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Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS BY JOSEPH W. LaBlNE Dutch-Belgian Arbitration Bid Lost in Beer Hall Excitement; Fear of Nazi Invasion Mounts (EDITOR'S NOTE When opinions are expressed In the,se columns, they are those of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.) Released by Western Newspaper Union. , T ' , k i " W few"' , I f j AGRICULTURE: Cotton and Wheat Three items made news for cotton cot-ton and wheat farmers as November got underway: (1) With 10,100,000 bales of surplus sur-plus cotton stored under government govern-ment loan, and with an 11,845,000-bale 11,845,000-bale crop (slightly less than 1938) forecast for this year, the agriculture agricul-ture department announced loans based at 8.3 cents a pound on seven-eighths seven-eighths inch middlings would be available to 1939 growers who planted plant-ed within their acreage allotments. A week earlier the loan program seemed stymied by increased cotton cot-ton consumption thanks to the war, (2) The bureau of agricultural economics forecast the same wheat acreage for 1940 as for 1939, L , 64,600,000 acres, which would produce pro-duce about 760,000,000 bushels of spring and winter wheat. But next year's yield will be under par unless un-less unusually favorable weather comes along. Reason: Drouth has already damaged much seeded winter win-ter wheat beyond recovery. (3) Closing its first year, the federal fed-eral crop insurance corporation was sad. Having taken 6.7G9.120 bushels bush-els of wheat as premiums from 165,-551 165,-551 farmers, the corporation had claims from one-fourth its customers. custo-mers. . Indemnities paid, totaling 9,461,730 bushels, brought a loss of about $1,885,000. RUSSIA: Unhappy Birthday Twenty-two years ago a bloody revolution gave birth to the U. S. S. R. Only a month ago Soviet Premier Vfacheslav Molotov showed Russia's strapping maturity by denouncing de-nouncing President Roosevelt's Intervention In-tervention in the Finnish-Russian scrap. When Moscow began its three-day anniversary celebration. Premier Molotov again slapped the STEEL MILLS BLOSSOM AT GARY, IND. Some industries expand; neutrality stifles others. TRADE & INDUSTRY Repeal of the U. S. arms embargo, which keeps American ships out of combat zones and allows belligerents "cash and carry" rights, not only set olT a partial business boom at home but also brought major repercussions reper-cussions in world diplomatic, trade and maritime circles. A survey by the Northwestern National Life Insurance In-surance company showed luxury and semi-luxury goods began moving mov-ing swiftly In September, but Federal Fed-eral Works Administrator John Car-mody Car-mody spiked any boom hopes: Only 500,000 of the 9,000,000 unemployed can expect new jobs. There was cautious expansion In U. S. Industry, where building awards for October totaled $49,910,-000 $49,910,-000 against $12,814,000 a year ago. Many firms announced stock dividends divi-dends payable In December. Railroads, Rail-roads, which coupled their expansion expan-sion with a plea that they might be permitted to operate without government govern-ment interference in times of emer-cency. emer-cency. were offered a new recovery Finance corporation. The government restricted foreign commerce in some quarters and expanded ex-panded it in others. Approved was a new reciprocal trade pact with Venezuela, "freezing" tariff schedules sched-ules on exports of wheat flour, oatmeal, oat-meal, lard and lumber. In return, the U. S. will reduce import taxes 50 per cent on Venezuelan crude petroleum. Meanwhile, an inter-administration squabble flared over the U. S. maritime commission's transfer of more than 40 ships to foreign registry regis-try as a means of avoiding the ban on American shipping in belligerent zones. Secretary of State Cordcll Hull objected, not because the step was illegal, but because it would violate the Integrity and spirit of the neutrality law. Commented Maritime Commissioner Max O'Rell Truitt. "I don't see any element of a dodge at all; I think it's a completely com-pletely sound, bona fide situation all around." President Roosevelt finally final-ly decided against the transfer, promising to change his mind later if tension eased. Meanwhile, C. I. O.'s maritime union estimated 10,-000 10,-000 U. S. seamen were thrown out of work by the neutrality provision banning nationals from combat zones. (At Washington the President consulted A. F, of L.'i William Green and C. I. O.'t John Lewis on this problem, prob-lem, also discussing the chances for labor peace.) Trade with belligerents zoomed. Even Switzerland, minus a navy, chartered two ships. The state department de-partment warned shippers to demand de-mand cash from their foreign customers, cus-tomers, and the cash was apparently apparent-ly forthcoming because Britain's parliament rushed through a billion dollar fund to carry on the war. ik-fvAfo' lht h-:t program by Jesse Jones, federal loan Thia plan, used first by the Boston and Maine line, calls for postponing debt payments pay-ments and ; Q .x ! reducing an-. MAX TRUITT nual Interest "Completely sound." charges through a refunding process to be financed by Reconstruction EUROPE: Cause Celebre? "This," said Prime Minister Chamberlain, "is not a state of war but a state of siege." He was not far wrong. - The French claimed nine of their U. S.