The Key West Citizen Newspaper, February 5, 1938, Page 3

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1938. RED ARMY IS WORLD'S LARGEST BUT NOBODY KNOWS ITS STRENGTH [7 By RICHARD G. MASSOCK AP Foreign Service Writer MOSCOW, Feb. 5.—In 20 years of preparing to defend herself against attack by capitalistic neighbors, Soviet Russia has built the world’s largest army. Its 1,600,000 men (including army, navy, air force, border guards and secret police), its esti- mated tank force of 4,500, its fly- ing fleet of undisclosed thousands of planes are accepted by military experts as larger than any other today. What the Red army could do in war, however, remains to be tested. It is one of the question marks of Europe. Soviet officials say the men are better physically than ever, that they show greater skill in maneu- vers, that. mechanization has greatly strengthened their might, that they “know how to defend the frontiers of the socialist fath- erland against fascist aggressors”. Foreign observers in Moscow are inclined to believe real strength lies in the masses of the Red army. Diplomats returning to Moscow from summer vacations report that abroad in Europe they found a prevalent feeling that the wave of executions in the current blood! purge had: weakened Russia as & world’ power. Some statesmen outside, they said, reasoned that: 1. Either there was treason in the Red army as charged in the trial and execution of Marshal Mikhail Tukhache- vsky and seven other gen- erals. 2. Or there was no treason and the charge that the generals were in the pay of Germany was a frame-up by a jittery dictator to get rid of them. Weakness was indicated either way, they said. The official Soviet press indig- nantly denies such reasoning. It insist, the purge, which is sup- posed to have weeded out 10,000 officers of doubtful loyalty, has strengthened the army. Spies Feared Foréigners’h@ré ‘are jhclified to believe the army, ..whatever its fighting power, now is thoroughly loyal, ‘at ‘least, tothe Soviet re- gime and cominunism on which it is based. Much “of the mystery al the Red arthy is due fo the excep- tional" Sétrecy ‘with which it is cloaked against ” foreign ‘spies. With war from the ‘Japanese or Germans ‘constantlyfeared, it is believed", that -400,000;,men are kept on the eastern frontiers and 600,000 on the western borders of the Soviet Union. The remainder of the standing army is in home regions. To reinforce the huge standing army, a reserve of 8,000,000 to 10,- 000,000 trained men, who have completed their military service. is maintained. Russia’s defense budget this year was 25,130,320,000 rubles. That is about five billion dollars at the arbitrary official exchange rate, or about $2,500,000,000 at the estimated actual worth of the ruble. No other Europeen countrs carries such a war budget. Transportation Problems The present naval strength unknown to the outside world; but since the new 'y was de- signed along ey, defensive lines, it is mostly of cr for the protection of such e: ports as Vladivostok, cetera and Odessa. Foreign estimates that Russia possesses 150 subma- rines, which would be the largest undersea fleet, are believed to be an exaggeration. The big enigm itary strength The railroad transport has always been notoriously bad. Its ineffi ciency contributed to ker Wo war disasters. The Soviet powers have worked mightily to improve transporta tion. Railfoad lines have ~ been. doublé-trackéd and ' new /-dihe bit in-such’ strategically impor' is ussia’s mi transportation ant regions as the Fer East and, the Ukréinéi Brodd military: high‘ ways are being: built. Treops arc trained to bail.qut-of warplanes!) -—~—— | sewowoccoccocccccescscoss by the thousand. and, float down under parachutes, behind . enemy lines with full fighting equip- ment. However, railroad tion still is slow and shows de- fects. Boxes of groceries consign- ed to foreigners in, Moscow re cently took three weeks to get there after they arrived in Len- ingrad, about 450 miles away. But the Soviet press announces that railroad accidents, so preval- ent in Russia, are fewer. Many persons have been shot for them Freight car loadings have reached 93,403 in a single day. A drive is on to load 100,000 cars a day Japan Believed Menace The spy fever is more intense in Soviet Russia