THE CENTRE REPORTER, CENTRE HALL, PA. Bruckart’s Washington Digest ———Weekly News Analysis Europe EDITOR'S NOTE-—When opinions are expressed in these columns, they are those of the news analyst, and not necessarily of the newspaper. Trade Today’s high pressure internation- al salesmanship runs counter to the reciprocal trade program of U. S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull. De- voted to the cause of low tariffs and ‘“‘most-favored-nation’’ pacts, Secretary Hull's idealistic and hon- est, efforts must compete with such devices as the German barter plan and a series of multi-colored trade ideas which emerge annually from congress’ halls. This month Mr. Hull saw his beloved program threatened on several fronts: Argentine. Of all South American is least friendly with the U. S. At Lima's Pan-American conference Argentina spoiled President Roose- velt's ‘‘continental solidarity’ dec- ism’’ was still rampant. But the real roots of this dislike are com- monplace things like hoof-and- mouth disease, drouth and depres- sion. ed with hoof-and-mouth disease. But congress failed to ratify it. prosperity forced héavy from Argentina. This business curtailed her imports from the U, S. Result has been a trade unbal- ance and subsequent strengthen- against the U. S., encouraged by Germany's increasing willingness to swap machinery for Argentine food- stuffs. This sentiment reached a climax with Argentina's He didn’t want German harmonicas. tion that imports from the U. 8S. 1935-36, slash in exports, plums before Argentina's eyes, se- reciprocal program. Germany. Barter trade like Nazi Germany's is allowed in the U. S. provided it does not interfere with the ‘““most-favored-nation” plan. But artificial currency devices like Ger- man payment for U. S. goods with “trade marks’ (good only for pur- chase of Nazi goods) are taboo. Mid-February found U. S. lard prices low and likely to drop still more when the spring hog run starts. Meanwhile Germany hun- gered for fats. Putting two and two gan contacting midwest packers to swap lard for machinery. Though the Reich apparently pro- gressed on two deals, most packers turned their backs, uninterested. Recalled was the experience of one firm which arranged a swap deal with Germany several years ago, only to find itself burdened with sev- eral thousand Nazi harmonicas. Typical was the comment of R. H. Cabell, president of Armour and Company, who dismissed the bid by simply stating that ‘‘the big pack- ing houses are not interested in bar- tering, but in the sale of products at market rates.” Next day pack- ers were pleased to note that lard futures were selling up, but Mr. Hull could not fail to note that the Nazi program had made a mite of progress in his bailiwick. Agriculture: Crux of the ‘‘cost- of-production” farm bill now before congress is that domestically con- sumed products shall have a mini- mum price. All surpluses would be dumped abroad for whatever they would bring. Whatever the bill's merits, Mr. Hull presumably re- gards it as an artificial trade bar- rier in the field of agricultural trade, which would be reflected in other branches of commerce. If “‘cost-of-production’ fails, the state department must still hurdle a sec- ond new farm measure which would extend governmental loans on three major crops (cotton, wheat, corn) equivalent to three-fourths the ‘‘parity price’’—an amount higher than the current market price. Farmers would then be expected to turn their crops over to the gov- ernment for the loan price. Do- mestically consumed products would sell at not less than the loan price. With surpluses the U. S. would attempt to recapture its lost foreign markets. Significance. Though world eco- nomic satisfaction must be a pre- lude to permanent world peace (an important principle in the Hull pro- gram), each nation seeks to further its own admittedly selfish interest with self-preservation as a justifica- tion. Still to come is the showdown in which nations will decide whether world problems will be settled via economic treaties, at the expense of selfish aims, or via force, at an- other kind of expense. Trend How the wind is blowing . . . MOVIES—Historically taboo, motion pictures may now be shown in Vermont on the Sab- bath under local option. KNEES—No clothing which ex- posed the knees could be worn in Provincetown, Mass., under an ordinance which was passed, then withdrawn because no rec- ord was kept of the vote. POKER—-U, S. card manufac- turers report more women now play poker, also that it may sup- plant bridge as No. 1 card game. MEDICINE—James B. Conant, Harvard president, recommends one eight-year course to replace two current four-year courses for physicians. Last December President Roose- to-convene seventy-sixth Two months later it had friends, thanks to clever maneuvers and a Great Britain voted boosting 5,500 first making the Pan- Certain of Chief features are naval air and submarine bases, But there was little unity in this Closely allied to re- armament is the problem