The Daily Alaska empire., 1937-12-28
And School Disdster
By VOLTA TORREY
 News Review Editor, The AP Feature Service
An, passing few arc they who speak, Wild stormy month! in praise of thee.
 BRYANT

greatest school disaster to the worlds biggest, richest rural school.
 Ten minutes before dismissal time, the roof rose, the walls bulged, and the whole structure fell like the One Hoss Shay. Gas from the very oil fields which enabled New London, Texas, to have the big gest. richest school blew it up, kill ing nearly 300 children.
 But the murder of the artists model' soon distracted America. Easter toggery pictures gave way to nearly nude photos of Veronica Gedeon, one of three persons found slain in a Manhattan apartment.
 Gas masks became fashionable abroad. Europes naval fire depart ment cruised around Spain to keep war sparks from flying. But in Spain, the fighting became fiercer. And everywhere else, governments picked up sticks.
 II Duce Goes A-Visiting
 America and Britain prepared to blow a half billion dollars apiece on naval arms. Premier Blum tried to fig a half billion out of peasants hoards for Frances defenses. And Japan's militarists rammed a $400.- 000,00O preparedness program down politicians throats.
 Mussolini ordered all men be- tween 18 and 55 kept in training to fight, screamed for more babies, and toured Africa to get Moslems behind him.
 It was his most embarrassing month London newspapers called a Spanish loyalist victory an Italian defeat. And girl held in France for shooting Count de Chambruln blabbed that she had had love affair with the Duce.
 Pope Plus Comments
 Inside Europe and inside Asia, frontiers were assailed d. Nazis wanted home rule" for Czechoslo- vakias Germans. And between Rus sia's good-neighbor, Outer Mongo- lia, and Tokyos toy, Manchoukuo, Prince Teh Wang declared indepen- dence from China to bring forth a new nation called Mongokuo and dedicated to Japanese imperialism.
 New York's Mayor LaGuardia and Berlin editors traded insults Ernst "Putzi" Hanfstaengl, Hitlers old pal and press chief, disap- peared from Germany. And Pope Plus, recovering from his long ill., ness, decried the Reich's mad at tempt to confine within the boundaries of single people, with in the blood stream of single race, God the Creator of the world, the King and Lawgiver of all peoples.
 This Years Kisses" blared Am erican radios. And President Roose- yelt cut in to urge a broader-m minded Supreme Court, crying: Here is one-third of the nation ill-nour- ished, ill-clad, ill-housed, now. say we must act, now!"
 Windsor Housing Problem
 Senators grilled notables pro and con. Justice McReynolds lectured on good sportsmanship.' Chief Jus tice Hughes warned that to increase judges would decrease efficiency And Justice Roberts changed his mind, thereby reversing. to 4 the courts 1886 invalidation of women's wage legislation.
 CIO had only half the member ship it was to boast by fall, but was tying up Chrysler plants. AFL's President Green warned workers against illegal" sitting; John L. Lewis dubbed Greens stand char acteriStically coWardly'
 A tire blowout kept Amelia Ear hart from going on into the South Seas and around the equator, after she had flown to Hawaii in Is hours. The Lindberghs were seeing India. And the Duke of Windsor and a Baltimore belle were seeing friends houses on the continent, separately, a-hope, a-hope, a-hoping, while the world sang There's Something In The Air"