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About The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19?? | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1940)
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS BY JOSEPH W. LaBlNE U. S. Reacts to European War As Shipments Crowd Wharves; Ickes Warns Against 'Raiding’ (EDITOR’S NOTE—When opinions arc expressed in these columns, they are those of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.) ___________ Released by Western Newspaper Union. DOMESTIC: V. S. & the War i Major fear of congressmen who opposed the neutrality act last Oc tober was that Its practical effect was to favor Britain and France, who control the seas, meanwhile shutting off U. S. munitions sup plies to Germany. Released by the state department at year’s end were substantiating figures: In Novem per, first month of neutrality’s op eration, France received export li censes covering $95,579,000 in muni tions exports; Bri' in, $14,970,000; Germany, none. Meanwhile New York port officials felt for the first time the press of war shipments. Bedded down in the foreign trade zone on Staten island were bombers, trucks, trench PLANE FOR BRITAIN Trench diggert, too. diggers, corned beef and miscellane ous war exports valued at $18,500, 00Q, all awaiting empty allied freight ers to carry them across the sub marine-infested Atlantic. Items: 60 fast Lockheed recon naissance bombers, their bodies painted a dark brown and camou flaged with weird stripings; 1,500 Studebaker trucks and 1,000 White trucks, the vanguard of 6,000 to be sent to the war zone within the next two months (wired to many of them were crates carrying machine gun mountings, and spare parts); 13 trench diggers costing $3,000 each and destined for the Western front, to be followed soon by 270 more. At Washington, the annual report of Interior Secretary Harold Ickes focused attention on America’s need for conserving her natural resources which he said were threatened by efforts to break down conservation programs in an attempt to reap quick war profits. What specific at tempts he had in mind Secretary Ickcs did not say, but it is well known that army and navy depart ments have ordered strict conserva tion ef domestic sources of certain strategic materials. ESPIONAGE: Dies to Murphy Much maligned during the two years his committee has investigat ed un-Americanism, Congressman Martin Dies of Texas has never theless managed to stir up trouble for Communist Earl Browder, Nazi Fritz Kuhn. Alien Harry Bridges, and many a lesser figure. For months the administration would not co-operate, but finally the justice department swooped down on Earl Browder, indicting him on false passport charges. This month Attorney General Frank Murphy begins co-operating so completely that Martin Dies is shoved to the background. Opened in Washington was a special grand jury probe to study "direct evi FORECAST: New Job: <L Once U. S. ambassador to Italy, and an official of the state depart ment since Woodrow Wilson’s ad ministration, Brecken ridge Long is consid ered the best bet to suc ceed Joseph E. Davies as ambassador to Belgium. Davies has already tak en over most of Long's present du ties as head LONG To Brussels? of the special department for repa triation of Americans living abroad. Goering Trouble: «. The London Daily Herald reports on good authority that Adolf Hit ler’s No. 1 aid. Field Marshal Her mann Goering, has fallen in dis favor and is living at his shooting chalet at Schorfheide, planning a comeback campaign “on his own terms.” Neutrality Observers expect wholesale at tempts to transfer U. S.-owned pas senger and freight ships to registry of European neutrals, following the maritime commission’s approval of a deal whereby eight U. S. Lines ships are sold to a Norwegian com pany for operation between New dcnce’’ of planned sabotage by rep resentatives of foreign governments in U. S. auto, airplane and muni tions factories. At the same time Frank Murphy began probing anti Semitic activities, using the income tax, passport and foreign agent laws as his weapons. THE WARS: In the West Where Christmas left off, a violent blizzard began to stop all operations on the western front. Sidelights: C. Britain, expecting "real war” in the spring, ordered 2,000,000 more men prepared for army service. C In Paris l.r Petit Pariiien pub lished a report from Italy that Adolf Hitler was ready to quit as chan cellor and purge his more radical Nazis to "convince the allies to make peace.” «. Only sea activity was the decision of Germany's freighter Tacoma to accept interment at Montevideo harbor rather than face capture by British ships waiting outside the har bor. In the North Attack-and-repulse tactics contin ued featuring the war between Fin land and Russia, the Soviet suffer ing bitter losses on all fronts from Petsamo to the Karelian isthmus. Main reason, as usual, was cold weather, on ally of the skillful Finns. Most gruesome story: Near Suomussalmi it was learned the outnumbered Finns had sur rounded Russia’s entire 163rd divi sion, waited three weeks in bitter cold while the Soviet supply lines broke down, then attacked to find the Russians so weak and frozen they could hardly move. Trapped were most of the 18,000 men, thou sands of them already dead. Far from an optimist, Finland’s President Kyosti Kallio knew such luck couldn't hold out. As new waves of Red troops were rushed to the front he appealed for foreign volunteers. Already on the way were 50,000 Scandinavians, with more to come. WHITE HOUSE: Appointments As congress opened. President Roosevelt asked confirmation of his two most recent appointees: <L Charles Edison, assistant secre tary of the navy since January, 1937, and acting head of the department since last summer, chosen for full secretaryship. C. Daniel W. Bell, former acting budget director, named undersecre tary of the treasury to succeed John Hanes, resigned. TREND: Suppression Freedom of speech and press suf fered three times in two days: C. At Cambridge, Mass., the city council voted to ban the words Lenin and Leningrad from all printed mat ter in the city, but the mayor re fused to sign the measure. C. At Chicago, President James C. Petrillo of the local federation of musicians demanded that two stage productions (George White’s Scan dals and The Man Who Came to Dinner) delete references to John L. Lewis, head of A. F. of L.’s arch foe, the C. I. O. fl. At Mexico City, the chamber of deputies voted to exclude all reli gion and religious instruction from schools. Rumors Behind If orld Headlines York and Liverpool. Purpose of transfer: To escape ban imposed by U. S. neutrality law. Quints: C. Resignation of Dr. Alan Roy Da foe as a guardian of the famous Di onne quintuplets may pave the way for their return to the home of the parents, Mr. and Mrs. Oliva Di onne. Strategy: C, Both Republicans and Democrats (the latter in self-defense) will prob ably concentrate their major 1940 presidential campaign in the mid western states, normally a G. O. P. stronghold. For this reason lead ers of both parties are urging Chi cago as convention city. Tragedy: «. University of Nebraska's Dr. J. E. Weaver predicts that the most ruinous drouth in history will strike the middle-western "dust bowl’* next year. Already dry, the dust bowl re ceived only temporary relief from light snows. Protest: C. Agricultural business interests are planning a campaign to demand that the Farm Credit administration be removed from the hands of Sec retary of Agriculture Henry Wal lace, on charges that his recently ex propriated control over FCA will re sult in loosened credit restrictions, thus endangering the investments of FCA stockholders. I I Know your news Per feet score is 100; deduct 20 points for euch ques tion you miss. Score of 80 is excel lent; 60, average; 40, poor; 20, don't tell anyone! 1. Arrow points to section of Turkey very much in the news re cently. Why? 2. The former Ethel duPont and her husband were Injured in a Virginia auto crash. What’s her married name? 3. Ex-President Herbert Hoover heads a relief agency which has sent more than $300,000 to aid the citizens of what country? 4. Choice: Pope Pius XU set a modern precedent by visiting: (a) the Western front; (b) his birthplace; (c) the Italian king. 5. Name the former U. S. am bassador to Belgium who has just been named "special assistant" in the state department at Wash ington. (Answers at bottom of column.) CONGRESS: News Quiz Two months ago only a few Amer icans realized that Cordell Hull’s re ciprocal trade act comes up for congressional renewal this year. To day that issue ranks No. 1 on the agenda, threatening to inject itself into 1940's presidential campaign. The Question: Should America sub scribe to Hull low-tariff policies or G. O. P. high tariffs? At least three opponents of the Hull idea (two of them Democrats) spoke their minds as congress un locked its oratorical floodgates. New York’s G. O. P. Rep. Daniel Reed charged Joseph Davies had been brought back from his Brussels am bassadorial post to serve as “super lobbyist” for Cordell Hull. South Dakota's Sen. W. J. Bulow keynoted opinion in his chamber by indicating it wasn't so much the act itself he opposed; what counted was that the NEBRASKA’S BURKE A realistic view, • I senate should ratify each treaty. Most realistic attitude was that of Nebraska’s Sen. Edward R. Burke: He favored the “long-range view” that taking down tariff walls would eventually benefit all countries, but declared agriculture in some states is so depressed it would “require at least a few years to get it back on its feet.” What most senators want is a chance for some old-fashioned log rolling. hence observers thought the trade act would be renewed only if congressional ratification is includ ed. Other issues: Pensions. Unexpectedly injected was a campaign (sponsored by “poorer" states) to make the U. S. take a bigger share of pension costs. Under law the U. S. matches states dollar for dollar up to $20 per month. Agriculture. Henry Wallace pol ished off his "certificate plan" to syphon $300,000,000 annually from consumers to finance the farm pro gram. Farmers would get income certificates valued at the differential between market price and “parity price,” these to be purchased by processors. Taxes. Henry Morgenthau not only opposed the certificate plan as a consumer tax i> disguise, but pointed out the consumer already pays 61 per cent of the taxes. A bigger issue: Whether to raise taxes or hike the national debt limit, which reaches its ceiling next year. Defense. While the President planned an enlarged defense pro gram. two Republicans (Ohio's Sen. Robert A. Taft and Idaho’s William Borah) warned against it. PEOPLE: No Communist At Washington, Harvard law school’s Dean James M. Landis re ported he had found Harry Bridges, west coast C. I. O. leader, is not a Communist, thus closing the deporta tion hearing at which Dean Landis officiated. Mows Quiz Answers 1. An earthquake, followed by a blizzard, killed at least 20.000 there. 2. Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr 3. Finland. 4. (C) Is correct. It was the first visit of a pope to a temporal prince in more than 70 years. 5. Joseph E. Davies. Pocket Submarine May Be Powerf ul Jap Sea Threat '' ■••:' ‘ / SSSEi i f " :: ‘ • . s s#t§ * / _ &* According to reports reaching London from Tokyo, the Japanese navy finally has put an oft-reported three man submarine into mass production. Dispatches say the boats are being turned out in mass production at a cost of $5,500 each. The craft, depicted here by an artist, measures 18 feet overall. The average modern submarine is 300 feet in length. Its displacement !is 100 tons, compared to the usual 2,500 tons. It is reported that the new boat can submerge to an almost unbelievable depth of 1,800 feet. It carries only one torpedo. But one torpedo has a potential nuisance value of millions of dollars. To Assist President in World Peace Problems Hopes for world peace on the part of President Roosevelt have resulted in two recent far-reaching moves. First was the President’s appointment of Myron C. Taylor, left, former head of United States Steel, as this country’s representative to the Vatican to work with Pope Pius for peace. Second was his invitation to religious leaders to confer with him. Invitations went to Rabbi Cyrus Adler, center, president of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and to Dr. George A. Buttrlck, right, president of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America. Archbishop Spellman of New York City was expected to be named as representa- , tlve of Catholics in the peace conference. * Princeton's Grid Hero Goes Home — Battles Machine 4^ Don Herring, young Princeton football hero who lost his left leg as the result of an injury in the Harvard game this fall, is shown in a Princeton, N. J., hospital just before going home to his family. Cheerful as always, Don sees a good future ahead for a man with one leg “who can take it.’* The leg was amputated several weeks ago after doctors fought a losing battle to save it. Hawaii’s Official Greeter at Work A royal Hawaiian welcome Is given Jack Dempsey by Duke P. Ka hanamoku, famous swimmer and official greeter, and a bevy of Island belles as the former heavyweight champion disembarks at Honolulu. The ; beverage, incidentally, is pineapple juice. State Sen. James A. Noe of Louisi ana, close friend and aide to the late Huey Long, and now a candi date for governor, has promised to break up the political machine founded by the “Kingfish.” Noe broke with the other “heirs” follow ing Long’s death and is given credit for instigating and leading the present graft investigation in the state. Sky Beauty Mona Friedlander, beautiful 25 year-old London girl, was selected among the eight British women pi lots who will ferry new army planes from factories to airdromes. Still* Dust ★ Fan Mail From Far ★ Rro*\ London Here ★ It's an , // Illness— - By Virginia Vale Madeleine carroll has the grandest bunch of fan mail in all Hollywood. It comes from France, from a group of French children who are living in her chateau in the country, secluded from the danger of Paris' air raids and gas attacks. The children take time from their studies and games to MADELEINE CARROLL write to Miss Carroll, who reads their letters as she rests between scenes of “My Son, My Son!” /T\ The famous Brighton Belle pulled out of Hollywood the other day for scenes in that same picture. The station, however, was a replica of the famous Victoria station, the train was a replica of the Brighton Belle, which covers the 62 miles be tween London and Brighton in 40 minutes, and the men who filled it were extras, not British Tommies. But to many who watched, the atmosphere was the same as it would have been in the original set ting. Producer Edward Small could not shoot the scene in London be cause of the present war, but in por traying a scene that dates back to the last one he brought to Califor nia, for a moment, all the feeling that fills the railway stations of Europe in these times, as trains filled with soldiers leave for the front. -*- U A case of appendicitis was respon sible for the March of Time’s ex clusive film of the island of Guam Victor Jurgens, the 26-year-old cam era man who last year filmed the March of Time’s memorable motion picture story on Japan, was stricken with appendicitis while on his way to Guam; he was operated on at sea by navy surgeons, recuperated at Guam, and spent’his time filming all aspects of civil and military life on the important little island. It is part of the new release, “Crisis in the Pacific,” and is one of the best films the M. of T. has given us. “Four Wives” proves that it’s pos sible for a sequel to live up to the reputation established by a popular film. People iiked “Four Daughters” so much that it seemed unlikely that the picture carrying the story along could be anything but a dis appointment. “Four Wives” is so well done that it will make new friends for the family it portrays so engagingly. >V Kay Francis will appear in “It’s a Date” as Deanna Durbin's mother —a very glamorous mother, an actress. Norma Shearer may have a mother role, too, in the film ver sion of the popular novel, “Escape.” But since the mother in "Escape"— who is also a famous actress, by the way—is middle aged and has a grown son, it seems likely that the story will be rewritten for Mis* Shearer's benefit. its By a strange coincidence, Patsy Montana, “cowgirl sweetheart” of radio station WLS, Chicago, goes on the air every morning at exactly the same time as her brother does at station KSOO in Sioux Falls, S. D. It’s rather hard on their proud mother—not only do they broadcast at the same hour, but it’s 6:15 a. m. Dave Elman will never have a seal on his “Hobby Lobby" program again if he can help it. The one he had recently cost him about $35. It had to be fed pieces of fish, fre quently. The supply of fish, which had seemed ample, disappeared in no time, and Elman had to keep sending out to restaurants near the Columbia playhouse for more. The restaurants in that part of New York are far from cheap; the fact that the fish was for a seal instead of a human being didn’t affect the price. So, if your hobby has any thing to do with seals, don’t try to land on the Elman program; at | least, not until he has forgotten how ; expensive fish can be. OUUS AM) ENDS-It'alt Disney i “1‘inocchio” will be released in Feb j ruary . . . Robert Montgomery is going to England again, to make pictures . . . One more change of title for “Send An other Coffin’—this time it’s “Slightly Honorable.” (Released by Western Newspaper Union.)