Evening Star Newspaper, July 18, 1937, Page 25

Editorial Page Special Articles Part 2—10 Pages WELLES BRINGS CHANGE IN U.S. ATTITUDE ABROAD Old Policy of Official Optimism in Face of Most Critical Situations Is Being Abandoned. BY CONSTANTINE BROWN. HEN Undersecretary State Sumner Welles, the new strong man of the State Department, sounded 8 note of warning in his address before the Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, he ex- pressed the deep pessimism of the administration at the present inter- national situation and voiced a faint of hope that common sense might sml% prevail in Europe Sumner Welles was appointed ex- ecutive officer of the State Department to instill new somnolent institution. The old policy of official optimism in the face of the most critical situations is now being abandoned. The American public, henceforth, will be taken into the confidence of the high priests of the State Department as far as the general outlook of the international situation s concerned “The world,” said Mr. Welles, “is at the mercy of an incident, of any spark which may light the conflagration of # major international war if the basic doctrine on non-intervention in Spain 4= not rigidly adhered to 'by those nations which sympathize with one or the other of the two factions.” At the time the Undersecretar Btate made his speech it was not yet elear that the Non-Intervention Com- mittee in London would become another Council of the League of Nations. an association of powers divided into two bitterly antagonistic groups, an association of 24 nations in which the minority—Germany, Italy and Portugal—could torpedo the Allusory neutrality policf of the other European states. Factors in Political World. In the confusion which today reigns In the political world, the following factors are outstanding 1. Germany and Italy are in the driver's seat despite the economic and financial depression which prevails in both those countries. Hitler intend to obtain all they want— or fight for it. Almeria by the German battleship was merely a gesture, but politically it ‘was A reassertion of the Reich's self- confidence and warning to Great Britain and France that the Reich will not be cowed. The withdrawal of the entire German fleet from the Mediterranean and its concentration in the Baltic succeeded in causing discomfort. in London. Paris and ‘Washington—to say nothing of Mos- eow, 2. The situation on the Amur River | [T has not by any means improved. On |-$2.000.000.000 the treasury needs to | June 29 the Japanese opened fire on | COVeT its deficit before the end of this a flotilla of Soviet gunboats. Diploma- | fiscal year is a problem which worries tic negotiations ensued. The Soviet | the former Ambassador to Washington | day and night. foreign minister, Maxim Litvinoff, said that Russia would withdraw from the Islands of Sennufu and Bolshoi if the Japanese would do the same. The Tokio government replied that this ‘wag not possible because there were no Japanese forces on those islands. After a few days of diplomatic bicker- ing. the Soviet foreign secretary got off his high horse and agreed to with- draw his forces unconditionally. The incident appeared to be settled. Litvinoff Complains. A few days later, however, Comrade Litvinoff complained that Japanese troops were occuyping the islands which had been evacuated by the Soviet troops. The Japanese Ambass- ador in Moscow replied that he had no knowledge about this, but if Japanese forces actually were there, it was undoubtedly a necessary move on the part of his government. Simultane- ously, the Japanese foreign office an- | nounced that the presence of a few Japanese detachments on what the Russians claimed as their was necessary as a measure of self- protection In the meantime, three divisions of fresh Japanese troops had slipped out of Japan to reinforce the garrisons in | An adequate number of | Manchuria, tanks and fighting planes were dis- patched with these soldiers. The Soviet diplomats, knowing their own weakness, tried to bluff their way out by adopting an adamant attitude. But they vielded as soon as it became | evident that the Japanese meant business. This confirmed the views | of Berlin and Tokio that Russia is | | Jess ready to fight today than she was s few months ago. Never in the last five years have the aggressor nations found themselves in a more advan- tageous spot than now. With Great Britain unprepared and France on the edge of a domestic volcano, the Soviet Republics are alane and at the mercy of their belligerent neighbors. ‘The administration is quietly working through our diplomatic representatives abroad to avert serious developments. The new Undersecretary of State, Bumner Welles, has been given a free hand by the President to strengthen our representation abroad by placing | men of real skill in the key positions instead of the usual pleasure-seeking diplomats. The new American Ambassadors and | their staffs will henceforth become | ntelligent reporters and will be re- quired to mingle with all sections of the countries to which they are at- tached instead of maintaining only those official and social contacts which have heretofore