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Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS j Berlin Srisis Hears Showdown; First Peacetime Draft Begins; Special Session Opens Sampaigr 1 By Bill Schoentgen, WNU Staff Writer ' (EDITOR'S NOTE: When opinions arc expressed In these columns, they are those of Western Newspaper Union'B news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.) fa sr -u Wh i 1 - ' ' V ' ' ib rt! 1 CRACKDOWN: On Reds Uneasiness over the foreign situation sit-uation was reflected in two actions directed against subversive elements ele-ments on the home front. In the greatest crackdown in history his-tory on the Communist party in this country, a special federal grand jury in New York indicted 12 party leaders on charges of conspiring con-spiring and agitating to overthrow the U. S. government and of being members of a party which threatens threat-ens overthrow of the government. The special grand jury to delve into Communist activity was created creat-ed in June, 1947, by order of Atty. Gen. Tom C. Clark. Included in the roundup were William Z. Foster, party chairman and several times Communist candidate can-didate for President of the U. S.; Benjamin Davis, New York City councilman; John Gates, editor of the Daily Worker, and several members of the Communist national na-tional board. Almost simultaneously, charges that several hundred foreign agents have used the United Nations to cover subversive activities here were hurled by state department representatives at a senate commit tee hearing. - Robert C. Alexander, assistant chief of the department's visa commission, com-mission, declared that some of the agents were employees of the Unit ed Nations or came here in some way related to the U. N. Such persons per-sons are covered by the international interna-tional immunities act passed in 1945. Surprised at the charges, United Nations officials insisted that it was up to the state department to back up the charges with facts. A check on nationalities of U. N staff members showed that of i total of 2,944 there were 1,463 for eigners. From the "iron curtain' countries there were 108, but man. were appointed before the change o governments put their homeland: Into the Russian sphere. NOT YET BUT SOON Josh sergeant now but just wait a few months! Eductions would begin, but they are not expected to start before October 1. The first draftee, it is indicated, will be 25, unmarried and a non-veteran. non-veteran. Registration dates specified by Mr. Truman for each age follow: The oldest group, meaning men born in 1922 after August 30, 1922, will be registered on Monday, August 30. Men born in 1923, August 31 and September 1. Men born in 1924, September 2 and 3. Men born in 1925, September 4 and 7. Men born in 1926, September 8 and 9. Men born in 1927, September 10 and 11. Men born in 1928, September 13 and 14. Men born in 1929, September 15 and 16. Men b.orn in 1930 before September Septem-ber 19, September 17 and 18. The proclamation stated that youths born after September 19, 1930, will register on their eighteenth eight-eenth birthday, or within five days thereafter. About 1,200,000 youths come into this category yearly. CAMPAIGN: Advanced With the kickoff advanced six weeks through President Truman's action in calling congress back into special session, the American people are in for one of the most heated and intensive presidential campaigns in recent history. The whole political calendar has been advanced this year. The President's opening message to the recalled congress signaled the initial ini-tial salvo in the campaign, which will be in full swing until the November balloting. Normally; national candidates wait until after Labor day before entering into thorough-going discussion dis-cussion of the issues of the campaign. cam-paign. This year's campaign also became be-came more involved with the addition addi-tion of third and fourth parties to the field. Although its ticket of Henry Wallace Wal-lace for president and Glenn Taylor for vice president was in the field month ago, third party adherents followed the Republicans and Democrats Demo-crats to Philadelphia for their nominating convention. Rebellious southern Democrats, after walking out on their regular party conclave, gathered in Birmingham, Bir-mingham, Ala., to enter a fourth party in the field. Heading the states' rights ticket are Gov. J. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina Caro-lina for president and Gov. Fielding Field-ing L. Wright of Mississippi for vice president. The states' rights Democrats have shown their greatest strength in Alabama and Mississippi, where a combined 20 electoral votes are pledged against Mr. Truman. BERLIN: Showdown The old familiar pattern of just one crisis after another in the cold war between Russia on the one hand and the western Allies on the other was being repeated again in the Berlin showdown. But an uneasy un-easy world watched , anxiously, fearful that at any moment some crisis might explode into actual warfare. Urgency of the Berlin crisis resulted re-sulted in the recall of Gen. Lucius D. Clay, U. S. military commander command-er in Germany, and his top political politi-cal adviser, Ambassador Robert Murphy, for a first-hand report on the situation. Clay conferred with President Truman, State Secretary Marshall and Army Secretary Royall on means of carrying out the American Ameri-can government's intention to stay in Berlin despite the concerted Russian Rus-sian drive to force the western powers out. The official line was laid down by Secretary Marshall who said that while the United States would not be "coerced or intimidated" by the Russian blockade of Berlin, the administration ad-ministration nevertheless will "proceed "pro-ceed to reach an acceptable solution solu-tion to avoid the tragedy of war." Although rumors that the Berlin blockade might prove the spark that would enkindle fighting warfare war-fare permeated official quarters, the U. S. position appeared to be that this country hopes to avoid war. However, if the Russians are determined to cause more serious trouble at Berlin, this government is determined to resist force with force. It is equally determined to avoid taking any step which might make the situation more serious as long as negotiation and other diplomatic means remain open. There' will be many more talks, much painstaking deliberation among the western powers in connection con-nection with the exchange of notes regarding the Berlin blockade, irretrievably ir-retrievably linked up as it is with the over-all German settlement. Marking the high water mark in the deepening Berlin crisis and lending emphasis to the determination determina-tion to back up its policy that ; American troops will not . leave Berlin, the United States dispatched powerful reinforcements to its air arm in strife-torn Europe. A big question 'mark still concerned con-cerned Russia's ultimate objectives. Was the KTemlin merely trying to drive the Allies out of Berlin or was this but another step in the fundamental funda-mental objective of moving the iron curtain inexorably westward, country coun-try by country, until it embraced the whole heartland of Europe? ( DRAFT: ' Blows Strong America's first draftees 1948 style are going to be whisked into uniform so fast they won't know what hit them. The draft proceedings will start rolling Monday, August 30, when the first of 9,500,000 youths will register. Registrations will continue con-tinue on 17 designated days extending extend-ing to September 18. From these millions of men, volunteer draft boards throughout the nation will select the manpower to match the material build-up of air, land and sea forces called for under the rearmament program. Military men are set to welcome the first draftees into their ranks any time after September 22. Under the law actual drafting cannot start until that date. The presidential proclamation setting the registration registra-tion dates did not specify when in- STRAW: Stack of Money There are potential stacks o money in the stacks of straw whicl annually go to waste on U.S. farms Although the paper industry offer; a large potential market for thi . product, farmers last year burner or did not use about 38 million ton: of straw, according to department of agriculture estimates. Recent technical advances hav made possible a large expansion o' the market for straw. It has beet found suitable for blending wit! wood pulp to make fine papers anr also can be used in the manufactur of various insulating building board products. Principal industrial use for straw at present is in mak ing corrugated strawboard, which is used as a liner in cartons and boxes. Some straw also is used foi coarse grades of wrapping paper Research by the department oi agriculture laboratory at Peoria. IH, indicates that straw pulp can be substituted for 25 to 40 per cent of the wood pulp now used in fine and specialty papers. The strawboard industry was established es-tablished in this country around 1900, when wheat was harvested with binders and threshed. Every wheat farm then had its straw stack and the straw could be baled. When the combine harvester came into general use, most of the straw stacks disappeared. Development of pickup balers, however, once again have made straw collection on the farm a practical operation. In normal times, it is estimated, the farmer may add 8 to 20 per cent to his cash income from wheat by collecting and selling the straw. WAR: Still Costs The costs of war continue long after the battles cease. A grateful Uncle Sam already has expended 8 billion, .223 million dollars to returning re-turning veterans during the first four years of the G.I. bill of rights. Veterans' administration reports. Accounting for that total were 14 million, 300 thousand "benefits." It is impossible to determine the exact number of World War II veterans vet-erans who shared in this payment. FOOD: Consumes Dough Confirming suspicions which housewives house-wives have held for many months, department of commerce analysts reported that food stores easily get a bigger part of the retail dollar npw than any other business. Food stores are doing far better than before be-fore the war by taking in 27.6 cents of each dollar spent in retail channels. chan-nels. In 1940, by comparison, their share was 23.5 cents, according to jthe report. |
