| Show WEEKLY LY NEWS NEW'S ANALYSIS BY JOSEPH W. W LaB LaBINE JIVE Belligerents Tighten Pressure On Lesser Neutral Coun Countries tries tries Rumania Veers Back to Allies EDITORS EDITOR'S NOTE NOTE When When opinions are expressed in these columns they are arc those of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper Released by Western Newspaper Union Unton EUROPE Pressure on Oil the Neutrals ell traT s Of all the lesser European states whose princes and presidents were straddling fences none was busier than Rumania's King Carol The Rumanian pendulum which for Cor six months has swung from pro-Nazi pro to pro-ally pro and back again took a definite swing to the allies again But it was all a result of pressure First Carol had levied a 25 per percent percent percent cent export tax on oil When Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many had disapproved Carol had hadS S j 4 pi Ii KING CAROL He lie hoped loped for the best agreed to ship 41 per cent of his 1940 oil production to the Reich The allies which own 50 per cent of Rumania's oil wells disapproved that time putting the screws on Rumanian Rumanian Rumanian Ru Ru- manian imports In desperation Carol took a final step which appeased the allies but left him facing Germanys Germany's renewed wrath Banned were exports of all vital war materials including the aviation gasoline which Germany covets Meanwhile Carol called men to the colors and hoped for the best To the southeast Turkey ordered an accumulation of war supplies and placed itself on war footing while newspapers warned the public that Europe's war might soon spread to the near east Turkey was ready to march the instant an invader set foot in the Balkans Equally jittery were the Scandinavian Scandinavian Scandinavian states Norway continued protesting to Britain over the Al Altmark Alt Alt- mark incident and Swedish wrath rose over over Russian bombing of Pajala Pajala Pa- Pa jala jaIn a border town near the Finnish frontier Meanwhile the foreign ministers ministers ministers min min- of both these nations met with Denmark's foreign minister in Copenhagen Copenhagen Co Co- Copenhagen expressing cautious hopes that they might remain neutral and that the wars might soon be ended Of the three Scandinavian states only Denmark had a really good chance of staying neutral for Russia Russia Russia Rus Rus- sia was moving closer In the North Death DeathA A fierce struggle for key city on the isthmus seemed ending when the invading Russians captured Koivisto island fortress guardian to bay Meanwhile what was described as the wars war's biggest battle was reported reported reported re re- ported developing in the north far-north Petsamo region Fighting a game but losing battle in the south the Finns were mowing mowing mowing mow mow- ing down 2500 to Reds a day Not announced were their own losses which because they were defending defending defending de de- de- de fending instead of attacking probably probably probably ably were not so great In the West Speeches Unrestricted marine warfare continued continued continued con con- between Britain and Germany Germa Germa- ny but the biggest naval development development development develop develop- ment was reported from the Arctic where a French-British French naval squad squad- ron was said to be blockading Mur Mur- mansk key Russian port In London London Lon Lon- don the admiralty would neither confirm nor deny the report but such a blockade was ble German Getman ships which heretofore heretofore heretofore hereto hereto- fore have used Norwegian territorial waters in carrying war supplies to and from will thus be cut off It was also a pointed notice notice notice no no- tice to Norway that Nazi ships had best be shooed away Both Adolf Hitler and Neville Chamberlain made name-calling name speeches which cancelled each other other oth oth- er off ofT Mr Chamberlain listed for forthe forthe forthe the umpteenth time Britain's war aims which include a new German government and liberation of Czechs and Poles Herr Hitler varied varIed varied va va- ried it stating his war pre aims namely living space and return of German colonies U. U US U.S. S. S AND THE WAR First Train to Berlin Arriving at Rome Assistant Secretary Secretary Secretary Sec Sec- of State Sumner Welles began his duties as Franklin Roosevelt's special peace emissary to Europe He called on Italian Foreign Minister Minister Minister Minis Minis- ter Count Galeazzo Ciano next on Premier Benito Mussolini Then unexpectedly unexpectedly unexpectedly un un- un- un expectedly he packed his bags and hiked off for Berlin to talk with Adolf Hitler and Foreign Minister Joachim von Noting this unexpected unexpected unexpected development observers wondered wondered wondered won won- dered if II Duce had whispered Der Fuehrer's peace terms into the ear of Envoy Welles POLITICS A Another nother Al Martha artha Stamping up and down the land in late February was a politicians politician's wife whose campaigning was more effective than her husbands She was Mrs l Robert A. A Taft who for forthe forthe the moment came back to her native native native na na- na- na tive Minnesota to be introduced as I another Martha from the White House Growing in stature much faster than her able though slow- slow moving husband Mrs Taft served notice that the exciting type of First FirstI Q I l 3 t a i yM ta taA A V A V MARTHA TAFT Growing faster aster than her husband Ladyship founded by Eleanor Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt will not be forfeited if the U. U S. S names Bob Taft as its next dent Other political news C 1 Presidential primaries were proving proving proving ing a disappointment to both par par- ties Democrats found that Franklin Frank Frank- lin Roosevelt's reluctance to announce announce announce an an- his third term intentions was keeping other candidates out of the primary contests Republicans were grumbling because leading candidates candidates candidates candi candi- dates were reluctant to enter decisive decisive decisive de de- de- de candidates Only exception Wisconsin where Candidates Taft Dewey and will fight it out C Q G. G 0 P. O.-P. P. P National Committeeman Committee- Committee man Joseph Martin resigned thus intimating he has no presidential ambitions Reason His duties as G. G O. O P. P house minority leader require require require re re- re- re quire his full attention CONGRESS Battles Battle's End For three months the administration tion had held its breath over the greatest congressional battle Franklin Frank Frank- lin Roosevelt ever anticipated When it came carne the battle turned out to be bea a dud Passed by the house was a resolution to extend for three years Secretary of State Cordell Hulls Hull's reciprocal trade program The resolution was then forwarded to the senate where victory was generally pr predicted Western senators senators senators sena sena- tors would certainly fight to regain ratification power over the treaties but observers gave them no chance for success Also in congress C. C The house banking and currency committee okayed a boost in the Import Export-Import Banks Bank's capital providing funds for nonmilitary nonmilitary nonmilitary non mil loans to China and Finland Inserted were amendments 1 permitting permitting permitting per per- loans for purchase of commercial commercial commercial com com- mercial non-military non planes and 2 denying loans to any nation in default of debts to the U. U S. S C. C The senate refused overwhelmingly overwhelmingly overwhelmingly overwhelm overwhelm- an effort sponsored by Massachusetts Massachusetts' Massachusetts Massachusetts' Massachusetts Massachusetts' Mas Mas- Henry Cabot Lodge to withhold funds for the U. U S. S embassy embassy em em- bas bassy y at Moscow t AGRICULTURE Loosened Credit Last December came an nn explosion in the multi-billion multi dollar highly conservative farm Carm credit adminis adminis- Reason Secretary of Agriculture Agriculture Agriculture Ag Ag- Henry Wallace wanted to loosen credit restrictions President President President Pres Pres- ident F. F C. C Hill fearful lest investors be jeopardized protested and finally resigned A few days later fell under Henry Wallace's Wallaces Wallaces Wallace's Wallaces Wallace's Wal Wal- laces lace's sway As new chief he installed installed in in- stalled A. A G. G Black who announced recently what new program program pro pro- gram ram would be h his Major aim aimis aimis is to kee keep P farmer Carmer debtors debt ors on the d v uTy farm and protect them S BLACK CLACK against fore- fore foreA A f broad social t. t view ew closures Thus leniency will be substituted for strict banking procedure in cases where borrowers are deemed to have havea a fair chance of eventually paying their debts While Mr Black was pointing out how is now taking the broad social view several of its executives including General Counsel Counsel Counsel Coun Coun- sel Peyton Evans were resigning Meanwhile another credit setup the farm security administration announced a point five program to help out down-and-out sharecroppers get geta a new start A AVIATION Bermuda Tempest I 1 think that's a hell of oj a note note Thus exploded Missouri's Sen Harry S. S Truman when he heard about American mail seizures at Bermuda Said the unofficial story A Pan-American Pan clipper captain had been ordered at gunpoint to surrender surrender surrender sur sur- render European-bound European U. U S S. S mail to British censors Overnight a huge storm swept over congress Missouri's Sen Bennett Bennett Bennett Ben Ben- nett Champ Clark fathered a bill to stop clippers from landing at Ber Ber- muda Other senators predicted that any more such incidents would alienate alienate alienate ali ali- enate U. U S. S sympathy for the British cause Within the next two days Britain moved swiftly to appease American wrath Not entirely diplomatic British British British Brit Brit- ish Ambassador Lord Lothian branded the incident as complete eyewash London denied it and so finally did the state department Just when everyone was forgetting forgetting forgetting forget forget- ting Pan-American Pan announced that after March 15 its airships would fly stop non-stop from New York to the Azores completely skipping da Searching frantically for a tie- tie up between this announcement and the airmail rift observers completely completely completely com com- forgot that Pan-American Pan was merely meeting competition On March 15 American Export airlines airlines airlines air air- lines will also begin flying stop non-stop from New York to the Azores FINANCE Insurance Probe Early this year U. U S S. S insurance companies were spotlighted before the temporary national economic committee of Sen Joseph C. C OMa honey Aided by a securities and exchange commission report presented presented presented pre pre- by Leon Henderson the committee committee committee com com- showed how most life insurance insurance insurance ance is controlled by 26 companies how insurance companies companies' income far exceeds their payments how in the past decade their multi billion dollar dollar dollar dol dol- lar investments investments invest invest- g ments had w given them II a first mort- mort mortgage gage gage on U.S. U. U S Sa business air This was c bad publicity ty smacking of the witch hunt which f A S Senator e voter f 0 oho n ey had had taken Ol paInS Pans l to deny hitch hunt or not Jeny when opened its hearings last year Finally Final Final- ly the flames reached the senate floor Iowa's Sen Guy Gillette said he had received information of meetings meetings meetings meet meet- I ings of insurance policyholders who I expressed fear that their policies might be endangered by the hear hear- I ings Someone else told how the American Life convention a Midwest Midwest Midwest Mid Mid- west insurance group had charged was considering federal regulation regulation regulation reg reg- of insurance An insurance publication had pointed out that Senator Senator Senator Sen Sen- ator had never promised promised promised prom prom- there would not be regulatory legislation Answered Mr The liThe purpose of the committee has never been t to take anything away from any company Its purpose has been to investigate how the great assets of thc these e companies might be best in invested invested invested in- in vested to promote this economy economy my of ours Still observers noted there was no assurance that regulatory legislation legislation legis legis- lation is not anticipated FISCAL Program As congress labored unhappily over its budget woes up sprang the National Economy league with a Plan Items 1 balance the budget et including an cut in relief and in new taxes 2 liquidate government lending agencies Ernest Angell chairman fig figured red better business following an honest approach to a balanced budget will yield bigger revenues under present laws M |
