Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS increase conservation as wheat supplies shrink conservatives top jap elections EDITORS NOT EWhen when opinions ns ste re expressed in ia these columns th they ey are re those of western newspaper union news analysts and not cot necessarily of this newspaper FOOD wheat stocks shrink with heavy domestic and export in n ends being made on the nations king wheat supply the government mapped additional conservation measures for grain but rejected a british proposal for bread na rationing by the two countries current figures point up the pinch developing in wheat against an estimated supply of million bushels U S commitments for export before july I 1 total million bushels the present domestic rate of consumption will take another million bushels at least 35 million bushels will be used for feed and 13 million bushels may be used for spring seed use of million bushels of wheat by july 1 thus would leave the U S with a visible supply of 35 million bushels at the beginning of the new cyp year in arriving at the cursi oswe gure of million bushels added the department depart department meni of agricultures agri cultures estimate of million bushels on farms on april I 1 with projections that elevator holdings matched last years high mark of million bushels in turning down britaina Brit ains bid for mutual bread rationing secretary of agriculture anderson declared that the extensive widespread production of grain in the U S would make control difficult small nations like britain depending chiefly upon imports for their wheat can exercise more efficient check on their supplies he said DRAFT compromise heeding president Tr insistence si stence upon extension of the selective service act congress moved toward continuing the draft for at least nine months but sought to reduce conscription calls by raising army and navy pay to attract volunteers un congressional partiality toward the compromise measure followed stubborn efforts of republicans to suspend the draft for nine months and step up recruitments recruit ments to meet requirements by raising service pay while the compromise bill ar Xo visions for making enlist ay iy draft hymore C I 1 diore attractive inclusion of draft powers assured a flow of men it if volunteering fell below needs under increased pay schedules considered by the solons privates and apprentice seamen would receive 75 monthly instead of 50 private first class and seamen second class 81 instead of 54 corporal and seamen first class 92 instead of 66 sergeant or petty officer first class instead of 96 staff sergeant or petty officer second class instead of 96 technical sergeant or petty officer first class instead of and first sergeant roaster master sergeant or chief petty officer instead of in addition commissioned officers would receive substantial pay raises with top ranking generals ae brals being hiked from leya 4 W 14 al V M A K casting their ballots in tokyo these two women were among the unexpectedly large number of their sex who voted in first free election in japan in decade JAPAN big vote following the general postwar trend japanese voters swung to the right in the first free elections in nippon in a decade with the nations conservative parties winning sufficient representation in the member parliament to assure a temperate tone of legislation between 60 and 68 per cent of the 40 million eligible voters turned out forthe balloting with the women appearing in unexpectedly large numbers with nearly half the ballots in the tokyo district cast by women 66 year old mrs shigeyo and american educated mrs shizue kato piled up big leads though running far behind the conservative parties the communists showed surprising strength to win a number of seats lacking the veteran smoothly oiled machines of the conservative f forces 0 r c e s the reds succeeded in commanding prominent last minute notice public demonstrations against premier Sh idehara and the existing regime the reds accused Sh idehara of being reactionary and blamed him for the food shortage COOPS CO OPS called beneficial declaring there was substantial evidence to show that the co opera tive movement has proven an effective instrument for combating monopolistic control the house select committee on small business reported that coops co ops were a healthy addition to the american economy and did not endanger other forms of business operation discussing agricultural coops co ops the committee said they were originally organized to help farmers offset disadvantageous bargaining conditions which still exist though tax exempt farm coops co ops possess an edge over competitive business in that stock dividends and reserves are not subject to levy the actual amounts involved are relatively small the committee said in considering the imposition of a receipts tax on coops co ops the committee asserted such a levy would probably raise constitutional issues and adversely affect schools churches scientific organizations and many social clubs with a comparable advantage of tax emption committee recommendations included an amendment and restatement of regulations covering coop co op tax emotions empt ions coop co op filing of reports on member and nonmember non member business reserves and their allocations and other data indicating compliance with law and establishment of a legislative basis upon which nonexempt coops co ops may be created UN double trouble already pressed with the russian demand for dropping the iranian question entirely the united nations security council was confronted with the equally ticklish polish proposal that the international organization recommend severance of at diplomatic relations with spain polands bolands Po lands russian backed complaint to the security council that the franco regime constituted a threat to world peace came at a time when both the U S and britain preferred to move