i CONGRESS: Keynote “Dear Alben” Barkley settled down for six months in Washington. “We'll be here until June,” he told reporters, ‘‘but I doubt if there will be much new legislation. There probably will be efforts to amend the Wagner act and the wage-hour law. The reciprocal trade treaty program probably will cause the greatest controversy.” He told no lie there, and Presi- dent Roosevelt knew it. Striking fast, before the opposition had a chance to open its mouth, the Presi- dent keynoted the second session of the seventy-sixth congress in a state- of-the-union speech which attacked the ‘“‘destructive mine-field of trade restrictions.” Plumping for renew- KENTUCKY'S BARKLEY “We'll be here until June.” al of his ‘“most-favored-nation’’ pro- gram in which the administration— not congress—has the power to sign trade pacts, he offered this defense: “ jt is advisable to provide, at times of emergency, some flexibility to make the general law adjustable to quickly changing conditions.” Only one other concession did he want in 1940, because it is an elec- tion year: “I am asking the con- gress for army and navy increases which are based not on panic but on common sense.” Conservation of resources, protec- tion of national health, extension of a moderate voice. Only out-and- out political dart was a crack at G. O. P. Hopeful Tom Dewey, who recently accused the New Deal of “defeatism.” Said the President: “To warble easy platitudes that if we will only go back to the ways that have failed, everything will be all right—is not courage.” Next day congress got the budget. Items and total: National defense Work relief programs Agricultural programs Public works and invest. ments . Pensions, retirements and assistance .. cans Interest on the public debt. . Regular operating This, said the President, was an estimated cut of $675,000,000 from the current fiscal year, while treas- ury receipts are expected to rise $382.000,000. Estimated net deficit for 1940-41: $2,176,000,000, compared with $3,933,000,000 this year. But to further cut the deficit, Mr. Roose- velt recommended that his $460,000,- 000 boost in defense costs be paid through new taxes. Commented loyal Sen. Pat Harrison from Mis- sissippi: “It's not easy to raise $460,000,000 right off. I'm not strong on this tax business.” Rolling up its sleeves, congress found the Democrats enjoyed a a « Harry Bridges, West coast C. 1. O. leader freed on deportation charges, announced he would seek naturali- zation ‘“‘at the earliest possible mo- ment.” ¢ Charles Edison, inventor's son, named secretary of the navy, began studying means of speeding up the naval construction program. @ Louis (Lepke) Buchalter, sen- tenced to 14 years in prison for vio- lating the federal narcotics law, heard that New York's District At- torney Thomas Dewey hoped to “‘put him away for 500 years’ on racket charges. « James H. R. Cromwell, economist and husband of Doris Duke, “richest girl in the world,” was named U. 8. minister to Canada. «John W. Finch, director of the bu- reau of mines, was requested to re- sign by Interior Secretary Harold Ickes “because the bureau needs a director who has enough iron in his blood . . .” «Neville Chamberlain, president of Britain's Midland Salmon and Trout club, wrote his cronies: “I fear that there is little prospect of my finding time for fishing énder pres- ent condition.” three-to-one majority in the senate, and a three-to-two lead in the house. Major issues, aside from the recipro- cal trade act and national defense: 1. Whether to raise the national debt limit, now nearing its $45,000,- 000,000 legal peak. 2. What to do about new tax pro- posal, such as Secretary of Agricul- ture Wallace's “certificate plan” (in effect, a processing tax) to pay farm benefits. 3. Whether to amend the Wagner labor relations act, under fire from all sides. 4. Whether to continue Martin Dies’ un-Americanism committee. COMMUNICATIONS: Wire Merger Western Union maintains 20,000 branch offices employing 43,000 peo- ple; Postal Telegraph, its competi- tor, has 4,400 offices and 14,000 em- ployees. Thanks to air mail, tele- phone and radio, Western and Postal are both having financial troubles. This month, as a result, came a paradox: While Trust Buster Thur- man Arnold was busy breaking up monopolies, the much-concerned fed- eral communications commission recommended to congress that Western and Postal be allowed to consolidate. INTERNATIONAL: Something in the Wind It was big news in early January that hardy Finnish troops had cut 16,000 Russians off from their base had cap- tured a Russian base at Aittajoki; had repulsed countless shock troops on the Karelian isthmus; had even blasted a Red air base in Estonia. But the biggest news came from a little Madrid newspaper called Alcazar. Said its editorial: *‘Fin- land is defending