Want To Sell Something ? Try a Want Ad The Alleghany Times You Will Profit If You Always Read Times' Advertisements DEVOTED TO THE CIVIC, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ALLEGHANY COUNTY I Volume No. 14. GALAX, VA. (Published for Sparta, N. C.) THURSDAY, MAY 19, 1938. Number 1. by Hugo S. Sim*, WailHington Correspo >dent Every once in a while the au thor of this column feels, like saying a few words directly to the thousands of readers who see it each week. The writer recog nizes and accepts a responsibility not only to the newspapers which publish this column, but also to the people who read it. Conse quently, it might be a good idea for a change to outline some of the ideas behind “Looking at .Washington.’’ This column undertakes, dur ing the course of a year, to keep its readers informed as to what is taking place in Washington. It does not attempt to handle “spot” news. It discusses the trends in the broad political field. It also undertakes, at times, to explain pending legislation and political situations. It tries to inform and explain so that the reader may understand all issues. Further more, it would reflect an accurate picture of political conditions in the country from time to 'time. Election Forecasts Inasmuch as 1938 is an election year, this column will, before the November election, attempt to ad vise the reader as to the probable outcome. In 1934 and 1936, our efforts were particularly success ful. How accurate our 1938 fore casts will be, no one knows, but the writer can assure all readers, regardless of party, that the fore cast in this column will be based upon impartial study of all avail able facts and represent an ef fort to reach, a correct conclusion. Roosevelt Dominant Readers might as well recognize that the writer who comments up on events at Washington finds himself compelled to center much attention upon President Roose velt. Regardless of what one thinks of the President, he is. the dominant, if not the overwhelm ing, factor in American political life today. What the President thinks, what he plans, and what he does is of far more political significance than the similar thoughts, plans and actions of any other person. Despite tempor ary setbacks to his program, ap parent rebuffs and reported loss of popularity, President Roosevelt is the man who .makes political news. He creates issues and he chooses positions. Around him, to an amazing degree, centers the political life of the United States. New Deal Popular Since 1933, the country has witnessed the development and enlargement of what is called the “New Deal.” It is the Roosevelt program. The elections of 1934 and 1936 demonstrate that it has amazing popular support. The cold facts today is that there is slight concrete evidence that it has lost much of its appeal to the American people. The writer says this, because, as an honest re porter, he must write what he concludes is the truth. It may be good news or bad news to the reader, depending upon what the reader thinks of the policies in question and the conclusion may be different in the Fall, but, to day, the President is almost as dominant as ever. Very often it happens that the reader keeps up so closely with current affairs that he loses sight of longer and more sweeping trends. In affaire, political, this is easy. Therefore, the writer is going to review the political situ ation in the United States today. The following appraisal is built on careful study of many factors. It does not represent the views of one individual. Naturally, it is not infallible; it merely repre sents an honest effort to reflect the party picture as it appears to an observer who is trying very hard to be conscientious and fair. Third Party Wobbles As a beginning, let us take up the recent third party movement, launched by Governor LaPollette, of Wisconsin. Up to this time, it has signally failed to make any substantial progress. There has been no rush of “liberals” to sup port the new banner. There has been a marked reluctance on the part of “liberals’’ to abandon the leadership of President Roosevelt. In fact, on the basis of the situa tion today, the new third party may be written off as a national proposition; it may have consider able importance in several states. Republican* Hopeful The Republican Party, under new leadership, is showing con siderable activity. It has yet, how ever, to clearly delineate a pro gram of opposition that can rest upon fundamental differences of principle when contrasted with the eo-ealled New Deal. There con (Turu to page five, please) Commencement at Sparta H. S. is | to open Saturday —morning, May 21, at ten o’clock, when the annual high school debate is to be 'held. The question for this [year’s debate is:' “Resolved, that i the several states should adopt a j unicameral system of legislation.” j Speakers in this debate are to | be as follows: Affirmative—Dan Rector and Harrell Joines. Nega i tive^—Misses Lila Lyons and Lucille Pugh. The debate will be followed by the presentation of Seventh grade certificates, and also the perfect attendance certificates. On Saturday afternoon, at 1:30 o’clock, the annual high school recitation and declamation con tests are to be held. Those who are to participate in the reci tation contest are Misses Texie Hoppers, Elvira Wagoner, Treva Jarvis and Georgene Mitchell. These scheduled for participation ir. the declamation contest are Dan Rector, Harrell Joines, Kyle Atwood and Ralph Redd. opootcy lavern, tne senior class play, is to be presented Sat urday night, at eight o’clock. The cast of characters follows: Lon Hacker—owner of Spooky Tavern, Earl Richardson; Ghost Oman—who haunts Spooky Tav ern, Miss Edna Edwards; Lucy Hacker-—a spiritualistic medium, Miss Lila Lyons; Joyce Wingate —a resourceful college girl, Miss Pauline Edwards; Florabel Win gate-—her younger sister, Miss Edith Rizoti; Bedelia—the girls’ colored mammy, Miss Virginia Joines; Ralph Channing—a Senior in love with Joyce, E. J. Richard son; Terry Tanner—a Junior in the same fix, Ray Lundy; Wiley Wargle—a stuttering Freshman, afraid of ghosts, Wade McMil lan; Blackie Simms — Farone’s henchman, Doris Jones, and Fa rone—known. as “The Creeper,” Dan Rector. The commencement sermon to the graduating class is to be preached on Sunday morning, May 22, at eleven o’clock, by Rev. D. Sidney McCarty, pastor of the Galax (Va.) Presbyterian church. Graduation exercises are to be held on Monday morning, May (Turn to page eight, please) | Finals are to begin May 11 at Lees-McRae —college, Banner Elk, and close on Monday, May 30. The commencement activi ties will come to a close with presentation of diplomas to more than 50 Seniors. Dr. Wilbert C. Davidson, dean of Duke University medical school, will deliver the graduation ad dress. Rev. Robert L. McLeod, of New York, member of the Na tional Board of missions of the Presbyterian church, will preach the baccalaureate sermon Sunday, May 29. | A recital by students in the j college music department will be [ the first event on the commence ment program. Class night exer cises will be held Saturday night, May 28. Senator Reynolds opened his campaign Tuesday —night with a radio address in' Raleigh, in which he predicted he would be returned to office by an overwhelming majority, and asserted that his reelection would be a victory for President Roose velt. In the speech, announced as his first political address of the cur rent campaign, Reynolds said he would win a “victory unsurpass ed” in the Democratic primary of June 4. A majority in the pri mary would be tantamount to election. Reynolds’ claim was in direct conflict with that of Representa tive Frank W. Hancock, Jr., of Oxford, his Democratic opponent, who predicted Saturday that he would win the nomination in a landslide. Reynolds did rtot mention his opponent-*- 4»me ami referred to Hancock by innuendo only in statements to the effect that “new members of the‘Senate must start at the bottom regardless of prev ious service in Congress,” and that seniority in the Senate was of great importance. . Stating- that President Roosevelt “has brought the government to the people,” the Asheville senator said the record would show that he had stood “solidly behind the (turn to page eight, please) Degrees will be conferred upon 297 Seniors at the Women’s College, U. N. C. —in Greensboro, at graduating exercises to be held on Monday, June 6. The 46th commence* ment is scheduled to begin on Friday, June 3. Diplomas will be presented by Dr. Frank P. Graham, president of the Greater University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Other officials who are expected t(5 attend the exercises include trovemor Clyde R. Hoey and Dr. W. C. Jackson, dean of administration of Woman’s college. Dr. Robert E. Speer, of New York, will deliver the baccalau reate sermon Sunday morning, June 5, in Aycock Auditorium. George M. Thompson, of the school of music, will direct the college choir in an afternoon concert, after which an informal meeting will be held for seniors, parents, alumnae and friends. The second day of the program will be given over to alumnae matters, with a general meeting at 11 a. m., followed by a lun cheon, and then a concert by the faculty of the school of music. Permanent officers of the sen ior class will be elected and in stalled at an afternoon session, at which senior representatives of the five departments conferring degrees will speak. They will be Miss Gwen MacMullin, of Ram seur, of the A. B. Department; Miss Edna Douglas, of High Point, of the B. S. in secretarial administration; Miss Frances Moselay, of Lacrosse, Va., of the B. S. in music department; Miss Mae Steven Wiley, of Bryn Mawr, Pa., of B. S. in phy sical education, and Miss Arthelia Mitchell, of Winston-Salem, of B. S. in home economics. The representatives were chos en on a basis of scholarship and outstanding departmental activity. The evening will be given over to class reunion suppers. The commencement program be launched with a faculty-alum nae “at home” the night of June 3, followed by the commencement ball in Rosenthal gymnasium. A large number - of children have been examined —during the past year by the Alleghany county health nurse, Mrs. Virginia Ashley Greene. A total of 1,155 grade school child ren in the 28 schools of Alle ghany county have been examin ed. Of this number, 879 had diseased tonsils, 901 had decayed teeth, and 79 had defective vis ion. The greater part of these defects, it has been pointed out, were due to diseased tonsils. Three hundred and thirty-seven were underweight; 453 had de fective breathing, and 585 had. unclean teeth. A total of 183 other children had miscellaneous defects, such as abscessed gums, skin diseases, etc. Since last year, of 1,200 child ren, 308 either had tonsils re moved, or teeth filled. Seventy five of these had tonsil operations performed at Roaring Gap free clinic, by an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist, of Winston Salem. Sanitary conditions In eighteen of the twenty-eight schools in this county have been condemned. | Four schools have no toilet facili ties. Only four schools in the county have a safe water supply. Within the last two years, the country health nurse has immuniz ed 1,045 persons in Alleghany county against diphtheria, 325 against smallpox, and 760 against [typhoid fever. Remember The Vets-^—Buy A Poppy . . “Buy a poppy, Buddy?”—of course you will!—and the Buddy Poppy you wear may be one of these that have been completed by the ex-doughboys of the Menlo Park, New Jersey, Home for Disabled Veterans. Throughout the nation more than six million poppied .are I sold annually during Memorial Week beginning this year May .21. Josephus Daniels made an address in Charlotte —rTuesday night. In his address, th^ United States ambassador tr> Mexico said “the only thing this old world needs is to apply the teach ings: of Jesup Christ to business,; to industry, and to politics.”' “We are coming to, a day, ’me added, “when we ;must have social justice. . . Fifty, years from ton.ay you will have no slums in Charlotte.” “Daniels.’• address launched the Chnr.ottee Y. M. C. A.’.- #100, 000 building .modernization cam paign. “the best investment, the mu' which will pay the largest divi dends that can. be made in. Csai> ■lotte tcuay,” he shin, “is in the. cha; m ter of the youth of this, city.” “The Y. 01. C. A. is based on the essentials of the - Christian re ligion; take that out and it would be only a gymnasium or club and it would soon pass away. . . It i? . your responsibility, to throw around these young people of Charlotte who are to be your leaders torn u vow the safeguards of the Christian religion.’’ This Week Features You Will Like The Chinese defenders of South Shantung, stratgetic point in the war in China, are shown in a graphic trench picture in our news photo section. How does the Bible interpret good citizenship? Rev. Harold L. Lundquist discusses this in his Sunday Schol lesson text from Mark 12:13-17. In this week’s issue. Willie Wimpus shows Pop sim plified method of exercising- in “S’Matter Pop.” See the funny page in this issue. Shakespheare’s Lord Macbeth is compared to a modern gangster by Elizabeth C. James in our i literary feature- this week. Another installment of “To Ride the River With,” Wililam MacLeod Raine’s pulsating story of Jeff Gray, mystery man of the West. Drew Pearson and Robert S. Allen tell of interesting happen ings in Washington in the “Week ly Washington Merry-Ge-Round.” “The fate of the Democratic Party is inextricably bound up in the program of President Roose velt “Says Hugo S. Sims, in the feature “Looking at Washington” in this issue. THE HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WERE ENTERTAINED —by C. R. Roe, principal of the school, and Mrs. Roe, on Monday night, May 16, with a theatre party. After the show, the Seniors were treated at the drug store by Mss. J. T. Inskeep. Great Britain considered the Mexican situation —yesterday and pondered what course to pursue. This consideration was given the question by a government already -deeply concerned over the European and Far Eastern situr ations. The Mexican.situation was thrust upon the London govern-1 ment recently by the severance of ; diplomatic relations between Eng- * land, and Mexico, which took1 place during the latter part of last week.. Viscount Halifax, Britain's for eign -eeietary, began study of the problem. after- returning front Geneva where he, engineered the. British about-face to recognize Italy's "conquest of Ethiopia. 1 he» - lo.vc;gn orrieo cl‘i-iti:e : comment on the Mexican .-it.u &tiori or any intimation of- what the next, step might be. But one important factor in the,; situation ; from the British standpoint will be consideration of her oil supply if war should come, Britain might have to depend, principally on South and Central American fuel 'in wartime, an eventuality for his majesty’s gov-1 ernment to consider in seeking means, of preventing further am bitterment of Ariglo-Mexican re lations. Mexico in the past has furnish ed Britain only six per cent of her oil imports, a quantity that j totalled 176,000,000 gallons in 1936, but war would increase that amount. The reason is that in peace time the British get about 18 per cent of their oil from Iran (Per sia) and five per cent from Iraq. Most of this oil is piped thous ands of miles along lines that could be disrupted quickly. Also in wartime Rumanian oil sources might no longer be avail able. Informed sources said Britian thus might be forced to convoy almost her entire oil supply across the Atlantic. Already 38.3 per cent comes from Venezuela and the Netherlands West Indies. There are still three vacancies m Alleghany —county’s quota for enrollment of trainees for attendance at the Citizens Military Training camp to be held at Foit Bragg June 16 to July 15. Claude William Andrews, of Sparta, has already qualified for attendance at this year’s camp. It is urged that young men be tween the ages of seventeen and twenty-nine desiring attendance at this year’s camp send in their applications without delay. Lieu tenant R. E. Black, Sparta, who is county chairman for this coun ty will render all assistance neces sary to expedite applications and the following physicians have volunteered to examine prospec tive trainees free of charge: Dr. ,C. A. Thompson and Dr. B. 0. ! Choate, both of Sparta. Information and application | blanks may also be obtained by | correspondence direct with The C. M. T. C. Officer, Fort Bragg, IN. C. The annual FFA party was held Tuesday, May 10 —in the afternoon, at the Sparta : high school gymnasium, by F. H. j Jackson, Agriculture teacher in i the. school, and his1 FFA boys, j The party was attended by ap proximately 30 couples, and many J new games were enjoyed by those j present. | Delightful ' refreshments were j served. A colorful Gypsy wedding was solemnized —in Charlotte Tuesday when Rachel Mitchell and Coster Johnston, betrothed at the age of three years, were united in marriage,, in a ceremony that continued for nine hour-. The two are members of a Gyp y band. Roth are lit. Tin .Mitchey and Johnston tribes are two of the oldest, larg •-t and richest in the United State.-. The .Mitchells, caiin- from Brazil. about 200 years ago. The John stons came from. Serbia about the same time.' The fc a is of the tribes became f riends and lintel - tribe, in a linages have taken plait sine • that time. The- 'bridegroom . i- a copper smith and. a very good orjc, his friends say. But he' has only food and clothing given him from his father’s camp and the amount' of the “settlement” for the bride. A few months ago “Father.”, Johnston, wrote “Father Mitchell” . that the, money which Would allow ris son to care, for his wife was re, ay. So Wedding' plans. Went. '.award. The Mitchell tribe • already ,wa there—;ha.d been for 13 years. The (urn to page eight, please I ■ Undercover men are unauthorized to carry on —activities of enforcement of the prohibition law in N -n th Carolina’s 73 dry counties, according to # ruling released Tuesday by At torney General Harry McMullaa in Raleigh. Cutlar Moore, liquor commis sion chairman, requested the rul ing after being informed by the U, S. Treasury Department that thousands of cases of whisky, were being shipped monthly into dry counties. Th.-; attorney-general pointed out that the salaries of the.'under cover men were, paid from profits of liquor - sol'd in the state's 27 wet counties and held that the men- must confine their activities to those. 27 counties. n l- my opinion tnat your boa*d- doe- not i’.ave any Jurisdic tion of authority in dry counties . : ‘ to engage iij eft forcing: the - viola* it tion- of the prohibition laws in . f such-countii.McMull'dn wrote, If. ‘■I am di-ru-■ -ins' only the ques* ‘i)'1 of the authority of your board to engage , ami employ poi- * • icy officer.- to. eh force- violations.. ; of ,,w.- against the -ale of intoxi cating.-liquor- in dry counties, and tli .i.-- count! r- which have, voted .. n favor of county -tores. I am not- discussing other features of the act which have no .reference to the. police power.- of your .-. boar 1.” lUe.Mullan said that the local >ption liquor law, passed in 1937, fid —not directly authorize the. appointment by the liquor coifi ini.-s.on of undercover men. He idle!, however, that the authori sation might be inferred, since, '' :j fie coini.nis.-io.n was-instructed “to - e th e all the law- rotating to . v. fie -air.- an-h control .of alcoholic ’ ' : - life Observed.’' beverages Or L R, Scarbrough, of Texas, was named president by Southern Baptists • —Friday at the Southern Baptist convention in Richmond, and selected Oklahoma City as the 1939 meeting site. Plans also were made for an “extensive and intensive sou'-winning campaign.’’ Dr. Scarborough, president of the Southeastern Seminary at Seminary Hill, Tex., succeeded Dr. John R. Sampey. of Louisville, ivy., as leader ot more ;■ than 5,000,000 Southern Baptist#; in 18 states and the District of i Columbia. A resolution presented by Dr. Charles E. Maddry, executive sec retary of the foreign mission, board, asked the convention to support the board in its effort to \ seek indemnification from the j Japanese government for mission'; property destroyed in “the ruth-! less undeclared war in China,’’ The proposal war referred toj the resolutions committee after a move to have it tabled, failed.; John W. Inzer, Asheville, N. C., expressing the opinion that Bap tist work in Japan might suffer.' if the resolution was. approved as presented, urged that it be tabled. ; Dr. Maddry asked the endorse ment of the convention and the I “incident publicity to strengthen i our hands when we, go. to Wash-1 ington to see the state depart-! merit next week.” He added that. 123 foreign mission boards of j other denominations were also pressing for the same general! demands on the Japanese govern#; ment. Delegates pointed out that Dr. Scarborough, himself a noted: evangelist, was deeply interested' in this phase of religion, as were others among the major conven tion officers, all of whom were reelected. They include: Ralph A. Her ring, Winston-Salem, N. C., first vice president; Dr. W. W. Hamil ton, New Orleans, second vice president; Hight C. Moore, Nash ville, Tenn., returned as senior secretary for the 26th year, and J. Henry Burnett, Macon, Ga., junior secretary. Dr. S. F. Lowe, Atlanta, was named chairman of a new com mittee to study the possibility of using radio in promoting Baptist work. Five thousand representatives •f Southern Baptists solemnly rose an masse Thursday in their huge, dim-lit convention hall to dis approve the proposed organic union of all Christian denomina tions. (Turn to page five, please) The House voted an appropriation for the relief —measure advocated by President Roosevelt Thurs day night, in the amount of $3,000,000,000, to be ex pended in the proposed lending spending- campaign against the depression. The chamber’s huge Democratic majority was strongly .-.a aligned behind the chief, ocr'-vutiw , J once more, in the voting on the relief appropriation. Virginia’s delegation in the i House split evenly on the relief bill with only Representative Flannagan, of Bristol, not voting. Woodium, Hamilton and Sattar field voted for the measure, while Bland was paired for it. Burch Drewry, Robertson and Smith voted against the measure. Shattered earlier in the session by the wage-hour issue and the reorganization bill, the party lines reformed, to the delight >of ad ministration leaders, to repulse repeated efforts to amend or re commit the bill and finally to pass it, 329 to 70. The measure, appropriating $1, 250,000,000 for work relief, $965,000,000 for public works, $175,000,000 for the farm secur ity administration, $75,000,000 for the national youth administration, and lesser sums for administra tion leaders are, nevertheless, highly confident of the outcome. The $3,000,000,009 in the bill is an integral part of the pro gram of $4,500,000,000 in loans and expenditures which Preside!# Roosevelt proposed -several week3 j ago as a means of increasing gen eral purchasing power. Th» re maining $1,500,000,600 was pro vided in previous legislation for highway building for CCC camps and for loans by the Reconstru ction Finance corporation.