The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, March 31, 1939, Image 3
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THE SUN, NEWBERRY, S. C. FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1939
ft*
Weekly News Analy sis-
Russia Returns to Spotlight,
Faces Foes on Two Borders
By Joseph W. La Bine—
BERING
SEA
sea ,: *^cy7 t v
.OKHOTSK, I
n
Jap fishiiiK fleet
moves April 10 to
forbidden fishing
ground escorted
by battleships.
JAP)
Tokyo rushes fresh
troops to Russian fron
tiers, anticipating out
breaks when fishing
season opens.
RUSSIA VS. JAPAN IN ASIA, ON LAND AND SEA
Fish and an old grudge provide a crisis.
EDITOR’S NOTE—When opinions are
expressed in these columns, they are those
of the news analyst, and not necessarily
of the newspaper.
International
Since Russia was ignored at the
Munich conference last September,
the Soviet has withdrawn to its shell,
apparently content to fight internal
problems and let the rest of the
world fight Adolf Hitler. This ac
tion was justified. France, Britain,
Italy and Germany ignored Mos
cow in settling the Sudeten issue;
apparently Russia was not wanted
in Europe, and anyway Japan was
barking at her vulnerable Asiatic
door.
But necessity sometimes makes
strange bedfellows. Though Com
munism looks far more like Nazi-
ism than Democracy, Russian-Ger
man interests clash on two vital
points: (1) Hitler wants the Russian
Ukraine, a vast expanse of rich and
fertile land which now gives Russia
mo?! of its oil, wheat, meat and
mineral; (2) Germany’s ally in the
vengeful anti-Communist pact is Ja
pan, and Japan is Russia’s most an
cient and bitter enemy.
Hence Russia has emerged on the
international front once more as a
direct aftermath of Germany’s
Czechoslovakian seizure. Huge,
mysterious, of unknown strength,
the blundering nation whose army
collapsed amidst its last European
venture during the World war, finds
: ,
CAROL AND GEORGE
Britain’s foresight was short.
Itself threatened simultaneously on
both east and west:
West. Czechoslovakia’s fall brought
Hitler part way to the Ukraine but
alien soil still stood as a barrier. To
cross the Russian frontier German
troops must pass through either Ru
mania or Poland. The latter na
tion’s hostility to the Reich has in
creased since Prague’s collapse be
cause Warsaw had good reason to
fear Germany might annex the Free
City of Danzig and close the corridor
which is Poland’s only outlet to the
Baltic or any other sea. Moreover,
agitation for German annexation of
Lithuania’s seaboard town of Me-
mel, and for possible creation of a
protectorate over Lithuania itself,
would leave Poland surrounded on
three sides by Germany and her
satellites.
Discarding Poland as a path to the
Ukraine, Hitler has turned to Ru
mania which not only offers a corri
dor to Russia but many choice spoils
besides. The groundwork for this
coup was laid last November after
King Carol, fearing Naziism, made
a desperate bargaining trip to Lon
don in search of British-French
trade support. Though wined and
dined by King George (see photo)
and other personages of British roy
alty who a few years ago had ig
nored him as a scapegrace, the Ru
manian king found London unwilling
to play ball. Prime Minister Neville
Chamberlain was too busy appeasing
Dictators Hitler and Mussolini to
risk upsetting Europe’s diplomatic
applecart with a trade agreement
that would discriminate against the
Reich.
En route home Carol signed an
economic accord at Berlin, accept
ing for safety’s sake a Nazi over
lordship he disliked. This was not
placed into effect until the Czech
coup, when Carol found German
troops pounding on his door. Today
Berlin controls more than half of
Rumania’s exports (wheat and oil)
and imports (manufactured goods).
Once m Bucharest, it is but a short
hop to either the Ukraine or such
Balkan states as Bulgaria and Yugo
slavia, where the Master of Central
Europe has already made his
strength felt.
Though at first happy that Ger
man penetration was going eastward
instead of into Belgium or France,
Europe’s democracies have at last
realized their error. A month ago
Germany was strong militarily but
impotent economically, devoid of
foreign exchange and short of food.
