WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS
Menace Early Jap Conquests;
Ask Overhauling of Vet Bureau;
Smoothen Big Three Relations
— Rtlfttrd by W#nlotn Nr»*p*r*»r Union .
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For the first time since Nails came to power, the Raman Catholic feast
day of Corpus Chrlstl was observed In Mnnlch, with procession wending
way through bomb-battered city. Outspoken foe of Hitler’s regime. Michael
Cardinal Fanlhabcr officiated at ceremony.
PACIFIC:
New Campaign
Under heavy attack in the north
ern portion of their empire, the
Japs face equally heavy pressure
In the south, with Allied forces un
der command of Gen. Douglas Mac
Arthur moving into northern Borneo
in a drive to conquer the island that
easily could be the prelude to
a campaign against the Indies and
Malaya.
Rich in oil and rubber and pos
sessing good ports and airfields for
a thrust to the west. Borneo was
overmin by the Japs early in 1042
while the Allied cause in the Pacific
still remained paralyzed after
Pearl Harbor. With Jap shipping
coming under increasing U. S. air
and sea pressure, Borneo’s value to
the enemy has been sharply re
duced, and Allied invasion forces
met only meager opposition as they
moved inland in the mountain
ous country.
Though only lightly defending the
comparatively communicable coast
al regions, the Japs did fire the ex
tensive oil installations located
there in an effort to prevent their
use by the Allies for future opera
tions Flames from the storage
tanks and wells could be seen for
40 miles.
VETS CARE:
Legion, V.F. W. Critical
Stung by the American Legion and
V.F.W.'a ringing denunciation of
the veterans administration bureau,
congress moved to look into the
whole question and give ear to the
comprehensive program outlined by
both service organizations for effi
cient functioning of the department.
With a spokesman declaring that
the bureau may eventually have to
handle the eases of 18.000.000 G.I.s.
the American Legion suggested the
creation of a deputy administrator
under Gen. Omar Bradley and a
realignment of authority under six
assistants to handle medical care.
Insurance, finance, loan guarantees,
readjustment allowances, vocational
training, rehabilitation and educa
tion, adjustment of compensation,
pension and retirement claims, con
struction supplies and contracts.
Though criticizing the overall op
erations of the bureau, the Ameri
can Legion and V.F W. particularly
rapped vet hospital care, charging
that 47 per cent of the institutions
now give inadequate treatment and
citing instances of abuse in some
centers. To relieve conditions, the
organizations proposed increasing
bed capacity; boosting wages; al
lowing authorities more leeway in
securing help and supplies; more
intelligent segregation of patients to
speed recovery, and replacing army
with civilian personnel.
BIG THREE:
Smoothen Relations
Troubled relations over Poland
having been seemingly smoothened,
the Big Three looked forward to
their forthcoming meeting for plan
ning the peace conference to reestab
lish the broken continent of Europe
News of the approaching Big
Three confab followed announce
ment that officials of the U. S.. Brit
ain and Russia would meet in Mos
cow with the Red-sponsored War
saw government and democratic
leaders from within and outside of
Poland to disccss the composition of
a more representative regime for
the country.
Instrumental in smoothemng Big
“Sunny Side Up”. ..
Following perfection of wirebound
egg cases, “sunny side up" will
soon be the new breakfast order of
G.L Joe overseas. Real eggs in the
shell will take the place of pow
dered and canned eggs on the menu.
To ship eggs in the past in the
shell took up too much shipping
space and also gave trouble because
of their fragility and need of some
sort of refrigerating or cooling
process en route.
Three relations were Harry Hopkins
and Joseph E. Davies, President
Truman’s special emissaries to
Moscow and London. Following re
ceipt of reports from them upon
their return to the U. S., the chief
executive expressed confidence in a
settlement of the Polish question,
declaring the Russians were as an
xious to get along w'lth us as we
are with them.
The late President Roosevelt’s
No. 1 confidante. Hopkins appeared
to have played an especially key
part in the discussions abroad,
with Mr. Truman revealing that he
not only conferred on the irksome
Polish situation but also persuaded
the Russians to surrender their de
mands for vetoing the right of ag
grieved nations to air their com
plaints before the postwar peace
organization.
While the step toward bringing
together the dissident Polish ele
ments was considered an encourag
ing move for the development of a
With Inn Chief •( Rlult Adm William H.
I.rah* atandlng by. Prealdrnt Traman re
ealTCa report af a*era*aa mlaalona ml to
aeph Daalaa (left) and Harry Hapklaa
(right).
representative rule, the Polish gov
ernment in exile in London denied
the authority of the Big Three to
supervise formation of a regime for
tlie liberated country Not directly
Included in the Moscow parley and
long at loggerheads with the Reds
because of alleged political inter
ference in Poland, the exiles
branded the plan as a concession to
the Russians.
BIG HARVEST:
Mounting Problems
Even as the department of agri
culture predicted a bumper wheat
yield of 1.084,852.000 bushels for
1945. along with another banner gen
eral crop year, Kansas undertook
the harvest of 215.000.000 bushels of
its winter wheat with a heavy
shortage of both men, machinery,
storage and transport.
Premier winter wheat producing
state of the U. S., Kansas needs an
additional 20.000 hands; 2.000 com
bines; 2.000 trucks; and many ra
tion points for feeding extra work
ers. Because of the local elevator
glut resulting from the freight car
shortage, farmers expect to dump
sizable quantities of wheat on the
ground after filling up vacant
houses, store buildings, filling sta
tions, etc.
Typical of the problem confront
ing other southwestern states, Kan
sas* transport situation devolves
from the inability of the railroads
to divert sufficient cars for the grain
trade in the face of heavy war pro
duction traffic and the redeploy
ment of U. S forces to the Pacific
through this country.
In the face of impending harvest
and transport difficulties, the USPA
looked forward to not only a bump
er wheat harvest but heavy oats,
hay and rye production, and another
banner truck and fruit crop De
spite wet weather, two-thirds of the
com crop has been planted. USDA
said.
POLIO:
Cases Increase
On the eve of infantile paralysis
summer outbreaks, figures show
that the number of poliomyelitis
cases in the country is running
about 50 per cent ahead of a year
ago, it was announced by the Na
tional Foundatiou for Infantile
Paralysis. As of mid-May. the num
ber of new cases this year were 642
as compared with 424 cases for the
same period in 1944, the foundation
reported.
or a 5
Farm Prim
Passed by the senate st part ol
a bill extending OPA for one year,
a provision requiring that farm pro
ducers be granted cost phis profit
headed for rough treatment in the
house, with Pres Harry S Truman
joining to oppose the amendment
Drawn by Senators Wherry (Neb.)
and Shipstead (Neb.) and adopted
by a 37 to 30 vote, the cost-plus pro
vision stipulates that "H shall be
unlawful to establish or maintain
against the producers of any live
stock, grain or other agricultural
commodity a maximum price . . .
which docs not equal all costs and
expenses (including all overhead
expenses, a return on capital and
an allowance for the labor of the
producer and family) . , . plus a
reasonable profit thereon.
While President Truman de
scribed the provision as bad and
hoped the house would knock it
out, other criucs declared that it
would create confusion by replacing
the present parity formula, scaling
farm prices according to general
costs. Countering this argument.
Senator Wherry said the provision
would apply if parity prices failed
to n.eet expenses.
SUGAR:
Set Quotas
Though distribution of sugar
through the first five months of 1945
exceeded that for the same period
in last year, the War Food adminis
tration fixed rigid quotas for govern
ment and civilian users for July
August-September, with the home
front obtaining 10,000 less tons than
at present.
From January through May. dis
tribution of sugar totalled 2.955,906
short tons eompared with 2.747.543
last year, it was revealed.
Reflecting criticism that the im
pending sugar pinch has resulted
from loose allocations of the com
modity in the face of over-optimism
over supplies, figures showed that as
of June 2 raw sugar stocks amount
ed to 275,746 short tons compared
with 442,234 last year, the beet in
ventories totaled 374,052 short tons
as against 465,222.
Bombs Take Heavy Toll
A commander in the fumed U. S.
21st bomber force in the Marianas,
Col. Alfred P. klaberer, estimated
that 500,000 Japanese had been
killed in B-29 raids on Tokyo, with
the pttssibility the figure might even
be 1,500,000. “Look at Yokohama,”
he said. “One minute it is there and
the next it has disappeared. I believe
we killed 250,000 there.”
Because bums caused by B-20 fire
bombs require the care of two or
three peo/de and the Japanese lack
the personnel to attend to the in
juries, one 21 si force medic opined j
the death rate must be enormous,
Klaberer said.
SAN FRANCISCO:
Peace Force
With French delegate Joseph Paul
Boncour declaring that the confer
ence was erecting “the keystone of
the peace structure," the United Na
tions meeting in San Francisco
moved to approve plans for the first
international army, navy and air
force in history.
Directed by a military staff com
mittee, with regional sub-commit
tees throughout the world, the world
peace force may draw on one-third
of the U. S.'s present army and
navy, American authorities re
cently estimated. All members of j
the United Nations will have to gram
the international force free right of
passage through their territory in
the event of hostilities.
Use of the peace force will be
subjected to the unanimous ap
proval of the Big Five—the U. S.,
Britain, Russia, China and France—
and a majority of the security coun
cil of 11.
SHIPYARDS:
Workers Needed
The rush of workers to peacetime
Jobs is seriously Impeding the con
struction as well as repair of war
vessels, the navy revealed, with
the situation equally serious in both
west and east coast shipyards.
With damaged vessels receiv
ing first calk on facilities for re
pair. the building of new ships
necessarily must await their fix
ing. With the Brooklyn navy
yard in need of 5.000 additional
workers at once, the new 27.000
ton aircraft carrier Reprisal is
five months behind schedule and
the Oriskany is about half com
pleted. Approximately 3.000,000
man days of work will be re
quired on the super 45.000-ton
flattop Franklin I). Roosevelt.
Both east and west coast shipyards
have been losing about 600 em
ployees a month in the shift to
peacetime jobs, with the tight man
power situation in the west reflected
by the necessity to tow the famed
flattop Franklin to Brooklyn for re
pair.
PETS FOR G.I.S
Veteran war dogs no longer suit
able for combat because of over age
and not adaptable to scout duty are
being assigned to army convales
cent hospitals as pets and mascots
for recuperating patients If a hos
pitalized veteran soldier becomes
attached to an individual dog. he
may assume full ownership and
take the dog home with him when
he recovers and is released from
the service.
Reconversion No Great
Obstacle to Industry
Many Factories Making Consumers Goods
For Services; Numerous Others to
Require Only Minor Changes.
By BAUKHAGE
\eui Anahit and Commentator.
WNL’ Service, t’nlon Trust Building,
Washington, D. C.
Reconversion has begun and it
looks as If one prediction, made
back when conversion had been ac
complished with many an ache
and groan, would come true. Then
the experts predicted that reconver
sion would be easier than conversion.
Eighty per cent of the factories,
we are now told by officials of the
department of commerce, will not
have to do a major reconversion job.
This is largely because many indus
tries now furnishing supplies to the
military will continue to manufac
ture the same supplies for civilians—
clothing, food, printing, electrical
appliances—you can think of a whole
lot of others yourself. It will be no
great problem for the makers of
such products to shift from one mar
ket to another—from Uncle Sam to
John Q. Consumer.
Some industries whose present
final product differs considerab^*
from the civilian goods they make
won't have such major difficulties
either. It will please the ladies to
learn that even the folks who have
been making parachutes will have
little or no trouble changing back
to stockings. The nylon people sim
ply have to change spools.
There are a number of other pre
dictions concerning the future of
businesses, big and little, and one
of them is that 40 per cent of the
industries, although they won’t do
the business they are doing today
with Uncle Sam as a customer, will
have a bigger demand to meet than
they had in the boom year of 1929.
And this condition will continue, say
the prophets of profits, for two or
three years on the impetus of the
present pent-up buying power of
the nation. If we keep our heads
meanwhile, there is no reason why
the period of prosperity cannot be
extended.
But what about the other types of
business which were expanded by
war demands for products which
won't have any civilian market?
Well, our American business inge
nuity and our native mechanical in
ventive genius, they tell us. ar§ go
ing to step into the picture again.
Then there will be the natural evo
lution which will eliminate the be
low-average business man and es
tablish a survival of the fittest.
Yankee Ingenuity
To the Fore
What started me off on this topic
was a typical example of how this
inventive genius, stimulated by war
demands, has laid the foundation
for turning what started as a little
two-room factory into a big, small
town business. The man with the
inventive genius is a frequent Wash
ington visitor these days. His name
is Burl E. Sherrill. The name of
the town is Peru, Ind., population
13,000. Sherrill is a modest Hoosier
genius in his forties who managed
to make a living from tinkering and
selling the patents on the gadgets
he invented. Then one day he made
something he liked so well he didn’t
want to part witn the idea Denina it,
so he decided to manufacture it him
self. It was a popular-priced mag
netic compass for use in steel
bodied automobiles and trucks.
Sherrill rented three offices right
on the public square of Peru, turned
them into his factory and started
out. Soon he began to expand, push
ing lawyers, doctors, real estate men
out of the way. But I am getting
ahead of my story.
Sherrill was a bom inventor, al
though he didn't realize it and start
ed off to study law. After two years
at the University of Chicago he
found that his hunger for the law
was appeased, his hunger for three
meals a day was not. He went to
work managing a little neighborhood
shoe store in Chicago. This gave
him a chance to tinker in the kitch
en-laboratory in his flat. Then he
got a chance at a job back in In
diana—repairing radios in Peru.
This gave him lots of opportunity to
tinker and he patented inventions
and sold them, which bolstered his
income considerably. Finally he
evolved the compass which he
wouldn't part with. He was able to
hire a small staff of workers—then
came the war and no more civilian
autos.
But there were lots of military ve
hicles and after our blind tanks had
lost themselves in the African des
erta, Washington found out about
Sherrill and gave him the challenge
of making a compass for use in mo
torized equipment of various kinds.
Sherrill went to work and produced
his models. The Carnegie Institute,
the army engineers and the war
college looked them over and put
their okeh on them. The inventor
moved downstairs and took the
whole first floor of the building on
Peru’s public square. The 20 men
who had assembled the auto com
passes were increased to 125 working
at a regular assembly line.
Next came a call from the Mari
time commission. A compass for
steel lifeboats was needed. Like the
tanks, too many had been left to
wander on the high seas blind. Fur
ther inventive genius was required
for this job for a steel lifeboat passes
much of its life on the steel deck
of a ship. A few months ago the
new compass was approved and pro
duction is now under way.
Some day, of course, ihe last war
order will arrive at the factory in
Peru, but because of the war-stimu
lated ingenuity of one man, a prod
uct has been created, the demand
for which will continue for such war
machines as are still needed plus a
demand for civilian use which will
return the moment restrictions on
motor travel and transportation are
over. In addition, I understand from
Sherrill, a new hearing-aid is in the
making.
War a Spur to
Many Entrepreneura
To reconvert to the manufacture
of civilian products, no change of
machinery or assembly line nor
any retooling will be necessary at
the Sherrill factory. Nor will the
number of employees have to be re
duced.
Of course, not many inventors are
endowed with enough business sense
to run plants of their own. Sherrill
appears to be an exception. When
he got his first army order, he was
asked when he could deliver how
many compasses. He named the fig
ure and the day and what is more
he lived up to his promise, which
was more than many manufacturers
with less foresight and more unfore
seen hurdles have been able to do.
There are other inventors and oth
er business men who, like Sherrill,
have received from war demands
the stimulation which will push them
ahead and carry them through the
breakers of reconversion. Sherrill
himself has no technical education.
He calls himself a gradnate from a
junkpile. But he can talk with the
scientists and the experts and, what j
is more, he makes the pictures he
draws on his drawing board, some
times in the small hours in pajamas
and slippers, work.
He has the typical American in
genuity shared by thousands of oth
ers who helped win the war for us
and who will keep us from losing the
peace.
• • •
Recently a listener wrote in with
a suggestion that a fitting memorial
for the late President Roosevelt
could be provided in a manner which
would aid the bond drive. She sug
gested that "if bonds were contrib
uted for a memorial commensurate
with our sorrow and regret, by the
time these bonds matured we would
be able to buy the most magnif
icent memorial in the world in honor
of our greatest President.”
Then she concludes: “I am one of
the many ‘little people’ who would
gladly contribute a small bond now,
but may not be able to give anything
later.”
The psychology of that suggestion
is interesting. Regardless of what
the purpose of a fund might be, what
a splendid way of raising it and thus
achieving exactly what the govern
ment wishes to achieve by the sale
of bonds: the double purpose of se
curing cash to defray war expenses
and also reducing the amount of in
flationary pocket-money.
It struck me as such a good idea
that I sent it along to Ted Gamble
who is in charge of such matters in
connection with the Seventh War
loan. Next to making suggestions
for selling bonds 1 suppose one of
the best things one can do is buy
them. Of course if everybody fol
lowed that horse-sense plan and
bought, simply for the security of
their own future, the treasury
wouldn't need any suggestions.
BARBS . . . by Baukhage
An official navy bulletin included
this warning: “Navy personnel are
not allowed to transport monkeys to
or from India ”
• • •
The government has moved west
from the Hudson, one congressman
commented. Fine so long as it
doesn't stop when it gets to the
Mississippi. This is a very wide
country
Sale of horse meat is reported on
the increase. It that's the case we’d
better end this gasoline shortage
soon.
• • •
A medal was recently awarded to
a high officer for saving the life of
a woman by stopping a runaway
horse 20 years ago. Which shows
he was faster at catching up with
what he was after than his medaL
Need for Legume and
Grass Seed Increases
Good Profit Seen
For Seed Growers
Harvesting legume and grass seed
will bring a three-fold return to
| farmers: additional income, assur
; ance of feed for livestock and pro
tection for their soil, says the
U.S.D.A.
