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Show ACTION News Review of Current Events the World Over O EGRETARY f Commerce Roper has laid before President Rooae-- . velt a plan to make drastic reductions In the expense of hie depart-- 3 ment which has long been pointed to as an outstanding example of the ex- travagant ' bureau- cracy of Washington Li Mr. Roper pro- ; V. ''vP-- i pose to slash the expenditures of the Commerce departs ment from $45,000,-CXX- ) In the current year to $20,000,000 In the next fiscal year, a reduction of $19,000,000, or 42 per cent. If the report Is approved, and Secretary Roper Is successful In op erating bis department at such a saving, It Is believed he will proportionately far outdistance In economy promotion any of the other departments. The secretary pinna to consolidate many activities of the department and to abandon others. The figure of $2C,OuO,OOOr which he proposes spending In the 1934 fiscal year, beginning next July 1, Is not only 42 per cent under the 1933 figure, but It Is nearly $11,000,000 under the actual appropriations made for 1934 by the last congress. The appropriation bills carry an expenditure of $30,000,405 for the Commerce department In 1934. This Is the first time In the history of the government, according to Secretary Roper, that an administration has suggested It Is not wise or safe to use money which congress Itself has appropriated, but he declares that the administration Intended to carry out faith' fully Its cam?tnlgn pledget of . . economy. Mr. Roper plans to establish six bureaus to take over the work heretofore done by ten. The six bureaus will be the transportation, patents, census, standards, fisheries and foreign and domestic commerce. The burean of transportation will embody supervision of the government over all forms of transportation, land, air and water. The Roper plan contemplates merging under one subordinate to become the new assistant secretary of commerce for transportation, supervision over the Interstate Commerce commission, and the activities of the United States shipping board; the Agricultural department's bureau of weather and public roads; the federal radio commission, the Commerce department's bureau of aeronautics, geodetic survey, lighthouses and navigation, steamboat Inspection; the War departments Inland waterways corporation; the naval observatory, and the national advisory committee for aeronautics. . "PHE ambitious scheme, conceived by President Roosevelt, to make the Tennessee river valley the scene of an Industrial, economical and soda! experiment, has been laid before congress In a brief message. Mr. Roosevelta hope Is to demonstrate In the Tennessee valley that great economic changes for the better can be made by conserving and de- natural re- agreed upon and It appears successful even before It Is fully tried out, the President expects to apply similar projects to other- - river valleys of the nation. ' To carry out the Presidents scheme Senator Norris of Nebraska Introduced In the senate a bill for government operation of the huge e power and nitrate plant at Muscle Shoals, which to date has cost the American taxpayers some war-tim- ! $150,0U0,000. aroused over the Simpson plan .which has been written Into the administration bill. This developed at a tlinewhen , the Roosevelt program for Increasing the farmers Income and lifting the burden of mortgages was bumping along on a rough road sprinkled with demands for currency expansion as a means of restoring agriculture. The mortgage section, of the ad ministration bill Is almost certalr to have the approval of. the housd. In anticipation of the passage o the bill. Henry Morgenthau, chair man of the federal farm board, I getting his department fully pre pared .to speed the actual application of the relief'-Somdelays In putting Into effect all the credit relief facilities planned by President Roosevelt and Mr. Morgenthau will be occasioned by reason of the'fact that the consol T da Mon order under which the Pres! dent Joined all- farm credit activities doesnt become effective for some six weeks yet But Mr. Morgenthau has reached out into the other agencies which soon will come under his hand, and as soon as the credit bill becomes law he eipects to bring about a prompt organization of the work of issuing 44 per cent bonds to be exchanged for the present farm mort gages averaging higher than 6 per cent President Roosevelt la reported to be firmly of the opinion that the biggest help that can be given to the fanners at this time Is a loos enlng of their credit Once the farmers debts are erased, debts contracted when land valnea were high and crop prices up, It may not he necessary, In the opinion of many of the administration advisers outside the group controlled by Sec retary of Agriculture Wallace, to resort to price fixing and allotment schemes, to help the farmer. e - for small home owners staggering under of mortgage debts is asked by President Roosevelt In a special message to congress; Bills with that end In view "were Introduced In both bouses. In his message the President laid down a new national policy to protect owners of homes valued at not more thnn $10,000. from foreclosure and excessive interest rates as the npxt step in his program for. economic recovery. The pro;os'ed legislation would set up the Home Owner's lxaq corporation. to be organised and operated by the federal home loan bank board, for. the direct and immediate relief of small owners and holders of small home mortgages. The corporation would have a capital of $200,000,000 subscribed by the treasury and would be authorized to Issue per cent bonds up to $200,000,000. These bonds would be ' exchanged for mortgages on homes not exceeding $10,000 In value, up to 80 per cent of - the property value. Home owners would pay 3 per cent Interest to the corporation,, with fifteen years to pay off the loan. A special provision Is made for a moratorium, not exceeding three years, on Interest and principal payments. Direct loans, op to 80 per cent of the assessed value of the property, msy be made by the corporation to home owners if the property Is not otherwise encumbered. RELIEF - OECRETARY of the Treasury Woodin has laid down the law to the. New . York clearing bouse, composed of twenty of the biggest banks In the city. He has told the h o u a e clearing banks. In diplomatic language, that they must keep their word and make good the deposits of the Hardman National Bank and Trust com pany, now In the hands of a federal conservator. The , t postal rate wltjiln rats cities, retaining the for Interdlstidct postage, la recom mended In a plan for balancing thr post office budget submitted to President Roosevelt by Postmaster General Farley. It Is Mr. Farleys hope that by Increased postal rev enues and program of economy to balance the budget, which at ths present rate Is running Into an an nual deficit of $132,000,000. The postmaster general said he had received opinions that If the postal rate Is ent the volume of business will be so restored as .to yield greatly Increased revenues and he added that some advisers letter postal felt that a flat rate over the country would bring In enough revenue to balance the postal budget The postmaster general also dls closed a study la being made on whether ths department shall con tlnne the heretofore somewhat far. deal practice of giving examlna tlons to first and second class post masters. A2-OEN- T A vote of 99 to 1 Michigans constitutional convention went on record as favoring the abolition of the Eighteenth amendment, and so Michigan has the distinction of pressure brought It la being the first state to ratify the will cost by Woodin, expected, or repealer, amendthe clearing house banks In the vi- Twenty-first- , ment submitted by congress. of $0,090,000. cinity There were great cheers and The firm stand of the secretary was made known simultaneously hand clapping when the roll wns with the arraignment In court of called on the ratification of the amendment The lone Joseph W. Hardman, former chair- Twenty-firs- t man and president of the bank dry vote was cast by Eugene Davbearing his name. Mr. narrlman, enport of Hastings, Barry county, 111 since his arrest, was brought former dean of the college of agriInto court In a wheel chair. The culture of the University of Illinois. Indictment chargea that he caused false entries to be made In the immense lm;ortance bank books, covering the use of THE to the Washington con$1,713,223 of the depositors money ference by the British- ts Indicatfor speculation In the hanks stock. ed In the personnel of the party Woodln's action Is Secretary accompanying Pre based on a pledge given to the conmler Macivr.ald. troller of the treasury at a time No more Important when the bank was In financial difgroup of British ficulties, that the clearing house has ever gone wonld support the bank. abroad, and It Is evident that much Is expected from PETITIONS have been filed with States senate from the meeting becitizens of Louisiana demanding tween the British the removal of lluey P. Long .as prime minister and senator from that state. The petilresldent Kooie-velt- . tions accuse the senator of personal dishonesty and corruptness; The chief dele-ga- t The petitioners asserted they e aft etMacPom could furnish witnesses to establish aid himself Is Sir Robert Yanslttart, that Long was personally dishon- permanent undersecretary of the est. corrupt and Immoral,' and add- foreign office. Sir Robert Is the ed Long's continuance In office Is permanent chief of the foreign ofrepulsive- to the respectable, and fice, no matter what foreign secretaries ' citizens of Louisiana come and go, and all the and to the nation." threads of British diplomacy are In They contended, among other his hands He knows America well things, that Long had "created and his first wife having been an Amermaintained In Louisiana a system ican. of corruption and debauchery The next member of the party Is In the history of the state." Sir Frederick