Thursday, December 28, 1939 UNION PRESS COURIER HAPPY NEW YEAR! World Looks Forward to Busy 1940, Fraught With Important Questions By ROGER BAILEY (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) EW YORK.—Before the in- fant 1940 becomes a gray- beard his book of contemporary history may be heavily in- scribed. The new year is destined to be the most important in a decade, a year of supreme testing for men and their mili- tary machines, for politicians and dictators whose philoso- phies and systems are even now waiting in abeyance until 1940 has spoken its verdict. You can lay your bottom dollar that the European turmoil will crystalize in 1940 to the point where observers can see definite trends. We'll probably know, for instance, whether Nazi Germany can with- stand the pressure of an allied eco- nomic blockade, meanwhile trying to stave off French-British assaults on land and sea. Or will Hitler's machine crack up, the victim of internal discontent? What Is Finland's Fate? Valiant little Finland, whose early stand against the Russian invaders was acclaimed throughout the world, looks forward to 1940 as the year in which she will retain her freedom or fall vassal to the Krem- lin. It’s a pivotal year in the Balkans, too. If Russia succeeds against Fin- land, she’ll undoubtedly turn to a new conquest in Rumania, already pressed by Hungary, Germany and Bulgaria. And if that happeps the observers are pretty certain Italy will join the melee to fight for Bal- kan independence. If these little states can stay free of war in 1940, they’ve little to worry about. Even as Russia marches in 1940 she will answer the question world militarists have been puzzling for the past 10 years, namely, is her huge army and air force really so formidable? The Polish invasion, in which Russia knifed a fleeing enemy in the back, was no fair test. Neither were early days of the Finnish invasion, because the hardy defenders were able to out- point Soviet troops under extraor- dinary arctic fighting conditions. Will FDR Run Again? At home the year’s biggest story will be November's presidential election and the campaign leading up to it. Will President Roosevelt break tradition and seek a third term? Will eight years of the New Deal be vindicated by election of a New Deal chief executive, or will the public repudiate this lead- ership in favor of a Republican? Closely allied with this issue is the question of continuing or stop- ping national spending. Most Wash- ington observers believe there will be no way of avoiding an increase in the national debt limit, which of $45,000,000,000. President Roose- velt will leave revenue matters strictly in congress’ hands, he has intimated. Organized labor faces a critical year in which anti-trust suits may set a precedent by laying the unions open to prosecution under the Sher- man act. Moreover there are signs that congress will amend the Wag- ner labor act following revelations before the Smith house committee during December. Will Social Security Work? Old age benefits under the fed- eral social security act will be dis- tributed for the first time, and by year’s end America should know if the plan actually works. The Su- preme court will receive its fifth appointment from President Roose- velt, gaining a clear New Deal ma- jority. How about the Far East? Japan, balancing precariously on the inter- national fence since Europe went to war last September, must jump one way or the other, siding with the dictators or the democracies. Right now she is busy playing both ends against the middle, trying to frighten the democracies into line by smiling benignly on Russia. The United States is especially concerned with Asiatic develop- ments because the 1911 trade treaty with Japan, repudiated last sum- mer, will become abrogated official- ly on January 26. Before Washing- ton is willing to renew it, Tokyo must agree to cease threatening American interests. Will Chiang Surrender? The Japanese, meanwhile, hope to end their war with China in 1940. Despite continued resistance from Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, the Japs plan to establish a puppet gov- ernment under Wang Ching-wei as a means of pacifying Chinese na- tionalistic sentiment. Not all of 1940’s news will develop in the political and military fields. Followers of the boxing wars are wondering if a ‘‘white hope’ will arise to strike down the colored heavyweight behemoth, Joe Louis. And throughout the hot stove league they’re wondering about that peren- nial question—can the New York Yankees win a fifth straight pen- nant? Even the penguins of Antarctica have something to wait for in 1940. Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd and his government expedition will soon sight the snow-capped peaks of this desolate land, beginning what prom- ises to be one of the year’s most fascinating adventures. Refugees Learn English | SYDNEY, N. S. W.