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Show I WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS' Congress Fights Truman Proposals; High Crop Goals Set, Wheat Cut; Atomic Tests Assure New Power ' By Bill Schoentgen, WNU Staff Writer (EDITOR'S NOTE! Wbn (pinion ar asprssstd In Ihess columns, they ars ihoss of Wsslsra Nawspapar Union' oaws analysts and Dot necessarily of this newspaper.) DRAFTEES: Old Pah In an endeavor to make the up-, coming draftee as happy as a khakfc colored lark, the army is removing its "petty annoyances" as it completes com-pletes plans to process men in. ducted under the first peacetime draft in history. On orders of Gen. Omar Bradley, chief of staff, to remove "the petty annoyances that sent many World War II veterans away hating the army." training officers prepared to greet the recruit like an old friend of the family. Only the finest officers and non-com non-com will handle the draftee, train-ing train-ing officers promised. The recruit will even be given a $5 advance on his $75 a month pay the first day In camp so he won't be broke. He won't even have to wait to "tell it to the chaplain." as he'll be taken to the chaplain during his orientation orienta-tion days and urged "to let his hair down." All of this will take place at eight major training centers which have been set up to receive the draftees and give them their basic training. They are Fort Knox and Camp Breckenridge. Ky.; Fort Riley, Kans.; Camp Chaffee, Ark.; Camp Pickett, Va.; Fort Ord. Calif.; Fort Jackson. S. C, and Fort Dix, N. J. The standard 13-week army training train-ing course has been condensed into eight "tough" weeks. Later draftees will be selected for specialist training train-ing or sent directly to duty. About half of the draftees will see overseas over-seas duty, probably in Korea, Japan, Ja-pan, Germany, Alaska, the Canal Zone, Hawaii or Caribbean defense area. Hands in Pockets WKH f:Ai CONGRESS: Feudin' and Fightin Bitter recriminations resounded as the fight between President Truman Tru-man and the GOP-controlled congress con-gress moved into a new round with convening of the extra session of the 80th congress. In a dynamite-laden atmosphere, the President appeared before a Joint session of the congress which he had labeled "one of the worst in history" to demand a sweeping anti-inflation economic program. The reception for both the President Presi-dent and his program was cool as Republicans launched their wrecking-crew tactics. Defiant GOP leaders charged Mr. Truman with playing politics and prepared to play politics of their own. The net result, it appeared, would be a short special session. Initial step in the GOP's program pro-gram of obstruction was a decision that the extra session should consider con-sider only those recommendations made by Mr. Truman which could "pass a test." This test, established by the majority conference, set the qualifications for congressional ac- Face to face with the congress he had labeled "worst, save one," in history, President Truman was greeted by one of the coolest congressional receptions ever accorded ac-corded a chief executive when he appeared before the special session. ses-sion. Only polite applause came occasionally from the galleries and from administration followers; follow-ers; Republicans kept their hands In their pockets. It Might Have Been uon as iouows: Proposed legislation must be emergency In character. It must contain a problem of national Importance. It must be a program which can be processed properly within with-in the time available to an emergency session. This available time for processing process-ing would be no longer than a period of congress which would not "interfere with the proper conduct" of the autumn campaigns. No appropriation bills were to be considered, nor would any consideration consid-eration be given to confirmation of nominations which might be sent to the senate by the President. Over all hung the threat of a Dixie Democrats' filibuster against the anti-poll tax bill, which would widen the rift between Mr. Truman and the southern wing of his party. There were no surprises in the President's recommended legislative legis-lative package. He proposed a re-imposition re-imposition of the excess profits tax. limited restoration of price controls, con-trols, even more limited wage controls con-trols and enactment of the Taft-Ellender-Wagner housing bill. WHEAT: Goal Cut As clogged elevators and enforced en-forced embargoes once again mark the nation's harvest of another bumper wheat crop, the department of agriculture recommends a cut of 8 per cent in wheat acreage in its preliminary recommendations for the 1949 crop year. Although continued high production produc-tion of other major grain commodities commodi-ties is recommended, a slight de A-BOMBS: New Force The veil of secrecy which has shrouded most of the post-war atomic energy experiments was lifted, a tiny bit at least, for the American public in the fourth semiannual semi-annual report of the atomic energy commission and an accompanying statement by President Truman. Justifying the secrecy, the President Presi-dent contended that until controls are established on the international level to prevent use of atomic energy for military purposes "we cannot, as a nation, afford to disclose dis-close these secrets which make this new force the most deadly form of military weapon." With that statement, the American people, peo-ple, anxiously eyeing war clouds on the horizon, are inclined to agree. Some measure of reassurance was contained in both reports, stressing stress-ing the fact that the nation has gained new power in atomic weapons. wea-pons. Both disclosed that the secret tests of new type bombs at the proving grounds on Eniwetok island early this year were highly successful. Had there been no World War II, no abdication of the late King Victor Emmanuel and no dissolution dissolu-tion of the House of Savoy by vote (taking the crown away from ex-King Humbert), then Victor Emmanuel, pictured here, third of the line, might have been fated one day to sit on the throne of Italy. Seemingly the least unhappy about the turn of affairs is handsome, blond Victor Emmanuel, now at Geneva, Switzerland. Switz-erland. GERMANY: Explosive Germany remained an explosive issue in the strife-torn international picture. As the titantic East-West struggle for Berlin continues, reports were current that four-power talks would be resumed in an attempt to settle the crisis there as well as to scan the entire European situation. The rumors circulated after top diplomats diplo-mats of the U. S., Britain and France were closeted in a series cf conferences. In the biggest air lift In history, U. S. and British planes continued to transport food and fuel to the beleaguered city. The big planes averaged 4,500 tons of essential goods daily in their effort to break the Russian blockade. Violence broke out in the Russian Rus-sian sector of the capital city as thousands of Germans jammed banks to exchange their money for new Soviet-sponsored currency. Although she looks like a prim schoolmarm, Berlin's woman' mayor. Socialist Louise Schroeder courageously defied Russia's order to dismiss the anti-Communist deputy police chief. The commission's report, the fourth semi-annual summary to congress as provided by law, indicated indi-cated there were three bombs used at Eniwetok In the spring project known as "Operation Sandstone." Principal study was "on the generation gen-eration of nuclear explosion itself' rather than "on the effects of the nuclear explosion," as was the case in the earlier Bikini tests. The report stressed developments develop-ments of atomic energy research in medicine, agriculture, metallurgy, other sciences and industry. Radioactive Radio-active materials have been given 229 institutions and commercial agencies for experimentation. LIVING COSTS: Hit Peak They changed the name from cost of living index to consumers price index but they still can't change the trend upward and ever upward. In fact, the index struck an all-time all-time high on June 15, with food prices reaching record-shattered levels, lev-els, the bureau of labor statistics reports. crease is suggested ior wneai acreage, acre-age, which has increased sharply in recent years in response to war and relief needs. Looking forward in a move to conserve con-serve the country's soil resources, the department points out that "a better balance between soil-conserving and soil-depleting crops will actually assure higher productivity over a longer period of years." Farmers also are urged to provide pro-vide for sufficient summer fallow and, in marginal areas, to plant grass seed on land which is not suitable for sustained production of crops. Also considered in arriving at the wheat goal were this year's in-l in-l creased carry-over, prospects that the 1948 crop will be second largest In history and possibility of smaller small-er demand because of improved crops in importing countries. The department recommended wheat plantings for 1949 of 71.5 million acres which, with an average av-erage yield of 15 bushels an acre, would mean production of nearly 1 1.1 billion bushels. July estimate of 1948 wheat production was 1,-241,751,000 1,-241,751,000 bushels. In setting another farm goal, the department recommended a beef cattle breeding herd of 15.5 million cows next January 1, a decrease of about 500,000 head. Better management, manage-ment, improved feeding practices I and thorough culling, it was sug-I sug-I gested, will "put the cattle indus-i indus-i try in better position to supply the meat requirements of the increased population." The recommendations are submitted sub-mitted to state agricultural councils for consideration. State goals and final national goals are determined on the basis of state review and recommendations. ine inaex, wnicn represents retail re-tail prices of goods and services bought by moderate income families fam-ilies in large cities, registered 171.7 per cent of the 1935-39 average. av-erage. Further increases are Inevitable, too, for wholesale prices hit an all-time all-time high during the week ended July 17 and it takes about a month for their impact to be recorded in retail prices. The new consumers price index is 9.3 per cent higher than a year ago; 28.8 per cent above June, 1946, when price controls generally were abandoned, and 74.1 per cent above the August, 1939. level On V-J Day in 1915 the same index was 129.3 per cent of the 1935-39 average. |
