WEEKLY NEWS BY JOSEPH W. LaBINE CONGRESS: Three Months to Go? Long congressional sessions hand- icap U. S. business, but self-esteem- ing legislators also think their pres- ence in Washington helps stop an impulsive President from sticking his foot into Europe's pie. When Alabama's Sen. John Bankhead of- fered a resolution scrapping contro- versial legislation to guarantee June 15 adjournment, there were enough nbjections to constitute a very vocal ‘‘peace bloc.” Retorted Texas’ Sen. Tom Connally: ‘‘Congress ought to stay right here . . . until all danger of involving the United States in war has disappeared . . No one can determine the question of war or peace but congress, and I know the people do not want war.” But war is only one of several major issues confronting a congress which did little during its first four months, and which cannot hope to adjourn with anything like a good record before mid-August. Prob- lems, and their status: Defense. Neutrality and arma- ment are No. 1 issues of the No. 1 problem. After weeks of testimony, TEXAS’ TOM CONNALLY “Congress out to stay right here.” senate and house investigators seem compromised on the administra tion's ‘‘cash and carry’ neutrality to permit arms sales to warring na- tions. Probable modifications: (1) elimination of a clause forcing the President to invoke neutrality with- in 30 days; (2) insertion of a clause permitting continued shipping to outskirts of a belligerent’s terri- tory if outside the danger zone. Since England and France would control the ‘Atlantic in wartime, thus being enabled to pay cash and car- ry off U. S. arms, the bill would subtly answer Reichsfuehrer Hitler's snub of President Roosevelt. But Japan, Hitler's friend, could control the Pacific, which neutralizes the effect of neutrality. Defense attention focuses on avia- tion, the President asking congress for $206,502,500 to expand the army's air corps and bolster Panama canal fortifications. Meanwhile, Col Charles A. Lindbergh has urged im- mediate expansion of aviation re- search facilities, in which the U. S. now trails Germany, Britain, Italy and France. As a result, congress will probably get requests for more aviation funds. A third defense proposal: Ne- vada’s"Sen. Key Pittman urges ex- tension of the U. S. coastal bound- ary from three to twelve miles, thereby facilitating resistance to an enemy blockade. - Social Security, Recommenda- tions of the house ways and means committee, headed by North Caro- lina’'s Rep. Robert L. Doughton: (1) a top limit of $3,000 wages sub- ject to payroll contributions for un- employment compensation; (2) re- duction of 3 per cent unemployment compensation tax in states which have built adequate reserve funds; (3) payment of old age annuities starting in 1940 instead of 1942; (4) liberalization of U. S. grants for aid to dependent children, creating a 50- 50 contributory status; (5) exemp- tion from social security of students and nominally paid employees of non-profit organizations, Total es- timated annual saving to industry and labor via the Doughton pro- gram: $825,000,000. Taxation. Adjournment - bound Sen. Alben W. Barkley predicts tax revision would necessitate an all- summer session, moreover says it will do business no particular good to be kept in suspense about new tax possibilities. His forecast: That the house will simply extend “‘nui- sance” taxes and the undivided profits levy, the latter expiring this year and currently yielding about $56,000,000. This brought retort from Mr. Doughton, whose ways and means committee has not aban- doned hope of general tax revision. The problem: President Roosevelt and his cohorts have agreed not to shift the load from large shoulders to small ones, also that federal rev- enues cannot be reduced. The only solution: Reshuffle taxes on big cor- porations. Relief. Rebel Democrats and all Republicans are fighting the Presi- dent’s 1940 relief budget of $1,750,- 000,000, partly for economy's sake and partly because the White House insists on keeping WPA intact. Un- der several pending bills, WPA would be abolished and much of the relief load returned to states. Labor Act. Modifications in the Wagner act to pacify business were promised before the U. S. Chamber of Commerce by Nebraska's Sen. Edmund Burke. By early May, al- most a month of committee hear- ings had netted nothing not already known: (1) That A. F. of L. and business oppose the present act; (2) that C. I. O. favors it. Railroads. Though it is a major economic problem which almost caused a national crisis last fall un- til legislative reform promises stilled an employer-employee squab- ble, rail rehabilitation is well buried in committee. Some think the issue may be compromised in the inter- est of a shorter session. EUROPE: Appeasement Again Moons may come and go before the world knows exactly why Rus- sian Foreign Minister Maxim Lit- vinoff ‘retired’ at the crucial mo- ment of Anglo-French-Soviet solidar- ity conversations. But there is ev- ery reason to believe French-British treachery is responsible. The argu- ment: Russia sought an all-embracing military alliance with the two de- mocracies, meaning all three must march if Adolf Hitler carried out his threat to occupy Danzig in de- fiance of the Poles. But Britain and France have never opposed German occupation of Danzig; indeed a growing appeasement bloc (alleged- ly including Prime Minister Cham- berlain) has hoped the Reich would satisfy its thirst by taking Danzig. Thus the broadest pact France and Britain would offer Russia was a se- ries of unilateral guarantees to Po- land and Rumania, the Soviet to aid only if the other two powers had al- ready gone to the assistance of those countries. Hence it was ob- vious that Anglo-French offers were hesitant, half-hearted and a product of necessity rather than desire. Maxim Litvinoff's release was the answer. Litvinoff is part Jew, hat- ed by Germany for his anti-Nazi and pro-League of Nations beliefs. His successor, 49-year-old Premier Vyacheslaff Molotoff, is a military- minded No. 1 aide to Joseph Stalin. Thus, the development Paris and London fear most becomes sig- nificantly possible: A Russo-Ger- man alliance which would dominate all Europe. Since Dictator Stalin recently charged capitalistic powers Russia into a needless war, and since Hitler's latest speech lacked its usual strong attack on the Soviet, VYACHESLAFF MOLOTOFF + A change of policy, too? this possibility is the more impor- tant. Adding to democratic woe is the Reich’s notable success in neutraliz- ing all Scandinavia and the Baltic states. Though Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden will pfobably refuse non-aggression pacts as su- perfluous, these countries have giv- en neutrality assurances and thus helped crack the ‘“‘encirclement” ring which Britain and France thought they had thrown around the Reich. Lithuania's neutrality was guaranteed at the time Memel went back to Germany, and other tiny Baltic states (Estonia and Latvia) are expected to fall in line. In the Balkans, collapse of Russian-English negotiations would leave anti-Nazi Rumania, Greece and Turkey insecure, probably fore- ing them into the German sphere of influence. Observers believe the outcome may now be German oc- cupation of Danzig in return for ter- ritorial integrity guarantees to all the Reich's neighbors, which is ex-- actly what Hitler offered in his Reichstag speech. BUSINESS: Chamber Complains Early this spring President Roose- velt declined a bid to address the U. 8S. Chamber of Commerce con- vention, knowing full well his New Deal would be hung in effigy. The President's idea was right; after five days of speech-making during which New York's New Dealish Rep. Sol Bloom was booed from the din- ner table because he said business men should be glad to pay taxes for the privilege of living in a free country, the schism between White than ever. Keynoted Chamber George H. Davis, Kansas City grain man: “It seems that the greatest RES GEORGE H. DAVIS “Divisions . . . discord . . . antagonism.” concern is to create divisions be- tween groups, to incite discord be- tween management and worker, an- tagonism between ‘Haves’ and ‘Have-Nots.’ Followed Hugh S. Magill of Chi- cago, president of the American Federation of Investors: “I am con- vinced that the great body of pru- dent, hard-working men and wom- en for whom I would speak are re- fusing tp put their dollars to work because they know from experience that when debts are incurred they must be paid if credit is to be main- tained.” A good sample of several “pro- grams'' which chambermen will of- fer direct to congress, stepping over the President, was the five-point plan of Chairman John W. O'Leary of the executive commitire: (1) re- move ‘‘uncertainties’’ caused by su- perfluous government control: (2) revise dissension-creating labor laws; (3) revise tax laws to follow the rule of revenue purposes rather than reform; (4) siop needless spending “to bring approach” to a balanced budget; (5) modify re- strictive laws to restore flow of capi- tal. Chambermen presented their plans to congress over the banquet table. Announced as the convention opened was a series of 26 dinners in which representatives of various branches of industry laid their com- plaints directly before well-fed con- gressmen and senators. PEOPLE: Latest Chapter ternational rumor the past two duchess of Windsor would either re- turn to England or visit the U. S., probably both. Latest chapter: On leaving & Paris showing of the American movie “Wuthering Heights,” the duke was overheard do tell Son James Roosevelt: “Well, we will be seeing you in New York.” POLITICS: Farley Forecast Verified A master politician, Jim Farley called the turn in 1936 when hope- states in the presidential election. Recently the master spoke again, warning his Democratic colleagues that 1940 will bring a hard fight and that no landslide may be ex- pected. Verification of the Farley forecast came but a few days later when the American Institute of Pub- lic Opinion, headed by Dr. George Gallup, polled the nation to discov- er that 52 per cent expect Repub- licans to win in 1940, Trend How the wind is blowing . . . MONEY-—Income payments to U. 8. individuals during 1939's first quarter totaled $16,105,000,- 000, an increase of 2 per cent over 1938’s comparable period ag- gregate of $15,788,000,000, RELIEF—-WPA plans to cut 800,000 from relief rolls thig sum- mer to compensate for next fis- cal year's reduced budget. Total expected clientele on June 30 1940: 1,500,000. NAMES — Smiths, 418,000 strong, head “first 50 families” on social security rolls, followed by Johnsons, Browns, Williamses, Millers and Jonses in order. DRINK--U. 8S. coffee consump- tion is gaining at expense of co- coa and tea, 1938 imports reach- ing record volume of 1,987,127, 018 pounds while cocoa dropped from 619,050,789 pounds in 1937 to 453,006,547 pounds in 1938. Tea import for 1937: 95,000,000 pounds; for 1938: 81,372,424 pounds. WASHINGTON.—As I have often eral government is such a huge oc- topus that it is difficult for one in- That is to say it is mighty hard to sit down, thumb through the list and say The thing is incomprehensible, And so it is that when Mr. Roose- by the last congress, submitted No. 1" the other day, few there were who grasped the scope the move. Equally, it is true that few persons were able, even authorities, there are both good and bad points, and nobody ought to be so silly as The President's executive units of government, They are the federal security agency, it is proposed to bring boards, bureaus and commissions, some great, some unimportant, but have been dangling at loose ends. South Carolina's Sen. James F. Byrnes, whose bill to place relief ad- ministration back in the states’ hands is, according to Mr. Bruckart, jeopardized by President Roosevelt's governmental reorganization plan eral relief agencies. Nearly all of them have been re- sponsible directly to the President, or to the President and congress. Many of them worked at cross pur- poses; many overlapped, and there was the attendant jealousy, conflicts of authority, foolish resentment at each other's attempts to function. It was evident that Mr. Roosevelt hoped the corralling of these mav- aerick agencies would add to the effi- ciency of the machinery. That must be accepted as the fact because he told congress there would be a sav- ing of only about $20,000,000 annu- ally. The anemic taxpayer, there- Faults Will Accompany Virtues in Mass Move But what of those who previously headed the independent, dangling, wandering type of bureau or board or commission? The plan proposes to make them subject to a new boss somebody in between them and the President. It does nothing more than that. Close examination of plan No. 1 seems, therefore, to of these setups, taking with them all At the same time, it is possible that such a grouping will accomplish something not visible on I mentioned at the outset the difficulty of discovering these always remember, however, that few government agencies once cre- ated have ever been abandoned. The jobholders are the best lobbyists in the world. Which brings us to the one definite objection that I have heard about the President's plan No. 1. That ob- jection is that nowhere in it is there any effort made to reduce the scope of government. Or, to express the same thought in an affirmative man- ner: Plan No. 1 will perpetuate with- out exception every agency created in the last 10 years under the guise of emergency legislation, relief for the destitute and business reform. | That is the one factor to which criticism ought to be applied. There is no doubt in my mind at all that the President's advisors, in drafting dent himself, dodged responsibility. 1 suppose it may have been too much to expect, yet it does seem a better job could have been done in that direction. Why, for example, | was the reorganization of this phase {| of government activities worked out with nothing to show in the way of | abolition of some of these numerous agencies? It appears to me that if the eight or ten separate units that have been brought into the federal security agency were so closely re- lated, then some of those units could | tions as necessary could have been lodged in the jurisdiction of the re- maining bureaus. The same obser- vation applies to the federal works | agency and the federal loan agency. | Federal Relief System Remains Sore Spot I believe the creation of a federal works agency will accomplish a great deal of good, but it does not solve one of the festering sores, now and long since showing on the body politic. I refer to the federal relief system. While there will probably be no more of the fighting over the back-yard fence like tomcats, as did Secretary Ickes and Harry Hop- | kins, the plan No. 1 does nothing to wipe out the pernicious political | ted as head of WPA. Nor does it keep government money from being | literally forced down the throats of | towns for building public power | ate debt upon the shoulders of those | taxpayers, as Harold Ickes did. There is nothing in the program | either that will eliminate the use of | federal funds, either through PWA | or WPA, in spreading the effect of federal policies into state govern- ments. I have written before of how { federal officials actually ‘“‘govern” | states or counties or municipalities | by laying down rules which must be met before the money has been handed over. It is certain, therefore, that as far as public works is concerned and as far as public relief from the fed- eral treasury is concerned, Mr. Roosevelt has accomplished almost nothing at all—except to make the heads of the two units report to one administrator who, in turn, will re- port to the President. it appear, moreover, that a real need exists for passage of the bill | drafted by Senator Byrnes, South Carolina Democrat and one-time staunch New Dealer, that would place relief back in the hands of the states. however, there ought to be praise. That is, there can be better admin- icy, if the President selects a sound man to serve as its head. Security Agency Is Plan’s Hot Potato The federal security agency, if we No. 1. Into that group, there will be Civilian Conservation corps, office of education. be tossed into that madhouse, no one seems to know. Under the reorganization act, con- gress has 60 days in which to ex- amine the President's plan, and ap- prove or disapprove. That is to say, congress must vote a resolution of disapproval within two months, or the plan becomes operative. There isn't the slightest chance that it will be rejected. One reason the proposal will not be rejected, if there was ever any chance of it, is that one of the Republican members of the house played dumb. Representative Taber of New York could not wait; he introduced a resolution of re- jection on the day following submis- sion of the plan No. 1, and he has just as much chance of accomplish- ing his purpose as a snowball has in the nether regions, I do not infer that the President's proposal ought to be rejected. That might be the conclusion after experts have gone through it with a fine- toothed comb. On the surface, how- ever, Mr. Taber provided no basis of prestige for the Republicans by his act, nor did he demonstrate his value as a national legislator. As for Republican tactics, especially on such matters as government reor- ganization, they ought to distinguish between issues and making noise. 1 have a suspicion that Mr. Taber's resolution was as much welcomed by Democratic Leader Rayburn as it was disliked by the Republican side of the house. Certainly, it will provide a measure of Democratic solidari Fy A Union. Something Different in a Crocheted Chair Set Pattern No, 1957 Capture spring with : cissus chair set, he up your chairs. Or if it's a scar you need, use the chair back fc scarf ends. ) charts and directions set; materials required; illustr: tion of stitches. Send 15 cents in coins I pattern to The Sewing Circ] dlecraft Dept., § New York, N. Please write your name, dress and pattern number plainly. Pattern 1957 contair if vialkir OT MaxKu A Limit to Tact Be careful that practice doesn’t devel deceit. The town saunterer may saunter along to the age of 95, while the hurrier gets to the cemetery 30 vears earlier. People may be childish, but the innocence of a child generally is lacking. the ta r p It Drags Him Down A man doesn't improv reputation by else's. Experience is all very well, but it robs us of many thrills, To be free from the maddenin crowd requires ingenuity and a lot of money. Life Is a Parade A procession should never get boggled up and stand still. When a parade isn't moving, it isn't a parade. If salesmanship sells you something you don’t want, all salesmanship suffers. spoiling scmebody -then your ticed. anger won't be no- BIL Here is lous? 11 you think all laxatives act alike just try this ail bie laxative, De wm pes Tia freshing. lovigoraling. + roi Tom sick headaches, billous tired feeling when sasociated with constipation, Without Risk Sri’ Mare toe var foes Make the test — then if not Oelighted, retain the Dox to us. We will refund the purchase price, Thats tair. RASA Rt TSE Gird Misfortune Yield not to misfortune, but ad- vance all the more boldly against A wonderful aid for boils where 2 drawing agent is indicated. Soothing and comforting. Fine for chil dren and grown-ups. Prac tical. Economical. GRAYS OINTMENT 25° Vain Assumption All silencing of discussion is an assumption of infallibility.—J. S. Mill Watch Your DOANS PILLS
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers