i The Roman Phalanx of 1940 A. D.
Julius Caesar’s “phalanx” of close-packed Roman legions who formed an armored roof with shields cov
ering their advance, is Improved upon by the modern “Caesar.” Here are today’s Roman “phalanx” armored
legions that comprise part of Italy’s war machine. These tanks are ultra-modern, many being equipped
with flame projectors.
Egypt Prepares for Any Eventuality
Past the pyramids, ages old symbols of Egypt and the Pharaohs, roar these British Blenheim bombers,
as the British and Egyptian forces prepare for any “eventuality." The feared “eventuality,” of course, was
the long-expected Italian entry into the great war, with a drive at Egypt from Libya as the first move.
Uncle Sam Gets Bigger Battle Wagon
Bedecked with flags and bunting, the U. S. S. Washington, 35,000-ton
, battleship just completed at the Philadelphia navy yard, is shown sliding
down the ways to the Delaware river. The 750-foot ship cost $80,000,000
and is the biggest warship ever built on this continent. It is the first
completed unit of 68 warships under construction.
s King George Quite a ‘Shot’
During a recent inspection tour of a gun factory that is operating
night and day under war pressure, King George tried out a Bren
machine gun. He put 60 bullets in or close to the bulls-eye at 20 yards,
and remarked: “I had no idea the gun was so steady.” The king has made
a number of personal inspections in factories lately.
Banks Half Billion
Mrs. Essie Ept, in charge of
Ohio’s gasoline revenues, has de
posited $540,316,659 to the state’s
credit since 1926. This great sum
was collected in dimes, nickels and
pennies. It took a lot of ’em—but
Mrs. Ept didn’t mind.
Steel Chairman
Irving S. Olds, elected chairman
of the board of the V. S. Steel corpo
ration, to succeed Edward R. Stet
tinius Jr., who resigned to serve
with national defense commission.
Britain's ‘Rock' Under a Double Threat
An aerial view of Gibraltar, Britain’s mighty fortress at the entrance to the Mediterranean, one of the
key points of the European chessboard. Great Britain may be forced to defend Gibraltar against both Musso
lini and Gen. Francisco Franco, who has been urged to repay Spain’s debt to the Rome-Berlin axis by co
operating In any axis operation against the “Rock.”
The Allied Troops Retreat From Dunkirk
The picture shows the allied troops wading out from the beach to the rescue boat in the right fore
ground, during the evacuation of Dunkirk. This was one of the most remarkable retreats in history, 887
British craft.taking part In the operation. A correspondent reports that every building in this city of 33,000
persons was destroyed by the Nazis.
$230,769,230 Per Ounce!
Between 1935 and 1940 federal expenditures have increased by $3,000,
000,000, and the budget has gained 13 ounces in weight. This means that
every time the budget becomes an ounce heavier the spending increases,
on an average, by $230,769,230, The picture was prepared by the National
Small Business Men’s association with headquarters in Chicago.
Middies March in June-Week Fete
Middies parade daring: the presentation of colors ceremony, one of
the features of June week at the United States Naval academy, Annapolis,
Md. Helen Barbara Enrh, 19, Sweet Briar college sophomore, was
selected color rid for the ceremony.
Interned by Nazis
r. u. nuuniouM1, diiumi uuiiiur
ist, and his wife (shown) were giv
ing a cocktail party in Le Touquet,
French channel coast town, when
the Germans came along. He was
interned, but his wife was allowed
to leave.
Visitors Barred
Every armory in New York state
has been pat under military guard.
The buildings have been closed to
tbe public to prevent possible sabo
tage.
NATIONAL
AFFAIRS
Reviewed by
CARTER FIELD
I\otv that the country is
awake, tax legislation will
be given a thorough over
hauling ... Military author
ities always have been slow
to admit revolutionary
changes in equipment.
(Bell Syndicate—WNU Service.)
WASHINGTON - The new tax
measure is not just going to be the
sort of lick and a promise which had
been indicated earlier. It is going
to be the result of considerable
study and investigation on the part
of the congressional tax experts.
Just a 10 per cent flat addition is
out the window. Senators and rep
resentatives interested directly in
the tax situation pride themselves
on their understanding of the prob
lem and they are going to have
something, they are saying, to
which they can point with pride
when the next revision comes up.
Then, too. the bill is not going to
raise the mere seven hundred mil
lions additional that President
Roosevelt talked about. It is going
to be nearer twice that, not improb
ably a billion and a half on top of
the present tax load.
There are two reasons for this.
One Is that the amount of expendi
tures necessary for national defense
has been constantly understated—
underestimated If you like, but
understated is more accurate. The
point here is that plenty of people,
including the President, the admi
rals, the generals, and the senior
members of the senate and house '
military and naval committees,
knew that the United States army
and navy needed the spending of
several billion dollars to bring them
up to date.
AFRAID TO SPEAK
But—none of them thought the
public would stand for it From the
President down, all were afraid po
litically of telling the country that
we had to spend billions more on
national defense. So there was
virtually a conspiracy to let the fis
cal situation, and the national de
fense situation, ride until after elec
tion.
It must be realized in this connec
tion that the fiscal situation was al
ready very bad. Even with terribly
inadequate national defense spend
ing, the government was headed di
rectly for financial rocks. Every
one who studied the situation knew
that congress would have to impose
additional taxes next session, and
would have to raise the $45,000,000,
000 debt limit also in the session to
begin next January. But the Presi
dent and the legislators figured on
coasting until after the election was
over.
Then came Norway and Denmark,
with Holland and Belgium following,
and the drive to the English channel
on top of that. For the first time
since Gettysburg there was real
fear in this country as to whether
this nation could go on being what it
has been.
SLOW TO MAKE CHANGES
It is not so surprising to students
of naval and military history that
the navy suddenly discovers our
battleships need better deck armor
as a protection from airplanes, and
that the army is woefully deficient
in mechanized units.
It is the history of army and navy
staffs of most countries that they
are very slow to admit that changes
have revolutionized their own art.
There is nothing new about this. It
is n failure of human nature.
It is entirely probable that the
tremendous supremacy which Ger
many has shown in the use of fight
ing machines in the present war is
due to the fact that its army and
navy have been under the absolute
domination for some years now of
an outsider—a fanatic who was only
a corporal in the World war, but
who achieved supreme power. In
other words, it is the well-consid
ered opinion of many students of
military and naval history that this
ruthless direction by a man who had
never served in the various grades
leading up to the high command
was of inestimable advantage to the
Nazis' military force.
The classic illustration, of course,
of resistance to new ideas in the
navy is found by studying the reper
cussions of the battle of the Merri
mac and the Monitor, in our own
Civil war.
TOOK A LONG TIME
There were three lessons to be
learned from that battle, plus the
easy victory the day before of the
Merrimac over the wooden Union
ships lying in Hampton Roads. One
was that an iron ship, or an ar
mored ship, was immeasurably su
perior to a wooden ship. The second
was that for war purposes the screw
propeller was greatly superior to
the old-fashioned paddle wheels.
The third was that a few large guns,
in turrets directly over the keel,
were far more deadly in their fire
than a larger number of guns
mounted along the sides of the ship.
The Merrimac had a lot more guns
than the Monitor, but they were
mounted as though she was an old
British frigate, to shoot through
openings in her sides, broadside
fashion.
Neither ship sank the other, but
the Merrimac never put to sea again
after her retreat that day.
