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Show WEEKLY NE W: ANALYSIS Truman Announces U.S. Will Add Hydrogen Bomb to Arms Program; Major lousing Plan Is Envisioned (KDITOFl'fl NOTR: When plnlana are expressed In these colnmns, they are those of Wcslero Newipaptr linloa'a nlyU and not neeevaarUy f tnli newspaper.) Steel Defender t' ' it' I ; I -;v' ... LABOR: Cry of 'Foul' Labor is never so vocal as when It feels its own particular rights and privileges are being stepped on. This was evidenced by the cries emanating from Miami Beach, Fla., where angry AFL leaders charged that Robert N. Denham, general counsel of the national labor relations board, was campaigning to apply the anti-trust laws to big labor unions. IT ALWAYS has been puzzling to the average American why labor itself is not subject to some governmental gov-ernmental control such as business and industry encounter in their operations. op-erations. The average American's sense of fair play were no other factors involved would cause him to puzzle over that. Denham catapulted himself into the AFL's bad graces in a speech before the American Trucking association. as-sociation. In that address, he singled out the AFL teamsters union with which the truckers do business. He said the teamsters have a tremendous "potential power" to paralyze the country with simultaneous trucking strikes over the nation. DAN TOBIN, president of the teamsters, and William Green, AFL president, contended that Denham's views were unfounded and pointed out that the teamsters have had no "serious strikes for several years" and none now of which they were "aware." The AFL council charged Denham Den-ham has stamped himself by his speeches as the "antagonist of organized or-ganized labor and the protagonist of the employers." Then they advocated he be thrown out of his job, particularly because he suggested "certain labor unions are monopolistic." Words ofttimes are convenient things: one can become all things to all men, as viewpoint or strategy strat-egy directs. DEFENSE: A Contradiction A slight confusion seemed to be the chief thing which could be read into the first annual report by Defense Secretary Louis Johnson John-son on the activities and findings of his department. WITH one breath, Secretary Johnson warned that an attack on this country "could come from the opposite hemisphere without warning warn-ing and with unpredictable fury." In the next, he expressed belief that the prospect of war is diminishing dimin-ishing despite the Russian attitude of belligerence. Other than its further identification identifica-tion of America's first potential enemy, the secretary's report held little of excitement or import. It was encouraging to find that he was convinced that the military strength of the U.S. is a major deterrent in the start of a shooting shoot-ing war by any other nation. That conclusion would come as a comforting com-forting confirmation of the belief of many millions of Americans that a policy of armed strength at home is the best assurance against threats' from abroad. AFTER REPORTING on expenses ex-penses of his department, military-diplomatic military-diplomatic activities, and other functions, ' the defense secretary declared his belief that while he did not discount the damage done to unification of the armed services serv-ices by the interservice controversies, controver-sies, he believes "that the extent of these conflicts has been exaggerated." exag-gerated." He also reported, parenthetically as it were, that Russia now has the secret of the atom bomb, a fact with which everyone in the U. S. is all too familiar for any degree de-gree of comfort. New Post . H-BOMBS: Time of Decision One of the most important decisions deci-sions In world history had been put up to Harry S. Truman. Should he order construction of the hydrogen hydro-gen bomb? When, after a respectable period of deliberation, he did make up his mind, the President expressed his decision in the most matter-of-fact manner possible! The U. S. would continue its development de-velopment and production of all types of military weapons, Including Includ-ing atomic armaments and the so-called so-called hydrogen bomb. That statement, state-ment, probably Intentionally cryptic, cryp-tic, may or may not have meant that the U. S. already has begun work on the H-bomb. Only one thing was sure it was a terribly Important decision, not only to Mr. Truman but to every person In the world. IT WASN'T the cost of the bomb that was a poser, even though that was expected to be in the neighborhood neighbor-hood of four billion dollars. It wasn't a doubt as to whether it could be made, for science declared de-clared it could. It wasn't a hesitancy hesi-tancy about its effect, for if an enemy decided to, and could, construct con-struct the bomb, any experiments on the part of the U.S. to make and test it would be justified. No, It was none of these that aggravated the responsibility and the solemnity of the decision. Instead, In-stead, it was the question of life and death involved and even more terrible, if purely speculative, question; Might not man be unleashing un-leashing a force which would destroy de-stroy all mankind? THE PREPONDERANCE of persuasion per-suasion was by those advocating the bomb. Sen. Millard Tydings (D., Md.) chairman of the armed services committee gave voice to what the majority of presidential advisers was thinking. He urged that the U.S. proceed with manufacture of the bomb, declaring de-claring that failure to do so could invite attack. But President Truman Tru-man was probably thinking of the horrible and utter devastation, the incalculable deaths, the vast destruction de-struction which would be hurled upon enemy and innocent alike. BROTHERHOOD: Renewed Effort Brotherhood Week, sponsored by the National Conference of Christians Chris-tians and Jews, will be observed from February 19-26, marking the annual observance of an event that has grown into national significance. signifi-cance. In accepting the honorary chairmanship chair-manship of Brotherhood Week, President Truman urged "all Americans Amer-icans to ponder well the true mean- ' SPONSORED (y""-"-! V$ IHI NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS FEBRUARY 19 to 26 Benjamin Falrlcss, president of U.S. steel, testified before a Joint congressional economio committee in defense of the recent re-cent Increases in the price of steel. He called the rise "modest," "mod-est," laid the blame largely on union pensions.