Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS By Edward C. C Wayne Scorched Earth an and Guerrilla f a Fighting Is s Soviet Answer to German Thrust rust Revenue Bill for Defense Spending Provides Many an Additional New Taxes axes EDITORS EDITOR'S NOTE When NOTE When opinions are expressed In these thue columns the they ore are those of the news new analyst ADI and not necessarily of this newspaper i Released by Western Newspaper Union p f W r Y YN rT N m y 1 p L 4 3 s 4 4 y This is the scene in the Brooklyn N. N Y federal court as 25 members members members mem mem- bers of the huge spy ring were arraigned by the government Called one of the most active extensive and vicious spy rings In the nations nation's history 26 men and 3 women were arrested throughout the country Most 1 of them were of German descent They were charged with transmitting vital defense Information to a foreign government Three men In foreground are arc lawyers I ORDEAL By Following the first couple of weeks of the Russo-German Russo war some wag of the airwaves referred to the conflict conflict conflict con con- ordeal ordeal for for the as an public public- by In the absence of any possible direct war correspondence that is exactly what it developed into ever- ever lengthening by both sides so much at variance that the public could do little but guess As the German columns advanced Premier Josef Stalin urged upon his people a policy of scorched earth to be coupled with universal guerrilla guerrilla guerrilla guer guer- rilla warfare He warned of the grave danger of the Nazi successes successes successes suc suc- and acknowledged the forward forward for for- ward movement of German troops He asked his people to destroy everything everything everything ev ev- that might be of value to Germany if it could not be saved behind be hind the retreating Soviet columns Only at certain points did the reports of the two high commands coincide and these were so exceptional exceptional exceptional that they were more to be honored honored honored hon hon- ored by their absence than their presence Speaking of an important town on the southern front the Germans said We captured Lwow and the Russians said We left Lwow And even in that point of coincidence dence there was a variance which left much to guesswork Yet from the very names of places it was possible to take a map and see a picture of the German German German Ger Ger- man plan emerging though it was impossible by the same token to picture picture picture pic pic- ture the Russian defense The picture was that of a giant clutching hand with the wrist to the north and the fingers outstretched outstretched- though which way the joints of the fingers would flex themselves could not be foreseen Three fingers were stretching toward Moscow and Leningrad and two were extending southward into the rich Ukraine Two or three of these five shafts showed signs that they might form pincer movements snipping ofT off and surrounding bodies of Red troops here and there along the battlefront Already the Germans had claimed one such success east of stating that Russian soldiers had par participated cipa ted in a mass surrender surrender surrender der and that everywhere the Russians Russians Russians Rus Rus- were on the run The Red stated that their lines were holding intact and that at some points the Russians were fighting far behind the most outstretched German points and that some of these actions might work out badly for the invaders Yet military observers pointed out such occurrences were of the very nature of the Nazi blitz technique technique technique tech tech- and that in France in m Greece and on other fronts including the town of in northern Africa groups of defending troops often were left behind in the swift advance advance advance ad ad- vance later to be encircled The Greek army of the east was trapped in just such a way and though it held out and fought for considerable time it was forced to surrender in the end It was impossible however to see just what the Russians were accomplishing accomplishing accomplishing in their defense for the town name reports showed continued continued continued con con- German advances and the capture en route of important points Riga Latvia an important Russian Russian Russian Rus Rus- sian naval base was reported taken Minsk the so-called so gateway to Moscow was said to be surrounded surround surround- ed and one of the Nazi fingers had shot past Minsk on the north to and on the south to the sector thus tending to bear out the German contention that Minsk if not already taken was doomed doome Also that the Nazi legions could be said at least technically technically technically tech tech- to be two thirds of the way from their starting point to the capital of the Soviet I TAXES TAKES And Spending The tax structure by which the congress intends to raise additional revenue to the tune of during the coming fiscal year was practically complete In addition to the huge amount expected from the new income tax structure the congress' congress tax-makers tax had agreed that business would have to yield about more than the it is now rais rais- ing Excise taxes were to be increased by a 10 per cent tax on electric fans cooking appliances and similar similar similar simi simi- lar articles a 10 per cent tax on rubber rubber rubber rub rub- ber products not including footwear and auto tires or tubes which are on other tax schedules 10 per cent on electrical and metal signs 10 per percent percent percent cent on washing machines for commercial commercial commercial com com- mercial laundries sixth one-sixth of a 1 cent a bottle on soft drinks 4 4 cents a case 10 per cent on retail furs another 10 on toilet preparations a ause ause ause use tax on vending machines that pay payoff off in tokens 5 for vending machines which dispense articles 10 per cent on optical instruments other than eyeglasses 10 per cent centon on office and store machines Thus the down boil of the tax structure was this Excise taxes like the above Income levies including excess profits Estate and gift taxes Giving a total of close to the sought This enabled the public to get a generalized sort of picture of what Is coming to the American way of life lite at t least from a tax standpoint during the next tax year SHOCK To British Scarcely less shocking to the BritIsh British British Brit Brit- ish than the arrival of Hess on Scottish soil was the news that Gen Sir Archibald Wavell had been relieved relieved relieved re re- re- re of his command in Africa and the Middle East General Wavell had been Britain's Number One hero the only man who had won for the British an an anim important important important im im- im- im victory and one which challenged challenged challenged chal chal- the imagination Wavell's men had driven through and had taken it away from the Italians capturing more than prisoners on the way True the Nazis had come across the Mediterranean and had taken all this territory away from him including in- in including including in in- the trapping of a number of thousand of the Wavell troops It also was true that tha t there had been a good deal of criticism of Wavell at this time It also was being remembered that he had been given at least a part of the responsibility responsibility responsibility for the disaster in Greece and Crete Although the war ministry simply recounted that Wavell had been transferred to the high command in m mIndia India and that his place had been taken by Gen Sir Claude leek a Scotsman the general feeling feeling feeling feel feel- ing in Britain was that it was a shocking demotion This notwithstanding the war ministry ministry ministry min min- let out the rumor that perhaps Wavell was being given a more important important important im im- im- im task the preparation of the defense of India should the Russian resistance collapse and find the Nazis blitzing in that direction MILLIONS Get Deferment Just as all youths who reached their majority since last registration tion day walked to their local boards to register a day 30 deferment was granted to all draftees over 27 years old i This was frankly a measure to toI keep them out of the armed forces I until congress could pass an amendment amendment amend amend- ment to the selective service act exempting exempting exempting ex ex- I empting them PLANES A Slowdown Observers on the economic and defense production fronts in this country seemed skeptical of the I outlook that grand mass mass- production of medium and heavy bombers would be under way early in 1942 The plan calls for the auto automakers automakers automakers makers Jo to build airplanes in a number number number num num- ber of small sections like wings fuselages and tails etc and ship these sections to large assembly plants in Omaha Kansas City anc and Fort Worth and Tulsa where they will be put together in assembly- assembly line fashion That was the motor industry's answer to scale large-scale production o of bombers combers Now those who feel that this objective objective objective ob ob- ob- ob will not be reached untIl some time in 1943 point out how the aluminum shortage can possibly play hob with the best laid plans They say that when a plane weighs pounds it actually takes pounds of ingot aluminum aluminum aluminum num to do the job because of the weight loss through scraps These scraps cannot be melted down into airplane metal again because of the number of different alloys required The observers who feel that is being too optimistic also point out that the scrap losses under the automotive plan of plane building building building build build- ing are likely to be more than in regular plane factories where the workers have more more experience and will make fewer mistakes They also feel it is going to be bea a huge problem for the big plane manufacturers to operate in cities as far distant from each other as Baltimore and Omaha for instance and still maintain a cohesive and clever organization However present plane production production production tion gloomy as this outlook might be took a step upward when North American Aviation got back to its scheduled 10 planes a day and the 1500 soldiers who had been stationed stationed stationed sta sta- sta- sta near the plant were sent away to more distant points The wage structure finally decided ed upon turned out to be 60 cents for beginners for the first three months and then 75 cents minimum after that point and on up to an hour for more skilled workers KNOX KNOK And His Speech Secretary of Navy Knox in his Boston address stirred up an outbreak outbreak outbreak out out- break on congress which threatened to bring out an impeachment resolution resolution resolution reso reso- lution and found administration supporters supporters supporters sup sup- porters reportedly working undercover undercover under undercover cover to prevent this outcome In the address the navy secretary hinted that the time had come for the navy actively to sweep the German menace from the seas and spoke of the Russo-German Russo war occupying occupying oc oc- oc- oc Nazi attention as a God given opportunity to insure the arrival arrival arrival ar ar- ar- ar rival of lend lease-lend aid to Britain Leading n Interventionists n-interventionists headed headed headed head head- ed by Senator Wheeler of Montana leaped on this speech with all their power declaring that the navy secretary secretary secretary sec sec- was stepping beyond his powers powers powers pow pow- ers and seeking to get President Roosevelt to order a shooting war between the navy and the German submarines and surface raiders The question when immediately put to President Roosevelt brought from him a denial that he thought II American participation was necessary necessary necessary sary at this time and holding out continued hope that this country could remain out of the war Another Question Tied into it all was a question of fact for Senator Wheeler had reported reported reported re re- re- re ported rumors that an actual incident incident incident inci inci- dent or two of the sinking of German German German Ger Ger- man ships of war by American naval naval naval na na- na- na val vessels had been circulating i To this on the following day Secretary Secretary Secretary Sec Sec- I Knox flatly issued a sharp denial He said that no American vessels on Atlantic patrols had engaged engaged engaged en en- in convoying had become in involved involved involved in- in in combat had suffered any loss Joss of life Hie in their crews or any loss of equipment |