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Show . WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS . Oil Workers Pact Sets Pattern For Industrial Peace; Truman Calls for Unification in China Released by Western Newspaper Union. (KDITOK'S NOTE: When opinions are expressed in these columns, they are those of Western Newspaper Union's news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.) ATOMIC AGE: Lindy Sees Danger No. 1 non-interventionist before Pearl Harbor, Charles A. Lindbergh came out for a strong international organization to preserve peace and control irresponsible nations which might threaten unprecedented destruction de-struction through atomic rockets. In taking his stand at a dinner of the Aero Club in Washington, D. C. the outstanding prewar op- ponent of President Roosevelt's foreign for-eign policies declared that while ! oceans might have been effective ; barriers against aerial onslaughts in j World War II the development of I atomic rockets would offset this ad- vantage. i Pointing to the necessity for a ; strong organization to maintain the j peace, Lindbergh said that while j powerful atomic counterattacks un- : doubtedly could be launched against an enemy, they would not be able J to repair the damage created by his own initial destructive blows. PEARL HARBOR: Quiz in Balance With its whole legal counsel announcing an-nouncing its intention to quit because be-cause of protracted hearings and ' with Chairman Barkley (Dam., Ky.) 1 also considering his resignation be- j cause of the pressure of other du- ' ties, the congressional inquiry into the Pearl Harbor disaster threatened threat-ened to founder. In revealing his decision to retire re-tire from the proceedings, Chiet Counsel William D. Mitchell declared de-clared that the extensive questioning question-ing of witnesses and broadening ol the scope of the investigation made completion by January 3 lmprob- JAPAN: Behind a Suicide Close upon Prince Fumimaro Ko-noye's Ko-noye's suicide to avoid arrest as a war crimes suspect, Tokyo's influential influ-ential newspaper Asahi editorialized on his failure to resist General Tojo's war-making designs in 1941 as a weakness of character that enabled the realization of the militarists' program for hostilities against the U. S. Thrice premier of Japan, Konoye was said to have striven to avert war between his country and the U. S. in the critical months before Pearl Harbor, proposing to confer with President Roosevelt in Hawaii or Alaska only to have the militarists militar-ists block a parley by refusing to withdraw from China as a preliminary prelimi-nary condition. In memoranda he left behind, Konoye, Ko-noye, a cousin to Hirohito, accepted full responsibility for the invasion of China and protested his desire to work with the U. S. for closer relations. rela-tions. It was because he could not bear the humiliation of being tried as a war criminal that he took poison, poi-son, he said, adding that only until the passions of war subsided would a "just verdict ... be given at the court of the gods. . . ." CHINA: Demand Unification In a move designed to eliminate Internal strife and promote Chinese unification, President Truman called upon the country's warring factions to iron out their differences in the interests of representative government govern-ment or face the loss of a sizable extension of U. S. credit for postwar post-war development. Issued coincident with Gen. George C. Marshall's flight to China as special Presidential ambassador to help untangle the country's complicated com-plicated affairs, Mr. Truman's pronouncement pro-nouncement served to alter previous U. S. policy of supporting Chiang LABOR: Peace Pattern Affirming its faith in collective bargaining as the most effective means of settling industrial strife, the Sinclair Oil corporation drew up a new contract with the CIO Oil Workers' International union which promised to set a pattern for resolving resolv-ing other current disputes. In compromising on the CIO's bid for a 30 per cent wage raise, to maintain main-tain high wartime take-home pay, Sinclair agreed to an 18 per cent increase, in-crease, while the union met company com-pany demands for assurance of continued con-tinued production to minimize losses on work stoppages by consenting to the discharge of any employee found guilty of a wildcat strike. Possibility that the Sinclair pact might set a national pattern arose from the similarity of issues between be-tween the two parties and the CIO and companies in different fields. In the turbulent motor car industry, the producers have shown a disposition to meet the United Automobile Workers' demands for a 30 per cent wage boost almost half-way, while the union appeared disposed to grant security against unauthorized walkouts walk-outs crippling output. Labor Innovation The unions' offer to incorporate incorpo-rate security clauses into auto contracts marked a new turn in labor relations and followed con- gressional clamor for legislation outlawing strikes during the life of pacts. First proposed by Ford and later advanced by other companies, com-panies, the security clauses are aimed at assuring continued production to enable producers to maintain volume and thus afford payment of whatever pay raises the unions may win by collective bargaining. The while speed-up in the free settlement of disputes followed hard upon President Truman's recommendation to congress for anti-strike legislation embodying fact - finding machinery which would enable the government to examine both company and 4 v ' l union books to analyze issues in dispute and bring the force of public opinion behind its findings. find-ings. Rail Parleys Latest labor dispute to come to the fore involved 20 railroad unions' demands upon the nation's carriers for increased wages and revision of operating rules that the employers contended would cost 2 billion dollars dol-lars annually. With the parleys snagged by the insistence of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Lo-comotive Engineers and Brotherhood Brother-hood of Railway Trainmen to discuss dis-cuss both wages and rules rather than separate the two, the carriers asked the government to step in and mediate under terms of the railway rail-way act covering settlement of controversies con-troversies between the unions and companies. Mediation failing, the government then is required to appoint ap-point a special fact-finding board whose conclusions are expected to exert public pressure on the dispu--tants for reaching terms. In asking for increased wages, the five operating unions have sought a 25 per cent boost with a minimum of $2.50 a day while the 15 non-operating non-operating organizations have demanded de-manded a 30 cents an hour hike. Rules changes asked include the restriction re-striction of freight-train lengths to 70 cars and passenger-train lengths to 14 cars. SENATORS: Ask German Relief In asking for adoption of a four-point four-point program to feed distressed Germany and Austria, a representative representa-tive group of 34 senators called upon President Truman to relieve the "appalling famine" threatening the defeated enemy countries. Under the senators' proposal, Mr. Truman would: Order American forces to raise the food ration in U. S. zone above the present "starvation" level and restore mail and postaje service. Initiate negotiations with the Russians to permit shipment of American food into the Red zone to at least reduce the daily death toll. Permit private relief organizations organiza-tions to operate in Germany and Austria and assist the efforts of U. S. occupation authorities. Create an independent American relief commission to avert the impending im-pending starvation and pestilence threatening Europe. Chiang Kai-shek Kai-shek's regime in its clash with the communists. Declaring that American marines were in China to help disarm over a million Japanese Japa-nese troops, the President said that they would not be used to influence the course of the nation's politics. In calling for an amalgamation of Chinese political parties in government, govern-ment, Mr. Truman proposed a drastic dras-tic reversal of the principles laid down by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Chinese republic, outlining rule by a single party until the country coun-try was prepared for full-fledged democracy. WAR PLANTS: Disposals Mount Representing slightly less than half of the total of government-owned government-owned war plants to be disposed of, 287 properties costing about a billion bil-lion dollars already have been sold or leased and another 327 costing cost-ing about three billion dollars are gubject to negotiation, the Recon-ttruction Recon-ttruction Finance corporation reported. re-ported. Of the total already contracted t.OT, 84 costing 152 million dollars have been sold to wartime operators or new interests, while 203 costing 827 million dollars have been leased for various periods, RFC stated. Among representative sales, the huge wartime Buick aviation engine plant in Melrose Park, 111., costing $20,823,048 was purchased by International Inter-national Harvester company for $13,750,000; General Motors corporation corpor-ation plant at Danville, 111., put up for $2,201,7(51 was purchased by G.M. for Sl.587.910. and the Ex-Cello corporation cor-poration plant at Highland Park, 111., constructed for $3,388,587 was bought by Ex-Cello for $1,574,235. Senator Barkley able, with the result that other business busi-ness would prevent him from continuing con-tinuing the probe. At the same time, Barkley declared that because of the burden of his legislative duties, du-ties, he would have to choose between be-tween performing them or remaining remain-ing as the committee head. UNO: Pick U. S. Out-maneuvering a bloc of European Euro-pean states for the situation, of the United Nations organization permanent perma-nent headquarters in the Old world, governments favoring the location of UNO in the U. S. carried a motion for its establishment in this country coun-try by a 30 to 14 vote. Selection of the U. S. followed the thwarting of the. European bloc's proposal for a secret ballot for picking pick-ing the site by a 26 to 24 vote and the defeat of a motion for making a European country permanent host by a 25 to 23 count. Delegates lost much of their temper tem-per and dignity during the red-hot maneuvering but quickly composed differences when the final count wai tabulated. GREAT BRITAIN: Approve Loan Acting before congressional consideration con-sideration of the proposed $4,400,000,-000 $4,400,000,-000 loan to Great Britain, the house of commons approved of the advance ad-vance by a 45 to 98 count marked by the abstmance of many conservatives conser-vatives from the voting because of a desire not to offend American opinion by registering heavy opposition. oppo-sition. At the same time, commons okayed the Bretton Woods monetary stabilization agreement previously passed by congress and setting up a multi-billion dollar exchange fund upon which member countries could draw to secure foreign currency without being forced to discount their own money if depreciated in the open market. With opinion in Britain divided over the liberality of the American terms for the $4,400,000,000 loan, Winston Churchill led the conservatives' conserva-tives' opposition to the advance, tell- j ing commons: "I was astonished ' that the United States think it worthwhile worth-while to exact the equivalent of 1.62 per cent interest (for 50 years) in the special circumstances in which we find ourselves." FARM LAND: Individuals are becoming increas- ingly important as sellers of farm real estate, as the holdings of corporations cor-porations and states and counties are being exhausted, the department of agriculture reports. j Approximately four-fifths of the sellers during the last two quarters were individuals and one-half f these were owner-operators. Purchases Pur-chases by non-farmers are Increasing Increas-ing although farmers still continue as buyers in almost two-thirds of all sales. |