| Show NEWS BEHIND BEH I ND THE NEWS rBy r By Ray Tucker Telegrams Telegram's Washington Columnist WASHINGTON WASHINGTON Philip Philip Murray Murray Murray Mur- Mur Murf ray refused to supplant John L. L Lewis as C I 0 O president until he wrested pledges from his powerful predecessor and new deal spokesmen that he would be his own boss In private conferences the white-haired white and mildly stubborn Mr Murray pointed out that John L L. would retain financial control through his presidency of the United Mine Workers He discovered also that Mr Lewis was still the most popular popular popular lar figure in the industrial union movement as the ovation given iven him demonstrated Nor did the presence of New h Sidney Hillman make for h harmony His activities inspired working C I O-ers O to close ranks behind their old chieftain Both Mr Lewis and Mr Hillman Hillman Hillman Hill Hill- man finally agreed that Mr Murray Murray Murray Mur Mur- ray would be given a free hand handin in formulating and executing policies especially in a drive to oust communists from the coun coun- According to an unwritten agreement Joseph Curran of the maritime unions will act and speak as John Ls L.'s representative tive in the inner circles So the solidity of the Murray Lewis Hillman compact can be judged by the manner in which Mari Mari- timer Curran behaves National defense needs have spurred government experimentation experimentation experimentation tation in the use of farm products products products prod prod- for industrial purposes The four stations authorized by congress congress con con- gress in 1938 for far the study of the problem of plastics plastics located located at Philadelphia a Peoria New Orleans Orle-ans and Albany Cal wilt will will soon be operating at full blast Each center enter under the auspices auspices auspices aus aus- of the department of agriculture agriculture agriculture agri agri- culture will specialize in products native to the area in which they are situated At Peoria they will concentrate on corn wheat and agricultural residues At Philadelphia they will seek new markets and uses for tobacco apples white potatoes potatoes potatoes pota pota- toes milk products vegetables animal fats and oils tanning materials materials materials ma ma- hides and skins The New Orleans laboratory which is the most advanced will Investigate investigate industrial potentials potential for cotton peanuts sweet potatoes Fruits vegetables wheat al alfalfa alfalfa al- al falfa white potatoes poultry products will form the subject of experiments at the California station Within a a. few weeks agricultural agricultural agricultural tural experts will announce that f rosin can be used for the manufacture manufacture manufacture manu manu- facture of fine toilet soaps That will release vast supplies of animal animal ani animal ani- ani mal and vegetable fats for fats for consumption consumption consumption con con- as foods now foods now a problem problem problem lem besetting the beleaguered Germans American produced and manufactured oils have been developed as a substitute for tung oil which must now be imported from China via the Burma road Various plastics have proved worthy substitutes for wood and metal thus in increasing increasing increasing in- in creasing the supply of those products for naval and military purposes The patte pattern and purpose of these plastic experiments is most graphically illustrated by bythe bythe bythe the story of the lowly sweet po po- po- po tato With from W P A funds the government gove established established established a plant at Laurel Miss to make root starch out of this product The experiments were started In 1934 before 1934 before the congressional congressional congressional authorization the the cost for making starch out of the sweet potato came to 13 cents a pound That figure proved to be uneconomical commercially for starch manufactured from Dutch East Indies imports tapioca sago arrowroot cost only 2 2 cents a pound But by 1936 the domestic articles article's cost had been cut to 3 cents a pound and it has been shaved slightly since then Here is the the- economic importance importance importance tance of this thi discovery to American American Ameri Ameri- can farmers and workers The United States now imports from to pounds of starch for which the sweet potato product will become a substitute When this new industry industry industry in in- is fully developed private private private vate capital has already entered the field in Louisiana and Georgia Georgia Georgia Geor Geor- gia it will necessitate an in increase increase jn- jn crease in sweet potato acreage It will also require the construction construction construction con con- of processing plants that will cost each Private and public experts maintain maintain maintain main main- tain that the gainful effects though there will also be some disturbances on our domestic economy cannot be mated Government experts believe that they have discovered loopholes loopholes loop loop- holes in the Johnson act which will permit either direct or in indirect indirect indirect in- in direct financial aid to Great Britain when her funds for American purchases become exhausted ex ex- hausted The Johnson act according to the legal sharpshooters does not bar outright loans or gifts of money from this government to Britain provided they are authorized by the congress The law makes no reference to the gift or transfer of material such as food machine machine machine ma ma- chine tools and weapons Nor does it prohibit a trade like the destroyer-bases destroyer deal Public sentiment is shifting to the point where it might favor any anyone one of these transactions in the belief of the White House and the state department Publicity recently centered on the somewhat novel electric torpedo torpedo torpedo tor tor- tor- tor boats boots has obscured obscured and and so has naval secrecy Uncle secrecy Uncle Sams Sam's exploits with the more conventional submarine Our naval builders tittered at reports that Germany is now building a weighing 2500 tons Berlin has since denied denied denied de de- de- de nied the story confirming forecasts forecasts forecasts fore fore- casts that Hitler is concentrating concentrating ing on ten five-and-ten craft of about tons Our ri newest west underwater underwater underwater un un- ships approximate 1500 t tons ton o n s attain unprecedented speed provide living quarters which maintain morale as never before Most important of all they are equipped with more torpedo torpedo torpedo tor tor- tor- tor tubes than any known submarine submarine submarine sub sub- marine afloat giving them fire superiority How many tubes they carry is a deep secret Copyright 1940 McClure Syndicate |
