Newspaper Page Text
__ WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS
Crack Down on G. is in Europe;
UNRRAAidFaIIs
U. S.Sets Foreign Loan Terms
_ Released by Western Newspaper Union.
(EDITOR’S NOTE; When opinions are expressed in these columns they ore those ot
(Western Newspaper Union s news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.)
Pointing up Herbert Hoover’s statement that 30 million European
children are in need of extra food, these Italian youngsters beg pho
tographer for bread. Boy at left tries to sell peanuts to obtain money
for purchasing cereals.
ARMY:
Tighten Discipline
With the low state of discipline
leading to loss of respect for Amer
ican authority by the enemy and
injury to our reputation among the
Allies, Gen. Joseph T. McNarney,
U. S. commander in Europe, or
dered all unit commanders to jack
up on personnel.
Citing the rapid demobilization
and dissolution of tried battle
groups, McNarney declared that
makeshift units possess none of the
pride of the veteran outfits and of
ficers do not have the same tradi
tional attachment to their men as
they would have for those regularly
under them,
McNarney listed six indications of
a deterioration of army discipline in
Europe, including participation in
black markets and drunkenness;
high absence without leave; the im
posing automobile accident rate;
excessive venereal disease infec
tion; lack of smartness in appear
ance and conscientious observance
of military courtesy, and complain
ing attitudes toward top authority.
OVERSEAS RELIEF:
VNRRA Aid
Set up to provide relief for war
stricken areas, the United Nations
Relief and Rehabilitation admin
istration furnished 4 million tons of
su PPl* es costing al
|L*tv I & M most 700 million dol
lars U P to Decem-
ker 31, 1945, but
help extended con-
W* W, stitutes only a drop
|r in the bucket com
m*% ftj pared to over-all re-
President .Tru
13iH?rjSsralpI man ’ s release of a
report of UNRRA’s
Famine activities came as
Committee Post., combined y S >
British and Canadian food board al
lotted the international agency 460,-
000 tons of cereals from its grain
pool. While UNRRA Director La-
Guardia had asked for 700,000 tons,
Allied food experts were unable to
grant his requests in view of the
needs of other people not fed by his
organization.
With the U. S. and Britain pro
viding the bulk of the funds,
UNRRA’s distributions to Decem
ber 31, 1945, included:
Country Tons Value, dollars
Greece 1,739,667 206,107.000
Yugoslavia 976,223 190,057,000
Czechoslovakia 408,427 87,575,000
Poland 348,219 113,212,000
China 197,112 23.237,000
Italy 134,017 24,129.000
Albania 67,175 13,000,000
Ukrainian S.S.H 44,136 10.434,000
Byelorussian S.S.R. .. 22.226 4,687,000
Dodecanese Islands .. 1.588 123,000
Others 20,467 8,992,000
Totals 3,959,257 881,553,000
Concern over the feeding of the
world’s hunger hit areas was
heightened by a U. S. weather bu
reau report that rain was sorely
needed in some sections of the
great plains wheat growing states
if the department of agriculture’s
forecasts of another bumper crop
were to materialize.
U. S. CREDIT:
Name Conditions
While the U. S. was determined to
demand free trade in eastern Eu
rope as a condition for granting
Russia a one-billion dollar loan, a
90 million dollar advance was
made to Soviet-dominated Poland
on the stipulation that free and
unhampered elections would be held
to name a representative democrat-
EX-CONVICTS:
Thirty-nine states are now par
ticipating in a nation-wide system
designed to aid rehabilitation of the
paroled convict who wants to “start
life over” in a new environment,
the council of state governments re
ports.
The compact was designed not
only to aid rehabilitation of those
with criminal records but also to
stop “commuting
taking advantage of the devices
•Wording protection by state
ic government for the country.
Of the 90 million dollar loan to
Poland, 40 million will be used for
the purchase of American coal cars
and locomotives to facilitate the
movement of fuel to western Eu
rope and the Balkans, the U. S.
state department disclosed. The re
mainder of the credit will be applied
against Poland’s acquisition of sur
plus property in Europe.
Besides requiring the conduct of
free elections, the U. S. obtained
Poland’s agreement not to discrim
inate against American nationals
and trade and to properly compen
sate U. S. citizens and corporations
whose property has been taken over
or nationalized.
U. S. demands on Russia for free
trade in eastern Europe in exchange
for a one billion dollar loan followed
the Soviets’ quick postwar maneu
vering to bring the region under
their economic domination.
Under a five-year pact with Hun
gary, joint Russo-Hungarian navi
gation, oil, aviation, bauxite and
aluminum companies were set up,
while a similar deal with Romania
resulted in formation of Russo-Ro
manian bank, oil, navigation and
aviation enterprises. In some in
stances, the Soviets’ equities con
sist of concessions or Axis property
claimed as reparations.
Short term barter agreements
also were negotiated with Poland,
Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Fin
land, Bulgaria, Romania and Hun
gary, involving substantial amounts
of raw and finished material.
Ripping into the Soviets’ eastern
European deals, the U. S. has pro
tested on the grounds that no per
manent peace treaties have yet
been drawn as a basis of negotia
tions; the major allies pledged
themselves to work together for re
building ex-enemy countries, and
composition of joint companies can
be implemented to exclude other na
tions from participating in econom
ic enterprises.
ITALY:
Fascist Underground
Theft of the remains of Benito
Mussolini from a potter’s field near
Milan pointed up the undercover ac
tivities of fascist forces in Italy. Bit
ter foes of the communist-socialist
bloc, II Duce’s followers have been
working quietly in the immediate
postwar period, seeking to capital
ize on complaints of cumbersome
democratic processes and foster
sentiment for renewed authoritarian
rule.
When Mussolini’s body was dug
up from an unmarked grave and
carried off, with a boot with part
of a rotted leg left to lie behind, a
note extolling II Duce and signed
“Democratic Fascist party” was
placed near the burial plot. In lyr
ical style the note read: “The time
will come in which Benito Mussolini
in his coffin, kissed by our sun, will
parade through the streets of Italy
and all the roses of the world and
all the tears of our women will not
be enough to give extreme greet
ings of the country to this great
son.”
According to some estimates, no
less than 200,000 Italians are said
to be members of the secret S.A,M.
(Squadre d’Azione Mussolini) or
ganization, which has been most
active in the northern section of the I
country. Consisting of personnel of
former fascist military units, the |
S.A.M. work in units of from 25 to
50 persons, with instructions to j
check political activity and infil
trate into parties and foment dis
cord.
Gas Revenues Increase
Ten states collected more
than 25 million dollars each
from gasoline tax revenues in
1945 when total receipts from
such levies reached 849.6 mil
lion dollars an increase of
13 per cent over 1944 collections
which totaled 747.4 million dol
lars. Of the 10 states that lead
In collections, Florida with its
levy of six cents a gallon had
the highest tax rate.
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL. PERRY, GEORGIA
RYE:
Futures Soar
With May rye hovering at the
$2.63 a bushel mark and daily fu
ture transactions running far above
prewar levels, the Chicago Board j
of Trade was scheduled to under
take its second investigation of |
dealings in the commodity to ascer
tain if any operator or group pos
sessed a corner.
Having failed to uncover a “cor
ner” after a probe several months
ago, the board renewed its investi
gation by ordering all members to
report accounts with open posi
tions.
Because May rye carries no ceil
ing, observers said that the high
prices the grain commands reflect
supply and demand. Against the
$2.63 a bushel figure in the open
market, the new crop was selling
around the $1.48 a bushel ceiling.
RAIL WRECK:
Big Toll
In the worst train wreck since
1944, when two sections of the
Southern Pacific collided near
Great Salt Lake, Utah, and 48 per
sons were killed, the Burlington’s
Exposition Flyer plowed into the
rear of the stalled Advance Flyer
in Naperville, 111., to take a toll of
approximately 48 dead.
Running on the same track three
minutes apart, the two crack trains
crashed when the Advance Flyer
pulled up to a stop for its crew to
investigate a flash of flame from
beneath one of the coaches. Though
an automatic caution signal went on
7,784 feet to the east and a danger
signal beamed 1,100 feet from the
stalled train, the engineer of the
Exposition Flyer was unable to
brake his charging Diesel in time
to avoid the crash.
Though Engineer W. W. Blaine,
68, of Galesburg, 111., himself suf
fered only a face cut, many pas
sengers were killed when his big
locomotive ripped into the last steel
coach on the Advance Flyer and
the impact buckled the diner ahead
of it and overturned two other cars.
In all, six coaches were upset or
derailed and lay strewn over
the twisted track like toys. In ad
dition to the 48 killed, over 100 were
injured.
DIPLOMACY:
Four-Power Meet
Settlement of the ticklish Yugo
slav claims to Italian Trieste
loomed as the foreign ministers of
the U. S., Britain, Russia and
France met in Paris in an attempt
to iron out complex political and eco
nomic questions holding up the
formulation of peace treaties for for
mer Axis satellites.
As Byrnes, Bevin, Molotov and
Bidault met to speed up the con
-I||B| 1 111 l
1 A alii
Bevin, Byrnes and Molotov.
elusion of terms, their deputy
foreign ministers who had found
ered over a majority of the issues
happily advanced a solution to the
Trieste problem; Agreeing to set
tle territorial claims on the basis
of residential nationalities, the dep
uties recommended Italy’s reten
tion of Italian-populated Trieste and
surrender to Yugoslavia of Yugo
slavian-settled land nearby the vi
tal port.
Disposition of Trieste was only
one of the knotty problems facing
the Big Four in drawing terms for
Italy. One of the principal bones
of contention centered in Russia’s
demands for trusteeships over
Italy’s North African colonies situ
ated along Britain’s Mediterranean
lifeline to the Far East. With Brit
ain resisting the Reds’ claims out
of an unwillingness to establish the
Soviets in a strategic position along
the imperial lifeline, the U. S. ad
vanced a compromise under which
the colonies would be placed under
a United Nations’ trusteeship.
CIGAR ETTES:
Hike Prices
In granting increases in the price
of cigarettes, OPA declared that ris
ing manufacturing costs necessi
tated the boosts to assure producers
of earnings equal to prewar levels.
While manufacturers were al
lowed a 25 cent raise per 1,000
cigarettes, retailers were permitted
to hike the prices a half cent a pack
on multiple sales of two, four, six,
etc., packs and five cents on a
carton of 10 packs. Where sale
of cigarettes through vending ma
chines is permissible, an increase
of one cent a pack was granted.
Allowed primarily on sales of mul
tiple packs offered at cut-ra + cs, the
price increases were not extended
to single packs.
BANKING:
For the first calendar year in
history, no American bank failed
during 1945.
Records of the Federal Deposit In
surance corporation for the past
year reveal that no bank depositor
in the United States experienced a
loss from a bank failure. The num
ber of bank failures is always small
during a period when bank assets
are increasing rapidly and -the na
tional income is high, according to
the FDIC, but 1945’s record wag
unique.
Food i*!l Help
Write the Peace in Europe
By BAUKHAGE
News Analyst and Commentator.
WNU Service, 1616 Eye Street, N.W.,
Washington, 1). C.
Since Good Friday, when you
heard a President and an ex-Presi
dent speaking on the same radio
program, one in the White House,
the other across the r ■ ■ .»
Atlantic in Egypt, ,
you have read and ; If
heard many other jiffy
appeals in prepara- i
The voluntary ef
fort to cut down
food consumption
simply hasn’t worked.
It isn't that the people are un
willing. It’s that there was no im
mediate way to cut down on our
eating which seemed practical.
And so a practical means of getting
food in cans is to be tried, and its
success will depend on the local vol
unteer organization in your commu
nity. The foods needed are milk
(condensed, evaporated or dried),
meat, fish, peanut butter, baby
foods, baked beans, juices, stews,
soups, honey, vegetables.
I know that you have heard this
before in detail. I hope you will
hear it again, with further details,
but perhaps you don’t realize what
you and the United States can get
in return for the food we send out,
and what we may lose if starvation
becomes widespread.
The whole question is pointed up
in a not-too-prominently displayed
dispatch from Moscow to which an
official called my attention last
week. It was a statement made by
a correspondent of the Soviet paper
Izvestia, who had been touring the
American zone in Germany.
“The food stuff difficulties which
forced lowering of rations (in the
American zone),” the correspondent
wrote, “are explained, in my view,
not so much by the absence of pro
ductive districts as by a lack of
order and distribution of agricul
tural products.” Then he went on
to explain that the big estates had
not been broken up, as they were in
the Russian zone.
Hunger Used as
Political Weapon
This criticism, which I think in
vestigation will prove to be exceed
ingly biased and unfair, reveals how
food, or the lack of it, is serving
and can serve as a weapon to stir
up discontent and to bring the west
ern countries into disrepute and dis
favor.
Revolution follows hunger just as
surely as hunger follows war.
As a matter of fact, one of the
most efficient organizations in the
American military zone of Germany
is the agency which distributes food.
Working closely with it is another
highly efficient American agency
which the British have used as a
model in their zone—the health and
sanitation division.
However, there is a food shortage
in Germany, just as there is in the
rest of Europe. The effects are the
same everywhere, and Germany
serves as an excellent example of
the political effects of a food short
age. There, the American authori
ties can accurately check on what
is going on since the military gov
ernment is so closely tied in to ev
every phase of the daily lives of the
people.
Recently a military government
official in Germany wrote to me:
“No slogan was ever truer than
‘Food will win the war and write
the peace.’ ”
We are about to sit down at the
peace table with Italy. Russia prob
ably will not be present. But the
food that Italy does not have may
affect the validity of that peace
treaty.
A revealing comment on how this
works was appended to a report
made shortly after the British were
forced to drop to a 1,000-calorie
scale and coal producton dropped
approximately 20 per cent. This was
the comment:
“Heavy workers are dropping at
their work and food riots have al
ready taken place. If this ration is
not raised soon, there will be no
coal; without coal there will be no
transportation; without coal and
transportation, there will be no
processing of food from indigenous
resources. . . .
“The fact that we now have to
go back on our pledged word to the
German people will seriously im
pair our prestige and the confidence
of the German people in the pledged
BARBS • • . by B auhha ge
Anti-long-nose sentiment interests
me personally for the same rea
son I have always sympathized with
Cyrano de Bergerac. The Tibetans,
I am told, consider the Western
races ugly, because, instead of a
nice, modest little proboscis in the
middle of their faces, they have
what one Tibetan described as “the
spout of a teapot turned upside
down.”
word of our officials. This will give
to those who oppose our economic
system the best weapon they have
ever received. As fast as possible,
we are losing all the advantages
gained by the success of arms. We
are losing the peace much faster
than at the close of World War I.
The first great blow has been the
food muddle. Others will pile up like
a snowball. . . .
“It appears that we will have to
reduce the already inadequate ra
tion for Berlin. This, of course, will
give the Russians a strong talking
point against the western powers
when we cannot afford to sustain the
1,550-calorie ration for the norma*'
consumer.”
And so the path of our friend, the
reporter from Izvestia, crosses that
of the American official. Clearly we
see the different segments of the
picture which opponents of western
democracy have sketched in no
faint strokes across the troubled
world.
Yes, indeed, food will write the
peace!
* * •
Polls Show U. S.
Ready to Sacrifice
It is interesting to note that the
American people are perfectly will
ing to make sacrifices to send food
to Europe. Two surveys were
made by the University of Denver
National Research center, one of
which showed that 68 per cent of
those interviewed indicated their
wish to resume rationing if neces
sary in order to send critical food
abroad.
Another survey by the same in
stitution showed that more than a
third of the people (35 per cent) be
lieved that we should send food to
Germany as a gift if she could not
pay us for it.
I believe that if a similar poll were
taken in regard to feeding Japan,
the results would be approximately
the same.
• • •
Gardens Grow
On Skyscrapers
People have their roots in the soil
even when they live 20 stories above
asphalt pavements. I had that
brought forcibly to mind as I leaned
over the wall of a wide terrace of
a penthouse garden high above
Park avenue, New York.
As I looked to the right and the
left, everywhere I saw fresh green
edging other walls like the one
against which I was leaning; and
below me, I could glimpse neat gar
dens already sprouting cheerfully
in the first warm spring sun. There
was a vine spreading over one
wall; higher up were tall trees
bursting into leaf. Tall, I say—the
tops were some 300 feet above the
pavement, if only some 15 feet
above their elevated roots.
I saw one old man in a battered
straw hat, his trowel laid aside and
the evidence of his industry in a
row of little pine trees in neatly
painted, tubs. He was resting in a
garden chair, a little fountain play
ing in the wall beside him, and a
neat privet hedge for his skyline.
Farther away was a real achieve
ment—a lawn at least 50 feet square
with tulips blossoming along a neat
walk that led to nowhere.
* * ♦
Rebuild Mexican
Agriculture
Through the building of modern,
comfortable homes for rural work
ers, the improvement of farm land,
and introduction of mechanized
farm equipment, a general plan for
the rehabilitation of Mexican agri
culture has been initiated. One hun
dred model farms have been com
pleted in the district of Topilejo,
with means for working the land in
modern and efficient manner. A
model school and home for teachers
also have been built.
To create in each center of popu
lation a permanent board which will
consider the respective problems of
farmers, livestock raisers, business
men, industrialists and artisans.
To promote undertakings for the
manufacture or sale of modern
implements of agriculture.
To distribute by credit individual
ly, to towns, or to areas, modern
farm tools, necessary technical di
rection, selected seeds and ferti
lizer.
To promote and organize private
capital for the creation of small in
stitutions that will dedicate them
selves to the maintenance of rural
credit as the only logical means
for agricultural development.
To build schools and homes for
teachers in agricultural, industrial
or livestock centers, as well as re
gional hospitals.
More wartime slaughtering con
trols will be enforced to check the
meat black market. But black mar
ket slaughtering is never con
trolled. All it takes is a tree, a rope,
a cow and a knife.
* * *
It’s true we’ve had some infla
tion under OPA. But I can’t see
how you can stop a leak in the dam
by blowing the whole dam up.
I
CABINET LADIES AND MENUS
WASHINGTON. Ladies of the
cabinet are really practicing what
their husbands preach regarding the
saving of food for Europe. Ever
since President Tinman urged that
the American people eat the equiv
alent of a European ration two days
a week, cabinet wives have been
studying, menus.
Mrs. Clinton Anderson, whose
secretary of agriculture husband is
one of the hardest-working of the
food conservers, has given permis
sion to publish one of her menus.
It provides 1,540 calories the
equivalent of a European ration—
as compared with the normal
American diet of 3,600 calories.
Here it is, with the number of
calories listed after each item of
food:
Breakfast—glass of orange juice
(75); bowl of cereal (100); milk for
cereal (85); half-a-pint of milk or
cocoa (170) —total, 430.
Lunch—half-a-cup of thick soup or
chowder (150); vegetable salad
without oil in dressing (75); muffin
(75); baked custard (100); half-a
pint of milk (170) —total, 570.
Dinner poultry, fish or meat
(150); potato (large serving) (150);
green vegetable (peas, beans,
greens or broccoli) (40); raw vege
table strips (carrots, celery, toma
to, cabbage) (50); half-cup of fruit
(150) or milk for children—total 540.
TRUMAN'S GIRL FRIEND
The leading lady of the poppy
presentation ceremonies to Presi
dent Truman fell hard for the chief
executive.
Three-year-old Betty Lou Hall of
Eaton Rapids, Mich., one of five
orphaned children left by a heroic
infantryman killed after the Nor
mandy invasion, was selected to put
the poppy in Truman’s lapel in be
half of war orphans of the Veter
ans of Foreign Wars. j
Her Job finished, the little girl |
was asked by photographers if
she didn’t want to kiss the Presi
dent. She complied not with one
kiss, hut a shower of them. In
fact, the young lady seemed in
clined to continue this part of
the proceedings Indefinitely un
til reminded that her embraces
were sufficient for picture pur
poses.
ARMY MORALS OVERSEAS
One reason for strong sentiment
in the senate against drafting 18-
year-olds is that many senators
have been abroad since V-E Day
and have seen first-hand the wanton
immorality to which young soldiers
are exposed.
Returned senators are especially
critical of U. S. army officers for
setting a bad example to young
G.l.s.
“When they see their
superior officers living in Ger
man castles with frauieins,” re
ported Sen. Harley Kilgore of
West Virginia, "enlisted men
get a very bad impression. It’s
no place for youngsters. After
they get to he 21, they can stand
on their own feet, but give them
a chance to get some education
first.”
Other senators feel that the army
has an obligation to put its house
in order before it demands drafting
of 18- and 19-year-olds.
"An officer is supposed to set an
example to the enlisted man,” com
mented Sen. Ed Johnson of Col
orado. "An example of upright liv
ing. Some of the examples set by
officers in Germany are shocking.
Until they clean house they can’t
expect us to be enthusiastic about
the draft.”
Case Bill Boomerangs.
Some of the GOP southern coali
tion who stamped the Case anti
strike bill through the house are
singing a different tune in the
cloakrooms since the Illinois pri
mary election returns have come
in.
One of the most significant bat
tles in this primary was in the dis
trict represented by GOP Con. Rob
ert B. Chiperfield of Canton, 111., an
all-out advocate of the Case bill.
A fourth-termer, Chiperfield
boasts that never before has he
been opposed in a primary elec
tion, However, it was different
this year. The Illinoisan not only
had an opponent, but he was re
nominated only by the skin of
his teeth approximately 1,300
votes.
Chiperfield makes no bones to
close friends about the reason for
his tight squeak.
"My support of the Case bill
came darn close to licking me,” he
admitted in the GOP cloakroom.
"That was the main issue of the
campaign.”
DIPLOMATIC CHAFF
The Russian Trade mission to Ar
gentina is not on a brief visit. The
Russians brought their families and
are prepared to negotiate a long
term trade deal, especially trying to
buy the Argentine linseed oil crop.
If they succeed, the American
home-building program for veterans
will be very short of paint. . . .
The United States and Great Brit
ain are pressing for an early elec
tion in Romania which the Rus
sians don’t seem to want but other*
