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Show Smi le-of-the-Week - C I - i . 1 Ullii And "Thank-You-of-the Week" were both presented to President Roosevelt at the White House, as Dr. K. P. Chen (above), Chinese purchasing pur-chasing agent, called to ex- CJa Uuo ir; . J for $45,000,000 in credits made available to China by the United States since 1938. NAVY: Boomlet Senate support was growing for building a United States navy second sec-ond td none after Admiral Harold R. Stark appeared before the committee commit-tee on naval affairs to recommend a 25 per cent expansion of the fleet. The construction proposed by the admiral would cost some $3,486,000,-000. $3,486,000,-000. Over a billion dollars per year would be necessary to keep up a fleet the size recommended. At present pres-ent the senators are not worrying about where the money will come from as the current legislation merely authorizes construction, does not provide the funds. Asked if he thoneht the United ; States faces a naval emergency, Admiral Ad-miral Stark replied, "In my opinion, an emergency exists when our relative rela-tive position is continually growing grow-ing weaker, as it is now." BUSINESS: Cross Currents Traditionally difficult to judge in presidential election year, business this year is following no specific pattern. pat-tern. While prominent business indices in-dices showed business to be a bit below last month and a bit above last year, financial reports of many major U. S. business firms were reported re-ported for the first quarter of 1940. In almost every case neat gains were evident. Operating revenues of American Telephone & Telegraph company were up; Anaconda Copper tripled, its net earnings as compared to the first three months of 1939; Shell Oil reported a sharply higher net profit and even the "problem-child" railroad rail-road companies showed' gains. About 80 per cent of the leading railroad companies showed substantial increases in-creases in revenue. liven creditors of one of the bankrupt bank-rupt Insull utilities firms learned that they would receive an additional "dividend" because of collections made from stock subscribers. Carnegie Steel corporation announced an-nounced a vast expansion program to increase tin plate production at the cost of "several millions of dollars." dol-lars." A. T. & T. (see above) also forecast a huge" expansion in construction con-struction work. CENSUS: 100,000,000th Still ringing doorbells and ferreting ferret-ing out information, Uncle Sam's census enumerators counted the 100,-000,000th 100,-000,000th American, with about 30,-000,000 30,-000,000 to go. Actual counting was expected to be completed within a week, but the bigger job of tabulating tabu-lating and compiling the information obtained will take months and ir; some cases'years. Totals for states and the nations should be available during the summer. Near Zanes- ville, Ohio, one footsore enumerator claimed he had made 11 unsuccessful unsuccess-ful trips to the same house. Local wits suggested that possibly some of Mr. Tobey's (Rep. Charles To- bey of New Hampshire, arch-opponent of the income question in the census questionnaire) relatives lived in the district MISCELLANY: Batter Up Play Ball-The great American game was off to a flying start as both major baseball leagues began the six-months season of official play. Opening days saw good crowds at all contests, despite unusually un-usually poor weather. Bob Feller ex-Iowa farm boy, pitching for the Cleveland Indians, made baseball history in Chicago, when he twirled a no-hit no-run game against the Chicago White Sox. It was the first time this feat had ever been accomplished ac-complished on opening day. Birthday-Celebrating its fiftieth birthday the Pan American Union heard President Roosevelt tell the 21 American republics that they must be prepared to meet force with force. He spoke before the governing govern-ing board of the body. Uncle Sam appeared to be standing pat on the Monroe Doctrine. Strike-In the Canadian Seaman's union strike against the steamship companies at Toronto, both sides were standing pat. A $10 per month wage increase for. Great Lakes sailors was the chief demand of the strikers. |