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About The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 1943)
• ■ — ■ ■ ■ WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS Mediterranean Victories Prepare Wav For New Allied Campaign Against Axis; Essential Production to Be Increased By Simplification of Consumer Items (EDITOR'S NOTE: When opinions are espressed In these columns they are those of Western Newspaper Union's news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.) ■ - Released by Western Newspaper Union. Under the watchful eyes of C. 8. guards, Axis prisoners march in Internment camp in Camp Atterbury, Ind. Since fighting in North Africa, many of these camps have sprung up throughout the country, the average concentration holding 2.000 prisoners and 500 American troops. Prisoners of war are treated under rules of an international convention. MEDITERRANEAN: Eyes Turn to Sicily With Allied shipping reported massed in the Sicilian straits, all Italy awaited invasion. Preparatory to the expected blow at the “underbelly of Europe,” Al lied airmen ranged over the Italian islands of' Sardinia and Sicily, the Axis’ remaining bastions in the Med iterranean following the fall of Pan telleria, Lampedusa, Lampione and Linosa. Airfields at Catania and Gerbini in Sicily were attacked. At Cata nia, enemy fighters rose in force to challenge the Allied assault. Although Allied headquarters re mained silent on their military movements in the Mediterranean, the Nazis reported that their air men were engaging in running fights with large convoys off North Africa. The Axis also stated that the Allies had massed invasion barges at Bi zerte. Meanwhile, the Allies kept the Axis guessing about their next move. Strong aerial formations at tacked Axis shipping in the Aegean sea, where the Nazis have fortified the islands leading to the Grecian mainland. SIMPLIFY GOODS: From Cradle to Grave In an effort to increase production of necessary essentials, the govern ment has ordered the simplification of more than 1,000 manufactured items. Elimination of frills and vari ety of sizes is expected to result in enough conservation of material to add to production. The simplification order will affect Americans from the cradle-to-the grave. Metal will be restricted in baby’s cribs, and the length, width and depth of coffins will be limited. Cast iron kitchen utensils will be confined to 12 items, and 40 styles of enamelware have been eliminated. Wood furniture will be reduced to 24 basic patterns. Whereas 1,150 types of tools formerly were made, only 357 now will be permitted. Pro duction of electric bulbs will be cut from 3,500 types to 1,700. Feminine apparel will be simplified along with children’s sportswear and rayon dresses. AIR OFFENSIVE: Cities in Flames Bremen’s big Atlas shipyards were rocked by a dozen bomb hits as American airmen continued their joint attacks with the RAF over Ger man industrial centers. Results of the U. S. raid on the submarine base of Kiel were unobserved, as swarms of Nazi fighter planes arose to the defense. While the Americans hammered the Atlas works, strong British units, bolstered by huge four-engined bombers, ripped Duesseldorf and Bochum in the Ruhr. Blockbusters caused heavy dam age in both cities, sweeping fires adding to the havoc. Mass evacua tions were reported, and the German radio asked people in other districts to make room for the refugees. Size of the raiding fleets can be gleaned from the Nazi claim of hav ing shot down 46 planes. 29 of which were supposed to be the four-engined machines. German aerial activity meanwhile was limited to a short, sharp sally over a London suburb, where bombs were dropped. FOREIGN AFFAIRS: World Cooperation American participation in the es tablishment and maintenance of post-war peace was unanimously recommended by the house foreign affairs committee. In a simple. 35-word resolution which it recommended to the house and senate for approval, the com mittee declared: ". . . Congress hereby express itself as favoring the creation of appropriate internation al machinery with power adequate to establish and to maintain a just and lasting peace, and as favoring participation by the United States therein.” Introduced by Representative J. W. Fulbright (Ark.), the resolution was passed after being stripped of the phrase calling for the organiza tion of an international body to pre vent future aggression, and to main tain law, order and lasting peace. Since this section touched on the highly controversial subject of an international police force, it was eliminated. FOOD CZAR: W anted by Congress Shortly after a bi-partisan