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Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS War Clouds Gather in Balkans As Fleets Mass in Far East; British Troops Land in Norway (EDITOR'S NOTE When opinions are expressed in these columns, they are those of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.) I Released by Western Newspaper Union. THE WAR: 1,900-Mile Front Roughly, as the bomber flies, it is 1,900 miles from Narvik, Norway, to the Dardanelles of the Near East. World War II has spread Itself across every mile of that great front. Nations not yet actually in-' volved in military activity are bristling bris-tling with preparation of defense, should the next bomb fall on their homeland. Southern Exposure Fleets of five nations Turkey, Franoe, Italy, England and Russia all moving under strict secret orders, or-ders, have taken up key positions along those strategic straits the Dardanelles. When Italian warships moved out for what Mussolini called "customary spring maneuvers," British and French naval units assembled as-sembled for "counter measures" by taking up more advantageous positions posi-tions along the coast of Greece. In the Black sea, the Russian navy was reported to have laid hundreds of mines in "the right spots." Neutral nations of southeastern Europe believed that such display of naval force foreshadowed the-spread the-spread of war. Accordingly, Rumania Ru-mania placed her small navy in charge of all ports along the river Danube and the Black sea. With a threatened small crop of wheat, the Rumanians cut off grain supplies to Germany but the senate pro- through use of a clever ruse it was reported that German troops had reached Storlien Heights, three miles from the Swedish border thus succeeding in virtually cutting Norway Nor-way in two. British bombers were busy at two key points along the Norwegian coast. At Stavanger, held by the Germans, the English flyers made at least seven raids, attempting to destroy the air base there. It is considered to be the only efficient Norwegian field for large-scale attacks at-tacks on the British isles. Bombs were also rained on Trondheim, for here too, the Germans held a vital air base. It looked like the big battle of the Norwegian campaign would come when German forces moving north from Oslo and Bergen would meet British and Norwegian forces moving mov-ing south from Narvik. NEUTRALS: Pony Boy Invoking strictest Censorship and policing every section of the nation, Netherlands officials were on the alert for any "Trojan horse" activity activ-ity on the part of Germany. Rumor had it that the Nazis were planning a coup in Holland similar to the one which fooled the Norwegians. Former For-mer commander of the nation's army, Johnkeer W. Roell, told a national na-tional youth meeting that persons who had plans for a Nazi puppet government should be hanged NAVY: Boomlet Senate support was growing for building a United States navy second sec-ond to 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. I 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 thought 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. WrhUe 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 leadine railroad "The bullet," he said, "is too great an honor." ASIA: Dutch Trent? While Secretary of State Hull was warning the world to maintain the status quo in the Dutch East Indies (see below) British and French forces in the Far East were on the lookout for anything that might even resemble so much as an attempt on the part of Japan to seize those coveted cov-eted islands. Earlier, Japan's government gov-ernment itself had expressed a desire de-sire that the islands be left alone even though the Netherlands were invaded by Nazis. Neutral observers observ-ers in the Orient, however, foresaw the possibility of Japan allying itself it-self with Germany, taking the islands is-lands as first share of the spoils should Hitler march toward The Hague. POLITICS: Accent on Youth selection ol 33-year-old Harold Stassen, governor of Minnesota, as the keynote speaker for the Republican Repub-lican National convention to be held in Philadelphia, June 24, was hailed by G. O. P. leaders everywhere as an accent on youth and "liberalism." "liberal-ism." Named permanent chairman (subject to the convention's approval) approv-al) was Rep. Joseph W. Martin Jr. of Massachusetts. Sometimes mentioned as a presidential presi-dential possibility himself, Stassen is unable to consider making the companies showed substantial increases in-creases in revenue. Even 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 iu some cases years. Totals for states JONKIIEKR W. ROELL . . . A'o Trojan Horse. (See Neutrals.) visionally accepted a government bill giving Germany a 30-year lease on 100,000 acres of badly needed timber. It was evident that King Carol was trying desperately to retain re-tain the good graces of the great Nazi war machine. Bulgaria, Greece, Jugoslavia, and Turkey, fearing a repetition of the fatal infiltration of Nazis into Norway, Nor-way, had special police launch widespread wide-spread investigations of all resident Germans. Nortliern Exposure While Norwegians pondered the strange mystery, treason and conspiracy con-spiracy that made their native capital, cap-ital, Oslo, such easy mark for the cunning coup of the Germans, the British were blasting their way into the northern harbor of Narvik. The British and French claimed to have landed expeditionary forces at that point and 2,000 German troops were said to be retreating toward Sweden. But if the allies were progressing satisfactorily in the north of Norway, Nor-way, the Nazis were being equally successful in the south. Positions around Oslo were solidified and bid for he is too young, the Constitution Constitu-tion requiring requir-ing a candidate candi-date to be 35. Elected governor gov-ernor in 1938 he has been busily engaged en-gaged at introducing in-troducing "liberal reforms" re-forms" into his native Keynoter stale- e s a candidate for re-election in next fall's contest. Joe Martin is expected to provide the experience needed at the convention. con-vention. He is completing his first term as Republican leader in the house and is serving his eighth term in congress. HOME If.OXT: Status Quo Secretary of State Hull informed the world at large that the Netherlands Nether-lands East Indies in the south Pacific Pa-cific were to be left strictly alone, should the Dutch become a party to Europe's conflict. With respect to Japan to state the position of the United States with respect to the islands (which furnish America with vital supplies of rubber and tin) Hull stilted: "Intervention in the domestic affairs of the Netherlands Indies . . . would be prejudicial to the cause of stability, peace and security ... in the entire Pacific area." CONGRATULATIONS : Mother 1910 Style Selected as the "American Mother Moth-er of 1940," Mrs. Edith Graham Mayo, of Rochester, Minn., widow of the famous surgeon, Charles H. Mayo, said, "the honor just scares me." Mother of eight children, five of whom are living, Mrs. Mayo has been asked to represent the nation's mothers in New York on Mother's day, Sunday, May 12. The selection selec-tion was made by the American Mothers' National committee cf the Golden Rule foundation. w.v. i.uimua auuuju ue avauaoie during the summer. Near Zanes-ville, Zanes-ville, Ohio, one footsore enumerator claimed he had made 11 unsuccess- ful trips to the same house. Local wits suggested that possibly some I of Mr. Tobey's (Rep. Charles To-! bey of New Hampshire, arch-oppo- i nent of the income question in the ! census questionnaire) relatives lived ! in the district. MISCELLANY: Ihttter Up riay Ball-The great American garni? was off to a living start as both major baseball leagues bepan 1 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 i history in Chicago, when he twirled j 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 $!0 wage mcrease for Great Lakes sailors was the chief demand of the strikers. |