The Alamance Gleaner
VOL. LXXII GRAHAM, N. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 1947 No. 50
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS
GOP Takes Over 80th Congress;
President Cuts Wartime Powers; "v |
Industrial Pay Reaches Peak
____________ Released by Western Newspaper Unftm '
(EDITOR'S NOTE: When opinions art expressed In these columns, they are those of ]
Western Newspaper Union's news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.) j
_ . , (
Opening of 80th eongTess saw Republican majority in limelight. At 1
top, Senators Vandenberg (Mich.), Wherry (Neb.) and White (Me.) In i
middle, Senators Robertson (Wyo.), Bricker (Ohio) and Taft (Ohio). i
Bottom, Senators Cain (Wash.), Thye (Minn.) and McCarthy (Wis.). 1
CONGRESS:
Ready to Go
Taxes and labor legislation were
scheduled for early consideration as
the 80th congress convened under
Republican leadership.
Veteran GOP luminaries held
the reins as1 the session got un
derway. While seniority was ac
knowledged in the naming of the
party's congressional command,
the men named have proven
their mettle in legislative wars
and qualify tor the positions.
One of the outstanding figures in
the bi-partisan foreign policy devel
oped by Secretary of State Byrnes,
Arthur Vandenberg (Mich.) was the
choice for president pro tem of the
senate. Quiet, able Wallace White
(Me.) took over the majority leader
ship of the senate while aggressive,
conservative Kenneth Wherry (Neb.)
was in line as the party whip in the
upper chamber.
Joe Martin (Mass.) was the
unanimous choice for speaker of
the house but a battle developed
for the majority leadership be
tween the Taft and Dewey
forces. Although charged with
being a Dewey man, Charles A.
Halleck (Ind.) vowed impartial
ity and obtained the position
after a brief struggle. It is with
in the power of a majority lead
er to advance or push certain
legislation, hence the importance
of the post to factions seeking to
build up their prestige.
LIVESTOCK:
Halt Mexican Imports
Veterinarians were scheduled to
check every Mexican animal import
ed into the U. S. since reopening of
the border October 17 for the dread
ed hoof and mouth disease following
reports that the malady had broken
out in three Mexican states.
At the same time, Republican con
gressrpen revealed their intention to
probe President Truman's reopening
of the border last fall in the effort
to provide additional livestock to re
lieve the acute meat famine then
prevailing. It was charged that
Mexico never has eradicated the dis
ease because of lax supervision of
imports from other Sooth American
countries afflicted with the sickness.
Of seven outbreaks of the hoof and
mouth disease 1h the U. S. since
1870, the last two occurred in 1924.
Highly communicable, hoof and
mouth disease blisters the feet and
mouth of cattle, affecting their abil
ity to move freely and eat normally.
WHITE HOUSE:
Steals Thunder
Beating congress to the punch.
President Truman officially pro
claimed the end of hostilities io ter
minate government powers under 20
laws and mark 33 others for expira
tion within six months to five years.
- Loosely, the period of hostilities is
supposed to covet* actual lighting.
Mr. Truman did not call for an
immediate cessation of the states of
emergency proclaimed in 1939 and
1M1 nor of the state of war ^reveal
ing that he would recommend ac- |
tion on these measures to congress. ,
A state of emergency is designed \
to cover any situation deemed ,
critical to the country while a state j
of war is considered to prevail ,
until the signing of peace treaties. j
In terminating hostilities, the \
President: I
?Reduced wartime taxes on liq- j
uor, beer, wines, fur, luggage, jewel- j
ry, telephone and telegraph service, ,
transportation, electric bulbs and ,
billiard and pool tables to prewar
levels.
?Ended government power to
seize privately owned mines and
plants.
?Scheduled the end of price sup
ports for farm products for 1948.
LABOR:
Pay Up
Losses of 107,475,000 man days of
work during the first 11 months of
1946 due to strikes partly were offset
by increased wages and shorter
hours over the comparable 1945 pe
riod, the department of labor re
ported.
Time lost in walkouts set an all
time peak, even topping the embat
tled postwar year of 1919, the de
partment said. As against the 107,
475,000 man days lost this year,
30,307,000 were lost in 1945 ; 8,336,000
in 1944, and 16,089,000 for the 1935-'39
prewar period.
