EDiTORiAL- COMMENT
Omaha. Nebraska, Saturday, May 26, 1945
I S 1
Sincerity Marks Peace j
Parley at San Francisco
Creation ot Flexible Organization Foreseen; ;
Position of President Truman Boisters |
Hand of U. S. Delegation. |
By BAUKHAGE
iVnti Analyst and Commentator.
WSB Service, Union Trust Building,
Washington, D. C.
SAN FRANCISCO. CALIF —There
is something significant, I believe,
in the fact that this world confer
ence which hopes to plot a happier
course for the future of the world
is being held at the Golden Gate.
I can't help contrasting the atmos
phere with that which enveloped the
gathering on the banks of the Seine
26 years ago. which I also covered.
I think ther? is much more hope
for success for this gathering
than there was for the Paris con
ference two decades ago, although
most of us who crowded into its
opening session on the Quai d'Orsay
in Paris on a sunny January day in
1919, were well supplied with hope,
too.
I think the meeting place was well
chosen and if the agenda becomes
unfinished business, it might well
be concluded on the same spot where
the clean fog sweeps in from the
Pacific whose wide waters unite the
east and the west.
There still lingers on California’s
shores the memory of its multifold
historical national contacts. It was
here in “Drake's Bay” that the fa
mous English explorer is said to
have stopped to repair his ship. I
say was Drake's bay for later. Cer
meno. the Spaniard, on a voyage
from Manila in 1595. was ship
wrecked in the same body of wa
ter and gave it its present name of
San Francisco bay. The Franciscan
missionaries built missions a mule
day's joumev apart from southern
to northern California. The sword
followed the cross and Portola’s
Spanish soldiery fought their way
up to what is still called the Prae
sidio, the very year the American
nation was bom.
Less definite are the records of the
czar's explorers but the ‘ Russian
river” just north of here remains 1
a flowing memento of their early
visits.
Less distinguished Chinese and
Japanese came and raised their
problems; great settlements of Hin
dus remain in the state and colonies
of Swiss and Italians toil among
vineyards reproducing the products
of their homelands.
Seek to Build
On Firm Ground
As I write these lines two things
appear as near certainties as cer
tainties exist in this kaleidoscopic
world. The United Nations are sin
cere in the hope of erecting some
sort of structure which, if it is hu
manly possible to do so. can pro
vide a place for the shelter, care
and feeding of the dove of peace.
A shadowy and almost paradoxical
corollary of this statement is the
frank acknowledgment that prob
ably one desideratum primum omi
num of only one of the great powers
is the international organization it
self. What Russia and Britain want,
first of all, is an inner citadel gird
ed by strong mutually protective al
liances. The rest of the structure
is, for them, iargely window dress
ing. Nevertheless, to obtain cooper
ation among the strong few, they
are willing to include the weaker
many.
The second thing which I think
even at this juncture can be pre
dicted is that no matter how har
monious the building of this new
temple of hope may be, the final edi
fice will be constructed on such a
broad foundation and with such wide
portals, that it will not confine its
tenants to any very strict restraint
of action. There will be plenty of
room to turn around in it, in case
some of the occupants feel they
don't want to go in exactly the same
direction as their fellows. This is
rot a cynical conclusion—it is sim
ply the result of a practical desire
not to put anything in the way of
getting something started. The
American delegation realizes that.
An agreement on major questions
which could be decided following the
meeting of Stettinius. Molotov and
Eden was announced by the delega
tion before we left Washington,
which meant that Senator Vanden
berg was satisfied that the wording
of the final agreement which the
Americans would accept contained
enough elasticity to provide an "es
cape clause.” This assures the sen
ate and the American people that
BARBS . . . by Baukhage
The miners came in '48 to Cal-i
for-ni-ay, the diplomats in ’45 are
digging in to stay.
• • •
Max Schmeling, former heavy
weight champion, wrho was put in a
concentration camp and "treated”
for defeatism by the Nazis, is now
a welterweight, according to the
Berlin correspondent of a Swedish
paper.
1 this nation will not be bound, even
by implication, to support injustices
perpetrated by other nations, past
or present.
Truman Understands
Congress’ Viewpoint
With Harry Truman in the White
House the position of the delegation
has been strengthened by his an
nouncement that he would not attend
the meeting in person, but would
back up his delegates from his desk
"where he belonged.” There are
several other things that augur well
for harmony. The senate knows that
Mr Truman is not personally com
mitted in any way to Britain or
Russia since he did not participate
in any of the talks of the Big
Three; they noted his remark that
Foreign Commissar Molotov when
he arrived in this country would pay
his respects to the President of the
United States "as he should.” This
time the mountain had come to Ma
homet, not the reverse.
Lastly, there is the very potent
fact that President Truman was
Senator Truman for a long while.
He knows the legislative viewpoint
and, to know the legislative view
point, not academically as an out
side observer, but as a long-time
possessor of that viewpoint, is of
great practical importance. Remem
ber the frequent controversies be
tween the administration and con
gress in the past few years. Note,
likewise, two of the outstanding suc
cesses in obtaining cooperation be
tween the executive and the legisla
tive branches: Cordell Hull and
James Byrnes, both former mem
bers of congress.
So much for the hope for domes
tic harmony. Now consider the dif
ference between the position of the
United States in 1919 and the United
States in 1945.
Then, it is true, our entry into
the war made victory possible. But
now we have taken over the major
burden of the fighting and in so do
ing have become the most powerful
country in the world and of all the
powerful countries, the one which
emerges with its military resources
least impaired—by far the most
powerful in terms of army, navy
and war material and wealth.
On the whole I think it is fair to
report a general feeling of optimism
on the part of the American delega
tion and at least a feeling on the
part of other delegates I have met,
of willingness to try to justify that
optimism.
A G.I. President
It is a long time since we have
had an ex-soldier in the White
House. President Truman is the
first veteran of World War I to ac
cept the mansion.
As you know he broadcast to the
l iroops overseas soon after he ad
dressed congress. Naturally the
movie-cameras and the sound-track
boys were there. So were the army
photographers. But the Big Boys
get the priorities at such shows. The
newsreels, the top-flight magazines
and the rest. The boys in uniform
were pushed back. They didn’t be
long.
As a result they got a sad side
shot that was strictly ng.
So the officer in charge went up
and asked if he could have a re
take. “Certainly,” (or words to that
effect since we don’t quote presi
dents) said President Truman. “Go
ahead, we’ll do the whole thing
over.”
Well, army pictorial does things
right It has some of the best Hol
lywood technical men in uniform. It
took a long time to get just the right
lighting. So an official came up and
said:
"You have just ten minutes
more."
Up spoke the captain: “Do you
want the President taken right or
wrong?”
The President broke in: "Take
all night if you want to.” (or, as I
said, words to that effect). This pic
ture was for the G.I.s.
And so they fiddled and fooled un
til they had the lights right, until
they had everything just right.
And then the President went
ahead and did his speech over
again.
It is one of the best action sho*s
taken in the White House.
But you won’t see it. It was just
for the G.I.s.
America is bankrupt, says a Jap
foreign office spokesman — yenful
thinking.
• 00
One of the shortages which has
not been called to general attention
is the lack of garbage cans. The
OPA says that only one-fifth of the
number demanded is being pro
duced. This will soon be evident to
anyone who doesn’t hold his nose.
|-WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS
PacificWar Rages on Wide Front;
Retain Civilian Goods Control as
OPA Sets Reconversion Prices
— — ■ . Released by Western Newspaper Union.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: When opinions are expressed in these columns, they are those of
Western Newspaper Union’s news analysts and not necessarily of this newspaper.)
With Japs holding up Yank adv:
in rugged terrain, U. S. flame throw
PACIFIC:
Fighting Rages
From the Ryukyus to the Philip
pines and westward to China bitter
fighting raged in the Pacific theater
as U. S. and Chinese forces re
mained on the offensive against des
perate Japanese troops battling on
the outer perimeter of the ene
my’s main defenses.
Heaviest action took place on
Okinawa and Luzon, where Ameri
can G.I.s drilled deeper into rugged
Japanese strongpoints, but Chinese
units also pressed vigorous attacks
against enemy columns seeking to
neutralize Allied air bases west of
the sea coast upon which the Nips
fear a U. S. landing.
Standing but 325 miles from
Tokyo, Okinawa was bitterly de
fended by a fanatical Japanese gar
rison, which only slowly crumbled
under the concentrated bombard
ment of U. S. warships and aircraft
of the “Little Siegfried” line strung
about the island capital of Naha.
Throwing in swarms of planes, the
Japs persistently harassed the at
Navy Has Big Job Ahead
With the navy scheduled to re
tain its entire personnel for the
Pacific warfare in contrast to
the army’s plan for discharging
2,000,000, Secretary of the Navy
James V. Forrestal declared
that the fleet has three principal
tasks in the far eastern con
flict:
First, to deliver men and
supplies for present and future
operations;
Second, to seal off the area of
an attack in advance of land
ings;
And third, to open up, sup
port and supply beachheads.
In disclosing that tentative
postwar plans called for a 30
per cent reduction in the navy.
Fleet Adm. Ernest King de
clared that the ultimate size
would depend upon U. S. poli
cies to defend this country, and
the western hemisphere, and
also participate in maintenance
of world peace. About 50,000 of
ficers and 500.000 men would
be needed in the postwar fleet
under the plans tentatively
drawn up.
tacking American fleet, sinking a
number of small vessels at high
cost.
The going on Luzon was equally
tough as General MacArthur’s
troops fought to clear heavily de
fended Balete Pass, guarding en
trance to the extensive Cagayan
valley, where the main body of Jap
remnants on the island stood for the
last ditch fight.
But 75 feet wide, Balete Pass, with
1.500 foot mountains on either side,
was stormed by crack G.I.s, who
first had to clear the enemy from
cave positions on the scraggly
slopes. As one force pushed upward
near the pass clearing out the bur
rowed enemy, another circled off
along the Villa Verde trail to out
flank the stubbornly held positions
and effect a junction at the main
road.
Striking back at the Japanese
after their attack on the Chihkiang
air base, Chinese troops, aided by
U. S. aircraft, drove the enemy back
upon his Paoching stronghold in
Hunan province. At the same time,
other Chinese forces assaulted the
big Jap-held seaport of Foochow, far
1 behind the main lines the enemy
has set up to seal off the southeast
ern Chinese coast where U. S. troop
landings have been feared.
WARTIME BUSINESS
Drug and liquor stores, retailers
of women’s apparel and jewelry,
and eating and drinking places are
among the types of merchandising
outlets that have benefited most
from conditions of war in terms of
gross sales, though not necessarily
in terms of profits, says Dr. F. A.
Harper, professor of marketing at
Cornell university.
Sales of these stores averaged
about 20 per cent more than would
be expected by past experience in
a free market.
ince on Okinawa from cave positions
ers sear enemy resistance.
EUROPE:
W ar’s Aftermath
With the war with Germany over,
all the problems associated with the
reconstitution of a liberated Europe
began to crowd upon Allied authori
ties, with the more sensational like
the trial of Nazi bigwigs shadow
ing the highly important like the re
patriation of dislocated persons.
As ex-Gestapo Chief Himmler,
Rudolph Hess and Hermann Goer
ing were placed high on the list of
Nazi war criminals subject to trial.
U. S. congressmen, returning from
an inspection of Nazi concentration
camps, denounced the Hitler regime
for the existence of such centers
of starvation, crematories and tor
ture devices.
On the less racy side of the pic
ture, Allied authorities in Germany
wrestled with the problem of repa
triating 11,000,000 foreign workers
when their removal would affect
harvesting and food processing. At
the same time. Allied officials an
nounced that German industry,
trade and services first would be
utilized to support occupying forces
before being diverted to the popu
lace.
CIVILIAN GOODS:
T ires—Control—Prices
Increased allotments of tires for
“B” and “C” card motorists; con
tinued tight supervision over civil
ian goods production, and establish
ment of reconversion prices head
lined home front news as the nation
left one war behind it and concen
trated on the Pacific theater.
With the tire production schedule
for April-May-June increased from
3,200,000 to 5,200,000, the “B” and
“C” card holders will receive 500,
000 more cords this month th#n orig
inally planned, and probably an
equal additional number in June.
Previous allotments of 1,000,000 tires
monthly provided for only necessary
replacements, and the extra 500,
000 being distributed will only help
to more fully meet these essential
needs.
Though the increased production
for civilians was attributed to a
slackening of military demands as
a result of the victory in Europe,
the size of any future boosts that
might benefit pleasure drivers will
be determined by the availability
of materials and manpower after
meeting Pacific war needs.
Even though more civilian goods
are in the offing, the War Produc
tion board revealed _
intentions of main
taming a close grip
over output to as
sure smooth deliv
ery of essential
supplies. As a re
sult, WPB will con
tinue to allocate
steel, copper and
aluminum, and
merely raise the
ceiling on civilian Chester Bowles
production over 1944
rather than revoking it.
In fixing reconversion prices at
the 1942 level, OPAdministrator
Chester Bowles declared it was the
intention to establish adequate mar
gins to encourage full-scale produc
tion and thus through both control
and plenty check the danger of in
flation.
Though prices are to be pegged
at 1942 levels, increased material
and labor costs would be met by
volume production and lower distri
bution expense, Bowles said. Both
large and small manufacturers will
determine their own prices, with
the latter entitled to a higher figure
in the event material and other
shortages prevent capacity output.
G.I.S PLAN FUTURE
More than three-fourths of all
men now in the army worked for
an employer before entering the
army, and more than two-thirds
definitely plan to take jobs as em
ployees after discharge, according
to a survey of postwar plans of
troops made by the army.
Among former employees,
only abont one-half of the white
and one-third of the Negro en
listed men plan to do the same
type of work they performed in
civilian life.
SAN FRANCISCO:
Regional Defense
Seeking to harmonize regional de
fense systems with a world security
organization, the Big Five powers of
the United Nations hit upon a com
promise at San Francisco coor
dinating both for the preservation of
postwar stability.
Though regional systems were au
thorized to move for peaceful settle
ment of a dispute within their re
spective areas and join in collective
defense in case of aggression
against any of their members, the
world security organization’s power
to employ economic or military
means to check a prospective
aggressor was retained.
As a result of the compromise, the
desire of Latin American nations to
maintain a voice in security prob
lems within this hemisphere was
partially satisfied, while the fears
of internationalists that regional de
fense systems might take away all
functions of a world organization
were stilled.
In other action at San Francisco,
the Big Five — U. S., Britain, Rus
sia, China and France — maintained
the control of the 11 member se
curity council over the world or
ganization by denying the consulta
tive assembly of smaller nations a
greater degree of power.
CROP PROSPECTS:
Look Good
Though cold and rainy weather
retarded truck, fruit and grain
crops in some areas, heavy down
falls built up reserves of moisture
generally throughout the country,
causing U. S. department of agricul
ture experts to look for farm pro
duction for 1945 favorably compar
able to the preceding three years.
Because planting of winter wheat
got off to a good start and subse
quent precipitation spurred growth, i
USDA anticipates a record crop of !
835.186,000 bushels, which, with nor
mal spring wheat production, would
give the country another billion
bushel crop. As of May 1, condi
tion of oats was 79 per cent of nor
mal; tame hay, 88 per cent, and
pastures, 87 per cent. Harvest of
rye is expected to be about 3,000,
000 bushels above last year’s 25,
000,000 bushels, though only 52 per
cent of the seeded area will be
cut for grain.
Though the cold weather and re
peated frosts set back early vege
tables, fruits and gardens in many
areas, USDA looked for record pro
duction of spring truck crops. The
output would be a fifth larger than
average.
Believed to be the largest gem
ever found in an alluvial deposit, a
770 carat diamond about the size of
a chicken egg has been brought to
Britain from the Sierra Leone mines
in (Test Africa. . . . Found by a na
tive workman, the gem will not be
cut but rather sold in the rough. . ..
The new diamond tops the 726 carat
“Junker” found in South Africa in
1934 and the 5302 carat “Star of
Africa No. 1,” now embedded in the
British royal scepter.
SUGAR:
Cuba Short
Heading up the nation’s prospec
tive sugar pinch are reports that
U. S. price offerings for the Cuban
crop have discouraged bumper pro
duction and the building of reserves
Coming on top of the statement
of Rep. Clinton Anderson (N. M.)
that Cuba has refused to sell this
country her 1946 sugar output unless
it also agreed to purchase 1947 pro
duction as well, these reports indi
cated that American offerings of 3.10
cents a pound have not fully satis
fied millers, planters and field work
ers in view of the rising cost of liv
ing in the Caribbean island.
Partly because of smaller plant
ings and a severe drouth, 1945 Cu
ban production has fallen 790,000
tons from the 1944 figure of 3,958,000,
thus ^tutting a severe crimp in pro
spective U. S. supplies already
shadowed by decreased stocks part
ly attributed to laxity in rationing
and continued subnormal sugar beet
output.
Bakers’ Pinch
Already falling far short of in
creased demands estimated at 50
per cent since the war, bakery goods
will be even in tighter supply in
forthcoming months, with bakers
cut to 80 per cent of the shortening
used in 1942. Previously, they had
been limited to 100 per cent along
with 75 per cent of thejr 1941 sugar
use.
Because bakers already have
stretched their supplies, any further
decreases would materially affect
the quality of their products, trade
sources said. In an effort to make
every bit of use of available ingredi
ents. fancier items requiring more
sugar and fat have been largely
eliminated, icings thinned and pies
made with single rather than double
crusts.
While the sugar and shortening
shortages have deterred bakery pro
duction, flour has been plentiful.
ELECTRIFY FARMS
With nearly two million U. S
farms wired for electric service
since the Rural Electrification ad
ministration was established on
May 11, 1935, REA’s latest survey
shows approximately 2,700,000
farms, or nearly half of all U. S.
farms, are now electrified, as com
pared with 750,000 in 1935. More
than half of the farms electrified in
the decade of federally sponsored
rural electrification are served by
rural electric systems financed by
REA loans.
Memorial Day by H. W. Smith
We are approaching another Mem
orial Day and may we pause to
stop, look and listen to the sacred
sermon which will be preached to.
I morrow, and the beautiful hymns
j that the choirs will sing All this
[ will take our thoughts back to the
lovely association and brotherly
love and fellowship that we enjoyed
with them and it will produce cold
chills over all of us and we must
all take time out to perform a sa
cred duty and place flowers where
they are resting and close our eyes
as they are at peace. As we think
of the battle of Bunker Hill. Gettys
burg and San Juan Hill.as the
Negro soldier was in the midst of
all three on fames eternal camping
ground their silent tents are spread
The Omaha Guide
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□
The
HOME TOWN REPORTER
In Washington
By
WALTER A. SHEAD
WNU Staff Correspondent
Something Is Cooking
WNU Washington Bureau
621 Union Trust Building
' I 'HE momentous news of world
import which is coming so fast
these days pushes into the back
ground the day-to-day happenings of
the routine opera
tion of our govern
ment here in Wash
ington. The fact,
however, is that
our governmental
agencies must con
tinue to function and
it is likely that with
in the next week or
10 days some top
■minmr -•*- ■ flight news may be
Walter Shead expected to start
popping from the
department of commerce.
Former vice president Henry A.
Wallace, new secretary of com
merce, has been ominously quiet
since he took over from Jesse Jones.
Wallace thrives on action and it’s
not like him to remain quiet.
Clipped of his powers over the vast
Reconstruction Finance corporation,
the new commerce boss has been
quietly combing the multi-num
bered bureaus within his depart
ment with the assistance of a com
mittee of three outstanding experts,
in an effort to find out what makes
commerce tick and to draw up a
program on what the department
needs for revitalization . . . re
juvenation along the Wallace ideas
of government cooperation with
business . . . with especial emphasis
on small business.
The rumpled-haired secretary oc
cupies a huge office, walnut paneled,
on the fifth floor of the two-block
long and block-wide gray stone
building. It is a bee-hive of activ
ity. Musty, staid, slow-moving of
fices which line the maze of corri
dors are being given a thorough
going-over and house-cleaning. Wal
lace wants a department of com
merce which can be a real help, of
fer a stable program to business,
not just an information and re
search agency. He is attempting to
streamline the department for post
war action.
One of the first needs of small
business, he opines, in the post
war era is a return to what he
calls character banking . . . that
Is, loans on a man’s record and
ability, rather than on his col
lateral assets. He declares that,
increasingly since 1913, the
small banks of the nation have
been operating under bank ex
amining rules which make it im
possible for these small banks
to make thi~ type of loa" . . •
anil further believe that what
he term* a e«iulty flmimiiiK
some modification of the aovern_
ment guaranteed loan plan of
the FHA, should be provided for
small business in this postwar
era.
Closest to Wallace's heart, prob
bly, is his bureau of foreign and
domestic commerce.
"I am going to go all-out to get
the maximum of usage from what
ever powers may reside in the dif
ficult bureau of foreign and domes
tic commerce to foster and develop
trade here and abroad,” he said.
“I am going to use those powers to
the maximum to get an increased
foreign trade.” This means that Mr.
Wallace will have developed a pro
gram based on removal of tariff
barriers because he believes that
when this nation raised the tariff
on our exports after World War
I, "that is when the world tailspin
really began with a vengeance.”
Wallace likely will revamp com
pletely the patent office which is
said to be a year and a half behind
in its work. Civil Aeronautics ad
ministration will play a decidedly
more important role under the Wal
lace regime. So important does
Wallace believe the air age will be
come after the war, he himself har
learned to fly. Ben Stem, blustery,
but efficient public relations di
rector of CAA, has apparently made
a good impression on Wallace and
may be stepped-up in the reorgani
zation.
Then May 1, Wallace took
over, lock, stock and barrel, the
huge job of surplus property dis
posal, some hundred billion dol
lars worth, from treasury pro
curement. This will throw him in
closer contact w ith business, and
he likely will make some
changes, probably setting np
state offices, instead of the 11
regional branches as operated
by treasury. Mantime commis
sion is another department
which looms important in post
war with our need for ship
bottoms.
Do not let the adverse publicity
received by Wallace as a so-called
“idealist” and a “dreamer” fool
you. He firmly believes in free en
terprise for business. He says:
"The key to making this Ameri
can bill of rights a part of the
American way of life is the
whole-hearted recognition by all our
people of the simple fact that in
America the future of the American
worker lies in' the well-being of
American private enterprise and
the future of American private en
terprise lies in the well-being of the
American worker.”
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THE OMAHA
GUIDE
DOING GREAT JOB!
I
Hannibal G. Parsons is the popular
i editor of the only Negro newspaper,
The Brooklyn Tribune, published in
Brooklyn, N. Y. He is doing a great
job at fostering inter-racial goodwill
in the borough of churches. I
I
Robert Gaylord
W. W. Cumberland
Hugh O'Connor
American industry, as represented by the
National Association of Manufacturers, was
one of the organisations invited by the State
Department to send consultants to the Amer
ican delegation at the San Francisco Con
ference on International Organization.
NAM, spokesman for industries which have
contributed 85 percent of the nation’s mir
acle of war production, accepted. Ira Mosher,
NAM president, named one consultant and
two associates to the Conference. Chosen
consultant was Robert Gaylord. NAM board
chairman and its former predident, head of
the Ingersoll Milling Machine Company,
Rockford, 111., and a machine tool maker
since World W'ar I. Mr. Gaylord's associates
are W. W. Cumberland, economist and a
, partner in the investment banking Ira of
Wellington and Company, and Hugh O’Con
; nor, NAM staff member and long-time news
‘ paper man and foreign correspondent.