—European ref- ugees entering Australia are being taught English. The system, em- ployed under the direction of Mrs. Elsa Gormley, is of ‘Basic Eng- lish’® which gives them quickly 850 basic words, which is all that is nec- has almost reached its legal peak essary for them to get along. Swing Gives Way As “Talking Machine’ Reappears EW YORK.—The death of a swing-mad 1930-40 dec- ade finds classical music re- gaining its traditional place in American artistry so fast that phonograph manufacturers and radio networks can’t keep up with the demand. This Christmas season the old - fashioned ‘talking ma- chine” has been streamlined, while thousands of phonograph rec- ords have been placed around the family Yule tree in keeping with a revival the like of which America has never seen before. That sum- marizes the state of mu- sicattheend of a decade which sent Bach, Bee- thoven and Wagner scurrying for cover under a barrage of swing, and brought them back again when swing had swung itself out. The thirties also brought their share of good popular tunes. A survey by the National Broadcast- ing company revealed the following list of favorite tunes. How many do you recall? 1929—Happy Days Are Here Again. 1930—I Got Rhythm. 1931—Stardust. 1932—Play, Fiddle, Play. 1933—Love in Bloom. 1934—Wagon Wheels. 1935—Red Sails in the Sunset. 1936—Is It True What They Say About Dixie? 1937—Viene, viene! 1938—A-Tisket A-Tasket. 1939—Over the Rainbow Toscanini Musicians give radio much of the to Classics credit for the rebirth of classical music. Grand opera, once the play- thing of a select few, has been popu- larized by regular broadcasts, chief- ly over NBC during the Metropoli- tan season in New York. Symphony concerts are broadcast throughout the year, two outstanding examples being the Saturday night NBC se- ries under Maestro Arturo Tosca- nini, and the CBS broadcast of New York Philharmonic concerts each Sunday during the winter season. European Concerts Helped. Until the wa#®, many concerts came from abroad. In 1938, for example, 18 European orchestras contributed 24 programs to the NBC network. There were three operat- ic broadcasts from the Salzburg fes- tival in Austria, one from Bayreuth and two from the Verdi anniversary festival at Turin. In addition to network programs, an increasing number of individual stations are now broadcasting regu- lar periods of classical music. One small station in New York broad- casts nothing else, all day long! New Cocktail Glasses Built ‘On the Square’ NEW YORK.—They’ve finally got a glass that’s on the square. It’s the new square-shaped ‘‘Ver- mouth glass,” which was designed by speedboat champion Count Theo Rossi especially for the serving of vermouth straight. Vermouth is a mild drink which has long been a favorite before- dinner appetizer in Europe and South America. It has recently tak- en such an upswing of popularity in this country—imports are up 30 per cent—that American glass man- ufacturers decided there should be a special vermouth glass. This trend to vermouth, it is claimed, is one good indication that Americans are turning to modera- ROOSEVELT: Will the President seek re=- election,and if so,can he win a third term? RUSSIA: : “Will this juggernaut, stopped by little Finland, retire de- feated orthreaten all Europe? CHINA: ; Will Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek (shown with wife) OE CE TT TCR LP LT EL ET “year? aE g ITALY: 4 : v Will Benito Mussolini. turn LL LL uC CL Le PE and fight Hitler's ally, Soviet LETTER it GERMANY: ed Will the hard-pressed Ger= man Reich, utilizing all its § resources, be: able’ to with=- ‘stand the blockade? Should Be Safeguarded Soil around transplanted ever- greens should be kept thoroughly moist before it freezes. The root | area needs the protection of a gen- | erous mulch of leaves or litter. If the position is exposed, it would be well to support large trees with guy wires for the first year. The tiunk | of an evergreen is not so widely | exposed as that of a deciduous tree | and therefore does not need to be | tion in their drinking. wrapped. Gas Pressure May Be Result of Excitement By DR. JAMES W. BARTON NTIL just a few years ago, gas was thought to be due in all cases to the foods eaten— onions, cabbages, lettuce, peas, beans. More re- cently, it was | TODAY'S thought that in the H EALT H great majority of cases gas forma- | COLUMN tion and pressure was due to a sluggish liver and gall bladder. Many cases also are believed due to fermenta- tion of protein foods—meat, eggs, fish. It is now agreed that many nervous or excitable individ- uals, those who eat their food hurriedly, swallow quantities of air during meals and par- ticularly if they use much fluid — tea, coffee, milk or water — during meals. Dr. Walter Alvarez, Mayo Clinic, who for many years has done much original research work on the stomach and intestines, says in the Ohio Medical Jour- nal: “For reasons yet unknown, some per- sons swallow much air as they drink. A ‘dry’ dinner will sometimes give a much more comfort- able night.” “Among the other causes of flatulence —gas—are: food sen- Dr. Barton sitiveness—being al- lergic or sensitive to some particular food or foods such as eggs. wheat, berries; a plug or hardened waste matter in the rec- tum or lowest part of large intes- tine, which forces gas back up into small intestine and even into the stomach; nervous excitement be- fore, during and after eating; oil, which while lubricating the wastes, seems to cause gas pressure, and any substances added to laxatives in order to add bulk to the wastes.” Walls Are Strengthened. Despite the formation of gas caused ‘by these bulky substances, such as agar, most physicians be- lieve that this bulkiness distends the bowel -and causes the muscles of the bowel to squeeze harder on the mass of waste and so prevents constipation. The bowel is kept in a better condition of health if its muscular walls have something that causes them to contract or squeeze upon the wastes. The walls in- crease in muscular strength by this work or exercise. As mentioned before, if the gas from the stomach or bowel is with- aut odor, it is considered as being swallowed air. If odor is present then gas is due to one or more of the conditions above mentioned. * * Hw Removal of Gall Bladder I HAVE spoken before of the pa- tient who underwent operation for ulcer of the stomach expecting that all his symptoms would disappear, never to return. He was greatly disappointed when his physician told him that if he didn’t stop worrying, eating rapidly, and not getting enough rest, he would likely “grow” another ulcer. Operation for ulcer of the stomach is not now so common since it has been found that the pa- tient’s ‘‘personality’’ is usually the .underlying cause. Drs. E. L. Eliason and J. P. North, Philadelphia, in Annals of Surgery, report their followup study of 264 cases from one to four years after operation. They found that only 6 per cent (16 cases) were not re- lieved of the symptoms for which they underwent operation. In four other cases the relief was delayed and in others the symptoms com- plained of were not due to gall bladder disturbance. Cases Are Investigated. Now 6 per cent is not a large percentage to fail to get relief after removal of their gall bladders, but Drs. Eliason and North investigat- ed these cases and found that in half of them (8) there were no gross or outstanding evidences of gall bladder disease at time of opera- tion, but in the other half (8) the surgeon found a diseased gall blad- der with stones yet the patient was not helped by the removal of the gall bladder. The explanation is that sometimes conditions other than gallstones can give similar symptoms, ‘‘since many gallstones are ‘silent’ ones.” The lesson here then is that, de- spite the mistakes physicians may make and the inability of a patient to properly describe his symptoms, practically 19 of every 20 cases un- | dergoing this operation obtained re- lief from their symptoms. For those, then, that are suffering with gall bladder symptoms, espe- cially those with the terrible at- tacks of gallstone colic, the fact that operation gives relief to such a large percentage should not only allay their fears of operation but should give them great hope of obtaining immediate relief and keeping free from symptoms thereafter. (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) Page Three ONLY OBSCURED SIGHT “He can’t see a foot ahead of him.” “Quite blind, I suppose?” “No, too fat.” HER AMBITION Visitor—What are you going to du when you grow up? Elsie—I'm going to be a movie censor so I can see all the films that aren’t proper for other folks to see. FIGURES OUT ALL RIGHT The ex-Captain—What do you mean by telling it around that yot were shot six times in the wart You never had a scratch. The ex-Private — Nevertheless, 1 was half shot at least a dozen times. HAD PROSPERED § re “I understand that poor Simpkins family gave an enthusiastic wel- come to their returned prodigal son.” “I should say they did—he brought his own fatted calf.” NOT WHEN, BUT UNTIL Mary—Were you very nervous when Jack proposed to you? May—Not when, but until. HOPE DEFERRED Boss—Here’s your bonus check. 