than elsewhere ima spy-scared Europe because of the fear of capitalist encroach- ment and a suspicion that is, per- haps, partly Asiatic. Since fascism is the foe of com- munism, Germany is, particylarly | feared, with Italy to a much les- ser degree because of the distance separating Moscow from the Med- iterranean. Japan is considered a great potential menace on the east. Soviet Russia proclaims that she does not want to fight except in defense of her frontiers against attack. She has indicated the sin- cerity of that assertion by re- fraining from going to war in countless crises, particularly with Japan. GIVES OUTLINE OF PROCEDURE — AT WHITE By PRESTON GROVER Associated Press Political Writer WASHINGTON. Feb. 5.—This is reception season at the White HOUSE RECEPTIONS only until you get into the build ing. Once in, all is democracy. The main floor of the White House is laid out fke"S 94% transporta- | UNA BASQUETTE, | whomabes her screen re-debut | Today’s Anniversaries 1723—John Witherspoon, Scot- tish clergyman and soldier, presi- dent of Princeton College, patriot. signer of the Declaration of Inde- pendence, born. Died Nov. 15. 1794. 1725—James Otis, famed Boston lawyer, orator and patriot of pre- Revolutionary days, born at Barnstable, Mass. A fiery soul, killed by a bolt of lightning, May 23, 1783. 1788—(150 years ago) , Robert Peel,- English statesman and prime minister, founder of Lon- 'don’s modern police system, born. Died July 2, 1850. 1810—Ole Bull, Norwegian vio- linist-composer, born. Died Aug. 17, 1880. 1837—Dwight L. Moody, cele- brated evangelist of his genera- tion, preacher to hundreds of thousands on both sides of the At- lantic, born at Northfield, Mass. Died there, Dec. 22, 1899. 1840—Hiram - Stevens Maxim versatile American inventor who ettled in Britain, brother to and father of famed inventors, born in Maine. Died Nov. 24, 1916. and Mrs. Thomas Carter of New Athens, O. parents of 18 children, rented the town gym- nasium for the celebration of their golden wedding anniversary. In attendance were 16 of their chil- dren, 30 grandchildren, two great- t-grandchildren and 16 chil ren-in-law. House; and if you never makererossed at bothiendso@n pd AH-A-PAAG di is the osnateuplsandroiie shesidoyg :t4igb.!\aept, James Corory one, you can always solace your grandchildren with the assurance that it is far less fun than fishing The President always seems to be doing a chore—and by the time we reach him he’s usually tired. The guests often enough are bored but apparently they never would miss a single recep- tion. The same faces are seer there year after year. Even the most blaze goers-here- and-there can’t escape a gentle burble of delight when they are included on the President's call- ing list for a night. The invita- tions bear a gilt edge crest and are accompanied by printed di- rections on how and where to get through the police lines. Receptions are held for various groups in the government—the cabinet, the judiciary, diplomatic corps, army-navy receptions be- cause of the acres of gold braid and festoons of medals that go with such jobs. The women arc a sleek lot, too. Congresional women, on the other hand, are mostly on the heavy-duty side. Side-Door Guests Receptions bring two classes of guests and you can tell from the printed matter in your invi tation how you rate. On the night of the congressional reception, for instance, all members of congress, no matter how humble, get tickets which direct them to the front en- trance of the White House facing on Pennsylvania avenue. They are different in color from those given to the lesser fry, so that the White House police corps can gently weed out any jay-birds who may blunder in with partridges. If you are entrance” you are ond-table, but the dis directed to th | East room and from room” for dancing, and on the other the state dining ro t beautiful room, finish, wi it. There are served lemon- ade, wine-punch and cake [Con necting the two are two corridors. One is a long hallway. The othe is really a series of three roor the famous green room, the bi room and the red room. Since receptions are a mass formation job, the army and navy take over. The army see: content until it has peopl ing in uniform lines, usu: abre and that is th at receptions. Thre s abreast, are formed in the gilt