.
The Alamance Gleaner
\ . j ; -,v ?
Vol. LXVII GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1941 NO. 43
?^? -
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS By Edward C. Wayne
British Open New Offensive in Libya
In Attempt to Divert Axis Attention
And Create Second Front for Russia;
Demand for Strike Legislation Grows
(EDITOB'B NOTE?When opinions art expressed la these columns, thtr
art those of tho nows analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.)
by Woftorn Newspaper iTninw >
BRITISH:
Second Front
British tank units armed with U. S.
military supplies opened what Lon
don termed a "second front" against
the Axis powers when they opened
a smashing drive into Libya in
North Africa.
Berlin sources denied London's
claims that (1) the attack was a
surprise and (2) that it really
amounted to a second front. Beflin
said that what Russia had been hop
ing for was not a drive in Africa
but a campaign on the continent
of Europe so that Nazi forces would
have to be diverted from their ef
forts against Leningrad, Moscow
and the southern Russian fronts.
But Britain's campaign in Lybia
did take most world capitals by
surprise and first reports indicat
ed that 750,000 British troops aided
by the R.A.F. had started their at
tempt to drive all Italian and Ger
man forces from North Africa.
First objective was the relieving
of the besieged British forces at To
bruk, Libya. Here a British garri
son had been holding out against the
Nazis and Italians since mid-April.
STRIKE:
'Unsound Premise'?
The breakdown of negotiations be-s
tween President Roosevelt and John
L. Lewis over the "captive coal
mine" strike had been followed by
the actual walkout of some 53,000
miners, an immediate loss to the
involved steel companies of close to
a million tons of coal.
The walkout had come to cap a
previous climax reached when the
house was considering the neutrali
ty act. This found the members
openly deserting the administration,
feeling that the President was too
lax on labor, and was letting Lewis
dictate to the White House.
The President, who long had kept
thumbs down on anti-strike legisla
tion, had stood his ground although
the pressure on him to give way to
JOHN L. LEWIS
Wus his premise unsound?
the popular congressional demand
tor such a law became terrific.
He made strong statements on the
issue, charging Lewis with an un
sound premise in demanding a
closed shop for the miners in cap
tive pits simply because the Appa
lachian agreement in the coal in
dustry had given the closed shop in
commercial mines.
There had been evidence that the
strike which began in the steel
owned mines would spread to com
mercial mines as well, on s "sym
pathy" basis.
The expected stories of violence
and disorder appeared, but still
there had been no immediate move
to call out the troops, the only such
maneuver being the mobilization of
two companies of the Alabama home
guard.
There also had been threats of
sympathy strikes in steel plants, but
one of these was called off on the
plea of members of the United Mine
Workers themselves, who urged the
steel employees to stay on their jobs
until the mine strike was settled.
REPERCUSSIONS:
From Walkout
The expected aftermath of the ac
tual strike, particularly in view of
what had gone before in the way of
pleas from the President and re
fusals from Lewis, wSs widespread
excitement concerning the labor sit
uation, particularly as strikes were
threatening which would involve
thousands of other workers in vital
industries.
JAPAN:
Carrying the Ball?
Treading gingerly, much as a nov
ice would attempt to walk barefoot
ed over a Hindu fakir's bed of
spikes, were Secretary Hull and Sa
buro Kurusu as they had started
their conversations looking to a bet
ter understanding between America
and Japan?or a better misunder
standing.
Kurusu, using a familiar autum
nal term in the United States, had
said that he was carrying the ball
for Japan, and that he hoped to
make a touchdown.
But neither he nor Hull were set
ting any speed records in their bro
ken-fleld running. Early stages of
CORDELL HULL
Mr. Kurusu 'carried the ball*
the talks were "exploratory," both
said, and i1 there was anything sin
ister about the affair it came from
Kurusu, who asked reporters, "Why
are Americans so war-minded?"
This brought a smile to the corre
spondents who were thinking in
terms of Japan's record as opposed
to that of the United States. <
After the first conversation with
Hull, the Nipponese envoy was
asked, "Still think you'll make that
touchdown?" He answered gravely,
"I don't know."
RUSSIA:
Offensive
The Red army had taken the of
fensive in the northern and central
sectors, but on the south was losing
an important battle to preserve
connection with the Caucasian oil
fields, vital to her armed forces.
The Nazi invasion force in the
Crimea had taken Kerch, last port
on the eastern tip of the Crimean
peninsula, and only a two-mile strait
separated her troops from a foot
hold on the Caucasus itself.
