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Show ft jjjl vol. 6 No, 2 David Keith Bldg., Dial SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, FRIDAY, FEB'Y 6, 1942 Published by C. N. Lund $1.50 PER YEAR J: Holding Dutch East Indies ;! s Vital to United Nations itx Crescent of Islands Blocks Jap Aggression 'tH By Forming Barrier Between Continents Of Asia and Australia. KE. By BAUKHAGE aILL National F and Home iiy, arm Hour Commentator iX WNTJ Service, 1343 H Street, N-- f Washington, D. C. By the time these words are print-ed Singapore may have fallen. Japa-nese bombers may be raiding Australia and Japanese ships may be in Australian waters. Even so, according to the sober prediction of those in diplomatic and official cir-cles who are able to look at the war roap without wishful thinking, the ""J tide may still be turned against the Japanese if one condition remains the same. That condition is that the United Nations continue to hold key territory in that slim crescent of isl-ands, the Netherlands Indies which form a barrier between the contin-ents of Asia and Australia. There are two reasons why these experts believe this Malaysian barr-ier may be held in spite of Japa-nese gains north and south of it. First, as one military man put it, "by rule of thumb Japan has already stretched her supply lines so far from her home bases that they may be expected to snap in vital spots." Second, because of successful delayi-ng actions now going on, time is. fighting on the side of the United Nations, time for sufficient to arrive, especially from the United States, which will - snatch air superiority away from the j Japanese and thus affect the tide of f battle. Japan has so far extended hers-elf, experts agree, that a powerful ' blow might topple her over back-- j wards. General MacArthur has held a Japanese army of 200,000 men In the Philippines. Huge land, air and H sea forces have been drawn into the H siege of Singapore. Japanese troops are fighting in Burma, 3,000 miles J from the Manchukuoan border. They jl 1 are spread e from Sumatra k in the west 4,000 miles along the f equator to the Solomon islands be--- " yond New Guinea. United Nations' Barrier It is the barrier the United Nat-ions have established from Sumatra 81 to the Solomon islands, with. Java , as the key point, upon which Japan II. may break her curved scimitar of ' offense. Japan has already penetrated scattered islands in some C places in Borneo, New Guinea, in the Cele-be- s and in the Australian mandated 111 islands in the Bismafck archipelago. JJ But there are many dents in her sword already more than 31 ships lost in the first few days of the bat-pl- d tie in the Macassar straits, which lie between Borneo and the Celebes. Si Many more such losses will be Successful, although scattered by American and Dutch planes and submarines and surface ships are taking their toll. And even though Japanese units may secure some island bases near enough to S bomb the Australian coast, and some ships are able to slip through i to raid coastal towns, the sword hand will be badly strained. The tough, island of Java can deaden her blows. And if enough other bases for allied bombers and subs remain from "nich the Nipponese lnvad-r- s can be harassed, her course j westward and southward can be checked. For the United Nations fighting at TJ:! Malaysian barrier it is simply ,e!p Problem .of hanging on. For the hat United States it is a problem of pro-yk- f oucing and delivering the goods, s"!; Against us is first our late start e war production; second, the great JStfCe to Iront-ab- out six tSS fs fron loading to Imloading; fi third, lack of ships. ,n'o High Gear We cannot make up lost time but "'s agreed that. Donald (Battling) mi?1 and S war Production board i ep us in high gear from now : the ships, by June we will V " Producing them at the rate of two . ships. , As for the '--J whir!!? Cargoes' flghtinS Plane- s-beta t0 be shipped-th- ey are b., ned out in rapidly increas- - numbers. The figures are secret. 1? Wn,,i7. l on g00d authority that it ke only 2'000 m Planes to v. J ciflc S,!uperiority in the whole Pa- - U); ' far less than that are needed t Z" the establish superiority in JaL, nt &sWme area since at hLmurt keep a 'arge air force $ 6 r defense cities o her own the tanks and men, these needs are not so pressing, but tanks will soon be rolling to the tune of a thousand a month, and Garand rifles for next year's army of seven million men are being turned out a thousand a day at the Springfield arsenal alone. MeanwhUe, the men on the fight-ing front say this to America and England: "Hurry. Cut red tape. Take risks. Don't wait until you have-ha- what you think is enough. Send what you have, risk it. We'll risk our lives to use it" If we are willing and able to an-swer this message, Japan may be toppled over on her heels. With Singa-pore in Japanese hands some Japa-nese elements would be able to filter through the island barricade toward Australia. The fall of MacArthur will release thousands of Japanese soldiers, the 'fall of Singapore, thousands more. If the key defense of Java goes, the Japs can then flood south to Austra-lia and perhaps isolate "that conti-nent of hardy fighters. The invad-ers can also swarm westward through the Straits of Malacca, take Rangoon, gateway of the Burma road. They can move submarines into the Persian gulf and the Red sea and threaten the life line to Brit-ain's middle east armies and Rus-sia. Once China is cut off, Japan will offer her a very favorable peace. Chiang Kai-she- k would not accept, but his followers might accept. That would mean thousands more of Japan's effectives could be released, and if Russia's supplies are cut off Hitler could take Moscow while the Japanese troops move on Siberia. And so we can understand why the United States, fighting to hold their island defenses in the southern Pa-cific,- are praying pmt tar the next few weeks that we will risk what we have to bastion them. Even though it be little it need not be too late. The Hermit Of Sharktooth Shoals The Hermit of Sharktooth Shoals came to town the other dey with the surprising news that instead of being an enemy of man, the man-eatin- g shark is now to be regarded as one of man's best friends, and an especial friend of the farmer's. The Hermit is a former newspa-per associate of mine who has re-nounced the noise and tumult of cities and now helps conduct a shark Ashing establishment at Fort Pierce off the east coast of Florida. Along with most people, I had thought that the commercial use, if any, for sharks was limited to the hides, for belts and shoes. But now I learn from the Hermit that shark liver oil is teeming with vitamins and is in great demand by pharmaceutical houses for those yellow pep pills that Americans are consuming in great numbers these ,days. But that, it seems, in no way lim-its the usefulness of the lowly shark. After the hide has been stripped off and the liver extracted, the carcass can be ground up and made into a high potency fertilizer, rich in urea and nitrates. And that's where the shark's value to the farmer comes in. Last year the Hermit and his sharking colleagues tossed over-board two million pounds of perfect-ly good carcasses; simply because they didn't have the machinery nec-essary to convert the defunct fish into fertilizer. This year, what with the announced shortage of nitrates and fertilizer, the Hermit feels that it is high time the government took an interest in the matter, and he is now in Washington for that purpose. The more I hear about the shark profession the more colorful it sounds. The Hermit, for instance, tells me that the sharkery's presi-dent and founder is a prominent sci-entist, Dr. Alexander van Beyer, who has pioneered in the develop-ment of vitamin products from shark livers. The doctor has Chi-nese connections and is a member of the Hip Sing long which is an of another by-product, aid in the marketing shark fins. The Chinese regard shark fins as a great deli- - "More than this, I understand that shark meat-- by any other name--is an excellent food. Instead of let-ting the sharks eat us we may turn toe tables and eat the sharks- Who knows? i 1 WSsatShiMwmainiIty Do? EDITORIALS By O. N. I.TTN1 The Times Ahead In the face of the fact that the blackest night of human history is Just ahead and that the whole world, including our own country is rushing headlong toward a climax of horror, it still seems that the majority of people do not yet understand even though they are dazed and wonder-ing. It shall be our business to try to make them under stand. As with the people so wiih: the leaders. Verily men's hearts are failing them. Civilization is falling. Money will shortly lose its value an many more nations head into chaos, One good sign is that people are turning more and more to the great body of prophesy contained in the Bible and are anxious to have it all explained. Why shouldn't it be? Prophesy is the headlight of religion. Every major event from August 1914 to this day has boen as plainly foretold as the historian can write it afterwards, not by one prophet, but by scores of them, from Isaiah to Jesus and from Jesus to Josebp Smith all telling the same story. What shall men do in the face of the crisis? Let us tell you . Editorials (CONTINUED) We Bow to the Memory of Lincoln Approaching the anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln we salute his immortal memory. If our country had given nothing else to mankind than that noble man. Its existence would have been justified. More of our na-tional wealth centers in men like Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and others than in all the bonds and banks and the piled up fortunes of millionaires and billionaires, for all of these will perish and fall away to oblivion. But the dp and hearts of these men as written into history