Industrial pay hit new tops follow
ing the year's bitter labor disputes.
Average weekly earnings in the bi
tuminous coal industry rose to $62.54
on an increased work week, but oth
er pay jumped appreciably despite
shorter time. Figures for different
industries follow:
Average Average
weekly * weekly %
earning* change hr*. change
All 845.61 4-11.5 40.4 ? 2 8
Iron, steel, and 1
products ... 48.85 4- 7.6 40.5 ? 6.0 1
Blast furnace*,
steel works.
rolling mills. 50.43 4- 8.2 38.6 ? 0 2 ,
Electric machy. 48.50 4-14.3 40.8 ? .8 '
Autos 82.80 4-118 38.3 ? .3 j
Meat packing. 43 08 ? 3.8 37.5 ?18.4 1
Oil refining ... 57.38 4- 8.0 40.0 ? 5.1 1
Tires, tubes ... 57.18 4-1S.1 38.1 ?5.1
Mining? ,
Anthracite .. 61.82 4- 8.8 38.2 ? 4.6 \
Metal flron.
rOT^*ai .J5.S tli ai? -II J
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: . ,
Border Problem i
As first intimated in Secretary of
State Byrnes' historic Stuttgart ad
dress September 6, the U. S. will
press for revision of Germany's
eastern border when the Big Three 1
meet in Moscow March 10 to dis- |
cuss a peace treaty for the Reich.
Backed by Britain, the U. S.
will seek restoration of Pomeran
ian and Brand enberg farmlands 1
given to Poland by Russia after the |
end of the war. While the U. S. in- '
tends to press for a return of this 1
territory, it will accede to the ces- i
sion of the rich industrial section of
Silesia and half of East Prussia to I
the Poles. <
The U. S. position for restoration i
of Pomerania and Brandenberg to i
Germany is based on the fact that i
these regions comprise 25 per cent |
of the Reich's best farmland and 1
the country would suffer a serious i
food deficiency if the land je not I
returned. I
POTATOES:
Huge Loss
As much as 20 million bushels of
government-owned potatoes may go
to waste following U. S. support of
the 1946 crop in the face of a sag
ging market.
Originally, the government held
title to 100 million bushels as the
result of a bumper harvest. Mak
ing good on its agreement to main
tain prices at at least 90 per cent
it parity, the U. S. bought substan
tial stocks and covered other com
mitments with loans, redeemable if
the market rose. The huge waste
is expected to follow from rotting
af the potatoes in inadequate storage
i>n the farms.
To escape total loss, the govern
ment resold millions of bushels to
iistillers and livestock feeders at
bargain prices. Distillers of bever
age and industrial alcohol bought
aver 26 million bushels. About 525,
100 bushels were resold for export
to famine areas, with the amount
held down by perishability and high
transport costs.
Public institutions and school
lunch programs received about one
million bushels of the surplus pota
toes free.
U. N.s
Pursue Disarmament
The question of disarmament pre
ceded on its labrynthine course in
the United Nations.
As a struggle shaped over formu
lation of an atomic control meas
jre, the Rsssians asked the 11-na
tion security council to proceed full
steam ahead on disarmament with
out waiting for final action on nu
clear energy. Declaring that dis
armament is the most important
Factor for strengthening peace and
security, the Reds called for an
agreement within three months at
the latest.
Meanwhile, the pesky question of
the veto snagged deliberations on
control of atomic energy. While
the United Nations' atomic energy
commission approved of the U. S.
plan and sent it to the security coun
cil to be worked out, Russia ex
pressed opposition to the provision
that no Big Five power be permit
ted to apply the veto to esoepe pun
ishment for violating regulations.
Since the Reds can use the veto in
shaping control in the council, how
aver, prolonged discussions loomed.
BOUSE:
4ssail Reds
Noting a softening in the Rus
sian attitude following U. S. imple
mentation of a "get tough" policy
with the Soviets, the special house
committee on postwar economic
planning headed by Representative
Colmer (Dem., Miss.) and dom
inated by Democrats, urged ? fur
ther tightening of relations ?with
Moscow until it meets its interna
tional obligations and agrees to full
control of atomic energy.