An increase of 67 per cent over
j last year's harvested acreage of al
sike clover seed is sought in 1945. a
total of 179,000 acres. One reason
for the larger acreage is the urgent
call for this seed from liberated
areas of Europe, in addition to in
creasing home requirements for
hay and soil protection.
Half again as much alfalfa seed
is needed as was harvested in 3944,
about 100.000.000 pounds.
About 120.000.000 pounds of red
clover seed are needed, some 15
per cent more than was produced
last year.
Hay and pasture account for
more than three-quarters of the feed
consumed by dairy cows and fur
nish a major share of the feed for
other livestock.
In addition, farmers depend on
legumes and grasses to check soil
erosion and maintain fertility. For
example, legumes used as green
manure add nitrogen to the soil and
when grown in mixtures, they fur
nish this essentia] element to the
grasses in the mixture. When used
in crop rotations, legumes maintain
and increase the acre yield of
Gathering Cash Seed Crop.
other crops. Both grasses and
legumes are valuable as permanent
cover for the land, holding the soil
against erosion by wind and water.
Good prices and a ready market
are indicated for legume and grass
seed in 1945-46. pointing to addition
al income for farmers from prop
erly managed fields. The first crop
of many of these plants may be cut
for bay or used as pasture, and the
second harvested for seed.
Killing Bean Beetles
Mexican bean beetle, left, and
bean leaf beetle, right, can be gotten
rid of by spray or dust with cryo
lite every 10 days until pods begin
to form, then using rotenone.
For cryolite spray use 1 ounce to 1
gallon of water. For dust, 2
pounds to 1 pound of talc. For
rotenone spray, use Derrls or cube
root powder, 5 per cent rotenone
content, H ounce to 1 gallon water.
For dust, use ready prepared dust
mixture containing at least 1 per
cent of rotenone.
Save the Tractor and
Conserve Time and Life
Time, money, injuries and deaths
resulting from tractor accidents
may be largely prevented by prop
er operation. Avoid holes or ditches
that may cause tractors to over
turn. Drive slowly, reduce speed on
turn or when applying brakes Nev
er ride on draw bar. Don't permit
riders. Make all adjustments while
tractor is idle. Stop power take-off
before dismounting Be sure that all
power line shielding is in place.
Do not operate tractor in a closed
building. Refuel only when motor is
cool and dead Be sure the gear shift
lever is in neutral before cranking
the engine.
Effect of Pregnancy
The severe price discriminations
practiced by market buyers against
pregnant yearling heifers are not
justified when such heifers are mar
keted by the end of the fifth month
of gestation, according to the Illinois
agricultural experiment station.
Slaughtered tests and carcass
show that pregnant heifers take on
a higher degree of finish and that
at this stage of pregnancy neither
the dressing percentage nor the
market grade is lowered.
Gav and Practical
Sun Suit for a Tot
•’ 5 8 8 3T
CHE is much too cool and com
^ fortable to care what the tem
perature is! Lucky little girl to*
have such a sensible, practical
and pretty play suit. The ric rac
trimmed boiero can be slipped on
to prevent too much suntanning on
a tiny back and shoulders.
• • •
To obtain complete pattern, cherry ap
plique pattern for pocket, finishing instruc
tions for the sun suit and bolero (Pattern
No. 5883) sizes 2. 3. 4 years included, send
IS cents in coin, your name, address and
the pattern number.
SEWTNG CIRCLE NEEDLEWORK
530 South Wells St. Chicago.
Enclose 16 cents for Pattern.
No_
Name
Address_.
Dumas Found Innkeeper
To Be an Appeaser
Alexander Dumas, while travel
ing through England, stopped one
night at a country inn for supper.
Unfamiliar with the language, he
tried to explain to the innkeeper
in hesitant English that he wanted
some mushrooms served with hit
meat.
Despite the dramatist’s attempt,
the latter did not understand.
Finally in desperation, Dumas
drew a picture of a mushroom on
a slip of paper. With that the inn
keeper smiled, nodded his head
understanding^, and withdrew'.
Several minutes later, he re
turned and offered Dumas a good*
sized umbrella.
Salesmen Sideline
Agents write for our money-making offer.
Selling our household specialties. We tTust
our salesmen. Sell and remit to us our
wholesale price. Send 50c for a large
sample of our best seller in a real cleaner
and all purpose polisher. The sample will
net you $2.50 retail.
ATLAS PACIFIC SPECIAL
BE PPL T CO.
261* Center Are., Richmond, California.
MOTORCYCLES FOR SALE
Funner* Do You Need economical trans
portation? New Indian Motorcycle* witto
or without sidecars and vans are available
without priority for essential farm usee
dee us for details. Indian Motorcycle Salee
A Service. Lincoln, 8, Nebraska.