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INDUSTRY'S PLATFORM
Manufacturers Ask a New Deal for Hie New Year. • •
Ambassadors Dodd and Bingham Quitting Their Posts
Ml to rtffcl ar* Boutor William Barak af Idaka.
Burke of Nebraska and Professor He
id formerly of Oka antitrust division of I
the yrofesser was abent to appear before
Jadidary committee. The committee examined
whether they believed him a fit appointee to
of Appeals of the District of Colombia. Ho was
in the right of courts to declare legislaUvo
But ho declared he aeu
legitimate part of ear constitutional system.
~*ufi&iurwui W. PuJaucd
w M mnunurmwfTra Hnrr wnor.r
SUMMARIZES THE WORLD'S WEEK
• W«
Industry Asks N«w D«al
A MERICAN industry demands a
now deal for the new year. In
Its “platform for 1938” it asks the
government to repeal “unfair” la
bor relations laws and “unduly bur
densome” taxes which, it says,
threaten to reverse “a century's
trend of improved living stand
ards.”
The platform was submitted to
the National Association of Menu
facturers by Charles R. Hook, presi
dent of the American Rolling Mill
company and chairman of the N. A.
M/e resolutions committee, and
was adopted by the more than 2,000
persons at the annual convention
In New York.
Asserting that “the onward march
of the American people can be re
sumed and continued only if Ameri
can industry produces more so that
all can have more," the platform
declarations were grouped under
these headings:
No employer should be penalized
tor failure to deal with any labor
organization organizing, supporting
ar maintaining a strike for illegal
purposes, or by Ulegal means
among his employees;
Employment, promotion and re
ton tion of employees on the basis
af merit with due regard for length
ef service;
Legal and social responsibility of
both employers and employees for
their commitments and their acta.
The platform condemned child la
bor and urged the enactment of
federal legislation to support state
child labor laws. Enactment of
state legislation against sweatshops
also was urged.
,Te promote free domestic compe
tition based on private initiative and
energy, the platform proposed limi
tation of government regulation “to
toe prevention of abuses ir'-nical to
toe public interest, freedom from
federal control of prices, wages and
hours,” fair taxes and “constantly
increasing research to produce new
and wanted products and new Jobs."
Encouragement of private initia
tive; maintenance and extension of
sound industrial practices; equita
ble employment relations through
out Industry; creation of new and
broader markets; constructive ef
forts to alleviate depression effects;
sound government policies; co-oper
ation with agriculture; peace.
Jap* Enter Nanking
J APAN’S invading armiea reached
Nanking and smashed their way
through several gates of the city’s
wall Their complete occupation of
toe capital was Imminent The Chi
nese put up a spirited defense in the
suburbs and nearby towns but It
was unavailing.
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek
and his wife were reported to have
escaped in an airplane, which must
have been a great disappointment
to toe Japanese, who are deter
mined to capture Chiang.
Diplomatic Changas
S EVERAL major changes in the
diplomatic servlet are scheduled
for toe near future. It was learned
that William E. Dodd had resigned
as ambassador to
Germany and in
Washington it was
said that Hugh R.
Wilson, now assist
ant secretary of
•tate, would be giv
en the post in Ber
lin. Dodd has found
his duties difficult
because of his ad
mitted dislike of the
Nazi policies and
for some time has
regarded as “persona non
grata" by toe German government
He was a professor of history in
the University of Chicago when ap
pointed, and says he intends to re
sume work on a history of the Old
South.
Robert W. Bingham of Louisville,
ambassador to Great Britain, also
i
L ‘ I
Sslfs ' ' - V&l
X&V- •' > &S W : ' i
W. K. Dodd
has submitted his resignation, be
cause of 111 health. His successor,
it is believed, will be Joseph P. Ken
nedy, now chairman of the federal
maritime commission and formerly
head of the SEC. t
Mr. Bingham recently returned
to the United States to undergo
treatment for malaria at Johns Hop-
kina hospital in Baltimore. The
State department expects he will go
back to London after the holidays
to pay his official calls of farewell
—*—
Profits Tax "Impossible"
O EPEAL of the undistributed
^ profits tax as a levy “impos
sible of equitable and effective” ap
plication to the complex and varied
pattern of American Industry, is
recommended in a report published
by the Brookings institution, based
on a study of the actual effects of
the tax on 1,580 corporations.
Prepared by Dr. M. Slade Ken
drick of Cornell university, in co
operation with the staff of the insti
tution, the study was made from
data obtained from the results of
some 3,600 questionnaires sent out
by Senator Frederick Steiwer, Re
publican, of Oregon, designed to
provide detailed case experience on
the controversial tax as far as ob
tainable in the first year of its op
eration.
—*—
U. S. Steel Readjustment
npHE United States Steel corpora-
*■ tion announced formation of a
new company—United States Steel
Corporation of Delaware—to super
vise a number of subsidiaries of the
parent corporation.
The new corporation, which will
come into existence January 1, will
be organized with nominal capital
Benjamin F. Fairless will be presi
dent of the company and all the cap
ital stock is owned and held by the
United States Steel corporation of
New Jersey. Headquarters for the
management company will be at
Pittsburgh.
Myron C. Taylor, chairman of the
board, in announcing formation of
the new corporation, said that this
was the final move in the vast pl»n
of readjustment of the corporation.
Green Defies C. I. O.
V IRTUALLY admitting that re
cent peace negotiations between
the A. F. of L. and the C. I. O. were
a failure, President Green of the
federation in a speech in Buffalo
defied the Lewis organization and
predicted that real violence between
the two rival labor bodies may en
sue.
“Unless settlement is reached
soon,” Green declared, “the A. F. of
L. will arm its forces and turn them
loose against this raiding organiza
tion.
"Lot* of people think the reason
a settlement can’t be reached is be
cause some one has designs on dic
tating the policy of the American la
bor movement, and I sometimes
think this, too.
“He, or she, who launches a move
ment which divide* the house of la
bor is an enemy of labor.”
Sixty members of the United Au
tomobile Workers of America wert
arrested when they defied an order
of Mayor John L. Carey of Dear-
x>rn forbidding the distribution of
literature in a prohibited area at the
gatea of the Ford Motor company.
No Fraud by Mellon
'T'HREE months after his death
Andrew W. Mellon, famous in
dustrialist of Pittsburgh, was exon
erated of income tax fraud by unan
imous decision of the United States
board of tax appeal*. The board
threw out the fraud charges
brought by the administration
against the former head of to*
Aluminum Company of America
and, by an eight to seven ruling,
slashed the government’s claim for
additional taxes on Mellon’s 1931 in-
coma from *3,075,000 to about *750,-
000.
f®
Stormy Days in Capital
D ETURNING from his fishing trip
to Florida waters with an tn-
fed** gum. President RooeeveR
was confronted with a situation
that was decidedly disconcerting.
What has been called toe Roosevelt
depression was becoming still more
depressed and congress seemingly
couldn't make up its mind what to
do about it The demand for tax
revisions that would assist business
out of the slump was insistent, and
so was the necessity of balancing
the budget Passage of the four
administration “must” measures
appeared to be impossible during
the extraordinary session. All of
them were opposed by various blocs
of toe majority party as wall as by
the Republican minority.
The senate’s farm bill seemed to
have the best chshce to get through,
but it differed so radically from to*
house measure that it was certain
a conference committee would have
to try to find a common ground.
Secretary Wallace was reported
dissatisfied with both senate and
house bills. One official close to
him said Wallace might urge Pres
ident Roosevelt to veto any bill
finally enacted which approximated
•either the senate or house measure.
Democrats were so badly split
over the wage-hour bill that hope at
passing it before the regular session
of congress was about abandoned.