Lelth-Roatreasury expert, who has represented Great EEDERAL legislation for a 90- Britain at all financial meetings for BY - Ten-lesse- gov-mne- . i Washington. The arrival of the first of the foreign missions here for conference with President Washington Roosevelt pro-Tide- s Conference some Inkling of bow he Is going about the Job of seeking an answer to the world economic problems. Of course, the Washington conferences are said to be preliminary only to the world economic conference, but the methods which ' the President has adopted make It appear that he is about to capitalize the very thing about which foreigners and many Americans, too complained, namely, economic and political isolation of America. . - Authorities here characterize his move as a bold stroke. They see almost a transplanting of the main conference to the United States. But they see also many possible pitfalls In the President's plan. In calling the heads of the governments . of Great Britain France, Italy, Germany, Japan, China, Argentina, Brazil and Chile to the American capital; the President may be said to have caught opposition plans off first- base. If one may' refer to baseball for a parallel play. Information available In high quarters here Is to the effect that few,- If any, of them expected such a move, Any analysis of the policy on which the President has embarked must needs Include reference to the certain benefits that come from knowing all of the facta. The President has set out to learn them. He believes the procedure In the later world conference will be made simple. But, according to expressions being bandied about, one ought to look behind the scenes In such conferences as are being held, there must be understanding bf tradition, of past links or breaks between peoples. There might be touchy spots or there might be points susceptible of being put to good nse In the relations between nations It seems that the danger lies therefore, not to much In what Is happening now, but what has happened In years , , - gone by. ' European statesmen have played their own games of International politics for years. Know AH They know aR of the tricks, and tha Tricks they use them. It seems not unreasonable 'to assume they will use their old methods, those with which they are best ac qualnted,' In their dealings for the big stakes that are Involved In the economic and debt parleys. It Is unfair to say in Buch an analysis as I have attempted to make put forward by the Euwill be for ulterior purropeans poses, but the opportunity Is there, the diverse Interest of the various peoples Is there, and therein lies the threat to the Roosevelt policy. The economic conferences basically Involve something of a readjustment of advantages gained, ome fairly, others by force, as a result of and since the World war. Every one agrees the conferences concern not only a solution of the problems of the depression bnt they reach far Into the future. Apparently everybody needs and wants foreign capital. We all want to borrow from one another, and all want to trade with one another, but each w ants a prior advantage In doIt constitutes an exaging It. gerated glamor upon which the eyes of all nations are set. and to think each one Is going to give up something of Importance Is to expect an early arrival of a mlllenlom. Nevertheless, In the opinion of students of International affairs, the move by President Roosevelt to capitalize our .. hltherjo economic and political Isolation has some chance for success In that Its very boldness may partially disarm the statesmen who have been used to playing another sort of a games. The . rresfdenrthtnks pretty-fastran- d It has been suggested here that he may foresee any traps and allow those who laid them to fall Into their- - pits,- - - law-abidin- g - broadest duty of planning for; the waa assured when the administraproper use, conservation and devel- tion placed Itself squarely behind opment of the , natural resourcep the measure. The bill has already Of the Tennessee river drainage passed the senate, and It is e basin and Its adjoining territory for pected to be quickly' approved by tha generals socia- l- and,., economic, the Jjotise, Lbjhe..ITesL, welfare of the nation. This author dent. The bill; regarded as one of the tty should' also be clothed with. the necessary power to , carry these most radlcol labor measures to win the administration support, provides plans Into effect. The President's plan Ificludes the in Its present form that for an running of electric power Into emergency period of two years no every farm, to control crop produc- articles may be received in Intertions, to build dams and promote state shipment which have been forestation projects In the Interest" manufactured or produced by labor It Is a working more than els hours in any of relieving unemployment plan which will take day, or more than five days In any years to work out, but If a plan Is week. -- .and-stgn- - ' cd, A. E, Overion, assistant secretary of the board of trade, whose specialty Is tariffs and International jade relations. - DU ES1PKNT- - ROOSEVELT'S tnTP tation to Japan to Join the trade and political conferences iq Washington has caused a complete change In the attitude of Japan toward America practically overnight Friends of America express Jubilation, seeing the first ray of hope for the return of relations between the two nations to the friendly state ex Istlng before the Mukden Incident on September 18, 1931. , 153. Wttr Nwi;pr ITr-lo- backwash has set up from enactment of the emergency banking A law. That statute Backwash From broadened th Banking Law power of the Federal Reserve banka and allowed them to' discount certain types of commercial paper nol heretofore eligible to be received for discounting. Since that w as done, Washington la hearing from all parts of the ctuairv to the Effect .ftiaULHve Jed,. eral Reserve banks are to be al lowedlto ...discount- - practically -- !! kinds of commercial paper. Incorporate! cities and towns ought to be allowed tofdiscount tax warrants and otter obligations of the municipalities. Nearly every day resolutions to that effect are received in consrrois from some municipality. From a local standpoints ttie proposl Ion Is one that ts difficult to deny The answer Is simple, however, from the .standpoint of ns tlonal policy. Heroines America Wisdom Thrift a Blessing National Topics Interpreted by William CX 11. Bell SyadleM. By LOUISE M. COMSTOc WNU Service. By ED HOWE. HAVE been reading Hendrik Van Loon's new geography In which oceans seem only magnified big creeks, made In tbe same way as the little creeks In every neighborhood the children fish and swim n, and the county commissioners bridge. The book. Is devoted mainly to the physical charcterlstlcs of tbe world : to the good or bad luck the people of different countries drew as the mountains and rivers finally settled down, and became fit for human .habitation. "From a geographical point of view," aaya the writer, a foreigner, "America is almost everything that could possibly be desired, and bad most luck of all. Nothing Is lacking. Climate and soil the best; the rivers, mountains and plains happened to fall Into the best possible arrangement for tbe Times are convenience of men. could nature so as but far hard, In ns Its huge haphazard and oblige careless way, It did better In America than elsewhere. So that Is settled again; If we go to the devil we should at least Tbe condition growing out of the be fair enough to admit that we had emergency banking act Insofar as It a better chance than any other has developed the people. backwash of de-d mands for addi Leaders There are all sorts of opinions tional discount- about me. O. O. McIntyre even goes ing privilege demonstrates probably so far as to say : "His publication Is better than any other circumstance filled wltq tolerance and wisdom now at band as to the and not vflth indignation. Im - not very Indignant ; Ive policy so many alleged leaders have adopted. Here In congress, and else- finally discovered that whatever is where throngbout the country there happening has happened before, and has been a continual outcropping of was Intended to happen. A good movements which seek to promote gentleman who. edits the most foolaction by the Federal government ish of all sudi publication writes: without consideration for the fu- "Never does the bnman soul appear ture. The bulk of them seem not so strong and noble as when It foreto take Into thought that ultimate- goes revenge, and dare forgive an ly the obligations thus created have injury." I have no soul but I foreto be paid at some time in the fu- go revenge, and forgive Injuries, ture. every day. Did I not, I should have Of coarse, there always has been by this time shot a good many peomerit In the argument that the ple. At to wisdom, there Is not much present conditions will eventually as of end and that what we know It Such as there la is available prosto and consists In admitting huIn that will all again prevail perity event. It Is explained, some of tbe man and world faults, and doing a burden ought to be shared. The little better with them. same argument was presented many times In congress respecting the reWhat la the object of saving? daction of the war debt It was Nearly always to provide for sickbeld during the treasury adminis- ness, old age; to educate children; tration of Secretary Mellon that he to provide the comforts of life; to was paying off the debt too fast; build better homes, business houses, that some of the burden ought to schools and roads. Can there be be passed on to future generations honest objection to any such efforts? because they share the benefits of Is not a man with savings a better World war vlrtory, and that Is quite and more useful citizen than his correct, in the view of all observ- neighbor who Is always a commuers here. Yet, no country and no nity problem? Why, then, the genpeople who have persisted In re- eral disposition to criticize the frumaining everlastingly In debt have