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Show GENEr of Strikes Banishment and Peace Labor Congressional Attention Focused Is Record of Toledo Industrial ooara On National Preparedness Plan Washington Digest Suggest Investigation of Progress Made; Roosevelt Takes Personal Charge of Defense Program; Army Leaders Prepare for Draft. By G. F. (Released by Western Newspaper Onion.) WASHINGTON. Congress is annoyed by slow motion in the nation- al defense program. The war department recently reported to a joint committee of the bouse and senate that although approximately $400,000,000 had been appropriated in June for army airplanes, engines and accessories, actual contracts had been signed for only 33 planes. The appropriation bills provided funds for 4,000 planes, but seven weeks later only 33 planes actually were under contract and those will not be delivered before January or February, 1941. In the same hearing, the national defense commission reported that the army would not have full equipment for 750,000 men before 1942. Inasmuch as congress has appropriated and authorized $14,000,000,-00- 0 for national defense since January, 1940, members of the house and senate are pressing for a thorough Investigation of the preparedness Some leaders favor establishment of a joint committee of the house and senate to conduct a continuing "audit" of the defense contracts. Buch an arrangement would keep congress fully abreast of new orders. Capitol Hill has been grumbling sotto voce for several weeks over reports of confusion and conflict in the military departments. Whatever the cause, heavy defense equipment is not yet being produced in any considerable quantity. This ape guns plies particularly to for the coast artillery, heavy naval guns, land tanks, and bombing planes. Congress is determined to find the bottleneck. One course of friction has been located in the procurement division of the treasury department, which long has been the general purchasing agency for the government Secretary Morgenthau feels his department should continue to place the contracts. On the other hand, the army and the navy insist they should place their own orders for highly specialized equipment Third, the new defense commission feel they 6hould place all orders for equipment not heretofore purchased by the government. In this scramble many orders are falling between the three contending authorities, or being delayed by departmental Secretary Morgenthau has informed congress that out of the now available for de$14,000,000,000 fense, not more than $5,000,000,000 could be spent by July 1, 1941, under the present schedule of buying. slow-dow- long-rang- long-rang- red-tap- e e. American industry has made evto get the preparedness wheels turning. Thousands of manufacturers have come to Washington at their own expense to offer their plants to the government Some have returned home without having conferred with the official ought Confusion prevails in the purchasing agencies, due to conflicts of authority under the hastily written emergency legislation. The defense commission is now appealing to business managers not to come to Washington, but to wait until they receive inquiries by maiL ery effort President Roosevelt has taken direct personal charge of the entire defense program. Although heavily burdened by acute problems in foreign relations, and a multitude of pressing domestic issues, Mr. Roosevelt wants to give personal approval of every major contract for defense equipment. His long experience as assistant secretary of the navy equipped him with special technical knowledge of fighting He is not equally familiar with modern airplanes and army equipment The whole system of military aviation in the modern sense, has developed since Mr. Roosevelt left the navy department in 1921. Giant tanks and motorized army units likewise are a recent Delicate technical development problems are involved in all this modern equipment Some military experts have cautiously expressed the opinion that President Roosevelt should Dot undertake to deal personally with all these complex technical problems. But their sense of loyalty and patriotism restrains all. public criticism of the commander-in-chiefsea-cra- ft Opposition to compulsory military service in peace times is rising in many, sections of the country. The congressional mail indicates that DEFENSE PROGItAM Members of congress are greatly interested in the progress made toward increasing preparedness for national defense. They have appropriated $14,000,000,000 for this purpose since January, 1940. President Roosevelt takes direct personal charge of the defense program in an effort to sptd up work. The value and need for military traininc compulsory raises vital questions. sentiment is based largely on the general knowledge that supplies, material and equipment are not yet available for a conscript army. Many critics insist that voluntary enlistments should be given a trial, at least to the point at which surplus military equipment will be available over and above that needed, for the present standing army and National Guard. mail The wave of is making a deep impression upon congressional sentiment What purpose will be served by registering 12,000,000 young men for compulsory military service when there is no field equipment available for even So runs the cloak750,000 men? room discussion on Capitol Hill. Much opposition to conscription is based upon the fact that compulsory military service has been a favored device of the European dictators. In ordinary times this hardly would be a valid argument against conscription in the United States. But these are not ordinary times. During the last seven years vast discretionary powers have been del- egated to the President by congress. For the most part these powers are all dormant for the time being. But they may be called to active use by a mere presidential proclamation. They Call It POLITICS By CARTER FIELD (Bell Syndicate WNU Service.) WASHINGTON. The question is repeatedly asked: "Does the President know something he cannot tell?" Meaning, of course, whether Mr. Roosevelt knows of some specific threat to the United States which is responsible for the feverish activity to get this country "prepared." Certainly the President has had a lot of reports which he has not stated publicly. For instance, it was the conviction of the Military intelligence of the U. S. army up to about a month ago that the Germans would win the "Battle of Britain" and would win it within "four weeks" from the time the Nazis started. Since then Military intelligence has revised its views sharply. The revision has been due to two factors. One is that the British air fighting has surprised the world. For a considerable period of time, AFTER the and carrying French collapse through to the last reports as this is written, the British had been losing only about one plane to four for the Germans. This is not enough to whittle the Germans "down to size," or to give the British a sporting chance against the Nazi air armadas. But it has changed the picture tremendously so far as any opinions as to a "four-wee- k conquest" are concerned. Naturally this "information," at the time it was believed by Military intelligence, was not made public. It was based on what the army officers regarded as the best reports available from their own observers abroad but after all it was merely opinion, convincing as it might be to the army. Naturally also, this prediction was reported to the President, and naturally it alarmed him, especially as it so happens that most of the predictions which Military intelligence had made as to earlier features of the war were amazingly accurate. The President has also heard some gloomy forecasts from a certain naval source. The real point of all this is that the President was more pessimistic, and hence more convinced of the necessity of SPEEDY preparedness on the part of this country, than he had the right to explain to the country. Why, it might be asked, should a forecast of quick British defeat have worried the President so far as THIS country is concerned. Because the President is much worried about what the Nazis will do if they conquer Britain. For instance, there is the Caribbean, where a victorious Germany might attempt to seize possessions of the conquered, possessions which would make magnificent air bases for eventual attack on the Panama canal or the U. S. itself. For instance, in some Latin American countries there are tremendous German and Italian populations. This is a perfect illustration of the sort of things the President is thinking about which he cannot mention publicly. There are others. Some of them are not quite so delicate. As a matter of fact, a considerable number of senators, representatives and newspaper men knew " about this prediction, but it was not mentioned publicly until AFTER Military intelligence In had changed its predictions. fart, if there had been no change in the view of army leaders, the subject would not have been men tioned even here. "four-weeks- JOHNS! By LANSING CALLAWAY (Released by Western Newspaper Union. A. McGRADY, secretary of EDWARD labor was on his way to Washing 1 To- ledo, Ohio. The time was 1935 and there was a strike in VV1LLK1E tra J I Ik i f I III J i Three days of observatu dell Willkie have to me-- well as I thougf? him. This column ij. make the mistake it madf.i and take a strone But it feels a- rZjrLW sponsibuity for insisting' ability of this man years and getting a good be1 l5 progress there. seemed was that