The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1936-07-03

lions through the WPA and PWA
making a total of a billion and a
fal'er dollars for war prepara-
ions IONS Is sinister. This is over a
tUO per cent increase in two wears
Time. 1t IS a program of offense
and not of defense and must he
stopped. The splendid response to
Ihe emergency Peace meetings all
over the country, the organization
OF the Future Veterans of the
World War and the attendance of
over 0OO,OOO at the Student Peace
Strike Demonstrations brightens
an outlook that would otherwise
MAKE war seem more imminent.
FASCIST DEVELOPMENT
DlSCOURAGING
The work of the Black Legion,
the American Liberty League, and
the vigllantes in their actions to-
ward the sharecroppers and other
progressives in southern states has
oeen a discouraging feature in the
flrst six months of 1886. On the
other hand the growing opposition
TO William Randolph Hearst and
his fascist methods in all sections
Of the nation is encouraging.
THE DEBIT SIDE
OF 1886 LEDGER
"On the dibit side of the ledger
IN this half year can be placed the
defeat of the Frazier Lemke Bill:
the Supreme Court decisions
against the AAA and the Guffey
Coal Bill; the return of relief to
local communities; the failure to
pass the Wagner Ellenbogen Hous-
ing Bill, the revamped Guffey Coal
Bill and the pure food bill; the
part that politics played in the
execution of Bruno Hauptmann;
and the deliberate introduction Of
new machinery in strike disturb
ances to eliminate union workers.
THE EVENTS ON
INTERNATIONAL STAGE
During these six months on the
international scene has occurred
the death of King George of Eng
land and Maxim Cork, the great
Russian writer. DIR. Edouard Be-
mes has succeeded the grand old
man, DR.. Masaryk, as president of
Czechoslovakia. The most amaz-
ing and significant foreign news
this year has been the approval of
a new Soviet Constitution on June
18th by the All-Union Central
Executive Committee. 1t means
that Russia is to have full-fledged
| democracy with universal suffrage
Of all citizens over 18 years of
age, the secret ballot, a parliament
of two chambers, freedom of
speech, press, assemblage and re-
ligion with protection guaranteed
for such private property as 'ar-
ticles of personal consumption and
comfort, savings accounts, house
hold furnishings
THE BIG
ENCOURAGING EVENTS
"The growing success of the
Peoples Front in France under the
leadership of Leon Blum, the dis
position of President Zamora in
Spain, the anti-Japanese movement
assuming real proportions in China
and the exile of former president
Gales from Mexico, and of the
strengthening of democracy in that
country are encouraging events.
THE BIG
DISCOURAGING EVENT
con the debit side of the inter
national ledger must be placed the
defeat of Ethiopia and the result
ing weakening of the League of
Nations, the riotings in Palestine,
the INFLAMMATION Of the Philippine
! Islands by General Macarthur, the
establishment of the first Amer
lean Fascist state in Paraguay,
Turkeys insistence upon fOrtify-
inc the Dardanelles, and building
UP of the old European military
alliances. Only miracle can
stop Europe from plunging head
long into war in these next months
and destroying her civilization as
we now know it. This is Amer
ica's and the worlds most 1mne-
date danger and nothing that we
can do during the remainder OF
| 1896 will be so worthwhile as to
face the causes that lead to war
and meet them by reduction OF
ornaments, a program to con
script wealth in event of war, pub
lie ownership of munition plants,
strict neutrality laws, strengthen
| ;no. oe collective cecuritV and an