been useless—from a eonstructive point of view. The administration is fully aware | that merely holding out hope for a downward tariff revision or some reci- procity advantage is no longer suffi- cient. Two distinct economic theories must be broken down: The old one based on the exchange of goods with gold as the yardstick; and the new one, developed in the authoritarian states (Germany, Italy and Japan), based internally on forced labor and ex- ternally on the old barter system. The administration is judging the situstion impartially. On the whole, the policies of Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini are not approved in Wash- ington. But it is admitted that had the French dealt fairly and in time with the Germans and the Italians. the present situation could have been avolded. Tt was not only a question of restor- P life in the heretofore | Mussolini and | The bombardment of | | ard in the hope of saving his country | | situation is too perilous to risk further | territory | EDITORIAL SECTION he Sundiy St ing colonies to the have-nots and | honestly offering them access to the | | world tesources of raw materials. The | colonial powers have gone on record as definitely rejecting these demands. But even-in the field of financial co- operation, not once during these last two years of negotiations has there been a sincere effort on the part of France and Britain to treat their political antagonists fairly. Germany and Italy have been driven in this manner to the barter system and to replacing gold by regimented national labor as an inevitable conse- quence of the short-sightedness of Paris and London. The results, so far, have been more disastrous to the democracies of the world than to the | dictatorships. Collapse Is Predicted. In South America, in Asia, in Africa and in Fastern and Southern Europe commodities offered by coun- | tries producing on the old basis are | rapidly being replaced by those pro- | duced under compulsory labor and ! | exchanged by barter. The economists in Washington, London and Paris | shout that this state of affairs cannot | last and that within a comparatively | short period the whole new-fangled economic structure of the authori- tarian states must collapse. This may | be true. But for the time being there | are no definite signs that it will. Ar- | gentina, Brazil and Chile are following | the United States in their political aims, but they are trading more and more with Germany and Italy. The states in the Danubian Basin | are nominally allied to their great | sister democracy. France. But they are buying German and Italian pro- | ducts because these two states are | willing to exchange their manufac- | tured goods for whatever products are offered The immediate repercussion of this new economic system is already notice- | able in France. That country, which | only 18 months ago was considered the | financial Gibraltar of Europe, today | Is in & sad plight. And her economic discomfiture is not due entirely to the heavy expenditure on new social legis- lation and rearmament. The bottom has fallen out of her foreign trade. Bonnet Reversal Forced. | Pinance Minister Georges Bonnet, a [ | Strong advocate of the gold fetish at | the London Economic Conference in 1933, was compelled to forget his theories 'and abandon the gold stand- | from a financial and economic disas- But where he is going to get the | President Roosevelt and his deter- | mined Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, | hope that this tense situation may | drive some practical common sense into the minds of the European lead- | ers; that in order to avoid an immi- nent catastrophe, they will begin to talk seriously about an international economic understanding which would pave the way to a political agreement. Premier Van Zeeland of Belgium | took a message back to Europe from | President Roosevelt. That mnssarze[ admonished the statesmen of Europe | to get together and start the treatment of their political ills. We will then come to their assistance to try to cure their economic troubles. The delay. The time may come when we won't be able to help. Undersecretary Welles put this ad- monition on record July 7 when he stated officially, “We must play our part * * * in grappling with the | disease which afflicts mankind before it is too late. * * * If the nations overseas will undertake to readjust the inequities which arose between themselves after the World War * » ¢ I believe the American public opinion would overwhelmingly favor a co- operation on the part of their Govern- ment.? $'e . (Copyright. 