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Show News Review of Current Events the World Over New Deal Wins in Tennessee Valley Case Picking Delegates for National Conventions Substitute Farm Bill Pushed to Passage. By EDWARD W. PICKARD Western Newspaper Union. C CORE one for the New Deal; and a big one. The Supreme court In Its long awaited decision ruled that the Tennessee Valley Authority (. : f I act Is valid, on all ! points at Issue In the suit brought by stockholders of the Alabama Power company. Under the ruling the administration ad-ministration Is free to go ahead with Us power program In the Tennessee valley actually un- Chlef Justice der way- The de" ., . clslon was read by Huahea Chief Justice Hughes and was concurred in by all the associate justices except Justice McReynolds. He read a dissenting opinion. Because of circumscribed limits the decision was much narrower than most of the New Deal findings of the Supreme court It was limited lim-ited strictly to the terms of the contract on which the suit was brought, namely, acquisition by TVA of a transmission line to convey power from the Wilson dam. Certain phases are still open for possible legal contest in the future, and only Wilson dam, not Norris dam or any other dam constructed or projected on the Tennessee river was Involved In the finding. The legal right of the federal government gov-ernment to acquire and own transmission trans-mission lines to a market for surplus sur-plus energy never before directly passed upon by the United States Supreme court was ruled upon In the affirmative. Unanswered Is the question of what constitutes surplus sur-plus power. Among the chief points in the majority ma-jority opinion were these: The government had full authority author-ity to build Wilson dam keystone of TVA. Congress has undisputed power to order disposal of electricity developed de-veloped at the dam. The government acted legally In building or obtaining through purchase pur-chase from private companies certain cer-tain transmission lines to transport nnwpr to p ttwIap ro" '-- The government has the same right to dispose of surplus power as It would have to dispose of copper, gold, and minerals on public lands. Justice McReynolds in answer to this said : "If under the thin mask of disposing dis-posing of property the United States can enter the business of generating, transmitting and selling power, as, when and wherever, some board may specify, with the definite design to accomplish ends wholly beyond the sphere marked out for them by the Constitution, an easy way has been found for breaking down the limitations heretofore here-tofore supposed to guarantee protection pro-tection against aggression." TJOTH house and senate passed L the resolution extending for one year the existing embargo on arms, ammunition, and Implements of war, and prohibiting loans and credits to belligerents. Senator Nye was out of the city when the senate assembled, an hour earlier than usual, to act on the measure. Hearing what was going on, he flew from Minneapolis through a storm and arrived five minutes before the final vote- but too late to put through any of his proposed amendments. One amendment amend-ment that was adopted provides that after the President shall have issued is-sued his proclamation of the existence exist-ence of war between or among two or more foreign countries. It shall be unlawful thereafter to sell or -purchase In this country bonds or other obligations of any belligerent. The President is authorized to exempt ex-empt ordinary commerce credits and short time obligations. SELECTIONS of delegates to the national conventions, already being made In some states, are Interesting, In-teresting, especially in the case of New York. Representative Fish, supporting Borah for the Republican Repub-lican Presidential nomination, led a hot fight to displace some of the "old guard" and lost the state committee naming these delegates at large: Charles D. Hilles and Mrs. Rutt'e-Pratt Rutt'e-Pratt members of the national com-j mlttee; Mrs. Robert Low Bacon, vice s chairman of the state committee:. Representative Bertrand H. Snell,-minority Snell,-minority leader of the house; Representative Rep-resentative James W. Wadsworth, former United States senator; Edward Ed-ward H. Eutler, publisher of the Buffalo Evening News; John R. Crews, Brooklyn leader; Charles II. ! Grilliths, Westchester county chair-! chair-! man. I Tammany made public the list of ' its delegates to the Democratic con- vention, and It Is headed by Alfred E. Smith, who will represent the tip of Manhattan and Staten island. President Roosevelt was called on to choose the California