with its flesh and bravery the treasure of occidental civilization. Fighting so bravely for independence she fights also for all Christianity, and it is inexplicable that after a long month of war she hasn't received tangible aid . . .” Looking about them, European ob- servers wondered if the Alcazar plea wasn’t being answered. They saw a series of potentially related moves PAUL EMILE NAGGIAR Lonesome in Moscow. that might eventually lead to peace among the allies and Germany, and to a European attack driving the Russian bear to his den. Indications: Isolation. Home from Moscow to London went Ambassador Sir Wil liam Seeds to write a white paper on Russo-British relations, Gossip had it that his conversations with Premier Viacheslav Molotoff had been stormy. and that he probably wouldn't return. Also homeward bound was Augusto Rosso, Italian ambassador. Left in Moscow, un- comfortable and lonesome, was French Ambassador Paul Emile Naggiar. Shakeup. The newspaper Petit Parisien reported from Italy that Germany was planning a drastic po- litical reorganization to woo the al- lies. It would include Adolf Hitler's becoming president, succeeded to the chancellorship by moderate Her- man Goering; purging of radicals like Heinrich Himmler, Joe Goeb- bels and Dr. Robert Ley; manage- ment of foreign affairs by a mod- erate like Dr. Hans von Macken- sen, ambassador to Italy; slacken- ing of relations with Russia and pro- visional recreation of Poland and Czecho-Slovakia. Ald. In an embarrassing spot, Germany announced she would wink at allied shipments of munitions to Finland, but could not tolerate troop movements. Thus it was obvious the Reich would like to see her “al- ly,” (Russia) driven back, yet could not risk exposure to allied troops from the North sea. Western War Following custom, there was more horseplay than warfare. The west ern front was a tomb, but at Buenos Aires German sailors from the scut- tled Graf Spee joined their enemies from British battleships in a night of revelry. British preparations in- cluded a plan to call 2,000,000 more men to the colors this year, and a report that 20 freighters had been scuttled at the mouth of Scapa Flow. Purpose: prevent Nazi U-boats from entering the harbor and sink- ing more ships like Royal Oak. Know your news? One hundred is perfect score, and deduct 20 for each question you miss. Score of 60 or more is acceptable. AA AI 1. This English peer’s daugh- ter, an ardent Hitlerite who has been in Germany since before the war started, returned to England on a stretcher with a revolver bullet in her neck. What's her name? 2. Why did Irish Premier Eamon De Valera ask parliament for dictatorial powers? 3. True or False: Martin Dies has asked congress to discontinue his un-Americanism probe be- cause of ill health and because the justice department is now prosecuting alien “isms.” 4. What do the following have in common: Robert Fechner, head of the CCC; Guy Ballard, head of the “Great 1 Am’ cult; several thousand residents of the Turkish earthquake area; the 163rd Russian division on the Finnish front. 5. If the U. 8. began taking its decennial census January 2, why hasn't an enumerator knocked on your door yet? News Quiz Answers 1. Uniiy Valkyrie Freeman-Mitford 8. He feared an uprising of the out lawed Irish republican army. 3. False. He asked congress for more funds 4. They dled sion was killed 5. The business census started Janu ary 1. The regular “nose-count” doesn’t start until April L Most of the Russian divi COURTS: Tell It to Congress Well-timed if its intention was to heighten congressional demands for revision of the Wagner act, a deci- sion by the Supreme court upheld the much-criticized National Labor Relations board on three counts: (1) For refusing to place an al legedly company-dominated union on ballots used in a bargaining agency election at the Falk corpora- tion, Milwarkee. (2) For des) ating a C. 1. O. union as collective bargaining agency for waterfront workers along the Pacif- fc coast. (3) For ordering employees of the Jackson, Mich., power company to vote on the question of affiliation with C. 1. O., after a ballot on C. 1 O. versus A. F. of L. had brought no majority vote. These decisions offered no partic- ular commendation of NLRB, how- ever. Commented Justice Harlan Stone: *. . . this failure (of con- gress) to provide for a court review (of NLRB decisions) is productive of peculiar hardships . . . But these are arguments to be addressed to congress and not to the courts.” TREASURY: Easy Taxes Tenderly breaking the news that been simplified. as complex as the report form it self, have been pared down and shaved of technical phrasing. POLITICS: Appointments Roosevelt's judicial and justice ap- pointments came a baker's dozen of explanations. tor General Robert H. Jackson was reclaimed from obscurity and made attorney general as grooming for a place on the 1040 ticket, ‘probably as vice presidential candidate under Cordeli Hull; Judge Francis Biddle of the circuit appeals court (a life time job) was boosted to the 'wlici- tor generalship to make a place for unpopular Warren Madden, NLRB chairman. Thus were several birds killed with one stone. Other political news: @ Democratic Chairman James A. Farley announced the nat'onal com- mittee would meet in Washington February 5 to select a time and city (probably Chicago) for the 1040 convention, Thus he made the G. O. P. victor in the winter's biggest stalling game, permitting Repub- licans to hold their convention name their candidate later. ql Secretary of State Cordell Hull dis- avowed presidential ambitions and denied knowledge of reports that as No. 1 choice for 1040 candidate. Already Are WASHINGTON.—About the time capital is deluged with “pressure groups.’ It is a poor de- 1 believe most of them lead (or promote) They want to keep their foliowers tribute hard-earned dimes or dol lars so that their representative or front in the city of Washington. Any way, it is the open season for them, again. a hive of bees. in the annual invasion upon senators and representatives and among the numerous New Deal agencies, seek- ing justice, urging help for those whose liberties are being trampled that and the other. There are the usual spokesmen for corporations and groups of cor- porations. They, too, are seekers after justice. They are no more selfish” than the lesser racketeers. Those fellows, however, have a dif- ferent kind of stake in the results. The seekers after individual justice, ‘PRESSURE GROUPS Harass members of with wvarious causes. May be tuning up for the com- ing campaign. Many movements will not get very far. Union labor and the American Legion active. Bruckart doesn’t believe it is possible so many new injustices could have arisen. Few are able to analyze the situation. BUSY CONgress those who urge “civil liberties," maintenance of etc., usually their own material futures. May Be Just Tuning Up For the Election Campaigns There is, however, something dis- turbing about this year’s invasion. that so many new injustices could have arisen within the last year. There always has been a considera- ble amount of this low form of high pressure around Washington, but the increased number of seekers after justice this year would seem to prove that the whole country has gone to pieces. It may be, of course, hat they are tuning up for the elec- tion campaigns. Seriously, however, few have been able to analyze the situ- ation. Some suggest that the cur- rent trek of seekers after justice results from the fact that the na- tional government has become the focal point for “relief’’ from every- thing since the depression fell upon us in 1030. Others feel that a sense into this country from the lands where dictators hold a human life to be nothing more than a chattel If either of these answers is cor- rect, we have a dangerous condition on our hands. It is the defeatist It represents a decaying civiliza- Now, lest someone charge me several years ago, I want to recall that 1 once feebly at tempted to pin a for seeking legisla- register who behalf of legislation. He wanted to brand © each one as a lob- a byist. That senator was Hugo Black, Hugo Black who now writes binding legal opin- jons as a member of the Supreme court of the United States instead of blabbing for hours on the floor of the senate. I maintain that ev- eryone has the right of petition to any government agency. What Iam trying to do here, however, is to show that there are so many more “petitioners” now than heretofore and to find the reason for it. Many Seekers After Justice in Washington Of course, most of these move. ments will not get very far, They will not get as far, in fact, as when I used to crawl under the corncrib for eggs out on the farm. But there aged folks throughout the country to extraordinarily large num- ber of seekers after justice in Wash- ington. It is astonishing to see the lengths to which some of them will go. For example, there is one great church organization that sought to force the census bureau to include in the forthcoming census certain ques- tions that would have given that church a powerful leverage in the future administration of government affairs, according to well-authenti- cated reports. The church repre- sentative tried for weeks to high pressure the census officials into in- clusion of three questions. He made some threats about the conse- quences of their refusal. The gov- ernment attorney to whom the cen- sus officials submitted the question had the guts to say ‘no’ and that was the census bureau answer. It was a despicable thing, how- ever, and illustrates the dangers in- herent in the conditions I have tried to describe. The old age pension movement and the unemployment compensa- tion movement and the other “wel- fare’ movements are represented in full force. Other Groups Are Working For Gifts From Government There are half a dozen around town, other working for found something wrong with the present social se- on on what whoie The con- is wrong with it. circumstance rather tossed the to be that I doubt government can law. There probably is little possibility that any overboard. federal Some of the dreamy New Dealers who con- ceived it have faded out of Wash- left their baby for somebody else to nurse to maturity. The one service they performed was to the New Deal finances, because the original program has brought six or seven hundred million dollars into the fed- eral treasury—and it has been spent. i Organized labor has its represent- atives on the scene in a big way. Both the Congress izations, which is headed by John L. Lewis, and the American Federa- tion of Labor, which is headed by Wil- liam Green, have national headquar- ters here. What is a poor politician go- ing to do, however, when Lewis and Green are fighting each other and seldom, if ever, agree upon what changes must be made in the national labor relations act. The labor row may get more than just an ordinary airing during the session of congress now under way. 1 have written heretofore about the special house committee investi- gation of the National Labor Rela- tions board. Exposures by that com- mittee already have brought de- = A John L. Lewis den. Commissioner Leiserson, ap- Youthful Tailored Two-Piece Frock | QEASON in and season out, the | V2 whole year round, you need a | two-piece tailored suit-frock like | 1875-B. It's ideal for business, | classroom wear and general spec- | tator sports. The collarless necks line, besides being gImar | gives you a chance to indulge yo fancy for sports scarfs. The and of very jewelry an skirt is full Course you can your ulhngerie i jacket - v 541 and ¢circuiar with The A310 bodic attractive is fitted in to hug the Ww and the shoulders are ga squared, to make it look even more slender. Tweed, velveteen, flannel and wool crepe are ex- cellent materials for right now; by all means repeat this later in faille or flat crepe. 3arbara Bell Pattern No. 1875-B is designed for sizes 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20. urements ’ Size 14 (32) requires 4% yards of 39-inch material. With long sleeves, size 14 requires 4% yards of 39-inch fabric. Send your order to The Sewing Circle Pattern Dept., 247 W. Forty- third street, New York, N. Y. Price of pattern, 15 cents (in WANTED A DISTRIBUTOR in your community who can sell a New Facial Cream - % % Attach one dollar to this ad, mail to BIOLOGICAL LABORATORIES SALES COMPANY, 280 Madison Ave, New York, together with your NAME, ADDRESS and Two Rerznences. We will send you postpaid two regular size jars of this cream with details includ- ing selling price and discounts. stinking mess, but the Lewis fac- the board thus far is making Mr. Leiserson’'s job pretty difficult. There will for the Green faction if Lewis can prevent it. American Legion Can Really Put on High Pressure There is an offshoot of organized labor's setup here known as Labor's Non-Partisan league. I don't know what it is supposed to accomplish, but it has a press agent and a staff of “executives’’ and they all seem to get paid regularly. Tie American Legion is getting active again. It wants mere gov- ernment money for the ex-soldiers, and make no mistake about it. The American Legion can really put on high pressure when it sets out to do the job. 1 haven't scratched the surface in naming the pressure groups that are to be found here for the current ses- sion of congress. There are at least 50 business organizations and trade associations. The purposes of all are the same, namely, advantages for them. The advantages may be in the form of cash such as the pen- sion petitioners and the Legion seek, or advantages that can be turned into cash after the methods of busi- ness. In any event, they are all headed down Washington-way. It seems to bode no good at all for the folks who are going to pay the bill, including a national debt that is now $45,000,000,000 or more. : A Good Mind He that procures his child a | good mind makes a better pur- | chase for him than if he laid out the money for an addition to his | former acres.—Locke. | fee ee | & blocks from Sed Thurch 15th and L Streets, N. W, WASHINGTON, D. CG Eownsh W. Baber, Manarer 200 large, quiet outside rooms with tub and shower SINGLE . . $3wo$é DOUBLE . $4.50 t0 $7 SEE ———————————rf YOU'LL SAVE MONEY « + With This “AD” If You Visit NEW YORK Within Sixty Days wes you Single $2.50 + Double $4.00 « Suites $7.00 pores WOODSTOCK
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers