The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-06-01


ents have pretty nearly blown
the dome off the Capitol, fig
uratlvely speaking. They are the
disclosure by President Roose-
welt that he personally sanction
ed the purchase of Argentine
canned corned beef for the Navy
and the reports which have leak
ed out of the secret sessions of
the Dies committee investigat-
ing un-American activities.
If imprisoned oratory could
bring down the roofs of the Sc
nate and House, which are none
too secure INTELLECTUALLY, they
would have collapsed when Sen
ators and Representatives began
to voice their indignation over
the corned-beef affair.
Not only from the cattle-rais-
ing states but from many other
sections the members blew off
steam in defense of the Ameri-
can steer and in protest against
the implied slur on the quality
of American beef. For the Presi-
dent had said publicly that can
ned corned beef from the Argen-
tine was not only cheaper than
American beef, but of superior
quality.
The total amount involved in
the proposed Navy purchase of
corned beef is only $4,000, and
from the point of view of the Adj
ministration that is low price to
pay for "appeasement" of Argen-
tina.
Alone among the South Ameri-
can republics, Argentina cherish
es a deep-seated hostility to the
United States, arising from the
embargo against the importation
to this country of fresh or frozen
beef from the pampas Of that
great cattle-raising nation. The
reason for that is that a large
part of the Argentine range is
infected with foot-and-mouth di-
SeaSe.
That has not prevented other
nations from buying Argentine
frozen beef, which constitutes the
country's largest industry, but
the regulations of the United
States Department of Agricul-
ture keep it out of this country.
So the Argentinos are sore at I'm
Gle Sam, and it looked like good
diplomacy to buy some of their
canned corned beef, packed un-
der the watchful eyes of U. S. in
spectors.
Pleased Argentina
The Presidents announcement
pleased Argentina but started
a rumpus in Congress. The Sc
nate Naval Appropriations Com
mittee voted to insert in the new
Naval Supply bill a proviso that
none of the money should be
spent to buy foreign food for the
bluejackets.
One Senator made the startling
discovery that in the Senate and
House restaurants members were
being fed with imported corned-
beef, packed in Brazil by a
branch of an American packing
house concern.
The Navy authorities who COM
pared American corned beef with
that of Argentina say that the
latter is better because IN this
country only he poorer Gus OF
beef are corned, while the Argen-
tinos pickle the quality which in
America goes into hot dogs and
hamburgers.
The excitement over the corn
ed-beef episode was still at its
height when the news came out
from behind closed doors OF the
Dies investigating committee that
witnesses had been telling OF an
organized national anti-JeWlsh
movement, in which the name OF
high Army officer figured pro-
minently. Major-General Van
Horn Moseley, retired, was re-
ported to be one of the leaders IN
the campaign to stir up anti-JeW-
ish sentiment.
A waiter in a new York club
was reported to have made notes
of many conversations overheard
among the members, bearing on
the anti-Jewish plot. Letters from
General Moseley and from others
of prominence in business and
political circles were also read to
the committee behind the closed
doors of what was supposed to
he the secretest secret session eV-
err held in Washington.
Hold High Offices
In view of the considerable
Number of Jews holding hlgh
n,,h1ic office in Washington, JUS
free Frankfurter in the Supreme
go cocretarv MOrgenthau OF