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Show I HlMllMWrl CAPITAL A GIANINGS4k Li n ii IKIM I -Henry Uworshakf,fm j YOUR CONGRESSMAN JgEfiJ81ll Proclaiming an unlimited nation- I emergency, the president's ap II to the nation on May 27 has eated speculation in the capital ovcr ,vlmt steps may now be expected ex-pected in his crusade for freedom (speech and expression, freedom o religious worship, freedom, from ffant, and freedom from fear. Emergency powers of the president presi-dent lodged in scores of statutes enacted over a century and a half, are extremely broad and inclusive, aid assume control over shipping, transportation facilities, communications, communi-cations, power houses, dams, and reservoirs, if not the entire business busi-ness and industrial life of the nation. na-tion. A limited emergency had already al-ready been in existence, so that it Is questionable .whether or not any additional powers may now be invoked. in-voked. Defense of "freedom of the seas" was proclaimed by the president, as well as a. national policy resisting resist-ing any aggression toward the Western hemisphere. Americans were informed that "our patrols are helping now to insure delivery of the needed supplies to Britain. All additional measures necessary to deliyer the goods will he taken." le then, said any further methods which should be utilized ''are being be-ing devised by our military and naval tephnicians, who, with me, will fork. Rut and put into effect such new and additional safeguards as may te ufeeded.'' well as assurances of no peactirae blackout of civil liberties. The house this week passed legislation leg-islation extending for two years the . $2,0110,000,000 ' currency stahili-; stahili-; zalion fund, mid the presidents 'power to revalue the dollar. The ; house also approved a hill granting I the Reconstruction Finance Cor-, Cor-, poration a 1,500,000, Ouo increase in lending authority. The National Nutrition conference, confer-ence, held here the past week "is the opening gun in a real new or-'der or-'der based on physical well-being, ejual opportunity and freedoi,) of the soul," according to Vice President Presi-dent Wallace. The keynote of the conference was that American's are under-nourished. "At least a fourth of our families not on; relief have poor diets, and at least three fourths of us do not have really satisfactory diets, althon.s'h we have the resources to produce all our people need for bettor nii'r'-tion," nii'r'-tion," declared Secretary Wickard at this conference. He also urged better marketing locesses and community planning so that the farmer will have available the prod, ucts he himself produces. t Secretary Perkins reported non-agricultural non-agricultural employment increased by 390,000 between March and April, to reach an all-time high ol 37,017,000. This total exceeded the previous high reached in September, Septem-ber, 1929, by '147,000 and represented represent-ed a gain of 2, 735,000 workers over 1940. The most significant pha-e of the address was the complete disregard dis-regard of Congress, and its constitutional consti-tutional responsibilities in providing provid-ing for the common defense. This, In itself, is not particularly serious, but congress js the only memm (or reflecting the will of the people. peo-ple. Some contend that the president presi-dent did not go far enough in his address, which is reported as neing disappointing to Britain. If this l the fact, observers in the capital capi-tal declare that it was because public sentiment is known to be definitely against involvement of Wis country! as an active 'belligerent 'belliger-ent In the war. Notwithstanding the unlimited emergency, a state of war has not teen declared, and therefore the American people are still free to exercise constitutional rights, to m meetings, to speak or write If? tnP Wfed States being liken Into var; tf) petition their representatives to stand against w, and to hold mass meetings and adopt resolutions. Many be- eve there will be greater unH.y this country if the people and Sress are given more informa-'Jtbout informa-'Jtbout their government, as The labor section of the office of the under secretary of war has announced that strikes on army orders since January have resulted re-sulted in the loss of 2,023,716 man-days man-days of employment. Experts estimated es-timated the time lost was sufficient suffi-cient to produce 44,500 Garand semi-automatic rifles, or 13,800 50- caliber auti aircraft guns, or 285 tanks, the department said. As I of May 2G, there were 25,800 men on strike the office reported. 5 1 1 Agricultural interests won their skirmish with the president to gain greater recognition for producers and a larger share of the national income ,when he signed, on May 20, the commodity loan bill providing', provid-ing', 85 per cent parity loans on cotton, cot-ton, corn., wheat, rice;, aqd tobacco. Loans, parity, payments, and soil conservation payments should help Lo stabilize farm cash income, aided aid-ed by increased purchasing power in, the cities. In observance of the close of the first year of the defense effort, Directors KtiiHlserj ani( Ilillinan staled they wi?i'G not satisfied with , accomplishments to date. 1'he ' former declared that 1,625 projects for new industrial facilities have been started by the government, private industry, and the British at a total cost of $.2.'40,OOO,0OO, and contracts totaling $15,200,0(10,000 have been plqct;d will) industry and government arsenals. The total to-tal of defense expenditures authorized author-ized and allocated in the past year amount to $41,000,000,000 about $310 for every man, woman and child In the country. Purchasing Director Nelson stated we must be prepared (o (liVf.it, a large proportion propor-tion of consumer goods to defense, even if that does Jolt, our famous standard of living. |