Yet it was to be a difficult foot
hold to gain, and even more difficult
to hold, military observers agreed,
especially a hard point with which
to establish lines of communication
and supply.
Unusual reports were coming
from Moscow, once more supplant
ing Kuibyshev in the datelines of
dispatches, including stories of Ger
mans on the retreat in one sector
so rapidly that they fled through the
snow in their underwear, leaving
their uniforms behind.
Also the unpreparedness of the
Nazis for winter warfare was de
scribed as most desperate, and it
was recounted that prisoners had
been taken wearing women's fur
coats.
A Daniel Brigham dispatch to the
Times from Bern stated that one
Red outfit finally had been equipped
entirely with automatic rifles
(whether Garands or not could not
be learned) and that in the Kalinin
I district this organization had dealt
a crushing blow to the Nazis.
London had reported an effort on
the part of the Germans with heavy
| mechanized forces to cut the railway
line between Rostov and Moscow,
and that the air force also was
heavily involved.
The Red air force, on the other
hand, was reportedly filling itself
I out with British and American
planes, and was rapidly meeting the
numerical superiority of the Ger
mans.
MISCELLANY:
Blankenberghe, Belgium: Five ex
hausted British fliers on a rubber
raft were saved from death by
Jean Guillini, Belgian swimming
champion, who battled icy waters
of the English channel for 50 min
utes to tow them ashore. The men
were made prisoners by the Ger
^ mans.
I k rTTni'irtfB viiftgnfl
SPEED:
In Production
W. AVERILL HARRIMAN
Messenger of cheer.
W. Averill Harriman, American
lease-lend envoy, had arrived in the
British capital, full of enthusiasm
for American production and found
himself overwhelmed by the speed
British production had attained.
Having set himself to deliver mes
sages of cheer to the British over
the American pace of manufacture
of war materials, Mr. Harriman in
stead declared he was beginning to
worry lest the United States might
fall behind Britain in this field where
America was supposed to be pre
eminent. ,
Mr. Harriman said that United
States' aid to Russia was proceed
ing well, but that again he felt the
country was behind the scale at
which the British have been sending
aid.
CHANGE:
In Leaders
The reply of the British govern
ment to demands that changes be
made in the war leadership, which
had frankly meant members of the
war cabinet, came in the form of
a change in generals, effective
Christmas day.
Gen. Sir Alan Brooke, 58, a special
ist in mechanized warfare, was to
replace Gen. Sir John Dill as chief
of the imperial general staff.
Dubbed a "wizard" in this form
of warfare by his fellow officers,
General Brooke had been com
mander of the home defense forces
since July, 1940.
There was little significance to be
found in the change except for the
fact that General Brooke was two
years younger than Dill. Sixty was
described in the British press as a
"normal" retirement age" for an
army general.
Brooke was a winner of the D.S.O.
in the last war, is a steely eyed,
dark mustached northern Irishman,
and was commended for his bril
liant direction of the Second corps
during the battle of the Low Coun
tries in 1940.
He is credited with being the in
ventor of the barrage map for ar
tillery fire. He also is quoted
with a statement that he would
"welcome an invasion attempt" as
it would afford an opportunity of
"throwing the Nazis into the sea."
MISSION:
To Soviet
A large number of American
army officers soon will have a
close-up view of the actual conduct
of the German blitz against Russia.
It had been learned that a big
military mission was being formed
and will be sent to Archangel, Rus
sia. Plans are being kept secret
about the mission, but news was ob
tained that Maj. Gen. John N. Greely
of Fort Sam Houston will head it.
The mission not only will observe
the war, but will be actively in
charge of the distribution of Amer
ica's lease-lend aid to Russia, see
ing that the goods and materials go
to the proper spots to do the most
good.
August 28 a similar mission was
sent to China. The sending of one
to Russia emphasized the close co
operation with the Soviet that was
now America's full policy.
REWARD:
Slaying Suspect .
For the first time since the slay
ings of German soldiers of occupa
tion started in France, the German
authorities named a murder suspect,
identified him, and offered unusual
rewards for his capture.
The name, oddly of German sound
and spelling, was that of Gilbert
Brustlein, 22, and he had been de
scribed as "an exceptional danger
ous evildoer."
Any informant of his whereabouts
was offered not only large sums of
money, but also the Nazis offered
to set free any prisoner of war
that the informant might name.
Brustlein, it had been reported,
was the man responsible for the
killing of Lieut. Col. Paul Friedrich
Hotz, German commandant at the
district at Nantes.
