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Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS By Edward C. Wayne Army Prepares for New Recruits; Tension in Balkan States Increases As Britain and Axis Exchange Blows; U. S. Community Chest Drives Open (EDITOR'S NOTE When opinions are expressed In these columns, they are those of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.) (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) TIIE WAR: Neiv Scenes The Balkans blossomed out as the new critical area in the European struggle. German troops who earlier ear-lier entered the country to seize the rich oilfields were increased and took over more territory. Ten divisions di-visions of Nazi troops, 150,000 men, as well as numerous aircraft, arrived. ar-rived. Neutral sources said the actual ac-tual goal was Greek and Turkish ports which control access to Asia Minor oil lines. Turkey and Greece are allied to England as non-belligerents. Turkey also has an alliance with Russia and expected help from the Soviet if the situation came to a showdown. Russia, meanwhile, made a vast military zone of Bessarabia, which it seized early this year from Rumania. Ru-mania. Many tacticians believe Russia Rus-sia was ready to oppose Germany in the Balkans, but others were less sanguine. They believe Russia already al-ready is outflanked in that theater. A drive to Greece and Turkey also would give the Axis powers a base on which to move toward Suez from another angle, causing a pincer movement with the Italians moving mov-ing east along the Egyptian coast. Africa still was a gem for conquest. con-quest. Gen. Charles de Gaulle, leader lead-er of the "Free France" forces, based himself at Duala, in the Cam-eroons, Cam-eroons, in tropical West Africa. His arrival coincided with a reception at Dakar for Gen. Maxime Weygand, representative of the Vichy forces. Neutral sailors escaping from Dakar reported the Senegal sector had been taken over by German authorities. Washington looked at the news apprehensively. ap-prehensively. Officials there believe the Germans soon may use that air base for commercial flights to South America. Air War Over England, France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany furious air battles continued. The fight always al-ways was "the same as yesterday but more violent." Each side daily stepped up bombings of enemy territory. ter-ritory. The great St. Paul's cathedral cathe-dral in London was damaged. Many died each night under the debris of stores and apartments. The Germans Ger-mans used a new bomb, combination combina-tion explosive and incendiary. Berlin, like London, while able to deliver tremendous blows on its op- lf -1 : f-v s If I Here is Actor-Producer Charlie Chaplin, Chap-lin, looking a bit dishevelled as he is escorted into New York's Aslor theater after "fighting" his way through a friendly crowd to see the world premiere pre-miere of his latest picture, "The Great Dictator." The film has attracted wide attention because of the similarity between be-tween its leading characters and the actual men controlling the axis powers of Europe. position, was unable completely to defend its home front British fliers increased the length and ferocity of their raids on the capital and industrial in-dustrial centers. Germany began to evacuate children from Berlin. At Sea British and Italians both claimed victory in a Mediterranean engagement engage-ment The Italians said a British aircraft carrier and destroyer were damaged. The British declared the destroyer Ajax, which last summer took part in sinking the pocket battleship bat-tleship Graf Spee off South America, engaged three Italian cruisers, sank two and crippled one. The following day other British warships claimed to have sunk the third Italian ship. The British said they also had learned through neutral sources that two Nazi transports had been sunk by RAF planes in the French harbor har-bor of Lorient. Three thousand Germans Ger-mans were reported drowned. Burma Road Britain opened the road through Burma to Nationalistic China, closed three months earlier in an attempt to appease Japan. Japanese since then have invaded Indo-China and established bases within easy raiding distance of the road and its stations. The British and Chinese had landed thousands of American trucks in Burma to aid transportation of munitions mu-nitions to Gen. Chiang Kai-shek. The situation yet may bring Japan Ja-pan and the British into open conflict con-flict and the resulting snarl easily can involve American interests. Indo-China and the outlying Dutch East Indies are the chief sources of America's supply of rubber and tin. THE ARMY: Awaits Recruits While men between the ages of 21 and 35 wondered which 700,000 of them would be first called into camp under the selective service act, the FT t. i ? ' '" Senator Rush Dew Holt of If est Virginia, Vir-ginia, who voted against the draft, displays his selective service registration registra-tion certificate indicating that despite his opposition he complied with the law. Although he is 35 years old, he is exempt from service as he is a member of Congress. army was pushing with every degree de-gree of speed the preparations for their reception. There still were indications in-dications many would not be ordered or-dered to report to camps on the date originally set, November 15. Barracks, Bar-racks, kitchens and sanitation facilities facili-ties had not been completed in many camps and until these are in operating operat-ing order, many summoned may be sent to southern stations where they will be able to live under canvas, to begin their toughening up process. In three months time the average soldier is expected to be able to carry pack and equipment weighing 54 pounds and 8 ounces on a 20-mile 20-mile hike. This consists of a rifle and bayonet, weighing 10 pounds, 8 ounces; helmet of 2 pounds, mess-kit; mess-kit; 1 pound; raincoat, 2 pounds, 4 ounces; half tent 2 pounds, 8 ounces; blankets, 4 pounds; haversack, haver-sack, 2 pounds, 8 ounces; trench tools, 2 pounds; toilet articles, 1 pound, 5 ounces; canteen and cup, 3 pounds. 8 ounces; clothing, 10 pounds, 8 ounces; first-aid kit, 4 ounces; gas mask, 5 pounds; cartridges car-tridges and belt, 6 pounds. Dr. Clarence A. Dykstra, former city manager of Cincinnati, has been named head of the draft administration administra-tion by President Roosevelt. His salary will be $10,000 a year, which is half of what he received in Cincinnati, Cin-cinnati, and $5,000 less than he was getting as president of the University Univer-sity of Wisconsin. He has a leave of absence from the school. President Roosevelt will pick the first numbers from the "goldfish bowl" indicating which men will be called first. He will be blindfolded by Col. Charles Morris of Elizabeth, N. J., the same man who blindfolded blind-folded President Wilson for the same job in 1917. LOOKING AHEAD: Coming Events Movies The motion picture industry indus-try is expected in the near future to announce another prize campaign cam-paign somewhat like last year's "Movies Are Your Best Entertainment" Entertain-ment" drive. Power The ' Aluminum Corporation Corpora-tion of America is erecting three new units to its Bonnevile, Wash., plant and will increase production by 90,000,000 pounds per year. It is expected the 1942 production will be 700.000.000 pounds, compared to 325,000.000 in 1939. The defense commission said the corporation would buy 100.000 additional kilowatts kilo-watts of power from the Bonneville authority. Expansion The General Electric company will spend $50,000,000 in the next 15 months to enlarge seven of its major plants. FUND RAISING: President Speaks Community Chests in thousands of communities taking part in the 1940 Mobilization for Human Needs opened their drives for funds. The first gun fired was a speech from the White House by President Roosevelt. "The ancient injunction to love thy neighbor as thyself," the President said, "still is the force that animates our faith a faith that we are determined shall live and conquer in a world poisoned by hatred and ravaged by war." WASHINGTON: Defense The capital is filled with rumors of impending changes in the defense commission setup following the election. elec-tion. One rumor has it that if Roosevelt Roose-velt wins, he will offer Wendell L. Willkie, his Republican opponent the position of commission chairman. chair-man. A more likely routine is that William Wil-liam A. Knudsen will be elevated to the position of "chief of staff" and that Donald T. Nelson, former Sears Roebuck executive expert, will be "coordinator" between the commission's several divisions. Secrets Leaks in information supplied by the army to congressmen has irked defense officials. It was indicated there will be a general tightening up. Two recent events were the final straws. First members of the house appropriations committee made public details of an airport program that the army was guarding guard-ing and asked be kept secret. Then Rep. Van Zandt (R., Pa.) made an array of figures of arms equipment, although Chief of Staff Marshall was said to have requested the tables be treated as confidential. Otherwise on the Washington front: C. Secretary of State Hull made public pub-lic denial of rumors that he would resign. fl, American diplomatic missions in Rome and Berlin were ordered home in what was described as a personnel person-nel shift C Rumanian owned funds and securities se-curities totaling $100,000,000 were "frozen" in U. S. banks during the Balkan disturbances. LABOR: Neiv Regulations With the federal law reducing the maximum hours of labor from 42 to 40 now in effect, Federal Administrator Admin-istrator Philip B. Fleming announced an-nounced regulations exempting thousands thou-sands of "white collar" workers from the provisions. To these the law will not require that overtime wages be paid. Overtime for all others will be time and one-half time. The regulations are the result of months of study and hearings by the wage-hour division. They decided de-cided that an executive is one whose duty consists of management of an enterprise of "sub-division" at a salary sal-ary of at least $30 a week. He also must have the power to hire or fire. MISCELLANY: ft CoL Fulgencio Batista, once an obscure army sergeant, was inaugurated inaug-urated president of Cuba. For years he was the strong man back of a long line of presidents. Batista decided de-cided he could better carry out his program from the presidential palace. pal-ace. He was elected in July. Of peasant stock, Batista wants education educa-tion for the illiterate thousands. He has built schools, laid out an agricultural agri-cultural program and advanced public pub-lic health. ft Tom Mix, star of stage, screen and radio, answered the call of the last roundup. The world-famous cowboy was killed in an automobile accident near Florence, Ariz. Mix was not only a movie style cowhand. He won national riding and roping honors in 1909 and 1910. ft A billion candlepower flashlight "bulb" attached to a camera was demonstrated at Rochester, N. Y., by Maj. G. W. Goddard, of the army. Flying 5,000 feet over the city, he was able to illuminate a five-mile area for a picture "with the light of day." |
