Show fifth column what it means outside e the gates of madrid four columns of our troops are engaged but within there is a fifth column which h at the proper time will arise and overthrow the defend defenders em since the day that the spanish rebel general quiapo de llano made that now famous remark regarding the fifth column the term has been used to refer to all those residents citizens or al aliens bens of a nation at war or faced with the possibility of war at some future date who act or speak in a fashion that may in some way may aid the enemy or possible enemy such aid to the enemy may come in many different ways it may mean sabotage or disclosing military secrets most alost striking examples of fifth column activity usually come however as the troops of the enemy are marching into the home country the fifth column is already there and has placed itself in key positions to aid the advancing troops thus far it is claimed the german forces have successfully used these tactics in denmark norway holland and belgium fifth columnists may or may not be citizens of the country in which they reside they filter into the nation in times of peace as students tourists workmen refugees or any guise which is not apt to be alarming agriculture no acreage cut further reduction in the acreage of major U S farm crops has been decided against according to secretary of agriculture henry A wallace after discussing the current farm surplus situation with president roosevelt the secretary announced that the impact of the european war was making a profound effect upon american agrical secretary ture he said that wallace because of the war future emphasis should be upon increasing domestic consumption and storage of crops against future needs exports of U S farm products have been sharply curtailed because of the german invasion of norway denmark belgium and the netherlands as these markets have been cut off then too the allies have diverted much of their agricultural buying to their own colonies POLITICS home stretch republicans have picked virtually all of their 1000 delegates to the national convention and yet no candidate has enough publicly instructed fd votes to assure first ballot nomination for the presidency race on the other side of the political fence with only about three fourths of the delegates chosen the democratic party is apparently going to give president roosevelt another chance IF he wants it with the war situation being what it is inside new dealers feel certain that the president will choose to run talk of postponing the republican convention scheduled for june 24 in philadelphia was spiked by at least one G 0 P leader alf M landon he told newsmen in topeka before he left to keep a luncheon date with president roosevelt in washington that he was opposed to any suggestion to postpone the convention ven tion or have the republican party lend itself to any intangible coalition which would tend to decrease party responsibility his latter remark referred to a suggestion emanating from some quarters that the formality of a presidential election be abolished and a coalition government be formed to meet any threat of american ican invasion or a any ny other foreign danger like mr landon political leaders in both major parties are generally opposed to any such suggestion the thought being that the ideals of free government can best be served even in times of crisis by proceeding along regular democratic channels in governmental business miscellany C L in california the imperial valley suffered a series of fairly severe earth shocks at least eight persons were killed and supplies of water were cut off in six cities estimates of property loss ran to about L possibility of a shortage of steel supplies in the united states was reported by the magazine iron age pointing out that the war generated demand was causing reserve supplies to decline rapidly it was said the pinch would be felt in midsummer |