Show SCANNING THE WEEKS WEEK'S NEWS of Main Street and the World Average Citizen Is Saving More Sales and Profit Survey Revea PEACE TALKS TALKS TALKS-As As home towners had bad expected the day 30 provisional provisional provisional provi provi- line fire agreement in Korea expired without final agreement agreement agreement agree agree- ment between the Communists and the United Nations in their peace talks As a result it will be necessary to redraw the fire cease-fire line whenever all other armistice points are settled Although progress in the talks has bas been slow the over-all over picture is encouraging Results are arc beginning to show First and possibly most important is the slackening of fighting resulting re resulting resulting re- re in a great drop in the number of casualties on both sides This policy is likely to continue as long as the talks are in progress because as Gen James A A. A Van Fleet told correspondents We will not sacrifice our men needlessly What is the use of thousands of casualties 1 if it is questionable what good they would do Second the thc United States and its allies have a general idea although somewhat inaccurate of the number of fighting men held by the Communists Communists Communists Com Com- in their war prisoner-of-war camps United Nations negotiators however arp still pressing for a full accounting of more than unlisted unlisted Allied prisoners The US U.S. has asked specifically what has become become become be be- come of 1058 Americans not on the official Red war prisoner-of-war list How soon a final agreement can be reached in the talks is anyone's guess but distrust on the part of both sides will not hasten it As an example the Reds charge the lack of agreement due to extraordinary antics colossal bungling criminal negligence and race master-race arrogance arrogance arrogance ar ar- ar- ar by the Americans On the other hand the Allies charge the Communists have run true to form With few exceptions the talks have been marked by the familiar Red pattern of delay deceit and diversionary tactics PRICE CUTS Rural CUTS Rural and small town families by far the largest group of mail order patrons In the country are wondering if the announced announced announced an an- price cuts on thousands of items by the firms located In ChIcago Chicago Chicago Chi ChI- cago is an indication of things to come during 1952 Midwinter sales catalogues of the four biggest mail order houses in the business list lower prices on thousands of items It is the biggest cut in years One firm cut the price on an foot cubic refrigerator from rom to 10 a 25 per cent mark down dov on mens men's shirts and price reductions reductions ranging from 80 cents to on tires from last falls fall's levels The firm also listed price cuts on both wood and metal furniture SALES SAG The SAG The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission in a report of business conditions during the thelast thelast thelast last quarter of 1951 said sales in the nation dropped under the previous previous previous pre pre- quarters quarter's level for the first time tune since 1949 The report also said the profit sag which began at the end of 1950 continued with manufacturers manufacturers returns amounting to 15 per cent before taxes and 23 per cent after taxes Sales fell off of during the period Only four of the 22 industries covered in the report recorded an increase in- in increase increase in in- crease of profits before taxes in the third quarter of last year They were petroleum food tobacco and apparel and finished textiles The commissions did not attempt to interpret the general decline in business It was obvious however that decline was due to a consumer buying lull that started early in 1950 sharp increases in defense taxes shortages of materials and controls on scarce metals Most observers believe Relieve the trend can be expected e to continue during the early part of this this' earTHE year ear THE OLD SOCK SOCK According According to Secretary of Commerce Sawyer the average citizen in the home towns of the nation are putting more and acid more of their money in the old sock and keeping it there He die says savings are greater now than at any time in the last five years Sawyer Saw er is all for this saving spree of Americans amounting Americans amounting to an annual rate of because because he believes it has helped turn the tide against rampant inflation He warned however that if Americans Americans Americans Amer Amer- spend these savings in a new wave of buying pressures will surge up again i Personal incomes rose from in 1950 to in 1951 Now in the early days of 1952 the rate is about GOP CIRCUS The CIRCUS The race of Republicans to secure the GOP Gap president president president dent nomination is taking on the atmosphere of a circus circus so so many are joining the show that spectators are going to miss some of the acts The latest is Harold E E. E Stassen Already active are Sen Robert Taft of of Ohio and Gov Earl Warren o of California Remaining to join the big show is Gen Dwight Eisenhower considered by many the white hope bope of the Republican party The other candidates had this to say of Stassen's announcement Every American has a right to run for President and its it's well that the Republicans should have a wide choice Taft Taft His Stassen's candidacy candidacy candidacy candi candi- dacy should stimulate discussion of national issues and he will undoubtedly undoubtedly un un- be an important factor in the Republican convention War War ren THE SUMMARY SUMMARY Secretary Secretary of State Dean Acheson whose popularity popularity popularity larity with the American people has increased since the Japanese peace conference in hi San Francisco recently summed up the American foreign policy for 1951 Dividing the global picture into four lour sections he had this to say Europe and the North Atlantic The Atlantic The year 1951 was a period of progress progress progress ress and growth r The North Atlantic Treat Treaty organizations organization's military command has gone forward The important decisions that must be made early in 1952 have to do with the quantity and quality of European military forces German participation in the defense of Europe and creation of a European defense community and a European army The Near and Middle East East We We lost some ground The Suez waterway waterway waterway water- water way and Iranian oil crises offer dangerous opportunities for exploitation exploitation tion by the Kremlin On the other hand Greece and Turkey are bright spots The Far East East In In Korea the UN must guard against a renewal of Communist treachery even if it an armistice is signed The Pacific The Pacific The past year was one in which progress was made toward building a structure of peace through a series of treaties with Australia New Zealand the Philippines and Japan J I Officers OJ at al the Army post pott office lice in 11 Tokyo arc are pictured as they started Utters letters from Red held Allied in Korea sorting some prisoners of to 10 their families The letters were flown to Jo the United States and then Ihen tent sent to 10 families in n all parts of 0 the nation by special airmail-special delivery |