement of the cabi net's fall. White House sources did not at once discuss the conference or issue a statement on the new threat in the Far East. Other informed quarters, however, viewed the situa tion as grave and some forecast that the change in government in Japan came at a logical time for that country to strike a blow against Rus sia to aid Germany. RUSSIA: Soviet Scene As the German troops admittedly had smashed back the Russian de fenders many miles from Smolensk, past Bryansk and past Vyazma, the picture became one in which the Russians admitted setbacks but al ways spoke of "heavy losses" to the enemy. The Germans issued op timistic statements so fast that the wires could hardly carry them. Admitting many of the Nazi claims, Russian sources were as serting that "fresh legions" were entering the fight, that the Nazi ad vances had been made in spite of terrific losses, that the invader had been slowed, even halted and turned back at some points. The British, including Churchill; took a rather gloomy view of the Russian situation. PRACTICALLY OVER: Say the Nazis From Hitler's camp the Russo German war was over, militarily speaking. In dispatches that had tumbled over one another in their eagerness to impinge themselves upon public opinion here and abroad, perhaps with the idea of frightening England from an attempt to cross the chan nel with a land force, Berlin rapidly had told the world the following. Russian losses had been 3,000,000, 4,000,000, 6,000,000, figures given out within a 48-hour period. Three, four?finally all Russian armies had been trapped in "iron rings," and the whole defense fab ric of the country had been smashed. All that was going on now was under the head of mopping up. ARMING: Real Fight With the President committed to congressional action permitting the arming of merchant ships?which many believed was Step One toward a further request to permit them to run right into British ports, the expected bitter fight of the non-in terventionists against the adminis tration's latest move had gotten un der way. Committee hearings started on the measure, which White House lead ers had "timed" at three weeks to passage. This was the signal for a gathering of the anti-administra tion cohorts, who were able to mus ter only a corporal's guard against the $6,000,000,000 lend-lease bill which carried aid to Russia as a part purpose. In fact, the opening strategy was planned at a meeting of 11 senators in Hiram Johnson's office. The fight promised to be furious but brief, for few believed that the 11 senators and Hiram Johnson would put on the filibuster that was staged just before the first World war by the "wilful twelve" which included Senators Vardaman, Bai ley, Reed, Watson and others. LABOR: Troubles Mount Strikes and threats of strikes were on the upgrade again, with one in terunion dispute involving 100,000 automobile workers, most of them engaged in making tanks for the army of the United States and other countries. The C.I.O. workers of one plant were refusing to handle parts made by A.F.L. workers in another plant. In a Cleveland factory making auto frames a strike went into its third week, and at least one big auto factory engaged in turning out "jeep" cars was without frames, and had to shut down. Hudson and Buick factory officials said they would have to slow down passenger car production if the Cleveland shut down continued. The first move in the strike mediation effort to prevent the walk out of a million and a quarter rail road men was flatly turned down. It had been offered by a railroad man agement group. At the same time a Mississippi shipbuilding concern was tied up by a strike, while engaged in a $150, 000,000 contract to build the latest type of merchant ship?an all-welded vessel of odd design. * * Warmth in Iceland Newly arrived V. S. soldiers are shown in their "homes" in Reyk javik, Iceland, warming chilled hands. In cooperation with armed forces of Great Britain these troops are "on the alert" for the protec tion of what has been defined as a Western Hemisphere defense out post. DRY DOCK: News Stories What had been, by navy censor ship, mystery yarns, gnd very near ly resulted fatally for one newspaper cameraman and a plane pilot, now has become regulation news stories, since the navy reversed itself and permitted the press to have access to British warships in dry dock. At one time or another docks in almost every sizeable port had been occupied, and the Warspite, a big battleship, was at Bremerton, Wash., and a 24,000-ton aircraft carrier was at Philadelphia. And the skippers of these ships were giving out hair-raising inter views and pictures of combat, and the press cameramen were running wild with feature pictures taken on board. The change in policy probably had been engineered by the President, who was leaning over backward to preserve press freedom, and a gen eral feeling that this sort of story was the type of thing that would bring home the reality of the war to fun-loving Americans. NORRIS: Has His Say Senator Norris, the only man liv ing and now in the senate who vot ed against American entry into the last war, spoke his piece about the Russian situation, and had this to say: If Russia loses to Germany, then Japan will become so bold that we are sure to become embroiled in war with her. "Not that it would be so bad (or us," he said, "in some ways it might be a very good thing." The senator coolly and dispas sionately revealed that navy men had informed him that the Japanese fleet couldn't hold out two weeks against the American navy. He also pointed out that in a bombing war against Japan, Nippon was particu larly vulnerable, as most of her cit ies were built largely of wooden structures, which