Demo cratic delegation from three sets selected se-lected by the conservative Democrats, Demo-crats, the Upton Sineluir EPIC followers fol-lowers and the supporters of the Townsend old age pension plan. It was believed he would give the balance bal-ance of power to the conservatives led by Senator William G. McAdoo, with representation for the other two groups. '"PEN days of hot debate In the -1 senate culminated In the passage of the administration's substitute farm bill by a vote of 56 to 20, and It was hurried over to the house with the prospect of quick approval by that body. Attacked by Republicans as a subterfuge to get around the Supreme Su-preme court AAA decision, and frankly conceded by Democrats to be a measure indirectly continuing control of farm production, the soil erosion bill would accomplish its objective as follows: The secretary of agriculture would be empowered to make benefit payments pay-ments to farmers who voluntarily co-operate with the government's suggestions on retiring certain land rrom production to conserve Its fertility. fer-tility. Payments would be determined deter-mined on four factors: 1. Acreage of crop land. 2. Acreage of soil Improving crops. 3. Changes In farming practices. 4. Percentage of normal farm production pro-duction which equals that percentage percent-age of normal national production of farm commodities required for domestic consumption. This arrangement would be limited limit-ed to two years. It would be replaced re-placed by a system of 48 individual state AAA's to regulate production, with the federal government apportioning appor-tioning funds to the states, instead of to farmers. The senate bill provides pro-vides the state systems may be set up at any time during the next two years. rELAYED dispatches from the Italian fieldquarters In northern north-ern Ethiopia tell of a six-day battle, the fiercest and most important of which the forces of General Badoglio, about 70,000 in number, defeated and routed 80,000 Ethiopians, including includ-ing 10,000 of the emperor's guard under Ras Mulug-heta, Mulug-heta, war minister, and 70,000 warriors under Ras Kassa Y -" v ' i . y, c Gen. Badoqlio and Ras Seyoum. s The Italians were left in full possession pos-session of the fertile and strategic Enderto region and in control of the passes in the Tembien region. After six days of encircling operations, op-erations, during which torrential rains bogged the field of battle and heavy clouds enabled the Ethiopians Ethiopi-ans to make invisible movements, the March 23 division of blackshirts planted the Italian flag on the mist-veiled mist-veiled high summit of Aradam, completing com-pleting that particular operation. They then had a clear path to Amba Alagia, 18 miles-further south, and it was presumed that the taking of that mountain would mark the cessation of activities because of the coming March rains. It was estimated that in this battle bat-tle more than 6,000 Ethiopians had been killed and many times that number wounded. The Italian casualties cas-ualties were not announced, but they undoubtedly were not light. Only white Italians participated In the fighting. CONSIDERABLE interest was aroused in Europe by the publication pub-lication In a Rome newspaper of a "secret" report made by a British commission appointed In the spring of 1935 "to study British interests in Ethiopia." The commission reported that It found no outstanding British interests inter-ests in Ethiopia "of sufficient importance impor-tance to justify his majesty's government gov-ernment In resisting Italian conquest con-quest In Ethiopia." It declared, however, that steps should be taken to safeguard British Interests In Lake Tsana, source of the Blue Ni,p r- s I i : - V ' ivk 5 ( l'" " 1 - - i . I crri'te months before the war to be "not pure and simple economic predominance" predom-inance" but absorption of Ethiopian territory. The British foreign office did not deny the authenticity of the document, docu-ment, and It was suggested that the contents of the report should prove to the Italian people the sincerity sin-cerity of the British defense of the League of Nations principles since the report concludes that Italy's possession of Ethiopia would not threaten any essential British empire em-pire Interest ONE of the most spectacular and dynamic figures in Amerk-an life of today passed with the death of Brig. Gen. William Mitchell In a New York hospital, lie succumbed to a heart attack and Influenza at the age of fifty-seven years. "Billy," as he was known to airmen, was commander In chief of the American Ameri-can air forces In France during the World war and was decorated by six governments. Afterwards, while yet In the regular service, he severely se-verely criticized the government's air preparedness policy and was courtmartialed and suspended. Ia mediately resigning, - he devoted himself to lecturing and writing to further his demands for a separate department of aviation In the cabinet, cab-inet, combining both army and navy air defense. Gen. Charles P. Summerall once aptly described Mitchell as the kind of soldier "who is wonderful In war and terrible in peace." SENATOR HUGO L. BLACK of Alabama and his lobby Investigation Investi-gation committee are creating a flood of resentment among Amerl- i - i can citizens that Is likely to do vastly more harm than good to the New Deal. Quite without with-out concealment Black is using the committee In a way that thousands of people do not like. He sent out a questionnaire ques-tionnaire to Indi viduals and organl-m organl-m t zatlons known to B,ack be opposed to the New Deal, demanding information on their relations with all organizations organiza-tions and their corporation and other oth-er investments. Many refused to answer the questions, and they are supported In this position by the American Liberty league, which has challenged the right of Black's committee to compel answer under oath to the queries. In effect, the league dares Black to cite for contempt con-tempt of the senate those who refuse re-fuse to reply to the questionnaire. Senator Black's only reply to date was that It was "a little difficult diffi-cult to believe that the league would attempt to intimidate or coerce its two members to keep their mouths shut until the du Pouts say they can talk." T T NLESS Governor Hoffman of New Jersey grants him another reprieve, Bruno Richard Hauptmann will be executed during the week of March 30 for the kidnaping and killing of the Lindbergh baby. Sentence Sen-tence on the German carpenter has been again pronounced. . For several days Samuel Llebowitz, noted New York criminal lawyer, tried to get Hauptmarin to tell another story. and reveal his accomplices In the crime, but the condemned man flatly refused and Llebowitz withdrew from the case, saying he believed .-Bruno to be guilty. New Jersey law says the governor gov-ernor can grant reprieves totaling 90 days. He already has used 30 days, and it Is said he Is not Inclined In-clined to grant a further reprieve unless new evidence Is discovered. WITH four members voting in the negative, the house ordered an investigation of the money-raising methods of the Townsend old-age old-age pension plan advocates. During Dur-ing the debate Dr. Francis E. Townsend was described variously as a "quack," "charlatan," "knave," and "fool." He and his program were defended by the small Town-send Town-send bloc. Attempts by several congressmen to broaden the scope of the Inquiry to include such organizations as the Liberty league and the Crusaders Crusad-ers were futile. T EFTISTS won the general elec-- tlon in Spain, and their leader, Manuel Azana, was made premier and formed a new cabinet to supplant sup-plant that of Validares. Azana is a veteran statesman, having been the first premier of the present Spanish republic. One of his first acts was the granting of amnesty to thousands of political prisoners who had been In jail since the revolt re-volt of October, 1934. D EVOLUTIONARY, mostly mll-1V mll-1V itary and led by Colonels Smith and Recalde, veterans of the Chaco war, took possession of the government of Paraguay after some fighting in the streets of Asuncion,, the capital. The government forces surrendered to the rebels and President Pres-ident Ayala took refuge on a gunboat. gun-boat. It was announced a new government gov-ernment had been formed with CoL Rafael Franco as Its head. He was an exile in Buenos Aires. A CCORDING to an official com-munique com-munique issued at Moscow, .the Soviet and Japanese governments have agreed in principle to the appointment ap-pointment of a mixed commission to investigate clashes on the Soviet-Manchukuan Soviet-Manchukuan border. The offer of the Japanese government gov-ernment to enter into such an arrangement ar-rangement was communicated to the foreign office by Japanese Ambassador Ambassa-dor Tamekichi Ota. G. S. Stomonia-?off, Stomonia-?off, Russian vice commissar for foreign affairs, pointed out that the Soviet government frequently has made similar proposals in the past The Soviet government ordered its consulate at Mukden, Manchu-kuo, Manchu-kuo, closed, but an officKl spokesman spokes-man declined to connect the order with recent clashes between Jap-anese-Manchukuan and Outer Mongolian Mon-golian troops on the Outer Mongolian Mongo-lian border. |