Unfit Draftees
To Be Treated
Army to Build Up Health
of 200,000 Who Were
Dropped in Draft
WASHINGTON. ? Plans for ' re
habilitating 200,000 of the 1,000,000
youths who have been rejected for
military service because of physical
or mental deficiencies were an
nounced by President Roosevelt at
his press conference recently.
The program will apply immedi
ately to the 200,000 who were certi
fied by local draft boards as sus
ceptible of -physical rehabilitation
for the army. Local physicians and
dentists will give the treatments,
for which the federal government
will pay as part of the cost of na
tional defense. When in proper con
dition, the men will be inducted into
the service.
50 Per Cent Unfit.
While this is the immediate pro
gram, Mr. Roosevelt said that it
was only the first objective, adding
that something should be done along
broader lines, and declaring that he
considered the existence of the con
ditions revealed by the selective
service examinations as an indict
ment of America. Nearly 50 per
cent of 2,000,000 men examined for
selective service were found unfit
mentally or physically.
The President said that he would
start a long-range program calling
for co-operation of states, counties,
cities, townships and individuals to
remedy the underlying causes of
the situation.
The plan for rehabilitating the
200,000 men was adopted on the
basis of a report to the President
from Brigadier General Hershey,
director of the selective service sys
tem. The President could not esti
mate how much it would cost but
said that it would be much less than
if the men had been inducted and
rehabilitation had been attempted.
Plans Under Way.
The plans are already far ad
vanced for helping the 200,000 men.
Those suffering from heart dis
eases, musculo-skeletal defects and
mental and nervous disorders will
be put in a special category and will
be examined by traveling boards or
teams of specialists who will rec
ommend curable cases for immedi
ate treatment at government cost.
Of those rejected under the selec
tive service act, 100,000 were found
mentally unequipped for service,
since they did not have the equiva
lent of a fourth-grade education.
The other 900,000 rejections were
due to physical defects or mental
and nervous diseases. The largest
category of physical defects came
under the dental classification, rep
resenting nearly 21 per cent of the
whole. Defective eyes were an
other major cause of rejection.
"The registrant will have the
privilege of having the services per
formed by his family physician or
dentist in his own community.
"The cost of this rehabilitation
program will be borne by the fed
eral government as a necessary
part of our national defense pro
gram, and additional funds will be
made available to the selective serv
ice system for this purpose."
Lathe Worker, 90, Marlu
No Time Lost in Year
BELOIT, WIS.?It's something to
be able to operate a high-speed
lathe tor a year with no "time-lost"
accidents, especially tor a 90-year
old worker.
But that's just the beginning of
Edgar Ardean BaUou's record. He
has just completed his eighty-first
year of self-support, and he's still
> going strong six days a week at
the Fairbanks Morse plant here, and
keeping up with the rest of the
"youngsters." Ballou has never
I been late tor work in 91 years, has
good eyesight and still enjoys his
work.
Fellow workers thought this rec
ord was worthy of a surprise party
recently to help their oldest em
ployee celebrate his anniversary.
Admits He Registered
Girl in Draft as Joke
PITTSBURGH. - A 21-year-old
Carnegie Tech student who regis
tered a girl for the draft "just for
the fun of it" was embarrassed to
learn that draft authorities failed to
appreciate the joke.
The prankster, James Boyle, 21,
admitted he registered Miss Cecelia
1 Christy, 19, of Swissvale, as a po
tential draftee and was released
pending consideration of the casd
by draft headquarters in Harris
burg.
Boyle had been sought for the last
two months ever since County Draft
Board No. 9 at Swissvale sent out
a questionnaire to a "Sydge" Chris
ty only to learn that "Sydge" was
a girt "Sydge" eras Cecelia's
nickname.
Cloud Heights Now
Found hy Photo Eye
New Method Aids Weather
Bureau and Aviators.
SCHENECTADY, N. Y. ? Scien
tists have developed a new method
of measuring the height of clouds
that is expected to help the weather c
bureau and aviators.
The glow of tiny searchlight is
spotted on clouds during the day
time and the height is computed
by simple geometry, triangulation.
The method was developed by the
bureau of standards.
A small 1,000-watt mercury lamp
developed for searchlights and tele
vision studios is used in the new
system. The "splatter" of the light
where it hits the under side of the
cloud is perceived by a photoelec
tric eye separated from the light on
the ground.
"During the daytime," scientists
explained, "dark overcast clouds at
an elevation of 9,000 feet have been
readily detected. For cumulus
clouds illuminated by direct sun
light and having elevations up to
4,000 feet, the detection is positive."
