The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-05-04
National Topics Interpreted


powder keg. II is just possible that
the Nye-Vandenberg resolution may
strike a match above the powder. as
well as serving to embarrass and de-
lay efforts of the various Industries
to get production expanded that more
employment will result.
General johnson and his MIRA has
come into more trouble. The Nation
al Recovery Board
More Trouble Of Review. de-
for MIRA tached group respon-
sible only to the
President, has written a report of
findings In several cases where small
plants have complained about the eff
feet Of the codes. And the report Of
the board, headed by Clarence Darrow
of Chicago, the famed attorney, is a
scathing denunciation of some Of the
code provisions. In fact, some mem
bers of the review board take the po-
sition that the codes have permitted
the great industries to grind the
smaller ones. the little fellows, to
commercial death.
The Presidents views of the report
are not known at this time, but it has
leaked out that Mr.. Roosevelt is will
ing to have the review board call a
spade a spade. knowledge of his at
titude came through devious channels.
There was rumor around Washington
that the President was going to try to
kill off the board by Withholding funds
from it. The board was the idea Of
some of the senator's, anyway, and 1t
was believed the President felt none
too warmly toward it. Yet it has now
been established that the President is
going to uphold the hand of the
board, Notwithstanding extreme pres
sure that is coming from MIRA quar-
tiers to get rid Of 1t.
In some Washington offices there Is
a very definite belief that Mr. Roose-
welt Is entirely willing to let General
Johnson retire. General Johnson's
bombastfc style Of speech and his
breakdown" threats have not been
so well received in many places and
there is opinion available that the
general ought to fade out of the MIRA.
Mr.. Roosevelt can't fire him. That
would be a dangerous thing to do
from political standpoint. 1t does
seem, however, that change is COM
ing.
Business leaders have begun to
preach more strongly against the
codes and they are getting more and
more adherents. Some economists
who were thoroughly "sold" on the
codes have begun to doubt that the
types Of regulations adopted are all
that they have been advertised. AS
the things are put in practice, theiI
weaknesses develop. Whether they
can be corrected for practicable ap-
plication remains to be seen.
With all of this war talk hither and
yon, inquired from the War depart.
ment and found that
Army roughly one-third Of
Distribution our army forces are
garrisoned outside
of the United States. The latest off.
cial tabulation shows the army as
having 1886 officers, 1856 warrant of.
fcers, and 123,459 enlisted men, in.
Guiding around 1000 Philippine
Scouts. OF these, 1900 officers, lac
warrant officers and 35,036 enlisted
men are on posts outside of continen
tai United States.
The matter of the location Of our
army personnel is pertinent at this
time, too. because of the possibility
that the United States government
sooner or later will grant independ
ence to the Filippinos. hope it is
later, rather than sooner. for hear
so much discussion of dangers that
appear certain to develop If the FLIP
pfnos become a nation unto them
selves. The consensus seems to be
that the natives will be able to govern
themselves, but whether they can pro
tect themselves is another matter.
The United States has an army
strength of 553 officers. 81 warrant of
ficers and 1904 enlisted men In the
Philippines, in addition to the Philip
pine Scouts who number 62 officers
and 6,398 enlisted men. That is quite
a force and an influence against any
ideas that foreign powers must over
come before they seize the Philip
pines. 1t should be mentioned thai
the force and influence existent there
also includes some rather important
American gunboats and naval base
Pearl Harbor. which undoubtedly is
the defense key. So no bloodthirsty
foreign statesmen are going after the
little islands as long as our forces
are there.
There is an international phase tc
be considered at this time, one that
is not as apparent as it is real. / re
fer to the tangled skein of circum
stances resulting from Japanese dec
larations of a right to influence
Chinese affairs and to use force II
necessary. That threat-and it can