of U. S. other de- After a California S. manufac- after President Roose- affairs committee that U, S. “fron- tiers are in France,” the White de- (1) Shall the U. foreign policy secret? S. keep its (2) Is Pres- deals? After a week's debate there pre- sumably were no longer any secrets about either the French deal or the administration's foreign policy. Ac- tual cause of the rumpus was ap- parently removed, but not congres- sional resentment. Thundered California's Sen. Hi- ram Johnson: “No epithets applied to senators or newspapers will re- lieve the situation of its secrecy . . There is resentment among the administration that anybody should ask the facts. But if there SENATOR JOHNSON He resented White House resentment, comes a war it will not be fought by the President alone , . . " Facts themselves are startling. Faced with U. S. military orders under the new defense bill, plane manufacturers already have their hands full with export orders. Start ing with $25,000,000 in 1936, plane exports have roughly doubled an- nually, approximating $200,000,000 this year. In the past eight months France have ordered 1,200 ships. Chief congressional wonder is which orders will get plecedenée, U. S. or foreign. Mean- while aircraft firms are reluctant to expand their plants to satisfy production requirements which may be only temporary. In modern Europe no month is complete without its crisis. Janu- ary’s crisis was Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's visit to Rome. Barcelona and its decisive implica- tions. In March the crisis will again center on Spain if three signs mean anything: (1) Germany and Italy helped Spain's Insurgents win their battle thus far, France and Eng- land siding with Loyalists because they were anti-Fascist. Loyalists on the run, granted Gen. Francisco Franco's gents, encouraging France to fall in line. Obviously a policy of ex- Britain has to help rebuild Spain. Franco, Paris and London will posi- to new wrath, (2) Combined British home fleets will maneuver around Gibraltar in March, just as Germany completes its most thorough Mobilization since last autumn’'s much-feared troop concentration, doubling its garrison in Libya (ad- joining France's African Tunisia) as an admitted step in retaliation against reputedly increased Tuni- sian garrisons. (3) Closer conformation of Anglo- declaration to help Paris in event of war, also in Britain's de facto recognition of Insurgent Spain while awaiting official French action. Such parallel policies, coupled with the bold British decision to spend $1,000,000,000 more on armament, illustrate how Europe's two de- GEN. JOSE MIAJA His 300,000 against 1.000.000, mocracies are drawing closer togeth- er and preparing to meet the next totalitarian demands. Probably these demands will be Italian terri- torial claims against France, com- ing immediately after the Spanish war. Meanwhile that war has gone merrily on its way as Gen. Jose Miaja finds himself practically the boss of Loyalist Spain's civil and military branches. With an esti mated 500,000 unenthusiastic sol diers under his command, General Miaja recently heard that his friend General Franco was about to charge against Valencia and Ma- drid with 1,000,000 men. Labor In Washington John L. Lewis could peek at the calendar for March realizing it probably held the fate of his Congress for Industrial Organization. At the core of trou ble is United Automobile Workers of America, torn during January when President Homer Martin simultaneously resigned and was booted from C. I. Q.'s executive board. Reason: U. A. W. under- lings thought Mr. Martin was con- niving for personal control of Ford Motor company's heretofore inde- pendent labor vote, while Mr. Mar- tin thought C. I. O. was turning communistic, Now split in two factions, U. A. W. opens a pro Martin convention in Detroit during early March, and an anti-Martin parley in Cleveland March 27. First victory was scored by the Martin faction when property of U. A. W's Plymouth local (Detroit) was pulled from court custody and returned to Martin cohorts. Still pending is a replevin suit instituted by anti-Martinites. A.W. Green's Labor, Mr. Martin answered with an emphatic negative, ning public support from such Lew- is henchmen as Sidney Hillman and Philip Murray, Mr. Martin stands a good chance of emerging not only as undisputed head of U. A.W, but as leader in a C. I. O. conservative movement, People In Moscow, Secretary Earl Brow- der of the American Communist party hailed President Roosevelt, Cuba's Col. Fulgencio Batista and Mexico's President Lazaro Car- denas as opponents of Fascism. @® Breaking a bottle of champagne to dedicate an aquacade at New York's World fair, Swimmer Elea- nor was cut by flying glass. @® One hundred and two years old, Banker Edmund J. Reardon of Cam- bridge, Mass., celebrated his birth- day by staying away from the office. @® Having too many other responsi- bilities, President W Walter 8. Gifford of the American Telephone and Tel aph company, will resign