there always a in in strike Toledo; progress and that he was spending the greater part of his career commuting back and forth between that city and Washington. To a great many people in Toledo the same things were beginning to be apparent. To Mr. McGrady it The industrial wrangling had belabor and industry had become almost literal armed camps and the name of the city was on the front pages from Boston to San Diego. Two men had been left dead in the city's streets, hundreds had been injured in fighting and hatreds were being aroused that forecast trouble for years to come. But this time, after the immediate business at hand had been settled, Mr. McGrady wired his Washington office that he wouldn't be home right away. He was staying over in Toledo in the hope of getting to the base of the recurrent trouble and obviate the necessity of his constant excursions to Toledo. What Mr. McGrady had in mind was that it seemed to be nobody's business or concern if the city's industrial life flowed smoothly or was threatened with disruption. During the days when a potential industrial break was forming, and might most easily be adjusted, no one did anything about it. The situation was allowed to drift. Even when some of the large and bitter strikes were in progress, there was no agency at work to get the city's life back to normal. Record Is Impressive. Mr. McGrady sought to change all this. How well he succeeded is shown in the figures released for this Labor day. In the last five years the city of Toledo has assisted in averting 165 potential strikes, in which 32,224 employees were involved. Included in this were 52 cases in which a strike definitely had been voted. In addition the city government assisted in settling, peacefully and quickly 47 strikes in which the comparatively small number of 5,617 emSome of these ployees figured. strikes were called without the knowledge of the city administration, others in spite of efforts to avert them. Also the city assisted in settling one lockout in which 100 men were involved, and it looked in on 42 other disputes representing 2,874 employees, but for various reasons was not able to contribute toward a settlement. Virtually all of the latter, however, eventually were settled by the parties directly involved, without "outside" intervention. The grand total: 265 disputes handled; 41,478 employees involved. Riots: None. Savings in wages and potential losses to owners, stockholders: C TO- sturdy independence .w telegraph-barrag- ST. AUGUSTINE. The est city in the United States will have its second childhood when it celebrates its 375th birthday on September 7, 8 and 9. Catholic clergy- men from throughout the country will gather to commemorate this city's founding and the birth if Catholicism in America. It was here that the first mass in the U. S. was sung. v.i6cai Kinds Cost to the city, $6,450. "If Toledo can do that, why can't any other city?" is a question sometimes asked and also, "Has Toledo discovered any secret technique in averting industrial disputes?" Model for Others. The answers, respectively, are that anv nthpr community can do likewise, and that Toledo has not discovered any method of "passing rathPr has anolied ht horse- - earden-variet- v sense to differences between men and management. Briefly Mr. McGrady set up on that final visit to Toledo, back in 1935, what is known as the Toledo industrial peace board. It includes five men from the ranks of management, e five from labor, and one director. These 10 since have added eight others to their ranks, attorneys, judges and clergymen to represent the public. The board is an integral part of the city government, but it has no authority to "crack down" on anyone. It issues no "publicity releases." It cannot vote on who is right or who is wrong. It does not even express such opinions publicly. Mr. McGrady set up the first board himself. Ee went to the Chamber of Commerce and he thumped the table. There was a great deal of reluctance. There was a lot of honest skepticism. But he got a promise of Then he went before the Toledo Central Labor union. Strangely enough he met the same reaction. "You need not fear such a board," said Mr. McGrady. "It will not interfere in any way with your right to strike. by labor and management with such a board will be entirely voluntary. What have you to lose by trying?" The answer was that no one had anything to lose by trying. The two critical disputes involving thousands and thousands of men (Chevrolet-Toleddivision, General Motors, full-tim- o don as her country falls. May 28 King Leopold of Belgium surrenders. June 2 British war ministry ans nounces that of the B. E. F. has been evacuated from Flanders. June 5 The German Somme offensive begins at dawn. June 10 Mussolini announces Italy's entry into the war against the allies. June 14 Germans occupy Paris. June 17 Henri Philippe Petain, succeeding Reynaud as premier of France, asks Germany for an armistice. June 22 In the same "Armistice car" at Compiegne where Germany sued for peace in 1918, French delegates accept German terms. June 24 French delegates accept Italy's armistice terms. 3 British seize, destroy, or July bottle up a major part of the French navy. July 19 Hitler, addressing Reichstag, warns Britain to yield or be destroyed. August 2 British arrest two prominent Japanese in London. August 15 Germany launrlres mass aerial blitzkrieg on England Greek cruiser sunk by unknown four-fifth- St. Augustine was founded Menendez on September 8. 1685. by The first mass to be said on American soil was then given by Father who had accompanied Menendez from Spain. Although several other cities claim to be the oldest St. Augustine was the only one to be continuous. Several others died to be resettled in l.,!er only i!s' Fra-jales- , Three hundred players vwli y, part in the fi. st,,s and p,,;e;Wl!', Spanish setu.rita.i, caba!!. n,s !J, tsh. French auci Spanish soldiers will be arrayed in per.oo c.tumes w Ml-tim- lis-te- n uSUa"y Jint ng. After that. I throw in general meeti- suggestions as may come to mind or may offer some specific procedure to which all may agree Various offices in Toledo have hundreds of inquiries as to how the Toledo board was eS,ab-lshehow it operates and what it has accomplished. These offices include the Toledo Chamber of Commerce, which has K.vit. quiet support to the board; the Quarters of the various labor f,o,n the start ' "leu ineir ehde rsernent by Ci r ier:i" " J.t . u .... III i Kr"u" know,, as Tol..,p, f I I (1 . Associates, ' u'is-ina- ' i"iiiieize picture l oledo' an or- true in- answers ftj He Chech he can com pursue ,! (in thought J l ouu courteously. from every source He continues to tenor of his way and - "-- - jjens i iue candidate and Toledo Edison March, company, June, 1935) had left the city exhausted, emotionally and industrially. Solid Support. Toledo's three newspapers gave solid support to the plan. Cautiously, each side watching the other from the sides of their eyes, the first meeting wa held McGrady Prided and did most of the speak-mirnnHe promised to assign to the mSe board as its director Lee S. Harding, a federal mediator. The functions of the board were outlined and it was decided to go ahead, although every one of the men at that first meeting since has confessed that he agreed with a great deal of suspicion. But during the following six months the board assisted in settling seven disputes without loss of a single day of work. Five strikes that already were showing signs of being long drawn out struggles were settled. There was no street fighting. No one was hurt The vast Toledo industrial area was working full blast. Payrolls and production were on schedule. Workers had money to spend. Merchants were pleased. The people of Toledo also began to sit up and realize that something new had arrived on the scene. Much to the surprise even of the board members, they too were finding their suspicions of each other allayed; confidence and reason were taking the place of animosity. If a labor situation became menacing, the director of the Toledo Industrial Peace board offered his services to both sides. He sought a fair compromise and offered it for consideration. But he never ordered any side to do anything. If the situation reached such a spot where the director felt he was not making progress, the entire board was called into session. The board offered its services, at times it even offered suggestions. While it never voted on whether a question was right or wrong, the important element was that within the city, at least, there was an agency charged with the task of keeping industry running and dissipating disputes before they reached the troublesome stage. Public Prestige. In March, 1936. Harding was recalled to Washington, but the Toledo city council decided the board was desirable, and decided to continue it as a regular part of municipal government, with a paid director. On the recommendation of McGrady, board members engaged a newspaper man, Edmund RufTin as director. Ruflin had covered all of the previous strikes. After being director for more than four years. Ruffln says he has no cut and dried procedure in approaching or working out disputes. "I know many industrialists and labor officials, and I try to as to what is goingkeep on in the way of organization programs negotiating of new and succeeding agreements," Ruffln explained "If I hear of a deadlock. I may offer my services to both parties, or one or the other may call me. "After I get into a 1 to an outline of dispute. viewpoint by in a variotv- rm 1935; UP' e k ing for 6,000,000 farmers Vil "Speaking for 21,000,000 f we demand"; "As renreJ 13,000,000 Negroes we ask"; 4 won't do you win Li York state and the whole ij Scenes of strike violence like that hotvn above are things of the past in Toledo, O, iince the Toledo Industrial Peace Board began to function five "horse-sense- " to adyears ago in using emlabor and bettveen difficulties just ployers. Thousands of dollars have been saved to workers, employers and the city as a result. Edward A. McGrady, left, former assistant secretary . labor, who helped Toledo business men and labor representatives form 'he board in 1935. I Celebrates Founding oldFLA. J J and pressures applied to these few days. Some of ft from the mightiest of polit cio. wuiers were of the After One Year of War in Europe St. Augustine, Fla., was flu. I 7l another, but a pleasanter Cleveland. I sensed, and s gun in 1934, The European war enters its second year on the first of September. During its first year it saw the complete disappearance of seven countries. Seven countries were overrun during the first year of the war, and two others lost land to invaders. Following is a calendar of the principal events which occurred during the past year: September 1 Germany invades Poland. Danzig "returns to the Reich." Chamberlain and September 3 Daladier announce their nations are at war with Germany. September 17 Russia invades Poland. November 30 Russia invades Finland. March 13 Finnish-Russia- n peace treaty is signed in Moscow. April 8 Germany occupies Denmark and invades Norway. April 15 Allied troops land in Norway. May 2 Allies withdraw from Norway. May 10 Germany invades Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Winston Churchill becomes prime minister. May 14 Netherlands capitulates, and Queen Wilhelmina fires to Lon- - .. ,- smuing uTDanuy uiat seems i cle to me. I know only m, man who could take such pulling and yawing with ul good nature, as little disturbd nis convictions and as little y sleep. His name is Franklin J S; velt. I do not for a moment suggest that Wendell stubborn dogmatist Helsji? reverse or that. He has 6k business habit of putting up it ni! Willkie defensive to any professional talk. But he also uses the e business man's practice of otd ing no promising "propositi! of getting every fact and opinion available before he ie; There has been a good deal ulation about why I went to Cc Springs. Mr. Willkie asked come to give my opinion i tain aspects of the farm, bfc defense problems, with all of I have had some experiecn have expressed strong vim he winnowed wb Well, brains I have with a so far as I know accepted ki put up as able and well H: debate as I have yet encote.; and left me in complete ipr as to his final judgment To me, all this seems a gooc The greatest blunder in 1 1 government has been, I lb sort of trout-lik- e snappinf t swallowing whole of any ifc: brainstorm, with little or no to get an objective analysis any worthwhile contrary opis Of one thine I am sure. 5 is going to shove this shaggy E around, sell him any gold br.a push him off of any important position, for the sake of anyd ent political advantage. Tk has, to my knowledge, bea 1 attempted with dire threats 4 feat if Willkie did not M knuckle. He just laughed. He has another quality of M o! i fine-too- ar. Roosevelt Nobody rejected while ft goes away mad. But ldent accomplishes this by t "Yes. yes. yes you are right," and then acts Just if pleases; Mr. Willkie somehm ages to keep them cheerM something like: "Yours recer contents noted. I will study fully. Just now it looks nm "attractive," as the casebe I still say he would I J" pe- President. THOSE 50 DESTROYS NEW YORK. The fight te! s of our destroyers to Britain derv by the two whirling assault on An the third-tertradition the glamorous Sc Josh Lee and Claude PePP has a right to be as fanati; pleases as Pepper is Br Townsend's cruel deceit aged; as Josh is for the sated confiscation of property Both schemes would wreck reoair the economic strenp; country in a time of reat nnrinff mil- - fivil V3T, GK1 wift Cod Itfort nnpm Kw ...... Utl1" commerce destroyers to in British ports. They gave in e fli; push to our marine a blow from which or Our protests recovered. ft years. The British mltted that for this sort once-suprem- cor-f- participation in undercover offending country is iU for every loss act has imposed. q"ifcb; Apart from any such Josh Lee Is doing to make ' . treaty cry of statutory and . ww.-lions, lei I bama claims. They involve m main, only two woo den involvei would 50 destroyers ttWT"-damage- ,. e..m vita fad- -' tions which should oe against all this jurnmcnM term hokum. Are these vessels "ob?fj-sohow can it be urgc? ,r life of the British navy them? to |