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Show WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS BY JOSEPH W. LaBlNE German 'Peace Drive' Eclipsed By War Threats in Near East; Politicians Hold U. S. Interest (EDITOR'S NOTE When opinions are expressed In these columns, they are those of the news analyst and not necessarily of thi newspaper.) Jteleaaed by Weitcra Newspaper Union. ' Spotlighted on the Washington Scene: POLITICS: In the background since congress reconvened, presidential politics stole the show again when the Democratic Dem-ocratic national committee selected Chicago as its convention site. Republicans, Re-publicans, who scheduled their meeting later in the hope that Democrats Dem-ocrats would set a convention date, were outfoxed. This resulted in minor dissension among G, O. P. leaders, who debated whether to set a date immediately or keep stalling. Since third-termites dominated the Democratic meeting, observers guessed ther would be a strong Martin Dies, It had only served to strengthen him and the cause of his "ism" committee. Next day FBI rounded up 12 persons charged with recruiting Americans for service with the Communist forces in Spain. CONGRESS: The house continued lopping millions mil-lions from President Roosevelt's budget, and the senate continued restoring re-storing them. The senate voted down a $1,000,000 eut in Civil Aeronautics Aero-nautics authority funds, bringing the indrpendent offices bill back to $1,-139,693,528. $1,-139,693,528. But it was still 55 millions mil-lions under budget estimate, provid- fight to renominate President Pres-ident Roosevelt in the city where he was first chosen in 1932. As Chicago became a political focal point, so did Illinois. There were signs that both President Roosevelt and Vice President Pres-ident Garner would be entered In the April 9 preference primary, while In New York the G.O. P. backers of young Tom Dewey challenged Ohio's Sen. Bob Taft ing a good start on me 460 millions congress hopes to save by way of avoiding new defense taxes. Meanwhile the house slashed away at the state-justice-commerce department appropriations ap-propriations bill. LABOR: John Lewis' C. I. O., which has been striking at the New Deal lately, turned a partial about-face about-face by defending the ACCUSER HOOK lie apologized. and other Republican hopefuls to a contest In the same primary. UN-AMERICANISM: Ended was the episode in which Michigan's Rep. Frank Hook charged that Martin ("un-American-Ism") Dies was working in cahoots with William Pelley, leader of the anti-Semitic "Silver Shirts." When Pelley surrendered and admitted that letters used as evidence were forged, Hook apologized on the house floor. If this had been a campaign to smear Irrepressible national labor relations act against A.F. of L. -inspired changes. Before the house NLRB committee, C. I. O.'s Philip Murray read a statement in which Lewis charged "reactionary and anti-labor" corporations are dictating dic-tating A. F. of L.'s proposed amendments. amend-ments. At Miami, A. F. of L.'s executive exec-utive board was also getting hostile toward the New Deal, urging encouragement en-couragement of private enterprise and charging the administration with trying to place labor "under its thumb." The entire labor-government picture was pretty complicated. NEUTRALITY: Aid to Finland Early this month a Gallup poll showed the majority of U. S. citizens citi-zens (58 per cent) favor a non-military non-military loan to Finland. Same day as the survey was released, the senate sen-ate began consideration of a bill to double the Export-Import bank's capital, permitting an additional $20,000,000 non-military loan to the Finns (they already have $10,000,-000). $10,000,-000). The same Gallup poll showed 61 per cent of the nation opposes a loan to Finland for purchasing war supplies. sup-plies. Day after the survey was published, Michigan's Prentiss Brown proposed in the senate that all of Finland's $5,891,000 war debt payment should be made available for munitions purchases. There was a good chance the Brown measure might pass. (The senate did adopt 65 to 3 a resolution asking the securities and exchange ex-change commission to expedite registration regis-tration of any government bonds which Finland may try to sell private U. S. investors. Prompting factor was Secretary Sec-retary of State Cordell Hull's revelation revela-tion that Russia had violated two pledges of its recognition agreement with the U. S.: (1) Permitting Communist Com-munist interference with V. S. affairs; (2) failing to safeguard ti S. citizens' rights in Russia. Still, a congressional effort to break relations with the Soviet failed.) Meanwhile the state department was rubbing noses with Britain's smooth-working Ambassador Lord Lothian, recipient of many a fiery protest in recent weeks. In exchange ex-change for better treatment of U. S. ships at British contraband ports, the two governments decided to keep future quarrels quiet. One reason: Recent strong U. S. notes to London have stirred up too much American opinion against Britain, to Adolf Hitler's benefit. JAPAN: One Way Out As Tokyo's war in China entered its thirty-first month, northern forces reported they had entered distant Ningsia province for the first time. In the south, armies were locked in bitter battle near Wingsun, Kwangsi province. Two more discouraging signs for Japan were (1) a naval spokesman's warning that Chinese planes may soon begin raiding Japan, and (2) the report that 300 Jap troops were killed when Chinese artillery sank a transport on the Yangtze river. Mostly, however, Tokyo's troubles were with the western powers. Immediate Im-mediate source of trouble was a combined U. S.