group of legislators conferred with Presi dent Roosevelt and suggested that he appoint a single czar to handle the food situation, the War Food ad ministration prepared issuance of a report dealing with unfavorable crop and meat prospects. Led by Senator Walter George, the five senators and four representa tives urged that a single authority be delegated to co-ordinate produc tion, distribution, preservation, ra tioning and pricing agricultural com modities It was reported the President sug gested an appropriation from lti to 2 billion dollars for subsidies to be used in "rolling back” the prices of foods. Many legislators oppose the subsidies, contending the money used only will have to be repaid in taxes. In commenting on crop prospects, the War Food administration de clared floods in the Midwest and dry weather over the great plains have caused considerable damage. Meat slaughter and dairy production have failed to approach expectations. DRAFT: Fathers Due for Call ‘‘Fathers will be placed in uniform at least by the last quarter of this year.’* With this statement the War Man power commission, headed by Paul V. McNutt, announced the Selective Service board’s new draft policy in informing employers to prepare for replacement of married men with children in industry after October 1. In addressing 5,500 employers who have filed replacement lists with state draft directors, the WMC said that after July 1 the employers also should plan to release the childless married men within six months. Although the WMC’s remarks were directed to the 5,500 employers, it indicated that its new policy would be broadly applied throughout all in dustry. Speaking before a house ap propriations subcommittee Draft Director Hershey said 10,900,000 men will be in uniform by December 31. j During the first six months of 1944, 115,000 men will be inducted month ly, Hershey declared. HIGHLIGHTS . . . in the week's news SOFTWOOD: Softwood lumber will be made available for essen tial farm repairs. About half a bil lion board feet will be released by the War Production board. • • • TOBACCO: Possibility of a short age of tobacco, caused by unrestrict ed buying for export, was voiced when government officials conferred with leaders of the industry recently. SHIPPING: Shipping losses have been lower in June than in May, in which the smallest losses since Pearl Harbor were sustained, says the OWI. • • • ARMY: An army of about 2Vfc million men will be maintained for some time after the war, according to statements to a house subcom* mittee. RUSSIA: Action in the Center Official announcements pertaining to the Russian front continued to be as confusing as the fighting. While the Reds claimed to have thrown back German counterattacks in the Orel region in the center of the line, the Nazis reported the continuation of the strong Russian offensive in the Caucasus. In neither sector, however, did either side claim any major ad vance In relation to renewed Rus sian activity in the center, the Nazis said the Reds were massing huge forces there, apparently to press the initial attacks of a week ago when big fcoks were punched in the Ger man line. Bolstered by the addition of Amer ican planes arriving under lend lease, Russian airmen continued sweeping attacks over the German rear. Military installations and transport were bombed. OIL: ‘Situation ff or.se’ “We are rapidly passing from an exporting to an importing r,ati<» in oil.” With these words Petroleum Ad ministrator Harold Ickes forecast an increasing shortage of crude oil. Such a shortage, Ickes said, would not develop because of a lack of natural resources but rather be cause of a scarcity of labor, trans portation and other factors. While stating that imports of oil would have to be increased from Venezuela, the Caribbean and Mex ico, he declared that California will not be producing sufficient crude by the end of the year to take care of the Pacific war theater and her own needs. Ickes also blasted the Office of Price Administration for its handling of the gasoline rationing, declaring the OPA was too lenient in its al lotments. He said home owners could expect fuel oil rationing next winter. CORN: Plan Call on Loans Aiming at loosening the tight situ ation in corn for processors and feeders, it was reported Commodity Credit corporation planned to call its loans on 57 million bushels of 1942 corn. Under the proposal, farmers would be allowed 30 days to liquidate their loans. The call would not interfere with the agency’s previous move to redeem 35 million bushels of com on the 1938**41 crops, effective July 1. Decision to call the 1942 loans was reported reached after the War