Washington, D. C.
NEW LEND-LEASE SUM
The new lend-lease appropriation
that has been tentatively agreed on
by inner advisers is $5,000,000,000.
With the $7,000,000,000 voted by
congress several months ago, this
would make a total of $12,000,000,000
for aid to the democracies. Yet this
stupendous sum is still considerably
short of what was originally pro
posed, also of what probably will be
ultimately required.
It’s a White House secret, but the
first lend-lease program submitted
added up to $19,000,000,000. This
was slashed to $9,000,000,000 by the
army and navy and then still further
cut to $7,000,000,000 by the budget
bureau. The last figure was ap
proved by the President and sent
to congress.
One reason for the new appropri
ation is that many of the original
price estimates have been found to
be far too low, particularly in the
case of planes, ships and guns. Ris
ing costs, due to changes in con
struction, more expensive new mod
els, and increased production
charges, made it impossible to con
tract for these items at the original
estimates; and more money is need
ed to fulfill the program.
Another reason for the lend-lease
boost is heavy outlays for repairs
on battle-damaged British warships,
of which a number are now in U. S.
yards. This type of aid is running
into big money.
Most important, however, is the
urgent need for expansion of the
whole aid-democracies program.
Britain, China and the other Axis
toes require increased assistance
to meet the greatly enlarged re
sources of the Nazis brought by
their conquest of Europe.
Today they must stand off not only
the industrial power of Germany,
but also that of France, Belgium,
Holland, Rumania, Hungary, and
other Nazi victims. So if Britain is
to continue fighting she must secure
much more help from the United
States. Without such aid she will
quickly be overwhelmed.
Red Tapc-itis.
While most of the $7,000,000,000
lend-lease money has been allocat
ed, some $500,000,000 earmarked for
new armaments plants is still lying
around idle. And close to $4,000,-
000,000 of other defense appropria
tions for new plants also is twid
dling its thumbs while army supply
brasshats and OPM chiefs, en
meshed in coils of red tape, are
stalling around.
It takes from 8 to 15 months to
erect these plants, so this delay in
getting construction started means
a serious crimp in the defense pro
gram.
Chiefly to blame are army supply
brasshats, who are inadequate to
handle the colossal task thrust on
them, but so jealous of their bureau
cratic powers that they won’t let
anyone else tackle it. OPM heads
are champing at the precious time
being wasted, but lack authority to
override the army and haven’t the
gumption to raise a row.
♦ ♦ ♦
WILL DAVIS
The country doesn’t like strikes
any more than it likes war, but the
war has brought out many men of
stature, and the strikes have brought
out William H. Davis, new chairman
of the National Defense Mediation
board.
Actually Davis is no "war baby,”
but a veteran who has been working
at labor mediation for many years.
Still it was settlement of the Allis-
Chalmers strike that first won him
national attention.
By profession Davis is a patent
lawyer, with offices in New York
city. On the very next day after
the Allis-Chalmers triumph, he ap
peared before the U. S. Supreme
court, his hair no more unruly than
usual, to argue a patent case. He
makes his living from big-money
firms, but he has a strong liberal
viewpoint toward labor.
When a committee of congress
asked him what he thought of a bill
to outlaw strikes, he said, "When
you pass compulsory legislation, you
make the working man a slave, and
there is no use producing defense
materials for a nation of slaves.”
There are a lot of odd pieces in
Davis’ life. He was born in Bangor,
Maine, schooled in Washington,
D. C., is a member of New York's
swanky Downtown Athletic club, a
labor sympathizer, founder of the
Grand Central Art galleries, father
in-law of Argentine diplomat Alonzo
Ingoyen, and careless with his
clothes.
One phrase-maker says Davis has
"the face of a kindly bulldog.” An
other "the face of a tired trombone
player.” Not many faces would an
swer to that. Davis is easy to spot
in a crowd.
* « «
MERRY-GO-ROUND
C Employees of the British Purchas
ing mission leaving the elevator at
their offices are confronted with this
sign: "The existence of the British
Empire depends on YOUR effort.
Chins up—There Will Always Be an
England.”
C, Since checking booths were in
stalled at Capitol entrances, police
daily turn up some fresh oddity. One
day a sea captain’s wife, accompa
nied by six wide-eyed youngsters,
left a large bundle of sailors’ hard
tack biscuit.
Kathleen Norris Says: 11
Marriage Is the Wife's Job
(Bell Syndicate—WNU Service.)
We all know young couples who started a few years ago with what an adrnn ing
world called “ everything Wealth, beauty, position, power, all these didn’t save these
husbands and wives from an early and disgraceful appearance in the divorce court.
They did have "everything," except code and character.
By KATHLEEN NORRIS
IN THESE troubled times,
when our problems seem to
be taking on a national rath
er than a domestic character, it
is more necessary than ever for
the woman of the house—moth
er, wife, sister, daughter, which
ever she may be—to see that
everything at home moves se
renely and smoothly; that home
is a refuge for the workers who
have to go out into the turmoil
and discouragement of a war
torn world.
Women are the makers or break
ers of marriage. They are the build
ers or the destroyers of home. Nine
ty per cent of the success or failure
of any marriage is due to the wom
an. She can turn the most fortunate
mating into the least happy, or she
can pick the ruins of her marital
venture from ashes and wreckage,
and transform them into happiness
and security again.
‘Everything’ but Character.
We all know young couples who
started a few years ago with what
an admiring world called “every
thing.” Wealth, beauty, position,
all these didn’t save these husbands
and wives from an early appearance
in the divorce court.
And we all know other brides and
grooms; obscure, poor, plain, inex
perienced. We know how radiantly
confident they were as they went
from the quiet wedding to the two or
three small rooms that were home,
how they irradiated these rooms
with love and service, how they built
about them strong walls of true
married life, raised fine children,
rose in the world, added on more
glory to the glory of American life.
In the one case the man may have
been spoiled, rich, selfish, stupid. In
the other he may have been schooled
to consideration and generousness.
But in both cases it was because of
what the woman was that the mar
riage turned out as it did.
Here is a letter from a Chicago
man that illustrates forcefully the
situation in one household, in which
the wife and mother seems deter
mined to destroy her own life and
those of her husband and child.
An Inharmonious Household.
“Dear Mrs. Norris,” writes Don,
“I am head of a shoe department in
a large store; 38 years old, married
14 years, and with a daughter of
nine. We live in a comfortable six
room apartment: own a car, and my
wife has the afternoon services
of a good maid. Some years ago I
purchased a small cabin in the
woods on a lake, for vacation and
week-end visits. I am a church
member, and have always tried to be
considerate of my wife and generous
to her, as well as faithful.
“Evelyn was an extremely pretty
girl; she is much overweight now,
has dyed her hair a bright gold, and
uses much make-up. Clothes, and
what her women friends think of
her clothes are her greatest interest
in life, but she also likes bridge,
poker and movies, and she spends
much time and money on beauty
parlors.
Breakfasts—Dines Alone.
“My wife never gets up for break
fast; our little girl dresses herself,
carries Mama a glass of orange
juice, and trots off to school. I get
orange juice and milk from the ice
box. Betty-Lou always has 15 cents
for school lunch, I lunch downtown,
and frequently return home at half
past five to find that Evelyn is still
away. Betty-Lou and I do home
work, read the funnies, listen to the
radio, and at half-past six dine alone.
Eve'vn may telephone that she is
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL, PERRY, GEORGIA
DEADLOCK
A child adds to the complications of
the eternal triangle. One woman
threatens her husband with the high
cost of divorce—the other promises to
reward him, no matter how expensive
the final separation. Should he pay now
and lake his reward or is there another
solution? Kathleen Norris draws deep
from the well of knowledge and an
swers him briefly.
not coming, or she may come in
late, to nibble indifferently at her
food, explaining that they all had
perfectly delicious sandwiches at
Marian’s.
“Evelyn does not like the cabin;
she has been there twice only in the
past year. It means fire-making,
dishwashing, cooking for us all. ftfy
little girl and I love it, but my wife
dreads the effort. Last summer she
took Betty-Lou for two weeks to a
smart beach, placed Betty-Lou with
my mother for the rest of the vaca
tion, and went off herself to Cali
fornia with friends.
Has Met the Other Woman.
“The problem is that I have met
the other woman. For two years
she has been my rest, my comfort,
my companion. I want to make her
my wife. She is associated with me
in the office, a widow of 27, no
child, no family other than a sister.
She is lovely, gentle, domestic, lone
ly. And God knows I am lonely!
Last summer Ann, her sister and I
often went to the cabin, for hours of
such perfect felicity as I suppose
few men ever know. We think alike,
feel alike, we need no other happi
ness than that of being together.
“But Evelyn assures me that if
there is ever a divorce she will de
mand an alimony so great that I
simply could not pay it. Out of my
salary of $3OO a month she will ask
for half, and support of Betty-Lou
as well. Ann and I might indeed
exist on what was left, but with my
insurance to pay, and the taxes on
my mother’s little house, our income
would not be more than $l,OOO a
year. The child she would so love
to have would hardly be welcome on
that!
Feels Trapped—Helpless.
“I feel trapped, maddened. My
marriage has not been a marriage
for many years—Evelyn knows that.
She actually dislikes me. She gives
nothing, takes everything. In the
beginning I tried hard for success;
gave her everything I could. Her
bills have now plunged me more
than $2,000 into debt. She says she
adores our child, neglects her for
days at a time, then buys her new
frocks and candy and spoils her for
a day or two. The atmosphere of
my home is unbearable, and yet
should I force a divorce I am ru
ined, I have nothing to offer Ann,
and the world will blame me for de
serting ‘that sweet little woman’ and
that lovely child.
“Is this a deadlock? What can I
do?”
Time May Offer a Solution.
My answer is; it is a deadlock,
and you must grin and bear it,
Don. There isn’t any way out, at
the moment. Should Evelyn fall in
love with some other man and ask
a divorce, that might be different.
Console yourself that half the lives
now being lived ip America have
known “insufferable” conditions,
like yours. Insufferable boredom,
physical disability, restlessness, pov
erty, we all get a turn at every one
of them. To love desperately, and
desperately desire to fling aside all
the ties of the past, doesn’t put you
in a category all by yourself. Enjoy
your friendship with Ann as much
as in honor you may, revel in your
small girl’s affection and compan
ionship, and give patience and time
a chance.
Eleanor Roosevelt
INDIAN AFFAIRS
I asked Mr. John Collier, of the
office of Indian affairs, to come in
to tell me something about the Nav
ajo situation.
It appears that the land on the
reservation, in 81 years, has com
pletely changed because of over
grazing. What was once meadow
land with plenty of water and beau
tiful grass, is now practically des
ert. The wooded slopes have dis
appeared, floods wash away the top
soil and the grass no longer exists.
It is quite evident that, in order to
bring it back, there must be a dras
tic curtailment of cattle, wild
horses, goats and sheep.
This means that a people, whose
average cash income is only about
$l2O a year, must either go on re
lief, which they want at all costs to
avoid, or starve to death. The only
other solution seems to be the possi
bility of carrying through an irriga
tion project which will allow them
to irrigate enough land so they can
raise crops to feed their cattle at
certain times, and also to grow some
cash crop if the difficulty of trans
portation can be overcome.
The decision on the irrigation is,
of course, up to congress. At the
present time, I can quite under
stand the argument against putting
money into anything which can be
set aside to be done when the defense
period is over. Still, if congress de
cides that this is necessary, it seems
to me that they have a joint re
sponsibility with the office of Indian
affairs to devise some means by
which these naturally independent
American citizens can earn their
living and not feel dependent upon
the government for a chance mere
ly to survive.
AMUSING LUNCH
We had an amusing lunch one
day. Dr. Floyd Reeves and Mr.
Mark McCloskey were our only
j guests. We sat on the south portico
| looking across the White House lawn
to the Jefferson Memorial. In pass
ing, I should like to say that I hope
in time the gleaming white dome of
that memorial will weather to a lit
tle softer color.
At a little before six o’clock,
Prince Bernhard and Princess Ju
liana arrived. He is as friendly
and simple as she be when
she came on her first visit. I met
them on the front portico and took
them up to the President’s study,
where the President was waiting for
them.
We had a small dinner and movie
in the evening. The President had
given me strict instructions that I
was not to put over anything educa
tional on them, that it was to be an
evening of entertainment! In other
words, he did not want me to use
the occasion to show any of the
government films. Therefore, our
dinner guests are none the wiser as
to our farm security program, our
soil conservation work, the CCC, or
any of the things which they might
otherwise have seen!
When our dinner guests had left,
the President sat and talked to our
two young royal guests on European
conditions until late in the night.
It was a joyful surprise just be
fore dinner to get word from Bolling
field that Elliott had flown in from
one of our outpost camps now being
built. He telephoned his wife and
made the distressing discovery that
his small son had had an accident
to his eye.
Elliott told me something about
this camp on which these regular
army boys are working 18 hours a
day to transform it into an airfield.
The weather has been very trying
and the boys who came up from
Miami are finding it very difficult to
adjust to it. Even letters take a
long while to get there. Elliott
says it is easy to think you have
been forgotten by your family and
friends as well as your government.
• * *
TO NEW ENGLAND
We spent one night in cabins just
beyond Portsmouth, N. H., by-pass.
Several detours, roads in the proc
ess of being mended, heavy traffic
in and around Boston, and occa
sional showers of rain, made our
trip really longer than it should have
been.
It is a lovely drive though, along
winding Connecticut roads with
many glimpses of small lakes and
running brooks. Finally, when we
were nearing Newburyport, I had
my first good smell of the sea, which
is always exhilarating.
I thought we would spend the
I night in Portsmouth at the old Rock
-1 ingham hotel. My first surprise,
I however, was to find myself on the
j by-pass, which I do not remember
i having seen before. It is a good
| many years since I have taken this
| drive and it may not have been in
I existence when I came up last.
In any case, I missed the first
| road into Portsmouth, and then was
I lost after turning off further on. I
! finally reached the hotel, only to find
! that they had no room. They direct
| ed us elsewhere, but we decided to
go on a little further and look for
! some attractive cabins.
As a matter of fact, I think I
I could almost have reached Portland,
I Maine, in the time I wandered
| around the outskirts of Portsmouth.
But these little mistakes are all
“luck of the road’’ and, if you like
' occasionally to wander, you must
| count on making mistakes.
Mkw ideas W]
fat cMome-makem. \
By Ruth Wyeth Spears \
\Vbaste
place
/ X<^^ bd^^^ /s Tcord away
STRAIGHT STRIP CUP u AT JOINING
HAVE you considered covering
your out-of-door cushions
with water-resistant artificial
leather? It may be cut and sewn
the same as any heavy fabric.
The colors are all so fresh and
gay that you will be inspired to
try striking combinations. Use a
coarse machine needle; a No. 5
hand needle; No. 20 or 24 sewing
thread and regulate the machine
to about 12 stitches to the inch.
The cushions shown here are
green with seam cords covered in
red. The sketch shows how they
are made. The cotton seam cord
should be about V4-inch in diam
eter. It is covered with a straight
strip 1% inches wide stitched with
the machine cording foot to allow
the sewing to come up close to
the cord. The raw edges of the
cord covering are basted around
the top and bottom of the cover
on the right side, as shown, and
are then stitched in with the seam.
Well, here it is an- lying around, but if
other weekend and I'm you could get the
not a General yet. family interested and
But give me time. some of the neigh
bors, and if that
The nearest village happened all over the
is 5 miles away. All country, the U. S. 0.
you find there is a could raise $10,765,-
general store, a ga- 000 overnight,
rage and a canning
factory—nowhere to I'd appreciate it
go for any good clean a lot. Mom, and so
fun, unless you drop would every other
in at a smoke-filled mother's son in the
juke joint on the way. U. S. Army and Navy.
Well, Mom, there's Love,
a big favor you can Rill
do me. The U. S. 0. D
is trying to raise
$10,765,000 to run They're doing their hit for you. H M
Clubs for US, outside you do your bit for them? Send your
-r. „„„„ contribution to your local U.J.U.
Of camp. Places With Committeeor tO U. SO. National
lounge rooms, dance Headquarters , Empire State Build
floors, games, writ- ing, New York, N. Y.
ing rooms. Places you
can get a bite to These organizations have joined
eat without paying a forcestof onntiwU.s.o.:theYMCA..
King S ransom . National Catholic Community Service,
Salvation Army, Y. W. CA-, Jewish
I know you don't Welfare Board, National Travelers
have an idle million Aid Association.
OPEN YOUR HEART 11
OPEN YOUR PURSE II * V*| 1*
GIVE TO THE M 1# V
I THE ADVERTISER INVITES YOUR
COMPARISON
with others. We do. Should he relax lor a minute and let his standards cr
we discern it. We tell others. We cease buying his product. Thereto:
keeps up the high standard of his wares, and the prices as lew as por- c - ■
■
If you like variety in your cush
ions, there is an idea for sturdy
ones made of burlap and silk
stockings on page 23 of SEWING,
Book 5.
• * *
NOTE: Book 7, In the series of Home
makers’ Booklets by Mrs. Spears, is the
latest and contains directions for more
than thirty things which you will want
for your own home or for gifts. Included
are working drawings for reconditioning
old chairs and other furniture; directions
for a spool whatnot; an unusual braided
rag rug; and many things to make'with
needle and thread. The seven booklets
now available contain a total of more than
two hundred of Mrs. Spears’ NEW IDEAS
for Homemakers. Booklets are 10 cents
each. Send your order to:
MRS. RUTH WYETH SPEARS
Drawer 10
Bedford Hills New York
Enclose 10 cents for each book
ordered.
Name
Address