The projector consists of the lamp
in front of a two-foot parabolic mir
ror. The "electric eye" detector
receives the light through a lens
and a slit diaphragm.
The narrow beam from the lamp
is projected into the sky at a fre
quency of 120 flashes a second and
the rays scatter when they hit the
clouds. This light scattering is de
tected by a photoelectric eye locat
ed at a known distance from the
lamp and adjusted for the flash fre
quency so that the beam may be dis
tinguished from background atmos
pheric light.
The height of clouds, of course, is
important in determining "ceiling"
of visibility and the safety of con
ditions for plane flight. In addition
the data are important in forecast
ing the weather.
All Men in London Must
Help Out in Fire Watch
LONDON.?With "London Huit
Not Bum" as his slogan, Herbert
Morrison, minister of home secur
ity, ordered all able-bodied men re
siding in London to register for com
pulsory flre-watch duties.
This call-up, which affects the
majority of men between the ages
of 18 to #0, is the consequence of
an insufficient number of volunteers.
Hitherto, compulsory registration
has applied only to people living 1
and working in the city and West
minster, but it will now affect the
whole of the London region, irre
spective of requests of local authori
ties.
Speaking in parliament Morrison
said:
"In every London area, including
the outer suburb*, all male British
subjects between 18 and 80 must
register with the local authority.
Certain classes of people already
carrying out war duties will be ex
empt."
In the original regulations, giving
the minister the necessary power,
it outlines that he must be satisfied
with the number of persons volun
tarily enrolled.
Liquid Plastic Termed
Likely Hose of Future
MINNEAPOLIS.?A Minneapolis
beauty expert predicts that in the
near future women may buy their
stockings "by the gallon."
Myndall Cain, a beautician who
has devoted many hours to worry- :
ing about the possible shortage of
silk stockings, believes a plastic
substance that can b* painted on
the legs may b* Just what every
woman needs.
"It could be applied with a sponge
and removed with a special oil
wash," she explains.
"It would last for two or three
days and probably would cost about
90 cents an application."
Until the day of the plastic "stock,
ing" arrives Miss Cain suggests that
women can meet any hosiery short
age by painting the legs with cos
metics, by wearing knee-length
bootees, "which were stylish when
grandmother was a girl," or by
wearing cotton, wool, knitted, cro
cheted or net stockings.
Wool Inedible for Moths,
Science's New Discovery
WASHINGTON.? Science held out
hope to the housewife and others
of making woolen articles safe from
moths and heavy-handed laun
dresses.
' The bureau of standards and Tex
tile foundation announced discov
ery of a chemical treatment which
shows promise of making wool less
edible for moths, less sensitive to
alkaline factor* In soap and less
likely to shrink.
Industrial trials will be given the
-process before a final decision on
| its worth.
Price Control Problems
Enliven Inflation Threat
Three Distinct Groups Hold Up Definite Action;
U. S. Farm 'Bloc' Is Often Confused
With Farmer's Organizations.
By BAUKHAGE
National Farm and Home Hour Commentator.
WNU Service, 1M3 H Street, N-W,
Wuhia{toe, D. C.
There are three distinct groups in
Washington all pulling in different
directions at price control legisla
tion. There is a group which be
lieves with Bernard Baruch that a
ceiling must be put on all prices and
wages. There is a group, represent
ed by Leon Henderson, price con
trol administrator, which believes
that only those prices which show
signs ot getting out of hand should
be controlled. There is a third
group in congress which simply re
fuses to take any action. These latter
are the ones who are responsible
for delaying consideration of the
present bill which is widely criticized
by many in all three groups.
The result of these conflicting
groups is a growing fear that infla
tion which cannot be checked will
be upon us before we know it.
For a while it was thought that
the administration might follow
Canada's plan of price control
which is soon to be put into effect.
First, Canada tried a piece-meal
method, similar in some respects
to Mr. Henderson's ideas. Then, in
asmuch as this did not work satis
factorily, "ceilings" on both prices
and wages were written into a new
plan which more nearly resembles
that supported by Mr. Baruch's fol
lowers.
Details of Britain's price control
policy were recently reported by of
ficials here and they reveal some
interesting theories of particular in
terest now. This policy may explain
why it is being said that some peo
ple in Washington believe "a little
inflation is a good thing," in spite of
the dire warnings as to what will
happen if price rises are not
checked immediately.
Britiih 'Bidding' System
The British, it seems, have come
to the conclusion that freezing prices
and wages and profits just do not go
hand-in-hand with a maximum war
effort in a democracy. They say
frankly, "You have to bid for a
maximum war effort." In other
words, you have to permit the work
man to get bigger wages, you have
to give the farmer higher prices,
you have to offer industry a bigger
profit, if you expect a maximum ef
fort in the machine shop, in the field
and orchard, behind the desk.
Therefore, you have to follow a cer
tain amount of elasticity in prices
and wages and that means a
certain amount of inflation.
Equally frankly the British have
evolved this maxim: Building mo
rale is just as important as checking
inflation. You can give the work
man certain social advantages to
Improve his morale, you can re
move some of the business man's
restrictions?but you must also bid
tor their services with something
more material?money.
When full war production is fully
achieved, when every human unit
and every piece of material which
is not actually needed for the mini
mum non-defense production is at
last being utilized in the war effort,
then prices can be frozen, the Brit
ish believe, and not before.
It is perhaps this philosophy which
sotne of the administration leaders
have borrowed and which eventual
ly will be adopted by congress?if
it is not too late by the time con
gress makes up its mind to act.
? ? ?
?Farm Bloc'
And Inflation
In the next few weeks you are
going to hear some unpleaaant things
about the farmer. He ia going to
be blamed, whether justly or not,
for encouraging inflation by refus
ing to allow farm prices to be
curbed sufficiently to hold off infla
tion. In this connection you are go
ing to hear the term "farm bloc"
applied to al lthe interests working
rightly or wrongly tor the farmer.
This inclusive use of the phrase
is incorrect. A bloc, according to
the dictionary, Is:
"Bloc, (French, bloc or lump) 1.
Politics (a) in European countries,
especially in France and Italy
(this was before Mussolini and Pe
tain, at course) a combination of
two or more groups or parties will
ing to make common cause for some
definite object. (b) In the United
States, a combination of members
: at different parties for a similar pur
| pose, especially in congress; as the
agricultural or farm bloc, a bloc
formed in 1931 by members from
agricultural states, to secure agricul
tural legislation, irrespective at
party lines."
By the definition, a bloc is com
posed of members of congress, but
many people when they use the
word include the farm organizations
which maintain their offices in
Washington. The Grange, the Farm
Bureau Federation and the Farm
ers Union. Like the United States
Chamber of Commerce, the Con
gress of Industrial Organization
and the American Federation of
Labor, the agricultural organiza
tions are pressure groups?lobbies,
if you will.
'Bloc' and Politics
There is a reason why the bloc
can, and sometimes is, more likely
to be an evil force than the organi
zation. The bloc composed of poli
ticians who must have votes at the
next election try to out-promise
their political opponents. Therefore,
they will promise to vote for special
legislation and even vote for it as
it is brought up. But sometimes
their real purpose is not to get a
certain law passed but rather to
promise it and work for it until they
themselves are elected.
The need for the farm organiza
tions did not appear at the begin
ning of the nation. When represen
tation in congress was established
on a geographical basis this was an
agricultural nation. Each farm was
a unit which to a large extent rep
resented a cross-section of the na
tion's economic activity and inter
est.
Then conditions changed, cities
and industrial centers grew up
whose problems were entirely dif
ferent from the economic interests
of the farmer. At first the result
was rebellion?small revolts but sig
nificant ones; the Whiskey rebel
lion, Shays' rebellion, attempts by
force to obtain recognition of the
rights of special groups. Finally,
the farm organizations came into
being. At first their chief objective
was to obtain public school and agri
cultural education.
This movement was the beginning
of the department of agriculture,
the land grant colleges, the state ag
ricultural institutions. Gradually,
these organizations began to give
more and more time to promoting
the farmer's interests by obtaining
state and federal legislation for his
benefit.
Of course, some of the methods of
these groups can be anti-democrat
ic. We frequently bear more about
them than about the honest effort,
and sometimes not until much harm
has been done. That is why Secre
tary Wickard says that "each group
must operate tolerantly, and above
all openly and frankly, not through
stealth and concealment."
? ? ?
Carrying the Mad I
A navy mail dark an a trip to tka local
pact o?tea to pick up mail far ofScars and
man aarvksg an kit nation. It is in this
manner that aftcars and utan an tkara ob
tain mail from tkair familitt, ssooothcarts
and friends, as wall as from p|SriW stmtm.
Tka craatad quills and Ihroo snipm an
tka rating kadga ukooo tkit nular*t aHoto
Mba dhl *? it ? Tin w, fm dta,
wluUt fc. wnw* Wripw Mr arte ??
OcmM tk$t It la ww ftmr *Ma" ar
.NMlWmrMraikfcwr.