Food administration, headed by Chester Davis, turned down pro posals for requisitioning the corn. The WFA said requisitioning only would incense farmers and leave the government with the problem of shelling, grading and hauling the com off the premises. MEAT PRICES: Down 10% Answering to President Roose velt’s “hold-the-line” order, retail prices of meat have been “rolled back” 10 per cent, a move that will save housewives an average of three cents per pound. The "roll-back” will be accom plished by government payment of subsidies to meat slaughterers to cover their costs of livestock. Although the action will reduce meat prices, consumers will be com pelled to eat even less beef. The War Food administration announced that federally inspected slaughter ers had been ordered to reserve 45 per cent of their steer and heifer production for the army. Flat price ceilings on meat have been drawn by the OPA for four classes of stores, starting with the small independent doing less than $50,000 worth of business a year, and ending with the large operator with an annual volume over $250,000. NAZI SPY: Intrigue in Hauaii In November, 1941, Bernard Julius Otto Kuehn offered his services as a spy to the Japanese vice-consul at Honolulu. In a confession to the FBI, he said he volunteered to sup ply the enemy with information about the national defense of the U. S. Shortly after, Kuehn worked out a system of signals to transmit in telligence of American fleet positions to the Japs. According to testimony, the signals were developed through a window light in the dormer of Kuehn's home near Pearl Harbor. Mrs. Kuehn played a prominent role in the intrigue, according to the FBI. In 1939, her daughter op erated a beauty parlor designed to attract “navy business.” and in 1940 Mrs. Kuehn visited Japan, returning with geographical literature describ ing American and British islands in the Pacific. Kuehn, first sentenced to death, was later committed to 50 years at hard labor. SUPREME COURT: flans Compulsory Salute Reversing a previous decision by a 6 to 3 vote, the U. S. Supreme court ruled that the nation’s public schools cannot require pupils to sa lute the flag. Said the majority. “Compulsory unification of opinion achieves only the unanimity of the graveyard No official . . . can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, reli gion, nationalism or other matters of opinion . . History Will Write Details Of Lewis-Roosevelt Feud Story Begins During ‘Roaring Thirties’ as The Forgotten Man Is Remembered By New Deal and CIO. By BAUKHAGE News Analyst and Commentator. WNU Service, Union Trust Building, Washington, D. C. Today there came to my desk a mimeographed sheet from the Of fice of War Information. It was headed "The Nazi Slave Labor So ciety.” As I read that title, my mind shot back to a very few days before this writing, one of the days when your capital was tense over the coal strike from one end of Constitution avenue to the other, and on both sides of the Potomac. I say “Con stitution” avenue instead of “Penn sylvania” (which you and I have come to feel is the main street of Washington) because this coal strike struck deep into a lot of offices and bureaus beside the White House at one end of this historic thoroughfare and the Capitol at the other. Naturally, Harold Ickes, in his of fices looking down the mall from that strange modernistic pile that is the new Interior building, was concerned. He was, at that mo ment, responsible head of the soft coal mining industry and the indus try wasn't functioning. Naturally the members of the War Labor board were concerned. The board’s existence was threatened. Two Worries Over across the Potomac in that marvelous architectural achieve ment. the Pentagon building, where the army is housed, officers paced the floor of their pentagonal offices. They had two worries. One: Will there be a coal shortage that will hold up production of important war supplies? Two: Will we have to go out and push people around with bayonets? I haven’t mentioned what was go ing on at the Capitol or in the White House. Plenty. Every enemy of the administration, every friend of the administration who was angry at Lewis, everyone w’ho was for 100 per cent prosecution of the war— and they weren’t necessarily differ ent people, but people with different ideas—was yelling for Lewis' eye brows and some of them were threatening the President if he didn’t bring them in (on a silver charger) for breakfast. Inside the White House, there were meetings which, because of the presence and absence of certain per sons, I would like to report in great er detail but I can’t—that will have to be left to history. As I write these lines, I cannot predict the aftermath of the action which began late one afternoon on June 3 when, contrary to reports circulated earlier in the day, a state ment was issued from the White House ordering the men back to the mines by June 7. But between these lines of that statement was the story of “Franklinstein” and the creature which he created, as dramatic, if not as tragic, as the horror tale by the gentle Mrs. Shelly, written earlv in the 19th century. Self-Destroyer A copy of that book ("Franken stein”) is on my table as I write. On the last page are the lines spoken by this strange being which the hero had created, hoping to raise the standard of humanity but which, alas, had found itself heir to the human weaknesses and turned against his creator. The "being,” just before it destroys itself, speaks to its creator: "... thou didst seek my extinc tion that I might not cause greater i wretchedness; and if yet, in some mode unknown to me, thou hast not | ceased to think and feel, thou wouldst not desire against me a vengeance greater than that which I feel. Blasted as thou wert, my agony was still superior to thine . . .” (You really ought to read the book—it’s far superior to the movie version.) But why do I bandy with this ancient tale? Because I do believe that all of us build, materially or physically, creatures which come back to haunt us. Look at the record of John Lewis and Franklin Roosevelt. John, born to the ptts, a man who won to literacy, yes, to scholar ship the hard way. Franklin, born to the purple. Both endowed with that indomita I ble something that lifted them, in spite of their respective handicaps, to leadership. Egocentric enough to j elbow their wray up to the counter; altruistic enough to have something to contribute to the general welfare when they got there. Reader, be fair even if vou have your honest j prejudices—both these men are gift- j ed. A Quick Look Pick up the story in the roaring thirties—the New Deal is beginning ! to strut its stuff. The "forgotten man" has been remembered and he’s grateful to Roosevelt. The forgotten laborer is being re membered; he’s grateful to Lewis. I mean the man who couldn’t because of the by-laws of the AFL, get into a labor union any more than he could get into the Union League club. Lewis stepped out of 1 the AFL with his miners. The CJO ; was formed in 1935. It looked as if John of the eye brows and Franklin of the amber cigarette holder had something in common. They did. It began by being an ideal—a better deal for the man who hadn’t had such a good deal before. Later, the issues 1 became more complicated but we won’t go into that now. Anyhow, the Wagner act^ was passed in 1935. (Labor's Magna Charter, they called it.) That gave the poor, heretofore outsider, the workman who couldn’t qualify, to join the snooty AFL, a chance to be somebody. If there were more of his group than there were of the AFL’s in a plant, shop or factory, his outfit was recognized as the col lective bargaining unit. That was a real step forward in economic democracy. The CIO thrived. It had the bless ing of the administration. It gave its votes in return. It also gave the largest campaign contribution in re turn. Some of the starry-eyed young men in the New Deal‘(they have departed, most of them, for Puerto Rico and elsewhere on the fringes) dreamed dreams. They told their dreams to Lewis. "Why not a real labor party, Jawn," they smiled encouragingly, “with you as the leader? We’ll get rid of the democrats without imagi nation. You’ll be vice president next time ...” The Siren’s Song But then Mr. Lewis made a great mistake. He went to Paris. Other men have erred in that once-fair city before this. (I visited it my self.) But John met another siren . . . he witnessed the sit-down strike. Now, frankly, this is hearsay but I am told that it was Lewis brought that illegitimate Gallic child of the proletariat, conceived in a strange moment of aberration, back to Amer ica. It did not thrive. It needed a more rarified atmosphere than that which blows across the prairies and once flapped the cover of the cov ered wagon. Mr. Lewis went to the White House, jerked the previously wel coming latchstring, and went in. But old man Vox Populi got there be fore him. Up to then, V P. had been pretty satisfied with things as they were under the New Deal. But things had changed. In a chilly voice V. P. said: ‘‘No, Franklin, no John. No dice.” Franklin listened. John got mad. That was the end of a beautiful friendship and the rest is history. Lewis turned against the man who had made his success possible and there is, as we know, no feud