Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE SUN, NEWBERRY, S. C, APRIL 16, 1943 !U" Washington, D. C. MARTINIQUE APPEASEMENT How tolerant we have been of the French island of Martinique, for two years thumbing its nose at us with in bombing distance of the Panama canal, is illustrated by a conversa tion which took place between the state department’s Sam Reber and treasury department officials. Reber had gone to Martinique to negotiate with Vichy Admiral Robert regarding the airplane carrier, cruisers and six oil tankers rusting in Martinique waters. Subsequent ly, the state department announced that an agreement had been reached with Admiral Robert whereby these ships would be turned over to the U. S. A. Months have passed, how ever, with no result. After state department envoy Reber returned, treasury officials asked him: “What about the gold in Marti nique? What is to become of that?” They referred to 25 billions of gold francs still stored in Martinique. “Oh,” replied Reber, “that didn’t come up.” “Wasn’t it even mentioned?” asked treasury officials, who remem bered how France had defaulted on her debts from World War I, still owing us several billion dollars. “No," replied Reber, “did you think it would be safer up here?” “Well, it certainly isn’t very safe down there,” countered the treasury. “We decided,” replied Reber, “that we didn’t want to do anything which might infringe on the sov ereignty of France.” That ended the matter. The gold is still in Martinique, and Admiral Robert, who apparently isn’t much impressed by the subtleties of state department appeasement, has con tinued to thumb his nose at the United States. • * • RED CROSS DONOR Several weeks ago Mrs. Roosevelt phoned the Red Cross to say that she wanted to donate blood to the Washington blood bank, but wanted no publicity. Red Cross officials agreed and the visit went off without any fanfare. Mrs. Roosevelt merely took her place in line with other blood donors, rolled up her sleeve, had a pint drawn from her arm, and went on about her business. Some weeks later, Red Cross of ficials were astounded to have Mrs. Roosevelt appear at the blood bank again. This time she had not tele phoned, but they felt their pledge of no publicity still held good. Once again, the First Lady took her place with other blood donors, and scarce ly anyone knew she had been there. Red Cross officials wished they could have publicized the incident, because they were in the middle of their drive for funds. However, they did not do so, and this column learned of the facts quite by acci dent. • * • PAT BEFORE PATRIOTISM War Production board officials tel 1 , of a heavy snow-and-sleet storm that blanketed Seattle and left the Boeing Aircraft plant snowbound, unable to operate for two days. By the end of the week roads had been opened, and Boeing broadcast a back-to-work call. Men came to the gates of the plant, but stopped there. And they de clined to go further until they could be assured of receiving time-and-a- half pay for week-end work. “But you haven’t put in 40 hours this week,” officials retorted. The men stood their ground, how ever, and Boeing officials telephoned Washington for advice. They talked with Madame Perkins, who ruled that nothing should be allowed to interfere with production and that the men should be paid. • • • MERRY-GO-ROUND c U. S. department chiefs have asked for the deferment of very few government workers, but local draft boards, acting on their own, have deferred a tremendous number sim ply because they worked for the gov ernment. C The diplomatic envoys of Hondu ras, Costa Rica, Salvador, Guate mala, and Nicaragua soon will, be come ambassadors extraordinary in stead of ministers plenipotentiary. This would give all Good Neighbor diplomats the rank of ambassador except H:-.iti ••■nd the Dominican Re public; would Iso place them ahead of Australia, Canada and New Zea land. C. Figures for accidents on the home front continue to be almost as tragic as war casualties. Ned Dearborn of the National Safety Council says that 93,000 Americans were killed and 9,300,000 injured last year. C. Of the 26 British camera men who filmed General Montgomery’s “Des ert Victory,” four were killed, seven wounded and six taken prisoner . . . The film is imperfect and hard on the eyes because k vas taken under battle conditions. But it is a great story of British heroism. C. Only American journalist to visit the Japs’ secret naval base, Truk, is Willard Price. In his book, “Pacific Adventure,” he scooped the world on Japan’s surreptitious plans to dominate the Pacific from Truk. Recommended as required reading for the state department. House Rejects Tax Proposals in Wild Session The house of representatives climaxes a fiery session by refusing to accept the Ruml plan to forgive ten billion on 1942 income taxes to put taxpayers on a pay-as-you-go basis, as well as the administration’s collect- at-the-source tax bill which would have started collecting 20 per cent from paychecks on July 1. The ways and means committee was ordered to bring out a new bill that would help put the nation’s income taxpayers on a pay-as-you-go basis. In this photo, made after the votes had been counted, Representative Robert L. Doughton of North Carolina, supporter of the administration tax plan, and its leader, is congratulated by Rep resentative Frank Carlson of Kansas, leader of the Ruml forces, who had embodied its proposals in his plan. Blind Children Taught Gardening Combining a patriotic duty with healthful exercise and occupation for blind children, the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind is converting most of the 15 acres of flower beds which adorned the cam pus of the school into a victory garden. Here we see the youngsters at work in the future garden. They work in roped-oll lanes to prevent hurt ing each other with the garden tools. Axis nuisance raids in North Africa are so frequent that the pilots and ground crewmen of this advanced U. S. bomber base in Algeria find it much more comfortable to have their meals in slit trenches, where they can go right on eating while the Jerries or Eyties are having their fun. This base is near the Tunisian border. General Patch Decorated in Guadalcanal Food for Thought Farm leaders and representatives of the big agricultural organizations along with the new wartime food administrator, Chester C. Davis, conferred with the President in the White House on the critical food situ ation. Photo shows Davis (left)‘and Secretary of Agriculture Claude R. Wickard, as they left the con. ference. Fly From China Dr. Wellington Koo, Chinese am bassador to London, and Gen. P. H. Whang, military attache to the Chi nese embassy in Washington, are shown after their arrival in Miami, Fla., from Chungking. They flew from the Chinese capital by army plane. Dr. Koo was en route to Lon don, but visited Washington first. Jungle Fighter The U. S. army Jungle issue is something to behold—when it’s visi ble. It is designed not only to con ceal, but to meet other necessities in the dense growth of the tropics. This soldier is all set for island fighting. If it’s raining he has his poncho to drape around him His face is protected from insect ;iests by a mosquito netting. Valet Service THE MOVIES AND FOOD Several picture companies an nounced they will ban or greatly tone down scenes of feasts, ban quets or elaborate dinners for the duration. The idea is that they are resented by the public in times like these. • • • “Nonsense!” exclaimed Elmer Twitchell today. “For the past year I have lived largely on cinema meals. Hungry and weak, I have gone to a movie and found my appetite appeased in no time. • • * “There was one spell when I had lost ten pounds. I went to a Cecille DeMille picture and put on fifteen in the first reel! * • • “With new ration rules coming every day and with the people hav ing troubles galore getting food, the one source of relief has been those Hollywood feasts. Even a breakfast as shown by most directors was enough to make you unbutton your vest. • • • “Last week I went to my butcher to beg for a small chuck steak. I couldn’t 'get it. Well, I went over to the nearest movie theater and ran right into ‘Phila delphia Story’—a return engage ment of course—and enjoyed two of the finest meals I ever had, one indoors and one out doors, with whole sides of beef in them. They showed closeups of the gravies—yum, yum! And there were flashes of the thick soups from eleven angles! • • • “The wife came home exhausted the other day from a losing fight for a few cans of food. She was terribly depressed. I took her to a picture palace and it had a break fast that would have done anybody else for a six course dinner. * • * “Such grapefruit—big as water melons! Such sausages! They showed them sizzling in the frying pan! Such wheat cakes! I think four authors, three directors, two producers, four composers and six artists got credit lines for ’em! • • • “Then they served ham and eggs, too. They showed these eggs—sunny side up—photographed from above, below and from east and west. • • • “Mrs. Twitchell was a new woman at once. And I never saw her so happy as when they poured the coffee. The pot was as big as a stove and everybody had two or three cups. • • * “Then came the finest hot rolls the movie world has ever produced. I understand it took twenty-four weeks, 182 people and $100,000,000 to get just the right touch to ’em. And that $100,000,000 didn’t include the butter!” • * * Elmer was licking his lips. “1 can’t believe Hollywood is serious about abolishing these things,” he added. “Lower morale my eye! They raise morale. Picture fans of America arise! We must not stand meekly by and see the movies as short of food as our own homes are. On with the baronial manor feasts! We want more groaning boards. Where else will we get butter?” • • » VANISHING AMERICANISMS Mommer sent me over to see 5l you could lend her some butter? • • • Bring me a sharper knife; this steak is quite thick. • • • Tickets to the annual beefsteak dinner will be $1 each. • • • Send down about $30 worth of sup plies; we’re going on a week-end cruise. • * • The food shortage in some restaurants has reached a point where some places are adver tising for chefs who can bring their own cattle. • • • “Frankly,” writes Merrill Chil- cote, “I’m surprised at these food shortages. I’d formed an opinion that if we ever ran short of any thing Henry Ford could make it from soybeans.” • • • President Roosevelt is now drink ing milk instead of coffee with his breakfast. The blame for this, it seems to us, must be shared about equally by Mrs. Roosevelt and Mayor LaGuardia. * * * WPB is allowing a resumption in the manufacture of electric iceboxes. The theory is that they will presently be ideal places in which to keep books or old clothing. • • » “Life is so funny. I had my sum mer all planned. I was going to be a serious farmer. Now here I am with a success on my hands. I real ly don’t know what to. do about it. It upsets me so.”—Helen Hayes. Just try to reconcile yourself to these tough breaks, Helen. • • • Vice Admiral Aubrey W. Fitch (right) is shown as he pinned the Navy Distinguished Service Medal on Maj. Gen. Alexander M. Patch, in command of U. S. troops at Guadalcanal, shortly after the army relieved the marines here. Looking on are Brig. Gen. R. L. Spragins, corps chief of staff, and Brig. Gen. William R. Woodward, artillery chief. Count Fleet, the equine aristocrat favored to win the 1943 Kentucky Derby, gets attention at Belmont Park, N. Y. He is the son of Reigh Count, who won the Derby in 192? “With the ban on butter it was suggested that substitutes might be found in mayonnaise, peanut butter and apple butter.”—News item. • • • Wanna bat? T ACK. KEARNS, who drew in many millions in trade with Jack Dempsey, was explaining how tough it is to nate and rank fighters. Kearns and Dempsey made the greatest combination In ring history. It was a combina tion of a smart, shrewd manager, the major master of ballyhoo, and a slashing puncher with an iron chin. “It all gets down to the matter of styles,” Kearns said. “For example, A can lick B, B can trim C and C can murder A. I don’t GrantlandRice believe Dempsey could have beaten Harry Greb, when both were at their best, for Greb had too much speed and was even rougher than Dempsey was. Yet Greb had trouble with such smaller fellows as Tiger Flowers and sev eral others, who also had speed. “Against that, I’d say that Demp sey would have had an even chance with Joe Louis for this one reason —he could take a punch around the head better. I’m talking of the Dempsey of Toledo, 24 years old, 1S5 pounds of punching dynamite, who was also fast. “There isn’t any matter of game ness or heart mixed up in this. When it comes to taking a hard punch you either can or you can’t. Some of the gamest fighters I ever knew couldn’t take a punch. Tough Ranking “I’ll tell you how tough it is to rank fighters,” the always genial Doc continued. “I couldn’t name you a greater fighter than Jack Johnson. “But Johnson had trouble with Sam Langford, and after their first meeting let Langford alone. On the other hand, Langford, another great fighter, met 139-pound Jack Black burn seven times without any great success. Sam will even show you some teeth Blackburn knocked out. “You see where that leads us— from Johnson, weighing 210 pounds, to Blackburn, weighing 139 pounds, and who looked that weight when facing Langford at 170 pounds. John son, and I say again that he was one of the greatest I ever saw, out weighed Blackburn by some 80 pounds, and yet, was no better against Langford than the far lighter and smaller man.” Pound for Pound “What about Harry Greb, at his best, and Stanley Ketchel?” I asked Kearns. “Pound for pound, were there any two greater?” “Both were great,” Kearns said. “But here again you have two dif ferent styles. The Greb that al most assassinated Gene Tunney and Tom Gibbons, before his eyes went bad, was a whirlwind. I’m not sure Ketchel, as good as he was, could have ever nailed him. “But if you are talking about pound-for-pound stars. I’ll slip you a pair — Bob Fitzsimmons and Mickey Walker. Don’t forget that Fitz weighed in around 158 pounds for Corbett. And he was world’s heavyweight champion after that scrap. Mickey Walker was not even a middleweight. But I know of more than one world’s heavyweight cham pion he could have beaten. “For another example, I don’t be lieve Joe Louis would have given Dempsey any more trouble than Mickey Walker would have given Jack. Crazy? All right. But we come again to a matter of styles. Mickey Walker would have given Dempsey all the trouble in sight. The Peacemaker “Hera’s a funny story,” Kearns said, “that few know. By getting me out of a fight for nothing, I got Dempsey into fights worth millions. “I was having an argument in a San Francisqo barroom with a big Swede named Hansen. An ex-hobo, who had lost most of his fights, was sitting in the corner, all alone. His name was Dempsey. I finally slugged the Swede, and the Swede slugged me back. About that time this kid Dempsey got up, took me by the arm and led me out. The Swede had 60 pounds on me, so I wasn’t sore. It was that night we decided to work together, although my pals told me I was cuckoo. I think the first move I made took us both to the top. Dempsey had been right- hand crazy. I turned him into a left-hand hooker by tieing his right hand to his side and using only his left. It was Dempsey’s left that led on to some $10,000,000 in gate re ceipts.” Great Lightweights There has been a rather weird scramble lately involving mixed weights. By this we mean the top drawing cards of the day—Willie Pep, a featherweight, around 128 pounds— Johnny Greco, a lightweight, with a displacement of 131 pounds—Beau Jack, another lightweight who can make 135 pounds—Fritzie Zivic, a welterweight at 147 pounds. “I don’t care what they weigh, as long as the crowd wants to see 'em fight.” That’s Mike Jacobs’ rebuttal.