will live and inspire men as long as the world shall last. Their memory should shame the majority today in their mad worship of Mammon. Dear Editor, of Progressive Opinion: Your January 30 Edition under article. "As One Man Thinketh'' you bat some one for raising a widows rent from $20, per month to $30. and say its a laise of 33 3. '33 1 3 should e enough b opk and you will find it 50 instead of 33 $10 is 3 of $30 but 1 2 of $20 is 50. J.A.Hess Brief Personal Items HMrs. George W. Larsen, our good sister, celebrated her 66th birthday Wednesday and serv-ed a family dinner to some two score members of the family, Neighbor Hans C. Jensen of Midvale was in the other day with the year's dues and a big lot of good will He is a fine fellow and a prosperous con-tractor. He is one of the buil-ding contractors at the now state prison out at the point of the mountain and is doing a splendid job of it, as he al-ways does. Friend and Neighbor George A. Startup, the sage of Prove so far as money is concerned, has remembered us in fine shape. We have known him for many years and our Jiearfc bss been with him and his work We were with him in his fight for a great cause when he al- -' most suffered martyrdom. We are with him in his fight for honest, constitutional money. On the subject of money all the old system economists are but children, which would be easily proven in a contest with Mr. Startup. Mr. J. H. Keate who has a plan to do away with all erime and criminals, says he does not need millions to put it over.but that it will be self supporting and even make millions forthe state. The same may be said of Mr. Tygerson's and Mrs Willis' projects. More Ore Wanted One of Utah's Smelters Prealde'nt Roosevelt In a talk to the American people shortly after the declaration of War against Japan on December 8, 1941, de-clared that an increased supply of metals would be needed to meet the war effort of the United States and that their use In private in-dustry would be sharply curtailed. The s metal resources of the United States, particularly the western portion, are vast and unexceeded In any like area In the world. But, generally speaking the ores are low grade, as there are few If any of the high grade pro-ducers left. The President Is right more metals will be needed to supply America's great mechanized forces and the west will produce these metals. In Utah there exists smelting capacity to treat four or five times the present production of ores from Utah and surrounding states. The smelters are in excel lent shape and stand ready to meet any demand placed upon them by the needs of this nation at war. The basic need is more low grade ores to feed to these smelters. There are hundreds of low grade or marginal ore deposits throughout Utah and western Unit-ed States that should be adding their output to the total metal pro-duction. They must be brought into production and their contri-bution will soon alleviate any shortage that might exist In metals. Ore reserves are measured by that which can be mined. As prices rise, the mineable ore reserves in-crease rapidly and vast new areas are brought into production. No one wants exorbitant profits out of the condition that exists today, but a few cents added to the price of certain metals would double the ore reserves from which the nation might draw In this time of crisis. Driving Them From the Temple Somewhat after the Master's way, Pres. Roosevelt has raised, the lash over the backs of some of the profiteering 'paracites in the temples of liberty in Washington. This is well. In that ei'ythere is a class that is revelling and noting in pleaure and profits much like the mad revellers were carrying on in the Royal Palace in the days of Bels-hazza- r. Like those of the ancient time they cannot read nor undi rutand the warnings written on the walls of these awful times warnings which are really too fearful and too full of evil portents to be dangled before the people What an awakening there wiil be when they shall v see all that they have striven for and all the treasures that they I ave heaped up sliding out from under them to return no more to their possession. Four Square Patriotism "America has ordered me to d"tend the Philippines. I must not fail America "General Douglas Mac Arthur. That's the patriotic spirit that should possess every Amer ican. Let us all stand out under the flag with that great hero and say with an oath, "I mu-- t not fail America!" Treat All Alike With Liquor The Temperance and Prohibition Council has appealed to congress to ban the sale of liquor in every theatre of war and in every community where defense work is going on. Fine, but not good enough. is not good for soldiers, sailors, marines and fliers, it is not good for civ-ilians. Bob tngersol, with all the power of his matchless eloquence used to say: "Ale ihol demoralizes thoe who make it. those who sell it, and those who drink it." Governor Should Speak to The Sugar Hoarders What, sort of Christian Ameiican are you Mister, who hoards fr m five t" thirty sacks of sugar whiie your neighbor nn bis wife and children h ive none and are unable to buy any. v ven laugh at them for not having any. This is the lust ditch (if iircut anil selfishness and it' is the duty of state c--r guvp rnment officials take over excess stocks and ration them. Can itb, oh Lord, that you have treated human beings who will lioan! food while their noiirhly).