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The Alamance Gleaner
V?L LXXI GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1945 - Na 42
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WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS
Plan to Remove Food Subsidies;
Atom Bomb Figures in Allies'
Postwar Diplomatic Movements
________ Released by Western Newspaper Union. ???????
(KUIOBI NOTE: When opinions ere expressed In these colemas, they ere these el
Western Newspeper Union's news analysts end not necessarily of this newepeper.)
N* longer capable of doing heavy labor, and sick, diseased and dis
pirited, German prisoners of war released by Russians trek through Ber
?s ea their return to homes in the west.
SUBSIDIES:
Time Removals
Designed to bold down living costs
daring wartime, government subsi
dies to food producers and proces
sors will be gradually removed to
lessen the impact on the civilian
price structure, Stabilization Direc
tor John C. Collet revealed.
Tentative plans call for the aboli
tion of subsidies on vegetable short
ening by December 1, 1945; cheese,
not later than February 28, 1946,
and the $1.30 rollback per 100 pounds
ooi pork not later than March 31,
with the remaining pork pay
aaent scheduled to go not later than
June 30, 1946. In addition, subsi
des on canned and frozen vegeta
bles, dry edible beans, prunes and
raisins will be terminated at the
dose of the 1945 crop year, with
dairy production, fluid milk, feeder
cattle, beef, sheep and lambs and
dour payments expected to be ended
not later than June 30, 1946.
With the department of agricul
ture estimating the cost of food sub
sidies for the fiscal year ending next
Jane 30 at $1,798,000,000, payments
an slaughter of livestock are ex
pected to total $535,400,000; dairy
production, $534,000,000; flour, $190,
?00,000, and beef cattle, $40,000,000.
LABOR-INDUSTRY:
Discuss Bargaining
Backed by AFL Chieftain William
Green and representatives of man
agement, burly John L. Lewis of the
United Mine Workers ripped the CIO
proposal to tie wages into the pres
ent labor-industry conference in
Washington, D. C., and demanded
that talks be confined to establish
ing machinery for settlement of dis
putes.
In spearheading the opposition to
the CIO proposal based upon Presi
dent Truman's wage policy, Lewis
?sail led that the problem of pay
.siuMid be left to collective bargain
sag and not strait-jacketed by any
formula based on cost of living. In
granting employees increases and
adjusting their price structure, em
cio wiu uc juvci usu uj
tition to assure reasonable costs,
Levis said.
Even as the 36 labor and manage
ment representatives pitched into
their task, trouble brewed in the
automobile and steel industries, with
the CIO asking the government to
hrtervene following collapse of nego
tiations with General Motors and
U. S. Steel corporation over wage in
creases to maintain wartime take
hemepay.
ARMY:
Step Up Discharges
Mostly European vets originally
marked for redeployment to the Pa
ekk, 90-point enlisted men present
er home on furlough or on temporary
maty in the U. S. have become
eligible for discharge, the army re
parted.
At the same time, the army an
asvaced that no enlisted man with
9 or more months of service since
ItiUlsrtsi 16, 1M0, will be sent
SomaSav tor permanent duty except
Mr language specialists, regular
at uay personnel and volunteers.
Also exempt from overseas as
signment are officers who have 33
or more months of service, or med
ical officers with 30 months,' except
Mr thorn Who have chosen" to remain
?? active duty, are regular army
aeon or are classed as scarce spe
riohots. Nurses who are M years of
aas or have 11 paints will not be sent
FOREIGN AFFAIRS:
Atomic Talk
The red-hot question of sharing the
atomic bomb featured the recent
diplomatic news as
the U. S., Britain
and Russia contin
ued their polite tug
of-war (or favorable
positions in the con
struction of the
postwar world.
Russia's tough lit
tle Foreign Minis
ter Vyacheslav Mo
Iotov started the
ball rolling in an
address on the eve
of the 28th anniver
Vyaeheslav
Molotov
sary of the Red revolution, declar
ing that in this scientific age no such
discovery as the atomic bomb could
long remain a secret, and that
eventually the Soviet would have it.
Telling the world that possession
of the atomic bomb should not be
used as a diplomatic weapon in ob
taining advantages, Molotov also
said that its real effectiveness for
preserving peace has yet to be
tested.
, Indirectly answering Molotov in
Britain's house of commons, the
equally tough Foreign Minister Er
Ernest Bevin
nest Bevin declared
that it was entirely
proper for Britain,
Canada and the U.
S. to proceed slow
ly on the question of
sharing the atomic
bomb in view of its
tremendous poten
tialities. In finally
determining the
bomb's disposition,
he asserted, states
men and not scien
tists should make the final decision
because of their closer acquaintance
with political conditions.
In addressing commons, Bevin
rapped Russia hard, stating that
Britain had met every territorial de
mand of the Reds only to find them
increasing their claims, particularly
for control of North Africa and Eri
trea on the British lifeline to the east.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State
Byrnes projected the U.'S. into the
international pic
ture with the reve
lation of this coun
try's support of an
Allied commission
to guarantee free
access to the Black
or Mediterranean
seas through the vi
tal Dardanelles and
Bosporus straits,
and the release of
Italy's territorial
views.
S?e. Byraet
By calling for an Allied commis
sion, Byrnes favored revision of the
present Montreux agreement en
trusting Turkey with control of the
strategic straits, but countering the
Russian demand for military bases
along the vital waterways to assure
free passage.
In submitting its territorial views,
Italy agreed to readjustment of its
French and Yugoslavian boundaries
and establishment of Allied bases in
its former North African colonies,
but asked'for retention of certain
Near Eastern possessions of econom
ic value.
All these diplomatic problems,
plus consideration of the question of I
Jewish immigration in British con
trolled Palestine were reportedly
part of British Prime Minister Att
lee's scheduled discussions with
President Truman. I
CHINA:
Battle On
Full-scale civil war loomed in
China as negotiations between com
munists and nationalists bogged and
the Reds took to the offense In an
effort to prevent Chiang Kai-shek'i
forces from Infiltrating into their
northern strongholds. J
As a result of the outbreak of hos
tilities, the U. S. decided to with- <
draw American troops from ths
scenes of combat, the Yanks having
been used to aid nationalists in tak
ing over former Jap-held territory
Removal of U. S. units did not sig
nify any reversal of policy in sup
porting Chiang, however, with re
ports that the administration would
continue to offer him material aid
Thus did the threat of civil war,
following close upon V-J Day, damp
en long-suffering China's hopes foi
a period of peace and tranquility in
which to unify the nation politically
and lay the foundation for economic
development and modernization.
FINLAND:
Try Leaders
Charged with refusal to mediate
differences with Russia and prose
cuting war on the side of the Axis
instead, eight prominent Finnish
leaders were arrested by the new
government and scheduled for early
trial in the people's court.
In the unprecedented movement ot
a country to punish former leaders i
for their official acts, Vaino Tanner, I
dominant Finnish politico of 1941, s
was accused of failing to take ad
vantage of a U. S.-British offer to
mediate with Russia that year.
Tanner again was named for fail
ure to accept a U. S. proposition to
conciliate Finnish-Russian differ
ences in 1943 along with former
President Risto Ryti, Foreign Min
uter Henrik Ramsay, Prime Min
ister Edwin Linkomies, Gen. Rudolf
Walden, and Finance Minister Tyo
ko Reinikka.
POLITICS:
No Trend
Continued Democratic domination
of the big cities and Republican in
roads in small municipalities
marked the recent election, result^
and offered little clue to a political
trend prior to the all-important con
gressional elections in' 1949.
Most significant feature of the bal
loting was the CIO's failure again
to capture the mayoralty in Detroit,
Mich., motor car center of the U. S.
and United Automobile Workers
stronghold. Calling upon the unor
ganized residents of the city to rally
for an impartial rather than a labor
dominated administration, Mayor
Jeffries won re-election over CIO
Candidate Frankensteen by a com
fortable margin.
