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Show SCANNING THE WEEK'S NEWS of Main Street and the World Allied Officials Again Expressing Belief Talks On 'Smooth' Footing HOPEFUL SPECULATION As the UN and Red Korean negotiators resumed efforts for a cease-fire agenda at Kaesong (without the "protection" "pro-tection" of the armed Communist guards), Allied officials expressed the belief that the problem of getting something on the agenda would be quickly solved. There were hints that the talks were going smoother after the lay-off and the situation was more relaxed. The man on the American streets, however, was not too full of optimism. opti-mism. Those who had followed the criss-cross, tic-tat-toe pattern of the war and the inevitable breakdown of the initial conferences knew that there was no available sounding board to gauge the pattern of events in Korea. Most Main Street citizens approved the action of Admiral C. Turner Joy, senior UN delegate, in refusing to continue the negotiations until certain cer-tain Allied rights were recognized. The spark of aggressiveness offered hope that, years hence, we might ask one another who won the war in Korea. LET'S CHECK THE RECORD Administration forces and Truman backers on Capitol Hill started off the week with an eye to the 1952 elections elec-tions and a beckoning gesture to the voting public on Main street. Realizing the pressure from Republicans and anti-administration forces, the parties-in-power felt it wiser to get everything possible in the way of economic control bills in order to prepare some manner of checklist check-list for the voting public. The Administration decided to move quickly for final action on the new defense-production measure, in whatever form it could be shuttled through to replace the original law which expired June 30; is currently in force only tWrough Congressional resolution. The law carries powers for wage and price control, materials allocation, and other measures. Party leaders only hoped they would not have to compromise too much and too often to get the results. REASONABLE CEILINGS The long-awaited Washington explosion came in the House as the battle over federal authority to roll back prices opened with loud fanfare. The Administration's willingness to compromise went for naught as farm-area congressmen balked like the proverbial mule. Before the debate got under way, minority leader Martin and Republican Repub-lican Wolcott (Mich.) leveled charges that the Administration hoped to load the pending control bill with pet "socialistic schemes ... to sneak in the thoroughly discredited Brannan farm plan through a system of so-called production subsidies." Administration forces sought the compromise by offering an amendment amend-ment to retain the present 10 per cent rollback on live beef prices, but forego other farm rollbacks. Farm bloc speaker Cooley (D., N.C.) however, how-ever, suggested a ban on all farm-price rollbacks including the one already al-ready made on beef. Cox (D., Ga.) went further seeking to bar all price rollbacks; on industrial goods as well as farm products. The hopes of the Administration thus lay in finding a way to woo the farm-area congressmen and also take advantage of the House Republican leaders' promise to help pass a law that will keep prices "within reason." UNPROVEN ANGEL In New York a federal judge gave evidence that life is becoming tough for Communist leaders in the U.S.; for the. second time in a week, the Civil Rights Congress was outlawed as a bondsman in federal court. The dozen-and-two were already out on bond made by CRC, the Red's angel, but Judge Ryan held the Congress had failed to show clear title to bonds; ordered them to find another angel or come back to jail. MANDATORY SENTENCES In Washington the House came through with overdue attention to the narcotics problem, voicing approval of a bill requiring mandatory jail sentences for narcotics-law violators. The measure, Senate-bound, provides for one to five year sentences for first offenders; five to ten years for second offenders; and a 10 to 30 year term for three-time losers. The law would apply to both peddlers and addicts; should be a strong weapon to fight one of the nation's grave problems. Across the country parents, after watching with growing horror the dope probes and hearings, expressed the hope that here was a strong axe to keep the narcotic wolf from the family threshold. AN EYE FOR AN EYE The United States lashed back at Hungary for the expulsion of two American envoys from Budapest two weeks ago; ordered that nation to call home two top diplomats, Peter Varkonyi, legation lega-tion "attachee and Lajos Nagy, charge d' affaires. Varkonyi was to leave "immediately," Nagy as soon as new minister Emil Weil could present his credentials. , The move was retaliation for the expulsion of American envoys and other pressure that had caused cessation of U.S. information and educational educa-tional activities in Hungary. It marked, however, a new low in diplomatic relations between the two countries relations that had seemed improved recently by the release of American businessman Robert A. Vogler. AND THE RAINS CAME As the week began, the most costly flood in the history of the nation moved East from Kansas City along the Missouri Mis-souri river, leaving the gateway to the Southwest strangled with slowly receding waters. Residents along a 400 mile waterway counted the damages. 75,000 or more had been left homeless, 400,000 more otherwise affected. Losses were estimated close to the billion dollar mark, nearly twice as much as that in the 1937 Ohio and Mississippi rivers floods. NO SIGNIFICANCE Navy spokesmen in Washington declared there was "no special significance" in Admiral Forrest Sherman's conferences with Franco in Spain, although sources reported that the U.S. officer sought the use of navy bases in Spain for the U.S. Sixth Mediterranean Fleet. Britain ' and France, opposing admission of Spain into the 12-nation Atlantic Pact, came into the open against the U.S. -Franco ties, said only the Communists stood to gain anything. Uncle Sam, however, seemed to be envisioning a limited role for Spain in the future Western defense efforts! Supply and demand: Franco needs arms and ammunition, America Amer-ica wants naval and air bases. - ST. C-Vcta I?:; ! ' -r T 1 ' i ; -! 1 ilv i t I - J h : ! ' f 1 I 'f r - 1 i 7 , - . ' - ; . 4 v , , -s y...... - , J..., -...r-W. J....v.v.v.v....A..r.v.. .M.v... Let Us Search for Peace General Matthew B. Ridgway (second from right) bids farewell to the five United Nations delegates as they prepare to return to Kaesong cease-fire conferences, from left are Admiral Burke, Mai. Gen. L. C. Craigie, Maj. Gen. Paik Sun Yup, Vice Admiral C. Turner Joy, senior delegate, Ridgway, and Maj. Gen. H. I. Hodes, 8th Army. |
