| Show SCANNING THE WEEKS WEEK'S NEWS of Main Street and and the World rumans ruman's State of Union Speech Friendly Conciliatory STATE OF THE UNION Was UNION Was it a wiser or politically minded resident who delivered the state of the union mes message age to the second of the congress Was his conciliatory and friendly mood by the fact that 1952 is an election year or was it an effort to the majority behind the defense program and the nations nation's reign policy These questions have been in the minds of every Amerin Amen Arneri- in n since the Presidents President's speech For the first time tune in five fave years President Truman who is beginning show the strain of his years as chief executive did not go out all-out for welfare-state welfare He made L u L legislation L 6 it clear however wa wafie ne fie was wai not abandoning any of the things he 44 has advocated since 1946 Rather he would have the country cone conc its full efforts to defense and keeping economically sound 4 In this respect he said the stabilization law was shot full of holes at the last session and it It will be r one of the main tasks before congress congress con con- f S gress to repair the damage and enact enact en en- act a strong anti inflation anti law As for defense he warned that the situation in Korea remains dangerous danger danger- ous and that the the Soviet Union is i increasing its armed might The L world still walks in the shadow of mother another world war he said But his approach to taxation compulsory health insurance civil rights and other controversial Issues is issues issues is- is sues was so amiable that it left PRESIDENT TRUMAN many Republican critics speechless speech speech- less In fact Republicans who ob- ob were all set for a field day of criticism found little about which demonstrate The main criticism when it was all over was the charge that the was just a rehash of past messages Generally Democrats raised the message But from the opposition came such statements as I The same broken record The Presidents President's speech could be charac- charac as follows spend more waste more socialize more give more wa way control more talk more and blame the other fellow for all the theIs theUs theus Us Is of the United States and the world The fire and stubborn fight of the Truman of old was so obviously lacking that it seemed almost apathetic to many home towners who eard the address PRODUCTION PRODUCTION PRODUCTION-Production Production of civilian goods for the second quarter f 1952 has been cut back sharply Defense Charles E. E Wilson the government has hns ordered home building slashed by 23 er jer cent for the months of April May and June Automobile output vas slashed by 7 per cent and other consumer goods using scarce mate mate- rials aIs were trimmed 10 per cent This is the general picture for the second quarter Construction Home Construction Home building now at nt a rate of ot a year will willie willoe oe ie e slashed to a rate of Only factories vitally needed for defense production will be built and little material will be available for office stores and other commercial construction Autos The Autos The industry will get enough copper and aluminum to make cars and enough steel to make Civilian Goods Most Goods Most consumer goods Including refrigerators stoves washing machines television sets and radios will be cut by about 10 per cent from the first quarter Railroad Equipment Freight Equipment Freight car production will be reduced about 14 per r cent below the car output for the first quarter Roads Roads Only Only the most urgent road building will be permitted Ships Ships Allotments Allotments to the Maritime Administration will be increased TAX EVADERS The EVADERS The Treasury department has launched a new policy that should shoud receive wide approval of the average home town tax taxpayer payer The Treasury will no longer let tax evaders escape criminal prosecution prosecution prosecution prose prose- cution if it they voluntarily confess their fraud and pay up The department also took steps to speed up its prosecution of tax evaders including 1 Reducing the number of conferences with taxpayers tax tax- taxpayers payers about their cases although taxpayers still will be heard when necessary to develop actual facts 2 The only persons who can represent represent sent Lent taxpayers in these conferences must have duly cert certified powers of ot attorney to speak for the taxpayer The new policies are expected to reduce the lag in prosecution from froman an average of ot days to about it was estimated by the Treasury department PEACE TALKS The TALKS The Korean peace talks remain deadlocked ov over r the question of whether or not the Communists be allowed to build airfields airfields air air- fields in North Korea during an armistice The Reds insist that any ban banon banon banon on rehabilitation of combat airfields would infringe on North Korean sovereignty by interfering in Internal affairs On the other hand the United Nations says it will not make a peace that gives the Communists the right to build up military forces and installations for further aggression sion sion At home Gen Omar Bradley chairman of ot the Joint Joint Chiefs of Staff reports he is hopeful for a workable truce in hi Korea but there is one price we wont won't pay pay appeasement CLEANUP President CLEANUP President Truman's long awaited plan to clean up graft in government is under way although it drew considerable fire from Republican Republican Republican Re Re- publican critics The President dropped his plan for a special commission and handed the job to Attorney General McGrath Republicans immediately began their criticism The general charge was that a whitewash is coming The President did not indicate how extensive the up clean-up measures will go A number of ot administration leaders are known to want action which would remove the corruption in hi government issue as far as possible possible possible pos pos- sible from the approaching presidential election campaign Truman first asked Federal Judge Thomas F F. Murphy of New York to head a cleanup commission Murphy withdrew before his appointment could be announced officially What caused him to change his mind has not Dot been made public c 4 4 ri- ri r 1 One oj of Russia's newest Jewell neue twin twi jet jel planes is depicted de in in this drawing released released re re- leased by At Aviation alion Age The trade and technical cal magazine said it ii was laS either a twin jet iet fighter night fighter or ground attack aircraft recently developed d dby by the tiie Red air force Its lis exact designation Is not lOt known |