would go like tin der on a windy day, set off by a few incendiaries. GOODWILL: Visit to U.S. The duke and duchess of Windsor, in paying their visit to Baltimore, the duchess' former home town, re ceived an ovation which dwarfed anything seen in the United States surrounding any British visitor. As a good-will ambassador, former King Edward had no rivals. A crowd estimated at 250,000 persons, one-fourth of Baltimore's defense swollen population. The duke played golf, and it took an army of Scotland Yarders, G men, even diplomatic corps repre sentatives to keep the gallery away. The duke and duchess went to a reception to which 800 were invited, while an estimated <0,000 gnashed their teeth because they were left out. Finally 1,200 jammed into the club, gaped, cheered, were won by the charm of the couple, and went home happy. MISCELLANY: New York: For the second time it had been testified by Nicholas Schenck, movie magnate, that Bi off, labor leader, had demanded a "shakedown" price of $2,000,000 not to wreck the movie industry by strikes. New York: The B.B.C. radio stat ed that German losses (not giving the authority) since the start of the central offensive against Moscow, had been 100,000 killed and 400,000 wounded. a U. S. Farm Aid to Britain | Likely to Pay Dividends | Better Home-Consumption Market for American j Farmer Is Cited as Post-War Period Goal; I British Expected to Co-operate. By BAUKHAGE National Farm and Homo Hour Commentator. WNU Service, IMS H Street N. W? Washington, D. C. After sitting down for an hour with the undersecretary of agricul ture, Paul H. Appleby, on a quiet Saturday afternoon when only de fense workers and newsmen have to labor, I walked back through the park with a feeling that perhaps some of the lease-lend bread which America is casting across the water might come back buttered, and even with jam on it. Undersecretary Appleby was fresh off the Clipper from Europe where he and AAA Administrator Rudolph M. Evans had been talking food with the British. Three things came out of my queries of the undersecretary as to his experiences. First: Thanks to the United States, the British have passed what looked like a crisis in their food supply. Second: The American farmer is going to get a little extra gravy for the extra sweating he is going to do to produce more "food for free dom." Third: (and this is what I meant by the butter and jam on the lease lend bread) Appleby believes, and he told the British so, that the Unit ed States has a post-war goal in its extra-production efforts. That goal is to build up a better home-con sumption market for the American farmer?and all farmers?and the British are expected to co-operate. As to the first point, Mr. Appleby was chary about giving out facts and figures. He did assure me, however, that quantitatively the United States is now delivering at British ports an amount of food suf flcient to take care ot uie basic ryeeds of the population, civil and military. That means there are enough ships to handle and deliver, taking sinkings into consideration, this minimum tonnage. So if the present amount of tonnage is limit ed and the type of food required for a balanced diet is raised in the United States, ths islands will not starve. Although the British will be getting on with a lot less than they are used to, they will have enough of the right kind of food to do the job they are expected to do. Complaining 'Wasoft Done' According to Appleby, even when the pinch was at its worst early last spring, popular opinion in England was such that morale was not af fected seriously. Complaining sim ply "wasn't done," as the English say. In other words, if somebody sounded off about what he was not getting to eat in a public place, he would be reproved in short order by his listeners. The British food ministry and the department at agriculture officials now understand each other, accord ing to Appleby, and each is satis fled as to the other's efforts, and those efforts have been co-ordinat ed. Specifically. Undersecretary Ap pleby and Administrator Evans re ceived suggestions as to improved 1 packaging ? for instance, minor changes in the content of a canned product, the kind of cartons that best protected a certain commod ity. You see many of these prod ucts, in fact most of them, the United States had never exported at all before and American officials did not have experience in the best packaging methods. For Instance, there were lessons in packaging and labeling to be learned about cheese. The Americans suggested to the British that it would be easier to arouse the sympathy and co-opera tion of people in this country if they knew Just what this food was being used for?say, one thing for school children, another for babies, some thing else for workers. The British showed a break-down in the statistics was impossible be cause of exceedingly abnormal con ditions of transportation. There is, for instance, uncertainty as to where a given ship is going to land, what railroad will be available for shipments. Then, too, there are many difficulties of administration which make it impossible to chan nel special shipments to special points or assign them to special groups. Dietribation Control Another thing the Americans ex amined thoroughly was the control by the government of distributioe of the products. All food belongs to the British government which turns m^at over directly to the re tailer and the olher material to the wholesaler. The Americans say they were convinced that no prof iteering exists in this procedure. Although we have been able to bring lease-lend shipments up to 8 per cent of British food consump tion in tonnage, and 20 per cent in value, that does not mean that our problem as far