Labor, too, was divided concerning
this measure, the A. F. of L. op
posing it and the C. L O. advocating
its passaga. The federation offered
its own version, calling for a fiat 40
cents an hour minimum wage and a
40 hour maximum work week. Hie
bouse bill was finally rescued from
toe rules committee by petition.
House Majority Leader Sam Ray
burn, Democrat, Texas, went ahead
with plans to whip administration
support behind the house measure.
He said that fewer than 100 votes
would be cast against the bill In Its
present form but warned that
amendments which would make its
wage-hour provisions more rigid
might shunt the measure back to
the labor committee and delay a
vote Indefinitely.
Infantry Comas First
I N WAR operations on land toe in
fantry is still the most important
branch of the service, says Gen.
Malln Craig, chief cf staff of the
army, in his annual
report Lessons
learned by skilled
observers of the civ
il war in Spain and
the Chino-Japanese
war have modified
the American de
fense program, but
says the general it
is still the Infantry
that renders the de
cision in the final
analysis. Airplanes
Malta Craig tanks are valu-
uable auxiliaries to the infantry, but
they cannot bring about a decision
in land operations.
Inventories of armament motori
zation, mechanization and equip
ment to toe light of the lessons
abroad, show several vital needs of
the first line forces. General Craig
declared. These include better
weapons to combat aircraft and
tanks, as well as more efficient guns
for the planes and tanks.
Lindbarghs Come Back
A FTER two years of self-
imposed exile in England. Col
and Mrs. Charles A. Lindbergh re
turned to the United States. Pre
sumably they came over to spend
the holidays at the home of Mrs.
Lindbergh’s mother, Mrs. Dwight
Morrow, in Englewood, N. J. Dis
patches from London said the
colonel also had some business to
transact in America. He is asso
ciated in an advisory capacity with
Pan-American Airways.
The landing of the Lindberghs at
New York was accomplished with
such secrecy that they almost es
caped the notice of reporters and
news photographers. One of the
officers of the liner on which they
came caid they planned to return to
England immediately after Christ,
mas.
Edgarfon Backs Wafer
C ONFIRMATION of the appoint
ment of Henry W. Edgerton of
Cornell university as associate Jus
tice of the District of Columbia
Court of Appeals was endangered
because it was thought from his
writings that he did not believe in
Judicial review. However, he ap
peared before the senate sub-com
mittee, consisting of Senators Borah,
Burke and Van Nuys and repudiated
his previous utterances. Of the pow
er of courts to declare legislative
enactments unconstitutional he said:
“I regard it as not only thorough
ly established as a legitimate part
of our constitutional system, but
which was intended by the great ma
jority of the men who framed our
Constitution. I think it was properly
established by John Marshall and
I haven’t the least criticism of any
court for any declaration of the
validity of that part of our coostt
tutional system.”
Leviathan to Be Junked
J APAN made a bid for the Levia
than. huge liner seized from Ger
many in the World war, but the
United States Lines rejected it and
sold the vessel to Metal Industries,
Ltd., of London for *800,000. It will
go to England under its own power
and will be junked.
The Leviathan cost ten millions to
build and the American govern
ment spent more than eight millions
to recondition it; and also paid Ger
many *16,688,000 for its seizura.
imt
$m§0'
3blnkd about
Prehistoric Lore.
D EL RIO, TEXAS. —Ac
cording to the scientists,
who have a great way of
naming earthly phenomena
without inquiring into the
wishes of the phenomena, we
are now living in a terrestrial
era known as the Hollocene
period.
This will be news to a lot Sf peo
ple who rather suspected WO won
living through a „
stage which might
be called Chaos.
Still it’s no won
der that the word
hasn't got around
generally yet, be
cause this present
era Is quite a young
era as eras go. It’s
merely a few mil
lion years old.
which, to our true
geologist, is the g, Cobb
same as yesterday.
