Show WEEKLY NEWS 8 ANALYSIS BY JOSEPH JOSIPH W. W LaBINE Balkans Safeguard Neutrality As Russian Nazi War Menace Hovers Over Northern Europe EDITORS EDITOR'S NOTE When NOTE When opinions are c. c expressed in hi these columns the they arc are those of o of the news analyst and not necessarily of ot this newspaper Released By y Western Newspaper Union Peace Moves in the Balkans Balkans Balkans-at at a Glance v. v Y 4 CIANO CSAKY CAROL Starter Complainer Defender 1 TWO VO unrelated but parallel efforts efforts efforts ef ef- forts originating in London and Rome are converging in Belgrade on February 2 2 when I Balkan states meet to discuss neutrality neutrality neu- neu and self defense against Rus Rus- sia The efforts Roman Count Stefan Csaky of of Hungary which has revisionist claims against Rumania met recently recently re- re re re- with Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano who urged Csaky to seek peace with Rumania as a I defense against Russian aggression In answer Rumania said nothing but put it was intimated King Carol would be ready to cede land to Hungary Hungary Hun JIun- I gary after the European war Afew Afew A few lew days later he met secretly with Prince Paul of whom Italy has been encouraging to serve as ns intermediary between Hungary and Rumania q fy Sav r s f 7 V.-S1 V. rC W t 5 sy- sy Xi ft 1 PAUL V r Mediator Cooperator Co Another complainer THE WARS T Tivo oo Into One Peace hovered over the Balkans see above but it f found und little welcome welcome welcome wel wel- come elsewhere The Oslo group Netherlands Belgium Denmark Norway and Sweden was in deeper water than at any time since Sep Sep- Overnight close to a million million mil mil- lion Hon Belgians and Dutchmen were rushed to the mile frontier because because because be be- cause German troop con concentrations were reported on the other side No one doubted Adolf Hitler would like these tiny lands from N Netherlands Netherlands Nether ether lands he could bomb Britain at close range and from Belgium he could throw a flank attack around the Maginot 1 line Berlin scoffed at such rumors but why else had Nazi airmen airmen airmen air air- men men made reconnaissance flights over the Low Countries Denmark was for for the moment but Joe Stalin was turning the screws on Norway and Swe Swe- den Russian planes offered no apology apology apology apol apol- ogy for bombing a Swedish island in fad fact both Stockholm and Oslo governments were warned against violating their neutrality by aiding Finland Y YIt It It was easy easy to see behind this joint Russo-German Russo action For several several several sev sev- eral months northern European neutrals neutrals neutrals neu neu- have been a thorn in the sides of both Stalin and nd Hitler They have bothered Hitler by accepting the British blockade and looking unkindly unkind unkind- ly r at Russia whom the Nazis now now consider consider-a a friend Scandinavia has bothered the Soviet in turn by sending sending send send- sending ing aid to beleaguered Finland Observers Observers Observers Ob Ob- Ob- Ob servers had good reason to fear therefore that Europe's two wars may soon merge into one free-for- free all I In n the West Increased tension placed Britain and France on guard All leaves were cancelled and air activity inc increased increased in in- c creased eased precipitously Nazi planes r N AMES NAMES I in In the news Q CI L At New York Man G-Man J. J Edgar Hoover ann announced seizure of 18 Christian front members charged with conspiracy to overthrow put putdown putdown putdown down and destroy the U. U S. S govern govern- ment C. C At Washington Minnesota's 32 year-old year Gov Harold E. E Stassen was boomed as keynoter for the 1940 G. G O O. O P P. P convention CL At r At N New ew York died Ralph Ritz Hitz famed chain hotel manager I C CI At Washington Democratic Hopeful Hope Hope- ful CuI Burton K Wheeler D. D D Mont got a of kiss invitation to address John Lewis' Lewis United Mine Workers at their anniversary convention convention convention con con- in Columbus Ohio C. C At Mexico City President Lazaro Cardenas announced 1 his governments government's governments government's governments government's govern govern- ments ment's refusal to recognize the Monroe Monroe Monroe Mon Mon- roe doctrine and 2 its intention to solve the oil problem involving expropriation of in for for- o owned eign-owned ed oil properties in n its own wa way Allied Should the western front be permanently stalemated France and Britain might have to invade Germany via the Balkans Already lined up is Turkey and through that nation the allies hope to win cooperation cooperation cooperation co co- co- co operation of other states No 1 problem child here is Bulgaria which like Hungary has revisionist claims against Rumania Even as asKing asKing asKing King Carol was talking with Prince Paul Turkeys Turkey's Foreign Minister Sukru had an emissary in So Sofia a discussing Balkan neutrality neutrality neutrality neutral neutral- ity with Bulgaria's Foreign Minister George Result A European Nazi anti-Nazi Soviet anti bloc may arise from these carryings First sign came from Turkey which has always suspected suspected sus sus- suspected Italy Suddenly Ankara papers papers papers pa pa- pers turned face about-face and hailed Mussolini l I cruised miles down the eastern English coast on reconnaissance flights that unnerved civilians Next day the allies claimed successful flights over distant Prague a and d Vi Vi- Vii i enna But nothing happened to break the quiet that hung over Siegfried Sieg Sieg- fried and Maginot Both sides apparently apparently apparently ap ap- ap- ap were waiting for the other to slip In I n the North There was no such polite warfare between Finland and Russia The I tide of victory which superior land activity has placed in Finnish hands since last December suddenly shifted shifted shifted shift shift- ed as the Soviet began a systematic I bombing campaign to demoralize its foe Unless Italy Britain and France can rush more planes to Finland Finland Fin Fin- Finland land which is exactly what Russia and Germany are trying to stop the Finns will probably be defeated by April 1 UTILITIES Bonneville Steel Critics of the New D als power program used to s scoff off when Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- Secretary tary of the Interior Harold Ickes told about the commercial electricity prospects at such U. U S. S dams as the Bonneville Oregon project Last month Harold Ickes made the critics e eat those wor words s by signing Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum num Company of America to a 20 year contract at Bonneville Hardly had this cooled before Bonneville came forth with a new idea Why not establish a small iron and steel plant in the Columbia river area producing iron and finished steel for forthe forthe forthe the west coast local market PAN AMERICA Al Neutrality While U. U S. S S naval officers were grumbling about their patrol duties in the winter-swept winter Atlantic the in in- ter-American ter neutrality committee met at Rio de Janeiro Purpose To make the mile neutrality belt around the Americas more effective preventing recurrence of the Graf Gra Spec Columbus and Orion incidents Plans 1 An agreement to prevent belligerent belligerent bel bel- bel- bel craft from obtaining supplies supplies supplies sup sup- plies or making repairs in a Pan- Pan American port once they had committed committed committed com com- belligerent acts inside the safety zone 2 An accord to keep submarines outside the zone except under emergency emergency emergency emer emer- gency when they must rise to the surface 3 A Pan-American Pan code of neutrality neutrality neu neu- to be followed by all nations Many Americans who see their government paying most of the freight for the neutrality patrol viewed the the entire proceedings as rather futile and inequitable But not the department of commerce Released were figures showing the gain in exports to Latin America last November having brought 38 in sales against a year earlier This item was most interesting interesting in in- if the U. U S S. S continues safeguarding hemispherical neutrality neutrality neutral neutral- ity will it continue upward Equally important will this increase justify the neutrality expense I C CONGRESS Economy Maybe Economy is a fine thing but not in an election year like 1940 Especially Especially Especially Espe Espe- when it hits the pork barrel Mid-January Mid found the house passIng passing passing pass pass- ing without qualms the army and navy deficiency bill after hacking from the Presidents President's i request It went on to the senate where Colorados Colorado's Sen Alva Adams promised his appropriations subcommittee would make even more sl slashes But the independent offices appropriations appropriations appropriations bill bilI was something else Virginias Virginia's Rep Clifton A. A Woodrum known as strong man of the house appropriations committee succeeded succeed succeed- dd d- d ed d in cutting a neat from the bill bilI before it reached the house floor floor Here observers knew would come the real test of whether the present congress really wants economy economy economy econ econ- omy or only wants to talk about it if Affected by the Woodrum hatchet were such agencies as the maritime labor board National Labor Relations Relations Relations Rela Rela- board See LABOR Securities and Exchange commission HomeOwners Home HomeOwners HomeOwners Owners Loan corporation and other units which provide jobs for the co constituents constituents con con- back home Though the Republican bloc assured assured assured as as- minded economy-minded Democrats of their operation co it was freely forecast that all of Mr Woodrum's might be restored before before before be- be be be- fore the bill is passed Other congressional news C. C Secretary of State Cordell Hulland Hull Hulland Hulland and Secretary of Agriculture Henry Wallace defended the expiring reciprocal reciprocal reciprocal trade act before a house committee C. C A half half dozen dozen bills for U. U S. S aid to Finland were cautiously sidestepped l for fear of violating neutrality More likely than a congressional l loan an was an Import Export-Import bank allowance C. C I. I Big navy news continued in the spotlight Georgias Georgia's Rep Carl Vinson Vinson Vinson Vin- Vin son surprised Washington by proposing proposing proposing propos propos- ing to boost naval strength 25 per percent percent percent cent in the next three years through an extra appropriation Publicized were navy plans for 52 ton battleships are now building and ton battle battle battle bat bat- tle cruisers are the present maximum LABOR Unmitigated Liar Under a house committees committee's spotlight spotlight spotlight spot spot- light in Washington is the National Labor Relations board Though most anti testimony to date has sought to link NLRB with John Lewis Lewis' C. C I. I 0 O. it was inevitable that others others' i I I I would be splashed with mud in the process One of the others Ford Motor company Entered in testimony was the affidavit affidavit affidavit af af- af- af of one Harry Elder former head of St. St Louis' Louis United Automobile Automobile Automobile Automo Automo- bile Workers Said Elder Homer Martin former C C. I. I O. O auto unionist unionist unionist union union- who is now affiliated with A. A F. F of L L. L had told him of financial aid n 4 1 p 4 i A q l Cy Cye e s. s HARRY BENNETT Is Mr Elder a liar supplied by Harry Bennett Ford I personnel director If it were not for Ford Elder claimed Martin had told him I wouldn't be able to get along and run the union Slapped against a traditionally union anti-union firm this charge made quick headlines In Detroit Harry Bennett made no bones about calling calling calling call call- ing Elder an uan unmitigated liar Martin called the charges lies too big to be believed by any candid cana d per per- I son In answer the committee invited invited invited in in- Martin to appear at the proper prop prop- I er time ALASKA Good-bye Good to Near Palmer Palmer Alaska in the fertile fertile fertile fer fer- fer- fer tile valley lies the resettlement resettlement resettlement reset reset- colony Uncle Sam founded in mid depression to rehabilitate stricken drouth-stricken midwestern farm farm- ers Plagued by considerably fewer terrors than in their old homes settlers have nevertheless less had tough sledding Many have returned to the mainland and this month something happened that may send more of them back Handed Hand Hand- ed over to a farmers farmers' operative co-operative were a hospital hatchery garage dormitory and water system last stronghold of the federal federal federal fed fed- eral government By next autumn colonists should know whether they can make ends meet without U. U S. S aid JAPAN N New Premier Mid-January Mid U. U S Japanese S.-Japanese relations relations rela rela- lions looked like a pup turning somersaults somersaults somersaults somer somer- to attract a St. St Bernard Premier Premier Pre Pre- Premier mier Abe had reopened the Yangtze hoping to woo U. U S. S favor He failed N Next ext he tried to make friends with U. U S S. S Ambassador Joseph Drew hoping to win a new trade pact This too failed Result Result Result Re Re- sult Premier Abe resigned His successor is Admiral Mitsumasa l former navy minister |