1 s’pose you'll spend it on some- thing pretty for your hope chest. The Old Stenog—Not me. I'm go- | ing to buy a safe 6 per cent mort- gage bond for my hopeless chest. NO, IT WAS NOT HAY Traffic Cop—Hey, there! Countryman (on top of load)— Naw—can’t you see it's straw! | The Dear House By RALPH MILLER (Associated Newspapers.) (WNU Service) EEP in Minna’s heart was her dream of the dear house. And then she married Ted Byram and came to No. 1 Peters street, one of a dun-painted row of just-alike ug- lies. She hated it from the first. Noth- ing fitted. Wall spaces were wrong, the windows too narrow, stock-size rugs would not fit the floors and the wallpaper was hideous. Ted beamed at the results, how ever, while she choked down the lump in her throat to smile back at him. “Grand little place!” he would crow. “Old Peters should see it.” G. H. Peters, millionaire, in his pink villa in Florida! “Glad you like it, Ted, but we will begin to save right now for a house of our own,” she announced firmly. They saved rigorously until inter- rupted at the end of the first year by fat little Theodore. Many things checked their headway after that, up to their second interruption, which was Wilhelmina, also fat and adorable. The case against No. 1 Peters street grew with the larger family. The little beds and chiffoniers took all the space in the bedrooms, and there was no place for the perambu- lator or kiddie car downstairs. Minna brought her dream of the dear house to the fore, and again began saving for it. Ted took extra work at the mill to help out. G. H. Peters was still in Florida and his agent refused paint and paper. Then one day—Minna called it her black Friday—he ran home. “Minna! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Birthday surprise!” “What have you done, Ted?’’ Why should her heart be leaden? “G. H. Peters is home and is clos- ing out his loose real estate. He gave me a wonderful bargain on this house and I snapped it up. You are a grand little saver, for we have enough for the down payment, and the rest will be like rent. Why, Minna—don’t cry. I never knew that you wanted a home so badly!” At. first she sobbed convulsively, while he petted and coaxed her. Finally she could smile and say brokenly : “It will be lovely to own a home, Ted!” | The dear house was gone. All her life this ugly, tucked-up, dun- colored hovel would offend her eye and cramp her living. There were { days when even the pranks of funny | little Teddy or the chuckles of Willy | could not cheer her, but she did ! her best to keep a good face before | Ted. | One day when she was downtown, { getting the children’s hair trimmed, Ted called the shop, agitatedly. { “Come home as fast as you can, Minna. The two houses back of us | are burning, and they say ours may | go, too. Some of the boys from - the mill will go over with me and help get the things out.” Maybe the dear house would come now! She could not hurry toward the black eloud which hung over Peters ( street. Teddy's short little legs and plump Willy in her stroller held her back. \ Would they get the children’s toys? Her Bavarian tea set with the wheat-heads—and the Quimper bowl! The flames would break through the window where they sat in the evening to watch for Ted. And the gable upstairs, by Teddy's bed, where he watched the pigeons against the sky—the little peach tree by the kitchen—the folding breaks fast table Ted had made—the old linen cloth she had dyed to make spreads for it only last week—to match the voile curtains. As she hurried, sobbing under her breath, a flood of comprehension en- gulfed her. No. 1 Peters street was not ugly. Why, it was the dear house, and it had loved her all the years while she had been hating it! She never knew it until she had to lose it. Smoke and trampling feet, shouts and hissing water, piles of furniture and clothing watched over by an officer, and a billow of smoke sweep- ing over the peaked roof. She turned and hid her face against the corner tree. i Then Ted's arm around her, his | blackened face smiling at her. | “It’s all right, Minna—the fire | caught the roof-peak at the back, | but they got it out right away. It's | all right, dear, don’t cry!” | “Oh, Ted,” she gasped. saved the dear house!” “We did—and the smoking needn't matter, for I was intending to have it remodeled for your birthday pres- ent. Now we needn’t wait, but can go right to work. A larger living room, open stairs, a sun parlor, breakfast room, with an extra room, a sleeping porch and lots of closets upstairs. The plans are drawn, wait- | ing your approval. Later we’ll buy | the place next door, sell the house off and have a real lawn, with shrub- bery, hedge, a pool and everything!" Oblivious of the neighbors whe were caring for Teddy and Willy, to the laboring firemen and the eyes of curious strangers, they gazed at each other enraptured. Then her belated loyalty asserted itself. “It will be grand, Ted, but with- out any of it, it is the dear house, just the same!” “You
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers