| Show HAPPY NEW YEAR world 01 looks forward to busy 1940 fraught with important questions by ROGER BAILEY I 1 released Etlea Md by western newspaper union KT EW YORK before the in efant j 1 fant 1940 becomes a graybeard his book of contemporary history may be heavily in inscribed bed 4 fa the new year is destined to i be the most important in a decade a year of supreme I 1 testing for men and their mili I 1 1 tary machines for politicians and dictators whose philosophies and systems are even now waiting in abeyance until 1940 has spoken its verdict you can lay your bottom dollar that the european turmoil will crystallize cryst alize in 1940 to the point where observers can see definite trends well probably know for instance whether nazi germany can withstand i the pressure of an al allied lied economic blockade meanwhile trying to stave off french british assa assaults alts oo on land and sea or will hillers Hit lers machine crack up the victim of internal discontent I 1 what Is finland s fate I 1 valiant little finland whose early stand against the russian invaders was acclaimed throughout the world looks forward to 1940 as the year in which she will retain her freedom or fall vassal to the kremlin its a pivotal year in the balkans too if russia succeeds against finland shell undoubtedly turn to a new conquest in rumania dumani already pressed by hungary germ germany any an and d bulgaria and if that h happens ans the observers are pretty certain italy will join the melee to fight for balkan independence if these little states elates can stay free of war in 1940 little to worry about even as russia marches in 1940 she will answer the question on world militarists have been puzzling for the past 10 years namely is her huge army and air force really so formidable the polish invasion in which russia knifed a flee fleeing i ng enemy in the back was no fair test neither were early days of the finnish invasion because the hardy defenders were able to outpoint soviet troops under extraordinary arctic fighting conditions will FD R run again at home the years biggest story will be novembers presidential election and the campaign leading up to it will president roosevelt break tradition and seek a third term will eight years of the new deal be vindicated by election of a new deal chief executive or will the public repudiate this leadership in favor of a republican closely allied with this issue is the question of continuing or stopping national spending most washington observers believe there will ibe be no way of au avoiding aiding an increase in the national debt limit which has almost reached its legal peak of 0 president roosevelt will leave revenue matters strictly in congress hands he has intimated organized labor faces a critical year in which antitrust anti trust suits may set a precedent by laying the unions open to prosecution under the sherman act moreover there are signs sign s that congress will amend the wagner labor act following revelations before the smith house committee during december will social security work old age benefits under the federal social security act will be distributed tri buted for the first time and by years end america should know if the plan actually works the supreme court will receive its fifth appointment from president roosevelt gaining a clear new deal majority how about the far east japan balancing precariously on the international fence since europe went to war last september must jump one way or the other siding with the dictators or the democracies right now she is busy playing both ends against the middle trying to frighten the democracies into line by smiling benignly on russia the united states is especially concerned with asiatic developments because the 1911 trade treaty with japan repudiated last summer will become abrogated officially on january 26 before washington is willing to renew it tokyo must agree to cease threatening american interests will chia chiang ng surrender the japanese meanwhile hope to end their war with china in 1940 despite continued resistance from generalissimo chiang kai shek the japs plan to establish a puppet government under wang ching wei as a means of pacifying chinese nationalistic tiona listic sentiment not all of news will develop in the political and military fields followers of the boxing wars are wondering if a white hope will arise to strike down the colored heavyweight behemoth joe louis and throughout the hot stove league wondering about that perennial question can the new york yank yankees es win a fifth straight pennant even the penguins of antarctica have something to wait for in 1940 rear admiral richard E byrd and his government expedition will soon sight the snow capped peaks of this desolate land beginning what promises to be one of the years most fascinating adventures 1 AK M j 1 4 X ag 41 X RUSSIA unstopped ins aji if i i t v by retire idel ide l euro pe I 1 it i whid uffit generalissimo hiah kai shek thoad with wife J japan ha i yara 1 t 4 00 I 1 ot 4 I 1 ic v w i t j will jhc thc ger a A t |