Today, with Czechoslovakia’s big
gold reserve, with Rumanian wheat
and oil, the Reich is strong in all
ways, a far greater threat than the
empire of 1914.
For Russia, today’s situation is
more dangerous than last autumn’s.
With Poland nipped out, the Reich
would control the Soviet’s entire
western frontier, gradually eating
into the borderlands by undercover
penetration. It was not unexpected,
therefore, that Russia should follow
Britain and France in protesting the
Czech grab, becoming even more
alarmed over Rumania’s economic
collapse. Since the U. S. has also
protested by diplomatic note and im
position of an additional 25 per cent
tariff on German imports, the red
bearded Soviet finds itself, no longer
isolated but drawn into virtual dip
lomatic comradeship with the three
nations whose democratic political
philosophies are farthest removed
from its own.
East. Russo-Jap conflict dates in
modem history to the war which
ended with the treaty of Portsmouth
in 1905. Since then ambitious Japan
has jumped to the Asiatic mainland
and penetrated Manchukuo and
Mongolia, both of which front on
Russian Siberia. For at least six
years this clash of interests has oc
casioned spasmodic border tussles,
most of which went unreported until
last summer’s Chankufeng hill inci
dent. The simple fact is that slow-
movipg, stubborn Russians always
were and always will be at odds
with Japan’s attitude of self-
righteousness. Asia is not big enough
for both.
Last December 31 the fishing
rights Japan has enjoyed in Siberian
waters since 1905 expired. Russia
refused to renew them and Tokyo
now plans to send its huge floating
canneries into Russian waters dur
ing early April, protected by war
ships. As the crisis approaches, both
governments are rushing troops to
the Siberian-Manchukuoan frontier
where most Oriental observers con
fidently predict a war must eventu
ally break out.
Significance. European and Asiatic
crises are related, insofar as (1) Ja
pan and Germany have a virtual
military alliance, and (2) Russia is
involved in both disputes. Moreover,
Jap aggression the past year has fol
lowed amazingly close behind Euro
pean dictator coups, as when Can
ton was captured after Munich, and
Hainan island was occupied after
Barcelona fell. Thus Jap-Italo-Ger-
man parallel action has al
ready been evidenced. With huge
Russia emerging as the unexpected
focal point, today’s tense situation
encircles the world, involving more
nations than any period since the
World war’s heyday.
Miscellany
A new, sub-low priced sports car
will be introduced on the American
market this summer.
• The tomb of Pharaoh Psou Sen
Nef, Egyptian ruler of about 950 B.
C., has been discovered by Prof.
Pierre Montet of Strasbourg univer
sity.
• The U. S. army has asked con
gress to forbid West Point gradu
ates from marrying during the first
three years of active service.
Agriculture
Time was when last year’s price
had little effect on this year’s crop.
Since AAA, however, American
farmers have realized the folly of
heaping insult on injury by adding
new surpluses to already swollen
granaries. Lack of export market
and heavy production last year sent
U. S. farm surpluses to a new high.
The expected result, now verified by
the department of agriculture’s crop
reporting board, will be a general
cut in this season’s production of
most products.
Most outstanding fact of the sur
vey is that grain farmers will slash
17 per cent from their spring wheat
planting, yet total 1939 wheat acre
age is expected to exceed the AAA’s
announced goal by nearly 11,000,000
bushels. Total winter and spring
wheat prospects are for 65,678,000
acres.
Official explanation for the decline:
(1) efforts to conform with the soil
conservation program; (2) reaction
ments to changing feed require-
to last year’s decline; (3) adjust
ments, necessitated by last year’s
surpluses.
Estimated 1939 crop acreages (000
omitted):
Average Indicated
1929-’3S 1938 193*
Corn, all 101.714 93.257 92.062
All spring wheat .. 22.393 23,515 19.505
Durum 3.668 3.856 3.545
Other spring .... 18.728 19,659 15.960
Oats 39.472 36,615 35,393
Barley 12,654 11,334 13,219
Flaxseed 2,503 1.096 2.023
Rice 925 1.069 1,006
Grain sorghums,
all 8.389 8,582 9,779
Potatoe 3,361 3,069 3.076
Sweet potatoes and
yams 860 883 880
Tobacco 1.675 1,627 1,695
Beans, dry edible . 1.951 1.753 1,727
Soybeans 4,716 6.858 7,691
Cowpeas 2.475 3,057 3,028
Peanuts 1.877 2,183 2,319
Tame hay 55,746 56.309 57,231
Mexico
Last year Mexico’s President La-
zaro Cardenas chased U. S. and
British oil companies out of the
country and seized their properties.