Mention a few million years to him
and he’ll say “phew!” and Just snap
his fingers—like that
I wonder if the authorities would
pardon a suggestion from a poor
Ignoramus whose acquaintance with
geology la largely limited to two
of its surface phases, namely: Reg
ular paved roads and those derned
detours. When we consider most of
the humorous illustrations and the
bulk of the humorous text printed
in the average smart magazine of
today, and the even spicier lines
heard in smart modern plays,
wouldn’t it be more fitting to call
it, not the Holocene, but the Ob
scene period?
• to 7 •
The Law's Long Arm.
T HE long arm of the law—it’s a
grand phrase, isn’t it? So mouth-
filling, so satisfying to the honest
citizen’s soul!
It conjures up visions of unrelent
ing warfare against crime, inevita
ble punishment for the guilty. It’s
the bunk!
It’a the bunk because of crooked
lawyers; venal policemen; compla
cent prosecutors; soft-hearted or
corrupted jurors; witnesses, bribed
or intimidated; the law's delays;
reversals of fair verdicts on foolish
technicalities; a false sentimentali
ty which forgets the widow and or
phan of the victim and thinks only
of the family of the killer; most
often of all abuse of the powers to
commute and to pardon and to pa
role.
These days, when I see a sen
tenced offender handcuffed to an
officer, I find myself saying to my
self, “Chances are that fellow, lit
erally or figuratively, is wearing
that decoration only temporarily.”
• • •
The Passing Years.
E VERY newborn year is a rosy
prospect Just as nearly every
dying year Is a dun-colored dis
appointment But without revived
hope what could we look forward to
except being measured for a
shroud?
It seems only yesterday when 1937
was busting in, a radiant, bouncing
baby-child, his arms burdened with
promises, bless his little soul! After
several false starts, happy days
were here again. Nobody was aim
ing to remodel the Supreme court
Senator Ashurst told us so, and
didn’t he know? He didn’t
Secretary Wallace, slightly assist
ed by Divine Providence, would im
mediately have the crop situation
well in hand. Grass would grow
only in the street leading to the
almshouse. The Wall Street boys
were expecting two suckers in ev
ery pot. And the song of the Bulbul
was heard In the land—ah, the bull-
bull!
Within the 12-month the Republi
can party again would be a going
concern. Well if it’s a going con
cern, the question is, where?
And now, laden with future gifts,
comes 1938. How time flies! Why,
before you know it, Sistie will be old
enough to take a job with the radio
and Buzzie will be signing testimo
nials.
• • •
Gambling Houses.
A ONCE famous card-sharp—not
reformed, but retired—said to
me:
“Show me a professional gam
bling house where the roulette
wheel isn't crooked, where any oth
er mechanical device is on the
square, where the operatives from
the bosses on down won’t skin a
customer—call him a sucker, if you
want to; the terms are interchange
able—and I’U drop dead from shock,
because no such outfit ever existed
nor ever will, not so long as games
can be tricked, as all of them can,
and gamblers are out for the coin,
a* they naturally are, and the hand
Is quicker than the eye, which it is.”
“But how about the mathematical
percentage in favor of the bank—
isn't that enough?” I asked.
“How about the mathematical
percentage of crooked law-enforce
ment officers who have to be
bribed?” he countered. “There’s
never enough coming in to satisfy
those babies."
IRVIN 8. COBB
CopjnlZht.—WXU Service.
Washington!
Digest Jjk.
National Topics Interpreted
By WILLIAM BRUCKART
'i PStSs bldg Washington d c.
llliil
Washington. — Much has been
written and much more has been
said concerning
Railroad* the complexities
Face Crisis of modern civiliza
tion and modern
business. Many times - have we
heard how closely agriculture Is re
lated to other industry; how general
commerce and industry is interwov
en with every phase of our life."
There can be no doubt of this condi
tion. No proof is required. Nor is it
necessary to argue that when one
section or segment of business Is on
its sickbed, there is a resulting bad
reaction upon every other phase of
commerce and industry to a greater
or less extent.
With these fundamentals in mind,
it becomes obvious that probably
the most important development of
a national character in the last fqw
weeks is the appeal of the country’s
railroads for the right to increase
their rates by 15 per cent The Re
tails of their condition, as presented
In hearings before the Interstate
commerce commission, show they
are confronted with a crisis. Since
they are under the rigid supervision
of the federal government the fed
eral government is the doctor in
the case. They will live or die by
the command of the interstate com
merce commission.
The case they have presented
shows, for example, that they h* v e
had to cut thousands upon thousands
of workers off of the payroll; that
they have been unable to buy more
than one third of the customary
annual purchases from other busi
nesses. and that more than one
fourth of all the railroad mileage in
the nation is now being operated as
bankrupt property—that la, the
property is in the hands of court
receivers.
So, adverting to the observations
of the first paragraph of this dis
cussion: a gigantic industry can not
run at a loss without resulting in a
bad heart or partial paralysis in
other industry. Higher rates are
always opposed for the very human
reason that none of us enjoys taking
any more money out of our pocket
than we must. Many lines of busi
ness oppose rate increases on the
railroads because of the fear that it
will reduce their volume of sales.
But it occurs to me that in consid
eration of a question of freight rates
and charges which the railroads
make, we ought to think of their sit
uation as we do of other lines of
business. Our retail grocer is not
going to sell at a loss; the druggist
can not subsist unless he makes a
profit however small it may be. nor
is the farmer going to continue to
produce unless he gets a reasonable
return from his work. The only dif
ference between these and the rail
roads is that the railroads can not
raise their rates unless the,.inter-
state commerce commission, a gov
ernment agency, says they can do
so.
Further, there is a tendency on
the part of a goodly number of per
sons throughout the land to question
the accuracy of statements made by
business. No doubt you have heard,
as I have, the remark that "yoO
can’t tell whether so-and-so’s busi
ness is bad off or not Big corpora
tions can cover up and make black
look like white.” Indeed, while 1
was listening to one of the 1. C. C.
hearings in this case, a man in a
neighboring seat made something of
the same observation as I have
quoted. My answer to him was in
substance that none of the railroad
officials would dare lie to the com
mission, even if they were so in
clined, because the commission has
access to every item of expense
and income, even all actions of the
management of the carriers.
It might be aaaed in this con
nection that officials of the inter
state commerce commission under
stand there is to be a request by
the interstate truck operators for an
increase in rates if and when the
rail lines are allowed higher rates.
The trucks are represented as slow
ly starving to death—but they can’t
and won’t boost rates until their
competitors, the railroads, charge
more for their services.
• • •
I believe there is no better way to
set forth the plight of the railroads.
as presented to
Plight the commission,
of Carrier* toan to include
oere some ex
cerpts at the statement made offi
cially in the case by Dr. J. H. Par-
melee. He is director of the bu
reau of economics of the Associa
tion of American Railroads and, as
such, knows the details.
"Today,” Dr. Parmelee said, "the
carriers are reducing forces and are
curtailing their purchases of equip
ment, materials and supplies. They
are forced to do this because of the
financial conditfon in which they find
themselves. This retrenchment has
a serious economic effect on em
ployment, on the manufacturers of
railway supplies and their employ
ees and on all business activity.
Such a policy with its unwholesome
economic consequences only partial
ly offsets the rising tide of costa.
“The railroads in 1927 to 1930 In
stalled moi^e than twelve times as
many locomotives each year, nearly
five times as many freight cars, laid
nearly three times as'many tons of
rails and laid nearly twice as many
cross ties as they averaged in the
depression years from 1931 to 1936.
“Capital expenditures for 1929 and
1930 averaged *863,164,000 a year.
During the depression years from
1931 to 1936, the average of capital
expenditures was only $206,813,000.
