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Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS Ily Farnham F. Dudgeon Allies Stage Big Counter-At tack In Attempt to Check Nazi Drive; Senate Passes Huge Army Bill (KI)ITOK'S NOTK When opinions are expressed in these columns, they are those of (lie news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.) 'T?..ij.n". h by Western Newspaper Union. k ...v.. .:.;.. .......... . . o v . . . . AGRICULTURE: A'o Acreage Cut Further reduction in the acreage of major U. S. farm crops has been decided against, 'ac- Cecause they fear invasion of Great Britain by fie advancing German Ger-man forces, English officials are taking concrete steps to defend their homeland. In the above picture, bcyond-war-age veterans of the last World war are shown receiving equipment and arms to be used against parachute troops that might be dropped from the sky. While the younger men are fighting beside the French on the continent these older men are guarding vulnerable spots throughout England. VOW ft ' ' cording to Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace. After discussing the current cur-rent farm surplus situation with President Presi-dent Roosevelt the secretary announced that the impact of the European war was making a profound pro-found effect upon American agriculture. agricul-ture. He said that because of the war Secretary Wallace THE WAK: Revised Edition On the fields of northern France and Belgium the story of 1914-18 continued to unfold itself in new, grim and bloody chapters. This time the forces of Adolf Hitler Hit-ler were playing the leading German role as they made their bid for Paris, capital of France and for ports on the English channel, gateway gate-way to Britain. For a time as these forces battled their way through The Netherlands, across Belgium, Bel-gium, into France, it looked that there would be no stopping them until un-til they decided to write the final chapter themselves. Even the dispatches dis-patches from the allied war camps told of the constant advances made by the invading legions. Jittery, harassed and worried, the British-French war council switched control of the army to Gen. Maxime Weygand, former commander of the French army in the Near East. Veteran Vet-eran of the World war, General Wey-Band Wey-Band swune into action with a dra- tack was apparent on every hand. Winston Churchill, prime minister, was given a virtual dictator's power pow-er over all phases of English life. In 2 hours and 50 minutes the parliament par-liament passed legislation giving the government control to mobilize all cash, property, labor, agriculture agricul-ture and industry. It was a totalitarian totali-tarian measure designed to meet the totalitarian Germany on even ground. The drastic action was necessary, nec-essary, the government said, because be-cause the war had reached the stage where every available resource had to be used to wage the fight against the enemy. Every resource of the nation was being mustered to resist the attack that was in the offing. While the government's power to press the war across the channel was being approved, Internal defense measures were also being substantially strengthened. Beyond-war-age veterans vet-erans of the last war were being equipped with arms to aid in battling bat-tling parachute troops or other invading in-vading forces. future emphasis should be upon increasing in-creasing domestic consumption and storage of crops against future needs. Exports of U. S. farm products have been sharply curtailed because of the German invasion of Norway, Denmark, Belgium and The Netherlands, Nether-lands, as these markets have been cut off. Then, too, the allies have diverted much of their agricultural buying to their own colonies. POLITICS: Home Stretch Republicans have picked virtually all of their 1,000 delegates to the national convention and yet no candidate can-didate has enough publicly instructed instruct-ed votes to assure first-ballot nomination nom-ination for the presidency race. On the other side of the political fence, with only about three-fourths of the delegates chosen the Democratic Demo-cratic party is apparently going to give President Roosevelt another chance IF he wants it. With the war situation being what it is inside New Dealers feel certain that the President will choose to run. Talk of postponing the Republican convention, scheduled for June 24 in Philadelphia, was spiked by at least one G. O. P. leader, Alf M. Landon. He told newsmen in Topeka, before he left to keep a luncheon date with President Roosevelt in Washington, that he was "opposed to any suggestion sugges-tion ... to postpone ... the convention" con-vention" ... or have the Republican Repub-lican party . . . "lend itself to any U. S. DEFENSE: In the Groove President Roosevelt" s request for immediate action in speeding up activity ac-tivity on the U. S. home defense front is meeting with widespread approval. What is even more important, im-portant, definite action is taking place. As the senate passed a record peacetime army supply bill, calling for expenditure of matic plane dash across German lines, a return trip to Paris and the issuance of an order to launch an immediate counter-attack. Directing this new move the first major attack at-tack of the allies with all the vigor for which he is famous and respected, respect-ed, he was successful in stalling the German machine, for a short time at least. Two important key points near the channel, Arras and Abbeville, were reportedly retaken from the Nazis. Soon word came through, however, that the Germans were pounding at the gates of Calais which is only 26 miles across the Strait of Dover from England. This fight for the channel ports may well be the most decisive battle bat-tle of the current conflict. For as long as the English and French control con-trol the channel they are really "united." Should these ports fall into Nazi hands, however. Hitler would be in an excellent position to launch his threatened air and land attack Sl,823,000,000, by a 74 to nothing vote, Jesse Jones, federal loan administrator, was telling U. S. business men that the Reconstruction Finance Corporation's Corpora-tion's huge credit resources re-sources were virtually virtu-ally at their command com-mand for any expansion expan-sion which would aid the defense program. Jesse Jones on. Britain at home. Waiting Evidence that England was worried wor-ried and preparing for such an at- lican party . . . lena nseii to any intangible coalition which would tend to decrease party responsibility." responsibil-ity." His latter remark referred to a suggestion emanating from some quarters that the formality of a presidential election be abolished and a "coalition" government be formed to meet any threat of American Amer-ican invasion or any other foreign danger. Like Mr. Landon, political leaders lead-ers in both major parties are generally gen-erally opposed to any such suggestion, sugges-tion, the thought being that the ideals of free government can best be served even in times of "crisis' by proceeding along regular democratic demo-cratic channels in governmental business. MISCELLANY: C. In California, the Imperial valley suffered a series of fairly severe earth shocks. At least eight persons per-sons were killed and supplies of water wa-ter were cut off in six cities. Estimates Esti-mates of property loss ran to about $3,000,000. C. Possibility of a shortage of steel supplies in the United States was reported re-ported by the magazine Iron Age. , Pointing out that the war-generated demand was causing reserve supplies sup-plies to decline rapidly, it was said the pinch would be felt in midsummer. midsum-mer. C. Times square. New York city, witnessed a clash of several thousand thou-sand Communists and their sympathizers sym-pathizers with police as a "peace demonstration" was attempted. Marching two abreast the demon stration blocked traffic tn Broadway Broad-way and the police were called to maintain order. ft In Georgia, Gov. E. D. Rivers signed a proclamation ordering all aliens in that state to register with nearest police officials and be fingerprinted fin-gerprinted Similar demands were made by various communities scattered scat-tered throughout the nation. Full credit backing to American business enlisting in the defense drive came as Jones, head of the RFC, called on the country's banks to give "fullest co-operation" in all loans of this type and his lending agency would underwrite them in the amount of 75 per cent. From Detroit, center of the nation's na-tion's automobile industry, came word that spare plant capacity of that industry may be utilized to speed arms production. Army and navy technical experts have visited Detroit and have completed detailed studies on how these plants may be used. It is understood that the war department has in its files mobilization mobiliza-tion plans for the industry should need arise for a hurried production of fighting tools and equipment. The 74 to nothing vote which the senate gave to the President in passing pass-ing the army supply bill Indicates the manner in which that body has swung behind the "preparedness" plea. This bill provides for a full peacetime army of 280,000 men, about 10,000 planes, tons of munitions, muni-tions, thousands of guns and a "blank check" in the amount of $132,000,000, for the President to spend as he sees fit in building up the army. Sour Note Principal sour note in the general approval (see above) which was greeting the administration's policy of improving national defense, was sounded by Col. Charles A. Lindbergh Lind-bergh in a speech in which he minimized min-imized the air peril to the United States. While he urged an adequate defense program Lindbergh criticized criti-cized the present administration by saying that our recent policy "leads to neither strength, friendship nor peace." |