A big enough problem in itself, ex
propriation loomed still more im
portant in the light of U. S. efforts
to solidify the Americas against for
eign economic intervention. Mean
while Mexico made hay by selling
its ill-gotten oil to Germany while
Pan-American nerves neared the
breaking point.
Like other American nations
which have tried barter trade agree
ments with the Reich, Mexico soon
discovered she was unable to use
the manufactured items Germany
offered in lieu of cash. Seizing the
opportunity, victimized oil compa
nies sent Donald Richberg, attorney
and former “brain truster” to make
peace with Senor Cardenas.
Richberg terms: Control of the
properties should be returned to the
Companies long enough for them to
break even on all past and present
investments. Then the property
would revert to Mexico.
Cardenas terms: Co-operative
Mexican-company operation of the
oil properties, with U. S. and British
firms to invest new cash for their
development. But Mexico would
maintain complete control over the
industry.
After two weeks of consultation
brought no solution, Mr. Richberg
returned home, promising to come
back late in April. Hardly had he
left, however, before President Car
denas announced his own final
terms before 40,000 cheering work
ers. Mexico will keep the wells,
paying indemnification with oil tak
en from them.
People
Appointed, to the U. S. Supreme
court poet vacated by Louis D.
Brandeis, Securities and Exchange
Commissioner William O. Douglas,
easterner whose western back
ground balances the court geograph
ically.
• Declined, by Dr. Arthur Compton,
Nobel prize-winning physicist, presi
dency of Ohio State University.
Headliners
COL. VLADIMAR S. HURBAN
Though a Slovak, and although
Hitler has made Slovaks inde
pendent of Czechs, Col. Hurban
has so much dislike for Germany
and Hungary, and
so much pride in
the late Czecho
slovak nation,
that he refused to
surrender the
Czech legation in
Washington to the
German ambas
sador. Bom in
the Carpathian
mountains, h e
knew Magyar op- Col. Vladimar
pression as a S. Hurban
child. Becoming
a soldier, he went to Russia 30
years ago to accept a professor
ship in the czar’s war coUege.
When the World war broke out
he and 70,000 other Czechs joined
the Russian army. During the
revolution these Czechs made
their historic movement to Vladi
vostok, where the group collected
funds to send Hurban to Washing
ton. There he joined Dr. Thomas
Masaryk in founding the Czech
nation. After the government
was established he returned to
Washington as Czech military at
tache, later going to Egypt as
charge d’affaires, to Sweden as
minister, and in 1936 back to
Washington as minister. His
greatest accomplishment here
was consummation of the Czech-
U. S. trade treaty last year, now
abrogated under Hitler’s “protec
torate” regime.
Oldest U. S. Sunrise Ceremony
Still Greets Easter Morning
si
n
Thit Easter morning, B. J.
Pfohl (left) leads for the fifty-
first year a band which has
played at Winston-Salem, N. C.,
every Easter morning for more
than 175 years. The strangest
band in the world, possibly the
largest, thU group draws from
300 to 400 players for Us once-
a-year performance.
i‘f fi > *
V(< J
- ^ Parade
V- . *
•fPPif
Salem’s band was founded by Moravian settlers from Germany
but thu Easter it awakens not a village but a city of 95,000. Above
S hoto shows the group assembling for its rehearsal at the old Home
Moravian church. Mr. Pfohl estimates he has inducted about 4,000
members into the band during hw more than 50 years experience.
■ ■> * % r
**> & C/'* i ‘ £*
.illisii
playii
band
Touring the cUy in busses and
ying under streetlighu, the
md awakens Salemiles each
Easter in a traditional ceremony
that has gone unbroken through
the years. Later bandsmen go to
the old Belo home where ladies
of the Moravian church have a
hot breakfast ready for them.