-made planes had downed one-third of a 27-plane German Ger-man force over the western front. There was also a mysterious battle in the North sea from which the HANS TIIOMSEN AND WIF Most radiant of all. U. S.: ". . . in the case of certain countries neutrality only serves as a mask to conceal their activities activi-ties . . ." On that same day in Washington, the Soviet embassy decorated Lenin's Len-in's statue with red roses, assembled assem-bled Scotch whisky and Russian soda, green sherbet in crushed raspberries, rasp-berries, and cakes smothered in rum sauce. Awaited were the guests to help Charge d'Affaires Dmitri Chuvakhin celebrate. But he was embarrassingly disappointed. Absent were all Supreme court justices, cabinet members, senators and high ranking state department officials. Only China, Turkey and Ecuador sent their diplomats. Only prominent New Dealers: NLRB'j Edwin Smith, SEC's Leon Henderson, Hender-son, and Mrs. Thurman Arnold, wife of the assistant attorney general. gen-eral. Most beaming visitors: Hans Thomson, German charge d'affaires, and his pretty wife, accompanied by four staff- members. Next day observers noticed Franklin Roosevelt Roose-velt had sent the U. S. S. R. no mes. sage of congratulations. POLITICS: No Ham, No Eggs The tumultuous 1930s have broughl an unprecedented thirst for security secur-ity taking form in unorthodox pension pen-sion schemes. Most schemes were born in California, like Townsendism and EPIC. In November's elections two more panaceas went down to defeat, de-feat, but there were signs many a politician might follow them. Ohio's Rev. Herbert S. Bigelow promised to "continue the fight" for his badly snowed-under plan to give hall before a mysterious blast in the empty attic upstairs sent its heavy ceiling crashing on the hangers-on who had stayed behind. Next day, while the Nazi press railed at Jews and the British secret service as "instigators" of the plot, the Wil-helmstrasse Wil-helmstrasse offered a $200,000 reward re-ward for capture of the perpetrators. perpetra-tors. While seers wondered if the Munich explosion might not prove another cause celrbre like Sarajevo or the Peiping bridge incident, pro-Hitler sentiment began crystalizing in Germany. Dead as a dodo was the Belgian-Dutch peace plea; in fact the Dutch opened their dykes in self defense following border clashes that smelled suspiciously like those before the Polish invasion. CONGRESS: Committee Time Home to the stamping grounds went most senators and congressmen congress-men when the special neutrality session ses-sion adjourned. But between sessions ses-sions is' a fine time for committee hearings. Still in session is Martin Dies' un-Americanism group, bally-hooing bally-hooing for another appropriation. Two other groups, working out legislative legis-lative suggestions for next January's Janu-ary's term, are: House Tax Subcommittee. Opening Open-ing its hearings under Tennessee's Rep. Jere Cooper, the committee talked about broadening income tax bases. But there was a disinclination disinclina-tion to offer concrete proposals. It was announced final determination of a program will await the opening of congress. Two official reasons: (1) The treasury is studying taxes, soliciting suggestions from business and Industry; (2) National defense needs for the next fiscal year are not yet known. Besides, the committee com-mittee is wondering about taxes on excess war profits, not knowing where to turn. Equally important, how would tax revision be received in an election year like 1940? (At Washington, Secretary of the Treasury Morgenthau told reporters any initiative for raising the V. S. debt limit above $45,000,000,000 must come from congress, not from himself or the White House. Present debt: About $41,000,000,000.) NLRB Investigating Committee. Deferring hearings until its Chairman Chair-man Howard Smith (Dem., Va.) gets well, the house labor committee commit-tee found new kindling for its campaign cam-paign against the labor board in a new strike technique, the "slowdown." "slow-down." Defined Ohio's Rep. Harry Routzohn: "The slowdown is almost al-most the same as. the sitdown." Its origin, he said, could be traced to the northwest lumber camps, thence to the recent Chrysler strike. all persons over 60 a pensionof $50 a month via state income in-come tax and a levy on real estate. In Califor-n Califor-n i a died "h a m a n d -eggs," the scheme to I- Lii iifltil WILHELMINA AND LEOPOLD Their peace exploded. Ark Royal reportedly limped home with a captured vessel. But, as usual, the biggest war news was made far from the front. Some 20 Nazi divisions stationed on their frontiers worried Belgium's King Leopold and The Netherlands' Queen Wilhelmina. Moreover, they heard rumors that Adolf Hitler would invade on November 15, claiming as an excuse that the allies would do likewise if Germany didn't invade first Though steadfastly denying any German "ultimatum" for a statement state-ment of their positions, the king and queen held all-night consultations with their foreign ministers. Result: Re-sult: A peace appeal was dispatched to all combatants offering Belgian-Dutch Belgian-Dutch mediation services. Britain rejected it politely. Fuehrer Hitler was less polite. Not waiting to reply directly, he hastened to the beer hall at Munich where his notorious putsch took place in 1923. There, on Naziism's sixteenth birthday, he scorned peace: "There can be only one victor that is we." Hardly had Hitler left the beer give $30 ev- UL5UM eryThurs- Soothing words. day to everyone over 50. It even trailed in Los Angeles county, its birthplace. One reason: Gov. Culbert Olson had fought ham-and-eggs by promising "useful and productive pro-ductive employment" to all who wanted it as a reward for defeating the plan. As pension leaders began a recall move against Mr. Olson, the governor soothed them: "This defeat doesn't mean that California is against the further development of sound social security . . ." Other results: In New York, voters ignored Mayor Fiorella LaGuardia's protest by legalizing pari-mutuel race betting. Tammany won most local elections, while Republicans won a single upstate congressional race. In Kentucky, New Dealer Keen Johnson succeeded Sen. A. B. Chandler to the governor's chair. Ir Pennsylvania, Boies Penrose II, Republican, lost a congressiona contest. |