Maintaining their dominance over
the big municipalities, the Demo
crats handily won the mayoralties
of New York, Boston, Pittsburgh
and Cleveland, while Republicans
won back Buffalo, N. Y., and New
Haven, Conn., after more than a doz
en years.
Sets Air Speed Record
Exciting pouibilitia lor speedy pott
war air travel wort opened with Iha record
breaking porlormanco of Britain ! fat-paw
ered Gloster Meteor piloted try Lapi. If. /.
Wilton.
Smashing the former official mark of
481JM miles per hour set by CapL Frits
Wendel of the German air force in 1939,
Wilson averaged 606 miles per hour in four
runs over a IM-mila course at Heme Bay,
England.
At Wilson's rata of speed, excited statis
ticians figured that a plana could travel non
stop around the world in 41 hours; from
Los Angeles, Califs to New York City in
3 hours and 59 minutes; from Chicago, IlL.
to Panama in 3 hours and 49 minutes, and
from Chicago to Mexico City in 2 hours
and 46 minutes.
NAZI SPY:
Tipped Off FBI
Asserting that his only intention In
accompanying saboteurs to the U. S.
In 1942 was to get out of Germany,
a Nazi spy disclosed the whole en
emy plot for damaging U. S. plants
and facilities and terrorizing civil
ians to the FBI, leading to the early
roundup of the entire clique landed
by submarine.
Let off with 30 years imprisonment
for his disclosure and testimony at
the trial resulting in the execution
of six of the saboteurs and a Ufa
sentence for another, the spy, George
Dasch, named the other conspira
tors and furnished information
which enabled the G-men to cover
their movements and track them
down in New York and Chicago, Hi.
In detailing the saboteurs' mis
sion, Dasch told the FBI that the
TV A was marked for destruction
along with important industrial
plants, the Hell Gate bridge in New
York City, Ohio river locks, and im
portant railroad trackage. In addi
tion, the saboteurs planned to ter
rorize civilians by planting tfana
bombs in depot iocs era and crowded
Man About Town:
Marshall Field, again rumored
lickering for a New York eve'g
paper, probably won't get it. If the
Dewarts sell it to anyone, it would
Likely be upstate publisher Gannett.
. . The Roney-Pleasure (Miami
Beach) is bpen but very little else
a. The hammering, painting and
ranging depressed some too-early
lirds, who took the first "Champion"
sack to the Stork Club. But don't
sver let anyone ever tell you that
iun doesn't erase sinus clouda im
nediately. Magic for us. . . . The
F"ord firm will soon announce blan
tet wage raises up to 15 p. c. to
nsure complete harmony with the
United Auto Workers. That'll leave
Sen. Motors and Chrysler holding a
arge bag unless they ditto.
Kathryn Grayson, the star, had to
lummon neighbors the other sun
iown to help her eject a gun-carry
Og torch-carrier. . . . Chi now has
I law which calls for a $25 fine for
iny woman driving with a hat that
:overs one orb. . . . They allege that
Einstein told FDR (years ago) that
;he atomic project wouldn't click.
EDR then discussed it with Univ.
>f Chi's Salazer, who reversed Ein
itein's opinion.
Juke-box Makers, who anticipated
i big market in England pubs,
earned they are a flop there. . . .
Jacques Diamond, the coast publi
:ist, showed Admiral Halsey's
iauahtar Marion the Hollywood
lights. . . . Sun Valley reopens to
he public July 1. . . . Kaltenborn
ind L. Thomas are tiffing. . . . Hag
editors are getting squawks from
people that prices are too high.
Newsstands hear there will be
more than 100 new mags in the next
Few months. . . . Bill Mauldin, whose
t>ook ("Up Front") is dedicated to
the wife he is now suing for divorce,
is having the dedication changed to
read: "Dedicated to Wives Who
Have Been Faithful-to Their Hus
bands."
The Magie Lanterns: Diplomats
Fattening Nazi rodents on legalistic
cheese can learn how to build a bet
ter rat-trap by viewing the Russky
release, "We Accuse." This is a
pictorial record of the Kharkov war
guilt trials. The Russians provide
looses for killers pronto, instead of
giving them enough rope to skip....
"Scared Stiff" is frothier than a
bubble-bath. Jack Haley's refresh
ing spoofing keeps it bubbling. . . .
"First Yank Into Tokyo" whame
icross a bing-bang-up metier tailored
n the Enrol Flynn style. . . . Repeat
coost: "Kiss and Tell" comes
through in a blaze of guffaws.
Word Juggling: Ha Vlllepigue,
he 49th St. restaurateur, was re
railing when she had that colorful
ipot at Sheepshead Bay in the race
rack sector years ago. One of her
-egular patrons was Diamond Jim
Brady, who not only ate like a horse
jut also showed some horse sense
n his talk now and then. "In pat
enting your life," Jim once advised
i table full of folk, "you have to de
tide whether you want to be liked by
>eople of wealth or by a wealth of
jeople."
Quotation Marksmanship: Sarah
^orimer: Dignity is the one thing
hat cannot be preserved in alcohol.
. . Thomas Wolfe: She opened
icai w u uiuu|ii iucj wci c hkhv,
. . Corneille: The man who par
Ions easily courts injury. .. . Jessy
-a Russell: The clay feet of my
dols?some day I shall use them?
0 powder my weeping face. . . .
1. G. Wells: What on earth would
1 man do with himself if someone
lid not stand hi his way? ... Charles :
amb: Not many sounds in lifa
and I include all urban and rural
ounds) exceed in interest s knock {
in the door. . R. M. Hutchins: j
Whenever I feel like exercise I lie ;
I own until the feeling passes.
The Kadis City taller whe displays
ill the colors of the rainbow tor
nen's fashions. .. . The happy tipsy
it the Prometheus fountain in Radio '
Jity getting himself splashed. . . .
rhe retired air force lieutenant-col
inel running a high speed elevator in
i mid town skyscraper. . . . Poliee
nen directing traffic, with the tort
us wind-swept rains scratching their
aces. There must be an easier way
if making a living. . . The misers
rho spend misery days (such as
donday and Tuesday were in New
fork) counting up the bonds and
J-notes in their safety-deposit boxes.
. . Jacqueline Dalya, the actress,
rho requests and invariably gets
com Til in the hotel she dwells at
ram here to Mexico City?"711" be
aost it rhymes with Heaven, Mm
ays.
Inflation Threat Will Become a Dread Reality If ]
Everyone Scrambles for Excessive Profits and Wages
I
Only Controls of OPA
Prevented Runaway
Prices During War.
By WALTER A. SHEAD
WNU Staff Correspondent
During the war years, if we be
came peeved with rationing and
price control it was the national hab
it to cuss OPA. During reconver
sion, people, from the captains of
industry on down the line and into
the ranks of congress, blame many
of our ills on OPA.
There have been ridiculous and oft
time funny jokes cracked about the
OPA and the controls instituted for
the protection of the American peo
ple. And, as is the case in any hu
man institution, the OPA has made
mistakes, errors of judgment.
Congress has been deluged with
letters from constituents, business
men and consumers, concerning
real or fancied ills and discrimina
tions which were laid at the door of
the Office of Price Administration.
And congressmen, being human too,
let the blame rest on OPA, passing
the buck along. But despite all this
criticism, despite verbal beatings
which tore to shreds the actions and
policies of OPA, congress dared not
eliminate the agency, despite strong
pressure, and by an overwhelming
majority voted to continue OPA and
the price control policy until next
June. And every poll taken of the
American people showed, despite
their bee lings, their sound com
mon sense prevailed and 79 out of
every 100 people favor continuing
price controls for at least some
months to come.