1937.) Nazis Are Warned To Seek Out Foes | FRANKFURT-AM-MAIN, Germany (M. —The threat of ‘state enemy" | hangs over all who fail to Teport any notice of the slightest possible trend | }1( not decades, to cement pure Nazi | thinking and philosophy in the minds The incident of June 29 is regarded |Of eVery German. he said that negli- in Washington as only a prelude. | B®NCe of the “watch work” was com- toward “subversive or disruptive apirit” | in Nazi Germany, Jakob Spengler of | Frankfurt warned at a meeting here. | | Admitting that it would take years, | parable with failure to do one's duty |at one’s job, | 3 0 | Australia Launches l New Work Plan To provide work for every unem- ploved young man in Australia, the federal and state governments have launched a new plan. A committee at Melbourne repre- sents all the governments, trade | unions, youth employment commit- | tees and other similar interests. The aim is to give youths between 18 and 25 an opportunity to become trained in skilled industrial, commercial and rural occupations. A nation-wide survey is being con- ducted to find how many of the 20,000 | youths who reached the employable | age during the depression are eligible. British Find Increase In Small Investors Smail investors of Great Britain are rich in the mass, if not individ- ually, according to the figures re- vealed by Sir Kingsley Wood, minister of health. At a Mansion House meeting in London he stated that Britain has 15,000,000 small investors with $15,- 000,000,000 to their credit. More than 1,000,000 persons are buying homes. Since the World War the building societies have lent more than $5,000,- 000.000. a | in mind | their party. | its | vent of the court bill. WASHINGTON, D. C, SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 18, Four Horsemen of Democracy Win or Lose, Chief Foes of Court Bill Revive Faith in Conscience vs. Politics. SENATOR O’'MAHONEY —Star Staff Photo. BY JOHN H. CLINE. HE Senate revolt against Presi- dent Roosevelt's plan to reor- ganize the Supreme Court whether it succeeds or fails in the end. should go far to rekindle waning faith in the efficiency of demo- eratic government. For the first time years the legislative Government, in many branch of the independent under the Constitution. has asserted its inde- pendence unequivocally. The full significance of this declara- tion of independence cannot be un- derstood unless two facts are borne First. that the leaders and the majority of the rank and file of the revolting Senators are Democrats Second, that they have had the Inng courage to stand for what thev be- | lieve is right in the face of strong pressure from one of the country's most popular Presidents, backed bv a political machine that has the power to crush opposition and the will to use {t. Senators have stood Against Presidents in their ground the past, but never before have thev done so when | " to go to him and ask whether or not | T have to follow the Democratic leader it seemed so certain that swift polit- lcal death would be their reward. G. 0. P. Fought Wilson. During the historic battle between the Senate and Woodrow Wilson. with American acceptance of the Leazue of Nations hanging in the balance, the legislators displayed courage and determination. But the leaders then were Republicans, and the Democratic President could not read them out of Furthermore, they fighting a President whose popularity with the people was fading. Just prior to the congressional elections of 1918 Mr. Wilson made a dramatic and elo- quent appeal for the return of Demo- cratic majorities in both houses of Congress. When the ballots counted, however, Republican majori- ties had been returned to both House and Senate. Today there is no evidence that Mr. Roosevelt's personal popularity has de- creased, or that the efficiency of the Democratic political organization has declined. The organization already has made first retaliatos move. Frederick Van Nuys was elected by the voters of Indiana in 1932 as a New Dealer, and he supported the President consistently until the ad- On that vital issue he chose to be guided by the dictates of his conscience, which he believed came ahead of party loyalty. Ax Is Sharpened. Van Nuys opposed the bill and now the ax i about to fall. After a con- ference with President Roosevelt last week Indiana's Gov. M. Clifford Townsend made it clear that Van Nuys will have to run for re-election without the support and probably against the open opposition of the Democratic party. In all probability the same intro- party punishment awaits the other Democrats who have stood firm in their opposition to the bill. That all of them have had the courage to sacrifice expediency for principle is convincing evidence that democracy in America has not yet been replaced by | the virtual equivalent of a totalitarian state. 8o far, the Democratic opposition in the Senate has to a large extent rallied around the leadership of four men—Wheeler, McCarran, Burke and O'Mahoney. Other opponents have been outspoken, notably Clark of Mis- souri, Connally of Texas, King of Utah, Copeland of New York, Tydings of Maryland, and Maloney and Lon- ergan of Connecticut. But for the most part the fight on the floor has been led by the so-called “Four Horse- men.” Since this foursome is waging a fight that is of paramount interest to the Nation, s brief review of their careers is in order. Certainly there is nothing in the record of any of them to justify the charges of party disloyalty that have been hurled by administration supporters. Burton K. Wheeler of Montana was first elected to the Senate in 1922 He has been consistently on the side of liberalism, despite the fact-that this - "tv. but | with the President were | were | | cut Senator | | President wants are liberals. SENATORS WHEELER AND BURKE hurt him years ago with the Demo- eratic organization in his State. His first political job was in the State Legislature, but when he didn't vote the way the bosses wanted him to vote he was defeated for re-elec- tion. That was his first experience with the penalties of party irregulari- it didn't discourage him then and it doesn't seem to have done so now. He was defeated for the attorney generalship of his State by a vote and half, and was badlv beaten when he ran for Governor. But he kept on try- ing. and in 1922 he was elected to the Senate by the largest majority ever given a Democrat in Montana Wheeler seemed to be in close step during the early administration. and he still in sympathy with fundamental aims of his davs of says he the original, the New Deal. “The President has been most generous in his treatment of me.” he told the Senate. He has probably been as friendly to me as he has to any other member of this body. But there comes a time in the life of every man * * * when his own con- science must tell him whether or not he is going blindly to support the President.” Friendship Past. ‘That this spirit of friendship is a thing of the past, however, was made clear by Wheeler when he spoke in opposition to a suggestion that new Senators ought to suport the Presi- dent on the court bill because they rode into office on his coat tails “Thank God,” he exclaimed, I did not ride in on the coat tails of the President. Thank God. I do not have in this new proposal! Those of you who rode in on the coat tails of the President will ride out on the coat tails of the President if that is the only reason you are here. * * * I did not come here because I had promised to be 100 per cent for the adminis- | tration and the President to vote for everything wanted “No, Mr. President, I did not come | to the Senate on the coat tails of any one; I came to the Senate on my own and I am responsible for what I do in the Senate. I expect the people of my State to hold me responsible for my actions; and if I go out, T will go out not else.” Takes Slap at Farley. Wheeler, in a few sentences, also the ground from under Post- master General Farley and others who sought to brand the opposition | Senators as “traitors” because they refused to support the bill. said, “he is denounced as a ‘defeatist,’ an ‘economic royalist' who has sold out to Wall Street. What bigotry! Only those who vote for everything the Those whose conscience impels them to dis- agree even once immediately are ‘de- featist lawyers’ or ‘economic royalists.’ Perhaps the moat dramatic speech against the bill was made by white- haired “Pat” McCarran of Nevada, who violated his physician’'s orders to speak against the court plan. McCarran was 8 member of the Sen- expressing any riding on my own coat tails and | upon the coat tails of any one | —Harris-Ewing Photo. ate Judiciary Committee. which re- ported the original court bill adversely in scathing language. During the hearings, however, he refrained from opinion on the merits he believed that following a policy of silence he might be able to “pour oil on troubled waters.” In view of this attitude, his firm stand on the Senate floor was something of a surprise. His ire, apparently was aroused by A threat from Farley to reduce Ne- vada's patronage because he had op- posed the original bill “I wish Mr. Farley were listening today,” he said, “because I know he made a terrible mistake. But terrible though it may be, it was a dagger driven into my heart. Sees “Death Warrant.” “It was driven home to a population of 42.000, all the voting population in my State. But every man and woman knows his candidate there. and when Farley said that when I asked for something for my humble State there would be a different view- point, he wrote my death warrant and he knew it. and T may today be deliver- ing my valedictory by reason of a man- date of Mr. Farley “But,” he continued. voting “while a seat | in this chamber is a high honor, there are still higher honors. “There have been too many men who ask themselves ‘will my vote bring me back to the Senate?’ “The time has come for that to stop The time nas come for the people of this country to rise in defense of their own Government. The time has come for their representatives in House or 8enate to stand out and say. ‘T am here today. and that is my verdict. I will do today what conscience dictates for me to do, and if tomorrow I am not here, I will have the satisfaction of knowing that when I was here I did what T believed to be right, though I am sorry that in so doing my Stat must be punished by Mr. Farley McCarran, formerly chief justice of the Nevada Supreme Court, feels pe- culiarly bitter toward the proposed court bill because he was one of those who, during the last campaign, took the stump to deny Republican charges that Roosevelt planned to increase the size of the Supreme Court if re-elected He =aid he did this at the request of Democratic leaders. Once Farley's Aide. Of the four leaders of the revolt, | had | the administration. | Prior to his election to the Senaté in | Senator been closest. Joseph C. O'Mahoney to 1934 he was First