as a of the United States Steel corporation April 3. into alliance with William WASHINGTON. — Through nearly of our nation's history, there has been a continuing controversy % prerogatives of the President of the United States and the senate, It alternately smouldered and It has been char- times and it has made or destroyed the political fortunes of a great Washington has been regaled with a fresh revival of the controversy in The funda- mental differences are the same as There are, however, new names and new faces and obviously the political fortunes of individuals who have entered upon the public stage in recent years are bound up in the boiling kettle, these rights, this one will prove The current fight must be said to invited by President Roosevelt. Perhaps, his course of action was urged by some of the “inner circle,” which so often has advised him lately, men | ignore political history—but the fact | remains that the President carried | the fight to the senate, and there are more than a few observers who expect that he will come off a bad loser. Mr. Roosevelt, in these columns earlier, ing upon his own selection for po- litical appointments where the sena- tors from a particuias state were | not receiving his smiles. The pro- cedure was not pleasant but there was no sensational outcry from the senators concerned until nation of Judge Floyd Roberts, to a United States district judgeship, was sent to the senate. Mr. Roberts was picked without consultation even over others recommended with Senators Glass and Byrd of Virginia. It proved to be the signal for a riot. Advisers Reckoned Not With Senatorial Courtesy After the manner of senate pro- cedure, Senators Glass and Byrd rose in their places in the senate and pronounced Judge Roberts | “personally offensive” to them. That was enough. The senate, as it as 1 have reported was insist- has done so many times before, promptly rejected the Roberts nom- ination by the terrific jolt of 72 to 0. It was such a slap that even the Virginia senators were surprised at its overwhelming character. It surely made the fact abundantly clear that Mr. Roosevelt could not get away with his theory namely, that a President can pick nominees without ‘the advice and consent of the senate’ as the Constitution spec- ifies. But it did not have that effect. And here was where the President made a great political mistake. He sought to discipline the senate by publication of a letter to Judge Rob- erts in explanation of the senate’s action. He scored Senator Glass and he tarred Senator Byrd. They were almost guilty of conduct unbecoming gentlemen. It was rumored that the strategy of the “‘inner circle” was to have Mr. Roosevelt smear the two sena- tors and thus create a serious defec- tion in their own political machines in their native Virginia-—which any- one acquainted with Virginia poli- tics will tell you is much easier said than done. It was reported even that Mr. Roosevelt would send the two senators and if that were rejected to send up still others. believed the “‘inner circle,” But the President and his un- trained political advisers reckoned senatorial courtesy is an intangible thing. No one ever has been able to define or describe it. One simply has to say that it exists and let time prove the statement. The proof al- ways can be found, and the action of the senate on the Roberts nomi- nation, and since, certainly seems to demonstrate that the senators will fight for their rights, or what they believe to be theif rights, on a col- 1 lective basis. Each sticks by the others; none knows when he may need the same kind of help. Senate Is Thoroughly Embittered at Roosevelt Thus, after several weeks of this lashing back and forth—because Senators Glass and Byrd did not fail to tell the country what they thought of Mr. Roosevelt's action—we find the senate thoroughly embittered at Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Rooseveh saying, xepagredly; that the senate A ind dig pe gfe Chief 1 said, that difference has existed fundamental since the formation of our govern- ment, It is going to continue to ex- ist because of the form of our gov- ernment, its system of checks and as our system of political parties ob- tains. Coldly and without bias, it must be said that each side to the battle predicates its conclusions and con- ception of its rights upon a thirst for more power. Mr. Roosevelt, as President, conceives that he should tives of sovereign states, conceive that they are the elected represent- atives and they are not going to have a single individual, even though it be the President of the United States, dehorn them of the strength that an election by popular vole gives them. Moreover, the President must do political knitting. He must keep the weave as free of knots as is possi- ble. In the case of the present in- cumbent, it is quite apparent that he desires to be complete boss of his political structure. He had a taste indeed, a full meal—of it for five agine that he liked it; anyone would, if that person is human. When some of his rubber stamps became blurred and did not print clearly what he said should print Roosevelt, ruthless politician, get rid of th in the “purge’’ during the ign, and failed. are sure that the present flame is intended to destroy this ’ 14s other ng to mpa Many "or opp Old Line Democrats Seek To Regain Party Control Nor are the Glass and Byrd alone, but all of them, blameless, if one desires to turn purist. The senators have their political machines. They seek al- ways to keep those machines well oiled, smooth running. Upon the functioning of the machines depends whether the senators can be re- elected time after time; upon hat machine depends the retention or the loss of the power which every politician loves. I imagine they can not be blamed for that, any more than the President can be blamed for wanting to keep his hand on the throttle. That is politics. Selection of the men to judicial jobs, or to any other political post in the nature of a plum, is vital to Politi- cians continue as leaders only so long as they can dominate the scene and get for their followers the things their followers want, But in the current battle there is somewhat deeper disagreement be- tween the senate and the President. It is too well known to warrant more than mere reference here that old line Democrats are determined to regain control of the Democratic party label. They have had more than enough unpractical direction from the regiment of college pro- fessors, crack-pots and long haired dreamers without political training. senators, not just tatingly that continuation of Demo- such men will be destruction of the party and its conversion into a ve- hicle guided by e=ocialists, commu- nists and a complete rainbow of colors. Naturally, they want to ad- here to Democratic doctrines and Democratic principles. And that is the line of cleavage. The result? 1 doubt that Mr. Roosevelt can win over the senate. Wants Judges Who Will Be Friendly to New Deal The other phase of the differences is less clear. I can report it only as the belief of quite a few sena- tors. Some of them believe it, defi- nitely. I give it here simply as a subject for thought. By irsisting upon his own choice of nominees for judgeships in the federal courts, Mr. Roosevelt is at- tempting to place men in the ju- diciary who will be friendly to all of the New Deal laws, or so some members of the senate and the house firmly believe. That is to say, the belief is held that Mr. Roosevelt is seeking to do by use of the ap- pointive power that which the con- gress refused him the power to do when it killed off his sc to pack the Supreme court of Unit- ed States with six new justices. By filling the judiciary—the federal dis- trict courts and the circuit courts of appeal—with men known to be fa- vovable to new deal laws, in- surance against adverse decisions is provided for years to come, or so some of the senators and representa tives will tell you. It would be only incidental, if the completely subservien to him. It would be only HS ouid be a center ‘Western Newspaper Pattern 1721 Color for your bedroom! Use gay scraps for the lilies, line and single stitch for Pattern 1721 contains pattern pieces; diagr instructions for cutting, and finishing; yardage ch gram of quilt Send 15 cents in coins for this pattern to The Sewing Circle, 82 Eighth New York, N. Y. and out- accent! accurate of block; sewing, art; am cia- Nee- A x "1 Avenue, ( saFeTY TALKS ) Most Hazardous Occupation Most farmers probab wou scorn the use of indust opt toed safety shoes, har to protect their he ads objects, and gogg able lenses to war from the grindstone from the wood-cutting If this be true, it account for first as the mos occupational enterpris The National Safet ports that of occupational 1837, agric dents, goggle Ww A a apr s11%4 agriculture and servi ) sponsible NO FUSS RELIEVING COLD DISCOMFORT THIS WAY! Just Follow Simple Directions Below— and Use Fasi- Acting Bayer Aspirin 1) 1. To case pain and discomfort and re- . Guce fever take 2 2. I Throat Is raw from cold, crush and - dissolve 3 ow 3 Tablets In 1; glass Ly It's the Way Thousands Know to Ease Discomfort of Colds and Sore Throat Accompanying Colds The simple way pictured above often brings amazingly fast relief from discomfort and sore throat accompanying colds. Try it. Then — see pour doctor. He probably will tell you to con- tinue with the Bayer Aspirin be- cause it acts so fast to relieve dis- Sonsiarts of a cold. And to reduce ever This simple way, backed by scientific authority, has largely sup- planted the use of strong medicines in easing cold symptoms. Perhaps the easiest, most effective way yet discovered. But make sure you get BAYEF Aspirin, When you play, play hard; when you work, don’t play at all.—The- odore Roosevelt. Why do Luden’s con- tain an alkaline factor? To help build up your alkaline reserve when you have a cold. LUDEN'S 5° better and an ill man worse. — Thomas Fuller.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers