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BRISBANE
THIS WEEK. -
The Greatest Deed
The Richest Man
d.000 Planes for England
^ hat! the Whole World?
Universal Service lists the “ten
Itreafest scientific achievements in
1935," and puts first
the artificial heart
“for keeping
gans alive when
separated from the
body."
This invention,
credited to Colonel
Lindbergh and the
learned Doctor Car
rel of Rockefeller
Institute, may be
Important, letting
scientists study the
progress and nature
of cancer and other
diseases.
But that is not
the yenr's greatest scientific achieve
ment, although It Is gratifying to
know that Colonel Lindbergh, while
so young, with no more "air” to con-
finer, has turned his concentrated
mind toward science.
Arthur Kirliahiine
Vastly more important than any In
vention for studying human disease Is
the new 20(1 Inch telescope lens that
will enable men to study the universe
more intelligently. That universe Is
more important titan any cancer or
gland.
The Nizam of Hyderabad, one of the
numerous rulers whom the British keep
on their thrones, In return for a ser
vility that delivers their subjects to
the British, Is about to celebrate Ills
silver Jubilee as ruler.
He interests Americans, because he
Is called absolutely the richest man in
the world, richer titan Rockefeller,
Ford or Mellon.
His Income is put at $50,000,000 a
year, which might be possible, al
though his real fortune bears no in
terest.
He has 14,000,000 Hindu subjects
tinder his rule, thanks to the tolera
tion of Great Britain, and after Kng-
land has finished with the 14,000,000,
they might well yield nn average per
year of $4 to the Nizam, which would
give him $50,000,000 u year of new
money.
The British, who realize what air
planes mean, as they study Italy and
Ethiopia, have more than 2,000 planes
ordered for immediate use, with full
equipment and men ready, and, for
every plane In the air. England will
have three on the ground, ready to
replace losses.
Thus Britain's program Is 8,000
planes, compared with our retail buy
ing.
Senator 1‘lttimm thinks Japan plans
Jo conquer the United States and the
rest of the world. He says Japan will
"seize the Philippines ns soon as the
opportunity offers." That is probable;
fJte Philippines are in Aslu.
After the Philippines Japan will
take Mexico, then Hie west coast of
the United States, according to Sen
ator Pittman, who wants to know
whether this country will withdraw
within Itself as Japan advances, or
make a definite stand somewhere.
The west const would give him
n definite answer about that.
There Is an aristocracy even In
crime. You read, "Hauptmann sings
enrols In death house."
Five other murderers In the same
house sang the carols with him, "Jingle
Bells." and also "Heilige Nnelit"
("Holy Night”), which must have had
a strange sound coming front the
throats of murderers.
There are six murderers In the death
house, and all sang together, hut the
other five are merely “also present,"
no names mentioned.
Their murders were not sutliclently
interesting.
"Japanese airplanes bomb Ktiyuan
In China; many killed”—Including ci
vilians and soldiers.
Japanese ordered Chinn's soldiers to
evacuate the city, dropped bombs when
they refused.
N\ lint will kind-hearted England and
the League of Nations do about that?
Not much. Premier Baldwin, justify
ing the sudden decision to carve up
Ethiopia to satisfy Italy, reveals the
fact that British ships feared to visit
Italian ports during the recent un
pleasantness. That brings danger too
close.
The country has inflation now, with
its 59-eent dollars and double the
amount of cash circulating compared
with prosperous 1929.
Inflation is not realized, because
bankers, their vaults bulging, do not
dare lend, not knowing what Is good
security or what upstanding 100 per
cent American will be “flat broke" six
months hence.
Mussolini calls those trying to starve
his people with sanctions "egotistical,
hypocritical," says Italy can go on in
spite of them.
Tall Queen Elena, the king's wife,
prays at the tomb of the Italian Un
known Soldier "for the triumph of
Roman civilization in Africa.”
If it Is possible to talk or think in
the tomb, that Unknown Soldier may
have murmured; "So, they are still
at it.”
King Features Syndicate, Inc.
, WNU Service.
Franco-British Peace Plan
Killed; Hoare Resigns
T E IT really was intended to brinj
* about peace between Italy and Ethl
opia, the plan proposed by Britisl
Foreign Secretary Sir Samuel IIoar«
and Premier Laval ol
France turned out a
dismal failure. The
storm of opposition tn
the scheme which
would give Mussolini
two thirds of the Af
rican country as a re
ward for stopping an
attack that was de
nounced by the League
of Nations, brought
the British and French
governments to the
point of collapse. To
save the Baldwin cabinet, Iloare re
signed on the eve of a parliamentary
battle rti the house of commons, and
Baldwin frankly told parliament that
the pence plan was an error. He
spite fierce attacks by the Lahorites
and Liberals, the prime minister was
given a vote; of confidence. Several
days later he announced the appoint
ment of Capt. Anthony Eden as for
elgn secretary.
In Paris Edouard Harriot, member
of the cabinet without portfolio, re
signed as president of the powerful
Badlcal Socialist party whose support
Is needed by Laval to maintain bis inn
Jorlly In the parliament. Harriot's ac
tion, In the opinion of some observers,
presaged Laval’s early downfall.
Honre’s position became untenable
when be learned that the peace plan
was about to be burled at Geneva,
('apt. Anthony Eden, probably never
enthusiastic for It, practically repud
a ted the scheme In a public meeting <
the league council. Laval also spoki
more reservedly, declaring that eve
If the plan were rejected, the comic
must continue to seek conclllatior
After the session, however, he ndmitte
to French newspaper me* that tit
plan, for the time being at least, I
dead.
The council received from Add!
Ababa a note In which Emperor Hail
Selassie bluntly accused Great Brital
and France of having violated tit
league covenant by seeking “to Impos
upon Ethiopia a predominant contrc
by Italy with the certain aim of er
trusting to Italy the administration o
the capita! and a large part of the tei
rltory. The League of Nations In cna
smiting to lend Itself t< such dissitnuln
tlon would violate article X of tin
covenant."
In view of nil the opposition am
of Mussolini’s hint that he would re
Jeet the proposals, the league counci
killed the plan entirely, softening It:
action by formally thanking Grea
Britain and France for their "preliml
nary efforts" toward pence. A perma
nent committee of 13 councilors—al
hut the Italian member—was unmet
to study the Italo Kthlifdan crisis.
How close Europe Is coming to i
general war Is apparent with the rev
elation that Britain Is lining up tin
coutries of the Mediterranean regioi
for support In case she is attacker
by Italy. Most of them are bellevet
to have given this pledge. But Bui
garla, a close friend of Italy, wouh
he expected In that case to attacl
either Greece or Turkey, both allici
of Britain, and Rumania has prom
Ised the British that she will attacl
the Bulgarians In that case. This
would arouse Hungary to the defensi
of Bulgaria; Czechoslovakia would b<
drawn in against Hungary, and Polarn
probably would take the field agains
the Czechs. Germany Is allied t<
Boland, and Russia to Czechoslovakia
Such is the realistic view of the situ
atlon held by competent observers li
European capitals.
Senator Schall Dies
of Auto Accident Injuries
O ENA TOR THOMAS D SCHALL of
uT Minnesota, who was struck by an
automobile as be was being conducted
across the highway near his residence
In Maryland. suc
cumbed to bis injuries.
The blind statesman
had been one of the
bitterest opponents of
the New Deal and
President Roosevelt.
He had started his
campaign for re-elec
tion, and Gov. Floyd
Olson of Minnesota
had announced he
also would seek the
nomination for
Schall's seat. The
after the senator’s death that he would
soon appoint his successor; that he
had no intention of resigning in order
to be himself named to fill Schall’s
place.
Mr. Schall, who was born in 1S7S in
Michigan, lost Ills sight in an acci
dent after he had been practicing
law in Minnesota four years. He con
tinued his work, and served six terms
In the house of representatives before
be was elected to the senate in 10_’4.
Senator Schall
governor said
Supreme Court May Be
Divided on TV A
\ 17HEX the Supreme court passe
*V on the constitutionality of th
Tennessee Valley act. its opinion wi
not be unanimous is the prediction c
© Western Newspaper Union
ttiose who were present during the
oral arguments. The case was taken
uii to the highest tribunal by fourteen
preferred stockholders of the Alabama
Power company.
During arguments by Forney John
son, Birmingham, Ala., attorney for
tiie stockholders, and by John Lord
O'Brian, New York attorney, for TVA,
justices shot many questions at the
lawyers.
Justice McReynolds, known ns a
“conservative,” appeared to challenge
the TVA lawyer to defend the right
of the government to sell surplus pow
er produced by Wilson dam at Muscle
Shoals.
On the other hand, Justices Bran-
dels and Slone, who are known as "lib
erals," inquired Into the right of minor
ity stockholders of the Alabama Power
company to bring the suit which led
to the Supreme court test. The stock
holders sought to enjoin performance
of a contract under which the com
pany was to sell lines to TVA for
transmission of power.
Federal Judge Holds Wagner
Labor Law Invalid
F EDERAL Judge Merrill B. Otis at
Kansas City has held unconstitu
tional the Wagner labor dispute not
which gives employees the right to or
ganize and bargain eollectively. The
judge granted the Majestic Flour mills
of Aurora, Mo., a temporary injunction
against a National Labor board com
plaint which cited it for alleged refusal
to bargain concerning a wage and hour
agreement with a union of its em
ployees.
Declaring congress had exceeded Its
constitutional right "to regulate com
merce with foreign nations, and among
the several states . . the judge said,
"the conclusion Is that the whole act
is unconstitutional."
Senator Borah’s Hat Is
Almost in the Ring
IF WISCONSIN Republicans wish to
* make Senator Borah their candidate
for the Presidential nomination, it is
nil right with the veteran from Idaho.
State Senator P. E.
Nelson of Maple, Wis.,
and former State Sen
ator Bernhard Gettel-
mttn of Milwaukee
called on Mr. Borah
In Washington and
asked permission to
circulate nominating
petitions for him in
their state. This was
granted.
Mr. Borah told re
porters that Nelson
and Getlelman had
suggested a campaign for ‘‘a delega
tion representing the liberal forces in
the party out there, and in my name."
He had agreed, he said, to “go along
with them.”
Later Mr. Borah issued this state
ment :
Senator Borah
“My primary objective is a conven
tion of liberal delegates which will
write a liberal platform and name a
liberal candidate. To that end I shall
devote my efforts. If In any state or
district the liberal forces think that It
will help the liberal cause to pledge
delegates to me, I shall co-operate fully
with that plan. If, however, it is
thought better to pledge the delegates
to some other liberal, I shall co-operate
just as fully. In other words, Inflex
ible as to the objective, flexible as to
the tactics.
‘ As I see the political situation in
this country, a man would be seeking
political immolation to take a nomina
tion upon any other than a liberal plat
form. So the first thing to do is to get
a convention committed to liberal prin
ciples. So far as my efforts count. I
am not going to permit personal mat
ters. either lav own or those of others,
to interfere with the main purpose.”
Kidnaping Threats Drive
Lindberghs to England
D EPEATED threats of kidnaping
rViml even murder for their little son
have driven Col. and Mrs. Charles A.
Lindbergh from the United States.
They have sailed with their boy, Jon,
for England, and plan to establish a
residence there, though they will not
give up their American citizenship.''
Where they will live has not been re
vealed to even their closest friends. It
Is believed the colonel will not sever
his relations with the two air trans
port companies for which he is a tech
nical adviser but that his active work
for them will cease.
Government Ownership of
Railways Is Urged
/GOVERNMENT ownership of Anier-
N-* lea's railroads is the objective in
a campaign which has been started
by the Railway Labor Executives' as
sociation. Describing the carriers as
"chips in a financial poker game,” the
executives. In a circular to members
of congress, ask for government own
ership as "the only way out of the
morass in which the roads have been
placed by the bankers."
Senator Wheeler of Montana intro
duced a resolution for government
ownership in the last session but did
not ask for immediate consideration
of the measure.
War Department Lobbying
Brings Indictments
T WO grand Juries, a house commit
tee and an army court martial have
been Investigating lobbying at the War
department for two years. The climax
came with the indictment In Washing
ton of a dismissed army officer, a for
mer member of congress, and two al
leged lobbyists on charges of conspir
acy to defraud the government.
Those named were former Brig. Gen.
Alexander E. Williams, one time acting
, quartermaster general of the army,
! who was convicted by a military court
j last spring of accepting an improper
loan and ordered dismissed from the
i service; Thomas Jefferson Ryan, law
yer and former representative from
: New York, and the well known Silver-
man brothers, Joseph, Jr., and Nathan,
surplus array goods dealers.
The four men were charged with
I conspiring to prevent the house mili
tary affairs committee from question
ing Frank E. Speicher, "mystery wit
ness” of the long inquiry by hiding
him out in New York city while federal
agents were hunting him throughout
the nation.
Gomez, Long Dictator of
Venezuela, Is Dead
I'N ICTATOR of Venezuela for twenty-
seven years, during most of the
time president of the country, Gen.
Juan Vicente Gomez died In Caracas
of an old malady at
the age of seventy-
eight years. The cab
inet named Gen. Ele-
azar Lopez Contreras,
minister of war, as
provisional president
to hold office until his
successor is elected by
congress. While guns
boomed in salute
Gomez was buried on
the anniversary of Ills
assumption of power
in 1909. On that day he executed a
coup d’etat by which lie seized the
government while President Ciprlano
Castro was in Europe seeking health.
During his regime there were many
Incipient revolts but he crushed them
all with an iron hand; and even when
the presidential chair was occupied
by others his control of the govern
ment was absolute.
Among Gomez’s greatest contribu
tions to Venezuela were the establish
ment of friendly relations with foreign
nations and peace within the country,
the building of a fine system of auto
mobile highways, and development of
natural resources.
He made the most of the great, pe
troleum deposits at Lake Maracaibo,
granting many concessions to foreign
oil companies, but placing an export
tax on oil. The industry in Venezuela
grew until it now holds third rank in
the world.
Gomez succeeded in paying off the
entire debt of his country, amounting
to nearly $40,000,000, and at the same
time accumulated a great fortune for
himself.
Army Air Corps Orders
New Bombing Planes
C ONTRACTS have been awarded for
103 new bombing planes for the
army air corps. The Douglas Aircraft
company, Inc., of Santa Monica, Calif.,
was given an order for 90 all-metal,
low wing, twin-engined monoplanes,
costing a total of $0,498,000.
Thirteen giant four-motored “sky
cruisers" were bought from the Boeing
company of Seattle, Wash. The price
for the Boeing craft was not given In
the announcement by Harry H. Wood-
ring, assistant secretary of war.
North China Autonomous
Council Installed
D ESPITE the riotous opposition of
students and other youth of Peip
ing the Hcpei-Chahar political council,
supported by Japan, took over the af
fairs of the autonomous North China
provinces, with Gen. Sung Cheh-yuan
as its chairman. That gentleman in his
first official announcement declared that
opposition demonstrations were being
promoted by Communists, against
whom he would take drastic action.
General Sung said he would do his
best to promote good relations with
neighboring countries “which treat us
with equality and reciprocity" (Japan
nnd Manchukuo).
Hopkins Sees That WPA
Workers Get Paid
W ORKS Progress Administrator
Harry Hopkins issued an order
that made happy about 3,500,000 work
ers under his unit.
"I desire that every regular WPA
pay check earned be in the hands of
the worker by December 24," Hopkins
said, in telegraphed instructions to
state program directors. "The law does
not permit advance payments, but no
effort should be spared to deliver
checks due by Christmas eve.
"Overtime work by administrative
employees handling pay rolls should be
ordered where necessary and courier
service should be arranged If neces
sary to overcome transportation delays
caused by congestion in the mails."
President Roosevelt entered on a
new round of conferences on the re
lief program to be provided for in tha
budget for the fiscal year beginning next
July 1. New Deal officials associated
with relief were summoned to the
White House to offer suggestions for
keeping the relief program dowm so
that the administration can point to
budget balancing efforts in the 1936
campaign.
Plans for organizing the Civilian
Conservation corps on a smaller but
permanent basis were discussed with
Robert Fecliner, CCC director, and s
group of cabinet officers. Under the I
program the CCC enrollment would be
cut from 460,000 to 300,000 men
Gen. Gomez
Washington.—There has been much
discussion lately concerning the li
quidation of the doz-
Spending ens 0 f New Deal
Must Stop emergency agencies.
It Is a discussion
that is timely because, first, Mr. Roose
velt In his plans for the forthcoming
government budget contemplates a
shrinkage in the vast outlays repre
sented in the emergency agencies, and
second, It Is a matter of political im
port. Whether Mr. Roosevelt is re
elected or whether there should be a
Republican succeed him in the White
House in January, 1937, somebody
must clean up the wreckage of the
alphabetical soup—which is what all of
these various agencies eventually must
become. They cannot go on; an end
must be had to the expenditures and
that will conclude the operations of
these agencies and, further, something
In the way of permanency for agencies
that may be kept must be worked out.
It is one of the real problems of gov
ernment. Those who have been In
Washington any length of time recog
nize that it Is much easier to establish
a government bureau and populate it
with bureaucrats of a political hue
than It Is to put an end to the agency
and send the political patronage boys
back home. It is really an old story to
observers here and, I believe, all of
them recognize how difficult if not
dangerous it is going to be to dynamite
the alphabetical agencies out of ex
istence.
Some of them undoubtedly have
served and are serving a useful pur
pose. Undoubtedly, some of them were
needed long before Mr. Roosevelt
brought his New Deal to Washington.
Instead of that fact making the wreck
ing job easier, It makes the job more
difficult. It is very hard to convince
plum pickers that their job is a tem
porary one, even though they were so
informed when they were appointed.
It is more difficult to convince that
type of Individual that their agency is
not all-important or that it is of less
consequence than a neighboring agency
bearing another set of alphabetical
letters.
In addition, the plum pickers have
their patronage backers at the capital.
The representatives and senators in
terested in building up their own po
litical machines back home naturally
put people in the political jobs who
will be most helpful in assisting that
particular representative or senator to
be re-elected. Thus, it becomes rather
obvious that even If Mr. Roosevelt seri
ously tries to liquidate the various
alphabetical bureaus, boards, commis
sions and administrations, he has a
man-sized task on his hands. If by
chance a Republican should be elected
and Mr. Roosevelt retired to private
life, he, too, will find himself criticized,
cajoled and threatened when he seeks
to squeeze the water out of this struc
ture known as government which was
expanded so much In Mr. Roosevelt’s
plans to meet the emergency.
• • •
Frankly, I believe it will take the
full four years of the next President’s
term to unseat all of
Long-, the excess job hold-
Hard Task ers and eliminate
from the government
all of the surplus alphabetical agencies.
In the very nature of things it cannot
be done more quickly. The answer lies
in the fact that these agencies embark
upon ambitious programs that cannot
be halted. The government becomes
committed to certain propositions and,
except in war time, most of them must
be executed. So, however you examine
the situation. Uncle Sam is well
hooked.
To illustrate how difficult is the job
of getting rid of a government agency
after it is once established, one need
not go further than the late NRA. Six
or seven months have elapsed since the
Supreme court unanimously clipped the
wings of the famed Blue Eagle. That
decision did the work of wrecking NRA
as completely as a bombshell can
wreck a boat when a direct hit is
scored. But, wdiether you realize it or
not, we still have in Washington an
NRA organization of almost 2,500 em
ployees. It is true that number is
probably only about one-fourth of the
total number on the NRA pay roll
when General "Crack-Down” Johnson
was at the helm and guiding the flight
of the Blue Eagle but it was assumed
at least that the Supreme court deci
sion made payments for the NRA pay
roll illegal at the same time. However,
it has happened that the administra
tion has found money some place with
which to pay this regiment of em
ployees who, as far as most observers
in Washington can ascertain, have very
little constructive work to do.
The organization has no official
status except such as is given it by
Mr. Roosevelt's various executive or
ders. It has no authority. Anything it
does or says has no more force than a
zephyr. Yet thousands of dollars are
being paid its workers on the first and
fifteenth of every month—and there is
no sign that these payments will be
ended soon.
For another example let us go back
to the war days. In order to success
fully prosecute America's part in the
World war, the government took over
and operated the railroads. A gigantic
organization was built up here in
Washington and representatives of the
railroad administration were scattered
far and wide throughout the country.
Commitments were made that continue
even to this day. Credit in the form
of government loans was extended to
the rail lines and several hundred mil
lion dollars of that amount remains
uncollected to this day. And with all,
after 18 years we still have a railroad
administration operating in Washing
ton at government expense.
Another wartime agency about which
little is heard but which still is In ex
istence is the War Finance corpora
tion. It floated bonds and made loans
to private interests and those commit
ments have forced retention of a skel
eton organization that probably must
be continued for several years yet be
fore the job of liquidation is complete.
One could go on and on in illustrat
ing how a government agency becomes
a parasite on the government structure
to remain, long after Its usefulness
has ceased, a burden on the taxpayers.
It is hardly any wonder then with the
knowledge of what has happened in
the case of other governmental agen
cies that there is a question of how
long it will be before the present emer
gency alphabet can be eliminated. It
is likewise a matter of concern what
the total cost is going to be before the
mess is finally eradicated.
• * •
We have had evidence lately of how
efforts are initiated to maintain these
agencies even when
Thumbs Down they are legally dead,
on NRA Recently in Wash
ington there was
held a much ball.vhooed meeting to
which some three thousand representa
tives of business Interests were invited.
It was called by George L. Berry, the
top man in what is left of the NRA
structure. The purpose was to find out
what business wanted In the way of a
revived NRA. Business did not want
NRA revived and the meeting turned
out to be a genuine flop. There was
nothing like three thousand representa
tives in attendance and the meeting It
self gave a good many persons the im
pression of being staged for the benefit
of the American Federation of Labor,
to which the old NRA catered.
Mr. Berry, until lately the head of
one of the large union labor organiza
tions, did not convince business that it
needed more governmental interference.
Indeed, if business went away con
vinced of anything beyond the fact
that Mr. Berry’s meeting was a flop, it
left Washington with a deep feeling
that it did not want NRA in any form
nor did it want any other governmental
agency messing around with its efforts
to get back on its feet.
The circumstance illustrates better
than anything I know how parasitic,
agencies in the government seek to per
petuate themselves. One must realize
in considering such a condition that
all of those employees obviously want
to keep their jobs.
In the case of the attempted revival
of NRA, the political factor is Impor
tant. Mr. Roosevelt said, It will be
remembered, that when NRA was or
ganized it must be regarded as some
thing of an experiment and that if the
experiment failed to work, he would
be the first to say so. He has not made
that announcement yet for, it is con
sidered, if he admitted that the NRA
experiment failed to work he would be
admitting defeat for one of his earlier
pet projects right in the face of a
Presidential campaign. Politicians do
not like to make admissions of this
kind.
* * *
It will be recalled as well that after
the Supreme court held the business
_ . codes of NRA to be
Business unconstitutional and
Fights Back the business codes
were the vitals of
the NRA structure, there was much
pressure exerted on congress from the
White House for reconstruction of
some sort of a program to succeed
NRA. Business did not want it any
more then than it does now and it
fought back while the legislation was
pending. The result was that congress
passed a law permitting lines of com
merce and industry to organize and
frame their own voluntary codes.
Jurisdiction of these codes was
placed in the Federal Trade commis
sion. That agency was supposed to
work In co-operation with business and
to exercise a judicial function in de
termining when the codes were prop
erly within existing laws against mo
nopoly.
The Trade commission in the last
year has blossomed forth as a rather
sound agency in its consultations with
business and, I believe, merits the re
spect which business generally has for
it. But with all of that respect and
the knowledge that the Trade commis
sion tries to be fair, only five lines of
industry have presented codes of fair
practice for commission approval.
The details of the futile attempt to
breathe life back into the Blue Eagle
have been related at this length ro
show what the future holds in the way
of barnacles on our structure of gov
ernment. If we have many more the
result is liable to be a cancer and a
cancer thus far has proved incurable.
€> Western Newspaper Union.