The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-10-21

de, among DINERS, tUQs ashamed.
sion that not even Mr.. Chamber
lain trusts Adolf Hitler or Benito
Mussolini very far.
Meanwhile, France has been
quick to make peace with Italy
by recognizing her conquest of Eth
opia. Her parliament, by over
whelmingly approving the Munich
pact, agreed that no price was too
high for peace even though it meant
RELOCATING France to the position of
second-rate power. But sorely-
taxed F'renchmen want to know why
they must pay for huge army and
navy that refuses to fight.
There are other signs, as well.
The resignation of Czech President
Eduard Benes in the face of grow
ing public sentiment against weak
kneed democracies, indicates that
Czechoslovakia is giving in to de-
mands for cooperation with the
Rome-Berlin axis. It is almost
humorous to reflect that Great Brit
ain. has agreed to defend Czecho-
slovakia's integrity. Even more
tragic is Chancellor Hitler's demand
for Preparations from Czechoslo-
vakia, to be paid out of the $3.50, 0O0,-
900 loan recently granted the Czechs
by Great Britain.
With central Europe turned over
completely to dictatorship, with
Russia breaking her French ALI
ance and crawling back into silence,
France and Britain apparently
stand alone, friendless, merely toll
Grated by their "friends" -Italy and
Germany.
Taxation
Though campaigning politicians
do not speak of it, next winters
congress will probably turn the in
come tax headache into a night
mare. With another federal deficit
in prospect, with high income
brackets already taxed to the linn
it, the solution will be broadening
of tax base on middle and low in
come groups, i. e., the man making
less than $4,000 year. Present
exemptions are $1,000 for single per-
sons, $500 for married persons,
with $500 extra for each dependent
under IS years of age. If 2,067, 1856
persons fled 1885 returns on that
basis, an estimated 8,400, 900 would
yield from $500, 000, 1000 to $500, 000,-
600 more under the proposed plan
for reducing exemptions to $500
for single persons, 1000 for mar
ried persons and 5000 for depend
ents. Chief victims would be those
now paying in the low income
brackets, prospect that bodies vir-
tual political suicide for any con-
gresham who favors the measure.
Only alternative would be federal
sales taxation, which "horrified"
President Roosevelt when he first
took Office and has since been a
dead issue.
War
A weird combination of commu-
nistic-democratic government rules
Loyalist Spain, plainly holding the
sympathy of democratic France and
England. Rebel Spain has the sup
port Of totalitarian Italy and Ger
many. Since the totalitarian team
beat the democratic team at Mu-
nich's recent peace parley, Loyalist
Spain wonders if she will not be-
come another Czechoslovalkia, sold
down the river to, keep peace in
Europe's quarreling family. This
theory has been borne out in talk
of an Anglo-French-Italian pact
whereby Italy would withdraw her
support to Rebel Spain "a move al
ready started), whereby France
would close her border against arms
shipments to Loyalist Spain. Thus
isolated, Spain's civil warriors
would eventually be brought to talk
peace. Since France and England
are anxious to keep Italy's good will,
there is every reason to believe that
ultimate victory would come to Pre-
mier Benito Mussolini's very good
friend and ally, Rebel Generalissimo
Francisco Franco.