slowly against the spanish government despite their repugnance of it supported by france the two english speaking allies desire the development of an orderly opposition movement in spain to prevent the outbreak of another civil war if franco is dislodged in protesting to the security council against spain poland cited the UN general action of last february condemning the franco regime as having been established with axis aid and lacking qualification for membership in the international organization meanwhile the security council sweated over dussias Rus sias formal demand that the iranian question be considered closed and neither of the two disputants be obliged to report back may 6 on the fulfillment of the soviet pledge to withdraw from the little country without exercising pressure for petroleum and oil concessions with iran opposed to the russian demand diplomatic circles felt that Mos cows action was inspired by its desire to avert a security council probe of the recent oil agreement reached between the two countries POLES shun homeland apprehensive over russian domination of their homeland the majority of members of the british backed polish army in exile are unwilling to accept an offer of repatriation a sounding sentiment among troops in italy revealed the apathy of many toward returning to their native soil arises from their imprisonment in russia after the red occupation of eastern poland in 1989 1929 prior to being released upon the formation of the polish liberation forces after the german attack on russia some served two years of sentences ranging up to 15 years with russian insistence upon their return to their homeland constituting sti a thorny diplomatic issue many of the poles interviewed expressed a desire to settle in canada or chicago ill where a million americans of polish descent reside LEAGUE LEAGUE OF NATIONS old gives way As the league of nations was officially bowing out in the shimmering marble palace in geneva switzerland french delegate paul bon cour sounded a warning to the youthful united nations that unless they agreed upon disarmament the peace machinery established in UN might come to naught pointing up the collapse of the 0 old id league following the refusal of governments to abandon military forces as a potential instrument of policy paul boncoeur said that while UN contemplated an international organization of two million troops a major power could raise four million unless disarmament were adopted the scene of intensive wrangling throughout its existence the league breathed hard to the end the argentine delegation walking out upon its failure to obtain on one e 0 of f the last vice presidencies cies following consultations with other delegations and its own government however the Ar gentines returned to the meeting for the concluding sessions COAL STRIKE john L eloquent most eloquent of the nations labor leaders burly john L lewis sounded off in shakespearean tones in pressing his efforts for coal operators consideration of his demands for a health and welfare fund and safety program ina new contract for the united mine workers insisting on prior discussion of these proposals in the face of the companies determined opposition john L chortled for four weeks we have sat with you we attended when you fixed the hour we depart JOHN L LEWIS LEIVIS ed when weariness affected your pleasure when we emphasized the importance of life you pleaded the priority of profits when we spoke of little children in unkempt surroundings you said look to the state you scorn the toils the abstinence and the perils of the miner we withhold approval of your luxurious mode of life and the nights spent in merriment 11 undaunted by john L s heart wrenching sally the coal operators blandly replied that lewis was attempting to stall negotiations and create a national crisis that would lead to consideration of his demands WORLD CATTLE numbers drop preliminary reports for 1946 bindl cate that cattle numbers have de creased in north america and eu rope and increased in the soviet union since the beginning of 1945 the department of agriculture said the drop in north american cattle numbers is placed at two million and the european decrease at six million the increase in the soviet union is estimated at three and seven tenths million little net change in the cattle population is reported elsewhere in the world world cattle numbers at the beginning of 1945 totaled million head 2 million fewer than the year before and 13 million or 2 per cent below the 1936 40 average when the number was high some increase in cattle numbers is expected this year especially in countries where declines occurred during the war decreases are likely however in north america and germany As cattle depend more upon pastures and roughage their numbers will be less affected by the world grain and feed shortage than will hogs bogs and poultry STEEL continue expansion steel companies are planning to spend this year the record breaking total of million dollars for new equipment and additional facilities needed to fill postwar steel demands most of the expenditures scheduled for 1946 will be for new and improved rolling mills and finishing facilities for producing highly finished types of steel for civilian goods anticipated new equipment expenditures tures for 1946 exceed by 10 per cent the peak reached in any year of the war and are more than double the amount actually spent in 1945 the indu anticipated expenditure pend iture for new equipment will raise to two and a hatt half billion dollars the total amount of money spent since 1935 by steel companies to expand and improve their plants halt half of that total was spent between 1940 and 1945 as the indu share of the wartime expansion program the other haaf half spent in peacetime years r represents the cost of the in du continuous pro program gram of improving its extensive facilities for producing steel |