Evening star., 1940-06-22
bankhead Halls
Junior Chamber
Vote on Training

B>OuSAI INISOIu VI1uS
Of National Defense
Cited by Speaker
The only purpose of the national
defense campaign is preparedness
from a non-partisan standpoint,
Speaker William B. Bankhead today
told a closing session of the United
States Junior Chamber of Com
merce convention at the Mayflower
Hotel
I'VE are happy that the Repub-
licans have joined us in voting for
and working in this program" the
House presiding officer declared.
"And it should be made clear that
there is no desire on the part of
this administration or of Congress
to marshal the young manhood Of
this country to send an army abroad
to fight a foreign dictator. All of
us must realize, however, that we
must make many sacrifices in the
months and years to come"
Matthews Elected President.
Martin S. Matthews of New York
City was elected president of the
organization for the coming year
by a unanimous vote, when Hugh
Owens of Oklahoma City and Joe
E. Levitt of San Jose, Calf, who
also had been nominated, withdrew
hafnro q votn uyoS takon
Minneapolis, Mimi, was chosen as
the place for the next convention.
Seven vice presidents were elected,
among them Tom Baldridge of VIM
chester and Front Royal, Va, to
represent the Middle Atlantic area,
including Washington. Mr.. Bald
ridge is general manager of Skyline
Caverns at Front Royal and for
three years has been director gen.
eral of the Apple Blossom Festival
at Winchester.
The other vice presidents are
Walter Finke of Minneapolis, Val D.
Hicks of Price, Utah: Bruce Palmer,
Detroit; William Shepherd, Pine
Bluff, Ark; NJ D. Whitney, Rocky
Ford, Colo, and 10 E. Levitt, San
Jose, Calf.
In his address, Speaker Bankhead
commended the Junior chamber for
its passage of a resolution indorsing
compulsory military training.
At the annual awards luncheon,
Mutual Safety Awards for outstand-
ing service in prevention of home,
highway and recreation accidents
were presented by Senator David I.
Walsh to the following Junior Cham
bers: Dallas, Tex, grand prize; Colo
RADIO, second, and Boston, Mass,
third.
Aided Safety Movements.
Junior Chambers throughout the
country have been supplying COM
mercial and industrial concerns with
materials and suggestions for After
Work Safety" programs designed to
protect workers and their families
from accidents.
A banquet and inaugural ball to-
night will bring the convention to
close.
The resolution on national defense
policy received final approval yes
terday after spirited discussion on
the military instruction clause. A
proposed amendment to strike out
the passage was tabled and another
which would have substituted sug-
gestion of better pay inducement
to voluntary enlistment was lost on
a show of hands. Initial opposition
to compulsory training decreased
during the debate, and the ultimate
vote brought only a few oppos-
ing voices.
Defense Proposals Offered.
The resolution pledged the organ
ization's efforts to the allaying of
war hysteria and submitted as
among elements of an adequate ma
tional defense:
Definition of sthe necessary geo.
graphical area of defense" at least
as the United States and its possess
sions in the Western Hemisphere;
training for rapid production of
materials needed for defense; ap-
pointment by the President of one
person charged with responsibility
for administrative coordination of
all agencies involved directly or in
directly in the defense program;
development of national resources
toward national self -sufficiency';
mandatory registration of all aliens;
public knowledge of "all pertinent
fonfcS rn1o fN Infnrcn ara1o
tionship to foreign conflicts; "elim-
ination of the use of the cloak of
diplomatic privileges to conceal un-
friendly propaganda and subversive
activity" and the sale of equipment
to those nations important to our
plan of national defense, provided
that the requirements of our own
defense shall in no event be preju-
diced by such sale
The resolution opposed sending of
an armed force beyond our geo.
graphical area of defense"
Ramspeck Bill Indorsed.
Passage of the Ramspeck bill for
extension of the civil service, ex-
tension of the Hatch Act to include
State and local employees paid
wholly or in part from Federal
funds, and elimination of restric-
tions hampering interstate trade
were urged in other resolutions ap-
proved.
Wars abroad may obscure but
they cannot and will not cure our
domestic ills" Philip D. Reed, 40
year-old chairman of the board of
the General Electric Co., told the
convention at a luncheon yesterday.
IF on a peacetime basis we view
dangerous tendencies toward the ex-
tension and concentration of Gov
eminent toward the creation of too
powerful bureaucracies and toward
unparalleled enlargement of our ma
tional debt, is it not clear that the
preparation for actual engagement
in war must speed and aggravate
these tendencies?"