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WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS BY JOSEPH W. LaBINE
Administration Prepares Fight
For ReciprocalJjgd^rrgatigs
-
are those of the news analyst al
- Released by We^H
COMMERCE:
Trade Battle fl
Just before Christmas the st^H
department found it wise to fl
nounce that no concession on copflj
tariffs will be made in its reciprcfll
trade pact with Chile. This sefl
precedent, because never before fll
the department divulged such infl
mation about an anticipated recifl
cal pact before the treaty is fl||
summated. Official reason ^B
“widespread public interest,” 1 \
behind it lay the vocal protest^K
copper producing states who w<Bg|
■^l
t J
“J
i ASK
CORDELL HULL
Will he win?
otherwise
join in the
hue and cry
when the re
ciprocal pro
gram comes
up for re
newal in con
gress next
term.
Basis of
opposition is
the claim
that Secre
tary of State
Cordell
Hull’s trade program breaks down
tariff walls and permits foreign
products. Under the “most favored
nation” clause a concession on wheat
from Argentina, for instance, would
be granted all other nations holding
reciprocal pacts with the U. S.
It was rumored in Washington this
month that President Roosevelt is
girding himself for the toughest con
gressional fight of his entire admin
istration, if necessary, to extend the
act. It was even reported he would
attempt to beat Republican critics
to the gun by taking his fight to the
country before the G. O. P. can
make an open issue of it.
Entirely aside from the trade act’s
influence on U. S. economy, observ
ers noted it was not without im
portant political significance. Since
reciprocal agreements are not sub
ject to senate ratification, a lucra
tive source of legislative logrolling
has been forfeited. Proud of his
work, Secretary Hull maintains he
is working to benefit the entire na
tion, not any small section. Wheth
er his admittedly sincere policy will
prevail is among the most impor
tant issues facing the new congress.
AGRICULTURE:
Anschluss
Hungry for farm funds (see be
low) Secretary of Agriculture Hen
ry Wallace has looked covetously
on the well-tended $2,000,000,000
Farm Credit administration fund su
pervised by its governor, F. F. Hill.
So conservative was Mr. Hill that
there still remains a $600,000,000
FCA lending power which Mr. Wal
lace thought should be used to bring
FCA’s benefits to drouth sufferers.
«Hk
FCA’S HILL
No longer ...
/night never be repaid. Wall Street,
calling the Wallace plan “inflation
ary,” was equally alarmed.
But Henry Wallace was boss. In
late December, Franklin Roosevelt
found himself called upon to write
Mr. Hill a latter: “In accepting your
resignation, I want to express my
very real appreciation of your
services . .
Speculation on FCA’s future im
mediately became rife. Under its
new administrator, Dr. A. G. Black,
the agency will no doubt lose its in
dependence, tie in closer with the
department of agriculture and pro
vide a measure of supervision over
the farm operations of its borrow
ers.
Farm Money
It is no secret that the adminis
tration is feverishly seeking to cut
the corners in 1940’s budget to
make way for a $500,000,000 boost in
defense expenditures. Most care
fully scrutinized item is agriculture,
whose parity payments have cost
$225,000,000 annually. The treasury’s
plight is further complicated by con
gress’ failure to provide revenue
sources for its farm appropriation
the past two years.
Several weeks ago the treasury’s
Secretary Morgenthau met with ag
riculture’s Wallace and a host of
fiscal experts to iron out this prob
lem. While the President told his
press conference he would ask con
gress to dig up the money it “owes”
the treasury for past farm pay
ments, Messrs. Wallace and Morgen
thau talked over the certificate plan,
under which farmers would get their
parity payments from consumers
rather than the treasury.
How Mr. Morgenthau reacted to
this plan was indicated a few days
Wopped to $7,625,000,000 from $7,627,-
000,000 the previous year.
C Although 5,782,000 bales of cot
ton and cotton products were sold
abroad under the export subsidy
plan between August 1 and Decem
ber 15, less than half of it has been
shipped because of a shortage of
ocean freight space.
PAN AMERICA:
Neutrality
High sounding was the 300-mile
"neutrality belt” thrown around the
Western hemisphere when Europe
went to war last September. Chief
sponsor was the U. S., whose Under
secretary of State Sumner Welles
promised his nation would take the
lion’s share of patrol duty. But by
Christmastide the U. S. was feeling
less altruistic.
Buried at Buenos Aires was Capt.
Hans Langsdorff, who killed him-
■l^iaaaflfl
COLUMBUS’ DAEHNE
. . . at Uncle Sam’s expense.
self after scuttling his shell-battered
pocket battleship Graf Spee off Mon
tevideo. British ships, cheated out
of the kill, sailed off for other illegal
conquests. Roosting at a Florida
port was the Nazi freighter Arauca,
driven to shelter by a British cruis
er. At New York’s Ellis island
were 577 survivors of the scuttled
liner Columbus, whose Capt. Wil
helm Daehne charged a British boat
had fired across his bow.
By this time Pan America was so
aroused that Washington had its
choice of enforcing neutrality or sac
rificing prestige. With 20 other na
tions, the U. S. signed an ineffectual
protest to the belligerents. Mean
while Sumner Welles prepared for
U. S. participation in the forthcom
ing Pan American conference, but
Washington’s enthusiasm was wan
ing. While the state department
said as little as possible, while the
navy remained unenthusiastic about
its job of patroling a 3,000-mile
coastline, Captain Daehne and his
crew had a merry Christmas as Un
cle Sam’s guests.
THE WARS:
In the West
Germany’s eighth railroad acci
dent since September 1 killed more
people (52 dead, 30 injured) than
were lost in several days on the
western front, where an undeclared
Yule truce held sway. As usual,
there was more activity in the North
sea. Britain, which was reported
building a speedy fleet of “super
planes,” adopted the Reich’s trick
of laying mines from the air. As
the year ended, various forecasts
had it that: (1) The next 12 months
will bring a raging war; (2) the
Netherlands will be invaded by Ger
many after its canals are frozen
over; (3) Britain and France are
planning a big naval drive on the
Nazis.
In the North
It was an unhappy Christmas for
Russia’s atheistic Dictator Josef
Stalin. Even unhappier were two of
his stooges reportedly purged for
failure on the Finnish front: Gen.
K. A. Meretskov, Leningrad military
district’s chief of staff, and Otto
Kuusinen, Finnish Communist who
organized the “people’s” govern
ment the day Russia began her ill
starred invasion. While Helsinki was
evacuated in the face of a threat
ened Christmas air raid, the Fin
nish high command claimed its foe
had been routed on all fronts.
Alarm ed,
Mr. Hill
pointed out
that the
$1,400,000,-
000 in bonds
which he has
sold to banks
and private
investors
might be
jeopardized
by a “loose”
policy of
lending
money that
L MSWS QUIII
Know your news? Perfect score is
100 and deduct 20 for each question
you miss. Any score above 60 is good.
I
B is the British cruiser
Bv did she violate U. S.
M-T- floff the Florida coast?
S'* „ ' fl important European
Bist celebrated his six
-11, , , Bday anniversary?
I Pius XII decided to
Be visit outside the Vati
'fl? thc Holidays, the first
H fl d in 69 y ears - " h ° is
/ Brice: Louis (“Lepke”)
Br of New York made
fl ■cause he: (a) climbed up
-Bride of the Empire State
(b) was convicted for
t° violate the narcotic
B(c) announced he will run
for New York district attorney
to succeed Thomas Dewey.
5. True or false: Although U. S.
acreage planted to grain crops
(wheat, corn, oats, rye and bar
ley) was smaller in 1939 than in
the previous year, total produc
tion was higher.
(Answers at bottom of column.)
WHITE HOUSE:
Message
To Pope Pius XII, Franklin Roose
velt transmitted his Christmas
greeting, his hope that men will “de
cline to accept, for long, the law of
destruction forced upon them by
wielders of brute force,” and his an
nouncement that former U. S. Steel
Chairman Myron Taylor had been
named U. S. representative to the
Vatican. Said the letter, also trans
mitted to Dr. George Butterick of
the Federal Council of Churches,
and Rabbi Cyrus Adler, president of
the Jewish Theological seminary:
“I take heart in remembering that
in a similar time, Isaiah first proph
esied the birth of Christ.”
The President also:
< Reportedly authorized the paring
of about $700,000,000 from war and
navy department estimates to hold
next year’s national defense cost to
$2,000,000,000. Meanwhile the house
naval subcommittee asked the navy
for estimates on 65,000-ton battle
ships, bigger than any yet built.
Minnesota’s Rep. Melvin Maas,
dreaming in even bigger figures,
wanted them 80,000 tons each.
<L Took time off to celebrate Christ
mas with four generations of the
clan Roosevelt.
ASIA:
Ungrateful Recipient
Official Washington was still si
lent at Christmastide over Japan’s
“present,” the announcement that
China’s Yangtze river would soon
be reopened to foreign traffic. Miss
ing were the whoops of delight that
Tokyo expected from American
newspapers. Missing, too, was en
thusiasm among U. S. business men
in China.
Nevertheless many an observer
wondered if the U. S. shouldn’t be
a bit more receptive. Japan’s ges
ture was significant in that it rep-
' ’ > x< <? OS
Haw ' H
Sisi bL. nm
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• 1
NOBUYUKI ABE
If his cabinet falls . . .
resented an attempt to patch trade
relations before the abrogated trea
ty expires January 26. Should the
gesture fall short, Premier Nobuyu
ki Abe’s “weak sister” cabinet is
apt to collapse.
Danger lies in the fact that Nip
pon’s American-hating army^would
seize control if the Abe goverVient
falls. Once that happens U. S. busi
ness men might as well pack their
bags and go home.
- .
1. By shooting at the German cruiser
Arauca, which was driven to cover at
Port Everglades.
2. Josef Stalin of Russia. (The army
high command had promised to conquer
Finland by that day, as a birthday
present).
3. King Vittorio Emanuele of Italy, at
the Quirinal palace which no pope has
visited since the unification of Italy.
4. (B) is correct. “Lepke’i still faces
bribery charges.
5. False. In 1938, production was
4,868,000,000; in 1939 it was estimated at
4,626,000,000. But barley, winter wheat
and corn showed much bigger individual
acreage yields. (So did cotton, tobaccp
and soy beans.)
BAKER COUNT! NEWS
“ Hair-Raising Honeymoon ”
NOW this is an adventurer’s column, devoted to hair-raising
tales of danger and action. So just hold fast to your chairs
while you hear of Abner Rabbino’s honeymoon.
This must be the first honeymoon that ever deserved to be
classed with the first ascent of Mt. Everest, Lindbergh’s flight to
Paris, Chris Columbus’ expedition to America and other adven
tures of note. Most people, when they get married, seem to think
that trying to pay the bills is enough of an adventure for anybody.
But Ab Rabbino is the sort of a guy who would find trouble in a
million-dollar legacy. The old Jinx just rides around on his
shoulder, and on rainy days it crawls inside his shirt to keep dry.
Alongside of Ab, Jonah was a good-luck charm. And when Ab
got married and started out on his wedding trip, the Jinx began
showing off to impress the bride.
Ab lives in Brooklyn, N. Y. He met a girl in 1931, and
married her on September 16, 1933. They sailed the next day
on the liner Virginia, bound for California, on a six-week tour that a
travel agency had mapped out for them, and a few days later they were
in the Caribbean sea.
It was a cool, breezy night, with a brisk wind blowing. Ab’s
bride was sitting on deck, enjoying the salt spray that dashed
against her face. Ab didn’t like the spray. He stepped into the
lounge and was about to settle himself into a comfortable chair
when—BAM!—something hit the ship and sent it over at a 32-
degree angle. A hurricane!
Shrieks Fill Air as Lights Go Out.
Passengers, pianos, furniture—all were catapulted to one side of the
lounge. Lights went out, and shrieks filled the room. Ab picked him
self up from a mixture of chairs, desks, potted palms, and squirming
people, and ran to the deck where he had left his wife. She wasn’t
there! Nor was there any other living thing on that storm-swept deck.
It was impossible to stand—much less walk—on the spot where he had
Isst seen her.
Ab was frantic. He hoped his wife of a few days was still
alive—but at the same time he was forced to doubt it. Water
began to pour through the ship in a veritable Niagara. The next
thing he knew he was down in the doorway, fighting for his own
Passengers, pianos, furniture—all were catapulted to one side of
the lounge.
life—bracing his feet against the door posts to keep from being
washed away. Then, suddenly, the lights went on, and Ab saw
his wife, wedged in another doorway, held by two ships officers.
They had taken her inside just a moment before the storm struck!
That was only the beginning of it. I could tell you more about that
hurricane, but this yarn isn’t about a storm. It’s about a honeymoon.
Ab says they’d seen the picture “Cavalcade” a few weeks before, and
they felt like the two lovers on the Titanic must have felt when the
ship struck an iceberg. Before it was over, one man was killed, one
sailor lost an arm, and 186 others were injured. But in the end they
got through it—the same storm which, two days later, destroyed the
city of Tampico, Mexico.
Earthquake Aids Exciting Honeymoon.
Finally, the ship reached Los Angeles. Ab and his wife were going
to stay there a week, and they settled down to a quiet time. Thank
the Lord they didn’t have hurricanes on the West coast. They found a
hotel, went out to see the sights, spent a glorious day, and retired about
midnight, happily exhausted from the strenuous time they’d had. They
were asleep for about one hour, when Ab felt himself being tossed
bodily from the bed. He landed heavily on the floor, scrambled to his
feet, and switched on the light. The chandelier was swinging to and
fro like a pendulum. An earthquake!
Ab looked at bis wife. She was still in bed—sound asleep.
How she could sleep through that quake is still a mystery to Ab.
He shook her—told her to get up and get dressed—that they were
in an earthquake. She replied, sleepily, that she hadn’t been so
tired in months, and she didn’t care what they were in.
Ab called the operator and asked her what to expect. She told him
the quake was pretty bad, and he could expect three more shocks. So
Ab sat up all night in terror while the earth heaved and rumbled.
Finally, about six a. m. the world gave a final weak convulsion and
it was all over. >
Ab had planned a week’s stay at Colorado Springs, and as they left
Los Angeles a week later, he remarked that he wouldn’t be at all sur
prised if the Colorado river overflowed. Well, it could have, at that—
but it wasn’t exactly what happened.
Travel Agency Lets Ab Down With Thud.
Ab and his bride found Colorado Springs about as pleasant a
place as they’d ever seen in their lives. Pike’s peak reared
its huge bulk high above them. The hotel was comfortable.
The golf course was good. The sun shone all the time. They
passed a delightful week. Ab, with his supply of money running
low, and just enough to pay his way back to New York, was
ready to go home. He began to think he had shaken the Jinx
at last, when, at the end of their stay, he stopped at the cashier’s
window to pay his bill. He didn’t need money for that. The
travel agency had given him vouchers that would take care of
all hotel bills. He got out the proper voucher and handed it to
the cashier. The man took it and told him to wait a minute as
he had something to check over. A few minutes later, the fellow
was back again.
“I’m sorry,” he said, putting Ab’s voucher back on the counter.
“I can’t accept this. You see the agency went bankrupt yesterday.”
No—the Colorado river didn’t overflow. But Ab would have been a
lot less embarrassed if it had. “And I,” he says, “am the guy who
was told by his elders that marriage was the beginning of a auiet
settled type of life!” ’
(Released by Western Newspaper Union.)
Aeronautical Subjects Prove Popular in U. S. College
Increasing demand among the na
tion’s young men and boys for voca
tional training courses in aeronauti
cal subjects at schools and colleges
was indicated in a study on the
place of aviation in education, made
public recently by Dr. John W. Stu
debaker, commissioner of the Unit
ed States office of education.
Although 65 universities offer
courses in aeronautical engineer
ing, Dr. Studebaker said, rapid de
velopments in the aircraft industry
and interest in the current military
aviation expansion program have
resulted in a wave of enthusiasm
for aviation training among students
in secondary schools and junior col-
ADVENTURERS’ CLUB
HEADLINES FROM THE LIVES
OF PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELFI
leges. 'Reports received from all
sections of the country show a grow
ing activity in mechanics-training
programs and in meteorology.
“Preliminary study of aviation in
the schools is of great value,” Dr.
Studebaker said. “It is the young
people who must eventually assume
leadership in this important field of
transportation and national defense
who must be the future engineers’
designers, manufacturers, pilots^
mechanics, and who must be the
future patrons of aviation. An in
telligent realization of the factors
entering into successful air trans
portation is fundamental to our fu
tare national progress in aviation.”
CLASSIFIED
DEPARTMENT
BABY CHICKS
ORDER YOUR CHICKS EARLY tai
January and February delivery and we
will include 10 or more extra chicks per
100 Write at once for detailed informa
tion. MILFORD HATCHERY, Ro.kdal.,
Md., PikesvlUa F. O.
HOUSEHOLD
QUESTIONS
To clean rubber sponges, put
half an ounce of bicarbonate ofT
soda in half a pint of water and|
soak them all night in this solu
tion.
• e •
When using soap dyes that come
in cake form, put cake into soap •
shaker and shake until<iye is right,
color. It will not then be neces
sary to strain dye.
• • •
An excellent cleaning “weapon”
for kitchen utensils is found in a.
good-sized bottle cork. Moisten the
bottom end, dip it in a powdered
cleaner and rub the utensils.
• • •
Touch of Garlic.— Rub the broil
er lightly with a clove of garlic
before broiling a steak.
* • •
Salted meat requires longer boil
ing than fresh. Put it into cold
water, quickly bring it to a boil,
then let it simmer.
• • •
For Dessert.— When you have a
saucer of apple sauce and don’t
know what to have for dessert,
make a one-egg layer cake, dust
the lower layer with powdered
sugar and spread with the apple
sauce (and this is improved if a
bit of candied orange, lemon or
grapefuit peel has been cooked
with it). Cover with the other lay
er and dust powdered sugar over
the top.
• • •
Prunes for Puddings.—Prunes
lend themselves to almost any
form of bread pudding. For this
purpose it is well to soak them
until the stones can be taken out
easily, and then chop them.
SKINNY GIRLS
LOOK UNHEALTHY
Boy friends don’t like that “unpeppy”
look. So, if you need the Vitamin B Com
plex and Iron of Vinol in your diet to
Improve appetite, to fill out those hol
lows and add lovely curves, get Vinol.
At your drug store, or write Vinol Co.,
94 S. Wabasha, St. Paul, Minn.
In Place of Gold
To store our memories with a
sense of injury is to fill that chest
with rusty iron which was meant
for refined gold.—W. Seeker.
IQUICK^mOHI^IRSMHOUGHT
FIRST-AID FOR HEAD COLDS' NASAL
MISERIES. PENETRO NOSE DROPS
—2 DROPS/--THEY SOOTHE AS THEY
TOUCH, THEY COOL AS THEY VAPORIZE
THEY SHRINK AS ,
THEY ACT-AND ■
FRESH-AIR /JF X*' A
BREATHING ' / \ flm
lIS FREER /Mr
I again. , ^flri
Source of Happiness
A comfortable house is a great
source of happiness. It ranks im
mediately after health and a good!
conscience.—Sydney Smith.
OLD FOLKS
Here is Amazing Relief of
Conditions Due to Sluggish Bowels
M 700 think all laxative*
act just try thia
all vegetable laxative.
So mild, thorough, refreshing, invigorating. De
pendable relief from sick headaches, bilious spellc*
tired feeling when associated with constipation.
WrHintf* Dlelr set a 25c box of NR from your
niUIUUI nldK druggist. Make the test—then
* not delighted, return the box to us. We will
refund the purchase
WNU—7 I—4o
Liars Cannot Succeed
No man has a good enough
memory to be a successful liar.—•
Lincoln.
May Warn of Disordered
Kidney Action
Modern life with Its hurry and worry;
r habits, improper eating ana
drinking—its risk of exposure and infeo.
. . . OWB heavy strain on the work
of the kidneys. They are apt to become
over-taxed and fail to filter excess acid
and other impurities from the life-giving
blood.
You may Buffer nagging backache,
headache, dizziness, getting up nights,
leg pains, swelling—feel constantly
Urea, nervous, all worn out. Other signa
?• kl ““ e X or bladder disorder are some
times burning, scanty or too frequent
urination.
Try Doan’t Pills. Doan's help the
kidneys to Paes off harmful excess body
waste. They have had more than half a
century of public approval. Are recom
mended by grateful users everywhere.
A»k your ntighborl