"Similarly, the trend of railway
purchases (of things they must use
in operation) of fuel, material and
supplies declined sharply during the
depression years and never has re
turned to anything like normal.
Railway purchases in 1929 and 1930
amounted to *1.184,017.000 in each of
the two years. In the five years
from 1931 to 1935. the average per
year was about *559.000,000. In 1936.
the expenditures in this direction
were up to *803.421,000. (Figures
for 1937 are incomplete but there
has been another decline because of
necessary curtailment of buying.)’’
Dr. Parmelee turned to the ques
tion of railroad receipts for their
services. He told the commission
that the depression years had left
the railroads without any reserves.
For seven years, he said, the rail
roads have been barely getting by.
and pointed out that at no time be
tween 1931 and 1937 had they earned
more than 2.57 per cent on their
investment as it is appraised by the
commission. In three of those sev
en years, the records show, the
railroads’ receipts did not amount to
as much as their fixed charges, a
term which includes interest on
their debts, taxes and required
amounts for paying off parts of their
debts. In other words, all they
earned in those years was Just
enough to pay the people who work
for them and buy the necessary fuel
and operating supplies.
• • •
The argument to the commission
is predicated, therefore, upon rising
. costs, general ex-
Rimng penses, and the
Coat* dozen or so rail
way presidents
who testified before the commission
stressed the fact that these expenses
are out of control by the railroad
authorities. Dr. Parmelee figured
that these higher costs of fuel sup
plies. wages and taxes had laid a
burden on the railroads that i«
greater this year by *664,789,000
than it was in 1933. The companies
hope to get *567,287.000 of this sura
from the 15 per cent increase in
freight rates, and the railroads of
the East are asking that passenger
fares be increased from 2 cents to
2Vfc cents a mile, which they think
will bring in an additional *47.500,-
000. From this it is seen that the
carriers still will fall short of the
full amount needed, but their ar
gument, as 1 understand it. pro
ceeds on the theory that they should
not seek more of an increase than
is sufficient to keep them from go
ing broke. If the new depression
conditions subside, there will be a
larger volume of freight next year.
That will enable them to make a
profit. That is. a greater volume of
business with the new rates will
provide a profit unless there are
new government taxes an 1 other
burdens laid upon them. In this
connection, 1 looked up the effect
of the social security and carriers’
taxing act Commission records
show the rail lines are paying *111,-
000,000 in taxes annually under
these two levies alone, a burden the
companies did not have two or three
years ago.
So it is evident that the rail lines
are in a bad fix. They are con
fronted on the one hand with mount
ing costs of operation and on the
other by declining receipts from
the smaller volume of business. At
the same time, it seems to me, the
country has more than a passing
interest in their plight This is so
because during the last two months,
for example, close to 60.000 railroad
employees have been laid off—out of
work, in the rail industry alone.
With the decline of purchasing of
supplies by the rail lines, other in
dustry has suffered, has laid off
men.
Looking at the thing another way,
one might call attention to federal
appropriations for relief which have
been in excess of three billions a
year during the last several years.
The figures given above show that
the railway purchases—just one in
dustry-have fallen off more than
500 millions, or about one-sixth of
the relief appropriations. If the ap
propriations to aid all unemployed
are only six times as large as the
drop in railway expenditures, it is
easy to see what an influence is
wielded and why I have taken the
position that it is necessary to con
sider the railways’ petition from the
standpoint of the country as a
whole. We, as citizens, have a bur
den to carry whether it is done
through .the railways or through
some other avenue. None of those
rail workers wants to be without a
job, I am sure.
• Western Newspaper Union.
•JHHHk**************
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J M.ovie • Radio J
★★★By VIRGINIA VALE^J
T HE great experiment of
a Fred Astaire picture
without Ginger Rogers is now
up for public approval, and
first reports promise that ‘ it-
will triumph at the box office.