that forma- and Mrs tion they trickle in past President Roosevelt, who stand room. Hard Hand-Shakers Foiled Just how or why and President's hands with people w de ance that Gop! to the last x took her hand bampton, Eng., declaged Was the father of 30 ren,’ of whom 29 were gifs. lad to see you”. Mrs. Roosevelt you straight in the eye and about the same thing. We think thev'd like to call the whole thing off. THE W ‘Temperatures* Highest Lowest Mean Normal Mean Rainfall* | Yesterday’ 's-Precipitation T. Ins. | Normal Precipitation 04 Ins. | C vers 24-hour periog } emstion: ats lock thin morning. Tomorrow's Almanac {Sun rises 7:07 Sunsets 6:15 Moon ‘rises 10:49 Moon sets First quarter, 7th 7:32 Tomorrow’s Tides AM. 1:28 1:24 Low 7:01 8:21 Barometer reading at 8 a. m.: Sea level, 30.15. WEATHER FORECAST . m. PM 30 p. m., Sunday) t and Vicinity: Partly ht and Sunday; pos- light /showers; entle to mod- northeast and east winds. rida: Partly cloudy tonight and Sunday, possibly light show- @ Moderate northeast EATHER ers on extreme south coast; temperature. Jacksonville to Florida Straits and winds, and partly overcast weath- er tonight and Sunday with scat jtered light showers over south Portion. east East Gulf: Gentle to moderate | northeast and east winds, and; ., partly overcast weather tonight . and Sunday. WEATHER CONDITIONS The eastern high pressure area! is crested this morning over the North Atlantic States, and ex- tends from eastern Canada south- | westward into the Gulf of Mex- ico. Pressure is’ also moderately high over far southwestern dis- tricts, and low from the north Pa- cifie coast and Canadian North- west southeastward into the cen. tral and southern Plains States. Light rain has occurred during the last 24 hours throughout Pa-} cific coast districts and in south- eastern Florida, and there has been light snow in the Plateau | States, and rain or snow in por-| mild | Today’s Birthdays y-ap pointed U. S. Senator from Ore | | gon, born 68 years ago. * Michael Williams. editor of the Commonweal, New York, born in ‘ova Scotia, 61 years ago Ewin L. Davis of Tennessee Federa’ Trade Commissioner. born Bedford Co. Tenn. 62 | Years ago. Bayard Dodge president City, 50 years ago. of the upper per Minsiasiggs Val y and Lake region, with heavy snow at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich Temperatures have fallen some it in the North Atlantic States, in the Rocky Mountain and and northern Plains while warmer weather prevails in the central valleys and Lake region, with readings 32 te 37 degrees above normal in many localities G. S. KENNEDY, Official in Charge Today In History, Seccvccccsercocsecceces 1817—Baltimore Gas Company, first American company, incorporated. 1837—The hot blast first cessfully used in iron-making, in Scotland. 1917—Immigration Bill, taining much-discussed literary test, passed over the: President’: veto—first step barring immigra- | tion. 1930—Mexico’s President, Ru- bio, shot two hours after inaug- ural oath. 1934—Some 10,000 prohibition cases originating prior to Decem- ber, 1933, stricken from Federal court dockets by U. S. Supreme Court decision. 1936—Liberty League lashed by Postmaster-General Farley. 1937—President sends historic Saree Court plan bill to Con- gress. Restricted and competitive pro- con-} Light gas} suc- | TEXACO FIRE CHIEF GASOLINE PAUL’S TIRE SHOP ducts cited as obstacles to trade pact with Great Britain BENJAMIN LOPEZ FUNERAL HOME Serving Key West Half Century 24-Hour Ambulance Service Licensed Embalmer Phone 135 Night 696-W NO NAME LODGE At South Ferry Landing Directly On Beach COTTAGES FISHING BOATS RATES: $1. $2..$3.Per Day PLAN TO LEAVE KEY WEST } IN TIME TO ENJOY MEAL BEFORE TAKING FERRY | Stone Crabs — Turtle Steaks ! Steaks Phone No Name No. 1 Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Craig. Mgrs. | Se eae ei PLAY SAFE— By k keeping FOODSTUFFS at the right temperature in one of our ETAL LLM ICE REFRIGERATORS These refrigerators are doubly HEAT PROOF and absolutely air tight Priced from $20.00 u Easy Terms—10 Days Free Trial On Display at THOMPSON ICE COMPANY, Inc. —Phone No. 8— Hl Watch The Fords Go By Cor. Fleming and White Sts. —Courteous Service— PHONE 65 TREVOR AND MORRIS INC. SAFEGUARD YOUR FAMILY’S HEALTH! 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