Only in recent weeks various
gronps In trade and industry have
been Increasing pressure In calling
for an end of price controls, particu
larly In the bail ding and housing in
dustry, preferring to let prices tnd
their own level.
As a matter of fact and record,
had it not been for the OPA and the
policies of rationing and price con
trol, the American people would
never have been in the favorable
position they are in today to face
whatever may come in those months
of reconversion growing pains. For
price controls have held the lino
against inflation and rationing con
trols have seen this country the best
fed in its history.
Host folks don't understand infla
tion and what it means, but most
people do understand and resent and
fear high prices. The records show
that every major war In which the
nation has been engaged has been
HOLDING THE PRICE UNE
ON THE THINGS YOU BUY
s*
SUM* price* for-tarn product* are beet for the farmer. Aajr tem
porary profit* ho mifht make throofh rtstn* price* would be eatea op by
tho inereaiiay eo*t of manufactured tkimy* that ha ha* to boy.
accompanied or followed by a ma
jor Inflation, followed by deflation of
equal proportions.
Rise Bald U> ? Per Cent.
And for the first time in our na
tion's history, thsnks to OPA, the
cost of living, during and immedi
ately following this war, has been
held fairly steady. From the out
break of the war to the end of 1944,
living costs, as measured by the bu
resu of labor statistics, rose less
thsn 29 per cent, and most of that
rise came befors May, 1943, when
teeth were inserted into the price
stabilizetion program. By compari
son, living costs rose more than 84
per cent in a like period after the
outbreak of the First World war
when there was no rationing or
price control. Labor unions declare
the rise in the cost of living has in
creased more than 29 per cent,
reaching a 40 per cent figure, but
even so, if that is true. It does not
reach the dazzling heights to which
living costs went after the last war.
Farmers, because ef the nature
et their basleim, suffer mere
than any eUfcr gtinp from infla
tion and Caa even which inev
itably fellows. As a matter ef
fast, it makes little difference
what the priee level may be, se
long as It remains stable . . .
and assuming that Oka tnssmes
to the various eaenfalleaal
(reaps are fair and equitable.
?? ?? i?avi?! ?tci in pricv
fluctuation remains steady.
Farming has become one of these
specialized industries, relatively,
and a great many of the things used
on the farm and in the farm home
I are purchased. Too, many farm in
vestments and obligations Incident
to the farm business are long term
obligations, and so the behavior of
the price level means much to farm
ers. For instance, I was talking to
a Pennsylvania dairy farmer in
Washington recently. He lives in
the potato country of Pennsylvania
and when I asked him how his potato
crop was he said:
"Well, I didn't plant any. I figured
my business is dairying and I let
the potato farmers raise potatoes."
What is inflation? There are many
long and technical answers to that
question. But about the simplest
answer this writer can find is that
it la a situation which creates an
unfair change hi the purchasing pow
er of money.
For instance, a farmer who bor
rowed some money in 1913 could
have taken IS of that borrowed motl
ey and bought 40 pounds of meat,
1S2 pounds of flour, 91 pounds of su
gar or T7 yards of gingham. If
he paid back that loan in 1920 dur
ing the period of inflation, the lender
could have taken the same IS and
bought only 21 pound* of meat, 62
pounds of flour, 26 pounds of sugar
or 23 yards of gifigham. The bor
rower returned the same number of
dollars, but ha did not return the
same amount of purchasing power,
m Million Farms Last.
Inflation during and following the
last war lost to the farmers of this
country approximately a million
and a half farms. Why? Because
prosperous farmers during the war
invested their money in land at in
flated prices. They went into debt
for machinery, for homes, barns
and other commodities at inflated
prices. Then the purchasing power
of the dollar changed and the defla
tion which followed the inflated val
ues brought about the inevitable
crash.
