| Show HAPPY NEW YEAR world looks forward to busy 1940 fraught with important questions by ROGER BAILEY Ite leased by western newspaper union EW YORK before the NEW infant 1940 becomes a graybeard his book of con horary history may be jaily ily inscribed ahe the new year is destined to be the most important in a decade a year of supreme testing for men and their military machines for politicians and dictators whose philosophies and systems are even now abow waiting in abeyance until 1940 lias has spoken its verdict you can lay your bottom dollar that the european turmoil will crystallize cryst alize in 1940 to the point where observers can see definite trends well probably know for instance whether nazi germany can withstand the pressure of an allied economic blockade meanwhile trying tave ve off french british assaults igind nd and sea or will hillers Hit lers nachine machine crack up the victim of internal discontent ao 70 4 7 ROOSEVELT will juht see k re icso can he win a third joni I 1 ff A W z 11 russian RUSSIA 1 th u stopped ift wil n and retire dee europe P ill G generalissimo chiang a ish sho shown wn ath wife make peace with japan this year what Is Fin lands fate valiant little finland whose early stand against the russian invaders was as acclaimed throughout the world looks forward to 1940 as the year in which she will retain her freedom or fall vassal to the kremlin its a pivotal year in the balkans too if russia succeeds against finland shell undoubtedly turn to a new conquest in rumania already pressed by hungary germany and and bulgaria and if that happens the observers are pretty certain italy will join the melee to fight for balkan independence if these little states can stay free of war in 1940 little to worry about even as russia marches in 1940 she will answer the question world militarists have been puzzling for the past 10 years namely is her huge army and air force really so formidable the polish invasion in which russia kril knifed fed a fleeing enemy in the back was no fair test neither were early days of the finnish invasion because the hardy defenders were able to outpoint soviet troops under extraordinary arctic fighting conditions F will run again iga n at home the years biggest story will be novembers presidential election and the campaign leading up to it will president roosevelt break tradition and seek a third term will eight years of the new deal be vindicated by election of a new deal chief executive or will the public repudiate this leadership in favor of a republican closely allied with this issue Is the question of continuing or stopping national spending most washington observers believe there will be no way of avoiding an increase in the national debt limit which has almost reached its legal peak of president roosevelt will leave revenue matters strictly in congress hands he has intimated organized labor faces a critical year in which antitrust anti trust suits may set a precedent by laying the unions open to prosecution under the sherman act moreover there are signs that congress will amend the wagner labor act following revelations before the smith house committee during december will social security work old age benefits under the f federal ed social security act will be distributed tri buted for the first time and by years end america should know if the plan actually works the supreme court will receive its fifth appointment from president roosevelt gaining a clear new deal majority J how about the far fai east japan balancing precariously on the international fence since europe went to war last september must jump one way or the other siding with the dictators or the democracies right now she is busy playing both ends against the middle trying to frighten the democracies into line by smiling benignly on russia the united states is espe especially lally concerned with asiatic developments because the 1911 trade treaty with japan repudiated last su summer M will become abrogated officially on january 26 before washington is willing to renew it tokyo must agree to cease threatening american interests will chiang surrender the japanese meanwhile hope to end their war with china in 1940 despite continued resistance from generalissimo chiang kai shek the japs plan to establish a puppet government under tinder wang ching wel wei as a means of pacifying chinese nationalistic tiona listic sentiment not all of news will develop in the political and military fields followers of the boxing wars are wondering it if a white hope will arise to strike down the colored T A I 1 ill B enito mussolini turn against the Rom eBer lin axis and filihi hilleri Hit leri ally soviet russi 21 1 41 a WIT I 1 the hard pressed ger anan reiichi utilizing all its ZY j be able t 0 A heavyweight behemoth joe louis and throughout the hot stove league wondering about that perennial question can the new york yankees win a fifth straight pennant even the penguins ot of antarctica have something to wait for in 1940 rear admiral richard E byrd and his government expedition will abon soon sight the snow capped peaks of this desolate land beginning what promises to be one of the years most fascinating adventures |
