The Mathis News (Mathis, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 14, Ed. 1 Friday, April 4, 1941 Page: 2 of 8
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THE MATHIS NEWS
WHO’S
NEWS
THIS
WEEK
WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS
By Edward C. Wayne
Pro-Axis Jugoslavia Rule Overthrown
As ‘Boy King’ Peter Assumes Throne;
Mediation Board Acts to End Strikes
In Industries Delaying U. S. Defense
(EDITOR’S NOTE—When opinions are expressed In these columns, they
are those of the news analyst and not necessarily of this newspaper.)
By LEMUEL F. PARTON
(Consolidated Features—WNU Service.)
KT EW YORK.—When he made his
first million at the age of 30,
Bernard M. Baruch said he would
indulge himself from then on by be-
Boost Baruch for docto/or* d°i-
Driver of U. S. agnostician
Defense Machine
and finance, rather than a self-
interested participant. Although he
did gather a few more millions, as a
speculator, as he has frankly said,
it was in the same mood of detach-
ment with which he has appraised
the social scene, and it is in this
mood that he has been the adviser
of every President since Taft.
Each day in the news brings
some new demand that the tall,
pleasant, snowy-haired Mr. Ba-
ruch, surely our elder statesman
of such bottleneck urgency as
that of today, be given a free
hand, in the chartroom, or per^
haps the wheel-house, to steer
our emergency defense course.
Some of these nominations come
from the established school of
Baruch men, such as Gen. Hugh
S. Johnson, Herbert Bayard
Swope and George N. Peek;
others from those who remem-
ber Mr. Baruch’s achievements
as head of the War Industries
board, and his alert, specula-
tor’s awareness of what has
been going on in Europe for the
last few years.
As to this business of being a spec-
ulator, Mr. Baruch says, “I make no
apologies. I am a speculator. The
word comes from the Latin word
‘speculari,’ meaning to observe. I
observe.”
Like all seasoned speculators, he
never pounds his desk or runs a tem-
perature or inclines to high blood-
pressure, although he is 70. He
;keeps fit by his own system of calis-
thenics, pragmatically arrived at,
like his financial operations.
As head of the War Industries
board, he tooled the 20-mule team of
labor, industry, raw-materials and
government deftly through many a
narrow defile and hazardous pas-
sage, and a large section of his pub-
lic would like to see him again in
the driver’s seat.
Naturally a skeptic as to the
grand solution, like most specu-
lators, he has stood at few, if
any false dawns. He was a
prophet of doom for the Dawes
plan, from the first. In 1927, he
predicted that it would be
scrapped within two years. ‘‘A
demand might be morally rea-
sonable as a business proposi-
tion,” he said.
As a foe of paternalism in busi-
ness and a stanch states’ rights
Democrat, he has insisted that a
means must be found to mobilize
„ .. national en-
Pragmatic, Never ergies with-
Emotionaly as the out taking on
Good Speculator “cTol
a crippling and self-destroymg bu-
reaucracy. He has expounded these
and kindred subjects in many eco-
nomic treaties in dry-as-dust jour-
nals, for here is a Wall Street specu-
lator who also wears the golden key
of Phi Beta Kappa. He is an able
evangelist of the school of prag-
matism in government and busi-
ness—again the speculator, whose
judgments, if he is a good specula-
tor, are never emotional.
His early definition of his atti-
tude as that of a diagnostician
might have denoted a sympa-
thetic identification with his dis-
tinguished father, Dr. Simon Ba-
ruch of South Carolina, a widely
known surgeon and health author-
ity who took a leading part in
developing the Saratoga spa.
Born in South Carolina, Bernard
M. Baruch took an earned de-
gree at the College of the City of
New York in 1889 and subse-
quently six honorary degrees
from various other colleges.
For the last few years he has been
calmly, but earnestly prescribing
preparedness. Returning from Eu-
rope in 1937, he said, “Europe is
hopeless.” In January, 1939, he
offered to supply from his own funds
$3,300,000 which the army lacked for
certain equipment. An adjustment
of an appropriation bill made this
unnecessary. He has been friendly
to the New Deal, but has chided and
vYctrned it on msny occasions.
'T'HIS reporter, on occasional trips
A m Washington, has noted that
some of the heaviest hitters there
are the least publicized. Here
today is the amiable Harold N.
Graves in charge of the new defense
loan drive, which will start May 1.
Mr. Graves, in his 33 years in the
government service, has showed
singular ability in getting things
done without a lot of fuss and feath-
ers. He is assistant to the secre-
tary of the treasury, 54 years old,
educated at Knox college and George
Washington university.
(Released by Western Newspaper Union. I.
The American frag flies from a police
car overturned by workers during the
strike of workers at the “parent” plant of
the Bethlehem Steel company.
(See below: Strikes)
YUGOSLAVIA:
Coup
Joining the Axis powers by the
government of Jugoslavia was one
thing. Getting the people to swal-
low this action was another.
The sign-up, following periods of
governmental collapse and revivifi-
cation, was the signal for demon-
strations over the entire country,
created and given its autonomy aft-
er World War I by the Treaty of
Versailles.
Serbs, Croats joined in the out-
burst, and there were parades
through Belgrade with young fellows
carrying what American and British
flags they could find, vocally and
loudly criticizing the government for
failing the public in its hour of need.
Then, two days after the signing of
the pact came the dramatic report of
a coup d’etat by which the army
overthrew the evident pro-axis gov-
ernment of Regent Prince Paul.
King Peter II, not yet 18 years
old, assumed the throne and a gov-
ernment was sworn in which was
pledged to defend Jugoslavia’s in-
dependence. The nation’s army was
immediately massed and dispatched
to battle stations along the country
frontiers.
Britain and Greece hailed these
reports as “great news” and Adolf
Hitler immediately demanded a
statement of the new government as
to their attitude toward the pact the
two countries had signed but 48
hours earlier.
But from Bulgaria came reports
that the Nazis were not waiting for
a reply to Hitler’s demand. Ger-
man forces in that country report-
edly began a swift movement
toward the Jugoslav frontier. Gen-
eral sentiment in Sofia, Bulgaria’s
capital, was that the installing of a
pro-British and pro-Greek govern-
ment in Jugoslavia would precipi-
tate a general Balkan war.
As the war fever rose steadily in
Jugoslavia and as the people cheered
the new regime that had its army
lined up in defiance of the Axis, the
ever-stormy Balkans took the spot-
light of World war II. No matter
what the outcome Jugoslavia had
at least tendered a serious diversion
to the timetable of Adolf Hitler. De-
feating Jugoslavia would be no
simple task, many military experts
predicted. It was assumed that the
great northern plains of the nation
would have to be abandoned as
they would offer easy going for the
swiftly moving mechanized Nazi
legions.
Real battle would come, it seemed,
in the mountain terrain of central
and southern sections of the coun-
try, Jugoslavia has a comparatively
good army, and is considered the
best of the small Balkan nations. It
numbers 1,200,000 men.
The U. S. reaction to the new gov-
ernment in the tiny Balkan nation
was immediately favorable. The
state department assured Jugoslavia
that it would assist that nation in
resisting any aggression.
STRIKES:
And Night-Stick
The resumption of work at the
Harvill plant, bottleneck of Pacific
plane building, provided no respite
j for Uncle Sam’s headaches in pro-
! duction spasms, for Washington
' frankly was expectant of strikes in
12 more vital plants.
No. 1 was not long in coming, for
the main plant of the Bethlehem
Steel company, in Bethlehem, Pa.,
was next. The big polls got busy
and found that the public was con-
Here is Wendell Willkie (right) with
MacKenzie King, Canada’s Prime M in-
is ter, as the G. O. P. 1940 presidential
candidate stopped in Toronto.
(See below: Willkie)
siderably inclined to blame labor
leaders rather than management for
the enormous increase in strikes.
The present strike held in its grip
more than a billion in war orders,
including a large percentage for
home defense. Police nightsticks
clubbed the strikers into submission
at the outset, permitting non-strik-
ers entrance through picket lines,
but it was evident that this was only
the start of a widespread labor
movement to fish for higher wages
through the moment of public ne-
cessity.
Chief lack of sympathy with this
attitude was seen in the ranks of
relatives and friends of those taken
in the selective service. These lads,
most of them working for $21 a
month and food and clothing in Un-
cle Sam’s uniform, were resentful
of labor striking for increases from
50 to 75 cents an hour as at the
Harvill plant.
They said so, in letters home, and
parents and friends joined enthusi-
astically in the protest. Many con-
gressmen and senators reported »e-
ceiving such letters and telegrams.
Polls showed public sentiment al-
most unanimous against such
strikes, and blaming largely the la-
bor leaders rather than the plant
owners.
The new national mediation board,
headed by Dr. Dykstra, just moved
to it from selective service, seemed
to have the Bethlehem strike as the
first pitched into its lap, and what
it would do with this situation chal-
lenged public attention from the out-
set. This board moved swiftly in
the Allis-Chalmers strike at Mil-
waukee which has been holding up
much defense rearmament. It or-
dered the company to summon its
7,800 force back to work immedi-
ately.