- HOUSING: $8,000 Units Could the American individual in search of a new home afford to pay $8,000 for it? Federal housing hous-ing officials believe that to be a fair figure and Raymond M. Foley, housing administrator, explained to the house banking committee a bill for federal housing aid based on that premise. FOLEY STATED that the administration admin-istration is considering construction, construc-tion, through cooperatives and other non-profit organizations, of some 250,000 housing units on an average aver-age cost of $8,000 each. The homes envisioned in the program pro-gram would be for families with annual cash incomes of $2,800 and $4,000. One third of the urban families fam-ilies of the nation had incomes within that "middle-income" range in 1911. The endeavor, even in the eyes of the severest critics, appeared laudable, but with the cost of living liv-ing as it is and high income taxes for families without above-average exemptions, would still put the $8,000 home out of reach of many. AS AN INSTANCE of that supposition, sup-position, Foley said average monthly month-ly payments would be about $69. That's $828 a year. Add a $1,000 food, meat and milk bill, and the total outlay for the new home owner own-er is $1,828. This would leave the $2,800 a year man $972. Taking average av-erage figures, utilities, health costs, insurance, clothing, transportation (there would be nothing with which to pay for a car) recreation and incidentals in-cidentals would amount to about $516. This would leave some $400, or less than $40 a month with which to meet emergencies or other needs. So, it is easily apparent that the $8,000 house, the $69 monthly payment pay-ment and cos t-of-living items would run the $2,800-a-year man so close to the edge, that he'd hardly have anything left for a pack of butts each week. s " "V i , x s - .1 I' j 4- J ing of brotherhood" adding that "there probably has never been a time in history when true brotherhood brother-hood was so indispensable to the welfare of our own nation and to the peace and freedom of the entire en-tire world." IN A SIMILAR VEIN, former Secretary of the Navy John L. Sullivan, named general chairman of the national observance, interpreted inter-preted this year's event. "The big question today is whether the human hu-man spirit will remain free or whether it is to b enslaved by totalitarianism," Sullivan declared. "The dignity of man is on trial throughout the world," he continued, con-tinued, "and the fate of our civilization civili-zation may well depend upon the outcome. It will survive only if the ideal of man's inalienable rights is acknowledged, respected and strengthened." First established in 1934 by the National Conference of Christians and Jews, Brotherhood Week has been celebrated each year during the week of George Washington's birthday as a special period when the people of all faiths in the United States are invited to consider con-sider together the need and Implications Impli-cations of good will among Protestants, Protes-tants, Catholics and Jews. IN 1934, some 300 communities across the United States participated partici-pated in Brotherhood Week events; In 1942 there were 800 communities. In 1944 the number spiralled to 2,000. The figure today is impossible impos-sible to estimate, according to Sullivan, Sul-livan, so widespread is the desire of Americans of all faiths to demonstrate dem-onstrate their loyalty to the basic ideals of respect for people and human rights which are essential to our way of life. As observed with growing community com-munity participation each year. Brotherhood Week dramatizes the practical things which people can do to promote understanding and realization of time-honored American Amer-ican principles. HOMELESS: Break for DP's An easement of the present law which limits entry of displaced persons into the United States to 205,000 In the two-year period ending end-ing June 30, this year, has been approved ap-proved ' by the Senate judiciary committee. THAT GROUP voted to permit 320,000 homeless foreigners to enter en-ter this country by June 30, 1951. This includes the approximately 124.000 who already have entered. The committee voted by 10 to 3 to approve a bill which would make other changes in the present DP law which President Truman has urged. For example, it would shift the date by which displaced persons must have entered European DP camps to be eligible for entry into this country. The present law fixed the date for December, 1945. The bill which the committee approved would change that to January 1, 1949. THE ACTION came on the eve of the date which the senate had ordered the committee to report out a DP bill. The house bill has been approved by the committee over the protests of Chairman McCarran (D., Nev.), who wa i in Europe at the time. After a neated floor fight, the senate sen-ate sent the measure back to committee. com-mittee. DRAFT LAW: Bickering Starts Atomic stockpiles . . . hydrogen bombs . . . billions for defense . . . incredib'e speed in the air . . . all these added up to a readily apparent ap-parent conception that U.S. policy is committed to a course which believed be-lieved that he is "best defended who is best armed." The question was: Would the compulsory com-pulsory military service system be retained? The question of manpower man-power remained an intangible factor. Maj. Gen. Gordon P. Saville, often called the "father of radar," has been named deputy depu-ty chief of staff to head the air force's new research and development de-velopment command, a staff section charged with long range planning for military aircraft of the future. Life Expectancy Perhaps it's indicative, perhaps it isn't but, for whatever it's worth in life expectancy computation, computa-tion, it's a fact that the United States has more than 3,000 people who are more than 100 years old. It wasn't too many years ago that life insurance companies on their annuity tables had everybody dead at 96. In other words, that was the extreme age at which anyone was supposed to be around. |