Show Bruc Bru karts charts washington digest official washington ton Is watching europe events with uneasy eye state department voices disgust of american people at hillers dastardly actions our national resources of war materials should be developed Develop pd by WILLIAM BRUCKART service national press washington D 0 washington obviously official cial washington as indeed the whole world has been watching what has been going on in europe in the last lew few weeks they have been watching with more uneasiness more genuine fear how littler hitler has been expanding the reich seizing crushing steeling stealing new territory subjugating new peoples as his insane ambition leads him on and on those charged with official responsibility have watched because there can be no mistake about the dangers inherent in this wild remaking ot of the map ot of the world our government has had the courage to speak out through its department of state it has sold said the hitler action in overpowering the peoples ot of europe the minority races Is a dastardly thing there was nothing else that could be done about it secretary null hull and under secretary welles of the department of state have left no doubt in the minds of other na nations eions however that we as a people are angry about what hitler has done but again we can do nothing more than protest because the united states has no business going to war over some other nations troubles but while our state department has been getting on record with its disgust and there has been a great todo to do about strengthening our national defense just in case trouble would break out and involve u us washington bureaucrats and some selfish elements in congress have been tolling foiling correction of our greatest weakness president roosevelt has used his most patriotic voice to force action by congress in development of airplanes for defense in construction of now new battlo battle boats and has moved strongly for production of equipment guns gains and the like strategic war materials that must be developed but with all orthis of this hullabaloo we have not heard nor seen any plans for development of our national deposits of raw materials which ore are used in the stock pile of war resources it might not be so important were it not a fact that a score or more of these materials have to be imported I 1 regret the necessity for being so bold but it Is proper to say that our war and navy departments part ments have advanced not a single program or even a thought as to how this nation could gain certain raw materials it if we were to be involved in a war that would cut off importation of 0 them the war deportment department has prepared a 0 list of some of these strategic war materials and it has listed some of the most important such as nickel un tin manganese rubber etc that la Is as far as it has gone it is true and the swivel chair officers will stress the tact fact that congress passed a law a few years back baak that was designed to encourage american production of these essen it was called popularly the buy american act it even went so far as to afford authority for payment of premiums up to 25 per cent above foreign quotations in order that american capital would go to work hero here on those essentials but has anything resulted from it tho the records answer no A congressional committee also lately has answered no by drafting another bill to encourage production in the united states of these war essentials the house committee on military affairs has reported a bill which chairman may hopes will do the work but even chairman mayis may is doubtful of its success lie is doubtful because as he said when the tha bureaucrats in the executive branch 04 0 the government do not want vant to encourage domestic produs i uon they simply sit in their chairs and swing their feet back and forth officials unwilling to learn from other nations those Those fellows in the executive departments part ments apparently are unwilling to learn from other nations either cither I 1 came into possession of a document for fo example that made a confidential report to the national emer gency council more mora than a year ago it tolda told that the british government had stored in warehouses enough nickel and tin tor for a three years years supply to be used by industries manufacturing war materials tills this was done by tho the british government notwithstanding the fact that london is the seat of the great international nickel corporation which owns the largest nickel mines in the world and does 88 per percent cent of the worlds world 8 trade in nickel the british thought it was wise to have the essential material available when and if needed and it had that conviction even with the largest nickel mine known now located on british territory at suds worth ontario canada further according to that report the british were unwilling to leave the mal main n nickel refinery nery on united states soil it was moved to a canadian spott where according to it would be out of distance of any long loni range guns the british royal commission which made the study added that while they and the united states are friendly and none can see any reason for that friendship ever to be disturbed no man can forecast the future the shortage of nickel sold said the report might be a weakness sufficient to determine the issue of a war I 1 discussed this question of war essentials with various members of the house representative murdock of arizona representative francis case of south dakota representative of nevada among others to a man they sold said that the will of congress was being thwarted by bureaucrats who are unwilling to encourage american industry mr for instance a former governor of his state slate and a mining man told how the bureau of mines hod had reported there was no worthwhile nickel deposits in alaska the same agency has found no reason to encourage american capital to develop manganese deposits in the united states mr case has been trying to get congressional action on measures to get some use of the metal deposits of south dakota but always selfish corporate interests seeing no further ahead than the point of their red noses have stalled the programs pleads for money to develop mineral Rc resources sources mr murdock also a mining man made a plea on the floor of the house the other day for congress to provide some money enabling realistic procedure with respect to our unknown and undeveloped metal resources so that we would know in in case of war if for no other reason since my school boy days saad d mr murdock in house debate 1 I have been told that alaska is a treasure house of natural wealth and economic resources I 1 believe we have been and are overlooking that tact fact in our dealing with that far off corner olour of our country I 1 feel that we ought to develop those resources we ought to know more about them mr air murdocks statement causes me to ask the question since it is ii our national policy at present at least to spend billions of dollars under the guise of making work why not designate some few of the mil tons ions for worthwhile national development reference was made the other day to testimony given two years ago before the senate finance committee I 1 looked it up and found that the late francis P garvan then president of the chemical foundation had caused an investigation to be made of alaskan metal resources the report brought in by a wisconsin university professor who did the searching and digging on the ground makes one wonder what undercurrent of influence influent e has prevented the development of metal claims such as nickel and tin up there very few of the national legislators isla tors knew of the testimony buying for reserves would start brand new indest industries ries tn in my conversations among rocky mountain congressmen I 1 could not avoid the conclusion that capital funds hold held in the united states will not be put to work on such things without some encouragement from officials in washington I 1 know that some representatives and senators are of the opinion that the federal government ought to offer to buy these war essentials here and disregard foreign sources they believe that a commitment to buy for reserves it if made by the federal government ern ment would start brand new industries dus tries go going ingin in many many parts of the united states all of the while however we have the bureau of mines and the war department sitting S it back and making it hard for americans to develop america tills this whole situation would be hardly worth analyzing were it not tor for the fi facts cis 1 I the federal government is spending billions for defense along with other billions that are being wasted and 2 it Is a measure of safety to have all or as much as possible of odthe the things we would need in event of war where they can be handled by americans for americans and anait it is 13 more important too because numerous reports lepor ts have reached washington in the last year to the effect that german or belgian or british capitalists have been making overtures to holders oi of american mining claims for operating leases on properties that yield such things as essential war metals it Is my belief that sooner or later congress will learn that the bureaucracy which it created has wasted too much time it will learn that foreigners own all of the metal resources here and we will be b buy uy ing hack back the finished material at the prices foreign monopoly cares to establish just as we wa are now buying nickel 0 News newspaper piper union |