like the feud of former friends. The soldier on the battlefield, ut terly unable to comprehend why men strike while he is risking his life for a fraction of the pay the strikers demand, cursed and threat ened; the miner, with many just grievances, stood confused, looking for his oracle to speak, but cring ing under the sneers at his lack of patriotism. Small-minded bureau crats. more interested in saving their faces than saving the country, sputtered and strutted. Lewis and Roosevelt, the two men who, work ing together, might move mountains (of coal and coalition) were forced to square off against each other, the public backed the government and, as usual, decided the issue. Oh yes! That ‘‘Nazi Slave Labor Society”—it can’t happen here! BRIEFS.. . by Baukhage The Japanese-controlled Bangkok radio has issued more advice on good manners to the people of Thai I land. “Since the clothing and man j ners of those who are in private business are not respectable yet, we ! request that they observe the follow ing principles: Be well dressed, be clean, be agreeable to customers, do not smoke or be intoxicated, have good manners, be honest The United States was producing fighting equipment eight times as fast as Japan in the spring of 1943. • * * A popular joke in Holhnd deals with the bicycle shortage. So many men's bicycles have been stolen that it is asked what happens to the ladies’ bicycles. “Oh, they’re being kept for the Scotch Highlanders when they get here.” FIRST-AID AILING HOUSE by Roger B- Whitman ::'Ui Roger B. Whitman—WNU Features. Too may not be able to replace worn or broken household equipment. This is war. Government priorities come first. So take eare of w’hat you have ... os well as you possibly can. This column by the home owner's friend tells you how. CARE OF FLAT ROOF Question: The guarantee on the flat roof of my bungalow has ex pired. I will have to repair the roof at my own expense. Will you advise me just how to go about it? That is, what to buy and how to apply it? Answer: When the roofing begins to show signs of drying and harden ing, the surface should be given a mopping coat of liquid tar or as phalt roof coating. This will pro long the life of the roof. You should find out just which type of roofing you now have, and be sure to use the same type of material for the coating. Do not mix the two. Flagstone Terrace Question: I am planning to lay flagstones on a dirt terrace. Is it necessary to lay a concrete founda tion, or will cement between the stones be enough? I don’t want frost and ice to ruin the job. How should I gc about it? Answer: If the joints are to be made watertight, there should be a concrete foundation laid on a six inch bed of cinders. Water must be prevented from collecting under neath. In a similar case I laid flagstones on the earth and packed the joints with dirt, sown with grass seed. The soil being sandy this has worked very well; there has been no heaving. Leaky Pail Question: I have a galvanized pail in excellent condition, except that the bottom is rusty and has two pin holes. It is too good to throw away, considering the scarcity of metal things in country places. How can the bottom be made tight? Answer: Coat the bottom of the pail with roofing cement, which can be liquefied either by heating or with turpentine. Cut a piece of building felt to fit, lay it on the bot tom, and put a coat of roofing ce ment on top. Summer is the most convenient time to paint radiators. The metal should be cleaned with a wire brush, and then washed with turpentine. Two or three coats of flat wall paint, thinned with turpentine, should then be applied. Wall paint seems to be more resistant to blistering than other finishes, but any paint or en amel may be used. Sweating Windows Question: Our contractor told us that the sweating of our windows was due to not having heat in the house. But the house having been heated for the month that we have been living in it, our steel windows are still sweating. What will stop it? Answer: The air in any new house is damp from the drying out of plaster and concrete. The sweat ing should stop when the house is thoroughly dried out. Washing Machine Cover Question: My washing machine cover is starting to chip on the in side. Can you tell me what to put on to prevent further chipping? Answer: Nothing but careful han dling of the cover will prevent fur ther chipping. The chipped spots can be touched up with a touch-up enamel made especially for the pur pose. It comes in small bottles and is sold at most hardware and paint stores. Leaking Slate Roof Question: My slate roof looks in good condition, but wind-driven rain sifts in. Can I paint