- - starve? Officials must ac v. tv st,i-- ly and that immediately. YPSta & Home Defense hf Ufcdi Defense J CouBKilN y News of the Home Front The Army Ordnance Depart-ment has been spending about $21,000,000 a day the past month All males between 20 and 45 must register Feb. 16. Only the following questions will be asked: Name, Residence, mail-ing address, Telephone, Age, Place of birth, Person who will always know address, Employ-er, Place of employment. Very soon each man, woman, and child will have an assign-ment to perlorm a specific role in the winning of the war. Don't fail America. United we win; divided we are lost. RESOLUTION The Utah Old Age Pension Organization has sent a Reso-lution to the Governor in re. gard to economy in non-defe-expenditures and mounting commodity prices, ovei staffed agencies and raising of salaries to which they are strongly op-posed and demand that (he ad-ministration take action seek-ing to correct these things. Another thrilling episode in Old Scout Murphy's reminiscences of our last frontier-badma- n from Bodie, miners, gamblers and girls dug more gold and raised more cain to the running foot than any boom camp in the West. A sirikingly illustrated feature in The American Weekly, the magazine distributed with next week's LOS ANGELES H Congressional Greed TV ie must be snnii'l lung in reincarnation because a set of ci ngies-ui'T- i could ha id 'y de elop so much greed in one i n ii' as l he bony has exhibited in vol ing them-selves pensions, and exi ra secretaries at, $4,800 a year. We hereby volunteer, and we could get a hundred others,-t- o take such a job, and do it as well, at one-fourt- the pay. Shame on such greed, raking everything to 'themselves while half the world i starving. We never can win this rnar until we develop motives that are far higher than greed READERS' OPINIONS (The opinions expressed in this column arethose of the writers, and are not neceasarilyconcurred in by the editor and management ofthis paper.) WHO CAUSED "APOSTACY" FROM DEMOCRACY? The story of what the plutocratic perversion of democ-racy has done in Utah is one of t ie most pathetic chap-ters in the history of a thrifty, frugal and industrious people. Here the p wer trust exacts three times as much for electricity as is just; the oil trust collects at least ten cents a gallon too much for gas; the meat trust gives the farmer about 4 of what the consumer pays for his meat; the milling trust by merely grinding the wheat into flour makes it worth twice as much as the farmer gets for raising the wheat; the lumb;r trust co i pells builders of homes to pay three times as much forlumberas it costs at the mills, .the inilk trust pays the farmer as low as 8 cents a gallon for milk and charges the consumer as high as 48 cents a gallon. And yet there are still people in the slate who wonder why Utah is called the "Poor rich state;" and that many of our boys leave the state each year to obtain a livelihood. And still some men in our state who should be friends of the downtrodden and be the emancipators of the op pressed, spend their time denouncing that great humaui tarian, an noble statesman, Franklin D. Roosevelt, of whom Charles S. Osborne, Republican of Michigan said: "He has done more for the social, intellectual and moral interests of the masses than anyone who ever was President not excepting Washington or Lincoln." I BRIEFS ... 6y Baukhage "Sittas iPe.?le readi"g about the betwe i? Straits of Macassar V re,aerniIe(?elebes and Borneo may 5 mon e com- - !loiliM.OUr SWndmother's dav J call LPi?fed 00 chair backs. I re-- eem, C."118 many years ago. It hair ? certain very popular ldd1 the beaux of the good --usedcame from Macassar. ,j C. There are so many army officers Washington that even generals get Recently when a scant attention. friendly American took the trouble British whose to speak to a group of uniforms differ little from ours they They turned oTtobtaVt of P"--e"f Churchill's entourage appointed that no one had noticed them. A Good Magazine Effort Dr. John T.. Miller's Human Culture Digest for January J is, in some respects the best magazine he has yet put out. Having devoted 66 years to the subject he has in thio is-sue reached very near to his life-lon- g ideal. If we had a son in the service we would take the govern-""1i7e- nt to court for letting Americans go about undermining morale and deceiving people to sympathize with the enemy. They go free, helping to kill the boys |