PAGE SPX--SECTION ONE --1
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Tt'FISDAY. OCTOBER 1, 1940
PAGE SIX-SECTTO?~ ONI~ - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1949
Japan
Joins Up
The Axi
Nearly neglected for the past year
by the spotlight of war, Japan last'
month reminded war-torn Europe
and Continental-wise U. S. that the
Rising Sun had not sunk below the
horizon. Taking front and center
with a lightning jab at French Indo-
China, Nippon's heads late last week
again rattled sabers, stated her posi-
tion as the newest, most ambitious
Nazi jackel.
No surprise to the world was the
Island Empire's alignment with Eu-
rope's bad boys: it had happened,
before. Its significance was not so
much a statement of policy; it sa-
vored more of a thrust at prostrate
Britain and as a warning sneer to
the U. S.
Move Was Foreseen
Hints of the impending axis uni-
fication began trickling in as early1
as Wednesday. Said one authority:
"Attempting an almost unbelievable
(stroke of international blackmail,
Hitler seems on the verge of success-
fully forcing Japan into an unwilling
but full-fledged alliance with the
Reich."
Whether Nippon yielded to black-
mail or her territorial desires is pure-
ly conjectural. With. the pact signed,
however, Japanese spokesmen left
little doubt as to future Nipponese
attitude in the Pacific. Nor were
world capitals long in guessing the
significance of the latest totalitarian
manifesto.
Too cooperative, in totalitarian
eyes, were Uncle Sam and John Bull.
Adolf has been watching ever-in-
creasing arms and supply shipments
to the "tight little island." With the
arrival last week in England of the
first contingent of American de-
stroyers, U. S. aid was no longer a
mere gesture. Japan, in turn, long
accustomed to mere U. S. verbal pro-
tests, last week received a harsh re-
buff ' in FDR's embargo on metal
shipments to overseas powers other
than Britain.
Isolated U.S. Is Aim
Hoped-for result of the Axis stand
was the stemming of American pro-
British actions. Should the U.S.
Navy act to prevent establishment
of a new Asiatic order, Rome-Berlin
would harass Atlantic areas; if the
U.S. joins in the European fracas,
Nippon would strike in the Pacific.
Contrary to Axis strategy, Wash-
ington took an almost indifferent,
THE
WEEK
INT
REVIE W
Willkie Ends
Western Trip
WAR
is Turns
"knew it all the time" attitude. Said
Undersecretary of State Sumner
Welles:" . . . all American-Japanese
problems can still be solved by nego-
tiations;" adding that the present
turn of Oriental events is counter to
"historic interests of the U.S." No
retreat before Japan's stand was
hinted in Capitol circles.
What About Stalin?
From Britain came rumors that
the Burma Road, vital supply line
to China defenders, would be re-
opened; that Singapore and other
Asiatic British ports would be made
available to U.S. fleet units.
Probably most worried nation af-
ter announcement of the pact was
Hitler's (ex?) bedfellow,.Joseph Sta-
lin. Though the alliance states that
"the political status which exists ...
between each of the three contract-
ing parties and Soviet Russia" was
not affected, the newly-signed pact
is too sharply reminiscent of the
anti-comintern pact signed by these
same three nations: an agreement
which was virtually discarded by the
Berlin-Moscow agreement of 1939.
Even the territorial division, alloting
to Russia a defined share, hastilyan-
nounced by Axis spokesmen, appears
to leave Stalin but an Axis satellite.
Figured In War Scenes On Foreign And Local Fronts
T C
ti:....
.f
AMBASSADOR JOSEPH GREW HEDY LaMARR REP. JOHN W. McCORMACK
These three were invarious storm-centers last week. Grew, U.S. Ambassador to Tokyo, had delicate
U.S.-Tokyo relations, strained by Japanese tie-up with the Axis and move into Indo-China, to hang on to.
Actress LaMarr appeared in court hatless and nervous to seek release from Gene Markey, movie producer
and Joan Bennett-ex, testified that during their married life only four times did they have "a nice quiet
evening at home." Rep. McCormack, elected House majority leader by a Democratic caucus last week, suc-
ceeding Sam Rayburn, new Speaker, must lead Administration forces through important legislative cam-
paign.
Dakar Siege.
0 0
THE CAMPAIGN
i Wilikie In Slump?
Greatest Franco-British blunder
since the fall of Belgium-so have
experts judged the recent de Gaulle-
led expedition against French colo-
nial Dakar, most formidable base in
French West Africa and nearest ma-
jor 'port to the Western Hemisphere.
Early last week, Free French
Leader Charles de Gaulle convinced
British leaders that France's West
African colony was ready to thump
its nose at Nazi-dominated Vichy
France. With easy capitulation
hoped for, Churchill gave de Gaulle
a Royal Navy escort for his annexa-
tion jaunt.
Once in Dakar harbor, de Gaulle
boarded a motor launch, hoisted a
flag of truce above the ti-color and
headed for a French reunion. No
brass-band reception awaited the ex-
pedition. Insted intense volleys of
off-shore firing drove de Gaulle back
to the British fold.
Soon coast artillery and salvos from
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docked warships joined the machine-
gun fire, and the battle of Dakar
was on. British warships lost little
time in returning fire. Wednesday.
Brito-Free French forces made six
landing attempts, were strongly re-
pulsed. Finally, with two defending
French submarines, one British
cruiser reported sunk, the invasion
flotilla abruptly steamed away, end-
ing the three-day siege.
Real reason for British withdrawal
was, however, not laid to pure mili-
tary defeat. England was playing
with dynamite. By openly attacking
her former ally, she stood in grave
danger of losing what few Free
Frenchmen she had been able to
wrest from Vichy. Frenchmen were
already rumbling, and Vichy was
hurling heavy reprisal aerial attacks,
at Gibraltar at ten-minute intervals,
stopping only when the flotilla
steamed out of Dakar.
Churchill faced a momentary cri-
sis in the angry House, but by week's
end appeared to be weathering safe-
ly. De Gaulle, however, faced the ire
of world Frenchmen, and Petain cre-
ated a court of Summary Jurisdic-
tion to try de Gaulle's partisans; a
court strangely reminiscent of the
"Cour Martiale" of the French Rev-
olution.
Overture?. ..
Since the outbreak of war, France
has been an unwilling partner to the
rape of Europe, not so much for con-
science's sake as out of consideration
for the severely-bled Iberian war
theatre. Last week, however, Axis
thumb-screws turned tighter, and
armor-trained diplomats scurried
about. By week's end, first results of
Italian-German-Spanish conferences
were leaking out.
Germany's Ribbentrop last week
conferred with Spanish Minister of
Interior Ramon Serrano Suner,
hopped to Rome to consult Il Duce
and Ciano, returned to nervous, im-
patient Don Ramon. War-weather
forecasters unanimously agreed that
Spanish entry on the Italo-German
side was imminent. Reliable sources
report that Franco, promised Gib-
raltar, is ready to assist in a com-
bined fascist blast at the British
rock.
Channel Fight
The RAF and Hitler's Luftwaffe
continued to spar with each other
across the now storm-tossed Chan-
nel waters in a week which saw an-
other major refugee transport sink-
ink in the Atlantic.
London momentarily forgot her
own bomb-filled troubles early last
week to express horror over the death
of 83 out of 90 children, 215 of 316
adults on the torpedoes "City of Be-
nares," refugee-bound for Canada.
As the week rolled on. London de-
fenders, haggard from hours and
days and weeks of incessant bom-
bardment, appeared to be strength-
ening. Fewer raiders reached th
city and industrial plants, protectec
by roof-top spotters, continued t
work in spite of air-raid warnings
In retaliation, RAF bombers contin-
ued to hammer at Berlin, gave cross-
Channel ports little rest.
16,500,000 men between the ages of
21 and 36 will register at one of 6,500r
local draft boards under the firstj
peacetime Conscription Act in U.S. I
history. In mid-November the firstc
increment of trainees will be called
up, but if stepped-up peacetime en-l
listment increases, many states, byt
filling their quota, may escape the
first draft. Recruiting stations
throughout the country have been{
doing business to long lines, neces-
sitating the presence of extra mili-t
tary police to keep order, and indi-
cating that the Army's authorizedt
375,000 figure will be reached in De-1
cember. Prospects were that Sep-}
tember enlistments would set a high
monthly mark of 40,000, boosting
peacetime strength to more thanr
324,000. Tennessee officials boasted
that their state would fill its quota
from volunteer ranks.
For residents of other states, there
was the reassurance that conscrip-
tion activity will go ahead asI
planned. President Roosevelt last
week asked the governors of 48 states
to aid in the draft set-up, sent them
a 61-page, two-volume book of rules.
He also advised over-zealous young
people, in a letter to the education
division of the FSA, that "it is their
patriotic duty to continue the normal
course of their education unless and
until they are called." President
Robert M. Hutchins of the Univer-
sity of Chicago went on record for
the same stand, but emphasized that
"nothing could be worse for higher
education in this country than to
have it thought that enrollment in
a college or university is a method
of avoiding conscription."r
Other developments on the nation-
al defense scene: 60,500 guardsmen,
first group of those summoned two
weeks ago, began settling in camps
throughout the country, while a
Presidential order called 35,700 more,
including forces in Hawaii and Puer-
to Rico, to a year's training begin-
ning Oct. 15. In November another
37,000 will report;. remaining units
will be inducted into the Regular
Army. 4,000 Red Cross nurses will
be called to active duty before July,
1 to supplement the 17,000 first re-
serve of Red Cross nurses.
The organization of materials and
workers kept steady pace with the
military. The RFC revealed that it
has put up almost 600 million dol-
materials, provide for airplane plant
expansion. The Army and Navy let
millions of dollars in contracts for
purchase of "necessary" goods. Pro-
duction was stepped up in shipyard,
arsenal, plane factory.
New Volunteering Record
Seen As Nation Prepares
In exactly 15 days approximately ?lars to build up reserves of strategic
_ _ _ ___ ., i nfainiai, prv* iuir ~a nirravIo e u.u
Upon NDAC urging, the Justice
Department promised to defer for a
time its civil anti-trust action against
major oil companies "because of the
apparent unavailability of indepen-
dent capital which would be willing
to take over and operate the oil
transportation facilities."
The National Defense Advisory
Committee approved a plan offered
by Sidney Hillman, chief of the La-
bor Division, designed to enable every
employe to make the "fullest use of
his highest skill." Even the post-
office offered its bit: a one, two and
three-cent National Defense stamp
issue bearing pictures of the Statue
of Liberty, an anti-aircraft gun, and
a flaming torch respectively. Amer-
ica's answer to the Axis' powers was
being formulated on every national
front.
Conference Group
Ready To Report
Out Tax Proposal
Congress last week was standing by
while sentiment was being built up
against adjournment. At week's end
a conference committee was about
ready to report out a combined Sen
ate-House version of the controver-
sial Excess Profits Tax and Amortiz-
ation Bill. After weeks of politica
wrangling and buck-passing, the ver
sion agreed upon leaned toward the
more liberal provisions of the Senate
away from the Treasury-backed orig
inal House proposal. Most Washing
ton observers held that, whatever th
final version, it would have to b
scrapped, drawn anew next session.
Remaining still on the Congress
ional slate were the last deficienc
appropriation bill, approved by th
House, carrying funds of almost $1,
500,000 for trainees' pay; politically
dangerous Walter-Logan Bill intro
duced 18 months ago in an attemp
to force court review of quasi-ju
dicial government agencies, i.e. Na
tional Labor Relations Board.
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Biggest cause of dismay for GOP
followers who look upon Wendell3
Willkie as their political Messiaht
has been the inability of his "speech-
a-minute" campaign to catch on.,
Reports of lukewarm public recep-
tion have either been denied or ex-1
plained away. Last week Josph W.:
Martin, Republican National Chair-l
man, predicting an upswing declaredr
that the Republicans had been hold-
ing back purposely before the plunge
into the industrial East. Editorial
observers wrote that the Republican
nominee was learning fast, and Mr.
Willkie himself, from the rear of his"
Yonkers-bound train, shouted: "I'm
more than satisfied."
But key to the situation for most
was obtained in a page-long adver-
tisement printed in influential news-
papers by "We The People", Will-
kie - for - President club. Entitled
'What has Happened to the Miracle
of Philadelphia?", it took the elec-
torate to task in no uncertain terms.
It held in large caps: "Willkie is
doing his job and doing it well. He's
not bogging down. But we are!-
We, the People! We're the ones who
are bogging down" "
Crowds Greet Willkie
We, the people did the best they
could last week: they turned out to
greet Mr. Willkie. Throughout his
6,000-mile swing into the West they
followed him into baseball parks,
race-tracks, railroad depots, auditor-
iums. From 3,000 to 70,000 strong
They heard him castigate the New
to take U.S. Business out of the "dog
house" the New Deal had construct-
ed; in Omaha, to call a White House
economic parley of farmer, factory-
manager, laborer and consumer in an
attempt to end economic stagnation,
and "prevent a common disaster."
they heard him castigate the New
Deal for spendthriftiness, inability
to solve unemployment, "elaborate
economic theories"; quote great Dem-
ocratic leaders from Jefferson on to
attract "real" Democrats from the
Roosevelt sphere. They listened
while he pledged "new leadership"
in place of New Deal totalitarianism.
And they nursed him with applause
through a trying spell of hoarseness.
Whether or not the people have
contemplated more than mere hand-
clapping for the Republican nominee
is still a matter of Gallup polls. On
Sept. 20 the poll's findings gave
Roosevelt the lead for the first time:
only a 10 per cent margin in the
popular vote. but a staggering total
of 453 electoral votes to 78. Just 26
days before the electoral margin had
been in Willkie's favor: 284 to 247.
Further polls have reported that Will-
kie is at least 25 per cent stronger
than Landon among "independent"
voters (estimated one out of every
five) : that Roosevelt still holds the
farm vote and large cities (over 500,-
000) although in these cities the
President's strength is substantially
below his vote on election day four
years ago: that Willkie is stronger
than Landon in every income level,
but his gains have been proportion-
ately greatest in the upper income
groups, smallest in the lowest income
groups; that 68 per cent of the elec-
torate thinks that Roosevelt will win.
Dr. Gallup's advice to Mr. Willkie:
Increase strength in the large cities
and among voters earning $20 to
$50 a week.
Independents Form FDR Group
Meanwhile in the other corner,
"the Champ" did no stumping that
could be called such. Outside of plac-
ing his prediction on the election in
a sealed envelope in his desk, and
participating in ground-breaking and
cornerstone-laying ceremonies, the
President turned over his campaign-
ing to Vice-Presidential nominee
Wallace and lesser (politically) sup-
porters. In Washington an "indepen-
dent" movement for Roosevelt got
under way, initiated by Thomas (the
Cork) Corcoran, White House inti-
mate, former special counsel to RFC
and other subsidiary government as-
signments who resigned to lead the
organization. Quick to join up against
the man whom Sen. Norris called
"the prayer of the utilities monopoly"
were big-names from 22 states:
Mayor La Guardia of New York; Dr.
Franke Graham, president of North
Carolina University; James M. Lan-
dis, dean of Harvard's Law School;
Chase S. Osborn, former Governor
of Michigan and University Regent;
Freda Kirchwey, editor of "The Na-
tion"; Max Lerner, professor of Po-
litical Science at Williams Univer-
sity; Walter Wanger and Melvin
Douglas of Hollywood, etc. Mayor La
Guardia will be "national working
chairman" of the group,
_s
I
-E
1,
WELCOME CLRSS
o/1944,
. .
I
If life for you has always been something of a bore,
Things from this day on will be brighter, '44.
Milk has been the staff of life from way back to this day,
So drink up, future grads, and take the only happy way.
I
1940 Census Figure
Placed At 131,409,881_
The work of 108,700 enumerators
came near enough to completion
last week to allow Census Bureau
II
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