Then they proceed to God’s acre,
the Moravian cemetery, to lead
the ancient sunrise service. Right:
The Moravian band starts them
young. ThU lad began in Pfohl’s
Sunday school band classes, as
have many Salem musicians.
mm;
i Hi
igel
WHO’S
NEWS
THIS
WEEK
By LEMUEL F. PARTON
"NJ EW YORK.—When James D.
' Ross was .appointed by the
President as chief of Bonneville, the
biggest dam in the world, in Octo-
_ . . ber, 1937, it was
Bonneville Chief believed in some
Soothes Hostile .quarters that his
Power People selection would
sharpen the dis
agreement between the administra
tion and the power companies. To
day it appears that Mr. Ross has
allayed, rather than provoked hos
tilities. The utilities rate him as
‘reasonable." Bonneville has been
the bete noir of western power de
velopment. This writer hears there
is now a better chance for two-way
appeasement than at any time.in
the past.
Mr. Ross, for 20 years head of
the municipal power develop
ment of Seattle, has human
traits which perhaps account for
his expedient rather than doc
trinal trend. No mere doctri
naire would amuse himself by
keeping a copper bail in the air
with no visible means of support
—just because he loves kilowatts
and likes to see them work.
He was a consulting engineer for
the New York power authority
and the St. Lawrence seaway, a con
sultant for PWA power development
and later a member of the SEC be
fore the President made him the
Bonneville boss. As a boy, he rode
his bike from Chatham, Ont., to New
York city, to learn pharmacy. He
got a job as an apprentice chem
ist, but pestling seemed piffling, so
he hit the long grind back to Chat
ham—but he kept on pedaling. He
headed up through Edmonton to the
Alaska gold-fields, and, when dry
land failed him, he made his own
boat and pushed on. In Seattle,
years later, he helped design the
first municipal power plant.
Above:. The democracy of the
dead. In Winston-Salem, the Mo
ravians permit no ostentatious
marks upon their graves. ThU
Easter morning scene includes
a section of God’s acre, showing
how each member of the con
gregation has a grave marked
wUh simple uniformity. The
dead are buried in plots, accord
ing to age, sex and whether mar
ried or not. There are no “fam
ily plots” and no distinctions of\
any description. Left: Oldest
member of the musicians-for-a-
day citisens’ band U H. E. Pusey,
80, who never plays at any time
except for Bandmaster Pfohl
at the traditional Easter sunrise
service at God’s acre. But he
makes “good music.”
TIPS to
(jrardeners
Changing Methods
/CERTAIN garden practices
widely followed a generation
ago have now been proved un
wise. Gardeners formerly allowed
vegetables to grow as large as
possible. According to Walter H.
Nixon, vegetable expert, this prac
tice gave a higher yield in pounds,
but very often lowered the quality
of the vegetables.
Some vegetables, of course, like
tomato, must be mature to be pal
atable; but carrots, cucumbers,
beets, summer squash, turnips,
radishes and others are more ten
der and tasty when not much
more than half grown.
To keep a regular supply at
vegetables of proper eating size,
gardeners are finding also that it
is advisable to plant oftener than
once or twice a year. Gardens
prove more enjoyable and more
profitable when successive plant
ings of favorite crops are made
every two or three weeks, provid
ing garden-fresh vegetables for
the table over a long season.
Few gardeners nowadays save
flower seeds. Fine powers grow
ing in the home garden often are
cross-pollinated by others of the
same species, making flowers
grown from their seed inferior and
untrue.
Sun Controls Tides
There are several islands in the
South Pacific, notably Tahiti,
where the tidal influence of the
sun equals or exceeds that of the
moon, reports Collier’s. Conse
quently these tides come and go
at approximately the same hours
instead of having the daily 60-
minute retardation that occurs in
most of the world.
Y" OUNG America is naturally en-
vious of Capt. Harold E. Gray,
who will be at the controls when
the Yankee Clipper, huge Pan-
Gray Skipped
No Step to Fly takes off for its
Air Leviathan across the
Atlantic. It is
now trying a few preliminary crow-
hops around New York harbor.
Captain Gray, it seems, had a
system, in qualifying for this
stellar role in aviation. First
he became a licensed airplane
mechanic; then he qualified as
an aeronautical engineer, a
master mariner and a radio
technician; after aU, he took
diplomas in metereology, sea
manship, international law, ad
miralty law and business admin
istration.
That seems to be about par for the
lad who would be a skipper on one
of these new leviathans of the air.
All this, and many years of hazard
ous flying over the mountain wilder
ness of Mexico and Central America
bring Captain Gray to the ripe old
age of 33. He left college in his
second year at the University of Iowa
and was aloft for the first time at
the age of 19. His home town is
Guttenberg, Iowa.
•
Yy ARREN LEE PIERSON, head
v v of the Export-Import bank, ap
pears to rate an assist in the Nazi
put-out in Brazil. The big credit
_. . . deal, to clear the
Pierson Assists trade ways be _
In Nazi Put-Out tween the two
In Brazil Game countries, is
widely accepted
as a goose-egg for the Reich.
The young and energetic Mr. Pier
son, who became head of the bank
in 1936, toured the Latin-American
countries last summer and fall and
returned with a lot of sizzling new
ideas about hopping up South Amer
ican trade, and resisting the totali
tarian drive, by deploying credit
judiciously where it is needed most
to grease the trade run-around.
When it came to Brazil, he got
eager attention from both the
state department and the admin
istration, as Brazil is an impor
tant consideration of naval geog
raphy as well as trade. Shoul
dering far out into the Atlantic,
with the new fascist threat to
the Canary Islands, it would, if
hostile, pinch ns in a narrowing
seaway, with Argentina, on the
whole not so clubby with the
U. S. A., away down under. For
both strategic and commercial
reasons, Brazil is our entrepot to
South America, if we keep on
being neighborly.
In Harvard law school Mr. Pier
son was obsessed with foreign trade
and directed his studies to practice
in this field. Practicing law in Los
Angeles, his opportunity came in
1934, when he was appointed general
counsel for the Export-Import bank.
In 1936, there was, for him, a time
ly New Deal row, which resulted in
the resignation of George N. Peek
as head of the bank and the upping
of Mr. Pierson.
• Consolidated News Features.
WNU Service.
SEEDS DON'T
LIVE FOREVER!
Plant
FERRY’S SEEDS
Thay’re Dated/
Seeds grow old, too! Past
MTTjriTh
of sotting only seed*
Each year Ferry’s £
rigid tests for vitality and
tion before being packeted. Then —
for your protection — each packet
U dated.
Be sure You* seed packets are
marked “Packed for Season 1939.’’
Select them from the convenient
Ferry’s display at your dealer’s.
Popular favorites
and new introduc
tions — flower
and vegetable
varieties — ALL
SELECTED FOR
YOUR LOCALITY.
• FERRY-MORSi SED
CO., Soad Orowars,
Datroit sad Sea
Froaclsco. Makars •(
Fairy’s Oordsa Spray
— acaaaailcal, aaa-
KUi’
FERRY’S /
^SEEDS
Character Earned
Property may be inherited;
character must be won.
RHEUMATISMK'a t o 5 o
Truth and Hypocrisy
Truth speaks too low, hypocri
sy too loud.—Dryden.
OUT OF SORTS?
Her« Is Amazing Rallaf for
Conditions Duo to Sluggish Bowoto
, If you think anil
r net Hike. Just t
all vegetable la
So mud, tool
dek hea^atoet^biBoSi jydh. tired feeling
mediated with eonaUpedon. _ ^ .
Without Risk
U no* dough tod. return tbs box to
rotaod tbo parebsoo ^
-TVoSi
ALWAYS CARMY.
wn
QUICK REUEF
■ FOR ACID
FlNDIGESTIOII
a DVERTISEMENTS are your guide
■ to modern living. They bring yon
today’s NEWS abont the food yon eat «■»«*
the clothes yon wear. And the place to
find oat about these new things is right
in this newspaper.