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Show f CAPITAL 4 'GLEANINGS A j gram. While billions are being expended for national defense, it is timely to consider the warning of Representative Represen-tative Simmers (Democrat from Texas) in a speech in the house February IS, when be said; "Our people are breaking this government govern-ment without realizing it. We cannot can-not win in this country unless we have a people fit to win. We have got to begin to preach and practice sacrifice in this country, if its people peo-ple are to have a chance to emerge from this stupendous tragedy a free and secure people. We have got to preach and practice loyalty, patriotism, pa-triotism, and love of country. We civilians cannot ask these boys to put on the uniform, go in the camps, and go oven the top if necessary, ne-cessary, when we are making profits prof-its out of the perils and necessity of our country." i I When Commerce Secretary Jesse I Jones appeared before the house 'banking committee February IS, he inadvertently stated that, tne Unit-; ed States is "in the war, or at least i nearly in the w ar. We're preparing lor it; when you do that, you've got to throw money away." The secretary instructed the official of-ficial reporter to delete this statement, state-ment, bub, the newspaper boys had caught its significance. Even though the president the next day minimized Jones' remarks by labeling label-ing them as a lot of words that don't .mean anything, there was a brisk reaction in congressional circles. cir-cles. There has been grave suspicion suspi-cion that administration policies have more far-reaching implication than has been admitted publicly. Appropriations have been liberal for implementing the defense program, pro-gram, and there is evidence to justify jus-tify the Jones statement that motley motl-ey is being thrown away. Disclos- War clouds are threatening to upset the sugar situation in the United States, particularly because of limited shipping facilities from the Philippine Islands. The Expon Import Bank at Washington hui, just announced the completion of a loan of more, than $11,000,000 to the Cuban Sugar Stabilization Institute In-stitute to finance the added production produc-tion of 400,000 tons of sugar ii, Cuba. This loan is being made to planters, processors- and landown ers in Cuba to improve the internal structure in that island. As present pres-ent Cuban production is adequate to meet marketing quotas in th United States, it is assumed that an additional yield of 400,000 tons will later necessitate an increase in imports, to the United States. It is difficult for sugar beet producers pro-ducers in Idaho and elsewhere to comprehend this administration program of assisting Cuban sugar growers wh le production in the United States is being curtailed by 17 per cent this year. I have called the attention of Secretary of Agriculture Agri-culture Wiokard to this development, develop-ment, urging that the proposed beet acreage curtailment for 1941 be eliminated. I was present at a meeting recently re-cently which was addressed by Thurman W. Arnold, special assistant assist-ant attorney general, who has been conducting an in- e ' gation of monopolies. mo-nopolies. Mr. A . l.i declared that his work had disclosed several business busi-ness concerns which had conspired to maintain prices and restrict production pro-duction of necessary war materials. He also declared that in several instances in-stances labor unions had effectually retarded production, hut ho stated that he was opposed, to antl-striko legislation at this time because he believed that voluntary cooperation on the part of workers was more effective. ure has been made recently that "dollar-a-year" men who supervise the awarding of huge contracts at the capital have connections with private firms which benefit from defense awards. Army 'Contracts are receiving some attention from the militaiy committee, and recent testimony showed that one army camp had been built "on a swamp," and that another at Falmouth, Massachusetts, Massachu-setts, cost $29,000,000 as compared to the original estimate of $7000,-000. $7000,-000. Another development involves the exchange of sites for bases in British possessions in the Western hemisphere for 50 destroyers. Chairman Chair-man Vinson of the house naval affairs af-fairs committee is delegating a special spe-cial subcommitteg to visit all eight of the British possessions, because of disclosures by two committee members who conferred with the navy department. When the president presi-dent announced this deal, It was assumed that some of the British government's lands would be turned turn-ed over for the bases, but It now appears that only private lands are offered, for which the United States must recompense the owners, at allegedly exorbitant prices. It is also charged that some of the fa-, cilities offered are not suitable, some being swamp lands, so that large expenditures will be required to adapt them to the navy's pro- |