-French protest jfV' WAN J KtAm f I TiacT NEW TROUBLE SPOT But will the allies attack first? the Black sea Turkey concentrated troops on the Russian frontier, Iran and Afghanistan doing likewise. One explanation was that Russia planned a drive into this British sphere-of-influence (see map). Another explanation ex-planation was that the allies planned a deliberate attack on Russian oil wells in the Caucasus region, thereby there-by drawing Soviet troops from the beleaguered Finnish front and cutting cut-ting off Nazi petroleum sources. Observers asked themselves whether wheth-er this was the reason French authorities au-thorities had raided the Russian commercial office in Paris, deliberately delib-erately inviting Soviet reprisals. Also, was it the reason Turkey, a British-French ally, unceremoniously seized the German-owned ship yard in the Bosporus? The Wars EUROPE: Rumors While the western front remained Cjuiet, and while Finland continued making a shambles out of Russia's vaunted armies, two diametrically opposed offensives' were taking shape one for war, the other for peace: Peace Drive. Berlin denied It, but reports persisted that Nazidom would offer the allies a settlement via the League of Nations' economic committee at The Hague. Terms: (1) no reparations; (2) return of ex-German ex-German colonies; (3) Nazi retention of Sudetcnland and the Polish corridor; cor-ridor; (4) an Austrian plebiscite, neutrally managed; (5) restoration of Czech, Polish and Slovak states. If the Reich's denials were sincere, sin-cere, observers wondered why Herr Hitler tried so hard to minimize his relations with Moscow, arch-foe of the democracies. No military pact exists, said the Reich, nor will Germany help Russia fight the Finns. Peace gossip only increased when Berlin called home its envoys to Finland and Russia. Would Germany Ger-many try to settle this war? If so, was it a prelude to peace in the west? War Drive. Overnight the Balkan states mobilized their armies to full strength, members of the Little Entente En-tente backing Rumania against the territorial demands of Hungary. Italy was seen joining them. Across In the West. France reported the quietest period since the war began almost six months ago, and Nazi raids on North sea shipping were slackened perceptibly. In the North. Finnish troops repulsed re-pulsed one Soviet attack after another, an-other, mrst activity being confined to the area around Lake Ladoga. Finnish military observers estimated estimat-ed that reckless use of manpower had cost the Reds 20,000 dead and wounded in a single week. Nevertheless, Increasing rhythm of Soviet attacks was wearing the Finns down, a situation that disturbed dis-turbed the allies increasingly. Following Fol-lowing a meeting of the British-French British-French war council, it was announced an-nounced concrete aid would be rushed at once. Prime Minister Chamberlain told the house of commons com-mons as much, while France kept relaying Italian warplanes which Germany refused to let cross the Reich. How Italy is cooperating with the Finns was revealed in Rome by Finnish Fin-nish Minister Eero Jaernefelt, who reported 5,000 Italian volunteers have been turned down because no visas were available. But hundreds have been granted, too. against Jap bombing of the Kunming-Hanoi railway in southwestern China. Both protests were rejected, reject-ed, and the Japanese parliament found itself seriously considering two drastic steps to avoid future protests. First, it was suggested Japan should junk the nine-power treaty guaranteeing Chinese territorial territo-rial integrity. Second, Foreign Minister Min-ister Hachiro Arita admitted Japan is asking U. S citizens to leave China, probably as a threat to make the U. S. renew its expired trade treaty. AGRICULTURE: Cotton for Stamps Having successfully disposed ol surplus foods through the stamp plan, Secretary of Agriculture Henry Hen-ry Wallace announced this system will be adopted to , help solve his No. 1 farm problem, cotton. Exports Ex-ports having decreased since Britain Brit-ain stopped taking U. S. surpluses under the barter arrangement, cotton cot-ton will be offered under the stamp plan experimentally within a few weeks. Plan: Relief clients purchasing purchas-ing $1 worth of cotton goods at retail stores will be given ?1 worth of cotton stamps free. Other farm news: I The weather bureau announced frost damage to truck crops ir, southern states from January's un expected cold snap had been over estimated, although losses wen-heavy wen-heavy all the way from Florida tr. Texas. C. U. S. farmers watched with in terest and mixed emotions as th house ways and means committe approved a bill renewing the ar ministration's authority to negotia' recipp trade agreements. Of cially ' merican farm bureau a-proved. a-proved. National Grange dissentec |