“Damsel in Distress” hasn’t
the effervescent Ginger, but
it has that most blithe of din-
wits, Gracie Allen, and her
solemn George Burns.
The setting of this giddy, tuneful
story is England, where Astaire as
a shy matinee idol
becomes romantical
ly entangled with a
peer’s daughter,
played by the Ingra
tiating Joan Fon
taine. The story
doasn’t get in the
way of the dancing,
and Astaire has nev
er danced with such
breathtaking skill
before.
Fred Astaire When you see him
and Gracie romping
through a carnival engaging in diz
zy antics on treadmills, revolving
barrels, and in front of those crazy
mirrors that distort reflections, you
will wonder why Gracie’s amazing
talent as a dancer has been over
looked so long.
—■¥—
The long delay in making another
feature picture with the Dionne
qnintnplets has at last been ex
plained by Twentieth Century-Fox
officials. They have been waiting
for the little girls to learn English,
figuring that audiences can’t be
counted on to stndy French Just in
order to understand the UtUe cher
ubs.
—*—
Waves of dissatisfaction spread
through Hollywood like an epidemic
every once in a while, and lately
producers have been having their
troubles pacifying pouting stars. Lo
retta Young has decided that she
doesn’t want to make any more pic
tures with Tyrone Power for a
while. Not that she doesn’t like
him. She does, but she thinks that
the public tires of seeing the same
couple on the screen in picture after
picture. Ginger Rogers has served
notice on R. K. O. that, in addition
to her salary she wants a share of
the profits of pictures she appears
in. Fred Astaire and Katherine Hep
burn both share in the profits of
theirs. Dorothy Lamour has rebelled
against wearing native dress in pic
tures. Wants to be clothed like a
civilized lady. And Wayne Morris
wants no more build-up as a hand
some youth.
—-k—
Wallace Ford is one of the screen
players over whom the first-night mo-
dience at “Of Mice and Men”
cheered in New York recently. Even
if the play runs all year, however,
Wally figures that his fans oot
through the country won’t forget
him, for before going into the play
he completed the as yet unreleased
“Swing It, Sailor” for Grand Na
tional, and three pictures in Eng
land.
Jack Holt is rounding out his
twentieth year as an actor and his
eighteenth as a mo
tion-picture star. No
other performer has
enjoyed outstanding
popularity more
than half as long as
he has, and Holly
wood producers will
tell you that he is
just as popular with
them as with the
public. Whether he
is assigned to horses
or top hats, Jack is
always amiable, and
if a story seems thin he figures It
is up to him to give a performance
that will build it up. Some of the
young players supporting him in
Columbia’s “Under Suspicion”
asked him recently how he got his
start, and then shuddered a bit as
he told them that he rode a horse
over a thirty-five foot cliff into swirl
ing rapids.
ODDS AND ENDS—Marlene Diet-
rich shed her uhui and bored manner
in a New York night club and joined
the crowd truckin . . . She could be as
sensational in comedy as Irene Dunne
is if she only would, but she won't
. . . Ballroom dancing bores Fred
Astaire until Benny Goodman starts
playing and then he fust cant sit still
. . . Betty Jaynes, youthful sensation
of the Chicago opera, will play Norma
Shearer’s old role in “Student Prince"
when M-G M films it again as a musi
cal .. . ff hen Dick Powell stopped
over in Chicago between trains a
group of fans surprised him by pre
senting him with their autographed
photos . . . Spencer Tracy will send
out his Christmas cards from Ireland
. . . Fathers of twins are the only
eligibles for Hollywood's most exclu
sive club. Membership so far consists
of Bing Crosby, ( Laurence Tibbett,
Charles Starrett and Richard Dix . . .
Girls don’t want to be cast in the next
Mauch twins picture because their
favorite pets nowadays are white mice
. . . The V oice of Experience will be
broadcast coasl to-coast beginning De
cember 27.
G Western Newspaper Union.
Jack Holt
-rwwa.