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Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS BY JOSEPH W. LaBINE Short Congress Held Unlikely As Controversial Issues Arise; Farm Tax Fight Splits Cabinet (EDITOR'S NOTE When opinions are expressed in these columns, they are those of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.) I RoTa-ip-H foy Western Newspaper Union. What They re Saying About: Third Party VX'ASHINGTON wiseacres see trouble ahead for the La-Guardia-Ickcs-Murphy "third party" par-ty" movement which would presumably pre-sumably draft President Roosevelt Roose-velt to run again. Reason: All third party movements have failed, the nearest thing to success suc-cess coming in 1912 when Theodore Theo-dore Roosevelt started the Bull-Moose-Progressive movement after aft-er losing the G. O. P. nomination. This campaign divided the opposition opposi-tion (G. O. P.) and enabled Demo cratic Woodrow Wilson to win. But this year the G. O. P. is united, and a third party would split the Democrats, thus aiding the Republican Repub-lican cause. Reich Wrecks Germany's serious train wrecks are viewed as a good indication of the Reich's serious economic eco-nomic plight. Nazidom's railroad extension and DAVIES Areit job. repair program has suffered since 1936. Meanwhile Hitler's economic econom-ic program placed new burdens on the rails, climaxed by heavy troop and ammunition movements since the war started. In the latest wrecks (nine in all since September Septem-ber 1) there were 182 killed and 139 injured all within a few hours. Tariff Walls State tariff walls which discriminate discrim-inate against out-of-state products are .apt to fall in 1940 if the Council of State Governments goes through with its anticipated program. At least 43 of the states (all except Arizona, , Idaho, Missouri, North Dakota and Washington) already have interstate co-operation commissions com-missions which will begin holding sectional conferences. CONGRESS: Lineup for Battle Back to Washington each New Year's day scurry the nation's lawmakers. law-makers. This year they hope to scurry home again a few weeks later, lat-er, for 1940 is an election year and there are plenty of fences in need of patching. But as Franklin Roosevelt Roose-velt began working on his state-of-the-union and budget messages, and as Henry Wallace and Henry Mor-genthau Mor-genthau carried their tax battle into the open, there was no sign that congress would be short lived. Main Rooseveltian aims are (1) retention of all New Deal policies, including neutrality and the reciprocal recipro-cal trade program; (2) appropriation appropria-tion of $550,000,000 which congress "owes" the treasury for farm benefits bene-fits which were approved but not provided for; (3) bigger defense program; (4) as little fighting as possible, to keep the New Deal's skeletons in the closet. But no observer ob-server expected a pink tea party on these issues: Agriculture. Formally announced was Henry Wallace's plan to siphon a minimum of $300,000,000 annually directly from consumers to help finance his farm program. Facts of the "certificate plan": Co-operating farmers would receive income certificates cer-tificates valued at the difference between be-tween the market price of the crop and the "parity price." Processors and others buying crops would be required to buy the certificates, thus retiring them. This was a good scheme, except that Henry Mor-genthau's Mor-genthau's treasury complained about: Taxes. There is little hope that the President's 1940-41 budget can be balanced; even though new finance methods are found for agricultural agri-cultural benefits, other expenses will be on the up grade. Most U. S. business favors tax modification, and certainly the average congressman congress-man dislikes to impose new levies in an election year. But the President Presi-dent has indicated that new revenue sources will be left up to congress, thus washing his hands of the entire matter. As for agriculture, conservative con-servative Henry Morgenthau complained com-plained the certificate plan is really an "invisible" tax, pointing out that 63.1 per cent of all U. S. taxes are already paid by consumers. National Debt. Raising this above the present $45,000,000,000 limit is one way of circumventing new taxes. Mr. Morgenthau, commenting comment-ing that the debt is already within $3,000,000,000 of that mark, says he'll simply quit writing checks when he strikes the limit. Defense. Though he expected little lit-tle opposition to his proposed increase in-crease in national defense expenditures, expendi-tures, the President got a hint of the battle to come when Ohio's G. O. P. Sen. Robert Taft, himself a presidential aspirant, warned against a "national defense spree." Trade Prosram. Under heavy G. O. P. fire, Secretary .of State Cor-dell Cor-dell Hull's reciprocal trade program comes up for renewal this session. Dies Blunder Many in official Washington believe be-lieve the Dies committee erred grievously in waiting until the last minute before releasing its report on alleged Communist penetration in the Hollywood motion picture colony. Reason: The un-Ameri-canism hearings automatically end when congress convenes, making mak-ing it impossible to hold a public airing of the charges. With or without foundation, there is bound to be a complaint that persons named in the report have no op- . .) V I - J. i. portunity to defend themselves. This will hurt the committee's drive for new funds. Davies' Job Anti-Roosevelt forces are making political capital out of the appointment ap-pointment of Joseph E. Davies, former ambassador ambas-sador to Russia and Belgium who has just been named "special assistant" in the state department. The current story: Davies is married to Mrs. Mar-jorie Mar-jorie Post Close Hutton, cereal heiress, who reportedly didn't like the bleakness of Moscow when her husband was granted that ambassadorship ambas-sadorship for helping the Democratic Demo-cratic war chest. Apparently disappointed dis-appointed when Joseph Kennedy was named ambassador to London, Lon-don, Davies was given Belgium as a consolation prize. Still dissatisfied, dissatis-fied, says the story, he was brought back to Washington and given the new post in an effort to keep the Davies-Post interests in line for 1940's election. Even if the story is true, Davies' knowledge of the European situation may nevertheless neverthe-less prove helpful to the state department. de-partment. He has an intimate picture pic-ture of the Moscow situation. 1 Both Mr. Hull and the President have vowed a last-ditch defense on this matter, which could easily produce pro-duce a long and heated session. Importance Im-portance An administration defeat would mean that congress favors Republican Re-publican high tariffs, giving the G. O. P. an important foothold for 1940 in the important farm areas. Labor Act. Recent hearings before be-fore the house committee investigating investigat-ing the National Labor Relations board will probably result in demands de-mands for revision of the act. Unsavory Un-savory things were said about NLRB, especially those allegations of C. I. O. favoritism. Business and A. F. of L. are both demanding reforms. RELIGION: Peace Drive A marked theological flutter followed fol-lowed President Roosevelt's appointment appoint-ment of Myron C. Taylor, former U. S. Steel head, as his "personal representative" to the Vatican. Well-timed Well-timed at the Christmastide, the President's Pres-ident's message to Pope Pius XII, Dr. George Buttrick of the Federal Council of Churches and Rabbi Cyrus Cy-rus Adler, president of the Jewish Theological Seminary, sought to unite world spiritual forces in a peace drive. Said Dr. Buttrick; "We share the President s confidence that men i ' 1 DR. BUTTRICK Shared the President's confidence. and women in every land have a basic faith in God and therefore in human brotherhood, and that even in the present chaos . . . they are preparing a better day." Down in Atlanta, Baptist Rev. Louie D. Newton questioned the move, asking (1) if Taylor's salary is to be paid by the government; govern-ment; (2) if congress has passed such an enabling act; (3) if Taylor will consider the Vatican a religious reli-gious or political body; (4) if the President has a right to send him. Next day White House Secretary Steve Early announced the U. S. has no intention, of-according the Vatican the. diplomatic recognition which was withdrawn in 18C7, but pointed out that the President has a right to name an "ambassador without portfolio" with the same privileges as those enjoyed recently by Norman H. Davis, who acted as European trouble shooter. THE WARS: In the North Already a queer war in which soldiers sol-diers wear ghostly white robes and travel on skis, the Finnish-Russian conflict took on a new note: Finns sent their night patrols across frozen lakes on ice skates. Next day their field guns blasted holes in the ice as Russians began crossing, Soviet troops drowning like rats. Generally General-ly speaking, battalions of 600 superior supe-rior Finnish soldiers were holding off Russian divisions of 18,000 men, all the way from Petsamo on the north to the Karelian isthmus on the south. But a month of such humiliation was enough for Russia's Dictator Josef Stalin. While the Finns chuckled over their success in penetrating pene-trating Soviet soil almost to the Leningrad-Murmansk railroad, the Kremlin was reported throwing 300,-000 300,-000 fresh men into the fray under a new command. The officers were said to be Joe Stalin's "personal friends," who now have their choice of winning or heing personal friends no longer. In the West Said a French communique: "There was nothing important to report re-port ..." Said a German communique: "With the exception of weak enemy artillery fire, the day was quiet." DISASTER: Turkish Quake At Geneva, London and many other points, seismologists found their seismographs awry, indicating an earthquake somewhere in the vicinity vi-cinity of southern Russia. A few hours later word leaked out of Ankara, An-kara, Turkey. From the north, where Turkey borders the Black sea, came news of a major catastrophe catas-trophe in which upwards of 10,000 had probably died. PEOPLE: Royal Speech ft Opening a parliament which must appropriate the largest budget in Japan's history, Emperor Hirohito HIROHITO in Europe, "Improvement . . ." tne situa-tion situa-tion has become be-come extremely complicated. You must therefore make a close study of conditions . . . and direct your efforts to expand the national power pow-er so the conviction of the empire may be realized . . ." I-Told-You-So ft Announcing a 20-year contract for sale of Bonneville (Wash.) dam's power to the Aluminum Company of America, Secretary of Interior Harold Har-old Ickes called it "a factual answer an-swer to those skeptics who claim there is no real de-m de-m a n d for power" from government hailed an in foreign for-eign relations, rela-tions, yet indicated in-dicated his army should make the. most of Europe's Eu-rope's war: "With the outbreak of disturbances plants on the ICKES Columbia "Factual answer . . river. It was revealed Alcoa plans a plant at Vancouver Van-couver costing several million dollars. dol-lars. ASIA: Army in the Saddle U. S. business men in China were cold to Japan's announcement that foreign shipping in the Yangtze river would soon be resumed. This new concession would probably mean little; indeed it might never come to pass if the U. S. refuses a new trade treaty when the present Japanese Jap-anese pact expires January 26. But there was a growing opinion among Occidentals in the Orient that their biggest enemy was not the Japanese government of Premier Nobuyuki Abe, but rather the powerful army. Therefore it would be smart to play ball with Premier Abe, for his cabinet cab-inet must fall if the trade talks fail. This would place the hostile army in command, leaving U. S. business men stranded. Some hint of the situation sit-uation was dropped in Washington where Japanese Ambassador Ken-suke Ken-suke Horinouchi intimated that already al-ready his government must seek the approval of army officers in China before granting the U. S. any new concessions. |