as production goes is solved. It is easy to provide a lot of things the British do not need, and hard to get some of the things they need most. For example: The British wanted 30 per cent of our whole navy bean crop. Navy beans were encouraged and American farmers produced 35 per cent more navy beans than normal. But a cow can't act that quickly when you ask tor more calves, and when you get the calves it takes them longer to produce a quart of milk than it does for a garden to sprout a bean. Cheese is another product that does not leap out of the ground. In some places you have to plant, not only the cow to produce the milk but you have to produce a factory to process the milk into cheese. Now, as to point No. 2: What the American farmer is going to get out of all this. Mr. Appleby? expressing, I take it, the opinion of the department of agriculture and the government?feels very definite ly that the American farmer must have a profit motive to bring about this extra production and likewise a profit when he has produced it. What About 8 Pot Cont? "Mr. Morgenthau," I said, "be lieves that business ought to be al lowed to make only ? per cent on its investment in the emergency." "Well," said Mr. Appleby, "if the farmer got 6 per cent and wages for his own labor and management, I think he'd be satisfied. Anybody ought to be satisfied with that in time of crisis." And this factor?giving the farm er some assurance that hia plant expansion, as they call it in indus try, necessary to produce the things Britain needs, will not be a white elephant when the war is over, I mentioned?namely, the attempt to assure some universal benefit out of the whole lease-lend food effort a benefit deriving from increased consumption in peace-time which the farmer as well as the rest of the nation would share. The farmer does not want to have a new lot of surpluses on his hands when the war is over. He and the department of agriculture want to understand that the new production they are now building can be do mestically consumed after the war is over. Such consumption seems e long way off but it is e star worth following?once there were three wise men who had the faith to fol low a star. ? ? ? 'Doop Satisfaction" The other day a friend of mine went into e famous Washington res taurant. When be was seated a tall man strode in and took his seat alone in a corner. He is a well known figure in Washington and my friend watched him. He took out the evening paper, opened it with a flourish and began to leaf through it Suddenly his face lit up with a smile of deep satisfection. He folded the paper carefully, set it up against the water carafe and began to read. His smile spread. My friend wondered what he was reading and since he had a copy of the same paper and could see the lower half of the page the tall one was reading with such gratification my friend turned to that page in his own paper. It bore a large picture of John Llewellyn Lewtf, president of the United Mine Workers of America and former head of the C. I. O. The tall man looking at it was John Llewellyn Lewis, president of the United Mine Workers of America and former head of the C. I. O. a a a ft De gustibus nan est disputandum. The brilliant editor of the Farm Journal, Wheeler McMillen, says he doesn't like parsley. I enjoy the rabbit food myself. But I liked the corn-covered cover of his October issue so well that I pasted it right up next to my map of Europe to take my mind off the war. / ' ' ' i i U. S. Active in Newfoundland American Workmen Making Rapid Strides on Naval Plane Station. ARGENTIA, NEWFOUNDLAND. ?A huge United States naval air station has begun to emerge in the last two months on this lonely shore, a third of the way from New York to London. A corps of more than 1,000 American engineers and work men is rapidly building the base, one of the eight in the Western hem isphere which the British leased to the United States for 99 years. The base already is the center of extensive United States naval op erations. On one day this summer there were 60 war craft in the har bor. Three were troopships, and submarines and supply ships were among the rest. American freight ers and airplanes also were present in large numbers. Recreation for the Men. Work of building the base began in earnest eight months ago, but the greater part of the first six months had to be given over to housing and otherwise providing for the workmen and to preparations for permanent construction. Barracks had to be erected. Mess halls, laundry, shoe shop, food re frigeration plant, bank, newspaper, compressed air-power plant and even a post office had to be put up. A theater, too, was built. Recrea tion for the men in this far-away spot was a serious problem. Dredging and the removal of the layer of peat which covers this part of the Newfoundland coast also were necessary preliminaries. In some places the peat is 20 feet deep, and there were times when the great shovels removing it were out of sight in the holes they were ex cavating. As the base begins to take shape, more measures of secrecy are be ing taken. Now Fart of v. a. Under the agreement with Great Britain thii little part of the New foundland coaat has become a part of United States territory for all but a year of the next century. The American flag flies here, and Amer ican stamps are used at the Amer ican post office. Imported materi als from continental United States come in duty free. Despite this, many of the work men have become homesick for the States and have left, to be replaced by others from the United States or, in a few cases, by Canadians. The weather has been one cause of grumbling. It was still snowing in mid-June and not until mid August did the temperature creep above 60. Cabbage appears to be the only vegetable that grows on these peaty shores. Flowers are scarce, too, al though one workman found seven or eight varieties, including white and deep-pink mountain laurel, but tercups, moss tulips, wild pansies, dandelions and rush flowers. These were put on display in a beer bottle, the first flowers many of the work men had seen since leaving the United States. Balancing such drawbacks is the tact that there are no mosquitoes, black deerflies, snakes or reptiles of any kind. The climate is supposed to be good, too, for sinus trouble and hay fever. Salmon fishing also is good here. Jail Trusty Celebrates With Unusual 111 Luck PAINESVTLLE, OHIO. ? It eras "in-again and out-again" of Jail for s local youth. The young man, a trusty at the . county Jail, was sent to the bakery an an errand tor the sheriff's sister. Several other prisoners' wanted some errands performed. In all the young prisoner had f3. With the money in his pocket, he decided to pay a visit to near-by Cleveland and saa a movie. As he was coming out of the theater ha was much surprised to meet the sheriff, who was in Cleveland on The young man went back to his Jail cell. Portable Bar Dispenses Food for Tourists' Dogs CUPPER GAP, CALIF. ? Fido has come into his own at Clipper Gap. Resort owner Robert White, not ing that many tourists stopping at his Sierra place left their dogs in their automobiles while they had re freshments, set up the Clipper Gap dog bar. On a shady lawn he installed a portable bar dispensing canned dog food, pup biscuits, fresh milk and cold spring water, without charge. In a 46-day period 376 dogs were served. _ aIirm UN liiltes?i ?Ti-*^ Old Town Well Now Spouting Gasoline No Leakage or Seepage Is Found in^Checkup. TAYLOR, MISS.?Threats of a gasoline shortage are not worrying citizens of this community since the old town well, after more than a century of loyal service as a thirst quencher, suddenly began produc ing gasoline. All efforts to explain the enigma have failed. First indications that all was not right with the old well came when an unmistakable odor of gasoline was noticeable. "Some boy playing a joke," residents said. But the gasoline odor kept getting stronger and stronger. A Negro was lowered into the well to investigate the trouble and the fumes were so strong that he was overcome. When he was revived, he reported gasoline was two feet deep in the eight-foot depth of wa ter. It was decided to experiment fur ther by tossing a lighted match into the well. The result was an ex plosive roar and a tower of flame that surged high into the air. Buck ets were lowered, and when brought to the surface, were filled with Are. Members of the state geological survey were summoned and after an investigation, they reported the fuel was seeping into the well from a nearby filling station. The filling station owner, however, said a three weeks' check on his tanks revealed no shortage. Once more the well was emptied and a thorough check was made on the walls of the 90-foot shaft. The second report declared there was no seepage of "gasoline or anything else" through the walls. "Whatever is in the well is either coming in from the top or bottom," Mayor J. E. Walker said. 'Death Ray' Proves Able To Cause Brain Fatigue BERKELEY, CALIF. ? A death ray developed by an American naval officer?it kills bacteria at a distance of six inches?can cause mental fa tigue in humans, it was revealed. It is a magnetic device which pro duces 9,300 vibrations a second. This frequency is lust within the upper limit of human hearing. It produces an extremely high-pitched shriek which can be heard a block away. There are several other types of vi brator which can kill microscopic life at short distances. The machine was built by Com mander A. P. Krueger, head of the navy's first mobile medical research unit. Individuals who stand close to the machine longer than a few minutes at a time become mentally weary. Commander Krueger said. They lose some of their ability to do math ematical problems. This effect per sists for several hours. Stale Will Buy Fulton, Boone Historic Sites HARRISBURG, PA.?The histori cal value of Pennsylvania has been increased considerably with the pur chase of the homestead and birth place of two famous Americans? Daniel Boone, and Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat?under legislation enacted by the 1941 ses sion. Gov. Arthur H. James approved a bill appropriating $35,000 for the purchase of Robert Fulton's birth place, which still stands in Fulton township, Lancaster county. An other $3,000 was appropriated to the Pennsylvania Historical commission for administration and maintenance of the 127-ecre site for the next two years. The other bill appropriates $35,000 for the purchase of the Daniel Boon* homestead near Birdsboro, Berks county. Roads leading to the site wUl be constructed by the state highways department New Zealand Army Chief Minimizes Nazi Forces WELLINGTON, N. Z.?New Zea land's new chief of the general staff, Maj. Gen. Edward Puttick, who is back here after commanding a brigade in Greece, described the Greek campaign as "pretty easy going." He said the principal maneuver was one of bluffing the enemy. Get ting the men away from beaches for embarkation to Crete, be said, was "pretty hot stuff" but that, heavy as the New Zealand casual ties were, they were worth while. General Puttick insisted that the Germans the New Zealanders met were not equal to their fathers in the last war, not so tough or well trained. He said his men captured nine Naxis who attempted to hide behind ooe ohve tree. _
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
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