Chief public indignation over the
strikes was directed at C. I. O. or-
ganizations, with Congressman Dies
claiming that the labor troubles
could be traced directly to “Reds.”
This also was the public focus after
William Green, head of the A. F. of
L. organizations, disclaimed any
anti-defense attempts, and proved it
by sending his men through C. I. O.
picket lines in one instance.
WILLKIE:
Keeps Hand In
Wendell Willkie, avowedly keeping
his eye on the next presidential race,
was keeping himself before the pub-
lic by making a personal goodwill
tour of Canada.
He was greeted with wild enthusi-
asm in Toronto and in Montreal, xhis
first two stops.
In the first he appealed for all
American ships, naval and mer-
chant, for Britain that can be
spared, and “that means giving
until it hurts.”
This remark was cheered to the
echo. In Montreal, the next day,
he was showered with ticker tape
and given a triumphal entry into the
city.
In Montreal his theme was simi-
lar. He said:
“Give Britain ships until the air-
planes start to roll and give Britain
superiority in the air—then, good-by
Hitler, you’re on the way out.”
He said further:
“This is a test as to whether the
democratic enterprise system can
outproduce the totalitarian enslaved
method of production. Well, I put
it up to you, now. I put it up to
the business men of America to
prove it. I think they can. If I
did not think they could, I could not
believe in liberty.”
Washington, D. C.
HOW BRITISH MEET RAIDS
FDR got a first-hand account of
how British morale is maintained
during the blitz when Surgeon Gen-
eral Thomas Parran, head of the
Civil Defense mission, reported at .
the White House.
Dr. Parran’s mission spent a j
month in England studying the peo-
ple living under constant aerial
bombardment, and reported that one
secret of Britain’s splendid morale
is immediate government relief for
bombed victims.
As soon as “all clear” sounds over
a beleaguered city, rescue workers
are on the scene with hot food, med-
ical care, arrangements for shelter
and ready cash.
Repairs on damaged dwellings are
begun immediately. Furniture is
salvaged and stored. Families
whose homes were destroyed are bil-
leted at government expense. Com-
pensation is paid for injuries. Pen-
sions are given dependents of killed
civilians and rescue workers.
The mere fact that ready cash is
paid promptly has tremendous psy-
chological effect. Upon application
and without red tape, bomb victims
can get a cash grant to buy cloth-
ing, new furniture, and workmen’s
tools. Small shopkeepers can obtain
up to 50 pounds to- buy new stocks.
Disguised Plants.
Dr. Parran’s mission was particu-
larly impressed by the ingenuity of
British civil defenses.
One scheme for. protecting vital
industries is an elaborate system of
dummy factories to mislead Nazi
bombers. These plants are duplicat-
ed even to position, color and mark-
ings. Old cars are towed to the yards
of the fake plants to simulate work-
ers’ autos.
Some industrial centers even use
great smudge pots, emitting huge
billows of black smoke completely
blanketing an area.
Industry has been completely dis-
persed into hundreds of small plants
in Britain, each making separate
parts for the war machine. Dupli-
cate plants are ready to take over
production of vital products.
The American observers declared
that the famed balloon barrage has
been highly developed and forces
raiders to fly at great heights. Long
steel cables dangling from the bal-
loons are death traps for planes.
British confidence in their defense
is reflected in the big drop in the
number who go to bomb shelters.
Fifty per cent of Londoners stayed in
the shelters during the blitz attacks
last fall, but only 5 per cent went
to public shelters in January and
about 20 per cent to private and com-
munal shelters.
* * *
GREEKS ARE AIDED
Anything can happen in the tem-
pestuous Balkans, but it seems cer-
tain that Roosevelt diplomacy and
the lease-lend bill were responsible
for delaying the Nazi attack on
Greece for at least 10 days.
The big thing which the lend-lease
bill did for the British was to per-
mit tanks, anti-tank guns, and anti-
aircraft guns to be landed at Saloni-
ka immediately. The British had
only limited supplies of these, and
had to keep some in reserve for use
around Suez and other vital Medi-
terranean areas.
However, with passage of the
lend-lease bill, they knew they could
get reserves later from the United
States, therefore threw all their
present reserves onto the Greek
front.
This type of munitions is what the
Jugoslav army and the Turks have
especially needed. They have plenty
of rifles, machine guns and a rea-
sonable amount of artillery; but few
anti-tank or anti-aircraft guns to
stop the advance of modern mech-
anized forces.
Note—The Balkans has been get-
ting its American news chiefly from
the official German DNB news agen-
cy, which had played up all the
Wheeler-Nye speeches, gave the im-
pression that the United States was
against Roosevelt and that the bill
could not pass. Final passage, how-
ever, could not be suppressed in the
news dispatches and had a tremen-
dous effect upon Balkan public opin-
ion, which recalled how American
entrance into the last war had
turned _the tables. 1
* * *
NO LABOR PEACE
It was expected that John L.
Lewis’ retirement from the C.I.O.
would bring peace to the war-torn
ranks of labor. But this has not
been the case.
A. F. of L. and C.I.O. leaders are
working effectively together in the
defense administration, but other-
wise they are still poles apart.
H I G H L I G H T S . . . in the news
Santiago, Chile: Chile has given
permission for King Carol of Ru-
mania to live in Chile with his sweet-
, heart, Magda Lupescu. It was re-
| ported that the “moral turpitude”
! clause in American regulations
barred the romantic couple. This
clause once kept a titled English-
woman away from the United
States.
Berlin: Government circles im-
pressed themselves as delighted
with the reaction of excitement
which greeted the sign-up cf Jugo-
slavia as an axis partner. “Our
next goal is Turkey” those close to
the government said. “Other na-
tions will sign” was the official
statement, “our diplomacy never
pauses.”
CAPITAL CHAFF
At the left on his desk, Vice Presi-
dent Henry Wallace has a telephone
which communicates directly with
the White House.
No less than three secretaries—a
light blonde, a medium blonde, and
a brunette—take stenographic notes
of every word said at Steve Early’s
daily press conference.
Many a government clerk knows
the Supreme court chiefly as an eat-
ing place. Its cafeteria, below the
court room, serves 7,500 persons a
month.
NATIONAL
AFFAIRS
Reviewed by
CARTER FIELD
Defense workage due to
strikes probably exceeds
estimates . . . Delay in
building cargo ships in
U. S. increases starvation
threat to England.
(Bell Syndicate—WNU Service.)
WASHINGTON. — The newspaper
men who attend President Roose-
velt’s press conferences are getting
a little tougher, as time passes, on
the importance to national defense
of the labor troubles in industries
working on U. S. or British war or-
ders. The President’s retort about
never more than one-quarter of one
per cent of the defense production
being tied up by strikes at any one
time did not end the questioning
at a recent conference.
Putting their heads together after-
wards, one group of reporters de-
cided that this “one-quarter of one
per cent” was much more deceptive
than anything the newspapers had
printed. One reporter figured out
that the Allis Chalmers strike alone
was tying up more than one-third
of 1 per cent of all national defense
orders.
Inasmuch as this one strike had
been running for more than six
weeks on the day the President
made the statement, and inasmuch as
there were quite a number of other,
strikes in national defense industries
during that six weeks, it would seem
that there must have been some
rather extraordinary mathematics
on the part of whoever gave the
President that figure.
ANY DELAY IMPORTANT
But there is another side to it,
which has little to do with percent-
ages. It may be very interesting to
know the exact percentage in any
given case, but a war is a contest
in which one side usually wins, and
the other loses. It is not a case of
whether either of the combatants
makes a passing mark, as in an
academic course.
To make the point clear in this
case, let us assume for a moment
that the possible invasion of the
United States about which so much
has been said does come about, and
that the Gettysburg of this contest
would be an air battle. Let us further
assume that this air battle was
desperately close—as indeed Get-
tysburg was—and that when it was
over the winner had only a few
score of planes left, and the loser
none.
Now let’s go back to this strike
situation. Suppose there is a strike
in a factory making airplanes, or a
plant producing the engines for them,
or the aluminum, or whatnot. And
suppose as a result of that strike this
country has 100 less airplanes on
the day of that battle than it would
have had had there been no strike.
THE PAPERS OF PRIVATE
FURKEY
Dear Ma:
I wish you wud stop worrying
about me as I am all right accept
for fallen arches, flu, chilblains, a
limp in both legs and indigestion.
But I feel a lot less like squawking
since I talked to an old timer up
here who was in the last war and
from what he says I gess we have
all modern improvements up here
now. He says in the last war the
draft army just had tents like they
wuz camping out with no wooden
floors and no electric lights and he,
says every time you was not in bed
you was standing in wet grass or
in a mud puddle.
* * •
He says tents did not have win-
dows and screen doors like we
have today and
that in rainy
weather a soldier
had to live like a
mud turtle. He
says he didn’t see
no wooden floors
from the time he;
left home until!
the army got back from France. Itj
is hard for me to beleeve this as this;
camp is a regular building project'
and there is almost as many carpen-i
ters here as soldiers. They shood!
have all the buildings finished by!
the time the war is over, if they getj
good weather and don’t walk so far!
for nails.
* * *
Army life is a big disserpointment j
to me ma on account I always had|
an idea from the story books and
pictures that most soldiers had sad-
dle horses to ride. I ain’t seen no
horse since I got here. It is strictly
a bunion derby army as I sed be-
four. I wish army uniforms fitted
better. What the army needs is
more tailors. I got a hat that is
big enough for a coat and a coat
so tight I cud use it for a hat.
* * *
There is no glammer here like in
the movies of army life. Almost
everybody here needs a shave and
haircut and this goes for the gen-
erals who are homely old pelicans
and don’t look nothing like the gen-
erals in pictures accept Wally
Berry.
* • *
The boys here tell me the training
I am getting is good for me but I
do not feel no better than when I
started training even if I am in bet-
ter shape like the doctors say. I
wud rather be out of condishun in
private life than a perfect spesser-
It might easily make the differ-
ence between this country’s being
conquered and its emerging trium-
phant, and yet that strike might not
figure as one-tenth of 1 per cent of
our national defense production at
the time it was raging.
# * *
Building Cargo Fleet
Was Long Delayed
Perhaps the most curious failure to
take time by the forelock in the
whole defense situation has been the
length of time it took the adminis-
tration to come around to building
a fleet of cargo ships.
The shipping problem was realized
in September, 1939, more than a
year and a half ago. It was known
then, by both British and United
States officials, that there was noth-
ing more certain than that Ger-
many’s most effective weapon would
be the destruction of shipping, with
the hope of ultimately starving Brit-
ain out.
At that time no one, of course,
foresaw the collapse of France, nor
the seizure of Norway and Den-
mark, though the fate of Belgium
was anticipated. Folks were in-
stinctively following the pattern of
the last war in their minds.
It was not realized that, with the
collapse of France, and the seizure
of Norway, the Nazis would have
such favorable bases for both sub-
marine and airplane attacks on ship-
ping.
SHIPPING BECOMES ACUTE
But everybody knew that sooner
or later the persistent sinking of
merchant ships, just as in the last
war, would bring Britain face to
face with the danger of starvation.
Shrewd observers called the at-
tention of this writer to the certainty
that the shipping problem would be-
come acute and these dispatches
dwelt upon it in 1939. At that time
it seemed inconceivable to these
particular observers that this gov-
ernment would not do everything
possible to get merchant ship con-
struction going immediately.
This writer made a very bad pre-
diction in these dispatches in 1939.
He predicted that this would be
done. It was not done. In fact, it
has just begun to get beyond the
planning stage, with the passage of
a bill by congress authorizing the
“start” on such a program. This
bill provides for 200 ships. It is ad-
mitted that it will have to be
followed by many other appropria-
tions for ship construction
men in the army. I sleep good but
not for long on account of the rule'
that makes a soldier get up at day-
break. (I never seen so many sun-
rises in my life.) Gee ma I am half
through a day’s training before you
and the folks are out of bed back
home. I wud be in better shape for
a war if I cud sleep an hour longer.
* * *
If I wuz in a war I wud not squawk
but what is the sense getting an
army up so early when there is
nothing to do but just what you
done the day befour witch cud be
done better in brighter sunlite any-
how.
* * *
I am glad the winter is over. The
first robin was seen in a army chick-
en pie here yesterday and four baby
chicks hatched out of a half dozen,
eggs in the mess room last week.;
Spring can’t cum to soon as I have!
had enuff outdoor life in cold weath-i
er and do not care for it even if
it does make Eskimoes healthier.
* * *
Well, I must close now ma as 1
have got to go walking again in de-
fense of my country. Cud you send;
me some more socks as my feet
wear right through them the first
100 miles?
Love,
Oscar.
* * *
OBSERVATION
There’s nothing makes a man yell
“Ouch!”
Like sewing left upon a couch.
—Merrill Chilcote
* * *
Add similes: as nonchalant as th»
average American talking about ai
appropriation of $7,000,000,000.
* * *
SLIGHT ACHIEVEMENT
Results are so flimsy
From things done by whimsy.
—Merrill Chilcote
• * *
New York has had a drugstore
strike which crippled the drugstores
so badly they were unable to handle
anything but drugs and medical sup-
plies.
The Turks closed the Straits
to the crooks, as it were.
* * *
Hank Ford says that a flivver air-
plane will soon be as easy to op-
erate as the first auto used to be.
But it’s going to seem strange to
>ee the air full of Lizzies with feath-
ers on ’em.
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Coltrin, George W. The Mathis News (Mathis, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 14, Ed. 1 Friday, April 4, 1941, newspaper, April 4, 1941; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1059810/m1/2/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Mathis Public Library.