gal thrifty man? Is not such survived unless they had paid off Course denial of a worthy principle their debts. we teach our children? In every she Right now the wisdom of the Mel- mother's talk to her children ' of includes Is tbe Importance lon thrift evident policy Had not the national debt, which Life Is a very serious business; we amounted rooghly to $24,000,000,000 know saving Is as Important as Inwhen Secretary Mellon took charge, dustry, or politeness, or fairness, or been rapidly reduced, the federal temperance. Every useful develop-men-t In the community or nation is government never could have met the drain of deficits like It has In due to men who work diligently, and the last three years. The tax bur- save something. When parents say den, aside from running expense to a boy: "Become a good man, for the government, would have they mean thrift, also. been beyond comprehension of the American people. So. apparently Probably no man ever had a without attempting to analyze their friend be did not hate a little; wa programs from the perspective of are all so constituted by nature no the. future, many of these breeders one can possibly entirely approve of idea are willing to establish of ua. themselves, as community benefactors or nr tlonal statesmen by postRecently I was watching a Salvaponing, the Inevitable evil days of tion army service on the streets, and noted that all the participants payment. I have discussed these plans and were young. One fellow In uniform the philosophy they Involve with a was about twenty-twyears old and good many senators and representa- a perfect ' physical specimen. Most tives In congress. Privately, except of the women were young, also, and In a few Instances, they admit the there was little talk about religion most of It was about putting a fallacy of spending now and paying in the future If there is any other dollar on the drum. way to accomplish necessary ends. When an old womanla In the Publicly,- - bowevertbeytnay make much noise In support of such company of a young and pretty girl things as the discounting of munld she Is disposed to hover around the pal tax warrants or bonds or other younger woman, and hear again the obligations, because they think their sweet things men once said to her. i people want them to support such things. Farmersthemselves are disposed to bow low In the presence of the The corps of Washington tews-- ' mighty town men, yet a Russian paper correspondents Is sortfr put- farmer called Rasputin went to the sled over the capital of his country, and soon problem-- , of ..the became Its. most prominent, citizen. Puzzled newest addition Tbe czar and empress made him an About Moses to their ranks. Intimate. When a Russian wanted H. former Republic- a favor from the czar be applied Moses, George an senator from New Hampshire, to Rasputin. who looked lito tbe has turned' reporter after many merits of the case and decided.. "You aristocrats, Rasputin said to years In the senate. It Is not that the regular cor- - them, ."have no sense. Apply to me respondents JcarJhe competition of for K. Onh historian says that Mr. Moses In 'the regular run - of had not Rasputin been ill at a Two reasons stand out why this sort of discounting should not be done: L If unlimited powers were sccorded the Federal Reserve banks In this direction, soon 'the Federal Reserve banks would be carrying the entire burden of municipal Indebtedness. - There would be no attempt to market their securities elsewhere. 2. .If the Federal Reserve banks were authorized to take such paper, many municipalities would be under no check or inhibition against spending; they could run high, wide and handsome, In carrying out local Improvements or local schemes without having to reckon their payment at this time. So It becomes obvious that to permit such discounts, sooner or later those towns' and cities wnlch failed to live within their Income would be compelled to harden their people with taxes far beyond the present burden. Or the Federal Reserve banks- wonld have to lose and the currency Issued against those warrants and other obligations would be worthless. J . . -- - Short-Sighte- , . short-sighte- d Anne Royall ARMED with umbrella o - ' from advantages which he holds at by one of the crowds of town worn-th- e very beginning. As a former Jen who ran after him) Russia would senator, Mr. Moses Is entitled to en- (have been spared Its present fate; Tirm-iUramthe; which no other writer haand that t the empress, any of the -- and tSeblsfi- tt senators while princes' of lhebIodd,' chat with the op 0f the cjjurch, anyof or any of tbe other members of the press gal , ending business men of the cap-er-y either rnust look on proceed lul, wIsh flnd .ngs from their seats In the gallery lnjthfu, of llfe but Kasputin'a or await, the. convenience of any in the present state of literature, I senator cannot hope to flnd it Many books The senators nearly alwavs respond h... him (1 have to a request for an Interview, sent seen s list of forty), but all are too them hy a page, but In the ut i fully written, and Mng, all too ordinary reporters "cool call him saint or devil The real their heels, man Is to come. of 151. Wtra Nwppr Cnlo. - story jtlie cr. n trihan , mean-t'uueHi- a(! of books she offers sale, an active tongue, an Ing vocabulary and the court her own convictions, Ann i waa a striking and In mun; heroic figure In the Washing, the early days of the Repub!. whom congressmen stood in , whom social leaders, t it JSt t face, addressed with respect. ' During the Revolutionary when Anne was still a little ahe waa captured by the Indian, lived with them for fifteen j, When she was at length set she married Capt. William fi a wealthy and eccentric land,i When the captain died, his pro;, willed to Anne, was to other relatives ( end of a long and bitter isr Pennllesa, and fifty four yean Anne aet' out for Washing claim a pension as widow of t lntlonary officer. In this extremity. Anne ogg forfcet ber- - troubles by settjmt her Impressions and views. Ds a winter In Alexandria, shs piled them Into her first "Sketches of History. Lift Manners of the United Statet the spring she continued to tt Ington, met President Adami set out on a difficult journey tb Pennsylvania. New York and England to collect advance sutu tlons for It and material for ft writings. The book was pub: In New Haven, In 1826, ani "faster than tbe binder could tbe copies" Followed four books In which Anne drew and not always flattering p! of the personages of the da aired ber distaste for certali leal movements with such that her enemies eventually out a band of small boys ts ber house and bad her tndlr a "common scold and fined r Tbe next year, afire with It: v tlon, tbe an old purchased printing pr with the aid of a Journeymsai er set herself cp as editor tm! contributor to Washington' est scandal sheet, a small called at first tbe "Wasblngb Pry" and later "The Bat: Anne became the watchdog gress No piece of corrupt! la tlon. no hint of political kx but found Its way to her coins In 1848. when Anne wns petute, eighty, the finally granted Bnt It wain ty pension at best, and ha years, until her death in. ISM. spent In poverty ' She hai called the grandmother i muckrakers. a , ii nevertb-awarde- long-delay- nl h ?! e n ( rT The Molly debt-payin- g r 20 American g of-dai- s sources. "Such use. If envisioned In Its entirety, said the President In his siessage.transcendsmere power levelopment; it enters the wide Beld of flood control, soil erosion, afforestation, elimination from agriculture use of marginal lands, and distribution and diversification of. Industry. la shor- t- this power idevelop- cent of war days leads logically to national planning for a complete river - watershed Involving many liates and the future lives and welfare of millions. It touches and gives life to all forms of human soncerns. therefore, suggest to the cone gress legislation to create a. a corporavalley authority tion clothed with the power of but possessed of the flexiand Initiative of a private enbility terprise. -- ... Howe About: on the farm relief bill by a controversy price-fixin- Secretary Roper Offers Plan for Big Cut in Commerce Department Expenses; Congress Tackles Legislation for Relief of Small Home Owners.4 veloping THURSDAY, APRIL THE WEEKLY REFLEX Page 2 Pitcher" Illinois were her ancestf WHAT maiden name Is unt She waa born on a farm near In McLean county, Illinois. the Civil war In the Army Frontier she was known sis; Mrs. Davidson, but because heroic part Id the Battle i rle Grove, Arkansas, she entitled to a more der name, "The Molly Pitcher ir v C Ji lu I - nola. i On December 7, 18G2, the f s t. 0 erate general Hindman fell tbe third division of tbe forces In Arkansas Tbe F kansas cavalry, acting as guard, was at breakfast v Grayjacketa swept down up and within few minutes the horsemen were In wild fllgK they, stampeded toward tl they were met by the Ninety Illinois InfaDtry, McLean own." led by CoL John Mc.S Presently, amid the disor colonel espied a woman. Pi mounted on a fine horse. F demon! pleading with--thto turn and fight She had an ambulance and a driver, ently under perfect controLJ her so cool and braverCW ' Nnlta rode forward and about tbe situation ahead, ply ,was a scathing denF of tbe officers and men of1 away regiment "My husband la surgeon 1 outfit, . she said grimlycharge of this ambulantt him take care of .the wou . tbe way they're running, tbe be any wounded to. care Colonel McNulta waved toward tbe Ninety-fourtdown the road In perfedj E 10 lit ed fee ill iy. t e nd R e " - f. r -- T'eTnEeefrThrrmnff 8 well take care of thiem. "These men wont run. ?5Ybit troops sre these 7 ed tbe woman. -- ,.!The Nlnety fourth III W "Illinois boys!" she e5 1 Joyfully. "Illinois boys! run I" And she wheeled about made a perfect lute, and said. Tome slon ' show yon where the enetnj lo;f , As the result of her the Ninety fourth was thk the onrush of the Confedr til General Blunts force and saved the day for ' army. ' , C. lilt (1 |