anything on the inside? Answer: The slates are apparent ly nailed to roofing lath instead of to solid boarding. Under that con dition about the best that you can do is to raise the lower edge of each slate so that you can put a dab of roofing cement underneath. SHOCK TREATMENT Some mental patients receive home care, as the family do not want it known that such a thing as "insanity” is in the family. Fortu nateiy, m most the family physician is able to persuade the family that men tal illness is the same as any illness of the body and can be due to the same causes — infection, anxiety, shock, in jury and others. Further, at the men tal hospital today Dr. Barton treatment to remove any cause of the symptoms is given; dentists, throat specialists, women’s specialists are on the staff or make regular visits. One of the most effective meth ods of treating certain types of men tal illness is by producing shock in the patient by insulin, metrazol and. more recently, by electricity. Be cause of accidents that occasionally occur during shock this form of treatment has heretofore been given in mental hospitals and sometimes in the ordinary municipal hospitals. What should mean much to a pa tient and family is a recent report by Dr. A. Myerson, Boston, in the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Myerson reports the results ob tained by the electric-shock method in the treatment of 123 patients, 74 by the outpatient method. The pa tients reported at a place fitted out in hospital fashion with nurses and a physician in attendance. They were given the shock treatment and usually went home within one or two hours. In cases where the pa tient was too upset after the treat ment he received further shock treatment at a mental hospital. Compared to the risk of other methods of treatment of the same kind of mental ailments, the electric shock treatment is much safer as to mental or physical injury. The big point about being able to go to other than a mental or munici pal hospital, receive the shock treat ment, return home and continue the treatment for the weeks necessary, is that the family and patient have no feeling of shame or humiliation. To get this latest form of treatment so easily is certainly a real change from former days. • • • Nursing Along ‘Heart Condition* by Resting A few years ago a physician vis iting a southern city made the ac quaintance of another visitor who appeared to be “resting" all the time. He informed the physician that he had undergone a serious op eration three months previously and as he has a “heart condition” he wished to consult a local heart spe cialist and asked the physician if he knew of one he could recom mend. The physician, being a stranger, was unable to refer him to a heart specialist but asked him the nature of his heart condition. “I have a heart murmur and after having this operation I was told to be careful of my heart." “But a heart murmur is not se rious nor was your operation of a serious nature.” Operation for rup ture or hernia is just changing the structure of the tissues in this re gion; there is no pus, no inflamma tion, and little or no shock. “This should not have taken much out of you.” A short examination by the physi cian revealed no enlargement of the heart, the murmur likely present when patient was born, no history of rheumatism. The patient walked slowly up and down stairs; the in crease in the heart rate was about 10 beats and the heart was back to its normal rate within one minute. He walked slowly up and down stairs twice. The heart rate increased 16 beats and returned to normal with in one and a half minutes He was told that his heart was strong and exercise, not so much rest, was 4 needed. About 10 minutes later, he took his own pulse, walked up and down stairs twice, took his pulse again, waited the minute and a half and found the figures for the heart rate exactly the same as those found by the physician. He was therefore ad vised to take his daily rests but to take two walks daily, lengthening the walk one block every two days. The point here is that while a heart murmur was present and he had undergone an operation three months before, his heart already had had all the rest needed and was ready for work or exercise. • • • HEALTH BRIEFS Q.—What causes dizziness in the head? A.—Dizziness may be caused by (a) liver disturbance, (b) ear dis turbance, (c) blood pressure dis turbance and other causes. Q — Is there anything that can be done for high blood pressure? A.—Hypertension (high blood pres sure) is just a symptom. Have your physician try to find the cause. May be caused by nervousness or by some disturbance of blood vessels