Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / Dec. 13, 1951, edition 1 / Page 1
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\ ' Prif# Luxembourg Oasis For U.S* Newsmen In Europe j By EDWARD H. SIMS Spcsial Cor respondent of Tkt Charlotte takw Journal Writing froai Europe LUXEMBOURG, (Europe) The moat insignificant country in the eort to preserve European free dew, certainly the smallest, Luxembourg today ia a country which visiting Americans must <eee if they are to fully appreciate what goes oa ia Europe—to vts iting dignitaries, traveling Amer icana, soldiers and anyone else who happens by and feels in need of American comradeship. | That Minister to the smallest' of North Atlantic Defense pact j countries is Perle Meats, famous already in the United States for . her social extravagansas. Here is ' what happens to you when you arrive in Luxembourg by plane, - one of a group of newsmen visit ing the country. Minister Mesta Is out at the airport to greet you, with ears for everyone. Genuine- j ly delighted to meet every incom-, ing American, she makes it a point to talk to each journalist.; Then there is a tour around the small but beautiful country, which ‘ is very hilly and even more pic-' turesque. Then to the Legation. Hospi tality deluxe Refreshments. An opera star and orchestra to en tertain you. The Prime Minister of Luxembourg, and other offi cials, arrive to meet and greet you. , Dinner follows the pattern. Soup to nuts and then some—all the courses of fine wine and champagne for those who enjoy them. Photographers everywhere, snapping pictures, and on and on. When the group makes its first move to leave. Minister Usui* loudly ridicules the idea—anh m one could be more convincing. But the end must and does come, and next morning—the morning you are leaving by plane—you descend into the lobby of your hotel to And Minister Mesta there to greet you. She has cars ready to take you to the airport. Once there, she bids each newsman farewell. As you start to step Into the plane, a Legation servant hands you a present. He hands every one of fourteen departing news men a present, a nice present, too. <iTou leave breathless. What a welcome! If they were only all like this! But Luxembourg is the only one like this. Minister Mesta has that reputation in Europe.—“You haven’t seen Europe until you’ve been to Luxembourg,’* they say. And it’s not an empty statement either, for nothing else is qhite like it. Ask the GI’s stationed nearby. They’ll tell you that on the first Saturday of each month Minister Mesta has open house for ’em—and they receive the da luxe Mesta treatment. It all be gan when four GI’s called on her some months ago. The last open house packed in five hundred. They think the American Min ister in Luxembourg is grand, and who wouldn’t There’s, fjpslly nothing like it anywhere else. Honestly! After Radar Leading BERLIN, Germany—A group of newsmen touring Europe shot a successful night radar landing at Tempelhof Airfield the other day, amid all the drama of a death* defying aerial feat. It happened when the weather at Berlin closed in to four hundred feet, and the pilot of the four-engined plane had to land by what is called GCA—ground control approach. GCA is the radar system used to •win the airlfit battle of Berlin in 1949, and it is simply verbal di-' rection from radar experts on the end of the runway to the pilot flying blind above. This correspondent, one of the group, had landed at Tempelhof before but never by the GCA system, and thus it was a first for all aboard. To give the land ing all the drama and description possible one of the crew members of the transport plane set up * - small radio in the passenger sec tion of the ship. By listening to that radio passengers could hear the GCA ground controller talk ing the pilot in, every step along the landing pattern. Because there are tall buildings one some sides of Tempelhof, planes using GCA must approach from the east, and descend rather rapidly once the (Inal let-down is initiated. On this occasion there was keen interest because the ground wasn’t visible when the let-down was ordered from below. Passengers wondered whether the system would bring the big plane out of the fog and mist at the right point above the end of the runway. If it did not, the pilot would have to retract his wheels and pull up again, which would have been unpleasant. As the big plane turned into the Anal approach from the down wind leg: of the landing pattern, snd began to drop, newsmen who had never heard all the intricacies »f the operation became rather tense as the ground controller seamed a steady flow of compass Ganges to the pilot. “New head ing two seven one, you’re coming in a bit to the left . .. make that 273 now, you’re holding to the left . . . new heading 276’’* —• :ame the voice of the ground con troller. Since the big plane was ilmost on the ground some pas sengers wondered whether the pilot could correct h» course or not. The closer the plane came to sarth the wider eyes opened, fcbout that time some one saw a fellow light below—one of the Ntto >ighti off the end of the runaway. “We’re out of the soup” — some one yelled. Just ihead loomed the end of the run way—straight ahead and at just :he right spot. We had been alked in for perhaps ten or fif reen miles, and there we were— roming in perfectly over the be rinning of the runway. The land ng was smooth, and the ground controller asked the pilot about the weather above, and also if 5CA directions had been satis factory. “The weather is about vhat you forecast, three or four lundred foot ceiling. You did a lice job on the mike,” the pilot snswered. . . . “The landing was s beauty,” came back the ground controller. Yet no one on the plane wanted to go back up and try it again, to see if they could do it that well a second time. The ground >f Berlin’s Templehof felt pretty inn. YOUNGSTERS OF 10 WORK IN FIELDS New York (ILNS). —Children ts young as 10 were found work ing in Colorado fields, the Na tional Child Labor Committee said in a report that use of child tabor among migrant farm work ers in Colorado was dispropor tionately heavy. The committee said that Colo rado’s migrant laborers were chiefly Spanish-speaking and that the use of child labor in the sugar beet fields constituted "one of the most vicious aspects of mi grant agricultural life." While the Colorado study was confined to that state, the com mittee said is findings could be applied to virtually any state that used transient farm labor. Labor contractors, the committee found, demanded as much as 59 per cent, of a laborer’s earnings as Job commission, and a charge of 80 per cent was common. The committee recommended improvements in income, diet, medical care, housing, sanitation and education for migratory farm families. The average age of child workers in such families was 10 1-2 years, the surrey found. The survey was directed by Dr. Howard E Thomas, As | sociate Professor of Rural So ciology at Cornell University. ANOTHER MILITARY PRESIDENT? MT«nr remarks in relation ta my Mag a eamU 4at« far tks prasMcacy are very flattering, kat I tkiak yea will knew witkent the neeeaaity ef my saying so to yen, tkat I am net and never shall ke an aspirant far the hewer. My opinien has always been against the elevation ef a military chief ef that position." So wrote Zachary Taylor, whose birth day we are celebrating on the twenty-fourth day of this month, less than three years before be was elevated to the high position of twelfth President of the United States. Zachary Taylor was born in Virginia. His father, Colonel Richard Taylor, an of ficer in the Revolutionary War, moved to Louisville, Kentucky, when Zachary was a small child. There he lived until he was twenty-four years old, working on a' planta tion and receiving only an elementary edu cation. When an older brother, who had received a commission in the Army of the United States died, Zachary was appointed to fill the vacant commission. In 1812. with fifty men, most of whom were ijl, Taylor de fended Fort Harrison, on the Wabash, against a large force of Indians, led by Te cumseh. His distinguished military career was climaxed by his victories against Mex ico in 1846. His brilliant military achievements cre ated great enthusiasm throughout the coun try and, in 1948, he was nominated by the Whigs and elected to the Presidency. During the short period of about one year, in which he served as President be fore his death, discussion centered around the extension of slavery, the admission of California as a State and the Mexican boundary. In observing the anniversary of a sol dier who became President, it is interesting to note that this country may again, next year, have an opportunity to put into the highest office of our land a man who has Bained fame on the field of battle. REAL PROBLEMS PACED IN REARM ING GERMANY The proposed rearmament of Germany to a limited extent, raises a question between the three Western powers and the Western powers and the West German Government. The Germans, who are called upon to pay the cost of the troops that now oc cupy their country, in view of the uncon ditional surrender of the Third Reich in 1945, maintain that if they undertake to create a German contingent for the inter national army, they should be relieved of the occupation costs. The British and the French, with econ omies already strained by the expenses of rearmament, assert that it will be impos sible to go to the people of their country for the money with which to maintain di visions that, in essence, protect the Ger mans from the Russians. Faced with an increasing economic burden, the British and French are utter ly unable to speed up their own rearm ament and, at the same time, pick up the cost of occupying Germany. The German Government, in its own behalf, points out that it is unable to pay the cost of main taining three Allied armies inside its bord ers and, at the same time, bear the expense of recruiting, training and rearming a German contingent. In this dilemma, the three nations are inclined to assume that the only possible solution is for the United States to provide West Germany witr weapons and equip ment, or make a loan that will enable the West Germans to buy weapons and equip ment. Americans reading this resume of the issues involved in the rearming of Germany should not conclude that our British and French allies, or the government of West Germany, seek to shift the entire burden upon this country. The facts of the case are that each of these three countries suf fered enormous material damage during the war while the United States had no such experience. In the effort to rehabilitate their economy and repair the damage of war, the three governments are faced with stupendous financial problems. Granted that each is governed by the most sincere purposes of co-operation, the difficulties that face them are real, not imaginary. SOVIET STILL SUPREME IN WAR-MAKING Despite the normous appropriations made available for the development of our fight ing forces, the military balance in powei in Europe continues to be lop-sided in favoi of the Soviet Un^on. A congressional appropriation is nol equivalent to thousands of tanks or planes, or other war-making equipment. It takes time to develop the paraphernalia of bat tle and more time to manufacture the ap proved items in sufficient quantity to off set the military power of a great country. The Russians are said to have a force of 215 divisions, including about forty artillery and anti-aircraft divisions. Sixty or seven ty of these divisions are mechanized or armored and satellite armies are being ex panded and improved. In addition, the Rus sians have a huge stockpile of tanks, in cluding the Stalin and T-85 heavy tank. The Soviet air force is large and of first-class types. Moreover, the large fleet of German type Snorkel submarines adds additional strength to the Russians. It will be quite an industrial task to produce anything like a balanced military force in Europe. The job will probably take two or three years. Meanwhile, we cannot rest on the assumption that our lead in utomic weapons is sufficient to deter the Soviet Union from aggression. The Soviet Union mav have somethin? of a job laid out for itself. Some years ago. Premier Stalin estimated annual pro duction targets to make his country safe for a long war. So far, the Soviet has reached a fifty per cent production in esti mated coal requirements, about two-thirds of the estimated oil production and less than half of projected steel requirements. KOREAN WAR MAY PREVENT WORLD WAR in Praising the bravery and courage of the fighting men of nineteen United Nations countries, fighting in Korea, Secretary of State Dean Acheson expresses the opinion that they delayed, “perhaps forever," the outbreak of another world war by making the attempted aggression of the North Ko reans “so costly" that other countries will probably pause before undertaking such a venture. Undoubtedly, the co-operative action of the members of the United Nations, led by the United States, has definitely defeated the aggressive designs of the North Ko reans and successfully thwarted the efforts of the Chinese Communists to make the at tack on South Korea a profitable venture. It has cost the nations of the free world some money and the lives of some of their fighting men. The enemy, however, has paid a terrific toll in human casualties and, on a relative basis, suffered substantial ma terial losses. The probability is that the operation in Korea will become the standard method by which the United Nations Organization at tempts to meet small-scale aggression in the future. If this comes about, there is no denying the great benefit that will come to most of the people of the world through the succussful military operations of the forces now under General James A. Van Fleet. Obviously, no United Nations army is going to be big enough to stop a country of the military might of Soviet Russia or the United States. After all, the interna tional association is still in the walking stage. It may, in time, learn to run, but, in the meantime, if it walks straight and courageously it will serve the cause of world peace well. HARD TO UNDERSTAND In the past twelve months, $2,885,499 has been embezzled from seven banks in Western Pennsylvania and the West Vir ginia area covered by the Pittsburgh office of the F. B. L, according to the Associated Press. This is a startling record. Fortunately, however, because of the guarantee of bank deposits, most of the depositors will not be affected in any way whatever by the em bezzlements. Nevertheless, it is hard to understand how bank officials have been able to get away with so much swag in the past year. Prudential Agents Out In 35 States Washington, D. C. (ILNS). The largest strike involving white collar workers in the his : tory of the labor onion movement began December 1 when the In* sura nee Agents’ International Union, A PL, put Ha “no contract no work” policy in effect against the big Prudential Insurance Co. of America. * More than 15,000 Prudential agents in 35 states, quit, it was said at the union’s headquarters in Washington. ^ George L. Buss, president of the LAIU, said the work stoppage was called when contract negoti ations between the company an< the union reached an impassm on compensation provisions. Th< contract between the anion an< the company expired December 1 The anion official pointed ou (Continued on Page 4) Ike Declines Invitation Of AFL To Give Labor Views Washington, D. C. (ILNS). The American Federationist isn’t going to be able to publish i an exclusive article or statement from Gen. Eisenhower setting forth his views Mon questions of interest to working people”—not just yet. Through an aide, Col. C. Craig Cannon, word came to the official monthly magazine of the Ameri can Federation of Labor that Gen. 1 Eisenhower "is unable to accede” at this time to the invi tation extended some weeks agd by Bernard Tassler, managing editor of the publication. Eisenhower’s spokesman, in a letter from “Allied Powers Eu rope, Office of the Supreme Com 1 mender," expressed sincere regret oxer the delay in responding to the invitation to contribute an srticle or statement which woold make known where Ike stands <on questions of interest to work, n* people" (this quote is from raesier’s letter, not from CoL Cannon or Eisenhower). The Cannon letter then went >n to explain that the general tas established mid is adhering igidly to "a firm policy of de lining in all cases when the tab ect matter does not pertain di ectly to bis military responsible ties as Supreme Allied Com nander." “We feel confident," wrote Dee’s pokesman, “you will realise Gen. Eisenhower’s position." Ceremony Held For First IBEW Chief Washington, D. C. (ILNS). i A wreath-laying ceremony at ‘ the monument in Glenwood Cem etery. Washington, erected to Henry Miller, founder and first president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Work ers marked the formal observance of the anion’s 60th anniversary, celebrated in November. Sixty years , ago, in St. Louis, 10 men from ^ large cities met in a small room over Stolley’s Dance Hall and founded the IBEW for all workers in elec tricity. The union has now grown to an organisation more than half million strong with loeat unions in every major city of the United States and Canada, Hawaii and Alaska. D. W. Tracy, international president and J. Scott Milne, in ternational secretary, laid the wreath at Miller’s monument Thursday afternoon, November 29. Harry Miller was 38 in 1891, when the brotherhood was found ed. He was a young lineman with a zeal for organization and passion for helping his fellow men. He played a large part in the formation of the IBEW and became its flr?t president. It is notable that he gave up the presi dency in 1893 largely because he wanted to further serve his union by going out and getting new members and organising new lo cals. He spent much of Ms own income in organisation work. In 1893, when he was only 43, Miller was at work climbing poles in Washington, D. C„ for the Potomac Electric Power Co. One fatal day he made contact with a high tension wire, was knocked from the pole and died. The power company, a public utility, recognised Ms work as a skilled lineman and Ms significance as a leader of men. They paid his funeral expenses and buried Mm in a pleasant plot of ground in Glen wood Cemetery. Tribute See* Fitting Representatives of all the II load unions of the IBEW were present at the wreath-laying ceremony. The union men pointed out that it was fitting on tha date marking the 60th annivers ary of the union that a tribute be paid to one who devoted Ms life to the union cause and lost that life twinging electrical power to the citixens of the District of Columbia. Simultaneously a similar serv ice took piece in St. Louis. Vice President Frsnk Jacobs ibid a memorial wreath at the monu ment to J. T. Kelly, first secre tary of the IBEW. American Broadcasting Technicians Vote AFL New York City (ILNS).—With only one dissenting vote, radio and television sound-effect tech nicians of the American Broad casting Co., have chosen the In ternational Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes, as their bargain ing agent. The lone dissenter voter for the National Association of Broadcast Engineers and Technicians, CIO, which had represented these em ployes until the expiration of their contract October 1. The National Labor Relatione Board rejected NABET8 conten tion that the sound effect tech nicians should be merged into an existing unit of engineers, in granting the IATSE’s petition tor an election. “The primary function of the sound effect employee," the board declared, “U to create sound, other than voice, apeeeh, and music, which is necessary to achieve realism la the production of radio and television procrams. They perform from prepared scripts ia front of microphones, as do actors, sincere and musi cians. The sqund effects person nel constitutes a division of the procram department, which is concerned with the artistic quality of broadcasts. The engineerinc department ... is responsible for the transmission of the artis tic effects throuch the electronic process.1* NEWS AND VIEWS By ALEXANDER 8. LIPSETT (An ILNS Feature) United States lawmakers, ad ministrators and gift-dispensers abroad got quite a jolt when they were given an opportunity to compare British expenditures on vital armament items to those of our own. According to London dispatches the cost of the new 36,000-ton I aircraft carrier Eagle, the Royal Navy’s largest flattop, was 14, ' 000,000 pounds, or about $39,200, ! 000. Contrast this with our pro jected aircraft carrier James V. ’ Forrestal, which, though larger ; by about 14,000 tons, is expected to cost the American taxpayer .. .. approximately $235,000,000 or more than 6 times the Earle's cost. * • » • Further proof, way back, of ex cessive American spendinr is the U. S. bir battle waron Missouri, which cost $90,000,000 when de livered in 1944. The British King George V, somewhat smaller but in the same general class,’ cost less than one-fourth of this, or 'about $28,000,000 id 1939. These discrepancies cannot bo explained merely by high wages and superior living standard of the American people. Whatever the cause, the public cpn now un (Continued On Pago 4)
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Dec. 13, 1951, edition 1
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