Assistant Postmas- ter General, Farley's right-hand man A devoted convert to the economic and social philosophy of the New Deal, the break with Farley and the President | must have been painful in the extreme “The minute a Senator is known to | be opposed to the President’s bill,” he | to him. But it is characteristic of O'Mahoney that he acted decisively | once his mind was made up. His con- science outweighed his sense of party obligation, and his break with the ad- ministration has been sharp and clean. In attacking the bill, his approach has been more detached and analytical than some of his colleagues. He has pointed out that it will not necessarily accomplish its avowed purpose, since the new judges might vote against the President unless they had been pledged in advance, which, O'Mahoney said, he felt sure would never be the case. “But,” he said in his address to the U. S. Neutrality Regarded as Alliance Policy by Europe’ BY JOHN T. WHITAKER. OME.—The full effect of Amer- ica's neutrality legislation is just dawning on Europeans and what they think of it would probably startle the legisiators on Capitol Hill. Washington may still do lip-service to the admonition “against entangling alliances,” Europeans feel that we have aligned ourselves in event of war. The British and French like our neutrality policy but the rest of FEurope feels that we have joined the front against Pascism as truly as if we had signed a formal alliance. What does “cash and carry” mean in practice? It means that only the British and French have cash to buy and ships to carry our munition materials and our sinews of war. War is the only adventure you can embark on without funds and against all rules of normal or sane under- taking, - but you cannot fight even war without munitions or credits. This is the first point of importance stressed by Europeans today who point out that the major powers of Great Britain snd France can get along without such credits and are generally eonsidered to be bent on peace. 8 but .| . ‘Have-Not’ Powers The second point—and this is equally important—comes out of the experience of the Spanish war which seems to show that modern warfare advantages go to the defensive. This discourages the theory of the smash and grab invasions of the sort that Hans von Seeckt worked out on the theory of a highly mechanized. mobile and offensive force to strike and paralyze the enemy quickly. ‘The Spanish conflict is not of course a fair test for the defensive versus the offensive, but it has served to discourage youthful enthusiasts of one sort or another. The third point stressed 1s that the poor “have not” powers cannot keep pace with the “haves.” It is not only Great Britain's five years $7.500,000,000 program, but the fact, too, that France in 12 months is spending 35,000,000,000 francs on armament. This sort of thing leaves United States in the balance of power and position which is all the more im- portant, if one looks at the clear-cut and unequivocal arms lesson of Spain, namely the superiority of Russian air- craft over German, Italian, British and French planes. (Copyright, 1937.) » SENATOR McCARRAN —Harris-Ewing Photo. Senate. “when once the statute books the S will know that the power resides in another arm of the Government to send in nominations to affect the de- cisions of the Court “It mav be that 1t to do éhat,” he continued I =hall not impugn motives tn anvbody. 1 have no desire to ascribe to any person an intention which he may not have. I sit in judgment upon no man: but under my oath as a Senator of the United States I must sit in judgment upon this measure, upon this lan- guage, upon this bill lishes a svstem for the administration of tice. “What ‘justice this bill is on eme Court was not intended do we mean bv the word We mean istered by judges who are independent. who are no fear of reprisal. who are laboring under no threat that their numbers may be expanded if their decisions are not satisfactory to the executive arm.” O'Mahoney didn't touch on the question of reprisals against Senators, but he knew as well if not better than the others that the Democratic organization has the power to puni His service in the inner councils leaves no doubt of that. One thing, however. is sure——O'Mahoney with his mind settled will not be swerved from his course by any threat from any source. The case of Senator Edward R Burke of Nebraska differs from that of the other three. Personally, he naa never been too close to the New Deal. Voted Against A, A. A. Coming to Washington first as a member of the House, he voted against the A. A. A and assailed some of the policies of Secretary of Agriculture Wallace. On the whole, however, he supported the New Deal and was elected to the Senate in 1934 on a New Deal platform. During his campaign for the Senate, Burke drew up a definition of the free and laboring under New Deal which President Roosevelt | later called the “best definition of the New Deal by a friend of mine i Congress.” The first line of his defini- tion said that “The New Deal is an old deal—as old as the earliest aspira- tions of humanity and liberty and Jjustice and the good life” But while Burke may not have