OCR Text |
Show SCANNING THE WEEK'S NEWS of Main Street and the World Churchill Wins British Election; Civilian Group Proposes UMT Plan ! CHURCHILL For the second time in his lile Winston Churchill has become Prime Minister of Great Britain. As a result, many U. S. I 'Officials are predicting closer Anglo-American relations than existed I under the Labor government of Clement Attlee. f Churchill's election, however, gains importance from the home towners point of view for a number of possible conflicts in Anglo-American Anglo-American relations that may result and not from possible closer ties. Britain's new Prime Minister has long wanted a meeting of top western leaders with Premier Stalin, but I t & - . l" V - President Truman has opposed such a move ever since the Potsdam conference con-ference in 1945. Churchill, who once said he did not become Prime Minister of Great Britain to see the empire dissolved, is expected to take a firm stand on the Suez and Sudan problem. In fact, he could defend the empire system with such tenacity that it could become be-come a point of conflict between Washington and London. On the other side of the ledger, Churchill is believed in full harmony with the U. S. policy in Europe a strong joint defense, constantly increasing in-creasing economic and political unity, the close association of Britain with the European continent as well as the United States and the Common- wealth. CHURCHILL UMT PROGRAM The National The winner and new Prime Security Training Commission, a five-Minister five-Minister who said during World man civilian group formed last June Itar , "I did not become Prime after congress had approved the Minister to liquidate the British broad idea of universal military empire." training, has made a report to con gress that will reach into every home and family in the nation. Briefly, the commission has recommended a UMT program that could involve 800,000 youths annually and cost more than $4 billion in the first year. Every youth upon reaching 18 would get six months of training, then for the next seven and a half years be in a reserve component if the plan was put in operation. The commission had this to say about world conditions and the future: '"The clear prospect is that the present generation must live in danger for many years" and therefore should "learn to live with danger calmly and confidently". Because today's military technology permits an enemy to strike directly di-rectly at the United States by sea or air, "the American people must be prepared, like their forebearers who pushed the frontier westward, to meet a savage and deadly attack at any moment." KOREA Peace talks are underway again in Korea and rumors circulate that this time they will not collapse. However, the man on Main Street still has the feeling that you can't do business with the Communists and expect little of the negotiations. Politely, but firmly, United Nations representatives have told the Communists they refuse to swap hard-won ground for peace in Korea. The Reds insist on a buffer zone 15 miles wide along the 38th parallel. The possibility remains that the Allies may make minor adjustments adjust-ments in the present battle ,line that would be acceptable to the Communists. Com-munists. An unusual note was sounded when Communist correspondents, who usually have little to say to UN correspondents, expressed optimism: optim-ism: "I feel certain a few miles are not going to hold up an agreement," one is reported to have said. POLITICS Frank E. McKinney, Indianapolis businessman, was scheduled for the job of Democratic national chairman, replacing William Wil-liam M. Boyle, Jr., who recently resigned while under fire by senate investigators. McKinney reported he had "agreed to accept" the $35,000-a-year job and would dispose of his interests in a pipeline company which is seeking a government certificate to get 100,000 tons of scarce steel. He wiil retain his radio and banking interests. In his announcement that he had agreed to accept the job, McKinney McKin-ney said: "I'll state here and now that so long as I am national chairman, chair-man, no company which I am affiliated with or interested in will ever enter the doors of a government bureau or agency seeking favors or considerations of any type or character." IRAN CRISIS Rumors persisted during recent days that an agreement agree-ment in the British-Iranian oil dispute was near, with the United States playing an important part in the negotiations. It was rumored the agreement would provide: (1) British marketing of Iranian oil, which would be purchased at an agreed wholesale rate and sold in consumer areas at prices sufficient to assure Britain of a reasonable profit; (2) Compensation for British properties already seized by Iranians: (3) An agreement to assure success of Iranian production, pro-duction, probably providing for a "neutral" manager under Iranian government control. ' ( 1 ' ' - ' ATOMIC EXPLOSION The typical column and mushroom of an atomic bomb explosion rises high above earth at Nevada test site, some 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nev. This shot was made from a point on Ml. Charleston 40 miles away. FARM ACCIDENTS The corn harvest is in full swing in the midwest mid-west and the farm accident rate will climb accordingly. Last year in Nebraska, for instance, the cornpicker toll was two lives, 194 fingers, 18 hands, 10 arms, one leg, four toes and two feet. The National Safety Council estimated that farm accident deaths are being recorded at the rate of 48 a day, or 17,520 a year; disabling injuries now total 1,500,000 a year. The economic loss caused by farm accidents is estimated at ?1 billion a year. BIGGER CROPS Although the government will not publish their production guides for 1952 until mid-December, agriculture experts predict the government will ask for bigger crops. The big push will probably be for higher yields per acre, rather than greater acreage. The simple reason for the expected production increase is the upsurge up-surge in the number of people to feed and clothe. Since the 151 million U. S. nose-count of early 1950, census officials figure there's been a 4 million increase. |