Drawn after a group of com
mittee members bad toured En
rope, Rnssia and the Middle
East, the report declared that
an affirmation of reports that
the Soviets were using German
plants for rearming would justi
fy a renunciation of the Pots
dam agreement and a demand
for the Communists to vacate
the eastern occupation sone.
Pointing up Russian rearma
ment policies, the report stated
that the Soviets were concen
trating on development of heavy
industry convertible for war in
their new Ave year plan.
Until the Russians agreed to play
ball with the Allies, the committee
recommended that the U. S. with
hold appreciable financial assist
ance from the Soviets, curb the ex
tension of technical assistance and
industrial exports, and license the
tales of American Arms to the Reds.
COLLEGE:
Peak Enrollment
Taking full advantage of the G.I.
bill of rights, vets constitute a large
percentage of undergraduates at
tending educational institutions, a
survey of 688 universities and col
leges disclosed.
Compiled by Dr. Raymond Wal
ters, president of the University of
Cincinnati, the study showed that of
1,718.862 students at the 688 schools,
114,477 were ex G.I.s.. In addition,
150,000 vets were enrolled at 650 j
lunior colleges and thousands more
?t several hundred other schools,
bringing the grand total of G.I.s to
slightly more than half of 2,000,000
students.
With ambitious vets availing
themselves of generous educational
opportunities, current full-time en
rollments at the 688 top universities
and colleges are at peak levels, the
survey showed. Roughly, they are 57
per cent above the 1080 figure and
twice that of 1046. Two men are
enrolled to every woman whereas
the wartime ratio was three women
to two men.
The Broadway Express:
The Broadway Lights: Add things
I never heard of In my ainful life:
Bandsman Tex Beneke (ending a
tour of the Southeast with his Glenn
Miller crew) returned several hun
dred bux to the promoters (of a
swing event) with this explanation:
"We didn't draw too well for you;
sorry." He must be quite a feller.
. . . His 'Ighness and her Grace (her
what?) manage to have news photos
taken of all their sudden "charity"
work. It's that "build-up campaign"
to remove the odor of a 1938 photo
showing the Oook giving the Nazi
salute in Berlin, when those soand
sos were winning. Too late, Bub.
... A newsprint industry may start
in Alaska soon. ... No money
around? You should see it thrown
away at a Florida dice house. . . .
Have you seen the- Grand Central
station's first two white Red Caps?
Life's Little Jokes: The Hotel
Wlnecoff (Atlanta) was booked
to capacity that awful night.
Many of the folks who couldn't
get room there were sent to ho
tels around the corner ? on
Luckie street!
Sallies in Our Alley: The larg
est studio audience isn't in H'wood
or here, but in Nashville, Tenn.,
where "Grand Ole Opry" entices
5,000 people every Saturday night.
. . . Emily Post's book of etiquette
(according to all bookshops at mili
tary posts) is reported Best Seller
No. 3. Sold more than 90,000 copies
last year. It was published in 1921.
. . . Polan Banks (not so long ago)
had tl mag piece titled: "The Presi
dent's Daughter," which was like
what happened to Margaret in New
York recently. It was about the
mythical daughter of a president
eluding her guards to keep a date
with a colyumist. . . . Juliet Lowell,
author of "Dear Sir or Madam"
(clickerature) will do a piece on war
humor for the Encyc Brit. . . . John
La Cerda's new book on Japan un
der MacArthur is out. "The Con
queror Comes to Tea," published by
Rutgers Univ. Press.
Today's abort story (courtesy
West 45th street tbeater mar
quees): "The Playboy of tbo
Western World." .. . "The Fatal
Weakness." . . . "Born Tester
day." . . . "Annie Get Your
Gun." . . . "Life with Father."
. . . Heheheh.
The Late Wateh: Didjez know
that regular burglary insurance
policies will not Insure against loss
by theft by a kin living with the in
sured? ... If yez want an elephant
instead of a new car, the price is
now $7,000. . . . Newest whim of the
gels who dunno what to do with their
money: A lipstick brush made of
genuine sable hair with 14-karat gold
handle. . . . Ham Fisher just got to
Florida. A doyty trick considering
he left Joe Palooka snowed-in up in
the mta. . . . Insiders hear Happy
Chandler will scold Durocher in pub
lic via a display "of power" between
them. . . . The city's next headache
will come when the snow shovelers
demand higher wages or else. . . .
Whirlaway soon will be a grandpap
py. . . . Zillionaire Jock Whitney is
said "not to be interested" in the Aim
business anymore. Poor Jock, he
can't afford to make any more
munyee.
New York Novelette: When
Russel C rouse double-checked
the Washington data for the hit
show, "State of the Union," be
phoned his friend, Tom 8tokes,
whose news coverage of the cap
Hal is Big-Ttmey. . . . When the
show was ready Cronse offered
Stokes a one per cent Interest
in Its chances?to show his ap
preciation. . . . Stokes said
thanks, no. . . . Mrs. Stokes,
however, >aM Cronse If she
could Invest $7M in It. . . . Sure,
said Cronse. . . . Well, "State of
the Union" never has an empty
pew?and cinema rights sold for
a mere I7M.MS.
It happened the other night In a
mid town restaurant on 7th avenue
in the 400 block. ... A man and a
woman were waiting for dinner
when she suddenly fell forward. . . .
The man grabbed his hat and coat
and started to go but was stopped.
"You can't leave her that way." he
was told by the manager.... A doe
tor in the place pronounced her
dead. . . . lite escort looked both
startled and annoyed and again
started to leave. The manager, a
waiter and a patron held him back.
... He wouldn't respond at first
but flnatty admitted he didn't know
her name. . . . He'd met her?10
minutes before!
INSTRUMENT OF MERCY ... A hundred and fifty thousand dimes, contributed in the IMS March at
Dimes, paid for the fully equipped mobile emergency unit, three views of which are shewn above. In addi
tion to moving emergency patients, the unit serves as a training center and auxiliary hospital facility when
needed. The unit proved Its worth during the severe epidemic last summer.
CEASELESS WAR
High Polio Toll Gives Impetus
To March of Dimes Gamoaimi
WNV Features.
With latest reports compiled by National Foundation for In
fantile Paralysis indicating that the year 1946 witnessed the most
severe epidemic of polio in the history of the foundation, concerted
effort is being centered on the 1947 March of Dimes which opened
throughout the nation on January 15. /
The national foundation, spearhead organization in the cease
less war against the great crippler, is directing agency for the
annual March of Dimes campaign. The drive will be concluded
Januarv 30.
Heavy expenditures resulting ?
from the nationwide 1944 epidemic
have dipped deeply into the founda
tion's funds, directors assert in urg
ing generous support for the 1947
solicitation to provide means for
coping with any emergency in the
future. The March of Dimes, they
add, is the only method employed
by the foundation to raise money
to finance its many activities.
Fatalities Decline.
Figures compiled by the founda
tion disclose that in IMS there were
more than 24.000 cases of infantile
paralysis, with fatalities running
between 3 and 10 per cent. In the
year 1918, before the foundation was
organized, the greatest polio epi
demic in history was recorded. That
year 27,363 cases were reported by
28 states, fatalities running as high
as 23 per cent.
The sharp decrease in fatalities is
attributed in part to the persistent
educational program waged since
the foundation was started in 1938,
which brought about better diag
nosis and early hospitalization. At
the same time improved therapeu
tic methods were credited with pre
vention of many cases of permanent
crippling.
Hardest hit daring IMS, ac
cording to foundation figures,
was the Mississippi valley region,
where Minnesota headed the list
of heavily hit states with a total
of 2,812 eases. However, Ftor
ids oa the east eoast and Cali
fornia on the west eoast, also
were seriously affected, and oth
er widely scattered regions
were hsrd hit as well.
Adhering to its policy of leaving
half of all fundi collected during
the March of Dimes with its local
county chapters, the foundation left
more than eight million dollars with
these chapters during January,
1946. Up to November 1, more than
360 of these chapters had entirely
depleted their shares of this fund
and had to call upon the foundation
for help. This help reached the sum
of more than four million dollars.
Emphasise Research.
Besides supplying lbcal chapters
with emergency funds the founda
tion used its share of March of
Dimes collections in furthering a
concentrated and widespread pro
gram of research into causes and
possible cures of the malady, and
in training doctors, physical thera
pists, epidemiologists and other
"front line" soldiers in the war
against polio. A considerable
amount also was spent on public
education, and during 1946 more
than six million pieces of literature
on the disease were distributed
free. During the last fiscal year
nearly two million dollars was ex
pended for research activities.
The foundation emphasises
that no victim of polio, regard
less of age, race, creed or color,
need go without the best avail
able eare through lack of
funds.
Infantile paralysis, the statement
points out, is among the most un
predictable of diseases. No one
knows when or where it will strike
?but until research finally finds the
M. O
answers to many puzzling questions
still obscured, there is one sure
thing about polio?and that is that
it will strike.
Ne Grasp Immane.
Despite its name, it can strike
and has struck persons of all age
f^oups, although the age group live
to nine appears to be most suscept
ible. Boys seem to be slightly more
susceptible than girls, and there is
no evidence to show that any one
race is more immune to its rav
ages than any other.
What is important at this stage,
the report says, is that a doctor be /
consulted as soon as the disease is
suspected ? and sometimes the1
symptoms so closely resemble .
those of a common cold that no
chances should be taken. Early
diagnosis and hospitalization may
prevent death or permanent crip
pling, the report stresses, and the
early services of a competent medi
cal man are absolutely essential.
In discussing the future, the re
port expresses confidence that the
cause and a prevention of the dread
crippler will be found. In the mean
time, it is pointed out, the public
has every assurance that March of
Dimes funds, distributed by local
chapters in their territories, have
made possible the best available
care and purchased the most up
to-date equipment regardless of
cost, so that any foreseeable exi
gency can be met.
Aid Is Assured.
Behind the local chapters stands
the national foundation, carrying on
its program of public education and
research, and ready to send aid to
any county which may deplete its
funds through unusual epidemic
conditions.
The work will go on, the founda
tion promises. Funds collected dur
ing the JM7 March of Dimes win
replenish exhausted treasuries so
thet when the 1M7 polio season rolls
around?sometime in the late spring
and through the summer?the na
tion will be ready.
RELIEF FROM CAMPUS GRIND
College Students Given Time To Think'
CEDAR RAPIDS. IOWA. ? Coe<
college ftudente in the future will
be given "time to Uunk"!
A day off "now and then" will be
granted so students can study, talk
to their teachers or "just sit and
think through" aome of their aca
demic and aocial problems. It was
announced by Byron Hollingshead,
young president of the local college.
Faculty members will stick
around the campus fdr informal
conferences, "preferably over a cup
of coffee in the grill," Hollingshead
said. Library and reference rooms
will remain open. The day will be
selected well in advance by the fac
ulty executive committee and the
student council.
Averring that "right now modern
education defeats its own purpose,"
the young educator declared:
"It's impossible to get an educa
tion in the modern colleges be
cause the colleges make it Impos
sible by rushing the student through
the curriculum." ' I
The average college, be inflated,
ia curaed by "entirely too much
teaching and too little learning."
"It'a about time we gave our stu
dent! a chance to ait back and think
about what they're told," be added.
Further relief from the campus
grind also is assured Coe students.
Administrators hope eventually to
give them a week's vacation from
classes when it counts the most?
right before final exams.
New Device Tests Drunk Drivers
I
EAST LANSING, MICH. ? Latest
device introduced by Michigan
state police in an attempt to curb
highway accidents is an "intoxi
meSer," an on-the-spot, roadside
chemical test for drunk drivers.
All patrol cars in the state will
be equipped with the newly-devel
oped device by mid-March, accord
ing to Capt. Caesar J. Scavadara,
head of the state police traffic di
vision. _
The device, has a two-fold pur
pose: TO eliminate miscarriages
at Justice resulting when persons
are charged with drunk driving be
I
cause they are sick, injured or have
taken drugs; and to provide police
with a "foolproof" method of prov
ing intoxication.
The intoximeter, enclosed in a
small cardboard cylinder, permits
a police officer to make an on-the
scene test for intoxication subject
to later check by a technician.
The motorist or pedestrian in
volved in an accident or giv
ing signs of intoxication blows up a
small rubber balloon attached to the
device, the officer clocking the time
required tor a red ffuid in a glasa
tube to become cokarlaaa.
? ??..* ?*