Chester Bowles, the boss sf the
OPA, Is a bssiaess man. He was
the head ai a large advertising agen
ey which was la daily esatact with
big beeta*es. Be ha knows big busi
ness practices and be has become
the rock apon which the pressure
groaps are dashing theauelvos la an
effort to break price test ml.
Chester Bowles has taken his
stand against price inflatioa and for
price control, because his office is
flooded with hundreds of letters ev
ery week testifying to the tear with
which people view inflation or high
prices . . . and these letters com*
from big and Uttlo people alike . . .
from fanners, weaken, housewives.
- *
URM earning
P 9 9 ?^WW'?wr
p? CUT IN HALF/
^ 453,000 FARMER*
^ LOfT THEIR LAND/
Daring World War I prices rose swiftly. After the armistice ? No
vember 11, 1911, there was a sadden dip, lasting only three mearths. Thin
the npsweep was resumed, soaring on til midyear el 1990. The pries
level more than doubled between 1917 and 1999. When prices brake h
the later months of 1990, a toboggan slide began that broaght rain In
millions.
??>?? ?,. ? ? -? ?.?i j ??? ? ? J " * ?* ? - ?
mj w ?Mm cu uiai uie con 01 wring
or the coet of operating ? farm or
a busineu will not be permitted to
go up into an inflation spiral. They
want price controls continued for the
present.
All three of the major national
farm organizations have strongly
supported the price control pro
gram. Labor organizations, too.
have given unstinting support. Tho
farmers In the older age brackets do
not easily forget what happened
when what few controls existed were
dropped shortly after the armistice
in the last war. At first, prices
slumped rather sharply in some
commodities, but within a few
months, after reconversion and
workers returned to their Jobs in
peacetime plants, the downward
trend was reversed and within see
en months the inflation boom was
in full swing. Prices rose skyward;
manufacturers, wholesalers and re
tailers were forced into a wild
scramble for inventories. Prices
soared higher and higher. Farm
prices skyrocketed 100 per cent be
tween 1914 and 1920.
If farmers, merchants, manufac
turers can be certain that the costs
of things they buy will not skyrocket
and threaten a major crash later,
they can make long-term plans for
large-scale operations and produo
tion And full dmnlnwmsnf T# ??wfc
era can be certain of this full em
ployment at adequate wages, then
they slso can feel secure of the
value of their purchasing power . . .
will feel free to spend for reconver
sion goods and this free spending
will stimulate more employment.
Farm and City Linked.
On the other hand, if swiftly ris
ing prices make production costs un
predictable, business will not be able
or willing to plan ahead, fun prodac
tion will falter and fear of unem
ployment would make conaoesaas
afraid to spend. We have often re
marked about the anefegous rile
tion between the farmers' Income
and full employment in cities, for
it is a fact that when income of work
ers is high, farm income also ie
high. When there is heavy unem
ployment, farm prices toboggan.
Price Administrator Bowles has
given his word that OPA is going to
use every resource at its command
to continue an effective Job with the
ultimate goal of keeping a sound
price structure upon which can be
built sound prosperity. When dan
ger of inflation is past, then OPA
plans to step out of the picture. (The
present set end* June 30, 1046.)
do this he plane (1) wherever neces
sary to continue price controls over
goods and services which have bee*
controlled in war time; (S) to act
prices on reconversion goods; (3)
to ifo'rk out supple doUar-and-centa
ceiling prices for building materials
and as many consumer goods items
as possible; (4) to require manufac
turers to teg consumer goods with
easy-to-reed retail ceiling prices.
ContiSued control over tractors,
other term implements and machin
ery, fertilizer and seada so long
as they are in abort supply is as the
program. It may be necessary 4n
increase some prices as cosnpara*
to prewar, but tha plan is to ksep
all prices at near prewar level as
possible.
Bowles says that price caotraft
alone cannot guarantee prosperity^
but he believes that it caa help te
control Inflation by keeping tha buy
ing power of eaah dollar apd wOt
her, together with gmarnstel. te
worktepUwMgwM a sound post