changed his mind about the New Deal, he has taken his stand against the President without hesitation. Essentially a cross-examiner, he took the leading part in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the original court bill, which resulted in & 10-t0-8 vote against it. Although given too much to severity at times, it was he, nevertheless, who asked the pointed questions that destroved most of the arguments of the supporters of the bill. Reads “Foes” Views. During the lengthy hearings, Burke surprised the committee with his fa- miliarity with past records and writ- ings of administration witnesses. But this was no accident. His ability to confound witnesses with earlier eon- tradictory statements by them came from long hours at night devoted to the reading of everything they had written before the hearings started. He has not as vet taken the floor in the Senate to speak against the re- vised bill, contenting himself with at- tacking the arguments of the pro- ponents and coming to the rescue of Senators on his side whén they were in need of an authority to support s statement. But any one who knows the caustic Senator from Nebraska realizes that he will be ready to make the most of the arguments againat the bill when it comes his turn to speak. ‘What the policy of these four op- position leaders will be in view of the sudden death of Majority Leader Robinson remains to be seen. But one thing 1s certain—they will not be swerved from their determination to safeguard the independence of the judiciary by President Roosevelt's un- substantiated charge that they took advantage of the period of mourning that followed 8enator Robinson's death to further their own cause. ~ which estab- | tice admin- | | are paving been noted. trated along the Austrian frontier has Part Two Travel — Resorts ECAUSE of his desire to express the appreciation of the Chinese government and the Chinese minister of finance came in person to the United States to conduct the negotiations which have just been concluded This quaint and pleasing Oriental courtesy, appended statement released by the Treasury on July 9, marks another little chapter in our absurd silver policy. Chima the opinion of Mr. Kung, had much silver reserve” and not enough gold reserve; so he brought the siver to open-handed Washington. To those who do not follow the item “silver” in the Treasury's daily statement, the announcement of a new agreement by this Governmen' to ab- sorb more of the Chinese metal in exchange for gold, serves as a pointed reminder that the silver purchase act is sull on the books. Although the Treasury's purchases of the white | metal have heen taking place all alon | with clocklike regularity, the absence of monetary crises in China hav | lulled the public into forgetfulness concerning the existence of a very costly and futile policy concocted as political soothing sirup three years ago. 1t is regrettable, but true, that this wasteful policy will remain on the statutes as long as the public does not bestir itself and advise Congress to repeal it. If we had a tax e Tax to support the silver program the public would writhe in ange have such a tax. but it So the public is apathetic Treasury Acts on Initiative. As will be recalled. the silver polic enacted by Congress in 1934. req the Treasury to build up the T portion of our moneta m C re- serves on a one-to-three basis with gold. The Treasury directed to carry out this policy. Of course, no time limit or rate of activity The Treasury would be we rights to engage in a litt] down or lie-down strike, 1 For some reason, unstated. it ev prefers not to do so, an is being bought right along in sufficient quan- tity to support the so-calied world price at 45 cents per once, This very profitable policy for Mexican Canadian and other forein producers even though it is not so profitable to them as is the Government's policy of paying cents producers. The cost of these purchases of a useless metal does not. appear on the budget, since the simply converted into new currency is not paid for in old currency. most people think 45 bit to a of is s set 173 it costs us nothing But, although not appearing on the budget, the millions of real dollars received by silver sellers do not come out of thin air. No, they come out of the income and pocketbooks of the American public. It is a rezrettable fact that, almost without exception, the people who are invisibly taxed for this bonus to foreign and domestic sil- ver producers and other sellers of the metal. have no conception that they for the bill. That is the pity of it Worse Than Useless. Here we have just witnessed an instance where, after recently turning over to foreigners American goods or shares in the ownership of American companies in exchange for gold we do | not need, we turn around and give away the gold in exchange metal we could not sell in a lifetime In fact. we make that useless metal into reserve for paper money under a | law which prevents us from ever sell- ing it or from ever withdrawing the mto eir- | silver certificates ‘“inflated the people of China, | to American inflowing silver is It Hence, for a| GOLD-FOR-SILVER POLICY IMPOSES INVISIBLE TAX Purchase of China’s White Metal Stirs New Warning for U. S. to “Watch Out.” BY HERBERT M. BRATTER. | culation. It sounds very much hke Alice in Wonderland. vet it is a fact And we are d this every day of the year, as we silver The exchangze of American gold for Chinese silver, in this instance, is the exchange of a e metal for one which is excepting at a great ver swap were the best for our gold problem. it would be far hetter We don't need any would be diffi of any foreign commodity purchase wit have less ut salab “solution” loss 20ld- ' gold more It deed to conceive we might Why de- ver h our gold re-war paper ruble The Treasury, as distinct from the people, d. gan an a vantage some of for more Chin e new silver certificates Inflationary Tendency. impo n tends reserves of which permi v silver as freely as the world price to stay One can rea happen to t to discont at 45 cents ne what would price were this country irchasing new cause producers to turn to the open market for other customers Past Billion Mark $838.000.000 of present policy, ficates have standard silver needle coined, £375.000.000 (eoct silver the able for conceivable pur standa already tlver ¢ 1. 7.000.000 ave been add of has t1on addit been and The only to use the coins compared with last Janua ver money. p. silver w rearm West Point vault and our currency for a long time ! $2.422,000.- the public that inflating Il Duce Changes Line-Up of Enemies In Preparing for Future Security OME (P)—A change of pros- pective enemies has brought a | change in the direction of Italy's military preparation Three and two years ago, Mussolini was waving the sword and holding maneuvers on many. Then Ttaly's preparation was pre- dominantly on land to get ready for the prospective horde of fighting Teutons seeking to over- whelm Austria and pour over the Alps into the sunny Italian plains. It was to be a fight entirely on Jand, with an obbligato accompani- | ment in the air. Now Italy’s prospective enemy is deemed to be Britain, followed by France. Mussolini accordingly is concentraf- ing on sea and air preparation, all directed toward channels of British influence. Take, for instance, these | facts: Army maneuvers will be held this year in Sicily, in eonjunction with the navy and air force. The enemy, Britain, Two 35.000-ton battleships are scheduled to be laid down following the launching in Summer or Autumn of the two 35.000-tonners now under construction at Genoa and Triest Italy's navy program for the future 1% to build an ocean-going navy. Ger- many's navy aroused British opposi- tion when it moved from the Baltic to the North Sea. The island of Pantelleria, strate- gically located in the narrow channel between Sicily and Tunis, has been fortified. Italy is in position to split the Mediterranean into two parts and close the British shipping lane through the middle sea. ‘The ports of Massaua and Assab, in Eritrea, are to be fortified. They will threaten the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. Admiral De Feo, an active navy man, has been named governor of Eritrea. The admiral-governor is to develop the naval potentialities of | the empire. A considerable increase in naval personnel to bring the officers, sailors and marines eventually up to 100,000 has been authorized. A shifting of Italy's air force has ‘The strength concen- when | the Brenner | frontier, the likely enemy seemed Ger- The idea was | been diminished and the south, the sphere The island of Elba has been forti- fied, & naval and air base created there. as a potentia! threat agamnst France and Corsica and a defense of vital industrial and shipbuilding Genoa and Spezia lena, at the north of Sardinia, has been fortified apparently against France Libya is a huge fortress. Under- ground fortifications form a colonial maginot line near the Egyptian border. Great attention is devoted to sub= marines. Italy’s submarine fleet ac- tually surpasses Great Britain's in number, newness and tonnage Close relations exist between Ger- man and Italian armed foroes, with exchanges of military information. Mussolini has made Italy an “island.” He wants to give Italians the same insul isolation England enjoys. This means he wants to eut it off from Europe at the line of the Alps and expand in the Mediter- ranean. transferred to Mediterranean 24,000-Foot Mountain Is Scaled by Educator Frederick 8. Chapman, a British schoolmaster. has made the first ascent of Chomulhari, one of the sacred mountains of the Himalayas, which rises 24000 feet. He accom- plished this feat with but one porter. Author of two books, ornithologist and explorer, he taught at St. John's College, Cambridge, and at other schools. A first-rate photographer, he suddenly quit his post in 1935 as an assistant master to cross Lapland on a sledge and take pictures. Air Base to Be Built In Australian Jungle Jungle thickly matted with under~ growth near Darwin, in Northern Aus= tralia, will soon be transformed into a comple air defense base. The Aus- tralian Air Force expects to have at least one flight of aircraft established there by next Spring The first planes probably will be of the light bomber type, which may be put to many uses.